Bloggers and Authors: War & Peace.

This Friday I sent out some Twitter #FF love to some of my favourite Book Bloggers, spreading the love between this author and some amazingly supportive people who have helped me on my journey to selling thousands of copies of my book and helping me to personally connect with my readership.

I've read with some incredulity that there is (or certainly seems to be) a certain tension between Authors and Bloggers. I just don't understand this -  *head-desk*.  It's not an overt thing but every now and then there are mutterings on the old Twitter stream or in various posts; usually when some author/blogger drama is erupting.

There was one last week (purposely keeping out of that one) and out the old tension came, [sic] "Bloggers are evil" v "Writers are precious and precocious". To be fair there have been those spectacular circus-moments of social networking when some poor misguided author (I always assume to be intoxicated because they wouldn't surely commit such kamakaze self destruction otherwise) responds to a Blog Post about their book. These attacks are rare but excite a lot of valid criticism, but rare or not - they give a lasting impression. As we all know, it only takes one rotten apple to spoil the taste of the rest.

As a writer I've been involved in the on-line book community for over two years and I have to say I have had nothing but positive experiences. I've also been the beneficiary of some incredible generosity. That DOES NOT mean that I have never received a bad review or a cutting blog post about my work. Fortunately they have been few and far between (enough not for me to  knock my confidence or belief in my work). I always read all blogposts and reviews of my work; always with the humility before opening it that if they liked and loved it, then I am relieved and happy and if they didn't that is entirely their right.

Bloggers are people and it would be foolish and arrogant to assume that everybody you met in your day to day life fell in love with you - why is it any different for a blogger and your work?

Book blogging is a big commitment, it requires dedication, inspiration and effort. It has many rewards and is a great way of sharing and connecting with people, but every blog is the personal domain of the blogger and their opinions and critiques should not be censored because they are 'afraid' of booklash. (I meant to write backlash but I kind of like the pun)

There is no denying that a negative review, especially on a very successful and 'influencial' blog can be damaging to a writer's potential sales and it is incredibly galling if the reviewer has clearly misunderstood your work or clearly rushed / scanned the reading of it. Sometimes their review is biased by outside influences ie/ they don't like the genre

So whether a newbie (or intoxicated) may I offer this very-simple-never-to-be-broken rule: NEVER respond to a negative review or blog - never, not even to "inform of inaccuracies."

IF YOU MUST respond then do it positively: Find links to three of your most glowing reviews and Tweet and FB them. That way you can rest peaceful that you have regained control of the situation.

Finally but importantly THANK YOU to all those wonderful bloggers who have helped me on my journey and become good friends.

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Creating the Real: A Writers' Paradox.

I've discovered that the daily life of a writer is full of paradox and contradiction. One of the greatest of these is the relationship between fantasy and the real. Now this is perhaps more pronounced because I write Contemporary Fantasy in which there is an overt movement into the 'unreal', but I believe that the very nature of writing makes this paradox a concern regardless of which genre you write.

The whole paradox centres around the idea that a writer, is by very definition an individual who constructs reality. And a 'good' writer is one who can create an alternative world with authenticity. Research is a very valuable starting point but it's not enough by itself. A 'world' can be meticulously planned out and researched but can still ring untrue in the minds of the reader.

Authenticity is the ultimate aim - but how can an invention of the imagination be authentic?
When I think about this idea I come back to the idea of the Simulacrum: a notion we briefly explored at university and which was reduced to a scrawled side note in the margin along the lines of

"An accurate copy of something that never existed in the first place." 

Followed by the mysterious "Plato" which could also have been "Pluto" depending on how much you squint to read my appalling handwriting. 

Being a good student I will have probably gone and got a book out of the library and looked it up - but being a typical student, I was probably half cut on cheap French red at the time and so my full understanding of it might be somewhat 'flawed'.

I've since come to understand the word Simulacrum to basically mean similar to - which is no major revelation when you actually break down the impressive looking word. Somewhere along the way it has managed to pick up an attachment of inferiority, as if it lacks the sacred qualities of the original. An idea that the pop artists of the 50's and 60's took great delight in challenging. 

Perhaps one of the easiest ways to show this concept is by showing you Magritte's: 'Ceci n'est pas une pipe' - God love those surrealists and their witty banter. I remember seeing this image for the first time when I was about fifteen and that moment of intellectual awakening never left me. Of course there are now even simulacrums of this piece, indeed a whole website dedicated to it cecinestpasunsiteweb.com - how can anybody fail to love post-modernism and its irony!

This idea of the Simulacrum has been a fascination to writers, artists and philosophers for as long as thought has been thought about. The idea of image making, either in writing or any other art form has always posed a delicious contradiction.

Back to Plato  who gave a good example by using Greek Statuary; carved proportionately bigger at the top than at the bottom so that mere mortals looking up at it would see it 'correctly' - the idea that distorting the real creates an illusion of the real - and possibly a more accurate version of the real. Writers such as Palahnuick, Ballard and Everett are masters at these alternative realities exposing a more accurate version of the real world than the real world itself  - just think Orwell and work 'Nineteen Eighty Four'.

Nietzche argues that as soon as experience is articulated / translated into language then the reality is no longer. Baudrillard takes this one step further arguing that the experience made language becomes its own version of real - something that every writer lost within their own created worlds understands possibly more than most. It's certainly the argument that I am going to throw out next time some non-writer friend looks at me with a clear sense of fear at my diminishing sanity when I say things like, "Well, don't you have voices in your head that talk to you?" or "Of course my characters are real people!"

So fellow writer friends - how do you navigate this paradox? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

 COVER REVEAL

The Story Behind the Title. 

So here it is at last, the cover for Book Three of The Knight Trilogy. I hope you like it. Seeing it finally come together is incredibly exciting, and I have to say (poor form though it is) I absolutely love it. It really sums up the darker aspects of Book Three. 

Book Three has always been called 'Star Fire' and the name has great importance to Mina. Star Fire an incredibly symbolic name and the notions of Star Fire have been around for thousands of years. 

The Star Fire is known for being one of the earliest recorded Mystery Schools from Ancient Egypt. It was a school of women only, and members of which were recognised by their scarlet robes. They were believed to drink the blood of their own menstrual blood in order to reach an enlightened state of universal, cosmic knowledge. The link between blood-drinking and enlightenment has more recently been the subject of much recent scientific exploration and there have been links found between the drinking of blood and the stimulation of the pituitary gland. 

As part of the Golden Thread, Secret History belief it is believed that references to Star Fire in numerous works of literature and are are a sign of the writers engagement with the occult - possibly even their involvement in the secret Templar organisations. 

Most famously is Shakespeare's reference to Star Fire in Lady Macbeth's soliloquy, "Stars hide your fires, show not my deep and dark desires." (Act 1 Scene 3) is often stated as part of the evidence bank that Shakespeare was aware of the connection between star fire and the occult - and that this awareness comes from a personal engagement with secret organisations. 

As if my research of Ancient Egyptian Mystery schools and the fact that I was teaching Macbeth to my GCSE group wasn't enough of an influence on the title, perhaps the fact that I was listening to a lot of Mumford & Sons ' at the time. For those not quite so obsessed with this band as I am, they lift and adapt the Shakespearean quote above in their song, 'Roll Away Your Stone', 

 "Stars hide your fires

These here are my desires" 

COVER REVAMPS. 

As well as revealing the cover for Book Three I thought I might also share with you the new covers that have been designed for Book One and Two. It felt right that they should all be revised in order to create a real sense of unity across the Trilogy. 

KNIGHT TRILOGY NEWS AND UPDATES

RELEASE DATE OF BOOK 3 'Star Fire' is JUNE 30th 2012.

Thanks to all my lovely fans who have been e-mailing me to ask when the release of book 3 will be. I'm so touched you are as excited by Blake and Mina's story as I am. Your messages of support have been such an encouragement.

It's been delayed from the original April due to June because I want it to be as perfect as possible - and I totally underestimated how difficult it would be ending it all. (Oh, and we are expecting the patter of tiny feet in July)

The cover art is currently under production, so watch this space for the Cover Reveal which will be happening early May.

Any bloggers, reviewers wanting a pre-released ARC copy for review or feature should contact me via the official website www.theknighttrilogy.com or on Twitter @KnightTrilogy

I'm always very happy to do interviews and guest posts on blogs just drop me a line.

Happiness

Happiness is precious and it doesn't always have to be related to money. I thought I'd share with you ten things that make me ridiculously happy and content; not in any particular order. By sharing this with you it makes me realise just how much 'the things that make us happy' define who we essentially are and how we view the world. I look forward to you sharing some of the things that make you happy.

• An afternoon of productive writing with a coffee by my side and fabulous music in my ears.
• Pottering in the garden, looking at the flowers, talking to the rabbits whilst drinking tea.
• Rock-pooling with the hubby and daughter at a beautiful beach.
• Cooking.
• Going out for lazy brunch with family.
• Teaching: especially students who are as fascinated and amazed by the idea of thought as I am.
• Waking up in the tent to a dewy morning and the promise of bacon sandwiches cooked on the gas stove and fresh coffee made from the whistling kettle.
• My wellies - mainly because when I'm wearing them several of the above things are promised.
• A tidy house full of flowers, plump cushions and space (although I personally hate tidying)