#TEASER TUESDAY

Tara has always been able to count on Mike to have her back, and yet with everything going wrong, he's the one to betray her first.

PRE-ORDER HERE: http://www.books2read.com/DTSD

[ID: A graphic for Dying Thoughts - Seventh Death with the release date just under the title as COMING MAY 15TH 2019. The excerpt reads: 
“A car driven by someone ran that bus off the road. I am as sure of that as I am that today is Thursday and that tomorrow will be Friday. As sure as I am that it will probably still be raining when I leave. Is that sure enough for you?”
“I didn’t mean that I didn’t believe you-,” Mike started to say, but I had already made my decision. I grabbed my phone out of the plug beneath Mike’s desk, pulled on my still damp coat and headed for his office door. “Tara, you know I would never doubt you.”
“And yet,” I said, turning around slightly. “You do.” 
END ID]

Uninspired Blog Posts - The Craetive Process

UNINSPIRED BLOG POSTS

It can be a headache for me trying to come up with blog posts every week. For a long time it was a case of writing them well in advance and posting them whenever I felt like it. Then for a period after I started to post every Monday it would be something I did on the Monday it was due, but that sometimes meant that I was working well into the night and still no closer to knowing what to say. And then I hit on the idea that along with my usual end of month stuff, I would write the coming months blog posts as well as the one for the first of the next month. It was a headache in the beginning but now I've gotten into a routine that when I'm running out of ideas, I look at my sticky note and start to brainstorm as well as going over what I've covered in the past six months or so.

Because a lot of what I post on a Monday is advice, I don't want to be doing too much along the same topics, but I've also made them my own too in that I will, around releases and such, have character pieces that I write and publish closer to that time of the year. I never usually have more than a couple of months worth planned because the ideas can be hard to find. It's a creative thing for me just as writing is that a lot of the time a topic will come to me and I'll have to write it down. Usually when I get low on ideas, I fall back on what's done well before. I have my mini series with Spoonie Writer, Trials Of A Crime Writer and Trials Of An Indie Author, and they're pretty easy to narrow down too because they have a specific readership and meaning on the blog.

You could say the same for the After Process. It's pretty easy to work out what belongs in the pieces that happen once you're published, but when it comes to the Creative Process, well, sometimes I'm just stumped and unsure about what to do. A lot of the time I'll sit down at the end of the month, once I've recorded my final vlog and are getting ready to wrap everything up and then it's about pulling teeth to bring out the blog posts. And I know I'm not the only one who feels like that, so why do I keep doing it?

Simply put, it's something I do well at. I get a lot of interaction, less so on the blog, but more so on the places that it's cross-posted to that tell me that my advice and snippets of wisdom are well received and wanted. My audience is telling me to continue. Same with the Friday posts where I promote other authors, it's something that gets a light shined on my blog, but also makes me feel like I'm sharing the wealth as it were. And those are all good things.

But today, when I sat down to write, I realised that I just didn't have a full calender for the coming month. I didn't know what to write about, what to advise on and given that I'm still coming back from burnout (piece found here) and have talked about taking a break to refill my creative well (piece found here) I thought I would be honest and talk about what happens when you're just not inspired to write an advice piece. The question can sometimes be simply answered by just not doing it any more. I've covered why I don't take that route, but it might be one open to you.

The other side of it is that I like my schedule the way it is. I have excelled at getting myself to make the most of my time, my energy and all the others things that are needed from me to stay both mentally and physically healthy, but also to keep writing which adds to the first two. Sometimes that means that I just don't have time to think up a specific piece of advice, and I guess what I'm trying to say in a roundabout way is: that's okay.

There is so much pressure both in the actual writing community and from ourselves to be pouring out this and that twenty-four/seven. And sometimes you just can't. Sometimes your brain is saying nope, your body is having a fit and you just can't produce what you normally would. And I don't feel like enough people say that, guess what? It happens to us all and it is okay. You are not weak. You are not a failure. This is not the end of you. You will get through this. And you will be okay.

So take a breath and just hold onto that. There's no shame in having an off week. I go through stages of having them weeks in a row. But also don't be afraid to ask for help, to reach out, there are people around you who care and they will listen, and if they don't, then reach out to someone who will. You gotta take care of you, and that's more than okay.

So that's my wisdom for the day. Now I'm gonna curl up with a good book and call it done!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books

#AmWriting - #011 [CC]

A writer writes... #Authortube

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Review of Everything I Do by MC Frank

Robin Hood is about to steal your heart.

A robber and a princess.
A girl disguised as a boy.
A medieval reimagining of the legend of Robin Hood packed with adventure, sacrifice and romance.

Robin Hood, hidden deep in the Sherwood Forest, is fighting to restore the crown to its rightful king, surrounded by faithful friends, green leaves and clear skies. Burdened with secrets, betrayal and an incredible responsibility, he struggles to stay alive and keep the starving people fed. One day, a boy saves him from the Sheriff’s poisoned arrows. Robin, impressed by the slender youth’s courage and skill, takes the boy with him to the forest.
Only, the boy is not a boy.

In the castle of Nottingham, a maiden who used to be a princess is forced to obey the wishes of a tyrannical Sheriff. She dons on male clothes and trains to become a fierce assassin, vowing to catch the greatest criminal in the kingdom. But when she saves Robin Hood’s life nearly losing her own, she is rescued by the outlaws.

When Robin and the “boy” meet, two worlds collide, resulting in unimaginable danger and intense romance. Who will survive when they learn each other’s secrets? What happens when the assassin falls in love with her victim?

Amazon

My review: 5 stars
I picked this up because I adore Frank's writing and the worlds she creates. This had been a long awaited release and I dove into it the day it was released. The story picked up from the first word, a mysterious stranger saving the life of Robin when all hope is lost. I loved the imagery, the writing, the prose, the way the story moved from Robin's point of view to the boy who is not a boy. I was hooked from the first word and couldn't stop reading until late into the night. And that ending almost killed me! An amazing book from Frank and one I very much recommend!

You can follow MC Frank on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, her website, and The Book Robin Hoods.

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here.

That's The Tea With Joey: Reviews [CC]

Spilling some tea on reviews today! #Authortube

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#TEASERTUESDAY

It's terrifying to imagine that her dad might already be gone. 

Pre-order here: http://www.books2read.com/DTSD

[ID A teaser for Dying Thoughts - Seventh Death with the release date just underneath as May 15th 2019. The excerpt reads:

It was then that the next scary thought entered my mind. Was the vision triggered because it was an accident that had made my father lose consciousness, or was it more sinister? Was my father already dead and just being kept alive by machines? 

END ID]

Winning An Award - The Creative Process

WINNING AN AWARD

I have to admit that this isn't a post I ever thought I would get to make. It wasn't that I didn't believe in my work, I do very much believe in the stories I've told and the books I've published. However, awards always felt like they were just outside of my grasp so when I was asked about submitting for the New Apple Literary Awards, I mostly decided that it would be an exercise in frustration. But I entered anyway. I put It's Not Always Rainbows and Walk A Mile up for separate awards and mostly forgot about it until the email came through on February 19th saying they needed a couple more days.

And then nothing. I heard nothing at all. It was an anxious time, getting up in the morning and wondering if I dared dream that this could be real. In the end I didn't find out until March because my email provider had marked the congratulations email as spam. They did email on February 21st to let me know that It's Not Always Rainbows had been chosen as the solo medallist in Gay/Lesbian/Bi/Trans category and Walk A Mile was an official selection in YA Mystery/Thriller. And just like that I had not one, but two awards. I was finally reaching a goal that I'd set myself way back when, but had never really thought would happen.

I announced across my social media and on my Authortube channel in my Life Of Joey video (found here) and have been on cloud nine ever since! I don't yet have my certificate, but it's there in black and white on their website (found here) and I still can't quiet believe it. It's not just about getting to say that I won two awards, but also about getting that confirmation from official people that I made it, I have finally arrived as an author.

Which is a little silly I guess, because I have almost fourteen books out and two more due in the coming months. I have always been an author and will always be one, but to have something like an award to point to, is very much a validating experience. It's no secret that I am very much a small fish in the writing world. I don't expect that to ever change and I am more than happy with the status quo. While I'd love to have more sales (who wouldn't?) I'm also very happy for the readers I do have that come back time and time again when I release something new. I love the community that has been built up within that group and it matters to me that I not only acknowledge them, but also the work I've put in to my author brand.

I think a lot of the time it's really easy to see people who are doing better than you are, and to feel like you will never make it. Hell, I have moments like that still, I'm pretty sure it's part of being human. And while I have talked about not comparing yourself to others in both my Monday blogs and on Authortube (pieces found here and here; video found here) I think it's just as important to admit that we all have days when we find ourselves thinking the worst of our work, and wishing we could be doing as well as so-and-so. And that's normal. It's why we have to get perspective.

And what do I mean by that? I mean that Erin Kinsella did an amazing video recently (found here) about what happens if you hate your work? She talked about how part of writing was getting critique and that of course comes with it's own anxieties and pitfalls. You see too often the persona of the writer who hates everything they write, and it's a stereotype that exists, but there are those of us who are actually really proud of what we've done. And that's okay too. I'm not saying that you will love every word that comes forth from keyboard to paper, but it's okay to be happy and proud of the finished result. You crafted that from nothing and you should be damn proud of how it's done.

So for those of you who, like me, never really thought they'd get noticed, or that they'd love to win an award one day but feel like it's out of your reach, take a deep breath and tell yourself that it's okay. That your story matters, and that you will get there in the end. You just have to keep putting fingers to keyboard and keep writing. You grow as you do, you get better as you write, as you draft, as you revise and hone your skill. You will get to a point one day when you can point to that finished novel and be damn proud that it has your name on it.

I've been at that point for a while. Once all the new covers were done, I felt like I could happily show people my books and be like: I wrote these! On top of that, getting that outside validation from people who do not know me, have never met me and have only read two of my books, it helps a lot. It's still a feeling of being on cloud nine because I not only wrote, but I did so in a way that people thought was award-worthy.

So keep writing, keep growing and keep telling yourself that you will get there, because one day you will! Good luck!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books

Top 5 Tropes I Hate in Crime & Msytery [CC]

Talking about the top five tropes I hate in the crime & mystery genre! #Authortube

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Review of Fate Reclaimed by L. Danvers

One newly crowned queen. One giant problem.

On the heels of reclaiming the kingdom from Hartley, Daphne learns the giants are planning an attack. Vires has already seen much bloodshed, and Daphne isn't sure her army alone is enough to fend off another strike. But there is one hope of defending the castle: rumor has it that there is one last dragon in existence. However, in a cruel twist of fate, the only person who can help her find it is the very man she reclaimed her kingdom from.

Left to choose between pride and duty, Daphne puts her trust in Hartley. But will that prove to be a grave mistake?

Amazon

My review: 5 stars
I had to read the final book in the trilogy after loving the first two books. Picking up almost instantly from where the second book left off. Daphne and the others have a huge task ahead of them, and the fate of Vires is left in her hands. I adored the fast-paced action, the way the story was weaved together and the ending left me content and happy. I completely recommend this series as a good read and one for those who may think they don't enjoy fantasy but get pulled in and love it anyway! An amazing read!

You can follow L. Danvers on Facebook, Instagram and Pintrest.

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here.

Tips & Tricks: Editing [CC]

Talking about tips and tricks with editing. #Authortube

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#TEASER TUESDAY

Tara isn't sure she can do this. Her dad so sick and not knowing the first thing to do to make it better.

PRE-ORDER HERE: http://www.books2read.com/DTSD

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A graphic for a teaser of Dying Thoughts - Seventh Death, with the release date of May 15th 2019 under the title. The teaser reads:
This was real though.
My dad had a machine breathing for him and even that might not be enough. I tried to tell myself not to think the worst until I spoke to the doctor, but the thought of my dad not waking up, of being on this machine until one day he was gone made my thoughts go to horrible places.
One thing was for certain I had one match left to light the way, and losing Dad would blow it out. I couldn’t live in the dark.
END IMAGE DESCRIPTION]

Promoting Other Authors - The Creative Process

PROMOTING OTHER AUTHORS

If you've been following me for a while, you'll be aware that I highlight an author on a Friday. Whether I have them for an interview, or a review of their book, or even a guest blog, it's something I've been doing for a good couple of years now. If you're interested in being one of those authors, the form is here.

But today I wanted to touch on something that I don't feel like enough people realise and that is: promoting other authors helps promote you as well. It's not all give and it's not all take. I've been involved with The Book Robin Hoods since it's creation. I know a lot of people through that site that have helped me find beta, my CP, and bloggers who will help with cover reveals and ARCs all year round. It's a valuable resource, and it's something I really do think you should check out. If you're a reader the form is here. Authors, the form is here.

But back to what I was saying, how does promoting other authors help to promote yourself? It's simple really. If you're the one shouting about this or that book, posting about it on your social media, writing a review and highlighting it, then you're getting a new audience who might look at your work and think they should check it out. This helps everyone from the small bitty indie to the huge traditionally published and it's something that so many people miss out on. They think that the only way to promote is by talking about their work and pushing that to the front of the auidence. And I'm not going to say I didn't make the same mistake because I did, but I've learned from it and hope that by telling you all this, you won't make that mistake.

Being a part of the writing community, whether that's purely online or in person or a mix of the two, is an amazing thing. I did a tag video about the writing community a few weeks ago on my Authortube channel (video here) and I have to say it's brought so many different people into my life. I always found the act of writing books to be pretty isolating, and it was really only when I startd to get serious about promoting myself and taking my work as a career that I realised that there are people out there who will help you. Sure there's those who will hinder, but let's not dwell on them today.

So how can you go about promoting other authors? If you're a blogger, you can have a certain day a week when you showcase other authors. I have a list of fourteen questions and ask that each author answer at least seven of them. I change them yearly and beyond that I've had some amazing people come through my pages and have found some amazing books. I've also have made so many different friends, all of whom are happy to help return the favour when it comes to my own promotion.

If you're on instagram, you can post pictures of books and do reviews that way. Again it could be that you set one day a week when you'll showcase another author's work. You can do the same on Youtube, where maybe once a month you do a round up of what you've read and talk about each author. Facebook can lead to things like group takeovers or sharing graphics, and twitter has a whole writing community tag that allows you to meet new people and choose what to share and when. There's just so many different ways to go about it and the people you meet are usually pretty damn amazing.

When you're out there as an author, hearing other people talking about your work is something that not much else can top. Recently I was told that I inspired two writer friends of mine as one of their top four female authors. Knowing that I make that kind of impact matters to me, and knowing that I can help promote other authors through my own audience matters too. There may be times when I feel like it's a lot like shouting into the void, but a lot of the time the void shouts back.

It's not just about getting to geek out about books I love, but about making connections, forging relationships and being a part of the writing community as a whole. Being an active part rather than someone who just sits, writes, publishes and watches from the sidelines. I don't talk about the side of me that's very introverted and anxious a lot, but when I first started doing the Friday posts, it was something that I battled with. I didn't want to say no to anyone, and nor did I want to give a bad review. Not just because it's not something I usually do - very few books disappoint me and I know I'm lucky in that regard - but also because I knew it would have a negative effect on my blog and what I was trying to do.

However, since then, I've learned to be more picky about who I showcase and what I read. I want to read all the books, but I get that not all of them are ones that will meet my very loose five star rating. And that's okay. Not every book is written for me. I am not every audience and liking something is more than a little subjective. So my one cautionary note to anyone worried about fallout should they do the wrong thing. You can meet the bad people, but the writing community is huge and mostly welcoming, stepping outside your comfort zone is hard, but it can be a big payoff. Take it easy, take your time, and know that you are not alone.

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books

Review of Zero Sum Game by Stefani Deoul

Zero Sum Game finds our high-flying lesbionic brainiac Sid Rubin and her unlikely posse of friends, grounded, with wings clipped from their live-action-role playing misadventures.
To break out of parental jail, Sid, Jimmy, Imani, Ari and Vikram enter a school robotics competition. But just as things get interesting, Vik learns that his super-star status and hard-won trophies from the frantic online game Contagion have been stolen.

"Tu n'as pas envie avec mes amis. You do not mess with my friends."

Watching Vik fall apart, Sid is determined to track down the trophy thief, no matter how much late-night gaming and sleuthing it takes.
Sid and the gang join newcomer Ze to chase ghosts and trawl dungeons in a frantic race against time to save not just Vik's bevy of stolen gaming goods, but also the life of a hostage teenage gamer.

Amazon 

My review: 5 stars
Having read the first book I was super excited about getting to read this one. I LOVED it! Pulling you in from the first word. Sid is an amazing protagonist and I feel like I get her on so many levels. The fearsome five are off on another adventure when someone loots Vik's online game. Sid has to correct this faux pas, no one messes with her friends. I feel for Sid, I weep for Sid, I adore Sid and her wit, her forays in love and her ability to try and turn everything around for everyone. It's an amazing story and one I recommend to so many people. Young or old, Deoul's writing is spot on and for everyone to enjoy! Highly recommended!

You can follow Stefani on her website, Twitter or Facebook.

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here

Life Of Joey - April 2019 [CC]

Telling you all what I've been up to in the last month! #Authortube

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#TEASERTUESDAY

When everything was going so right, and then it goes so wrong. Can Tara cope with all of this?

PRE-ORDER HERE: www.books2read.com/DTSD

[ID: A teaser graphic for Dying Thought - Seventh Death with the release date below the title: Coming May 15th 2019.

The excerpt reads:

I watched as she nodded a few times and then hung up.
“Is everything okay? Is something wrong at home?” I asked, my brain still not clicking that it was *my* phone.
“Tara, it’s your dad,” she said and I felt my heart jump up and lodge in my throat. As impossible as that sounds, I swear I could feel it pumping away just below my vocal cords. “There’s been an accident.” 
END ID]

Refilling The Creative Well - The Creative Process

REFILLING THE CREATIVE WELL

Last week I talked about fighting burnout (found here) and so it made sense that I continue with how to refill that creative well once you've reached that point that you feel you can't keep going. One big thing that I advocate for is self-care, making sure that you don't get to the point where burnout is imminent. It might not always be possible, and it might be something that takes a lot of learning and rearranging to find what works for you. Personally, I'm a very organised person and block out my time using Sticky Notes on my PC. At the beginning of every month, I colour-code and block out writing days, recording days and days when I'm going to take time off and do absolutely nothing but read, chat with friends and just have some me time.

It's only really been a recent thing that I've started to block off complete days where I do nothing writing related. That includes vlogs, and blog posts, books and other author duties. I might be on social media, but I'm not actively doing any work because I need that time to recoup my own creative well and to practice my own self-care. And it's something that's very important for all creatives to do.

Think about it, whether you're an artist, a writer, a dancer, or a musician or any other kind of creative, there are times when you're going to be stretched thin and when that happens, it makes creating new content harder and harder and eventually it leads to something like burnout. The only thing you can do when you reach that point is to step back completely and focus on healing. So you need to be sure to take time to refill when you can. It's not about being lazy, nor is it a sign of you doing something wrong, it's just good mental health.

I think it's especially hard for people who work another job alongside their creative pursuits. They work a normal job and then come home and have a limited time to spend creating. It means that they have other stresses in place that inhibit them already and when you throw in the ime constraints you can't help but see that it's pretty easy to forgo self-care as a way to try and squeeze more hours into the day. But it's something that will bite you in the arse at some point so it's better to take your time and accept that things will take as long as they take.

So what can you do when you're past that stage? What do I do to help refill my own creative well and how does that apply to other writers? Personally I have a few things I can do throughout my day and working life that will help me stay filled with creativity but also allow me the space to breathe and get my head on straight. Now these are things that work for me, I can't speak to anyone else. On top of that my situation is different to the majority of writers in that it is my full time job. I don't work outside my author life and I couldn't even if I wanted to. So with that said, here's my list of tips.

#1 - READING
I know that it's pretty well known that I'm a huge advocate for authors and writers reading. I love losing myself in a good book and it's one of the last things I do before bed. Personally getting a Kindle opened up reading to me again, before that I'd never had the energy to sit and hold a book for a long period and the only time I could really read was waiting for hospital appointments or as an inpatient and even then it was in short bursts which made finishing a book harder and harder. Now though I go through loads and that's because of my Kindle and the advent of e-books.

#2 - CHATTING WITH FRIENDS
This is a huge one for me, the majority of my friends are either other creatives or they're writers themselves. So we can chat about everything and nothing. It doesn't have to be work related, it can just be catching up and enjoying each others company. It's a great way for me to recharge and something I do on a daily basis to make sure that I have little breaks to refill my well.

#3 - MUSIC HELPS
I've got Auditory Processing Disorder so it's harder for me to listen to music while working. I can just about manage to listen to ambient sounds but they have to be the right ones, and at the right time. It's one of the reasons I'm not an author who has a playlist for their books. I just don't process sound the way the majority of people do. However, if I'm having some down time, then listening to my favourite album, or a playlist is a perfect way for me to spend that time. It rejuvenates me and helps me get back into the right mind frame for writing.

#4 - NAPS ARE AWESOME
Now I know that there's a lot to be said for napping being a way to create bad sleeping habits, but for someone who has chronic illnesses, they are the way I am able to stay as productive as I do. Simply put, on a good day, a nap is a way to recharge and on a bad one, it's a way to make sure I get through the day completely unscathed. Your mileage may vary.

#5 -WATCHING NETFLIX
I don't mean it has to specifically be Netflix, but sitting down and watching a movie or TV show that you love is another great way to recharge and refill your well. It's a time for the majority of distractions to be forgotten and just another way to lose yourself in someone else's work. I personally love working my way through a series and can lose hours this way, but it's always worth it.

So there you have it, the five things I do to refill my creative well. As far as getting past the burnout I talked about last week goes, I'm getting there. Slowly but surely, I'm feeling back to my old self, and while my health is throwing me curve-balls, I'm managing. You just gotta take it one step at a time and you'll get there in the end.

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