Musings from a Writer’s Brain–An Author’s Comfort Zone by Sharon Ledwith

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Legend of the Timekeepers, Musings from a Writer's Brain, Sharon Ledwith, time management, time travel, writing tip

 

by Sharon Ledwith

This post could have also been dubbed ‘Balance 101 for Authors’. It’s been almost eight years since the first novel in my young adult time travel series hit the cyber bookshelves. To this day, I remember that there was so much to do, and it felt like there wasn’t enough time to do everything. Sometimes, I still don’t. I needed a time portal just to get all my marketing and promoting put in place or at least a diary. This included getting a website up and running, ordering promotional giveaways, setting up blog hops (are they still a thing?), writing a multitude of blog posts, and joining the appropriate social media networks. The lists seemed endless, and when the date finally arrived for my book release, I was wearing my shoulders as earrings.

Needless to say, by the end of my first book blog tour, I was exhausted, spent, and bent out of shape. Even my eyelids ached.

What I learned from the whole experience years ago is that authors need to learn to structure their writing life, or their writing will take a nose dive. We need to learn to create balance so that the task of being a writer plus a marketer plus a promoter doesn’t wear us down. So, how do we do this when so much is expected of a writer nowadays?

Start with finding your comfort zone. Find your personal comfort level with promotion or marketing, do that and do no more. That’s it. Do it. Or you’ll get burned. If you don’t heed my advice, then sure as shooting, negativity will leach into your writing. And that’s the last thing a writer wants!

Need help finding your comfort zone? Go to the dollar store and buy a timer or download a timer app on your phone. It will be one of the most important investments (and cheapest) as a writer you will make. For less than two dollars you can purchase a piece of sanity to help you organize your writing life and keep you in your zone. Set your timer to check emails. Fifteen minutes? Twenty minutes? Then do the same for Facebook and Twitter. But keep in mind which activity will help you as an author in the long run. Apply the 80/20 rule. Write (produce) for 80%, promote and market for only 20%. After all—social networking is a marketing strategy—as long as you treat it as such. Then, once you have laid the timer law down, set it for how long you want to sit and just write, with no interruptions (unless the dog or you really need to pee).

So, stop pushing the zone. Relax. Let go. Breathe.

That doesn’t mean writers shouldn’t learn or try new things. By all means learn and try. Get your hands dirty if you must. But don’t burst a vein in your brain doing it. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself that you collapse into a quivering mass of writer goo. As writers, we must protect our work—and ourselves. It takes time to build an on-line (and off-line) marketing presence in this publishing world. Learn this, cut yourself some slack, and prosper.

Thank you for reading my article! How do you find balance as a writer? Do you use a timer, or have you tried other ways to create balance in your writer’s life? Love to read your comments!

Ready for a trip to Atlantis? Here’s a brief intro to one of my time traveler books.

There is no moving forward without first going back.

Lilith was a young girl with dreams and a family before the final destruction of Atlantis shattered those dreams and tore her family apart. Now refugees, Lilith and her father make their home in the Black Land. This strange, new country has no place in Lilith’s heart until a beloved high priestess introduces Lilith to her life purpose—to be a Timekeeper and keep time safe.

Summoned through the seventh arch of Atlantis by the Children of the Law of One, Lilith and her newfound friends are sent into Atlantis’s past, and given a task that will ultimately test their courage and try their faith in each other. Can the Timekeepers stop the dark magus Belial before he changes the seers’ prophecy? If they fail, then their future and the earth’s fate will be altered forever.

AMAZON BUY LINKS

Kindle – Paperback

Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/YA time travel series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the teen psychic mystery series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, exercising, anything arcane, and an occasional dram of scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, one spoiled yellow Labrador and a moody calico cat.

Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter. Look up her Amazon Author page for a list of current books. Be sure to check out THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS TIME TRAVEL SERIES Facebook page.

Through A Writer’s Garden with Dawn Ireland

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Author Catherine Castle's garden blog, gardening, Highland Yearning, peony care, Picture of peony, Through A Writer's Garden with Dawn Ireland, time travel, Tree Peonies

Tree Peonies

 

People in my village often ask me these days when my tree peonies will be out. (mid May to early June) When I first planted them in the front yard, my husband wondered why. He thought they might not survive the wind blowing down Main Street, or the foot traffic with curious strangers.

We discovered a couple of things when the tall shrubs burst into oversized, pink flowers. (Ten inches or more across.) First, people are curious. Okay, maybe it wasn’t the best idea for drivers to slow down and rubber neck, trying to figure out what they were, but at least there weren’t any accidents, just a few tire squeals. Most plant enthusiasts stopped in the driveway and asked. Now, I only get the occasional question.

Second, I think people respect flowers. Yes, we had a very few who tried to pluck a bloom, hopefully to take home to their mom, but they quickly learned tree peonies have woody stems and the flowers are very hard to pick. I was sad when a couple of persistent admirers kept trying and tore off a branch.

Tree peonies are unique because they will get flowers and leaves in the spring, but if any of those leaves/branches are lost or damaged, no new ones will grow to take their place until the following year. I had hoped I might propagate them using the torn branches, but no such luck, they only start from seed or division.

I also discovered they need a fair amount of sun. (4-6 hrs) For three years, I had a dark pink tree peony I fretted over in the side yard. I’d go out, brush off the snow, mulch it to keep down weeds (be careful with your mulch as it can harbor insects and do damage) and worry that the fertilizer wasn’t right. But, what wasn’t right was the sun.

When I moved the plant to the front, what had been eight inches high, now grew to well over two feet in the first year. (They can reach 4-7 feet tall and 4-5 feet wide.) We need to listen to our plants when they don’t grow and seem to struggle. Be aware, however, that tree peonies, like the bush varieties, don’t really like to be moved, and if you must, do so in the fall. This will give the root system time to develop before the plant has to create leaves and flowers the following spring.

Overall, I love my tree peonies, and I’d highly recommend them to people who have the space, at least partial sun, and neutral or slightly alkaline soil. The plants are long lived and there’s a reason so many painters have used them in portraits.

 

If you’d like to learn more about me, and my new time-travel release, Highland Yearning, please visit:   www.Dawn-Ireland.com

 

Wednesday Writers Welcomes Anne B. Cole

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Anne B. Cole, New Adult romance, paranormal time travel, Souls Entwined book excerpt, sweet romantic suspense, time travel, Wednesday Writers

 

 

When a cursed family heirloom sends Gretta Dobbs back in time, a hunky construction worker, Sam Daggett, suddenly finds himself love struck and joins her adventure. Their souls entwine within the bodies of young lovers on a Greek island in 1829, where they begin to unravel the mysteries behind Gretta’s ring all while avoiding a bloodthirsty pirate who is determined to seek revenge. Gretta and Sam must find the secrets needed to save her and her relatives from an afterlife in purgatory and return to their own lives—or risk becoming prisoners of the past, continuing the evil cycle of the ring’s curse.

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Welcome, Anne. Your book sounds really interesting, especially since I love time travel stories with magical elements. Is this your first book, and how did you come up with the idea?

Souls Entwined is my very first novel. I’ve been writing for about four years. At first, it was simply for fun and something to fill in the time I spent watching my kids’ swim practices and swim meets. After had I finished my first draft, I met my two critique partners online. They inspire me every day and without them, I would have never become a published author.

When I was about 10, my grandmother gave me an heirloom ring. She told me that it was her great, great grandmother’s ring and that her brother had brought it over from Europe when he was a sailor in the early 1800s. When I realized how old it was, I tried to give it back. She insisted that the stone was only a garnet and that it wasn’t worth much, but it was the oldest thing she ever owned and wanted me to keep it safe.

My Garnet Ring

The ring is the inspiration behind Souls Entwined as it has been passed down in my family for about 200 years. The rest of the story came from my imagination. I don’t believe my ring is cursed, and I wear it often. It was fun creating a cursed story about it.

What a fantastic inspiration for a story. What are you working on now?

Currently, I am working on the sequel. It is tentatively named, Souls Estranged. I hope to send it to my publisher next month.

I’m always interested in knowing if writers are full-time or have other jobs. Do you have a day job?

During the day, I work part time as a preschool teacher. I’ve always wanted to write a children’s book, have it published, and then read it to my students. Right now I have submitted a children’s book to a publisher, and I’m anxiously waiting to hear from them. I plan to continue writing New Adult/Young Adult (sweet) romantic suspense stories and have an outline for the third and final ‘Souls’ book. Writing the children’s picture book was refreshing because it has only 265 words compared to my novels that are about 91,000.

Are you a pen and paper or  computer writer?

I wrote the first draft of Souls Entwined in composition notebooks. I started it about 4 years ago when I shared a computer with the other 4 members of my family. Needless to say, I didn’t get much ‘computer time.’ Now I have my own laptop and my second novel has been written on it from the start.

I see you sent us some pictures of settings. Tell us a bit about them, please.

I have multiple settings in Souls Entwined, and I have placed Sam and Gretta in scenes where I can picture them in real life. Here is the park that Sam and Gretta met.

 

And here is the grassy field nestled in the mountains of Virginia where Sam and Gretta returned to after they were in the past.

 

As for other settings in my story, Milos is a beautiful island in the Aegean Sea, and I hope to visit there someday. The PIT…well, I’d rather not experience a creepy, evil purgatory place…ever!

As writers we like to read. What’s the first book you remember reading and what are you reading now?

The first book I remember reading as a child was ‘Go Dog Go!’ by P.D. Eastman. I read that book to my brother every day and we never grew tired of it. I read every chance I can get and always have a book or my Kindle in my car. With three teenagers, I spend a lot of time in the car waiting for practices to end. I’m currently reading, ‘The Earl’s Enticement’ by Collette Cameron. Every summer I read a classic. I picked out Great Expectations by Charles Dickenson this year.

Do you have any hobbies?

I have several hobbies, including running, gardening, baking, and taking photos. Her is a picture I took today of some irises around the house.

And here is one of a brave little chipmunk tormenting my three inside cats.

I love these photos!

Here’s a snapshot look at some of my favorites:

Favorite Food: Chocolate

Favorite Singer/Band: Luke Bryan

Favorite Season: Spring

Favorite Flower: Violets

Favorite Color: Purple

Mug or Tea cup: Mug with tea insideJ

Thanks, Catherine for having me here today! Here’s a quote that I came across during last minute edits of Souls Entwined. It fit my situation perfectly and I find myself repeating it to my kids.

“No pressure. No diamonds.”

Thanks for visiting with us, Anne!

Here’s an excerpt from Anne’s book Souls Entwined.

Excerpt from Chapter Two of Souls Entwined

Not a sound was heard as Sam’s eyes snapped open. Under the branches of the downed tree, Purple Shorts began to stir.

“Sorry, are you okay?” Sam gently lifted his weight off her.

“I think so,” she replied faintly. Sam released his hold on her shoulder, amazed her face wasn’t scratched. He wondered how bad he appeared.

“Do you think you can stand?”

She nodded. Together they rose to their feet, easily stepping out from the tangle of branches. Eyes growing wide, she began to sway.

“Sit,” Sam commanded, steadying her.

“No, look!” She pointed.

Sam gazed over his shoulder. His mouth fell open. Beneath the tree, their bodies lay, motionless.

“Are we . . .” Purple Shorts began, but Sam shook his head slowly.

Before she could say more, he interrupted, “I don’t know. Do you feel—”

“Dead?”

He scanned the area for help. Everything around them was still, as if they were watching a movie and someone hit ‘pause.’ No wind, no sound, no movement. He flinched when cold fingers clutched his hand.

Squeezing gently, he lifted her hand in front of their faces. “Can you feel this?”

Purple Shorts nodded.

“I don’t think we’re dead,” Sam whispered, gazing into her blue eyes.

 About the Author:

Souls Entwined is Anne B. Cole’s debut release, combining sweet romantic suspense, time travel, and paranormal elements in a New Adult novel attractive to a wide range of readers.

In addition to writing, Anne teaches preschool and is raising three very active teenagers with her husband of twenty-two years. Her love for making fresh baked goodies, running, hiking, historical fiction, and her three pet cats continue to be her inspiration while she pens the sequel to Souls Entwined.

 

 

How to contact Anne B. Cole:

Facebook

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Website

www.annebcole.com

Buy Link:

Souls Entwined