On July 21, 2018 I am scheduled to appear at the Middle Georgia Indie Book Festival and I am excited for the opportunity to participate. For this to be a successful event I am respectfully requesting support by conducting a fund-raising campaign, and your support would be greatly appreciated. As a special thank you gift, I am giving copies of “Stories outside the Box” to anyone making donations toward the project. If you would like to support this campaign, you may do so in two ways. You can either visit http://www.ko-fi.com/annbarnes to “buy a coffee” for $3 or you can make a donation of any amount directly to my paypal account by visiting paypal.me/annHarrisonBarnes. Your support is much appreciated.
Don’t Throw Away Your Old Journals
I’m glad you said that. Although I threw away an old journal, I’ll keep the painful thoughts in the one I am writing, because it is the story of who I used to be. You’ve inspired me today.
Every once in a while I dig up some of my old journals.
This hasn’t happened since I moved. In fact, when I went looking for them to make my 2018 Project for Awesome video last week, I found them at the bottom of a stack of very heavy boxes. Because I apparently finally convinced myself I didn’t need to look back at them anymore. At least, not for a long time.
I was, of course, wrong.
Because as I was filming that video (and making a heart out of journals), I decided to flip through a few of them to see what I could find. And I am so, so glad I did.
My journals don’t contain pictures or poems or really anything all that artsy. They do, however, contain my thoughts. I have collected thoughts for two decades now, I guess, storing them in all these journals…
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YES BLIND PEOPLE READ BOOKS, WE WRITE THEM TOO
via YES BLIND PEOPLE READ BOOKS, WE WRITE THEM TOO
Personally, I have four books published, all of which I eventually published on Amazon myself, so it just goes to show you that with a little help from writer friends and a publisher who knows how to format books, we too can publish our own books independently if we are unable to work with agents and editors.
Character Interview with Lydia McCarthy
Hello everyone,
Today I am coming to you with another character interview. This time, I am speaking with Lydia McCarthy, from Journey to the Mountaintop, the second in my Stepping Stones Mystery series.
Before I have a little chat with Lydia, I have a personal update to share with you. As of the date this post is published on my blog, I am in the middle of writing a book to help new writers publish their books on Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). This book is designed with the blind in mind. Although I will have screenshots and photos for visual readers, I will share my story and give directions in a way that is also friendly for people who use screen reading software on their Pc’s. Keep an eye out for this new little book coming out in the next month or so.
In other news, I am working in earnest on revisions for the book in which my character is featured. Since I have added a scene, which onioned into another chapter, I am having to go and take out some scenes that don’t fit the narrative and do a bit of onioning within the remaining chapters. Onioning is basically going back through what I’ve already written and adding more content. I had planned to do that anyway, but this gives me more creative direction in the book’s story line and character development. Keep an eye out for the closing book to the story I started in Journey of Faith. Keep reading, to see where you can purchase this first book so you won’t miss a thing when the new one is released. in the next few months.
Without further ado, let’s meet Lydia.
Ann: Hi Lydia! It’s good to finally get to talk to you. I’ve heard you’ve had a trying experience; can you tell us a little about that?”
Lydia: I am stuck in this God-awful truck, with a man who I thought was a kind and loving father. I know, I know, Jennifer told me that he was a bad man, but I just couldn’t believe the worst of him.
Ann: Why is that?
Lydia: Because he always brought us presents and pretended to love our mother, though she never complained about him. Now that I think about it, she always avoided him, so she wouldn’t get abused along with my sister and me. Oh, he spanked us, but I didn’t think it was abuse, but at that age, I didn’t know any better.
Ann: How old were you at the time?
Lydia: Jennifer says I was four, but I don’t remember much about what happened, so I can’t tell you for sure.
Ann: What do you think of him now that you’ve been kidnapped? Is he really your father, or do you think that you were carried off by some other man?
Lydia: I’m not so sure, but I know that I am beginning to hate him for sticking me in this stupid truck.
Ann: How did you feel when you woke up in the truck bed, with your wrists and ankles bound with rope?
Lydia: Wait just a minute! I’ll tell you about the kidnapping, but I need to backtrack a little bit. First, let me tell you about the car. I bought that car with hard earned money, from a job I landed while I was in college. Now, it isn’t any good for anything. It’s off in the side of the road somewhere, and my mother will have to pay to repair the damages, because I can’t afford it!
Ann: Okay, I know that you’re mad about the car, but I thought he ran off with it. What happened after he kidnapped you?
Lydia: I don’t know what happened to that blasted car, all I know is that I found myself in the bed of a truck, rolling down some ungodly road at who knows what speed and I was scared out of my mind. I couldn’t move, because there were boxes of some sort squishing the daylights out of me. I couldn’t scream because of a stinky rag tied around my face and I wanted to get out of there PDQ, if you know what I mean. Wait a minute, though! Before you ask me any more questions, I want you to know that he’s not alone. There’s someone in the front seat with him.
Ann: What makes you so sure?
Lydia: I hear them talking about me every time we stop. I’m not going to tell you what they say, because you’ll have to read the book to find out. I also want to be sure I heard them right before I tell anybody what I overheard. I think I heard them talking about someone being adopted, but I’m not quite sure that’s right. If it is, I certainly don’t believe it. However, they talk, and it isn’t very nice. Listen, they’re coming back, so I’ve got to go!
Ann: Who do you think was adopted?
Lydia: I don’t know! No! No! Let me go! Muffled cries are heard before a truck door slams and she disappears from view.
Ah well, we didn’t get to learn much about the conversations she’s overheard, but I guess you’ll have to read the book to find out. This gives me a bit of inspiration. Let me jump off here and go do a little onioning and scene dumping, because I’m out of excuses, so I need to go write.
Until then, check out A Journey of Faith: A Stepping Stones Mystery in Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H7SCQNM
and paperback:
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Interview with Wildebeest
Hello everyone,
Today I want to conduct a character interview with one of my villains in the Stepping Stones mystery series. Before I get started, let me give you a NaNoWriMo update. I didn’t reach my goal of 50K words at the end of last month, but you know what? That’s find by me. I don’t like rushing through a story and making my first draft messy. I did, however, get the main story written. Now when I edit, I’ll have to go back to see what can be added and what needs to be taken out or dumped.
One quick question: How did you do during Nano?
Now, on with the interview.
Today I’d like to introduce Willie Kilgore (AKA) Wildebeest.
Ann, why do they call you Wildebeest?
Willie: Why does anyone get a nickname? I am a wildebeest; didn’t you see that in the first book? Well, if you didn’t, then you have something to look forward too, don’t you, punk?
Ann: Now What makes you think you’re in control of your story? I mean, what makes you so mean?
Willie: Well, I have two little girls that think they know everything. I want to show them that they ain’t as smart as they think they are. I love them, but I have to keep them in line, if you know what I mean.
Ann: Now wait a minute! Jennifer and Lydia are not bad girls. I didn’t write them that way, so why do you call them so?
Willie: Apparently you don’t know Lydia that well, do you. Instead of jawing with me, you need to sit down and have a powwow with her. Listen, I don’t have time to waste. I need to get on with my life and you need to write my story.
Ann: Now wait just one minute, Wildebeest! First of all, you don’t tell me what to do. You are my character and I make you behave in a way that fits my story. (I point a finger at him). I can change the story so that you aren’t in as much control as you think you are. But for now, I’ll let you think you’re in total control. (If you want to find out how Willie’s acts get him into trouble, stay tuned for Journey to the Mountaintop, the second book in the Stepping Stones mystery series, coming in 2019. For now, let’s get back to the interview).
Willie: What interview? I’m outa here!
Ann: Where do you think you’re going, I ain’t done with you yet, buddy boy! We’ve got some things to talk about.
Willie: I told you, I’m through talking! Now let me get back to my gallivanting. (He slams the door as he makes a run for it).
To learn about some of this character’s quirks, please check out A Journey of Faith, a Stepping Stones Mystery. You can purchase Kindle and paperback versions of this book at the following links:
Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H7SCQNM
Paperback:
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No, You Don’t HAVE to Write.
I don’t like it when people treat writing like a chore. More accurately, I don’t think it’s helpful for people who want to be successful but aren’t quite sure how to stay motivated long enough to get their work done.
“Have to” implies that something will automatically be unpleasant. And that’s not the best way to approach a writing session, at least in my experience.
Let’s be clear: As a writer, you do “have to” write. And there will be days you really won’t want to, and this is completely normal. Just because you have ideas and are an overall creative person does not mean you’ll be driven to make things 100% of the time. You’re only human, after all.
However, there does need to be some kind of balance between “want to write” and “need to write.” Something that is a hobby can also sometimes feel like a chore…
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The Book is Ready
Here’s an announcement from a newly published author who’s blog Ifollow. Please check it out.
