Novel – Page 10 – The Stories of Scott D. Southard

June 4, 2013

My Mad Genius Moment: The Thrill of Writing Something Radically New
On June 11, my new book MAXIMILIAN STANDFORTH AND THE CASE OF THE DANGEROUS DARE will be released via amazon.com in eBook and print. Currently, there is a book giveaway going on for the book on Good Reads which you can enter here (only 7 days left!).

To help prepare for the release of this odd and playful book, I thought it would be entertaining to write on the unique experience I had creating my “monster.”

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Every artist has a mad genius moment in their past that they can point to…. And if they can’t, chances are they are still in the midst of it.

My mad genius moment came when I had turned thirty. Let me paint the scene- my wife was in grad school; I was working a lousy evening temp job which made it so I only saw her one to two hours a day, if at all; my literary agent at the time was still uncertain how to represent my books, which I truly loved and thought should have been published yesterday; I was continuously hitting walls when I applied for creative writing positions on the college level; and I was turning thirty, which kept reminding me of how many writers and poets said the best work was created by people in their 20’s…. AHHHHH!!!

For any artist, feeling this level of burden and frustration, how could I not put the white lab coat on, mess up my hair and laugh loudly and evilly? (more…)
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May 30, 2013

My Adventure in Self-Publishing: Wrestling the Proof Copy into Submission
A proof copy of your novel is a beautifully constructed illusion.

Oh, it feels like your book, it could even be argued that it smells like your book, but when you open it up… Wait! I forgot that comma! What happened to that word in that sentence? I know I didn’t mean that!

The illusion is shattered like a mirror and by the time you have gone through the entire book your hands are riddled with little scratches and nicks, and the mirror is nothing like it used to look like. It’s all funky now and so is the reflection staring back at you.

Okay… okay… I know that is dramatic, but that is how I felt going through the proof copy of my new novel MAXIMILIAN STANDFORTH AND THE CASE OF THE DANGEROUS DARE.

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One of the wonderful little surprises I had with deciding to work with CreateSpace is this option for a proof copy. Yes, they give you the option to look at the proof online for free, but I wanted to hold it.

See, I’ve never gotten into the whole Kindle thing. I just can’t get lost in a story via a screen like I do with paper. Maybe that makes me old fashioned (and, wow, I feel too young to have that feeling about anything), but it just feels more real. On paper is how I discovered all of my favorite books! We share a history, paper and me; and I want my new book to be part of that as well. (more…)
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May 30, 2013

“Delightful and insightful.” A new review of A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM
Day by day it seems people are starting to find my book A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM. It’s a lot of fun for me to read people’s responses to it via Twitter and reviews and blogs (and no one has yet to ruin the big surprise of the book!). This review is by the blog “MamaBeanablog.” Here is an excerpt:

From the first page, I was hooked by the wit and intelligence of the main character which is the love-searching Jane Austen. The story twists and weaves Jane, the Austen family, and other comical characters cunningly through the entire book.

You can read the rest of the review here.

A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM is available via amazon.com where you can find it in print for just $9.85 in print and only $3.99 for the eBook. Here is the link: http://amzn.com/0983671923

…and remember there is a book giveaway going on now for my book MAXIMILIAN STANDFORTH AND THE CASE OF THE DANGEROUS DARE on GoodReads. You can enter the giveaway here.

Thanks for reading!
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May 24, 2013

Indie Author Land interviews me about A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM
Today Indie Author Land shares an interview I gave with them about my new novel A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM. Here is an excerpt from the interview:

My Jane Austen is kind of what we all imagine she would be like. Not perfect, certainly, but a little of all of her characters, good and bad. Witty to the point of biting, far too clever, passionate about writing and love, and large in whatever circles she appears in. This is the Jane that would have the power to create worlds we are all talking about 200 years later.

You can read the rest of this new interview here. I hope you will check it out.

A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM is available via amazon.com where you can find it in print for just $9.85 in print and only $3.99 for the eBook. Here is the link: http://amzn.com/0983671923

…and remember there is a book giveaway going on now for my book MAXIMILIAN STANDFORTH AND THE CASE OF THE DANGEROUS DARE on GoodReads. You can enter the giveaway here.

Thanks for reading!
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May 23, 2013

Need a book this holiday weekend? The eBook of A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM is only $3.99.
“Unpredictable… a style entirely new. If you are looking for something new this summer—something light, for reading at the beach, perhaps… you will, in the end, be rewarded by a quick paced novel unlike any you can ever have read, which injects new ideas and possibilities into the world of Jane Austen.” The Jane Austen Centre.

“I consider this novel one of the best not only in regency era literature, but also in mainstream fiction.” Amazon.com

A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM

All her heroines find love in the end–but is there love waiting for Jane?

Jane Austen spends her days writing and matchmaking in the small countryside village of Steventon, until a ball at Godmersham Park propels her into a new world where she yearns for a romance of her own. But whether her heart will settle on a young lawyer, a clever Reverend, a wealthy childhood friend, or a mysterious stranger is anyone’s guess.

Written in the style of Jane herself, this novel ponders the question faced by many devoted readers over the years–did she ever find love? Weaving fact with fiction, it re-imagines her life, using her own stories to fill in the gaps left by history and showing that all of us–to a greater or lesser degree–are head over heels for Jane.

“Buy this, you will love it.” Amazon.com review titled My New Favorite Book.

“Beautiful piece of literature… I strongly suggest this book for all readers; not just necessarily Jane Austen fans, but any who would love a good story.” GoodReads.com

“I loved this book.” GoodReads.com

A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM is available via amazon.com where you can find it in print for just $9.85 in print and only $3.99 for the eBook. Here is the link: http://amzn.com/0983671923

“Well, when we need a tale that makes us laugh and hope for love we read Austen. Now I will also read Southard. I hope you will too.” AustenHill.com
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May 21, 2013

Unpredictable! Entirely New! The Jane Austen Centre reviews A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM!
Now and then, you get a review that you know will stick with you as an author. Sometimes they are good, sometimes they are bad, but they will be part of your makeup as an artist from that moment on, adding to your personal resume, changing you.

Today, I was honored to have The Jane Austen Centre in Bath review my latest novel A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM. Here is a quote from their review:

If asked to sum up this book in one word, I would have to choose “unpredictable”. Going into it, all I knew was that it was not a biography, and its purpose was to satisfy the author by giving Jane the happy future he would have chosen for her. Safe to say, even for the advanced Austen scholar, it will be impossible to predict where the tale will twist and turn. For those of you who are exhausted by the innumerable retellings of Austen’s novels, this is a style entirely new.

And then there is this from the review:

If you are looking for something new this summer—something light, for reading at the beach, perhaps—and can, like a purveyor of fine fiction, willingly suspend your disbelief, you will, in the end, be rewarded by a quick paced novel unlike any you can ever have read, which injects new ideas and possibilities into the world of Jane Austen.

I could not be more honored. I am speechless (and for those that know me or follow my blog that is a trick to pull off). You can read the rest of the review via this link.

A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM is available via amazon.com where you can find it in print for just $9.85 in print and only $3.99 for the eBook. Here is the link: http://amzn.com/0983671923

I hope you enjoy A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM
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May 14, 2013

“I just loved this book.” Reviews on Amazon for A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM
Reviews are starting to come in on amazon.com from readers for A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM, my latest novel!

Here are some excerpts from the reviews:

“I just loved this book…. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, beautifully written, I was excited to read it every night…. I will read it again. Buy this, you will love it.” [From a review titled “My new favorite book.”]

“In Jane Austen Daydream, Jane becomes a character herself–a literary creation formed from the melding of all of her heroines (complete with all of their foibles and graces)–who gets to live the adventure, heartache, and romance usually experienced only by those who populated her novels.” [From a review titled “A re-imagined life for the woman we love.”]

“Imagine what it would be like to be `a fly on the wall’ in the Steventon rectory in the late eighteen century, or to be a `bee in the bonnet’ of Jane Austen…. Jane Austen is portrayed as a real person – warts and all! At times she is angry, jealous, bitter, biting but throughout the book she is passionate about her writing and characters.” [From a review titled “An enjoyable read for an Austen fan!”]

“The story was entertaining from start to finish, and I really loved seeing Jane’s progression as a character throughout the story.”

A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM is available via amazon.com and on sale for only $3.99 for the eBook and $9.85 for the print version. You can purchase it via this link- http://amzn.com/0983671923

I hope you will enjoy A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM!
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May 14, 2013

My new book MAXIMILIAN STANDFORTH AND THE CASE OF THE DANGEROUS DARE to be released on June 11. And a book giveaway!
I’m pleased to announce that my new book MAXIMILIAN STANDFORTH AND THE CASE OF THE DANGEROUS DARE will be released on June 11. It will be available via amazon.com. Here is a description of my fun (and possibly mad) book:

The cursed and foreboding McGregor Castle is the most terrifying and haunted location in all of the British Empire. Only a brave (or foolish) soul would consider visiting it, let alone staying within its walls for five days. In other words, a perfect dare for a man like Maximilian Standforth!

Maximilian Standforth, famed playboy aristocrat and private detective, is a genius with dangerous tastes. With Bob (his trusty carriage driver, biographer, and body guard) and Maggie Collins (actress, spy, and maid) by his side, Maximilian will experience horrors and madness unlike any seen before. For it is at McGregor Castle that the team will discover more than they ever could imagine in this very experimental and genre-breaking thriller.

There is also a book giveaway for the work on GoodReads! Two readers will win a print copy of the book. The book giveaway goes through June 12. I hope you will consider entering below.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Maximilian Standforth and the Case of the Dangerous Dare

by Scott D. Southard

Giveaway ends June 12, 2013.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

I hope you enjoy my new book!
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May 13, 2013

My Favorite Writing Posts
We writers love to write about writing. Do other artforms love discussing their own art like we do in our neck of the woods? Do painters paint about paintings? Or singers sing about singing? Okay, this is a silly notion and the answer is sometimes, but nothing like us writers. We own this.

Yes, we writers love to discuss our artform (read and write) and I even have the personal proof to back the magnitude of this.

See, I like to think I write on a lot of interesting topics from movies to life experience to TV to parenting, etc. (Heck, even last week I wrote 1300 words on Winnie-The-Pooh!), but nothing beats the numbers of visits I get when I put up a new writing post. And luckily for me I love writing about writing.

Books, and the creation around them are a passion of mine. I love throwing a thought out there and watching the responses come in via twitter and comments. Sometimes I agree with the responses, sometimes I don’t, but it is always fun (not when they get mean, of course, which sometimes does happen).

I thought today I would link back to four of my personal favorite writing posts with updates and new thoughts from me on them below their link. Consider it the equivalent of a reunion special… of my mind. (more…)
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May 10, 2013

Book Giveaway, Author Interview, Review and Hello to My 602 Blog Followers! A Friday Writing Roundup.
Hi Everyone.

I love days like this! The sun is shining, the grass is green and my ego is the size of Manhattan for today I have reached 602 blog followers!

This is a big deal for me, my writing and this crazy author dream I’ve had since I was child. Thank you so much! I hope you continue to enjoy my writing!

This has also been a fun week for my new novel A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM, recently published by Madison Street Publishing (Out now and under ten dollars!).
- Through May 12 there is a book giveaway going on at English Historical Authors. To enter you simply need to visit this link and enter a comment. One lucky person will win a print copy of my latest surprising novel.
- This week I also had the opportunity to have a fun interview with the website Austen Hill. Kelly, who runs the site, also reviewed my book on Wednesday. A review that still makes me blush. You can read the interview here and the book review here.
- A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM is still being sold exclusively via amazon.com where you can find it in print now for ONLY $9.85 and as an eBook for just $3.99. I hope you will consider buying it via this link. (You can also learn more about the book, see reviews, and read an excerpt on the DAYDREAM page on this site here).
On a side note, I am currently locking down my book MAXIMILIAN STANDFORTH AND THE CASE OF THE DANGEROUS DARE (I gave an update on this book I am self-publishing here). Yesterday, I ordered a proof copy of the book which I should have next week. I can not wait to see it and, more importantly, share it with you.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend, is enjoying A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM, and continue to enjoy my little verbal adventures (posts).

Thank you so much for reading!
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