Why do you write?
What a loaded question. I ask my guests on my YouTube show, Radio show and podcast, this question and it comes with a barrage of different reasons, yet one is always the same. Which one do you think it is?
Day 24 #MarchoftheWriter
Tag Archives: novel
Day 23 #MarchoftheWriter
Fav place to read?
I suffer from chronic insomnia. I’m lucky if I get 2/3 hours sleep a night/morn.
I finally switch off and take off my work hat in the early hours of the morning. Then the rest of the time, until I close my eyes, or not is spent reading.
My second pastime, and if you’ve been following my blogs, you know what and where I do my reading.
When I’m in the car when I’m out for coffee (rarely.) I’m not being unsociable and playing games or posting on social media or taking selfies – No, I’m reading.
Any chance I get to have a break from work, I read. Yep, I even take my phone to the toilet. It’s my little 5 min break before I go back to the computer to continue promoting my clients and their books.
I love reading nearly as much as I love writing. Both allow you to escape reality and step into a new world the author has built. Get lost in the dream-like state, get involved in the conflicts and either feel let down or satisfied with the conclusion.
There’s nothing better, after a hard day’s work, to curl up snuggled with a book.
Day 14 #MarchoftheWriter
Return of the pitch
So a pitch is just like being a salesperson. You have maybe 5 mins to sell your product to that manager of the shop, factory, office. A story is no different. The first line has to be the shocker, the lead line; Leading the agent or publisher to read the next part.
The rule of pitching SHORT BUT SWEET. But then you all know I like to break the rules! 😉
So without further ado here’s my pitch.
What do you do if you’re stranded in a barren land and the sky turns red, a sign that the acid rain is about to pour down on you and melt your skin and bones?
Bez is thrown out of Mount Elta for having a big mouth. Kyte for being an instigator and disturbing the peace. The Committee, are the law inside what was their home. No one would dare stand up to them in fear of being cast out.
Now with a backpack containing an acid-proof tent, a little food and medical supplies all created from the precious Terra Plant, the two hunt for the OutCasts; those that had somehow survived. There was proof of their existence but not of their habitat. Can they find them in time, and more importantly, will they be welcomed?
So how did I do?
Does it make you want to know more?
Can you work out what genre of fiction this book is?
Day 12 #MarchoftheWriter
Filmspiration
Ooooh, this is a good one.
Tolkien’s, Lord of the Rings, inspired me to write my YA fantasy duology, Illusional Reality.
However, you will not find elves, trolls, hobbits, dragons or wizards in my books. They are unique in name and character no stereotyping for me.
Did you know I was one of the managers of the UK Lord Of The Rings fansite?
I knew everything you needed to know about the books and films. And I can tell you that even though LOTR is the best movie EVER made, the fans were not happy. They believed that essential scenes were left on the cutting floor or never even filmed. Me, I was happy with how much they could fit into the movies.
The OUTSIDERS by S.E.Hinton was the reason I became an author. It was the film ( and book) that inspired me to write my own novel. In Times of Violence. I had a story to tell and I wanted to get my novel on the reading curriculum at schools. (That never happened) but my book, which was once my bestseller, was the one that started it all.
The film stared the brat pack, Emilio Estevez, Rob Low, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Matt Dylan and the rest of the greasers. Many of those actors played the next main roles, in her other book-based films, like Rumble Fish and Tex and That was Then This is Now.
You have heard me mention his name once or twice in these #MarchoftheWriter blogs.
Yes, it is my man Mr Quentin Tarantino. I must have watched every film he directed ( and acted in) but it was the film Death Proof, that inspired me to write Lawless Justice.
So they are just a few films that I have admired, loved and helped me as an author.
Special mention to West Side Story, Basketball Diaries, Drugstore Cowboy, Wild Ones, The Godfather trilogy, Goodfellows and Romeo & Juliet.
Day 11 #MarchoftheWriters
Writer Wisdom
Gosh, where do I start? This is what I do so I could go on for hours but I’ll list the most important lessons. (I will be tough.)
- Write about what you know.
- For example, this is your first book and you’re writing a detective mystery about a body being found on an archaeology site. Why would you do this to yourself? Do you know how much research you would have to do? What do you know about police procedures? What do you know about archaeology?
- Write about what YOU know. When you write about something you’re passionate about, something you’ve actually experienced. That will come across in your writing. Giving it depth, realism and valid description.
- Remember the three essentials.
- Editor (No, not your mum or next-door neighbour)
- Formatter ( No, not a converter. A formatter makes it pretty inside, adds the chapter and front and back matter.)
- Cover Designer (No, not Canva or Fiverr)
- These three essential cost a lot of money and if you don’t have that money, then you are not ready to publish.
- Don’t cut corners.
Your book has to be polished before it goes out to the public. It needs the three essentials and a kick-arse blurb. Your book has one chance to be a success, if you send it out after writing the first draft, not having it edited and using a cover you did, I can guarantee failure. And that’s a word we authors DON’T want to hear. - Have that first line ready.
The tag line is what you will use on your promos, graphics or posts. It’s going to be the first thing a potential reader sees when they look at the blurb. That one line has to have power, it needs to pack a punch so that the person who reads it will then continue to read the rest of the blurb. - Anything worth dying for is certainly worth living for – Catch 22.
- Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same – Wuthering heights.
- Paul Sheldon used to write for a living. Now he’s writing to stay alive. – Misery.
- They are feared, hated, hunted down and destroyed….and yet they are mankind’s last hope. -The Aldoron Chronicles.
DAY FOUR – #MarchoftheWriters
For those about to WIP (work in progress)
So, what are you working on Karina? Oh if it was so simple to answer.
I have a four-book series called OUTLAW. Each book is a stand-alone read. Each book is about outcasts, outlaws, whether it’s an MC (motorcycle club) or a street gang. Each book is connected to this theme. The first book is called, In Times of Violence. If you read my 2nd-day blog post, you would know that In Times of Violence started as an 18-page short story. As I was young back then, I wrote it specifically to target my age group YA (young adult)
https://explosivewriter.com/2022/03/03/marchofthewriters/
The problem now is that it was many years later when I wrote Huntress the second book in the series, but not the second book to have been written, So now a mature writer, the mature themes come into play. By the time I got to Road Rage, there were no rules anymore. Can you see my dilemma?
Yep, that’s correct you can have one book a YA and the rest 18+ this was the first mistake I made. I kept them together, but marketed the YA differently and I could never do a box set with all four. The solution is easy, right? Yep, write another ITOV but an adult version. Unfortunately, life happened and shit happened and the book got lost in the shuffle. It would be 13 books and nearly 20 years later, I’m finally working on ITOV adult edition.
So, the second mistake. Over the years, my writing has matured along with me, and so my writing style and topics have been pretty graphic and intense. So that’s okay, you need to write a mature version of the first book ITOV. Yes, it could only be that easy. What I should have done was kept the original MS (manuscript) throw in some explicit sex and some graphic violence and bingo! – Nah.
I started writing out the first scenes and the only resemblance it had to the opening scene of the YA version, is the names of the characters. I had started a brand new book. A couple of chapters in, and I realise that Huntress which is a sequel to ITOV YA edition and will continue as book two to the YA and that if I carry on the way I’ve chosen to go, Huntress will need a re-write. I knew I had a decision to make, and I agonised over it, and there was no way I could bin the two new chapters I wrote, as they are GOLD. So to cut a long story short, my WIP is ITOV adult edition.
I’ve gone into new territories I’ve yet to delve into. I’m doing something I’ve never done before. I’m doing a year’s time jump just so I can stay on track to the genre and theme and not stray off the path. then I’m going to write a novella about that year. What happened to her and how much she suffered. The reader will have the choice to read it or not (I think most will.)
Would you like a sneek peek?
(Remember this is a first draft and not edited.)
The money lasted five days, even though I stayed in a cheap hotel in a rough part of the city. I had no money, no food and no place to sleep. This wasn’t how my life was supposed to go. I wasn’t looking for fame, I never wanted fortune, so why couldn’t I get a break.
I hugged my rucksack as I fell asleep either on an empty bench or a shop doorway. It shocked me at the amount of homeless people on the streets. And they weren’t friendly to newcomers. Telling me to piss off and find somewhere else to sleep, that I was in their patch. I walked until my eyes couldn’t stay open and then took the first vacant sheltered sleeping space I could find.
As for looking for a job. I would change my clothes, tidy myself up and ask at every store, shop and kiosk, but as soon as I was asked my address, they became uninterested and used the excuse of being overqualified, or unqualified for the job.
***
I was sleeping on a green bench that I luckily found vacant in an open park. I soon understood why the bench was vacant when I woke to someone trying to pull the rucksack from me.
I stood up and tried to keep my grip of the only possessions I had. I screamed at them to let go, but there was more than one person, and I soon found a fist in my face but I wasn’t going to give up that easily so I kicked one of the in the nuts, while he fell to the ground groaning, another two laid into me with punches and kicks. I dropped the rucksack. There was nothing in there to lose my life over, I thought, as I covered my head from being punched. But a kick to my stomach made me fall down to the ground. I heard a roaring of motorbikes and then shouting before a boot hit my head. My vision blurred as I saw a shade of black racing towards me. The shouting started to fade as did my consciousness. The last thing I remembered about that night was the smell of aftershave mixed with soap.
And here’s another exclusive.
New Challenge
You know me I love a good challenge and when I take on something, I don’t back down.
This one is called March of The Writers and every day, we are given a prompt and it could be to write about a book, introduce myself, write flash fiction and so forth. I will be given a prompt and see if I can do one every day through March. This will be fun.
From the crazy mind of Author and YouTube addict, JD.Estrada. You can follow his blog and journey on https://jdestradawriter.blogspot.com
DAY ONE.
New month, who dis?
Well, hello world. I’m Karina Kantas award-winning author and filmmaker. I have 15 books published, some independently, some under publishing contacts. I write in most fiction genres and I go through binges. Right now it’s Dark Romance.
I’m from the UK but I live on the Island of Corfu.
I’m a BookTuber, YouTuber, Podcaster and Radio Host and I also run Author Assist which offers affordable assistance to writers, authors and those in the publishing business. I’m a VA , Author Manager, Publicist, Book Trailer Creator, Designer of Graphics, Social Media Consultant, Marketing and Promotion Manager and Narrator… plus a few more I haven’t mentioned.
I’m the host of the Author Assist Radio Show. Which has just celebrated five years on the air. My YouTube and audio podcast is called Behind The Pen and I get to chat and have a laugh with many in a business where they use a pen such as Illustrators, writers, musicians, and so forth.
For all links for my social media ( I’m everywhere) and for the podcasts and my YouTube channel go to
https://linktr.ee/karinakantas
Can you feel the Rage?
Road Rage dark MC romance 18+
Stand-alone read
Dark MC romance 18+ due to graphic and explicit scenes.
Book 4 of the OUTLAW series (stand-alone)
Expect murder, mischief, and mayhem.
Beautiful and yet scarred, Gem works in a supermarket living the safe life she has chosen after surviving a violent past running with an outlaw motorcycle club.
Excitement beckons in the form of a handsome biker named Shep, who introduces her to the rest of his legit racing club, Rage. However, members of Rage won’t accept Gem until she’s proven herself, and Shep sees her as no more than a trophy for his drugged up ego.
Gem then makes the mistake of getting involved in Rage’s illegal activities, which then lands her back in the arms of an outlaw motorcycle club and a deadly conclusion.
WHERE TO BUY
Ebook – mobi pdf epub (half of the retail price) http://payhip.com/DirtyStreetsPress
Ebook – Kobo iBook nook https://books2read.com/b/31RVNn
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Road-Rage-Karina-Kantas/dp/1912996545
EXCERPT
Two days passed when I got a call from Blade.
“West has called you out. You’re racing tonight. Be at the pub by nine.”
This is what the club had been waiting for. My race against West was gonna bring in some big bucks, and I wasn’t about to lose. I had a name, street cred, and a reputation as a winner, and now West wanted a piece of me. I’d know how much Blade put on me when I got my ten percent, I thought hungrily. I wanted this. I could already taste the victory.
I met up with Blade in the bar and he pulled me to one side.
“You’ve won four out of four races,” he said. “Now I want you to lose.”
I stared at him. “You want me to lose?” I repeated.
“Yes.”
“How much you putting on this race?” I asked.
“Enough. Listen, this is between us, understand?”
“Yes and no,” I answered.
“Don’t make it look too easy. I don’t want Rage accused of fixing the race. It’s got to be a close call. Here’s five hundred,” he whispered and put a roll of money in my fist. No one saw the exchange. “And you still get your ten percent, okay?”
“Okay,” I said.
I didn’t know where Blade was going with this. I wanted to keep up my winning record, but he was the president and, as a member of Rage, I had to follow his orders.
Although there were other members racing that night, mine was the one everyone was talking about and would continue talking about, after I lost the race. I was not looking forward to it. Everyone was rooting for me, and I was about to let them all down, apart from Blade. Five hundred pounds. Five hundred pounds, I kept repeating in my head.
There were loads of spectators already waiting when we got to the rendezvous point. Word must have gotten out.
West was sitting on his Ducati with a big grin on his face and two blondes standing on either side of him. I wished I could wipe that smile off his face, but I knew he’d be shouting about his win for weeks, months even. I turned my sight back to the bike in front and followed the convoy through the deluge of spectators.
I was first up. It was such an anticipated race that no one was willing to wait or interested in watching other racers. I saw a lot of money exchange hands as I suited up. Sitting on my bike, waiting for the flag to drop, my heart was racing. Adrenaline was pumping, but this time it wasn’t because of the coming rush. Inside, I was furious. I could take West. There’d be no contest.
While I was trying to get into the ‘zone’, I pictured another race with West; this time, I won, and as I had lost the last, the stakes had been raised. I pictured myself with a helmet full of notes. A thought occurred. Blade was a smart man; maybe this was just the beginning of the hustle.
As soon as the flag dropped, my bike flew. I was already in the lead, and, from my mirror, I saw West closing the gap. The blur of spectators passed, and then it was just me and the road ahead. I allowed him to come alongside me. It was best if it looked like a dead heat. Man, I was so close, I could taste the victory. I needed to ease off slowly, but my body had other ideas. My grip was frozen.
I could see the finish line. My heart was pounding. My breath stuck in my chest. I managed to move my fingers, and that’s when West’s front tyre overtook mine and crossed the line first.
I slammed on the brakes and skidded to a stop.
“—-, —-!” I yelled, banging my fists on the tank. I wanted to throw my bike down in disgust, but it wasn’t her fault. Instead, I rode over to the side and parked the bike before taking my helmet off and throwing it on the ground. For good measure, I kicked it across the road. Anyone in the vicinity could hear my verbal abuse. They kept their distance. It was obvious I was upset, but not for the reason they thought.
Blade found me leaning against a wall, my arms crossed tight against my chest.
“I know that must have been hard,” he said.
“You’ve no —— idea,” I spat, and then walked away from him.
Doc then came jogging over. “What happened, Gem?”
“He had a better bike,” I said.
“Did he?”
I saw the look in his eyes. He knew the truth.
“Come on,” he said, nudging my shoulder. “I’m racing next, and I need your support.”
I smiled. He didn’t need me. He had enough support. However, I stood at the starting line to watch him and even put a small bet on him. I knew he’d win for me. Out of elation, I ran up to him and planted a hard kiss on his lips. Doc pulled me to him. His mouth opened, and we kissed fervently. I had never felt anything like it. My stomach turned in a good way. It went right down to my —-. The hairs on my arms stood up, and I swear I saw a spark. I loved the taste of him, and I wanted more. I had never felt so much passion from one kiss. Whistles from our audience broke the special moment. We stepped away but couldn’t take our eyes off one another.
“Whoa!” I spoke.
“My sentiment exactly,” Doc replied breathlessly.
“About bloody time,” Blade shouted.
I don’t know about Doc, but I had a huge grin on my face and was red from embarrassment.
“Come back to my place,” Doc whispered. I nodded and boy, did my heart race.
A Must For Fiction Authors
Do you need to pump up your characters’ emotions? Then have I got a deal for you!
My friend Stacy Juba is running a Black Friday sale on her Energize Your Writing Toolkit: Cheat Sheets for Character Emotions. https://shortcutsforwriters.thinkific.com/courses/energizeyourwriting?ref=60ad39 This 100-page printable toolkit is jam-packed with more than 4,000 emotional phrases arranged into easy-to-digest lists. Part reference book and part workbook, this system will grow with you throughout your writing journey. Having the right tool can get the words flowing and help you to write stronger scenes faster.
What this toolkit includes:
A 100-page PDF featuring:
- Overview of nonverbal communication and body language.
- Detailed written instructions and examples on how to use the cheat sheets.
- A walk-through video of the toolkit.
- More than 4,000 nonverbal prompts that span 21 categories and numerous subcategories.
- See It In Action nonverbal snippets from published books.
- Discussion questions that guide you through finding your strengths and weaknesses.
- Plus, more bonus features are going to be added soon, and you’ll get access to any updates.
It’s suitable for all fiction genres and for creative nonfiction that conveys emotion (i.e. memoirs).
Through December 7, you can get the Energize Your Writing Toolkit for just $29. It’s regularly $49.
https://shortcutsforwriters.thinkific.com/courses/energizeyourwriting?ref=60ad39
To get the deal, put the code blackfriday20 in your cart at checkout and the sale price will show before you pay. If your characters and body language could use some help, take advantage of the sale before it’s gone. Order here! https://shortcutsforwriters.thinkific.com/courses/energizeyourwriting?ref=60ad39
Ready To Be Taken To Hell And Back?
PRESENTS
BROKEN CHAINS- DARK MAFIA ROMANCE
Blurb
If only she had stuck to singing in bars.
If only the idea of wanting to become an author had never entered her mind.
If only she’d never met Alex.
That one meeting had caused an avalanche of fate to clash with a dangerous destiny that forced Liz Finely to become the most wanted woman in the world. Stalked by three deadly mafia bosses, Liz has to learn to survive. Passed from one brutal hand to another, tortured, and abused, it’s her blood, her name, which lands her in trouble each time.
Now it’s up to Liz to find the strength to accept and become who she’s meant to be, and finally, break the chains that bind her.
Please note: This book is adult only due to graphic scenes of sex and violence.
Excerpt
Liz was dreading meeting the “family” as he called them and certainly had no appetite. Her nerves were messed up and it wasn’t until Maria came into the room to help her dress, that she realised she had stayed in bed staring at the wall for hours. She had no idea it was so late. Her stomach churned.“May I give you some advice?” Maria said softly in Italian. Liz nodded.
“Don’t speak unless they ask a question. Don’t look them in the eye. Keep your head down, eat quietly and be respectful. They don’t know you. They won’t trust you and you need to earn their respect, but they will expect respect from you right away.”
“Grazie. Capisco.”
(Thank you. I understand)
Maria picked out a red knee-length skater dress. It was modest and covered her arms. Liz still has fading bruises on her face and her fingers were still sore and swollen. She had difficulty holding a hairbrush and her hands didn’t have the strength to get the tangles out of her hair, so Maria combed her hair and put it half up and half down, then curled the tips. Mascara and a little lip gloss finished off her look. Wearing flat silver shoes, she followed Maria downstairs and then stopped outside the office door.
“The Boss wants to speak with you before dinner.”
Maria touched Liz’s arm. “Good luck.”
“Grazie,” Liz answered, and took a deep breath before knocking on the door.
“Entra,” Marco called out.
Liz walked inside the office, with her head down and stood beside his desk.
“Please sit,” he said. “You may look up. Before we go to dinner there is one small matter we need to address. I’m sure you know what the Omertà is?”
Liz swallowed before answering. “It’s a code of silence.”
Marco nodded. “That is correct. Do you know what will happen if you break the Omertà?”
“I and anyone I have talked to about your business will be killed.”
Marco slid a piece of paper over to her and gave her his fountain pen. “Good, then sign and we can go to dinner.”
Her hands shook as she took the pen, knowing if she signed, she was giving her oath and life to the Italian mafia. Then again, if she refused to sign, Marco would probably pull out his gun and shoot her where she stood.
Taking a deep breath, she signed on the dotted line above Marco’s signature.
Review Quotes
“I loved it. The story to me was amazing. Very well written and it really kept my interest all the way to the end.”
“So many twists. You kept me guessing right to the end.”
“The story behind all the violence held my interest until the end. “
“You show Liz’s true strength of character in the well written novel with hot erotic scenes while her torture was realistic and cringe worthy.”
Broken Chains for Kindle – https://payhip.com/DirtyStreetsPress
Broken Chains E-Book – Apple, Kobo, Nook –https://books2read.com/u/3kegRR
Broken Chains Paperback – https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Chains-Karina-Kantas/dp/1912996502
Author’s Bio
Karina Kantas is an award-winning prolific author of 14 titles. Including the gritty MC thriller series, OUTLAW and the exciting YA fantasy duology, Illusional Reality.
She’s also a Podcaster, BookTuber, Radio Host, YouTuber and runs Author Assist, helping authors with their marketing and promotion – among other things.
There are many layers to Karina’s writing style and voice, as you will see in her flash fiction collection, Heads & Tales and in UNDRESSED she opens up more to her fans, giving them another glimpse into her warped mind.
Karina writes in the genres of fantasy, MC romance, Young Adult. sci-fi, horror, thrillers and comedy, romance, PNR, dystopian and erotica, dark mafia romance.
You can find her on Facebook and Twitter, where she loves hanging out with her readers.
Titles to date:
***The OUTLAW series***
In Times of Violence, Huntress, Lawless Justice, Road Rage
***Collections***
Heads & Tales, UNDRESSED, A Flash of Horror
In Times of Violence Young Adult Edition / MC romance
Stone Cold / YA supernatural thriller
Audiobook Stone Cold
Toxic/dystopian erotica
Broken Chains – Dark mafia romance
***Illusional Reality duology***
Illusional Reality / Clean romantic fantasy The Quest/fantasy paranormal romance, Illusional Reality – The duology, Audiobook Illusional Reality
***COMING SOON***
In Times of Violence – adult edition,
Toxic 2
Where to find Karina Kantas
http://bit.ly/FBFPKK – FB fan page
http://bit.ly/INSTKK – Instagram
http://bit.ly/TwittKK – Twitter
http://bit.ly/BLOGKK – Website
http://bit.ly/KKGRE – Goodreads
https://www.linkedin.com/in/karina-kantas-6216bb5/ – LinkedIn
https://mewe.com/myworld – MEWE
http://bit.ly/KarinaKantas Amazon Author Page
https://books2read.com/ap/8ZKwEj/Karina-Kantas – All book ,Apple, Kobo, Nook, Google, ect..
Explosive Writer 