Aussie Author Month

I'm not shy about the fact that I'm a proud Australian and I'd love to see Aussies more prominent in the international literature scene. A vital step to get there is making sure that we support Australian authors locally through buying their books and spreading the word about their awesomeness.

So in April I'm going to be discussing Aussie authors that I love and their works, Aussie authors that I'm hanging out to read and other aspects about the Aussie publishing industry that I've picked up along the way.

I invite you all to join me in this journey. The first step is to get out there and buy a book by an Aussie Author. I'm going to be buying Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley. If you're into YA like me, then check out the Aussie YA Reading Challenge Group on Goodreads for some options.

Question: What Aussie book are you going to buy or read next?

Website Launch and Gigantic Giveaway

To celebrate the launch of my new website "The Weird Writing World of S.M.Johnston" I'm having a giveaway.
Firstly I'd like to thank and acknowledge my great friend Evie who is responsible for this amazing creation. I look at code and tremble, where as Evie owns it and bends it to her will. She is beyond awesome. Secondly, I'd like to thank my fellow YAtopians Chanelle Gray, Kelley York, Sarah Nicolas, Kelley Vitollo and Wendy Higgins who have donated prizes for my site launch giveaway.

So, the giveaway. Up for grabs is:

•  a $50 Barnes and Noble e-gift card.
• A query critique from YAtopian and kNight Romance author Chanelle Gray.
• A chapter/first ten pages critique from YAtopian and Entangled author Kelley York.
• An ebook copy of Angelfall courtesy of YAtopian and member of YA Rebels.  Sarah Nicolas. 
• An ebook copy (preorder) of Sweet Evil courtesty of YAtopian and Crescent Moon author Kelley Vitollo.  
• Sweet Evil bookmarks courtesy of YAtopian and HarperCollins author Wendy Higgins.
• A copy of Carrier of the Mark courtesy of YAtopian and HarpCollins author Leigh Fallon.
• Additional prize in! A first chapter critique from YAtopian and Pendrell Publishing author DJ DeSmyter.

Note - this is not all the prizes for one winner. There will be a winner for each prize and you can win more than one prize, so extra entries help.

To enter you must be a follower of this blog and promote the competition either via a blog post, twitter post or Facebook status. But there are ways you can get bonus entries:

• Subscribe to posts via email +1
• Follow me on Twitter @S_M_Johnston +1
• Follow Evie's blog +1 (and see who made this awesome website)
• Follow my group blog YAtopia +1
• Follow my group blog's Twitter @YAtopia_blog +1
• Follow Chanelle's blog +1
• Follow Chanelle on Twitter +1
• Follow Kelley York's blog +1
• Follow Kelley on Twitter @elixing +1
• Follow Sarah's blog +1
• Follow Sarah on Twitter @sarah_nicolas +1
• Follow Kelley Vitollo's blog +1
• Follow Kelley Twitter @KellyVitollo+1
• Follow Wendy's blog +1
• Follow Wendy on Twitter @Wendy_Higgins +1
• Follow Leigh's blog. +1
• Follow Leigh on Twitter @Leigh_Fallon +1
• Pre-order Wendy Higgins' debut novel Sweet Evil +1 (cause I've had the pleasure of being a Beta reader for her and it's awesome beyond belief). You can find it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
• Follow DJ's blog.
• Follow DJ on Twitter @LifeinFiction.

So to enter include:

A comment on what books you would buy if you win the e-voucher and a note of which critiques your interested in (everyone is entered for all other prizes)
Name:
Email:
Follower confirmation:
Promotion confirmation:
Entries (if you have a + for a pre-order or email subscription you will need to email me your receipt if you win):

Entries close on Valentine's Day, February 14th, at midnight. So feel the love and get your entry in.

A new boutique publisher: A Bit of Grace (Part 2)

Debut author, publisher and the woman who had to leave her agent to follow her dream - Kate Grace.

Part 1 of this interview can be found on YAtopia.

Sharon: So does ABoG have plans for more books coming out anytime soon?

Kate: Yes. There are actually a few additional elements to Burden of the Soul (book one) that will be released through the fall, including the paperback edition and bonus chapters that give the perspective of other characters within the book. We are also hard at work on the second book in the Burden series, set to release in late 2012. Our end goal is to be a fully operational boutique publisher, but on principle we're working out the kinks of the process on my books first. Once we feel ready to take on other authors and fully support them and their work we'll open for submissions.

Sharon: What will be the submission process of ABoG?

Kate: It's difficult to say given that we're still in the early stages of defining ABoG, though I can say we will stay within the realm of children's and teen literature for now with the goal of expanding into literature aimed at female readerships. I'm actually really excited for this, having been an editor myself and being connected to such a wide variety of talented editors and artists. I love the idea of creating teams around a work, tailored to the work itself. When we get there, we'll select manuscripts based on our interest in them and the way they grab us. Then we'll go out and find the perfect team to work with the author to create the best possible literary experience for readers. The structure we're experimenting with right now gives everyone on the team a stake in the project, encouraging active participation in every phase of a work. The test run for Burden of the Soul has worked extremely well, and we're going to test drive it again before we apply it to others' works. But we're hoping to have it fully polished and ready for outside submissions in 2012.

Sharon: What other stories/novels are you working on at the moment?

Kate: Right now I'm working on the bonus chapters of Burden of the Soul, which is so much fun. It adds so much to the writing experience to play around in other characters' perspectives. I really believe it adds dimensions and discoveries to the story as a writer, whether they're made public or not. Beyond that we're hard at work on the next book in the Burden series. There are, however, other characters unrelated to Burden living in my imagination right now with their own stories to tell, and occasionally they demand attention. As far as I can tell at this point they're not geared at the YA genre, so when the time comes I'll figure them out, but for now they serve as a great stretch.

Sharon: What are some tricks & tips you use to over come writers block?

Kate: It sounds so simple and so difficult at the same time, but the best way I have found to combat writers block is to keep writing. A block is rarely created by the part of ourselves that wants to write – it's created by that part of ourselves that wants to edit or critique as we go. Don't let that inner voice judge your work in progress! Keep going and write for the sake of silencing that inner voice. Tell it to shut up by writing more. If you need a break from what you're working on, write something else or find another creative outlet to keep that playful sensibility about expression. Show yourself some compassion and grace, and allow yourself to be a beginner. If when sitting down to write the first sentence you're worried about getting an agent, getting a publisher, having good sales, being able to pay off student loans... Oh my world, you'll never get to the end of that sentence! This is playtime, everything else comes after. Push it out of your mind and just allow that creative part of your self to run around a play for a bit without the manufactured risk of failing. There is no failing in writing if you get the words down. If you just write, you've succeeded already!

You can find Burden of the Soul for sale online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and iTunes. You can find Kate on Twitter, Goodreads, A Bit of Grace Blog and Facebook.

Mishca's heart is not her own

Mishca is a speculative fiction, with a nice dash of mystery and humour, crossing over the realms of the paranormal, sci-fi and fantasy. It brings a new twist, with themes, beings, and creatures that are not a part of current 'trends' and a fresh original voice.

Mishca should have it all, being adopted by celebrity parents. But she is no Nicole Richie. Her poor health has hampered her ability to make friends and is a turn-off for boys. After graduating high school she undergoes a lifesaving heart transplant operation. But this new heart seems to come with consequences. Nightmares begin to plague Mishca, and she begins to wonder about her birth parents, something that had never bothered her before. Unbeknown to Mishca, strangers who are haunting her in dreams are also watching her movements in the real world.

The quest to find her birth parents leads her to Ryder, a fellow adoptee who seems to get Mishca on a level no-one else has before. Her health and inexperience does not faze him and their romance begins to blossom. Her journey into womanhood, her new life at university, and her relationship with Ryder take unexpected twists that ultimately lead to the shocking discovery about the truth of her past.

Currently, Mishca's manuscript is on HarperCollins review desk after recently ranking second out of more than twenty-five thousand projects on their online community, InkPop, for aspiring YA authors. While HarperCollins is reviewing, they will be considering it for publication. ttp://inkpop.com/projects/18350/mishca-/

The idea for Mishca came to me as a "What if?" scenario. To not give away the twist the best example I could give is "What if a time traveller met herself in another time?"  As I researched and wrote the story expanded further and subplots developed for other characters.  While it could be work as a stand alone story, it is designed to be the opening book of a series that explores the themes of heritage, belonging, atonement, forgiveness and love.