Time And RelateD Inspiration in Space #amwriting #scifi #romance #DoctorWho

Yes, the title is a very bad play on TARDIS, the Doctor's famous time travelling machine. But since that's what this post is about...

Most Fridays I try to post a random fact to my Facebook fanpage and Twitter related to my books or myself as an author. Lately they've been related to Keir's Fall as I (hopefully) approach release. It reminded me that the main antagonists started life many years ago when I was a teen, in a Doctor Who story I wrote called Gamehouse, (and many, many years before I ever heard the term 'fanfic'). That reminder led me to dig out an old diary filled with fragments of that fanfic and others (1989 for those curious). FYI I've never (willingly) thrown away anything I've written, though some things have been lost or accidentally destroyed over time (I have folders and notebooks and big boxes of all those things).

I've been watching Doctor Who since I was three years old. Yeah, I can be sure of that because I remember the episode very clearly. That was way back before the benefit of repeats, before iPlayer, before video even. It was Jon Pertwee's last story, and something I blame my spider phobia on: Planet of the Spiders. Theoretically, though, Tom Baker (4th) was the Who I grew up with, and 'my' companion was Sarah Jane Smith (the now sadly deceased Elizabeth Sladen), who didn't merely scream in the right places and flatter the Doctor. She had spunk! 

So I've seen a lot of Who's evolution. I was one of those who cried when the series was cancelled and felt my world had come to an end. But it did inspire me to do something about it, and to do something positive as a writer. With DW off screen, I finally sat down and completed my first ever novel (after dozens of unfinished works): A Doctor Who story featuring the 7th Doctor (Sylvester McCoy), but with a new companion called Quin. Some people might recognize the name. ;) That story was called Shadowshaper. It not only featured the first incarnation of Quin (who went on to be the heroine in several uncompleted stories before Keir) but the sentaic and Rulk as well. The original machine-typed manuscript, along with that rejection letter and some of my own character sketches, now sits on my bookshelf, hand-bound by a friend's dad who knew how to put proper old-fashioned books together. 

I don't know that it qualifies as fan fiction being as I actually submitted it to WH Allen, the then publisher of DW books, and written it in keeping with the final series and current canon. It got rejected but with a wonderfully detailed critique from the publisher. At age 18, that was huge - a publisher telling me they liked it (I'd broken a couple of central laws like (deliberately) leaving out the then companion Ace and revealing some of the Doctor's inner thoughts - a then definite no-no!). Maybe I'll get around to posting it on WattPad one day... My main epiphany with that book though was actually finishing something, an achievement not to be repeated for another twenty years when I finally wrote Keir. >.<

And new Who? Well, I had my doubts about Christopher Eccleston despite my elation at seeing the series return, but he did a damn fine job of bringing it back. I never liked Billy Piper, and the romance between her and Ten was the one thing that ruined it for me (Donna Noble was my favourite companion, and I've yet to fall in love with any since). But I guess DW had to grow up and evolve like the older generations of fans, and needed to draw new ones if it was going to continue. I think it did a great job. I'll admit my devotion died somewhat during the Matt Smith era.I dunno. Maybe it was him being the first Who actor actually younger than me. Maybe it was the awkward love triangle with the Ponds. Whatever, it was the first time in Who history that I skipped watching episodes.

Bur while the Matt Smith fangirls might have abandoned ship at his departure, I was over the moon to see Peter Capaldi take over. Much more my idea of the Doctor. Maybe I have a bit of a thing for older men but I adored him as the Angel Islington in the BBC TV adaptation of Neverwhere. And Missy? Adore her! Finally a Master who really is just evil and kills without hesitation.

Will I always be a Who fan? Who knows? :P But without it, I have to wonder if I'd have ever finished a whole book and tried to get it published in the first place. 

Status update
I have round three of Keir's Fall still in progress. Are you sick of me saying that yet? Round one of Reunion is almost done - really almost. I've left it to focus on KF again. Round one of my proposed June release is still with Dani. 

Happenings
The Goodreads giveaway for a print edition of When Dark Falls is still open until the end of November.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

When Dark Falls

by Pippa Jay

Giveaway ends November 30, 2015.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

In preparation for the release of Keir's Fall, Keir (Book One) is now reduced to $0.99/99 Euros/99p across all digital platforms (it's $1 at All Romance eBooks because they work by percentage discount there rather than setting a price) until the end of the year.

Goodreads | Available from... Amazon | All Romance eBooks

Kobo | iTunes | B&N | Smashwords

Print available from... 

Amazon | B&N | CreateSpace

The Book Depository

And to finish, my Venus Ascendant novella (currently under the working title of Revived) came second in the Paranormal/Speculative Fiction/Urban Fantasy category of LERA's Rebecca contest. This is my first win in the Rebecca after three years of entering it. I'm chuffed! I'm also proud to be sharing the category with fellow Brigader Lea Kirk who took third place with her scifi romance Prophecy (releasing 12th January 2016 but already available for pre-order). Revived will be releasing sometime in 2016 (sorry, I'll give you a date as soon as I can get my act together!)

Before I sign off, I'm going to share the first promo image for Keir's Fall, from my very talented cover designer, editor, and sanity saver Danielle Fine. Enjoy!

When Feedback Conflicts

Everyone has their own opinion. Look at the reviews for your favourite author, and you're just as likely to see people screaming about how much they loved this latest book as you are those spitting venom over how terrible it is. They're all correct in their view. No matter how hard an author tries, you are never going to please everyone. No matter how well written something is, it will simply not be someone's 'thing'. Or maybe it is badly written but people love the story and the characters anyway. There's been a lot of heated discussion over the poor quality of writing in some of the current biggest sellers. But they're still selling and people are still raving about them.

But what do you do if the difference of opinion is between two experts in their field? How do you settle that? 

This is what I consider my first year as a professional writer - ie published, and contracted to publish. Inspired by my Spacefreighter buddies and their shiny collection of Golden Hearts, I decided to enter a few contests myself this year. Keir made it as a Readers Favorite 2012 Finalist, but I also put the opening 5000 words of an unfinished WIP into The Rebecca. It didn't reach the finals (boo!), and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed with that. However, receiving the score sheets back from the judges was a huge bonus and gave me some fantastic feedback. Two of the judges chose to make comments on each section, although the third only made a comment at the very end. One even made some comments in the MS itself. To see how the entries are marked and what specifically the judges are looking for, here's the scoring system -

Score Sheet

Entry No.       __                            Judge                                                                 
                                                                  

Land Of Enchantment Romance Authors

The Rebecca Score Sheet, 2012

Entry Title: _____________                                                                     
Category: ______________________________________
Total score:__________________ Finalist: Yes/No
(30 points total possible)

Scoring: 1 = Needs major work
2 = Below average
3 = Average, still needs work, but shows promise
4 = Close to being publishable, but still needs minor work
5 = Excellent, ready for submission to editor

___OPENING HOOK (1-5 points each.)
Story opens with a strong hook that pulls the reader in, and story opens at the right place.
Comments:
___CHARACTERS (1-5 points each)
Well-rounded and likable main character(s) with believable actions and reactions.  If the hero and heroine are present, their attraction and chemistry are suited to this story.
Comments:
___ CONFLICT (1-5 points)
Well motivated main conflict is hinted at by the author.  Internal and external conflict are balanced.
Comments:
___WRITING: (1-5 points)
Author handles voice; showing not telling; POV changes; dialogue; setting description using the senses.
Comments:
___MECHANICS (1-5 points)
Mechanics of grammar, spelling and sentence structure.  Manuscript is formatted for neat, professional appearance and easy to read.
Comments:
___OVERALL APPEAL: (1 – 5 points)
If you were a reader in this genre, the entry grabbed your interest and made you want to read more
Comments:
Please describe at least one area this author handles well:

Please describe at least one area this author needs to work on:

Judge’s signature (optional): _________________________

____Published Author in Book-length Romance         ____Unpublished Author
____additional (define)

Or you can check out all the details on the LERA website here - http://www.leranm.com/about-the-rebecca/ 

Overall I was very pleased with the comments, and it seems I'm doing several things right consistently. But there was one area of contention between two of the judges who chose to make comments. There was a conflict over the...well, conflict! One judge felt the elements of internal and external conflict were fantastic and well balanced. The other felt there was far too much of it, and that it was confusing.

So what do you do when the opinion of two experts is so opposite? You could base it on the merits of each judge. If the feedback came from an author who's work you loved versus one you hadn't heard of, which would you chose? Or would you take the opinion of a potential publisher over that of an author? In this instance, judging the judge isn't possible. Two of them remained anonymous. 

To me, the solution is obvious. Unless you have a very strong preference yourself, seek another opinion! It doesn't have to be an author, an editor, or a publisher. A reader is equally qualified as to whether a story is working or not, if it's someone whose opinion you value. Critique partners and beta readers are invaluable here. Don't have any? Then seek out a group like CritiqueCircle.com for feedback, or join a writing forum. Network. Find yourself a band of people you trust. But always remember that you CANNOT please everyone, and you'll tear yourself to pieces if you try. At the end of the day you need to feel happy with your story as much as satisfying at least a handful of others who love your work. Oh, and a publisher/agent of course. It's finding the balance between potentially mixed advice and a happy middle road. If you get the same flaws mentioned repeatedly, then it's something that needs fixing. If it's one voice out of a dozen...well, then it's down to you. 

BTW I'm currently trying to compile a list of useful writer's resources here including editors, cover artists and forums where you can link up with like-minded people. If you have anything to add, please leave a comment.

So while I'm on the subject, I'd like to say a huge thank you to those who've helped to kick various projects into place. As far as The Rebecca is concerned, my thanks go to Liana Brooks and SL buddy Laurie Green at this time, who both ran a critical eye over Tethered before the contest.

 Pippa's Journal 

Action! 

I'm currently waiting on my first round of edits for Gethyon - the scifi novella I contracted last month with the Burst imprint of Champagne Books. I'm still trying to finish off the final draft of Keir's sequel - now renamed Keir's Fall. I've had a tough decision to make regarding a major element in the latter part of the story which is holding me up. My aim is to have it submitted by the end of September - or else! (Not sure 'or else' what, but be assured - I will punish myself severely for any failure! *digs out the holo-whips*). In the meantime, the first round of edits for my scifi rom short that I'm planning to self publish have just gone back to my editor. Looks like I might release that before Christmas, woo hoo!

On the subject of shorts, the SFR Brigade are mulling over the possibility of a Brigade anthology to help boost the prominence of SFR. There's currently a poll up over in the Facebook group here - please come over and vote. If you aren't a member of the group and would like to be, you can request to join there too.

Happenings - I'm honoured to have science fiction romance author Aubrie Dionne guesting over on my blog here today, for the release of her new novel Haven 6. I hope you'll stop by to say hello. There's also a Rafflecopter for a beautiful piece of handmade jewellry to tie in with the novel, so get your name down! The monthly Amazon Tagging Party list will open on the 24th September with tagging taking place on the 27th.

Ping Pong - Huge, huge congrats to Sharon on receiving her first 5 star review on Goodreads AND a glittering 4.5 review from RT Book Reviews for GHOST PLANET! Not long now until you can all get your hands on this book. :)

Triple, Trinary or Ternary? What's in a name?

"Rukbat, in the Sagittarian Sector, was a golden G-type star."

That was one of the opening lines from an Anne McCaffrey Pern book - Dragonflight - and my first introduction to an author who very much helped to shape my early writing. It also sparked a deeper love for astronomy - more so for the facts and figures than the actual stargazing. In my teens, I could list at least a dozen constellations and tell you the major stars within them, including their type, magnitude and distance in lightyears from Earth. I had a memory that was close to photographic in those days, and the luxury of time to spend immersing myself in that kind of information. Sadly, twenty years on and I no longer have that skill - or all those facts to mind. No, if I want to know those things now, Wikipedia is my best friend!

But I still love to do the research. Now I'm a little lot more nervous about quoting the facts and figures, one reason that I don't include a lot of technical explanations in my writing. It has to be exactly right so I don't fall foul of any true science nerds. While writing the sequel to Keir, I wanted to include a triple star solar system and went hunting for a suitable candidate. Wikipedia provided me with the perfect one - Algol, in the constellation of Perseus. Why was this perfect? Because it's known as the Demon Star, tying it in nicely with Keir's old persona as the Blue Demon of Adalucien. I spent a day on it, for a piece of writing that barely covers a single page out of the current 221 of the story.

From Wikipedia - the suggested rotation of Algol

However, after the sequel came back from my editor, she questioned the term 'trinary', listing 'urnary', 'binary', and 'ternary'. So I went back to my research, specifically looking at terminology for multiple sun systems.

Although Algol is one of the best known eclipsing binaries, it's "actually a three-star system (Beta Persei A, B, and C) in which the large and bright primary Beta Persei A is regularly eclipsed by the dimmer Beta Persei B." (taken from Wikipedia). Multiple star systems consist of three or more stars that are physically close to one another and gravitationally bound. Most are triple stars, also known as ternary or trinary. Usually two stars form a binary system with a third orbiting the pair at a distance (hierarchical). Now, the last thing I want to do is bog down a reader with all the complexity of Algol's three stars. The essential element for me is that there are three suns, making the planet featured in the story a searing ball of sand valued only for its high mineral and metal deposits. As far as I can tell, the terms 'triple', 'trinary', and 'ternary' are all valid and interchangeable. I'd never heard of 'ternary' before, while 'trinary' sounds closer to the more commonly known 'binary', and so hopefully more understandable to a reader. But for now, I'm tempted to go with my editor's recommendation even though to me trinary is probably the more recognizable term. Which term do you find the most familiar? Which would make you go 'huh?'

Pippa's Journal

So, just over a week ago I got my first royalties statement. Squeee! Okay, so I'm not a bestseller or anything, but it really hit home the fact that I'm an author with a book that has sold actual copies. Seeing it in black and white makes it far more real. People have actually bought my book, and judging by the reviews they're enjoying it too. :)

On the writing side - I finally sent out my revised YA scifi novella Gethyon. I'm currently a third of the way through edits on Keir's sequel (which sadly needs a new name now) and polishing up the first 5K of my sfr novella Tethered for entry into the Rebecca, which closes on the 30th June - so if you're planning to enter, hurry up! There's apparently a shortage of entries. Also entry for the EPIC's eBook Awards™ opened from 1st June and goes through until the 15th of July. Please check with their website for details on eligibility and rules. 

Discoveries

Tracking your sales - thanks to Melisse Aires I already knew about NovelRank which tracks sales for your book on ALL Amazon sites as soon as a single copy sells. Mine is a little behind since it didn't start tracking until three days after Keir's release, but still a handy gadget. If you're an author with books on Amazon, you really need to sign up and fill out your profile on Author Central. Please note, you will need to do this on ALL the sites that sell your book. Unfortunately you can't just fill in one profile and have it feed to US, UK, German, French etc sites. But I found this site which has further tools for tracking your sales, including those through outlets like Barnes & Noble. 
  
Happenings

It's the SFR Brigade's Midsummer Blog Hop!!

On Friday 22nd June (Pacific Time) the SFR Brigade will be holding its first ever Blog Hop to celebrate Midsummer. 36 fabulous science fiction romance authors will be telling you mystical or scientific stories related to the event, and they'll each be giving away a prize - books, gift cards, swag bags...and lots more!

Plus there's TWO GRAND PRIZES!

1st Prize - a Kindle Touch or Nook Touch

2nd Prize -a library of science fiction romance titles from over 20 authors (these will be mostly ebooks with one print anthology), and an Anabanana Gift Card.

All you need to do to enter is pop along to the blogs listed below and comment on as many as you want (only ONE comment per site will count as an entry). Each time you comment at a stop, you'll earn one entry into the grand prize - so the more sites you visit, the greater your chances of winning. The winners will be drawn at random on the 24th June and announced on this site. The list of participating authors can be found below this post. Spread the news!

Ping Pong

At Donna - hugs on playing the waiting game. 

At Laurie - sorry about the Triple - maybe next year? I was interested to hear your view on Prometheus - I can't bring myself to watch any of the Alien films, but my husband went and was quite scathing in his view. I did try to get him to write a review of it to post to my blog, but he turned me down. O.o