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Maressa Mortimer – Part 2 – Being An Indie Author

September 17, 2021 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credit: Book covers and author pics were kindly supplied by Maressa Mortimer. Other images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.

It is lovely to welcome back Maressa Mortimer to Chandler’s Ford Today. This week, Maressa shares her thoughts on marketing (every writer has views on that!), and how she feels her writing has developed. She also discusses book tours and why she has used Facebook Live for her book launches. So with no further ado, over to Maressa.

Tags: am reading, am writing, Association of Christian Writers, author newsletter, creative writing, Facebook Live, Maressa Mortimer, marketing, outlining, self publishing

Introducing Maressa Mortimer – Being an Indie Author – Part 1

September 10, 2021 By Allison Symes 1 Comment

Image Credit:-

Many thanks to Maressa Mortimer for book cover pictures and author headshot photo.

Images for Creativity Matters: Find Your Passion for Writing kindly supplied by Wendy H Jones.

Most of the other images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.

One of the joys of the writing life is meeting other authors. I met Maressa Mortimer via the Association of Christian Writers.

Maressa, who is originally from The Netherlands, and I, as well as meeting at ACW events, regularly meet on her Zoom event held most weeks where ACW writers get together to chat. It can be very funny and at times therapeutic. There is nobody like another author who understands when you have had a rough week.

Likewise, those same authors will rejoice with you when things go well. What goes around comes around in writing circles. Most authors are supportive of each other’s efforts. We know it is not an easy thing to do. We know marketing and drafting the next work is tiring (and invigorating). You do need a shoulder to cry on sometimes (yet another reason to network well and develop friendships).

Tags: am reading, am writing, Association of Christian Writers, creative writing, editing, fiction, Kindle Direct publishing, Maressa Mortimer, non-fiction, planning, self publishing, writing

Small World Syndrome – Part 2 – Helen Matthews

July 9, 2021 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

Image Credit: Many thanks to Helen Matthews for supplying the author and book cover pics. Other images either created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos or are direct Pixabay images.

Welcome back, Helen, to Chandler’s Ford Today. This week Helen shares with me what drew her into writing domestic noir, her social media preferences, and reveals her top three tips for writers amongst other topics.

Tags: After Leaving the Village, am reading, am writing, creative writing, domestic noir, Facade, Helen Matthews, Lies Behind the Ruins, research, three top tips for writers, thrillers. social media

Small World Syndrome – Introducing Helen Matthews – Part 1

July 2, 2021 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credits: Many thanks to Helen Matthews for supplying author and book cover images. Other photos created in Book Brush using Pixabay images.

Most of us have experienced small world syndrome when you re-meet someone you haven’t met for ages or discover the person who is sitting next to you at the cafe (now possible but suitably distanced of course!) went to the same primary school you did thirty odd years ago.

Recently this has happened again to me.

I first met Helen Matthews, novelist and short story writer, at the Hursley Park Book Fair as her table was near mine and we got chatting.

I’ve also met her at the Winchester Writers’ Festival. And now I’ve re-met her thanks to a Twitter group – #writingchat. This is on every Wednesday night between 8 and 9 pm where writers get together online and chat about a range of topics. We also share experiences and tips (including sometimes on what not to do). It is a friendly place to “hang out” and I always learn something useful from the discussions. (And it is wonderful being able to share with other writers the frustrations as well as the joys of the writing life).

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Tags: After Leaving the Village, am reading, am writing, anti-slavery, creative fiction, Darkstroke, domestic noir, Facade, genre fiction, Helen Matthews, Hursley Park Book Fair, Lies Behind the Ruins, social media, the writing life, thrillers, Twitter, Unseen, Winchester Writers' Festival, writing chat

Finding Themes

June 11, 2021 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.

Themes, like story ideas, are all over the place. It is a question of having an open enough mind to spot them and then working out which ones you like best. Those are the ones you will put heart and soul into writing up.

[Read more…] about Finding Themes

Tags: am reading, am writing, creative writing, fiction, finding themes, non-fiction, themes

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