Wednesday, July 18, 2012

A Prescription for Multi-Tasking with Guest Blogger: Shannan Albright


Win a copy of Passion's Flight & chat 
with paranormal author Shannan Albright 
today at the Book Boost!

She's here to share her tips on how to multi-task without loosing your mind and here's what she had to say...

With all the advances in technology you would think life would be easier, one would have more free time. Well you couldn’t be more wrong. With the age of computers and word processors also came something called social media. There was a time when an author had a whole promotion and marketing department backing them up. Now, not so much.

So you want to write a book and do it for a living? Be prepared to put in some serious hours then. Not only with the writing of your novel but with the promotion of both your work and you. Selling yourself is essential to success in this field, which means using all the tools at your disposal. Blogs, websites, and other media platforms are a must to keep you in touch with your readers. I personally love it, but it can be a bit daunting trying to find time to write the next project when you are working to keep your name in the average readers mind.

There are a lot of authors out there like me who are juggling a full time writing career along with a full time day job, then add in a family and sometimes it’s hard to not lose your mind. I call this multi-tasking to the ultimate degree. I’m here to tell you it can be done, sure you may not be able to crank out those wonderful stories as fast as you would like, but they will still get out. I set up a time grid which I try to follow as closely as possible. I keep it loose with small weekly goals to be made by every Sunday evening.

I start my week on Monday’s with the following goals in mind: To write 20,000 words in a week, Finish with dinner and dishes by seven-thirty every night. Do the housework on the weekends and light upkeep only on the weekdays. Work promos on my breaks at work and for the first two hours when I get home.

I always try to over shoot my words written with any spare time I may have so I can fit in a date night with my hubby every week. I am lucky in that my hubby is very supportive of me and what I do. Any success I receive is a direct result of his unwavering support and I know how lucky I am.

My goal is to be able to drop the day job and work as a full time author and I feel this can be done as long as you keep at it, grow a thick hide and be prepared for the ego to take some hits. This is a rough business to get into, but it also rewarding and one I truly love.

A Note from the Book Boost:  Shannan, I like your weekly plan.  Particularly the parts about "light upkeep" on the house work!  We all know that women with clean houses don't have finished books.  And I love it when family members are supportive of what we do.  Thanks for taking time out to chat with us and know that I'm so proud of all you've achieved in the last couple of years.  I'm cheering for you always.  Tell us more. 



Blurb:

With ferals attacking the human populace in greater numbers than ever before, Tegan Murin has his hands full these days.

When he is ordered to find and destroy a deadly artifact known as Oman’s Seal, deal with his estranged step-father and find a missing archeologist. He’s a bit irritable. Add into the mix a recurring dream of one sexy seductress leading him to his death… well, you get one very pissed off were-panther.

Kyra Navarone is an archeologist who is more than what she seems. Escaping from the ferals who captured her, she ends up running into the brooding, irritating man who makes her blood run hot just with one look. Her life depends on the betrayal of this compelling man, but how can she live with herself afterward?

With ferals, An Atlantean Tracker and Lucien closing in on them, they are running out of time, Tegan and Kyra must learn to trust each other in order survive. More hangs in the balance than their lives. Their actions could very well spell the end of everything for not just their world, but the world hidden beneath the waves as well.


Excerpt (edited for length & content):

The vampire hissed, baring his impressively large fangs, his fingernails lengthening to razor sharp points. Tegan laughed with dark intent. His claws punched out of his hands with the sound of tearing flesh. The dagger sharp points, catching the light from the crescent moon shining above the filthy alley.. Forming a fist, he fought off the rank odor of rotten garbage and urine trying for a permanent home in his nostrils.

“Mine are bigger than yours,” he said with a menacing smile, wiggling his claws “Game on.”

The vampire’s eyes glowed red. Snarling his contempt, the beast leapt, its sharp nails aiming for Tegan’s exposed jugular. Tegan twisted to the side at the last moment and raked his claws up the vampire’s unprotected stomach. Crap, the vamp even screamed like a girl.

The vampire wrenched free of Tegan’s claws. Its nails tore through the leather of his bomber jacket, past the soft cotton tee shirt and gouged deep into the muscle and tendons.

Pain exploded through his shoulder, clear to the bone, traveling like wildfire down his arm, followed by the unpleasant prickling sensation like a thousand fire ants were eating his limb off. Gods damned vamps, he thought disgustedly. What was it with these feral vampires and poisons anyway? The venom pulsed though his system like toxic sludge, warning him there would be very little time before it rendered him immobile.




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6 comments:

Unknown said...

I hear ya on the juggling act. I did cut out the job, but it seems the writing has now doubled up into the extra time. But I wouldn't change a thing. I love writing and not to have it would simply make me insane.
Cheers,
Wend

Unknown said...

Ooops! Forgot my contact info. wend.petzler@yahoo.com

Rene Broux said...

Hi Wend It's kind of nice to know when your not the only one out there trying to juggle it all. Keep up the fight and know it's worth it everytime you realize your doing exactly what you want to do.

Unknown said...

You, too! It's been five years since my first release, and I wish I could say it has gotten better ... uh, well ... I have adapted to the crazy . I wouldn't trade my life now for anything.

Debby said...

Plans are great things to have. Have you had to cut anything?
debby236 at gmail dot com

Rene Broux said...

Hi Debby. To be honest there are time when I have. I try not to because it just makes more work for me in the long run. Thank god for my laptop so I can take it with when my plans change. :)