The biggest change to the publishing industry in our lifetime is the rise of self-publishing. Once a fringe, it is now a juggernaut for those that have stories to tell and want to tell them their own way. I’ve known and respected Liz Ashe for practically my entire life, and if ANYONE has a voice that needs to be heard, it’s her. Plus, as Liz puts it, she publishes “through Amazon because it’s ridiculously easy.” She is also an avid supporter of NaNoWriMo.
Guest Blogger – Liz Ashe
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Hi. I’m Liz Ashe. I am a native Texan and live in the DFW Metroplex. I have been writing and posting online since 1999. My first novel was published in 2006 by ComStar Media. I started off writing fanfiction and had a decent following which is the bulk of my current fanbase now for my original work. I mostly stick to sci-fi, horror, and supernatural themes. You can find me on: Facebook, Twitter @spankerella, Instagram @echo.liz and Patreon. Liz’s latest book, HAWKERS OF PARITY – A SHADOWSIDE COMPANION NOVEL, was released in Aug 2020. Previous books include IN SHADOWSIDE, THE FOURTH CORNER, ROUGH SPIRITS, and CARPE NOCTEM: AN ANTHOLOGY OF THE SUPERNATURAL. |
Tell us a little about HAWKERS OF PARITY – A SHADOWSIDE COMPANION NOVEL, your latest book.
I wrote HAWKERS OF PARITY to give backstory to some characters that are coming into the final novel of my main trilogy. The Main Character, Bridget Bishop, helps keep the balance in the supernatural world, but when she goes back home for her high school reunion, the past she tried to leave behind and the future she never could have imagined will throw her carefully ordered life out of symmetry.
A former hunter type goes back to her hometown for her high school reunion and basically all hell breaks loose. This is setting up some of the heavy hitters who will assist Madison Ravenheart (my main heroine) in the third book of her trilogy “CERTAIN DARK THINGS”, and introducing characters that will play more dominant roles in other books based in the same universe. It also broadens the universe the books are set in by going into detail on things that have only been hinted at in previous books.
I’ve read HAWKERS OF PARITY, which I would describe it as Buffy The Vampire Slayer crossed with Supernatural with a dash of the original Frankenstein. What are you working on now?
CERTAIN DARK THINGS – book 3 of the SHADOWSIDE Trilogy (obviously), but also something tentatively called “Miss Morningstar” about the devil’s daughter. I started Miss Morningstar as part of NaNoWriMo a few years ago. I have all of it except the end right now. I’m still trying to decide how I want it to go.
You’ve had a lot of success writing paranormal and supernatural stories. What draws you to that genre?
It’s what interests me and what I know best. I’ve won several fan awards for fanfiction, but nothing on my original writing, and I am credited in HP fandom with creating the Blaise/Luna ship. Don’t know if that counts, but here we are.
You are a frequent participant in NaNoWriMo and other groups as a writer, mentor, and reviewer. What advice would you give to other writers?
I read as much as I write. I feel like I am always consuming media. To learn more about other writers by reading their work is to learn more about how you fit into that world.
Read. Even books you don’t like or don’t finish can tell you directions you don’t want to go in. If writing a whole book seems too big, break it down into smaller pieces. Not all writing is actual sentences going on the page; some of it is naming things and world building. Do an outline of the entire story. If you don’t have all the pieces, put down what you do have and fill in the blanks later. Make yourself a “murder board” with post-its and pictures – use pushpins and yarn if necessary. Whatever you need to do to help you visualize your story can be part of the writing process.
Great advice! You can find Liz Ashe on Facebook, Twitter @spankerella, Instagram @echo.liz and Patreon, and her books – including HAWKERS OF PARITY– are available on Amazon.
