Reviews, Guest Blogging & Other Updates

Since I have recently had a bunch of guest blogging posts, I thought I would do a post to let you all know what they're about and where to read them. I will also post some links to recent reviews that you may not have seen.

My first guest blog post was for Amber Skye Forbes and was entitled: My Writing Path. Amber is a new writer with her first book out now. 

I was also chosen for an Author Spotlight by J Bryden Lloyd who runs The Write Stuff group on Facebook. If anyone who is also an indie writer and wants to join, send me a PM on Facebook and I'll add you to the group.

I was asked for an interview from Carol Ann Kaufffman after she did a review of LYNNE & HOPE (Review can be found here).

There is also a new interview up on my Smashwords page, which you can read here.

And finally, I did a guest blog for Katanna: Fiction for the Masses entitled: Seven things that influence my writing.

As for new reviews, Nerd Girl on Facebook did a review of DYING THOUGHTS - FIRST TOUCH, DYING THOUGHTS - SECOND SIGHT and LYNNE & HOPE.

I am always looking for Guest Bloggers, so if you feel like you have something you'd like to write for this blog, feel free to contact me at bugbooks@virginmedia.com and we can go from there.

Managing Your Writing & Your Life - The Creative Process

Managing Your Writing & Your Life

Like many writers, I have two lives. I have my life as a writer when everything is about editing and writing the next chapter, and I have my other life. The life that involves hospital stays, school runs, bill paying and uni work. Switching between these lives is usually easy, but you have to find a balance otherwise when you've got all those balls up in the air - the uni one, and the child one and other personal ones alongside working ones - if you stop and drop one, then usually the others come tumbling down fairly quickly. So, how do you manage your writing life and your life life?

I've been retired from the conventional working world since I was nineteen, as many of you are aware. Yet writing is still a job for me. It gives me some money and it has other aspects of a conventional job too, like having to pay my editor or do some admin work to keep everything in its place. However, because adult life is never as fun as it seemed when you were a child, I have other responsibilities too. I have a nine year old to get to school. I have uni work, and with that essays and such that need doing. I have bills to pay and being disabled and chronically sick, I also have numerous hospital and doctor appointments scattered in there too. I am an adult and with that comes a wealth of responsibility.

However, as I said at the beginning of this piece, I feel like I have two lives. Sometimes though, the beams cross and I'm suddenly mixing my writing life with my other life and I find myself juggling and running around trying to make sure my world doesn't implode. It's hard, but it's something that pretty much every one does. They may not be writers, they may be doctors or teachers, but they find their working lives intermingling with their professional ones and learning to deal with that is part of what makes up those responsibilities that I was talking about.

So, here's how I manage my two lives. It won't work for everyone because we're all different, but some of these may appeal to you and if they do, feel free to give them a go.

1. TRIAGE
I've learnt from many years as a professional patient that everything in life can be triaged. Basically, you need to work out what has to be done RIGHT NOW and what can wait. I work for myself, so although I set myself four chapters a fortnight, there's no one standing over me and demanding an explanation for why they weren't done. Uni work, on the other hand, fits to a tight schedule and although The Open University are great and work well with disabled people, they can only be so lenient. They can't just tell you to hand in your work whenever you've got it done. So, for me, I do have certain deadlines I have to meet, which puts the uni work above the writing work. I am also in a band, and am in the process of recording songs for an album. That is purely hobby work, all of us have other jobs and lives that mean that the band stuff gets done in our spare time and if I have uni work AND chapters? That means I have little spare time, so that gets put behind book work. Now sometimes, I will have deadlines in my book work, like if I've already announced a date for a give away or a promotion and I'm running behind on the admin work. At that point, book work will share the top space with uni work and I'll be running around like a headless chicken trying to get it all done. Hey, we've all been there, right?

2. KNOW YOUR LIMITS
Some people will think that this only applies to those of us who are chronically ill and/or disabled. It doesn't. Everyone has a breaking point, just for some people it's lower than others. I can only speak as a disabled and chronically ill person because I have been that for all of my adult life. It's no good arranging your triaged list and then ignoring it to cram in more work, such as thinking that you can do that essay for uni, and you can also do those four chapters in two days. If you can, more power to you, but if you're like me, and you know that it means you'll be pushing yourself and sacrificing other things such as sleep, or relax time, or time with the kids, then it just seems that you'd be setting yourself up for failure and a lot more stress and that is never fun. I like to spread things out, with the beginning of the week dedicated to the things at the top of my list, and then everything else moved around the rest of the week. I do it because I know that health wise, I can't work for ten hours a day and still function the next day. I know because I've tried and learnt my lesson.

3. DON'T BE AFRAID TO TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF
So, you've triaged and you've made sure that you are aware of what you can and can not accomplish in the time frame - say two weeks because that's what I work in. You shouldn't be filling every available time slot with work - be that writing work or life work. You need time to chill, to sit down and read a good book. To watch TV and play with the kids, to spend watching your favourite film or go on a date night with your partner. You need time off basically, and although some people are able to schedule, say thirty minutes a day to do that and stick to it, not everyone can. I know that sometimes I'll plan to watch a TV show and then go back to work, but I'll find that before I get to my scheduled time off my brain and my body go "NOPE" and I have to listen to them because otherwise I find I am unable to do anything for the rest of the day, or perhaps even the rest of the week. So, linked in with number two, know your limits, and also, take some time for yourself.

4. DON'T BE AFRAID TO SAY NO
Sometimes, the key to getting that time to yourself or sticking to your work plan, is that you have to turn down people who want you to do them a favour or who want to chat when you're working. You have to tell yourself that it's okay to tell them that you're busy, or that you can't because you're working/relaxing/don't want to. It's okay to say no and it's okay to lock yourself in your office and shut the door and say "No one disturb me on pain of fictional death!" because sometimes that's just what needs to happen.

5. YOU CAN'T SEE INTO THE FUTURE
I hate to break it to you, but you can't. That means that even if you are someone who can schedule their life down to the last second, you are always gonna end up with something that knocks the schedule off kilter. Like the cat getting sick and you having to go to the vets, or the child having a screaming temper tantrum or just, as I said above, your body having a temper tantrum and telling you that you can't work anymore today. Surprises happen and because you can't predict how the day is going to go, you have to leave some spaces for things that you didn't plan, otherwise when your car breaks down and you're stuck at school waiting for the man from the AA to come and save you, you're going to get stressed out and that's only going to make things worse.

So, those are my five tips for managing your professional and personal lives whilst not driving yourself crazy or making yourself sick because you're trying to do everything at once. One last thing I will say is that you shouldn't compare your schedule with someone else's. Everyone is different (crazy when you consider there are 7 billion of us!) and everyone has different priorities. A writer working on a magazine piece is going to place their work above something like uni work, but someone else may do the opposite. Comparing notes on how to manage is fine - I'm doing it right now - but try not to beat yourself up because you're friends with a writer who does eighteen chapters a day and still does a load of other stuff...and at the same time, don't look down on those who only manage a chapter a week and does little else. Everyone works at different paces and everyone has different things in their lives that may not be obvious to others. Concentrate on your own juggling because if you take your eyes off the balls, you'll drop one.

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

Hitting 275 likes on Facebook!

To celebrate reaching 275 likes on Facebook, here is the character profile for Zack from WAITING ON YOU. (Click to enlarge). Once we reach 300 likes - and we're getting closer every day - Joey will release an excerpt from her seventh book, WAITING ON YOU that shows the conversation Zack and Angelina have when they first meet. As a bonus, when we reach 350 likes, Joey will release the conversation they have when they realise they have feelings for each other!

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

Questions From Readers - Part Six

 

Firstly, I would just like to say that as today is Remembrance Day, thank you to all of those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom, and also to those who continue to fight for it.

Now, before I went on holiday, I put up one last call for questions from readers on my Facebook page. So this is the last batch for now, but since they prove to get a good response, I will probably do this again in the New Year. So, without further ado, here's the final lot of questions from readers.

Why do you use the label "Bug Books"?

When I was first published by Author House, I was approached by a traditional publisher who wanted to give me a contract, I accepted, and then lost the contract due to health reasons. I was then approached and asked about starting my own independent label. For as long as I can remember I have been known as "JoeyBug" online and the name "Bug Books" became the label that I would use. My plan is to one day start to publish other people's work under the same label and turn it into a small independent publishing house. That may never happen, but for now that's my plan.

How long do you plan to make the Dying Thoughts Series?

Originally, the DYING THOUGHTS series was only supposed to be five books. My original contract was for ten books, five of which would be standalone stories. It was only when I had written the fifth book and left it with a cliffhanger of an ending that I thought about expanding the series. As it stands now, I will write the series until Tara enters the police force and has finished college. I was thinking that would be around seven books, but as I'm writing book six and she's only just started college, it may be a few more. I don't want to overdo it and ruin the series by continuing it for too long, but at the same time, I want to give her the ending she deserves.

Do you ever start a book and then lose inspiration and never finish it?

Since I become a full-time writer, no. I have always finished the books I have started. They haven't always ended up being what they started off as, but I have used the characters and put them in a different story, like with LYNNE & HOPE and one of the books I'm working on now. However, before that, I used to write with a friend at school. We wrote "books" and although one of them has now been taken apart and is unrecognisable as what it was, another one or two will never see the light of day again. I often joke with B, my best friend of many years, that it would be my worst nightmare if one particular story was to come to light. It was so unbelievable bad, but when you're thirteen, these things seem like the best idea ever.

Are you in a relationship?

I am, I am in a complicated relationship with a guy called Scott. It's complicated for a number of reasons, one of which being that we live 4400 miles or so apart. It's a long story as to how we met, short version is that I went to the USA in 2002, met him while I was there, planned to keep in touch, lost touch, then in 2010, he found me through BLACKOUT and came to stay and from there we developed the relationship we have now.

Have you ever been in a long distance relationship?

I have, I'm actually in one now, as mentioned up above. I have also been in a couple in the past that didn't work out for various reasons.

Do you read a lot? If so, do you think it has influenced how you write?

I read a lot of things, like crime novels and chick lit and romance. I also like the odd young adult dystopian fiction and I do think that it has had some effect on how I write. I mostly read adult books, and I write young adult so there is a difference there, but there will be times that I'll read a book that is similar to my own style of writing and find inspiration. I'll read when I'm waiting for hospital appointments, in the mornings when I wait for the school bell to ring, again when I go to pick up Miss D and moments in between. Reading to me is like breathing, it's something I have to do to survive. It's one of the reasons I love my Kindle Fire so much because it means I can carry an array of books with me and dip into one world and then into another without having to move.

What kind of shows do you watch?

I like crime procedural shows, like NCIS or NCIS: LA. I also like to watch Castle but I can also be found watching Grey's Anatomy because I like medical shows too. I watch some sci-fi, like Doctor Who and Fringe, as well as Warehouse 13. I didn't watch as many TV shows before I discovered the joys of Netflix though, so now I can be found curled up with my Kindle Fire or my tablet watching a show from start to finish. Right now, I'm nearing the end of Fringe, Quantum Leap and also watching NCIS and NCIS: LA week by week.

Have you ever finished writing a book and then decided not to publish it?

I have never had that happen yet, but there is always a first time for everything. Due to the fact that I work so far in advance, it could be that between finishing the book and getting it ready for publication, I make a lot of changes and edits and that could mean that what I declared finished all that time ago is vastly different from the published book. Never say never though.

How do you juggle being a student and being a writer whilst being sick?

It is hard, there have been times when I've gone years between writing spurts. That's mostly the extreme though and more to do with lack of inspiration and finding something else to fill the gap of time that I would have spent writing. Since about my third year at university, I have been juggling uni work and book work the majority of the time. There was some talk about me taking a year off to write, but I found I couldn't do that and still complete my degree in the time left. I usually set myself four chapters a fortnight, so two a week. As I write two of one book before switching to the other, it usually means that I spend a week on each book. Recently, I was in hospital for ten days and I found the easiest way to avoid worrying myself into getting sicker is to accept that sometimes, life just gets in the way. Due to the fact that the university I attend is mostly distance learning, I am able to get ahead of the schedule which enables me to take weeks off for sickness and not have to worry too much. I try to apply the same to my writing, I have the next book for publication done, I have no deadline and it's much better to spend energy on getting better again that to waste it by worrying about things that I have no control over.

Describe an average day of being a writer?

My day usually starts at 7am, when I get up, have tablets and tea and read through the internet while eating breakfast. I take Miss D to school for 8:40am and we get back at around 9am. If it's the beginning of the week, I'll spend a couple of hours on uni work, if not, I'll dive right in to book work. I'll update my Facebook page with a plan for the day and say hello to my followers. Depending on what needs to be done, I'll start with a blog post, or emails that need answering. Once that is done, I'll get down to the actual writing part of my day. I'll read through what I've previously written (usually the last two chapters) and get on with some writing. I'll do that on and off until we leave to pick up Miss D for 3pm and then we're usually home for 3:15pm. As I find it harder to work when she's around, I'll go back to doing admin work, whether that's organising promotions, or a give-away or answering more emails. I will then stop working on book stuff around 5pm, have something to eat and head up to bed where I'll read and/or watch Netflix before going to sleep around 8-10pm.

How many murders have your plotted?

It's hard to say really, quite a fair few. It's not just the murders that happen through the books, but also the background ones for things like random cases for Tara to solve. I would probably say close to a hundred, but I guess the good thing is I haven't committed any of them outside of print just yet ;-)

Do you ever get stuck thinking up cases for Tara to solve?

I have had times when I'll ask B if she can think up a new scenario for a case. I don't like to be too repetitive and obviously there needs to be an element that would call for Tara's expertise. If it's obvious who did it then Mike would see no need in calling Tara and asking her to have a vision. Still, as my magnet says: "I'm a Mystery Writer...I know 101 ways to cover up a murder" :-D

What can you see from your office window?

I live in an historic part of town, so right outside my window is the old Railway Works which are, at this precise moment, being turned into a technical college. A main road also runs in front of that so I have the constant noise of cars turning the corner and driving down my street.

Does being disabled and chronically ill have an influence in what you write?

I would be lying if I said that it didn't have some effect on what I write. Hope from LYNNE & HOPE was disabled for a number of reasons, one being that at the time, I had recently become reliant on a wheelchair to get around outside of the house. Another being that I wanted to have a main character with a disability to give some representation to those young people who, like me, live with chronic illness and/or a disability. In my tenth book, the mother is disabled and actually has two of the conditions that I suffer from while another character who bears the brunt of my own illness is Lisa from BLACKOUT. I want to show people, particularly young people, that they are not alone and that a lot of people have disabilities that may not be seen, or may be the only thing people see.

What's the best part to write in a book?

I have to say that for me the best part is both the beginning and the ending. There is no feeling like starting a book and writing those first few words and thinking "yup, it's started now so there's no going back!" But also, there's a rush that comes from typing those last few words and thinking "I did it, it's done!" and knowing that you've come all this way, used all this time, typed all these words and you've told your story. I can't choose between the two as to which is the top choice because for me, they both feel so exhilarating and the adrenaline rush is out of this world.

What's the worst part to write in a book?

The worst part for me is writing what I call filler chapters. They're chapters that are needed because they move the story along, but they don't contain huge amounts of plot. They're usually Tara or whoever going to school and having a lesson or a conversation where things are said or done that help with the overall story or a mini-plot, but they are the most difficult to write. At least that's how I've found them. They are usually the chapters that I get stuck on, or find that the writing doesn't flow and they can be my downfall in getting my four chapters written. I use them less and less these days, but they do still happen and they're usually at the beginning of the book when you're setting the scene. They also appear sometimes in the middle, but generally, as you approach the end, there is little need for them, which might be why I like the ending so much!

How do you avoid losing your flow when you get interrupted?

With a nine year old in the house, you have to accept that you're going to get interrupted. Add to the fact that I can't sit for too long without huge amounts of pain and it's something you learn to work around. Sometimes, I'll shut my office door and it has a sign that says to knock if you hear typing and thankfully, both B and Miss D have learnt that not knocking usually leads to shouting so they do follow that. Other times, I plan my writing hours when Miss D is at school or when I have the house to myself. My advice to anyone who writes and doesn't live alone (or even those that do and have the phone ring or something) is to work through the interruptions if you can and if you can't, try to plan your working hours when they will be kept to a minimum.

Do you have set writing times or do you write when you want?

I do and I don't. Like, today, I've finished my uni work and after this blog post I plan to do a couple of chapters of editing of WAITING ON YOU before moving onto doing some writing for book eleven. If all goes to plan and my muse sings, then I will carry on with this schedule until I hit a snag - be that writer's block or interruptions. However, the beauty of being able to write when I want - within reason - means that sometimes I will do just that. I find inspiration, I open my word program and I just type away and don't worry too much about time.

What's the best part of being an indie author?

The best part is having control over when I publish. Due to my health conditions, I don't do well with deadlines and because of that, being an indie author means I can control when a book is released and when it's "due". I don't have to worry about being harassed by a publisher or editor about getting a certain number of chapters to them by x date. I also don't have to worry too much if editing takes longer than expected. It's my decision to release a book a year, it's under my control if I choose not to release that book until later than previously planned. I guess you could say that I'm a little bit of a control freak.

What's the worst part of being an indie author?

Probably the amount of work it takes. When you are traditionally published, a lot of the work is taken away from you because that's the publishers job, to edit, to promote, to make sure that you have all the time you need to write. I also don't like the attitude held by many people in the writing world that because I'm an indie writer, that means that my books are automatically less worthy of being for sale, that I am not "good enough" to make it professionally. Attitudes are changing as indie publishing becomes more and more popular and accessible, but for now there is a divide between those who believe that being published traditionally is the only way to be a "real author" and those that don't see it that way.

What has been your most embarrassing writing related moment?

I don't really have one, but I can think of a few things that would be very embarrassing, like one of those stories I wrote when I was thirteen seeing the light of day, or worse someone getting hold of them and publishing them...argh! I'm breaking out in a cold sweat just thinking about it!

Who is your editor?

My editor is a friend of mine called Kim. It's not her day job, but it is something she excels at. She's great at not just picking up on grammar and spelling issues, but also on plot holes. At one point whilst editing DYING THOUGHTS - THIRD WISH she noticed a huge one, but she was able to see that it was a place where I'd obviously started laying the ground work, but had then gotten distracted and forgotten about closing the hole. She is thorough and goes through my work with a fine tooth comb, plus she likes my books which is always a plus.

And finally, do you think you'll ever run out of ways to tell a story?

When I am nearing the end of a book, I find that I start to get a little panicked and anxious about what my next two stories will be. With the DYING THOUGHTS series, I usually have some idea where I'm taking the overall story and can then work out the major case for the book. However, with the standalone stories, sometimes it takes a while for the story seed to grow enough that I can turn it into an actual book. I've always said that I will keep writing until I run out of ideas and *touch wood* it hasn't happened yet.

And those are all the questions Joey received. Don't worry if you didn't manage to send one in, Joey will be doing this again in the New Year. Until then, if you want to be kept up to date with all the news about Joey and her books, you can follow her on Facebook or here on her blog.

Catch-up Post

Firstly, I'd like to apologise for the lack of updates. I was in hospital for a couple of weeks and have only really just managed to get on top of all the work that I missed while incapacitated. I am also going on holiday tomorrow and so will be absent for a further five days, but normal service should resume when I return next Saturday.

Secondly, I just wanted to open up the floor for any more questions from readers that people would like to send in. I have a few more that I have yet to answer and would like to have a few more before I do a post. As usual, if you have a question for me, you can email me at bugbooks@virginmedia.com and I'll try to do a post with the answers when I return from my time away.

Just before I went into hospital, we managed to reach over 250 likes on Facebook and as promised I released the character profile for Angelina from WAITING ON YOU which is my seventh book and will hit the shelves in July 2014. I was too unwell to manage posting it here too, so am rectifying that mistake now. Below you'll find the graphic with the information about Angelina on it. (Click to enlarge)

The next goal to be reached in 275 likes on Facebook, at which point I will post the profile of Zack from WAITING ON YOU both here and on my Facebook page. I think we're at around 263, so hopefully when I return from holiday I'll be able to share that graphic with you all. Once we reach 300 likes, I will be releasing a snippet from the book. It is a part of the online conversation that Zack and Angelina have when they realise their feelings for each other.

I have a few guest blog posts coming up and will update links here, and post on Facebook when they are published. As always, anyone wishing to guest blog here, feel free to contact me on bugbooks@virginmedia.com with details of what you'd like to write about, as well as any links and such for promotion. 

Please do keep your eyes open for some flash give-aways both here and on Facebook as well as the usual information about release dates and other promotions.

Questions from Readers - Part Five

A few weeks ago, Joey asked on her Facebook page for anyone with questions to email her about her books, being a writer, being disabled and anything else. This is the second batch of answers, feel free to send your own questions to Joey via email to bugbooks@virginmedia.com and she'll include them in the next post she does.

How much planning do you put into one book? How much research do you do?

It really does depend on each book. Some plots are ones that I can work out with little research needed. Others are outside of my own comfort zone and I rely a lot on information from people, websites and books. I like to be as accurate as I can be, but I also don't want to info dump into a book when it's not needed so I have to be careful not to add too much information than necessary. For the DYING THOUGHTS books, I am usually only using information that I already know. There is some research needed, but not all that much. For other books, such as my seventh which is due out next year, I had to do a bit more research and planning to make sure that I had all the information I needed. As far as planning goes, I am a meticulous planner. I make sure I have chapter plans and character note cards (for every character, even very minor ones) so that I can look back and make sure that as I write the book there are no continuity errors. Of course, sometimes they do happen, but I have a great editor who is good at not only spotting them, but also knowing what I meant to happen.

Who's your favourite character to write?

That's a hard one. By far, Tara is the character that I write about the most. I'm working on the sixth book in the series right now and it feels like I have grown up with her in regards to my writing career. However, I do like and love some of the characters I have created for standalone books. I don't think I've ever really written a character that I don't feel a connection with as a write. I also love the secondary characters, such as Kaolin or Tara's Dad. I guess though, that because of the amount of time I have spent with her, I do have a bias towards Tara. She's been there since almost the beginning and she's still there now.

What do you prefer, writer or author?

In terms of what I call myself,  I will prefer to use the term "writer", but I would class my job title as "author" so I don't really have that much of a preference. I figure they both mean the same thing, except that author is usually only used for people who have been published. I would say that the term author denotes more a profession than a pastime, but personally, I like both and I use them interchangeably. 

Why do you write so many books in advance? Why not just release all the ones you have finished straight away?
When I started writing, I was full of ideas and never really wanted to wait for a publisher to sign me up before I wrote another book or two. I also was very aware of my health conditions and the limitations they had over my life. Although I am now an indie author and have a lot more control over when and how often I publish, I do prefer to keep some books "in reserve" so to speak. I like the idea that I am able to wait and then if I do not finish another book as quickly as I would have liked, I still have one ready to be published. It would take a lot of work for both myself, my graphic artist and my editor to get all the books I've written out and published ASAP. It could be done, but I do not work well under pressure and do not want to be worried about how long it takes me to finish a book, or how long the editing and after process takes. My way works for me and I'm happy with it.

How easy is it to be an indie writer?

That really does depend on how you look at it. As I have said in the past, there are pros and cons of both routes. When you are signed on by a traditional publisher, you have a lot of the behind the scenes work done for you. They will help you with editing, cover design, promotion and all those things that you don't realise you'll need until you're faced with doing it yourself. That said, being an indie author is not that hard. With the age of e-books upon us, it is low cost to publish under your own label or with a smaller publishing house. There are sites like Amazon, and Smashwords that will take care of the distribution of your books and other sites like Createspace that do that for hard copies. However, you need to find a proof reader or if you want a more detailed breakdown, an editor. There are lots of them out there who are independent and who work only with indie authors. I follow more than a few on my Facebook page. Alongside that, you need to find someone, or have the skills yourself, to design a cover and any promotional graphics. You need a Facebook page and you need to get it noticed - again, not as hard as it may seem when you use some of the pages dedicated to helping indie authors. You need to have some idea about where to start, when to run promotions or coupons and how to market your book, and yourself to the general public. It's hard work and it's not all free. You need to set a budget and be realistic about it. You can't just expect other people to work for free and you can't expect to press "publish" and then have the royalties roll in. If people don't know that your book is out there, how are you going to make money? It's not easy, but it's also not impossible, there are an abundance of resources for indie authors and you need to find some connections to make the most of those resources. I've been under the Bug Books label since 2005 and I'm still learning the ropes!

Do you ever get confused whilst writing two books at once? 
A lot of people ask me this, but what I do is not something that's unusual for many writers. I am by no means the first or the last writer that has more than one project going at once. I may be in the minority of writers who write full length novels at once, but it's not as strange as it may sound. I plan a lot and I always go through the previous two chapters before checking my chapter plan and carrying on with the story. I can honestly say that I have never gotten confused. I think it's because usually I'm writing both a standalone and a DYING THOUGHTS book, so they are both very different. 

Do you ever feel like writing more than two chapters of one book and not switch to the other? 
Sometimes, if I'm fully in the plot and know that I'm about to do a big reveal and then end the chapter and switch over to the other book I do feel like just carrying on. I don't because if I did that, I would probably never get the other book done! I have never been so stuck with one that I have given up and written more of the other. I like setting things up in previous chapters and then coming back and thinking "Oh yes, now I get to tell/show the reader this!" and it excites me and off I go.

How long have you been disabled?
That depends on how you define "disabled". If you mean how long have I been sick, most of my life. If you mean how long have I used a wheelchair, since I was twenty.

Do you ever get so stuck with a book that you stop writing it and leave it unfinished? 
Yes, a couple of times I have started a book, written a couple of chapters and realised that I am just not able to finish it. Both times I have come back at a later date, switched a few things around - like the whole plot, but keeping the characters - and started again. One of those times was with the original story of LYNNE & HOPE I had planned for Hope to be disabled, but I didn't plan for Lynne to be her sister, or even alive. She was going to be a ghost that haunted Hope's house and wanted her to solve her murder. The second time, I changed everything but the religious aspect and that has turned into one of the books I'm writing now.

Have you ever based a character on yourself?

I think in a way, a little part of me ends up in every character I write. Whether it's my use of sarcasm or the my view on certain things. I infuse myself into every character. However, I have not based any characters completely on myself. People don't want to read about one person over and over, they want new people and so I try to keep the characters unique and as unlike me as possible.

Do you have any pets?
I do, I have two cats. Miss Penne, who's a black, white and ginger cat and Miss Spaghetti (also called Hetti) who's a black and white cat. I named them both after types of pasta. It's a tradition that started with a kitten I was given when I was fifteen. My mum wanted me to call her something "different" and since my favourite dish at the time was Macaroni Cheese, she was called Macaroni, after her came Tagliatelle and now the two I have at the moment.

Why did you choose to write in the young adult genre?
When I started writing my first book, I was part of the young adult genre. I was nineteen and I felt it was easier to write for people my own age. Since then I have found that I prefer to write for young adults because you can get away with things like psychic powers and seeing ghosts.

Do you ever intend to write books for adults?
I have no plans to at the moment, but that's not to say that I won't ever write for adults. I read mostly adult crime fiction as well as some "chick lit" and romance, but I can't imagine myself being able to write stories that would appeal to older people. Having said that, I do know that there are some older readers of my books, but I don't see myself writing about Tara when she reaches her twenties.

Where do you get the ideas for your titles? 
Usually the same place that I get the ideas for the stories. They just come to me. Sometimes they arrive before the book idea does, other times they don't become clear until I've already started the book. 

Do you ever intend to release your books as paperbacks? 
I do, I am waiting on the new front covers from my graphic artist so that they can be released with the updated covers. Once that is done, she'll make them into a book format and the books currently released will come out as paperbacks too.

Do you play any musical instruments? 
I do, I play both the Ukulele and the Oboe. I actually sing in a band called "The Rocking Dodars". I write the songs and my band mates do the music and then I add a vocal track. 

What do you do to relax and have fun?
I read, I watch TV, I play online and I play Ukulele. I don't have as much spare time as I used to with university and such, but I try to have a few hours in the evening to unwind and do something fun.

If you could spend a day with anyone living or dead, who would it be and why?

If it had to be someone I knew personally, I was spend it with a friend of mine who died in 2008. her name was Lynn Gilderdale, but I knew her as Jessie Oliver. I would talk to her, catch up and just spend time being with her. If it was someone I didn't know then it would probably be someone like Harlan Coben or Sue Grafton who are both writers that I admire greatly.

What are you studying at uni?
I am a few days from starting my fifth and final year for a BA/BSc (Hons) in Health and Social Care. 

Follow Joey on her Facebook page or here on her blog to be kept up to date with everything Joey related. If you have a question for Joey, you can email her at bugbooks@virginmedia.com.

Questions From Readers - Part Four

A few weeks ago, Joey asked on her Facebook page for anyone with questions to email her about her books, being a writer, being disabled and anything else. This is the first batch of answers, feel free to send your own questions to Joey via email to bugbooks@virginmedia.com and she'll include them in the next post she does.

Why doesn't Tara lay down when she knows she's getting a vision?
That's a good question and it was actually this one that sparked my decision to ask for more questions. I was recently asked by one of my beta readers why, when Tara knows she's going to get a vision, doesn't she lie down? I explained that although she's smart enough to know that she's going to have something like a seizure and could end up with a lot of bruises, it's never been something that I've thought of before. I can say that the area in which she has her visions in Mike's office has been cleared so the only things there are her chair and the floor. I realise that I may not have made it clear in the books and will make a note to mention it in later books. I guess I could also say that sometimes she's caught up in the moment. One such example is in THIRD WISH, when she was at work and no one else knew that she would have seizures. Lying down wasn't something she could do without drawing attention to the fact that she'd know that she was going to have one. I do admit to the mistake though in regards to the ones she brings on herself either in private, or when working a case with Mike.

Is there any particular order to your books?
This is another question I got before opening the floor up for other questions. The standalone books, such as BLACKOUT and LYNNE & HOPE don't have any particular order. Although there is a little Easter egg in LYNNE & HOPE that would only be spotted by those who have read BLACKOUT, they are written completely separate and can be read in any order. However, the DYING THOUGHTS series books go in a particular order, and are numbered, although I do hope that they could be read out of order and not confuse the reader too much.

When is the next book going to come out? What's it about?
The next book is scheduled to be released in June or July of 2014. It's a different kind of book, as it doesn't fit into the crime and mystery genre. It is young adult, but is more of a romance book and it's about two teenagers who come from completely different lives. One is well off and in a loving home, the other lives in a tiny village and faces both bullying at school and some emotional and mental abuse at home. They meet online and under the guise of rescuing the other, they meet up.

Where's your favourite writing spot?
I don't really have a favourite spot. I feel that I can write anywhere if the mood takes. The bulk of my work is done on my home PC in my office, but I can also be found writing at the local Starbucks, Costa and soft play areas. I have made myself pretty much mobile because of the time I find I spend in hospital and I don't like that to stop the flow of creativity.

What's favourite part of being a writer?
My favourite part is that I get to tell stories for a living. I can create people from nothing and make them do what I want. I can plot and carry out murders, and I can also make sure those who commit them usually pay for their crimes. As I wrote in a recent guest blog, I've done many things as a writer and I love the creative side of it most of all.

Why do you write your books so far in advance?
As most of you will have read, I am disabled and chronically ill. Some weeks I'll write a chapter a day and other times, I'll only manage half of one in a fortnight. My life is so up and down because of the conditions I suffer from that I find it easier to write when I can and part of that means writing when the inspiration strikes and not restricting myself too much.

How long does it take from finished book to editing to publication?
Ah, well that will depend on the book. Generally speaking, once I finish a book, I save it and leave it until a year before it's due to be published. At which point I will go through it and make sure it's telling the story the way I want it to. After that it goes off to my editor, Kim, who reads through it and sends back corrections and we have many a discussion over Skype about any issues such as plot holes or grammar stuff. Once that's done and all the corrections have been made, I'll offer it out to advance readers, who not only get a free copy of the book, but also get to tell me if there is anything in it that has been missed by either me or my editor. Kim does an excellent job - you should see the state the books start in! Once it's gone through all of those stages, we decide on a publication date - usually within a month - and go from there with promotion and all of that.

How much time do you spend writing every day?
As I said above because of my chronic conditions, it really does depend on how good I'm feeling. However, an average good day involves at least some writing. It's not all book writing though, some of it is blog pieces or guest blog posts. Interviews come under that heading too as well as making posts on Facebook to connect with readers. If I'm having a bad day, then it's very rare that any writing gets done. I try to do four chapters a fortnight and generally speaking, I usually manage it. Sometimes I do more and declare those as "bonus" chapters, other times it's a struggle to get the first four done.

Do you have any tips for developing an idea into an actual book?
This is a hard question to answer. I know how I go about developing ideas, but I do believe that you have to find what works for you. Ideas for me start as just a general outline, if they are going to be turned into books then I need to know that they are big enough to be moulded into chapters and a storyline. Some ideas stay as just that, whereas others start out with a load of notes and planning and then never get past the first few chapters because the story is not fleshed out enough. I usually do come back and use the characters or try again to do something with it. It's mostly trial and error and you have to keep pushing yourself and trying new ways to flesh the ideas out before you give up completely, or find something that works for you.

What do you prefer, indie or traditional publishing?
I think both have a number of positives and negatives surrounding them. It really is a personal choice, I prefer being an indie author because it gives me a lot of control over release dates, prices, formats and the people I work with. That said, traditional publishing takes a lot of the pressure off the author because you have a publishing house behind you who are able to do the promotion, the cover design, the editing and so on. I think that as a lot of people are discovering that indie publishing works just as well, it is coming into its own, but that doesn't mean that I think every writer should go indie just because I personally find it works for me. It is a matter of weighing up your options and making a decision based on your own circumstances.

What's your favourite animal?
I am torn between monkeys and primates. While I love monkeys and think they are all adorable, I also find primates to be very cute. I am planning on visiting the monkey sanctuary in Cornwall in November if possible because I know they cater for both. Friends have adopted monkeys from zoos in the past for birthday and Christmas presents. I have also sponsored primates through the WWF. On my bucket list I plan to own one hundred stuffed monkeys and I'm halfway there already, but of course I included primates in that ;-)

What kind of books do you prefer to read?
I love to read crime/mystery books, but I also like "Chick-Lit" and romance novels. I'm not really into vampires and other supernatural or fantasy books, but if the cover catches my eye, I'll usually give the back a read at least.

What kind of shows do you watch?
I watch mostly crime procedural shows as well as some medical shows like Grey's Anatomy. I am a big fan of shows like NCIS, NCIS: LA and Castle, but I do like some sci-fi shows like Doctor Who, Torchwood, Fringe and Warehouse 13. I like some reality shows, but ones like Nothing To Declare or Sun, Sea and A&E - the ones where people are doing a job, not the ones like X-Factor or Britain's Got Talent. 

What kind of tablet do you have and what writing software do you use?
I have a Versus Touchtab 10.1 and I love it! It's lightweight and easy for me to slip into my writing bag and take out and about. I have used a few writing programs, one of which was Kingsoft Office, which is free from the Google Play Store. My only reason for switching was that it didn't import all the punctuation from the Word documents. Now I use Office Suite Professional 7, which was about £10, but I have found it works well for me and keeps the formatting that I want.

Those are all the questions for today. If you want to send any for Joey to answer, feel free to submit them to bugbooks@virginmedia.com. Follow Joey on her Facebook page or here on her blog to be kept up to date with all the latest news regarding Joey and her books.

Working Nine to Five - The Creative Process

Working 9 to 5

Before I became a writer, I worked a number of different jobs. I worked in a call centre, in a supermarket, as a factory line packer, even in the local Magistrates court. I did a lot of working shifts, as well as lot of just working nine to five (more like eight to four, but you get what I mean). When my life changed (piece here) and I could no longer work a "normal" job, I had to relearn how to work in a sense. My body did not respond the way I wanted it to when I tried to set up a routine and so, along side learning to be retired and unable to work the normal hours, as well as learning to accept being chronically ill, I had to learn how to get the most out of the hours that I could work.

Something I have learnt through one of my university courses was that there are three kinds of people in regards to sleep and productivity. There are the morning Larks, the night Owls and the ones in between. It's actually a science thing, but it's relevant to this piece. When I first got sick with M.E, I had gone from being a morning Lark - always up at 7am, working through to the mid-afternoon before I got into a little bit of a funk - to being the something in-between and sometimes, a night owl. I think you'll find that a lot of people with chronic conditions have this issues where they never know which one of those three they are going to be on any given day.

If you're a morning Lark, you'll find that you are able to wake early, go about your day and rise with the sun. It will probably mean that you work efficiently before the rest of the household has gotten up and about. You'll also probably find that you feel a bit of a drag once midday and the afternoon hits. There are many ways to work through this, but the best one I can think of is that you take advantage of the hours when you are awake and able to work. The beauty of having a job like writing, is generally speaking, you can work when and where you want.

This also applies if you're not awake before nine or even ten in the morning, if you're a night Owl and find that you do your best work as the rest of the world is going to sleep, manage your schedule around it. The fact of the matter is, writing should not be a nine to five job, unless that works for you. If it does, then great, but with more and more writers finding it hard to support themselves solely on the money they make in royalties, the likelihood is that you're going to have to find time in your working life to actually do any writing.

As someone who has been all three types, and continues to be surprised every day by which type I wake up to be, I can honestly say that sometimes it is only an hour here, thirty minutes there and that's okay for me. As you'll have seen from my most recent piece, I have a majority of chronic illnesses that dictate how I write and when. I guess what I am trying to say, is that just because your job dictates when and where you can write, it doesn't mean that you are any less of a writer. Whether you decide to fit in all your writing at the weekend and spend the rest of the week only writing things in your hear. Or if you're someone who makes time early in the morning or late at night to get some work done once the kids and partner are already in bed. Whether you're a single mum on benefits writing in a cafe, or a disabled person writing from bed. None of these things prevent you from saying "I'm a writer".

Enjoy your hours that you can spend creating and down worry about the small stuff like how much time you have to write. Pieces of art take months, sometimes years to create, and a book is just as worthy of that title as any painting or statue. Enjoy what you do, it will show in your work and you never know, that lottery win might be around the corner so that you'll be able to quit the day job and write to your heart's content!

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

Being a Writer & Being Chronically Ill - The Creative Process

Being a writer & being chronically ill

When I started writing, it wasn't by design. As you'll all know from my guest blog post that I did about my writing path (link here) I had a lot of things that went wrong for me to find that writing was what I was meant to do. Of those things, a lot of them were health related. This piece is about what it's like being a writer while being chronically ill.

Before I can really start talking about what it's like to be both a writer and disabled with chronic conditions, I really need to explain what those conditions are, so please bear with me and read the links if you want to know more. The first and most serious condition is Type One Brittle Asthma. I was born with asthma and it turned brittle when I was seven. After over twenty years of living with this condition, I'd say that I'm as used to it as I'm ever going to be. I also have Myalgic Encephalopathy aka M.E or CFS. I was diagnosed at nineteen and am now thirty-one. M.E came into my life and turned it upside down, making what had seemed "normal" something that would never exist again. Alongside that I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia (FMS) shortly after. Although I was only diagnosed at twenty, I have probably had the condition for most of my life. I am unable to remember a time when it didn't hurt and while that may seem sad and horrible, it's something I am used to and am able to continue my life despite that. Those are the three "big" conditions that affect my life, but I also have Vocal Cord Dysfunction (VCD), Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Vestibular Dysfunction and depression. I use a walker inside the house most of the time, and a wheelchair the rest of the time. I live in a specially adapted house and have a full time carer, who just happens to also be my best friend of nearly twenty years.

Now that that is all out of the way, I can get on with the purpose of this piece, what is it like to be a writer, whilst being chronically ill. I know a lot of people who are writers and I know a lot of people who are also chronically ill. Some of those people overlap and I also know of disabled writers. It's a profession that attracts different people from all walks of life. The stories don't care that you need oxygen to breathe. They don't care that you can't walk. They also don't care if you're in so much pain you can't sleep. They don't care about what time you arrive to work and they don't care if you don't come in for days at a time. All they care about is being told.

When I was medically retired from the workforce at nineteen and I was faced with the option of never working again, I turned to writing and have since made it my career. Being chronically ill and being a writer is something that to me makes a lot of sense. I get to work, I get to take those stories that bug me just as I am closing my eyes, and I get to bring them into the world and show people what they whisper into my ears. I write because it's something I love to do. It's something that I can't imagine not doing. While I may never be able to work a conventional job, writing, despite its demands, does not reject me the way an employer would. Who wants to hire someone who spends five days out of seven sleeping one week and doing half days the next?

Writing enables me to set my own schedule, it allows me to be productive whilst still getting the rest I need. It's a job that makes me smile, makes me think of how lucky I am to be able to do this. It doesn't always pay the bills, but it does mean that when people say "so what do you do?" I don't have to reply "not much!" Some weeks I will write and write and feel like I have to learn to grow two more hands so I can type faster. Other weeks, my health will stop me from being able to do that and it sucks, but it's part of life when you have a chronic illness.

Part of life with a chronic illness means that you have to be careful where you spend your energy. A good way to explain this is by using the Spoon Theory by Christine Miserandino. Some days I have an abundance of spoons that allow me to pretty much live in what I call the "normal" but what you would probably refer to as "pretty damn sick". That means that I can write, or read or do uni work. Other days my spoons will be moderate and I'll be what people call "even damn sicker" and then I'll have to be careful about which tasks I choose to do, on those days writing and uni work still get done, but sometimes it's from the comfort of bed. The only other times are when my spoons are low and am what people call "almost dead practically" and I don't really do anything other than sleep, sleep and sleep some more. Those days the only writing that gets done is the writing I do in my dreams, which is a shame because I'm pretty good at having whacked out dreams!

That is another reason why I chose to go indie and set up the Bug Books label, it allowed me to work at my own pace, and not have to sweat too much about deadlines. It does have it's downsides in that I have a LOT of promo stuff to do and find that I struggle with it. However, I have some money in the budget to hire an assistant for when things get too much. That's another part of being chronically ill, you have to be willing to delegate. My best friend, B became my carer when I got sick because she's a pretty awesome person. She's also my graphic artist and designs all my front covers. I have another friend who is employed as the editor for Bug Books and another few volunteers who work as proof readers and general stuff like that. Promotion may fall into my lap, but I also know that I could (and eventually will have to) reach out to the support system and ask for help. Whether you are a writer, or work a conventional job, when you're chronically ill, you have to know when to ask for help. I am blessed with the support system I have. They enable me to keep mobile, whilst at the same time, support me with all the crap that comes from having multiple conditions. I know that if I need someone to come with me to the latest hospital appointment or visit me, I can ask one of them, whether they come in person or over the phone or on Skype. It's something that all people with health issues need and I am very lucky to have.

The other good thing is the technology these days, when I first started writing, it was on a PC. I eventually got a laptop and could use that away from home, in hospital stays and on holiday for example. It was hard though because it was heavy and sometimes it just took too much out of me. I still use a PC when I'm at home, but I also have a 10.1 inch tablet that I was able to get earlier this year. It meant that I was able to write pretty much anywhere so long as I had my work bag with me. I wrote in Starbucks, in soft play areas and even in bed when the spoons were too low. It has allowed me to write both on holiday and in the hospital. Considering that the Fibromyalgia stops me from being able to hold a pen and write more than a couple of words at a time, being able to type on a small, light, portable tablet is excellent.

So, as someone who has been chronically ill more than she has been healthy, being able to do a job where you're able to work around the hurdles that ill health put up is better than you can imagine. I love writing, I have so many stories to tell and plan to continue telling them until I run out of space on my computer - even then I'll probably continue! Using a wheelchair or a walker, using a computer or a tablet, it doesn't matter to me because this is what I was supposed to do. Working around the low spoon days and still accomplishing what you set out to do, means more to me than having a job that works a nine to five shift. Although it was because of being diagnosed with M.E and Fibromyalgia, that doesn't change the fact that my conditions don't define who I am. I am a writer, and I love it.

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

Deadlines, Schedules & Routines - The Creative Process

Deadlines, Schedules & Routines

Everyone who has ever had an education knows about deadlines. They also know about schedules and most of them will also know about routines. I wanted to cover all three of these in this piece and will try to separate them, but sometimes they all mean the same thing, or at least led to the same goal.

A deadline is something that can be used to motivate a writer. It can be that time in the distance when you'll have to turn in your first draft. It can work for them, or if you're like me, it can cripple them. I do not do well with deadlines. It's not that I never use them, I mean that if I tell myself, or an agent or publisher tells me, you have to finish this job by X date, then I find it extremely hard to work. I have always been a writer that works to her own pace. I do set myself deadlines, you'll have seen the "chapters of the fortnight" on my Facebook page. I try to write two chapters of each book every two weeks. That's  a deadline technically, and it does help me. Sometimes I'll manage all four within a week and will move on to "bonus" chapters.

So, I hear you ask, why have I stated that deadlines cripple me? Simple. If it's a deadline that I can work towards with minimal pressure - the chapters of the fortnight will not make or break me, for example - then I find that I do not feel pressured and stressed when I can't work towards it. I get obsessed with daily word counts and ultimately fall behind. That's when I start to come apart at the seams. What if I don't make it? What if because I don't make it then I fail? These are all things that go through my head and eventually, I just flop down on the floor and give up. Or I work myself too hard, and my body gives up. Either way I'm on the floor, and no writing is happening.

Some writers find deadlines a great motivator. They move closer and manage to create their work with ease. I am fully aware that I am not one of them. Still, which ever type of writer you are, you're going to have to find a way to work to some sort of deadline. If you're an indie writer then you have a bit of leeway as you're able to set your own deadlines, and usually you only have yourself to answer to should you not meet them. It's a win-win situation, and it's one of the reasons I meet the deadlines I set myself.

Alongside deadlines, you'll have a schedule. A way to keep on track because it's a Monday and you do writing for an hour here and half an hour there. You slip into a routine of what you need to do, and a way to keep doing it. If you've got an upcoming deadline, you can alter your plan and slip out of routine for a week or so to get what you need done. The trick is, once again, the balancing act of how strict you are with your plan and how deep your routines go.

Some writers will find that they can stick to a loose schedule. They plan to write for three hours a day, but they will do it when the mood strikes. There is no set time or place to write and others will pretty much have every waking hour organised into a time table. I'm a mix of the two. I have a goal of what needs to be done each day, and I fit my writing in. I aim to do two hours of writing a day, but alongside my university work and other commitments, while there is some semblance of routine, it's not always the same time day in and day out.

I also use a "to-do" list which I set at the beginning of the fortnight of everything that I have to get done. I record uni work, book work, hobbies and other things like doctors appointments and seeing friends. I then cross off each thing piece by piece. That way I can look at it on days when I feel as if I have done nothing, and see that actually, I may have had a lazy day, I'm on track. You could say that it's a kind of flexible schedule with its own deadlines built in.

Of course, deadlines such as release dates can not always be avoided. If you plan to release your book, then you need to be able to do the relevant promotion. To do that, you need to have some idea of when it will be ready to be published. Which means you need to know when the editing will be done and when you'll have finished doing everything needed. Those kinds of deadlines I do work well with.

So, when you're writing, be kind to yourself. Don't pile on deadlines when they can be avoided, unless you need that kind of motivation to get writing, in which case, go for it. It's fine to set up a schedule and get into a routine, but you need to be aware that these things need to be somewhat flexible. As always, your mileage may vary and have fun creating your new worlds.

Follow Joey on her Facebook and here on her blog to be kept up to date with the latest Joey Paul information.