Interview - Richard G. Lowe Jr.

Welcome back,

            For this month's interview, we have the pleasure of meeting published author, Richard G. Lowe Junior. Richard and I met on one of the many Facebook writing pages after I posted that I was looking for published writers to interview.

            So on to the interview!

Short Bio:

Richard Lowe is a professional ghostwriter, Senior LinkedIn Branding Expert, and blogger. His passion is to help businesses and individuals strengthen their brand, establish their credibility and prove their expertise. Richard has written and published 63 books on a variety of subjects (including 2 bestsellers), ghostwritten 16 books, and authored over a thousand articles for blogs and social media. Previous to his writing career, he was the Director of Computer Operations for Trader Joe’s Company for 20 years, and before that the Vice President of Consulting for two computer firms. Some of his works include Focus on LinkedIn (an Amazon bestseller), Cyberheist (for KnowBe4), and Digitize or Die (as Copy Editor and Coach).

Published Works:

Focus on LinkedIn

How to sell on eBay

Real World Survival

How to Operate a Freelance Writing Business

Make a Living as a Professional Self-Published Author

Safe Computing is Like Safe Sex

How to be a Good Manager and Supervisor

How to Throw Parties like a Professional

How to Publish on KIndle

Help! My Debt is Making Me Miserable

How to Manage a Consulting Project

Make Money Using the Internet

Make Money by Decluttering Your Home

Belly Dancers Coloring Books (four volumes)

Human Rights Coloring Books

Dragons Coloring Book

Steampunk Dragons Coloring Book

How to be Friends with Women

Network Your Business to Prosperity

Turn off the TV, Get off Your Ass and do Something

Unlikely Hero

How to Create your Own Zombie Apocalypse

Current Projects: (if any)

Peacekeeper Vol 1: The Beginning of the End

Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity (working title)

Website: https://www.thewritingking.com

When did you begin writing?

I began writing when I was 6 years old with a short story about dragons. I wrote on and off throughout my life, and wanted to be a writer "when I grew up". Life got in the way, so I kept postponing it. I wrote a huge number of technical books for work. in 2013, I decided to retire from my job and become a professional writer. Since that time, I've written over 60 books for me (some under pen names), and ghostwritten 16 books.

Did you receive any special training or attend a school?

Nope

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I walk around, looking at things, and inspiration comes to me. I'll look at a garden, and think about a fantasy novel, or a rock and wonder about the history of that rock. From there, stories result.

Do you use any special resources when writing? (other books, computer programs, etc)

I always keep a couple of good dictionaries, a grammar book and a style guide (Chicago Manual of Style) handy. Plus, for fiction, the whole set of books in the Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman.

What is (in your opinion) the most important thing to remember when writing, and why is it so important?

That you must sit down, get rid of the distractions and write. It doesn't matter how bad you feel, how many problems need to be resolved, or whatever. Just write. The solution for writers is to write.

What is (in your opinion) the most challenging part of writing, and how do you overcome it?

Filtering out the bad advice from others. Nothing works for everyone. What works for one writer doesn't work for another. A writer has to come up with their own voice and style. I had to learn that lesson and it's a tough one.

Did you use an agent? (why or why not?)

No. I'm entirely self-published at this time. Peacekeeper, one of my current projects, may be the first that I find an agent for.

Did you use an Editor? If not, what process did you use to edit your work?

First, I write the whole book using dictation directly into Word. Then I review it from top to bottom, changing it up and making sure it all makes sense. I read it out loud all the way through, then review it back to front.

How did you get your book published? (self-published, Vanity publishing, Mainstream publisher).

Self-publishing as an Indie publisher. I also publish books as a ghostwriter for others.

Do you handle your own marketing?

Yes. I've found I do a better job than anyone else marketing my books.

What is your best marketing tip?

Social media does not work for promotion, but it works for marketing. You have to build yourself as a brand. Engage with your readers and get them excited about your works.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

My main advice is that to be a writer you must write. I set my goal at 5,000 words per day, minimum, ready to publish. If you are not writing every day, you're not really a writer. Also, if you are not published, you are not a writer. I know several writers who delay publishing to "get the perfect title" or "to give their book one more polish". Wrong. Publish the darn thing. In the modern self-publishing world, you can change almost anything. So publish away, knowing that your first couple of books may not be as good as you'd like. But you'll get better and you can always fix the earlier books

Hopefully everyone found this interview as informative as I did. I would like to thank Richard for taking the time to take this interview. Your knowledge, experience and participation was very much appreciated.

Until Next time.

Cheers,

Patrick Osborne

By the Book - Protection Detail

Welcome back!

            This month’s book review is another foray into the romance genre. I was never a big fan of love stories, so I decided to make the experience less jarring by finding a novel that had something I could relate to. Being a dog owner, I was attracted to the following novel; Protection Detail by Shirley McCoy.

This book actually came into my possession after returning a bunch of old novels to the local used bookstore. Nothing interesting was standing out for me, so I decided to pick something thematic for my next February book review.

           The story follows an investigation into the murder of a senator's son conducted by Gavin McCord, a K-9 unit Captain. Cassie Danver, a woman who works in a foster home, is in charge of a dozen children. One of the foster kids end up being key witnesses in the murder, forcing Gavin and Cassie to join forces to protect the children while the killer is apprehended.  True to any romance novel, the two protagonists develop feelings for each other despite being in constant danger.

Back of the Book:

After a prominent senator's son is murdered, Capitol K-9 Unit captain Gavin McCord wants answers. The senator was a mentor to Gavin and he'll stop at nothing to bring the killer to justice. With his team of elite K-9 cops and his loyal dog, Glory, at his side, Gavin discovers that a child of Cassie Danvers's nearby foster home may have witnessed the murder. He's drawn to the determined and beautiful woman but she doesn't want him interviewing her traumatized charges. Yet trusting Gavin is the only way to stay one step ahead of the deadly gunman when Cassie become a target.

From the book: Protection Detail

By: Shirlee McCoy

Imprint and Series: Steeple Hill

Publication Date: 03/2015

ISBN-13: 9780373446544

Copyright © 2015

By: Shirlee McCoy

® and TM trademarks of the publisher.

The edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

For more romance information surf to: http://www.eHarlequin.com

What I learned from this book

• The Build up/Payout ratio: This book made me realise that if you build up to an event, you need to deliver on the pay out. Throughout the entire story, multiple attempts are made to progress the investigation, but sadly the book ends and the culprit is left unfound. After commiting to a story for 200 plus pages, I can tell you this left me feeling cheated.
• Chekhov's gun: “Chekhov’s gun” is a dramatic principle that states every element mentioned in a story must be necessary and serve a purpose, and that extraneous details must be removed. Giving an object attention should be considered a signal to the readers that it has some importance to the story. This story made mention of several key elements however, that played no real role in the story. The victims wife, for example, is mentioned several times for being a potential witness, but is never found throughout the story. So we don't know if she was the killer, a witness, or dead. I found this lack of information annoying.
• Romance: How the author built the relationship between Gavin and Cassie was rather interesting. Both had troubled backgrounds, but we saw how their emotional barriers came down little by little, using a combination of simple, causal actions (such as longing stares, honest conversation, etc) and a dramatic situation (in this case, being pursued by killers).

Shirlee McCoy is a New York Times best-selling author, whose first book was published in 2004. She's written more than 45 novels, which have appeared on the New York Times, Publisher's Weekly, and USA Today bestsellers lists.

When she's not writing, she's homeschooling her two youngest children and spending time with loved ones. Her books are a reflection of her passion for relationships and community  that explore the dynamics between siblings, parents, children, and friends.  

For those interested in reading more books from Shirlee McCoy, please check out these websites:

• 
  
• http://www.shirleemccoy.com/
• http://shirleemccoy.blogspot.ca/

In closing, I would like to thank you all for dropping by and following my blog. Your patronage and encouragement is truly appreciated.

Until next time!

Cheers,

Patrick Osborne

By the Book - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Welcome back,

 

In my latest installment of By the Book, I will be reviewing a novel from the Harry Potter franchise. The book in question is “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”, written by  J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany.

 

This will be the first time I read a Harry Potter book. It’s a shocker, I know, considering I am a fan of the movies. Having come across this hardcover edition in a used book store, I thought it was time I gave it a try.

 

The story focuses on the dynamics between Harry Potter and his son, Albus Severus Potter. Their relationship is very tenuous at the beginning, as Albus feels he must live up to his father's reputation. Harry tries to connect with him, but cannot seem to find common ground with Albus. The story breezes through Albus’s first years at Hogwarts, and only really begins around his final year, where he comes up with a plan to ‘’fix’’ an event that transpired in the original books. In true Potter-verse fashion, the misuse of magic is involved, causing mayhem and various unexpected side effects.

 

 

Back of the book:

The Eighth Story. Nineteen Years Later.

 

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London's West End on July 30, 2016.

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn't much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

 

What I learned:

• Reading a script: The first thing that jumps at you is that this is not written like a novel, but rather like a script. The only real details are descriptions of the set, everything else is left to the reader's interpretation. This was a new experience for me, and felt slightly odd to be missing so much information. However, having seen the movies helped me fill in a lot of the visual gaps, so the difference was negligible.
• Butterfly effect: Without reveal any spoilers, all I can say is that time travel plays an important part in this novel. The authors did a good job of demonstrating the many pitfalls and possibilities related to time travel, and the consequences of playing with forces you don’t fully understand.
• father/son relationship: The story also focuses on the dynamics between father and son, and how their relationship not only affects them, but the world around them. Despite the story’s fantasy setting, there was a nice life lesson to be learned.
  J.K. Rowling, or Joanne Rowling, was born on 31st July 1965 in England. She is an award winning author, best known for the Harry Potter books, as well as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. For those interested in reading more books from J.K. Rowling, please check out her website at the following address: https://www.jkrowling.com/
   
  Jack Thorne is an English screenwriter and playwright. Born on December 6th, 1978 in Bristol, England, he has written for radio, theatre and film, TV shows and feature film. For more information on Jack Thorne, please check out these following websites:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Thorne
• http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2113666/
   
  John Tiffany (born c. 1971) is an English theatre director. He directed the internationally successful productions Black Watch and Once. He has won a Tony Award, an Olivier Award, a Drama Desk Award and an Obie Award. For more information on John Tiffany, please check out these following websites:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Tiffany
• http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0862997/
   
  In closing, I would like to thank you all for dropping by and following my blog. Your encouragement is always appreciated. Don’t forget to hit the like/follow buttons!
   
  Until next time!
   
  Cheers,
   
  Patrick Osborne

Interview - Charlotte Summers

Welcome back,

This month we have Charlotte Summers, the young author behind A Different Kind of Hell novella series. She kindly volunteered as I was searching for interview candidates on Facebook. I’m glad to have her on my blog, sharing her insight with us.

 

     

    

 

Short Bio: I am a young author and writer with a passion for my work. I love nothing more than to sit by the fire with my two dogs and write to my heart's content. This passion of mine started when I was around 13, going through a traumatic situation lead me to start reading and I found that I could write my own worlds to escape - if only for a little while- the real world.

 

Published Works: I have a novella series called A different Kind of hell and a new novel called Trusting Your Instincts

 

Current Projects: I am currently doing the third book in the different kind of hell series.

 

Website: https://authorcharlottesummers.weebly.com/

 

When did you begin writing?

 

I begin writing at the age of 13 and have been doing ever since.

 

Did you receive any special training or attend a school?

 

I didn’t have any training and to be honest I couldn’t even read until I was 12 as for writing I didn’t know how to do it right until I started doing it. I self-taught myself to read and then to write.

 

Where do you get your inspiration from?

 

I get mine from my mother who passed away when I was 12, I know she would want me to carry on with my work. I also get inspiration from my favourite author, Cheree Alsop.

 

Do you use any special resources when writing? (other books, computer programs, etc)

 

I use Grammarly and Google docs but that’s about it.

 

What is (in your opinion) the most important thing to remember when writing, and why is it so important?

 

The most important thing is editing. I know you cannot forget it however you need to remember to edit and edit some more during writing and during drafting.

 

What is (in your opinion) the most challenging part of writing, and how do you overcome it?

 

I think the most challenging for me is writer's block and once I have it I find it really hard to overcome. Normally to overcome it I read a book by my favourite author and listen to music.

 

Did you use an agent? (why or why not?)

 

No, I didn’t use an agent as I wanted to do it all myself, I’m a self-published author so didn’t really need an agent.

 

Did you use an Editor? If not, what process did you use to edit your work?

 

I edited myself, however, I did get my father to edit (he is an editor by profession). The key thing is to use more than one editor, I used three editor programs and got my dad to do it as well. You can never be too careful.

 

How did you get your book published? (self-published, Vanity publishing, Mainstream publisher).

 

I self-published all my books.

 

Do you handle your own marketing?

 

Yes, I do however it’s a lot harder than people make it out to be.

 

What is your best marketing tip?

 

Get your work out there as much as you possibly can. Set up twitter, facebook and any other social media you can think of.

 

Do you have any advice for other writers?

 

Keep writing, even when you feel like quitting; Keep going. Also never feel like a failure, everyone has been where you are and has overcome it. You can too.

 

In closing, I would like to thank Charlotte for doing this interview. As someone who is still in the process of writing his first book, I found this interview to be an eye opening experience. The amount of work she has produced at her age is truly inspiring. I look forward to hearing more about her in the future.

 

Until Next time,

 

Cheers,

 

Patrick Osborne