Happy Halloween Eve! Are you ready for the boo-tiful ghosts and goblins to visit? Have you prepared so not to anger the spirits? Ha! I’m stocked with chocolate and ready to watch scary movies, eat pumpkin pie and gorge on Hershey bars. My inner kid is looking forward to The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and then some delicious version of Dracula.

My childhood memories are so tender and precious about Halloween. I looked forward to the changing leaves (in Illinois) and the cooler nights. We dressed warmly under our costumes and dashed out in the twilight to threaten our neighbors into surrendering their candy. “Trick or Treat, smell my feet, gimme something good to eat!”  (The implied threat was if you don’t, we’ll be mean to you.) Then the neighbors would either recoil in mock fear and pass out candy OR first insist that we perform a trick, which meant do a dance, sing a song, tell a joke or some such thing, and then handed over the candy. How we lived for this one night of uninhibited wild joy. We could be anyone and anything we wished.

And when the night was over and we’d robbed  visited every house, we gathered at my house (or someone’s) where parents watched us dump our haul and trade as parental watchful eyes looked out for anything strange in our goodies. 

I miss those days when we could play in masks without drug dealers, pedophiles, drive by shootings or kidnappings, gang’s on corners or any fear whatsoever other than would we miss out on the best candy at Mrs-so and so’s house. 

But I still enjoy the holiday and I decorate and remember, share little goodies with friends and act just as crazy this time of year as convention will allow. I am, after all, a Halloween lover and I think it influenced my stories and books. And speaking of books…..

So now to your treats! On my monthly live Facebook chat Oct 28, I reminded watchers of some upcoming events. First, my vampire poetry, By Light Betrayed, is on the last days of its sale. You can get this in ebook for 99 CENTS! And the book has color photography. On Nov 1, the ebook returns to $3.99 and will NEVER EVER go on sale again. So now is the time. My treat to you.

Next, my new book, Time and Blood is available to pre-order. This is the first book in my new paranormal romance series, Evening Bower.  The prequel was The Gypsy Thorn and sets up the events in the new book. You can pre-order TIME AND BLOOD and be sure of the sale price of 99 cents.

And here’s my treat — the first five people who comment (with more than just a hi) can receive A FREE Time and Blood ebook!!!!!  But you have to comment today, Oct 30!

I also promised some drink recipes. So let the spirits soar!  Here you go:

**Vampire’s Kiss (a personal favorite)**

3 oz Cranberry juice (unsweetened)
2 oz. Chambord
2 oz Raspberry Vodka (Cherry works too)

Shake gently, add a couple ice cubes and pour into a martini glass.

 **Dracula’s Brew (men like this one especially)**

 2 oz Applejack
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz red grenadine syrup

Combine in a shaker, add ice, shake, pour!

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Books! During my chat I mentioned some good Halloween reference books for authors looking for references of extra, unique info. Here are four links.

The Deluxe Transitive Vampire.  Gypsy Magic.  Wicked Plants.  Tarot for Writers.

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There you have it. FREE ebooks! Great drinks. Cool books to add to your library.  And More ——

AUTHOR SIGNING:  I will be in Columbia, SC for Authors Invade Columbia book event/signing on Nov 11. COME OUT/COME DOWN. I’m looking forward to seeing you. Tickets are $12 but I may be able to get a free couple tickets if you comment and tell me you’re coming and you need one. Do it FAST.

AUTHOR RADIO Appearance! I’ll be on Yvonne Mason’s OFF THE CHAIN blogtalk radio on Nov 2 at 8pm. Tune in for the hour as I talk with Yvonne about the new book, the prequel, and anything else that makes us laugh or strikes our fancy. She is the best and you’ll love listening to her. Call in to ask questions too!

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Don’t forget, November is National Novel Writing Month – if you want to follow along with me, I will be reporting my DAILY progress on my Facebook Author page. And I will give you my weekly progress here on the blog, every Monday. Or buddy up with me on the website and I’m poetphoenix. I hope you’ll join me on this adventure in writing.

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Now, go out and enjoy the Halloween season. Listen to the leaves as they whisper the secrets of Autumn. Listen as the wind whispers to the trees. Let your inner child laugh and play. 

Happy Halloween, readers. I’m blowing candy kisses!
I remain, Yours Between the Lines,
Sherry

Three years ago, I was a guest at a function with a friend of mine and as I was introduced around, one lady said, “Hello, and what are you?”

I smiled, shook her hand, chuckled a bit and replied, “Um, human?” 

She did not seem amused at my response though her companion (a male), did chuckle. She cast him a sideways “look” and pressed on. “No dear, I mean what is your job?”

“Ah!” I nodded. “Well, I’m a retired US Air Force veteran and a…”

Before I could finish, she interrupted with a tone of irritation behind her tight smile.

“Yes, I heard that already,” she frowned and sounded very exasperated. I stared to become uncomfortable. “I mean what job do you do NOW?” She was leaning into my space for emphasis (I think).

“I am a writer.” I said, flatly.  “Actually, I’m an author.”

She stared at me and said, “I heard about your hobby, dear. But don’t you have a real job?”

And then snarky me smirked, leaned in very close, and whispered, “I’m actually a midnight sex goddess but I don’t like to brag.”

“You aren’t very funny.” She huffed and her companion laughed out loud as she jerked him away.

“Obviously.” I laughed and went to get a coffee refill.

This conversation serves to highlight something I think most writers experience. Unless you have a full-time job as a journalist, creative writing professor, professional blogger, ghostwriter, magazine editor or some sort of profession where you draw a regular paycheck for your written words, you have met the enemy who thinks you have a frivolous hobby as a “writer” and basically you are a waste of space.

Worse, if you are a self-published, Indie author, you most likely have met the demons who believe you are a narcissistic, egocentric hobbyist.

Among writers, editors and other creative people, the world of the Indie Author no longer draws the skepticism, cynicism, and mockery of years past. However, there remains a large population of the traditionally published, the yearning-to-be-published, the I-only-read-NY Times-best sellers readers, and a whole generation of writers over 50 who think self-publishing means vanity press. You know, pay the publisher on proviso that you buy 500 books (or more). Or someone will ask, how can anyone possibly be seen as serious if you don’t have an agent and a Simon and Schuster, Random House or Harper imprint contract?

The times they are a-changin’ but maybe not as fast at the “real world” level as magazines and literary books might want you to believe.

There still exists this idea that if you are a “real” author, then you are a James Patterson, Patricia Cromwell, or JK Rowlings making serious money and doing nothing else. Or, what is really believed is that you are a struggling author, barely surviving. Anything else assumes that your writing is a hobby, something to be done in the dark, late at night, when your “real” work has ended (little do they know this is truer than they realize). Worse, you are some late night hack, posting to fly-by-night websites who serve no purpose but to annoy and clutter the already overpopulated web landscape.

The truth is that the Indie Author is becoming as mainstream as the traditionally published author. And most of the long-term Indie Authors (the ones who are serious and working at a book or two a year), make more in royalties than the new traditionalists (unless you wrote Harry Potter, The Historian or Fifty Shades of Grey). Still, the stereotype continues that assumes Indie’s are lacking in talent or know-how to achieve traditional publishing, when the truth is that traditional book publishers are fading in the shadow of the Indie author. Writers and those who work with writers know this.

The Indie Author is a trailblazer, a risk taker, a storyteller, a historian, a reporter, a teacher, a parent, and a child. Inside every author all these characters exist, live and breathe and are merely waiting to be born. The Indie Author knows that to deny this need is to deny oneself true self. The author knows no sex or race or religion or creed other than the Indie Manifesto – “To write the best there is, to share, to write again.”

The problem is that the average guy on the street, or woman in the party, does NOT know this. The word is not out to the everyday person. The average “Joe” is still operating on stereotypes and the battle to overcome stigmas continues. Few understand that being a writer, to become an Indie Author, is the work of the heart, and usually fills the same need as breathing.

Sadly, those who do not write DO NOT GET IT. The only way to convince the uninitiated and uninformed is to write the best damn book you can and sell it to them.  We’ll win them over one well-crafted book at a time, one story at a time, one best-seller, one award-winner, one neighborhood tale, one fan fiction, one biography….one extraordinary effort at a time. It may take time. Be patient. Rome was burnt in a day but it took centuries to build the legendary city.

Be prepared. The truth is NOT out there. The Indie Author is not a fully accepted member of society. Outside of the bigger cities, people are unlikely to understand your self-serving, narcissistic, self-actualizing, vanity book. Press on anyway.

I’d like to put in one little proviso. Once upon a time, I was warned, “You can’t confuse what you do with who you are.” In other words, you are not your “job” and your job isn’t you.  A caution not to define ourselves to our work so that we don’t become our jobs and forget that we are so many other things beyond our work. However, writers often do define themselves with their work. I am a writer. A writer writes. I write. Therefore I am a writer. But again, we are so much more too – wives, sisters, mothers, doctors, priests, lawyers, librarians…see what I mean? So I will remind you not to confuse who you are with being a writer. But let writing become a part of who you are. You write. You are a writer. And hopefully, you will be an Indie Author.

Meanwhile, the lady who tried to put me down for being a non-functioning member of society with a writing hobby? She’s since purchased my book and I heard her tell another woman, “Oh yes, I know her. She’s an award-winning author. You haven’t read her poetry? Do you live under a rock? It’s been out over a year….”

There you have it. One book at a time. One person at a time. Write well. Sell yourself. Sell the concept and success of the Indie Author and convert the enemy at the gates!

(I must add a true confession – I may be an Indie Author but I’m a bit of a reading snob. I haven’t read that many Indie Author books and remain in the mainstream book boat. But I’m improving, discovering many bestselling, NYT Indie Authors, something that there simply weren’t many of three years ago. I’m evolving)

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And now for poetry month — And in recognition of April being Children Abuse Prevention Month – here is my offering in poetry. Remember that poetry tells a story, faster and tighter than any short story or novel. Poets seek to succinctly and tightly present the truth as impactfully as possible. That’s why they are special writers. They view moments through the micro lens and present the macro issues. I tried with this one in my poetry book, THE BOOK OF NOW.

 

Good Monday morning, readers and writers everywhere!  I hope your Easter weekend/school break/vacation was supremely happy and restful. Ready to get back to work? I am. But first I wanted to break from the usual weekly articles and touch base on a few odds and ends.

NEWS:  I am delighted to announce that the eLit Book Awards were announced over the weekend. I am the proud SILVER Medalist for The Book of Now (TBoN)! Let’s have a group hug!AND On Apr 14 I started a FREE Giveaway of ebook copies of TBoN. TODAY is the last day to get your free Kindle copy of it. I will NOT be offering this book for free ever again.  Now is your chance! Last day is TODAY. RUN!
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Next, the Poetry Contest ended yesterday. Judging begins today and winners will be announced on APRIL 26. Stay tuned for the LIVE announcement (see below) and I wish all the entrants good luck!

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I’ll be on the radio! Join me on Yvonne Mason’s blogtalk radio program OFF THE CHAIN on FRIDAY, April 21, at 8pm. We always have a great time and we’re planning to discuss poetry. Call in and ask your questions. And share your thoughts with us! I look forward to our hour together. Click the link and listen live or check back later and listen to the archived program.

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NEW BOOK STATUS:  I’m finishing the final edits on the new book. I finally selected a title and all will be revealed soon. Get ready because I hope to have the book available by the end of MAY!

What is the new book? If you read my MIDNIGHT ASSASSIN – A Tale of Lust and Revenge, then you met Drahomira, my deliciously sexy vampire. She’s back and she’s setting up the reason for the new series called The Evening Bower. This prequel will introduce a variety of characters who will come together (some sooner, others later) in the new stories. Drahomira is my connector, my facilitator (just don’t tell her I said that), and she’s bringing trouble in her wake.

I’ll keep you posted with more information soon.

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New FACEBOOK LIVE EVENT on APRIL 26 at 9pm. The Poetry Contest Winner announced, news about the new book, info on the Space Coast Book Lovers Event, and a few special shout outs.  Mark your calendar!

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Finally, I know I don’t say it often enough but thank you to everyone who supports me with you friendship, your encouragement, you cheering when I do well, your uplifting inspiration when I do poorly, and for filling my life with smiles and laughter. You are all my inspiration and I treasure you.

Next Monday I will have some poetry and thoughts about poetry to end National Poetry Month.

Until then I remain,
Yours, Between the Lines,
Sherry