New Year, New Book

 

Well, it's nearly 2016, which means of course it's time to put behind me the festivities of Christmas, not to mention all the mince pies I've eaten (gasp!) and knuckle down to some serious research for book five. Perhaps a stroll to the park with a book and my notepad will be in order.

As many authors, who delve into history, will say; all reputable novels are backed up with research and so I thought I'd take this opportunity to show you how my mind works and where I get my facts and inspiration from when starting a book.

 



 

I must admit, I can get totally immersed in, not only the chapter plotting and building the skeleton of the book, but when it comes to fleshing it out the research can take you down completely new paths that you thought you would never go.

 

                 

 

The first books I usually turn to when I'm researching are mythology and legends on the area I have chosen to write about. And because each of my books focus on one continent at a time, I have real fun fine tuning all the wonderful folklore of the countries involved.

My first book, Crystal Waters It Began in Europe, goes back to Minoan times of ancient Crete, and as many people know who have studied Greek mythology, it was written in a quite brutal fashion with Gods having affairs left, right and centre with mortals and often eating their offspring. I decided, because I don't want to scare away my young audience, to tone it down a tad. I still wanted to capture the excitement and the moral story behind them, but tweak it enough that it not only fits into my story well, but it won't mentally scar any child who reads them.  

 

 

            

 

With my time era in my book chosen, in book one's case it was The Bronze Age in ancient Crete, I turn to the books to study their way of life: what they ate, how they lived, what they wore, what religion they followed, and so on. I even research some of the ancient languages. This mind set helps me focus on the roles of my characters and how they would react and what they do.

 

 

 

I also look in to what weaponry they used at that time and what beasts they were to slay. Some of the creatures I have chosen for book one will seem familiar, such as the Pigasos, Minotavros and Medousa, although I have changed their name slightly for this is how the Greeks pronounce them. Some creatures are new, however, and are my own creation like the Firefish and the Gloop monster of the swamp. Perhaps not that original, but I didn't want to overshadow the true myths.

 

 

Of course I then look at routes and how my characters get to their destination. So after they step through the magical doorway in Gran's Cellar (Fowesby Hall, Middlesbrough) they then travel along the great waterways of the world in carefully selected boats of the time (further research). I then add a little more to this fun mix, and as they sail along they travel back in time, which means checking on what they see outside the boat. For instance, as they travel down the River Ouse (book one) they pass through the City of York, which turns into the Victorian era. I am really quite fanatical, as is my editor, in keeping my facts right and even go to the lengths of drawing myself up a chart to keep me on the right track. Here's a peak behind the scenes.

 

Route - Middlesbrough – Crete (Book One) 

	Area	Era
1, 9am	Ormesby Beck	1.Windsor Present day-1910
2,	River Tees (Middlesbrough)
3,	River Tees (Yarm)
4, 10am	River Tees Sock burn Hall or Moulton Hall	2.Edwardian 1910-1901
5,	(Floats to) Langton Upon Swale
6,	River Swale (Joins River Ure)
7, 11pm	River Swale becomes River Ouse	3. Victorian 1901-1836
8,	River Ouse (York)
9,	Trent Falls (near Faxfleet)
10, 12pm	River Trent (Trent Lock meets River Soar)	4. Georgians 1836-1714
11, 1pm	River Soar	5. Stuarts 1714-1603
12,	River Soar (Ratcliffe On Soar)
13	River Soar (Leicester)
14	Grand Union Canal
15	G.U.C Hertfordshire (Kings Langley, Watford & Cassiobury Park)
16	G.U.C Middlesex (Uxbridge, West Drayton, Hayes & Brentford)
17, 2pm	River Thames (Kew Gardens, Westminster, Tower of London, Greenwich)	6. Tudors 1603-1558
18, 3pm	Into North Sea at Graves End (Margate)	7. Middle Ages 1400-1200
19, 4pm	North Sea Heading South	8. Normans 1200-1066
20	Across the Channel
21, 5pm	The River Rhine (Strasbourg, Borders of France)	9.Vikings 1066-800
22, 6pm	The Danube River (Ulm-Germany)	10. Anglo Saxons 800-410AD
23	The Danube River (into Austria)
24, 7pm	The Danube River (Linz, Vienna, Bratislava, Borders of Slovakia & Hungry)	11.Romans 410-43AD
25	The Danube River (Budapest Hungry)
26	The Danube River (into Croatia)
27, 8pm	The Danube River (into Serbia & Montenegro)	12. Iron Age 43AD-500BC
28	The Danube River (Belgrade, Borders of Romania & Bulgaria)
29	The Drina River (between Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina)
30	The Drina River (Dinaric Alps)
31	Into the Adriatic Sea
32, 9pm	Into the Mediterranean Sea to Crete	13. Bronze Age 500-2100BC



 

 This is further enhanced by visual aids I get from the internet.

 

 

 

My research for further books, which I won't go into now as this blog will be far too long, was exactly the same process: Book Two - Crystal Waters and on to North America, took me to ancient Canada where we meet Native American Indians. Book Three - Crystal Waters Next Stop Antarctica, was quite a pinnacle point of the series, where we find out the history behind the gateway and where all things began in the universe. And book four, Crystal Waters Onward Bound to Africa, takes us back to the times of Tutankhamun and the history along the River Nile. 

 

So as you can see, there are weeks of fabulous research ahead of me, which I must add I am going to revel in. This time I'm going to New Zealand, to the continent of Australia and I'll be researching ancient Maori tribes. 

Well then, all there is left to say is, see you in a month or so when my brain will be swimming with wonderful new ideas and all ready to start my next book. Ta ta for now :) 

 

 



New and Exciting

 

What a week! Two great book talks and to top it off; Book Four in the Crystal Waters Series - Crystal Waters Onward Bound to Africa, has been published, and is now available on Amazon as well as many other online stores.

 

I have to admit, although I was rather nervous, I thoroughly enjoyed the talks at an English Class at Marton Community Centre and the Saltburn Community and Arts Centre this week.

   As a self-published writer, it goes with the job to get out there and tell people about you and your books. So out of my Bat cave I climbed and made my way, despite the constant knee-knocking, to these events. I'm so glad I did. What lovely people I met there. The class at Marton Community Centre were wonderful and with only a small class I was soon put at my ease and felt like one of the group. After my book spiel we all had a little chat and was delighted when I discovered they had done some research and googled my blog.

    Great interest was shown and there were some great questions too, like: 'Could I start reading book four and know what was going on in the series?' I replied with: 'You can start by reading Book Four first, there wouldn't be much of a problem, but the first few books goes into depth about the characters: who they are and where they came from. Book Two, Crystal Waters and on to North America, has at the beginning a recap of the characters. Book Three, Crystal Waters Next Stop Antarctica, only briefly mentions previous events and people, and Book Four has even less.'

   I find many authors use this method in a book series, as they probably figure by the time you have got to book three or four you will know the characters quite well, and it isn't necessary to keep repeating info for them in further books. So yes, you can most certainly read book four in my series, however, you may just miss out on some vital facts that may be important later.

 

 

 

My second book talk was great. Again I met some lovely people there who showed great interest in my books. We had a fabulous line-up of local authors (although, two couldn't make it) and Simon, Will, Jennie and I all had great fun telling a truly wonderful audience about our books and fun facts about our selves as a writer.


So, to the cherry on top: Book Four has arrived!! I can't wait to hear what people think of it. Just remember feedback is essential to an author and reviews on Amazon, or other similar sites are so greatly appreciated.

 

 



Well, there's only one thing let to do folks ... it's time to go back in time ... through that ancient doorway and go and meet Tutankhamun himself. Go on! what are you waiting for? Happy reading :)

New releases

My goodness! Is it October already? Time does fly when you're having fun, as they say.

And, before you cry out with words of; 'You're a terrible blogger,' and 'You're hardly ever here!' I will quickly step in and tell you, in my defence, that I have not been idle. I have indeed many projects now complete and a few new ones just getting started. So here's the latest:

Firstly, as I mentioned in my last blog, my friend, Mel Hayward, and I were working on the audio book for book one: Crystal Waters It Began in Europe, and I'm pleased to announce it is now for sale at Amazon. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crystal-Waters-Began-Europe/dp/B01596CBWE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1445335466&sr=8-1&keywords=diana+Rozevskis

Huzzah!

Working on the audio book has been a fantastic journey for both Mel and I, and I can't express how much I appreciate all the hard work Mel has put into this project. She really is a true professional and I couldn't be more happier with the result. My family and I have laughed and cried through many scenes in this audio book and have loved every minute of it. Mel is fantastic with the character accents and has really brought them all to life. It's well and truly worth a listen folks, so go and check it out. 



Secondly, I'm delighted to say that book four: Crystal Waters Onward Bound to Africa is now complete. Liz (my editor) and I are just working through a few edits and it will be definitely out for Christmas.
Again, it must be said, I have loved writing this book and I may sound presumptuous, but I'm sure you will too, especially if you are passionate about ancient Egyptian myths and legends. As usual the research has taken me to places I never knew existed and I adored getting totally submerged into this magical world. A trip up the Nile, in this ancient land, and you will find mythical beasts such as Sphinxes, Serpards and carnivorous serpent creatures, along with the stepped Pyramids of Sakkara and the wonderful golden Palace of Thebes. The families quest, in this fourth book, is to find their friend, Olga, who brewed the Elixir of Youth for too long and has gone back to almost beyond her years. A challenge that seems almost impossible! Will they succeed? Join Emma and Grace and find out in the next exciting instalment. Coming very, very soon!

And so, while I twiddle my thumbs waiting for my editor, I start a thinking (dangerous, I know) and I began planning a new little business.  It is only in the early stages, but I have so many ideas running through my head. The new business, which is connected to The Crystal Waters Series will be a jewellery craft business, which take themes from all my favourite teen and young adult books. Most of the jewellery and pendants for key-rings will be created inside a bottle. Here are a few examples I have found on the internet:

These remind me in many ways of: Crystal Waters, Harry Potter, Clockwork Orange, The Little White Horse, To Kill a Mockingbird and The Book Thief.

Of course, these are all other artists works and I will be creating unique ones of my own, but I think you get the idea. So as they say, stay tuned and watch this space, there is certainly plenty more to come :)



Creating the Audio Book

With Audio Book sales on the increase and becoming extremely popular, because of our fast pace life most of us lead, I thought it was time to look into the Audio Book Production World and start the process of transforming my books into audio format.

   Although I have an absolute passion for reading, and always have a few books on the go at a time, I must admit I love listening to audio books. It's such a great way to make the hum-drum of household chores and the monotony of long car journeys all the more better. Or even just a time to relax, close your eyes and drift into another world. I've listened to many, in my time, with always the same result; to find yet another magical way of truly getting into the stories I love. 

   An audio book can breathe life into a book, bringing out some wonderful character accents and transforming them into an almost 3D image for the mind.

   Of course, looking into Audio Books, I found, requires quite a lot of research; studying web companies who offer their services to transform your book into audio, such as ACX, Audible UK, Audio book Producer and CDBaby.com. For all of them I ask the same questions: 

• How much it would cost to set up, 
• What it all involves 
• And most of all asking where they supply to and the demand for them.

   The former query - How much it would cost to set it up - varied from company to company. But the main thing to ask would be; are you getting a good deal for your money. Most offered different packages - whether you did the recording yourself or hired one of their narrators to read the book for you. 

   To do it yourself was so much cheaper. And when I say do it myself I don't mean I personally recorded reading it. I maybe a writer and know my book inside and out, but to narrate it I knew required skill - a skill in which I certainly don't have. And so I managed to find, through my Facebook friends, an actress who has started to work on it and I must say I'm truly over the moon with the results so far.

   Mel Hayward is a British actress from Cornwall. She has worked on many films, acting, and performed audio broadcasts for newsreader roles and  has a wonderful singing voice. She can adapt to all kinds of accents and can throw herself into any role, which is great for the mixed-bunch of characters I have in my books.

   I feel with Mel narrating my books it has given them a new dimension and have really opened up a new way to enjoy them. 

   Here is her link for you see this talented lady for yourself: http://www.starnow.co.uk/melhayward 

A sneak Peak: 

   Just as a treat I thought I'd let you listen to the first chapter of Book One: Crystal Waters It Began in Europe. So kick off your shoes, make yourself a nice steamy mug of your favourite hot beverage and enjoy :)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hnrvf7t9azm9de7/CHAPTER%201%20(normalised%20audio).wav?dl=0

   To answer the next questions on my list I will have to cover it in a second blog. But I will keep you posted on my progress and how things fall into place Fingers crossed it's all smooth sailing after a fantastic start. 

So until next ta ta for now :)

Book three has arrived at last!

Well, it has been six months since my last blog and that is partly because I have been writing and illustrating like crazy to get book three, 'Crystal Waters Next Stop Antarctica,' complete and off to the printers and partly because my computer has been playing up and wouldn't allow me on here! Those cookies will be the death of me, I swear!

No, not these types of cookies!

 

Although, they do look rather yum!
No, I mustn't get distracted!!

And so, without any further ado. I'm pleased to announce . . . drum rolling . . . Book three! Da da da daaar!

It is available, of course, from my website 'Crystal Waters, Scribbles to Print'
http://members.webs.com/MembersB/editAppPage.jsp?app=webstore&pageID=297755437#webstore/

You can also buy it from other online stores like Amazon, Feedaread, Waterstones, Barnes & Noble, and it's also ready to upload onto Kindle. I will provide all links on my links, side bar, menu for easy access.

Well, all there is to say now is, I hope you enjoy the next thrilling instalment  in the Crystal Waters series and any feedback, or the odd review on Amazon, would be greatly appreciated.

Now then, on with book four I say!! tally-ho :)

 



How to Create Believable, Memorable Characters for Your Book

J.K. Rowling once said:

“You can have a very intense relationship with fictional characters because they are in your own head.”

A writer, when writing a book, usually builds up a relationship with the characters in their book. But how do they draw a reader into their world and make their characters not only believable but also have an ever-lasting effect on them? Because, let's face it, if the character isn't convincing or appealing, whether it be a love or hate relationship with them, the reader will soon lose interest in your book, even if you have the best plotline of all time. If your characters are dead, the reader will be soon snapping your book shut and it may well be thrown in the next charity bag.

The answer is of course: Know your main characters inside and out.

This is the hand-out I take into schools when I go for book talks:

How to Create a Fictional Character from Scratch

The one thing that virtually every single book, play, movie, novel, and game has in common is that they all have at least one character. Most have 2 or more, and some—a cast of thousands! Sometimes the "character" is you.

If you're creating a story such as Harry Potter, for example, you will need an entire world of characters—some good, some evil, some male, some female... even some that are not good or evil or male or female.

If you're creating an intimate story, you may only need one character.

Regardless of who the characters are books and movies, and all the rest, would be lifeless and boring without them. So where do they come from, you may well wonder? Here I will show you how you can bring out the best in your characters, and how to make the characters your own!

Creating Your Own Fictional Character

Steps:

1.    Define the setting, or initial Scene:

Whether you are ‘raising the curtain’ on paper or on the computer screen, your character must exist somewhere. It may be in a school playground or in a vast lake in an ancient world. This sets the stage for your character. It will help to define him or her, as well.

2.    Define your character’s Identity:

Who, what, where, when, why and how . . .

What is their name? Description, mannerisms etc.

Are they human, animal or even an alien being from another planet? Are they male or female?

Where do they live, work, play or go exploring? Education, school, occupation.

What age are they and what era do they live in? Young, old, live in the present or a different time?

Why do they draw the reader in? Are they villain or hero?

How do they become the characters they are? Have they had a hard life with no love and many grievances? Are they jealous of other people and crave power? Or do they have a deep desire to help and save other people?

All of these traits help develop the character and give them the bare-bones in the process of becoming more real to the reader.

3.    Take mannerisms and Features from people around you:

Look at people around you, at school, home or even out playing.

Note physical features – the shape of nose, jaw, ears, body shapes, how their clothes fit, or how they carry themselves.

If you like their look, describe to yourself the details you find attractive, and translate that to your characters. If you see somebody that looks scary, honestly tell yourself why that person scares you, even if the reason is totally irrational. Use this information to inform your character.

4.    Define your character’s purpose or Goal:

How your characters deal with the inevitable obstacles that stand between them and their aims will most clearly define them. In complex stories these might cross repeatedly, with the motivations and accomplishments of some characters getting in the way of others, generating further action and twists, and even raising the stakes.

5.    Give them Attitude:

To really flesh out a character, give them a personality that goes beyond the story itself. Some parts of their personality may never make it into your story, directly, but will help inform the decisions your character may have to make.

Make a list of all their likes and dislikes and make sure the list is balanced. In other words, don’t have 10 dislikes to 1 like or visa-versa. Even the crankiest character likes something, even if it’s just their mirror.

6.    Give your character Quirks:

Good habits, bad habits, or just things the character can’t stop doing like: biting fingernails – which would indicate a worrier, or obsessive hair-combing – vanity or insecurity.

The more of these tics and traits you give your character, the more they will ‘come alive’ in the audience’s mind.

7.    Work out their fears, weaknesses, motivations and biggest Secrets:

It creates a much more realistic character and helps to develop their originality. A popular hero strength/weakness has to do with loyalty/disloyalty.

I also have some fun visuals for the kids to identify with.

I start off by pinning my skeleton to the board. I tell the children that this is Herman in my books. Of course some of the kids look quite excited about a skeleton being one of my characters, but most look at me as if I've totally lost the plot. This is quite intentional.

 

 

I then ask them, what does he need to build up his character? They all know the answer. He needs skin. I call this layer 'Identity' (His name, main description etc.)

 

 

I go on then to ask what else he needs. They tell me top and trousers. I've called these layers: Features and Goals.

 

 

The children have soon cottoned on that we are building up the character and each layer we put on next: shoes = attitude, hat = quirks and scarf = secrets, are identified with building up the characters features in a book.

It's a really fun way to visualise the technique I use, and why it is so important to do so.

Here is one of the characters in my books with my layer-building technique.



Herman

Appearance: Dark-brown, neck-length hair. Blue eyes. Square, stubbly jaw. Crooked nose. His stature is tall with broad shoulders. He is extremely strong.

Herman is Gran’s gardener/grounds keeper at Fowesby Hall. He oversees and maintains the surrounding gardens and land of the estate.

Formerly known as Hercules as he was once from the ancient world of Crete.

He came to live at Fowesby Hall, when he was a young man, after meeting Pearl and Bill (Gran and Grandad) on one of their travels.

He soon fell in love and married their young house-keeper, Olga. They live in the small cottage on the Fowesby estate.

Over the years of living in the North-East of England he developed a strong Middlesbrough accent. This was exaggerated quite considerably to cover up his true identity. He was always worried that someone would find out where he really came from. He feared not for himself but for his friends, Pearl and Bill. If ever the secret of Fowesby Hall was ever discovered, he knew all would be lost for his dear friends.

Herman is hard-working, determined and very down-to-earth. He also strives for perfection in everything you do. He is a loyal friend and a protector.

He once rescued a huge purple dog, called Ceber, on one of his visits back to ancient Crete from Ceber’s three-headed mother. Poor Ceber had been born with only one head and his mother had rejected him. Ceber was brought back to Fowesby Hall to live and he and Herman have been inseparable ever since.

Layers:

Scene: Herman lives in a cottage, with his wife Olga and purple dog Ceber, on the Fowesby Hall estate. Formerly lived in the Bronze-age of ancient Crete.

Identity: Name - Herman, male, mid-fifties, brown, hair, blue eyes, tall, broad shoulders, extremely strong.

Features: With his crooked nose, (having been broken several times) square-jawline and stubble, his appearance looks rather rough at times. This is a mask of deception in many ways. Only in his work and the care for his friends do we see the true perfectionist he really is. 

Goal/ Purpose: Herman is the protector. He acts as a bodyguard whenever they go on their travels. Herman is a very strong man but in the ancient world his powers are exceptionally potent. An extremely good ally to have on your side.

Attitude: Herman’s personality is kind, caring and extremely loyal to the ones he loves. He also sometimes has a short fuse but doesn’t stay angry for very long.

Quirks: Herman’s quirk is his accent. His h-dropping and word-merges makes him quickly identified in dialogue.

Secrets: Herman's secret; formerly known as Hercules from the ancient world of Crete. He changed his name when he came to live in Middlesbrough. In his own words: ‘Ow many people in Middlesbrough are called ’Ercules? Think it might be a bit o’ a giveaway. Besides, I alwayz liked the name ’Erman.’ Herman lives in fear that his true identity will be discovered.

By layering up my characters I'm making them more rounded, believable and memorable. I do this with all my main characters.

Just remember identifiable characters connects readers to the people in your book and if the reader is attached they will go on reading until the very end. And that's what it truly is all about  :)