NVCL/NSWA Writing with Writers Workshop – North Vancouver City Library, February 7, 2018

NVCL/NSWA Writing with Writers Workshop –

North Vancouver City Library, February 7, 2018 7:00 – 8:30pm

 

I’ll be teaching a writing workshop on Romance writing to the public in February, jointly sponsored by the North Shore City Library and the North Shore Writers’ Association. Perfectly timed for Valentine’s Day. Here’s the promotional blurb:

Romance Writing: The Power of that Dynamic Allure

Presented by Mary Ann Clarke Scott

 

Have you ever wondered how romance fiction differs from other genres? Or what’s going on in a romance novel besides kissing? Have you ever wondered if you could be the next Nora Roberts? Then this workshop is for you.

 

Chatelaine Grand Prize winner and NSWA member, Mary Ann Clarke Scott, will guide us through the writer’s contract with the reader. We’ll examine the roles of the Heroine and Hero in this character dominant genre, and look at the internal emotional character arcs.

 

Bring pen and paper, or laptop, and be prepared to join in, as Mary Ann Clarke Scott, challenges, educates, and inspires the amorous spirit in all of us.

 


 

Come out for an evening of hands-on writing instruction and learn some key facts about writing romance and women’s fiction. “Friends of the Library” serve wine, and it’s a great opportunity to meet me in person, and to buy print copies of my books. I’ll even sign yours if you do!

 

 

 

Nominate Disruption by Design on Kindle Scout

Nominate Disruption by Design on Kindle Scout

Kindle Scout Campaign

My forthcoming new novel, Disruption by Design has been up on Kindle Scout since November 10th. To date, I’ve had 1336 page views, though Amazon doesn’t report how many nominations the book has. It did manage to hit the Hot and Trending list for seven hours in its first couple of days live. I’m hoping it makes it back there near the end of its month on December 10th.

Disruption by Design is Book 2 in the Having it All series, about professional 30-something women in Vancouver struggling to balance the challenge and fulfillment of their career with their search for love, family and home. It follows Bruce and Alexa, the best friends of Simon and Kate from Reconcilable Differences. – p.s. Eventually most of the key characters in Reconcilable Differences will get their own story (yes, I already know what happens, more or less!)

 

Cover of Disruption by Design by M A Clarke Scott author

What is the price of sacrifice, when love is the prize?

Alexa is a gifted architect. She grew up watching her mother pay a heavy price for love, at the loss of her freedom, her creativity and her identity – a price Alexa swore she would never pay. She spent her youth helping her working mom take care of their home, her sick father and her six younger siblings. Now nothing will stand in the way of her success.

Bruce has success in spades. He lives a life of leisure after selling his software company for millions. But money can’t buy the thing he desires most, and was deprived of as a child when his mother left him and his three older brothers in the care if his bullying dad- the love and nurturing of a woman, a comfortable home and a family of his own.

 

 

Although behind the scenes analysis of Kindle Scout results in few conclusions (see my 2016 Kindle Scout campaign analysis here), it’s generally held to be important to Amazon that a healthy percentage of your page views and nominations come in from external links. This round, I’m not doing so well, with only sixty out of those 1336 that could be attributable to my own marketing efforts, a mere four percent. You can help bump up this percentage!

Click here to check it out and if you like it, please Nominate it. And then share the link with other avid readers, too.

My impression is that, like every other tool and strategy available to independent authors, Kindle Scout has changed very rapidly in the last couple of years. Not one thing in this industry sits static very long, which is why authors and publishers need to continue to be light-of-foot and constantly monitoring and learning. Although not universally true, it seems to me more experienced, not-first-time authors are using Kindle Scout as a launching platform, in order to get more visibility for books they plan to release themselves in the near future. As I am.

It’s not that Amazon doesn’t still pick up the occasional book out of the enourmous public slush pile that Kindle Scout nominees represent. (For those not familiar, a “slush pile” is that huge pile of mostly unsolicited manuscripts most traditional publishers and agents have to dig and weed through to find that one jewel of a book that excites them enough to represent it.) But those odds never were very good. Whether traditional or new-age, it’s pretty hard to predict what next book which capture the public’s imagination.

Rejection Letter Peanuts cartoon

 

Click here to check it out and if you like it, please Nominate it. And then share the link with other avid readers, too.

Thank you!

 

 

Other places you can follow me

Booksprout LogoBy the way, I’ve discovered a fantastic new book platform. It’s another great way for readers and authors to find each other. It helps authors get Advance Reader Copies out to hungry readers in exchange for reviews. You can now hear about my new releases and deals in the Booksprout app.

Follow me in the Booksprout app!

Just download it, search for “M A Clarke Scott” and click follow! (Hint: In addition to my planned new release, I have another special offer coming up soon. See if you can find it!) Get the free Booksprout app →

Don’t forget Instagram

When not diligently editing the manuscript for Disruption by Design, I mostly hang out on Instagram these days if I’m spending time on social media. I guess I just like the visuals there, and the quick text-like bites of commentary, as well as the generally positive environment (unlike some platforms these days.) If you want to see all the photos I’ve posted (yes, there are some of my cats and what I’ve been cooking or eating) including travel and events and books, follow me here!