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Posted on March 29, 2019 by Catherine Alexandra
Photo by Green Chameleon on Unsplash I’ve read a lot of writing advice over the last year which focuses on putting writing before everything else, if you want to be successful that is. I suppose it’s like everything else which requires time, patience and hours of practice:… Continue Reading “Writing is not the most important thing in my life…”
Category: UncategorizedTags: authors, books, challenges, creativity, energy, family, health and wellbeing, inspiration, life balance, lifestyle, motivation, priorities, women, writing
Posted on February 3, 2019 by Catherine Alexandra
Photo by Matthew Ansley on Unsplash I never thought I’d see the inside of a police cell. If anything I feared the idea, what with my claustrophobic tendencies and my inherent need to be the good girl. Stepping into a cell wasn’t part of my plan and… Continue Reading “How I ended up in a police cell.”
Category: UncategorizedTags: authenticity, authors, books, challenges, creativity, fiction, genre, lifestyle, literature, motivation, novels, police, reading, research, stories, women, writers life, writing
Posted on January 2, 2019 by Catherine Alexandra
Having put your debut novel out into the world, and started what you dream will be an exciting, fulfilling and long career as a writer, the question of Book 2 soon starts to dominate your thoughts. The temptation is to focus purely on the… Continue Reading “The Trouble with ‘Book 2’”
Category: UncategorizedTags: ambition, authors, book reviews, books, challenges, creativity, e-books, energy, fiction, indie-authors, inspiration, literature, motivation, novels, readers, reading, self-publishing, stories, women, writers, writing
Posted on August 26, 2018 by Catherine Alexandra
When you finally put your book out into the world you know that you’re opening yourself up for feedback and criticism – it can be a daunting prospect. You also hope that if readers enjoy your book, they might leave a review on Amazon… Continue Reading “The power of reviews”
Category: UncategorizedTags: Amazon, authors, book marketing, book reviews, books, e-books, inspiration, literature, motivation, novels, reader reviews, readers, reading, self-publishing, social media, support, writers, writing
Posted on August 12, 2018 by Catherine Alexandra
There’s no doubt that I often do my most productive writing when I’m really cheesed off about something. I’ve discovered that anger fuels my creativity; I type at twice my usual speed, words gushing in fully composed sentences from my determined mind. It doesn’t really… Continue Reading “Fight, flight or write.”
Category: UncategorizedTags: achievement, amygdala, amygdala hijack, anger, authors, books, brain processes, e-books, fight or flight, heallth and wellbeing, inspiration, literature, motivation, novels, self-publishing, stress, stress response, support, writers, writing
Posted on August 9, 2018 by Catherine Alexandra
I recently recorded an interview with Glen Moyer, a Scot by heart and heritage, who lives in Texas. Glen hosts his own podcast show ‘Under the Tartan Sky,‘ in which he explores Scotland’s diversity and the wealth of creativity and entrepreneurship on these shores.… Continue Reading “The story behind the story…”
Category: UncategorizedTags: achievement, age-gap romance, authors, book marketing, book reviews, books, broadcast, drama, e-books, genre, indie-authors, inspiration, kindle, literature, novels, podcasts, readers, reading, romance, Scotland, self-published, self-publishing, social media, twitter, women, women's fiction, writers, writing
Posted on July 27, 2018 by Catherine Alexandra
I always knew that I had a tendency to procrastinate when it came to doing things that I really didn’t want to do but I had no idea I could procrastinate so professionally when it came to things I really do want to do.… Continue Reading “The Art of Procrastination”
Category: UncategorizedTags: achievement, authors, book marketing, books, e-books, Facebook, indie-authors, inspiration, literature, novels, procrastination, reading, self-publishing, social media, twitter, writer's block, writers, writing
Posted on July 25, 2018 by Catherine Alexandra
During a recent podcast, I was asked about the writers who have influenced and inspired me. When I listened back to what I had said, I realised that there was more to it than my answer would suggest. For as a long as I… Continue Reading “My literary gold: the writers who influence and inspire me.”
Category: UncategorizedTags: authors, book reviews, books, Charles Dickens, genre, hobbies, inspiration, literature, novels, readers, reading, vitorian novels, writers, writing
Posted on July 8, 2018 by Catherine Alexandra
When I started writing ‘Dancing Through Fire’, I didn’t have a specific genre in mind – I just wanted to tell a good story. Thinking about genre came when I self-published my book and I was selecting the appropriate genre categories within Amazon KDP.… Continue Reading “The Genre Debate”
Category: UncategorizedTags: authors, book marketing, book reviews, books, comtemporary fiction, drama, e-books, genre, kindle, novels, readers, reading, romance, self-published, women, women's fiction, writers, writing
Posted on May 7, 2018 by Catherine Alexandra
On Monday 23rd April, World Book Night, I attended a book club event at the Carnegie Library in Ayr to talk about ‘Dancing Through Fire.’ It was a fantastic evening and a brilliant opportunity to meet supportive and interested local readers who had… Continue Reading “In conversation”
Category: UncategorizedTags: achievement, age-gap romance, authors, book club questions, book clubs, book reviews, book sample, books, dancing through fire, e-books, indie-authors, kindle, kindle direct publishing, novels, readers, reading, romance, self-published, women, women's fiction, writers, writing