A Hard Lesson for an Author #nevergiveup

I think I need to face facts. For the past seven years I have been trying to promote and sell my Redcliffe novels series of adult paranormal romance novels set in Cornwall, England. These stories came about from an idea I nurtured as a teenager, but back then I wasn’t confident enough to write them down. Instead I left them to simmer in my subconscious while I read as many paranormal, supernatural and occult books as I could get my hands on. It opened up a whole new world, and indeed a new way of life, as I discovered paganism and modern witchcraft.

 Naturally my research fed into my books as I wrote, and what began as one standalone novel, Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel), turned into a series of six books. I am currently preparing to publish Book 5 in the series, and Book 6 is in early stages of being written. After that I will end it. And I have begun to realise that maybe the world isn’t ready for the Redcliffe novels yet. Sales have been extremely modest to the point of non-existent for some of my more recent books. It seems that people are keen to buy Love Hurts, but they either don’t read the book, or they don’t like it enough to want to read the rest in the series. That understanding does pain me, but I must shake it off and move on.

 The Redcliffe novels series has been a passion project, and it has given me focus and self-confidence as I learned about being a new mother, nurturing babies, and supporting my family. The Redcliffe novels are a little bit of me, Catherine Green. They reflect my personality, my interests, my understanding of the world. Yes, I would love to see many more people read and appreciate my novels, but I cannot force them, much as I would love to. I don’t have enough money to invest in advertising campaigns, or spare cash to pay for PR, so my efforts remain small and humble. But it won’t always be this way. I am writing another series of novels featuring vampire hunters, and these do not feature romance. They are raw and violent. Perhaps the world will be more receptive to the idea of those novels? Time will tell.

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***Sneak Preview!*** Heart of the Vampire (A Redcliffe Novel) Book 5 #TheRedcliffeNovels

Welcome to the Season of the Witch and all things Spooky, my friends! I am excited to announce that we are now counting down to the launch of my next book in the Redcliffe novels series: Heart of the Vampire. Samhain is fast approaching in Redcliffe, Cornwall, and Jessica Stone must learn about control, power, and the love that she truly feels for her vampire boyfriend and his brother. Here is your sneaky preview:

“Jessica,” Simon said in a low voice, “What is wrong?”

            He glanced to his left, following my gaze, and Danny did the same. Both men clearly saw nothing and returned their attention to me. I watched as Sally stood straight and looked at me with a small smile. She was clearly not solid, but I could recognise her features, the same long blonde hair that she wore in a high ponytail, her pale skin that she would accentuate with fake tanning lotion, and her bright blue eyes that had been both gentle and dangerous when she was alive. And she knew that I could see her.

            I staggered back, almost falling onto the sofa, and Simon leaped forward to steady me. I held out my hand to stop him, not wanting to be weak, and I managed to keep my composure, but in the split second that I turned my attention to Simon, the vision of Sally disappeared. She never spoke. She simply vanished.

            “Jessica?” Simon said again, hovering uncertainly nearby, “What did you see?”

            I swallowed and looked from him to Danny, and then back to the empty space behind the desk. Danny was frowning and looking to his left, rubbing his arm as though he had an itch.

            “Didn’t you see her?” I asked.

            Both men shook their heads, but Danny’s expression turned from puzzled to knowing as he realised what I must have seen.

            “Sally,” he said in a flat voice.

            Simon’s head jerked round as he stared at his master in surprise.

            I nodded.

            “Yes,” I whispered, “I think I just saw a ghost.”

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I Called, and You Came – Thank You!

Last week I went through a mini crisis of confidence. My freelance work had dried up and my blog seemed to have fallen into a void, with little or no response to recent blog posts. Perhaps my fragile ego needed some attention. Maybe I just felt like having a tantrum. Whatever it was, I decided to write out my frustrations, and posted on SpookyMrsGreen.com with the desperate title Is Anyone There?

The answer was swift and was a resounding yes! Not only did I receive some very heartfelt comments on the blog post, but some of my close personal friends spoke directly to me and said that they do read my blog posts, and they enjoy reading them. That is all I needed. I love writing. I want other people to love what I write. Yes, alright, my blog posts are personal and will sometimes be completely irrelevant to other people. Other times I will post sponsored content or reviews. But all of it comes from the heart, my heart, and that is the point of being a writer. Thank you, my friends. I truly appreciate your love and support.

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Writer Friends are Important

The life of a writer can often become isolated, lonely and very quiet. We spend so much time scribbling in notebooks, typing on our computers, and pondering the next twist in our story, that we forget about the world around us. Unless it can offer something for the work in progress, of course! I find it difficult to relate to my husband and friends when I am immersed in a writing project. They don’t want to hear the nuances of my job, and I don’t want them to know the plot until I am ready for them to read the story.

That is when my writer friends step in. I am fortunate to have a couple of friends that live close by, so we can meet up for a drink and a chat when convenient, and we can work through the challenges, bemoan our lack of sales, share advice and tips, and generally lift each other up when we feel low. I have a similar network on social media. These are friends that I don’t see regularly, but we share each other’s books online, we share relevant news, and we support each other. Sometimes all you need is someone experiencing the same challenges, so that you know you are not alone. And for this I am very grateful to my writer friends.

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Art of the Arcane Presents: Demons, Vampires, Witches and Werecreatures!

Just for a few days, you may peruse a lovely list of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, paranormal suspense and Gothic horror novels, all available to download for just $0.99 each! Or, if you are in the UK, £0.99. Bargain! You will also find my debut novel hidden in the collection. Download your copy of LoveHurts (A Redcliffe Novel) book 1. Happy reading!

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#AmWriting Ghost Hunter Diaries

It is funny how random encounters can trigger memories and encourage us to act. Last week I received a phone call from a journalist, and following that conversation, I remembered that I never did write up my Ghost Hunter Diaries for publication. These are a series of memoirs from my years of ghost hunting with North West Spirit Seekers, around ten years ago. I learned a lot about mediumship and paranormal investigation, and I experienced a lot of activity in various locations, mainly around the North West of England, but I also managed a few hunts in other parts of the country, in Wales and in Scotland.

Interested? You can read a few of my original Ghost Hunter Diaries over on my SpookyMrsGreen blog. For now, I am writing up the non-fiction book into some sort of coherent form, and I will begin seeking a publisher. Do you have any suggestions or know of any open submissions?

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Back to School, Back to Work

Summer is ending, and we are eagerly awaiting the Autumn season. Well, I am. I don’t know about you. I certainly did not enjoy the summer heatwave we had here in the UK, and I am ready for a change. My children go back to school this week, and we can get back in the work routine. For me that means many different things. I am currently applying for part time jobs, with little success so far. I am still trying to work out how to make my books sell, how to find my audience, how to create products that people want to buy. It is a tricky process, but I refuse to give up.

 My Redcliffe novels series needs to be complete. I am doing the final edits on Heart of the Vampire (A Redcliffe Novel), book 5. Then I will finish writing Bite of the Wolf (A Redcliffe Novel), book 6. Once they are done, I will be free of a series that has dominated my life for about the past ten years. It is a very involved process, let me tell you. Now if only I could find the people that want to read these books… back to work!

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