Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Book Publishing Secrets: Robynn E. Sheahan, author of 'Storm of Arranon'



I have always been a reader. I love books. When I’m not able to read, I listen to audio books. I started writing while working as a Paramedic/Firefighter in Northern California. Trust me, it’s not like it appears on TV. There was plenty of time for books, mostly reading them. I didn't seriously start writing until I moved to my ranch in Oregon. While waiting for lambs to be born in the middle of the night, I would head back to the house for an hour or two and sit down at the computer. Before I knew it, I had a manuscript. Not a good one, but a start.I joined critique groups and attended writer's conferences. I was on the fast track to learning. 

In 2013, I received an honorable mention in Writer’s Digest’s Self Published book awards for MG/YA. I guess I am learning something!

Ideas from dreams follow me into warm sunny days or the quiet of falling snow. “What ifs” feed a vivid imagination. Even mistyped phrases may lead to an "aha" moment. Brain storming sessions standing in windy, dark parking lots with fellow writers release thoughts that pry at the corners of my mind, grasping for purchase. Sometimes the ideas pursue me, with persistence.

For More Information
About the Book:

 A forbidden birth. A remarkable young woman. A marauding alien society. The battle begins.
 A brutal alien society invades Korin and Arranon, intent on destroying the two worlds that make up Cadet Erynn Yager's home. Forced to expose her strange abilities and reveal her forbidden birth, a guarded web of secrets unravels.

Stranded on an unfamiliar planet of eternal winter and predatory wildlife, the mysterious living consciousness of Arranon intervenes, leading Erynn on a mystical journey. 

Aware of Erynn's potential, the alien enemy pursues her. She struggles to gain control of her growing powers while in a constant race to elude the invaders, and join the forces preparing to fight a mounting occupation. 

Erynn’s secret may be her worlds' only hope, but at the cost of her life. Swept up in a chain reaction of events, Erynn's dedication extends far beyond service and duty. She learns the true meaning of sacrifice. 

Along with courage and hope, Erynn finds something unexpected on her journey of awareness and growth.

Love.

For More Information

  • Storm of Arranon is available at Amazon.
  • Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Thank you for your time in answering our questions about getting published.  Let’s begin by having you explain to us why you decided to become an author and pen this book?
Robynn:  For me, becoming an author wasn’t a decision, not like I woke up one morning and said, I’m going to be an author. After years of starting stories I’d never finish, and just kinda messing around with a little fan fiction, a certain group of characters, Erynn and Jaer, started demanding more of my time. They had a story and they wanted it told. So, I did, and I love writing. I’ll start book five in the series this November during NaNoWriMo.

Is this your first book?
Robynn:  Yes and no. It is a second edition of my first book with some added scenes and a new spine and back cover. I have written and self-published books two and three in the series. Book four, picked up by a publisher, will be published later this year.
With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
Robynn:  I pursued traditional publishing and after a year of rejection letters, I opted to self-publish. I continued to submit to publishers and I signed with a small press this year, 2016.
Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?  The pros and cons?
Robynn:  Overall, I’m happy with self-publishing through CreateSpace. I’ve heard Lightning Source is a good route, also. CreateSpace was easy to work with and they made sure I was happy with my book before I hit the publish button. They will do as much or as little as you want regarding formatting, interior design, and cover. I let them take care of formatting and interior design and their prices are reasonable. My cost for print books is quite affordable. A friend of mine did all his own formatting and interior design with CreateSpace. He’s good at this while I’m easily frustrated and turn into Kylo Ren throwing a temper tantrum. He paid only for the print books he purchased.
I also published eBooks through Smashwords and their site is very simple. You can be up and running in minutes.
I’m looking forward to experiencing working with a publisher on book four in the series.

What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
Robynn:  First, be careful when it comes to subsidy presses and vanity presses. In fact, my opinion only, run away. Money doesn’t flow from the author to the publisher. It’s flows from the publisher to the author. Second, make sure you have your work professionally edited and proof read. Critique groups are a great resource as are writer’s conferences.
Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
Robynn:  Yes. I can only recommend CreateSpace and Smashwords, but I have heard good things from other self-published authors about Lightning Source.
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
Robynn:  Write. Read. Read books about writing. Join critique groups. Don’t give up. Keep submitting. Keep learning.
Some writing books I recommend-
Any of James Scott Bells’ books on writing
The Elements Of Style by Strunk and White
The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
Angela Ackerman’s and Becca Puglisi’s books, The Positive Trait Thesaurus, The Negative Trait Thesaurus, and The Emotion Thesaurus
On Writing by Stephen King

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