Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Virtual Book Tour: Publishing Secrets of Fantasy Authors Bruce Skye

A former technical writer, detail is important to Bruce Skye. His research for the Deathsong Chronicles included medieval armor and fortresses, as well as Celtic names and magic. "If you create a world, it must be consistent. And that's what I strive for Grayrider's world to be. I've built a database of material for each of the Deathsong Chronicles. Those databases aid me in keeping the world the same from book to book. "When I wrote Grayrider, I followed the advice of Stephen King. I did not write the book following any sort of outline. I have no more idea than my readers do when I write a novel what will happen in the midst of the story. It makes it more exciting for both the readers and myself." You can visit his website at www.bruceskye.com.

A New York agency readily took my novel Grayrider. A publisher she suggested also seemed to like my work and wanted to publish it. So, what’s my big secret to being published?

In a simple word, practice makes perfect. I had written several modern day suspense novels. This work all agents rejected. But Grayrider had been an idea which had been kicking around in my head for years and I finally put it on paper. And in doing so, I finally found a winning combination of fantasy and suspense a publisher seemed to like.

About the book:

Gabriel, the exiled king of Rivalin, comes before King Airell to warn him the Ansgarian army will invade his kingdom before the night is over. Airell tells him he has no one to send. Gabriel wants revenge for the murder of his family by the Ansgarians. He decides to fight the incursion without help.

As this takes place, Deirdre (Airell’s daughter), flees the kingdom of Cynyr north of Boadhagh. She knows now her mentor, Morrigan, created the Ansgarian army her father has fought for years. She goes south to warn him of her. Because Deirdre does not believe in herself, the young sorceress has difficulty in performing magic.
Once she is reunited with her father, she tells both he and Grayrider about Morrigan. Her power is growing; only Gabriel’s magical sword may yet destroy her. He must go to Cynyr to fight her. He agrees if Deirdre attends him, seeking her counsel.

That journey will be a deadly and momentous one for them both.


Bruce Skye will be on virtual book tour in February '09. Please visit his official tour page here to find out more about him and his new book, Grayrider!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Virtual Book Tour: Publishing Secrets of Contemporary Fiction Author William Petrick

William Petrick is an Emmy Award-winning documentary producer/director who has created programs for National Geographic, Discovery, MTV, Court TV and many other cable and broadcast networks. He is currently a senior producer with Bill Moyers Journal on PBS. You can find out more about William's book by clicking here.

After trying to entice an agent for many months, one finally signed me up but the book went nowhere. Next, I took some advice from a publishing exec in New York who suggested I write to editors as well as small, independent presses. Pear house actually had seen a short story of mine in a literary magazine and so were receptive. I was worried about what would happen at a small press but it has been incredible. Neither my book nor my emails are ignored and they have been extremely supportive from edit to launch. One secret: their editor inspired me to re-do the last third of the book. I was wildly resistant at first but, in the end, made it a much better novel.

About the Book:

Struggling documentary producer Michael Burns has traveled to the remote Maya Mountains of Belize to capture exclusive footage of the last surviving curandero. The traditional Mayan healer may hold the key to discovering new medicines among the vast, uncharted flora of the rain forest.

But with a violent civil war spilling across the border from neighboring Guatemala - and Burns inexplicably drawn to the aging curandero's American apprentice - the filmmakers stumble into a more explosive story than they ever could have imagined.
At once an adventure and an exploration into the nature of perception, THE FIVE LOST DAYS exposes the clash between modern culture and ancient beliefs.

Purchase THE FIVE LOST DAYS by clicking here!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

GUEST BLOGGER: Book Publishing Secrets of Beverly Stowe McClure

Beverly’s Journey to Publication

When I was a child, I hated to read. Even though my eighth-grade teacher sent my poem “Stars” to a high school anthology and it was published in Young America Sings, I hated to write.

In high school, book reports were a nightmare. I was shy and standing in front of the class to tell about a book was pure torture. Thank heavens for the jacket flap copy, as if the teachers couldn’t tell. In spite of my rocky relationship with books I attended Midwestern University, which meant more reading: one hundred children’s books for my Kiddie Lit. class, in addition to texts for the other subjects. What was I thinking?

To my surprise, I survived college and graduated cum laude. Then I became, of all things, a teacher. And in the process I discovered what I’d been missing. Books were fun. I also started writing. Happiness magazine published my first article. More of my work was published in Ladybug, Focus on the Family Clubhouse Jr., and other children’s magazines.

Being daring, next I decided to write a novel. So I started brainstorming ideas, but couldn’t come up with a good one. On a visit to Charleston, SC, my family and I took a walking ghost tour of the historic district. The tales the tour guide told them about resident ghosts in many of the Victorian houses intrigued me. I’d write about a ghost. And my ghost was kind enough to whisper in my ear one evening and introduce herself. Yes, I hear voices, and they often turn into my characters. So I wrote Phoebe the ghost’s story.

It took me about a year and a half to write my YA novel, Listen to the Ghost. Then I sent queries to several of the big NY publishers. While I waited for replies, visions of new cars and houses and big advances danced in my head. It didn’t turn out quite that way. No one wanted my story. After a couple of years of generic form letters, I got discouraged and put the manuscript aside to concentrate on other writing.

One day, I was reading a message board that mentioned Twilight Times Books, a publisher of e-books. I knew nothing about e-books but checked their Web site anyway, and discovered the publisher liked paranormal stories. So I took the manuscript out of the filing cabinet, dusted off the cobwebs, edited the manuscript again, and sent a query. Lida Quillen, the publisher of TT, asked to see it. A few months later I had a contract.

The e-book was a finalist in the Dream Realm Award competition in 2003. But the best was yet to come. TT had started their print line of books, and in 2005, Listen to the Ghost was published in trade paperback. That’s almost as exciting as giving birth, and less painful. It only took 8 years for my dream to come true.

I now have two more YA books published: Secrets I Have Kept and my latest, Rebel in Blue Jeans.

Four more novels are under contract with various publishers: Caves, Cannons, and Crinolines; Just Breeze; I Live in a Doghouse; and Kate, Little Angel Sometimes.

Yay for small publishing houses. My only regret is that I waited so late to start reading and writing.

http://beverlystowemcclure.wordpress.com

http://rebelinbluejeans.wordpress.com

Beverly S. McClure started her writing career early—though she approached it kicking andYoung America Sings screaming—when her eighth-grade teacher sent her poem “Stars” to a high school anthology and it was published in . She graduated from Midwestern State University and became a teacher. As soon as she discovered Dr. Seuss and other great children’s stories, she willingly put pen to paper and had stories and articles published in Ladybug, Focus on the Family Clubhouse Jr., U. S. Kids, Jack and Jill and other leading children’s magazines, including an article that was reprinted in a Scott Foresman Pre-K anthology and a breakout article that appeared in the June 2007 issue of Writer magazine. A multi-published author, Beverly’s Listen to the Ghost and Secrets I Have Kept are available in trade paperback. Her latest release is Rebel in Blue Jeans, and she has four more books under contract. A member of the National Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and their North Texas Chapter, Beverly is the mother of three grown boys and lives in the country with her husband, Jack, where an occasional deer, skunk, or armadillo come to visit. For more about Beverly and her work, please visit http://beverlystowemcclure.wordpress.com

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

GUEST BLOGGER: Book Publishing Secrets of Contemporary Fiction Author William Petrick

After trying to entice an agent for many months, one finally signed me up but the book went nowhere. Next, I took some advice from a publishing exec in New York who suggested I write to editors as well as small, independent presses. Pear house actually had seen a short story of mine in a literary magazine and so were receptive. I was worried about what would happen at a small press but it has been incredible. Neither my book nor my emails are ignored and they have been extremely supportive from edit to launch. One secret: their editor inspired me to re-do the last third of the book. I was wildly resistant at first but, in the end, made it a much better novel.

William Petrick is an Emmy Award-winning documentary producer/director who has created programs for National Geographic, Discovery, MTV, Court TV and many other cable and broadcast networks. He is currently a senior producer with Bill Moyers Journal on PBS. You can find out more about William's book by clicking here.