Posted in Book News, D.S. Williams Worlds

Big News Announcement!

This week, I have signed a contract with the boutique publisher, Creativia, and they will be taking over publication of my current bibliography and we will be working together into the future on new books (i.e. when I get around to writing them.)
I am very much looking forward to working with Miika and the Creativia team, they will be helping out with much of the marketing requirements, which is the part of being an indie author that has really gotten me down in the past few months. With Creativia’s assistance, I hope to get back to doing what I love most – writing down the words, and this new partnership should help greatly in that regard.

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Posted in Advice & Information, Blog Tours

The Authorship Adventure Series by Ella Medler- Promotional Tour

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The Authorship Adventure Series
Name of Author – Ella Medler
1
The Author Platform: How to build yourself a castle that will stand the test of time
Description:
How To Build Yourself A Castle That Will Stand The Test Of Time
This first module of the Authorship Adventure Series for writers is intended to provide an overview of an author platform, an explanation of its use and operation, and the simple, practical steps to follow to get started on building your own platform right now or fix an incomplete, ineffectual one.

 

2
How To Build A Novel: What works, what doesn’t, and how to fix the unfixable
Description:
How To Build A Novel – the easy way
The second module of the Authorship Adventure Series for writers provides a simplified, clear way to construct a structurally sound novel, together with guidelines, suggestions, tips and a checklist to steer you away from rookie mistakes while helping you enhance the quality of your manuscript pre-edit.
310 Sane Thoughts For Harassed Writers: How to gain perspective and turn setbacks into triumphs
Description:
How To Gain Perspective And Turn Setbacks Into Triumphs 10 Sane Thoughts For Harassed Writers
The third module of the Authorship Adventure Series delves into the psyche of writers and the way we relate to the demands of present-day society. Learn how to cope with your most hidden worries and fears, from the fear of failure to dealing with procrastination. Every chapter breaks down a problem before laying down tips and strategies for overcoming it.
4Proof And Edit 101: Easy basics guaranteed to save you time and money
Description:
Easy Basics Guaranteed To Save You Time And Money Proof And Edit 101 – Smart tips and tricks to put you ahead of the rest
The fourth module of the Authorship Adventure Series for writers provides a simplified look at basic grammar and punctuation, to give you a clear understanding of the most important factors when line editing and proofing your work. Tips and tricks for remembering easy rules, and examples every step of the way, provide you with the foundation you need to power through the mire of uncertain grammar and polish your novel to a high standard.
Use in conjunction with How To Build A Novel – What works, what doesn’t, and how to fix the unfixable, to improve more aspects of your writing, whether you intend to work alone or simply want to make your editors love working with you.
Ella Medler is a U.K. author and editor who lives in a corner of Heaven, on the south-west coast of Ireland, overlooking the Atlantic. She writes fiction in many genres – some after her own tastes, and some to make her readers happy. Sometimes, those two happen to coincide. A fierce supporter of genuine talent, Ella Medler founded Paper Gold Publishing because she believes there are authors out there who deserve a chance to shine, authors who would otherwise fall between the cracks of a crumbling, forever-shifting industry.
As an editor, Ella Medler has the tendency to nit-pick on plot issues while ignoring the type of rule which doesn’t allow for a sentence to be finished in a preposition. If you want to win her over, make sure your books are action-packed, your characters real, and you bring chocolate.
The Authorship Adventure Series is a set of resources for writers, which is available free of charge to Paper Gold Publishing members (membership is free and unconditional).
All the books are also available on Amazon at the minimum price of 99c or you could read them for free through Amazon Prime.
        
magicofbookspromo@gmail.com
Posted in Ramblings

A Permanent State of Flux

That’s a good description for how I’ve been feeling lately.

Disheartened by the whole publishing process, I’ve decided now might be a good time to step back, take a break and regroup.

Writing has always been a love of mine, and in many ways, the only thing which has kept me sane.  When I’m struggling with the black dog, or feeling completely and utterly stressed, it is a way of escaping the reality and doing something which takes me into my own space, a space less filled with anxiety and day to day issues, and the many, many worries and strains which fill my thoughts on a daily basis.

It took me years and years to work up the courage to publish, and even then, I took what I consider to be the chicken’s way out and self-published.  I knew that I would not cope with the gut wrenching, soul crushing rounds of seeking a publisher who might consider my work – I’m the poster child for people with self-doubt and to receive a rejection letter would only prove to the voice in my head that I am useless at writing.

Consequently, I attempted self-publishing, but to be honest, I’m just as filled with self-doubt as I was before, if anything, even more so.  And self-promotion is not my strong point.  Nor is worrying about selling books, because if I don’t, I’m still a failure. And if I do sell books, I might be pressured into writing more and more and conforming to what readers want to read, and then there would be huge amounts of expectations on what I do next…

And I fold, like a pack of playing cards which have been built into a ramshackle house.

The simple fact is – I’m not cut out for so many things in life.  I’ve always suspected I march to the beat of a drum that only I can hear – I can’t conform, I can’t do what so many others do.  I can’t be a success, because I fear success.  I don’t want to be a failure, because that wouldn’t be a happy place to be either.

So here I sit, in my corner of the world, fearing so many things, and filled with so much self-doubt, it seems as if I’m mentally holding back doubts the size of the Hoover Dam.  And wondering how to be comfortable in my own skin.

The fact of the matter right now, is that I can’t publish any longer, because I don’t want to go through the grind.  I find myself now considering every word of everything I attempt to write and thinking that nothing I do is good enough.  What if no-one wants to read it?  What if I get bad reviews?  What if I’m not ‘conforming’ to what the audience wants.  The endless questions have crippled my ability to write, to the point where I just don’t want to write any longer.

And that, for a person like me, who fits so badly into the real world, is almost unbearable.

I want to write.  I want to travel to those far off and magical places.  I want to express my thoughts and dreams and desires through the written word.  And I want to do it in a way that makes me  happy, in a way which allows my creativity to soar and releases me from the bonds which tie me to my insecurities.

So for now, I’m heading back to basics.  I’m going to write for the heck of writing.  I’m going to write the stories which flow from my heart.  And I’m going to write them for myself.

And when I regain belief in myself, I might come back to publishing.  Who knows?  I don’t want to say I’ll never do it again, because my mind is in a constant state of flux, and how I feel today, is different to how I might feel next week, or next month, or next year.

But I am going back to basics.  I will write from my heart, and clear my soul of the gut-wrenching fear of doing it wrong.  I’ll remind myself to write for me and no-one else.  And hopefully, I will regain that love for the written word, the sheer joy of creating something that no-one else has done, the fun of making characters and letting them grow and seeing where their adventures will take them.

Posted in Book News, D.S. Williams Worlds

Today’s the Day! Cover Reveal of Protective Hearts!

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TITLE: Protective Hearts

AUTHOR: D.S. Williams

GENRE: Paranormal Romance Thriller

PUBLICATION: January 24, 2015

COVER DESIGNER: Hellvis

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synopsis

After being kidnapped by the Chicago Heart Ripper, Finn O’Flaherty is his only surviving victim.

Rescued by her brother, Finn suffers heartache in the aftermath as she struggles to come to terms with what happened and battles the amnesia that prevents her from identifying the serial killer.

Caleb Sheppard is determined to protect Finn out of respect and a sense of duty towards his friend’s younger sister. He suspects there is more to the prolific serial killer than meets the eye, and one question haunts him: Why was Finn kept, and not killed?

It’s a race against time to retrieve Finn’s memories, keep her out of the Ripper’s clutches, and discover the secrets of his identity.

What Finn doesn’t realize, is that Caleb and his family are hiding secrets of their own – some of which Finn may not be able to accept.

Teasers

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Snippet 1Snippet 3

book links

Pre-order Protective Hearts today.

about author

D.S. Williams is the author of the supernatural romance series ‘The Nememiah Chronicles’.

Wife and mother to four demanding teenagers, D.S. Williams started writing at the age of five, when life was simpler and her stories really didn’t have to make much sense. When you’re five, happily ever after always ended the story and how you got there didn’t matter so much.

Older and wiser, D.S. Williams has continued to write… and write… and write. With the support and encouragement of her husband and friends, she has finally come to the conclusion that she can’t keep hiding from the world forever and should try sharing the numerous novels which have been written over the past 40+ years.

D.S. Williams enjoys writing (obviously), reading (voraciously) and making lists (obsessively). She’s enjoyed a lifelong addiction to foods starting with ‘ch’ – cheescake, chocolate and chips – and when it comes to books, she loves a really good cliffhanger. Be warned!

She shares her life with her husband of twenty eight years, the Gang of Four and the current furry residents, Tuppence the Groodle and Angus the Bull Mastiff.

author links

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Amazon ~ WordPress Blog ~ Wattpad

additional books

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The Nememiah Chronicles

Knowledge Revealed ~ Knowledge Quickening

Knowledge Hurts ~ The Knowledge of Love

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Magic of Books Promotions
Posted in Book News, D.S. Williams Worlds

Protective Hearts – Coming Soon

I’m so excited about this release, after working on The Nememiah Chronicles for so long, it’s wonderful to be working on a different, and equally as exciting project.

The characters in Protective Hearts are some of my favorites, Finnola is beautiful and brave and fights her way back from a horrible situation, and I love her personal growth and development as she comes to terms with what happened to her, and learns to love without fear.

I’m on target to have the book released very soon – and will be announcing a release date and doing a cover reveal very soon.Snippet 10

Posted in Book News, Ramblings

Choosing a New Project

With Book Four of The Nememiah Chronicles done and dusted, other than those minor details such as beta reading, cover designing and uploading, today I’ve spent some time contemplating my next move – what am I going to do next?

I don’t know about anyone else, but this is a delicious part of the writing process for me.  Choosing my next project gives a delightful sense of anticipation and I choose from the many voices in my head, who are calling for their story to be told.

There’s something wonderful about knowing I have the power to make the choice.  Do I go back to one of my current WIP’s, or do I start something new? Who’s voice is the strongest in my mind?  Who is fervent about having their story told?


For the past eighteen months, I have lived, breathed, slept and eaten ‘Nememiah’.  Four and a half books in the series had been written, albeit roughly, before I worked up the courage to publish.  What this has meant for myself, is eighteen months of editing and re-editing, polishing and brushing up the words until they were the best they could possibly be.  It’s been eighteen months on a very steep learning curve as I delved into the world of self-publishing as an Indie Author.

It’s also been eighteen months, near enough, where I have done very little ‘new writing’  I’ve started a few WIP’s, mainly because the characters involved have been particularly vociferous about getting their stories started, if not finished.

So now I have a conundrum to deal with.  I’ve decided (no doubt, much to the chagrin of the readers who love Charlotte and her friends) that Nememiah Five is going on the backburner for a little while.  I’ve spent so much time in Charlotte’s world that both she and I require a little break from one another. I think to do the final book in the series its full justice, I need to return to it in a few months, and spend those months doing what I love most in the world – creating new characters in new situations and new places.

There is something very exciting, and equally as scary, in facing a blank computer ‘page’ and waiting for the words to come.  As a general rule, and I’m sure other writers deal with the same issue, you can come up with a million good ideas… until you sit down and stare at that blank page.  Quite often, that blank page is enough to clog up every single good idea you’ve had (which generally appear while you’re grocery shopping, or hanging out laundry, or driving one of the Gang of Four to work, or school, or the cinema) and stick a great big cork in the end of the good idea pipe.  And stick that cork up with super glue, to ensure you can’t pull it out.  

So this section, between finishing one project and starting the next, is my favorite part of the whole process.  The anticipation, the buzz of enthusiasm, the excitement of knowing you’re about to create and build a story which comes completely from your own heart and soul, is the drug which keeps my desire to write as a tangible and exciting part of my life.  I started this adventure when I was a young child, and I still love it.  Knowing now, after publishing, that other people love the characters and the story you created is the most amazing buzz in the world.  

So now I’m off, to give further thought to where myself (and my characters) are headed to now.

See you on the flip side.