Author Liesel K. Hill's Musings on Fantasia...
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Last Day of CoF Sale + Fun Giveaway!
Just wanted to give you two fun links today.
1. Today is the last day of the Citadels of Fire ebook sale. It's still being deeply discounted on Amazon . And remember that Bastions of Blood will be out August 16th (pre-order HERE) so now would be a great time to read book 1 in preparation for book 2's release.
(Not to influence you at all but there may be an online launch party. With plot questions. And fun prizes. Just sayin'... ;D)
2. I wanted to promote a fellow blogger's giveaway. (Of course that's partly because I have a stake in it. :D)
GIVEAWAY HERE!!!
(And have a wonderful Thursday, of course. ;D)
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Insecure Writers Support Group (IWSG)
Good Morning, All! I hope everyone had a very fun and safe holiday weekend. Mine was fantastic. It's the first summer I've spent in my new place (been here about 4 mos) and I kid you not, I had a 360 degree fireworks show. Some of the big ones were going off directly over my house. Place sounded like a war zone. It was awesome! :D
Okay, so it's IWSG day (the day brought to us by the wonderful Alex J. Cavanaugh, where we can vent, swap stories, encourage, and help guide one another through this crazy journey called writing) and I'm actually co-hosting this month. (Yea me!) To be honest, it's the first IWSG post I've done in a LONG time (and that's partly bc I've been kinda neglecting my blog off and on for the past year) but this is the perfect way to get me back into it.
So today I wanted to talk about something I know a lot of us are nervous about, and that we'll all have to deal with at some point in our writing journeys:
So here's the thing. The internet isn't going anyway. Online bullying--be it nasty reviews, body shaming, or just other forms of negativity--is a big problem and one that will continue to grow. As artists that put our work out there for others to see/read/experience, we can pretty much count on some negative feedback at some point. (Even J.K.Rowling has haters. I know. I feel ya. I don't get it either--they must be insane--but it's true.)
Over the past year or so I've actually become a fairly strong presence in the TWD online community. That stands for The Walking Dead, for those who don't know. Anyone who's followed me for a while knows I'm a total TWD junkie and consider myself a mega-fan. Just a guilty pleasure for me, though I'll admit that while the show airs (Oct-Nov, Feb-Mar) I get a whole lot less of my own writing done because I'm consumed with, you know, other things. Hehe.
While gaining quite a few followers in this community, I became a target of some pretty heinous hate. And it wasn't just a random, hating troll I could write off as a side effect of the internet. No, it was a woman from my own fandom who just decided to be threatened by me and started hurling all manner of insults and accusations, every one of which was unfounded. I won't go into the whole drama but suffice it to say, it was pretty bad. And did I consider leaving the online fandom? Meh. I think it goes through every person's mind in my situation, but overall no. I'm with the amazing Jeffrey R. Holland who said, "We are not of them who draw back..." (Source)
But I learned some valuable lessons from my experience and wanted to share them. To be honest, most of us writers don't get TOO much hate unless we see a great deal of success. But since we'll all sell at least a billion books in our lifetimes, we'll all have to deal with this eventually, right? ;D
So here we go (sorry that was a lot of intro):
1. Learn the difference between hate/bullying and expressing an opinion. If people are simply saying that they disagree with something, or your book just wasn't for them, that's not hate. That is simply a difference of opinion. And while this might be hard to wrap your head around the first time someone says they couldn't stand your protagonist, you should actually be happy about differing opinions. You're still getting reviews and publicity, and it shows that you've written a character that someone has opinion about. At the very least, if your character got under they're skin, your character was NOT forgettable.
2. If you are in fact dealing with a bully rather than just a (obviously misguided) opinion, learn to distance yourself from the hate. I don't mean in a denial sort of way, but rather take a step back and see the bullying for what it really is. Check out this quote:
And it's really true. If someone is attacking you personally without actually knowing you, or even attacking your story without giving any valid reasons for their dislike, they're argument immediately becomes invalid. So shrug it off. This kind of negativity is generally a form of projection. Those who watch Dr. Phil probably know what that is. It's psychology 101.
And in my case, I found out months later that most of the things this hater had accused me of (me: "Where is she getting that from? It's ridiculous!") were things that she actually struggled with herself. Ah. Suddenly makes sense. And validation for me. (Yea!) So look at the negativity for what it really is and don't take it personally.
Truest words ever. (Source)
3. Finally, be confident. Even if you aren't confident, be confident. This is the fake-it-til-you-make-it part. Because what you think about and dream about eventually comes about. So be confident, develop a thick skin so negativity literally slides right off your back. Be positive, encourage, and always buoy people up, no matter the situation or their reaction.
And remember, people. We are the writers of our generation. We are creating the stories and inspirations of tomorrow. And we are not of them that draw back.
Happy IWSG Day, Everyone! Hope it's a great one!
P.S. Voting for the IWSG Anthology Contest genre runs through 7/8. Click HERE if you're interested in participating. ;D
So today I wanted to talk about something I know a lot of us are nervous about, and that we'll all have to deal with at some point in our writing journeys:
Dealing with Negativity, Hate, Bullying, and Specifically for Us Writers, Bad Reviews.
So here's the thing. The internet isn't going anyway. Online bullying--be it nasty reviews, body shaming, or just other forms of negativity--is a big problem and one that will continue to grow. As artists that put our work out there for others to see/read/experience, we can pretty much count on some negative feedback at some point. (Even J.K.Rowling has haters. I know. I feel ya. I don't get it either--they must be insane--but it's true.)Over the past year or so I've actually become a fairly strong presence in the TWD online community. That stands for The Walking Dead, for those who don't know. Anyone who's followed me for a while knows I'm a total TWD junkie and consider myself a mega-fan. Just a guilty pleasure for me, though I'll admit that while the show airs (Oct-Nov, Feb-Mar) I get a whole lot less of my own writing done because I'm consumed with, you know, other things. Hehe.
While gaining quite a few followers in this community, I became a target of some pretty heinous hate. And it wasn't just a random, hating troll I could write off as a side effect of the internet. No, it was a woman from my own fandom who just decided to be threatened by me and started hurling all manner of insults and accusations, every one of which was unfounded. I won't go into the whole drama but suffice it to say, it was pretty bad. And did I consider leaving the online fandom? Meh. I think it goes through every person's mind in my situation, but overall no. I'm with the amazing Jeffrey R. Holland who said, "We are not of them who draw back..." (Source)
But I learned some valuable lessons from my experience and wanted to share them. To be honest, most of us writers don't get TOO much hate unless we see a great deal of success. But since we'll all sell at least a billion books in our lifetimes, we'll all have to deal with this eventually, right? ;D
So here we go (sorry that was a lot of intro):
1. Learn the difference between hate/bullying and expressing an opinion. If people are simply saying that they disagree with something, or your book just wasn't for them, that's not hate. That is simply a difference of opinion. And while this might be hard to wrap your head around the first time someone says they couldn't stand your protagonist, you should actually be happy about differing opinions. You're still getting reviews and publicity, and it shows that you've written a character that someone has opinion about. At the very least, if your character got under they're skin, your character was NOT forgettable.
2. If you are in fact dealing with a bully rather than just a (obviously misguided) opinion, learn to distance yourself from the hate. I don't mean in a denial sort of way, but rather take a step back and see the bullying for what it really is. Check out this quote:
And it's really true. If someone is attacking you personally without actually knowing you, or even attacking your story without giving any valid reasons for their dislike, they're argument immediately becomes invalid. So shrug it off. This kind of negativity is generally a form of projection. Those who watch Dr. Phil probably know what that is. It's psychology 101.
And in my case, I found out months later that most of the things this hater had accused me of (me: "Where is she getting that from? It's ridiculous!") were things that she actually struggled with herself. Ah. Suddenly makes sense. And validation for me. (Yea!) So look at the negativity for what it really is and don't take it personally.
Truest words ever. (Source)
3. Finally, be confident. Even if you aren't confident, be confident. This is the fake-it-til-you-make-it part. Because what you think about and dream about eventually comes about. So be confident, develop a thick skin so negativity literally slides right off your back. Be positive, encourage, and always buoy people up, no matter the situation or their reaction.
And remember, people. We are the writers of our generation. We are creating the stories and inspirations of tomorrow. And we are not of them that draw back.
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| Source |
Happy IWSG Day, Everyone! Hope it's a great one!
P.S. Voting for the IWSG Anthology Contest genre runs through 7/8. Click HERE if you're interested in participating. ;D
Monday, July 4, 2016
Citadels of Fire Sale! (And Happy Independence Day!)
Good Morning, All!
Happy 4th of July to all those in the States celebrating it! Today is our country's birthday and we're so happy to celebrate Independence Day!
So I wasn't going to post this until tomorrow -- I feel kinda weird posting about sales on holidays -- but I wanted everyone to have an extra day to take advantage.
Bastions of Blood (Kremlins #2) will be released August 16, 2016. That's just over 2 months.
So if you want to get the Citadels of Fire ebook at a steeply discounted price, hop on over to whichever platform you prefer and download it now! The sale will run through Wednesday (7/6).
Everyone have a safe and wonderful holiday!
Happy 4th of July to all those in the States celebrating it! Today is our country's birthday and we're so happy to celebrate Independence Day!
So I wasn't going to post this until tomorrow -- I feel kinda weird posting about sales on holidays -- but I wanted everyone to have an extra day to take advantage.
Inga has finally found the courage to engage in a relationship with Taras, the only man she’s ever loved, but the winter winds blow cold in Russia, and happiness is short-lived. On the heels of a triumphant victory, Tsar Ivan falls ill and nearly dies, followed by his beloved wife. Everyone knows that Anastasia’s influence on Ivan has been profound. Because she holds both the Tsar’s ear and heart, no one dares harm her. As her condition worsens, Inga sees glimpses of the sadistic creature Ivan was before he married, and knows things are about to become much worse. As Inga fears the future, Taras looks to the past, searching for the elusive answers to his mother’s death. As mystery piles upon mystery, and everyone refuses to talk, Taras begins to wonder if he’ll ever truly understand the event that has plagued him since childhood. As Ivan’s madness grows, he lashes out, and all of Russia feels the sting. Things darken in the Kremlin and the countryside fills with blood; and Inga and Taras cling to one another to survive the new nightmare. If no one reins Ivan in, they may end up losing more than their lives.So if you haven't read book 1, now's the time to catch up! And today is even more perfect because Citadels of Fire is on sale on both Amazon and Kobo.
In a world where danger hides in plain sight and no one aspires to more than what they were born to, Inga must find the courage to break the oppressive chains she’s been bound with since birth.
As a maid in the infamous Kremlin, life in 16th-century Russia is bleak and treacherous. That is, until Taras arrives. Convinced that his mother’s death when he was a boy was no mere accident, he returned from England to discover what really happened. While there, he gains favor from the Tsar later known as Ivan the Terrible, the most brutal and notorious ruler ever to sit upon the throne of Russia. Ivan allows him to take a servant, and to save Inga from a brutal boyar intent on raping her, Taras requests Inga to stay in his chambers.
Up against the social confines of the time, the shadowy conspiracies that cloak their history, and the sexual politics of the Russian Imperial court, Inga and Taras must discover their past, plan for their future, and survive the brutality that permeates life within the four walls that tower over them all, or they may end up like so many citizens of ancient Russia: nothing but flesh and bone mortar for the stones of the Kremlin wall.
So if you want to get the Citadels of Fire ebook at a steeply discounted price, hop on over to whichever platform you prefer and download it now! The sale will run through Wednesday (7/6).
Everyone have a safe and wonderful holiday!
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
B&N's Teen Book Festival
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June 10-12 is Barnes and Noble's first ever Teen Book Festival, and I'll be participating locally.
I'll be set up at the Layton, Utah Barnes and Noble on Saturday, June 11 from 1-3 pm. If you're local, stop by and say hi. I'd love to chat with you.
Plus there will be lots of other authors, giveaways, and freebies!
Here's a description of the festival:
B-Fest Teen Book Festival
Special Event, Teen Event
Friday June 10, 2016 9:00 AM
(Teens)
Event Description
Join us June 10-12 at Barnes & Noble stores nationwide for B-Fest, our first-ever teen book festival, featuring author events, writing workshops, panel discussions, trivia & games, exclusives, giveaways and much more! For more information, ask a bookseller or visit BN.COM/B-Fest.
For more info, click HERE. Hope to see some of you there!
Are you attending the Teen Book Festival in your area?
Monday, June 6, 2016
Imminent Release of New Books!
Good Monday Morning, All!
Yup, I've been neglecting my blog again. Actually, I've been working on three projects concurrently, and that's on top of normal, everyday life stuff. So I haven't had much time. (I seriously need 36 hour days and the stamina to stay awake through them. ;D)
But I gotta get back into it because I'll probably be releasing 3-4 books (*fingers crossed*) in the second half of the year.
First, there's Desolate Mantle, Book #2 of Street Games. Come along with Kyra while she continues to search for her brother in the underbelly of Abstreuse City, while Gabe receives more disturbing information in his brother's kidnapping case. I'll be SO glad to get this one out! It's one that keeps getting back-burnered and so has taken almost two years for me to finish. (Yuck!) But it's gonna be awesome! I'm self-publishing this one and just waiting to hear from an editor so I can fix the exact release date, but it'll be soon. Sometime in the next six weeks. (Yea!)
Next is Bastions of Blood, Book #2 of Kremlins. More adventures in Russia with Taras and Inga. What awful thing will Ivan do next. (Hint: Yeah it's about to get a LOT darker. :/) This is being released courtesy of Jolly Fish Press. It's slated for release August 25, 2016. You'll see a lot of promotional efforts on my part between now and then.
In the fall, I hope to release Dark Matter, Book #3 of Interchron. This is the third project I've been working on lately. It's not finished yet but it's chugging along. This one will be the trickiest as I'm currently in the process of leaving my publisher for book 1, and will probably be commissioning new covers for all three books.
In the meantime, I'm also writing book 3 of Kremlins (it won't be out until at least next year, but the publisher needs it early of course ;D) and I REALLY want to get back to my Dragon Magic manuscript as well. Haven't touched it in almost a year, but I have lots of fun ideas for the story, so I'll be turning my attention to that next. I'd love to have book 1 out this year--and I'll definitely aim for that--but I'm not promising it. :D
So as you can see, I have my work cut out for me for the next few months. I'm also over-hauling my website and email list, but I'll post more about those once they're finished.
Wish me luck! And Happy Monday!
Yup, I've been neglecting my blog again. Actually, I've been working on three projects concurrently, and that's on top of normal, everyday life stuff. So I haven't had much time. (I seriously need 36 hour days and the stamina to stay awake through them. ;D)
But I gotta get back into it because I'll probably be releasing 3-4 books (*fingers crossed*) in the second half of the year.
In the meantime, I'm also writing book 3 of Kremlins (it won't be out until at least next year, but the publisher needs it early of course ;D) and I REALLY want to get back to my Dragon Magic manuscript as well. Haven't touched it in almost a year, but I have lots of fun ideas for the story, so I'll be turning my attention to that next. I'd love to have book 1 out this year--and I'll definitely aim for that--but I'm not promising it. :D
So as you can see, I have my work cut out for me for the next few months. I'm also over-hauling my website and email list, but I'll post more about those once they're finished.
Wish me luck! And Happy Monday!
Friday, March 4, 2016
Author Information Swap: Where to Find Industry News
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Reasons to Keep Up on Industry Topics:
1. Constant Change - the publishing industry is in deep flux right now, and if you don't keep up with those changes, at least to some extent, you'll soon find yourself left behind.2. Be an Expert in the Field - one thing that will give you a great deal of credibility as an author is to be in the know about the industry. If you're still preaching that the only way to publish is to find an agent and get in with the Big 5, people are quickly going to realize that your methods are outdated, and then you might lose writing credibility as well.
3. Smart Business Practices - Robert J. Kiasaki is a self-made millionaire, and one thing he preaches a lot is having a plan for both when the market is up, and when it's down. Most people only know how to make money in an up market, but if you know what you're doing, you can make money in a down market as well. So no matter what happens to the economy, you don't lose. Stocks and bonds aside, the same is true of every industry. If print books aren't making you any money, focus on ebooks. If Amazon KDP isn't doing you any favors, try Amazon unlimited. Only by trial and error and keeping up on the newest techniques will you be able to constantly turn a profit and know what works for your novels.
4. Shortcuts to Marketing - Those who are up to date on the latest practices and technology are the ones who have an inside track to marketing. The author who sits at home going, "What's Amazon" is light years away from making a living as an author.
So keep up on the industry. It's one of the smartest things you can do for your career.
"But," I hear you say, "where can I get industry information?"
So glad you asked! I happened across a page this past week that has a list of sites that post industry news. I've visited most of them, but there were a few that even I'd never heard of before. And it's great to have such a list all in one place. So I bookmarked the page and decided to share it. These blogs/sites are active and I'd highly recommend you follow them.
Visit DigitalPubbing.com for the list.
(P.S. I actually got three posts up this week! Are you proud of me? ;D)
Are there any specific sites you prefer to visit to keep up on industry news?
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Movie Review: Why Every Writer Should See "In the Heart of the Sea"
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So I haven't been doing reviews much lately. I honestly just don't have the time, much as I wish I did. Most weeks I barely get a single blog post up. But I watched this film, In the Heart of the Sea a few weeks ago, and I loved it so much, I knew I'd have to review it.
And it really wasn't JUST about a great film. It was about how it relates to writing in general. This is a writer's movie. It tells the true story that an American literary classic, Moby Dick, was based on. But more than that, it ties in writing, authorship, inspiration, and chasing one's destiny (which just so happens to be writing) all in one film. There's some talk of Hawthorne in the show (A young Melville believes Nathaniel Hawthorne is a great writer and that he, Melville, will never equal him.) The film ends with a Hawthorne quote that just clinches everything, and totally made me melt.
So we get a great adventure story that Moby Dick mirrors in many ways, but there's more gritty reality and historical detail to it. We also get a very understated discussion about why you should always write what inspires you, and chase your dreams, writing or otherwise. What haunts you, what you feel inspired to learn and/or write about, will become your destiny. Created, of course, by you. Because only you can write the way you do.
I'm not gonna do a super detailed review, except to say that had I had no complaints at all. Great story. Great historical aspects. Great acting.
This is a film every writer should see, because every writer will appreciate and be inspired by it. Highly recommended.
Have YOU seen In the Heart of the Sea? What did you think of it?
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