Continuously Learning

Hi all,

Hope everyone had an amazing week and ready for another one. This weeks topic came to me after my family reunion where I spent time discussing what it was like to self-publish. Hope all enjoy.

Like everything in life, writing is a continuous learning process. Not only because of improvements among our fast paced lives, but also because we each change and grow every day. What we like one day may not be even in our line of scope the next. It’s the natural process of life. Therefore, writers have to adapt to change.

Use to writers only had to worry about getting their books accepted by a publisher. Then there came self-publishing. That too has expanded by allowing self-publisher to offer their book in print, audio or e-book.

These changes are wonderful and a part of life. It is leaving history for future people to see. There’s nothing like sitting down, holding a book and losing yourself in your own imagination. Then again, if you are a continuous traveler then you need to hear the books you enjoy. (There comes in the audio books.) If you are some tech savvy person who can’t function without a fix of some kind of computerized gadget then you have the e-readers, tablets, computers, and phones at hand.

All of these items have a part in making writing a continuous process, because as writers we have to adapt to what our readers desire, and how they wish to receive our material. If we don’t then the chances of our survival as an author is slim to none.

With all that said I have a question for you, which is your favorite way to read a book, print, audio, or e-book (any particular device)?

My answer: I enjoy them all. In fact, I have more e-books than actual books, but there some authors that I prefer to have a hardcopy of their books. (I like to be able to preserve it and show it off when I’m older.)

Hope all have a great week and remember

Let your imagination soar when you read,

Julia

Wrong Turns

Life is full of what we view as wrong turns, and I’m sure whether we like to admit it or not, we each take at least one or two in our lifetime. But, it is those wrong turns that shape us into who we are. We despise them, more accurately we loath how they hinder our lives or cause temporarily chaos in our lives.

Yet, these wrong turns, when applied to a character in one of my stories is what makes the story. It seems like no matter how much we hate whatever disrupts our smooth flowing life, we love to read about how others overcome their trails, whether real or fictional. As an avid reader I think that this is how we search for ways we might have been able to handle a similar situation in a different way. Because simply put, in my opinion at least, we learn from our own as well as other people’s mistakes.

Other than give readers some ideas of how to handle situations what else does adding wrong turns into a story line do? Well, it provides that much needed tension and life like aspect to a story. It allows us authors to show those internal struggles that each character faces. Basically, it’s what brings our stories to life. It causes intrigue, questions and hooks our readers. Allow our readers to become immersed into the story.

Hope everyone has an amazing week and remember:

Let your imagination soar when your read or write.

Julia

What Made Me Chose My Current Writing Genres?

The other day I got asked a question. One I found myself wondering about as well. Like with anything that stumps me I sat down to write about it. It was enlightening and informative, which made me wanted to share it with my readers. I hope it gives them a bit of better insight into who I am.

Question was:

What made me choose to write Adult Paranormal Romance and M/M Paranormal Romance?

Answer:

I’ve always been interested in witchcraft and mythical animals, such as Unicorns. I’d always been a huge fan of werewolf movies. The different kinds of legends among the world about them intrigued me. So, when I began to let myself free write I found my love for these two coming to life in each and ever idea. Wasn’t like I didn’t understand the concept of the genre. I read it for the last ten years. Actually, my choice to write in this genre confused my parents. They always figured I’d lean more towards murder mysteries or write more like my favorite author, Stephen King. I love his books, my creative mind lays more towards the mythical side, and for my mind that translates into Adult Paranormal Romance and M/M Paranormal Romance. Now, I’m not ruling out that I won’t every attempt to write in other classifications, because I love a good challenge and straying from what I’m accustom to, would be a huge challenge.

Hope all has an amazing week.

Remember let your imagination soar while reading.

Julia

An Awakening Event

This past week was a busy one, not only because of writing, but in a much deeper and personal sense. Since I was 17 or 18 I avoided large crowds. At first it started out where I’d only go if I were with someone I knew very well, like family. Then it got to where I pretty much didn’t go anywhere where they might be a small crowd of people. Largest type of group I would mix myself among was the grocery store and I even timed those trips so it would be when the number of people was fewer. Slowly over the last couple of years I’ve made small improvements. This week I found out those small improvements had lead up to large ones that I hadn’t even realized.

If you read my Facebook post then you know I attended a James Patterson speaking event this past Thursday. I was expecting a somewhat large crowd, and that fact scared me. Yet, for a change I didn’t let it run me. I bought my tickets and was deadest on going. (Okay, I admit a part of me expected my own self to struggle with backing out at the last minute.) Then I get an email the day of the event and it states they are expecting over a 1,000 people. Didn’t surprise me, it spooked me and the panic and fear started rising. Once again, I pushed it aside refusing to let my own internal struggles keep me from missing out on such an event. I headed to the event, which was located in a part of town that I’d never been to and of course, I sort of got lost. (Okay, lost wasn’t correct, I couldn’t find the dang gum entrance for the auditorium I was going to.) I didn’t panic when I realized I needed to stop and ask a complete stranger where the entrance was. Then I get parked and get into a large line of unknown faces. Still no panic had risen. A lady I know from my writing group showed up and we took our seats. At the time, I didn’t realize the significant of the seats we took. Usually, when I’m in a theater of sorts I sit at the end of an aisle so I can dart out very easy. This time I had no thoughts whatsoever about taking a seat dead center of the aisle. The event was amazing and I had a blast. Not one single panic attack or thought about jumping up and running from the massive large crowd.

If that wasn’t enough of an achievement the next day I went to a Genre Fiction Writing Workshop being conducted by J.A. Jance. Group of people wasn’t large, there were only around 25 people, but we were crammed around tables creating a U-shape. Our elbows were pretty much touching no mater which way we moved, but once again that dreaded panic and fear evaded me.

I know I have stated before that writing saved my life, but I do not think even I realized how much of an impact it was still having on me. The drive to hone my creative skills as a writer for my readers, the joy and the love I get from writing and reading has aided my life in such small ways that I overlooked the smaller signs of improvements in my life. (Like attending a movie on a Friday or Saturday night, instead of the earliest showing possible, going to the coffee house and sitting for hours on hours. The writing group I’d joined and going to shopping by myself. These are things I’ve been doing over the last year or so and not even realizing how much they were mixing me among other people.)

So, I hope if you have something you plan out love to do that you take the time to enjoy it and let it impact your life in as many ways as you possible can. It not only helps you relax, but makes your life better all the way around.

Everyone have an amazing week and remember let your imagination soar when your read or write.

Julia

Release Delay

Hello readers,

In the middle of August I gave a tentative release date of November for Moon Called Human-Skinned Wolves Book 1, but it looks like that may be way off base. At this point and time, I’m not sure how long it will take me to feel the book is completed and figure out a release date. So, until I can nail down the book, I’m leaving the release date TBA. Soon as I have a date you will be the first to know.

I promise more is coming and I know each of you will enjoy the new book.

Remember let your imagination soar when you read and write,

Julia