Guest Post, Giveaway and Review on Book'd Out

I'm honoured to be featured today on Shelleyrae's book review site Book'd Out. I have written a guest post entitled 'Exploring Love'. 

Book'd Out is also hosting a giveaway! I am offering two signed print editions of Run to Me. This giveaway is available worldwide and closes 18th November 2012. To enter head on over to Book'd Out.

And to top it off - Shelleyrae has also reviewed Run to Me as part of the Australian Women Writers 2012 Challenge. Check out her review here.

The Writer in Me

I decided I wanted to be a writer while sitting on a boat circling Manhattan. I was on holiday in the US en route to a new life in London. I was twenty-one years old. I’d just finished university in Sydney. I didn’t have the slightest idea what to do with my life.

New York City had always been a place I dreamt about. My greatest passion is movies and I’d seen NYC many, many times onscreen. I longed to be amongst the bright lights and see the beautiful city with my very own eyes. I was desperate to walk those streets and stand at the top of The Empire State Building, just like Meg and Tom in Sleepless in Seattle. ;-) So being in NYC was a real-life dream come true for this small town girl.

My world was opening. I was naïve and idealistic, and I could see my life spread out before me with unlimited possibilities waiting for me to grab them. It was a gloriously sunny day and I was gliding along the Hudson River with the ‘city of dreams’ beside me, and that’s when it happened. It just popped into my head.        I could be a writer.   

It wasn’t such a crazy idea. I’d always been a bookworm, and I studied English literature at university. Sure I could be a writer, I thought. How hard could it be?

Of course writing is not easy. Had that twenty-one year old known what she was letting herself in for she probably would have run in the opposite direction! Sure there are days when I sit at my desk ala Carrie Bradshaw and the ideas flow ever so sweetly from my mind to my fingers and onto the page. But there are also days where I’d rather do anything else, and actually getting the words out is pure torture.

And yet, writing remains. Ever since that moment on the boat in NYC, I’ve been a writer. It took a while for me to call myself one, and years for me to grow the confidence to put my work out into the world. But I did it. And I continue to do it.    I am a writer.

Looking back I realise the creative urge had always been there. Writing had been a source of support for me during many a teenage drama. I’d kept journals throughout my teens and my first broken heart had inspired me to write poetry and short stories (I filled notebooks with stories about him changing his mind and declaring his undying love!) Writing was therapeutic for me. It was where I made sense of what was happening in my life. And as the years have passed from that initial spark of ‘I could be a writer’, writing has allowed me to work out who I am and what I want from life.

Writing fiction in particular is a fascination because I like creating characters and then watching as their behaviour unfolds. Fiction allows me to take those real-life moments I may have witnessed or experienced and turn them into something different. Something straight out of my imagination! :-)

Seeing my novel Run to Me being read by others reminds me just how far I’ve come from that initial spark of an idea. No matter where my future writing life might take me, every time I think back on that moment in New York City I will be grateful for that twenty-one year old me who decided to be a writer and who threw herself so fearlessly into being one. Without her bravery I may never have discovered the joy a creative life can bring. And I wouldn’t be sitting here writing these very words.

** I was just in NYC again a month ago – I was lucky to miss Superstorm Sandy. My heart goes out to those New Yorkers who lost loved ones during the storm, and my thoughts are with the city as it recovers. **

Author Interview with Chompasaurus Reviews

Today I'm honoured to be interviewed by the wonderful Annie Johnson over on Chompasaurus Reviews! Annie's site offers book reviews, interviews and helpful advice for authors.

Check out Chompasaurus Reviews and my interview.

Self-validation

While studying writing at university, one of my teachers announced that his first novel was to be published soon. I congratulated him, of course, and then I said “it must be great to be validated.” I didn’t say it was great for his work to be validated, but for him to be.  Years later I found myself reminiscing about that day and I realised just how mistaken I’d been – validation doesn’t come from winning the approval of others. It’s something we must all find within ourselves.

I’ve always suffered from a lack of confidence. I imagine it was even there the moment I was born, because it’s been my constant companion as far back as I can remember. For some unknown reason I’ve never felt completely comfortable being me. Growing up, (especially once adolescence hit) I often hid my true self from others, convinced that I had very little to offer. I actually started to believe that my own worth was not as important as everyone else’s. I put other people’s needs ahead of my own and I desperately searched for a way to validate my own existence. It never once occurred to me that I was already enough.

So you see, when I decided to become a writer I had already placed a great expectation upon it. I believed that once an editor agreed to publish my work, I would finally find the approval I so needed. Once everyone else loved me, I reasoned, I would then be able to love myself.

When agents and publishers rejected my novel I took it personally. I wasn’t able to separate myself from my work. It wasn’t my work they didn’t like, it was me. Or so I believed. Whatever amount of joy and self-worth my writing had slowly begun to foster in me fragmented with each rejection. My confidence took yet another beating. I pursued other interests and let my writing slide away.

In hindsight, this self-imposed hiatus from writing would prove to be just what I needed. Without the pressure to prove myself, I was able to step back and take a long hard look at the person I was allowing myself to be. I’d had enough of disapproval and criticism. I decided to focus on my strengths, and I realised that my weaknesses didn’t make me any less worthy than others. My weaknesses were a part of me, but I would not let them define me.

As I was doing all this soul-searching a transformation was occurring in the publishing world as well. Independent authors were choosing to publish their own books, as the growth of print-on-demand and ebook technologies were making this a very real possibility. I re-evaluated why I had chosen to become a writer in the first place and was reminded of my simple desire to create. I discovered I was no longer desperate for external validation. Now I wanted to validate myself, by focussing on my goal to be a published author and using my skills to achieve it.

I realised my achievements weren’t reliant on someone out there giving me a break and saying yes to my work. It was up to me to say yes to myself! So I self-published my novel, and now it sits proudly on my shelf. What joy to hold my novel in my hands, as a finished product, knowing that it all came down to me. I have achieved my dream to be a published novelist, all because I gave myself permission to approve of my own creative work. Freed from the shackles of my computer hard drive, my novel is out there living its life. And people are reading it. That’s an added bonus! :-) 

 

As for me, I learnt a valuable lesson. To validate oneself, rather than waiting for others to do it for you, is very empowering. It’s allowed me to succeed in the only way that really matters – I’m now proud to be me.     

Author Interview with Indie BookSpot

Today I'm honoured to be interviewed about Run to Me by the wonderful people over at Indie BookSpot.com. My very first author interview. Very exciting!

Indie BookSpot is a fantastic site for indie authors - they offer news, reviews and features of interest to writers.

Check out Indie BookSpot and my interview

My FeedARead Experience

I thought I’d write a post about my experience of publishing with FeedARead because it might be helpful for any other new indie authors out there.

FeedARead is an independent publisher funded by the UK Arts Council. They provide a great service to self-publishers – it is free to set up your book for publishing. FeedARead uses Lightning Source to print the books (LS are one of the world’s largest printers) so they guarantee a “bookstore quality paperback”. I have to say – when my proof copy arrived I was very, very impressed with it! It certainly does look like any paperback you’d find in a store.

I found the set up process easy. Once I had formatted my manuscript and cover images to FeedARead’s specifications – I wanted a 5inches x 8 inches book – I simply uploaded them to the website. They were then both approved by FeedARead within two days. FeedARead provide very detailed instructions on formatting and their cover creator will automatically resize your images for you. One thing to note: the cover needs to be three separate jpeg images – front, spine and back. An ISBN is also provided free of charge (this does mean FeedARead are named as the imprint on record).

Once I had double checked the manuscript PDF and cover (note: FeedARead rely on the author to proof their own work and if you find mistakes after publication they do charge you to make revisions), I then had to choose a price for the book. FeedARead sets a minimum price, based on the number of pages in the book and how much it costs to print. Mine was ₤7.99 and as I was happy with that price (and the royalty I will receive after printing costs) I agreed to this. I then went ahead and clicked that wonderful ‘publish’ button. This is where the waiting began as Lightning Source take ten working days to approve the files for printing. I’m not sure why it takes so long, but I suppose they’re pretty busy! :-) All I know is the two weeks felt the longest of my life.

After the ten working days I was able to order a proof copy at a discounted price. I ordered the book on a Thursday morning and was holding it in my hands on the following Tuesday. Very happy! The book looks great; the cover colours are just right and the inside paper is textured cream – just like you’d find in a traditionally published book! I can’t recommend Lightning Source highly enough. They’re excellent printers.

As for FeedARead – I highly recommend them too! I’ve had such an easy run with them; as opposed to another print-on-demand publisher & printer that I started with who managed to post my proof copy to the wrong address, and once it did arrive I wasn’t overly impressed with the book’s quality. The FeedARead and Lightning Source book is far superior.

So my novel Run to Me is available to buy directly from the FeedARead site. I also chose to invest in their distribution package which means the paperback will soon be available through all online bookstores – Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble etc. Lightning Source has a global network that means books printed by them are available through major wholesalers such as Ingram in the US and Gardners & Nielsen in the UK. This takes 3-6 weeks to set up so another waiting game! Distribution even means bricks-and-mortar bookshops can order and stock the book. But as far as I know self-published books aren’t usually ordered by the big shops.  

For now you can find my book on the FeedARead site - 'Run to Me'  

FeedARead will post to most countries, and Lightning Source has branches in the US, UK and Australia - so if you're ordering from any of these countries you should be able to get a book sent from their local branch. 

If you'd prefer to buy the paperback through other online bookstores then, sorry, you'll need to wait the same 3-6 weeks as I am. What fun! :-) 

All in all, a great experience with FeedARead. Sales and distribution success remain to be seen, but I know one thing for sure - holding my book in my hands (the whole reason I started this self-publishing journey in the first place!) has brought me a lot of joy.

The long road to self-publication

The idea for my first novel Run to Me was rolling around in my head for two years before I finally got the confidence and motivation to start writing it all down. I wrote the first few drafts of the novel in 2007 and 2008. After that it was time to get some feedback and start the long process of edits and rewrites.

Then I did what most writers do next – I started submitting my cover letter, synopsis and opening chapters to agents and publishers. I remember being excited, and hopeful. With my submissions out there in the world, I duly sat down and began writing a second novel. I was serious about this writing thing, after all. :-)

Over time I got my share of rejections, and some small bites of interest. But no contract. Run to Me sat on my hard drive, and I focussed on other things. It was always there though, in the back of my mind. I wanted Run to Me to have a life outside of my computer. I may not have written something publishers were desperate to sell, but I knew my story wasn’t the worst thing ever written. I wanted to honour the time and energy I had put into getting that story out of my imagination and onto the page. A part of me is forever embedded in Run to Me, simply because I was the one who created it. And I knew that part of me deserved to be heard.

So what’s a writer to do? Take matters into her own hands, of course!

Late last year I decided the time had come to self-publish my novel. I’ve spent many hours researching the many companies that offer self-publishing services, and many more hours editing and formatting the manuscript. My sister has worked hard on creating my cover for me. So finally the novel was ready and so was I! I order the proof copy and sat back to wait for the delivery. Again I was excited and hopeful. I couldn’t wait to hold my book in my hands, to see it as a finished product rather than just a Word document. Here was the moment of completion. A moment that had taken me five years to reach.

Then the book got lost in the mail.

I still have yet to hold my book in my hands. But everything happens for a reason, and the time will come. As soon as that replacement proof copy arrives…

No time like the present, though, to launch the e-book version of Run to Me. The good people over at Amazon offer unknown writers like myself a real chance at finding an audience and seeing their work out there in the world. It’s a wonderful opportunity and just goes to show how much publishing is shifting these days. We no longer have to leave our fate up to others. I’m so grateful.

So as of yesterday, the Kindle version of my novel is available to purchase on Amazon! If you fancy buying it and supporting me in my creative work you can do so here - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Run-to-Me-ebook/dp/B007R3SA6Y/healscri-21

(This is the link to Amazon UK, but you can also buy the book on any Amazon site. Just go to your country-specific Amazon and search for my name in the Kindle Store.)

To read the book you need a Kindle, or the Kindle App for iPad or iPhone, or you can download (for free) Kindle for PC or Mac and read it on your computer.

If you’d prefer to wait for the print version, I promise you it will see the light of day soon. Stay tuned…

Writing my way to Freedom

Last week I came across Joanna Paterson’s blog Confident Writing. Joanna started a group writing project asking the question ‘Can writing keep us well?’ I believe the answer is yes!

The magnificent thing about being a writer, for me, is that creativity is wrapped up so closely with spirituality. When I write in connection with my spirit I feel ‘out of this world’ so to speak. I seem to disconnect from my physical body and float along peacefully, effortlessly, with my soul. And when I write from my soul the words flow with grace and purpose. It’s still me writing, but I’m writing from a place of serenity. Any issues that I may be burdened with in my life at the time slip away, for a moment, to allow the energy of creativity to flood through me.

In that way, writing is very similar to meditation. When I meditate the same thing happens – my thoughts slide away and I am left with a gentle energy that brings peace and relaxation to me. Daily meditation has long been suggested for those seeking a quiet mind and a feeling of tranquillity. I believe for a writer, writing can offer that same sense of well-being. Writing can be like breathing – essential and life-giving. Without air we fade away. Without my writing I can lose myself in pessimism or hopelessness. Writing restores me.

Being able to shift my attention away from my worries and anxieties is the true definition of freedom to me. I long for freedom so distinctly that it shapes everything I do in my life. The freedom I seek is everlasting peace and stillness, a break from my chattering mind, and writing brings me pure moments of this. That’s how writing keeps me well.

The Creator in Me

May proved to be a very inspirational month for me, both in my writing and my spiritual life. It began with the Reiki training I completed over two weekends to become a Reiki Master/Teacher. Not only was this a blessed gathering of five beautiful and inspiring women, it was the realisation of a goal I set for myself some two years ago, not long after I’d studied Reiki 2. For those reasons, it was a powerful experience – I was surrounded by love and unwavering support from my fellow students and my amazing teacher, and I was fulfilling a dream. What a blessing!

But the blessings didn’t stop there. In fact, as is always the case with Reiki – the course is only the beginning. The real journey is what follows, as the energy body shifts to release old blocks and stale patterns that only hold us back. Since finishing the course I have felt much more connected to the creator in me – the artistic, creative person that resides deep in my heart. She’s probably that same little girl I once was who loved to spend time drawing or writing or playing the piano. I’ve managed to hold onto the writing well into adulthood, but admittedly the others have fallen away. And yet she’s still inside me, the little artist, and now I’ve opened myself up to commune with her again. Through strengthening my connection to Reiki, my connection to my true self has pushed to the forefront. I’m ready to embrace the artist in me!

Once I’d put this intention out into the universe it should have come as no surprise – as of course it didn’t – that opportunities would present themselves and I would be guided to shake the cobwebs from my artist self and get proactive. So now I find myself out of writer’s block and in to free flowing creative expression. It’s a wonder I can keep the smile off my face, as any writer knows - overcoming the debilitating writer’s block, whether self-imposed or not, is like seeing the sun shining after a long dull winter. There is no better feeling for any artist than the act of creation, in whatever medium. For me, it gives me not only a focus, a direction and a sense of purpose, it also allows me to feel as free as I can be. When I’m creating, I just work better – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. That elusive equilibrium I wrote about in my last post seems entirely within my grasp. In fact, I’m living in balance every single day, so long as I don’t deny the artist in me. She’s got a loud voice, and she must be heard.

I am also nurturing my artist self in two new ways, things that have been in my life’s periphery for many, many months, and which I have now both the courage and opportunity to attempt. In two weeks I will be starting a weekly drawing class to encourage the little artistic girl I once was to make an appearance in this adult me. And I am also setting up a collaboration blog with my wonderfully talented sister who is a photographer. She’ll take pictures and I’ll write some flash fiction. Two artists coming together to create. Wow, another blessing!

And so the inspirational month ended, in a small village during a trip to Yorkshire; I visited what was once the home of the Brontë family. I knew the Brontë sisters to have been authors, but on the walls of their home I saw fabulous art works by Charlotte – she was a creative entity, a true artist whose creative expression, it would seem, was her purpose in life. As I stood staring at her accomplished drawings I knew I owed it to all those magnificent, inspirational, artistic women who have gone before me, to not let fear hold me back from self-expression.

I am an artist, after all. The creator in me sings proud and true.

"I'm just going to write because I cannot help it."
- Charlotte Brontë