Tag Archives: author

Plagiarism and the Indie Opinion of the Indie Author

As some of you might know, I’m relatively new to the whole independent author world, and there have been a couple of things that I’ve learned. The first thing I learned was:

I freaking LOVE it!

The second thing, however, is that there seems to be a stigma attached to indie authors. Over the past couple of years, I’ve found that a lot of readers don’t trust that an independently published book can actually be good and entertaining. As well as a lot of “officially” published authors don’t think of indie authors in the highest regard. I read one interview with a particular, widely-known, author who referred to indies as “bottom feeders.” Only slightly insulting, but let’s move on.

The reason I began thinking about the opinion people have of indie authors lately is because it was brought to my attention on my Facebook page that there is another indie author out there who has written something I’m told is remarkably similar to my own Reaper Series. One of my readers picked up this ebook on Amazon as a recommended book, having just completed the Reaper Series. They told me they couldn’t even finish reading the sample chapter because they found it to be so similar to my own story.

So I went and checked out this book, which was written by another indie author. I initially imagined it to be a coincidence, but even the description of their book sounded a lot like the premise for the Reaper Series. This author had even titled their own series, Reaper Series! Still, I didn’t want to pass judgement until I read it. And I quickly learned one thing while reading the first book in their series.

No wonder indie authors have a bad name. Seriously, if people like this are the standard, it’s no surprise at all that indie authors are looked down on. I’m not saying at all that all indie authors are like this person, because I am an indie author, why would I insult myself? I seriously hope this type of author isn’t the standard of indie authors, but if this was the first book someone read from an indie, I couldn’t blame them if they were hesitant the next time they saw an independent book.

I was shocked at the similarities this story had to my own. Not to mention that it was released about six months after mine, giving the “author” plenty of time to read and rip-off my own story premise. I had a look at this author’s online presence, checked out their social media, their web page, their Amazon author page, all of it. And my immediate impression is that they have no original concepts, just stuff that they steal from successful books and movies and then jam them all together into one poorly written book. I started reading one book that, based on the description, sounded like a patchwork quilt of Armageddon, Cowboys VS Aliens, and The Terminator. The series that seems strangely similar to my own was mixed with Mortal Instruments, the Fallen Series, and maybe a little Twilight.

What I took to be particularly awful about this author wasn’t just how they took concepts from successful art forms and twisted them to use as their own stories, though. What really annoyed me was how blatantly obvious it was that they were only writing because they thought they could make money out of it. That’s all they cared about, the money and the attention. They would constantly blog about how quickly they wrote and published a book (less than a month), they would post screenshots of their Amazon sales charts, even post how much money they made in a month. It was like a child standing on top of a slide screaming at her parents, “LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME!”

I don’t want to just complain about this author, who I won’t name, but seriously, here’s a little advice about what to look out for in the indie world of books. Firstly, be wary of books that have lots of reviews, but only 4 and 5 stars. Even the greatest books of all time have negative reviews, just go and look up Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, I guarantee there’ll be a bunch of 1 star reviews of them. I don’t do this, because I refuse to sink to that level, but many indie authors will buy positive reviews. There are plenty of blogs and websites that will honestly review your book in exchange for a free copy or a small fee, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but there are just as many who will guarantee a positive review for some money. I view that as false advertising. With X amount of 5 star reviews, people who are looking for a good book would see that rating and think that it must be a good book, only to then part with their hard-earned money to buy a book they most likely won’t finish, because it’s just too God-awful! That’s clearly what this author has done, as all of the reviews on their Amazon page are about as long as this blog.

On the other hand, though, don’t assume that because someone is independently published, they’re a bad writer. Some big name authors actually started out as indie authors. Matthew Reilly self published in 1996. Mark Twain started his own publishing press because no one else would take his work.

Really, don’t just think because you had one bad experience with an indie author that all indie authors are the same. Because as authors, we’re all different, just like “officially” published authors. Some are great, others not so good, some have expensive marketing backing up their work, others rely solely on reviews and word of mouth.

Oh, and if you’re an indie author, DON’T plagiarise! Seriously, what the hell is that author thinking?

UPDATES!!!!

I capitalised the heading because, based on a lot of messages I’ve been getting through Facebook and Twitter, people are DYING for intel. Specifically in regards to the third Reaper book, Angel of Judgement, and when it will be released.

So here it is. At this point, I am expecting/hoping for Angel of Judgement to be released in July of this year (2015). I really hope this doesn’t change, because I don’t want to disappoint anyone. I mean, look at how annoyed everyone is at the delays in the PC release of GTA V! It’s just not worth the hassle. So, that’s the deadline, I plan on sticking to it, but I’m putting it out there as a precaution that nothing is a guarantee in life, so don’t be too upset if the date changes. Hell, for all I know, it could end up being sooner! Best thing to do is just follow my social medias and wait for intel.

ANYWAY… all that aside, sorry for the huge gap in posts. I know, I said previously that I’d post more regularly, but what can I say? I’m an author. I get distracted. I do have some big news, though. Book one of the Reaper series, Angel of Death, is doing really well in the United Kingdom. In fact, it is now the number one free epic fantasy novel on Amazon UK! I know, it sounds like I’m bragging, but as amazing as this news is, I’m just relieved people actually like the damn book at all! And Angel of Vengeance is still selling more and more every day, so thank you everyone! Special shout out to my Twitter and Facebook followers who have been tweeting me their enthusiasm and sending me really nice and positive comments. You guys will be the first to know when Angel of Judgement is ready. Hell, I’ll even make you some cookies! I mean, you’re all from overseas, and cookies wouldn’t make the trip… They’d probably break in transit… Might even get lost. You know what? I’ll just keep them for myself, but I’ll think of you when I eat the cookies.

So, that’s basically it. No major developments, as of yet. Just still writing away. Oh, but Angel of Judgement, in case you don’t know, is going to be the LAST book in the Reaper series. Hopefully that doesn’t gut too many people. Don’t worry, though, because I have a lot more books in mind that I’ll be writing once Reaper gets the send off it deserves.

My First “Book” Ever & Thank You!

Today was quite the day! There I was, just casually checking out the sales stats for my Reaper series on Amazon and Kindle, when I happen to glance at the current ranking for Angel of Death. That’s about the same time my jaw punched a hole in the floor as it dropped so hard. Angel of Death, Book 1 of the Reaper Series, is currently ranked as number 10 in its fantasy genre!

WHAT?!

Not only that, but book 2, Angel of Vengeance, is ranked in the top 100. Insane! The interest and response to Reaper has been so much more than what I ever expected as an indie author. People seem to be genuinely enjoying my books as of late. You have absolutely no idea how much that means to me. It is a huge deal and I am so grateful that so many people are reading my stories. And looking at the location sales, the United Kingdom seems to like Reaper a lot!

Hmm, I wonder if the Queen has read Reaper?

Anyway, I just wanted to express my gratitude to those people who have read my stuff, shown support and just continued to read my other books. It is really a dream come true for me. I’ve wanted to be a writer for, literally, my entire life, so this is just mind-boggling. The first thing I ever wrote was when I was maybe 7 or 8 years old. It was a children’s book, complete with illustrations! It was about a frog who wanted to be a comedian, but his friends (an elephant, a lion, and various other animals) didn’t think he was at all funny. But then he found other animals who shared his humour and he was happy. Yay!

I’ve definitely come a long way since then. I wish I still had a copy, though. My drawings of the frogs and other animals were exactly what you’d expect from an 8 year old.

In closing, I’d just like to once again say thank you to my readers for simply being there. You are all amazing people and I thank you for every minute you spent reading my books and I promise I will continue to write for you all for years to come. In fact, I just might dedicate my next book to every single one of you! You all rock!

PEACE!

Freebie! First Chapter Of Reaper, Book One!

I’d like to share a little something with all of you, if you would indulge me for a moment. I’ve mentioned in previous posts about my epic fantasy trilogy, Reaper, but I’ve never really said anything to give you any kind of feel for the story, or any idea of what it’s about. So, for those of you who may be interested, please enjoy the below entire first chapter of book one of the Reaper Series, Angel of Death.

Chapter One
The Beginning of the End

He gritted his teeth and waited for the pain to pass as he watched from the shadows. Watching as his prey steadily approached. He hoped that after a century of looking, this was finally the one.
Death is life.
The icy wind blew gently through the park, gently shifting the branches of the trees, the sound of rustling leaves carrying through the night. The girl walked quickly through the park, her breath visible as small clouds of fog with every exhale, her way lit only by the dim lamps lining the footpath, not knowing that she was being watched. Liz approached a playground on her right, keeping a brisk pace, but was startled by a sudden movement and a voice coming from the darkness.
“Got a light, darlin’?”
She stopped in her tracks and looked in the direction of the voice. She saw a man appear from the shadows, holding a cigarette between his fingers, leering at her. He had a shaved head and was wearing a black singlet over baggy jeans. Liz eyed him apprehensively.
“Sorry,” she said. “I don’t smoke.”
The man stepped closer. “I didn’t ask if you smoked,” he replied. “I asked if you’ve got a light.”
Liz took a step back as the man continued to casually walk closer. “No, I-I don’t.” She was scared now. She wondered if she would be able to outrun the menacing stranger. He looked lean and fast. And still he kept walking toward her.
“You in a hurry or something?” he asked her.
“Um, yeah, so if you don’t mind, I’ll just-” Liz turned to leave, but froze when she saw three other men stepping out the darkness all around her, each one grinning and leering at her.
“Why don’t you hang out?” the first one said.
“Yeah, we’ve got beer,” said another, holding up a six pack, minus two. “Stay.”
Liz felt panicked now. She kept turning on the spot, watching as the men came closer. She wheeled around and tried to run through a gap between two of them, but they moved fast and grabbed her by her arms, lifting her off the ground.
“Let me go!” she screamed. “Get off! Help!”
“Keep quiet, bitch,” the first man said, stepping in front of her. He lifted his hand and Liz saw something glinting in the dim lamp light. The man had flicked open a butterfly knife and was now pointing the blade at Liz’s chest. “Scream again and you won’t be so pretty no more.”
Liz, held immobile by the brutes on either side of her, quivered as the man lowered the blade to her chest.
“Please, there’s money in my purse,” she whispered. “Just take it, I won’t say anything, just take the money and don’t hurt me. Please.”
The fourth man, an overweight man with far too many piercings in his face, stooped down and picked up the purse Liz had dropped when they grabbed her. Looking inside he said, “Score, fifty bucks!”
“That won’t even cover the beer!” said the one on Liz’s right.
“I’m not looking for a payout tonight, darlin’,” said the first man, leaning in close enough for Liz to smell the alcohol on his breath.
He placed the blade of his knife under the top button of Liz’s blouse and, staring into her eyes, slashed the button right off. Liz cried out with the swish of the blade, looking away as she realized what the man wanted.
“Ahhhhhhhh!” came a scream. But not from Liz. It was a man screaming, a terrible shriek that chilled the blood. She and the three men turned toward the sound, looking for the source. All they could see was Liz’s purse lying on the ground. The man who had been holding it was nowhere to be seen.
“Hey, where’s Levi?” said one of the men.
“Yo, Levi!” yelled another.
“Shut up!” hissed the first man, turning away from Liz and keeping his blade ready at his side. He took a step into the darkness, scanning the shadows for a sign of movement.
Suddenly, out of the corner of Liz’s eye, she saw something she couldn’t explain. It was as though the night itself opened up and swallowed the man holding her on her left. As it took him, his scream echoed in the night and was then smothered by the veil of the shadow. The scream and the man were as if they had never been there.
“Wh-what the hell is going on, man?” said the one still holding Liz.
“What did you see?” said the first man, stepping closer, his eyes flashing with anger as he tried to understand a situation that could not be understood. “What happened?”
The other man, now clutching Liz’s arm more out of fear than anything else, was looking around like a trapped rat, searching for an escape.
“The night, man,” he whispered. “The night took Eddie!”
The first man rushed forward and slapped the other hard across the face. “Talk sense, you idiot!” he shouted. “What the hell do you mean, ‘the night?’”
“Like I said, the night!” the man shouted back. “The goddamn night took ‘em, man!”
“That’s stupid, you dumbass!” the first man screamed. “How can the night ‘take’ someone?”
But the panicking man had apparently had all he could take. Breathing fast, short breaths, he tossed Liz aside, stepping away. Liz fell to the ground, then watched as the man began to run away, shouting over his shoulder, “You’re on your own, man!”
That’s when Liz saw it. As she watched the man run away into the night, she saw a shape even blacker than the night flying through the air toward the fleeing man. It moved too fast for Liz to make out what it was, but she watched as the man saw it at the last second and turned to look at it. It flew right into him, there being no sound of collision as it grabbed him and lifted him off his feet. The only sound was the man shrieking bloody murder as he was carried off into the night.
The first man saw it, too. He held his knife up in front of him, ready for a fight, but his eyes were bulging out of his head as they darted left and right, searching for the creature that had taken his crew.
“What the hell was that?” he shouted at Liz. When she didn’t respond, he turned to face her, his face white with terror and his hand shaking so badly he could barely hold onto the knife. “WHAT WAS THAT?” he screamed.
“I don’t know, I-” Liz stopped talking and her gaze moved from the man to a point just over his shoulder. The man noticed and felt his heart skip a beat and a tingle run down his back, like a stone cold finger tracing his spine. He turned, lifting the knife as he did so, to face the darkness. He thrust the knife forward, but felt something grab his wrist, holding his arm in place. He came face to face with the entity, his terror freezing him to the spot.
It seemed like a man. A man wearing a long black cloak. The cloak had a hood, which concealed the face of whoever was underneath. The grip the man held on the thug’s wrist was like stone, hard and cold. The two stared at each other in silence; one was calm, the other was filled with dread.
“What are you?” the man whispered to the cloaked figure.
The figure didn’t respond right away. It simply stared out from the darkness of the hood, its face shrouded in the shadows of the night. Then it spoke. It was the voice of a man, deep and resonating. He spoke in a whisper, barely loud enough for Liz to hear.
“The end of your life,” it whispered.
As Liz watched, she saw the terrified man become rigid. She watched as his mouth dropped open in a silent O of horror. As she watched, she noticed that his shaved head was beginning to sprout hair at an alarming rate. In an instant, it was as long as her arm, but then it turned grey, then white, then shriveled away and fell to the ground, where it vanished into the dirt. His cheeks sunk into his skull, his skin began to wrinkle before Liz’s eyes. His fingernails grew long, turned yellow, then vanished into nothing. His skin began to turn white, then grey, then a rotten black, before finally starting to peel away, revealing patches of the skeleton beneath. His eyes rolled back into his head, then vanished as they too rotted away. The man was decaying right in front of her. Just as Liz realized this, the man collapsed, crumbling into ash at the feet of the cloaked figure.
The man in the cloak remained where he was, standing still and silent. Liz watched him with trepidation, unsure of what had just happened. She shakily climbed to her feet, watching the man without blinking. He never moved, but she felt certain he was watching her. She found her feet and cautiously stepped closer, staying out of reach.
“What…” she began, finding it difficult to speak. She swallowed and tried again. “What just happened?”
The man didn’t move. All he said was, “They were going to harm you.”
Liz nodded. “Well, I don’t exactly understand what just happened, but I guess you just saved my life.”
“Actually,” the man in the cloak began, “I didn’t. I only saved you… for me.”
And as Liz stared in horror, the figure reached up and took hold of the hood in its hands. It lowered the hood and Liz was able to see the face that was once hidden in darkness. She opened her mouth and screamed. She screamed and screamed until her screams were suddenly silenced.
And the night was still again.

Letting Go Of Characters

I promise, right from the start of this blog, that I will NOT start singing, “Let It Go.” So now that we’ve got that out of the way, to the point!

When I’m planning a story or a book, I often decide ahead of time which characters are going to die, if the story calls for some death. Then I start writing. I write everything just like I planned, all the ups and downs, all the character development, all that stuff. Then I come to the crucial moment. The time has come. A character has to die. Only problem is… I’ve started to like the character!

I’m not going to go into any specifics, just in case you’re currently reading my books, so don’t worry, no spoilers. But I find myself in a strangely emotional situation. Here I am, distressed about the impending death of this character, who, by the way, is completely made up, and I’m trying to think of ways I can save their life. Yeah, save the life of a fictional person I invented. The more I think about it, the weirder it seems that I’m upset at the thought of this character’s “death.”

If you’re like me and you read the ‘Harry Potter’ series, you would know about when Sirius Black died. If you’re like me, then this would have made you sad, right? On the verge of tears, wishing it wasn’t true, going into denial, all that. This is how I am right now with my own character. I want them to live, I really do. But for the sake of the story’s progression, they absolutely have to die.

I find it strange that, as a writer, I end up in this situation. It’s like when as a kid, your favourite stuffed toy gets ruined. Like the dog ate it or it ended up in the dishwasher somehow and got shredded. It’s like a close friend or relative died. Except in this case, I’m technically the one killing them.

If any other writers are reading this, please let me know in the comments if you’ve ever been in a similar situation, where you have written the death of a character and it really upset you. I’m interested to see if this is normal, or if I’m just a big pansy.

PEACE!

A Two-Sentence Horror Story

Who says a story needs to be long? Sometimes the best and most chilling ones are micro stories. Check out my two-sentence micro story below.

“I can’t sleep,” she whispered as she climbed into bed beside me. I awoke with a start, drenched in a cold sweat, clutching the dirt-covered dress she had been buried in.”

See what you can come up with and add it in the comments.

PEACE!

EXCELSIOR!

Like every writer out there, when I have an idea for a story, I write it down and set it aside to come back to later. However, I recently found a note set aside, buried amidst numerous other papers and notes, that I have absolutely no freaking idea what I was thinking. Or even why I would write it down! The note simply reads:

EXCELSIOR!

Written just like that, as well. All capitals and an exclamation point at the end. I always associated the word with medieval times and King Arthur and stuff like that, but I have never written, nor do I anticipate writing, anything medieval-esque. So why did I write this obscure word down? And why did I write it like the idea was exciting and brilliant?

There is an episode of South Park that features a parody of Al Gore, who shouts this word every time he leaves the scene. Is that what I was referring to? Did I think it was that funny, I had to write it down immediately? Doubtful. I am left with no choice at this time to continue trying to find the answer to this mysterious note.

According to Urban Dictionary, excelsior is, “A phrase often shouted after succesfully completing a mission.”

Well, this ties in with the Al Gore thing, but what the hell did I write it down for? Was I feeling triumphant? Did I just smash out an epic chapter of Reaper and feel like shouting my triumphs, but couldn’t because I was on the train? Naturally the reasonable solution to this would be to write down my triumphant shout, who wouldn’t do that? (Epic sarcasm)

To further add to my confusion, Stan Lee, the creator of Marvel Comics, used this word as a sign-off for decades! Why the hell have I written this word down? I have absolutely no idea.

My quest for answers continues.

Smashwords Author Interview

Hi everyone,
In case you’re interested, I have posted the interview with me on Smashwords.com below for you to read. Enjoy!

Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in a very small town in the smallest state of Australia. It was so small, there were more cows than people. As a child, I was often bored with the lack of entertainment around town, so I usually turned to my imagination. People always told me that I looked like I was in a world of my own, but they didn’t realize I actually was!

When did you first start writing?
I started writing from a really young age, I was no older than 8 years old. It started as a class project, we were supposed to write a children’s story that we would like to read ourselves. I got really into it, I spent a long time on my characters. The protagonist was a frog. Now that I think about it, it’s not a surprise that I ended up writing the genre I write, because even in that story, the frog faked his own death. I think I got a good grade for my work, but also a concerned letter from the teacher to my parents.

What are you working on now?
It’s a very dark-fantasy trilogy, where the protagonist is a portrayal of the Grim Reaper. I’ve taken a lot of old folk-lore and legend and combined maybe a thousand years of mythology with my own imagination and created a world of shadows that exists beneath our own. The Reaper is one of many and is torn about his role in the universe. This Reaper, Darius, discovers that another Reaper is consuming souls of the innocent, before their time, all in the pursuit of limitless power. When Darius finds out the identity of the next victim, he steps in to save her, triggering a series of events that results in him being the only thing standing in the way of humanity’s complete annihilation. I won’t give away too much, but I think a lot of people will really enjoy it.

Describe your desk
Oh, it’s a mess! There are papers scattered everywhere, pens strewn across the whole thing, open notebooks full of my chicken-scratch handwriting, it’s a disaster. At least, it looks that way. I think of it as ‘organized chaos.’ It is impossible for anyone else to find anything on my desk, but I know exactly where everything can be found. It’s all exactly where I put it.

How has Smashwords contributed to your success?
I’ll let you know when I’m a success. Right now, though, I’m just enjoying the chance to get my writings out there, so people other than my friends and family can read them.

What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
That’s like asking, “What do you most like about chocolate?” or “Why is your favorite color green?” It sounds like a simple question, but it is not so simple to answer. I suppose, for me, the greatest joy comes from seeing the story that once only existed inside my own head now exist on the page, where others can enjoy it as much as I did. Well, hopefully as much as I did.

What do your fans mean to you?
I don’t really consider myself as having “fans.” So far, I think of them as readers who happened to enjoy what I wrote. That alone makes me feel pretty pleased. Although, I did get recognised on the street once. Apparently she had just read a bunch of my short stories and wanted to tell me how much she liked them. That was a bizarre experience, having a stranger praise me like that, but it was also very humbling. It meant a lot to me and I’m so appreciative of everyone who has shown their support.

Who are your favorite authors?
Stephen King, obviously. Then Edgar Allan Poe, John Birmingham, JK Rowling, the list goes on!

What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
Inspiration. If I were to stay in bed all day long, every day, where would I find the inspiration to write? Where would I find the inspiration to set and achieve goals? Where would I find the inspiration to do anything?

When you’re not writing, how do you spend your time?
Well, reading is a big hobby of mine. I also really enjoy the cinema. I spend a lot of time with my wife, chat with my friends online and via text, and I am occasionally known to try and play the guitar. I’d also be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit of a gaming geek. I really enjoy adventure games on Xbox.

How do you discover the ebooks you read?
The same way everyone does: I search for them. I take a look at whatever might take my fancy, scrolling through the newest listings, the most popular, highest rated, that sort of thing. If I’m after a particular genre, then I search for that genre. I try not to be too picky, it’s important to have an open mind.

I’m Back, Baby!

It has been a long freaking time since I posted anything here! So much for regular blogs, right? Don’t be mad, though, I’ve been very VERY busy. And now I’ve discovered this magical thing called “Time Management,” so these posts should be regular from now on.

I can here you asking, “So, what have you been doing?” Well, dear reader, I shall tell you. I have been writing like crazy. In 2014, I wrote TWO epic fantasy novels. Both are part of a trilogy and I am currently smashing out the third and final epic conclusion. What’s that? You want to know more? Fine, if you insist.

The first two books are part of the ‘Reaper’ series. The first is called ‘Angel of Death’ and the second is ‘Angel of Vengeance’ (notice the pattern?). I could go on and on about the plot and characters and everything, but rather than do that, I’ll just leave the links to the Amazon pages where you can buy them and read the descriptions. By the way, book one is less than $1 if you buy it in eBook format. Better than that, book two is FREE! Well, for the next few days, anyway, so hopefully you read this blog quickly and click that link to score your free copy while you can. Here are the links. Also, both covers. They look pretty damn awesome.

The third and final book, ‘Angel of Judgement,’ should be released some time this year, so keep an eye out for it!