Author Branding

With my debut novella, Escape to Love, and more projects on the rise, I’ve been thinking a lot about author branding. I can honestly say I revolt at the concept of being pigeonholed as a particular type of writer. Limiting what I write, or writing under another name seems like a punishment.

Do you, as a reader, not take the time to look over a book before buying? Even if it’s Stephen King, I read the blurb and the first few pages before making the purchase.

Don’t get me wrong. I do understand the concept and the benefits, but is it necessary?

My published short stories are all suspense thrillers. My recent novella is a historical romance. I have a children’s story book under contract, and a paranormal romance under consideration. My novel in progress is a paranormal suspense thriller.

Does an author have to pick one road and stick to it?

Character Interview - Constance Spenser

I’d like to welcome Constance Spenser, the main character of Escape to Love, to the blog.

Blurb - Constance Spenser is no ordinary woman, and neither are her problems. Unhappy in her life, she seeks knowledge of the spiritual side of life, but what she finds is another world, a world where she has no place. She must gain the council’s trust and discover a way home, but in her attempt she finds herself falling for the enemy. Can she survive long enough to discover her destiny?

Constance, would you like to tell us a little about yourself?

My creator claims I’m no ordinary woman, but to tell you the truth I’m very ordinary. I enjoy the company of my cat, Angelica. We both love the outdoors. Reading and crocheting are my favorite pastimes. That is, when I’m not cooking. Love to cook.

When your story begins, we find you playing with witchcraft. Can you tell us a little about that?

Oh, that. It was a phase. I’d just come out of a confusing relationship and needed to re-discover myself. What woman hasn’t experienced that at least once in her life? I’ve packed away my tools. All I need is nature to connect with my spirit guides. It’s very freeing.

How well do you like your creator?

She’s a good girl, very down to earth.

Do you think she’ll have you reappear in later stories?

That would be nice, but I haven't heard any news. The latest rumor is of explorations into Esmeralda's storyline. Not sure how much truth there is to it, but I’d love to come back and be a part of that. Esmeralda’s a wonderful woman, and her son is just adorable.

Is there anything you’d like to share with the readers?

I hope you all enjoy my adventure, I sure did. What could be more exciting than a handsome man pulling you under his wing, protecting you from the bad guys? Oh sure, it was a little scary, the threat of being hanged can’t be taken lightly. I guess I better hush before I give too much away. Look forward to hearing what you all think about the story.

Thanks for joining us Constance. We all hope to see you in the future.


If anyone has any questions for Constance or her creator, feel free to ask. Please refrain from question which would result in spoilers.

Have a wonderful Thursday!

Escape to Love Review

Another great review!

The second review of Escape to Love is available at Joylene Butler's Blog. Joylene begins her review with, "Constance Spenser, an aspiring witch, considers herself ordinary, but she has more magic in her than even she realizes." Pop over to read the rest of this review.

Thank you all for your support.

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Escape to Love has been included in the anthology, Sweethearts In Bloom, available for purchase.

Interested in the Tarot? Check out my latest post, Tarot Cards Misbehaving.

Happy Wednesday!

New Guy In Town - Joylene Butler

We have a guest today. Joylene Butler is the author of the suspense thrillers, Dead Witness and Broken but not Dead. Copies of her books can be purchased at Theytus Books, Book and Company, and Amazon.ca

New Guy in Town

2011 © Joylene Nowell Butler

There’s a new guy in town and his name is Deep POV. I know what you’re thinking: Omniscient, Third, First, and now Deep! Give me a break!

Honestly, Deep POV is actually a kewl guy who will give your scenes new life. Remember when you were a kid and you’d be sitting on the toilet trying to pee and your mum would yell through the door, “Hurry up!” And because you were all due for Sunday dinner at Grandma’s (or someone equally important), exasperated mum would burst in, turn on the faucet--and voila! Wonder of wonders. My mother is gone now, but when she visited, I locked the bathroom door.

Many good writers struggle over POV. But they needn’t. It’s like peeing whenever you hear running water. In time it becomes a natural process. It’s like riding a bicycle; once you learn, you never forget. In order to trust your instincts and pick the POV that best suits your particular story, you need to understand your choices. Deep POV is just one more choice.

To recap, let’s agree that Omni is a god-like character for a reason. Like God, Omni knows everything. Where writers make a mistake is thinking Omni means head-hopping. It doesn’t.

Omni is the novel’s camera. Omni shows you, he doesn’t tell you what’s happening. Imagine what it would be like if every single time you watched a movie and the camera moved to a new character, there was a new voice over. It would drive you nuts. And like everybody else, you’d do one of three things: leave the theatre, switch the channel, or eject the DVD.

That’s why when I work with writers who choose Omni, I remind them Omni should never appear in the story. He’s the narrator/host who takes us on a journey and shows us what happens.

Unlike the formal Omni, Third person draws the camera closer so that we experience intimacy with the character. We hear what he hears, see what he sees, feel what he feels, taste what he tastes, and read what he thinks. If the protagonist doesn’t experience it, we don’t. That simple. “Jump inside the head of your protagonist” effectively describes the technique.

Today on television Deep POV is nicely illustrated on Dexter and reruns like Veronica Mars. Voiceover makes the experience of watching those shows more intimate. We’re privy to information directly from the star of the show, or in the case of novels, the protagonist.

Deep POV, a combination of 1^st person (intimate) and third (limited) lets us experience the pure expression of a character’s being without anything being filtered. There’s no he felt, he thought, he said. It’s all immediate, personal, no tell.

Why bother using Deep POV? I promise you nothing pulls your reader in faster and allows him to instantly appreciate and care about your character. You’ve made them forget they’re reading a book, and instead, they’ll be immediately drawn right into the heart of the story.

Here’s some crude, but simple examples:

He felt his heart break … becomes:

She spoke, and inside his chest – snap! His heart broke in two.

“Kiss me, baby,” she teased, and grinned widely. … becomes:

“Kiss me, baby.” Gripes, if she grinned any wider her cheeks would crack.

Joylene’s blog: http://cluculzwriter.blogspot.com
Webpage: http://joylene.webs.com

Joylene, thank you so much for joining us today.

I hope everyone enjoyed our guest and her thoughts on deep Pov. I'm actively seeking out guest bloggers for the blog. If you'd like to be a part of the blog, contact me and I'll get you set up with a date to join us.

Happy Tuesday!