On Writing … not like Stephen King, by Dawn Ius #Indiestructible

Dawn Ius

There’s nothing wrong with Stephen King—in fact, in the long list of successful, commercial authors I’d love to be, he’s right up near the top. But let’s face it: there’s only ONE Stephen King.

There is something you and I have in common with him, though: a love of writing.

If you’ve read On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, you know Stephen King’s publishing journey is sautéed with trial and error, drizzled with rejection and doubt, and spiced with addiction. Any of that sound familiar? Switch out the ingredients and cooking adjectives (Burned? Charred? Flambéed?) and you’ll likely wind up with a slightly different recipe that describes every author’s individual journey of the craft.

Individual.

Journey.

Of the craft.

Stephen is first and foremost a storyteller, but sprinkled between the pages of his memoir are important notes about the tools of our trade—whether you’re an Indie author, a NY Times bestselling novelist, or just starting out in your career. We can all learn from him. The use of dialogue tags and description. Why specificity matters. The role of the Ideal Reader (IR). Self-editing advice. It’s all great stuff.

But what takes it from great to outstanding is how YOU apply it. Stephen King’s road to publishing will not be the same road you travel. Your potholes will be different than his, your obstacles unique.

After all, there is only ONE you.

Each of the authors featured in Indiestructible have travelled their own publishing road. Along the way, they’ve dodged small press and self-publishing pitfalls, navigated sharp publishing trend curves, and eventually, crossed the finish line to publication.

Even the King of Horror would concede: this industry ain’t easy.

The essays in Indiestructible—mine included—won’t make it any easier, but hopefully, they will give you inspiration and hope, and maybe, if you take time to smell the roses along the highway, they will provide you with a unique perspective on writing, and the motivation to continue on your own individual journey of the craft.

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Just $0.99 on Amazon

100% of proceeds will be donated to BUILDON.org, a movement which breaks the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE INDIESTRUCTIBLE 

Contributing authors:

Alex J. Cavanaugh <> Angela Brown <> Anne R. Allen <> Briane Pagel <> C.S. Lakin <> Ciara Knight <> Cindy M. Hogan <> D. Robert Pease <> Dawn Ius <> Emily White <> Greg Metcalf <> Jadie Jones <> Jessica Bell <> Karen Bass <> Karen Walker <> Kristie Cook <> Laura Diamond <> Laura Pauling <> Laurel Garver <> Leigh Talbert Moore <> Lori Robinson <> Melissa Foster <> Michael Offutt <> Michelle Davidson Argyle <> Rick Daley <> Roz Morris <> S.R. Johannes <> Stephen Tremp <> Susan Kaye Quinn

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About Dawn Ius:

Dawn Ius is a short story author, novelist, screenwriter, professional editor and communications specialist. She is the co-publishing editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, an active member of the International Thriller Writers (ITW) Association and the author of four educational graphic novels published by the Alberta Canola Producers Commission. Dawn also writes adult thriller and paranormal suspense, and in 2012, one of her as-yet-unpublished novels was optioned for development of a TV show. When she’s not slaying fictional monsters, she’s most likely spooking her husband, Jeff and their two mischievous dogs: Jynx and Roarke.

Dawn also writes young adult paranormal fiction under the last name DALTON. Her short story, THREAD OF THE PAST was one of 13 haunting tales in the SPIRITED anthology published by Leap Books (2012). KILLER’S INSTINCT, a paranormal YA novel co-written with Judith Graves, launches in late 2013, also from Leap Books. Check out Dawn Dalton’s blog.

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The Artist Unleashed: DREAM BIG. OR GO HOME, by Dawn Ius

The Artist Unleashed posts have moved to a new domain. Please click HERE to read the rest of this post and for the opportunity to comment. Just search for the title of the post in the search bar on the new site.

Wow. So I'm back. In full swing ... from a string that's strong, but wearing thin ...

Dawn and me in the back of her car
in -16 degree Celsius temperatures! :o) Can't
you see I'm all rugged up?

Right ... where were we?

Um ... yep ...

Oh Canada
With your face sketched on it twice
Oh you're in my blood like holy wine
You taste so bitter and so sweet

Oh I could drink a case of you darling
Still I'd be on my feet
oh I would still be on my feet ...

I had a MARVELOUS time with Dawn in Canada. No, we didn't leave the house much (except when going to her office to do some work -- yep I had to take it with me -- boo), but, oh my gosh, did we get along like a house on fire. Lucky, because we really needed the heat in the blizzardy weather :o)

Yep, it was blizzarding when I arrived and it was blizzarding when I returned. We had planned to go on a trip to Jasper and Banff but never made it because this (on the left) is pretty much all  I could see. We also didn't want to get stuck in the mountains when I had a plane to catch ... not that that would have really mattered, because my flight, due to maintenance issues was cancelled ...

TWICE!

And I was in Calgary. In an airport, four hours drive away from Dawn, (she lives in Edmonton) so I couldn't even go back to spend the time with her. :o( I didn't leave Canada until a full 24 hours later than scheduled and I'm really behind on my work, but ... ho hum, never mind, it was TOTALLY worth it.

For the past 1.5 years, Dawn and I have been chatting on Gmail EVERY SINGLE DAY. I knew our friendship was a very special one. I knew she would take up a big chunk of my heart for the rest of my life, but I had no idea the feeling could get even more special, until I met her face-to-face. Now the chats do not really suffice. We've got a taste of this friendship in "real life" now, and it's going to be very difficult to adjust to this "internet thing" again. Woe is me ...

Dawn, if only I could call you up and say, "Wanna meet at Tim Horton's for a coffee after work despite the coffee tasting like shit?" (Sorry, Tim Horton, but after drinking European coffee all these years, yours sucks.)

Dawn. I miss you! And you had BETTER make it to Greece this summer! Or ... or ... or ... I'll kidnap your dogs somehow and you'll just have to come and get them.

Have you ever met any friends you've made blogging face-to-face? How was it?

Stuff:

• Check out one of the most interesting interviews I have ever participated in over at Eight Cuts Gallery. Wow, this guy really knows how to craft a question!
• Also, I'm in the process of compiling my life's work in music to sell on Bandcamp.com. Well, whatever is friendly to the ears ... so stay tuned.
• And pretty please with a cherry on top, if you are on Goodreads, could you do me a quick favour and add String Bridge, and Twisted Velvet Chains, to this Listopia list? It will help people find it better! Thank you!

PS: I did have a reason for the title of this post, but I seem to have lost it ... hmm ... *rubs jet-laggy eyes*

*Lyrics: Joni Mitchell, A Case of You 

Internet Book Fair!!! Extra, extra, read all about it!!!

Welcome to the Internet Book Fair! Just so you know, this was originally set up to promote your own books, but seeing as I've got this supah dupah blog tour for String Bridge set up next week, I decided to promote other authors' books.

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Okay, those who know me, know I don't really read YA. But you know what? I'm actually interested in reading this one by Susan Kaye Quinn. It seems like a real "mind-#*@!" so to speak. Excuse my language, it's totally unorthodox, but sorry, I love stuff that deals with psychological twists so I'm really looking forward to giving it a go ... Here's the blurb:

"Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can't read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can't be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf's mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she's dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where being forced to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her."

If you want to read more about the book and/or author, Susan Kaye Quinn, CLICK HERE.

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I don't read many anthologies of short fiction, but this one, edited by Jodi Cleghorn, looks TO DIE FOR. Who wouldn't be intrigued by a collection of short stories based on songs released in 1989? Interesting, huh? Here's the blurb:

"1989: a cusp between decades.
The year the Berlin Wall came down and Voyager went up. Ted Bundy and Emperor Hirohito died. The birth of the first Bush administration and computer virus.

In San Francisco and Newcastle the ground shook, in Chernobyl it melted. Tiananmen Square rocked the world and Tank Man imprinted on the international consciousness. Communism and Thatcherism began their decline, Islamic fundamentalism its rise.

It was the year Batman burst onto the big screen, we went back to the future (again) Indiana Jones made it a trifecta at the box office and Michael Damian told us to rock on.

Based on a play list of 26 songs released in 1989, Eighty Nine re-imagines the social, political, cultural and personal experiences at the end of the decade which gave the world mullets, crimped hair, neon-coloured clothing, acid-wash denim, keytars, the walkman, Live Aid, the first compact disc and MTV."

To check it out on Goodreads, CLICK HERE. They're actually having an Amazon Chart Rush for this book today, so it would be a great day to buy it! Also, first one to comment and say they want one will receive a free copy of this in eBook format! (PDF, mobi or epub)

All the stories will be live, and free for 48 hours beginning 9am Aussie time today. They all go up one every hour via the LMT official website http://literarymixtapes.com.

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I'm told that Judy Croome writes with a poetic flair so how could I resist giving this a shot? It sounds like my cup of tea. I've actually had this in my Kindle for MONTHS, but still haven't got around to reading it. I will soon! Here's an excerpt of the blurb:

"Boldly atmospheric, buoyed by touches of magical realism, this compelling story explores the sacrifices people make in the pursuit of a love that transcends everyday existence. Lulu’s quest, and that of Jamila and Zahra too, is to find the divine love that will fulfil their hopes and save their souls...if they can recognise the masks of those who seek to lead them astray."

Sounds beautiful, huh? Okay, to read more about this one on Goodreads, CLICK HERE.

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This blurb says it all:

"Haunted houses. Haunted hearts.
And a past that refuses to die.

Leap Books summoned best-selling paranormal and dreadfully talented debut authors to conjure up Spirited, a haunting collection of 13 tales guaranteed to keep you up all night.

Get entombed in stories of Egyptian treasures, shudder at tales of malevolent spirits, and dive in the adventures of witch-hunters, ghost seekers, and lost souls. From steampunk to cyberpunk, our collection of spirits from the past, present, and future will haunt you in these pages.

With this celebration of things that go bump in the night, Spirited authors hope to slay the truly frightening illiteracy statistics that plague our youth. All proceeds from Spirited will be donated to 826 National. 826 offers free after-school tutoring, workshops, and in-school programs because "strong writing skills are fundamental to future success."

Go ahead. Turn the page if you dare. We won’t tell if you sleep with the light on. Because after all, there’s no rest for the wicked."

Also, here is the blurb of one of the short stories you'll find in there, written by the brilliant Dawn Dalton: 

THREAD OF THE PAST: Letitia Hawke is used to feeling invisible and the only thing that makes her senior dance bearable is the location—one of the most haunted houses in the country. Then Tish makes an unexpected connection with Elijah, and it’s bye-bye wallflower, hello gothic rose. Too bad the Franklin House is a jealous host.

To read more about SPIRITED CLICK HERE!

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Now this book, Lyon's Legacy by Sandra Ulbrich Almazan, I've just heard about and I'm wondering why I hadn't heard of it earlier! Guitar? Music? I'm already hooked. Here's the blurb:

"Joanna Lyon may have inherited musical talent from her famous ancestor, Sean Lyon, but her parents' bitter divorce and her Uncle Jack's attempts to remake her into another Sean have left her hostile toward her family and music. Her passion is for science, but since she has no access to the family funds, she struggles to earn enough credits for graduate school. Then her uncle sets up a business deal with her employer to make Joanna go on a mission for him: travel via the spaceship Sagan to an alternate TwenCen universe where Sean is still alive. Joanna must collect a DNA sample from Sean so her uncle can create a clone of him. She refuses at first, but finally agrees to go. Secretly, however, Joanna believes her uncle will exploit the clone, and she plans to sabotage the project to stop him. But when she falls in love with one of the scientists in the Sagan's genetics lab, clashes with other time travelers who fear she'll change how history develops on the alternative TwenCen Earth, and receives devastating personal news, Joanna will find herself pushed to her limit even before she comes face-to-face with her hated ancestor. Their encounter will leave her changed forever. Will she still be able to thwart her uncle's plan, and what will she have to sacrifice to do so?"

This story is available as an e-book for only $2.99 at Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords.

If you'd like to discover some other books on the market, make sure you drop by the host of the Fair to access everyone's blog links. Thanks for reading!!!


PS: See yesterday's post as to why I won't be around again until next Monday.