Down Home with Durham Editing and E-books: Special Interview

Dear RWPP's,

Today, the All Authors Blog gladly presents Durham Editing and E-books. We are so happy to have them here with us to share some of their time, knowledge, current work and experiences. So brace yourselves, this is going to be some good stuff.

Durhams, thank so much for joining us today. It's great to have you. We here at All Authors enjoy nothing more than networking with other people/companies in this industry. We believe that we should all stick together.

Today you'll be interviewed by our Founder and Creator, the President of All Authors P&P, Ms. Y. Correa.

1. (Shaking hands and smiling) Welcome, Durhams! Thanks for joining me. Please sit, sit. Could you please tell us a little bit about Durham Editing and E-books, what you do and why?

Hi, Y! Thanks for having us. Durham Editing and E-books is a small, online editing company that also offers e-book and print-on-demand formatting and cover design. We also offer publishing opportunities for writers which, in turn, brings us to the why part of your question.

We do what we do for two reasons: 1) to help authors get going in the e-publishing world and expand their audiences, and 2) to be able to look our kids in the eyes and tell them that we’re proud of the work we do and that it helps others, especially helping others share their story with the world.

2. I'd love to know a little bit about how you started out. How, why and when was Durham Editing established?

We started out in the e-publishing world back in 2010 when we both released our first poetry collections. We started getting involved in the indie world, and we realized that we weren’t the only people who felt a little uncertain and even overwhelmed when faced with releasing their first indie publication. We saw a real need for quality, affordable editing, formatting, and cover design and decided to help fill it. We began freelancing, and in 2011 Durham Editing and E-book Design was born. In 2013, we decided to put together a poetry anthology in honor of National Poetry Month. It was an absolute blast, and so our publishing opportunities were born. We also shortened our name in 2013 to Durham Editing and E-books since it just felt more natural to us and our clients.

3. That's a fantastic story. Thanks for sharing. Now as a publisher, literary advocate and author, I know the importance AND difficulty of editing. I also see that that is one of your specialties. Could you tell us a little bit about your editing services and how they differ from others?

We offer different levels of editing based on each writer’s needs. We offer basic editing--you know, spelling, grammar, typos, punctuation, flow, some syntax. We also offer content editing that’s more in depth, helping with syntax, conciseness, clarity, coherence, and basic editing. We also have manuscript consultations which are a great “pre-editing” service.

We have a couple real differences from most of our competitors. The first big difference is price. We try to save our writers as much money as we can. That means that if we can offer you some suggestions that would take your needs down a bit on the cost scale, we try to offer those to clients. The reason we do this is really tied to our second difference. That second reason is our love and support of our authors. We love our writers, and there is really no other way to put it. We try to promote our writers and help them expand their audience. If that means they contact us to tell us about a promotion they are running on their book, we tell people about. We also do Featured Author blog posts that feature our authors. We even promote the authors who work on our anthologies with us. We want to help authors make it in the e-publishing world, and we do everything we can to help them.

4. I am also aware that Durham Editing has put together several anthologies. Could you please share the inspirations behind those anthologies, as well as the premise?

We do these anthologies to help authors widen their audience and even to get started in e-publishing. Our thought process is that there is power in numbers, and if indie writers pool their work into a really great collection, then every writer featured benefits. Every writer has at least one reader--even if it is just him or her. If that reader is exposed to every other author in the collection, then each author in the collection has the opportunity to win over a new reader. It’s a win-win situation. For new writers, it is also a way to get involved in e-publishing that is supportive and caring, an experience that is sometimes hard to find. We offer opportunities in short stories, poetry, memoirs, Christmas stories, and more, so there is always something going on.

5. From all of Durham Editing’s anthologies, which is your personal favorite and why?

Wow. Our favorite. That’s a really hard question. Each one is so special on its own. The poetry anthology for 2013 will probably always be our most-loved as it is what really got us going in the publishing opportunity field.

6. I realize that you regularly take submissions for upcoming anthologies. What is it that you look for in a submission? What catches your attention when reading over the vast amount of entries that you receive?

We look for good writing first and foremost. We want writing that is open and inviting to a wide variety of readers and will embrace rather than reject. Our Christian values really guide us, as well.

7. Could you tell us a little bit about what services Durham Editing offers and how they benefit the recipients?

When you hear that first impressions matter, this couldn’t be more true that in publishing. Every writer can benefit from a second set of eyes. We actually offer two sets of eyes to each piece. We also offer manuscript consultations that offer writers advice and insight into their manuscripts’ character development, plot, dialogue, pacing, and coherence, and are a really invaluable service for new writers--or seasoned writers for that matter.

8. Now, this may be a little bit of a biased conversation piece, but we here at All Authors are extremely proud of our very own Nicola (Nikki) McDonagh & Queen of Spades, who happened to make it into Words of Fire and Ice. That being said, what things were you looking for when putting together that particular poetry anthology and why?

With Words of Fire and Ice, we wanted poetry that really rocked both sides of the balance, the passionate and the pointed. We wanted poetry that truly made an impression on the reader and would invite some sort of personal introspection as well.

9. What sort of things do you envision Durham Editing doing in the future?

Our real dream is to keep doing what we are doing: helping indie authors make it in the e-publishing world. It doesn’t get much better than this.

10. Could you please share with us where our readers/followers can connect with you? Also would you please share some closing words, maybe something inspirational?

Certainly. We can always be found at http://editingandebooks.com. We can also be found on Twitter (@DurhamEditing), Pinterest (Durham Editing), Linked In (Durham Editing and E-books), Google+ , and Facebook (Durham Editing and E-book Design). You can also follow our RSS feed or join our mailing list via our website.

We owe our success to the Lord, and we hope to pass that love and success on to all the writers we work with. It is truly our honor to work with all of them. Helping writers’ publish their masterpieces is our dream come true.

As April wrote in Words of Fire and Ice, “No matter the strength of the proverbial sticks and stones, words have a power that no other thing holds. Words can build and break, create and destroy, inspire and defeat.” What will your words do?

Thank you, Y., for taking the time to talk with us and to let us share a little about our company and services. It’s been a true pleasure. Best wishes and God bless!

Well, thank you so much, once again for being here. It was a lovely time. We hope to have you again very soon. Maybe with a guest blog post about your books.

Cheers!

Y. Correa

All Authors Proudly Presents Ms. Harmony Kent

Harmony Kent

She’s All About Indie!

Ten things you should know:

1. She was born in 2013 (at least, the author in her was) … the rest of her is … err … just a LITTLE bit older than that.
2. She is really boring.
3. She has absolutely no sense of humour.  At all.
4. She reads.  A lot.
5. She writes.  Even more.
6. She’s completely sane (in).
7. She doesn’t have any children, but is surrounded by loads of cute gremlins who claim to be her nieces and nephews.  Stranger still: they seem to like her.
8. If you’ve read this far, you’re probably as sane as she is.
9. If you still want to hang around, and if you’re feeling brave …
10. She’s online …

Harmony Kent Online

At Twitter: @harmony_kent

At Facebook

On Goodreads

Email

At Koobug

Amazon Author Page

Indie Author Harmony Kent has written three books. The Battle for Brisingamen, her first novel, is a work of fantasy fiction and was approved by Awesome Indies within weeks of its release.

Her second book, The Glade shows her equally at home in the realms of mystery, suspense and thriller – with a dash of magical realism.  This book has also been approved for the Awesome Indie List. The cover was also featured in “All Authors Magazine” in their Awesome Covers feature in issue 3.

Her third book, Elemental Earth, is a Young Adult Fantasy Fiction novel, and will be released on May 31^st 2014. It has already received its first 5 star rating!

“You turned the god of gnomes into a garden ornament?”

Sarah looked closely, but couldn’t tell if her dad was annoyed or amused—perhaps he was both …

Whilst 15 year old Sarah may be struggling to regain her feet, after being ripped from her everyday mundane life and ending up in a whole new dimension, she still knows how to have a bit of fun along the way. The Earth Elemental isn’t the only one whose feathers she manages to ruffle, and it’s only been four days. Meanwhile, her best friend is missing, and big trouble is brewing. She soon has a lot more to worry about than what happened to her phone or iPod, or even how much of an idiot Caleb obviously thinks she is.

Elemental Earth is the first book in The Mysteries series, and is aimed at Young Adults. Even if you’ve already reached an age where the young ones might call you ‘old enough’, if you’re still young at heart then you’re bound to enjoy these books just as much as the next—err—younger adult.

Age aside, perhaps we should be more worried about what further havoc Sarah’s antics might be about to wreak on the universe as we know it? We’d probably all be sleeping a lot more soundly if she’d only stuck to applied maths and the odd pillow fight. But no, sadly the lure of the proverbial rabbit hole proved just a tad too much. And now she’s taken the plunge, there’s no turning back.

Available to pre-order now at a special discounted price until its release day: 

http://harmonykent.co.uk/harmonys-book-store/

Order your copy today and don’t miss out on this incredible deal.

With a fourth book on the way, Harmony is well on track to being a firmly established multi genre author.

As well as being an avid reader and writer, Harmony also offers editing, proof reading, manuscript appraisal and beta reading services (all at discounted rates, in an effort to assist her fellow indie authors). 

Harmony works hard to promote and protect high standards within the indie publishing arena.  She is always on the lookout for talent and excellence, and will freely promote any authors or books who she feels have these attributes. She also reviews and supports indie authors on her blog, Facebook and twitter. She is proud to be an approved reviewer for both Awesome Indies and The Review Board.

Harmony has her own column in the up and coming “All Authors Magazine”, entitled: “All About Indie”. Don’t miss her debut article in Issue 5!

Harmony is 41 years old, single, and currently lives in Cornwall, England. 

(I’m SURE she won’t mind me giving her True age away!)

Don’t be afraid to stop by and say “HI” … she promises she won’t bite! 

All Authors Interview with D. John Watson

D. John Watson

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Twitter

Blog

Howdy everyone!  Today you're in for a special treat.  We sit down and talk to D. John Watson about the Chronicles of Irindia and a few things in between!

1) Could you please tell us a little about the Chronicles of Irindia and how you came across the inspiration for the premise? 

Inspiration behind the cover image
Artist: Jay Van Schelt

Well, let’s start with the premise.  I had mental picture of my hero surrounded by strange lights.  I worked it into a few black and white sketches, even did a full color sketch.  But it kept nagging at me so I decided to explore the story behind the sketch and the first thing I came up with was the ending.

The Chronicles of Irindia is a trilogy and it’s the story of a boy named David who is predestined to save a world he has never heard of.  After an argument, with his mother, he makes a wish to be anyplace else, and learns you have to be careful what you wish for.  He arrives in a land called Irindia and this land is being consumed by a very dark and powerful evil in the form of a powerful wizard named Draga.  The only way to stop this is to find and unite the fragments of an ancient artifact called the Stone of Irindia.  This stone is the only  weapon strong enough to defeat this evil and David is the only one who can do this.  And only by doing it can he return home.

So begins David’s quest even as a massive army to challenge Draga, is being assembled under the banner of a Lady named Akira Nene. He must across a land filled with creatures from out own myths and legends, guided by a powerful wizard who must prepare him for the role he’s expected to fulfill.  It’s also a role he’s not sure he can fulfill despite the confidence of everyone else.

2) I've read some of your work and am fascinated with the names you've chosen for your characters. I also know, as a writer, that sometimes our characters name themselves, for a lack of a better term. Could you tell us a little bit about how you chose the usual names for your cast of characters? 

With Irindia, I used real world languages so when come names were chosen, I tried to make them sound as though their origin was from that culture.  The most widely used language is Irish, I love the way it sounds, it has a magical sound so Alassa sounds right.  For Draga, his magical language is Slavic because of it’s harsh sound so the name sounds like it fits.  Lady Akara Nene has clear Asian influence so I went with a name that sounded like it fit that type of culture.  For others, I have to plead whimsy there.

3) I was particularly drawn to Empress Alassa. She was one of my favorite characters. Could you please share with us a little bit about her roll in the story and how it is pertinent to the story line?

Alassa is of course the empress of Irindia but she is also the guardian of a powerful artifact called the Mirror of Irindia.  This artifact is a gateway to other worlds and something both my main character David and his enemy, Lord Draga desperately want.  The key is, it cannot be used without her permission and that permission can't be taken through force or deception.  Permission has to be given freely.

4) I also loved the concept of David, the main character, being biracial. Why did you go this route?

That was just a whim really.  I was looking for something out of the ordinary for a character and one of my favorite authors takes a similar route, except that his racial mix is Japanese and American.

5) Like every teenager (or preteen) David didn't always agree with his parents, especially because he was always moved around. Could you tell us a little bit about the inspiration for David, who he is and what he means to you?

David is inspired by my own son, who then was only thirteen and is now almost seventeen going on thirty. So when it came time to fleshing out David, I went with the one I knew best.  So many of the same disputes and many of David's likes and dislikes are molded directly from him.  I fact much of his family in general is based on my own, including the move to North Carolina and his father‘s career in restaurants.

6) Youth and Young Adult fantasy is a particularly hard genre to write in. Mostly because you have to keep the story interesting and upbeat in order to keep the target audience engaged. Has Youth/YA fantasy always been a genre that has "spoken" to you?

Not always but I spent several years working with kids as  martial arts instructor and this was right around the time it seemed everyone had a Harry Potter book in their hand. There was just something about this type of book that fascinated all my students.  I eventually started reading them to my son as part of his bed time routine and continued when he lost interest.  I found  books like that and The Lord of  the Rings books had a general appeal that could easily translate into general Fantasy as well as YA without having to change any of the elements.

7) Now, veering off of the "tell me about your book(s)" type questions, most people want to get to know the mind behind the pages. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself; your hobbies, what you wanted to be as a child, things of that nature?

First of all, I’m a father, husband and grandfather as well as a self proclaimed beach rat. It’s funny how things work out, I was always into drawing and painting and saw myself in some form of commercial art, maybe drawing for Marvel Comics or something like that.  I even went to art school for a bit while working in restaurants.  Well, I still draw and I’m still working in restaurants but I was never able to finished school.
The writing was an off shoot of the art and my life long passion for reading, which I had to use since being a bad asthmatic sometimes kept me home when I’d rather be outside.  Now back to the funny how things work out line.  It was the writing that got me involved with another passion, martial arts.  I started training really as research for a story, I wanted to have the right feel to the fight sequences.  What started out as a few classes evolved into a seven year journey that ended up with me receiving a 2nd dan black belt and being a part time instructor.  That was my dream job, the one I would go back to in a minute if I ever got the chance.  I believe that all things happen for a reason and it might not be until later that we see what that reason was.

8) I love to ask the following question because is shows what's important to people. If you were stranded on a desert island alone and could only have 3 things with you to entertain yourself, what would they be?  

Just three? A never ending supply of books, art supplies and a fully equipped dojo.

9) What is your favorite color and why? What is your favorite food and why?

My favorite color is blue and I’m sure I have a reason for that one.   As for food, anything with pasta in it. I’d eat pasta with every meal if I could and I think it because of the wide variety of sauces that can be used although I particularly fond of pesto.

10) Going for gold here... Who was your high school crush and what happened with that person?

Her name was Julie and she was a fellow art class fanatic.  We dated a few times but we were better off as friends.  I kind of lost touch with after high school.