Bleary eyed Meerkats and the cute to cantankerous tabby...

It's been a fraught week, but finally we have at least got some answers about the future of our jobs, at last I can start making plans!

I'm a day late with my Operation Author: 365 Actions to Succeed as an Author seven actions update because yesterday I spent the day with family in Somerset for Mothers Day and with such lovely weather today I've been pottering around in the garden.

My seven actions this week started with putting a call out to writers to join a blog tour.

I was invited to join by Gill Hamer - http://gillianhamer.wordpress.com/2014/03/23/the-writing-process/

My goal was to get 3 and I got 4, including the brilliant Laurence O'Bryan who has very kindly written a guest post for me previously.

 

Writers might spend much of our lives locked to a screen, pulling stories out of our souls and breathing them to life, but when we do stick our heads up and look around, like bleary eyed meerkats, we're a supportive bunch, and that's really heartening. 

 

So thanks to:

Sandy, Mirjam, Laurence and Lynn for participating. 

 

My leg of the tour starts on Monday 31st so look out for that tomorrow...

 

Other actions:

I've finished the first draft of Solomon's Secrets. Here's the first proof of the cover art:

 

After an initial edit have ordered some proof copies print on demand. 

 

I'm taking a bit of a risk because I really haven't cut much out of the first draft and I am keen to get the opinions of my test readers on the aspects of the story I'm less certain about. 

 

Here's the start of one of the scenes that I've struggled with, as it involves an assault and I can't decide whether to include the scene, or rely on it being referred to later in the story?

 

As a reader, how explicit do you think traumatic or violent scenes should be?

 

 

 

 Another action: 

 

Is there anyone who would be interested in being a test reader/editor? - the more the merrier!

 

While I'm interested in the views of readers my next action is to conduct a straw poll:

 

How many novels in a year is too many to publish?

 

1 - 2

2 - 3

4 - 5

6 +

Other amount?

Comments? 

 

I'd like to hear your views. Some authors are more prolific than others.

 

I had an email back from Your Cat magazine about a proposal for an article I sent out a while ago, 'Cute to cantankerous, the perils of owning an elderly cat' - I'd all but forgotten about it! One of my actions is to respond and send over my piece.

 

My final action will be to join the blog tour tomorrow. See you there