CORRINA AUSTIN GUEST POST AND CORNERS GIVEAWAY AND IWSG POST

Happy Wednesday Everyone! Today I've got a great guest post by author Corrina Austin and a giveaway of her MG historical CORNERS. It sounds like a fantastic story to transport us to the late 1960's. But before I get to Corrina's guest post, I've got my IWSG post and Follower News.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of the month is officially Insecure Writer's Support Group Day.

The co-hosts this month are:  Olga Godim, Chemist Ken, Renee Scattergood, and Tamara Narayan!

Optional Question: When your writing life is a bit cloudy or filled with rain, what do you do to dig down and keep writing?

Well, since I am a contract writing with 15 or more articles that I must write each week, I have learned to write through the good times and bad. I don't pick all my topics and don't always love them. But once I get into my writing, I just plod through. And writing is actually comforting, sort of like comfort food, when times are tough.

When I can get to my own writing, I find going back and editing the last chapter I wrote can help me get back into it even if I'm struggling. I'm more willing to follow my critique partners' advice and just change things lately, so that is making less rainy times for me. Not that I've been writing much for me. But I'm in heavy-duty planning for my mom's move from Florida to independent living next month. I have to do all the work of it, so I just can't do anything about the lack of time for me right now.

What about you? How do you get through your rainy times.

FOLLOWER NEWS

Rebecca Douglas recently released DEATH BY ADVERB, her new adult cozy mystery. Here's a

blurb: JJ MacGregor doesn’t actually want to kill her annoying boss, but someone did, and now JJ needs to find the killer before more people end up dead. And here are a few links:

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/787316

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B8JKSW8?ref_=pe_2427780_160035660

And the first two books in the series are on sale for 99 cents through April. Here's a few links:

Death By Ice Cream https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J4W055A

Death By Trombone https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019HK8VI6

Now, let's get onto Corrina's guest post.

    

I knew that I was a writer when I was eight years old. I was outside, sitting in the lower branches of a willow tree. It occurred to me that I was “in the willow’s lap.” It was such a cool thought that I had to write it down. Once I connected to the thrill of the written word, I wrote constantly. I would write on coloured pads of newsprint, the backs of old calendars my mom saved for me, and in the left-over pages of the used school notebooks the teachers let us take home in June. I was writing novels by the time I was twelve. I would go to the Homework Room at school during recess and work on a story rather than go out to play. As a teenager, I would write in the evenings after homework and I would often look up from my notebook to discover that it was very late and I should have been in bed hours ago. Even now, that is something I love about writing—getting lost in it until I’ve lost all track of time. It is escapism at its finest.

I write for myself first. If it becomes something marketable, that’s a great bonus. I’ve tried to write to specific markets before and it can be done, but there is an element of forcedness to that. I far prefer the natural flow process of writing a story that is begging to be told, as though writing it isn’t even a choice.

I received an acceptance for a children’s picture book when I was eighteen years old--the very first press I’d submitted it to. I wrote the story as part of a project I was working on in a Canadian Literature course I was taking in high school. I even received an advance for that book. Unfortunately, the press went under before they could publish it. The title of that story was “Marbles, Puppy Tails, Nose Trees and Bubbles.” I don’t have the original manuscript any more. After that first acceptance, I learned that my easy success had been a complete fluke! I was doomed to decades of rejection. I wish I had kept track of all the rejection letters and emails I have received from publishing companies. There were several times where my hopes were lifted after learning that my work had made it to editorial review. I sincerely appreciated the editors who found time for some feedback in those “we thought your book had merit, but we will have to take a pass” responses. I learned that my writing was often perceived as strong and engaging, just not “the right fit” in most cases. If not for

those comments, I might have come to believe that my writing skills fell short of “published author” material, and I would likely have given up. I did persist and had some short stories and articles published. I also won a short story contest in my community. I received two grants from the Ontario Arts Council for a novel in progress. My “real” job in the school library made it possible for me to advance my resume as a book reviewer for School Library Journal. These small successes helped to fire my drive to push on and publish a novel. I took a sabbatical for one year when I was teaching and devoted my days to writing and submitting. My novel “Corners” was born out of that year off. Once the final draft was complete, I started shooting it off regularly to different publishers. It took a few years to find success with that particular manuscript and I was delighted to receive an offer from Dancing Lemur Press. I have several other completed manuscripts I’m still trying to find homes for. I should be focusing on that task, but as per usual, I would much rather be writing and I’m presently spending my afternoons on another novel-in-progress.

Researching and submitting to presses is tedious work. Many writers have an inherent talent for this

process, but I am not one of them. The legwork of finding a publisher is a crucial aspect of being a writer, and the challenge is that every press has different requirements and expectations for author submissions. Writers who want to be noticed by a publisher must respect their submission guidelines and follow them in order to be considered. I have learned to pay attention to what presses are asking for when submitting. If they ask for a synopsis and three sample chapters, then that is exactly what I will need to send. I have come to realize that I will make a good impression when it is obvious that I have read and respected submission guidelines. I also try to write solid proposals and synopses for my manuscripts. Most publishing companies will ask for one or both of these things. I try to keep proposals and synopses on the brief and concise side, at the same time ensuring that what I do write is interesting and engaging enough to capture an editor’s attention.

It is important to carefully record submissions, including dates, rejections, and feedback. If a writer doesn’t do this, it is entirely possible to send a manuscript back to someone who has already rejected it a year or two before. As a writer (as in any job), I want to make an impression as a professional. I keep a simple chart in my computer files and update it with each submission. It can be something as simple as that, or just a ruled notebook. Just commit to recording everything that goes out and comes in. And be prepared to wait for responses. They can be a year or more in coming. Some presses won’t even respond at all if they are not interested in a manuscript. Be aware that some presses will not read simultaneous submissions, which means they do not want to consider work that is being considered elsewhere. If you can’t live with that (and I personally cannot), refrain from sending your work there.

I’ve learned the importance of accuracy when writing from a historical perspective. “Corners” wasn’t as challenging in that regard because I drew from my own experiences as a child growing up in the 1960’s. I have written stories set in more distant time periods, using old yearbooks and manuals and archives to ensure that my information is correct. If I want to be credible as an author, then my facts must follow suit. I have had that unpleasant experience of reading a book, becoming engrossed in the story and then being jerked out of the book’s world by an obvious historical error. A writer should avoid disengaging his or her readers like this. For the time we are reading, we want the book’s landscape and characters to be real.

Another thing I learned from working with an editor on “Corners” is that although song titles can be referred to in a novel, lyrics cannot—unless you are prepared to pay songwriters hefty sums. I was not prepared to do that. I imagine most writers aren’t. I was disappointed when I had to weed through the first draft and take all the song lyrics out. I had researched them carefully and tied them in directly to what was happening in the story.

One thing I have grown accustomed to is to not to take rejection personally. Initially, it stings. It’s hard to read a two-sentence form letter after the monumental effort of writing an entire novel. Rejection gets easier with practice, and I advise prospective authors to accept that you may very well have plenty of practice! Persistence will pay off, somewhere along the line. And if you are fortunate enough to receive some feedback, implement those suggestions. It is important to be open to helpful criticism. These people know their business.

In this age of social media, the author must be ready to take on a substantial role in promoting his or her work. Gone are the days when the publishing company takes all of the marketing on. It’s become more of a partnership now. Authors are expected to use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. to promote their work to their followers. They are expected to organize signings, readings, book launches, write guest blog posts—anything that can improve sales. There are countless opportunities to promote your book and sell more copies—which is a win/win for everyone!

My novel “Corners” was released in print and electronic versions on March 6, 2018 and is classified as “Middle Grade Fiction.” I did not write the book with this audience in mind, but Lesley at Dancing Lemur had the expertise and experience of judgement to target this age range. The characters in the flashback scenes of the story are children and so the age designation makes sense. I do hope that adults will find the novel engaging, too. Set in 1969, it has a lot of nostalgia as well as themes present in a difficult childhood that many will relate to. An adult looking for a book without gratuitous violence and graphic content would enjoy the book. Look for it on Amazon in the U.S. and Chapters/Indigo in Canada.

Here is the blurb on the back cover:

Everyone needs their own special corner...

It's 1969 and ten-year-old Davy is in a predicament. With two weeks remaining of the summer holidays, he's expelled from the public pool for sneaking into the deep end and almost drowning. How will he break the news to his hard-working single mother? She's at the diner all day, Davy has no friends, and he's too young to stay by himself.

The answer lies in his rescuer, mysterious thirteen-year-old Ellis Wynn. Visiting her Grammy for the summer, Ellis offers to babysit Davy. She teaches him about "corners"-forgotten or neglected areas fixed up special. Together, the kids tackle several "corners" and Davy learns what it means to bring joy to others.

Davy begins to wonder, though. Why does Ellis want to be his friend? Why doesn't she ever smile? And is Davy just one of Ellis' "corners?"

You can find Corrina at:

Twitter (@corrinaaustin)
Instagram (@readingcorners)
Corrina Austin Author (Facebook)
My blog https://trustcake.wordpress.com/
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Corrina-Austin/e/B071ZZJ7NW

Corrina and her publisher, Dancing Lemur Press, have generously offered a hardback of CORNERS for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment through April 21st. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This giveaway is U.S.

Here's what's coming up:

Monday, April 9th I have a guest post by debut author Alexa Donne and her agent Elana Roth Parker and a giveaway of a query critique by Elana and BRIGHTLY BURNING, a YA romantic science fiction by Alexa

Monday, April 16th I have an interview with author Jerry Mahoney and a giveaway of his MG science fiction BUTTHEADS FROM OUTER SPACE

Monday, April 23rd I have an agent spotlight interview and query critique giveaway with associate agent Jennifer March Soloway

Monday, April 30th I'm participating in the May I Suggest Giveaway Hop!

Hope to see you on Monday!