THANK YOU, LUBBOCK!
I held my first book signing event this past weekend at Wild Lark Books in Lubbock, Texas, and it was awesome! By the end of the day, I had sold ALL MY BOOKS and met lots of wonderful readers. I only hope that any future events I schedule are half as successful.
I'm already looking forward to returning to Lubbock sometime after Book Two comes out this summer. If there's an independent bookstore in your city that might be interested in hosting a similar event, feel free to contact me at dlh(dot)hammons(at)gmail(dot)com.
HOME
You’ve been away for a while. The amount of time doesn’t matter…what does is the feeling you get when you step back through that front door. It’s hard to describe. It is so much more than a domicile, shelter. There’s a sense of peace, tranquility, the comfort you feel when you wrap yourself in a soft blanket on a wet chilly morning. It’s also the sense of familiarity. A combination of smells and touches that only exist in this one place. You allow yourself to relax whatever defense mechanisms you employ when away because you are acquainted with every inch of your surroundings, and the people who occupy it. Your favorite spot is pulling at you when it’s time to read, watch TV, or listen to music. Reveling in uninhibited freedom.
It is a singular feeling when you return…home.
It is also that same feeling a writer gets when he/she returns to their in-progress manuscript.
CassaDark Release Day!
Cavanaugh returns to the world of his Cassa Series…for a fourth inventive space opera.” – Publisher’s Weekly
His world is unraveling…
Bassan’s father is stepping down from command. His best friend almost dies when Bassan freezes. Now, he’s being sent across the galaxy to speak at an important conference. Despite saving the eleven races years ago, he’s paralyzed by doubt. Could things get any worse?
Once there, new acquaintance Zendar convinces Bassan to visit his planet for a humanitarian mission. Bassan’s special connection to ancient technology is the key to saving Zendar’s people. One problem though—it’s a prisoner planet.
On Ugar, he discovers things aren’t so straightforward. As each truth reveals itself, the situation grows more desperate. If he can’t find the right answers, he might die along with Zendar’s people. Can Bassan summon the courage to be a hero again?
Print - 9781939844842
EBook – 9781939844859
Science Fiction – Adventure/Space Opera/Space Exploration
Links:
iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/
Barnes & Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.
Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/
Scribed – https://www.scribd.com/search?
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/
Sneak Peek
As book sales continue to climb for 𝐊𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄, I'm keeping busy by getting the next book in the series ready. 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐍 𝐊𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 is expected to be ready by June 1, but I'm giving a special few a sneak peek of what Dianne and the Knights will be up against by letting them read the 1st chapter. How can you be included in that special few, you ask? Simple, sign up for my newsletter. You can do that at the top of this page, but don't dawdle. This one-time opportunity will be made available on Monday, March 21st ONLY.
A New Cover
I mentioned in a previous post that KNIGHT RISE was getting a new cover, well, here it is!
It's already started popping up on various sites. There will also be a hardback version, but we won't have the official release party for it until April 30th. The timing couldn't be more perfect because book two in the series is being edited right now and it's scheduled to be released in late spring or early summer (depending on what the edits look like).
So, what do you think of the new cover?
Kim St. Lawrence - WRiTE CLUB Champion 2021 - Lessons Learned
Another WRiTE CLUB in the archives,
marking ten years of slush pile readers, skilled writers, and hundreds of
thousands of hopeful words. The competition is fierce, but the camaraderie is
fiercer, bringing writers together with some of the most thoughtful and
constructive critique partners they’ll (n)ever meet.
I first heard about WRiTE CLUB through an editor
I admire and entered with the quiet intention of workshopping my craft. I can be
a verbose writer and knew a 500-word minimum would challenge me to be more
concise—cut adverbs, slash filler words, kill darlings, and so on. Through my
first two competitions, I did learn to be more intentional with my language.
But I also learned a thing or four about storytelling:
1.
Figurative
language is cake: delicious in small servings. I love a well-placed simile or a unique metaphor. It can add
a bit of richness or sophistication to the writing. But if it’s used too much
or without regard for the tone of the piece, it can rip a reader right out of
the story. So before you decide her eyes are look like two bowls of blue Jello,
consider if it’s serving the plot.
2.
Mood is just as
important as storyline. If I begin a
new project by asking myself “what’s the plot?” it usually leads to a blinking
curser or a cursing writer. So now I ask myself “what makes me feel something?”
I start with a place, a mood, a memory that evokes a strong reaction and then
build a story around it. When a piece starts from my gut instead of my head, it
tends to comes across as more authentic and sets the tone I want people to feel
when they read it.
3.
When it comes
to revision, get rid of your ego but keep your heart. Editing is the hardest part of writing for me—a different,
more tactical headspace. But it’s a necessary evil. The writers who thrive in
WRiTE CLUB cage bouts are the ones who understand if and how to integrate
feedback. Usually, it comes down to this: if three or more critics call you out
on a plot hole or clumsy sentence, it’s not a subjective observation and you
shouldn’t cling to it. (Been there, ate that humble pie.) But if you believe in
something, if you feel like a certain detail is integral to your theme or
character, defend it, even in the face of criticism. It’s up to you to know the
difference.
4.
Mind your arc. It doesn’t matter if it’s flash fiction or a chapter in your
300k word novel (bless your heart), I’ve learned that every piece of writing
needs some rising and falling action. Even if the end isn’t tied in a bow,
people crave a sense of closure. I’m also a big fan of a circular narrative
where the beginning and end mirror each other in unexpected ways.
Needless to say, I didn’t win my first two swings
around the ring, but I was able to finetune my craft and, perhaps more
importantly, get to know myself better as a writer. I went into the 2021
competition equipped with the lessons I’d learned and fully leaning into my
strengths. A few comments on the results:
·
House of Whispers - This piece started with the first
line. I was fixated on this concept of a slightly sentient house but didn’t
like that haunted mansions get a bad rap for being malevolent. I wanted Château
du Chuchote to protect its residents, or at least some of them. That’s when
Nicolette arrived.
·
House of Whispers (Partie Deux) - Here, I took a big
WRiTE CLUB risk: whipping up a sequel for the readers who enjoyed the first
installment. This is a safe play because you have a sense of their taste, but
many readers prefer to see versatility. While it was fun to revisit this scene
and try out a new POV, I just squeaked by in the round. (And yes, my French is très
mauvais.)
·
Lost and Found Boys - I have a mild obsession with
Peter Pan (this is not my first dystopian
PP retelling in WC) and knew the mood I wanted to create—a sad
depiction of childhood innocence, using the landfill as a metaphor for the
burdens of society. I would not recommend introducing an ensemble cast in 500
words, but I still love these boys.
·
The Keeper of Kilkee - For those who read it, this
final piece kept with the same haunting vibe as the first three, but dropped
into a new story on an Irish coast. This one was a bit allegorical too,
exploring the cyclical nature of truth and rumor, beliefs and reality. This one
had an obscure ending, which could have gone either way with the judges.
Thankfully, the luck of the Irish was on my side.
The prevailing lesson from this season is that there is SO much talent out there. The caliber of the writing and the storytelling was inspiring. Even if I hadn’t pulled off a win, I would still count this experience as a success and look forward to being part of this community for years to come.
A huge thank you to DL and Kim Hammons, Wild Lark Books, the celebrity judge panel, and slush pile volunteers for providing writers with this opportunity for competition, kinship, and some incredible reads. Until next year, happy writing!
Book Update
Now that WRiTE CLUB is in the rearview mirror (for now), I was thinking that it was a good time to provide an update about how sales of my 1st novel Knight Rise are progressing.
To be frank, we're two months in and sales have been luke warm, at best. The difficulty is trying to discover ways to help people find my book. We don't have a huge advertising budget, so we rely mostly on word-of-mouth efforts. One of the more frustrating things is that even though the book has garnered excellent ratings (4.80 on Goodreads) it only has two reviews. Reviews are like GOLD (anybody see my Facebook post) and they really do move the needle when it comes to convincing readers to try a new author.
So if anyone out there seeing this has read my book, and you enjoyed it, then please consider doing one of the things on the list above. This word-of-mouth campaign needs more words ... or mouths. :)
WRiTE CLUB 2021 - A Champion Crowned
Let me introduce you to Kimber St. Lawrence, or you may know her as Lady Warbleon, our WRiTE CLUB Champion for 2021.
Kimber earned her storytelling chops in television production, winning a New England Emmy Award and Telly Award that now serve as fancy bookends. These days, she is Chief Marketing Officer for a business information publisher and seasonally hosts a winter travel series airing on NBC Sports Boston. She is a member of SCBWI, co-founder of the writing blog The Page Half Full, and curator of unpublished manuscripts (ha)—she writes YA across genres, though she had never tackled gothic horror until WRiTE CLUB 2021.
Kimber lives in New Hampshire with her border collie, a dozen chickens, and her husband Ryan, who is an adaptive athlete and advocate for spinal cord injury awareness.
CONGRATS Kim and THANK YOU Brianne!
Thank you to everyone for making WRiTE CLUB what it is.
Our 1st runner-up and recipient of a $75 Amazon gift card is Fern Calloway, otherwise known in the real world as Ashley Rich.
Ashley is a horror author who lives in Northern California with her husband, teenage son, three cats, two dogs, and a handful of fish. When she isn't herding the animals or pounding away at the keyboard, she's busy in the kitchen cooking up something spicy or kneading together a sourdough loaf. She is the published author of several short stories with a new novel in the works.
The feedback provided by our celebrity judges will be forwarded to both our contestants. These writers have proved themselves to be extremely talented and I predict nothing but good things in their literary futures.
There are some other contest winners we also need to announce. They are -
Lisa Dunn - won the Random Voting prize of a $50 Wild Lark Books gift card.
J Lenni Dorner - won for the best WRiTE CLUB Promotional Campaign (for the 2nd year in a row) and takes home a $40 Amazon gift card
Will all the winners please contact me so delivery arrangements can be made?
The contest was a success once again, despite COVID doing its best to try and hamper our fun. Participation may have been down, but I think everyone would agree that the quality of the writing we witnessed was not.
Now that the contest is over we encourage the other writers who made it
into the bouts to reveal their true identities in the comments below.
People who have read your work really want to keep in touch with you and
your work, so why not remove that mask? No pressure though. If you want
to remain anonymous, we respect that choice.
If you want to be alerted to when the contest will start in 2022, just signup for my newsletter above and I'll be happy to send that information out to you.
