Tag Archives: k morris author

Interview With K J Rollinson Author

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Thank you to K J Rollinson for the below guest post. You can find out more about Kathy and her books by visiting the following links: http://www.amazon.com/K-J-Rollinson/e/B009ATNOQO and http://wordplay-publishing.com/wordplays-authors/rollinson-kj/.

 

 

 

NAME  Mrs Kathy June Rollinson   (I write under the name of K J Rollinson)

 

I live in the Costa Blanca, Spain.

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Did you pick your genre or did it pick you?

 

  1. The ‘Fallyn’ trilogy picked me. I used to go to an art class, and a friend had drawn a picture of a very proud dragon. I wrote a 500-word story for her, and the trilogy grew from there.

 

  1. Do you write in multiple genres or just one.

 

  1. Multiple genres.

 

  1. Q. How much time do you devote to writing per day?

 

  1. Usually between 4/5 hours per day. I get up at about 4/5am each morning. By the time I have read/answered my emails, sometimes do a blog, written at least 1,000 words per day on any book I am writing, 4/5 hours has gone by.

 

  1. What have you published so far?

 

  1. ‘Fallyn and the Dragons’, ‘Fallyn in the Forbidden Land’, ‘Fallyn and the Sea       Dragons’ , (Fantasy Books) ‘The Rode to Justice, (John Rode, 1st grade detective, murder stories)’.’A Twist of Fairy Tales’, modern fairy tales for ages 5 – 10 years. Some based on classics.

 

  1. Has your method of writing changed over the course of publishing your books.

 

  1. No the method is the same. I still publish through Wordplay Publishing. I think my writing has improved book by book.

 

  1. Where do you see yourself a year from now?

 

  1. Still writing, I hope. If I am not a success (which we all want to be) I will still carry on writing because I love it.

 

  1. Did you self-publish, go the traditional way, or do both?

 

  1. Only self-published with the help of Wordplay Publishing. I had heard so many people say they had been rejected by publishers – and usually you still have to do your own promotion – that I decided to go down the route of self-publishing.

 

  1. Which method did you prefer.

 

  1. I haven’t used any method other than self-publishing so I cannot comment from personal experience.

 

 

 

  1. Of the books that you have written, do you have a favourite. Why?

 

  1. Each one is my favourite when I am writing it. It is my baby at the time. I treat my books like children, and like having children you should not have a favourite. If you had asked the question Do you have a favourite character(s) I would have answered yes, and gone onto explain why.

 

  1. Why did you become a writer?

 

  1. I have always enjoyed writing since I was a child – short stories, poems. As I got older I dreamt of being published, and when self-publishing came along the dream became a reality.

 

  1. Who is your target audience.

 

  1. For the ‘Fallyn’ trilogy anyone who enjoys fantasy books. But I have just asked the publisher to add the ‘Young Adult’ category on Amazon because I read in the Writing Magazine that ‘Young Adult’ books were increasing. For the murder book – anyone who enjoys crime. It is suitably categorized on Amazon. I stress in the book the protagonist, John Rode, seeks justice. In one story he says, ‘This is a court of law, not a court of justice.’

 

  1. What are you working on now?

 

  1. I am really excited about my latest project. The Wordplay Writers’ Forum, of which I am a member here in Spain, has devised a 5-year competition, now in its second year, open to anyone, details found at www.WordplayPublishing.com

A founder member of Wordplay died a few years ago called Ian. He always said that he had never read book where the main character was called Ian. So the main character has to be called Ian, and into social issues. Apart from these criteria the book can be on any subject. My character goes to a little country in East Africa that has been torn by wars and famine to help. My book is called, ‘Where Lies My Heart’.

 

 

  1. What makes you different from other writers in your genre?

 

  1. With regard to my Fallyn books, I have always felt St George and the Dragon, gave dragons a bad press, seen as an enemy to be slaughtered. My dragons have individual characters and can talk between themselves and understand what humans say to them. They can be funny, intelligent – all are very loyal to the main protagonists, except for the occasional ‘baddy’ dragon (you have to have one or two of those, don’t you?).

 

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Competition To Win A Free Copy Of The First Time

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I am giving away free copies of my collection of short stories, The First Time to anyone who can answer the below question. (In order to participate you will need to download my collection of short stories, The Suspect And Other Tales, which is free in the Kindle Store until Saturday 29 November). Everyone who guesses correctly will receive a free electronic copy of The First Time. Entries must be received on or before 12 PM (UK time) on Saturday 29 November. To obtain a free copy of The First Time please answer the following question,

Which story in The Suspect And Other Tales derives it’s title from a Shakespeare quote and what is the name of the play from which the quote derives?

Please e-mail your answers to newauthoronline (at) gmail dot com (the address is given in this manner to defeat spammers).

 

In The First Time I explore why young women enter the world of prostitution while other stories look at what happens when the

worlds of sex and technology collide.

In “The First Time”, the first story in this collection, we meet Becky a young graduate who enters the world of prostitution in order to clear her debts.

The story looks at the effects of prostitution on Becky and her fellow escort and friend Julie. In “The Pain Behind the Smile” Issie presents her friend,

Peter with a birthday cake, however things are not what they seem.

In “Lucy” the acquaintances of a crusty old bachelor speculate how he could attract and retain the affections of a beautiful young woman. As with “The

Pain Behind the Smile” things are far from what they seem.

“Hemlock” explores what happens when machines attain the capacity to appreciate high culture. The story is both humorous and deeply serious.

 

To download The Suspect And Other Tales free please go to http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Suspect-other-tales-Morris-ebook/dp/B00PKPTQ0U (for the UK) or http://www.amazon.com/The-Suspect-other-tales-Morris-ebook/dp/B00PKPTQ0U/ref=cm_cr_pr_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8 (for the US).

 

Emotional Investment Or Negative Transaction: A Guest Post By Emma Tomlinson

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Thank you to Emma Tomlinson for the below guest post. For Emma’s blog please visit https://creative5word.wordpress.com/ and for Emma’s previous guest post on newauthoronline.com please click here, http://newauthoronline.com/2014/11/24/primal-a-guest-post-by-emma-tomlinson/.

 

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Emotional Investment or Negative Transaction?

 

 

image

 

http://louishonca.tumblr.com

 

A bit of deepness for the day…

 

How much do we invest in things and people and how much do we see in our returns?

 

When we pay for goods with our money, we expect to see material evidence of this transaction or indeed a memorable experience to file away. But what if

we made a transaction and checked our account to see a big fat zero?

I’m sure many of us would be seeking clarification and feeling rather cheated.

 

Yet, we invest in everything in life to varied degrees and we don’t always receive the booty.

 

How many times have you emotionally invested and been left with a big bag of nothing and perceived injustice?

But we continue to do this.

 

Why?

 

Emotional investment is indeed a gamble. We automatically invest in our families and reap the benefits from support mechanisms and security but what about

when we invest in friendship and relationships?

 

What do we do if the cheque continues to bounce??

 

Do we feel justified in seeking clarification and interest on our emotional transaction? Is it a weakness or a strength to expect a credit statement? To

expect to see our emotional interest rates increasing?

 

Personally I seek this from my significant other. I expect my balance to remain in credit and I believe that this theory works both ways. I do expect a

return in friendships and to see a mutual healthy transaction taking place. We attend our jobs and expect a salary in return. We invest our time in our

passions and reap the positive emotions. We gain knowledge and gain personal achievement and development. So are we allowing ourselves to be ‘ripped off’?

 

Self-awareness and integrity is an important part of sustaining a good ‘credit’ history. To enable a healthy profit, we also need to remain vigilant and

consider the ratio of risk to healthy investment. Financially… we do. Emotionally and psychologically we often don’t.

 

How many times do we support friends and give to others only to feel unappreciated and disappointed?

 

A satisfactory transaction is a two way process and we need to keep our expectations high. Who wants faulty and non – returnable goods? If we expect less,

surely we will receive less.

 

The link to our psyche is surprising yet logical. Our psychological interpretation impacts on our emotional stance and how we perceive our external world.

This affects the value we put onto ourselves.

 

Make every transaction worthwhile… or simply ask for a refund.

 

The mind of a deep thinker…or complete rubbish…it is all down to interpretation and perception…

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Library

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A library, black as pitch. Prystine books slumber, their pages forever free of human hands. No footfall here, no climbing to reach that prize on the uppermost shelf. No coughs nor sneezes, no diseases. Patiently, the books stand, waiting to be read.

The flick of a switch illuminates row upon row of books. A reader, device of choice in hand, scrolls through his virtual library, selects and reads. A library in your pocket, handbag or on your PC. Technology, the march of progress. Yet, somewhere still, real shelves groan with books, their pages dog eared through constant use. A man coughs and, wiping dust off a beloved tome sits, drinks in the scent of books and reads.

Data on paper or virtual data both, in their way are real.

Stretching Credulity But Entertaining None The Less (Midsomer Murders Strikes Again)

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The growing use of audio description (voiceover during silent sections of programmes explaining what is happening) allows me, as a blind person who is unable to discern the picture on my television’s screen, to enjoy a variety of films, documentaries etc. I am a fan of crime dramas and get frustrated when audio description is lacking.

Yesterday evening I was pleased to discover that the episode of Midsomer Murders, on ITV3 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midsomer_Murders) contained audio description, the audio describer doing a good job explaining what was happening during the silent parts of the crime drama. It has often been said of Midsomer Murders that one would not wish to live in the collection of villages comprising Midsomer due to the number of people who are murdered in the vicinity. Indeed if one where to take Midsomer Murders literally one could conclude that living in London is safer than residing in the (fictional) Midsomer countryside! There is an element of truth in this view but for all that I continue to enjoy watching the series.

Yesterday’s Midsomer Murders concerned 4 (maybe 3, at this stage I can’t remember) deaths and was complete with a believer in aliens who was intent on trying to convince the local police that unearthly forces, in the shape of little green men, visiting earth in UFOs where responsible for the deaths. Unsurprisingly the police where somewhat sceptical!

All of the victims (apart from the last who fell downstairs) where electrocuted although, following the twists and turns of the plot it became apparent that one of the deaths was an accident. As is often the case with Midsomer Murders the plot stretched my credulity. None the less the programme was, as always entertaining.

The Free Promotion Of Samantha Ends On Sunday 23 November

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The free promotion of my story, Samantha ends on 23 November. To download Samantha free of charge please visit the following links. For the UK please go to http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samantha-K-Morris-ebook/dp/B00BL3CNHI and for the US please click here, http://www.amazon.com/Samantha-K-Morris-ebook/dp/B00BL3CNHI/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top.

A Great Article On The Story Reading Ape’s Blog Regarding The Theft Of Intellectual Property (IP)

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Yesterday (21 November 2014) The Story Reading Ape’s Blog carried an interesting post on the theft of intellectual property (http://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2014/11/21/authors-bloggers-readers-be-aware-of-intellectual-property-theft-laws/). The piece pertains to material published online and acts as a warning to authors and bloggers regarding the ease with which their (copyright) material can be stolen and used by others.

The article on Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog brought to mind stories of more traditional book piracy. A Chinese acquaintance tells me that photocopies of (copyright) material is rife in China, (the below article being a case in point although, it should be noted that the piece pertains to Hong Kong, not mainland China. http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1469753/school-busted-selling-cheap-copies-books). Some or other once remarked that “Immitation is the sincerest form of flattery”. However, as pointed out by the article on The Story Reading Ape’s Blog (see above) copyright theft is not a victimless crime, it entails the theft of another’s intellectual labours.

Would You Like To Do A Guest Post?

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I am very happy to publish guest posts and have published several, on a variety of topics since the inception of newauthoronline.com. If you would like to submit a guest post please contact me at newauthoronline (at) gmail dot com, (the address is given in this way to defeat spammers).

Posts could include introducing yourself as an author, writing about one of your passions or a short story and/or poem. I am, of course interested in hearing from anyone with a love of books. What is your favourite genre? Or perhaps you would like to review a favourite book? I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Kevin

KDP Select – An Evaluation

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The results thus far of the free promotion, using Amazon’s KDP Select programme (https://kdp.amazon.com/select), of my story, Samantha have been disappointing. For anyone unfamiliar with the programme, KDP Select allows authors with books enrolled in it to offer their titles free for 5 days in any 90 day period. As an alternative writers may sell titles at a reduced price (known as a Kindle Countdown Deal) for up to 5 days in any 90 day period. To qualify for KDP Select books must be exclusive to Amazon.

The free promotion of Samantha began on 19 November and ends on 23 November. Despite the book being free in the Kindle store and the kindness of other bloggers in publicising this fact, Samantha has, at the time of writing been downloaded 5 times from amazon.com and 3 times from amazon.co.uk. Both sites show that my book has sold 4 copies of Samantha (2 on both sites) in November.

The results thus far are causing me to evaluate the effectiveness of KDP Select. Samantha has a total of 6 reviews (counting both amazon.com and amazon.co.uk. Just over half of these have been generated by fellow bloggers while the remainder have eminated from people who, to the best of my knowledge have come across my book as a consequence of previous free promotions of Samantha. The position is roughly similar with my other titles (approximately half of reviews coming from bloggers and the remainder from readers who have, I assume come across my titles via KDP Select promotions).

The results of the current free promotion of Samantha are, as I say above disappointing. Where I to take a decision to remove Samantha and my other books from KDP Select the incentive to do so is compelling in terms of the current promotion. However, standing back and surveying the bigger picture, reviews have been forthcoming as a result of previous promotions, consequently I am not inclined to dismiss KDP Select out of hand. I will monitor how the remaining days of the free promotion of Samantha pan out and look at the results of the forthcoming free promotions of An Act Of Mercy and Street Walker to ascertain number of downloads together with any reviews generated. On the basis of these results I will take a decision regarding whether to keep my books enrolled in KDP Select. The evidence thus far seems to indicate (despite the current slow downloads of Samantha) that the use of both KDP Select free promotions and social media help in obtaining downloads and reviews.

 

(The 4 sales refered to above entail people purchasing Samantha, while free downloads are, as the name suggests just that – readers downloading Samantha at no cost).