What a day!

Another amazing day for feedback...

My Author Interview with BollyDophie gets published and then she writes the most amazing Review for HYBRID!

I admit that tears sprang to my eyes.

My husband is always telling me that I should not care about what people think, but I do. It does affect me and it's such a great feeling to be acknowledged for something other than being my children's mum, wife, or general dogsbody!

I have been adamant to not give up on my trilogy, to keep plodding away (even when I should be writing), and finally it is paying off.

I read a tweet today by someone who said they had finished three books after 7 years, coming in at just over 150,000 words! Well, my trilogy and prequel amount to just under 350,000 words. Written over a period of about 2-3 years!

I think I have a lot to be proud of.

I gave up my teaching career to look after my kids and now I have to ration my time between my kids, housekeeping, tutoring (I still teach mathematics at home), a part-time lunchtime job, and volunteering at school and the local FOODBANK. Becoming a writer is the icing on the cake!

I LOVE IT and hope you all can see what motivates me and enjoy what I write.

In life, we all have to find something to keep us going, to make us have that space we call our own. I am so grateful I decided to unleash my thoughts in novel writing and thank Stephenie Meyer for her inspirational words back in 2010 on the DVD I watched!

I am blessed and lucky indeed.

Thank you to all,
Vanessa :)

On Gibraltar Bookshelves... The Evolution Trilogy by Vanessa Wester

I am thrilled to let you all know that my books are now on sale via Bookshops in Gibraltar... I know, very exciting!

I hope readers enjoy the books, since I have never done a lot to sell paperbacks before. I mainly sold eBooks since I don't keep much stock of my books. This is the beauty is Createspace... You order the amount you want. I think it saves a tree in the process too :)


However, after the official book launch of The Evolution Trilogy in Gibraltar, I was lucky enough to find booksellers willing to stock my books. I was featured in the local press, via The Gibraltar Chronicle,  Panorama, and interviewed on GBC and the local radio. 

I have not had so much fun in years... 

I gave a talk for nearly an hour at the Garrison Library in Gibraltar and everyone seemed to enjoy it. I talked about why I started writing, how I published my books and mainly discussed what inspires me. I also mentioned my Charity anthologies, as well as my disillusionment with traditional establishments who insist on thrusting unsuitable (but profitable) books in our faces...

It's no surprise I was exhausted in the end!

Luckily, Christmas came along and I have had a fantastic rest (eaten a LOT) and now have time to write about it...

So, please enjoy these pictures... This is as good as it gets! Thank you to all my readers and for the support I have received (and still receive) - Happy New Year to all! :)

All the best,
Vanessa Wester :)

On bookshelves... so cool!

And here I am next to "Walk to Freedom".
I seriously do not feel worthy enough to be 
placed next to such an amazing book.

On sale at a Christmas Fair

Trilogy Finale

I already wrote most of this on my main blog - but for any who missed it... (drum rolls)... I finished the Trilogy!!!! (Did you hear the fireworks go off there?)

I now have to spend a few months editing, and I started by reading HYBRID again. I found a few minor things to change, and the new updated version is now online.

I am now going to read COMPLICATIONS before I start work on editing the finale.

This editing lark takes time to get right. The book will then go to my trusted readers for feedback, and I will then wait and keep my fingers crossed before starting the edit all over again!

I hope you are as excited as I am about finishing the Trilogy...

Speak soon
Vanessa :)
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE LINKS UK    US

p.s. I leave you with two exciting things that happened last week...

LIVE INTERVIEW via Lydia's Literary Lowdown with Lydia Aswolf

Okay, so first of all I got interviewed LIVE by the lovely Lydia (follow her on Twitter www.twitter.com/lydiaaswolf)

You can hear the interview by clicking here... BLOGTALK RADIO...

The feedback so far has been great from those who have listened to my rambling... (I did say a lot of uh huh, and yes, and blah blah... it was great FUN!)

Honestly, I am still in shock about the fact Lydia loves my writing so much... Maybe, just maybe, people aren't just being nice after all?!?!

Favourite quote... "You are hiding your light under a bushel"

FEATURED ON INDIE IT PRESS



After Lydia asked me to be interviewed, I was asked to write an article for INDIE IT PRESS... and it was accepted.

This is what I wrote (pictures added by Indie It Press)

http://indieitpress.com/indie-author-vanessa-westers-journey-tiny-dancer-to-titanic/

I am really happy with the feature, and am very grateful to Leisa Greene for featuring me (follow her on Twitter www.twitter.com/indieitgal)

The Writer Within

I have been featured on Jill's blog

I am in awe of someone like Jill... her blog has had 127, 715 views to date! like OMG... WOW! (Did you hear my jaw hit the ground?)

This is her profile on BLOGGER...

Industry	Education
Occupation	Mystery Author
Location	Toronto, Canada
Links	Wishlist
Introduction	Sasha Jackson: think "Sex and the City" meets "Nancy Drew". Blood and Groom was published in Nov. 2009. Dead Light District was released in March 2011. The Lies Have It was released in November 2011. For more author/book info, please see www.jilledmondson.com or follow on Twitter @JillEdmondson
Interests	www.facebook.com/sashajacksonmysteries www.jilledmondson.com I love reading, writing, travel, good wine, good food and quick wit. On Twitter @JillEdmondson
Favourite Music	Classic rock, random one hit wonders, old gritty blues, cheesy top 40, Broadway showtunes...
Favourite Books	"BLOOD AND GROOM" "DEAD LIGHT DISTRICT" and "THE LIES HAVE IT" www.facebook.com/sashajacksonmysteries Any detective novel, crime fiction, whodunit. Love a number of classics, and funny authors - no matter what genre.

On her blog I talk about my writing journey and publishing endeavours...

Please take a look,

Thanks
Vanessa xx

A game of TAG...

Tag! You're an Author and You're "IT"

You may know this game, but not played in quite this manner before. So, Tag you're the author who is now "IT". To play this game you have to share your Work in Progress (WIP) or it's a smacked bottom and straight to bed with no supper! Miss Scarlett Flame tagged me, and these are the rules

• Give credit (including URL/link) to the person or Blog that caught you and who made you "IT" I was caught fair and square whilst running away.
• Play by the rules - no pinching, kicking, spitting, Chinese burns, crying and definitely no tantrums! Which also means you must post the rules
• You must answer 10 questions about your current WIP, no matter the genre, because possibly we may like to get to know each other a little better (to be honest it's only 9 because  as the 10th question is really only the next step)
• List 5 other authors or Bloggers with their hiding places (URL/Links) so that they can be chased down and made "IT" so we can all go home now we've finished playing. Go in, eat supper, and check out THEIR books.

Q 1) What is the title (or working title) of you book?

RETURN (The Evolution Trilogy)

Q 2) What genre(s) does your book fall under?

Paranormal Romance & Suspense, New Adult, Science Fiction

Q 3) What actors would you choose to play the characters in the film version of your book?

I'll give this a stab... but I might suggest different ones tomorrow! LOL

Steven Thorn - David Boreanaz
Caitlin Chance - Emma Stone (with red hair as she looked in THE HELP movie!)
Ingrid Clausen - Katherine Heigl
Lucy Santos - Minnie Driver
Ian Roberts - Chris O'Donnell
Catherine Roberts - Nicole Kidman
Q 4) What is the main outline for your book?
It is the finale of The Evolution Trilogy...

Readers will find out what happens to Steven & Caitlin and whether their love is meant to be? It also wraps up the story of the Amazonian community to reveal the future of the new species...
Q 5) Will your book be Indie published, self published or represented by an agency and sold to a traditional publisher? 

Self published via Amazon, Createspace (paperbacks) & Smashwords
Q 6) How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? 

Still in process obviously... I think it's likely to be a year.

Q 7) What other books in this genre would you compare yours to?

Twilight, The Hunger Games ... although it is more like a TV series like Heroes or Roswell
Q 8) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Stephenie Meyer... she was also a stay at home mum who choose to write in her spare time. The ideas come from all the different book & Scifi series I have watched over the years.
Q 9) What else about the book might pique the readers attention?

A new vampire theory to throw into the midst...
Q 10) Thank goodness!! Phew I've ran as fast as I can and these are the author's I've caught (and any who don't have a Blog of their own are welcome to have a sleepover at mine and post their answers here)

Now for my five victims... erm five other authors who will tell you about their WIP

Susan Buchanan
Terry Tyler
James Smith
Lydia Aswolf
Kaykay Obi

ENJOY GUYS... and if you can't take up the challenge then try and pass it on to another author that might be interested, thank you :) xx

Vanessa :) xx