Monday, April 2, 2018

A Glimpse of the Writing Life

By Ruth de Jauregui


Since April Fool's Day is just past, I can talk about the author/writer life and you'll know I'm not kidding.

First, most writers are not rolling in the dough. LOL, a lot of us can buy a cup of (cheap) coffee when the royalty check arrives. There are exceptions, of course. I know writers who sell thousands of books. In fairness, they're good, they're very prolific, and have 30 or 40 books out.

The rest of us? Well, some of us have day jobs or other income, so we don't depend on our writing income to pay the bills. (Thank goodness!)

"Nevermore..."
I know, there's this image of the writer hunched over the typewriter and pecking out their novel in a dusty garret while a raven croaks in the window. Well, there's a little truth there. We do hunch over the keyboard, and the room might be dusty, but then again…


The local coffee shop is one fav for writers. Yes, free wifi and readily available coffee are advantages, but we're just as likely to be writing an article on Organic Pest Control (for money!), a blog post or posting cat pictures on social media instead of working on the next Great American Novel.

My writing attire -- jammies!
On the other hand, there's those of us who prefer to work at home. If they're like me, they don't dare show you the workspace or office. Stacks of books and papers with a coffee cup perched precariously at the elbow. No cute clothes or fedora set at a rakish angle. Oh my no. I can't speak for all writers, but I'm usually in my jammies. Unless I had to work at the day job, then I might still be in my work clothes. Jeans, sweatshirt and tennies. (Yes, really!)

Oh, so true. If only we could teach them to edit.
A cat on the keyboard, or a dog underfoot, ready for any crumbs dropped or sandwiches carelessly left alone for a minute, complete the picture.

Naturally, there's writers who are completely disciplined with immaculate desks who crank out 2,000 to 10,000 words a day. LOL, but that wouldn't be me…

In all seriousness, the workspace, your attire, the dog underfoot, nonfiction, fiction, articles or blog posts -- none of that makes a difference. What makes you a writer is your sheer determination to sit down and put the words out. All the rest are just details.

A Sneak Peek at works in progress: www.ruthdj.weebly.com

#WriterLife  #RuthDJ  #OurAuthorGang

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Our Guest today is Walter Rhein  

Cover by Roy Mauritsen

Perseid Press Release, ‘The Literate Thief’ by Walter Rhein


I’m really excited about the upcoming Perseid Press release of my novel ‘The Literate Thief.’ This book has actually been completed for over a year, but there have been various delays for its publication.

‘The Literate Thief’ is the second in a planned trilogy of novels that began with ‘The Reader of Acheron.’ ‘Reader’ was published in January of 2014, although either the kindle or the paperback page of Amazon says December of 2013. I wrote the first book because I wanted to engage the subject of emotional slavery. I was interested in how people sometimes allow themselves to fall into a pattern of behavior and, in effect, become their own jailer. When people are able to escape from such a scenario, it usually comes from an effort of willpower.

These books take place in a dystopian civilization in which reading is prohibited. The heroes scrounge around in dark recesses looking for ancient copies of the printed word in the hope of distilling some shred of comprehension or power in the world. In some ways, the novel is rather satirical and boiled out of my frustration that our public educational system sometimes feels like it works against a student’s ability to actually learn.

I’m also fascinated by how a ruling elite can construct a narrative and use it to control the populace. During the Trump campaign and Presidency, this inclination towards dystopian authoritarianism has become all the more omnipresent. We don’t quite live in a world where reading is prohibited, but we do live in one where reading is strongly discouraged, and that’s bad enough.

The third installment of this trilogy is titled ‘The Master of Deceit’ and I have about 50 pages of notes on it already. I haven’t written any of the specific scenes yet, but I’ve wandered through them in my imagination enough times that I feel the book will go pretty fast once I begin writing the novel in earnest. I’ve been delaying the process because I want to see what the reaction to ‘The Literate Thief’ is before I really get started. I like the “scholarly” motif in the titles with the words, “Reader,” “Literate,” and “Master.” In some ways this series works as a criticism of public education, but mainly, I just hope people take it as a rousing fantasy adventure.

I always take reviews very seriously, and I’m grateful to anyone who picks up one of my books and leaves a comment. The reviews for ‘Reader of Acheron’ were very helpful in guiding my thought process in the sequel, and I will also apply the insights of my readers to the third volume. Reviews add clarity to what moments worked and what need further development. As an author, you intend to provide certain explanations in a subtle way, but sometimes it’s necessary to turn up the volume a notch or two.

My hope is that fans of ‘The Reader of Acheron’ will find this sequel broadens the world of the first book and provides a few answers to some lingering questions. It’s a fun universe to explore, and I certainly had fun walking around in it during the writing process. I think you’ll be surprised by what’s to be found under some overturned stones.

Most of all, I sincerely hope that there are some philosophical ideas in ‘The Literate Thief’ that readers may find enjoyment in toiling over. It was my intention to align these ideas in a way that the act of contemplating them would provide some insight into our own world. I believe in entertainment, and that’s the book’s primary function, but I also believe in utility. It is my greatest wish that the reader who comes to the end of ‘The Literate Thief,’ closes the cover, and sets the book aside, will then be better equipped to confront his or her reality from that moment forward. Please let me know if I succeeded, and best to all of you!


Link to Reader of Acheron:

Link to Streets of Lima:



Saturday, March 31, 2018

In the spotlight: Epic fantasy series by Erika M Szabo

In the spotlight today:

Epic fantasy series by Erika M Szabo















Audiobooks HERE

 

Books by Erika


www.authorerikamszabo.com

COMMENTS

Erika M Szabo shared this via Google+

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
+
2
3
2
 
 · 
Reply

Erika M Szabo via Google+

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
In the spotlight today: Epic fantasy series by Erika M Szabo
+
3
4
3
 
 · 
Reply

Erika M Szabo via Google+

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
**
In the spotlight today: Epic fantasy series by Erika M Szabo www.authorerikamszabo.com Book One PREVIEW AMAZON EBOOK AMAZON PRINT B&N PRINT SIGNED PRINT Love, ancient tribal legends, secrets, time travel and magical powers collide in a compelling fantasy se...
+
4
5
4
 
 · 
Reply

Chris Weigand via Google+

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Looks like an exciting series that definitely needs added to my must read list.
+
3
2
3
 
 · 
Reply
 
Thank you Chris, I hope you'll enjoy it when you find time to read it :)

Joe Bonadonna

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
This is fantastic, Erika! What a lovely layout and presentation.
+
2
1
2
 
 · 
Reply
 
Thank you Joe!
 
+Erika M Szabo -- you're welcome!

Eva Pasco via Google+

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Erika M Szabo originally shared this
 
**
In the spotlight today: Epic fantasy series by Erika M Szabo www.authorerikamszabo.com Book One PREVIEW AMAZON EBOOK AMAZON PRINT B&N PRINT SIGNED PRINT Love, ancient tribal legends, secrets, time travel and magical powers collide in a compelling fantasy se...
+
4
3
4
 
 · 
Reply
 
Thank you for sharing Eva :)
 
+Erika, you're welcome!

Joe Bonadonna via Google+

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today on A Small Gang of Authors, our "In the Spotlight" features a look at Erika M. Szabo​'s fantasy series, "The Ancestors' Secrets."
+
2
1
2
 
 · 
Reply

Rebecca Tran

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Our Author Gangs Featured book today is Protected by the Falcon be Erika Szabo.
+
2
1
2
 
 · 
Reply

Grace Au

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today, author Erika M. Szabo spotlights her Epic Fantasy series.
+
2
1
2
 
 · 
Reply

Chris Weigand

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Looks like an interesting series that definitely needs added to my must read list.
+
3
2
3
 
 · 
Reply

Nikki McDonagh shared this via Google+

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
+
3
2
3
 
 · 
Reply

Nikki McDonagh

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today in the Spotlight - Erika M Szabo's Epic Fantasy Series!
+
3
2
3
 
 · 
Reply

Advertise with us