something not writing related

Well, kind of. Not about MY writing, anyway. And with a tune. As in, singers and songwriters, and my current favourites. Five of. Thought I would share some. 🙂

Okay, so that felt a little Yoda-like. 😉

But yeah, just five, otherwise it will be too much of a good thing, although it was HARD to whittle. 😮 🙂

 

Angus & Julia Stone … http://www.angusandjuliastone.com/

Can’t say enough positive things about these two, together and solo work. Also, there’s something about them that flashes me back to my first backpacking trip across the USA in 91, which is impossible, given they were babies then. 😉

 

Keaton Henson … http://www.keatonhenson.com/site/home.php

I’m VERY new to Keaton, but heard his voice the other day and FELL. IN. LOVE. WITH IT. Seriously. He plays it slow and moody, and I’ve not deciphered all the lyrics yet, but he has that feel that I know I’m gonna fall into smiling.

 

Brandy Clark … http://www.brandyclarkmusic.com/

Yes, country-based, but I have a LONG history of lovin me some country, all the way back to the 70s when my mother regularly listened to some. Brandy is bang up-to-date with the most delicious and funny/sad story songs.

 

Tift Merritt … http://www.tiftmerritt.com/welcome/

Yes, kinda country-based, too, but this woman’s voice tickles places I didn’t know I had. So there’s that. And I’ve seen her in concert, back during my gig-going days, acoustic in front of around maybe 200 fans.

 

Harry Chapin … http://www.harrychapinmusic.com/

Last but by no means least is a blast from the past. I wasn’t aware of Harry when he was alive, but I wish I had been. These days, rarely does one pass where I’ve not been influenced by his stories, characters or heart.

 

 

3words August – day 1 of ??

And so here we are. Well, I say ‘we’… 😉

Like I posted earlier, ‘we’ are going to be inspired by one or more of the girls on vickiedoodles’ site here:

http://vickiedoodles.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-girls.html

Oh, and if you visit/link vickiedoodles’ site please keep everything appropriate. Thank you

Would you like a ‘rules’ reminder?

• I post 3words every day for the duration of the story
• ‘we’ write 100 words of an ongoing story each day
• ‘we’ repeat these two steps until ‘we’ reach the final day

Simple. 🙂

Ok, so here are the day1 3words… CONFESS – CIRCLE – CONTACT.

And part1 of my story…

 

“I know one of you did it, and I won’t stop till I find out which.”

I glared at each of the six girls in turn, forcing them into a moment’s direct eye contact, hoping one might look away, thereby confessing. But none did, and I knew I shouldn’t have expected it to be that easy.

They were sitting in a circle in the garden, while I paced around the outside of them, thinking that by forcing them to see the others it might also provoke a confession. But, again, I wasn’t confident.

“Okay,” I said. “Who wants to start?”

 

 

3words August… a headsup

I’m not focusing on this until later, but wanted to let you know what the inspiration behind this month’s story prompt will be…

Victoria da Silva has kindly allowed us to use one or more of her lovely girl doodles to be our inspiration. They can be found here:

http://vickiedoodles.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-girls.html

So, please go have a look, choose one or more or them all, and prepare to begin your story. I’ll be back with the words in around 4-5 hours, as I usually focus on them after eight, after all the stuff I HAVE to do is done.

Also, be aware that Victoria has her own challenge, and would like you to share short stories about her doodles, be they part of your August 3words or something else stand alone. Please play along.

3words August begins tomorrow

Just saying. 🙂

No doubt I’ll see you here, right?

Right?!

 

 

how brave is an agent?

HOW BRAVE ARE YOU? is the working title of the compelling and eye-opening book I have been editing for the wonderful Nicole Delacroix:

http://nicole-delacroix.com/nicoles-blog/

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+NicoleDelacroix/about

It is a riveting and sexyfun read, being a somewhat voyeuristic ride through the innermost thoughts of all the kind (and kinky) souls who anonymously completed Nicole’s questionnaire. I was intrigued, shocked, amused and (yes, I’ll admit it, a little) titillated by its honesty and good-time-sass. 😮 🙂

So yes, the final run-through is now complete, and I want to thank Nicole for letting me play a part in her crazywonderful ride, and wish her & HBAY all the very best in finding an agent/publisher.

The question now is: HOW BRAVE IS AN AGENT?

If you think you know of one who might just be brave and insightful enough to be interested in an unputdownably sexy read, please get in touch. 🙂

 

 

a good day

Back to the editing ‘grind’… Although it so far hasn’t been, because I’ve loved everything I’ve worked on, so there’s that.

Then I completed the paperback upload/design for 3words Redux, so I hope to announce that tomorrow, assuming all looks good. Current cover:

And then I inserted the BE AWARE warning into TELL ME SOMETHING TRUE:

Without the bubble. So, I hope that helps. Thanks, all, for your thoughts on the same.

Oh, and yesterday I was directed towards a FABULOUS new (to me, anyway) writer, who I will be reviewing tomorrow, when I finish reading her second book. I am in awe of her writing, and emailed her regarding a couple of things, and am equally in awe of her response. She seems to be the kind of young woman I would have loved to have been twenty years ago. Well, if I’d been a woman, of course. But her style, her phrasing… well, more tomorrow. 🙂

3words Redux kindle available

Yes, that’s right – I managed to NOT focus on my EconomyEdits job for the weekend, the first two consecutive days I’ve not client-edited since I began.

Thanks for the ok, Nicole. 😉

On top of that, I actively worked on ME things. First, I tarted up all the 3words shorts that I wanted to include in the collection. Then I created an eBook. And then I began working on the paperback version (give it a couple of days – tomorrow’s busy, and I’m back on the job again :)).

Oh, and I finished reading my novel TELL ME SOMETHING TRUE. I don’t like to toot my own horn, but… Man, I enjoyed reading that. I do think the intentional typos could be an issue, though, so will be stop-gapping that tomorrow or Tuesday by adding a “WARNING: TYPOS AHEAD!” type page at the start. And then see from there.

But today is more about 3words Redux now being available on Amazon as an eBook, and can be found here:

I do like that cover. 🙂

And don’t forget – 3words August will be upon is in just a few days… so please seriously think about committing just 10 minutes a day to an ongoing story. You never know – you may love it! Obviously, I think you will. 🙂

 

 

more work in my inbox – Blood & Oil by M.A. Leibfritz

I am delighted and honoured to announce that M.A. Leibfritz has chosen me to edit her sci-fi/fantasy novel BLOOD & OIL.

Due to current commitments, work won’t begin before August 15th, but after reading and sample-editing the opening pages, I must say the story pulled me in and intrigued me, and I am seriously looking forward to working on this project.

Many thanks to Tamsin over at http://writocracy.blogspot.co.uk/ for the recommendation.

 

 

CreateSpace & Kindle covers – an idea

A quick word about creating covers for Kindle and paperback via Amazon and CreateSpace.

Yes, both can be strugglesome and limiting. As I’m sure you’ve found.

But something I’ve found that is possible with covers at both is… you can design your own front (and back, with CreateSpace) cover elsewhere via another platform and then upload the whole thing as a single file. This will then cover ALL of the front (and back at CreateSpace) if you opt for the relevant template. Of course, the file needs to be BIG to avoid blurring, and the DPI for the image preferably mahoosive.

Another thing I found is that you can play around with the Author & Title text boxes. I liked one design for my collection Swimming In Clouds, but didn’t like where the Author & Title boxes were PLACED, so, I simply switched them around, and effectively had my author name as my book title and my book title as my name.

For example, in the image below:

 

This was created using a Kindle template. However, DAVID BURTON is in the book title box, SWIMMING IN CLOUDS is in the subtitle box, and TEN TALES OF FAILURE AND HOPE is in the author name box. All I did was type over the text in each box as above, then clicked preview and saved that file. Of course, when I backed out the initial page now showed that TEN TALES OF FAILURE AND HOPE was the author of “DAVID BURTON – SWIMMING IN CLOUDS”. All you need do is retype the correct information in the correct boxes, so everything will now list as it should via Amazon. Of course, when you re-open the preview you’ll find everything is rejigged as I just said above, with DAVID BURTON now where SWIMMING IN CLOUDS is in my photo, etc. But all you need do is upload the image and make sure it covers the whole cover and then hit preview and ultimately save, leaving your details where you would prefer them on the cover, but still assigned correctly for Amazon purposes in the file information.

Below is another example, and one I am currently considering for my WONKY MONKY series. The image of the monkey and the noticeboard is an image at i-Stock that I am close to buying.

 

All I did with this was open it with Paint, then stretch it, and then simply create some text boxes and filled in the relevant information, leaving me with this:

And then I uploaded it to a CreateSpace template, adding the blurb on the back, so we have this:

I simply need to convince myself that this looks good enough to justify the expense for the image. 😉

Any thoughts?

 

 

swimming in clouds paperback arrived today

Looks, feels and smells (yes, I said it) fabulous. 🙂

If you’re jealous, feel free to get your own:

https://www.createspace.com/4878938

I’ll post a pic of me n my books when the other two arrive. OR, if I can finalise a Wonky cover style, when the four plus Wonky arrive. Bet you can’t wait. 🙂

 

These are ten of my favourite stories, being tales of everyday people struggling through sadness and hope while hoping for connections within distance, all of them trying to find a liveable pathway through the minutiae of daily living.

In A SWIM IN THE CLOUDS, two once-close sisters reconnect through words and books, but mostly through action while confronting their dark past, and their hopes for a better future.

In GIRAFFE SPOTS, a lonely man who is missing his sister’s support learns how to blow bubbles and forgive while spending an afternoon in the park with three surprising new friends.

In UP AGAINST A WALL, an everyday family man stoically performs his job, but lives for his family, while feeling his life is unappreciated by all, especially his beloved, distant daughter.

In BOBBY LOU, a once-exiled and self-confessed flasher returns to his home town seeking redemption, reconciliation or understanding, and rekindles an important connection.

In HAZARD LIGHTS, two lonely co-workers struggle to be true while keeping their affair a secret, yet daren’t admit even the most rudimentary feelings towards each another.

In COLD, a relationship-questioning drunk discusses his problems with his partner’s cat in the garden while said partner sleeps, seeking answers or reason but finding only mistakes.

In HALFWAY HOME, a long-term family man struggles to find any kind of happiness in his distant wife or mocking daughters, and finds he feels happier living within his sleeping reality.

In EVERY MINUTE, a boy and his mother struggle to find any kind of sleep or peace, pining for the man of their house who is no longer with them, while wishing for a better future.

In HOW EASY WE BREAK, a barely-functioning, self-distancing alcoholic tries to keep hold of himself but slips, and slips again, influencing and harming those who would love him.

In LADDERS, a currently unemployed, middle-aged, repeating-father is unhappy at home, but finds an unexpected way to dream while resolving his past mental and physical issues.