Tag Archives: Writer

New Interview! Learn More About the New Book… Coming Soon…

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Recently, I gave an interview with Stargazing Publishing, the publisher of my new novel In Jerry’s Corner (coming soon). In the interview we hit a lot of different topics, including inspiration behind the new book, favorite authors, and writing tips.

Here is one excerpt:

1.  What or who inspired you to be a writer?

I have always loved storytelling and reading. My parents enjoy sharing stories of me making up tales when I was very young, and becoming a writer always felt like a natural step for me.

When I was a teenager, I really started writing. Then it was short stories (I had dreams of being Ray Bradbury then). Finally, I dived into novels, and since then I have been in love with the all-encompassing, larger-than-life feeling of it.

For me, I love finding that new story, that new twist that no one else has done yet. If I get an idea that sounds like someone else’s work I will usually throw it away. I always want to try the “new.” If I am doing it right, a reader should always be surprised and moved when they pick up a Southard novel. At least, that is my hope.

 Check out the entire interview here: http://stargazingpublishing.moonfruit.com/scott-d-southard-interviews/4594395174

…AND stay tuned!

The Author Addresses His Audience

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Letter WritingDear my beautiful readers,

Over the Valentine’s Day weekend, 6000 readers snagged a copy of A Jane Austen Daydream during its free special on Amazon! That number floors me. I hope each of them enjoy my novel… and if they had and are here now wanting to learn more about the author- Hello! It’s nice to meet you!

I don’t typically write blogposts like this, but this is important. At least it is for me. Usually, I like to keep this blog to interesting posts (writing, life stuff, my perception of the entertainment and book world, etc.), my book reviews and about my occasional appearances in the real world/internet (interviews, guest posts, reviews, etc.). So it is rare that I outright write a post like this. Here I go…

The fact is I am an author, and my dream is for that career to grow. This is not about money (trust me, if it was, I wouldn’t still be doing this), this is about building a readership, making an impact in the artform I love.  And if you are reading this, chances are you might feel the same way about literature. I believe I have some interesting stories to tell and I want people to check them out.

Permanent Spring ShowersEarlier this month, I had a new book released, Permanent Spring Showers. I am really proud of it (You can learn more about it, read the first review, and check out the first chapter via this page for the book). It was published by 5 Prince Books. And I want you to go grab a copy. Yes, I am asking you to buy a copy when you get a chance.

The more people that read it, spread the word, and purchase it, the better the chances that others will find it, follow your example, and do the same. Word of mouth is the ONLY true path for success as an author today in this congested market and social-media driven world. And my dream is for this book to find its way into book clubs, libraries, college campuses and on top of night stands.

Yes, my dream is simply for you and others like you to read it.

So… if you have ever tweeted or retweeted a post, liked a post, shared it, read one of my other books, followed my book reviews, I am asking you to please, please, please check out my new book. You can find it in both print and eBook format on any online retailers (BN, Smashwords, etc.).  Here is the link for Amazon- http://amzn.com/B00T74HH0Q.

Sincerely,

Scott D. Southard

P.S. Permanent Spring Showers is an unpredictable and witty romp. You will like it. I might have been serious in this post, but I am not entirely serious in the book. You will like it, I promise.

P.P.S. I “borrowed” the title of this blogpost from a new song by The Decemberists. It is a very cynical song, showing that Colin is a little frustrated with us listeners. While he may feel that way in the song, I don’t feel that way in my post. I love having this blog and interacting with my readers. (The song is awesome though, especially the ending, you should check it out.)

P.P.S. Over the next month, I’ll be sharing guests posts about this book, like this one I did over on Focus on Fiction (http://www.nancychristie.com/focusonfiction/2015/02/15/scott-d-southard-on-writing-permanent-spring-showers/) as well as other musings. So don’t worry, this is not going to become one of those author sites that is only about sales. Simply put, I have a new book out.

P.P.P.S. Thanks for reading! And I hope you enjoy the new work!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Permanent Spring Showers by Scott D. Southard

Permanent Spring Showers

by Scott D. Southard

Giveaway ends February 26, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

A Jane Austen Daydream on (blog) tour! September 1-12!

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A Jane Austen DaydreamToday it was announced that my book A Jane Austen Daydream will be taking part in a blog tour this September (1-12) sponsored by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour! Very cool!

On their page for the upcoming tour (which you can visit here), you can check out reviews for the book, an excerpt and more information.  I look forward to seeing you out their in the virtual world of tomorrow… about someone who lived 200 years ago. LOL.

Cheers!

 

ME STUFF, my new book, is coming soon! Cover reveal!

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Me Stuff, front coverToday, I am excited to share with you the cover for my new book, Me Stuff! This was a family affair, created by my talented photographer bro, Adam Emperor Southard. (If you would like to learn more about what he can do for you, check out his site at BestLAHeadshots.com.)

Me Stuff is a collection of some of the more popular and entertaining posts from this site, created for my readers (yes, you!). If you want an example of what you will find in the book, here is a link to one of my favorite tales in it- “The Night I Stopped Being a Model.” Enjoy!

Me Stuff is coming soon!

Here is the back cover from the book:

“Me Stuff contains the c0llected gems of Scott Southard… a champion for us all. His words always contain wisdom and whimsey too.” – Richard Sutton, Sailletales.com

“The recipe for success, witty observational humor, heartwarming honest, mixed with two parts creativity.” – Paula Acton, Scribblings of an Aspiring Author, paulaacton.com

Thieves, psychics, evil poets, mad men, car companies, literary greats, tornadoes, models, vasectomies, bankers, children, Satanists, princesses, truckers, comics, rock stars, strippers, superheroes…

Me Stuff is a collection of some of the most popular blogposts from Scott Southard’s writing site “The Musings and Artful Blunders of Scott D. Southard.”

Made for both the fan and the newbie, Me Stuff has something for everyone… Well, except for those who don’t like entertaining stories. This book can’t help those people.

“Scott D. Southard is a rare breed of author. His stories are unique and deeply personal, always moving, never trite, never trendy.” – Julia Barrett, author and blogger, juliarachelbarrett.net

Stay Tuned!

Want to finish that book? Need some experienced help?

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Broken Pencil“Scott was a gift I gave my book. He led me on a wild and wonderful expedition, where I was expected to do all the work. By the end of journey, I had discovered that I was no longer satisfied with just scratching the surface. I trusted my guide as he pointed out danger zones and to places he thought I needed to explore further. I dug, and I dug and I dug…and lo and behold, there was my treasure. Right where I’d buried it. Hire this man, your book, will thank you for it.” -Terri Lee, terrileeauthor.com

One of the things I love to do from time to time is work as a freelance editor with authors. For me, editing is not just about finding those little mistakes (that is the easy bit), it is about finding the better book.

If you are a new writer and want an experienced eye to review your book, sadly you won’t get that through most editing services. They will focus mainly on grammar and then point you to their publishing services and charges.  My goal is the same as yours, to make the best book possible. The kind of book that sweeps a reader off their feet and takes them someplace they were not expecting.

I contract my editing services through Rebecca T. Dickson (editor and founder of Write Raw and author of the book The Definitive Guide to Writing on Your Terms), you can find her and her writing services at her website here.  If you would like to learn more about hiring my services or availability, you can reach her directly at beckster7219 (at) gmail (dot) com. And you can learn more about my editing, my writing and editing philosophy, and my experiences on my page for editing here.

I hope to work with you soon!

New WKAR Book Review: Kurt Vonnegut’s Novels 1976-1985

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Current StateI got to do something really fun today on WKAR’s Current State. Well, fun for me. I got to talk about one of my all time favorite writers!

The Library of America has been re-issuing Kurt Vonnegut’s library and in this installment I am talking about the new Volume 3, Novels 1976-1985.  You can listen to my review here: http://wkar.org/post/book-review-kurt-vonnegut-novels-1976-1985

You can also read my review below.

If you want to pick up this book, you can find it on amazon.com here. If you would be interested in hearing/reading more of my NPR book reviews, you can do so via links on this page.

I hope you enjoy my thoughts on one of the literary legends. Continue reading →

“…a thought and a giggle” A new interview about A Jane Austen Daydream

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From Pride and PrejudiceToday, there is a new interview about my novel A Jane Austen Daydream and  my life as a writer for you to check out. This time I am being interviewed by author and blogger Meglena Ivanova (that name is just made for the main character in a novel, isn’t it?).  It was a really fun interview and it was a thrill to do it.

Here is an excerpt from the interview (which you can read here).  This is my answer to “What comes first? The character’s story or the idea for the novel?”

I pity anyone who attempts to read my yellow notepads. Because I usually get a few ideas at a time when I am working on a story and things mesh together on the page. I write sideways, upside down, I use squiggly lines to link ideas as they arrive. So, in a way, I am saying that once I have latched onto an idea everything comes together quickly. Kind of like an accident in a snowstorm. It starts with one car sliding and soon there is this pileup.

Many of my ideas come from images to start with or an absent thought that grows. My most recent novel A Jane Austen Daydream started as a thought and a giggle. The thought was the idea of doing something for Jane, give her something that might make her laugh. The giggle part is the twist in the book, and I don’t want to ruin it here. I’ve done some research after writing this book, and there is a very good chance it might be the first time such a twist was attempted.

You can read the rest of the interview here.  Thanks Meglena!

A Jane Austen DaydreamA Jane Austen Daydream can be purchased in print ($13.46) or as an eBook for the outrageously low price of $3.99 for Kindle. You can find it on Amazon here (http://amzn.com/B00CH3HQUU).

My 6 Favorite Blogposts of 2013

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ChampagneEvery year, I like to stop and take a look at my life and the year that just was. And one of the great things about having a blog is it makes it quite easy to do just that! I get all of the highs and the lows, they are all there in easy to read formatting… sometimes even with cute pictures.

How did I feel about being a parent or on a child’s birthday, it is there. It’s like a personal photo album, but it is available for all to share. I just hope I am not that annoying friend who is showing you slides of their last family outing. That is the blogger nightmare, I guess.

Looking back, 2013 has been a great year for me. I finished writing a new novel (Permanent Spring Showers), I had two very well-reviewed books published (A Jane Austen Daydream and Maximilian Standforth and the Case of the Dangerous Dare), and I continued to watch this blog and my writing grow. Over the course of the year, my blog gained 600 new subscribers (now having over 1000) and my digits are higher on all of my other social media platforms.  It all almost calls for champagne.

Okay, I don’t like champagne. Seriously, I’m a light drinker. It is almost embarrassing. It makes my patient wife laugh how little I can handle. And when I do order drinks they come with funny straws and too much chocolate. I’m not James Bond, but I wish I was. I also threw up once in college after drinking goldschalger. You remember a moment like that, trust me. I kept drunkenly thinking, “There is gold everywhere! Look at all the money!”

For those new to my blog, or those who are catching up, here are my six favorite posts from the last year. If you have already read the articles, I have included a new afterthought to each. Something for everyone… about me. Enjoy! Continue reading →

“A great achievement” New book review and interview for A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM

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Jane AustenAuthor and blogger Christoph Fischer has recently given a wonderful review for my new novel A Jane Austen Daydream.  Here is an excerpt:

An excellent concept and a great achievement, a must read for Austen fans open for a playful read and those who wish Austen had written more. This is like a little welcome encore for us fans.

I also agreed to be interviewed about the book and my writing. It was a very interesting interview with some fun and serious questions mixed in. This was my response to the question about how the idea of the book came to me:

It was in reading a biography on her that I realized how little her life actually mirrored her books. She did not have a Darcy waiting for her at home, and died far too young and only with her sister and mother for company. So at the heart of A Jane Austen Daydream is my hope to give Jane an adventure she might have wanted for herself… with a few post-modern twists to it. The big twist in the book (which I won’t ruin here) actually grew out of a joke I made once. I still can’t believe I had the guts to do it. But there you go, it’s out there now forever. Let’s see what happens.

A Jane Austen DaydreamYou can read the complete review and interview on Christoph’s website here. I hope you will check it out. If you would like to learn more about A Jane Austen Daydream, you can do so on this page for the book (here). A Jane Austen Daydream is available via Amazon (here), where you can find it for the low price of $3.99 for eBook and $13.46 for print.

Indie Author Land interviews me about A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM

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Me and the proof copy of my bookToday 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!