RFW Members - Share Your Writing News - Madeleine Maddocks, Kiru Taye and J L Campbell

Now that I've got your attention with my scary koala pic, we launch another post on RFW members' writing successes. I sent out a list of questions to members and these three authors have gone out on a limb and shared with us. First we have author Madeleine Maddocks, followed by Kiru Taye and J L Campbell.

1.            MADELEINE MADDOCKS

I spent much of my childhood alone, in my own make-believe world with an imaginary friend for company. I am a writer by nature and have spent hours writing stories and making my own books. Now I enjoy blogging @ (http://scribbleandedit.blogspot.com) on the topic of creative writing and express my creativity in textile crafts, magazine editing and website design as well. I live in Devon, England with my husband and two cats and am a qualified Speech & Language Therapist with a Psychology degree. You can check me out here:

www.amazon.com/author/madeleinesara

2.            HAVE YOU HAD ANY NOVELS, NOVELLAS, SHORT STORIES, FLASH FICTION, POETRY PUBLISHED? 

I’ve had flash fiction, haiku and the opening 250 words of a story accepted for competitions by magazines/online groups for publication, as well as 16 non-fiction articles published in International & National magazines.

3.       ARE YOU ABOUT TO HAVE A WORK OF ANY TYPE PUBLISHED? IF YES, TELL US ABOUT IT. HOW DID YOU MARKET YOUR BOOK? DID YOU DO A BLOG TOUR ETC?

Ultimate Sacrifice is my first eBook short story/novella (just under 7,000 words), for which I have launched a blog tour with reviews, interviews and promotion posts. Others are tweeting and ‘Facebooking’ for me, which all takes up huge amounts of time.

I am hosting a Bombshell launch party, too:

Ultimate Sacrifice is available here:

 at Amazon.com   Amazon. UK  Amazon FR     Amazon de

Since there's more than one bombshell in this novel, I am organising a Bombshell Launch Party to celebrate the forthcoming release of my eBook Ultimate Sacrifice on 1st August. Come dressed to kill, ready to drop that bombshell on someone you have always admired, longed to meet, wish to get even with or just simply envy. It’s the chance to say what you’ve been keeping repressed (real or imagined). Just have a blast! If you have a blog and you'd like to take part, all you need to do is post a picture or description of your chosen person
along with the bombshell you’d like to drop.

I have also created a book trailer, but need to add the audio clips before I can launch it…

4.       WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT WRITING PROJECTS?

I am toying with 2 further eBook novella ideas: One entitled Forsaking All Others (chick lit/realistic fiction/romance); the other Embroidering the Truth would be set in 1800s in a lunatic asylum, as a suspense thriller.

My realistic fiction/ suspense story is a WIP that I intend to send to agents, rather than self publish.

5.       WHAT IS YOUR OVERWHELMING WRITING AMBITION?

To be a successfully published real book author.

6.       HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SEEKING PUBLICATION?

For a few years I’ve submitted pieces of work to magazines mainly. Years ago I sent off a romance novel to a large specialist publishing house and got a feedback letter after 6 months, which was a real boost as apparently you only get a standard rejection letter after 6 weeks if they really don’t like it.

7.       DO YOU HAVE ANY PUBLISHERS TO RECOMMEND TO OTHER WRITERS?

Not yet

8.       DO YOU HAVE ANY MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES OR PHILOSOPHIES TO SHARE WITH THE WRITING COMMUNITY?

Yes, check out Neil Gaiman’s speech: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikAb-NYkseI

Kiru Taye

Kiru Taye is the award-winning author of His Treasure.

She writes historical, contemporary and paranormal romances. Her stories are sensual and steamy, her characters passionate and sassy and her settings atmospheric and exotic.

When she’s not writing, she’s reading, hanging out with family/friends or travelling. Born in Nigeria, she currently lives in the UK with husband and two children.

You reach her via her blog, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or Pinterest

Follow her blog for latest news and giveaways: http://kirutayewrites.blogspot.com

Read book excerpts on her website: http://www.kirutaye.com

  

2.       HAVE YOU HAD ANY NOVELS, NOVELLAS, SHORT STORIES, FLASH FICTION, POETRY PUBLISHED?

I’ve had 6 stories published so far.

You can buy my books via

 Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | All Romance eBooks

And other online bookshops.

3.       ARE YOU ABOUT TO HAVE A WORK OF ANY TYPE PUBLISHED? IF YES, TELL US ABOUT IT. HOW DID YOU MARKET YOUR BOOK? DID YOU DO A BLOG TOUR ETC?

My last book to be published is His Treasure. It is the 3^rd book in the historical romance Men of Valor series set in pre-colonial West Africa. Here is the blurb:

With the weight of a kingdom on his shoulders and his honour at stake, can a Prince truly love a slave?

Ezinne is dismayed when her mistress presents her to Prince Emeka as a concubine to cater for his every need for a few weeks. She’s a slave whose previous encounters with men make her fear their brutality.

Yet the more she gets to know the powerful yet honourable prince, the easier he breaks down the walls around her heart.  She soon comes to want him more than she wants anything else, even freedom.

But Emeka is the heir to the throne and Ezinne is a woman with secrets that threaten not just their budding relationship but a kingdom.

For marketing this book, I organised a book launch event and invited friends and followers on facebook. It was also included in the recent Sizzling Summer event hosted by The Romance Reviews. My publisher also set up a book tour as well which is currently ongoing.

Later this month, it’ll also be part of the Beach Book Blast Summer Release party.

4.       WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT WRITING PROJECTS?

I’m currently in a writing dry spell. But what I should be doing is revising a manuscript I wrote last year. A publisher is interested but they want some revisions. But I’ve hit a block I can’t seem to shift.

5.       WHAT IS YOUR OVERWHELMING WRITING AMBITION?

My ultimate writing goal is to have one (or more) of my books in the NY Times Bestseller list.

6.       HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SEEKING PUBLICATION?

I started writing my first book in January 2010 but didn’t complete it until December 2010 when I made my first ever submission to a publisher.

7.       DO YOU HAVE ANY PUBLISHERS TO RECOMMEND TO OTHER WRITERS?

I write romance so the publishers I’m interested in are romance publishers. My publisher Breathless Press is a small and good but growing. I read good things about Decadent Publishing, Evernight Publishing and Entangled Publishing amongst others.

8.       DO YOU HAVE ANY MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES OR PHILOSOPHIES TO SHARE WITH THE WRITING COMMUNITY?

I love this quote by Philip Roth “The road to hell is paved with works-in-progress.”

Lesson: Finish writing that book!

 1.    JOY CAMPBELL

 J.L. Campbell is a proud Jamaican author who’s always on the lookout for story making material. She loves company and can usually be found lollygagging on her blog at http://www.joylcampbell.com

2.       HAVE YOU HAD ANY NOVELS, NOVELLAS, SHORT STORIES, FLASH FICTION, POETRY PUBLISHED? 

My novels and short stories include Contraband, Dissolution, Distraction, Don’t Get Mad…Get Even, Giving up the Dream and Hardware (pen name Jayda McTyson).

3.       ARE YOU ABOUT TO HAVE A WORK OF ANY TYPE PUBLISHED? IF YES, TELL US ABOUT IT. HOW DID YOU MARKET YOUR BOOK? DID YOU DO A BLOG TOUR?

My latest novel Distraction was published in June.  It’s women’s fiction and features three female friends who break social and moral rules with dire consequences. I haven’t done a ton of marketing, but I have been doing a bit of research to find out what tools work best. I am organizing a book tour, that will kick off on August 15.

4.       WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT WRITING PROJECTS?

I’m currently working on the standalone sequel of my latest release. The title of that one is Retribution.

5.       WHAT IS YOUR OVERWHELMING WRITING AMBITION?

My biggest ambition is to write stories that touch people in some way. I’d also like to become a household name in Jamaica.

6.       HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SEEKING PUBLICATION?

I was lucky, in that I sold the first article I wrote in 2004 that same year. It took me another year to find a publisher for Contraband.

7.       DO YOU HAVE ANY PUBLISHERS TO RECOMMEND TO OTHER WRITERS?

Wild Child Publishing put out my novel Hardware in 2011. The editor was a pleasure to work with and the publisher is very good about helping writers understand the world of publishing.

8.       DO YOU HAVE ANY MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES OR PHILOSOPHIES TO SHARE WITH THE WRITING COMMUNITY?

I believe that unswerving perseverance is the key to success. I also think it’s important to learn the craft of writing before seeking publication and that writers should never stop learning. People are amazed when I tell them I wrote Contraband in a few months, but that it took me nearly five years before I was satisfied with it. I also strive to make each story I write my best one. 

Thank you ladies for answering my questions. Keep writing those novels! May you all reach the bestseller lists someday! I'm sure we've all learned so much from you today.

Blog Post Dividers courtesy of Shabby Blogs.

UPCOMING RFW CHALLENGES: C'mon, have a go! New entries welcome!

Challenge #43 - Aug 24 -   The Romantic Picnic
Challenge #44 -  Sept 7 -    I Should Have Kissed You   FW/RU

Challenge #45 -  Sept 21 -  Oh How I Hate My Beautiful Friend
Challenge #46 -  Oct 5   -    Birthday Madness 
Challenge #47 -  Oct 19 -    Halloween – House of Horrors.  FW/RU