Long Time Running now available!

What a great, great day - Long Time Running is now available for purchase as an e-book on Amazon!

Are you a Nook or Kobo reader? It should be available on those platforms in about a week or so. I'll make sure to let you know.

I have been very lucky in the support I've received from beta readers. The finessing of the story is a credit to their feedback and suggestions.

Would love to hear what you think once you have a chance to read it.

Fix it or Forget it?

I am a multi-tasker. Need four plates kept spinning in the air? No problem, I'll keep five on the go just in case you need one more. I am, most days, happy to have multiple things to do as opposed to being focused on one single item. 

Except when it comes to writing. 

I cannot, no matter how hard I try, write more than one story at a time. I have friends who have written as many as three stories at once and I have marvelled at their ability. The one time I tried it, I nearly lost my sanity. 

The writing process is unique to every writer and I am more and more convinced that there is no one right way to write. When I write, as goofy as it sounds, my characters take up residence in my head. They have conversations, give me nudges and hints and generally hang around until they feel I've told their story. 

That kind of occupation of my mind doesn't leave a lot of room to entertain other characters or stories. However, I can always tell when the end of the story I'm working on is near because the characters from the next story start making themselves known from the sidelines. They start to define themselves the closer I get to the end of the current work in progress. 

I would love to be able to write more than one story at once. In some ways I think it would be easier or more efficient and yet it has never manifested itself to me in such a way. 

Which brings me to one of the issues I'm currently struggling with. What do you do when  the story you're working on goes off the rails. I have a completed manuscript - it was meant to be a sister book to Long Time Running - but it needs work. The plot twisted on itself part way through the writing and while I believe the elements are there for a good story, it will require some serious work to make that happen. 

I've re-read the manuscript a couple of times and every time I do, I'm struck by how much I like the characters and the major themes of the story. But in the two years since I wrote the last chapter, I have yet to fix it. 

And I think in some ways it's because the cure will be more difficult and time consuming than the original problem. In order to fix the manuscript, I need to set aside everything else I'm working on and reawaken the characters from the story in order to make it right.  

So if I don't fix the story then I need to forget it. Chalk it up as a learning experience and move on. Yet that feels a little like quitting. And so I keep going back to it, looking at it and ruminating on solutions.  A vicious circle if ever there was one. 

If I could multi-task with writing, that story would be good to go. 

Coming out of hibernation

Have you ever had a plan - a really good plan - ready for take off only to find your launch button defective?

That's kind of what happened here in that last year. (cue the sad trombone music) 

It had been the plan to have Long Time Running released at this time last year but real life has a rather predictable way of throwing you off track. And so here I am, one year later, ready to pick up where I left off.

Some truly wonderful things have happened along the way. Despite not publishing, I have kept writing and I have a handful of stories in need of polish but definitely on the track to being published.

I went to an author's convention. I was unsure of what to expect and feared the experience would leave me disheartened. Happily, I was very wrong. I met other authors and several editors over the course of the weekend. The feedback from the editors was overwhelmingly positive and while signing a book deal is not imminent, having confirmation from professionals that I'm on the right track is simply wonderful.

Over the last few weeks I've been giving Long Time Running another hard edit to tighten it up and fix those typos that have a mind of their own. Re-reading Eric and Nathalie has been like catching up with old friends. It feels like no time has passed since we last hung out and they are as delightful as they were the first time we met.

I was pleased to read the story again and feel as good about it as I did when I finished!

Now, what I'm really hoping for is that when you get a chance to meet Eric and Nathalie you will love them as much as I do. If you want a sneak peek, feel free to read a preview here 

There are several more steps before they make their public debut but I'm steadily ticking those items off the list. At the moment I'm targeting a mid-May release.

There's so much more to say and I will be more present around these parts to see what's new with you and talk about what's happening in the world of writing.

Talk soon!

xo Hannah

A sneak peek - Long Time Running

Moving ever closer to the publication of Long Time Running, a contemporary romance, I thought I would share a little preview. I hope in the coming weeks you'll join me on the journey of Nathalie and Eric.

******

Seven years earlier

     Rays of light slivered through the curtains and softly warmed the room. As his fingertips brushed against her breasts, Nathalie sighed sleepily and smiled. "Haven't you had enough?" she asked, her eyes still closed as she snuggled close to the warmth of his body.

     Nuzzling her neck, he breathed in her heady scent. "Don't you know by now there is no such thing as enough where you're concerned?"

     The young doctor rolled on to her back, her long, dark blonde hair fanning out against the pillow.  "You are incorrigible." She smirked, her green eyes dancing.

     "I know." His hand traced a small pattern across her torso. "It's our first day off together in over a month and I think we should spend it in bed." Eric softly sucked on her ear lobe, "Do you agree?"

     Nathalie's stomach pitched and rolled, whether from nerves or the reaction she always had to his touch,  was unclear. She wanted nothing more than to get lost in him – lost in his deep blue eyes, his soft full lips and his lean muscular body but there wasn't time for that. There was a conversation she had been avoiding  for weeks but it could not wait any longer.

     Swallowing the lump in her throat at the uncertainty of things to come, Nathalie recognized that she was potentially about to blow their world apart. As Eric pressed kisses down her throat, she focused on the feeling of this moment when they were perfect. There had been so many times like this between them, and if this was going to be their last perfect moment she wanted to savour it.

  "I've missed you." He whispered gruffly as his lips met hers. Their lives, as fourth year residents, were hectic and time alone together was rare. They had an unspoken rule that when they were alone they kept the real world at bay as much as they could.

  "I know." She responded breathily, guilt swirling under the surface with the knowledge that the extra shifts she had volunteered for over the past month had taken away what few chances they had for time together. But lately being at the hospital had been easier than being with Eric.

  Nathalie had loved Eric for so long and so completely that she rarely remembered what her life was like before him. They had met on the first day of their residency as a sleep-deprived and over-caffeinated Nathalie spilled her drink on his fresh white lab coat. Inseparable almost immediately, they had become the golden couple of their program. Both smart and sexy, they competed hard inside the OR to be the top neurosurgeon, but left it all at the  hospital

  They had talked about marriage but agreed to table it until they established themselves as doctors. They also shared a dream of working overseas, each wanting to give back with their time and their talent. There were so many adventures waiting for them, all they had to do was get started.

  Sensing her distraction, Eric broke their kiss to look in her eyes. "Hey, you ok?" he asked softly as he smoothed her hair gently from her forehead.

  She nodded, her eyes filling with emotion. Words danced tantalizingly on the tip of her tongue - words that needed to be said, but she couldn't quite bring herself to break the moment. "I just love you so much."

  "I know you do. And I am going to show you how much I love you." A cocky grin tilted the corners of his mouth before his lips crashed back to hers. Nathalie allowed herself the momentary reprieve of sinking into his kiss before forcing herself to push gently away. The fire between them had always been all consuming but she knew that she was merely delaying the inevitable.

  "Can we have breakfast first?" she asked. "I'm famished."

  Eric smirked and shook his head as he kicked back the covers. "You've been starving a lot lately. Got hollow legs?" he teased.

  "Nah," she replied with a sultry smile. "You just know how to make me work up an appetite."

  Chuckling, he lightly bussed her lips as he rose from the bed and reached for his shorts. "I forgot to tell you," he began, "I was so excited to see you last night that I forgot to share a little piece of gossip that reached my ears."

  "Oh?"  propping herself up on her arm and drinking him in. At almost 6 foot 4 and perfectly proportioned, he was a striking figure and one she could stare at for days.

  "Rachel is pregnant."

  "Pardon?" she asked, her heart thumping loudly inside her chest.

  "Rachel and Greg are going to have a baby. It's all over for them."he replied, shaking his head.

  Sitting up with a start, the sheet dropped and pooled around her hips. Her jaw clenched involuntarily.

  "What do you mean it's all over for them?"

  Hearing the tone in her voice, he gave her a curious look. "I mean that Rachel isn't doing her fellowship. She's going to take time off to be with the baby. All those plans that they had – to move to Europe and travel – they're all gone. What a waste.”

  "It's not a waste!" she protested more intensely than she meant to. "They may not get to do what they originally planned to do, but they are getting something wonderful. Maybe a child means more to them than traveling?"

  Leaning against the door he studied her carefully, surprised at the vehemence of her reaction to their coworkers’ news.

  "Nat," he began slowly, "I'm happy for them if this is what they want but I would hate for them to resent their child down the line when they realize what they gave up to become parents. ‘Oops babies’ can derail a person's life and they can end up taking their anger over that out on the child."

  A rueful smile formed on her lips and she exhaled slowly. "I know babe, but not everyone is doomed to repeat the mistakes of their parents." Nathalie stated pointedly.

  Eric's had not been an easy childhood as his parents had been distant and cold. His father, a domineering man who was never satisfied, had berated and belittled his son to the point that by the time Eric was a teenager he was clear about never wanting to be a father.

  None of this was news to Nathalie. She knew his feelings on the subject of parenthood and had never once tried to change them – it was one of the many reasons he loved her. She was the only family he needed.

  He shrugged. "I hope not. I'm just glad it isn't an option for us. It would feel like a nightmare if I were in Greg's place. I feel sorry for him."

  "You don't think he's happy about this? They are in love and have been together almost as long as we have," she said softly.

  "What's he supposed to say?" he quipped. "Only a jerk would tell people this was awful news or not take responsibility. I know they didn't plan it but he's kind of trapped now.” Turning towards the door, he missed the dark clouds that passed through Nathalie's eyes. "Anyway – pancakes and bacon sound good?"

  "Yeah" she replied distractedly as his words echoed through her mind.

  As he left the room she flopped back against the pillows and sighed heavily as her eyes filled with tears. Her hand came to rest against her still flat stomach and her mind began to churn. While she had long known his feeling about children she had never really imagined she would be forced to choose between the man she loved and the child she never expected to have.

Rediscovering my voice

Over the coming weeks, I will be previewing some of my upcoming novel, Long Time Running in advance of its publication as an eBook.

Writing has always been an escape for me. It is also a way to make sense of things either in my life or other people's lives through storytelling. It can be cathartic, enlightening, energizing and even some times overwhelming. But it is always, always worth the effort.

Though I had spent a lot of time as a teenager writing stories for my own amusement, I had not, until about six years, spent any time writing fiction. I have dabbled as a journalist and have written opinion pieces for another blog but the notion of creating a story from whole cloth seemed completely out of reach. The truth was, I wasn't sure of my voice.

And then, through a series of circumstances, I took a stab a writing fan fiction for a television show. It was a great platform to jump off from because the principle characters were already there, fully formed with mannerisms and patterns that were easily recognizable. Like a thirsty person at a well, I wrote as though my life depended on it. I wrote eight stories in all, varying in length - including a trilogy.

Like all things, there was a season to this writing and I let go of it once I felt I no longer had any stories to tell. It felt good to end it but at the same time, my hands and my mind itched for another creative endeavour. A trusted and very wise friend sensing my unrest, suggested I try my hand at a romance novel.

I scoffed. What did I know about writing romance novels and furthermore, what did I know about writing original fiction?

My friend is trusted and wise for a reason. Logically and passionately she laid out all the reasons why I could write original fiction and before I knew it, I was off. I sketched out characters, a plot and in no time I was hearing my main couple's conversations. They were ready for me to write about them. (If you're a writer, do you also 'hear' the conversations of your characters?)

And in less than six months, Long Time Running was done. It's been edited a few times and is now in the process of having a real, critical edit prior to publication.

There is relief in discovering a voice is dormant and not silenced.

Just how social are you?

There is so much emphasis on using social media as a channel for marketing and promotion. Authors can be found everywhere these days, me included. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, GoodReads and blogs are all opportunities for authors to connect with readers, promote their books and hopefully drive up sales.

If you are focused primarily on eBooks and/or self publishing, social media is the only low cost option to promote your product. Absent the marketing money a traditional publishing house can provide, it is incumbent on the author to get the word out as widely and as often as possible. But is it possible to be too social?

Just how many social media platforms are necessary to make an impression?

I think there is a difference between having a presence everywhere and being present. To me, the key to making good use of social media is to be engaged with others - content is king (or queen). You can't simply just put stuff out there and hope for the best. The social part of social media requires the building of relationships, actual genuine interactions and a give and take. I think it's hard to do that if you're spread too thinly over too many platforms.

Currently, I have this blog, can be found on Twitter (@fosterthewriter) and can be found on Facebook here

If you're an author, where are you? How social are you?

If you're a reader, where are you looking to connect with your favourite authors? How social would you like them to be?

Writing Process - Beta Readers

One of the most nerve wracking things to do, as a writer, is to share what you've written. 

It seems like a contradiction given that one of the key motivations in writing is to put your work out in to the world. But there is always that moment, that breath just before you press publish or send, where you are filled with doubt as to whether or not what you've written is fit for consumption. 

Having a reader or a group of readers willing to provide you with honest and fulsome feedback is one of the best things a writer can do. It is easy - too easy - to get so caught up in your writing and the details of your story that you don't realize you've missed the plot until you're several chapters past it. The work to undo the knots you've written unnecessarily can be disheartening. 

Some writers prefer to finish their entire manuscript but I prefer to share as I go. I also make it a point not to edit endlessly before I share. There are times when a chapter goes out that it has typos or some questionable grammatical gymnastics but, for me, those things can always be caught later. What I want to know as I go along is, is the story working? Do the characters ring true? 

I am very lucky to have a handful of friends who read the chapters as I write them and let me know how things are holding together. They are generous with their praise, which feeds the ego but they are also equally generous with their likes and dislikes. Most importantly, they are unafraid to tell me if something isn't working. 

One of the ways to make the process work well, in my view, is to have more than one reader but to keep the group small. Having to balance the opinions of ten or 12 people can be daunting and can distract from the actual writing. It's also important to have absolute trust in your beta readers. Feedback given is to make the story better and it's important, for the process to work, that you accept it as such. 

Do you have a beta reader or readers? Do you feel it enhances your writing process?