END OF 2016 GIVEAWAY!!

To celebrate the end of 2016, I will be doing a giveaway on Rafflecopter: a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can win a signed copy of Waiting On You, The Friendship Triangle & Destination: Unknown as well as a set of signed SWAG and a £10 (or $10) Amazon gift card! Check out the link and be sure to enter. It's open from December 1st and closes December 30th at midnight GMT!  

So be sure to check it out!!

New Front Cover - The Friendship Triangle

You Always Remember Your First - The Creative Process

You Always Remember Your First

We all have to start somewhere. Many writers will tell you that their first story is one that they worked hard at to make it into the final product. That's true for all works really, it takes a lot of work to get it to what you want it to be. However, your first book, that first story that made you dip your toe into the writing pool, it's not something you easily forget. For me, that was THE FRIENDSHIP TRIANGLE. I started writing the story when I was thirteen, and then spent the next nine years or so pulling it apart and making it into what it is today. In the beginning of my writing career, I was immature and unaware of the massive mistakes I was making.

My first characters - Chloe, Sarah & Charlotte - guided me through the minefield of book writing and helped me come to a point where they would tell their story effectively. I remember being sat on my bed, with the original story notes, crossing out and writing whole new pieces and paragraphs, keeping some bits and throwing out others. It took me a long time to get them all right. I wanted thirteen year olds who would be able to help other people in similar situations. With Chloe, it was dealing with the death of her father. Sarah had an alcoholic mother and gambling father. Charlotte had just found out her dad wasn't her biological father. They all  helped to guide me and began the process that made me into the writer I am today. I do wonder sometimes how my characters would be if they could age outside their story. In the book, the girls are thirteen, facing major issues and only really being able to rely on each other for support. I wanted a story that would show how special friendship can be to tweens and how it can also be the rock in our lives that gets us through to adulthood.

I know that my own experience is pretty rare - I'm still friends with my best friend from school and we've known each other for about nineteen years now - which is terrifying and makes me feel *very* old! However, as a teenager with her own versions of upset and drama, I lent on my close friends and I know that I am not alone in doing that. What I wanted to do with THE FREINDSHIP TRIANGLE was add a little bit of magic to the lives of tweens. The majority of my work is focused on the age group of 13+, but that first book was aimed at people of the age I was when I wrote it. However, now that I'm older and have written more and, some would say, better books, I can see that my first is probably more aimed at those under 13.

As most writers will tell you, your first book holds a special place in your heart. I wrote other stories before being published and when BLACKOUT was finished, and picked up by AuthorHouse, people always assumed that it was my first, but I kept THE FRIENDSHIP TRIANGLE to one side. I planned to release it at some point, but I wasn't sure at the time whether it was well and truly finished. Some would say that it is not my best work, others would disagree. I personally feel that it is finished. It was a huge chunk of my life: nine years from start to finish and about two hundred edits later, it's done. (I may only be slightly exaggerating with two hundred, it was closer to twelve!) As mentioned in other pieces, there comes a time when you have to tell yourself that it's finished, it's over and that by taking apart and adding more and more, you are losing what you wanted in the first place. I got to that point with THE FRIENDSHIP TRIANGLE.

So, although reminiscing is fun, and you never do quite forget your first completed works, there is a point when you have to put it to bed, close the edit box and just allow the story to stand on it's own two feet. It will either crash, or it will fly and as the creator, you have to be prepared for both. If you're not ready to hear the bad critics, you're also not ready to hear the good ones either.

Follow Joey on her Facebook page and here on her blog to be kept up to date with the latest news about Joey and her books.

Writing Characters - Chloe, Sarah & Charlotte

Writing Characters - Chloe, Sarah & Charlotte.

When writing characters, you always put a bit of yourself into them. Whether you mean to or not, even if it is only noticeable to you, the writer, there is always a little piece of you in your characters. I feel that this is that much more true with the characters from THE FRIENDSHIP TRIANGLE.

CHLOE

Chloe was my first character. She was the one I started the book with and although the book tells the story of all three girls, my focus was on Chloe. I put a lot of myself into her. I started writing this book when I was thirteen, and Chloe was me. I know people say that you should never base a character on yourself because it becomes obvious. I broke that rule because I was thirteen and had been writing stories (or at least telling them) for a big part of my life. I finally had the courage to put pen to paper and I remember writing that opening scene. It was something taken from my own, every day life. The difference was that I stopped being Chloe at some point during my many edits of this book. She still was me, but she was not me at the same time. In the beginning, Chloe's father was alive and her parents were going through a nasty divorce. It was my own way of dealing with the issues in my life. If you've read the book, you'll know now that her father has died and it's a completely different set up. I took out pieces that made Chloe a copy of me, and added bits that made her a completely fictional character. Just like she is today. Chloe was a joy to write. She helped to lead me through the trials of being a teenager, with issues at home. She led the way for other characters such as Tara and Tally, who were also facing their own issues. You never do forget your first, be that a character or a book.

SARAH

Sarah started her character life as a friend of mine. She was based on her, but as with Chloe, while re-writing and even writing in the beginning, she became the character she is now. Sarah had parents who were separated and her father had a drinking problem, along with gambling away their money. She and her mother ended up living in a bad part of town on a council estate. She faced severe bullying at school and struggling with her life. Writing her was hard, not just because of the issues she faced but because I had, and have continued to, a connection with her. I hurt for the character and although it may have helped me with the book itself, it was painful to write. I couldn't give Sarah what she wanted more than anything, but I was able to help heal some of the wounds, and she did mange to recover and move onto a brighter period in her life.

CHARLOTTE

Charlotte was also based on a friend of mine. She ended up being nothing like her. Not in looks or personality. The whole story of Charlotte was her finding out that she and her younger sister were not technically full sisters and the struggles she faced as her father and mother separated and he shunned her, while wanting the child that was biologically his. Again, I found it hard to write Charlotte, I had some personal experience with feeling "unwanted", but putting myself in her shoes made my heart ache. Yet, she still got through it, and I got through writing the scenes. She was easy to write in some ways, but in others not so much. She is another one of my firsts that paved the way for me to develop characters in other books. For that, I still hold a special place in my writing mind for all three of these characters.

Follow Joey on her Facebook page and here on her blog to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books.

BOOK GIVE-AWAY!

I've decided that once I reach 80 LIKES on Facebook, I will do a book give-away. Basically I am offering the winner the choice between BLACKOUT, DYING THOUGHTS - FIRST TOUCH, THE FRIENDSHIP TRIANGLE & DYING THOUGHTS - SECOND SIGHT in whatever e-book format they wish. You can read about the books at the links above and it only applies to books available on Smashwords.

The rules and such are:

1. Once my page has reached 80 likes, I will post and ask everyone who wants to take part to pick a number between 1 and 100.

2. I will use a random number generator to choose a number and the person with the number wins. If the number hasn't been picked, I will re-roll until a winner is chosen.

3. Everyone can pick ONE number and enter ONCE. Repeat entries will be ignored.

4. I will contact the winner via Facebook and post the winner on my blog AND Facebook. They will then be able to chose ONE of the above books in the format they wish. 

5. If I am unable to reach the winner within 72 HOURS, I will pick another winner using the same generator.

6. Prize not transferable, worth money or any of that stuff.

Good Luck and feel free to share the link with friends!

Joey's Creative Characters Answer Questions

Here's something fun for you all. In the past, I have written conversations between all her characters and to bring a little cheer and an idea of what my characters think, here's a new conversation between the majority of them.


Tally - Blackout
Lisa - Blackout
Tara - Dying Thoughts Series
Kaolin - Dying Thoughts Series
Chloe - The Friendship Triangle
Charlotte - The Friendship Triangle
Lynne - Lynne & Hope
Hope - Lynne & Hope
Zack - Waiting On You - Not yet released
Angelina - Waiting On You - Not yet released
Harriet - Destination: Unknown - Book in progress
Dot - Destination: Unknown - Book in progress

1. How old are you all?
Tally: 15, but by now I'd be in my twenties if book characters aged
Lisa: 15, but I agree with Tally, we don't age
Tara: 16 - I get to age but not as quickly as I'd like!
Kaolin: 16, I also get to age, but I'm not as unhappy about the time it takes as Tara
Chloe: 13, forever 13!
Charlotte: Same as Chloe
Lynne: 25, but at least I'll keep my good looks
Hope: *snorts with laughter* Good looks? Oh right, question, I'm 15
Zack: 16
Angelina: 15, but I'm a mature fifteen
Harriet: 15, but I'd only be a little older if I could age
Dot: 15, and I would be aged by now, I'd be dead!

2. When was your story written?
Chloe: It was started in 1995...
Charlotte: But it wasn't done until 2001!
Tally: 2001 possibly
Lisa: Yeah, she wrote it quick so it would have been 2001
Tara: It started in 2002 or 2003 and she hasn't finished it yet
Kaolin: I wonder if it will EVER be finished!
Lynne: Well, it started out that I was a ghost haunting Hope and that was in 2002 or 2003 and then she changed it to us being sisters, I'm not sure which one I prefer to be honest.
Hope: I think I prefer it when you're haunting me, then at least you'd go away! *Lynne flicks Hope's ear* Ow! Anyway, she finished the story in 2005
Zack: I think it was 2008 it was started
Angelina: Yup and finished in 2010
Harriet: It was started in 2010 but it's still not finished yet, it's almost there, but not just yet!
Dot: Harriet is right, though technically the story started in 1910

3. What's your story about?
Tara: My gift of solving murders and seeing people die
Kaolin: That sounds like you hang out in all the wrong places. See, Tara has this gift...
Tara: Don't give away my secret, you know how my dad feels about that!!
Lynne: It's about my annoying sister and how she got me accused of a crime I didn't commit
Hope: Actually it's about how I saved my sister from jail!
Chloe: Friendship and magic
Charlotte: And a monkey for some reason!
Harriet: Murder and time travel
Dot: I still don't quite believe that you're not an apparition from God you know...
Zack: Online stuff and being careful who you speak to
Angelina: True love, hampered by tragedy
Tally: Drugs, coma, murder attempts. It's a real page turner
Lisa: Yeah, and it also raises awareness for a rare condition
Harriet: Oh mine does that too!

4. Any plot points that you hated?
Harriet: The fact that my mum was so sick. I mean, I know it raises awareness, but it still sucked!
Dot: My family falling apart, that seemed very unfair
Lynne: Being accused of murder and having to go on the run
Hope: Being Lynne's sister
Tara: Having my gift, but I guess if you take that away it doesn't have much of a story
Kaolin: Nope, Tara, if they took that away it would just be you bitching and whining and no one wants to read that
Tara: Hey, you're supposed to be my best friend!!
Kaolin: I only speak the truth
Zack: Being arrested
Angelina: My whole family, can we erase that part? The rest is perfect!
Chloe: My dad being dead, that sucked
Charlotte: My messed up family situation, but I guess it was all for the plot...oh and that damned monkey!
Chloe: It's a primate actually...
Charlotte: *pokes her tongue out at Chloe*

5. Do you like your stories?
Angelina: YES! I find love, and Zack is perfect!
Zack: Well, it's doesn't actually...
Angelina: SPOILERS!
Harriet: I don't know, it's not finished yet
Dot: I can not comment, I don't know the ending
Lynne: Apart from having to bond with dear sister of mine, then I guess it's okay
Hope: I still wish it coulda been the ghost one where I got rid of her at the end!
Tara: Which one? Some I like, some I wish hadn't happened.
Kaolin: I'm with Tara, some are great, well not great, they involve murder, but y'know what I mean
Tally: I liked it when it ended
Lisa: Sometimes, it sucked in parts for me
Lynne: I feel your pain, Lisa!

6. Lastly, are you all on Facebook? Twitter? Tumblr?
Lynne: Face what?
Hope: I don't think that existed back then
Harriet: Both Facebook and Twitter, not tried Tumblr
Dot: I have books of faces of my family if that's what you mean, photographs and such
Chloe: Huh?
Charlotte: Why doesn't Tumblr have an e in it?
Angelina: No, until my story was written I didn't have the internet
Dot: The internet? Is that like DNA? Whatever that is, Harriet never did explain all of that
Tally: No idea
Lisa: I'm with Tally on this one, what is it?
Tara: Nope
Kaolin: Never heard of it
Zack: Yeah, but I don't use it that much
Harriet: Duh, guys! It's Facebook, y'know? Social Media online
*Lynne, Dot, Chloe, Charlotte, Tally, Lisa, Tara & Kaolin all look blankly at Harriet*
Harriet: Help me out here, Zack.
Zack: It's this thing where you have a page and people can friend you
Angelina: Like LJ, but newer
Harriet: Yup! Exactly.
*They still all look blank*
Harriet: *deep sigh* I give up!

A Happy New Year!

We hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and holiday and from all of us here at Joey Paul Online, we would like to be among the first to wish you a Happy New Year. May 2013 hold all that you wish for and more!

The release of Joey's sixth book - "Dying Thoughts - Third Wish" - is coming up in February 2013 and we were wondering if to celebrate this, people would like to do a review of any of Joey's other five books. The reviews can be emailed to this blog, or even left on Joey's Amazon or Smashword page, as well as the other retailers that stock her books. Along with the release of the third in the Dying Thoughts series, Joey's fifth book - "Lynne & Hope" - will be made available on all other e-book sites.

Remember to follow this blog or "like" Joey's Facebook page for continual updates!

Books now LIVE

Just to let you all know that Joey's first four books are now LIVE on the iBookStore as well as other places online. The books have been distributed to all online book shops that sell e-books and you can grab your copy now!

Remember that you can buy direct from Smashwords and use the 20% OFF coupon codes for BLACKOUT (BL35T) & DYING THOUGHTS - FIRST TOUCH (SV32Q). This promotion runs until DECEMBER 27TH 2012 so grab a copy while you can!

Now available on Amazon Canada, Japan and Brazil!

 

 

 

JOEY PAUL'S BOOKS NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON CANADA, JAPAN & BRAZIL!

Just a quick update to let you know that all five of Joey Paul's books are now available on Amazon CANADA, JAPAN & BRAZIL!

Grab a copy for your collection now!

Available Everywhere E-Books Are Sold!

 Available where e-books are sold!

After working for a few months on getting everything in place and the books edited to the point where they would be accepted as e-books elsewhere, we are pleased to say that the first four books - BLACKOUT, DYING THOUGHTS - FIRST TOUCH, DYING THOUGHTS - SECOND SIGHT & THE FRIENDSHIP TRIANGLE are now available from other e-book retailers, such as Barnes & Noble UK & USA, as well as the iBookStore. You can also buy direct from Smashwords from Joey's profile.

Due to the agreement that we have, LYNNE & HOPE will remain exclusively on Amazon until February 2013 when the new book, DYING THOUGHTS - THIRD WISH will be released on Amazon UK, USA, France, Italy, Spain, Germany & India as a Kindle e-book.

Keep an eye on this blog and Joey's Facebook page for details of any special offers to celebrate the upcoming holidays!

Update for iBookStore

We apologise for the lack of updates recently,  Joey fell and fractured her pelvis and was off-line for a long time and has only just been able to get back into the swing of things. She asked me to update now to let you know that during my time off-line, she have been working on getting BLACKOUT, DYING THOUGHTS - FIRST TOUCH, DYING THOUGHTS - SECOND SIGHT, THE FRIENDSHIP TRIANGLE & LYNNE & HOPE available from the iBookStore and other e-book retailers. We will let you know when they have gone live.

To remind you all that the third DYING THOUGHTS book will be released at some point in February 2013 - we are working on a date, but the editing has started. Per our agreement with Amazon, it will be exclusively available there for six months, at which time it will be available elsewhere along with the other books from Joey Paul's collection.

As always, follow this blog or Joey's Facebook page to get the latest updates of promotions and news.

New front cover design according to a seven year old

I live with my best friend - who normally designs my covers - and her seven year old daughter, she's my god daughter and she calls me "Aunty Joey".  She's a bit of an artist like her Mum and a writer like me.

We've been talking about the books and how my best friend needs to start working on the next two covers, when she overheard. She expressed an interest in reading the book, but first she wanted to design a front cover as well, which she did!

The cover is a triangle with three friends next to it, below is a "cool scooter" with a tent and camp fire because I happened to mention they went camping. Also, there's a plane. I have no idea why. Perhaps it's a subtle hint that I should take her on a plane to go on holiday.

I hope you all enjoy it as much as we did!

End of Promotion

Following the five day promotion for "Blackout" and "Dying Thoughts - First Touch", the total number of books sold surpassed ten thousand copies. This is something which Joey had aimed for, but did not think she would achieve so soon. She would like to thank everyone for helping make this dream come true.

Video: Intro to Joey Paul and her books

A video about Joey and her books

Review: The Friendship Triangle

What I liked about the friendship triangle: It is about three girls who are like me and they have an adventure running away together because of all their problems. It is very exciting but sad in places but I still liked it lots.

My favourite character: I liked Char because she lost her little sister and was really sad about it and then found out her dad wasn’t her dad and her mum was lying but still managed to be a good friend.

Best bit: When Chloe, Sarah and Char all have the same dream. I liked this bit because it was a bit magic and showed that they were great friends. I also liked that part where they meet Maria and she makes their wishes happen.

Worst bit: When Chloe gets run over. I didn’t like this bit because I thought she was dead.

Why other people should read it: because it is about friends like everyone has and will make you appreciate your friends more. Plus it has lots of problems but they sort out in the end.