tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.comments2024-01-07T12:45:26.743+00:00Not Just A Stiff Upper LipElizabeth Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03236216940038039168noreply@blogger.comBlogger197125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-1665789404574056582015-01-27T13:07:48.564+00:002015-01-27T13:07:48.564+00:00Thanks hun. She's already feeling and looking ...Thanks hun. She's already feeling and looking better so hopefully she will be back to her usual self soon. <br /><br />Thanks. Even if I don't hit my 10k goal this month I'm just going to be thankful that I have managed to write something, and more importantly, that I'm writing. After two years have having to polish, edit, and republish four books it's nice to sit and write something new.<br /><br />Don't you worry, hun. You will be filling the pages in no time. Words flow through me. That's my mantra when I'm bugged out about writing. It calms me. lol Hugs xxxElizabeth Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03236216940038039168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-33929111459333000312015-01-27T01:07:37.277+00:002015-01-27T01:07:37.277+00:00Sorry to hear about your mum. Hope she gets better...Sorry to hear about your mum. Hope she gets better soon! Well done on the writing - doing better than me, although things finally started to look up a little tonight :) Hugs. xxDianna Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02847353829078193872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-54038356487781965402015-01-16T00:59:49.282+00:002015-01-16T00:59:49.282+00:00Thank you! <3 xxxThank you! <3 xxxDianna Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02847353829078193872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-43928381194016289202015-01-10T11:49:45.521+00:002015-01-10T11:49:45.521+00:00Congratulations!!!!! Fabulous way to kick start 20...Congratulations!!!!! Fabulous way to kick start 2015! I'm so excited and happy for you. *hugs* <3 xxxxxElizabeth Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03236216940038039168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-43650155761728130282015-01-06T20:34:39.678+00:002015-01-06T20:34:39.678+00:00Well, I do have a year to lose a stone and a half....Well, I do have a year to lose a stone and a half. So, a couple of pounds each month, I think I can do that. The trick is maintaining it lol<br /><br />Yes, grace and integrity... and under the breath cursing lol<br /><br />I'm glad you're enjoying the blog. It's nice to know that my madness makes sense sometimes lol<br /><br />Hope you have a fab 2015, Carole.Elizabeth Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03236216940038039168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-31217611172208634912015-01-06T16:51:10.271+00:002015-01-06T16:51:10.271+00:00Losing a stone in the states is passing a kidney s...Losing a stone in the states is passing a kidney stone, so I definitely don't want that on my bucket list! But losing weight in 2015 and definitely writing and more writing are super important goals. The top priority is working through pesky issues with grace and integrity.<br /><br />I've enjoyed your blog for the few months I've been following. Happy new year to all at a Stiff Upper Lip!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14380487197193960176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-74275336059817517252014-12-30T23:24:15.091+00:002014-12-30T23:24:15.091+00:00It's been my pleasure. I'm glad that my ra...It's been my pleasure. I'm glad that my ranting has helped rather than come across as annoying lol One thing I have come to realize as I have met more and more authors is that we all do it. We all compare. I think it is hard not too, but yes, putting yourself down for not writing quicker or being able to produce zed amount of books in a year does suck the love out of writing. We write because we love to create. We love our crazy imaginations and we want to weave stories and share them.<br /><br />So yes, it is very difficult but we all need to stop watching other authors progress because a) we all have different lifestyles and different responsibilities, and b) we all work differently.<br /><br />Thank you, Carole and thanks for commenting. I hope 2015 is a fab year for you also.Elizabeth Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03236216940038039168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-72462201226873466552014-12-30T19:03:50.059+00:002014-12-30T19:03:50.059+00:00Thank you so much for sharing your feelings about ...Thank you so much for sharing your feelings about writing throughout the year. I appreciate your heartfelt sentiments. One of the many things you wrote that I instantly connected to was that you “have a very bad habit of watching what every other author is doing" and wondering why you can't do the same. I’m in that same boat and was caught up in measuring my success to everyone else’s. I have the luxury of not having to work, but the pressure is on to make money from my writing and that has been sucking all the joy out of the process. I can continue this way if I want to sacrifice mani/pedis and other girlie stuff, and that’s what I’m going to do for a while. So thanks to you, dear Elizabeth, I am no longer going to stress about making a profit to please other people and just continue to write for fun. May you enjoy the writing process in 2015, and receive all the desires of your heart! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14380487197193960176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-72482898004637139762014-11-14T14:00:42.022+00:002014-11-14T14:00:42.022+00:00I'm very sorry for my late reply. I thought th...I'm very sorry for my late reply. I thought that this would be a normal week, but due to a leak through my roof the last four days have been spent on the phone and generally having a good old stress. So I do apologize that it has taken me so long to get back to you.<br /><br />In reply to your question, well Dianna has summed it up very nicely, and I do agree. Sales can fluctuate, but they do slowly increase with each book that comes out, but promotion never stops, not really. You will notice that in the swirl of promo your sales will be great, fantastic even, once your promo calms, so do the sales. Or at least that is what I have noticed with mine.<br /><br />So promo is they key and something you must be steady with, but like Dianna has said don't let it consume your life, because it can take up a lot of your time. So always try to be organized.<br /><br />The best piece of advice I received when I first got published was that the best form of promo is to just keep writing and publishing your stories; build a back list, because if a reader likes one of your books they may like some of your others.<br /><br />Thank you for replying to my question. I have to say that I don't think I could write a series in one go; one book after the other after the other, but then again, maybe I could. The difference for me is simply that there has been a two year gap between writing the first book and writing the second in this series, but as I explained in my post it was due to the situation with the publisher who had the books at the time, and with not knowing when or if I would get my rights back. If I had to wait for a few years, well, I wanted the books back so I could self-publish them. So, it just made sense for me - at the time - to hold off writing the next book.<br /><br />I think I could very well take a gap and write something else in between the books in my series, because yes, I think it is good to give your mind a rest and then go back to the world and rediscover it again. But I plan to see how I feel once I have finished the second book - which I am already writing - if I feel I can continue straight away, I will. If not, well I have a ton of other projects in my slush pile folder. So I'm sure I will find something to work on lol<br /><br />Good luck with your writing, and I wish you much success with your books. :) xxElizabeth Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03236216940038039168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-29626982177336011252014-11-13T11:14:38.074+00:002014-11-13T11:14:38.074+00:00"Now, here’s a question to you, if you don’t ..."Now, here’s a question to you, if you don’t mind: Do you believe that sales naturally increase with the rise in the number of books you have published, therefore eliminating the need for as much promotion with later books? Thank you!"<br /><br />Sales do increase, but so does the amount of (more organised) promo you need to do. If you don't keep on top of your promotion, sales will fall again. And remember to keep promoting your backlist as well. Even celebrities never stop promoting themselves, and the ones that do cut back on it, do tend to get forgotten until the next film is out and the promo goes sky-high again ;) HOWEVER ... if you want to keep your sanity and health, don't let the promo take over your life, as it so easily can do when your books are paying the bills. Good luck with your writing! xxDianna Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02847353829078193872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-57606019701360527242014-11-11T19:24:58.874+00:002014-11-11T19:24:58.874+00:00I thank you for raising these questions about writ...I thank you for raising these questions about writing in a series. I have only the first book out of 6 published in my Eve’s Amulet series, and the 2nd book is half-way written. The galley proof of my YA horror story is going through its process right now with the publisher, and then I’m in line to wait for the release date. <br /><br />I had the chance to speak with a bestselling novelist who made my decision to keep writing on the series with short breaks in between. (I need short breaks to walk away from the work to refresh my vision of the work and to be able to see the errors more clearly.) The woman I spoke with said, “When you read a really good story, don’t you want to go out right away and buy the next book in the series?” My answer was ‘Yes, of course.’ <br /><br />I read the first Potter book and bought the next three and waited painfully for each of the next books to be released. So good were they that I bought all the hard copies, and even stood in line with 800 people at midnight waiting to purchase a couple of them. <br /><br />I think this is why we keep writing a series as a continual process, so that our readers don’t forget the storyline and remain interested. When I read Divergent, I had to wait forever for Insurgent to come out. By then, I had forgotten all the details and when I had the time, I went online to read a synopsis of Divergent to remember what happened. By then, the second book had been out for well over a year. I have as yet to purchase Allegiant and I think that’s because I know I can ‘catch up’ with the story by going online for the synopsis. Had Insurgent been readily available, I would have purchased it.<br /><br />I don’t think I could work on a whole series at one shot without working on other books in between only because I have to step away from my work to gain that fresh perspective I already mentioned. I keep notes and refresh my memory from time to time on the story, plot, characters, etc. Although I “dream” my books, I still have to put in the details, but thank goodness for an active imagination.<br /><br />Right now I have about 6 completed drafts of stand-alone novels that need a lot of polishing, including a non-fiction work that is emotionally challenging to write. (I’m about ½ way through that.) <br />I hope my input is helpful to whoever might read this. <br /><br />Thank you for the opportunity. I wish you continued success in your writing career. <br /><br />Now, here’s a question to you, if you don’t mind: Do you believe that sales naturally increase with the rise in the number of books you have published, therefore eliminating the need for as much promotion with later books? Thank you!<br /><br />Sincerely, Carole Avila<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14380487197193960176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-90528306425614106272014-10-21T10:36:13.978+01:002014-10-21T10:36:13.978+01:00They're awesome, aren't they? :DThey're awesome, aren't they? :DElizabeth Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03236216940038039168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-90591159268808942632014-10-20T23:01:46.220+01:002014-10-20T23:01:46.220+01:00Love wolves❤️ Love wolves❤️ Clayr Catherallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16846230057883436956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-63627303877377018232014-10-19T14:35:02.082+01:002014-10-19T14:35:02.082+01:00Neither have I, but I would like to see one as wel...Neither have I, but I would like to see one as well at some point. Thanks, Katrina. :)Elizabeth Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03236216940038039168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-92164740557580744942014-10-19T14:34:01.609+01:002014-10-19T14:34:01.609+01:00Thanks Ashley, glad you're liking the event. I...Thanks Ashley, glad you're liking the event. I think being scared would be a normal reaction especially if it was a werewolf :pElizabeth Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03236216940038039168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-73388019928658718362014-10-19T03:24:32.766+01:002014-10-19T03:24:32.766+01:00Never seen a real wolf would love to they are such...Never seen a real wolf would love to they are such beautiful creatures. .. Great sale ! have spread the word. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09452323442311051556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-71873166174341234222014-10-17T09:41:37.077+01:002014-10-17T09:41:37.077+01:00I love wolves! This is a great sale and a great ca...I love wolves! This is a great sale and a great cause. Although I won't lie if I came face to face with one I'd be scaredAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03681761651871114773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-42882309016572400722014-10-15T16:59:47.330+01:002014-10-15T16:59:47.330+01:00Unfortunately the Werewolf adoption site closed do...Unfortunately the Werewolf adoption site closed down. We did try, promise. :p So yes, actual, natural wolves and they are all so beautiful. It's our pleasure. We're very excited about these prizes so glad to hear that it brought a smile to your face. :DElizabeth Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03236216940038039168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-90867816421929923022014-10-14T21:41:15.898+01:002014-10-14T21:41:15.898+01:00Wolves are great! What's not to like about tho...Wolves are great! What's not to like about those furry beasts - umm did you mean natural or weres? LOL Thank you for the fun and making me smile with this awesome sale!Denise Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17743337429214149474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-38524761604889475142014-09-11T22:20:12.595+01:002014-09-11T22:20:12.595+01:00CANNOT. WAIT!!! >_< xxxCANNOT. WAIT!!! >_< xxxElizabeth Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03236216940038039168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-80246156516684232912014-08-08T13:09:43.558+01:002014-08-08T13:09:43.558+01:00Thanks, Carole! :) xxxThanks, Carole! :) xxxDianna Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02847353829078193872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-88148683704161999842014-08-01T19:20:27.714+01:002014-08-01T19:20:27.714+01:00Hardy & Morgan books just moved to the top of ...Hardy & Morgan books just moved to the top of my reading list!<br />~Carole AvilaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-71719859618645346392014-08-01T19:18:57.434+01:002014-08-01T19:18:57.434+01:00Your books sound so intriguing -- gotta read them!...Your books sound so intriguing -- gotta read them!<br />~Carole AvilaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-36778550119248096552014-08-01T00:23:52.971+01:002014-08-01T00:23:52.971+01:00*Fan Girl Squeals* WANT!!!*Fan Girl Squeals* WANT!!!Elizabeth Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03236216940038039168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946734054450135284.post-46659105750827063092014-07-09T01:06:26.503+01:002014-07-09T01:06:26.503+01:00Thanks to everyone for entering!!! MystWeaver has ...Thanks to everyone for entering!!! MystWeaver has won the eBook and necklace on this stop. Congrats!<br /><br />And to answer my own question... First, all your answers are valid - all those things crossed my mind when I was writing the scene: the anticipation leading up to the moment when he sees her, etc. It's important! But the MOST important aspect of this little scene for me (and this will be abstract unless you've read the book) are these words: "stretching down to feel for the best place to land". It was imperative, to me, that the moment Jamie finds her / they find each other, is when she's "trying to land". It mimics their first meeting in chapter one, and its symbolic of his referring to her as "like a bird" later on. For me, it's these little things (that ultimately most readers might never notice) that make a story three dimensional.<br /><br />Thanks again for taking part! :D<br /><br />Dianna xxDianna Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02847353829078193872noreply@blogger.com