A blog for authors, about authors, written by an author
The Paranormal Romance Guild nominated book 5, Dream Walker, and the entire ‘The Council of Twelve’ series for their ‘Reviewer’s Choice Award.’
Read here, when the voting is going to start:
https://paranormalromanceguild.com/2022-paranormal-romance-guild-reviewers-choice-award-nominees/
I will need your vote at the end of this month! Thank you very much!
… am going out partying several times a month.
Several people who know me will now be flabbergasted, I’m sure. “But you’re such a calm, down-to-Earth, house-bound, slightly rounded person… how can that be?”
I’m telling you how:
How can that be that a house-bound writer in her… uhm… best years… is going out partying, and nobody ever talks?
Well, first of all, it would need an expert to recognize me. Different outfits, different hair, expert makeup… Makeup and Hairstylists are an inexhaustible source of knowledge! There are tips and tricks to show a person in a completely different light, and I learned from the best!
One night you’ll see a cool, elegant black-haired beauty in a dove gray cocktail dress, in high-heels, holding a clutch… another night you’ll find a hot brunette in a denim corsage, leather leggings, and over-knee boots, playing pool. One night you’ll watch a fiery redhead flirting at a club – and again, one night you might meet a sexy bombshell who dances a goose bump hot tango and sips Martinis… And you have no idea, that you didn’t meet four women… you just met the same woman four times.
To answer your never asked question: Yes, I’m sure I don’t have multiple personalities inside of me. I’m just doing this for the fun!
Of course, I won’t tell you about my hunting grounds, where’s the fun in that?
And: Just to make sure I’m clear: I’m dancing, and flirting, laughing, and having fun – I’m using different names, of course! My IDs? I know a guy, who knows a guy… you know how these things go… Beautiful names, exotic names, elegant names… Olivia de Jung, Denisonde van Cortlandt, Lilliane Stuyvesant, Angeline de Mondt… I am an author, after all, I’m quite practiced in creating a personal, a character… a persona.
I have outfits and wigs, makeup and accessories that would make any stage actor jealous… And still… despite the fun, despite the thrill… it’s never more than a game, a secret dream, a fleeting moment in my life… appreciate, stored, remembered, but not taking over, controlling, or steering my very self.
Now, several times a month I prepare one of my secret outfits, get ready, put my wig and makeup on, dress up, and leave the house, to be picked up by a driver. Then my night starts with a cocktail, sometimes even dinner, a club, a bar, a pub, whatever I feel like.
You might ask: “Have you never been in trouble? Have you never faced a dangerous situation, going out by yourself, pretending to be someone else?”
And I will answer: “No, of course not! It’s very simple… I’m an author… and sometimes I dream away, like today, when I was debating what to write in my blog post.” And then I’ll laugh and crow: “Gotcha!” I’ll leave the secrets and the fake personas to someone else, and rather cuddle up at home with my kitty, reading or writing a good book. But let me tell you: I had tons of fun writing this!
What are you dreaming of sometimes? Do you have a secret wish you could theoretically turn into reality and don’t, because it’s completely against your nature? Tell us about it in the comments. We’re curious!
On Thanksgiving Day,
November 24, 2022
I am thankful for the many good things in my life:
Health
Amazing friends
Freedom
A warm & clean home
Food
Brain
Cat
Nature
Clothes
Music
Five published books
The list is endless! I’m grateful for life. I think that sums it up pretty well.
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Also and furthermore I am thankful to have all of you here on Writer’s Treasure Chest to make my writing journey an adventure. Thank you so much for all your support!
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I wish you and your loved ones:
Two days after the Dream Walker cover reveal, I was informed that the cover had an image with copyright problems and that the cover needed correction…
My cover designer worked intensely on the changes, and I’m happy to have my cover prepared now.
That’s why the 5th book in ‘The Council of Twelve’ series has its cover revealed twice!
Please meet Dream Walker’s official cover:
About the book:
Koyu thought she had done her duty, but deep inside she knows it will never be over.
She is bound to her master forever and will have to execute his every command. But when he demands she’ll invade his sworn enemy’s dreams, she chooses to rebel.
Koyu risks her existence to help the ‘other side’ by purposely disobeying her master’s orders. Koyu knows she’ll pay with her life for her impertinence. Is there, indeed, no hope for her?
About the author:
A. J. Alexander is a talented classical musician who has won several music contests in her youth. She is an accomplished skier and loves to swim, amongst other sports.
She works a full-time job and travels a lot, as well nationally as also internationally.
A.J. Alexander just recently moved to a new home, together with her three beautiful active, and demanding cats. In her rare free time, she loves to meet friends or go for long nature walks.
To fulfill her dream of seeing many amazing places globally, Aurora Jean started traveling in her early twenties and spent some time in Europe where she visited Paris, Rome, Madrid, Vienna, Prague, London, Berne, Berlin, Athens, and Santorini. Also, she took an extended break a few years later and drove across the U.S. from Chicago to Santa Monica and across the South to Florida.
A.J. Alexander descends from an internationally extended, politically and entrepreneurially active family and was privileged to enjoy an excellent international education. In her spare time, she volunteers for charity events, fights for animal rights, and, when needed, serves as an interpreter to help great causes.
Dear Readers and Followers
On the first day of autumn 2022, I decided to give the first book in ‘The Council of Twelve’ series, Soul Taker, ebook for free for one month!
IT’S ALMOST OVER! USE THE OFFER AS LONG AS IT LASTS!
Click the link here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/911964
After long years in the line of duty as a ‘Soul Taker’, Kate is worn out.
When she gets a new job offer from the ‘Powers Above’, she accepts her new job as a Guardian gratefully without knowing that her teacher is one of the most powerful beings in existence, the Archangel Raphael.
Along with Raphael, she takes on her new task and the connection between them grows.
Raphael helps, protects, and supports Kate, but suddenly, she becomes a target for the Demons of Hell.
Raphael realizes that Kate means more to him than he expected, which causes him to fight furiously against danger. If he fails, Kate’s future will contain eternal darkness, evil, and torture.
Use the coupon code
LZ99M
Enjoy the book, and I’d be grateful for a review… and if you fall in love with the characters, you will going to get the other three books in the series as well:
Sundance: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/953202
Demon Tracker: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1014830
Bounty Hunter: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1065921
Enjoy your read, and please, let me know, how you like the book!
Dear Readers and Followers
On the first day of autumn 2022, I decided to give the first book in ‘The Council of Twelve’ series, Soul Taker, ebook for free for one month!
IT’S HALFTIME! USE THE OFFER AS LONG AS IT LASTS!
Click the link here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/911964
After long years in the line of duty as a ‘Soul Taker’, Kate is worn out.
When she gets a new job offer from the ‘Powers Above’, she accepts her new job as a Guardian gratefully without knowing that her teacher is one of the most powerful beings in existence, the Archangel Raphael.
Along with Raphael, she takes on her new task and the connection between them grows.
Raphael helps, protects, and supports Kate, but suddenly, she becomes a target for the Demons of Hell.
Raphael realizes that Kate means more to him than he expected, which causes him to fight furiously against danger. If he fails, Kate’s future will contain eternal darkness, evil, and torture.
Use the coupon code
LZ99M
Enjoy the book, and I’d be grateful for a review… and if you fall in love with the characters, you will going to get the other three books in the series as well:
Sundance: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/953202
Demon Tracker: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1014830
Bounty Hunter: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1065921
Enjoy your read, and please, let me know, how you like the book!
I don’t know about you, but I’m not always completely focused on writing, even after deciding, I would write, (or in my case, sit on the computer and type in my handwritten stories).
I find myself distracted too many times to count, and I don’t like that. So I tried to ‘eliminate’ the distractions. It wasn’t easy though. I had to identify the distractions first. When it comes to that, it’s never really clear what a ‘distraction’ actually is.
According to Random Penguin House, who published an article about exactly the very same subject, (click HERE to read it), social media is the main problem that cause distraction.
Okay, and not okay… In my opinion, the article isn’t bad – but mainly it describes exactly TWO distractions, and it doesn’t find a perfect solution… Let’s have a closer look.
I agree with number 1. Identify the distraction. Very often, in many writer’s lives, it’s social media. I understand, you can take a hiatus from social media, the article even tells you how to do that. (which I think, is hilarious) But then, at one point, you are a writer, you want to know what’s going on around your books. Deleting social media apps from the computer, phone or tablet isn’t recommendable. Yes, you can upload them again, but the passwords, and the settings has all gone and it will take you a couple hours to get all that going. Turning off WiFi is absolutely sufficient, since you won’t get any notifications in that case. At that point, we’re already at number 3, and we ‘eliminated’ the social media distraction.
Number four is okay, focus on one task at the time. In our case: it’s writing. So… if you have social media ‘eliminated’ there’s the writing left, is that really a question? Your task, at that moment is writing. Well, yes, focus on that. That’s ‘officially’ number two then.
And then, I had to laugh loudly. Find ‘positive’ distraction’? Come on! Music, which can be a distraction, if you have to ‘find it’ first… which means, you’re distracting yourself for several hours to find the perfect music before you start writing? Being a writer, if you love writing with music in the background, you will most likely already have the perfect music on the computer. Fine – then, start!
Do I have to ‘explain’ the meditation or exercise? Please! If you have to find another distraction to eliminate distractions, I doubt, it’s very helpful for your writing! Eliminate the social media, yes, that way it will be easier to exercise and mediate, instead of what you planned in the first place, writing!
Also, what the article doesn’t mention: writers do have a life! Mentioned in this article is distraction by ‘computer’… but it not even once mentions pets, kids or partners. – And believe me, they all have their spot in your life and can be a huge distraction!
In my opinion, the list should be different:
I would say, that’s a good list, and I do follow this one. (Mostly… it took me two days to write that blog post, because my cat wanted to be fed, I was hungry, the favorite man in my life called me, and I had a headache, I needed to go grocery shopping… and on FB….)
You get the point.
What is it that distracts you, and what are you doing about it? Please, let us know, we’d like to hear about your experiences!
The 14th Annual Smashwords July Summer/Winter sale starts on July 1
and runs through July 31
Get your copy of your favorite ‘The Council Of Twelve’ series book between July 1 and 31 for half the price!
Pick your book(s) and enter Coupon Code MK79Y
Please, use the chance to get your copy of ‘The Council of Twelve’ series books for
50% off!
I look forward to welcoming you as my new reader!
April 14, 2022 I published the first part of this blog post series, about the best part of telling a story. There are so many good parts, to me, each holds its own appeal. Let’s have a look at them again:
1. Drafting the plot
2. Finding a motive
3. Creating the protagonist and antagonist
4. Finding the perfect location
5. Thinking of plot twists
6. Create side characters
[7. Depending on the story, maybe even create a world]
Last time I ‘drafted the plot’, today I’m trying to find a motive.
I’m not sure, should I tell you, to me that’s more difficult or easier, than drafting the plot, since technically you can’t have one without the other.
Let’s find an example: you’re reading a crime story; the killer strangles a woman, when the police identifies and confronts him, he jumps off a bridge and you’ll never know why he did it. Wouldn’t you be disappointed? I know I would be.
In the case of a crime story, the motive of the killer is basically what drives the book. Why does the murderer what he does?
When we look at the ‘The Council of Twelve’ series, I have to find the motive for the actions of ‘both sides’, Good and Evil. Clearly expressed: Why does the Evil side what they do, how does the Good side react, and what is the outcome? We got the ‘why’, and that results in the ‘how’ – hence, the motive and the plot, which belong together.
The motive is the ‘why’ and with that in mind, we want to ask ‘how’, which leads us to the plot. One leads to the other, and we’re already in ‘the middle’ of story-telling.
What would you say to a criminal story without a motive, or a story without recognizable reason? Wouldn’t it just be empty? What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
GenZ Publishing is “on a mission to bring new authors to the world.” Founded in 2015 by Morissa Schwartz when she was just out of college, GenZ publishes a wide range of genre fiction, as well as some nonfiction. It also has a YA imprint, Zenith Publishing.
Ms. Schwartz, who describes herself as a bestselling author, is also an entrepreneur: in addition to GenZ/Zenith, she’s the founder of Dr. Rissy’s Writing & Marketing, which offers various PR services along with copywriting, editing, and consulting; and, according to her Reedsy bio, of a ghostwriting company called AmWriting. She was recently elected to the IBPA Board.
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