Do Authors Dream of Electric Books?

A big question, and welcome to the world of Authors Electric.  There are about twenty-five of us writing under the banner of 'A daily blog by professional UK authors independently publishing e-books for Kindle and other devices.' Some of us are children's authors, others write adult fiction, history or self-help books.  All are published authors who've decided it's more financially viable to e-publish directly rather than go through our publishers, and have taken the marketing of these e-books into our own hands.  

This is a major trend in modern publishing. Whilst booksellers and publishers hold their breath, waiting to see what the trends are showing and what will happen next, authors are getting on with it.    

If you're interested in women writers, read Kathleen Jones.  Or Lynne Garner will tell you the hidden benefits of reading an e-book. If you want to know what Simon Cheshire has to say on getting kids reading, click HERE, or HERE for psychotherapist, Susan Jane Smith, on freedom from fear. Roz Morris will give you wise advice on writing your own novels, and playwright and author Catherine Czerkawska writes about where ideas come from.

That's only a small sample of what's on offer  Our website, 'Do Authors Dream of Electric Books', teems with ideas and opinions.  You can even join author Enid Richmond in her drive to raise funds to send a small and very unwell child, Vigo, to the United States for an operation.  And, if you're an e-book published author yourself, we do currently have one place for a fellow-blogger.

I don't often write adverts.  But I've just written one today, and I reckon it's worth it because Author Electric posts are always stimulating and always have something new to say.  So take a look on www.authorselectric.blogspot.com.  Give it a go.  And if you want to read my latest post, HERE it is! 

Who Speaks Spanish, Then?

Something for you Spanish readers. 'Flying for Frankie' was published in Spanish in 2009 and had great reviews, but I've only just found this on You Tube.   I wanted to write a book which dealt with the subject of friendship in the face of terminal illness, and did so in a way that would raise a smile and not be all gloom and doom.  Obviously I didn't want to be disrespectful, but I didn't want to write an anguished novel.  I wanted to write something that was hopeful.

The book ends with a balloon flight, which I took myself and was one of the great experiences of my life. It links fear of flying to fear of death and tells the story of two young girls who learn to overcome both.  There's even a cameo appearance at the end of the book from some of the main characters in my other balloon story, 'Midnight Blue'.

Look out for it.  It's had some great Spanish reviews, and great ones in the UK too.  One girl wrote that it had changed her life, another that it was the best book she'd ever read.  When you're writing about as serious a subject as illness and death, it's good to know you're having a positive effect. 

SUBLIME. A DREAM

I had a dream last night.  In it, I walked through the most beautiful garden I have ever seen.  On each occasion I was accompanied by the same companion, who was unknown.  The first time I walked through, my companion asked if I'd like her to recite a famous poem about the garden, which she did; word for word I heard it in my dream, and it was a wonderful poem.  The second time my companion offered me a piece of prose famously attached to the garden, and the same thing happened again.  Word for word she recited it, and somewhere in the back of my head I knew this was a dream, which meant the words on both occasions were mine.  I had to have been making them up and, in my dream at least, my writing was sublime.

We all have a capacity beyond the daily grind.  But how to get it out of us?  That's the thing.