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Writer Wednesday


Last week I wrote about 13K and wrapped The Wanderers at 93K. Now I’m going to leave it alone until Mighty Editor checks it, because I’m bored with it and think it sucks, haha. Besides, I’m reading a non-fiction book about medieval Persia, so it might give some ideas for the past of the southern kingdoms (since this story is set before the Quests).

The good thing about NOT having readers clamoring for more is that I don’t feel the pressure of writing the next book. The bad think is not knowing how I am doing, which makes me doubt myself and my skills. Yeah, my self-esteem is currently low, but I will bounce back, don’t worry! 😉

Anyway, I wrote 400K already this year, and even if I’m not sure I’ll write another 100k in the last four months of the year, I don’t care. I proved I can reach half pulp speed (500K) and stick to my own deadlines, now I can get back to having fun. Productivity was never my problem, was it?

If and when some series of mine takes off, I have more books to write. Meanwhile, I have some experiments to do to get out of this burn out. Currently writing shorts for anthos and trad mags, while coloring the Silvery Earth Kids strip (about 10 to color, then about 80 to letter) that I hope to complete by the end of September.

Then I’ll need to do a print attempt with Lulu so I can check it (my eyes don’t like staring at the screen, and printed out mistakes are glaringly obvious) and redraw whatever needs redrawn or adjusted. Not sure yet what my next long project will be. Possibly a contemporary story or maybe another historical fantasy. I did buy some books in Edinburgh! 😉

Still slowly tending the garden, and last week I resumed the Backstage Pass. And since I need to be gentle with myself, I won’t be posting weekly, but every other Sunday.

I’m working on the next instalment, but the topic seems hard to tackle. I do have some articles ready (meant for my never-started magazine or my aborted-Patreon), but I want to write something new that has been on my mind for months. So I will ponder it a little longer.

Meanwhile, there’s another free story up on the Infinite Bard, check it out! Have a great week! 🙂

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by Barb on 04/09/2019  •  Permalink
Posted in struggles to get through, writing projects
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Posted by Barb on 04/09/2019

https://creativebarbwire.wordpress.com/2019/09/04/writer-wednesday-384/

Writer Wednesday


Last week I started on The Path of Metal and wrote 13K. I’m also adding strips to the strip, but I hope to wrap everything in Edinburgh. I have a few short stories to write bythe end of August, lest the submission windows closes! Hopefully those places have some kind of submission form, since one of my latest attempts was flagged as spam and didn’t go through. Sigh.

And we have another batch of missions of the Lone Wolves Team! Again at all retailers, then one more and it’s over… at least for now! I’ll do a collection of the collection at the end of August. Cherry is on the cover, as always by awesome Ravven…

Don’t forget this is the last week of the Smashwords Sale… it lasts only until the end of the month. You have a few more days to grab some of my books 50%off! 🙂 And check out the other authors too! 😀

Here’s an amazing learning opportunity for you IF YOU’RE IN THE US. I can vouch for Kevin J. Anderson and Dean Wesley Smith as teachers, but I always come back frustrated from the business masterclasses, because none of that applies in Italy. But if you’re American, you should definitely check them! 😉

And here’s some advice from Joe Konrath, 6 things writers need to stop worrying about. Very apt since I’m heading for a conference tomorrow! 😉

Also, if you plan on writing sci-fi, check this article. I did read that book of putting science into fiction, and it’s good! Also, the article is right down my alley too! 😉

Now I better go back to my fantasy world… but know that there are a few sci-fi stories to write when I’m done with Torik and friends! 😉

And last but not least, it’s Infinite Bard time again! Hop off to the main page and discover another new author, another free story… Have a great week! 😀

 

by Barb on 24/07/2019  •  Permalink
Posted in struggles to get through, writing projects
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Posted by Barb on 24/07/2019

https://creativebarbwire.wordpress.com/2019/07/24/writer-wednesday-378/

Random Friday


Okay, I had to share this because I think it’s too cute. I’ll try to do also a 2020 Silvery Earth Kids Calendar, it will be available with the strip paperback. Meanwhile, here’s a preview with the (unedited) prose version for the visually impaired underneath.

Torik’s New Clothes

Torik got out of bed, washed his face, then grabbed his clothes. He put on his breeches and realized that not only the looked shorter than usual, but also he had trouble making them fit around his waist. Even his tunic looked kind of small for him.

“Mooom! My clothes have shrunk!” he complained.

“No, honey, you’ve grown up,” she replied patiently from the other side of the room. “You need new ones.”

“Oh.” Torik stared at his clothes, disappointed. He tried to squeeze in them anyway, and then checked his boots.

“My boots have shrunk too!” he whined.

“Wear sandals until we get you new ones,” his mother replied.

It was summer, after all. Although going to the forest with sandals wasn’t the best option.

Muttering under his breath, Torik laced on his sandals. They were kind of short too, but at least they didn’t squeeze his feet. The clothes were really uncomfortable, though.

“Can’t move, can’t breathe…” he grumbled.

“Here, take Dad’s old tunic for today,” his mother said, handing him the garment

Torik eagerly took off his own clothes and threw them on the bed. Dad’s tunic was so big, his hands vanished inside the long sleeves and it reached well below his knees. He could go out without breeches, though.

Feeling slightly ridiculous, Torik got ready for the day. Luckily he was spared wood-cutting and his mother took him to the tailor’s shop and then to the shoemaker.

by Barb on 05/07/2019  •  Permalink
Posted in real world inspiration, writing projects
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Posted by Barb on 05/07/2019

https://creativebarbwire.wordpress.com/2019/07/05/random-friday-364/

Random Friday


I’ve been reading the last paperback I got in London about the Celts. I bought it to understand better where Bran the Raven came from, but I’m using it also for Torik now.  And I started taking notes for the ancient fledglings of Bran the Raven, namely Helios of Sparta, Marco of the IX Legio Hispanica and Gallo-Roman Druidess Blandine who fleetingly showed up in the novels of Vampires Through the Centuries.

I’d bring those to Edinburgh, but maybe it’s better if I take those to Dublin instead. If I’m overwhelmed at Worldcon, I can always go to the Irish Library and study for Drustan and the state of Ireland in the first century CE (when Helios and Marco go there with Bran, and where Drustan is made).

So I’m trying to go through some antiquity history, which I haven’t studied since high school 35 years ago. Of course the first place to look is Wikipedia, but then I expand and look also elsewhere. I’m considering other Osprey books, but since Bran is no warrior, he’s probably going to stay away from wars anyway, so I don’t really need to study campaigns. He’s probably staying in Carthage when Hannibal conquers Rome! 😉

Anyhow, after Silvery Earth I might go back to those vampires. Write the stories of the ones who show up in Future Earth Chronicles and the older ones who don’t make it to the 21st century. And then we’ll see. I might try to write to market after Edinburgh, if I find a genre I like to read (and it won’t be urban fantasy, even though I’m a city woman).

My brain is too fried to make decisions now. I’ll finish studying the Celts and then we’ll see. Have a great weekend! 🙂

by Barb on 28/06/2019  •  Permalink
Posted in reading, writing projects
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Posted by Barb on 28/06/2019

https://creativebarbwire.wordpress.com/2019/06/28/random-friday-363/

Writer Wednesday


As expected, last week I wrote only 1600 words, much like last October when I was jet-lagged. And many were of the webcomic/strip – now I have to draw them, color them, etc. Stay tuned…

I’m still putting together those anthologies, so I haven’t started writing yet, but I sure hope to do it this very afternoon and launch into the next Star Minds Lone Wolves Team mission! 😉

And Fantasy Portals is now available for pre-order. Stay tuned for More Portals. During the weekend I’ll work on the paperbacks so on launch day you’ll be able to choose between ebook and paperback! 🙂

And of course Future Earth Chronicles Book 5 went live, so now if you want you can buy all five together and binge-read them! 🙂

And did I mention someone was putting bundles together? Here you have two, one that I’m sharing because even though I’m not in it, it’s Unicorns (my publisher is called Unicorn Productions for a reason! 😉 ) and the other is a very varied collection for all tastes… Stay tuned for more on some Eclectica authors! 🙂

Now if you’ll excuse me, I shall go back to writing… I miss it! 😉 Have a great week! 😀

by Barb on 03/04/2019  •  Permalink
Posted in struggles to get through, writing projects
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Posted by Barb on 03/04/2019

https://creativebarbwire.wordpress.com/2019/04/03/writer-wednesday-362/

Sunday Surprise – #8Sunday


 

Hello and Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where writers from a wide variety of genres share excerpts from their work in ten sentences or less. We are now in Rithvik’s point of view and Kerrien is consulting a mage, hoping to find out what ties him to the beautiful prince. And again, since I have the drawings, here you get your 8-10 sentences illustrated!

***

Veralie sighed, opened her eyes and leaned back.

“No, Kerrien, I don’t feel any magic left in him.”

“But why do I fall asleep when he does and wake up when he does and can’t get rid of him?” Kerrien protested.

Veralie giggled. “Maybe because you like him?”

Rithvik started to like her. Very much. Please make him fall in love with me! Maybe she knew some love spell – but then, he couldn’t ask her in front of Kerrien. He better try to use his old skills again.

***

Beautiful blurb:

Kerrien prided himself on never getting lost, not even in the deepest, darkest forest. That skill came in handy when tracking someone. It gave him an edge over whomever he was looking for. But he sometimes was taken by surprise by what he found.
Kissing a prince awake might not be the smartest thing Kerrien ever did in his life. Especially since he’s now stuck with the beautiful sleeper with a puppy disposition, and has no idea of who sent him to sleep and why.
Feeling a stray cat himself, can Kerrien put up with the young prince demands? Cats and dogs are not supposed to get along, do they?
A fairy tale retelling, a sweet m/m romance, a Silvery Earth novel.

Get the e-book or the brand new illustrated paperback. Beautiful is also included in Fairy Tales Revisited on Silvery Earth.

Interview with Rithvik and Kerrien. Another interview with Rithvik and Kerrien at Library of Erana.

I’m also on Patreon. Find all my books here.

by Barb on 24/03/2019  •  Permalink
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Posted by Barb on 24/03/2019

https://creativebarbwire.wordpress.com/2019/03/24/sunday-surprise-8sunday-5/

Writer Wednesday


Last week I did my 10K  and worked on publishing a couple of titles, so I didn’t have time to do much more. I couldn’t work on the webcomic/flash series either because I have now embarked in a double writing challenge. I’m revising and expanding a standalone fantasy that will not be translated in English, so this week my wordcount is a mix of English and Italian. I wrote that book in 2004 and there’s still some head-hopping to get rid of as well as settings to add.

I also decided where to end volume 1 of the Legends of the Moren Empire so that in April I can write short stories again. It will be 3 volumes instead of 2, but that’s fine. There is quite a lot of head-hopping there too, even though I’m using the 2004 version and not the original (I learned about POVs that year), so I’m trying to limit the POV characters, although it will be a multiple-POV novel like the Quests books.

At least I can finish it by the end of the month and move on. I have fifteen more missions of the Star Minds Lone Wolves Team to write! 😉 The first batch will come out in April – when that KU exclusive title will finally go wide, yay.

Last week I also had to listen to the whole audiobook, two hours approximately, and request a couple of changes. The narrator was very fast and nice, and now I hit the publish button but I’m not sure when it will actually be available. So stay tuned for further links, probably on the publisher’s page. I also did the paperback so that hopefully Amazon will push it up on its recommendation engine because it has all three formats.

The lucky title is Otherside, and The Hooded Man started production. Still waiting to finalize the narrator for the third audiobook. Since The Hooded Man is shorter than Otherside, though, I probably won’t do the paperback. It’s already included in More Tales of the Southern Kingdoms anyway! 😉

And I published Male Lovers of Silvery Earth Volume 3, with cover art by Eleonora Conti. The only new story is the cover story, Water Creatures. And most of the book is Saif’s Story since it’s a novella or short novel. I published the Italian version almost at the same time, hence the busy week, even though I was off Day Job! 😉

And there’s a Kobo sale or two coming… with two of my older titles included. I don’t have a direct link, but the 500 under $5 Sale is in Australia and New Zealand. The March US Price Drop Sale is of course in the US.

Have a great week! 🙂

 

by Barb on 20/03/2019  •  Permalink
Posted in struggles to get through, writing projects
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Posted by Barb on 20/03/2019

https://creativebarbwire.wordpress.com/2019/03/20/writer-wednesday-360/

Sunday Surprise – #8Sunday


 

Hello and Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where writers from a wide variety of genres share excerpts from their work in ten sentences or less. We are now in Rithvik’s point of view and you can see what a struggle it will be for him to overcome Kerrien’s denial. And again, since I have the drawings, here you get your 8-10 sentences illustrated!

***

“You’re still used to sleeping like a prince, aren’t you?”

“Well, you could keep me awake…” Rithvik grinned, glancing at Kerrien’s groin.

“Don’t even think about it!” Kerrien warned.

Rithvik sighed. It was going to be a struggle to convince the fierce mercenary to give in to some tenderness.

“Thank you for these boots,” he said. “Much better than my old slippers. What season is it? Will I need a cloak soon?”

 

***

Beautiful blurb:

Kerrien prided himself on never getting lost, not even in the deepest, darkest forest. That skill came in handy when tracking someone. It gave him an edge over whomever he was looking for. But he sometimes was taken by surprise by what he found.
Kissing a prince awake might not be the smartest thing Kerrien ever did in his life. Especially since he’s now stuck with the beautiful sleeper with a puppy disposition, and has no idea of who sent him to sleep and why.
Feeling a stray cat himself, can Kerrien put up with the young prince demands? Cats and dogs are not supposed to get along, do they?
A fairy tale retelling, a sweet m/m romance, a Silvery Earth novel.

Get the e-book or the brand new illustrated paperback. Beautiful is also included in Fairy Tales Revisited on Silvery Earth.

Interview with Rithvik and Kerrien. Another interview with Rithvik and Kerrien at Library of Erana.

I’m also on Patreon. Find all my books here.

by Barb on 17/03/2019  •  Permalink
Posted in writing projects
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Posted by Barb on 17/03/2019

https://creativebarbwire.wordpress.com/2019/03/17/sunday-surprise-8sunday-4/

Sunday Surprise – #8Sunday


 

Hello and Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where writers from a wide variety of genres share excerpts from their work in ten sentences or less. This is the end of part 1, before I switch to Rithvik’s point of view (that you shall see next week). And again, since I have the drawings, here you get your 8-10 sentences illustrated!

***

“Then why can’t I leave you?”

“Because you like me?”

Kerrien wanted to strangle him. But he just couldn’t.

He groaned and turned his back to the beautiful prince before he did something he’d regret.

“You don’t like me? Why did you kiss me then? Kerrien!”

“Shut up, Rithvik!”

***

Beautiful blurb:

Kerrien prided himself on never getting lost, not even in the deepest, darkest forest. That skill came in handy when tracking someone. It gave him an edge over whomever he was looking for. But he sometimes was taken by surprise by what he found.
Kissing a prince awake might not be the smartest thing Kerrien ever did in his life. Especially since he’s now stuck with the beautiful sleeper with a puppy disposition, and has no idea of who sent him to sleep and why.
Feeling a stray cat himself, can Kerrien put up with the young prince demands? Cats and dogs are not supposed to get along, do they?
A fairy tale retelling, a sweet m/m romance, a Silvery Earth novel.

Get the e-book or the brand new illustrated paperback. Beautiful is also included in Fairy Tales Revisited on Silvery Earth.

Interview with Rithvik and Kerrien. Another interview with Rithvik and Kerrien at Library of Erana.

I’m also on Patreon. Find all my books here.

by Barb on 10/03/2019  •  Permalink
Posted in writing projects
Tagged , , ,

Posted by Barb on 10/03/2019

https://creativebarbwire.wordpress.com/2019/03/10/sunday-surprise-8sunday-3/

Sunday Surprise – #8Sunday


 

Hello and Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where writers from a wide variety of genres share excerpts from their work in ten sentences or less. Since last week’s excerpt was so successful, let’s continue with those two. This scene is actually before the last, Kerrien has just kissed Rithvik awake and they are still in the castle. And since I have the drawings, here you get your 8-10 sentences illustrated!

***

Finally they emerged in the courtyard and Rithvik gaped as he looked around.

“No more castle…” he whispered. Then he brightened. “No more kingdom!”

He grinned at Kerrien. “Thank you!” He threw his arms around Kerrien’s neck and stamped a quick kiss on the mercenary’s lips.

Startled, Kerrien pushed him away.

“Are you out of your mind?” he protested.

Rithvik kept his arms behind his back and kept grinning from ear to ear.

***

Beautiful blurb:

Kerrien prided himself on never getting lost, not even in the deepest, darkest forest. That skill came in handy when tracking someone. It gave him an edge over whomever he was looking for. But he sometimes was taken by surprise by what he found.
Kissing a prince awake might not be the smartest thing Kerrien ever did in his life. Especially since he’s now stuck with the beautiful sleeper with a puppy disposition, and has no idea of who sent him to sleep and why.
Feeling a stray cat himself, can Kerrien put up with the young prince demands? Cats and dogs are not supposed to get along, do they?
A fairy tale retelling, a sweet m/m romance, a Silvery Earth novel.

Beautiful and Fairy Tales Revisited are enrolled in Read and Ebook Week on Smashwords, get them at 75% off, this week only!

Get the e-book or the brand new illustrated paperback. Beautiful is also included in Fairy Tales Revisited on Silvery Earth.

Interview with Rithvik and Kerrien. Another interview with Rithvik and Kerrien at Library of Erana.

I’m also on Patreon. Find all my books here.

by Barb on 03/03/2019  •  Permalink
Posted in writing projects
Tagged , , ,

Posted by Barb on 03/03/2019

https://creativebarbwire.wordpress.com/2019/03/03/sunday-surprise-8sunday-2/

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