Writing about Post Traumatic Stress

Some time ago I was asked to contribute to Ella M Kaye's site It's All oKaye with particular reference to 'lights in the dark' as applied to a fictional character's emotional arc. The post is now live, so do hop across to discover how I envisaged, and subsequently handled, Nick Blaketon's mental trauma in The Bull At The Gate, and the changes in him over the three books.

After all, if your dead lover temporarily erupted in a gush of water in your apartment how would you explain the ensuing devastation to the person living downstairs? Yeah, right. And how do you think that would take its toll on you?

 

Linda Acaster

Interviews - The Outs and Ins

It's a busy time for members of Hornsea Writers.

Linda Acaster is engrossed in promotional activities post-launch of Book 2 in the Torc of Moonlight  trilogy: The Bull At The Gate set in York. This weekend she is being interviewed in gilded company: “Novelists Linda Acaster, Stephen King, Agatha Christie and Barbara Taylor Bradford on Writing” - click here.

Stuart Aken is involved in various on-going interview scenarios pre-launch of Book 1 in his epic Fantasy trilogy  A Seared Sky: Joinings. Today he's talking about Romance in Fantasy. His publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing, interviewed him last weekend and the result will appear on the invitation page for the book launch on 30^th March, which is launch day. Click here to go to that page.

In addition, he’s been scripting several interviews with his characters from the book that his fantasy editor has conducted. Some will appear in video format on the launch page. Others have already been released and can be found on his blog by clicking here.

Book Launch: 'The Bull At The Gate' by Linda Acaster

The past weekend saw the launch of Book 2 in the Torc of Moonlight trilogy of occult romantic thrillers, The Bull At The Gate, so it has been a manic few days of Tweets, blogging, Facebook chats, email groups, LinkedIn updates and... and I've almost lost count - or would have done if I hadn't been keeping a journal. 

It's the first of my ebooks that has come out to a planned launch rather than a damp gasp, and I am intent on seeing if the effort makes any difference. So far the novel has gained a clutch of 5* reviews and hit No 3 on the AmazonUK Crime, Thriller & Mystery> Suspense>Occult chart, leaving me rather glassy-eyed.

I'm partway through a blog tour - another first - and there's a list on my website. Fellow Hornsea Writer Stuart Aken offered to host the first, Writing About Alternate Realities. There's still time to participate.

#BookMarketing is a Writer's Middle Name

With the imminent launch of The Bull At The Gate, the second in the Torc of Moonlight trilogy, a writer's mind turns to marketing - except, of course, that mind should be planning the marketing parallel to planning the novel. Few of us are that adept, never mind forward thinking.

So this time round, and to ensure I have a plan for the third in the trilogy, I'm keeping a marketing journal. It was supposed to make a blogpost; the way it is growing it is more likely to make an ebook.

So here are some initial tips: if you have another book in your stable, discount it. Beneath The Shining Mountains has been on offer at 99c/77p for a week and reverts to its normal price on Monday - get it while you can. And guest-blog about it. Today I'm across at LindsaysRomantics. That gets your name noticed. If you have another in the series, or trilogy, discount that a few days before the launch - follow my website for news of Torc of Moonlight. And Facebook it. And Tweet it.

The buttons are just below. Thanks awfully for helping. 

Linda Acaster

To Romance, or Not to Romance – What’s in a Genre Label?

Now that The Bull At The Gate, the second in the Torc of Moonlight trilogy, is out of editing and with its beta readers, my mind turns to the thorny subject of genre labels.

Is the essence of the novel ‘boy meets girl, loses girl, wins girl back’? Er.. eventually, over three novels. Then it’s a Romance. 

Er… not exactly.

True love never did run smooth might be the adage we use from Shakespeare’s quill, but does that make it a Romance? According to the genre labels of the industry, a Romance has a Happy Ever After ending, or at least the promise of one [tick].

However, if the true love has life or death consequences [tick], does that make it a Thriller, or a Romantic Thriller? If the true love is separated by death [tick] does that make it a Paranormal Thriller, or a Paranormal Romance, or even an Urban Fantasy? And if the true love has to overcome a rebirth from legend [tick] might that make it Mythic Fiction?

Ah, a rose by any other name… Happy Valentine’s Day.

Linda Acaster