Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: professional success

  • Spotlight on: Chris Humphreys, Best Selling Author and CAC17 speaker

    If you want to know what professional success looks like for an author, look no further that Chris (C.C.) Humphreys – Author, Actor, Swordsman. And try not to look with too much green in your eyes! Chris exudes confidence after having published over ten books, enjoyed best seller status, and won multiple awards. He continues to enjoy high demand for his stories. Yet, amidst all this success he remains very genuine and down to earth. His writing craft presentations are the eye-opening kind that will inspire you to great feats of writing, and we were very excited that he agreed to be a presenter at the conference this year.

    Don’t miss out, register now for the Chanticleer Author Conference—CAC17—March 31st to April 2nd where he will be teaching: Write the Good Fight, and The Sex Scene: how much is too much? A Male novelist’s perspective.

    As part of our spotlight series, we asked Chris our five questions to get her perspective on professional success.

    1. When did you know what you really wanted to be?

    Still trying to decide. Is it too late to become a spy? (It’s the second family trade, aside from acting). I have two more answers with my two careers. I decided I wanted to be an actor when I was about 17. I’d been steered away from that path by my concerned mother who’d been the daughter of one and the wife of another. Was all set to read law at uni but then got cast as the lead in the school play. When I won the Best Actor award at a schools drama festival I was hooked.

    As a writer – well, I’d always known I wanted to write. Like everyone, I lacked the confidence and courage to pursue it. But I wrote lots and buried the results. Then I entered and won a 24 hour playwriting competition. They paid me $500 and I thought: I am a professional writer! My true love, historical fiction, took me another 6 years to get to. Never looked back.

    2. What was the biggest challenge you faced?

    Overcoming the self doubt. I’ve figured out that’s really to do with not understanding the process. It’s what I teach now: each stage is about something different and if you break it down into steps, you just have to take one after the other. It takes away a lot of the fear.

    3. How do you define success?

    That I’ve earned a living largely from my quill for 16 years.

    4. How long did it take to achieve your success?

    A lifetime apprenticeship in storytelling (Actor). Then, once I’d summoned the courage to begin my first novel… a little over a year from first sentence to contract.

    5. What is the best advice you have ever received?

    ‘You can always have more. You can never have less.’ (Amazing how many things this applies to!)

    If you have not registered for CAC17 yet, what are you waiting for? Chris Humphreys and more fantastic speakers (including yourself, possibly, if you register before the schedule is full) will be sharing their experience and knowledge about writing books, selling books, and everything to do with being a successful author.

    About Chris

    As an actor Chris (C.C.) Humphreys has performed on stages from London’s West End to Hollywood. A playwright, fight choreographer and novelist, he has written ten adult novels including ‘The French Executioner’, runner up for the CWA Steel Dagger for Thrillers; The Jack Absolute Trilogy; ‘Vlad – The Last Confession’; ‘A Place Called Armageddon’ and ‘Shakespeare’s Rebel’ – which he adapted for the stage and which premiered at Bard on the Beach, Vancouver, in 2015. He also writes for young adults, with a trilogy called The Runestone Saga and ‘The Hunt of the Unicorn’. The sequel, ‘The Hunt of the Dragon’, is published in Fall 2016. His recent novel ‘Plague’ won Canada’s Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel in 2015. The sequel, ‘Fire’ is a thriller set during the Great Fire, published Summer 2016. He is translated into thirteen languages. Last year he earned his Masters in Fine Arts (Creative Writing) from the University of British Columbia.

    The Hunt of the Dragon, is his most recently published book. The second in a YA fantasy series about a girl who travels to a magical world behind unicorn tapestries.

    “What is it you think I can do?” she whispered. “I’m no one.”

    The dragon’s thought came carefully, painfully. “No one? The maid who was given the gift of tongues? The girl who tamed a unicorn? Who saved then destroyed a world? Oh, Alice-Elayne, you are someone. And you are about to learn that your story is only half told.”

    His historical fiction of the real Dracula, Vlad, the Jack Absolute series and Shakespeare’s Rebel, among others, are also not to be missed!

    Chris’ classes:

    Write the Good Fight – In this hands-on, blades-drawn workshop, fight choreographer, actor and novelist C.C. (Chris) Humphreys will take you through the dangerous art of fight writing. Unashamedly admitting that he got into acting so he could ‘leap around with bladed weaponry’. He will demonstrate how to turn research, from walking the battlefields to wielding the weapons, into pages of exciting storytelling. Join Chris as he shares ways to get your characters into the hottest action – and out the other side.

    The Sex Scene: how much is too much? A Male novelist’s perspective – What is the objective of any scene? To arouse? To inform? To offend? For novelist C.C. (Chris) Humphreys a scene only works if it makes the reader want to read more! So in this workshop, he will explore the hot topic of sex while seeking an answer to the burning question: how much is too much? Chris will look at limits – the author’s and the reader’s. How sex can be funny as well as serious. How sensuality- engaging the six senses – is so important. A fun, engaging, hands-on workshop with an opportunity for play – with or without devices!

    Check out all the classes and sessions we have scheduled!

    Register for CAC17 NOW!

  • Spotlight on: Susan Colleen Browne, CAC17 Speaker, Author & Creative Writing Instructor

    Meet Susan Colleen Browne, author and creative writing instructor. She has been writing, self-publishing and selling books for many years. She is full of information about every step of the process of being an author.

    And you can find her at the upcoming Chanticleer Author Conference—CAC17—March 31st to April 2nd where she will be teaching Writing in Multiple Genres, High Touch Marketing in a Digital World, and Mindfulness for Writers.

    As part of our spotlight series, we asked Susan our five questions to get her perspective on professional success.

    1. When did you know what you really wanted to be?

    When it comes to writing, I was a late bloomer. Before my early thirties, the only writing I’d ever done was college term papers—the mere idea of creative writing completely intimidated me. That is, until one spring day, when my then-husband brought home a new Apple II GS computer. Compelled by the thought of that hideously expensive Apple becoming nothing more than a really big desk decoration, I sat on my front step with a pen and yellow pad of notepaper, and began scribbling what was to become my first novel. A couple of pages later, I got a faint inkling of the power writing would have over me. But it wasn’t until I started pounding away on the Apple keyboard—using a program called GraphicWriter that regularly made the chapters I’d written completely disappear—did I discover I’d found my bliss: I wanted to be a novelist.

    2. What was the biggest challenge you faced?

    The first few years I was writing fiction, my biggest challenge, like most fledgling writers, was balancing writing time and energy with family commitments and the necessity of earning an income. These days, those challenges are ongoing—only I’ve added my commitment to running our little farm, and making time to create and promote my books too!

    3. How do you define success?

    Success for me changes all the time. Sometimes, I feel successful when I’ve finished a scene that really sings. Other times, it’s getting a favorable review or a compliment from a reader that shows she really “got” the story. And there are those rare days: success is my feeling of euphoria when I’ve completed a manuscript or a finalized a novel.

    4. How long did it take to achieve your success?

    “Achieving success” feels kind of nebulous—to me, it’s more of a process than a goal. Still, one of my most memorable experiences as an author was the April afternoon I walked into the Bellingham Public Library with the two, hot off the press copies of Little Farm in the Foothills they requested for purchase, and soon after, leaving with a check in my hand! Selling my first two books ever took place almost exactly 21 years after I began scribbling on that yellow tablet.

    5. What is the best advice you have ever received?

    My dad was a political scholar and author of a dozen academic books. He always told me that if I wanted to be a published author, I should write 4 hours a day. He managed to fit in his four hours almost every day for nearly forty years, pounding on his little Smith-Corona manual typewriter, while pursuing an academic career, being a devoted father of six children, and being an excellent golfer! I don’t always make four hours at the keyboard, but I do keep in mind that time-honored acronym: BICHOK (Butt-in-chair-hands-on-keyboard) is really all you need to find your success!

    If you have not registered for CAC17 yet, what are you waiting for? Susan Colleen Browne and more fantastic speakers (including yourself possibly, if you register before the schedule is full) will be sharing their experience and knowledge about writing books, selling books, and everything to do with being a successful author.

    About Susan

    Susan Colleen Browne weaves her love of Ireland and her passion for country living into her Village of Ballydara series, novels and stories of love, friendship and family set in the Irish countryside. She’s also the author of an award-winning memoir, Little Farm in the Foothills, as well as the Morgan Carey fantasy-adventure series for tweens. A community college creative writing instructor, Susan runs a mini-farm in the foothills of the Pacific Northwest. Coming up: Book 4 of the Ballydara series, and a sequel to Little Farm in the Foothills!
    In this holiday story, Kerry McCormack has a loving family and a beautiful home in the suburbs, yet this thirty-something Dublin girl is wondering, “is this all there is?” After years of a passionate marriage, she’s grown apart from her husband Stephen. Unresolved grief is only creating more distance between them, just as a secret from Kerry’s past suddenly comes to light…

    Susan’s classes:

    Writing in Multiple Genres – Join authors Pamela Beason (YA, mystery, romantic suspense and non-fiction), and Susan Colleen Browne (women’s fiction, short stories, MG and memoir) to look at the ins and outs of writing in different genres. Pamela and Susan will discuss story development, juggling different writing projects, and how genre influences their marketing approaches. They’ll also share what they’ve learned in their multi-tasking writing lives!

    High Touch Marketing in a Digital World – As technology migrates into more aspects of our lives, forging personal connections with readers is crucial to an author’s success. In this session, we’ll discuss high-touch approaches and incorporating them into your marketing efforts. We’ll explore authors’ communities and how you can enhance your book events. We’ll also brainstorm ways to bring more of a personal touch to online interactions and look at authors who have mastered high-touch outreach. You’ll leave with new ideas to boost your marketing and promotion!

    Mindfulness for Writers – Is your writing time squeezed, your story stalled, or technology taking over your life? In this informal gathering, we’ll practice a few mindfulness exercises to help you tune into your self- awareness for your all around well-being. We’ll also look at tapping into your intuition to address your writing challenges, and share tips for creating more balance and focus in your writing life!

    Check out all the classes and sessions we have scheduled!

    Register for CAC17 NOW!

  • Spotlight on: Diane Garland, Continuity Editor and CAC17 Speaker

    Have you even written a story and halfway through your protagonists eye change from green to brown? Unless you are writing a fantasy with metamorphic characters, that is generally not supposed to happen. But how do you keep track of all those niggly details, especially in a multiple book series?

    Meet Diane Garland, continuity editor. She has mastered the art of keeping track of every single changeable detail in a book series through her keen eye and her crackerjack proficiency with spreadsheets.

    And you can find her at the upcoming Chanticleer Author Conference—CAC17—March 31st to April 2nd where she will be teaching A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World: Building a Foundation for your Characters & Plot.

    As part of our spotlight series, we asked Diane our five questions to get her perspective on professional success.

    1. When did you know what you really wanted to be?

    I think I discovered myself and what I wanted to be back in 2012 when an off comment by Ann Charles had me delving into the uncharted waters of continuity in books and series.  With much refinement and encouragement I turned my ideas into a business, Your WorldKeeper.  Right now I am very happy with how my business has progressed, but it is constantly evolving which keeps things interesting.

    2. What was the biggest challenge you faced?

    Probably my biggest challenge I faced was building my author base.  Determining who would most benefit from my work and how to advertise and reach those authors was daunting at first.  I’m still adding authors to my client list and each one adds another dimension to my work.  Having authors of different genres with different wants and needs in their worlds is fun and challenging.

    3. How do you define success?

    Success for me is doing something I enjoy. I love my work and knowing I make things easier for my clients to write their next book is a part of what makes me successful. When detailing their worlds and helping them maintain continuity and fluidity in them I am helping to create a product for all to enjoy. That is my success.

    4. How long did it take to achieve your success?

    It only took a couple of months to determine Your WorldKeeper a success. Finishing the detailing of the first couple of books in the Deadwood series and having it be an useful tool for Ann Charles as she wrote her next one, showed me that what I offer is needed. Working with various authors and helping them to create their next book is very rewarding.

    5. What is the best advice you have ever received?

    The best advice I ever received was two fold. Don’t give up and embrace the small successes. It takes hard work to create a business, to be successful, to be fulfilled. If you believe in what you are doing, don’t give up. Take those small things that work, things that go right, and hug them to you. A successful business is built of many small details that perform as needed. If you keep adding in the little details, you’ll soon have a business that works.

    If you have not registered for CAC17 yet, what are you waiting for? Diane Garland and more fantastic speakers (including yourself possibly, if you register before the schedule is full) will be sharing their experience and knowledge about writing books, selling books, and everything to do with being a successful author.

    About Diane

     Diane specializes in the world of continuity editing, a systematic way of cataloging all the little known facts in a book series. USA Today bestselling author, Ann Charles, amongst others, count on her attention to detail and her organizational skills to keep their series on track and their fans coming back.

    Diane works with many authors to keep their story continuity on track. Story continuity is a small but very important part of a book series. It allows the author to provide consistency to their story world and makes for a smooth transition for the reader from book to book.

    Visit her website at www.YourWorldKeeper.com where she can help you to organize and track changes and details within their series.

    Diane’s class:

    A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World: Building a Foundation for your Characters & Plot- Worldbuilding and WorldKeeping. What’s the difference? Do you need them? Learn how to organize your world to weave an intriguing and compelling tapestry that will hold up throughout a long series. Tools will be provided to help you maintain continuity and interest throughout your series.

    Check out all the classes and sessions we have scheduled!

    Register for CAC17 NOW!

  • Spotlight on: Nicole Evelina, CAC17 Speaker, Author & 2015 Overall Grand Prize Winner

    Meet Nicole Evelina, author and historian. At last year’s conference she was awarded the 2015 Overall Grand Prize at last years authors conference.

    And you can find her at the upcoming Chanticleer Author Conference—CAC17—March 31st to April 2nd where she will be teaching How to Use Pinterest to Develop Your Story and Career.

    As part of our spotlight series, we asked Nicole our five questions to get her perspective on professional success.

    1. When did you know what you really wanted to be?

    I finally started taking my writing seriously in 2008, so when I was 29. Before then, it was just a hobby, something I did to entertain myself when I was bored. I always had a drive to tell stories, but I didn’t think that being a writer was something real people actually did. That is until I read Twilight. (Go ahead and laugh if you want.) Stephanie Meyer was the first average person I’d ever seen “make it” as a writer. I thought to myself “well, if she can do it, there is a chance for me.” At the time, I was about ¾ of the way into the first draft of what would become Daughter of Destiny, my debut novel, so I decided it was time to act like a professional writer. It took another eight years for the book to be published, but I did it! 

    2. What was the biggest challenge you faced?

    My biggest challenge was getting my book into the hands of readers. It took me two years to get an agent, and then we were on submission for two years. We got sooooo close to an offer three times, but every time the publishing houses said the same thing: she’s new and we don’t know how to market Arthurian legend. My agent and I ended up parting ways and I didn’t have any luck getting another one, so I decided to go independent. After so many years of hoping and waiting, Daughter of Destiny was published just four months after I opened my own publishing company.

    3. How do you define success?

    I don’t think there is one single definition of success. On one hand, I’m successful just because my books are out there and readers like them, which is so important. I’m also successful in that I’m creatively fulfilled – I know I’m doing what I’m meant to be doing. That may even be more important. I’ve won a lot of awards, so I know I’m doing something right!
    I’m making money on my books, which is also a definition of success. However, I’m not a full-time writer or the critically-acclaimed, bestselling author I want to be, so in that regard, I still have a ways to go. But that’s okay; it gives me something to strive for.

    4. How long did it take to achieve your success?

    All told, around six years. Only the gods know how long it will take to fulfill my loftier dreams!

    5. What is the best advice you have ever received?

    One of my mantras is “dreams don’t work unless you do.” I think I probably got that off the Internet, but it is so true. If you want to be successful, you have to put in the effort. It may be hard at the time, you may even think it’s going to kill you – I did – but it is so worth it when you begin to see it pay off. Writing is a business no matter if you are traditionally or indie published, so you have to treat it like one, put in the hours and do the work, even when it’s not fun and you are exhausted. No one is going to hand you anything just because you are you. There really is no such thing as overnight success. (There are rare exceptions but, more than likely, you are not one of those.) As the author, you are the best advocate for your work, so get out there and tell everyone how wonderful it is, and eventually, they will catch on. That’s how you build a fan base – one reader at a time. 

    If you have not registered for CAC17 yet, what are you waiting for? Nicole Evelina and more fantastic speakers (including yourself possibly, if you register before the schedule is full) will be sharing their experience and knowledge about writing books, selling books, and everything to do with being a successful author.

    About Nicole

     

    Nicole Evelina’s writing has appeared in The Huffington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Independent Journal, Curve Magazine and numerous historical publications. She is one of only six authors who completed a week-long writing intensive taught by #1 New York Times bestselling author Deborah Harkness. As an armchair historian, Nicole researches her books extensively, consulting with biographers, historical societies and traveling to locations when possible. She has consulted with internationally acclaimed author and historian Geoffrey Ashe, as well as Arthurian/Glastonbury expert Jaime George, the man who helped Marion Zimmer Bradley research The Mists of Avalon.

    Daughter of Destiny by Nicole EvelinaChanticleer Reviews 2015 Book of the Year – 

    You may think you know the story of Guinevere, but you’ve never heard it like this: in her own words. Listen and you will hear the true story of Camelot and its queen.

    Fans of Arthurian legend and the Mists of Avalon will love Daughter of Destiny, the first book in a historical fantasy trilogy that gives Guinevere back her voice and traces her life from an uncertain eleven year old girl to a wise queen in her fifth decade of life.

    Nicole’s classes:

    How to Use Pinterest to Develop Your Story and Career – As an author, you can use Pinterest for far more than collecting recipes and craft ideas you probably won’t ever get around to trying. Nicole Evelina will provide tips for and share personal examples of how to: Create boards for your stories, settings and characters, How to use those boards in marketing and fan activities, Use the images you find to brainstorm character attributes, Collect imagines for future inspiration, Provide a “human face” behind your author brand, Advertise and hold contests on Pinterest to attract and retain readers.

    Check out all the classes and sessions we have scheduled!

    Register for CAC17 NOW!

  • Spotlight on: Shari Stauch, Special Guest at the 2017 Chanticleer Authors Conference

    Spotlight on: Shari Stauch, Special Guest at the 2017 Chanticleer Authors Conference

    You’ve been on your computer for hours, eyestrain is setting in. If you get a moment away from the screen, it stays chained to you in the form of a smart phone. But no matter how many times you post “buy my book” on Twitter, your Amazon numbers don’t seem to budge!

    You need Shari Stauch.

    And you can find her at the upcoming Chanticleer Author Conference—CAC17—March 31st to April 2nd.

    Shari and her team at Where Writers Win, with their top notch marketing advice, are every author’s hero–and ours too! Shari is one of the supporters who have been rooting for us since before CAC began, coming up with a new set of sessions to help authors promote themselves each and every year of the conference.

    If your website is a beast that needs taming be sure to attend her 7 Steps to a Great Author Website: It’s All About Function vs. Form. If you have trouble figuring out what to say on social media and how to say, jump in head first with Deep Dive: Social Media Savvy for Authors: Building an Author Platform Using the BEST Social Sites for YOUR Audience.

    And, ever with her finger on the pulse of what authors are craving, this year Shari brings us a touch of Hollywood: Lights, Camera, Author ACTION: Creative Uses of Video to Build Your Author Brand.

    As part of our spotlight series, we asked Shari our five questions to get her perspective on professional success.

    1. When did you know what you really wanted to be?

    I’ve always been a reader and drawn to the creative community, so working more with authors really just became a natural extension of that. I love promoting authors and seeing their passions take hold with bigger audiences.

    2. What was the biggest challenge you faced?

    The biggest challenge I faced is the one I (and all of us) still face — keeping up with the speed of technology and the changes and opportunities that brings to publishing. HMTL websites have given way to more user-friendly WordPress sites; social media has evolved from early days of MySpace (yuck!) to so many platforms today. Simple text has given way to fewer words and more visuals, both photos and video. New publishing platforms seem to breed like rabbits. There’s always new intel, and innovative ways authors can connect with readers. While that’s a challenge, it’s also what makes book and author promotion so invigorating.

    3. How do you define success?

    Waking up every morning and being excited about what I’ll learn, and looking up late at night and not realizing how much time has gone by while I’ve been working on a project. It’s true what they say; love what you do and the rest will follow. Every single author we’ve worked with who’s loved the process has achieved their own personal success as well, whether that’s big readership or bottom line book sales profits. That I get to be a part of that is an honor and a privilege.

    4. How long did it take to achieve your success?

    It’s a process that I’m not sure ever really officially started, or will stop. I don’t think most of us wake up one day and say, “Okay, I’m successful, I can stop now.” Depending on how you define success (which for me is pure bliss doing what I do) then it doesn’t have to take any time at all – it’s a mindset! I’ve been a magazine editor, a pool player, an author, a promoter, an event producer, a wife and a mom before creating Where Writers Win, so I’ve been lucky (and then some) to enjoy a lot of successes 🙂

    5. What is the best advice you have ever received?

    I’ve received so much great advice from so many… but from my dad came the ultimate: “People do what they want to do.” Meaning, if you’re doing something you’re unhappy doing, it’s up to you to change it, or figure out a way to get happy about it. There’s no rule anywhere that says work has to be dreary – I’m going to have fun whether I’m working with a client, speaking at a conference, or vacuuming up dust-bunnies. Okay, maybe not the dust-bunnies as much, but it does feel good when I’ve corralled them all… Just sayin’…

    If you have not registered for CAC17 yet, what are you waiting for? Eileen Cook and more fantastic speakers (including yourself possibly, if you register before the schedule is full) will be sharing their experience and knowledge about writing books, selling books, and everything to do with being a successful author.

    About Shari

    Shari_Stauch-e14086661578841.jpgCEO and creator of Where Writers Win, Shari Stauch has been involved in publishing, marketing and PR for 30 years. As former board chair of Charleston’s Center for Women, she served as moderator for the Center’s Women’s Writer Series, and conducted seminars for the South Carolina Women’s Business Center on website marketing and image branding. She is also past producer, alongside team member Bren McClain, of the South Carolina Writers Workshop (SCWW) Conference in Myrtle Beach, SC.

    Stauch continues to work with the Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society as well as with agents, editors, and emerging authors throughout the U.S., using her marketing and PR talents to help authors broaden their audiences, and publishers realize greater sales potential.

    Where Writers Win

    WWW_logoThe “Winner Circle” is a unique Author Resource Market offering access to a full suite of Author marketing services, including: author websites, social media training, video book trailers, hundreds of advice articles, vetted book reviewers, live book clubs, writers conferences and book festivals, indie bookstores, writing competitions and more.

     

    Shari’s Classes:

    Deep Dive: Social Media Savvy for Authors: Building an Author Platform Using the BEST Social Sites for YOUR Audience – Which are the key social media sites you need to be on? Tips for building YOUR targeted audience on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Goodreads, and Pinterest. What to share and how often to share it! A key part of building your platform revolves around serious social media. But what should you share? And how often? And with who? We offer tips for each of the most important traffic building sites for authors today!

    7 Steps to a Great Author Website: It’s All About Function vs. Form – A professional website is a must-have hub for your author communication. Why the “prettiest” websites tend to fail at the book sales box office. Combining form with function to present a professional message that converts visitors to readers. An author website can be attractive and still WORK. Learn why so many sites aren’t reader-friendly and how to ensure your own author website attracts attention and more important, book sales. Discover how to increase your searchability, what content readers are looking for, and what keeps them on your page (and coming back for more!)

    Lights, Camera, Author ACTION: Creative Uses of Video to Build Your Author Brand – Seven ways to create and use video to promote yourself, your brand and your books. Elements of a great video book trailer that will actually sell books. Where to push that video content once you create it! Interviews, video book trailers and more can bring life to your words in all new ways to build a serious fan base. This informative workshop includes ways other authors are using video to build buzz, the elements of successful video book trailers and the dozens of ways you can use and share the video content you create to build a bigger reading audience.

    Check out all the classes and sessions we have scheduled!

    Register for CAC17 NOW!

  • Spotlight on: Eileen Cook, Special Guest at the 2017 Chanticleer Authors Conference

    Two-year-olds begin to learn to resolve and reduce conflict when their mothers teach them that biting isn’t nice. But it’s an authors job to create and escalate conflict to uncomfortable degrees. Not quite biting level–maybe a notch below. Or there could be biting. The story will out.

    So how do authors overcome a lifetime of social training to avoid conflict?

    Eileen Cook to the rescue! Eileen is an author with a background as a therapist–specifically in conflict resolution. One of the sessions she will teach at the upcoming Chanticleer Author Conference—CAC17 is March 31st to April 2nd–will be her class The Perfect Storm:  Character, Conflict and Motivation, which is a unique experience falling somewhere between marriage counseling and writing class. If you have a slightly rocky relationship you’d like to improve, or some characters whose relationships need to be smashed on the rocks to get your plot moving, either way, you will benefit from attending this class with Eileen Cook.

    Also, not to be missed, is her class: Why Would You Say That?  How to Improve Your Dialogue.

    We asked our CAC17 special guest speakers a few questions to break the ice and introduce them to all of you who’ve already registered or are planning to register for CAC17. And Eileen was the first to jump in with her answers, below.

    1. When did you know what you really wanted to be?

    I always wanted to be a writer. My parents kept a homework assignment I did in second grade where instead of practicing sentences, I strung mine all together and the teacher wrote on the bottom: “Someday you’ll be an author.” It took me a while to get there— but now that homework sheet hangs in my office as proof of the power of those who believe in you and the idea of never giving up.

    2. What was the biggest challenge you faced?

    It’s often not the big challenges, but the small (seemingly endless) setbacks that I found wore me down. It’s hard to keep going in the face of rejection. It’s far easier to give up than to keep trying.

    3. How do you define success?

    My definition for success in writing is to continue to learn and grow as a writer and to never forget how truly fortunate I am to do this work. My goalposts for what I want to achieve keep changing- but I hope I always remember to find the joy in the process of creating and sharing stories.

    4. How long did it take to achieve your success?

    It depends on when you want to start the clock! I wanted to be a writer since I was young, but if we start the clock when I started to take the craft seriously, taking classes, writing on a regular basis, completing projects and submitting manuscripts it took about six years before I sold my first book.

    5. What is the best advice you have ever received?

    I took a class and the instructor pulled me aside and told me that I should be submitting my work- that I had talent. I stated that I didn’t know I would do if I was rejected. The instructor told me: “I hate to break this to you- but you’re already not published. The worst thing that will happen to you if you submit your work is that you STILL won’t be published.” That was a lightbulb moment for me- I realized that the worst thing that would happen is that someone would tell me no- but if I was unwilling to survive some no’s I would never get to a yes.

    If you have not registered for CAC17 yet, what are you waiting for? Eileen Cook and more fantastic speakers (including yourself possibly, if you register before the schedule is full) will be sharing their experience and knowledge about writing books, selling books, and everything to do with being a successful author.

    eileen-cookAbout Eileen

    Eileen Cook is a multi-published author with her novels appearing in eight different languages. Her books have been optioned for film and TV. She spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer. Her newest book, WITH MALICE, came out in June 2016. She’s an instructor/mentor with the Simon Fraser University Writer’s Studio Program.

    You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at www.eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and two very naughty dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.

    with-maliceWITH MALICE by Eileen Cook

    For fans of We Were Liars and The Girl on the Train comes a chilling, addictive psychological thriller about a teenage girl who cannot remember the last six weeks of her life.

    Eighteen-year-old Jill Charron’s senior trip to Italy was supposed to be the adventure of a lifetime. And then the accident happened. Waking up in a hospital room, her leg in a cast, stitches in her face, and a big blank canvas where the last 6 weeks should be, Jill comes to discover she was involved in a fatal accident in her travels abroad. She was jetted home by her affluent father in order to receive quality care. Care that includes a lawyer. And a press team. Because maybe the accident…wasn’t an accident. Wondering not just what happened but what she did, Jill tries to piece together the events of the past six weeks before she loses her thin hold on her once-perfect life.

    Eileen’s Classes:

    • Why Would You Say That? How to Improve Your Dialogue –Dialogue serves many purposes in a manuscript- it moves the plot forward, shows character, and can be used to increase conflict. This workshop will provide practical examples and prompts to help writers create dialogue that pulls in readers. It will also explore how what is not said can be as important (or more) than what characters say.
      The Perfect Storm: Character, Conflict and Motivation –The challenge of keeping readers turning pages requires the perfect storm of characters, their conflicts and their motivations coming together. This workshop will explore how these different aspects worth together and how the writer can use each of them to amplify the others. Practical prompts and examples will help participants with their current manuscript as well as providing areas to consider when planning new works.

    Check out all the classes and sessions we have scheduled!

    Register for CAC17 NOW!