SEEKERS is Here!

Hello friends! Goodness, it's been awhile since I've updated this account. It's not because I'm lazy - well, not much - I've just been busy. SEEKERS came out, (and now the audio is almost ready). Don't you adore the cover? That's a perfect Turq and Snake. I'm working on the third book, REMAINDERS. That's what's keeping me so busy. Well, that and the major move hubs and I made ... clear across the state of Texas. 

Whoo. I'm about to recover, I think. 

In addition to REMAINDERS, I've also got RETURN TO STUTTER CREEK in the works. That is a tentative title, I have another in mind, but we'll see how it plays out. For now, enjoy your weekend and as always, happy reading.

And don't forget to look me up on FB or Instagram, we'll chat. 😊📚😊

 

Amazon: http://www.tinyurl.com/bmrsong 

AuthorAnnSwann website https://authorannswann.com

 

 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/annswann.books

Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/6vuw7vl

Twitter: @ann_swann

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/annswann/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annswann.author

 

Publisher: http://www.5Princebooks.com/annswann.html

Publisher: https://www.wordcrafts.net/ann-swann/

Amazon: http://www.tinyurl.com/bmrsong

Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/cfakkue

Smashwords: http://tinyurl.com/8besl3w

Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/hx72y82

iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/hlflu9k

 

Audible: https://tinyurl.com/yxp4pldx

Writing - What I Do

Writing Tips - What To Do When You're Stuck

Stuck on a sentence or a plot point?

Highlight it, leave it alone, go back in a day or two and it will often straighten itself out.

This usually works for me. If I'm in doubt, I highlight it, make a note about the problem, and then leave it alone. When I go back later, the solution is usually staring me in the face and I can change it.

My biggest flaw is stopping to revise or fix something in the middle of a writing session. IT ALWAYS MESSES UP MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT. Guess I'm a slow learner. I catch myself doing it all the time.



I do much better all the way around if I follow my own advice, highlight it and move on.

It also helps me get back into the story the next day when I go back to fix it.

Afterthought:
If you don't have a fix to take care of, do you leave yourself a tag for the next day? I always leave myself a word or two about where I'm headed or what I want to write next. It helps me jump right back in the water.

Interview with Jen Selinsky

Hi, Jen, it's nice to have you on the blog today. We've been FB friends for awhile, and I'm constantly amazed by your prolific nature! Please, tell us about your current WIP or most recent release.

I am currently working on many different titles, but one which I am most looking forward to is the release Runaway Choo Choo, which is soon to be published by Pen It! Publications.  The publisher already sent me preliminary sketches by the illustrator, and they look really good.

Have you really published 170 books? Drop a link to your author page, please!

I know it sounds like a lot, but I have really published over 170 books.  Most of them are poetry titles, and a good portion of them are less than 100 pages, but I also have written books in many different genres.  Here is a hyperlink to my Lulu author spotlight.  The bulk of my work can be found there.

Do you have a day job, or is writing your bread n’ butter?

I work part-time as a professional librarian (used to be full-time), but I hope that I can make a complete transition to writing for a living someday.

When and where do you do your best writing? Do you have a special routine?

I don’t have much of a routine when it comes to writing, especially since inspiration can strike at any time!  It seems, however, that I do a lot of my best writing at night.

If you could go backward or forward in time, would you? Where and when?

If I could travel in time, I would like to go back to England during the ‘60s and/or the ‘70s.  How I would love to meet some of my favorite musicians, especially the ones who are no longer with us.

What are you most passionate about?

I am passionate about the Lord and all the gifts He has given me.  Besides writing, I enjoy the beauty of nature, especially when walking outside.

Describe yourself, not physical, the inner you . . .

I feel that I’m a multifaceted individual with a lot to offer.  When the desire to write gets a hold of me, there is no stopping any creative endeavor which I choose to bring to life.

What’s your favorite book (s) or who are your favorite author (s)?

One of my favorite books is Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.  Some of my current favorite writers, poets, and musicians include: Sylvia Plath, Ellen Hopkins, James Patterson, Peter Gabriel, and Steve Hackett.

What are you currently reading?

One of the books I am currently reading is A Dead Guy in the Summerhouse by Marian Allen.  It’s an engaging story full of mystery!

If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

I would love to go to England, as I am an Anglophile and am fascinated with its history and culture.  I am also a great fan of classic rock, and it would be interesting to see some of the places associated with a few of my favorite bands.

What would you like readers to know about you and/or your work?

I would like for people to know that even though I started out writing poetry, and that it constitutes the bulk of my work, that I have expanded to include many other genres.  I have published adult coloring books, cookbooks, children’s picture books, short stories, novels, essays, and quotes.  My hope is for my readers to see that I have something for everybody!

Author Bio: 

Jen Selinsky was born in Pittsburgh, PA.  In 2003, she earned her bachelor's degree in English from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.  In 2004, she earned her master's degree in library science from the same school.  Jen has worked as a professional librarian for over eleven years.  She has published more than 170 books, many of which contain poetry.  Her work can be found on the following sites: Lulu, Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Pen It! Publications, and Buy Me Books Now.  She has also been featured in publications such as: The Courier Journal, Explorer Magazine, Liphar Magazine, and Indiana Libraries.  Jen lives in Sellersburg, IN with her husband.

Links to Social Media:

My Amazon Author Page: Jen's Amazon Page

My Facebook Author Page:  Jen's Facebook Author Page

My Facebook Personal Page:  Jen's Facebook Personal Page

My Twitter Page:   Jen's Twitter Page

My Instagram Page:  Jen's Instagram Page

My Pinterest Page:  Jen's Pinterest Page

My Goodreads Author Page:  Jen's Goodreads Page

My Blogs:

Jen's Good Reads

Jen's Favorite Authors

Genesis: Inside and Out

Official Website:

Jen Selinsky

My Book Links:  

Lulu

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

iTunes

Smashwords

Pen It! Publications 

Buy Me Books Now

Where Writers Work their Magic

Does it matter where you write?

Think about J.K. Rowling sitting in the back room of The Elephant House looking out over Edinburgh Castle writing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I don't know about you, but I think looking at that magnificent castle everytime she sat down to write must have been like turning on the creativity spigot.

And what about D.H. Lawrence? I've read that his favorite writing spot was outdoors in nature, leaned up against a pine tree in New Mexico or a great fir in Nottingham forest. He said trees made the best writing companions because they were alive but didn't interrupt his thinking with a lot of chatter. (I may have paraphrased that just a bit.)

And of course there was the eccentric British poet Dame Edith Sitwell who wrote while lying in a white coffin. Pretty sure it was an open casket . . .

Whether it's on a train like thriller author John le Carré or walking to the office like poet Wallace Stevens, or even in a revolving writing shed like George Bernard Shaw (or one of my faves, Roald Dahl--whose shed remained stationary), it seems we like whatever it is that gets our creativity flowing. For me, it's my desk beside the fireplace early morning or late at night.

What is it that gets your creative juices flowing? Post a picture if you have one. I'd love to see you!

Easy to Write

Why is it easier to write when I know I have only a few minutes? Is it a form of procrastination? The Freudian flip-side, perhaps?  If I have a whole day to devote to my characters--or they to me, as the case may be--then I find a hundred little things that must be done immediately, in succession, or better yet in tandem, so that no one thing is ever completed . . . but if I have only a few minutes before I have to be out the door, the words flow like water.

So I've developed a faucet solution to a Freudian problem. It's actually very simple: I sit myself down at the computer (knowing I can only stay a moment or three), then I turn on the tap and let the letters flow. After a bit, the faucet goes off and I jump up and sweep the floor, take a walk, shampoo my hair, or a even just load the washing machine. That's when the ideas break over me in waves . . . and then I rush back to the computer and try to capture them in print. Somedays, it's as exhausting as treading water in a storm. But the words do flow. Maybe they aren't the perfect, good china words I long for, but as someone much wiser than I once said,

Stutter Creek Trilogy Winner

Congratulations to Sharon E. 

You are the winner of the STUTTER CREEK TRILOGY!

I've sent your email telling you how to claim your books. Of course I wouldn't mind a review after you've read them 

(hint, hint). 

And for the rest of you who may be thinking of starting NaNoWriMo today . . . carry on. The best writing advice I ever read was short and simple:

Put your butt in the chair and your fingers on the keys and start writing. It doesn't matter what, just write. Don't stop until your eyes blur and your fingers seize into talons.

You can always edit later. In fact, you must, so just let go and write. Go where the Muse takes you.

And when you're done, tell me how it felt.

I look forward to hearing from you!

The Trail Narrowed ...

This is my favorite walking trail. 

While meandering along, I work out solutions to problems in my plots and in my life.

Isn't that what a walking trail is all about?

The trail narrowed and the sky grew overcast. The day slipped into night...

The Genesis of Stutter Creek - Romantic Suspense

My beautifully covered little suspense novel, STUTTER CREEK, hit Amazon’s bestseller lists back in November of 2014. It went right up to #1 on both the Romantic Suspense list and the regular Suspense list. It was very exciting for me to be on the same list with the big boys—even if it was only for the week of the promotion. Dang.

Since then I’ve had a few folks contact me and tell me their thoughts on the story. I LOVE when this happens. Writing is such a solitary game—okay, the Internet has changed that, a lot—but still, to really get anything done, one has to cut off contact with the outside world for a certain number of hours each and every day. Where was I going with this? Oh yes, I love it when readers contact me and tell me their thoughts about the books and stories I toiled over in my little cave. I especially like it when they want to know more, such as . . .

What gave you the idea for this book?

That’s an easy one. STUTTER CREEK came about because of two things; the first was a news story about an incident that occurred near our small West Texas city. A man threw his four-year-old son out of the car beside the Interstate in the dead of night. The little boy was found wandering along the shoulder of the highway early the next morning covered in cactus spines, four hundred cactus spines to be exact. When his father was located, he was determined to be suffering from schizophrenia. That story haunted me from the day I read it until the day I wrote about a similar—fictionalized—character in STUTTER CREEK.

The second incident that inspired this story was very simple. Each year our family reunion was held in a mountain town in New Mexico where we always stayed at the same set of rustic little cabins. Those were some wonderful reunions. I also included a fictionalized version of that cabin in the story. I did not include the bit about my uncle having to dive into a Dumpster in search of his wife’s dentures. She’d taken them out and wrapped them in a napkin at a restaurant. The napkin was accidentally thrown away—but retrieved by her own Dumpster-diving knight in shining—stinky—armor and we never let another reunion go by without asking her if she had her teeth. (He also carried her big purse for her from time to time, but he said it was all right because it matched his cowboy boots.)

So there you have it, the genesis of STUTTER CREEK. Of course I added lots and lots of different things to make the novel suspenseful because, well, I love tingly suspenseful stories and a writing instructor once told me to “write what you know,” but I took that to mean write what you know you would love to read...

Please, if you have any comments or questions about my books or stories, feel free to email me or leave a comment. I’d love to base the next blog topic on your question.

How to Write a Blurb for your Book

Writing a blurb for your own book can be agony. As authors we know every strength and flaw of our characters, we know their motivations, and their actions. We even know their innermost thoughts and feelings.  I think this is one reason some of us find it so difficult to boil our work down into a one or two paragraph blurb. We simply know too much.

But blurb-writing is a skill that can--and must--be learned.  My first editor had to write my first blurb, how embarrassing.

Now, I think I've got it figured out.

I start with a synopsis of the entire book--usually one or two pages. I've usually done this part already, epecially if the book has been submitted to a publisher or agent. But if you haven't done the synopsis yet, don't despair, simply use the 5 Ws to describe the book: Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Write it quickly, without worrying about sentence structure or punctuation (you can rewrite it later if you want to keep it). And yes, this step looks a lot like free-writing.

When you are finished, put it aside for a day or more. Then come back, pull it out, and see what rings true. You may be surprised to find how much of what you wrote now seems superfluous.

Now edit, edit, edit. Narrow it down to the three most important ideas: who is doing what and why.  That's all. Once you have answered those three questions in your own lovely prose, you've got your blurb.

I use this fill-in-the blank sentence: My novel is about ________ who must ________ in order to ________.

Now, simply expand on that sentence. Make every word count. For example. I used that sentence to write the blurb for my book ALL FOR LOVE. It looked like this: My novel is about Liz who must learn to let go of the past in order to survive. 

Here's the blurb I wound up with: Liz falls in love with Quinn the moment they meet in college.  He professes to love her, too.  She begins to think about the future, but his past rips them apart.  What Liz does next impacts the rest of their lives, but she feels it is the only way… she does it all for love.

Remember, this is the paragraph that will sell—or not sell—your book. If it’s dull, the reader probably won’t take the bait. You’ve got to make certain you hook the reader.  Many times they are simply trolling for entertainment. First, they will see your gorgeous, eye-catching cover and short, snappy title, then they will check out the blurb. If you’ve done your job and the blurb hooks them, along with the tagline, a topic for another blogpost, then they will either go to the reviews or proceed directly to the sample pages.

I don't know about you, but I seldom buy a book without reading a few sample pages first. But first, I have to fall in love with the blurb! 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Taking a little break from blogging and writing. I'll be busy cooking, cleaning, and enjoying the kids and grandkids. My mind will be fully occupied with holiday things, but my fingers will be itching to get back to the keyboard. I can't wait to finish up Copper Lake ~ soon!

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season with lots of treats, gifts, food, and family. Until next year, enjoy this picture of my Christmas tree. Notice Mojo the cat beneath the branches ~ he claimed his spot as soon as the decorating was done. Merry Christmas and God bless us, every one.

Cool Questions from 8th Graders

I was privileged to be allowed to read to students at Bowie Junior High school a few weeks ago. Here are some things they asked:

What themes do you write about? I write about people who struggle. In the Phantom series, the two main characters struggle with loneliness and with growing up. In All For Love, the woman struggles with so many things from infidelity, to alcoholism, to abortion and suicide. And in Stutter Creek and Lilac Lane, the protagonists struggle just to stay alive.

Who inspired you to write?  Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King, Mary Stewart (The Crystal Cave); in other words, all my favorite authors

How long does it take to write a book?  From a few weeks to a few months. Writing in first person (like in my Phantom series) is much easier than third person like my adult series (for me, at least).

How do you get over writer's block?  If I get stuck on a story, it usually means my brain is fried, so I’ll go for a walk, or go to Sonic for a diet vanilla Coke. If I write myself into a corner from which I can’t possibly escape, I put that tale aside and start a new one. I have a file of hundreds of ideas for stories.

Were you excited when your first book was published?  Yes! I was also very excited the first time I had a short story published (way back in the dark ages). I remember getting a letter in the mail and literally screaming my head off inside my truck. I think I had picked up the mail and was sitting in there to open it.

Who is your favorite author?  Stephen King — although I have to say his earlier work excited me more than his recent work. I love Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, The Body (Stand by Me) and stories like that. I also loved The Dead Zone and The Stand. One of his newer works that I like is Joyland.

What is the hardest part of writing a book? Staying off Facebook and/or other social media. I also spend hours just reading articles on MSN, etc. I’m a very nosy person.

How do you decide on titles?  Sometimes the title comes right away, but sometimes it’s later, in the story. And then sometimes, it doesn’t come at all and I depend on friends and readers to help me find it.

Do you have other people help you with ideas?  Hmmm, no. I’m sort of close-mouthed about my ideas, but I do have a writing group (eh, Ms. Harris?) to help with rough drafts.

Do you have places you go to write?  No. Just my computer (s). Or if I get an idea away from them, I write in my iPhone notes or my handy dandy mini spiral that lives in my purse.

How many kids do you have? 2.5 (I inherited a beautiful daughter from my husband’s ex, but she isn’t actually my husband’s daughter. It’s complicated. LOL.)  I also have 5.5 grandchildren ;-)

Do you use symbols? Yes. And I usually don’t even know it until later, when I read it through.

What method do you use to brainstorm? Free writing — I just write without stopping and without thinking. It works best when I’m really tired. Which is most of the time.

What is your writing process? Catch as catch can. I love to write in the morning with a cup of coffee. And I always write the best parts first. I don’t outline, but I do write the ending as soon as possible. It’s like my goal, to get to the finish.

How do you choose your words to create a better mental image? The muse does that. My very best work doesn’t come to me consciously, but subconsciously. I really loved this line from ALL FOR LOVE, “The moonlight was seductive, it lay across the water like a transparent veil across a woman’s hair.” But I have no idea where that line came from. I wrote it out just like that, without stopping. And then I thought, well, I like that.

What is your favorite type of figurative language? Oh, I love metaphors, but similes are easier and they often pop into my work unbidden. I have to cut them out frequently. I also love onomatopoeia. Poe was the expert at making up his own sound words like susurration and tintinnabulation—I try to do that from time to time. I also fall into the alliteration trap sometimes—I love it, but it has to be seeded into sentences sparingly or it sort of starts to suck.

Why did you write Chems?  Awesome question! Chems came from an image of a boy finding a zombie in his dad’s toolshed. But I didn’t want just any old zombie—I wanted a zombie hero. So that’s what I wrote. I decided the government could make one using chemicals. Funny thing is, my cousin and I wrote an entire novel based on this blue pseudo zombie. We wrote every night sending the pages back and forth via email (she lives in Washington DC), but alas, the book somehow devolved into a zombie romance (I know, I know, it really was a horror story then) so it’s now simply lurking about in my Mac seeking asylum from the land of the dead novels.

Thanks for the cool questions kids. Take care and thanks to  your teacher for allowing me to come and invade your classroom!

Afterthought: Thank you, ToysRUs for coming back from the dark side. And thanks to the mom in Florida for helping them see the light.