Ally Aldridge Behind The Book

Behind the Book: Lanterns in the Sky by Pagan Malcolm

This book by Pagan has been on my To Buy list for way too long. Here’s the Trailer so you can add it to your list (or basket) too:

You launched your book and it became a best seller. When did you start marketing it?

Before it was even signed with the publisher, if I’m being honest. I was already sharing teasers and talking about it because I knew people had to be excited by the get-go. I haven’t really stopped marketing since and I probably never will—though now, I tend to market the series as a whole because I have more books out to catch reader interest.

This book is traditionally published. How did you get signed – can you share your pitch?

I got signed with The Parliament House from Twitter’s #PitMad event in December 2017. This was the Tweet I pitched that got their attention:

You share what you have learned to support fellow authors. Can you tell us about some of your courses and coaching?

I sure can.

A great starting point for new authors is my membership community, The Authorpreneur Kingdom, which is where I do quarterly trainings (and you get access to a vault of past masterclasses on topics ranging from book marketing to publishing to mindset work). We also do weekly coaching calls in there and the authors find it very helpful to stay accountable each month.

I also have two courses that I launch twice a year.

Storyteller Academy is my course helping authors to write their novel and build success habits for full-time authorship, and Storyseller Academy helps authors with book launching, marketing and brand building. Both are self-paced, come with a range of bonus resources, and have direct access to me via a group community.

Please share a snippet or teaser from Lanterns in the Sky?

“Hey! Hey, wake up!”

Someone was shaking me. When I first opened my eyes, everything blurred together. I blinked to adjust them to the night sky. I could hear crickets chirping somewhere. Hovering over me was the face of a boy with emerald eyes and brown hair. I stared at him — my mind was scrambled, and pain throbbed in my temple. Between that and my momentary amnesia, I couldn’t really concentrate on much else.

“Are you okay?” he asked in a smooth voice, his brow furrowed in concern. “Do you need me to call someone?”

I slowly sat up, which prompted the pounding in my head to intensify. I hissed and raised a hand to my forehead.

“What… happened?” I groaned, trying to recall the moments before I’d blacked out.
He rocked back on his feet to give me some space. Still crouching, he folded his arms as he said, “You tell me.”

I shook my head, thinking hard. It came back to me in pieces. I remembered the dread I had felt … the light…

“I was hit… I think,” I told him as my memories slowly came together, but I wasn’t sure. My head swam and the throbbing pain in my head was distracting me.

“By who?” he asked, furrowing his brow.
I shook my head again. It sounded stupid, but I was certain of what I saw.

“It wasn’t a who… it was a light.”

The boy frowned, his mouth twisting. “A light?”

What did you enjoy most about writing your fantasy novel?

Wrecking havoc in my characters lives! Mwahahaha!

But also, building the plot. That was a lot of fun too.

What was hardest about writing your fantasy novel?

Making sure the plot was consistent, fixing plot holes and reducing the amount of side plots from my first draft back in 2011. It took me 18 drafts to get this story right.

What inspired you to write Lanterns in the Sky?

Well, it actually started as a psychological horror novel—but then I realised that was not for me. It was only when a friend convinced me to keep writing because she liked the concept of the stars being lanterns in the sky that I was able to adapt some of my newer, fantasy ideas into the story (e.g. the princesses, the magic, etc.) and kind of did a 180 with the story to bring it to life.

Which novel do you love and wish you wrote?

Honestly, none of them. I love so many books and there are definitely writers I wish I could write as well as, but I also love my own writing style and my own stories. Their stories are theirs and that’s why I could never come up with their ideas.

Tell me about a typical day in the life of author Pagan Malcom?

On most days, I’m actually working on my business, Paperback Kingdom—but I sprinkle in time to market my book, send out a few emails, and do the authorly stuff that needs doing. On a true writing day though, I can be at the kitchen table (which is where I enjoy writing most lately) for hours on end. I spend a lot of weekends like this with cups of tea and some kind of snack.

Where can we find out more about your coaching, courses and buy your books

For my books, check out psmalcolm.com (you can also find the membership site there—but you have to be a Patreon supporter of mine for access).

For my coaching and courses, check out paperbackkingdom.com.

[kofi]

If you enjoyed this, you will like:

Behind the Book: Stuck on Vacation with Ryan Rupert by Pagan Malcolm

Behind the Book: Soul Bearer by Elexis Bell

Behind the Book: Sorceress of Truth by J D Groom

Book Review: The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

Ally Aldridge Writing

Camp NaNo Progress

This is an update is on how day 21 to 30 has gone.

It hasn’t been great. I wasted two evenings watching Extraction, another watching Last Kingdom and baking breakfast muffins.

On top of that I had some connection issues with Virgin Media (and I use Google Docs), and one evening I even forgot to charge my laptop so it was dead.

And, when I have gotten down to writing, I’ve procrastinated. Working from home on my laptop during the day, then editing on my laptop in the evening has felt never ending and it’s taken its toll.

Carry on reading to discover how my Camp NaNo April 2020 ended. I promise it wasn’t pointless.

#CampNaNoWIW

I am in the World Indie Warriors cabin (now called groups). On Instagram they’ve set a photo challenge:

I haven’t had time to keep up on IG but my team spirit won’t let me let it go. So, I decided to post my pics every 10 days on my blog.

#SnippetTuesday

Favourite part of the writing process

My favourite part is definitely the creating. I love coming up with story ideas and characters.

#Worldbook Day – Shelfie time!

Best writing advice you’ve ever been given

Successful authors are writers that never gave up.

Publishing is not easy and I easily could have quit my dream long ago.

A lot of time has been spent on my manuscripts, on creating queries, synopsis, blurbs and pitches. Only to be rejected. I’ve developed a thick skin and learned to use feedback to help me grow rather than take it personally.

Sometimes the task feels too big, never ending. I’ve made mistakes. I’ve learnt from my mistakes. I wrestle with my self doubt and imposter syndrome. And, I’m becoming a stronger writer all the time.

I will publish. I know I will. I’m never going to quit.

Campfire audience: who do you write for?

Me. Initially, I write for myself, for fun. This is super important as novel writing is a marathon. Can you imagine spending that long working on something you don’t even like?

My target audience is anyone that enjoys YA Contemporary Fantasy. I’d especially like teen girls to enjoy it and be able to relate to my MC, despite her being a mermaid.

What do you do when you are not writing?

I work at a college but most of my free time is spent with my kids. I wanted to be a mum for a long time. They’re hard work and wear me out but I love them so much.

We love by the sea, nearby woodland walks and lots of farms within driving distance. When this lockdown is over, I will be taking my kids out to enjoy the great outdoors.

Favourite out of genre book

My favourite GCSE book was An Inspector Calls by J. B. Priestly. It’s a period play. I wouldn’t choose to read it but had to and ended up loving it.

It was about how a family had caused a woman’s death. Independently their actions were small but collectively they had a massive impact on her life. I also enjoyed the twist at the end.

#TeaserTuesday

Cliffhangers: yay or nay?

Last day of camp – how did you do?

Jodie taught me how adjust my goal to make it more realistic. I lowered it to editing 25k words.

I started day 21 with my editing up to chapter 7. I finish Camp Nano on day 30 by editing chapter 10. That’s a total of 27,403 words edited this month. That makes me a winner!

It definitely could have gone better but I have developed a realistic editing goal. May, I’ll try to edit another 15 chapters, and June, I’ll edit the final 12. That’s rough 30k words a month.

Yesterday, I started Furlough for 3 weeks. Hopefully this will help my motivation as I won’t be staring at my laptop all day and it’ll alleviates some pressure so I won’t be as tired.

I would love to see your answers to the above. Let me know if you are taking part on IG or posting somewhere else.

If you enjoyed this post you will like:

Camp NaNo Progress (days 11 to 20)

Camp NaNo Progress (days 1 to 10)

My Books

My To Be Read Pile

Ally Aldridge Writing

Camp NaNo Progress – days 11 to 20

I finished day 10 days by editing chapter 4. This update is on how the middle of April has gone (days 11 to 20).

I started off by celebrating how well the first 10 days had gone by watching Contagion with my husband.

Chapter 5 and 6 needed more work than I expected. This slowed my progress and affected my motivation. I got them done but I felt like I was getting nowhere fast.

Then, I literally was getting nowhere. I was so exhausted in the evenings that I wasn’t doing any editing. I read. I attended online writers meets. But, I wasn’t editing. I realised I needed a break and took a night off to watch The Quiet Place with my hubby.

I’ve been using Google Docs and a Trial of Dabble Writer. I really love Dabble writer but can’t use it on my mobile. On the last day of my trial, they released the Dabble Writer App for mobiles. I really liked it and was very tempted to buy it.

I finished day 20 by completing my edits for chapter 7. I’m frustrated with myself as it’s not as far as I’d hoped for.

Here are my responses to World Indie Warriors Instagram photo challenge:

#NationalPetDay – My Cats

I have two cats, Evie and Gracie.

Evie

Evie has the nickname Evie Knievel for all her dangerous antics and vet visits as a kitten. She thought she was the neighbourhood vigilante. Thankfully, she is more chilled now.

Gracie

Gracie looks very elegant, like a Burmese Blue but she’s just a moggy and shows her true colours when she’s fed. Greedie-Gracie-Guzzlechops sings for her super and scoffs it down like a pig, with the snorting noises.

Favourite writer memes

There are so many but I thought it might be fun to make my own up.

Here is my “Aspiring Indie Author” meme, inspired by the ‘What I do…’ memes.

Aspiring Indie Author

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

Age 5. As soon as I learned books were written by someone, I knew I wanted to be that someone. My first stories would be classed as fan fiction as they featured characters from Orchard Tree books and were about more magic key adventures.

Plotter/Pantser/Plantser

I think I’m a Plantser. I’m somewhere in the middle.

For a long time I would just pants my way through a novel. Sometimes I’d write a brief outline. But, I was just writing for fun, for me, and it didn’t matter if it was any good.

It wasn’t until I decided I would try and publish that I realised what a mess my manuscript was in. And how much I hate editing. I realised I need to plot more to reduce editing.

I invested in Save The Cat and it showed me how to plot. It’s been a game changer and I now use it before starting a novel. I still write a brief outline and only plot one Act at a time, not the whole novel.

I like the freedom of pantsing too much to plot every detail. In my plotting, I still allow myself some gaps to fill. An element of surprise is the fun part of creating.

Mid–Month Check In – How’s It Going

I’ve split the month into thirds. So, on my blog I’m sharing how I got on at the 10 day mark, 20 day mark and 30 day mark. But, I gave a mid month check in on Instagram.

Indie or traditional publishing?

I’ve spent a long time chasing the Traditional route. It appealed because I wanted validation from someone in the industry. I wanted someone to support me with guidance on what to do when and with access to the resources I needed. I wanted publishing and marketing done for me.

But, now, I am pursuing indie publishing.

As a member of World Indie Warriors I am not alone. Many other members have published successfully before me and are willing to share their experience on what worked (or didn’t) and the best resources. I am also doing Pagan Malcom’s Story Seller Academy course which is full of useful information. I now struggle with time to digest it all but I know what I’m doing or who to ask for help.

The biggest hurdle was a change in mindset. The moment I decided I no longer need validation to be good enough because I know I am. With that, I no longer needed permission to publish. I will publish when I want.

As for the marketing… it turns out I really enjoy it. I love talking about my writing and connecting with others. I love sharing book reviews and recommending books. My creative side loves making images to support my content. One day, I’m hoping to make videos too.

It is hard to find the money to invest in myself but when someone says, “What do you want for your birthday?” My answer is money. It goes in my publishing pot. I keep adding to it. It’s not much but little by little it grows. One day, this pot will by my published book(s).

#FactFriday – Tell us something interesting about yourself?

I’m a pretty open person that I’ve probably already shared anything remotely interesting already.

I am a natural redhead. I now love my hair and embrace it as part of my identity but that wasn’t always the case.

Favourite Indie Book?

View this post on Instagram

I’m #currentlyreading Sorceress of Truth by J D Groom. This is fast becoming my favourite Indie Book and I look forward to reading it whenever I can. @jodie_at_home ? The book that currently holds the top Indie Book spot is Crown of Conspiracy by Kara S Weaver. @kara_s_weaver ? I love supporting Indie Authors and reading fantasy (especially contemporary fantasy) and paranormal romance. Please comment with any #bookrecommendations for me. ? #campnanowiw #worldindiewarriors #worldindiewarriorseurope #indiewarrior #redhead #redheadreader #indiebooks #indiebook #jdgroom #sorceressoftruth #karasweaver #crownofconspiracy #bookbattle #favouritebook #favouritebookseries #fantasybooks #paranormalromance #lowfantasy #contemporaryfantasy #bookrecommendation #bookrec #indie #indieauthorcommunity #campnanowrimo2020 #campnanowrimo #campnano #campnanochallenge

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Campfire stories: Any local myths/legends

My favourite folk story is about the green children of Woolpit, Suffolk. During the 12th Century, a boy and a girl appeared. Nobody knew where they came from and they could not speak a word of English. But, the most bizarre detail was that they had green skin and would only eat green beans.

As they learned to eat different foods they became a more normal colour. They were baptised but sadly the boy died shortly after. The girl learnt to speak English and told of the place she came from called Saint Martin where everyone was green. The girl was called Agnes and married Richard Barre.

I discovered the story because I fell in love with Michael Talbot’s faeries. I’ve collected many. The original three were my favourite and has green skin (but, I only own one of these). When I learned the factory allowed tours, I planned a day out for my mum and boyfriend to come with me. We saw the faeries being made & hand painted & their delicate wings crafted. Afterwards, we visited the local church when I happened upon a leaflet about the Green Children of Woolpit.

My favourite film is Labyrinth. I discovered the artist behind the film was Brian Froud. I bought his books and one of them contains a story about The Green children of Woolpit.

The Green Children are special to me. They inspired two of my favourite artists and filled my heart with wonder.

If you ever switched genres, what would you switch to?

I’ve written most genres but there are some that I’d like to give more attention.

Current plot bunnies include a dark fantasy, an erotic paranormal romance, a contemporary YA, dystopia sci-fi, a children’s chapter book and more picture books.

I like magic, fantasy and sci-fi in stories so I am unlikely to write a novel that is a cosy mystery, crime or a thriller. But, I’d never say never.

I would love to see your answers to the above. Let me know if you are taking part on IG or posting somewhere else.

If you enjoyed this post you will like:

Camp NaNo Progress (days 1 to 10)

Book Review: Save The Cat

Book Review: Crown of Conspiracy by Kara S Weaver

Behind the Book: Sorceress of Truth by J D Groomuh

Ally Aldridge Behind The Book, Book Genre, Fantasy, High, Uncategorized

Behind the Book: Soul Bearer by Elexis Bell

Soul Bearer – Elexis Bell

What genre is this book and can you name any similar books?

This one, like many of my other books, is high fantasy romance. It’s slow burn romance mixed into a hero’s quest.

You write books of different genres, does this mirror your reading style?

Very much so. I tend toward high fantasy romance, but also read dystopian, post-apocalyptic, thrillers, psychological novels, paranormal, and various things relating to WW2. In most cases, I prefer to have a romantic arc within the story. I don’t like contemporary or reverse harems. And I rarely read younger than Young Adult.

Are there any genres you cannot see yourself writing?

Contemporary, Harem, or Reverse Harem. I got close to harem/reverse harem with a novel that’s currently in edits (title to be announced later), but it doesn’t quite fit the bill. It just has several love triangles.

What inspired your novel Soul Bearer?

A dream, actually. The prologue was a dream. None of the characters in it were going to do the work of fixing the whole dragon problem, though. It was perfect for setting up the world and showcasing the issues facing the main characters, so I kept it as the prologue.

Which mythical or magical creature do you wish was real?

I’ve given this a lot of thought, probably too much. Honestly, I don’t know which one I would choose. I can’t think of a single one that wasn’t an absolute nightmare in some tale or other, and I have terrible luck. If I chose a mythical or magical creature to make real, it would be the bad version of it. Or it would be the good version, but humans would poach them for their horns or magical feathers. I do wish humans were more interesting, though. Horns, wings, tails, whatever.

Tell me about the krakken style octopus on your website?

That octopus was a gift and rests in the center of the coffee table in my library. It’s my favorite animal, and I have several of them scattered through the library (most of which are not real, though I do have a few preserved in formaldehyde). They’re intelligent, creative, and unbelievably unique. They use tools and communicate by changing the colors of their skin. They shapeshift, morphing their bodies and altering the texture of their skin to lure prey and hide from predators. There are even a couple octopus cities in the ocean now, a fact which is one part awe-inspiring and one part terrifying. Basically, I just find them fascinating.

Please share a snippet or teaser from Soul Bearer?

Spinning slowly, Aurisye looks at everything around her. Chaos rules the land as the great red beast rules the air. Another roar threatens to shatter her eardrums, quickly followed by another stream of fire as the dragon flies overhead, so close that Aurisye could count its scales if it would only hold still.

She reaches out, passes a hand through the tip of its tail as it passes her. The dragon roars so loudly that, for a moment after, the world loses all sound. A high-pitched ringing sound punctuates everything, chasing away the screams and the crashing of buildings falling in upon themselves.

Up above, the dragon executes a perfect hair-pin turn and rockets itself toward Aurisye. Yellow eyes shining in the firelight, it stares straight at her, the only being here capable of seeing her. Each flap of its wings fans the fires all around, sending them climbing even higher into the atmosphere. Jaw dropping, it prepares to launch a blazing assault on Aurisye.

In an instant, she snaps back into her body, sitting bolt upright on the roof of her cottage. Her chest heaves with choppy breaths, pulling nothing but panic into her lungs. Her heart races, and she puts a hand to her chest to calm it.

Only then does she notice the soft red light coming from the mark on her arm. Her world goes cold. She pulls the sleeve of her jacket down to cover it, hoping it didn’t draw any undue attention.

Where can we find out more and buy your books?

My website has information and links for all my published works, as well as little tidbits about my WIPs. My blog is chock full of (blunt) writing advice and updates on all my work.  

Visit:  www.elexisbell.com

All my books are available on Amazon, and can be found on my Amazon author page.

Visit:  www.amazon.com/author/elexis_bell

If you enjoyed this, you should check out:

Behind the Book: Annabelle by Elexis Bell

Behind the Book: Gem of Meruna by Elexis Bell

Book Review: Wiccan Romance – Amelia’s Story by Nicola Hebron

Behind the Book: Sorceress of Truth by J D Groom

https://worldindiewarriors.wordpress.com/about-us/

To discover more ways to connect, please click my link tree:

 

 

Ally Aldridge Writing

Camp NaNo Progress (days 1 to 10)

This is an update on how the first 10 days have gone.

I wanted to start April having already completed my read through. Unfortunately that didn’t happen. So, I spent the first few days getting it done.

Monday, 6 April, I was able to start my editing. Using the feedback from my Developmental Editor. I have managed to edit 4 chapters (about 9k words). The biggest changes have included:

  • A new scene added to chapter 2
  • Kya O’Malley is now Kiely O’Neil
  • Murray O’Malley is now Murray O’Neil
  • A scene in chapter 4 has been completely rewritten

I am in the World Indie Warriors cabin (now called groups) on NaNoWriMo. On Instagram they’ve set a photo challenge:

I haven’t had time to keep up on IG but my team spirit won’t let me let it go. So, I decided to post my pics every 10 days on my blog.

Camp Goals / Tell us about your WIP

Both of these are covered in my blog post titled Are you doing Camp NaNo?

Camp Buddies

What will you do to celebrate?

It feels hard to think about celebrating during a lockdown. I can’t go anywhere and I’m only buying necessities.

It will be something simple like watching a film with my husband and maybe ordering a take away if we are still able to.

Camp Music

I find music distracting whilst writing/editing. The other day I was feeling tired after work and was procrastinating. I clicked on an IG live video by @aquabunart. She was playing her harp. It was really relaxing and helped me get focussed on what I needed to do.

I think I find music useful to get me in the right headspace but not during the task. I also enjoy music whilst plotting or coming up with ideas and have come up with story ideas whilst listening to the radio.

Who inspires you?

Hundreds of authors have inspired me but here are the most notable:

Orchard Tree Books: Yes, they publish children’s first readers. The magic key stories inspired my first stories and awoke my desire to be an author at the age of 5.

Rachel Vincent’s shifter series. I loved the world she built and I wanted to create something similar but my own.

More inspirational people are my granny and grandma. My granny was tenacious and never let anything stop her doing what she needed to. And, my grandma had a big heart and was the first person to believe in my writing.

Camp Fuel

Mmm tea ☕️

One Line

He danced in the sunlight whilst I lurked in the shadows.

Favourite genre/trope

I love YA fiction, Paranormal Romance, Contemporary Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, High Fantasy, Low Sci-Fi, Dystopia, Contemporary Romance, Erotica, Chick Lit, and Children’s Fiction (especially picture books).

I mainly blog and write YA Fantasy. But I also dabble in poetry. And, I’ve drafted a picture book. One day I may also write horror, dystopia and erotica.

Your ideal writing space

I have a Pinterest board with images of my dream space. I’d share it but my boards are so messy they need a spring clean.

I don’t have a dedicated space but I’d like one.

The desk would be a bureau that I could fold away all my mess inside so when I return it is ready. It would have a pin board with inspirational quotes and book plans. A shelf to keep my favourite notebooks and resource books. A draw to hide away my stash of pens and pots for my frequently used. The desk will be large enough to spread out all my papers. Ideally, this space would be in a lodge with beautiful views of a meadow, forest or beach.

I would love to see your answers to the above. Let me know if you are taking part on IG or posting somewhere else.

If you enjoyed this post you will like:

NaNoWriMo Diary – Week 4 (November 2019)

Writing Progress: March

The Plot Bunny Vault

Creating a Catchy Novel Title

Ally Aldridge Writing

Are you taking part in Camp NaNoWriMo (April 2020)?

About Me

Anyone else find it hard to write about themselves? It’s crazy considering nobody knows me as well as I do.

My author card from World Indie Warriors brochure

I’ve written lots of my own author bios but they feel prescriptive and miss that raw personal depth of a genuine connection. But, here I go:

Felixstowe is a small coastal town where friendships forged are forever. My girls from high school are now my girls on Whatsapp. After my parents divorce I was reluctant to commit to anyone. Rob was my friend and I didn’t notice I was falling in love with him until I was head over heels. A friends to lovers romance is complicated but we did it. Now we’re married with two beautiful children.

My Camp NaNo Project

IG Pic to share my Twitter PitMad pitch

I’ve been working on this novel for ten years and since deciding to self publish life has seriously got in the way.

First, my car managed to get three fines for ridiculous parking rules. These unexpected costs meant money was tight. I questioned if I could afford to invest in my dream? But, Pagan Malcom’s motivational talks on her Facebook group, Paperback Kingdom, challenged me to think, “Could I afford NOT to invest in my dream?”

I started the year with a bad cold, then I got a sick bug. Then I heard about C-19 and been dodging it like it’s the plague. Now we are in lockdown.

I’ve always been an advocate for home-working but this is not how I pictured it. I’m not going to lie, juggling home schooling, caring for a one year old and working from home is exhausting!

Is the universe testing me to see how badly I want this? Well universe, I may have slowed down but I have not stopped. This April, I am going to do Camp NaNo!

Camp NaNo Goal

I’ve set my goal to edit Ocean Heart in full (85k words). I doubt I can achieve that in a month but I’m going to try my damn hardest. Anything I can do to get back on track with my goal to publish by this summer is vital.

You can read more about Ocean Heart on my home page.

You can find me on NaNoWriMo as Redfae, but for this challenge I am team World Indie Warriors. They are supporting ‘campers’ on their Facebook page and have an IG chat group. Already they are getting me hyped to take on this challenge and I can’t wait to see what we achieve.

If you enjoyed this, you will like:

Boost My Bio

About Me

Creating a Catchy Novel Title

Camp NaNo July 2019

Ally Aldridge Writing

Writing Progress: March

This a summary of the highs and lows of my writing this month.

Hitting 300 Followers

This might not be a lot for some blogs but for mine it is an epic milestone. I think I should celebrate.

Editing

Oh dear! I really haven’t made much progress on this. It’s rather disappointing. But, I won’t let it defeat me.

Next month is Camp NaNo and I will be taking part. Together with my reading notes and developmental feedback, I will be attempting to achieve a hefty goal of editing 85k words ready for ARC readers.

World Indie Warriors Brochure

I was still chasing authors for content in March. I mainly had to work on my mobile phone. With an increased interest and a new design and look, this was a much bigger project thank I anticipated.

Somehow, I managed to get the proofs out a week before the end date. There were a few amendments requested and I got these done and a preview posted on the Facebook page for everyone to see while we worked on uploading it to the website. When I say we… I passed this task to J D Groom as I didn’t want to mess the website up.

Working From Home

With Covid-19 on the rise many of the companies I visit are either working from home or no longer accepting visitors.

This has involved me having to adapt my working practice to the changing business world. I have been preparing resources I need to enable me to work from home. And, I’ve been preparing my students for how online learning and assessments will work.

I’ve also been supporting colleagues with the change and finding news ways to keep connected. My greatest challenge will be working and keeping two kids entertained and out of trouble.

Home Schooling

Due to Covid-19, all schools are now closed except to students of critical key workers that have no other option. This is to reduce contact.

I am a bit nervous about my ability to do this but I’ll try my best. There are lots of people online supporting each other and sharing resources.

My difficulty is that I won’t be able to give Noah my full attention as I will be working and caring for Aria.

Covid-19

If you follow my blog, you will be aware I have been concerned about this disease since I learned about the outbreak in Wuhan back in January.

Back then I felt silly about my fears. My worry about an outbreak in the UK seemed irrational. It is unlike me to worry about such things. But, I felt so strongly I embarrassed myself in-front of friends and family by raising my concerns and encouraging social distancing.

Now the government is encouraging social distancing. It frustrates me that some people still don’t get it but now those I love are starting to see how serious this is.

My heart goes out to my best friend and her colleagues working in a London hospital on the frontlines.

Mother’s Day

This was an odd Mother’s Day. I didn’t visit my mum. I called and told her I love her, to stay safe and if she wanted anything from the shops.

Noah had made me a card at school. He had hid it so well at home he couldn’t find it so Rob helped him make a new one. Rob had bought me a gift from the kids and a perfume. I felt very spoilt and loved.

It was an uneventful day but I got to cuddle my kids and we are healthy. And, right now, that’s all I want. Good health for all.

Story Seller Academy by Pagan Malcolm

I have not had time to look anymore at the course or content. Now the brochure is done, I’m hoping I will have some free time to appreciate my access to this fabulous course.

If you enjoyed this, check out:

Why I chose to self publish

Progress February

Progress January

My big plans for 2020

To discover more ways to connect, click my link tree.

Ally Aldridge Book Genre, Books, Contemporary, Fantasy, Review, Romance, Young Adult

Book Review: Wiccan Romance – Amelia’s Story by Nicola Hebron

This book was on my to buy list and then I won a signed copy in a completion on Twitter. There is something special about a physical signed book and I will treasure it forever.

The Beginning

Amelia is a quadruplet and a hereditary witch. In their garage, their dad teachers her and her brothers the history of their kind and how to control their powers. Each of them will master an element.

Amelia is crushing on Aiden, her brother’s best friend. During some sibling fallout over dog walking duties, Aiden offers to accompany her as he has to walk his dog.

The Middle

It doesn’t take Amelia and Aiden long to figure out their chemistry. With the blessing of her brothers, Aiden asks her out…

But, just as things are going well, the family receive a guest demanding the family honour an ancient promise. Edward believes that their families are to be joined in marriage and he strongly believes he is supposed to fulfil that promise by wedding Amelia.

The family then try to figure out away out of the promise, however, Edward is extremely persistent. His sister Emily is the complete opposite and when she starts Amelia’s school they quickly become friends.

Meanwhile, a rival Wiccan family plot to steal Amelia’s and her brother’s magic. They believe it was originally theirs and want it back. The rival witches are stalking Amelia and attack her whilst walking the dogs with Aiden. Amelia has to use her powers to fight them off.

Amelia has to lie to Aiden about what happened as he can’t know about magic unless they all agree to tell him. Aiden knows Amelia is not being honest with him. He learns about the Edward situation and gets jealous. They break up. Aiden then hooks up with the rival witch (he has no idea about witches). Amelia finds out and it breaks her heart.

Now Amelia is single, Edward gets more pushy. In the end, things get violent and her brothers have to throw him out their home. One of the brothers realises that the prophecy says nothing about who should marry who and maybe one of them could marry Emily to join the families.

Aiden realises what an idiot he is and begs her brothers to let him make up with Amelia. At first they won’t let him anywhere near her but seeing her so upset, they give in. Amelia and Aiden make up and the siblings reveal their magical secret.

The End

Aiden is captured by the rival witches and taken to a cave. The siblings work together on a plan but Amelia can’t wait and sneaks off alone to rescue Aiden. Amelia discovers it is a trap to force her to surrender her powers in return of Aiden’s release. Amelia is about to give up her magic for love when her brothers arrive. Together the siblings use their magic together to fight the rival witches and free Aiden.

Afterwards, Aiden realises how much Amelia loves him to surrender her magic. They have a happy ending.

Final Thoughts

This novel was a sweet romance, it has a very innocent feel of first love. The world building of magic is very subtle and natural. Nicola has woven the magic into the story and made it a natural part of their life. It makes it easy to embrace and follow.

Whilst reading this I picked up on a few Riverdale vibes. If you like Riverdale look out for those Easter Eggs. It was fun to spot them.

This novel is written in third person which isn’t my preference but I think it is useful as a writer to read different styles as you can learn a lot from other authors and how they deliver their stories.

I am curious to discover what’s next in the series and heard that book 2, Sam’s Story, was released at the end of February.

If you liked this, you will enjoy:

My Books

Book Review: The Practice Boyfriend by Christina Benjamin

Book Review: The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

Book Reviews of 2019

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Ally Aldridge Behind The Book, Book Genre, Contemporary, Fantasy, Novel, Publishing, Tips, Urban, Writing

Behind the Book: Sorceress of Truth by J D Groom

What inspired you to write Sorceress of Truth?

From being around 12 years old I’ve had a love for books, which evolved to fantasy. From as far as I can remember, my dream has been to see my very own book on the shelves of Waterstones and WHSmiths, etc.

Way back in 2006/7 my now husband and I went to visit Cheddar Gorge in Somerset. The huge cliff faces of the gorge cutting through the earth and the story of the Wookey Hole Witch are what sparked the beginnings of Sorceress of Truth.

How long did it take to write and publish from the first idea?

From my initial idea, I spent a year or so on a fact finding mission. I really wanted to lay down the foundations of my characters back stories and origins of the races, though there have still been a number of surprises along the way.

Up until November 2015 I’d written no more than 20,000 words. I had a lot of other things happening in my life, so writing became something that I picked up every now and again. That is until I discovered NaNoWriMo.

It gave me the boost I needed to write ‘The End’ and I finally published in November 2019.

What genre is Sorceress of Truth and can you name any similar books?

I class Sorceress of Truth as a YA urban fantasy with a hint of paranormal romance.

I’m massively inspired by Richelle Mead, Cassandra Clare, and P.C. and Kristin Cast. Collectively their works fill the majority of my bookshelves. I guess you could say that Sorceress of Truth deals with a similar discovery journey as the House of Night series. At the same time, the different races are a lot more integrated into normal society, like the Vampire Academy books.

Where is the novel set and do you have a personal connection to the location?

The novel is set in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, and the surrounding area. The small town of Springs is loosely based around somewhere I lived whilst completing my own Alevel’s, with a few artistic differences.

Why did you choose to self publish?

I would say self publishing chose me!

Initially I wanted to go with traditional publishing, although I wasn’t keen of having an agent. That massively reduced the already short list of publishing houses who would accept my submission.

I did everything right. I read the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook, wrote a synopsis and short bio, batched everything up as per the publishers requirements, hit send, and waited. And waited.

Eventually I had a few replies, ‘Thank you, but no thank you.’, and I found myself at a crossroads.Should I continue pursuing the golden ticket, or should I re-evaluate what I wanted out of my writing?

There were many factors when it came to my decision, one of those being reaching the top 250 out of 3112 entries in the UK Novel Writing Competition with an early, poorly edited, version.

Self publishing won.

That’s not to say it’s been the easier option. From my experience, and from stories I’ve heard, self publishing can often be a much harder and braver option. Though, in some ways, the rewards are so much sweeter.

Please share a snippet or teaser from the book?

“So, I’m going to wake up in two months time and be able to shoot bolts of lightning from my fingers? Or, is this your way of telling me I’m being shipped off to some school for magic?” I glared at Ky with my fists by my side, the nails digging into my fleshy palms. It was the only way I could think of to make me feel something, to make sure this wasn’t all some twisted dream.

“Your family seems to have eluded The Guard for many years.”

“The Guard?” That piqued my interest, and not in a good way. I still didn’t know much about them, and an uneasy feeling churned within my stomach.

“The Guard was formed hundreds of years ago. There’s a prophecy that, one day, a powerful sorceress will cast a demon, Belial, into the mouth of hell.”

Belial? Hell? Was everyone here crazy?

I pushed myself from the tree and began striding back towards the house. There was no way I was going to get caught up in all of this. Next, they’re going to tell me that there are unicorns roaming the woods and mermaids living in the lake.

There are two love interests in your novel, which is most like your man?

This is really hard because all of my characters are an amalgamation of friends, family, acquaintances, even characters from books I’ve read and films I’ve seen.
My husband is a great dad, and very supportive of me and my many crazy ideas, so he definitely has a lot of Kylan in him. On the other hand, as a gamer and anime watcher, he does tend to have a soft spot for the darker and more troubled characters.

Tell me about a typical day in the life of author Jodie Groom.

To be honest, in my eyes, my day is pretty boring to anybody looking in.

I start my day with my phone alarm going off several times before I eventually crawl out of bed and wake my daughter for school. Once the school run is out the way I try and do half an hour or so of exercise in the living room followed by breakfast and coffee.

Begrudgingly I try to fit in an hour or two of housework, or related tasks, then turn to the computer to deal with email and social media posts. If I’m feeling creative I will try to write, but it’s rare.

After lunch, I’ll do more housework and jobs that have built up, before picking my daughter up from school again. Sometimes she has clubs etc so I act as taxi, and once home, we cook and eat dinner.

This normally brings me to about 7pm when my husband takes over and does the whole bedtime routine, allowing me to get on with whatever I need to be doing on the computer. Sometimes that’s writing, sometimes it’s creating video’s and trailers, and sometimes it’s updating my website.

Time seems to fly pretty quickly then. I’m at my most creative at night and, if I’m having a really good writing session, I have been known to stay up past 3am. Which is another reason why I loathe my alarm clock and the morning school run.

Some day’s I spend a lot of time up at school helping with the PTA activities, and other day’s I can be quite involved with tasks for World Indie Warriors. Every day is different and comes with its own challenges. For now, I may be a stay at home mom, but I definitely don’t see myself fitting into any of the regular stereotypes.

What project are you currently working on?

I always have many pies on the go, I can’t help it. I learned very early on that I get fed up easily so have to be able to switch to something else. It’s not just in my writing, it seems to be in most things.

I’ve recently turned my focus back to Sorceress of Flame, the second instalment of the Divine Prophecy Series. We continue Tory’s journey but this time it will be NA rather than YA. It wasn’t intentional but Tory is growing up, maturing, and so it felt fitting that he story followed the same path.

In the background I’m also writing a 3 book series, whose working title is The Don of Avery, which I can’t wait to unleash. It’s a dark mafia romance set in Leeds that definitely isn’t YA.

Where can we find out more and buy Sorceress of Truth?

Sorceress of Truth is available in print and ebook from all good book shops, such as Warterstones, Barnes & Nobel, Apple etc. Or you can purchase direct from Amazon.

I try to post regularly on my website, www.jdgroom.com , where there is information about upcoming events that I’m attending. Alternatively, Instagram is where I mostly hang out.

If you enjoy this, you should check out: 

Behind the Book: Crown of Conspiracy by Kara S Weaver

Behind the Book: Gem of Meruna by Elexis Bell

Behind the Book: Number Eight Crispy Chicken by Sarah Neofield

World Indie Warriors Brochure (1st edition)

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Ally Aldridge Writing

Writing Progress: February 2020

This a summary of the highs and lows of my writing this month.

Sick

Eugh! February did not start out good. I felt incredibly tired for three days and then felt better for two days. Then I was very sick. Followed by my son being very sick. Followed by my husband being very sick. And, I literally mean sick! Luckily, my daughter did not get sick and she kept our spirits up.

Sadly, her turn came later in the month when she caught a bad cold and couldn’t breathe due to a blocked nose. It was the worst night ever. I sat up cuddling her and couldn’t sleep for worrying. Then, the next day she cried over every little thing because she was tired. Even though I wasn’t ill, it took its toll on me.

Story Seller Academy

The end of last month I won a place on this content rich course by Pagan Malcolm. So far I have done Module 1 which is about mindset. I thought I had a good mindset but she called me out on some fears I had been ignoring but are definitely there and holding me back.

I need to figure out a way to fit this course into my life as I can tell it is full of information I am going to need in the coming months.

Website New Look

When I bought my site last month I discovered the theme I use is no longer supported. So, this month I updated to a new theme.

This also prompted me to review my site pages. My home page is now ‘my books’ instead of my blog. My home page also features my three most recent book reviews!

I recently learnt that Instagram doesn’t like Link Tree and shadow banned a friend for using a Link Tree link in their profile. I use Link Tree too but thankfully not been shadow banned. To be cautious the link is now to my website.

World Indie Warrior’s Brochure

I have been raising awareness to remind people that if they are an indie creative then they can be included.

View this post on Instagram

Don’t miss out! There is a lot going on this week.. 1️⃣ Tomorrow, I will be sending my first newsletter of 2020. Link in bio to my website and to sign up. I talk about everything that is going on and coming up, and spotlight some outstanding authors. 2️⃣ Head over to @worldindiewarriors to discover how to get included in the next WIW Brochure. This is a fantastic opportunity for all Indie Creatives. 3️⃣ This month I worked on improving my site and love the new look. I am celebrating my achievement and would love for you to take a look. ? #authorslife #writerslife #indieauthor #indiecreator #indiecraft #selfpublishbehappy #authorwebsite #worldindiewarriors #wiwbrochure #authornewsletter #indiebooks #indieseries #indieservices #smallbusiness #entrepreneur #bookmarketing #authorssupportingauthors #writingtip #supportsmallbusiness #supportindie

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I also wrote my first blog post for World Indie Warriors with more details about submissions for the brochure.

My Newsletter

I have been putting together the final touches to my newsletter and sent it on Tuesday, 25 Feb.

Be sure to sign up to make sure you don’t miss out on future emails. A form should pop up on the site to enable this but if you don’t see it, click my link tree at the end of this post and you’ll see a link to sign up.

20 years together

We didn’t get to celebrate as we were ill but we are so happy together. We have our family home, cats, kids and so much love.

Half Term

Tye month included February half term. The week started with Noah having his best friends over to play. And, the week ended in tears due to freezing cold weather at a farm.

In addition, Aria is not sleeping well at night. And, my husband and I juggled childcare around our work commitments. Those that usually help us out couldn’t.

Some days, I felt so exhausted it was an effort to get through the day. Some times I felt I was failing my kids as we didn’t do enough. But, when I asked Noah his thoughts, he told me about cuddling a bunny and bottle feeding a lamb. And, he loved having his friends over so much, he kept his room tidy. I taught him to play cards and, even though he lost, he’s determined to beat me.

Coronavirus

I was starting to feel safe again. I began to convince myself that it is under control and the cases in China were slowing down. But, with the sudden rapid rise in numbers for South Korea and Italy, I am back to worrying.

It saddens me to see how cruel some people are towards those that are suffering. It looks truly terrifying to have an invisible enemy that causes so much heartbreak. My heart goes out to all those affected.

On a positive note though, I am thinking of using all my research to write a Dystopian novel about the after mass of a deadly virus. To stop myself running away with the idea, I will lock the plot bunny in the vault. I must not allow it to distract me from publishing the Soul Heart series.

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My Writing Progress – January 2020

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Creating a catchy novel title

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