Stone House Inklings

March 14th! (Book Blog Tours Part 2: Advanced Tips and Tricks)

2012-02-19T16:14:00.000-08:00

STONEHOUSE UNIVERSITY AUTHOR WEBINARS
Book Blog Tours Part 2: Advanced Tips and Tricks
presented by Aaron Patterson and K.C. Neal & special guest blogger, (The Book Brunette, AKA Zombie Queen!)
March 14, 2012 10:00 am to noon (Mountain Time)

Lots of tips for working with book bloggers and running a blog tour that stands out!
• Where to find blogs for your tour
• How to get bloggers to come to YOU for an ARC of your book
• How to make your blog tour stand out from all the others
• More book blogger survey results
• What makes bloggers bump a book to the top of their TBR piles
• How to build great relationships with bloggers
• Helpful tools and widgets for promoting your tour and doing giveaways
• Detailed sample timelines for planning through follow-up
• The 1 thing that will make bloggers drop everything to help you (hint: it has nothing to do with your book)
• The 2 philosophies we use that get bloggers excited to work with us (regardless of whether they love the book we're touring)

*To register click below, the cost is $50 and if you cannot make the class you can get the file and recording after for $45.
Click HERE

**If you missed Part #1 you can purchase the webinar for $45. Email StoneHousePress at Hotmail dot com for more information.

Are you lying to yourself?

2012-01-04T12:05:00.000-08:00

Tell me lies, sweet little lies!

I think about this more now days as I write and run a publishing house. Am I lying to myself? It is a good question, one I think every writer should ask.

I used to watch American Idol, not to see the talent but to witness the train-wreaks. Come on, you do the same thing, we all want to see the poor people who think they can sing, bellow out something bordering on evil.

Why do we do this? Because someone told these people that they were good, some family member or friend lied to these people!

I see this same thing going on in the writing world. But most of it is not family or a friend that are lying to us, but we ourselves. What are the lies?

Lie #1: My book is the best book in the world.
If you believe this, most publishers will not talk to you, in fact, they may run the other way with a look of fear on their faces.

Lie #2: I deserve a book deal.
Uh.... No! What makes you so special? Oh, you sold 1 million books? You are a social media expert? You have a platform? You have...? So why would a business buy your book and spend money in the hopes that your book will sell and make them all their money back AND more? Publishers are not working for free, they want to make money and you and your book are the way they do it, so how do you add value to their business?

Lie #3: I am going to be a bestseller on Amazon and do it all on my own.
Hmmmm, so publishers do it all with one person? Nope, it takes so many people to publish a book. Editors, cover artists, and so on... A publisher is just a group of people who all have jobs, and they all do their job and the end result is a published book. How many people make it? How many authors are full time? Less than 1% of ALL people write a book, less than 1% of that 1% are full time. It is after-all, WORK.

Lie #4: My book should be made into a movie.
LOL
Ha ha!!!
Giggle...
LOL
*Holds side
HAHAHA!
Any questions?
If I had a dollar for every author I heard say this line, I would be a rich man, and make your book into a movie. Hee hee.

Lie #5: I can't do it.
Yes you can. The only thing standing between you and a book is sitting your butt down and doing the work. Do the work and you will do it.

Lie #6: I need an agent.
Nope, all you need an agent for is Sub rights. Most middle to small publishers will talk and deal directly with you.

Lie #7: I need a big publisher.
Nope again... You need to sell some books before you can expect to get even close to a good deal with a big publisher. Don't chase them, make them come after you. That way you have the power.

Lie #8: I can do the cover on my own or have a friend do it for me.
Uh... please don't. please no...not another lame cover on Amazon...have some respect for yourself. Hire a pro, or have a good publisher do it for you... if the publisher can't put out a good cover-RUN!

Lie #9: I will not pay to publish.
Yes you will. You will pay on the front end or the back end, but you will pay something. Most publishers take all the cost of blog tours, marketing, book signings out of your cut... think you will not pay? Think again.

Lie #10: All of what this post is saying is mean and cruel, I like to think positive.
I choose to tell you the truth, even if it may make you mad. That way when you see that this is right you will be glad you were not lying to yourself. Be honest and remember that writing and writing for a living is work. Anyone can sell books and do well if they work hard. This is good news, you can do well if you teach yourself and work hard.

I do hope that this helps in some small way. I just don't want to see you go up on stage and butcher a song in front of the world.

Aaron

Stone House Goes Audio

2011-12-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

We are very please to announce that some of Stone House Ink's most popular titles are now available in audio book. Check it out. Download for those long Christmas drives...

Download

Two worlds.... One 16-year-old girl must learn to protect them both.

The nightmares haunting Corinne and her friend, Mason, hint at a universe that exists beyond the one they know. Her destiny is to protect a weakness between the two worlds, but the person who was supposed to teach her how is dead.

As Corinne and Mason search for answers, she tries to ignore the sparks igniting between them, but can't deny she feels safe only when he's nearby.

Will they find help before their nightmares break free?

Download

This is how your life ends: Not with a whimper, but a scream!

Jude Parish is afraid. The former violent crimes cop turned best-selling true crime author has a fear-filled demon lodged inside of him. A demon so real he can only imagine a slimy reptilian beast with scaly skin, black eyes, and razor-sharp fangs having taken up residence inside the place where his once confident and fearless soul resided.

Now, in the wake of his literary success, the ever anxious Jude is hoping to lead a quiet, peaceful life in the idyllic Adirondack vacation town of Lake George, New York with his new pregnant wife, Rosie, and Jack, his young son from a previous marriage. But when Jude becomes the accidental witness to a bizarre "kill game" in which the killer, video game designer and master of disguise, Hector "the Black Dragon" Lennox, insists on recording the screams of his victims prior to shooting them dead, the ex-cop's life is turned upside down.
When Lennox is arrested by the L.G.P.D. and Jude is asked to act as the state's star witness, he has no choice but to fight his demon-fear and take on the role. But what he doesn't realize at the time, is that the killer's arrest is actually the first level in what is a carefully designed and scripted first-person video kill game that will involve his entire family as players and victims.

How will the kill game end?

Like all violent video games, it will end in death. But it won't be Game Over until Hector Lennox catches the screams of his tortured victims.

Writer Beware! ePublishers

2011-12-13T11:59:00.000-08:00

I am hearing more and more about ePublishers and how so many unsuspecting writers are hooking up with these people. I do not think it is smart and most of them are only out to gather as many people as they can, throw some books out there and hope one takes off. This is like a vulture circling a dead carcass and the sad part is many writers are falling for this Scam.

I say scam as these publishers, and I use that word lightly, show where their heart is by the amount of effort they are willing to put into the project. How is it doing you any favors to have someone tell you that your work is not worth putting money into?

So they do not put a ton of money, as it is a test market thing, an mud sling and so the cover suffers, the editing if there even is any and the conversion. I know of one such publisher on Facebook and they do not even pay their authors as it is about a year old and so far no one is wise to the scam. They put out a few titles a week with the worst covers on the market not to mention most are stolen artwork from movies or video games. This bomb is ticking and when it goes off the mess will hurt the indie market in a huge way as yet again one more mark is set against anyone outside of the Big 6.

What should you do?

First, look at the publisher... do they put out good work or is it a hack job? Do they help market and is there a submission process or do they just take on anyone who will pay? Even if the publisher will do it for free that is the worst kind... run my friends RUN!

There are a ton of small presses like StoneHouse that try to do a New York job and will take on the authors it believes in... look for one like that and if all you want is to go E, well, do it yourself so when these scam publishers go under you will not be among the dead.

It's a Four Letter Word

2011-12-06T06:14:00.000-08:00

Work it's a four letter word. Often times people consider four letter words to be bad. But there are many four letter words that are not so bad like love...yeah that's all I can think of right now. If you have been following the blog you noticed 1. It's not as active as before and 2. That we are working on a project called Stone House University. That's one of the main reasons we have been so silent. We are working on so many projects. Some of the things that new project is going to offer
are...

Blog Tours
Writing to Hook
Facebook Marketing
Twitter Marketing
Writing with the Snowflake Method
How to plot
Amazon, how to work the system
How to Tag
Author Platform
Bookstores and how to set up signings
eBooks 101
Social Media 101
What is Google Plus

But before you can even consider any of those things you have to nail down the four letter word that is needed. WORK.

Our fearless leader Aaron Patterson tells it how it is below.

I get this vibe a ton from authors and other writers, that somehow by being in the same room as me or maybe by chillin with vincent Zandri the books will fly and the money will come in by the truckload. I think we all have this idea that it is the rub factor, can this person rub off on me, make me do better or by some sort of magic something will happen.

I do not say this with a mean spirit or because I think I have done anything special. in fact I wonder sometimes why and how I ever got anyone to read my books. I don't think I am that great of a writer or that I hold some power that makes me a success. That being said I will tall you one thing. I work hard.

Now I cannot claim to have great talent or to have a super brain, but I am a hard worker. And after talent and smarts give out, the hard worker will always win. We all remember the story of The Tortoise and the Hare. It is a simple story we all know about sticking with it, keep going and never give up. Now I like most never thought that story was more than just a kids story. But it is more.

Think about writing, publishing and selling books. It is not all about talent or style. Not about being the smartest person or having the highest ranking wizards review your book. It is about hard work.

What I lack in brains I make up for with stick-to-it-never-give-up-ness! What I lack in talent I make up for in Market-the-crap-out-of-my-and-others-books-ness!

I know we all want a pill, a magic list of how to make it. We want that simple thing we can all do to become a bestseller and so on. so here it is... the list the magic!

W: Work your A#% off!
O: Open up to new ideas! Don't get stuck in the mud, i.e. eBooks etc...
R: Reach out! Brand yourself and meet people. Share and support other authors.
K: keep going! Never stop. Be smart and market all the time but in a cool easy way.

There you go, the magic to the bestseller line. Want to make it big? This is it, not writing the best book, not being super hot, not paying out money to but your way up, good old hard WORK.

Cheers.

Thanks Aaron. So how about you dear reader are you a hard worker?

UPDATE:

2011-11-22T14:25:00.000-08:00

I want to let everyone know that the writing contest will be canceled due to lack of interest. This is on us and getting the word out has fallen short as we are all so busy right now. The amount of work involved is intensive and we feel that our talents will sure everyone better in other places.

That being said StoneHouse University is born.

We see that there is a great need for information and training in book marketing as well as writing for authors and writers alike. This takes a lot less time and the need is great.

So, as to the future, we will be holding local SHU classes in Boise on a monthly basis and web based classes as well. They will be free to all SH/SG authors and a low fee for anyone else. (Sorry)

If you have a topic you wish us to cover please leave a comment and we will look into putting it in the rotation. We will also have guest authors, and teachers in the classes so you can learn from the best.

Topics to some:
Blog Tours
Writing to Hook
Facebook Marketing
Twitter Marketing
Writing with the Snowflake Method
How to plot
Amazon, how to work the system
How to Tag
Author Platform
Bookstores and how to set up signings
eBooks 101
Social Media 101
What is Google Plus

And more...

We hope to see you at a SHU class in the near future.

Aaron

StoneHouse University (Blog Tour Class)

2011-11-07T13:58:00.000-08:00

Time: 19 November · 10:00am - 4:00pm

Location: Nebula Shift Offices Suite 202 609 Main St. (Across from City Hall upstairs of the Bistro Building)

This class is 50 dollars a person and can be paid at the door or through paypal @pattersonbooks@hotmail.com

Please RSVP so we know how many people to expect. This is the first of many more classes and each one will be on a different subject to do with writing and book marketing.

The class speakers will be Michelle Carpenter of Media Guests and K.C. Neal a local author and a master blog tour crazy person! The first 2 hrs of the class Michelle will talk about tours for non-fiction as well what to do and what a tour is.

K.C. Neal will speak in the second part of the class on how to set up a tour on your own as an author. We will also cover what to do when your book is on tour and all the info you wanted and never wanted to know about blog tours.

This is a focused class and we want you leaving with a good idea of what to do and how to do it on your own or through a third party tour host.

Please RSVP here and pay through paypal or at the door. Thanks

Aaron

Nebula Shift Offices Suite 202 609 Main St. (Across from City Hall upstairs of the Bistro Building)

Extention

2011-11-01T10:41:00.000-07:00

Because of being so busy at The Idaho Book Extravaganza we have decided to extend chapter 3's entry deadline through November. So apply apply apply share share share

Well we are thoroughly enjoying this contest. And now it's time for Chapter 3.

What will happen next?

Do you know...tell us?

Submit Chapter 3 to shwcontest at gmail dot com. But don't forget to go HERE and check out the rules and criteria.

And of course read the first two chapters together before you write on. We look forward to hearing from you guys. If you submitted before please do again. It was a tough pick.

Chapter One

“You ever had that kind of day?”

“Yeah,” she said, knowing what the teacher was saying without the burden of specifics.

The teacher leaned back on the railing. “I’m having one now.”

“Else why’d y’call me, y’know?”

The teacher coughed a grunt in response.

They stood facing in opposite directions, she looking south and west over the city of Honolulu from the 23^rd floor, he leaning back-to against the rail of the lanai and looking in on the wreckage.

“Anyway thanks for coming, all the same.” The teacher spread his arms out, gliding along the steel.

“You know I’d do anything for you,” she said, shifting her weight away from him. She looked sad, and her eyes were wet around the rims.

The teacher was staring at what was left of his furniture, his living space, his home life through the glass. “It’s not that big of a deal…”

She actually laughed, shaking her head, wiping under her eyelids carefully.

“Okay maybe it is. But we need to make a decision.”

“You need to make a decision.”

He stabbed a look quickly at her, shocked. A long and heavy moment passed. He looked downward. “They won’t be much longer.”

She too looked down, straight down, twenty-three floors down, to the radiated wreckage on the ground, the pieces of the contents of the teacher’s home that had been thrown off the lanai today. “You see it coming?”

“I did. Somewhere. Somehow. I knew it was inevitable. Denying that didn’t prevent it.”

“Sho’ you’re right.”

He looked again, drinking her in, her dark caramel skin and straight graphite hair quenching the feral part of him just enough to cause him to thirst for more. “Damn you,” he said, matter-of-factly.

“You talk at me like it’s my fault.”

He laughed raucously. “Everything’s your fault.”

She cupped her elbows in her hands and brought her feet together. The tradewinds lifted and moved long hair against sunkissed cheek as she looked out again, to the distant and sinking sun. “If that’s how you feel.”

The teacher’s face grew dark, the blood pushing against his skin, veins distended, fists clenched. But he said nothing.

They didn’t come boisterously, with sirens and screeching tires and battering rams and SWAT gear. No. And the teacher had foreseen this; it was child’s play. Instead: a knock at the door. Soft. His jaw ticked up toward it, his eyes narrowed already.

“I’m sorry,” she said, unmoving.

He didn’t move either. “No.” He pushed off the rail and stood steady, feet wide apart, hands up, palms facing the knock at the door.

She reached into her back pocket.

Another knock.

The teacher tensed.

She drew out black handcuffs with a measure of skill, held them on the flat of the palm of her right hand like an offering to the teacher.

He looked at her, saw her, eye to eye.

The doorknob turned slowly and quietly on the other side of the glass.

“You never knew,” he began, but the door was opening and it was too late. He turned toward it in reflex, taking his eyes from her for the briefest of moments.

She moved too quickly for him. The cuffs out and open, she managed to get one of them on his right wrist, but that was all. He spun away, ripping the cuffs from her control.

The door was wide open, some of the junk on the floor pushed aside in its sweeping arc, and there they were, standing, the only ones that could deter any of this.

She turned to face him, standing, relaxed. He came to a halt at the opposite edge of the lanai in a crouch. He growled; a fearsome noise. The handcuffs fell from his wrist and clattered on the concrete floor of the lanai—but this time they did not melt. She arched an eyebrow in response and looked at him.

His eyes were changing, blackening, and she shouted to those at the door, “It’s happening!”

They rushed in, fifteen of them, one at a time, silent as poison gas, gliding, soft, deadly, pale.

The teacher looked at her again as the metamorphosis took hold. He said it again, and one last time: “You never knew.” He closed his eyes and crouched deeper. The lanai shuddered violently, the concrete floor under his feet becoming liquid. He fell through.

She moved quickly to the edge.

He was gone on a contrail of fire.

“No, you never knew.”

Chapter Two

The teacher woke gasping for air as a rush of salt water filled his mouth. He coughed and spit sand from his mouth. Rubbing the sting from his eyes, he pulled himself to his feet. He stumbled, nearly losing his balance from the combination of shaky legs and the soft beach under his bare feet. His head was throbbing.

Confusion and question began racing through his mind. Where was he? How did he get here? The last memories that he could get a firm hold on were from the night before on the lanai, if in fact that had been the night before. He knew that there were memories, he could sense them. He just couldn’t seem to form them, like trying to remember a dream after being awake for several hours.

He shaded his eyes from the morning sun creeping over the horizon of the ocean. Looking down he realized his shirt was missing; he was wearing nothing except his pants which were filthy and torn.

“Are you alright?” asked a passing jogger.

He jumped at the voice. He had not noticed her approach.

“Fine,” he said forcing a smile. The look she gave him was more disgust than concern. He stood there watching her until she was nearly out of site. He turned away to take in his surroundings. He knew this beach. He had been here hundreds of times before, back when life was simple before he met… her.

He shook the thought from his head. He started walking, heading back towards town. He needed help and he knew it. Everyone he had trusted had betrayed him, and he was running out of options.

Walking through the parking lot of the beach, the teacher helped himself to a shirt from the open window of a car. The intense feeling of being watched was beginning to overwhelm his rational side. His pace began to quicken, slowly at first and then eventually into a full run. It was still early so the streets were nearly empty, however every person he saw felt like an enemy. He continued to run for what seemed like an hour or more until he finally reached his destination, an older apartment complex.

He climbed the steps to the fourth floor. He found the door marked 413, and began to beat on it furiously. A few moments later the door flung open. The man on the other side of the door stared wide eyed at the teacher as if he were seeing a ghost. He grabbed the teacher by the arm and pulled him inside, slamming the door behind them.

“Carter, what are you doing here?” The man asked angrily.

“Bill…I need...” the teacher had to catch his breath. He was panting so hard from the run that he could hardly breathe let alone speak. He sat down on the couch. Bill left the room; he returned a moment later with a glass of water. Carter took it and drank it down to the last drop. He set the glass on the floor and laid back into the chair.

“Thank you,” he said. “I needed a place to go, Bill.”

“Why did you have to come here, I’m already on suspension from the lab thanks to you.” Bill said still standing. They stared at each other in silence, nether knowing what to say to the other. Finally Bill sighed and sat down in the chair across from him.

“You look like hell you know,” Bill said with a chuckle.

“Bill, we did it,” Carter said. The smile fell from Bill’s face.

“What do you mean, it?”

“It Bill, It!” Carter yelled. “The project we have been working on for five years. What else would I be talking about? It worked, well sort of.”

“Carter, what do you mean sort of?” Bill’s voice sounded nervous.

“We can discuss the specifics later, but right now we have a bigger problem,” Carter said. Then the nervous feeling of being followed flowed back over him. He got up from the couch and closed the curtains on the windows. He returned to couch. “Someone found out.”

“Well of course someone found out, you were working in a public university lab,” Bill’s voice was rising.

“No, we were working out of a hotel. The lab pulled our funding due to lack of results,” The teacher explained.

“I assume you are talking about Laura?” Bill asked. At the mention of her name, the anger he had had the night before began to creep back up on him. He tried to let it go.

“Yes, Laura,” was all he said. Bill could sense the bitterness in his voice.

“Carter, what is going on?”

The teacher took a deep breath. He gave Bill a good long stare before he began talking.

“As you know,” he began. “All the animals we did the tests on had negative results. None of them showed any signs of transformation. So Laura came up with a theory, that the problem wasn’t the formula, but the size of the subject. When we went to the board to get a larger animal, that’s when they decided we were done.”

“So, let me get this straight,” Bill said. His voice sounding more uneasy than ever now. “You got kicked out of the lab, and decided that you would forgo the luxuries of a state of the art university laboratory, and try to develop a chemical that would alter muscle tissue, with a girl one year out of grad school in a sleazy hotel room?”

“When you say it like that, it sounds worse than it really is. It was a pretty nice hotel room,” He gave Bill a half smile.

Bill simply shook his head and stood up from the couch. He passed back and forth about the room, his hands behind his head. Finally he stopped and looked down at the teacher.

“So I take it by your appearance, you’re the bigger animal the two of you wanted to use?”

“How did you know?” The teacher asked.

“Carter,” Bill hesitated, giving him a look of pity. “What do you want from me?”

The teacher opened his mouth to speak, but then stopped suddenly. A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of his cheek.

“Carter, what’s the matter?” Bill asked confused.

Carter sat silent, not looking at Bill. He was looking past him, into the kitchen. Sitting on the counter, out in the open for all to see, was a familiar pair of black handcuffs.

Behind The Scenes

2011-10-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry we have been quiet lately. But we have been preparing for the Idaho Book Extravaganza. We get so excited about this every year. We get to meet amazing talents. Talk about the biz, meet with readers and authors. We look forward to it every year.

And this year we are really proud to announce that several of Stone House's own are featured speakers. Here is a list of a few.

Aaron Patterson will be discussing E-books

Vincent Zandri will be discussing from backlist to bestselling author.

Bri Clark and Chris White will talk about successful blogging (they have promised to behave)

It is not too late to get your all access pass. The trade show with several industry vendors including ourselves are set up. The trade show is free to the public. If you want to come and check it out then buy a pass there you can as well.

Hope to see you soon.

Want to WIN an agent package?

2011-10-14T07:16:00.000-07:00

Well we are thoroughly enjoying this contest. And now it's time for Chapter 3.

What will happen next?

Do you know...tell us?

Submit Chapter 3 to shwcontest at gmail dot com. But don't forget to go HERE and check out the rules and criteria.

And of course read the first two chapters together before you write on. We look forward to hearing from you guys. If you submitted before please do again. It was a tough pick.

Chapter One

“You ever had that kind of day?”

“Yeah,” she said, knowing what the teacher was saying without the burden of specifics.

The teacher leaned back on the railing. “I’m having one now.”

“Else why’d y’call me, y’know?”

The teacher coughed a grunt in response.

They stood facing in opposite directions, she looking south and west over the city of Honolulu from the 23^rd floor, he leaning back-to against the rail of the lanai and looking in on the wreckage.

“Anyway thanks for coming, all the same.” The teacher spread his arms out, gliding along the steel.

“You know I’d do anything for you,” she said, shifting her weight away from him. She looked sad, and her eyes were wet around the rims.

The teacher was staring at what was left of his furniture, his living space, his home life through the glass. “It’s not that big of a deal…”

She actually laughed, shaking her head, wiping under her eyelids carefully.

“Okay maybe it is. But we need to make a decision.”

“You need to make a decision.”

He stabbed a look quickly at her, shocked. A long and heavy moment passed. He looked downward. “They won’t be much longer.”

“I did. Somewhere. Somehow. I knew it was inevitable. Denying that didn’t prevent it.”

“Sho’ you’re right.”

“You talk at me like it’s my fault.”

He laughed raucously. “Everything’s your fault.”

The teacher’s face grew dark, the blood pushing against his skin, veins distended, fists clenched. But he said nothing.

“I’m sorry,” she said, unmoving.

He didn’t move either. “No.” He pushed off the rail and stood steady, feet wide apart, hands up, palms facing the knock at the door.

She reached into her back pocket.

Another knock.

The teacher tensed.

She drew out black handcuffs with a measure of skill, held them on the flat of the palm of her right hand like an offering to the teacher.

He looked at her, saw her, eye to eye.

The doorknob turned slowly and quietly on the other side of the glass.

“You never knew,” he began, but the door was opening and it was too late. He turned toward it in reflex, taking his eyes from her for the briefest of moments.

She moved too quickly for him. The cuffs out and open, she managed to get one of them on his right wrist, but that was all. He spun away, ripping the cuffs from her control.

The door was wide open, some of the junk on the floor pushed aside in its sweeping arc, and there they were, standing, the only ones that could deter any of this.

His eyes were changing, blackening, and she shouted to those at the door, “It’s happening!”

They rushed in, fifteen of them, one at a time, silent as poison gas, gliding, soft, deadly, pale.

She moved quickly to the edge.

He was gone on a contrail of fire.

Busy is as Busy Does....

2011-10-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

Hello Stoneys,

We are sorry that the blogs been quiet. Believe us it's not the usual think around here. However, with the website being update, preparing for the Idaho Book Extravaganza, and along with publishing books we have been busy this October.

Just some quick announcements we so excited to let you know about.

Stone House Ink will now be offering audio books. To name a few of those that will be in audio format are....

The Mark Appleton Series by Aaron Patterson. Which is also getting a special edition cover overall.

In Your Dreams

Mark Appleton must figure out what time he is in as he fights to bring down the worst enemy he has ever faced. Himself.

Pyxis the debut release coming this December from author K.C. Neal.

Pyxis

Two worlds... one 16-year-old girl must learn to protect them both.

And the latest from Thriller author Vincent Zandri Screamcatcher.

Screamcatcher

This is how your life ends: Not with a whimper, but a scream!

Don't forget our win a Nook contest is still going on here and win a Kindle contest is going on here.

Gazi

Writing Contest: Chapter Two

2011-10-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

And now, after much debate and breathlessness...we present to you the winner for Chapter Two: Ryan Collings. Thanks to all the entrants; the competition was fierce. Keep submitting! We'll be posting up later in the week about what prize Ryan gets for being outstanding. Until then we'll just ratchet up the pressure and keep you in the dark. Now, on to chapter two:

***
(Chapter One is here)

Chapter Two
The teacher woke gasping for air as a rush of salt water filled his mouth. He coughed and spit sand from his mouth. Rubbing the sting from his eyes, he pulled himself to his feet. He stumbled, nearly losing his balance from the combination of shaky legs and the soft beach under his bare feet. His head was throbbing.

Confusion and question began racing through his mind. Where was he? How did he get here? The last memories that he could get a firm hold on were from the night before on the lanai, if in fact that had been the night before. He knew that there were memories, he could sense them. He just couldn’t seem to form them, like trying to remember a dream after being awake for several hours.

He shaded his eyes from the morning sun creeping over the horizon of the ocean. Looking down he realized his shirt was missing; he was wearing nothing except his pants which were filthy and torn.

“Are you alright?” asked a passing jogger.

He jumped at the voice. He had not noticed her approach.

“Fine,” he said forcing a smile. The look she gave him was more disgust than concern. He stood there watching her until she was nearly out of site. He turned away to take in his surroundings. He knew this beach. He had been here hundreds of times before, back when life was simple before he met… her.

He shook the thought from his head. He started walking, heading back towards town. He needed help and he knew it. Everyone he had trusted had betrayed him, and he was running out of options.

Walking through the parking lot of the beach, the teacher helped himself to a shirt from the open window of a car. The intense feeling of being watched was beginning to overwhelm his rational side. His pace began to quicken, slowly at first and then eventually into a full run. It was still early so the streets were nearly empty, however every person he saw felt like an enemy. He continued to run for what seemed like an hour or more until he finally reached his destination, an older apartment complex.

He climbed the steps to the fourth floor. He found the door marked 413, and began to beat on it furiously. A few moments later the door flung open. The man on the other side of the door stared wide eyed at the teacher as if he were seeing a ghost. He grabbed the teacher by the arm and pulled him inside, slamming the door behind them.

“Carter, what are you doing here?” The man asked angrily.

“Bill…I need...” the teacher had to catch his breath. He was panting so hard from the run that he could hardly breathe let alone speak. He sat down on the couch. Bill left the room; he returned a moment later with a glass of water. Carter took it and drank it down to the last drop. He set the glass on the floor and laid back into the chair.

“Thank you,” he said. “I needed a place to go, Bill.”

“Why did you have to come here, I’m already on suspension from the lab thanks to you.” Bill said still standing. They stared at each other in silence, nether knowing what to say to the other. Finally Bill sighed and sat down in the chair across from him.

“You look like hell you know,” Bill said with a chuckle.

“Bill, we did it,” Carter said. The smile fell from Bill’s face.

“What do you mean, it?”

“It Bill, It!” Carter yelled. “The project we have been working on for five years. What else would I be talking about? It worked, well sort of.”

“Carter, what do you mean sort of?” Bill’s voice sounded nervous.

“We can discuss the specifics later, but right now we have a bigger problem,” Carter said. Then the nervous feeling of being followed flowed back over him. He got up from the couch and closed the curtains on the windows. He returned to couch. “Someone found out.”

“Well of course someone found out, you were working in a public university lab,” Bill’s voice was rising.

“No, we were working out of a hotel. The lab pulled our funding due to lack of results,” The teacher explained.

“I assume you are talking about Laura?” Bill asked. At the mention of her name, the anger he had had the night before began to creep back up on him. He tried to let it go.

“Yes, Laura,” was all he said. Bill could sense the bitterness in his voice.

“Carter, what is going on?”

The teacher took a deep breath. He gave Bill a good long stare before he began talking.

“As you know,” he began. “All the animals we did the tests on had negative results. None of them showed any signs of transformation. So Laura came up with a theory, that the problem wasn’t the formula, but the size of the subject. When we went to the board to get a larger animal, that’s when they decided we were done.”

“So, let me get this straight,” Bill said. His voice sounding more uneasy than ever now. “You got kicked out of the lab, and decided that you would forgo the luxuries of a state of the art university laboratory, and try to develop a chemical that would alter muscle tissue, with a girl one year out of grad school in a sleazy hotel room?”

“When you say it like that, it sounds worse than it really is. It was a pretty nice hotel room,” He gave Bill a half smile.

Bill simply shook his head and stood up from the couch. He passed back and forth about the room, his hands behind his head. Finally he stopped and looked down at the teacher.

“So I take it by your appearance, you’re the bigger animal the two of you wanted to use?”

“How did you know?” The teacher asked.

“Carter,” Bill hesitated, giving him a look of pity. “What do you want from me?”

The teacher opened his mouth to speak, but then stopped suddenly. A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of his cheek.

“Carter, what’s the matter?” Bill asked confused.

Carter sat silent, not looking at Bill. He was looking past him, into the kitchen. Sitting on the counter, out in the open for all to see, was a familiar pair of black handcuffs.

Advice To Writers

2011-09-29T06:28:00.001-07:00

A former President said it best...
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt

And the Hop Winners are....

2011-09-28T15:30:00.000-07:00

First Place Winner: (Ronda) Gets their pick of 5 Stone House Ink eBooks of their choice. In addition to shout outs and encouraged follows on all our Twitter, Facebook, Google + and Goodreads accounts.
Second Place Winner: (Shadow)Get's their pick of 3 Stone House Ink eBooks of their choice and or a 3 chapter critique from one of our amazing editors.
Third Place Winner:( Traci)Will receive 2 Stone House Ink eBooks of their choice

Congrats to the Winners and thanks to all the hoppers. All winners have been notified by email.

Now for the prizes....

2011-09-26T09:09:00.000-07:00

This officially ends the Autumn Blog Hop we have been so excited to be a participant in. Winners will be announced Wednesday on the blog September 28th, 2011. Stay tuned for those winners and for more contests.

Don't forget the Kindle and Nook giveaway are still going on. Just click the links below to enter for your chance to win if you haven't already.

Nook

Kindle

Fall Between The Pages Blog Hop Tour: Stone House Ink

2011-09-19T04:10:00.000-07:00

We are so very excited to be participating in the Fall Between the Pages Blog Hop Tour. Before we get to the post and prizes we have to go over the rules.

Tour Rules

1) HAVE FUN!!!

2) INVITE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!

3) THIS TOUR STARTS: Monday, September 19, at Midnight (Arizona Time)

THIS TOUR ENDS: Monday, Sept 26, at Midnight (Arizona Time)

Winners will be drawn and posted Sept 27! ***

4) MEET AND MINGLE WITH ALL THE AUTHORS AND BOOK PAGES! EXPERIENCE A NEW PARTY DESTINATION AT EVERY STOP! PARTICIPATE IN EVERY BLOG CONTEST AND BE ENTERED FOR CHANCES TO WIN MULTIPLE PRIZES! EVERY BLOG VISITED IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO WIN!!

5) PARTICIPATION AT ALL BLOGS IS RECOMMENDED, BUT NOT REQUIRED. REMEMBER, THE MORE BLOGS YOU HOP, THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING PRIZES. EVERY AUTHOR AND BOOK PAGE IS WAITING TO MEET AND INTERACT WITH YOU, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO SHOW EVERYONE SOME LOVE!

6) DID I MENTION TO HAVE FUN? WHOO! HOO!!

***Hosts have full discretion to choose an alternate winner in the event any winner fails to claim their prize(s) within 72 hours of their name being posted or after notification of win, whichever comes first. Anyone who participates in this blog hop tour is subject to these rules**

Stone House Ink 's home base of operation is in the beautiful Idaho. If there is ever a time to love autumn it is in Idaho. Specifically Fall Creek Falls. This beautiful land mark is a great place to go find a great spot to camp and read for hours, days, weeks even. Oh yes we would go that long reading we do love books that much. The only thing we love more is our readers, fans, followers, whatever you prefer we know we would be nothing with out you. So now for the page rules and prizes.

Stone House Inklings Blog Hop Rules.

1) Follow us on Facebook Here and leave a comment letting us know.

2)Follow our blog and leave us a question or a comment here below. Please also leave your email address so we can notify you in case you are a winner!

3) If you Tweet, follow us on Twitter Here.

***Hosts have full discretion to choose an alternate winner in the event any winner fails to claim their prize(s) within 72 hours of their name being posted or after notification of win, whichever comes first. Anyone who participates in this blog hop tour is subject to these rules***

That's It. Now for the prizes.

First Place Winner: Gets their pick of 5 Stone House Ink eBooks of their choice. In addition to shout outs and encouraged follows on all our Twitter, Facebook, Google + and Goodreads accounts.
Second Place Winner: Get's their pick of 3 Stone House Ink eBooks of their choice and or a 3 chapter critique from one of our amazing editors.
Third Place Winner: Will receive 2 Stone House Ink eBooks of their choice.

PS. Two separate contests from the blog hop are here and here to enter to win a Free Kindle and a Free Nook.

Here are just a few of Stone House/ Stone Gate's books. To view all our books go to Amazon type in Stone House in the search line. Sorry our main site is down now for maintenance.

Don't forget to go back and hop the other stops for my prizes and amazing content to follow. And to get back all you have to do is click here.

Win a Free Nook...

2011-09-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

Who wants to win a FREE NOOK? No joke... Free. *Don't want to leave the Nook people out.

Step One: RE-Post this message to your blog, Facebook profile or RE-Tweet.

Step Two: Go to the Vincent Zandri, Noir Author page linked here, and "like" the page as well as post your link on the wall. Everyone who does this, will be automatically entered to win a free Kindle. The prize will be drawn at random and I will post the winner on the 15th of October.

Win A FREE KINDLE!

2011-09-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

Who wants to win a FREE KINDLE? No joke... Free. How you might be asking with your eyes full of glee!?

Step One: RE-Post this message to your blog, Facebook profile or RE-Tweet.

Step Two: Go to the Airel Facebook Fan-page, and "like" the page as well as post your link on the wall. Everyone who does this, will be automatically entered to win a free Kindle. The prize will be drawn at random and I will post the winner on the 15th of October.

If you want to say something nice about me or the book I will give you a online hug! Now that is worth almost more! Thanks everyone and I can't wait to see who wins!

Good luck all and happy posting!

Here is the link to Airel on Amazon.com

Character Monday: Defining What Counts

2011-09-06T05:54:00.000-07:00

The usual course of Character Monday at Stone House Inklings usually is an interview with said character or with the author discussing a particular character.

Not Today...

The fun thing about character is it's one of those words that has multiple meanings and additionally keeps the same spelling. There is a fancy word for it...but unfortunately our resident editor Mr. White is not in the office as early as I. I'm sure he will look at this post and mention it in the comments. And grammar is not my forte'.

Today we are going to talk about Character's other meaning. Now Wikipedia has about ten different meanings and uses for the word character. Specifically I'm going to discuss this definitions of Wiki's on character.

The concept of character can imply a variety of attributes including the existence or lack of virtues such as integrity, courage, fortitude, honesty, and loyalty, or of good behaviors or habits. Moral character primarily refers to the assemblage of qualities that distinguish one individual from another...

(This is probably why I'm a sucker for historicals. The code of chivalry of honor. Sigh.)

Now when you take that explanation and couple it with our usual one.

A character is the representation of a person in a narrative or dramatic work of art

I have defined what I as a reader and author value most in my characters in the novels I read and write. A person that struggles against conflict internal and external to exercise the full extent of his characters. They don't have to good guys. The bad are just the same.

When creating a work of fiction Characters will pull readers into the story and create fans. Characters will save a poor or easy plot. Essentially great characters=a great read.

That's my 2 cent's on Characters. What say you?

PS. Have you entered our publishing contest? Go here and check out the details.

Writing Contest, Chapter 1

2011-09-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

“You ever had that kind of day?”

“Yeah,” she said, knowing what the teacher was saying without the burden of specifics.

The teacher leaned back on the railing. “I’m having one now.”

“Else why’d y’call me, y’know?”

The teacher coughed a grunt in response.

They stood facing in opposite directions, she looking south and west over the city of Honolulu from the 23^rd floor, he leaning back-to against the rail of the lanai and looking in on the wreckage.

“Anyway thanks for coming, all the same.” The teacher spread his arms out, gliding along the steel.

“You know I’d do anything for you,” she said, shifting her weight away from him. She looked sad, and her eyes were wet around the rims.

The teacher was staring at what was left of his furniture, his living space, his home life through the glass. “It’s not that big of a deal…”

She actually laughed, shaking her head, wiping under her eyelids carefully.

“Okay maybe it is. But we need to make a decision.”

“You need to make a decision.”

He stabbed a look quickly at her, shocked. A long and heavy moment passed. He looked downward. “They won’t be much longer.”

“I did. Somewhere. Somehow. I knew it was inevitable. Denying that didn’t prevent it.”

“Sho’ you’re right.”

“You talk at me like it’s my fault.”

He laughed raucously. “Everything’s your fault.”

The teacher’s face grew dark, the blood pushing against his skin, veins distended, fists clenched. But he said nothing.

“I’m sorry,” she said, unmoving.

He didn’t move either. “No.” He pushed off the rail and stood steady, feet wide apart, hands up, palms facing the knock at the door.

She reached into her back pocket.

Another knock.

The teacher tensed.

She drew out black handcuffs with a measure of skill, held them on the flat of the palm of her right hand like an offering to the teacher.

He looked at her, saw her, eye to eye.

The doorknob turned slowly and quietly on the other side of the glass.

“You never knew,” he began, but the door was opening and it was too late. He turned toward it in reflex, taking his eyes from her for the briefest of moments.

She moved too quickly for him. The cuffs out and open, she managed to get one of them on his right wrist, but that was all. He spun away, ripping the cuffs from her control.

The door was wide open, some of the junk on the floor pushed aside in its sweeping arc, and there they were, standing, the only ones that could deter any of this.

His eyes were changing, blackening, and she shouted to those at the door, “It’s happening!”

They rushed in, fifteen of them, one at a time, silent as poison gas, gliding, soft, deadly, pale.

She moved quickly to the edge.

He was gone on a contrail of fire.

“No, you never knew.”

Now you take it from here dear reader. What will the next chapter be? Go HERE and learn about all the rules and how to submit. Good luck.

Hint: Go to the right of the blog and like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to be the first to know everything.

Publishing Contest...Rules and Legalities

2011-09-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

StoneHouse Ink

StoneHouse Inklings Blog

Writing Contest Rules

We’re having an open contest to write a new compilation eBook, chapter by chapter. If you want to get noticed, this is a great opportunity to do so. Anyone can enter—published authors, fans, amateurs, even your pet goldfish, provided he can write. We’re posting up one chapter per month, and at the end we’re going to release the full eBook, edited, polished, and awesome. Each month’s contest winner will have their work published, along with all the other monthly winners, in a full length compilation eBook by StoneHouse and/or StoneGate Ink. Who knows where this story’s gonna end up? You may get to influence it in a big way if you win. Want the lowdown skinny? Here are the rules:

Follow our lead. Write a follow-up chapter to those that are previously posted on the blog, and try to keep it under 2k words. Submissions should be emailed to us at shwcontest at gmail dot com and sent as a Word doc or .rtf file. Submissions are due by the 20^th of each month. You can enter only once per month, so make it good. Just FYI, we're looking for thriller/paranormal type stuff because it fits our brand. We're not looking for sci-fi, fantasy, erotica and all that.
The StoneHouse staff will judge the best 5 entries received each month. Our nominations will be posted on the 25^th of each month so you, the blogosphere, can vote. Votes will be tallied by commenting “vote” on the chapter you like best. Get your votes in by the last day of the month, because on the 1^st the cycle starts all over again with the winning chapter.
Vote, tell your friends, spread the word, link your blog, share on Facebook, Twitter, Google + and on and on. The post with the most votes wins. And even if you win this month, you can enter again next month.
There are monthly winners and there’s an overall winner. Each winner will be credited as a contributing author for their chapter in the final published eBook.
The StoneHouse package prize for monthly winners will be a surprise each month, and you have a little bit of choice in the matter. You can choose a free eBook download, or a print copy if it’s available, from any of our superawesome writers. Or maybe you just want us to plug you on Twitter all month long. Be creative. We’re open to suggestions/bribes/begging.
The overall winner will receive a professional literary agent representation package. Specifics are TBA.

The legal poop: By submitting your work to this contest you the entrant are granting worldwide rights to use and publish your work in any format now known or to be devised in the future. You also understand and agree that you will not be compensated for any and all earnings produced by your submitted work. You agree further to hold blameless and indemnify StoneHouse Ink and all its affiliates and associated ventures in the event of a dispute. Happy writing!

Now on to the first chapter....HERE!

Hint: Go to the right of the blog and like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to be the first to know everything.

Writer Wednesday: Senses: Method or Madness?

2011-08-31T01:55:00.000-07:00

http://www.sell-arts.com/item/1007060.html

As an author we are told to show and not tell. In a recent workshop I attended it was explained to paint a picture with your words. In order to do that one needs to address the senses.

Taste
Touch
Scent
Sight
Hear

Today I want to address smell. Scent is a powerful tool when writing. How often have we caught the aroma of a food that propels us to another place in time, or the haunting fragrance of a woman's perfume that reminds you of the one who broke your heart, crushed your soul?

For me Peony flowers will always be my granny's house. She has three bushes that have grown back every year with a vengeance. Even though for a decade my grandfather rode them down ruthlessly with his John Deere.

In The Familial Witch the Peony flower is a living birthmark on the heart of Aisleen. The last of the Familial Witches and the leader of the extinct coven peonies are her distinct scent as well. While I know what I remember about the flower, it would be so much easier to describe what I'm smelling while in the act. Correct?

Since I don't have the budget to fly in Peonies and keep them in an indoor fridge year round or until I'm done with this novel. I tried the next best thing. Lotion. Bath and Body Works lotion. Sprays, candles or shower gel I'm sure would work just the same. But lotion is the strongest scent next to a candle which they didn't have in the kind I need. It was all very easy and cheap at $10 for 3 bottles. (I'm working on another novel and need Gardenias. The third was just for me.) I went in told the clerk I needed something that smelled of Gardenias and one like Peonies. She pulled out this magic wheel that pointed her to the fragrances that matched the scent I wanted. And Wala!

Carried Away=Gardenias

Sweet Pea=Peonies

So what do you people think method or madness? How do you creatively pull from the senses to write

Character Monday: Who is Antony?

2011-08-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

Bri Clark

SH: Today for Character Monday we welcome the Belle of Boise, Bri Clark. She's a romance author extraordinaire and then some. To date her works include Familial Witch, Glazier, Scent of a Witch (releasing in time for Halloween) Caffe' Seduzione and its sequel, Mafia Seduzione, releasing with StoneHouse Ink this year. Today, for Character Monday, we hear she's got a bit of an Italian treat for us. So, Bri, who are we meeting today?

BC: Antony Vincent Romano Deluca.

SH: What is it with Italians and huge names; Lordamighty. Anyway, who is Antony?

BC: Well, Antony has a long name because he was adopted and his father wanted to honor the ancestors on all sides. I think that is the same for other Italian families; they are honoring the past. Antony is a man whose first instinct is to do things the right way, but if it gets too challenging he will resort to using his influence, his resources and his name to get what he wants when he wants. He's a true Italian alpha male who resides mainly in Rome. When you ask what he does for a living he says, "investments," and that's really all I can say too.

SH: Cryptic. Still, if we happened to peek in the windows of his villa on any given night, what might we see?

BC: Currently the Romano family villa is closed up tight. He hasn't been there since the deaths of his birth parents when he was a boy. There are plush vintage antiques, but they are all covered with sheets. But Colleen just might be making a lot of changes there soon enough.

SH: Does Antony have any weaknesses?

BC: Yes, two. Colleen and Ava. It's those weaknesses and his inexperience at dealing with them that causes all sorts of problems for him. They make him vulnerable.

SH: Which makes us all weak in the knees. At least the feminine side of us, with which we are "in touch". We hear Antony loves a good cuppa joe. What else is he into?

BC: Yes he starts every day with a caffé macchiato. Cigars: he loves a good cigar. Investing, too, is a professional hobby, and he's a natural. Plus he's trained for years at fencing, you know, swordplay. He collects ancient swords and uses them in physical drills as his form of exercise.

SH: Alright, Bri, come now. Is he really a mafia Don?

BC: Antony is the son of a Mafia Don. Technically he would be the heir of the estate, according to their culture. But after his parents died he left that world and hasn't been back. So who knows?

SH: Who knows indeed. This is dark and fascinating stuff, but brevity is the soul of wit and ours will be in jeopardy if we don't cut you off here. Folks, you can connect with Bri on Facebook, Twitter and Google plus. Follow her blog, and of course, buy her books. Don't forget Glazier goes on tour in September. It's been a pleasure having you here, Bri, and we mean that. We don't want to wake up to find a horse's head under the covers, so we really mean it. We love you. Really.

BC: <Rolls eyes and makes Italian hand gesture on her way out.>

Writer Wednesday: Have a favorite Idaho author? Nominate them!

2011-08-24T04:10:00.000-07:00

Polls are open for the Top 50 Idaho authors. If you have an author who lives in Idaho that you just love here is you chance to go beyond buying the books and Amazon reviews. Nominate them to be a top Idaho author.

When: Friday October 28. 5:30pm – 6:30pm
Where: Boise Center, Falcons Conference Room, Trade Show Stage

The 2011 Idaho Book Extravaganza will be kicking off the 1st annual Idaho Top 50 Author Awards and event ceremony. Being awarded as an Idaho Top Author is an accomplishment to savor and is a marketing tool for your book(s). Authors can apply for or be nominated for this award. Winners will be selected by a team of leaders in the publishing industry.

Please email Application-Nomination form to IdahoBookExtravaganza@gmail.com and send copy of one book* to Idaho Book Extravaganza, Banner Bank Building, 950 W. Bannock Street, Suite 1100 Boise, ID 83702

Points of Note

They have to be published in some way. eBooks are ok.
You can apply yourself if you are an author.
It is free to nominate and apply

Any other questions please ask in the comments or check out the FAQ link here.

Character Monday: A mob boss?

2011-08-22T07:01:00.000-07:00

Today Stone House was supposed to interview Antony Deluca the debonair Italian business man from Bri Clark's Caffe' Seduzione and upcoming release Mafia Seduzione. This was an interview I was truly looking forward too. Mr Deluca like myself loves a good scotch and a cigar which was what we were to share over our interview at my favorite club. To my dismay when I arrived there was a note awaiting me and not the elusive Italian.

My apologies for postponing our talk. Unexpected events have occured that require my personal and immediate attention. I will contact you when I can meet again. It would be convient if you could make yourself flexible

Have a cuban and a scotch on me.

I couldn't help but feel a trickle of sweat bead down my neck and look after I read the note. Then I didn't know what to do with it. Scared I was being watched and didn't want to offend I sat and smoked the cigar. The scotch I downed in one gulp in an attempt to quell my nerves. Why you ask did I respond this way? One of the questions I was to pose, or the rumor is, Antony Deluca is not only connected but the rightful heir of a generations long Italian Mafia Family. His deceased father being the last don.

Stay Tuned Folks...Please...for that interview. I need people to be expecting to hear from me.

Writer Wednesday: From Blogs to Conferences A Writers Evolution

2011-08-17T01:06:00.000-07:00

The Internet is amazing, eBooks are a Godsend, ereaders are a miracle. The publishing world has changed in ways and speeds no one could prophesied. One of those other great aftershocks of the eBook earthquake is learning through blogs. From finding books to read by reputable reviewers, to learning the In's and outs of writing, publishing, and marketing for new authors once again the results are huge.

Nevertheless, there comes a time where one on one learning and networking must be considered. It's the natural evolution of the serious writer desiring to be author.

In this area local is the best way to go. Libraries, book clubs, writer's groups are wonderful first steps for those that may suffer from a less aggressive social personality. But what if you've done that? What's the next level? Conferences of course!

In Idaho there is the Idaho Book Extravaganza. An annual event that each year only gets better. Workshops from how to write and market a mystery, to how to write a memoir, to finding a distributor to name a few are modestly priced but infinitely priceless offered.Not to mention the connections made with other locals who share your desire to learn and conquer the industry.

October 28-29 2011 The IBE is a ripe plum of knowledge waiting to picked. For a complete list of workshops offered go here.

To register go here. Remember students get a discount.

Character Monday: An Interview with Les Edgerton

2011-08-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

Les Edgerton is an ex-con who has turned from living a life of crime to writing about that life. Just Like That is his tenth published book and he has several others forthcoming this year, including The Perfect Crime coming soon from StoneGate Publishing. Les spent a couple of years in prison at Pendleton. During his sojourn there, then-President Johnson came on national TV and proclaimed Pendleton the “single-worst prison in the U.S.” Les was watching TV in D Block when the president made his announcement, and says, “Our entire cellblock stood up and cheered as if our ‘team’ had just won the Super Bowl. In a way, we had.”

At various times in his life, Les has been a burglar, armed robber, dope user and dealer, an escort in a service that catered to older, wealthy women, a pimp, a womanizer who went to bed with over 1,000 women, was married five times, has been involved in high-speed chases with the cops(and got away), has been shot at and shot back several times, lived with one of New Orleans’ leading call girls who stabbed another girlfriend of his and tried to stab him—and also shot at him and tried to run him over with the car he’d bought for her, was involved with various Mafia figures in New Orleans and been involved in dozens of other nefarious pursuits. He has also obtained his B.A. from Indiana University and his MFA in Writing from Vermont College, been happily married for the past 25 years, has three beautiful children, and his writing has been nominated for a bunch of awards, including the Pushcart Prize, O. Henry Award, Jesse Jones Book Award, PEN/Faulkner Award, Violet Crown Book Award, Edgar Allan Poe Award, and others. He’s also been the Visiting Writer-in-Residence at the University of Toledo (3 years) and Trine University (1 year). He currently teaches creative writing online for Writer’s Digest and Phoenix College.

Chris White (CW): Les, is your protagonist in Just Like That, Jake Mayes, based on anyone in real life?

Les Edgerton (LE): Well… yes, he is. He’s based on moi. The novel is a thinly-disguised memoir in many ways. About 80% of it is taken directly from my own experiences. His friend, Bud, is also taken from a real-life person, a guy I spent time with in Pendleton (also named Bud) and with whom I took a real-life road trip during which some of the things in the novel took place.

CW: You say it’s “80 %” from your own experiences. Which parts are true and which fiction?

LE: Without a rubber hose and a couple of guys playing “good cop-bad cop” I’m afraid I won’t reveal that. And, even with those stereotypes in the room with me, I still won’t say. The reason is that there are crimes which don’t have an expiration date—in other words, no statute of limitations.

Also, while most of it is based on my own life, the way it’s written isn’t in a literal fashion. For example, I took three different road trips with buddies and more than one by myself—there were times when I’d just jump in the car and drive to wherever and other times when I’d jump on a bus and head off in a vague direction (usually south, but not always) and then get off when the place I was at appealed to me--and the novel is an amalgamation of all those trips.

Almost all of my fiction is based on my life. I had an interesting experience with my first novel, The Death of Tarpons. That one was probably more than 90% autobiographical and the first publisher who wanted it asked me to present it as memoir. Even though it was almost entirely autobiographical, I couldn’t bring myself to do so. After all, ten percent wasn’t and I felt it would be dishonest to do so and so I turned down his offer of publication. I have no desire to be another James Frey. Actually, I do have a memoir that is 100% true that I’m still rewriting, and I’ll have no trouble at all in affixing my name to it. It’s presently titled Adrenaline Junkie, and that’s a fairly accurate and descriptive title. As readers will see from the character Jake in Just Like That, adrenaline is really my drug of choice.

CW: Interesting that you should drop the dime on that dirty little secret about how there’s so much autobiography in novels—that we write, perhaps unavoidably, our lives in so many ways. Alan Heathcock shares that sentiment with you, as do I.

Just Like That is a prime example of an honored novel form—the road novel. What attracts you to that form?

LE: Most of my own life has taken the shape of a road trip, so it just feels natural to me. Since birth and up until the age of 40, I’d never lived in the same place longer than two years. Sometimes I lived in the same places more than once, but never more than two years in a row, max. And, most of my “stays” were of much shorter duration—mere months or even weeks at a time. And I love the idea of being on the move. I think that’s a particularly American more. We are a nation of nomads. Even today, after two years of being in the same place, I get extremely antsy. Now that I’m older and have been stuck in Indiana for a long time, it’s the biggest negative in my life. Unfortunately, once you have a family, it becomes much harder to just pick up and leave. You may wonder if it’s such a bad thing why I do it and it’s simple—I love my family more than I love moving. Life’s a tradeoff and this is just one of those tradeoffs. I’ve made worse…

Road novels are just classic and I believe they’ll be a viable form for fiction forever. However, and at the risk of offending some of my writer friends, there’s one road novel I feel is vastly overrated and that’s Jack Kerouac’s seminal On the Road. I’m in the Truman Capote camp on this one where he speaks of Kerouac’s novel, “That’s not writing; that’s typing.” At the least, he could have used a good editor. (I expect responses to that… and that’s fine. If I ever write or say something that everybody agrees with or likes, I’ll consider it a failure.)

CW: Having lived in Indiana myself for quite a few years, I know what you’re saying about being stuck there. I guess sometimes it’s different if you’re born somewhere versus moving there from somewhere else—it’s all about perspective. Speaking of which, is there a theme for Just Like That, and if so what would you say it is?

LE: Good question, Chris. First, let me give you my take on “theme.” I don’t see theme as entering into the writing of a novel until after the first draft is finished. Basically, I feel that theme is mostly something lit profs invented to justify their existence and to help them look smart. It’s not anything writers think about much. All theme is is the TV Guide logline. Works well for high-concept books, not as well for low-concept books.

However, that said, there is a place for theme. Since theme is simply “what the book’s about,” ergo, the TV Guide logline definition (this novel is about two guys who broke a mountain in two and found out they didn’t like girls as much as everyone else…), it does serve a purpose in rewriting novels. After I finish the first draft, then I ask myself, “What’s it all about?” (I rarely add “Alfie”…). In the case of Just Like That, it’s all about an individual’s control of his life.

Which, incidentally, is the theme of almost all accurate accounts about criminals—it’s always about control. Almost all crime—theft, murder, rape, kidnapping, burglary, armed robbery, check-kiting, you-name-it—it’s always about the person feeling they have little or no control in their lives and the crime they commit—even momentarily—gives them at least a brief moment of control. It’s why most of us who are or have been criminals keep repeating the crime—it’s the only time in our lives when we’re in control of our universes. In fact, Cathy Johns, the Assistant Warden of The Farm (the state joint in Angola, LA) read this and said it was the “best account and understanding of the criminal mind” she’d ever seen. It’s all about control.

So… that’s the theme. The value of theme to the writer is that after he or she identifies the

theme, then during the rewrite everything in the novel must relate to the theme or it should end up on the cutting room floor. The writer who makes the mistake of trying to write a novel based on a theme is going to find out that doesn’t work well. He’ll be forcing the narrative to fit that theme and will end up fairly well blocked and soon on. If, on the other hand, the writer writes the first draft and then figures out the theme and then rewrites it according to the precepts of that theme, then it works. The author ends up with a tightly-focused and entertaining book, one that’s “all of a piece” as somebody important once said—probably Emily Dickenson.

CW: What are high concept and low concept books, Les?

LE: High concept refers to a story premise that can be boiled down to one or sometimes two sentences that set it apart from other stories because of its angle or hook. The one or two sentences need to clearly describe the story. Screenwriter Steve Kaire defines it even closer, citing five elements high concept stories need to possess:

an original premise
mass audience appeal
story-specific pitch
easy-to-see story potential
a pitch no longer than three sentences (I’d disagree with this last one. If it takes three sentences to express it, it’s getting dangerously close to a low concept idea.)

Low concept refers to more diffused stories that can’t easily be distilled into such a description as high concept. An apt and high concept description of a low concept story might be: noncommercial. When a writer talks to an editor or an agent and begins by saying, “I can’t explain my book in just a few sentences. It’s just too complicated for that.” The gatekeeper realizes at that point that what that writer is describing is… noncommercial, most likely. These kinds of books are why vanity publishers flourish.

Both Hollywood and publishers much prefer high concept story ideas in general. They’re easily understood and they’re quickly judged as to their originality and marketability.

The best sources of examples of high concept stories come from The TV Guide and the newspaper descriptions of movies. The folks who write them completely understand high concept and how to express it.

CW: Outstanding, Les, and interesting answers. Thank you.

LE: The answers can only be as interesting as the questions, Chris. Thank you for the opportunity—it was fun! Now, I’m that much closer to my ultimate goal—appearing in People Magazine, a photo of me at the seashore gazing soulfully out to sea and having some kind of pithy quote under the pic, something like: Les often thinks about the starving children in Ft. Wayne, IN and only wishes he could do more for them. Or not … Laizzez le bon temps rouler…

CW: (That means “Let the good times roll,” I think).

Writer Wednesday: Let's talk about Extravaganza

2011-08-10T01:15:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Writer Wednesday here at the House. While the uber talented Chris White has been sharing with us the steps on How To Be a Good Writer now ,the belle Bri, (that's me) is going to take the reins and talk about networking, conferences and workshops.

The Idaho Book Extravaganza is a regular conference held in Boise Idaho, Stone House's home base of operation. Stone House Ink is proud to be yet again a sponsor and participant at this year's IBE.

October 28-29th, writers, readers, students, agents, graphic designers, publishers, and authors gather together in Boise ID for workshops, mixers, speaking events, and a trade floor show to name a few.

One of the new features at this years IBE is the Author Mixer. I know what you are thinking feather boa's mix drinks and awkward moments...oh your not. Well then I'll just go straight to the details...

Author Mixer

When: Friday October 28. 7:00pm – 8:30pm

Where: Boise Centre, Waters Conference Room

For the public
During IBE you’ll get the opportunity to learn from many of Idaho’s top authors as well as authors from around America in world class workshops. The Author Mixer is your opportunity to meet with the authors face-to-face, network and truly become a part of the writing community. Enjoy author booths, refreshments, no host beverages, book signings, and giveaways. This event is included with the purchase of an All Access Ev ent Pass or if purchased separately with the Author Mixer Pass cost $15.

For the author
As an author this is your opportunity to showcase your hard work! As you know publishing your book is only the first step, next you have to market it to the public. Networking with fellow authors and professionals in the publishing industry is your opportunity to make key relationships to help in this process. Before purchasing your author mixer table please fill out and email (or mail) in your Author Mixer Form. For more information email IdahoBookExtravaganza@gmail.com.

Sounds fun right? I'm gonna be there. Are you? Stay tune we will offering more insider info for IBE on upcoming Writer Wednesdays.

Character Monday: Who is Savanna?

2011-08-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

SH: This week on Character Monday we are pleased to present Lucinda Moebius, author and teacher. Her current title is Echoes of Savanna. Lucinda, tell us a little about you.

LM: Thanks for having me here. As you mentioned, I’m an author and teacher. It’s hard for me to distinguish between those two titles. I love creating stories—my younger sisters used to beg me to tell them bedtime stories to help them go to sleep when we were children. I also love teaching—I have experience teaching Middle School, High School and at the College level. I’m married and have a stepson, a dog and a cat. Anyone who knows me understands my family is the center of my life, and I would drop everything to help any of them.

SH: Just wondering here, since it’s such an obvious question: Do you apply some of the lessons that you teach your students to the things that you write?

LM: Of course! I love teaching Campbell’s Hero’s Journey; plot, foreshadowing, character development; genre literature and so many other concepts. I keep these ideas in the forefront when I write. Having said that though, I am in no way a ‘formula writer.’ I’m a firm believer in knowing the rules of literature and then finding ways to bend them and write with my own style. I always tell my students to “learn the rules so you know when to break them.” It’s what makes writing unique and interesting.

SH: Let’s segue that into your latest release, Echoes of Savanna, and your main character, Savanna. What makes her so unique and interesting?

LM: For starters, just the setting of the book makes her interesting. The novel is set in 2036. Savanna is a 19 year-old genetically altered woman who is already, at that age, a doctor. Here’s the deal: I believe every generation lives in defining times. One event can change the entire blueprint of our lives. Echoes of Savanna is the story of one woman’s journey in times like these. Savanna is interesting because she’s a key figure in fighting terror—not as a soldier or a warrior—but as one person trying to make a small difference in a terrifying world.

SH: A beautiful blonde main character can seem like such a cliché. Why did you create your character like this?

LM: I didn’t create her like this. She appeared to me this way.

SH: We love that. Like OMG love it.

LM: Yeah, I have a strong connection to my characters and believe they create themselves. Savanna is genetically altered to be the epitome of beauty according to society standards. I also like the fact that she’s clueless to the way people react to physical appearance. She’s beautiful in her father’s eyes, she’s attractive yet clueless about her beauty. Her focus is on her studies and she doesn’t think about how the world views her.

SH: Is Savanna anything like you?

LM: You mean brilliantly beautiful? Yes.

SH: Well, the cover is hot. Diggity.

LM: Savanna, to be truthful, is quite a bit hotter than me—

SH: She’s hotter than most cartoons, too, for the record.

LM: Yes. Yes, the cover is a cartoon. She’s a lot smarter, too, but we both have some interesting glitches when it comes to social skills. I, for instance, tend to miss some social cues, and also believe everyone is basically honest and friendly. I’ve opened myself up to people when I should have defended myself a little better and I’ve suffered the consequences for it. Savanna was betrayed on a much larger scale than I ever was, but betrayal is always painful.

SH: Spoiler alert! Just kidding. Is there anything you don’t like about Savanna?

LM: Since I created her it’s hard to say from my point of view that she has any flaws. But she is flawed, and that actually humanizes her. She overanalyzes everything and refuses to take any chances. I wish she would be more impulsive at times—I remember one time when I was a teenager my mom’s psychologist told her she needed to be impulsive, so she asked me to help her plan an “impulsive activity.” Savanna reminds me of that moment.

SH: It sounds like you base your characters on people from real life.

LM: It’s hard not to. I’m a people watcher. I love to listen in on conversations and analyze why people do the things they do. Maybe that’s why I don’t pick up on social cues; I’m too interested in other people’s lives. But my characters aren’t exclusively based on one person. They are all so unique and individual it’s hard to pinpoint exactly who they’re like.

SH: So there are other characters and other stories then?

LM: I am planning five books in the Haven Series. Each novel will cover one generation—twenty years—of a character’s life. Echoes of Savanna is book one of the Parent Generation. Her daughter will be the main character in Raven’s Song, book one of the T1 Generation.

SH: Of course we look forward to learning more about Raven.

LM: Thanks! I’m almost finished with the first draft. Perhaps our next discussion can be about her.

SH: Yes indeedy! Folks, don’t miss this opportunity to throw down some comments on the StoneHouse Inklings Blog, and don’t forget to check out Echoes of Savanna, available right now on Amazon Kindle. Thanks again to Lucinda Moebius for stopping in on Character Monday.

If you're a published author and would like an opportunity to introduce a character on StoneHouse Inklings blog's Character Monday, drop us a line. Send us a Word file under 1,000 words and a jpg of your cover. Submissions will be edited for content and are subject to final approval by the staff.

How to Be a Good Writer, Part 8

2011-08-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Real Power.

My good friend Aaron Patterson recently posted up a comment on Facebook about this: what’s it take to sell your book (basically)? I mean, some of us are selling and some of are not, and it’s not as if it’s cut and dried that the nonsellers are bad writers. Pardon me, but come on. And there’s plenty of hot-selling total crapola out there. So it’s not simple.

Adding to the complexity is the free market, which I adore. The rise of the eBook confounds the Big Six publishers today just the same way Napster and iTunes changed just about everything in regard to the music business about ten years ago. Well…when I say everything…the point is that Bob Dylan was right about how times change, but only insofar as they don’t really, which was King Solomon’s counterbalancing bit of sagacity.

Aaron and I secretly agree that for the business-minded author, the entrepreneurial, the indie author, pssst, there’s really no need for a publisher. The dirty little secret is that the Big Six will expect you to work just as hard for them as if you were going it alone, and in exchange for that gigantic favor they will be taking about 85% of the pot, thanks. At least. I personally don’t want to shove against that wall. Someone else can shove it, if you get my meaning.

The facts, therefore, have been distilled down to these: editing, cover design, publishing, and marketing strategy. Those are the things that matter most, and the things that any competent publisher (even if he’s just a one-man operation, i.e. an indie writer) will spend the bucks on. Let’s have a look at ‘em one at a time.

Editing is the process, often painful, whereby you as the author pay large amounts of cash so that your work can be pulled apart by someone wiser than thou. It’s also so that you can be emotionally abused about it. A good editor will do that so nicely that you’ll catch yourself saying, “Thank you, sir, may I have another.” Remember that editing isn’t just spelling and grammar; it’s content, the creative bits, pacing, character development, plot, and so on. It’s my personal opinion that the best editors are a one-stop shop. Spelling and grammar are fixed pretty well by Word itself. Anyway, editors who only do spelling and grammar are often called proofreaders, not editors.

Cover design is something at which I suck. Just being honest. So few authors are double-edged swords, able to produce literary and graphic excellence. I recently posted on Facebook a cover I did for my upcoming novella The Marsburg Diary, alongside another cover that was professionally done, and asked people to vote. It was something on the order of 20:1 against mine. Not to say that I can’t learn eventually, but for now, I’ll be leaving it to the professionals. I’d counsel you to do the same. It’s almost impossible to spend too much on a good cover. Don’t be afraid to “focus group” it with your friends, either.

Publishing just means that you’re taking your work public. That’s all. And right now one of the best ways to do that is to convert your Word .docx (or .doc, if you’re Vincent Zandri) to Amazon’s eBook format. There are rumblings that Kindle devices will soon open and read any eBook file format, by the way. Unless, perhaps, that has already happened and I didn't get the memo. But guess what. Once you pay for the file conversion on an eBook, there’s no more overhead, really, and Amazon pays out 70% royalties on eBooks, provided you’re within a certain price envelope.

But what of marketing strategy? What about print? What about eBooks? This is such a loaded subject that I think it might be best to broach it in a separate blog. There’s so many opinions on it. But you’ve got to know that all the work you’ve done before this point will rot like something nasty on the underside of a café table if you’ve not got a marketing plan, and a good one. Also bear in mind that, hello, technology, love it or hate it, is a very important part of how well you’ll do as far as sales are concerned. It’s my opinion, and Aaron will probably back me up on this, that social media is still a large part of the best marketing plans for eBooks, and rightly so. Until the sea changes again, Facebook and Twitter are necessary evils at worst, and powerful tools at best.

Look, folks, the marketplace is changing everyday. It’s been that way ever since uncle Abu was hawking fish in the square in Mesopotamia and keeping the accounting ledger in Cuneiform. I love to write. In order to keep doing that, I have to sell the books I produce. While it’s not rocket science, there are certain requisites. I hope this longish post helped to illustrate some of those, and that you’ll be applying some of these tips to your own journey as a professional. Look alive; it’s a wonderful time to be a creator and artist.

~Chris White (C.P. White Media Blog)

Character Monday: Who is Amber Coles?

2011-08-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

SH: Ray Ellis, the author of N.H.I.: No Humans Involved, joins us for his second tour here on Character Monday. Ray is also the author of the soon-to-be-released novel D.R.T.: Dead Right There, the second book in the Nate Richards series, which is also based on Ray's adventures as a police detective. He's also the co-pastor of a local church here in the Treasure Valley, and is a husband and father of three. So, what brings you back to Character Monday, Ray?

RE: Let me say first, I am so happy to be a part of the StoneHouse stable of writers. Just this week I had the privilege of having my first ever English Tea Party with another of the StoneHouse writers, Donna Fletcher Crow. It was simply amazing. It’s one of those things that I think everyone should experience at least once. But to answer your original question: Amber Coles. Amber is Nate’s love interest in my series and I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce her to the StoneHouse audience.

SH: Amber Coles; cool. What makes Amber so special?

RE: Well Amber is a compilation of many of the girls I’ve known by that same name. The first was a precocious sort, and the last girl--and template on which Amber Coles’ physical appearance is based--is a dear Christian girl with a strange sense of humor.

SH: Interesting…do any of these Ambers know that you used their persona to create your character?

RE: That’s funny, but the answer is yes and no. I’ve told them that parts of the character have been based on segments of who they are. What's really funny for me is seeing which parts of the character each of these ladies identify with.

SH: So how does Amber Coles fit into the world of Nate Richards?

RE: As well as being Nate’s love interest, Amber starts off as the character who holds the moral line. She is very sure of her faith in God and her place in the Body of Christ. I use her as the counterbalance to Nate. In contrast, where Nate is unsure and still questioning his faith, in the beginning of the story Amber is solid. But as the story progresses and she's pulled into the trouble of Nate’s world, her own faith is shaken.

SH: So, in the end of NHI, the reader is left watching Amber and Nate--

RE: Hey! Let’s not give away the ending.

SH: All right, but can you at least answer one question? Is there a wedding in the future for those two?

RE: I don’t know how much to give away here, but let’s just say there is very definitely a happy ending in their future.

SH: Okay, I won’t push you for too much more, but before I let you go, will Amber also make a showing in DRT?

RE: Absolutely! It just seems to me that there’s not much of a Nate Richards without an Amber Coles.

SH: We're about up to our limit for this segment of Character Monday, but thanks, Ray, for stopping by and introducing us to Amber Coles. Got any upcoming events or news anytime soon?

RE: Well I have been in dialogue with Aaron about getting NHI released in paperback form...a lot of my fans have been asking about that, so that remains a possibility. And of course the upcoming release of book two, D.R.T.: Dead Right There.

SH: Cool; we're looking forward to it. Check out NHI on Amazon, and if you've read it/are a fan, don't hesitate to leave a review for Ray on the book's Web page. That always spreads the love. Until next week, Dear Reader, and don't miss the final installment on How to Be a Good Writer on Wednesday, right here.

How to be a Good Writer, Part 7

2011-07-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

This week I want to feature plot as a theme. I’ve posted other things about this subject (Archetypes), and that’s because it bears study. A good writer is one who understands at least the basic elements of plot. For me, plot = characters in a lot of ways. But first, plot.

A good story has a skeleton in good order. If you break out the major events in any well-written story, you can build an outline around them. Sometimes we get a look at it in disjunct ways, a la LOST orThe Prestige, which are great stories that keep us guessing—but they’re organized quite well in the final analysis. In other words, whatever happens in the storyline has a reason for happening (the fictional past) and a consequence as well (the fictional future). That’s what I mean by a skeleton in good order.

Good stories have certain elements that are universal, too. It’s been that way since the dawn of time. If a crowd can relate to part of the story, they buy in. And if it’s a book, they buy it. That’s the goal here, folks, and it doesn’t require selling out or ignoring/forgetting your principles. Contrary to popular belief.

Take a look at any Sherlock Holmes story. I still stand in awe of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s knack for this. I always wonder which part of the story he wrote first; as if he wrote it inside out and backwards, because how can anyone do that?! It's crazy good writing, with lots of layers, lots of interdependencies; like a combination lock on a safe.

A good plot has lots of layers, interdependent interactions between the characters and the story—because really, the characters are the story. And ideally, as we read, we shouldn’t be able to notice the plot happening. It should feel just like life; like we’re voyeuristically observing the characters moving through their virtual world. In other words, a good plot shouldn’t be noticeably fictional. You’ve gotta have real and believable characters. In other words, they’re flawed. They have issues. And those issues, which go hand-in-hand with a good plot, are compounded by the issues that are created by that plot.

Bills are hard to pay in real life, for example. People get divorced and their kids pay the price in one way or another for the rest of their lives. Parents raise kids that become psychopathic in spite of their best efforts to the contrary. Young people get shipped off to combat and come back changed. If they come back. Accidents happen. Factions within families grow like a malignancy. And still the world turns. What I’m saying is that you don’t have to have some unexplainable time travel event or some impossible meteor hurtling toward earth in order to write a good story, or even tell one. You just need something for the reader to hold onto. And arguably, the closer to home it hits (depending upon a lot of other variables) the more books you’ll sell. And that's the goal, if you're making a living as a writer. Ironically, the more successful you become, there's a danger of being more insulated from good material for inspiration.

I think that’s one reason why some writers at the beginning of their careers can produce better work than those who are a commercial success: they draw from real poignant conflicts, through which they have had to live. that's not to say Stephen King is an idiot. But Jane Austen was never "discovered" in her lifetime, and her work is delicious as a result. Real people live real lives that are marked and shaped by conflict, and they will be more apt to enjoy reading stories that have an air of familiarity, even if the setting is exotic or fantastic. We all want fiction to feel like the truth at its deepest levels. Remember V for Vendetta, where we heard the line, "writers use lies to tell the truth." Fabulous.

~Chris White

(Catch the rest of the How to be a Good Writer series on the C.P. White Media blog. Next week is the final installment here on StoneHouse Inklings.)

Character Monday: Who is Melissa Stone?

2011-07-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

SH: Today we welcome Steve DeWinter to his debut appearance on the StoneHouse Inklings blog's Character Monday. Steve is the author of Kindle eBook Inherit The Throne, along with his Mystery Anthology Series, Hired Guns. Hey Steve, thanks for your time.

SD: And thanks for giving me the opportunity to appear on Character Monday. Let me just start out by saying that I think StoneHouse Ink is doing something unique and, quite frankly, somewhat amazing. Five years from now, I personally believe that everyone will know the name StoneHouse Ink as a publishing house on par with any of the traditionally established publishers.

SH: You flatter us. How dare you reveal our evil plans.

SD: That's just what I believe. But I don't think I'm too far off the mark.

SH: Okay, well, enough about us and our dark secrets. Who do we get to meet today?

SD: I have the distinct pleasure of introducing you to Melissa Stone, the protagonist and main character of Inherit The Throne. And she is able to kick anyone's butt, and I do mean anyone, who stands in her way.

SH: Y'know, there haven't been many female action heroes in books. Of course, there's Angelina Jolie as the Tomb Raider, but that's Hollywood, not, ahem, literature. So, why a female action hero for you?

SD: Female characters have a dynamic that just can't be replicated when using a dude. Melissa is not all sugar and spice and she does have some "puppy dog tail" elements within that enable her to rain down the pain on anyone who comes between her and what she wants. And this happens quite often during the book.

SH: That sounds pretty freakin' cool. So what'd you do, just write a male action hero and then use Microsoft Word to find and replace, say, "Sergeant John X. Slaughter" to something all feminine like Melissa Stone?

SD: Not at all. She was a female character from the first concept all the way through publication. When we first meet her, she is a waitress in a small town. But she is conflicted. I don't want to give away too much, but due to circumstances beyond her control, contacting her estranged son would put both of them in danger. In this situation, a male character would suck it up and do what's in everyone's best interest, and the child would never hear from him again. But Melissa risks contacting him on a regular basis so that she can still be a mother to her son. It is this difference that shapes everything in the story.

SH: So, you wanted to bring in the dynamic of how a female would react to a plot that is dominated by male action heroes?

SD: Not entirely. There are also all the other characters in the book to consider. They all react differently to the main character, because it is a she instead of a he. The whole flavor of the book is changed when the kick-butt character is female. And I think it worked very well.

SH: Is there room for a female action hero in today's book market?

SD: My readers seem to think so.

SH: Who would win in a fight? Melissa Stone or Jack Reacher?

SD: Whew. Jack Reacher is pretty tough. I am afraid to admit that in hand-to-hand combat, Melissa would most likely be crushed by his sheer physical power. But this is where I am able to introduce the difference between the male and female minds in my book. Melissa uses her wits to defeat an opponent who is physically bigger and stronger. She thinks before charging into any situation and this gives her a level of strength beyond pure muscular dimensions.

SH: So, is Melissa's story finished with this book?

SD: Not at all. I have recently rebranded Inherit The Throne as the first the Melissa Stone Adventures series. She will be returning to fight another foe. Her nemesis, Hannah, will also be returning. Readers will have the chance to find out more about this mysterious villain in future books.

SH: Why did you decide to commit to writing another Melissa Stone book?

SD: Because I received too many emails demanding to know what happened next for Melissa.

SH: Ha ha, that's hilarious. You gotta love being goaded into writing more, especially when the character is this compelling. Alright folks, be sure to check out Inherit The Throne and Steve DeWinter's other books at Amazon.

SD: And be my friend on Facebook and Twitter!

SH: Ahh, a social marketer to the core.

SD: It’s the best way to connect with readers and fellow writers.

SH: Looks like Steve's got most of the game figured out already. Thanks again, Steve, and happy reading, Dear Reader.

How to Be a Good Writer, Part 6

2011-07-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

A good writer knows the rules, folks. It’s just that simple. In the interest of serving my fellow man through the broadcast of useful knowledge, I’ve decided that this week will focus on a rule you probablydon’t know about. Well, several, in fact. It’s all interrelated. Like Deliverance.

Here’s a rule that’s not in the style guide I have, but one I cannot overstress the importance of nevertheless: Never ever use exclamation marks in your narrative. If you find yourself doing this, you’re probably ignorant of another rule: the cardinal sin of telling and not showing. In other words, you’re using the narrative to communicate the story, when you should be using dialogue to do it. If your story is being told, there’s little dialogue because it’s all narrative. If it’s being shown, it has lots of dialogue, like a movie. But this week's writerly bit is about exclamation marks, so here's an example of when not to use them.

The car came around the corner so quickly that it came up on two wheels!

Okay, there are lots of problems with this bit, not the least of which is that when I look at it I want to add OMG to the end of it, or some other texting-based rot. Have I mentioned how I feel about smartphones? Anyway another problem is that the word came is in there twice. That’s another thing to watch out for, and don’t just right click>synonyms to fix it. Rewrite it with your brain, not Word tools. The above example is an amateurish sentence made far worse by the exclamation mark. If you're adding excitement or tension with punctuation, you've got problems. A writer's spice rack includes not just punctuation but also words, whole phrases...and the insight required to make good use of all of them. It's safe to say that exclamation marks are only for dialogue or something not strictly narrative, like when a character notices a sign that says:

Don’t pee in our pool!

The narrator isn’t saying it, and neither is the character. It’s speaking from inside the world of the book; therefore the flamboyant punctuation is apropos.

Let me give you an example of a far better way to communicate urgency and danger in the bit about the car:

“Slow down,” Jimmy said.

John sped up, however, though the corner was fast approaching.

“Dude, slow down!”

“Shut up,” John said, “I know what I’m doing.” As he yanked the wheel, the car skidded off the shoulder and grabbed, popping it up on two wheels.

Okay that’s a pretty basic version, but I think you get the idea. I’ll leave it to you to decide if the exclamation mark killed everyone or not.

Character Monday: Elizabeth, A Woman With Flair

2011-07-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

SH Welcome, Donna. Before we get to the life of your alter ego Dr. Elizabeth Allerton, tell us something about yourself.

DFC There are quite a few parallels, actually. I was an English Literature major and taught (briefly) in a small liberal arts college and I’m a huge Dorothy L Sayers fan with a taste for drama. As a matter of fact, the mystery week Elizabeth and go to is modeled on one my husband and I attended along the Hudson River Valley about 20 years ago.

I’m afraid the parallels end there, though. At least so far. If Elizabeth is a passionate gardener she hasn’t mentioned it to me and, since she’s so much younger, I don’t know whether or not she and Richard will go on to have a family. My real life hero and I have three sons and a daughter and 10 (soon to be 11) grandchildren. One other thing we do have in common, though, is our love of drinking tea.

SH What about personality differences or similarities?

DFC Probably more differences than similarities. Elizabeth is very career-oriented. She has given herself so totally to her teaching position that she has been promoted to head of the English Department of Rocky Mountain College at the startling young age of thirty-four.

She is also absolutely sure she is right, which I seldom am. (I’m usually right, you understand, I’m just not that sure about it.) Elizabeth is so sure of herself that she feels perfectly free essentially to order her newest faculty member Dr. Richard Spenser, to attend the mystery week because she feels he is too academically stuffy.

She also knows her own mind well enough that she confidently, but gently, refuses his repeated proposals of marriage.

SH So this confident, self-sufficient woman runs straight at her goals and gets there. That must make a pretty short novel.

DFC (laughing) Oh, if only life, or fiction, were so simple! I think that gets us to about chapter two.

SH Ah, the plot thickens.

DFC Yes, and so does the soup. Actually, the soup cools when a stunningly perfect English gentleman steps straight from Elizabeth’s imagination to stand in front of her and kiss her hand. Nor is Sir Gavin Kendall, one of the actors in the mystery week plot that is to be enacted for the teams of guests who will compete to determine whodunit, immune to Elizabeth’s many charms.

SH You said Elizabeth, as well as her creator, was a great Dorothy L Sayers fan. That must have helped her with her sleuthing.

DFC Yes, indeed, especially since the mystery is being enacted in the Golden Age style of a Dorothy L Sayers novel and Sir Gavin is basing his character on Lord Peter Wimsey.

SH It sounds like great fun.

DFC Elizabeth thinks so, too. Until she finds a dead body in her bath tub. Or was it only an actor? The lines begin to blur dangerously and Elizabeth must use all her powers of deduction to sort out the dividing line between fantasy and reality.

SH I see what you mean. The goal wasn’t the slam dunk Elizabeth thought it was going to be, was it?

DFC That’s right. The first thing Elizabeth learns is that she has a lot to learn: about the mystery, about Richard, about life. But most important of all is what she has to learn about herself.

SH Would you like to share a review for THE SHADOW OF REALITY?

DFC Thank you for asking. Several reviewers have mentioned some of the points this one highlights: “This book will keep your brain active as you follow the complex plot and interesting characters. Trapped in a Colorado mansion by bad weather, a group of mystery lovers are left to figure out the fictitious killer as well as the real killer. A mystery inside a mystery is always a winner.”

SH THE SHADOW OF REALITY is listed as Book 1, The Elizabeth & Richard mysteries. Is there a book 2?

DFC Yes, indeed. In A MIDSUMMER EVE’S NIGHTMARE Elizabeth and Richard are at a Shakespeare festival. What better place for two English professors to honeymoon? Until the leading lady turns up dead, that is.

SH So we have a literary theme going here along with the mystery and romance. That should keep even someone as energetic as Elizabeth busy. So what about book 3?

DFC You’re quite right. Elizabeth is never still a moment. As a former English teacher myself, I haven’t figured out yet how she gets her papers graded. I can tell you, though, that she is now on the trail of a very hot literary property in England. If I use the words “letters” and “Jane Austen” in the same sentence all the Janeites among our readers will be on the scent.

How to Be a Good Writer, Part 5

2011-07-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Investment: Scary. I’m not only talking about money. I’m talking about you. Your time. Effort. Sacrifice. That kind of investment—which, yes, can involve money but mostly involves guts.

A couple of questions: How much investment is enough? And in what does one invest? Allow me to argue in favor of you: Invest in yourself.

I have a dear friend who tells me that most entrepreneurs tend to underinvest not in their idea, their passion for it, or in doing the numbers, the research—but in themselves. That’s why most of us fail, at least once: we’re afraid to lay down the money on, let’s face it, the venture about which we know the most. Instead we invest in shaky Wall Street hedge funds, which really amount to Las Vegas East, if you get my meaning. Why would we do that? Why would we favor some idiot account manager in New York City over ourselves? Why do we depend on huge multinational slush funds to properly manage our retirement? Why not invest in the one business idea that actually has merit?

Full disclosure: I don’t have a 401(k) and never have (now we see the bias inherent). But I’m highly motivated to be a retirement hawk, if you will, and manage what I do have aggressively.

All this to say that if your project needs a little jump start to get going, and you have a little something tucked away somewhere, by God, wager it on your own enterprise. You’d do better than sending it off to be confiscated by Lenny-the-Wall-Street-con and his Mob boss in dark places, Uncle Sam. But I digress.

I’ve blown through my word count pretty much already this week. So I’ll leave you with this: Don’t be afraid to invest in yourself. This is what separates the careerists from the hobbyists.

Also, I’ll just go ahead and debut my Tips for Writers motif by popping one off right here: Never use the phrase, “but I digress.” If you do, your piece is already running off the rails and can only be salvaged by self-deprecating humor. Such things are only pulled off adequately by the consummately skilled.

Now, I know I promised a little bit here on mechanics and other boring stuff last week. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I’ve run out of space. Aren’t you glad.

~Chris White

Character Monday: Who is K?

2011-07-11T12:16:00.000-07:00

SH: Chris White joins us once again for Character Monday. Co-author of Airel with Aaron Patterson, and author of the novella The Marsburg Diary, which is based on the prologue to the aforementioned book, he’s also the author of The Great Jammy Adventure of the Flying Cowboy, the OK to color in picture book. He also has some other irons in the fire, including his own novel, K: phantasmagoria, due out later this year. He’s also working with Aaron on the next book in the Airel saga, Michael. So, since you’re not busy or anything, what’s up for this week, Chris?

CW: Well first I’d like to congratulate StoneHouse on some amazing performances turned in last month by its authors. The notables are, as usual, Vincent Zandri, who is a hot literary item, and Gwyneth Bledsoe, who sold over 900 copies of Death Before Breakfast on Amazon’s Kindle store in June. And Airel, the YA thriller that Aaron Patterson and I co-wrote, more than doubled our sales numbers from May to June, breaking the 600 mark. This is the kind of stuff that makes us so dang proud to be SH authors, ain’t it.

SH: It sure is, and gosh, you’re being magnanimous today—what’s wrong with you?

CW: Nothing; this is how I usually am.

SH: Moving swiftly on: which of your characters do we get to learn about today?

CW: This week I’d like to feature a man named K, from my upcoming novel by the same name that comes out later this year.

SH: So shoot.

CW: K is short for another word that’s awkward and doesn’t really roll off the American tongue so well, so he just goes by the first letter of his name. He’s an adult, though we’re not sure about the specifics on his age because he can’t remember a whole lot earlier than, say, about ten years ago. He’s probably in his late twenties to early thirties, though, and I see him as mulatto, which is half black, half white—lots of people don’t know that who have read portions of this manuscript, because I don’t go into much detail in describing him physically. He’s about average height and build, with buzzcut hair—and he’s single, ladies!

SH: Oh dear God.

CW: Yee-yuh! But he’s actually not much of a catch.

SH: You don’t say.

CW: Yeah, he’s got issues. Unfortunately for K, his life is full of holes; like one gigantic question mark. As a result of this identity crisis he has abandonment issues; daddy issues, I guess you could say, and that’s most likely because he just doesn’t remember his dad at all—like I said, before about ten years ago everything’s a blank. He’s in therapy for it, but he hates his shrink, Charles Wen, who was assigned to him by the government. Incidentally we’re not sure why K is being required by the government to undergo psychotherapy, but he is.

On top of that, K is having nightmares, which are, according to him, “!@#$ing terrifying;” and some of them are actually invading his mind during the day. All of them are basically the same: they’re in black and white, and feature children dressed in old-fashioned clothes, trapped inside confining spaces—and those are the tame ones.

SH: Whoa.

CW: Yep. This one’s not for the faint of heart. It’s actually still in process, so it’s cool to talk about a character when he’s still kinda pliable.

SH: That actually is kinda neat.

CW: Yep. This will be my solo debut novel, and it’s the first in a series. The first one is called “K: phantasmagoria” which is all about seeing visions, so it’s appropriate. There are some big twists of the plot in this one, including one nobody will see coming, I promise you.

SH: Can’t wait. It sounds pretty cool. Anything else?

CW: I just write the kind of story I’d like to read, so this one will be in keeping with my developing style. It should be a cracking good story that’s peppered with some funny moments and plenty of drive to it; it moves pretty quickly. In fact the opening will probably be more than a little controversial. But the novel is designed to pose deep questions. I only hope I’m up to the task of answering them at the end.

SH: Me too. Cuz I wanna read this one. Thanks for stopping in again, Chris.

How to Be a Good Writer, Part 4

2011-07-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

Let’s talk about attitude. As in, “I’m a professional creator and I couldn’t care less about the business aspects of my career.” Or, “You publisher-type people ought to know how lucky you are to be talking to me.” And there’s, “Editing is for amateurs. Don’t you dare critique me.” As acquisitions editor for an indie publisher, I can tell you for a fact that whenever I run across even a hint of this kind of sentiment my finger hovers precariously over the delete key.

It’s not professional. It’s not even realistic. And I daresay, if you suffer from this kind of thinking and yet persist in calling yourself a writer, perhaps you should consider getting in touch with reality. And a vocational change. To something in government. Tyrants and thieves are peas in a pod.

Right. On with it then. We know what’s not productive. The question is, how do we purge this blackness from our minds and professional careers? I don’t think successful people set out daily with the intent to cause as much pain and suffering as possible everywhere they go. Quite the opposite, in fact. But after writing your one-hundredth query letter, after you reach your one year anniversary for your blog and still have only two followers, after you have attempted to sit down and write that sticky part of your current project once more—only to be interrupted yet again—it’s difficult to remain optimistic about much of anything, let alone remain professional.

Once thing you can do is exercise your second amendment right to keep and bear arms and take up a new hobby—obliterating old milk jugs at close range. If you’ve got a twelve gauge I recommend rifled slugs and rotten produce. Downrange effects with that combination are like an all-Taco Bell diet: explosive. The point of it is to blow off a little steam whenever necessary.

Once you’ve done that and you’re feeling better both about yourself and your (indispensible) work, what then? I strongly recommend a group setting that is both supportive and honest. Join up with fellow writers who are actively writing, who are unafraid to read their work for critique and are eager to return that courtesy to you. Professionals are not defined by their salaries in any given field. Professionals are, at least in part, defined by their bearing and comportment, their civilized kindnesses. What you’re looking for then is fellowship.

My old 1890 Webster’s unabridged dictionary defines fellowship as “partnership in act or suffering, profit, success, or loss.” Well, that’s one of the definitions. My point is to assert that in order to be a successful writer you’ve got to have a good attitude—and the best way to have that is to surround yourself with quality, like-minded people.

Next week we’ll talk about investments, plus a little dry mechanical nuts and bolts action. Until then, writers, write boldly.

~Chris White

Character Monday: People Watching Not Profiling

2011-07-04T03:48:00.000-07:00

How to Be a Good Writer, Part 3

2011-06-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last week I posted another blog in a series of highbrow lectures about how little ol’ you can be more like Ernest Hemingway. Not that I have the slightest clue. But these days, who gives a #@!% about whether or not anybody actually knows what they’re talking about? Full steam ahead.

On to the business, then.

Let’s talk about references. When I was earning my wee business degree at a school that I can decidedly recommend against attending, I nevertheless picked up more than one useful thing for all the tedium and money expended. One of these was a grammar guide. It’s laminated and three-hole punched for your convenience, and tells you all about how to use pronouns. And other useful tidbits. I recommend finding something like this at, say, a college bookstore.

Another useful publication that resides happily on my shelf is this: The Dictionary of Problem Words and Expressions (Shaw, Harry, McGraw Hill, © 1975). This book tells you when to use farther versus further, the difference between hung and hanged, lay and lie, than and then and so on. These are all handy things to know, and they make you look far more intelligent than you actually are. I use it ceaselessly and obviously to great effect.

While we’re talking books to have on hand, we really need to, as professional writers (or at least people who fancy themselves professional writers), build our own library, starting with our very own reference shelf. To that end, I suggest starting off with a quality dictionary. I mean an actual paper one. The older the better (those old ones have such nicely groomed words in them; they never chew gum whilst speaking). I have one from the 1950’s and an unabridged Webster’s from 1890. At one point or another, you’re going to outgrow the stupid and clunky Encarta tools that Microsoft builds into its Word application, and you’re not going to have anywhere to turn if you’re not prepared. I’m warning you now. These older dictionaries are really handy, by the way, for writers of historical fiction or steampunk.

We can include in this vein of reference materials a quality thesaurus. Contrary to what most ignorant bumpkins might think, these are alive and well, and not in fact extinct. I have a youngish one; it’s paperback and about thirty years old, and already segregated at the binding around the l-m area. So I must treat it carefully. This, again, is an indispensible tool for writers looking to find another word for “suddenly,” or, “therefore.” I’m told by an accountant friend of mine, who was highly irritated as she read through the Twilight books, that she suspects that’s mostly what Stephenie Meyer did especially in books two and three of the series: right click>synonyms in order to make things more interesting. I’ll leave it to the peanut gallery to decide whether or not, as Stephen King has asserted, “She can’t write.”

Now that I’ve worked in a King reference for three weeks straight, I’ll call this a perfect finish.

Character Monday: Who is Airel?

2011-06-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

SH: Last week we chatted with Chris for a bit about one of his more obscure characters. Being a newbie, it’s hard to believe any one of his characters are more obscure than any one of his others, but that’s kinda beside the point. So Chris, this week we’re talking about Airel, right?

CW: That is correct.

SH: What’s she like?

CW: Oh, you would love her.

SH: [after a considerable pause] You do know that you’re supposed to provide like five hundred words for this interview.

CW: Well, you would love her. She’s the kind of girl who is just beautiful enough to remain in your mind after passing her in the hall, but she’s also average enough to remain at least a little anonymous. And she doesn’t run with any single crowd—she moves through cliques easily and doesn’t linger socially—she’s smarter than that. She has better things to do than subjugate her life to a fad in order to fit in somewhere.

And that’s not to say that she doesn’t want to fit in. She feels the sting and the pain of isolation when it brushes too closely. But as I said, she’s got other interests than being super-friends with super-popular types. Like reading a good book, for instance. It’s probably a little bit of an addiction for her.

Her best bud is Kim, who’s pretty much her opposite. Where Airel would roll her eyes at the idea of shopping all day for a single shade of eye shadow, Kim relishes it. And where Airel likes the idea of boys, Kim has flash crushes that come and go from week to week. For Kim, almost any boy will do if he’s sufficiently hot and popular. For Airel though, high school boys are ridiculous. She doesn’t have time for anyone who’s not potentially a real man—or developing in that direction.

She’s beautiful in such a way that she doesn’t have to try, or look like she’s trying to be that way. Honestly, since I’m not a woman (though I am married to one) I can’t say with 100% certainty, but I think Airel is the kind of girl most girls would want to be, or be like. She fits into society and high school drama in her own way and on her terms—mostly—but she’s not perfect by any means and she can be broken.

SH: She sounds actually pretty cool.

CW: I think she is. I made a little mention of this in one of the scenes that occurs in the book. There’s a fleeting mention of Audrey Hepburn in there. If you saw her in Breakfast at Tiffany’s or Roman Holiday or Sabrina, you know—some bits of those characters Audrey played got written into Airel, whether in regard to her appearance or how she reacts to certain situations. And I think that’s why people will fall for her as hard as her love interest in the book.

SH: Ooooo, so there’s some romance?

CW: There’s a little bit of that. There are also sword fighting scenes and high school intrigues and high speed chases. There’s a little bit of everything for everybody.

SH: Sounds good. And the book is available now on Kindle?

CW: Yep it is, and we’re going to print this fall, so if you’re one of those like me who want to smell the paper and feel the full color cover under your fingertips, your version is coming soon.

SH: Very cool. Thanks, Chris, for stopping by. Next week we’ll be featuring…someone else.

Feature Friday: What's First?

2011-06-24T11:40:00.000-07:00

All right our Dear Readers we want to know what you think. We know what everyone says but truly it's your thoughts that we care about the most so tell us....When looking at a book to consider reading what's first?

How to Be a Good Writer, Part 2

2011-06-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last week I posted the first in a series of blogs about how to be a good writer. I’d like to say thanks for sticking with me past the sheer presumptuousness of the very idea. And now that my anti-self-aggrandizement clause is out of the way, let’s get down to it.

In keeping with the template, I’ve come up with three more things good writers do all the time:

Write.
Write.
Write.

Point one: write. Keep notes, in other words. Again with the reference to Stephen King here, but good writers always have a notebook handy and that’s something I learned by reading his book, On Writing. You never know when your ideas will come. Well, scratch that. You know precisely when they’ll come. 5% of them will come at extremely inconvenient times, like when you’re driving on the freeway or in the shower scrubbing off the detritus of another sweaty day at the keyboard. The other 95% will come at the moment you are just drifting off to sleep. To minimize blazing fits of profanity, please at least keep your notebook on the nightstand. Try to make a habit of it. And don’t forget the pen. This is very important—writers should always have some way to record their ideas and keep their notes near at hand at all times. You may think, as I have done, that you’ll remember it in the morning. You won’t. Trust me.

Point two: write. Write articles. This is where the rubber begins to meet the road, folks. I read about this little bit of advice in an article (imagine that) on Helium, a great place to get exposure and get feedback. You can sign up to become a contributor there, or on sites like Factoidz or Examiner.com. Start a blog. Get it on a schedule and post at least twice per week. I’ve done all this. And the discipline of writing concisely, clearly, accurately and simultaneously threading in various keywords for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) purposes will only help you in the long run.

And the long run perspective, by the way, is the one you’ll be wanting to adopt as your own. This is a little aside, but writers—or anyone, really—for the most part, do not make it big overnight. Sure, your life can change in a single day, but that normally only comes after years of hard work. So many of us newbies (a moniker I’m only now just beginning to outgrow) have this completely unrealistic attitude that something is owed to us. It doesn’t go well for anyone with that mindset. But I’ll get into that more next week.

Point three: write. Write stories. Now, I’m not recommending that you run off all half-cocked and dive into your magnum opus. I dabbled with that; it’s more work than it’s worth, really. Start off with a 5,000 word short story. Find a professional editor who will give you a read and give you some detailed feedback—you’ll probably pay them about $50-$100 for this, but the investment is well worth it. You might also want to look into joining a local writers’ group, where fellow writers meet perhaps once per month to read and critique their work, and read your stuff there. Your next short story might have a goal of 10,000 words, and you could do a novella, around 20-30,000 words, after that. You can even publish eBook versions of your (finely polished and edited) writing on Amazon while you’re busy working on the next project. It helps to earn rewards for all that work.

Next week I’ll share my thoughts on how to be a good writer a little more. We’ll be covering writing mechanics, plot and character development, and the all-important Attitude. Until then my friends, go forth and write boldly.

Character Monday: Who is Harvey Marsburg?

2011-06-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

SH: We're talking this week to Chris White, co-author of Airel with Aaron Patterson. Chris is a relative newcomer to the scene here, but he's one to watch...or so we've been told. He's got an illustrated kids' book out right now called The Great Jammy Adventure of the Flying Cowboy, and that's the OK-to-color-in picture book. This year alone, he's releasing two more books, though. One of them is The Marsburg Diary, and the other one is an all new novel, K: phantasmagoria that he's writing all by his bad self, right?

CW: Rumor has it.

SH: The Marsburg Diary is sort of a spin-off of Airel?

CW: Yep. It’s based on the prologue to Airel, and delves deeper into the plot that was introduced there, centering on William Marsburg as seen through the lens of his diary. For Character Monday though, I'd like to focus on William's son, Harvey Marsburg, who is drawn into reading his father's diary by circumstance, and then by necessity, as it turns out in the end.

SH: So. Who is Harvey Marsburg?

CW: Ol’ Harv is a British expat who moved to the States about thirty years ago; when he was nearly twenty. His father William died shortly after going totally nutters, when Harvey was about ten. Harv has issues about that. The move to America, to put everything behind him, was a logical decision for Harvey, and he couldn’t wait to grow up and get out. He has an older brother named Jack, but the details of that are still top secret.

Harvey is a complex guy. He’s bitter toward his father, but he doesn’t like that he’s bitter. He’d rather things had worked out—maybe—he’s grown quite used to life as he knows it; the bachelor lifestyle, and he prefers to live unmolested and alone. He’s not much for fending for himself, though. He gets by on a trust fund and dumb luck. What he usually makes for dinner is a phone call for takeaway. He has tried to assimilate into American culture by driving a massive old Ford from the early seventies, but he’s still unafraid to rankle people who’d rather be politically correct—he hates all that crap. He has a massive Ruger six-shooter for home defense, but it’s kinda clunky in his hands because he’s not that self-assured.

Harvey likes old blues, old books, thin crust pizza, and has a secret crush on the neighbor’s wife, who looks like a wildebeest when she comes out each morning for the paper. “Even wildebeests need love,” he’d probably say. Harv lives in the tiny little American village of Chatham, Illinois by himself. He has no pets. He likes playing the board game Axis and Allies by himself for weeks at a time, is addicted to Dr. Pepper and cigarettes, and abhors exercise of any kind.

SH: He sounds like a total loser. So anyway, when’s the book out?

CW: The Marsburg Diary releases as a digital short on Kindle next month, if all goes well. If not then, Look for it in August.

SH: What’s up for Character Mondays next week?

CW: You’ll have to wait and see; I haven’t decided.

SH: That’s messed up. You were supposed to be prepared here.

CW: Well I was. But I decided just now to change my mind about it, and I remembered that I forgot.

SH: That doesn’t make any sense.

CW: Yes it doesn’t.

SH: Okay I’m pulling the plug on you.

Feature Friday: We have release!

2011-06-17T07:52:00.000-07:00

Here Ye Here Ye!!!
Stone House Ink
announces new release.

Deadline

Aspiring author, Noel Casey, just got her big break. Based solely on the proposal she submitted, a top publisher has agreed to publish her debut novel, and they believe her idea has the makings of a best-seller. Now, for Noel, the real work begins. They want a first draft of her complete manuscript - in the next 30 days. Setting out with little more than an outline, Noel will work doggedly to bring her story to life. She is determined to prove herself, and under the pressure of the ever-present deadline, she will do so at any cost... but is she prepared to find out just how true that is?

And coming soon.....

How to Be a Good Writer, Part 1

2011-06-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

Recently I received notice of an anonymous comment posted to an old blog that said simply, “How do I become a good writer?” I’d like to respond with my own thoughts on how I’ve gone about that very thing. Keep in mind that there is no formula; there are no quick and easy steps to take to become brilliant. It’s all about the hard slog.

Now—I don’t want to be presumptuous here—I know I’m not God’s gift to writing—but I know at least enough to offer up three recommendations:

Read.
Read.
Read.

Stick with me. There’s a method to my madness.

Point one: Read. Read books about how to write. I will cover this in an upcoming post (titled Archetypes), but read Booker's The Seven Basic Plots. Hugely instructive, that. I cannot recommend more enthusiastically a book written by Stephen King, entitled On Writing. You may or may not be a fan, but King is one of the masters of the craft. He’s also been quite successful. Besides, getting outside the boundaries of your preferences occasionally is part of what transforms your writing from ordinary to extraordinary.

Point two: Read. Read history. This is, in my opinion, one of the most important disciplines for any member of society to undertake because the reading of history provides so very much in the way of foundation of character in a person. It’s not to say that you have to go and pick up some dry old tome on the foundations of colonialism in West Africa, either, unless of course that interests you. The key here is to find something that does interest you and then read about it. I personally found Stephan Talty’s book Empire of Blue Water, a gritty and honest thrill ride about the real pirates of the Caribbean and the actual Captain Henry Morgan, to be one of the most entertaining books I’ve ever read. It was one of those books you don’t want to finish because you don’t want it to be over. Anyway, read history—for your own good, for the good of those around you, and for the exercise of reading.

Point three: Read. Read fiction. This is something I’ve had to work at. But if you aspire to be a writer of fiction, that is, a storyteller, you can’t get around reading it. The only way to discover how to produce good dialogue (i.e. believable dialogue) is to read how other writers have done it. Some of it will be crap, and some of it will be stunning. You never know until you try. And you’ll never know how to construct a plot, develop a character, devise a good mystery and on and on, until you read enough of them to get some ideas of your own. One book that simply blew me away was Stephen King’s Desperation. Not for the faint of heart, but very rewarding. Another King novel that's not quite so gruesome, and still excellent, is Duma Key.

The idea, and hopefully you’ve guessed it by now, is to read enough different things that your mind is stimulated in new directions and then follow that stimulus on to wherever it leads. For now, remember that the only way to grow as a writer is to grow as a reader. Good writers are always reading. No excuses. On the treadmill. During the commute (if you drive, get into audiobooks). As an alternative to watching the drivel that spills out of the TV. Read several books at once, and on wildly different topics. You get the idea. And one last thing: get to know your public library. That place is amazing.

~Chris White

Character Monday: Where do you come up with your characters Vincent Zandri?

2011-06-13T06:47:00.000-07:00

Is it just another manic Monday? Well take a minute and check out how Vincent Zandri creates his multi dimensional and sometimes diabolical characters in his novel.

SH: Where do you come up with your characters?

VZ: "I base most of my stories on an actual event or events. Almost all my characters are based on real people whom I know personally or who I know of. I even use their real names up until the galley stage. It's more effective for me as a writer than if I were to create a character from scratch and then create a detailed biography"

And that's the truth. In fact he actually stayed in a prison in New York to research for his Amazon best seller The Innocent. FYI the Innocent is on sale at Amazon for $.99 for a limited time.

Getting caught is simply not an option.

It's been a year since Jack Marconi's wife was killed. Ever since, he's been slipping up at his job as warden at an upstate New York prison. It makes him the perfect patsy when a cop-killer breaks out--with the help of someone on the inside. Throwing himself into the hunt for the fleeing con, Jack doesn't see what's coming.

Suddenly the walls are closing in. And in the next twenty-four hours, Jack will defy direct orders, tamper with evidence, kidnap the con's girlfriend--and run from the law with a .45 hidden beneath his sports coat. Because Jack Marconi, keeper of laws, men, secrets, and memories, has been set up--by a conspiracy that has turned everyone he ever trusted into an enemy. And everything he ever believed in into the worst kind of lie.

Books on Tour: First Class Treatment

2011-06-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

One of the things that Stone House highly recommends is blog tours. Virtual books need virtual promoting to go viral. (say that three times fast) With that said we are pleased to show case two of our own that are on tour now. Airel and NHI...both with the wonderful company Pump It Up Books.

Airel Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, June 6

Book reviewed at Cafe of Dreams Book Reviews

“An amazing story that will captivate audiences ranging from young adult to the young at heart! Airel crosses boundaries in a fascinating and unforgettable way to engate readers within a story that will not soon be forgotten!”

Tuesday, June 7

Guest blogging at Literarily Speaking

“I love teen fiction because of the way it breaks some of the boundaries. I mean where else can you get a cool vampire or a game where starvation and crazy tests are all the norm? I think it is so much more interesting and above all, I love writing YA because of these same reasons.”

Wednesday, June 8

Book reviewed at Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm

“Airel is exceptional novel! I was blow away by the characters and setting, still craving for more!”

Thursday, June 9

Book spotlighted at As the Pages Turn

Friday, June 10

Guest blogging at The Bookworm

Monday, June 13

Book reviewed at Life in Review

Tuesday, June 14

Interviewed LIVE at Blog Talk Radio’s A Book and a Chat with Barry Eva

Wednesday, June 15

Guest blogging at Author’s Book Corner

Thursday, June 16

Book reviewed at Jagged Edge Reviews

Friday, June 17

Interviewed at Virginia Beach Publishing Examiner

Monday, June 20

Book reviewed at Bri Clark, the Belle of Boise

Tuesday, June 21

Book reviewed at Book Reviews by Molly

Wednesday, June 22

Book reviewed at The Phantom Paragrapher

Thursday, June 23

Guest participant at Literarily Speaking’s June Book Panel

Friday, June 24

Guest blogging & Book Giveaway at Lori’s Reading Corner

Monday, June 27

Interviewed at The Writer’s Life

Tuesday, June 28

Book reviewed at Letters Written Inside Out

Wednesday, June 29

Guest blogging at Literal Exposure

Thursday, June 30

Book reviewed at Taking Time for Mommy

Chat/Book Giveaway at Pump Up Your Book June 2011 Facebook Party

JULY TOUR STOPS TO BE ANNOUNCED!

N.H.I.: No Humans Involved Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, June 6

Book reviewed at Life in Review

“I VERY highly recommend this book! It hooked me from the very start and I did not want to put it down for a moment! There’s intense suspense, a little romance, and a great message! Nate Richard is a great character and I’m really looking forward to more books in this series! I definitely enjoyed Ray Ellis’ writing I’ll be looking forward to book 2 which is D.R.T. (Dead Right There).”

Tuesday, June 7

Interviewed at The Writer’s Life

“I hope the readers find my work as exciting and fulfilling as I found it in the creation of them and that these characters will become old friends that they revisit time and time again.”

Thursday, June 9

Book reviewed at Book Reviews by Molly

Friday, June 10

Interviewed at Beyond the Books

Monday, June 13

Book reviewed at Mad Moose Mama

Tuesday, June 14

Interviewed at Shine

Wednesday, June 15

Interviewed at The Book Connection

Thursday, June 16

Interviewed at Examiner

Friday, June 17

Book reviewed at Black Diamonds Book Reviews

Monday, June 20

Interviewed at Working Writers

Tuesday, June 21

Interviewed at As the Pages Turn

Wednesday, June 22

Interviewed at Blogcritics

Thursday, June 23

Interviewed at American Chronicle

Guest participant at Literarily Speaking June Book Panel

Friday, June 24

Guest blogging at Literal Exposure

Monday, June 27

Guest blogging at The Book Faery Reviews

Tuesday, June 28

Interviewed at Review From Here

Wednesday, June 29

Guest blogging at The Book Bin

Thursday, June 30

Interviewed at Pump Up Your Book

Go check out our books on tour where there are giveaways, guest posts, author interviews and reviews.

Writer Wednesday: Who's on your team?

2011-06-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Who’s On Your Team?

I earn a living as a medical writer. No one ever knows what that means, so here’s the short description: I write medical content for a consumer audience (that cleared it up, right?). Occasionally it’s straight-up medical information, like explaining the difference between controller medication and rescue medication for asthma (I know! the excitement rarely abates). But much more often I’m writing content meant to empower people to make healthy changes. Losing weight. Quitting smoking. Exercising more (or at all). Managing stress.

One thing is always true: making these kinds of changes is HARD.

So what does this have to do with writing? Starting an exercise routine and quitting smoking require discipline. So does writing. And for most people, sticking with something day after day isn’t easy.

According to health behavior psychology research, a few things--having a meaningful motivation, setting the right kinds of goals, and preparing for barriers and setbacks--make success a lot more likely.

Another key ingredient is support.

Who Supports You?

People who have known me most of my life probably would be surprised that I’m blogging about support, because to call me independent would be an understatement. I hardly ever ask for help in any form. My writing life has become the exception--the HUGE exception.

Support can take many forms. A spouse who cooks dinner so you have time to do writerly things (check, more times than I can count). Friends who cheer you on (yep, ridiculously loyal people). Other writers who offer you advice or answer questions (thank you, internet). Random strangers who show interest or offer to help (surprising how often this happens). People who read your stuff and give you feedback (patient souls).

Months ago on a writer message board, I saw a thread basically asking people to comment about who supports them as they write and in their quest for publication and book sales. A couple of the responses were kind of sad. A few people said they didn’t really have any support aside from what they got on the message board. One woman said her husband actually mocked her when she’d sit down to write. Ouch.

I’m lucky--my husband was elated when I started writing a lot. My friends and family think it’s cool, even if they don’t totally get the process. In the past few months I’ve met a ton of people online who have helped me or made me feel more connected in one way or another.

But not everyone is lucky this way. What if you’re not getting the support you want or need? The first thing to do is ask for it. Sometimes you get what you ask for! The next thing to do is offer support to other people, because it’s a two-way street.

One Last Thing...

When was the last time you said “thank you” to the people who support you or help you feel connected? Don’t wait until you’re writing the acknowledgments page of your book. :)

For reaching out, giving me advice, helping me, or encouraging me recently, thank you:

My husband Dustin. My parents, stepparents, and sisters. Abby. Ryan.

Lynn O. Nivvy. Kayleigh G. Natasha L. Matthew M.

Tymothy, Sean, Christin, Thomas, and the other 11 BNFFs.

Aaron (x 100). Angeline (who deserves an entire post).

K C Neal

Blog: kcneal.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorKCNeal
Twitter: @DigitalPalaver http://twitter.com/#!/DigitalPalaver
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/user/show/4572120-k-c-neal

Releasing Soon

Corinne Finley hangs out with her best friend Anjelika, bakes recipes her grandmother taught her, and works shifts at her dad’s café in the small town of Tapestry. Her life changes when she accidentally doses most of the student body with her grandmother’s potions, and discovers she’s haunted by the same nightmares as her friend Mason. As Corinne and Mason search for answers, she tries to ignore the sparks igniting between them, but she can’t deny she feels truly safe only when he's nearby. The one person who can prepare them to face their destiny is lost in a fog of dementia. Will they find help before their nightmares break free?

And the Stoney goes too....

2011-06-07T09:02:00.000-07:00

So as promised we have the gift packs to announce today. Here's a reminder of what those gifts are...

The recipient of the number 1 pack will have their choice of 5 Stone House eBooks.
The recipient of the number 2 pack will have their choice of 3 Stone House eBooks.
The recipient of the number 3 pack will have their choice of 2 Stone House eBooks.

And the Stoney Three readers are in this order exactly...

1. April
2. Maralee
3. Dave

Thanks for all those that participated and shared. We will have more gift packs at future dates. Stay tuned.

As for the winners...pick your poison

Amazon.com Widgets

Character Monday: No Human's Involved...or NHI

2011-06-06T07:30:00.000-07:00

On any given night a full 35-45% of the shows watched on American TV are cop or law enforcement related. To this end, welcome Detective Nate Richards.

I am a 22 year veteran of law enforcement and Nate Richards is my newest character. Perhaps, in some ways Nate is my alter ego. In my two decades of service I have discovered that we as police officers have developed our own language with its many nuances of meaning. NHI: No Humans Involved is one of these terms.

NHI is one of the many prejudices that have been adopted into the language of modern police work. It is the idea that there are some people or people groups that are in some way less than human, or more literally, less than the ideal human. This is the question that drives Nate. How does he deal with these people, the druggies and child molesters of the city while at the same time holding fast to his faith?

This is only one of the many concepts that Nate deals with in the course of this series while I explore the cop’s world from an insider’s view. So many of the books, and even the TV shows deal with the stuff of the cop’s world. They deal with the how’s and the when’s of his world, but through Nate we explore the why’s and the how comes of the police detective’s existence. Nate allows us to see how he feels as he’s processing a crime scene and then as he deals with the after images and the conflicts this sometimes causes within him, his personal relationships, and his life as a Christian.

Through the Nate Richards series, I deal with the values of NHI, and in the second book, due out this fall, DRT: Dead Right There, and next year’s release IAI: Internal Affairs Investigation. There are a total of six books planned in the series with each one of them exploring a different concept of the cop psyche.

Urban fiction as a genre has been tagged as being guttural, street level, and for most, profane. In the Nate Richards series, we get the chance to follow Nate as he investigates some of the more cruel crimes one man can commit against another, but at the same time telling the real human story and exploring the true human drama, while not sinking to the level of the profane or pornographic.

Ray Ellis is the author of the new Nate Richards series, N.H.I.: No Humans Involved, and D.R.T. : Dead Right There, as well as a Digital Short: “I”. He served as a U.S. Marine and was ordain as a pastor in the spring of 1989. He is in his 22 year of law enforcement serving as a sex crimes investigator until June and is now working patrol. Ray is an avid reader and loves to paint and draw. Ray’s first book, Cave of the Kracken is a science fiction/fantasy and he swore he would never write police related stories until his critique partner talked him into writing N.H.I. in the fall of 2007. Ray lives in the Treasure Valley in Idaho with his wife and children.

Ray Ellis

Blog: www.authorray.blogspot.com

Twitter: @RayEllisNHI

Facebook: Ray Ellis(Author), and NHI

Website: www.rayellis-author.com

Books:

N.H.I.: No Humans Involved

D.R.T.: Dead Right There

“I” (Digital Short)

Fear and violence threatens to destroy the city

Half of Treasure City is controlled by a violent street gang. The other half is controlled by fear. A rookie detective, Nate Richards, is thrust between the two.
Abyss, a mysterious street gang moves into the valley and people have started dying. Nate’s girlfriend suddenly disappears and the gang is being targeted as the cause.
With his partner fighting for her life—the result of a vigilante’s bullet, political pressure from above, and time running out to find his missing girlfriend, Nate has to overcome the darkness that has taken over the city and threatening to consume his soul? Forced to fight to stay on the case, he has to work against his command and the elements of the streets while trying to hold on to his faith that seems to make less and less sense as details unfold.
With darkness growing and evil seeming to swell, will Nate have enough time to solve the murder and discover the identity of the new gang leader before his girlfriend becomes the latest victim in the growing violent total. Will he succumb to the pressure to get the job done by any means necessary, or will he become part of the problem and prove that there are No Humans Involved.

Feature Friday:Gift Packs Galore...

2011-06-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

Remember how on June 1st we talked about this being a launch party? Well if you didn't then go here and check it out. Today we announce our gifts... but first a reminder of the rules.

Comment on this post here.
Comment on the Feature Friday post today.
Share...Share...Share. Please share this blog on your social media.
On Tuesday June 7,2011 we will announce the list of winners.

There will be 3 gift packs. Those that qualify will each be assigned a number and then randomly picked using random.org. However, each day between now and Tuesday June 7, 2011 every time our followers rise by 5 another gift pack will be added. Right now between Networked blogs and the Google friend follow we have 19. So every five up from that will create more gifts. So share share share....Now on with the gift packs.

The recipient of the number 1 pack will have their choice of 5 Stone House eBooks.
The recipient of the number 2 pack will have their choice of 3 Stone House eBooks.
The recipient of the number 3 pack will have their choice of 2 Stone House eBooks.

Now for each addition they will get their choice of 1 Stone House eBook. Now to see the pickings....

PS...If for some reason there is a book from SH that isn't on the slide show it should still be eligible.

Writer Wednesday: It's a Launch Party

2011-06-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

Welcome Welcome....Stone House Ink officially kicks off it's blog today. Stone House Ink and it's imprint Stone Gate is a full service publishing house specializing in edgy and inspirational fiction titles. We do things a little differently staying on the cutting edge of eBook publication and innovative marketing.

What to expect on the blog: posts from Stone House staff and authors as well as special guests addressing marketing trends, the publishing industry as a whole, and writing experiences/techniques.

On the website: If you have questions regarding submissions and more detailed book and author information you should refer to the website here.

On with the party...

There is only one thing we love more than our authors here at Stone House...and that's our readers. So to celebrate the launch of our blog. We are giving away prize packs of eBooks. On our first Feature Friday (June 3, 2011) we will announce the prize packs.

Conditions to qualify for the Stone House prize pack

Comment on this post.
Comment of the Feature Friday post where we list the prize packs.
Share...Share...Share. Please share this blog on your social media.
On Tuesday June 7,2011 we will announce the list of winners.

Thanks for celebrating with us. Don't forget to share and tune in Friday....

Live....

2011-05-28T14:02:00.000-07:00

Spread the word people...we open on June 1st.

Patience we are creating brilliance...

2011-05-20T09:11:00.001-07:00

Thank you for visiting. If you would like to go ahead and follow please do. But we are still building...when we are done it will be worth the wait.