Is making up a genre allowed?

Random picture of the Celtic Cross in my
town, for no reason whatsoever

I've been thinking about my books recently, not so much my published stuff, but all the many half-written things still to come.

I've been considering my business plan - you know, that whole five year plan thing that managers in your day job talk about all the time? Well, it's not such a bad idea for us flighty writers either.

Should you try placing some more short stories to advertise your novels? Should you write articles to get your name out there? Should you publish your books in a different order to maximise your wow factor?

While I was thinking about these questions, I realised that my books are all different. I don't write the same genre from one project to the next. And this makes deciding what to publish/query next a little confusing - my 'fan base' would get used to my vaguely NA book, then be confronted with a contemporary romance, a psychological thriller, back to NA...

My website states that I'm an 'author of contemporary short stories and novellas', because it's a catch-all term, but it doesn't really mean that much. It doesn't help with the whole marketing thing, because it encompasses a lot of predetermined ideas on the part of the person scanning Amazon.

Do I need a genre? Am I allowed to make one up?

How did you decide what genre to write in, or did it choose you?

Worlds on Edge, release day!

Happy release day to M Pax and the latest installment of her Backworlds series.

The story of the Backworlds continues, and the story of Earth begins.

Worlds on Edge

by M. Pax

Fifth book in the Backworlds series

  

War is coming. A horde of merciless aliens poise just beyond the Edge. In a matter of weeks they will devour the worlds.

Racing ahead of the apocalypse, Craze returns to the Backworlds to warn them and plan a defense. Only he can’t go home. Banned from Pardeep Station, he must wage a more urgent battle. His moon is under siege, and his friends are dying.

Bad things come in threes, and the galaxy is no exception. An old enemy returns, attacking moons and defenseless globes, leaving a wake of destruction. Worse than that, they threaten to join forces with the alien horde.

Defeat seems inevitable. Craze may not be able to stop it. Yet home is worth the fight.

Amazon / AmazonUK / Smashwords / Nook / Other Outlets

Fantasy, science fiction, and the weird beckons to M. Pax, and she blames Oregon for that, a source of endless inspiration. She docents at Pine Mountain Observatory in the summers, teaching the public about the stars and the galaxy. A Bachelors of Science in Journalism, she had former lives in marketing and television before settling down to write. Want to know more? mpaxauthor.com

Nothing to declare!

So, the big question is: what do I blog about when I've got nothing to blog about?

I've been pretty busy this week, but not with writing so much. I spring-cleaned my bedroom - I even (for the first time ever) donated four books to a charity shop. I don't usually donate books, because I can't bear to part with them... But the four I donated were different, so they went. Of course, it means I still have piles of books in my bedroom which need shelves, but probably will never get them.

I rewrote a short story, although it's still not exactly what I was hoping it would be. Do you ever have a vision of genius, but not the skill to pull it off? Yeah, that's what happened with this one. I'll probably submit it to a competition anyway - I'm at the stage where I just need to feel my work is being considered by someone.

Today, I might start on another rewrite. Or maybe it's time to sit down and read one of the books I've been buying recently?

Or I might go out for a very long walk to pre-empt all the calories I'll be eating when Hubby comes back from tour with the customary box of Belgian chocolates.

Have a lovely weekend!

Over the Ocean cover reveal

Today, I am excited to help Georgia St Mane with her cover reveal for Over the Ocean!

Blurb:

When Bree meets Logan, and hears his oh-so-sexy British accent, it's lust at first sight.

Bree thinks Logan feels the same way, especially when they're snuggled up on her couch with his tongue down her throat. But when Logan decides that getting into a relationship when he only has a few months left in the States is a bad idea, Bree agrees to be "just friends."

But every time he flashes his swoon-worthy smile, complete with dimples, Bree has a hard time keeping her thoughts in the "friend zone."

Add to your Goodreads TBR list!

About the author:

Georgia St. Mane is married with four kids. She's passionate about writing, reading, and theatre. She thinks everyone deserves their own love story. Georgia also writes YA as Rachel Schieffelbein.

IWSG: What the heck is wrong with me?

This is the second time in a row where I've remembered it's time for a group post because I noticed someone else's post pop up on Facebook! I must remember to schedule properly next month!! There are a couple of niggles this month, rather than insecurities.

• I started a newsletter. I have seven lovely sign-ups, will there be any more? And if they are, will they read it, or just send it to their spam? Do I have enough information to fill a newsletter? Does anyone care?? The box to sign up is over there, on the right, you know - if you want to -------> --------->
• I haven't written anything for ages. I know I'm in the thinking phase (don't laugh - this phase is important for me, I'm not a sit down and write xxx words every day type of writer). At the moment I have vague images of a man who's a writer, a hotel, an explosion, and a feeling I get when I hear a specific song. I've also been really inspired by some old photos of my local area - a young photographer has superimposed old and new photos of the same scene, and I know I want to use that. My hometown (the city I now live next to) has some of the most amazing buildings which were left to decay (or bombed out of existence) during World War II. I'd love to bring them back to life in this next book, but I'm not sure how.
• Hubby is away on tour (I might have mentioned it). He arrived in Europe on Monday - and so far, #2 son has bumped his head three times, and woke up last night feeling sick. Things really do fall apart when he's not here!

I think that's everything. It's probably enough, isn't it? I could probably splurge a lot more onto the page, but it would end up as wanton self-pity and end in copious amounts of tears.

On a positive note:

• It's not going to rain today
• I looked in the mirror and noticed one of my 'problem' areas is finally improving!! (It's only taken 10 years, early days really!)
• Some scientist somewhere has suggested we might have another lovely summer this year
• I haven't eaten chocolate for five days
• I'm off to have coffee with a friend today

How are you? Tell me your positives, I want to feel happy today!

Sidelined by Kyra Lennon

It's here! The new cover for the next book in Kyra Lennon's Game On series!!

I can't wait to read this book, so seeing the cover is the next best thing.

Title: Sidelined (Game On Book 3)

Author: Kyra Lennon

Genre: NA Contemporary Romance

Release Date: March 31^st 2014

Blurb:

At the age of twenty-one, Bree Collinson has more than she ever dreamed of. A handsome husband, a fancy house, and more shoes than Carrie Bradshaw and Imelda Marcos combined. But having everything handed to her isn’t the way Bree wants to live the rest of her life. When an idea to better herself pops into her head, she doesn’t expect her husband to question her, and keep her tied by her apron strings to the kitchen.

Isolated and unsure who to turn to, Bree finds herself falling back into a dangerous friendship, and developing feelings for the only person who really listens to her. Torn between her loyalty to her husband and her attraction to a man who has the perfect family she always wanted, she has some tough choices to make.

While Bree tries to figure out what she wants, a tragedy rocks the Westberg Warriors, triggering some dark memories, and pushing her to take a look at what’s really important.

Sidelined is the third book in Kyra Lennon’s Game On series. Game On (Book 1) and Blindsided (Book 2) are available on Amazon and Smashwords.

About the Author:

Kyra is a self-confessed book-a-holic, and has been since she first learned to read. When she's not reading,

Kyra grew up on the South Coast of England and refuses to move away from the seaside which provides massive inspiration for her novels. Her debut novel, Game On (New Adult Contemporary Romance), was released in July 2012, and she scored her first Amazon Top 20 listing with her New Adult novella, If I Let You Go in November.

you'll usually find her hanging out in coffee shops with her trusty laptop and/or her friends, or girling it up at the nearest shopping mall. And occasionally hanging out with rock stars, because that’s how she rolls!

You can find Kyra at the following places:

Website // Blog // Facebook // Twitter // Pinterest // Instagram  

A huge congratulations to Kyra on the imminent release of her next book.

Have you read the first two? Or her standalone novella If I Let You Go?

If you have, you'll know we're in for a treat.

If not, you've got a couple of weeks to catch up!