Many thanks to those who entered my first paperback books giveaway. The winners were Claire, Karen B., and Rochelle, and their books are on the way!
If you’re interested in purchasing copies of the paperbacks, you can get Emperor’s Edge at Barnes & Noble or Amazon. Dark Currents is also available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
And now for a new giveaway. *insert exciting drum roll*
To enter…
In the comments below, ask a question about self-publishing, writing, blogging, or my books. Questions that fall outside of these topics won’t count (you don’t want to know what I’m wearing or my favorite food anyway — boring!).
I’ll pick and choose and answer some (many?) of the questions in upcoming blog posts.
The minimum gift certificate awarded will be $10. I’ll add $0.50 to the total for every question asked (only one question per person, and you need to use the email address linked to your Amazon account, so I can send the gift certificate electronically — in other words, no cheating and entering with multiple names and email addresses!). The maximum possible award is $75 (hey, I have to save a few bucks for my own holiday shopping), which we’ll reach if we get 130 questions ($10 base + .50 per question).
In other words, the more people who comment with a question, the higher the prize, so please share this contest around (Facebook, Twitter, etc. links are at the bottom of the post). Thank you!
Let’s run this through Sunday the 23rd. On the 24th, I’ll randomly pick a winner and award the prize.
*If you live outside of Amazon’s sphere of influence (I’ve heard it’s possible) and want to enter, go ahead and do so. We’ll figure out a way to hook you up somehow if you win.
Let the questions begin…
[UPDATE: The contest is now closed. Amy Murphy was the giveaway winner. Thanks for participating, everyone!]
When will your next full length novel be out?
As a soon to be owner of a Kindle (Fire), which of your ebooks do you suggest a new reader start?
This one won’t count: Do we only ask these questions on this blog post?
Real question(s): Do you use a professional editor for your fiction? If so, who?
Yup, this is the spot. 🙂
Oops! I made that comment with the wrong email account. This one has the right one.
Darn! I didn’t win 😛 But congrats to those who did win ;). Let’s see . . . deeply personal question about the characters in EE? As tempting as that is, this might be too public of a place for such inquiries ;).
Oooo, I’ve got a good one: when shall we expect the next Flash Gold installment (My friend and I are really anxious to see what happens next . . . )?
I’m thinking of starting a blog but I’m not sure where to start. What are some good tips?
I would like some tips on this as well.
Do you already know where you are going to end up in the EE series, how many books there will be and how the story arc will go?
I love the series and am anxiously awaiting the next EE book : )
Are you writing the 2nd, 3rd… books differently from the first one regarding how well wrapped-up they are?
I had hoped that Sespian [snipped due to spoilers :D] would have made an appearance in the second book of the series (Dark Currents), having speaking lines rather than being mentioned by the main characters in passing. Will we see more of him in the next book in which he interacts face-to-face with Sicarius and Amaranthe, perhaps following up on the infatuation that was brought up in the first book (Emperor’s Edge)?
Great question, I know this doesn’t count for mine but I just want to second the inquiry!!
Kindle or Nook? And why? Or should someone looking to publish eBooks own both? I’d love a pro-con piece about this ;P
Here is a question for you – what do you consider to be the most difficult part of the writing process with your stories? Planning, plot structure, formatting, covers, editing? Or all of the above? 🙂
Cheers!
Michael
Epublishing has broadened the market for novellas. Do these sell as well on Kindle as novels?
I read The Emperor’s Edge on my Kindle, after buying it because it was touted as a steam punk novel…and because I liked the plot synopsis. I’m not some die-hard Steam Punk type, but I noticed that you barely touched on the technology. I love your stories, but wonder if the whole steam power thing was an afterthought to gain a genre following.
But steam, no steam or Sauna Time, please keep it up!
With the advent of ebooks and self-publishing, the ideas that I’ve had wandering around in my head for many years have the possibility of becoming at least short stories.
Where do you suggest I start on getting them out?
Props to the last winners BTW 🙂
Are you a plotter or a pantser? Or some combination of both?
Do you have a fixed number of books planned for the Emperor’s Edge series?
How do you know when your books are actually complete? That the adventure is ready to be stopped and continued on in a different time rather than just spilling everything out in one mountainous mound of paper?
Thanks for another opportunity to play a new game! Can we purchase a signed book with our gift certificate :)?
I’m sure we can work something out, Gail!
*changes e-mail addy, dootdeedoo* I like how you’re bribing us to ask you questions…. Not that I’m above taking bribes! I just find it quite hilarious.
Let’s see, a question that hasn’t been asked yet.
So, I have a hard time plotting out mysteries. What do you do for yours? Do you figure out what all the villains are doing in the mean time, what clues to leave our gang ahead of time? Or…well, I am kind of clueless on how to start, since mysteries always end up being big working machines of plot and they have to start somewhere. How do you handle it? Where do you start?
Hey, I like to offer something in return when I’m asking for favors. 😉 The more questions I get, the more ideas I have for blog posts over the next couple of months!
It’s just a shame that it’s not raffle-ticket style, where the more questions you ask, the more chances you get to win. :p
Random thought: I think Raymond Chandler wrote detective stories by the seat of his pants. At least his “When in doubt, have a man come through the door with a gun in his hand.”-rule sounds like it. 😀
Heeeey….that sounds suspiciously like the movie The Thin Man (1934). There’s a scene where they’re settling in for bed and then all of a sudden a guy with a gun walks into their bedroom.
As much as I love the Emperor’s Edge series (great news about Deadly Games!!), I also really enjoyed Encrypted. I seem to remember hearing you had a chapter or so partly written on a sequel. Are you still planning to write that book, and if so, any idea when?
ha, ha…all the questions I was going to ask have been already but that’s ok- look forward to hearing about Encrypted sequel
In a bookstore setting; what section would you love for your book to be shelved in? Which would you hate for it to be shelved? Whoops! Two questions!
You have multiple series on the go. How do you keep them separate in your head? How do you choose which to write next?
What was your experience with getting your novels into the Kindle store? The Nook store?
Is it “worth it” to try to put some of your work for free in the kindle/nook stores? Do free books help sell other books, or is it a zero-sum game?
How come you don’t use different covers for your paperback books and your ebooks?
And how can I sell lots of books like you? 😀
I read a LOT, mostly books with lots of pages because there will always be a lot of info on not only the people in the story but the story itself. BUT, I’ve read both Flash Gold books and I have to tell you, you did an awesome job on both points while still making it great reading
So I have to ask, are you working on the 3rd book or are we just going to be left hanging like so many TV shows do to us?
How do you handle taxes with e-book publishing?
Okay, so I’m happy to be out of the running for this (for obvious reasons :D), but I still like asking the occasional question…
What writing software do you use?
I’ve picked up a fair amount of foreshadowing in your books – how do you keep track of all the details? Are your outlines as long as the novels themselves, or are you a just post-it queen?
Any specific tricks you use to define your characters voices so well? E.g. mindmaps, character surveys, profiling.
Favourite places to research? Library or online sites? And if online, care to share?
You’ve managed to nail both adult and kids fiction… are you going to place your golden hand on young adult? |(Yes, I know Flash Gold has a young lady protagonist but it feels adult).
And of course…
Release dates? Please!
Okay, I think that’s me for now.
Hi Lindsay,
How did you come up with your characters names? Do they have special meaning to you?
Thanks
I love the banter between the characters; especially how the reader can easily distinguish between individual characters just by their type of response in dialogue. I think that’s a sign of very strong characterization. 🙂 So my question is: do you make up the dialogue as you write the scene, or do you have an idea of what they will say before you start writing?
It’s been awhile since I’ve read the The Emporer’s Edge and Dark Currents so please forgive me if you already answered this question in these books. Do we find out where Sicarius came from and who his parents were before the emoper started “training ” him?
again, a fantastic question…just can’t wait to hear the answer-
Will there be romance between Amaranthe and Sicarius?
And what is Sicarius’s true name? Sicarius is latin for assasin, or dagger-man, so I’m assuming that you may have a different name for him.
I have two questions, actually. One about writing and the other about the EE series.
1. I have been encouraged by several loved ones to put my stories down in writing and submit them for publication. I have quickly learned, however, that TELLING stories is much easier than WRITING stories, especially since I tell the stories at times when I am not working-parenting-washing-cooking-cleaning-checking homework. How on earth do writers with day jobs find the time (and mental focus) to write?
2. I really enjoyed seeing young Sicarius at the end of Encrypted. Will any Encrypted characters make a cameo appearance in the EE series?
Hubs and I are LOVING Flash Gold. Are you going to do more with that series? We particularly enjoy the unexpected setting, and the character interactions are fabulous.
And while we’re asking, how did you decide on the setting for Flash Gold? Because it’s just so not what one expects from any of the categories I’ve seen the series assigned.
You’ve said that you want to write a book from the perspective of each of the main characters. I can see Akstyr’s and Sicarius’ books being very challenging to write — Akstyr because he’s a punk teen, Sicarius because so much of his character is about what he doesn’t say or share. Have you thought at all about how you’ll keep those characters consistent with what we’ve seen so far while writing from their point of view — and keeping it likable?
Do you know what percentage of people who sample your books actually end up buying?
My question is regarding writing. How do you organize in order to write a novel? Meaning, do you write a general outline first, then start dividing the outlines by parts, then by chapters, then by scenes, etc., or you just go by the ideas as they come to you and fill out the rest?
I haven’t read through all the questions so I hope I’m not repeating anything, so…
Do you have any plans for a longer entry (novel length for preference) in the Flash Gold storyline? I love the novellas (and everything else you’ve written to be honest) but something with a little more meat to it would be fantastic too. Flash Gold and Hunted ended too quick, I want more! 😉
Hi Lindsay! Me and my two best friends started a blog five months ago. We consider ourselves novice bloggers and I’d like to ask, how do we properly approach authors/publishers to request for review copies? Can you give me any tips? Thanks!
What’s your brainstorming process? Have you thought of doing a prequel-stand aloneish book on Sicarius?? I’m curious about how he got entangled with everything.
You do a wonderful job of adding humor into your books (mainly through Maldynado and his antics!). Is it hard to balance the humor with the serious situations that the characters always find themselves in? How do you know as the author how much is too much when it comes to humor/jokes in serious situations?
Are there more “Flash Gold” stories in the works? And I too would like to see a sequel to “Encrypted”. Looking forward to the next in the EE series. BTW, I enjoyed your Goblin Brothers Adventure.
Would you rather have readers purchase printed books or e-books?
How are the paperbacks working out? Can you go into any explanation of the pricing, and how that works?
How many hours a week do you spend writing?
When I look at epub sites, they mention covers. They also have a cover option. How do you develop your covers and are they important for epublished books?
Hi Lindsay!
Are any of your characters based on real people?
Hello 🙂
I have just put together a couple of stories that required research (and got bogged down in a third – too much research), and also began reading Flash Gold.
I always like authentic settings, and I’m enjoying the Gold Rush feel in FG. I was just wondering how much you knew, and how much research you did for FG – and perhaps other stories.
RG.
OH!
Also, when do you feel like you should turn a short story into something more, or when should you leave it be and move on?
RG.
(Yeah, yeah. I already asked a Q. Leave me be.)
Do you put your books out through multiple stores? If so, so you prefer to handcraft each format, or do you trust a bulk converter/submitter?
I want to know if you make more or less money than with traditional publishers, which means comparing numbers from someone who does both or did both. I wouldn’t have found this without your twitter post to win a gift certificate, so please enter me for that. One thing I do know from karen Baney’s post on Wendy Young’s blog is cross promo work + social media works. But I want to do less of that & more writing, so I still want traditional publishing. This was the tweet: #authors – How to Double Your Sales wp.me/p1JRnw-7y @karen_baney guest posts on my blog @wendyyoung #writing #marketing #sales
Do you think that cookery books make good ebooks on Kindle seeing as how Kindle only has black and white ph,otos? I rather think that colour photos of cooked recipes tantalise the taste buds more.
Also are they easy to use in the kitchen?
What do people think? Has anyone downloaded or published an E cookery book?
In all of the books you currently have out, there is a side character point of view for each book. In the first it’s Sespian, in the second it’s Books, and in the third it’s Basilard. I was wondering that in the next three books you plan on making, will there be one with Sicarius’s point of view? I’m dying to know. 😉 I love his character so much. I could understand if he came in the last book because by that point you would have him and Amaranthe hooked up(I hope)? I don’t mean to be a spoiler, but I want to know. ><
Hm, I need to get back to answering questions from this thread, because I haven’t done them all! Maybe in the New Year. 😉
Roni, it’s looking like it’ll be Akstyr next, then Maldynado, and then Sicarius in the end. Lots of people want to get in his head, so I hope I can do his scenes justice!
We’ll see as far as the hookups go. 😉
-squeaks with excitement- Awesome! I know you’ll do a good job if you can hook people with your books thus far. 😉 Truly at first I was questioning reading it, but as I got further into the story I was extremely glad I stuck with it.
Thank you for your writings! 😀
Thanks, Roni! Glad you stuck with the stories and have enjoyed them. 🙂