Author Spotlight, Guest Blog Post by Andrea Houtsch

Like the Wizard of Oz when Toto scurries across the stage and tugs on the red velvet curtain, I want to throw my hands over myriad levers and valve handles to throw up a smoke screen laser light show to distract you from paying any attention to the girl behind the keyboard. That rather defeats the point though, doesn’t it? In a market fraught with competition, and most of it being poor competition at that, we’re all authors with a voice struggling to be heard. Introverts like me, and countless others, who have wrapped themselves in words as dual means of expression and insulation from a chaotic outer world, are now asked to open the window, draw back the drapes and let in a little light so that readers can get to know them better. 

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying this is a bad thing. In fact it’s a tremendously positive thing – this whole necessity of finding a new comfort zone in finally finishing writing the story that has been growing and developing in my head for the last twenty years. Signing on for publication is an even greater leap of faith. I wrote it for a reason – to be read. And now others are reading it, even if just to edit and polish the prose – the lifeblood of the characters whom have become some of the greatest friends I’ve ever had. 

Aha, okay, see, now I had to get used to the curtain being pulled back. Pardon me. I got a little ahead of myself and skipped over some pertinent details. Allow me to start over. Ahem. 

Hello! My name is Andrea Houtsch (real name, no pseudonyms here) and I am the author of the upcoming novel She Will Become, an erotic LBGT-themed romantic drama. I recently signed on with All Authors Publishing House to publish and am anxiously awaiting a release date while enjoying a rousing round of editing and revisiting old friends.

I began writing this story back when I was a junior in high school. Originally an exercise in visualization, what began as a simple story of wandering through the woods to discover an old mansion, over time, became a sweeping epic revolving around identity, relationships, sexuality and love. I humbly offer up a synopsis.

When Tristen Callayas, 22, confesses to her best friend Ani that she has been in love with her for the last eight years of their life-long friendship, she hopes only that Ani’s blatant homophobia won’t destroy them. When she is rejected and fully ejected from Ani’s life Tristen is cast into a mire of doubt and suicidal thoughts. Unable to find solace she decides to end her life. In the course of attempting such a drastic end to her misery she finds an abandoned mansion housing a beautifully carved wooden box and a mystery involving a woman who disappeared a hundred years earlier. Following the puzzle pieces and discovering the box contains a portal to another world entirely, Tristen throws both caution and fate to the wind and finds Abiniam, a rustic world filled with as much beauty as pointless violence, ruled by the dual fists of a repressive religious Ostian regime and the wayward, emotionally distant King Reese Westphalia. 

Abiniam and its peoples offer up a new chance at life, love, meaning and purpose. Through the relationships Tristen establishes and builds with a host of characters – from Gwyneth, her beautiful handmaid who bears an uncanny and haunting resemblance to Ani; to Genevieve, the woman whose disappearance led Tristen to Abiniam; to Fahl, the king’s personal servant who hails from the war-savaged southern lands of the Uwate Mountains and whose self-avowed belief in the opposing religion sets him distinctly apart; to Endecai, Gwyneth’s quietly observant younger brother; to Bastian, the Master Rabani/”Ost’s Chosen Illuminator” so obsessed with fulfilling a thousand year old prophecy he will stop at nothing short of burning anyone Tristen has come to love and care for on the Purification pyres to obtain his goal; to the mysterious castle steward Rabani Theo; and finally to King Reese himself, a man full to bursting with inner torment over the “sinful” callings of his heart versus living up to the ideals and responsibilities ruling over a kingdom engaged in a four hundred year war entails – she learns more of what it truly means to love and be loved, to see the world through a lens unclouded by misery and angst, and instead through the filter of human compassion and self-sacrifice. 

How will Tristen navigate these relationships? Will she affect as much change upon the people of Abiniam as they bring about in her over the course of the story?

Watching the characters grow over the course of twenty years has been much like watching as my son grew from infancy to the tweenager he is now. Ideas loosely formed in my formative years took on weight and definition. A world developed and a map to explore it drawn. The ghostly outlines of the main cast of characters slowly took on shape and substance. Secondary and even tertiary characters developed to fill the gaps and make the connections. Sometimes these secondary and tertiary characters transcended their original purpose and became someone more. For a certainty every person populating and interacting in this book took on a life and voice of their own. Writing this book became a fellowship of sorts. I wasn’t so much as creating anything. I was observing and recording what I heard and saw – what the characters needed me to experience in order to tell their story. I was only graced to be a witness to their unfolding, and to have learned some lessons of my own in the process. 

She Will Become is about relationships and how they serve to move us through life, no matter where we are in the universe or what God we believe in. This is a story about love and loss, drama and intrigue, emotional connections and discovering who we are by navigating the tangled web of relationships that make up the foundations of our human lives. It is in and through the quality of our relationships and the mirrors they represent that we discover and become our truest selves. 

If you would like to read a sample please visit my website: http://arhoutsch.wordsandwriters.com. 

In addition, several of the characters who transcended their original roles to play a more integral role in the plot Tristen finds herself inextricably embroiled in merited erotic short stories of their own. These I am all too happy to share to give readers a broader look at the world of Abiniam and the people who inhabit it. 

In Stitching Inseams: Nyra and Astrid we meet Castle Westphalia's court seamstress and tailor, Nyra Sellet and her assistant and life partner, Astrid, as she struggles and to resist Astrid's beauty and wiles. Tristen Callayas has come to Abiniam from Earth and turned society on its head with her other-worldly ideas on how women should dress, among other ideas. Tristen's penchant for trousers has Abiniam's Peerage raising polite eyebrows and filling Nyra's coffers and hours with design work. There simply hasn't been time for anything beyond scissors, needles and thread for weeks and the two women are feeling the gulf between them. Become a fly on the wall with as these two creative denizens of Abiniam make time for one another and sharing their love.

You can download it FREE here:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/395890

In Between the Pages: Sedge and Akiva the servants of Castle Westphalia are forbidden from fraternizing. Personal relationships are taboo. This doesn't stop Sedge and Akiva, two unlikely lovers. One is a thief and spy, the other a bookworm and archivist. When the festival of Wintertide arrives Sedge wants to take his lover out to celebrate but Akiva has other plans. She's on a secret mission for illicit information and only reluctantly agrees to allow him to help when he decides any time alone with her is time he'll take no matter what they're doing. Follow Sedge and Akiva as they descend into the belly of the castle to explore the archives and each other.

You can also download this for FREE here:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/396372

You can also connect on the following sites: 

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/Andrea.Wordsmith

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/WordsmithAndi

I look forward to hearing from any and all!

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

An Unbiased, Objective Look at Authorship

Hello and Good Day RWPP's,

Today All Authors P&P is taking an unbiased objective look at authorship. Let's look at the good, the bad and the ugly.

There are so many aspects of being a published author--so many sides to the coin--those of which many of us prior to being published never even think about.

In today's world there are so many platforms that Indie authors can use to become a published author. Yet with traditional publishing it still remains the same--submit, submit, submit. What traditional publishers aren't telling you is that they are using the very same platforms indies are! The only difference is that traditional publishing firms have a whole slew of professionals on their side, so this makes it a little different.

In THIS DAY AND TIME, ANYONE--literally anyone--can call themselves a published author.

While the freedom is great, the facts can be depressing! Let's give it a look-see, shall we?

So what's the difference between Traditional vs. Indie/Self-Published?

Traditional Publishing:

This means that you have gone the old-school route of submitting your manuscript to publishers and if accepted have signed a contract to have them represent your book. This also means that you are only eligible for a portion of your royalties. If you are one of the very few to be accepted by The Big 5 then you'll have a whole teams of people marketing your book. BUT if you are accepted by one of the smaller companies, than chances are that you will be required to do a great amount of the marketing yourself. The benefit to this is having the validity of being "under the umbrella" if you will, of good quality reads and a lineage of professionals. 

Indie/Self-Published:

This means that you have opted to do everything yourself. That is, from writing, to editing, to making the book cover, to marketing and everything in between. You do not have an advocate or a group of professionals teaming up to help you. The benefit to this is that you get to keep all of the royalties and recognition of the work to yourself. No one can tamper with your work and/or change it.

Now that all of that is out of the way, let's get to the "real talk" aspect of today's topic.

Personally, I can care less about what publishing platform you've used (Indie/SP or Traditional). All I care about is the downward spiral that is now happening in the market in general.

For those of you who don't know me, I'm Y. Correa President/Creator/Founder of All Authors P&P. I am also a published author, a literary advocate and a professional reviewer--doing reviews with The Review Board. Needless to say, I read A LOT! My life practically revolves around books. I do not discriminate genre or publishing platform--I'll read them all (well, maybe excluding the anti-bible).

In so doing I've seen a continuous drop in quality. This worries me greatly.

Let's talk about the Cons of Traditional Publishing:

• They can take your book idea and change it completely.
• There has been an increase in contracts that state that authors can be taken off of their own works.
• You don't always get what you think your getting.
• If you don't look out for yourself, you will get ripped off. 
• You're just a number--literally.
• There is no real interaction with your publishers.
• They get to tell you what they want to keep and what they want to take out of your book.
• Sometimes, if you're not careful, your book can get altered/abridged.
• Most importantly, they aim to "mainstream" you at any cost.

Let's talk about the Cons of Indie Publishing:

• Anyone can publish. While this is a benefit, it's also a downfall. Let me explain why; because people have been publishing low quality reads. So while, if you get props for having published a good book, you will also get fowl reviews if you happened to publish a bad one--and no authors wants to get bad reviews or become part of the "don't read his/her crap" list.
• You have to do EVERYTHING, and I mean everything, by yourself.
• Marketing isn't easy and indies always seem to get the cold shoulder.
• The vast majority frown upon Indie publishing.
• They don't have a very good reputation, especially because of those whom have published lackluster works.
• Not everyone is crafty enough to make cover art and/or format their books interiors.

So, no matter how you spin it, there are good and bad things with both markets. I should know. I am and have been both Indie & Traditional.

So, let's get to the nitty gritty, shall we?

My concern is in the downslide of the literary market.

I have been coming across books, Indie & Traditional alike whose quality have gotten worse and worse. From dreary plots, to excessive wordiness, to terrible syntax, to unoriginal story lines and so much more.

Why is this, you ask?

I think the answer is simple. Competition.

First you have the Indies' trying to prove themselves, then you have the Traditionals' trying to compete with the increase in Indie published authors. The problem is that everyone is focused on quantity, not quality.

And what happens? The grand divide, as I call it.

As integrated as our world has become in racial aspects, it has become more and more segregated in literary aspects. Everyone thinks they are right, and therefore cannot come to an agreement. Sam, wants to prove to Tony that he has what it takes to be an "author". Yet, Tony wants to prove to Sam that tradition is of grater value than independence.

Herein lies the tug of war...

HERE IS THE PROBLEM!

While one party competes with the other, the ones that pay the penalty are the readers!! WE, get stuck with low quality books that are impossible to enjoy!

LADIES, LADIES! YOU'RE ALL PRETTY!!

I believe that it's incredibly important to focus more on quality than quantity.

Here is how we can do that:

Analyze yourself.

• Are you really, truly able to write a book?
• Are you prepared?
• Do you have the skills and know how?
• Are you patient enough to ensure that your work is up to par, well done and exceptional?
• Do you think your book has the makings of an original and outstanding story/work?

Be precautions.

• Don't fall for everything your told.
• Read, and double read your contracts (for traditional authors), and contractors guidelines (for indie authors hiring people to do work for you). If you can't double check it, have someone that you trust do it for you.

But most of all, think of your audience!!!!! Put yourself in their shoes! Would YOU read your book if you were them?

AFTER ALL, A HAPPY READER EQUALS A SUCCESSFUL AUTHOR!

~~~~~~

Time for y'all to talk to me! Tell me your thoughts, share your input! Interact!

~~~~~

This is All Authors P&P

The good, the bad and the ugly in the world of books, article 1.