Mini-Rant

Hi All

I haven't been around much lately. I've been sick. Currently, the neurologists are trying to determine if I have ALS--Lou Gehrig's disease for those that don't know what ALS is.

The purpose of my post isn't about my possible diagnosis, though. This post is about a radio show by Walton and Johnson. They are syndicated radio celebs, apparently.

Check this out: http://tinyurl.com/makingfunofALS and listen to their comments about Stephen Hawking. Hawking has suffered with this terminal illness for nearly 40 years. At this time, he uses a motorized wheelchair and a computer to speak for him--as ALS robs one of the use of all voluntary muscles--including the tongue.

These guys called him a "corpse" and a "Piece of meat" Think it might have actually been 'nearly dead piece of meat'. It's true--Hawking looks VERY bad. He's got a terminal condition--of course he looks bad.

If freedom of speech has gone so far as to make it profitable to make fun of someone in this physical condition--it's just sad.

While I don't agree with Hawking's views on religion--at all--I don't think that gives these radio guys the right to make fun of the accommodations he needs just to exist.

Please go to their website and join in the boycott of this type of behavior. There has, obviously, been an outcry from those with the disease and those caring for them.

Their facebook page deleted all comments by those with ALS--and stated something snarky like "it's a particular groups awareness month so we had to clean up" to excuse their removal of the complaints regarding their aired brodcast. The show aird on 5/16.

Author Interview

HI

I'm doing a guest author interview at From The Shadows today.

Be sure to stop by and comment there for the chance to win some free books!

Have a great March!

Hope

Textnovel My First Chapter

Hi

I've posted the first chapter of my new WIP: Let There Be Light

It is a dystopia YA.

Please let me know what you think.

Wildly Excited About ... my new WIP

Hello friends and guests

I'm really excited today. I was walking outside one day and thought about how dark it was. The kind of dark where you're looking for shadows--something--to let you know it's safe to be outside.

What if you didn't need to be afraid?

Most of my stories start with some kind of "What If" to get me going. Then, if it gels, I start typing away.

This one gelled. Please tell me what you think of the opening scene. Does it make you want to read more? Tell me what it makes you think....


“Let there be light.” - God, The Bible

Supposedly, when God created the world, the first thing He created was Light. Then, would someone please tell me what the hell happened? Where did the light go?
As I walked into the room, the first thing I noticed was the darkness. Little hard not to—as it was absolute. Nothing could be seen. No shadows. No glimmers from beneath a door frame. Nothing—pitch black. Wasn’t that a movie title?

So, you’d figure that me, being a teenage girl, would be at least a little afraid, right? Well, maybe not so much as you might think. You see, I have this ability. Not one I tell many people about. I can create light. Not just a little glimmer of light at the end of a wand—you’ve read Harry Potter, right? Well, I can do that—and more—but I don’t need a wand at all. I can do these things with just a thought.



Thanks for any and all input! And, if you read this much--you can win a $10 amazon or B&N Gift Card by commenting and following the blog. I'll pick one winner from all comments via Random.org

Edit: typo fixed, thanks for telling me! Up to 2k words now. I think this one is going to be fun! Going to try for 10k words by bedtime.

The Rachel Harrie Platform Crusade!

We all know that writing our book isn't enough. We have to market. We need to interact with other writers. We need to do some social networking. Rachael Harrie has come up with an awesome idea. A Platform Crusadewhere you can join and meet friends. Please check out the blog and come join all the fun!

I'm really excited!

Indie Authors Hit the Big-Time

http://www.usatoday.com/_ads/interstitial/2008/page/interstitial_new.htm?http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250

Amanda Hocking is the centerpiece of this article. Her Trylle Trilogy will all three be on the USA Today Best-Selling List! It also mentions other great indie authors such as H.P. Mallory and J. Konrath. H.P. just signed a 3-book deal with Random House.

Indie Authors CAN sell their books. It takes a good story and promotion--but it's possible.

Congrats to all the indie authors that are working hard to produce quality work.

First Line Contest

HI Folks

I found a neat contest: FIRST LINE CONTEST It Was A Dark And Stormy Night Contest

Here's the first line of my current WIP.



Name: Hope Welsh
Title: This Time Forever
Genre: Contemporary paranormal romantic suspense

Shawn Ryder stood dispassionately watching the room and his only thought was if I don't get out of here soon, this masquerade is going to turn into a massacre.

If he didn't get out of here soon, this masquerade party was going to turn into a massacre.

And one last one: (taking some of your great suggestions~!)

Shawn knew if didn't get out of here soon, this masquerade party was going to turn into a massacre.

Comments are requested, please :)

Who do you write like?

Found this thing via Twitter from a post by Amanda Hocking.

I write like
J. D. Salinger

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

Are we all terribly impressed :)

Linked Book Trailer

Linked Book Trailer

Please let me know what you think!
THANKS




I like the music in this one better...

Blurb Contest

I found a nice blurb contest--where the prize is a book trailer. I can't decide between two blurbs.

Evil is watching and time is running out. Convinced her mother's clairvoyance caused her death, Lana shuns her own psychic abilities. When her deceased mother's voice alerts her to an intruder, she's forced to nurture her talents with the aid of Cole Williams--but he's much more than he seems. Will they be able to stop the evil or will their joining mean the ultimate destruction of humanity?

OR

Evil is watching and time is running out. After her psychic mother is murdered, Lana Summers wants nothing to do with paranormal abilities and shuns her own. When her home is broken into, Cole Williams comes to the rescue--but he's much more than he seems. Will they be able to stop the evil or will their joining mean the ultimate destruction of humanity?


For those of you that write, here's the contest link: Blurb Book Trailer Contest

Goodnight Tweetheart CONTEST

Have you read Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros? Did you LOVE the book...but want more?

How would YOU end the story?

Teresa told me that a book should always leave the reader wanting more...are you one that she achieved her goal with? Did you want more?

Here's your chance! YOU write the Epilogue (no more than 3k words) and tell us how YOU would end the story.

The best ending--with the fewest mistakes--I hate typo type--will win their choice of ANY of my books: LINKED, THE STORM WITHIN or FORBIDDEN&ONCE BITTEN

Entries will close at 12am EST on 2/8. Winner(s) will be announced on 2/14. Please post your ending here or on your own blog--(giving credit to Ms. Medeiros for her wonderful characters)

Remember Paul Harvey and "The Rest of the Story".....

Goodnight Tweetheart is copyrighted material--anything you write IS FAN FICTION ONLY. Teresa is aware I'm holding this contest--and thinks it's a great idea, by the way.

Author Interviews

Hello All

Over the next few weeks I'm going to be doing some author interviews.

The first three will be Imogen Rose, author of the Portal Chronicles and H.P. Mallory, author of the Jolie Wilkins series and Amanda Hocking, author of My Blood Approves series and the Trylle Trilogy.

All three of them are indie authors. What's that, you ask?

An Indie Author is one that has chosen to publish their own book. Imogen and H.P. have both done remarkably well with their work. Their sales are really high--and even more importantly--their books are absolutely AWESOME. I've read all the books by both authors.

Don't let the Indie Author title fool you. These ladies rock! I can't wait to interview them all. If you haven't read their work, please check them out on Amazon or B&N.

Do you have any questions you'd like to ask? If so, please post them below and I'll post when I have the dates for their interviews. Might have a free book or two as well--you never know :) (hint--I will be giving away e-books from all 3 authors--as well as my own with each interview)

Check back!

Contest and Other News and Reviews

Found a Contestthat you should all go enter quickly! These books sound totally AWESOME!

Other news: I was asked to do a guest blog. I'll update with more details as soon as I have a date. I'm so psyched!

Still More News: 2 new reviews on Linked. Check them here. Romance ReviewsI'm pleased to say they liked the book!

Linked is on Amazon, B&N and at Smashwords. Almost hit my sales goal for this month--thanks to all of you that have read it!

More later, folks. Happy reading.

Ah, the end of the week....

It's Friday! Wait--that means January is almost over. Where did it go? Anyone ever notice the older we get--the faster time goes by? I sure did!

Got a fantastic review of Linked. Here it is if you haven't read it.
LINKED Review Check out the review and the book if it sounds good.

So, what are YOU doing this weekend? Me? I'm going to work on my Valentines story....need to finish it by Monday!

Have a good weekend and happy reading

Win Signed Copies of Linked

I discovered GOODREADS a while back. Thought I'd do a contest!
There is nothing required to win the Goodreads contest. Just follow the link.

I'm going to have another contest here! More to come in the next couple of days.

I'll be offering copies of all my books, and some other fun prizes.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Linked

by Hope Welsh

Giveaway ends March 05, 2011.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Any Donation to Protect.org and get a Free Book

Hello

As many of you, I'm addicted to Twitter. I follow a few actors. One, Alison Arngrim in particular, is part of Protect which is a site all about protecting children.

There are dozens of worth causes out there. Hundreds actually.

This is the one I'm going to support today on this blog.

Anyone who makes any monetary donation to Protect.org can email me via my blog for a free copy of any book I've got up on Amazon. You can see those titles at My Amazon Page

I read a post today that pedophilia wasn't someone's business and was just floored. It's the business of EVERY adult in American and Abroad. WHO will be their voice if we are not?

How can a responsible adult say it's not their business or concern? Children need a voice. Protect.org is offering to be that VOICE. Let it be a louder voice with your support.

As a society, we tend to bury our heads in the sand sometimes. Some things are never okay--abuse and neglect of a child is one of them. None of us should ever say it's "none of my business"--because it damn well should be.

What Defines Porn from Erotic Fiction?

I saw a post on Joe Konrath's Blogthat inspired this post.


Here's the gist of it: "Everyone knows that erotic is just another way of saying porn"

Anyone that has ever had the occasion to read porn should have noticed one thing:

PORN is basically sex for the sake of sex. If there is a plot--it's very weak.
EROTIC Fiction is a STORY with a PLOT with (sometimes) very graphic sexual scenes.

Personally, there are a few lines I won't cross. Not because I'm necessarily morally against them--but because I personally don't like them.

I dislike the word *C*nt* I won't use it. Period. Not in anything I write. I won't use the word "p**sy* in a story I write. I dislike the word *f**king* when it comes to sex. Personally, when I see those words--I'm pulled right out of a good story. Maybe I'm a little bit of a prude?

But I enjoy romantic fiction with very sensual scenes. What I write, by most publishers, is considered erotic fiction. My stories have a plot. They are, in essence, a love story.

Erotic fiction does not need a HEA (happily ever after) Traditional romance does. But, most publishers want their erotic fiction to have a HFN ending (happy for now)

For the sake of argument, read the following scene from my work in progress. Is it 'porn' or 'erotic' or 'steamy'

A little set-up--this is a dream sequence that begins the book--as the dream plays into the day of the police officer having the dream.

Her eyes were the color of the summer sky with a darker band of almost purple at the edges. He couldn’t quite make out her face, but her hair was a glorious auburn with several different shades running through it. He laid over her, his hips between her silken thighs. If he wasn’t inside her soon, he knew he’d go mad.

Nothing mattered but burying his cock inside her liquid heat. Nothing mattered but mating with her. She was his .

There was a tightness in his belly as he felt her moist heat enveloping his penis. He sunk inside her with a groan, then held himself still above her. The muscles in his arms were corded as he tried to see her face, but he couldn’t make it out—just those mysterious eyes and that beautiful hair that he longed to run his fingers through.

Later.

Right now, he needed to be where he was—deep inside her. Her inner muscles clenched around him just as her thighs did. He felt her heels against his ass as she wrapped herself around him. With a groan he began to move.

He should kiss her. He knew he should kiss her, but all he could do was thrust hard and look into those fathomless eyes.

No words were spoken, but he could sense she was pleading with him. She wanted something of him, but he didn’t know what.

He ignored it and continued to move inside her. When he heard her soft moan he thrust faster, driving so deeply that he’d have sworn each powerful stroke was reaching her womb.



So, is that erotic or is that porn? The story is about a woman who sees her own death. The dreamer--is the male protagonist in the story--and the police officer that will work tirelessly to keep her alive. And, yes, it's a romance.

If you're just total anti-romance, please just don't even respond. I read it, I enjoy it--but I also read and enjoy many other types of fiction. I'm really tired of the "romance bashing" I've seen on Amazon lately.

(Why won't Blogger INDENT?????)

Hope Welsh
My Amazon Page

On Writing

So

I'm sitting here on blogspot instead of writing. 

Why, you ask?

Very good question. I write under another name.  It's more erotic (very adult fiction) and I want to keep the two types of books separate.  Makes sense, no?

Well, that's all well and good, but I'm promoting Hope Welsh books everywhere.  Amazon. GoodReads, Twitter, Kindle, etc.  They're selling a little. 

Why are my OTHER books--that I am doing little to no promotion on selling at least three times as well?  I don't get it.  3-1 at least. 

I won't be the next HP Mallory, Amanda Hocking, Imogen Rose or Joe Konrath with my books. (But I can dream!) But I just don't understand what I'm missing in trying to promote. 

Sigh. Something is missing I'm just not sure what.

Reviews and General Rumblings and Rants

First and foremost, let me say...that without reviews, books do not do well. Any author will tell you that they both need and appreciate the time it takes the reviewer to read your book and write a review.  Always, we appreciate your time. Second, let me explain that none of these comments were directed at my writing.  LOL I'd have to have a few reviews first!

But.  (didn't you know there was a but coming?)

A few things to remember when you review.  These books are written by real people.  We all know that not every reader will automatically love our work as much as we do.  We don't expect it.  But, would it be so difficult to at least pretend to consider the feelings of the person that wrote the book in your review?

Review the story. Let the reader know what worked for you and what didn't.  But, keep your review polite and non-antagonizing.  

"A rip-off of (insert your favorite title here)"

The above is my personal pet-peeve.  There is very little that hasn't been done somewhere before.  Vampires, faeries, elven, shapeshifters, love triangles--they've all been done.  The key is the ability to take an old idea and make it new and exciting.

"Riding the coat tails of. (insert your favorite author here)"

Hello, your favorite author isn't the only author out there.  Her/his work isn't the only work out there.  Often, we haven't even read the author you're accusing us of 'coat tailing'.


"I couldn't get past page X"

Again, hello?  Many times part of the character growth happens via some situation that happens in a story.  The protagonist might seem weak, shy, whiny, (insert verb here) or whatever in the beginning.   How can you give an honest review if you don't finish it?


"I don't read this kind of book and..." 

Then why bother to read it?  Just so you can bash it because it's not your type of book? 

"The author is obviously writing about herself and her ...(insert whatever here)

Look up the term Fiction.  Certainly authors will write what they know--and/or what they've researched.  They aren't autobiographies.  Just because the heroine falls in love online doesn't mean the author did.  And if she named the cat in the story after her own cat, it doesn't mean she's secretly had an online fling.

Many books require hours and hours of research.  Others, just seem to 'come' to us. But, we don't have to live something to imagine it.  We can research or use our imagination.  I personally have very steamy novels published under another name.  They are stories.  I had fun writing them--and they have a market. I certainly don't live it--but it's fun to write it.

"It's just romance, I didn't expect a lot but..."

Do you know that 40% of all books sold are romance fiction?  It's a genre that allows a reader to escape into a fantasy for a couple of hours.  The author still creates the world, the fantasy, the story.  Don't knock an entire genre, then give it a one-star review--because it's not your genre. 


Please, folks, consider the purpose of the review process, and, even more importantly, if you don't like the book--consider the person behind it when you hit the 'review' button.

Edited to add:  None of these comments refer to my own books; they all refer to well-known or bestselling authors from Amazon.
Readers, thank you.  We wouldn't be publishing our work if it weren't for you.  But, please, remember to think when you review. We do understand that not every reader will love what we've written--honest.  But review the work--not our lives!

I have intentionally not listed the names of the authors--as some of the reviews I'm discussing here are bordering on slander--and I don't want to propagate the idiocy I've read.

LINKED on Amazon and Smashwords with 99 Cent Sale

My latest title, LINKED, is up now on Smashwords, and uploaded to Amazon. It will take Amazon a day or so to get a live link. It's a paranormal contemporary romance. Temporarily, it's priced at only 99 Cents!

Lana Summers is being hunted by an ancient evil.  Cole wants to help--but is he an asset or unwittingly helping the evil gain ultimate control?

I just love the cover. I'm going to add it to the blog for people to see.  My daughter designed it--and did an awesome job, I think!

If you read LINKED, please let me know if you think I give away too much in the Prologue, okay?

Happy Reading!

Happy New Year

So, it's a New Year!  What are your goals?

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a writer.  I love writing--I just don't do it enough.  So, this year, my goal is to get three books written and published.  I'd try for four, but if I exceed my "three" it's great--and I don't want to stress myself.


Some of my favorite indie authors had amazing sales in December.  If you haven't already, check out Amanda Hocking, HP Mallory and Imogen Rose.  These ladies can write one heck of a story.  Amanda hit the 99k mark in sales...as in 99k SOLD.  Is that not just totally inspiring for other potential indie authors?

HP's numbers weren't quite as high--but in the double digit thousands....22k or something like that.  I have no idea what Imogene's sales were--but I love her books.

So, you could say that "If Hope likes my work, it's going to be good."  (Yes--much ego is implied and is for humor value only)

How are these ladies doing it?

I'm sure that must be a question for some people. It was for me.  First, they write a good story.  Imperative to have a book sell more than a few copies. They market via blogging, twittering and other venues.  They get reviews of their work.  I found two of the authors above via a 99 cent read I purchased on my Kindle.  HP's fantasy/paranormal website has some awesome information on new indie authors to check out.

The three are very prolific.  In my opinion, you just have to be prolific to make it in this business. With all the authors out there, the reader has to remember your name.  They need to see books with your name on them.  Often. 

The big name authors in NY that I read are:  Sharon Sala (a great author and an even greater woman), JD Robb/Nora Roberts, Linda Howard, Jayne Ann Krentz, Iris Johansen, and Kay Hooper--to name a few.  How do they do it?  They've been staples of their respective publishing houses for years.  I was reading all of them 20 years ago when they were all Harlequin or Loveswept authors.  I also read some YA, such as James Patterson, JK Rowling, and  PC Cast.

Do Indie Authors have a chance to get to their fame? 

I think the answer is yes!  Look at Amanda's sales for December alone.  Will she hit the NYT Bestseller's List as an Indie?  Probably not.  Will she make a living with her writing?  Absolutely!  And she doesn't have to depend on quarterly royalty checks to do it. She can put her books out as often as she wants.  She's prolific. NY couldn't or wouldn't keep up with her!

While I may not hit their numbers in readership--I would be happy with a small percent of their success.  All these wonderful indie authors are an inspiration.  Check them out!