Platform Building Campaign

Gosh! Look at that! I go away for a few days and look what happens. I get tagged. Well, I'm not one to snivel at a tag or two, so off we go.

Thank you Dawn Allen for tagging me in the Platform Building Campaign. So here are my answers to your questions:

Catherine Cavendish Believes in Ghosts!

Those of you who judge a book by its cover will be delving into your pockets to buy this little marvel. 

Catherine Cavendish has launched a new book, "The Demons of Cambian Street" published by Etopia Press , and she's here today to talk about paranormal fiction, ghosts and, of course, those Demons. 

Sue: Welcome Catherine. I've been fascinated by your recent novels, such as "Cold Revenge" and "In My Lady's Chamber", which are excellent horror reads. I know you also have an interest in history, so what spurred you on to write paranormal stories? Have you changed your genre? 

Do You Know Your Genre?

I know I'm a sad case, but I've been somewhat bewildered lately. As you all know, my first book, "Perfect Score", was a suspense novel (it's a finalist in the EPIC 2012 awards, mainstream category, so keep your fingers crossed for me). True, it was m/m and often got lumped into erotic sections of review sites. But it's far from erotic - quite non-explicit really. And the fact it was m/m is incidental. It's about the angst of two men who are born on opposite sides of the track. It's set in the 1960s and their paths should be together but they have an incredible struggle to achieve that - if they ever do (you have to read it to find out). 


Now, here's my problem: my second novel, "Hewhay Hall", due out in April, is a paranormal thriller. Yikes! That's a very different genre. Does that matter? Does an author attract fans because of the genre or because of the writing? What do you think?


I'm now into my third novel which, at the outset, was going to be a simple thriller. But...it's morphing - oh yes, watch it go! - and transforming as I write into a...paranormal thriller. It was quite an unconscious change, but it's definitely happening. Have I found my genre? Or has it found me? Has this ever happened to you? 

Writers' Platform Building Campaign

Always on the look-out for great opportunities. And here's a super one.


This is brain-child of Rachael Harrie of Rach Writes who is  once again hosting the Write Campaign which aims at helping writers and bloggers make contact with the aim of building their author platforms (and I'm all in favor of that!).


This will be the first time I'm going to participate and I'm excited. Why don't you join me?

How I Find Great Books to Read

I admit that, because it seemed to be the right thing to do at the time, that I may have done it once or twice in my naive-first-published- period and I know you've all been bombarded by them. I'm talking about authors' multiple-postings on social- media network sites exhorting me to buy their books. 


Now, I have to honestly say that I've never bought one of those books unless it was from an author I knew and liked.


But the other day I found a book I adored and I discovered it online.


Before I tell you all about it, let me just thank a great blogger - Ciara Knight - who, every Monday, writes a splendid post on "Did I Notice Your Book?" Check her out if you don't know Ciara because she has such a variety of books and I like the way she's choosing them.


I discovered "The Generation Game" by Sophie Duffy when I visited writing-guru, journalist and wonderful creative-writing teacher Margaret James's blog where she has a "book of the month" spot. 

Getting the Jitters

Morning everyone. I've got the jitters and, as usual, Alex J Cavanaugh has the solution.


On the first Wednesday of every month everyone signed up to Insecure Writer's Support Group can express their writing worries. (If you're interested in joining, click on the link).


Yep I'm getting the jitters. 

• I have one book published and although it's traditionally published, the major marketing for it lies with me. And I suck at marketing. 
• I have a book with another publisher getting ready for edits and I'm nervous about the editor's comments (worse scenario: major rewrite I'm afraid, Susan Roebuck, you got it all wrong). 
• And I'm writing a third novel which is giving me crisis after crisis of confidence: it'll never be as good as my first novel, the plot's not working, I can't get into the heads of the characters, I'm rambling. 

Do you know? After writing all that, I think it is all a clear example of "the more you know, the less you think you know". Does that make sense? Probably not... :-(

I Don't Think It Works

Sssshhh...I'm going to tell you a little secret:


Just recently I've noticed that there are posts swamping Facebook, Google Plus, Link'dIn, Twitter that shout, "New book out now!", "My book's down to $2", "Free Kindle Books!", "Great Review of...on...".  


Now call me callous if you like but (takes deep breath) I'm afraid I've stopped reading them.


Does this mean that those networking sites just don't work for book-promo marketing? Or am I alone in this? I'd love to hear what you think. 

Deborah Lawrenson - Author Interview

Did you see the book review I wrote yesterday for Deborah Lawrenson's "The Lantern"? Deborah kindly offered to tell us something about herself. Take a look because she describes her journey to becoming an author with a top publisher, where inspiration for "The Lantern" came from, and how her individual writing style developed.

Deborah: I was born in London, but lived all over the world as a child, as my father was in the diplomatic service. These days, my husband, daughter and I split our time between the south of England and the south of France. 

A Gem of a Book - The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson

If anyone tells you that author blogs don't work, just say phooey. If I hadn't read Deborah Lawrenson's blog I doubt I'd have heard about her novel "The Lantern". I'm bombarded with lists of Best Books 2011 (three of which I've read but won't bother with the rest) and can't understand why this little gem isn't up there among the best.

As I started reading "The Lantern" it was as if I was meeting an old friend after a long absence, or sunning myself on a mellow summer's day, or getting into my own bed after a vacation, or sitting in front of a log-fire on a cold evening. This is going to be a "feel-good" read, I thought. Little did I know.

The book is steeped in atmosphere. If you want a taster, check out Ms Lawrenson's blog but the book itself rises to higher levels and evokes the scents and flavours of past and present Provence. I was constantly amazed at the author's skill in creating deceptively easy but hauntingly beautiful prose.

The main characters initially slip into an enviable way of life. They meet, fall in love and move to a crumbling but beautiful old farmhouse. That's the moment for the shift in the feel-good factor, it's the moment "The Lantern" morphs into a tale of gripping suspense and intrigue. The author proficiently weaves a parallel story of past inhabitants of the house into the main plot leaving the reader constantly wondering: who is the evil and hopelessly cruel brother Pierre? Is he a ghost and what part does he play in today's events? Why does husband Dom become so reticent? Has he committed some kind of crime?

The main story is set in present times and it's narrator, Eve, is reminiscent of the narrator in Daphne du Maurier's "Rebecca". The sub-plot, however, is firmly fixed in the early to middle twentieth century and is populated by strong, fully rounded characters. The reader experiences their despairs and hopes and how they deal with blindness and insanity. The history of how lavender was - and is, I presume - used in perfume-making is fascinating.

If you want to be transported to the lavender fields of Provence, splash on Lavande de Nuit scent, or wander the cobbled streets of Cassis, while immersing yourself in a compelling tale of betrayal and intrigue then "The Lantern" is a book for you. It's certainly one I will keep and dip into again and again.

  **** Deborah has kindly agreed to give us some insights into "The Lantern" - I'll post them tomorrow. Her article is a fascinating read. 

In April, her publisher is going to publish a deluxe version. Take a look at the beautiful cover:

In the meantime, if you'd like to follow Deborah on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Deborah-Lawrenson/211837778847973 

Blog: http://deborah-lawrenson.blogspot.com

See you tomorrow!

Alex Cavanaugh on Successful Blogging

Surely everyone - particularly those who adore SF - has heard of Alex Cavanaugh. He wrote a fabulous article for me here last year. He's also the author of the acclaimed Amazon best-seller SF adventure CassaStar and creator of its main character the rebellious, unforgettable whiz Cosbolt fighter-pilot Byron.

In addition, Alex is a successful blogger with a huge and faithful following - you can be proud if you say you belong to Alex's Ninja Army.

All writers should aspire to what he's achieved. So - and, of course, hoping to catch a few tips myself - I asked Alex to give some advice to those who are starting to blog.

Read on to find out what he said and also to hear about his new novel CassaFire which is due out Feb 28.

Beginning with a Bang!

I've been away - Madeira called, so I went.


Now I'm back I've been having a few thoughts about literary life in 2011 (my first full year as a published author).


What have I enjoyed about it most? The interviews, participating in contests, blogging and trying to build a social network (as all authors must) have been interesting. Receiving book reviews has been nail-biting at times but heartening on the whole. I think what I've enjoyed most are, apart from receiving comments from readers, the awards.


I actively went out and sought book reviews but I'm not sure I'm going to be doing that with my new novel that is coming out in April from Etopia Press, a publisher that is proving to be lovely to work with. No, I won't be spending so much time seeking reviews. This time I'll be investigating Literary Awards. 


My novel, Perfect Score, has received a few: it's a finalist in the EPIC Awards , it has an honorary mention in The Rainbow Awards, and it's one of the Top Picks from JesseWave Reviews (Felix Faber).


What do you think? What promotes a book more - reviews or awards?


If you share my interest, take a look at this site: Literary Awards and we might meet at the 2013 Pulitzer Prizes (just joking LOL)


And now onto the BIG news...take a deep breath all you Alex Ninjas...the King of Author Bloggers is coming to this blog on January 20th! Yes, Alex Cavanaugh will be giving us some hints on how to be successful bloggers. In addition (yes, there's more!), he's going to give us an insight into his new book CassaFire. January 20th - it'll be a good day.

Wonderful Artist

I don't remember ever seeing such a fabulous Christmas card. I'll never throw it out - it's already stuck to my 'fridge - because it perfectly captures the atmosphere of my childhood Christmases. And that's me, the chubby one, on the floor with my hand in the bag of crisps. 
The artist is Marius van Dokkum and I was so curious about him that I checked out his site.
Have you ever just "clicked" with an artist? I often do. Perhaps the one whose paintings I can admire for hours on end is Hieronymus Bosch. But now there's a new boy in town. Marius van Dokkum's work will provide me with writing inspiration for many years to come. I can feel it in my bones. How lovely. 
Check him out. Is there one of his paintings that makes you think of a story? I've seen one...

Thank You to my Followers - and an Invitation

A BIG thanks to everyone who Follows me. I do appreciate you so much. Just in case you've forgotten the Story of Christmas, take a look at the video - it's so cute (and I promise you'll enjoy it).


An Invitation


**** If any of you are authors and would like to have an interview (to promote your books for example), or if you would like me to review your books, please send an email to sue(at)susanroebuck.com.  I'll come back to you very quickly.


Just a note about reviews: I only review books I enjoy. I see no point in posting a bad review (I may let the author know but only by private message) because everyone's tastes differ and my bad review will not help struggling authors one little bit. I especially enjoy pure paranormal, but I'll review anything except erotica and sci-fi (and the only exception to that - in the sci fi category - is Alex J. Cavanaugh LOL).


In the meantime, HAPPY HOLIDAYS and my sincere wishes for a healthy and successful 2012.

I'd Like You To Meet Ms Elisa Rolle

Today I'm so proud to welcome Elisa Rolle. Everyone in the LGBT world knows Elisa - or should do. Everything about Elisa is here: www.elisarolle.com but let me just give you a quick overview.

• Her Livejournal and blog has a multitude of avid followers;
• She produces uncountable, highly-regarded reviews per week of LGBT literature;
• She writes fascinating posts on LGBT history, past authors and interesting photographic insights into countries, most recently New York and south USA (I see she came to Portugal in 2002!)
• She produces annual lists of top novels and top readers;
• She single-handedly conducts the annual Rainbow Awards  , which are awarded for excellence in LGBT novels for that year. This year she had over 300 entries and 100 judges from all over the world to deal with. 
• There is a separate award for book covers.

I have been lucky enough to catch up with Elisa in her busy schedule. I pinned her down (excuse the expression) with some rather probing questions about how the Rainbow Awards came about and, among other insights, advice to newbies. Take a look at how Elisa responds:

Changing URL

Thanks so much to Laura Barnes (see post below this). I'm following your advice.

For All My Lovely Followers!


From now on the URL of this blog will be: www.susanroebuck.com 
Blogger should redirect you if you forget :-)

Another Authors' Champion

Another fabulous person in my League of Authors' Champions! Meet Laura Barnes.


I first heard of Laura from Matthew MacNish's Theqqe Blog.  Now Matthew is another Authors' Champion. If you don't know him, check out his blog and the amazing critiques that he does of authors' query letters to agents and publishers. He's so talented at it.


Back to Laura.  She's a marketing consultant and (to quote her blog) "gives constructive feedback about the look and function of an author blog from a marketing perspective". 


I firmly believe that blogging is of fundamental importance to an author,  not only to gain readers but also to get writing advice. An author never stops learning. And it's thanks to these generous, warm-hearted people, that we learn. Honestly, I'm all teared-up at how much good there is in this world.


Would you like to see what Laura says about "Lauracea"? Pop on over to her post and leave, either here or on her blog, your own thoughts.  

Another Tireless Champion of Authors

Call me Flabbergasted from now on.


First we met Morgen Bailey, Patron Saint of Authors, (http://lauracea.blogspot.com/2011/11/morgen-bailey-patron-saint-of-writers.html ) 

I'd now like to introduce you to Elise Rolle, tireless champion of LGBT writers worldwide. Her reviews are legendary http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/ and authors can count themselves privileged  to have their work reviewed by her. In addition, every year she runs the much acclaimed and ever-growing Rainbow Awards for LGBT fiction and non-fiction, thus bringing many authors onto the world stage.


The 2011 Rainbow Awards have been announced (ahem, you may see "Perfect Score" on the Honourable Mentions list for General Fiction) and just look at the HUGE amount of categories she has to deal with! http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1467864.html

Elise has kindly agreed to visit Lauracea blog in the very near future. So WATCH FOR THE INTERVIEW...  And call me Flabbergasted twice over.

The Hun Has Marched!

Please welcome a regular visitor to Lauracea – Tristram La Roche.

Didn’t I say he’s an up and coming author?  He’s outdone himself this time because on Thursday December 1st the Hun marched, so watch your backs! His new novella “The Hun and The General” was published by Etopia Press.

What do I think of when I hear the name Attila? Barbarians, vandals, conqueror of much of Europe (oh? Is he back again?). Wasn’t he called the Scourge of God?  Let’s see if Tris thinks he was.

Welcome again, Tris, great to see you back with yet another outstanding book published. Congratulations.

Thank you, Sue. It is always a pleasure to visit you, you’re very kind.

Morgen Bailey - the Patron Saint of Writers

I have a “private” running joke with Morgen Bailey. On Twitter I call her the “Patron Saint of Writers”. I suppose you can have a patron saint who’s very much alive and kicking, can’t you? Well, anyway, she’s the most unselfish pioneer of writers’ careers that I believe exists. She organizes author interviews (as we speak she’s done 189 – I was number 5), and author spotlights. She champions indie-authors by listing their books on her site (http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/books-other-peoples/), gives out weekly writing prompts to get you going (they’re very effective too). She posts a weekly author’s short story in her Friday Flash Fiction spot and in August 2010, probably before anyone else thought of them, she started a regular podcast. As I write today she’s already done forty of them.

It’s exhausting, isn’t it? Well, not to Morgen, she thrives on it and is perfectly happy to help any author who contacts her. On top of all that she writes too – and some of her work is for free. You’ll find them on https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/morgenbailey

I’ve just read her free short story (I know, cheapskate, that’s me) “April’s Fool”. This is quality fiction, in my opinion, and reads like one of Roald Dahl’s short adult stories (“Lamb to the Slaughter” springs to mind).

I think that Morgen deserves a little compensation for all her hard work and the spotlight should be on her for a while. Let’s find out something about her.

New Novel

If you're a published author you'll understand how relieved I am that my new novel has found a home. No more thinking about publishers or submissions, or synopses or....!!! 


Etopia Press have accepted my new novel "Hewhay Hall". That's what it's called now - let's wait though until after the editing!


Take a look at the Wordle to get a quick peak.