Author's Blog: Two Ends of the Pen
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Twitter: @dlmartin6
E-Mail: dlmartin6@yahoo.com
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Author Description:
Science fiction and fantasy author who started writing with co-author, David W Small in 2006. Writing with a co-author is challenging in itself, but when 1 author lives on the East Coast and 1 lives on the West Coast, the challenges are a bit more daunting, but because we live in an electronic world of email, Instant Messenger and Skype, the partnership is totally workable. What makes the partnership even better is that David is my brother. We love the same types of books and that love naturally evolved into writing our own books.
The newest release is "The Silver Cross" in the series, VAMPIRE NIGHTLIFE.
We have published "Quest for Nobility" and "Crystal Façade" in the RULE OF OTHARIA trilogy. The final volume, "The King's Last Word" is forthcoming.
"Assassin's Curse" Book 1 in the WITCH STONE PROPHECY, was released in 2012. Witch's Curse" Book 2 in the WITCH STONE PROPHECY will be published in 2013.
If you like post-apocalyptic fiction, we have written three stories in the DARK FUTURE series, "Path to Destruction," "The Right Path" and "Zia's Path."
Debra blogs regularly at Two Ends of the Pen about writing, publishing, ebooks, guest posts, author interviews and book reviews. You can also find a complete list of published books.
SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author
Let’s start with what’s next. Are you going to do another Fantasy or a Love Story? Do you have another book on the horizon? Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease?
Dave and I are working on 2 sequels at the moment—“Witch’s Curse” and “The Silver Double Cross.” We hope to have “Witch’s Curse” published by the summer and “The Silver Double Cross” published in the fall. Right now these are our best guesses. Both Dave and I work full-time so finding time to write is challenging.
“Witch’s Curse” will pick up the story where “Assassin’s Curse” ended. Keisha, Jeda’s wife, is still in a coma and the only way she can be revived is through the most powerful amulet in the Tavia Kingdom, The Witch Stone. The problem is The Witch Stone has been lost for centuries and the ancient scrolls only reveal cryptic clues to its whereabouts. A quest is formed, but not everyone wants the Stone for good. The Black Council plays a prominent role in this book. Readers will learn more about Elizabeth Berkshire, Gelda DeLongo and the infamous twins of prophecy—Jeda’s daughters, Kala and Kara.
“The Silver Double Cross” finds Damon Harte trying to hunt for another magical amulet to help Lacey Gardner’s sister Rebecca. In the meantime, Nic Stannic, the new vampire king, in Boston has declared humans fair game for his horde of hungry vampires. Will Damon return in time to undo the damage caused by Nic and what of his love for Lacey? Will she shoot him on sight? It’s a tangled web of intrigue, murder and betrayal as Nic, Damon and Lacey fight for what they believe.
You have a good social media following. How important have your social media relationships been? Do you see a carry over to your writing success?
Social media is extremely important to authors, not only for getting the word out about your books, but for the personal relationships you develop with readers and fellow authors. I have met some wonderful people on Twitter and Facebook and they have been so gracious to mention my books to their followers. Of course, I try to do the same for them and host many author interviews on my blog, Two Ends of the Pen.
You have great covers. They carry a theme in both genres, Fantasy and Romance. How does your book cover creation process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you have more of a hands-on approach? Do you get your readers involved in its development?
I’m extremely lucky to have 2 great graphic artists working on my books. John Dotegowski does the original cover artwork for our Witch Stone Prophecy series. He’s already completed the image for “Witch’s Curse” and all I can say is WOW! It’s awesome.
For the Vampire Nightlife series, I find the cover image and my other graphic artist, T.M. Roy, does the typography and the cool special effects. T.M. also does the typography on the fantasy titles as well. I couldn’t be happier with both of their work and will keep going back to them for new book covers.
Have you created a book trailer for any of your books to promote your books online?
No, I haven’t gotten to that yet. Maybe one of these days I’ll work on it.
What kinds of support groups do you belong too? Do they help with writing, marketing and the publishing process?
I have a very tight knit group of authors that I’m friendly with. We all offer advice to each other on the whole publishing process. They are invaluable to me and I’ve learned so much from them.
Between your book writing, blogging, marketing, family and all the other things that can get in your way, how do you manage your time? Do you have a set schedule or do your sort of play it by ear?
Besides everything you’ve mentioned, I have a craft business as well so time is tight. I don’t have a set schedule for writing, but I try to write during lunch hours and at least a few hours every weekend. Some weekends are devoted strictly to writing and others I need to work on my crafts for an upcoming craft show.
In my research I saw you were involved in several book tours. What was your main goal in doing this? Did you run into any obstacles?
Book tours are one of the best ways to get the word out about your book. My last tour was with Promotional Book Tours and that one was the most effective one I’ve had. My name and book was mentioned on over 50 blogs and “The Silver Cross” received more than 20 reviews during the tour.
The only downside, of course, is that there are lots of interviews and guest posts that need to be written so it’s best to plan a tour when you can devote some time to it.
What has been your experience in giving your books away free? Have you been involved in other types of giveaways and how did that work out?
Giving books away free is a mixed bag. When Amazon first allowed this through the Kindle Lending Library, it was helpful because the number of downloads translated into a good ranking when the book came off free. Now that hundreds of authors have done this, a book coming off free will often have a worse ranking than before it was free.
This really doesn’t work well anymore. There are readers who will download every free book that is offered and never read them so that is a no win situation for an author.
I’ve also done two Goodreads giveaways of “Assassin’s Curse” and “The Silver Cross.” Those giveaways did bring more attention to my books and reviews have been slowly trickling in.
You are published under two names and two genres. Does changing hats create any problems? Any tricks you can share with us? Which genre did you enjoy writing the most? Does moving from one to the other give you some breathing room or a change of pace?
I publish my romance books under Debra Elizabeth so as not to confuse our fantasy readers. They expect a certain type of book from Dave and I and I want to make sure they keep coming back for our new releases. I love writing fantasy the most whether it is epic fantasy or urban fantasy. Writing with Dave is exhilarating and we get our inspirations from each other. We write one chapter at a time and then send the chapter to the other one for editing comments. It’s amazing how one of us will think of something and add it into the chapter and that leads to some awesome scenes.
You have a great blog. Promoting other authors is a rewarding process. What is your primary goal? And where in the world do you find the time to create great novels, take care of the social media, interview authors and maintain your blog?
I started Two Ends of the Pen in 2008 as a way to promote our books, but early on I found that talking about just us became rather boring. I wanted to know what other authors were doing and how were they managing this new self-publishing arena. I started offering author interviews over at Kindleboards and I quickly became inundated with requests.
It took me months to get to everyone. I also wanted to share information that I’d learned with new authors and that led to a series of Author Panel Discussions. Those posts are the most popular on the blog. From there everything just expanded into guest posts, new releases and finally book reviews. I’m currently closed to new submissions for book reviews, but I can always fit in another author interview. The details for requesting author interviews are in the right hand sidebar on the blog.
Where do I find the time? That’s a great question and one that I don’t have a definite answer for. Sometimes my writing time is devoted strictly to the blog. Being able to schedule posts is a great help and I often have 2 weeks of Monday-Friday posts done at a time.
I think it is special that you co-write with your brother, David. (David W. Small) How do you coordinate that process? Do you split up the duties, like you do the editing and he does the formatting? Is he just involved in the Fantasy genre or does he help with your Romance novels?
Dave and I have now written 4 full-length novels and we have our system for writing down pat. It is easier for us to write one chapter at a time and then pass it back and forth for editing. As I mentioned in the other question, we get some of most inspired tangents from each other.
For my romance titles, I have a very good friend who is also a romance writer so I turn to her for help with those titles. I do all the formatting and uploading the manuscript to the buying outlets, but I send the books to a professional formatter for the paperback versions. I can’t do everything and I’m happy to pay someone else to do it for me.
Author's Book List
The Silver CrossA Vampire Nightlife Novel
There are two things Boston detective Lacey Gardner knows about killing vampires. Slicing off a head or a hit directly to the heart are the only surefire ways to kill one. Silver is their Achilles heel. A vampire never wears silver. When she meets bartender extraordinaire, Damon Harte, her heart does a quickstep for the dark hunky guy. She's learned the hard way that having a love interest in her line of work can be heart-wrenching. She's kept to herself for years, but something about Damon captivates her and draws her to him. When she learns Damon's devastating secret, she knows what she has to do: kill the man who has stolen her heart.
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Buy Page: Amazon
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Assassin's Curse: The Witch Stone ProphecyWhen elite assassin Jeda received his assignment to kill a witch and deliver her twin daughters to the Countess of Berkshire, he had no idea it would be his last. The witch stuns him with an elemental blast, but not before he's able to throw his knife. When Jeda regains consciousness, the dying witch is performing a compelling spell between him and her twin daughters. Now bonded to the girls, Jeda's old life is forfeit. His only thought is to take the girls and run as far away as he can.
He has no idea that the twins are the ones spoken of in the long-lost prophecy of The Witch Stone. Forces are gathering: the white witches want to teach them; the Countess wants her grandchildren back, and the guild has sent their best assassin to bring Jeda back, dead or alive. Jeda must use all of his assassin skills to stay one step ahead of them all, but will it be enough to save himself and keep the children of prophecy alive?
Caution: This book is about assassins and contains violent scenes appropriate for the story.
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Buy Page: Amazon
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Love by ChanceWhen Alysa Stevens receives an invitation to attend the social event of the season, a Masquerade Ball, she thinks it's the perfect time to finally kick back and enjoy herself. After all, no one knows who she really is. The invitation came to her business persona, Mr. Al Stevens, but is that ploy about to backfire?
At the ball, she's immediately swept off her feet by a sexy stranger dressed as the Musketeer d'Artagnan. He sets her heart on fire, but he leaves abruptly without ever revealing his name. Will Alysa be able to track down the most handsome man she's ever met without a single clue to his identity?
Love by Chance is a short novella 12,000 words (60 pages in print).
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Love by MoonlightCaroline Fleming had a perfect life -- a loving husband, 2 great kids, a lovely home -- or so she thought. When her husband of 23 years announces he wants a divorce, Caroline's perfect world crumbles in an instant.
She retreats to the beach house to clear her head and heal her broken heart. She swears off men, that is, until she meets a sexy stranger running on the beach with his 2 dogs. Will Matt Sylvan be her second chance at love?
Love by Moonlight is a novella of 18,000 words (72 pages in print)
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The Path (3 Dark Future Stories)Dark Future series
A collection of 3 post-apocalyptic stories of survival and new found friendships.
PATH TO DESTRUCTION:
Can a ragtag band of soldiers save what's left of the USA?
In a last ditch attempt to turn the tide in a desperate war, General Matthew Smith of the American Freedom Fighters asks Samurai Master Kenzu to make a batch of the famed memory weapons--weapons that infuse its user with the skills and memories of a samurai warrior. But, in the wrong hands, the users can become uncontrollable killing machines who don't care whom they kill - friend or foe.
When General Smith orders Commander Hurley and his unit of augmented soldiers test the weapons, he believes that he's doing the best thing for all of the men under his command. What General Smith believes, however, and what is true is entirely two different things and Smith must live with the consequences of his decision.
THE RIGHT PATH:
Fifteen-year-old Abraham "Ham" Jones, a cripple, and Zia Slate, a fourteen-year-old tomboy with an attitude, find themselves unlikely partners in this post-apocalyptic tale of survival. It is decades later since the world blew itself apart. Life is harsh, gangs rule the streets, the system cops keep the peace anyway they can. Being a kid in this world isn't easy, being a cripple is about the worst sentence handed down. Being a girl with no protection is only slightly better.
Ham and Zia's lives are irrevocably changed when they meet a mysterious old man bearing gifts - a cane for Ham and a knife for Zia. But, nothing is as it seems. Everyone wants something and no good deed goes unpunished. Forced into a desperate encounter, they must fight for their lives when it's discovered they now have possession of two of the legendary memory weapons, the very weapons that ultimately destroyed the world.
ZIA'S PATH:
In this novelette featuring crippled teenager, Abraham "Ham" Jones, and his tomboy partner, Zia Slate, the stakes are even higher. They have agreed to accept the memory weapons from their new guardian, Henry Lloyd, but with the power of the weapons comes the responsibility to follow "the right path." It's suppose to be simple: help one person at a time, but nothing in this harsh world is ever simple. It's a dog-eat-dog world where food is scarce and gangs rule the street.
When Ham decides to go into the worst gang-ridden area of the city to save a little girl, Zia doesn't think it's a good idea. It's too dangerous, but eventually she agrees and the two set off in search of the girl. When Zia goes off to scout ahead, Ham's worst nightmare comes true. Zia is snatched by slavers. Can Ham find out where she has been taken and mount a defense to save her in two days before she is sold as a sex slave?
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Buy Page: Amazon
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Love by SecretsEighteen-year-old Emily Stanton is excited to attend this season's society balls and begin her search for a husband. She is thrilled when the dashing and handsome Connor Preston begins to show her more attention. After each ball, Emily finds a love note in her drawstring reticule, and she expects a marriage proposal from Connor any day.
When her father objects and forces Emily to accept the proposal from Lady Tisbury's shy nephew, Ethan Richardson instead, her heart is broken. How can she love her new husband when her heart belongs to the man who wrote her such beautiful love letters?
Love by Secrets is a novella of 23,000 words (115 pages)
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Buy Page: Amazon
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Path to Destruction (Post-Apocalyptic Military Story)Dark Future Series
Can a ragtag band of soldiers save what's left of the USA?
In a last ditch attempt to turn the tide in a desperate war, General Matthew Smith of the American Freedom Fighters asks Samurai Master Kenzu to make a batch of the famed memory weapons--weapons that infuse its user with the skills and memories of a samurai warrior. But, in the wrong hands, the users can become uncontrollable killing machines who don't care whom they kill - friend or foe.
When General Smith orders Commander Hurley and his unit of augmented soldiers test the weapons, he believes that he's doing the best thing for all of the men under his command. What General Smith believes, however, and what is true is entirely two different things and Smith must live with the consequences of his decision.
PATH TO DESTRUCTION is a SHORT STORY of 10,000 words.
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Buy Page: Amazon
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The Right Path (Apocalyptic Novelette)Dark Future Series
YA post-apocalyptic tale
Fifteen-year-old Abraham "Ham" Jones, a cripple, and Zia Slate, a fourteen-year-old tomboy with an attitude, find themselves unlikely partners in this post-apocalyptic tale of survival. It is decades later since the world blew itself apart. Life is harsh, gangs rule the streets, the system cops keep the peace anyway they can. Being a kid in this world isn't easy, being a cripple is about the worst sentence handed down. Being a girl with no protection is only slightly better.
Ham and Zia's lives are irrevocably changed when they meet a mysterious old man bearing gifts - a cane for Ham and a knife for Zia. But, nothing is as it seems. Everyone wants something and no good deed goes unpunished. Forced into a desperate encounter, they must fight for their lives when it's discovered they now have possession of two of the legendary memory weapons, the very weapons that ultimately destroyed the world.
THE RIGHT PATH is 13,500 words (54 pages).
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Buy Page: Amazon
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The Crystal Facade (A Fantasy Adventure)The Rule of Otharia series
"...The authors did a great job with the power hungry plot and the unique and charming characters. The writing is clear and easy to follow. This book will be well received by many fantasy lovers..." Readers Favorite
"The Crystal Façade is a distinctive and exciting journey into the fantasy genre and I can only hope that there are many more great trips to Otharia!" Syria Says
"A fast-paced and exciting book.. It was highly engrossing and, in a rare change of pace, even better than the first book." Katy Sozaeva
Royal Otharian twins Darius and Dyla Telkur have a big problem: they know too much about a secret sect of their countrymen living on the forbidden planet Earth. On a previous trip to Earth, they traced the sect's lineage back to the time of Merlin, but a run-in with a local crime boss forced them back to Otharia before they could unravel the mystery.
Now Dyla is dreaming again. Her dreams of the London crime boss portend an imminent threat to her family and she has no choice but to secretly return to Earth to find out what they mean. What the twins don't realize is they're walking into a conspiracy involving a centuries old interplanetary smuggling operation. Will they be able to capitalize on their superior PSI powers to get the answers they need before they fall victim to a telekinetic assassin who has hunted them across the galaxy?
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Buy Page: Amazon
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The Quest for Nobility (A Fantasy Adventure)The Rule of Otharia series
"...this fantasy tale is highly imaginative and quite engaging..." Grace Krispy
."..science fiction/adventure novel has a lot going for it: believable lead characters, a classic coming-of-age narrative, and an interesting mixture of both high-tech science fiction and fantasy elements..." Isabela Morales
"...The end is fantastic when all the threads that run through the tale are uncovered..." Robert J. Duperre
The parents of royal Otharian twins Darius and Dyla have been murdered; their cousin is stealing their throne, and they are falsely accused of murder. Their only choice is to flee to the forbidden and quarantined planet Earth, but it could turn out to be a one-way trip.
To return home, they must find an ancient crystal, that once belonged to Merlin, to power the return portal. When the twins stumble upon the location of the crystal, the local crime boss sends out his assassin to retrieve it. Can Darius and Dyla use their PSI powers to open the portal home and reclaim their throne before the assassin catches up to them?
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Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the HBS Author's Spotlight plus the blog: eBook Author’s Corner.
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