Interview with J.L Keathley and review of Distant Memories

I am delighted to welcome JL Keathley to the blog for an interview and my review of her book - Distant Memories. Here's a little bit about her:

J.L. Keathley is a self-published author who focuses on YA Fantasy. She lives in Arkansas with her husband and two daughters. She loves animals and has a variety of pets. She has always loved to read and decided to write what she wants to read about. She likes to travel with her family and find adventures.

And onto the interview!

In your own writing, which character of yours do you relate to most?
Honestly I would have to save Jade. She is different from everyone else around her and doesn't care. I am the same way, I am the "odd one" and don't care.

Do you read your own genre? Is it a favourite?
I do read my own genre mostly. I prefer YA, so yes it is my favorite. I like that it's not too complicated and not a lot mature scenes.

If you had to describe your style in three words, what would they be?
Simple, Light, Fun

What was the first story you ever told?
When I was in Elementary school, I wrote a children's book about my dad and I going camping. It was made of construction paper. Ha can't believe I forgot about that until now.

Was writing always your dream choice of career?
No, it sorta just happened. But now I love it.

Do you have a writing space? Pictures or descriptions!
I write where I can, not one particular space.

Playlists? Yes or no? And why?
No, I tried but I just want to sing a long with a song if I know it instead of write. So a playlist isn't a good idea for me.

Which social media do you see as a must for writers?
Facebook, pages are great of course but I would have say the groups on there are a lot more helpful. They help you connect with other writers to get feedback and advise as well as allow you to promote yourself on a budget (which is great for most authors).

Where do you hang out most online?
Facebook :)

Do you have a favourite app for writing?
Word, it's user friendly and love the features it has.

Organised or not?
Organized for sure. I have virtual stickies and notes that help me with everything.

What's your favourite book you've read?
This question is always hard! I have ready so many great ones. Esh, um if I had to choose just one I would have to say A walk to Remember.

Morning or evening writer?
Evening, I am not a morning person (haha).

If you had a hashtag for your books, what would it be?
#expecttheunexpected

About to turn sixteen, Jade was looking forward to getting her first car and a little more freedom. Life, however, had a different path in mind. A thirst for blood and newfound fangs exposed a secret world to her... a world hidden from humanity. To leave behind everything she knew and enter The Shadow Realm, she must embark on a fateful journey to uncover the truth about the past, and understand her strange dreams. Daring efforts to unravel her destiny will reveal new powers, new friends, and very real enemies.

Amazon

My Review: 4 stars
I picked this up as it sounded interesting, a story of a change at the age of sixteen and thrown into a world she knows nothing about, Jade is quick to adapt to the newness all around her. I loved the way the story was told, loved Jade and her point of view and the friends that she surrounded herself with. It was an engaging read, and beautifully written. A solid four stars!

You can follow JL on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & her website.

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here

Life Of Joey - August 2019 [CC]

Talking about what I've been up to in the past month! #Authortube

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Reviews: How To? [CC]

Giving you the how to on reviews! #Authortube!

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#TeaserTuesday

Tara might be getting back to work with Mike, but she can't help but be a bit nervous about it after the investigation...

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[ID: A background of a waterfall with the heading Dying Thoughts -Eighth Ending and the release date as October 9th 2019. The excerpt reads:

“So maybe today is the day when you get back in?” she said. It was typical of Kaolin to try and put a bright-side spin on things.
“Maybe,” I said.
We’d reached the door to the station and I pulled it open, thankful for the rush of breeze that cooled me down a little. The weather wasn’t all that bad, it was just the end of a long day in a stuffy classroom, and nice to feel the air on my face.
“Maybe he has some news,” she said. “Try not to get all stressed out before you know why he called.”
END ID]

The Trials Of An Indie Author: Revisiting The Hats

THE TRIALS OF AN INDIE AUTHOR: REVISITING THE HATS

When I first started doing advice pieces, I did one that talked about the many hats of an indie author (found here) and in the years since then I've thought about talking about it again. Especially since it wasn't included under this sub-topic and I feel I've learned a lot since then. The general consensus when it comes to being indie is that you'll be doing, or paying for, a lot of the work yourself. You're not just in charge of writing the book, but editing, promoting, paying for the cover design, getting the word out, paying for your editor and such and all that goes into publishing.

So how have things changed in the many years since I wrote that first piece? Well for a start, I've grown as both a writer and an author. I now see things that I didn't back then - like the fact that a good cover is better than the worst one you can ever dream of. I've also done some signings and as such gotten the word out about my books in a different way. I've won two awards for my books and I've gotten more comfortable in this whole job as an indie author.

When I first talked about the hats, I was thinking too small. I only labelled the jobs that I personally had done. I didn't think beyond that and what it meant for me as an indie author, or for anyone else looking to take this path over the traditional one (though even traditional authors pay for a lot of their own marketing). I didn't look into things like pre-orders, because they weren't possible on KDP back then. And I didn't know how much of this author life I would come to see as my full time job.

So what hats do I wear now? I'm going to break them down so that you can see what I mean by things having changed.

#1. WRITER/AUTHOR
This one is slightly obvious and I don't think it needs any explanation. I write the books, so I get to reap the rewards from them.

#2. PAYING FOR EDITING
This should also be obvious. I am an employer in that I employ a team of editors and proof readers to work on my manuscripts before they go for publication. I don't recommend skipping this step or even thinking that you can do it yourself - spoiler: you can't.

#3. PAYING FOR COVER DESIGN
Again, I'm an employer of the person who does my cover designs. I get a lot of say in how it looks, but at the end of the day, I don't have those skills. And unless you're a graphic designer, you don't either. So do not skimp in covers. Trust me, I know how that blows your career up in the wrong way!

#4. PROMOTER OF BOOKS
Unless I pay them, no one else is going to be picking up my books and promoting them. I have to do all of that myself. I have managed to make connections and through them have worked out a few ways to keep on top of this without it getting too overwhelming, but I do have to do this and it's hard work starting from nothing.

#5. FORMATTER OF BOOKS
I could pay someone to do this, but personally I feel like I have a good idea what to do and so far, it's all worked in my favour, but if you're not sure, there are people who will do it for you. So don't assume that you also have to do it.

#6. ORGANISER
This means everything from a cover reveal to a release date to a giveaway or anything else that works alongside being a promoter. I have to do all of that myself, and if I miss a step, then it's me who pays for it. This can eat away at your time and you find yourself stuck with no time to get it done. It's not something to take for granted.

#7. TAXES ETC
Because I'm pretty much self-employed, I'm the one that has to make sure that I both get paid, but also pay my taxes and all of that. I have someone I employ who keeps track of what I owe and when. You don't have to pay someone, but personally it took a lot off my own shoulders to have someone who knew what they were doing cover that.

#8 PERSONAL CHEERLEADER
This one may seem frivolous, but it's not. There are days when I really struggle and days when I exceed my expectations. On the days when it's hard, I need to be my own cheerleader, to remind myself why I do this. It helps to have me in my corner.

#9 SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
When I first started writing there wasn't really any social media. In the time since I've been published, it's started to creep up and now I find myself juggling several different platforms and trying to stay on top of the tweets and messages and all the rest. I may not be an expert, but I'm doing the best I can.

And finally, #10 GENERAL ADMIN
This is for things like emails and chasing up reviews and the like. I spend a lot of time writing blog posts and vlog scripts, recording videos, and editing and captioning them. It's all stuff that benefits me as a writer but it's still one of the jobs that needs to be mentioned.

So there we have it, the ten hats that an indie author (and a lot of other authors) wear. I find it hard some days, but others it seems to be a breeze. Today is a mix of the two. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Happy Monday everyone!

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

Interview with Eva Pohler & Review of Gods Of Olympus

I am delighted to welcome Eva Pohler to the blog for both an interview and my review of her book - Gods Of Olympus. Here's a little about Eva:


Eva Pohler is a USA Today bestselling author of twenty-five novels in multiple genres, including mysteries, thrillers, and young adult fantasy based on Greek mythology. Whichever genre you prefer, you will always find an exciting adventure in Eva Pohler's books.

And onto the interview!

In your own writing, which character of yours do you relate to most?
Twenty years ago, when I wrote The Mystery Box, I would have said Yvette. But now I'm more like Ellen and her hilarious middle aged friends in The Mystery House Series. I describe that series as Nancy Drew meets The Golden Girls because it's about three friends who flip haunted houses and feel compelled to solve the mysteries surrounding them, to bring peace to the ghosts. So they go amateur sleuthing like the characters in Nancy Drew, but the themes and conflicts are more relatable to middle aged women.

Do you read your own genre? Is it a favourite?
I write in multiple genres because I read multiple genres. I'm really bad at choosing favorites.

If you had to describe your style in three words, what would they be?
Simple yet vibrant.

What was the first story you ever told?
The first one I remember telling was in response to a high school English assignment. We were told to write a folktale or legend, so I came up with a story explaining how the sun came to be in the sky. The Dungeons and Dragons group at our school asked if they could publish it in their newsletter. It was my first taste of being a writer with actual fans.

Was writing always your dream choice of career?
Yes. Always. For as long as I can recall.

Do you have a writing space? Pictures or descriptions!
I now have two spaces, and both are in family rooms. I prefer writing at a laptop with my feet up. Sometimes I write in the living room at what everyone calls my chair. The living room is a centrally located pass-through space in our open floorplan. I chose this location when my kids were young because I wanted to keep an eye on everyone. Now that my kids are adults (and still living with me), I tend to hide out in the family den in my recliner.

Playlists? Yes or no? And why?
I don't listen to music as I write, but I probably would if someone made me a playlist and played it for me. If I did listen to music, it would be soundtracks from favorite musicals, like Fiddler on the Roof and Phantom of the Opera. I often hum, though.

Which social media do you see as a must for writers?
Facebook, mainly for the writers' groups.

Where do you hang out most online?
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Do you have a favourite app for writing?
No. I just use Word.

Organised or not?
Very, though I may not look it.

What's your favourite book you've read?
As I mentioned before, I'm not good at choosing favorites. I love too many things. But, the book I usually mention when asked this question is Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver.

Morning or evening writer?
Day and evening.

If you had a hashtag for your books, what would it be?
#AdventureAwaits

The sound of nearby footsteps in the grass startles you awake. You blink rapidly as your eyes adjust to the sunlight and you become aware of a formidable figure standing over you. He is wearing golden armor—a breast plate and knee guards, along with a sword sheathed at his hip. Beside the figure is a golden chariot and horses that seem plucked right out of a fairy tale. You blink again, but the formidable figure and his exotic chariot remain.

“Hello,” the figure says. “My name is [choose one]
Zeus.”
Poseidon.”
Hades.”

You are the main character in this encounter with the Olympians. Throughout the narrative, you make choices that change the course of the story. Which god or goddess will Cupid make your love interest? You decide. Then, to prove you're worthy to become immortal, so that you can remain with your love interest, will you face Cerberus or the Hydra? Will you offer cakes or strike with the sword loaned to you by Athena? How will you steal a golden apple from the garden of the Hesperides, and who will help you through the Minotaur's labyrinth, and which god or goddess will comfort you if you fail?

Amazon

My Review: 5 stars
I loved the choose your own adventure books as a kid, but could never get through the whole book because I kept choosing wrong! I loved this version of them, where you could go back easily and restart and make different choices. I played several versions, finding myself drawn to the story even when bedtime came around. I ended up playing through to the end and thoroughly enjoying myself! An amazing story and highly recommended to people who enjoy this kind of thing, and even those who don't, because you'll be surprised at how addictive it is!

You can follow Eva on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Youtube.

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here

My Current WIP - July 2019 [CC]

Talking about my current WIPs and telling you all about them! #Authortube

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#TeaserTuesday

Tara is adjusting to life with a loving boyfriend and a father who needs her home. But that doesn't mean that there's not time for dates, right?

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[ID: A background of a waterfall with the heading Dying Thoughts -Eighth Ending and the release date as October 9th 2019. The excerpt reads:

 “Yes, teachers, they seem to think we should stay for the whole lesson,” he joked. I chuckled and my grin got wider. “We going back to yours?”
“I er… I dunno. I think my dad has another agent to interview, so it might be all clear or he might be doing it at home.”
“And we do have a date later,” he said.
“We do. I believe someone suggested dinner and a movie?”
“He did. So what time?”
“Shall we say about six? Dad’s gotten a bit weird about me being out too late, so dinner might have to be the drive-thru at McD’s.”

END ID]

Authortube: Growing Your Channel

AUTHORTUBE: GROWING YOUR CHANNEL

I've been on Authortube now for a little under three years. I'm not someone to turn to when it comes to advice about making it big, but to be honest, I haven't. I have just over 300 subs and even then I don't get a ton of interaction. I've talked about authortube before and the pieces for that are found here, here and here.

However, I can tell you the ways in which I've learned since starting about how to grow your channel. I'm just being upfront that it takes time and that if you go about it the wrong way, you can end up shooting yourself in the foot. Youtube is not for everyone and growing an author platform can be an arduous task. I've been doing this for over a decade and I'm still very much a small fish simply because I either made mistakes early on, or I took too long to correct those mistakes once I started to get noticed.

I'm telling you this because I feel like being transparent about where I'm coming from is a very good idea. It's no good me telling you that doing x and y works because I'm still very new to this myself. It would feel like a bad thing to do and doesn't help you at all. And that's not what I'm about. My Monday advice pieces have always been about my experience and in that regard, so is this one. So, what are my tips when it comes to growing your authortube channel?

#1 INTERACT WITH OTHER AUTHORTUBERS
This is a big one because a lot of the time, it's word of mouth that will get you in front of new viewers. Don't do what I did, and make the videos, upload them and then sit and wait for people to roll in and watch because that doesn't happen. Not only will you make friends and writer buddies but you'll also get an idea of what content works and how to tailor your own to spread your message to authortube.

#2 TAGS, TAGS AND MORE TAGS
This is part of number one in that you want to be taking part in tags. Whether that's the newbie tags, which are a great way to introduce yourself to the world of Authortube, or other tags that you've seen and decided to do yourself. It's even a good idea to use those friendships from point one and create your own unique tags that then go around the community. It's a way to get yourself noticed and a way to find your own little niche of Authortube as a whole.

#3 MAKE YOUR OWN MARK WITH YOUR CONTENT
There are certain types of videos that do well. Whether that's advice videos, or writing vlogs, or even tags, you're going to find that there are a lot of ideas out there, but as to whether or not you decide to follow the trend or try and make your own is up to you. Personally, I shied away from a lot of the general advice topics and stuck to things about my own writing process and titbits of advice that I personally knew a lot about, such as writing disabled characters or writing crime scenes, or dealing with that self-esteem gremlin. I didn't stick to just plain old writing advice, and it's okay if you choose to do that, it can be very popular, but you might find it hard to be heard over the crowds of people already doing just that.

#4 GO WITH THE CROWD... SOMEWHAT
By this I mean that if you find something that works and that you do well, then by all means go with it. I don't mean taking someone else's topic each week and doing it the same, especially if it's something you don't know a lot about and find yourself mirroring their talking points. That's not going to help you grow your channel, it's just gonna make you look bad. So by all means, do all the tags and give out advice, just do it in your own style and personal way.

And finally, #5 BE PATIENT
I put this here simply because it takes a lot of time, energy and videos to get a huge following. I've heard that once you hit 1K, things seem to snowball from there, but I'm nowhere near that point and I know other channels that aren't either. It takes time. Just keep putting your videos out there, interacting, being polite and genuine and you'll find yourself growing bit by bit. It's worth it in the end, I promise.

So those are my tips when it comes to growing your channel. I'm still navigating the pathways and I don't know if or when I'll get to a point where I have a huge audience. I do know that I love making the videos and I am grateful for the few commenter and watchers that I have. I've found Authortube to be wholly positive and while we have our drama from time to time, the more people I meet, the more at home I feel.

So good luck, and remember that final point. It will take time, and that's okay!

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

Bonus Video: A Day In The Life Of A Writer: June 18th 2019 [CC]

I'm taking you along on a day in my life! #Authortube

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