Author. Blogger. Believer in everyday magic.
It’s Friday!
And I’m off on holiday tomorrow for a couple of weeks – yay!
I’ll be visiting one of the places that inspired my Ambeth landscape, so have my camera ready to take lots of shots. In the meantime, I’ve dug deep down into my blog archives, to a time when hardly anyone came to visit me, and found a few posts. I’ve polished them up and reworked them to share with you all while I’m away, plus a couple of new photos to throw into the mix.
See you all soon xx
I’m over at Ali’s Blog today, as part of her Freaky Friday Flash Challenge. Ali’s blog is wonderful, full of the mystery and legend of Ireland, so drop on over – I’ll see you there!
On Monday, I received an amazing five-star review for Oak and Mist. The reviewer took the time to write a detailed analysis of why they enjoyed the book, and I was (and still am) completely thrilled.
Today, when I logged into my Goodreads account, I noticed someone had given Oak and Mist a two-star rating. No written review, just a star rating (which is fairly common on Goodreads).
So, two days, two vastly different perceptions of the same book.
Writers can be very hard on themselves. Like most artists, I suppose – self doubt and criticism certainly isn’t limited to the writing field. I’ve heard fellow writers whom I know to be talented, who’ve written wonderful work, wondering whether they should keep going, that their work will never be published, that it’s not worth the stress. It’s a very tough business, one in which we have to deal with rejection almost every day. Whether it’s yet another agent rejecting your submission, another contest where you didn’t place, another not-so-positive review or simply a day where no books sell, we need a thick skin to deal with it all.
Yet to write is to have a thin skin. To be open to emotions and vibrations and stories as they happen around us, so we can transfer them to the page. If we shut ourselves away from the world, we shut ourselves away from the potential for new ideas. If we lose the sensitivity that leads us to create in the first place, then creating becomes more difficult. An impossible dilemma.
Or is it? The other week, I wrote about the spider outside my window, who every day creates a new web. The lesson I took from this is that each day is a new opportunity. A chance to get up, dust yourself off, and get on with things. And once my work goes out there in the world, I have to accept that it is open to whatever might come along, good or bad. Art in itself is subjective – what one person might love, another might absolutely hate.
While I was on Goodreads I added another book to my ‘Read’ list. This is a book that was raved about, that had a huge display at my local Waterstones and loads of write-ups in the media. I thought it was a great story – well-written, suspenseful, and with a nice twist at the end. For me, it was a four-star read. And yet, when I checked, it had over 1200 one-star ratings.
So I guess what I need to remind myself of is this: If you’re writing, keep writing. Do it for you. Do it for those who want to read. Be brave, and get it out there. The important thing is that you are creating something. Focus on the positives, rather than the not-so-positives.
And if your web breaks, spin yourself another one.
(Oh, and this isn’t a ‘poor me’ post – I’ve had lots of lovely comments on here about my writing, and I know I’m very fortunate. It’s just part of my journey through writing, and I think most of us have experienced days like this).
Today I welcome guest author Kate M. Colby to the blog. Kate recently published her first book, The Cogsmith’s Daughter, a steampunk dystopian story set in the fictional world of Desertera. Today she takes us on a tour of the world she’s created…
The world of my novel, The Cogsmith’s Daughter, is Desertera. I call it a post-apocalyptic, steampunk dystopian wasteland—which is a mouthful…and not exactly that helpful to those who aren’t familiar with these genres. So, today, I want to give you all a little tour of Desertera and teach you more about this world that I’ve cooked up. But first, we have to start with a brief history lesson.
Roughly two hundred years prior to the start of my novel, the world of my characters looked very similar to our world from two centuries ago. They had an organized government (monarchy), cities with electricity, vehicles, and advanced technology (though steam-powered), and oceans and rivers and all the other standard geological features we have. Essentially, it was a world much like ours, just with steam as the primary power source. Fans of the steampunk genre can probably envision it rather
easily—I picture “the world before” much like a traditional steampunk universe.
However, the world before ended. A flood of apocalyptic proportions (think Noah’s Ark) wiped out the world and most of its inhabitants. The ancestors of my characters survived by building a steamship (the Queen Hildegard) to carry them through the flood. After years of rain, the waters eventually dried up, and they were left in a desert wasteland. Without an excess of water, they are unable to power their steam technology, and thus, we have a world of “steampunk without steam.” What remains is the steamship and four villages that have emerged around it. This is the Desertera we
see in The Cogsmith’s Daughter.
The Queen Hildegard, or the palace:
This is the steamship that carried the ancestors through the flood. It is named for the mortal queen who ruled during the flood, and it is the center of noble life in Desertera. The royal family and the higher nobles live within the palace, but it also holds libraries, specialty shops, a greenhouse, the courtroom, and the ballroom. Most of the “steerage” section of the palace has been gutted—the materials used for building houses and other objects—but one area, the Rudder, remains occupied.
The Rudder:
The Rudder is the brothel of Desertera. It is located in the back of the ship, with an entrance near the propellers (hence the name). While the citizens of Desertera know the Rudder’s location and what occurs there, most turn a blind eye to the activities unless forced to admit them. The Rudder is run by Madam Huxley, the longest-standing female business owner in Desertera, and is where the novel’s protagonist, Aya, currently works.
Starboardshire:
Starboardshire is a village to the east of the palace and is home to the lesser nobles and their servants. The most beautiful of the villages, it contains artisan-crafted homes, desert wildflowers, and even a bit of grass for horses (a major status symbol for noble families).
Bowtown:
Bowtown lies to the north of the palace and holds the agricultural district. It’s inhabited by farmers, who manage to grow basic crops like wheat and corn. The farmers also have livestock—the descendants of the animals taken aboard the steamship—mainly pigs, chickens, goats, and sheep.
Portside:
Portside is the economic hub of Desertera, situated to the west of the palace. It is home to merchants and local businesses—everything from bakers to cobblers to blacksmiths. Aya, grew up in Portside, as her father used to have a shop in the village. However, when he was executed, she could no longer pay the rent and had to turn to other means to support herself.
Sternville:
Sternville, to the south of the palace, is the most impoverished village and is where Aya currently lives. The homes are little more than tents or dirt-floored hovels, and its residents either work at the Rudder or as wellmen. The wellmen are responsible for going to the wells each morning and pumping water for the villagers to use. An important job, it is also dirty, dangerous, and viewed as “unskilled” labor, hence
its low status in the society.
The palace and its four villages make for a complex and starkly divided society. There is tension between the five locales, the four villages especially, and most people tend to stick to their “own kind.” In The Cogsmith’s Daughter, Aya spends most of her time in Sternville, the Rudder, and the palace. Despite her connections to each place, she doesn’t feel like she belongs in any of them. This helps her to see the good and bad aspects of each, as well as allows her to challenge the status quo and make others
question what they have always accepted about their homes. I think world travelers, or even just sociology/culture geeks like me, will really enjoy watching Aya dissect her surroundings.
If you think you’d like to take a trip to Desertera, you can enter my Goodreads giveaway for your chance to win one of three signed copies HERE.
Don’t like leaving things to chance? Me either. You can purchase your copy of The Cogsmith’s Daughter at any of these online retailers:
Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon AU, etc.
Smashwords
WHEN THE STEAM-POWERED WORLD DRIES UP…
Two-hundred years ago, the steam-powered world experienced an apocalyptic flood. When the waters dried up, the survivors settled around their steamship in a wasteland they named Desertera. Believing the flood and drought were caused by a scorned
goddess, the monarchs demanded execution for anyone who commits the unforgivable sin—adultery.
ONE KING RULES WITH ABSOLUTE POWER AND UNQUENCHABLE LUST…
Today, King Archon entraps his wives in the crime of adultery, executing each boring bride to pursue his next infatuation. Most nobles overlook King Archon’s behavior, but when Lord Varick’s daughter falls victim to the king’s schemes, he vows revenge.
UNTIL THE COGSMITH’S DAUGHTER RISKS EVERYTHING FOR VENGEANCE.
When Aya Cogsmith was a young girl, King Archon had her father executed for treason. Orphaned and forced to turn to prostitution for survival, Aya dreams of avenging her father’s death. When Lord Varick approaches Aya with plans for vengeance, she agrees to play the king’s seductress—even though it puts her at risk for execution.
Packed with high-society intrigue, dappled with seduction, and driven by revenge, The Cogsmith’s Daughter is a steampunk dystopian novel with the perfect mixture of conspiracy and romance.
—
Kate M. Colby is an author of cross-genre fiction and creative nonfiction. Her first series, Desertera, consists of steampunk dystopian novels with themes of socio-economic disparity, self-empowerment, romance, and revenge. She lives in the United States with her husband and furry children. You can learn more about Kate and her books on her website: www.KateMColby.com.
A very nice (and unexpected) review of Oak and Mist from Kris at Crumpled Paper Cranes! Thank you xx
Available on Amazon via Kindle and paperback.
Admittedly, I’m not what you’d call extremely well-read. That being said, aside from the first installment of The Lord of the Rings series, and the Harry Potter books that I’ve rarely ever re-read, I have hardly read any fantasy. Perhaps it’s all too intimidating, with its multiple worlds, factions, alliances, alter-egos, and allusions to mythology and other things I find elaborately rich. While I’ve intended to, I’ve never really given attention to the YA genre. It takes a skilled and enthusiastic writer to draw me into such works, and with Oak and Mist, Helen Jones does the job.
We see predestination’s lingering hold as Alma faces a tall order. Ambeth, a world outside the familiar, is threatened by an imbalance between Light and Dark. One does not choose the faction he is born into, and ultimately, one is not granted volition to…
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I’m out for another visit today, this time for Sunday Lunch with Sally Cronin. My fellow guest is Charles Yallowitz, so I’m looking forward to some good food and conversation! Sally is always looking for lunch guests, so if you’re interested, drop her a line. Happy Sunday, everyone 🙂
The other week, I wrote a post about a free promotion I ran for a limited time on my first book, Oak and Mist. It was a pretty successful promotion, increasing my readership and leading to further sales, so I was happy with the result.
I decided to test out another marketing option by placing an ad on Goodreads. It’s a pay-per-click ad, where you set a price to pay each time someone clicks on your ad (I bid $0.60 per click, a little above the average of $0.50) . There were three things I liked about the set-up:
So far, I’m going to be honest and say that it hasn’t set the world on fire. I’ve only had a few clicks so far, and garnered a lot more interest when I ran my Goodreads giveaway. However, it’s been a great opportunity to test different taglines for my book and see which ones gather the most attention. Goodreads sends me a daily report listing how often the ad was viewed, how many clicks for that day, whether any one added my book as a result of the ad, plus my remaining credit, so it’s easy to see patterns when you change any aspect of the campaign. This is invaluable information that will be very useful when putting together future campaigns, as I’m essentially testing my ideas on a huge live audience and getting immediate feedback.
When you self-publish, it’s important to choose your promotional avenues wisely, as they are all part of the brand you are building in order to sell your books. There’s also an enormous amount of learning on-the-job, and I’ve been extremely grateful to the many writers out there who share information about their experiences.
And how about you? Has anyone else out there had experience advertising on Goodreads? And how successful was it?
Today the gorgeous child found this lovely leaf on the way to school, so we stopped to take a photograph. Autumn is my favourite season, and I love the explosion of warmth and colour just before the dark of winter. I used to live in the east of Canada, where the trees lit up with glory around this time of year, and when I moved to Australia I really missed the changing colours of the season.
It was tough enough with the seasons being back-to-front (at least as far as I was concerned – I’m sure the Australians thought it quite normal). But Christmas in hot weather and bright sunshine never felt right to me. The trees also didn’t change, unless you were in the inner city where native bush gave way to imported species and the streets still swished with leaves when autumn came around. Out where we were on the coast, we had curving moonah, aromatic gums, spiky banksia and twisted ti-tree – all beautiful in their own way, especially in spring when the moonah and ti-tree would flower, small scented white blossoms making them appear as though they had been dusted with snow. But other than that, they were the same all year round. I grew to love the native vegetation, the way the gum trees smelt after rain, the dark bushy leaves and curling ti-tree bark, the beautiful seed pods our backyard banksia produced. And I began to recognise autumn’s arrival in other ways. The nights would grow cooler, though the days were sunny and warm. The tourists would all go home, vines on the hillsides ripening with grapes, the scent of burning wood in the air. And yet, I still felt there was still something missing.
So it was a pleasure for me today to walk in the leaves and see the trees turn. After dropping off the gorgeous child I had an appointment, so I got off the bus early and walked part of the way, wanting to enjoy the outdoors. The road I walked along is lined with fabulous homes, large detached properties, most in the Arts and Crafts style. There are a few older homes, one of which I particularly covet. It is a half-timber and brick house, complete with diamond paned windows and higgledy-piggledy roof. Its location several feet below the pavement level suggests it is as ancient as it appears and I looked at it in pleasure as I walked past.
Then I noticed a large blue circular plaque next to the front door. These plaques, if you don’t know, are placed on houses where someone of historical significance once spent time, so I was intrigued to see who was connected to my dream home. Craning my head and trying not to seem obvious (as the house is set back from the road), I managed to make out the words: ‘Dr Stephen Ward’ and underneath ‘was arrested here in 1963 for his part in the Profumo Affair.’
I was aware of the Profumo Affair, of course, but not of Dr Ward’s exact role in the whole thing, so I was led down an internet wormhole of vintage sex scandals and British politics as I waited for my appointment. In short, the Profumo Affair took place in the early 1960s and involved a young woman, Christine Keeler, who had brief affairs with both a British politician, John Profumo, and a Soviet Naval attache, Yevgeny Ivanov, at the same time. The issue was two-fold – Profumo was married and the resulting revelation of the affair cost him his position in the Goverment, and the fact that this took place at the height of the Cold War meant that Keeler being intimate with both men could have led to a possible security breach (it didn’t). Stephen Ward was an osteopath who moved in high society – it was he who had introduced Keeler to Profumo, during a legendary house party at Cliveden House. After the affair became public, he was arrested and charged with immorality offences – however, sadly, he committed suicide before the trial was completed. It was later found to be a miscarriage of justice, but too late for him.
So it was fascinating and a little morbid to find that this lovely old house was the scene of recent scandal and sadness, leading to a man’s death. I went home in a reflective state of mind, pausing only to take a photo of the river near my house, the changing leaves being carried along on the water somehow symbolic of how life changes and carries us along with it, sometimes to unexpected places.
Helen Glynn Jones 