Is your New Year resolution to read more books in 2023? If so, you can kickstart things for free with Ellen.
Ellen “I vowed to prove them wrong.”
Tailz “I believe this is about where we got to before.”
Luke “You mess this up and you’re history! Hear me?”
Nana “You should be soulmates not lovers.”
Emotions run high when Ellen Lloyd steps up to the mic as the new vocalist for rock band After Life. Will she prove to be heaven sent or will her arrival see the band descend into the depths of hell?
Want to know more? Download Ellen for free today through to Jan 2nd
Grey from Silver Lake christened her “Witchy Woo” so it seems appropriate to allow you the chance to meet Witchy Woo herself aka Ellen for FREE this Hallowe’en.
I’m in this weird creative pre-book release space where I know I’m not quite finished with the current project but I’m itching to start the next one.
Riley is due to be released on 18th November 2022. Eek! The first physical proof copy is due to land this week so there’s still work to be done. (I swear commas move all by themselves!) but already my mind is wandering onto “What next?”
I have an idea … well, half an idea…but I’m not jinxing it by saying too much just yet.
I was flicking through my Continue the Story journal, contemplating using it as inspiration for this week’s blog when the above Ernest Hemingway quote jumped out at me.
I saw for a moment or two reflecting on the characters that I have introduced to the world and on the new “friends” that readers will meet in the pages of Riley.
Over the years several people have complimented me on my various characters and said that they feel as if they know them. A few have said how much they’d love to go to a Silver Lake concert or hear After Life’s music. Those are huge compliments for an author to receive. Well, they’re huge compliments to me.
So, how do you create a believable character? Where do you start to come up with a character that’s destined to become someone’s book boyfriend/girlfriend? (I hope!)
I’m sure there are hundreds of more successful authors than wee me who could wax lyrical on the subject but for me, the key is to give them personality traits and a past.
If we use Jake Power from the Silver Lake series as an example, he has a habit of being late, he runs his hand through his hair when he’s anxious and he takes sugar and cream in his coffee. As the story unfolds, the reader learns a little more about his past. The one thing that I’ve never written in great detail is a description of what Jake looks like. Yes, there are plenty of clues- long blonde hair, hazel eyes, tattoos- but the what Jake looks like is left to the reader’s imagination. I’m sure he looks subtly different to each reader.
Riley Johnson is a character who was never originally intended to be anything more than a minor character in Shattered Hearts, book four in the Silver Lake series. However, once she began to emerge on the pages, I knew there was another tale there waiting to be told. This young lady, this tiny green-haired girl, had more to say. Even if I do say so myself, she’s perhaps one of the best characters that I’ve created so far. You can judge for yourselves next month when the book’s released. (Hint… you can pre-order a kindle copy right now on Amazon worldwide.)
One other key component to my main characters in each of the books is that they aren’t perfect. Each of them has flows and that’s true of each and every one of us.
I love to read. I always have a book on the go, and I’ve read numerous rock star romance novels where the central characters are all about the sex drugs and rock’n’roll rather than the music and hard work and hours of rehearsal it took to put them on that stage. Never say never, but its not my intention to create those kind of rock stars. I hope to create musicians, the kind of genuine musicians that I love to watch play live on stage.
So, perhaps another key to creating characters who feel like real live people is observation. Authors are always watching, filing snippets of the real world away for use in a storyline someday. One of those moments finds its way into Riley. A small simple moment in time from a gig I was at one night. (I can’t now honestly recall which one). I was in my usual rail position watching the crew set up the stage between the support act and the headliners. One crew member brought out several bottles of water to position around the stage and was loosening the lids as he placed them strategically beside each band members’ spot on stage. A simple everyday act…then one bottle put up a fight. The top refused to budge! This poor guy was wrestling with it in front of the crowd before it finally surrendered and came loose. I almost gave him a round of applause.
In my humble opinion, its small observations like that that help to make a story more believable.
Riley sees me introduce several new characters- Jericho, Zed, Sam and JJ to name a few. Riley also sees the return of several familiar faces too. If you choose to pick up a copy of the book, I hope you enjoy meeting each and every one of them.
For the first time in a while someone left a review on Amazon last week of Book Baby 6 aka Long Shadows. Seeing those kind words and those 5 twinkling stars genuinely gave me a warm fuzzy feeling. It also caused me to pause and reflect on my creative journey so far.
It really doesn’t seem so long ago when I sat down on my front doorstep with my new notebook and new pen and began to write a story that went on to become my first novel, Stronger Within. As I wrote that night, the aim was just to write a story, to achieve something just for me. I wasn’t thinking about what it might go on to become. I was simply telling a story.
The first handwritten page of Stronger Within
Now when I look at it and its book baby siblings on Amazon and see those twinkling stars, I do finally feel proud of what I have achieved. Trust me, it took a long, long time to admit that I felt proud of myself.
Is it the best book in the world? Of course not!
Is it earning me a fortune? LOL—no! Monthly royalties from all of the books combined barely cover the cost of a cup of coffee from Starbucks.
If you think you’ll make your fortune from writing your novel, forget that notion right now. Writing is a labour of love and a burning desire to tell a story. It’s a passion. Yes, some indie authors do strike gold when their book babies land in the right lap at the right time but those are miracle moments, in my humble opinion…but all indie authors live in hope of miracles happening as well as dreams coming true.
Do I really want that fame and fortune? … if I’m being totally honest, there’s a bit of me that does to an extent, but I’d hate to lose my identity in the process. I’m quite content to just be me. It would be nice to walk into a book shop and see my books on the shelves among the other authors I admire … but I’d like to be able to do that and have no one recognise me.
Ok..feel like I’m waffling now! …or is it daydreaming?
Writing a book doesn’t just happen by magic. There’s more involved than the average reader could ever imagine. Getting that first story from the handwritten pages of my notebooks into a paperback novel and an ebook was a long hard slog and an exceptionally steep learning curve. I couldn’t have done it without the unwavering support of my Infamous Five (yes, you know who you are). Those five individuals have stuck by me on this journey and never for one second do I take that help and love and support for granted. Their support and faith in me, along with kind words in the various book reviews and kind words left on social media by others, really are what gets me through the low moments, the days when you can’t string two words together, the days when you are riddled with self-doubts…and for the past couple of years, the days themselves on occasion.
I’ve said this before, but one of those wonderful people shared a quote online years ago and this has become my mantra.
So, if you are reading this and swithering about whether to pick up your pen or sit down at your laptop and begin your own book baby or short story or poem or in fact anything creative at all, my advice is DO IT! You have nothing to lose and everything to achieve, including making that dream come true. The biggest thing that writing/creating costs you is your time. If you have the desire to chase that dream, then it is time well-spent, and you won’t mind putting in the hours…and hours…and hours…
The dream come true moment for me- the first one anyway- was seeing my name on the cover of a “real” book. Holding that first proof copy of Stronger Within in my small trembling hands is a moment that will live with me forever. I remember holding the unopened package, scared to actually open it…and then I did…and yes, there were tears.
As Walt Disney said in the quote above “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”
“It’s fine, Rocky,” said Ellen, praying she sounded calmer than she felt. “Luke, I’ll make a deal with you. One error and I’m gone. One from you and the result’s the same. You go.”
Want to know more? Check out Ellen on Amazon today.
Tailz “I believe this is about where we got to before.”
Luke “You mess this up and you’re history! Hear me?”
Nana “You should be soulmates not lovers.”
Emotions run high when Ellen Lloyd steps up to the mic as the new vocalist for rock band After Life. Will she prove to be heaven sent or will her arrival see the band descend into the depths of hell?
The cottage garden was sheltered from the breeze and, with the chimnea blazing, the patio felt cosy and intimate. Lit tealights in old jam jars were scattered around the boundary of the paved area, their flames flickering in the darkness. Plucking a gentle melody, Taylor watched as Nana and Jen brought out bowls of crisps and dips and some beers and cider. He smiled over at Ellen, who was sitting on a pile of cushions beside the fireplace.
“You ok?” asked Taylor, noting that she was staring intently at the flames.
“Never better,” she replied with a relaxed smile. “I was just daydreaming.”
“Ghosts in those flames?”
With a wistful smile, she nodded before confessing, “A year ago I couldn’t have sat here. Couldn’t stand to see flames. My dad helped me over those ghosts. Calmed my fears.”
“Shit! I never thought!”
“It’s fine, Tailz,” assured Ellen warmly. “In fact, it’s more than fine. This is perfect.”
Want to know more? Check out Ellen on Amazon today.
I’m going to start with an apology. I promised when I shared my last author newsletter that I’d get better at writing these in a more timely manner. Eh… I’ve failed miserably as the last newsletter was 11 months ago!
I’m not even going to hint at a future schedule for these author updates…let’s just go with the flow!
My primary focus for the past year has been Book Baby 7. I’m still working on the first draft and progress has been made in fits and starts as the real world has been eating into my precious creative time. When I started Book Baby 7 on 1st February 2021, I promised myself that I wouldn’t rush it and would take my time and I have. I’m still on track with the timeframe I have in my head for its release. The storyline is more or less on track too!
Watch this space for an announcement about it on 9th March 2022.
So, what else have I been busy with over the past few months? (I use the term “few” loosely! LOL)
Well, I have introduced my Continue The Story blogs. If you missed the introduction last July, here’s the first short story.
Towards the end of the year, I was in a reflective mood as I recalled some of my favourite childhood stories. So many precious childhood memories of bedtime stories… it was hard to choose just a few for this post
I’m hoping my alter ego will be allowed out to play more often this year but time will tell on that. My first 3 shows of 2022 have already had to be rescheduled for further down the line. C’est la vie!
Everyone’s favourite dark angel has made several appearances on my blog since my last newsletter with her most recent being in January in time for the full moon. All of the parts of Silently Watching can be found in the Fiction – Short Stuff tab. (They are numbered)
And that pretty much brings us up to date. The edited creative highlights of the past 11 months!
In between all of this, I have still been meandering daily (well, as often as the delightful Scottish weather allows) and recharging the batteries of my soul with the sounds of nature. These daily walks allow me headspace time to develop storylines and to ponder plot dilemmas so who knows who or what I’ll come up with!
All that’s left to say is thank you from the bottom of my heart for your ongoing support. It really is appreciated and as I’ve said before, every kind word fuels the fires of creativity.
Stay safe. Take care.
Till next time… happy reading.
Love n hugs
Coral xx
If you’ve missed book babies 1-6, you can find them on Amazon worldwide
Eight years…. Has it really been eight years since I created this blog? Apparently.
I remember sitting down to write that first post clearly. (In case you’re a little late to the party, here’s the link to it Deep Breaths and Begin | Coral McCallum)
I remember the fear more than anything else. Would anyone want to read my blog? Would I be able to sustain posting once a week? What if I made a total fool of myself? What if folk laughed at me for creating a blog?
Every insecurity in the book was rattling through me!
Now, as I sit here eight years down the line, on the cusp of a new year, many of these insecurities are still rattling through me. Yes, I am still scared to let people read what I write. Yes, I do still fret about whether anyone would want to read what I write. Every time I hit “publish” on a blog post, a wave of fear crashes through me- some are little gentle waves; others are the kind surfers would die to ride.
When I started my blog, my first book baby was still in its early stages. At that time, having my name on the cover of a book still felt like an impossible dream but, here we are, six books later and with number seven on the way. (Yes, I know I’ve been saying that for months but it’s coming! Hopefully, it’s coming in Autumn 2022. No, I’m not quite ready to reveal its name…not yet.)
This blog has evolved over the years too, hopefully for the better. I’ve kept my word. I’ve posted at least once a week every week. (OK a few of those were “cheat” blogs that were barely more than a photo and a few words when life’s been a tad manic, and I don’t promise that there won’t be more of those to come.) If you’ve missed a few posts, they are all still there. (You can find them all in the Archives on the right.) The tabs along the top of the page split out the poems and short stories from the rest of the ramblings and the shop tab speaks for itself. (Hint…check it out if you’ve not read the Silver Lake series or Ellen.) There are even a few author newsletters too.
This year, I bit the bullet and changed the domain to www.coralmccallum.co.uk That was a bit of a surreal moment – I’m a .co.uk! LOL
As I have chased my dreams and pursued this creative journey, perhaps I’ve evolved too. I’ll leave that thought there….
So, what will 2022 hold? After the “delights” of the past two years, I’m almost scared to ask! I think I want to read the T’s & C’s carefully before I sign up to 2022!
What I do know though is that it will bring more blog posts, introduce you to more characters, showcase more photographic efforts and continue my musings and meandering as I chase those rainbows and dreams.
To all of you, especially those loyal souls who have been with me since the start, thank you from the bottom of my heart for continuing to support my creative pursuits. I couldn’t do it without you. Your kind words, the “likes” on my author Facebook page (Coral McCallum | Facebook), the reviews of my book babies on Amazon and Good Reads, they all help to fuel the fires of creativity.
All that’s left to say is all the best for 2022 when it arrives. May it be kind to us all. Stay safe.
Grey from Silver Lake christened her “Witchy Woo” so it seems appropriate to allow you the chance to meet Witchy Woo herself aka Ellen for FREE this Hallowe’en.
Coral McCallum 