Something Fun!

INTRODUCING: 'NANOBUG' THE MUSE

It seems to be the case that some writers have what they call 'muses'. Sometimes they are things - objects, places, music etc. Sometimes they are a person - lover, friend, child etc. It's not just writers who claim to have them, but artists too, of all kinds! People in the creative world seem to have something that works for them, helps them produce their art - be that painting, sketching, building, writer, creating, anything. 

As a writer I've always had something "real" that I call my muse - for a while it was a stuffed monkey, called "Matt" that was a gift to me by a dear friend. However, Matt never reappeared when we moved house and so I am unsure if he ever made the move. As it so happens, up until now I've never had the need to replace him with anything. For a while it was because I was only writing in the summers and therefore didn't have the want or need for something physical to talk to when I got blocked.

However, my god daughter managed to get her 100m & 200m in swimming the other week and as a reward I said I would buy her something. We walked up and down the toy aisle in Tescos and I spotted the HexBug Nano's for sale and thought "Hmm, as I am known online as "JoeyBug" wouldn't it be appropriate for me to have a muse that was also a "Bug"?". I offered to buy my god daughter one, but she chose something else. The next day, however, I went back and brought myself one. They advertised that they had a purple one and as you all know, purple is my favourite colour! I couldn't find a purple one - they only seemed to have blue, green and black, so I settled for a black one.

It's a great little bug, it whizzes around in circles and has fallen off my desk and tried to escape more than once! I like it, and it seems to be working as the past week has been filled with chapters being written and one of my finished books almost has a front cover! My artist, and best friend, B now only has one front cover to draw and all the finished books are done. She plans to then go back and "update" the other front covers to have them all look more recent and "professional" as she puts it. So, keep you eyes pealed for new covers - you'll hear about them here first! Also you can "like" me on Facebook for all updates there too!

Anyway, back to writing some chapters - do any of you have "muses"? Are they a person, place or object?

Another "Questions from 'Fans' Opportunity :D

PART TWO OF "QUESTIONS FROM 'FANS'"

Since the last round of questions from 'fans' went so well, Joey has decided to do a second one. There were still some questions that went unanswered in the first post, but Joey is appealing to anyone interested in asking her a question to email them to her inbox.

They can be about anything. From how she chooses her characters, to how she plans a book. From a specific question about one of her books or characters to one about how she decided which storyline to go with. There are only a few limits. Joey is willing to answer any question, but if she deems it to be too personal, she may not feel comfortable answering, also inflammatory questions will be ignored.

So, if you'd like to take part in round two, please email Joey before the 31st August 2012. If she receives a lot of questions, she may answer some before that date, but the deadline is set to then.

Have fun :D

Interview: Questions from Readers

Joey recently asked on her Facebook page for people to send in questions they would like her to answer. This is the first batch received. If you missed your chance, don't worry, Joey will do this again!

-> What's your favourite part of writing a book?

I'd have to say the part after you've set the story and you've started to get knee deep in plot. I do like the beginnings where you're setting everything up and I love the final chapters where you tie up all the loose ends, but I'd have to choose the middle part as my absolute favourite part.

-> Who do you call your "favourite author"?

I do a lot of reading, I like to find authors, who like me, are generally unknown and give their work a try. Having a kindle allows me to do that and sometimes I find a gem that I'd previously not known about and sometimes I don't. If I had to choose from my favourite short list of authors, it would be down to Harlan Coben and Sue Grafton. Both are great writers, both tell great stories. I love them both for different reasons, Harlan Coben for the way he keeps you guessing and draws you into the story and Sue Grafton for her character Kinsey Millhone who is a strong, female private eye, solving crimes and sometimes getting herself into sticky situations. I don't think I can pick between the two of them.

-> What do you prefer writing, your standalones or the Dying Thoughts Series?

I love both, which is why I've chosen to split my books between the two. I love writing the standalones, such as Blackout because it's a whole new bunch of characters to fall in love with and go through their story with. I do find it hard sometimes to say goodbye to those characters after the story is through though. That's also one of the reasons why I love the Dying Thoughts Series, it's a bunch of characters that I know and love, and yet they still continue to surprise me as I take them on their adventures, I'm still learning to know things about them and it's also one of the reasons I write two books at once, I like to have the best of both worlds. On one hand, the characters I will take through one story and on the other, characters that are like old friends.

-> Why don't Kaolin and Tara have Facebook and other social media?

The problem with writing a series and writing so far in advance is that although time moves forward for you, it doesn't once the book is done. I started writing the Dying Thoughts Series when I was about 20, I'm now 30, so ten years have passed since then and when I first put pen to paper, there was no Facebook or Twitter. There were other types of what we now call "social media", but I never saw the need for them to have that. Due to the fact that the books themselves happen over a period of (at the moment) eighteen months, Tara and Kaolin are still stuck in the past. They're still in 2003 and Facebook has yet to hit the internet. I can't bring them this far forward in time without losing some of the book content, so for now, they will stay in 2003/2004. Maybe towards the end, they'll finally get Facebook!

->What's the worst part of writing?

Writer's Block! No, I mean that's one part of it I don't like, but it comes hand in hand with the job really, the thing I really don't like are those chapters that just exist to move the story along with everyday things - like for a teenager going to school and having a normal day, before a piece of plot happens. Those kind of things. I call them "filler chapters", but I've been told that they don't always exist, they seem to in my books.

->What made you start writing?

I had just been retired from my job on medical grounds and the thought of being 19 and never being able to hold down a 9 to 5 job or having to watch daytime TV from then until the end of time just depressed me. I'd tried my hand at writing before and decided that I would finish what I had started a few years previously which was taking apart The Friendship Triangle and turn it into a proper book. I was well and truly "bitten" by the bug after that and although sometimes things like university have gotten in the way, I haven't stopped writing since.

->Where do you get your character names? 

From a lot of places, I brought a baby name book at one point and used to just look through it for inspiration. Other names are inspired by people I know or knew, and sometimes places and things. It's amazing to me how many names you need to come up with for just a standalone book, never mind a series!

->What inspires your stories?

A lot of things do, I'd had the idea for Blackout in my head from about the age of 14, it took until I was 19 to write it down. I got the idea for the Dying Thoughts Series whilst shopping in ASDA! Other books have been inspired by events in my life, such as internet romances, and other times it's places I've been or people I've met. I can't pin it down to just one thing - Life inspires me!

-> How long does a book take - from idea, to start, to finish?

It depends really. Take Blackout for example, the idea formed at 14, I began writing it when I was 19 and ten days later it was finished. It's the only book I've ever written that fast. I generally keep a note of the date I start the book and they usually take anywhere from 18 months to a few years to finish. Especially now that I am juggling writing with a part time degree. Thankfully, I have the summer, autumn and half of winter off this year before my next course starts in February 2013 so I plan to spend that writing.

That's all the questions for now! Thanks to those who submitted them and keep an eye on this blog and Joey's Facebook page to take part next time and for any updates! 

Promotion Ends and Lynne & Hope

PROMOTION ENDS

The promotion that had copies of both "BLACKOUT" and "DYING THOUGHTS - SECOND SIGHT" has come to an end. They are both still available exclusively from Amazon on Kindle, but should be available from the iBookStore in the next few months, this will allow people without a Kindle to get their hands on Joey Paul's first four books. Her fifth, "LYNNE & HOPE" will follow in about seven to eight months. If you can't wait until then, Kindle apps are available for free from Amazon and work on most smart phones, as well as on computers.

LYNNE & HOPE RELEASED

The release of "LYNNE & HOPE" went well, with people buying copies from all branches of the Amazon Kindle stores. Joey would like to thank everyone who brought themselves a copy this week, and to those who also took advantage of the free promotion of two of her other books. Keep a look out for new front cover designs for "LYNNE & HOPE" as well as some of her other books, including, "DYING THOUGHTS - FIRST TOUCH", "DYING THOUGHTS - SECOND SIGHT" and "THE FRIENDSHIP TRIANGLE". These will be posted on this website first, so remember to follow this blog for the first peak at her new cover art! 

You can also sign up for email updates using the widget on the right of this post. Thank you for your ongoing support.

LYNNE & HOPE RELEASED!

 

LYNNE & HOPE RELEASED!

 

Joey Paul's fifth book "LYNNE & HOPE" is now LIVE on Amazon Kindle exclusively. Available from Amazon UK, USA, France, Spain, Germany and Italy. Grab your copy now!

 

REMINDER: PROMO & RELEASE

LYNNE & HOPE RELEASE

On July 11th 2012, Joey Paul's fifth book "Lynne & Hope" will be released on Amazon Kindle exclusively. It will be available from Amazon UK, USA, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Be sure to grab your copy!

The book is about two sisters, ten years apart in age, who are nowhere near friends. Lynne works at a crime lab and is accused of a crime she didn't commit. Hope is wheelchair bound after an accident when she was five. Once Lynne goes on the run to avoid being charged, it is up to Hope to find evidence that could clear her sister. They need to both bury their differences and work together to find the real killer.

  FREE BOOK PROMOTION

 From Monday July 9th to Friday July 13th, to coincide with the release of "Lynne & Hope", both "Blackout" and "Dying Thoughts - Second Sight" will be FREE on Amazon Kindle exclusively. Be sure to take advantage of this offer and grab two of Joey Paul's books at no charge!

Upcoming release and promotions!

LYNNE & HOPE RELEASE

JULY 11TH 2012

 

As I'm sure you are all aware, Joey's fifth book - "Lynne & Hope" - is due for release on July 11th 2012. It will be available for purchase on Kindle through Amazon UK, USA, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Be sure to grab your copy! Alongside this release, both "Blackout" and "Dying Thoughts - Second Sight" will be on promotion for free between July 9th and July 13th 2011!

 

Be sure to take advantage of these great offers and have the next book in Joey Paul's library!

Joey Paul supports The Fibroduck Foundation

 

My name is Joey,

I am thirty and have had Fibromyalgia and M.E since I was nineteen. I have a bunch of other conditions, but they are not relevant here. If you want to know what Fibro is, here's an explanation - life is like a game of kerplunk - Basically, I'm in a lot of pain, every day. My pain scale runs from one to ten, every day it sits at least at a five, that's even with painkillers. My five is about your seven or eight. I'm not alone, Fibromyalgia affects millions of people world wide and we're all desperate for same things...the cure, a treatment that works, people not to say we're faking it, people to be aware of what it's like for us....Our lives back. 

Every year on May 12th, which is M.E and Fibromyalgia Awareness Day I make a post in my blog and try to raise awareness in the small circle of friends who read it. I think my friends are as informed as they are ever going to get so now, this year, I decided to do something different. I started playing the ukulele back in August 2010 and have since written nine songs, the latest being the single “It hurts to be me.” I played the song for my friend Kim, I wasn't happy with the chords I'd chosen, but she already had a tune in her head and it all fit together beautifully, and then the possibility was it could raise some money for The Fibroduck Foundation. So despite the fact that it scares me silly, that people may hate it and all of that. I decided to release it and from there, any profits made could go to the foundation. 

The Fibroduck Foundation started as someone wanting to raise awareness by sending 1 million rubber ducks out into the world to show people that Fibromyalgia exists and something needs to be done. Everyone could order a duck, and you could take photos and post them on it's website On it's second birthday back in September 2011, they launched the Foundation, which is committed to providing funds to aid research, to help to find tests to prove it exists, treatments to aid the sufferers and maybe a cure. 

I wanted to something more than just write a post, I wanted to say what a lot of fibromites are thinking that, it hurts to be us and so, while sleep was evading me one day, I wrote the song and Kim and her husband added Ukulele, guitar, bass, synth and she produced the whole thing and made it into the beauty it is today. Every penny of profit will go to the Fibroduck Foundation. 

It will be on iTunes and Amazon as well as other places around the web and hopefully, it will sell enough copies that it will not only raise awareness of what it's like to be a Fibro sufferer, but it will also raise funds for their first research project. 

I didn't want to just write a post and hope it made people aware, I didn't want to make money off my pain, I want to make a difference. I can only hope it will. Please buy the single from Amazon, or iTunes or even from The Fibroduck Foundation website. 

Thank you.

Interview: Lynne & Hope

Lynne & Hope Interview

JOEY PAUL TALKS

What can you tell us about your new upcoming book?

-> Basically, it's about two sisters. Hope, is fifteen and paralysed, the other, Lynne, is 25 and works in a crime lab. Hope is desperate for her sister to notice her, or even just accept that it's not her fault Lynne's life isn't what she wanted, and Lynne is desperate to move out, work her way into an early grave and ignore her sister's existence. Lynne is then accused of a crime she didn't commit and goes on the run, Hope takes it upon herself to prove her sister is innocent, but Lynne isn't too happy about that. 

Does she manage it? 

-> Of course! It wouldn't be much of a crime novel if she didn't! The whole book is told in diary entries from both women and they couldn't be more different, yet they don't seem to realise, or at least, Lynne doesn't seem to realise that she's angry at the wrong person. I won't disclose the ending, but Hope's actions go a long way into helping mend their relationship.

How long have you been writing?

-> I started writing seriously when I was nineteen, I'd just been diagnosed with two chronic conditions which alongside my other medical issues led to me spending a lot of time in a wheelchair. I'd been retired from my job on medical grounds and couldn't image spending the rest of my life doing nothing, so I started writing. 

What did you first work on?

-> I began by tearing apart and rewriting a story I'd worked on with a friend for fun at school. I took out their parts completely and made the story into a workable book. It's definitely not my strongest book, but it's been released and seems to be doing well.

Which book was that?

-> "The Friendship Triangle". It was actually my first book, though people often assume it was "Blackout" because that was the one released first.

Why was that?

-> Basically, I had to choose what I thought would be my strongest book so far, which was "Blackout", because I was going down the self-published route. It worked out for me because later on I was picked up by my current publisher and have now had three more books published.

I heard that you write books in advance, so what are you working on now?

-> I'm actually writing books nine and ten, having just extended my contract to fifteen books instead of ten. I started writing two at the same time when I was working on number seven and was desperate to finish it and start book eight which was brewing in my head, so I worked on them both together and since it worked so well that time, I'm doing it again. 

So, what will book six be?

-> You'll have to wait for more details, but I can tell you that it's the third in the "Dying Thoughts" Series, which I love writing. I am looking forward to moving along with it. It should be released in January/February 2013

When you're not writing, what are you doing?

-> I'm a university student. I'm working towards a Honours degree in Health and Social Care with The Open University. I play Ukulele as well and enjoy making music with that, it makes me smile and helps me relax. As well as that, I read and help to raise awareness of the conditions I live with.

Before we end, any advice to aspiring writers?

-> Get your work out there, anyway you can. If you can, get an agent as most publishers will not accept work from the general public, and they will help you with paying taxes. They will also do the leg work and some of them will not require payment until you begin earning and then they'll take a percentage. Most importantly, don't give up. Writing is a passion for me, it is for a lot of writers, and even when it seems like all you're doing is writing for yourself, that's okay, it's good to express yourself in anyway you can. Become thick skinned, people will reject your work and that's fine. Most of all, enjoy what you do!

   

Books in Progress

LYNNE & HOPE

At this moment in time, Lynne & Hope is with the editor for a final read through and any corrections. It will be back with me in a few weeks and then I'll do the edits and sign off on any corrections and from there will send it back to publisher for its release date on July 11th 2012

DYING THOUGHTS - THIRD WISH

The third book in the Dying Thoughts Series is in the beginning stages of being made ready or publication in January/February of 2013. First it will be read through by the editor who will then suggest edits and I'll begin the long job of editing and getting it ready, I have added a new member to my editing process, but in the interests of privacy, I will just say that she is looking forward to working with us all!. The plan for Dying Thoughts - Third Wish is for it to be released just after Christmas or during the February half term in the UK. Watch this space for information on release dates.

BOOKS UNDER CONSTRUCTION:

WAITING ON YOU

DYING THOUGHTS - FOURTH WEEK

DESTINATION:UNKNOWN

DYING THOUGHTS - FIFTH SECRET

All of the above titles are books that have either been finished and are awaiting their front cover design and editing or are in progress. Either way, they will not be released for at least just over a year from now, but watch this space for information regarding their release.