On Edgar Allan Poe, and the Book that Changed Everything

Dear Readers,

I wrote the following post originally for the site Unbound Worlds. This is one of the more personal things I've written, so on this auspicious birthday of the great Edgar Allan Poe, I'd like to continue to pay tribute to his memory and re-publish this piece here, in thanks for his ongoing ministrations as my patron saint.

The single most influential book of sci-fi/fantasy/horror in my life, by far, was my first volume of The Collected Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. That tattered paperback went with me everywhere, it was my best friend at a lonely time, and Poe’s words spoke right to my young heart. I’d been exposed to Poe in grade school, earlier than most thanks to a progressive program. Poe became a distinct catalyst. By the time I was a pre-teen I had already begun drafting a Victorian-set Gothic novel in the vein of The Phantom of the Opera (Leroux’s classic being another influential book).

Eighteen years later, my first published novel, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker (which now exists in print as Strangely Beautiful via Tor Books), set in an eerie, ghost-filled London in 1888, can track its existence back to that paperback book with a raven on the cover.

From first hearing “The Raven,” then diving into more poetry and the whole of his canon of stories, I was aware I was digesting true genius; an accessibility that readers young or old could grasp, his Victorian voice immediately relatable to a modern ear, his unique gift of making the grotesque beautiful, his deftly poetic turns of phrase and his powerful high-concept invention of most genre fiction.

I also felt, in reading him, like I was encountering a certain window into my own soul. The classic Shakespearean quote from Twelfth Night goes “some are born great, some achieve greatness, some have greatness thrust upon them.” In one of my novels (The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart) I paid homage to this line but highlighted melancholy instead. “Some are born with darkness, some have darkness thrust upon them…”

I was born with a distinct dark side prone to ghost stories. That side came from no direct influence anyone could tell other than my own preferences; what I gravitated towards and identified with. I learned from Poe, from his art and from his own difficult life, that if that side wasn’t managed and folded in holistically into my full self, it could define me entirely, I could be lost to it, I could war with it without respite. But I also knew my dark side has always been, like Poe, the place within me inexhaustibly full of possibility and imagination, thrilling fantasy, the source of endless esoteric questions concerning the perilous precipice between life and death. My dark side has always been my muse; my creative lens, the more interesting compass determining life’s path.

Donning a Goth aesthetic when I first began shopping for my own clothes, I found that externalizing my interior narrative helped the world navigate me as I was trying to navigate the world. 20 years later, my wonderful, loving and extremely supportive parents have realized dressing in black isn’t a phase. They’ve graciously come to celebrate that my work as a Gothic novelist, artist, performer and Ghost Tour guide means I’ve made an entire career out of celebrating that razor-thin edge between beauty and horror, making friends with melancholy and telling hopeful stories from the shadows. I dance from that liminal space.

Because I dress, daily, in some level and form of Victorian mourning, when people comment on my wardrobe I always say; “if you like my clothes, you’ll like my books, I dress like I write.” The same goes for what I cut my teeth on as a young reader. Themes rife in Poe are rife in my work, as my stories are set in the 1880s, my characters often make direct reference to Poe and his tales, all of which would have preceded them. I speak on countless panels at conventions around the country about the lasting impact of Poe’s genius; my artistic north star.

I often wear (and I also make Poe-related jewelry) Poe’s image on a necklace or pin and I was once asked by someone who didn’t recognize the iconic image: “is that your boyfriend?” I laughed and just said yes. I do believe in past lives, I believe past lives are part of the reason I recognized and was drawn to 19th century stories and writers from grade school age. I doubt I am a Virginia Clemm reincarnate but I do wonder if I would have orbited in Poe’s old literary circles, or perhaps he was just as much an inspiration to me then as he is now. Perhaps the prolific, driven writer wrestling with their melancholic angels echoes through time itself.

The great tragedy of Poe’s life is not only his premature (and entirely suspicious) death, but the constant spectre of loss that haunted him forever; abandoned early in his life, as an adult, his great love Virginia (a healthy, mutual, consensual relationship that by all records was a devoted one on both sides) dying of tuberculosis in the bloom of youth was a blow from which he never recovered, the sincere lack of public appreciation of his groundbreaking, gorgeous work, and the constant financial strife chasing down every penny publishers owed him, all of which drove him to drink. He was not, however, as crazed or as addicted as history has made him out to be, that’s all trumped up allegations from Rufus Griswold, a literary nemesis in life that published a damning and sensationalized biography of Poe after his death. We tour guides try to set the record straight and return Poe’s memory to a more moderate tale of a difficult life of an underappreciated genius.

I pay homage to Poe, and that well-worn paperback collection, every day. I walk the streets he walked while living in New York, I keep his authorial voice in my ear, and from the moment I knew art could be a healing salve and spiritual calling, he’s never been far from me; my melancholic prince, my patron saint.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Poe. I hope your spirit can take comfort now knowing how loved you are in our time.

-- Leanna Renee Hieber

If you like these thoughts, you'll like my books! Especially The Spectral City series with Kensington Books! Cheers and Happy Haunting!

IndieBound Independent Bookstores: http://tinyurl.com/sanctib 

Powell’s: http://tinyurl.com/sanctpw 

Word Bookstores: http://tinyurl.com/sanctwd 

B&N: http://tinyurl.com/sanctbn 

AZ: http://tinyurl.com/sanctaz

 

Hold On To The Light blog: Art as Healer

I want to thank the wonderful and inspiring Gail Martin, who I signed beside at Larry Smith Booksellers at DragonCon for a thrilling hour, for letting me know about the Hold On to The Light campaign for mental wellness. She’s as delightful and powerful as her books.

Being involved with this is fitting, because phrases about holding on to the light have been my exact inscription on most of the books I’ve signed for readers, or variations therein. Holding onto light, both figurative and literal, is the crux of my entire STRANGELY BEAUTIFUL series.

So I’ve had a dark side all my life. That in and of itself is nothing to fear, I revel in a Halloween-Town sort of life, I'm one of those "Perky Goths". However, dressing all in black since my teen years aside, I have had intense periods where I’ve struggled with specific kinds of depression.

The course of my life’s work has been to find ways to dive into tumultuous, deep, treacherous psychological waters and navigate them in a way that is useful, helpful, healthy and societally constructive. My books are the result of that journey. I myself struggle to find words. But my characters are my mediums, and they channel what I want and need to say in a (hopefully) entertaining and engaging way.

Here’s a brief section illustrating why I’ve found a haven in Goth and Gothic culture and literature, and why I will always be an artist lifting up these themes, a premise that has been life-saving for me. I find my characters say it better than I can, so if you'll indulge them... 

This is a scene between Nathaniel Veil, a performer of Gothic drama and my steeled-mettle heroine Natalie Stewart in The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart:

"Well hello there," Mister Veil said appreciatively. "You're not one of my Association. That must make you the lovely Miss Stewart, Jonathon's girl. I was warned you'd be coming," he grinned, showcasing the fangs from a vampiric bit that he'd retained for the rest of his show.

“I am indeed Miss Stewart. The lovely part is up to you.”

Nathaniel laughed, putting fingers to his mouth. With one snap, the fangs were gone. Part of me was sad to see the illusion fade.

“You play a vampire, but do you believe in them?” I asked. "In all the characters and creatures you portray?"

Nathaniel considered this as he placed his teeth into a jar of faux incisors. "Vampires surely exist, in one way or another. Something that preys on human life? I’ve seen that well enough. Fantasy is the only way we can understand reality.” There was a darkness to his tone. A familiar one. “The world is full of devils and thieves, Miss Stewart. To make the darkness playful is the only way to survive it. We must externalize that which might kill us otherwise.”

I nodded. “Jonathon described you as unapologetically melancholy. I find it refreshing. I’ve terrible nightmares. They don't make for pleasant conversation. But life isn’t always pleasant, is it?”

Nathaniel shook his head, gauging me with an intensity that surpassed custom. It was thrilling and off-putting all at once. “Funny. Jonathon didn’t say I couldn't stand close to you. I’d have thought he knew me better.” He took a step closer. I could feel heat coming off his powerful form. Perhaps Jonathon only kept company with men who were, as he was: distinct, bold, and impossible to ignore…

“Is this what you say to all those young women there in the gallery, swaying in black-”

“My Association.”

 I raised an eyebrow. He explained:

 “We are united in melancholy, nothing more. We revel in it, turning our black hearts outward to find joy. We cannot remain in shadow's ecstasy always, so we must make a game of it. Would you like to join us? I'm not usually forthcoming with strangers. But, alas, you've disarmed me.”
Beaming, he produced a card. In bold, elegant script the card declared membership to:

 “Her Majesty’s Association for Melancholy Bastards.”

I couldn't help but chuckle. Turning over the card, it read:

President: Hamlet
Vice President: Edgar A. Poe
Social Chair: Mary Shelley
Secretary: Ophelia
Treasurer: Manfred, Lord of Otranto

Grinning, I looked up from the card to see Nathaniel looking rather pleased with himself. “Brilliant,” I agreed.

“Would you like to join?”

I gave him a wary look. “Is there a membership ritual?”

“I’ll forgo the bloodletting for you,” he said and laughed when I looked wary, gesturing that I keep the card. “Show this at the theatre door whenever I play, and they’ll let you into the pit. We’re self-selecting. We don’t want anyone making fun or starting trouble. It’s why there’s a dress code- grand dark aesthetic aside- it shows you want to play in the spirit of community and camaraderie.”

The way his art defined yet didn’t overwhelm him was wonderful. He didn’t take himself too seriously, which made me take him utterly so.

“Some are born with darkness," Nathaniel stated. "Some have darkness thrust upon them." He turned to his mirrors to wipe a bit of kohl from his eyes. “I hear you and Jonathon were put through quite the trial. He wasn't born with darkness, so it was thrust upon him. You?”

“Thrust upon me and always pressing in. You?”         

“Born with it,” he stated airily. "And when you're born with melancholy you learn how to live with it or else you die of it. Simple as that."

I knew it wasn't as simple as that. My disability proved that rising above challenges, no matter what kind, took discipline and ritual. Veil had figured out his ritual, and once learned, the discipline seemed simple. It was the work of a lifetime.

(end of excerpt)

***

In a much broader swath of thoughts and experiences, my ETERNA FILES series, the latest of which just released, ETERNA AND OMEGA, is a Gaslamp Fantasy series of Supernatural Suspense set in 1800s New York City and London. These books are made up of a wide spectrum of quirky characters from numerous diverse backgrounds. These characters deal with all kinds of issues and struggles, private and public, and for them, battling the paranormal helps them with battling their own internal demons.

I take the exact tack my character Mister Veil takes, in making difficult, trying and extreme themes, one’s own pit and pendulum, something to play with, understand and utilize, rather than letting it be the defining tone, trying never letting abject despair win without a good-natured fight.

My character of Clara Templeton is extremely close to my heart, as her struggles to find balance, internally and externally are carefully calibrated. She is sensitive on many levels, and her sense of purpose is a driving force in her character, as it is in my own. For her there are a lot of grey areas, and she navigates them only by finding a loving and supportive community of friends and chosen family, a “beloved community” that help to protect her even from a distance, as there are things some of us all must walk through and fight autonomously.

My work is dark, rich and complex, as no genre dealing with the kinds of psychological extremes that the Gothic posits should ever be less than complicated and fully realized, allowing for the full breadth of humanity’s capability. That’s how I deal with every struggle, I let it become part of my artistic understanding, trying never to allow ups and downs to rule me, trying to let a forward momentum of productive hope to power me and the atmospheric stories I tell.

I, like every one of my characters in all of my books, seek balance and autonomy, supportive, non-toxic systems and communities, and try to live in strength and hope, trying to enjoy life’s challenges rather than being scared of them or beholden to them.

Art is how I deal with the world and greet the world, it is my core identity entwined with a rock-solid faith in a loving, accepting deity. I try to actively avoid bitterness and negativity and keep my characters sensitive to and aware of those jagged rocks as well.

During this month of mental health awareness, I hope everyone finds positive and enjoyable ways to express their best selves, in safe spaces, filled with good humor, delight, and beauty. May you keep a lit candle of hope burning bright and kindle pride at fighting the good fight for peace.

Cheeers and as I always say... Happy Haunting!

Leanna Renee

Follow Leanna on Twitter
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From the Hold On To the Light campaign: If you want to get even more hands-on, please consider donating to or volunteering for organizations dedicated to treatment and prevention such as: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Home for the Warriors (PTSD), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Canadian Mental Health Association, MIND (UK), SANE (UK), Beyond Blue (Australia), To Write Love On Her Arms and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.

Visit the public FB group for other participating authors and information! 

The Eterna Files (Book 1) in paperback is here! With praise!

Happy Paperback Release, THE ETERNA FILES!

Hello Darling Readers! The mass-market paperback edition of THE ETERNA FILES is now available wherever books are sold!

 

In celebration of this happy release week, and the fact that the sequel ETERNA & OMEGA is available for pre-order, I thought I'd share some very nice, lovely things reviewers and magazines have said about THE ETERNA FILES, book one in the Eterna Files trilogy with Tor Books:

 

"Hieber blends historical fact and paranormal fiction with ease, creating a world that is lush and fascinatingly strange, and reveals her secrets sparingly, keeping fans on edge for more information about these intriguingly powerful characters and the ties that bind them. Smart, boundlessly creative gaslamp fantasy." - RT Book Reviews

“A very different but unique book that definitely had me turning the pages wondering what would happen next. A very good start to what looks like a promising series.” – Books of Love

The Eterna Files is an intriguing tale of ghosts, spirits, the occult, politics, and espionage with complex and engaging characters.  Leanna Renee Hieber has brought the Victorian world to life in her novel.  The world in which her characters reside in is both romantic and terrifying.  The late nineteenth-century was on the precipice of immense change--a change that was both intoxicating and terrifying, which is reflected within the novel.  Leanna Renee Hieber knows her history and employs her knowledge well in her novel.  The Eterna Files simply crackles with the energy of the era, and is a haunting, lush, and intelligent fantasy.” – Michelle Hamilton, author of “I Would Still Be Drowned in Tears”: Spiritualism in Abraham Lincoln’s White House

“It’s always a pleasure for me to read something that’s not quite like anything I’ve read before. The Eterna Files is just such a book. There are ghosts and murders and kidnappings and dark magic and all kinds of other gothic goings on. Hieber’s prose is well wrought and seductive, and her knowledge of the Victorian era is formidable. The Eterna Files is a darkly gothic concoction, mixing mystery, horror and romance… well worth your time.” – Singular Points

“Addicted. I am officially addicted to Leanna Renee Hieber’s writing. I fell in love with The Eterna Files from the very first page. Hieber has a wonderful way of creating rich historical worlds that draw you in and keep you enthralled. It is difficult to imagine the days when America and Great Britain were enemies, but [the setting] is barely a hundred years after the Revolution and both countries are hunting the same prize. It is easy to see how both would see each other as the enemuy and not the ally they are today. If you love a mystery, gothic fiction, and an all-around good story, you need to read this book.” – RoseReads

"Excellent first installment in a unique new series. Hieber expertly blends intriguing supernatural elements and interesting, quirky characters in an authentic historical setting. Readers who enjoy a skillful mixture of history and paranormal elements will be well pleased." - Carol Malcom for Bitten by Books

 

"An interesting blend of genres with a unique premise." - The BiblioSanctum

"A case study in cliff-hangers. Hieber crafts a wonderful Victorian sandbox to play in, draping it in the fineries of the paranormal and mystical. The Eterna Files is a terrific ride set in a world that you'll want to return to. Fans of all things mystical, Victorian and goth need apply posthaste." - Pop Kernal

"A wonderful premise. Hieber is a great writer! I love her prose; it's romantic, detail oriented, atmospheric and very intelligent." - Talk Supe

"Rich in conceits as anything from Alan Moore, Hieber’s novel mixes action and the emotional lives of its characters into a fascinating stew." - Paul Di Filippo for Asimov's Magazine

“Extremely descriptive; the supernatural plot is intriguing. The author has offered up a rainbow of characters, from the guilt-ridden to the intellectual to the satirical, which will have readers champing at the bit for more.” – Suspense magazine

“Hieber carves out a chillingly reimagined Gilded Age in careful detail.”  - Kirkus Reviews

“The alternating plotlines seem equally urgent, riddled by murders and bearing the taint of madness. Both settings take the time to introduce a fascinating array of offbeat characters.” Faren Miller, Locus

“An incredibly gripping Holmesian gothic story with supernatural undertones that will send a cold shiver down your spine on the hottest of days. I felt instantly close to the main characters on both sides of the battle as the darkening plot twists whisked me toward the thrilling and emotional end. An engaging, fast-paced, mystery-laden story.” – The Found Girl

---

I'm very grateful for the lovely praise. I know the cliff-hanger ending of this novel has made some folks very nervous, don't worry, it will all be revealed soon as the series continues in just a few months!

If you aren't already aware, characters from my Magic Most Foul saga as well as my Strangely Beautiful saga appear prominently throughout the Eterna Files trilogy so be prepared to welcome back old friends to new terrors! (The poor dears!)  

I truly hope you'll all go out and support the book in paperback, digital or hardcover edition this week if you haven't already. (Thank you from the bottom of my spooky heart to all of you who have supported the book so far!) The first week's sales of any release are the most important and examined sales numbers we receive, so your support is extra appreciated these release weeks, though it is appreciated and vital at any time. If you like my work, please tell friends, family and like-minded readers as word of mouth is the backbone of any author's career! I have the best readers in the world and I want everyone to know it!

My convention season starts at the end of this month with the fabulous ANACHROCON in Atlanta, hope to see some of you there!

Thank you, bless you, and as always, happy haunting! - Leanna Renee

 

 

So You Want to Be A Writer

Hello folks,

(With updates 10/2019)
I've been meaning to write this post for a long time. I'm out and about in the world in so many different and dizzying capacities, and there's a topic that comes up all the time.

For those who don't know me, I'm a multi-published, award winning and bestselling author of the STRANGELY BEAUTIFUL saga and the ETERNA FILES series for Tor Books, and the Magic Most Foul YA series beginning with DARKER STILL as well as lots of novellas and short stories and the new Spectral City saga with Kensington, beginning with THE SPECTRAL CITY and continuing with A SANCTUARY OF SPIRITS. I am an actress (proud Member of Actor Unions AEA and SAG-AFTRA), a playwright, a floor director at a Manhattan TV studio, a licensed New York City tour guide working for Boroughs of the Dead, I travel constantly on the Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Steampunk and Historical convention circuits and I create unique Gothic, Neo-Victorian and Steampunk accessories on Etsy. I am more busy than I can begin to describe, all on looming deadlines and rotating 5 freelance jobs in the most hectic of cities. And as you can imagine, being out and about and all over the place, I get asked all the time: "So... I want to be writer. How do I do that?"

So for all you wonderful folks who want to be writers, I want you to be a writer too! I will cheerlead you with the best of them.

Disclaimer or my agent and editors will kill me: While I will be your cheerleader I am limited in my capacity to help. I cannot read and/or critique your novel as I barely have the energy to read my own, I'm actually a very slow reader. And I can't give out free copies of my books, I don't have stock of them to give away. Please note: This is not a resource for self-publishing. That hasn't been my preferred route so I'll not be helpful there. All that being said, on to the good stuff!

I'm going to share a bit of my story as an example and then offer up some genre resources.

It took me years to get my first contract. Nearly 9 years from inception to publication. My stack of rejection letters from both agents and editors is huge. No, the sting of rejection never goes away, especially when you've published and you still get rejection letters. It is not easy. Nothing worth doing is easy. You have to want your work out in the world more than you fear rejection. I can't stress that point enough. If you do not try to pursue your writing, your characters will die and that is tragic. You have to want them to live more than you fear them being rejected.

The life of a writer is a marathon not a sprint. When you get your first contract is is not "over" and you are not set for life, the race continues. My first publisher folded leaving my successful first series, The Strangely Beautiful saga, in the dust, along with all the money (royalties) owed it. I thought my career was over two years after it had just begun. But the Magic Most Foul saga helped pick me up from the ruins and now I work with a house I've always dreamed of working with Tor Books, (a division of Macmillan) who have worked to reissue STRANGELY BEAUTIFUL in a revised, author-preferred edition as well as launch my latest ETERNA FILES. There is always another place to turn, always another chance provided you don't get discouraged and quit. Kensington came to me, asking if I had a series to place with a new line, and I had the Spectral City proposal package at the ready to offer.

Publishing is full of ups and downs and uncertainties. You have to put on your armor and trust you can fight the good fight no matter the battle. Rise from the ashes, like the phoenix that factors into my Strangely Beautiful saga. Perseverance. You have to want to keep writing more than the pain and uncertainty, financial and emotional, that surrounds all of it.

How I started: I started learning about the publishing industry by perusing the Writer's Market, scouring it really, and by talking to a few writer friends I met while touring the country doing theatre. The Writer's Market is like a phone book for the publishing industry and contains useful structural advice on how to craft query letters and proposal packages. The most important skills in the next step towards publishing. Finish your full manuscript before you begin to query. This does not apply for non-fiction but for all fiction. Once you've published a few novels you might be able to sell just on synopsis or sample chapters but it is not recommended for debut authors. Have the best first three chapters you can possibly write, because you cannot resubmit after rejection unless you are asked to.

Preditors and Editors: A great resource for pros and cons of certain publishers and agents: http://pred-ed.com/ (Currently under revision) 

Check WRITER BEWARE: https://accrispin.blogspot.com/ - for tips and advice! Great site, highly recommended.

For agent listings, check out http://agentquery.com and Publisher's Marketplace listings: http://publishersmarketplace.com/. The Writer's Market also has agent sections. Some New York publishing houses will accept un-agented submissions, most will not. Independent and smaller presses often accept un-agented submissions. Do your homework. Don't just send mass letters. Personalize them with the proper names to the proper attention. Another thing I can't stress enough. Query and submit how each house and agent prefers. Do not submit to agents/houses not looking for your work or not accepting submissions, it just wastes everyone's time and energy. Many people get rejected outright because they didn't follow simple submission instructions and so their manuscripts get rejected without even a glance. Submission instructions are found on publisher and agent sites, they vary from house to house and by individual. Following agents on Twitter has created some great pitching and querying opportunities. Keep an eye out for scams. Anyone asking you to pay them up front is not legitimate. Agents get a cut after they sell your work and negotiate your deals and contracts. Twitter has some drawbacks but it is very connected in terms of authors, editors, agents, publishers and publicity departments.

Genre organizations:

If you are writing Childrens' Fiction / Kid Lit / Middle Grade / Young Adult: www.scbwi.org
I have many YA author friends who swear by SCBWI group, have credited it with their work getting better, finding critique groups, getting agents, contracts, etc. Join the local chapter, go to meetings, go to their conference, etc. Networking is key. Local chapters around the country.

Science Fiction / Fantasy: At some point once you've either short story or novel sales under your belt, you'll want to join http://sfwa.org - one of my favorite resources and I've been a member from the moment I could join. Even before you qualify to join, make yourself familiar with the resources on that site. Peruse the list of "qualifying publishers" - a lot of Fantasy authors get their start by writing short stories in the market and then moving on to novels. The "qualifying publishers" list means these are publishers known for paying their clients industry standard prices, abiding by proper copyright laws, decent contracts, etc. I may be a little biased but one of the best Sci-Fi/Fantasy houses also has one of the best online presences: http://tor.com You can really get a sense of what's trending and going on in the industry by following them. Short vs. Novel: Personally, I published novels first and then began publishing short stories. there's no right way or silver bullet, other than continuing to hone your craft, take constructive criticism and keep submitting.

RWA National: http://www.rwa.org/ - If there's any romance in your stories, even just as a sub-plot you should join RWA. Romance Writers of America, the most comprehensive and up to date resource in all of genre publishing. Romance is a huge market and a great way to network, with opportunities in digital publishing abounding. If you're making the investment, this is all worth it to join ( and a tax write off ).There are local chapters all around America and Romance writer societies in England and Australia as well. I recommend the Futuristic / Fantasy / Paranormal chapter: FF and P, runs the national Prism Awards, http://romance-ffp.com, there's a YA chapter as well as every subgenre. So once you join RWA, join the sub-genre chapter that applies to your books, there's a chapter for everyone, both in your state and online. Find your local chapter and go to meetings in person. It was RWA that helped make everything happen for me out of the gate and remains a critical resource. RWA is an OPEN organization. You do not have to be published to join. Most other writers' organizations have eligibility requirements. But like I said with SFWA, peruse their sites for resources, author information, conferences, networking opportunities. From RWA as a hub, the other resources flow outward like spokes of a wheel.

Mystery writers: http://mysterywriters.org/ They have chapters all around the country, joining MWA was one of the best things I've done! Tons of opportunities and networking!

Historical Writers: (Fiction, non, Historical Fantasy too) Join the Historical Novel Society! (I'm a member of this too!) http://historicalnovelsociety.org

Horror writers: http://horror.org/ (Horror, in addition to Sci-Fi/Fantasy also has a good deal of short story markets)

Thriller writers: http://thrillerwriters.org/ - Also keep track of http://criminalelement.com as a fantastic resource!

Events: Sign up for the mailing lists of your local bookstores for their author events. Stores doing programming offer great book talks, signings, and aspiring writers can learn a lot from panels of published authors, as everyone is going to have a different story and their own advice. While you are at the bookstore, take note of what publisher is publishing what kind of book so you can familiarize yourself with the industry. What covers draw your eye? Who publishes them? Follow your favorite publishing houses and your favorite authors and see how they do what they do and learn from those you admire and respect, but always with the sense of your own craft, style and stories.

Go to conferences. Invest in them. I've gotten most things in my life by networking, being in the right place at the right time, responding to opportunities when they come up, being ready and always being seen and active. Be generous to your fellow author, as best you can. Be nice. Be nice. Be nice. Karma is real. Be professional, be willing to learn. Keep learning. Never think your book is "perfect" because then you'll be a holy terror to editors. But get it to the best it can possibly be. And then look to your editor as if they're a director and you're an actor, it's their job to make you look good on the stage that is publishing. I have very vital relationships with my editors and they always make my books better for their input. I still network and do events as much as I did when I began, they remain as vital now as then.

Find local writerly Meetup Groups. Yes, writing is solitary in the act itself, but utterly collaborative in getting anywhere.

 

Hopefully that's a start on some resources, thoughts, general tips, the business side of it is really a lot like auditioning for a show, I learned that from all my years as a professional actress. Having a good query letter and sample chapters is like an audition. Organizations like SCBWI and RWA, because they are open to aspiring authors in particular, will be very helpful in cultivating good query letters, synopses, proposal packages, etc, and allowing you opportunities for workshops in those areas. That first Writer's Market I started with also had great query letter tips and examples.

The most important aspect of course is to dream big, respect your craft and just be persistent. Perseverance wins the day. You don't have to write every day. But most days. Discipline is key. Find out your process and work with it. There is no "right" way. I do not write in a linear fashion. I am all over the map. I have met every kind of writer. The only kind of writer who ISN'T a writer is one who is never ever writing. 

Write whatever needs to get out from your head and onto the page, you can fix it later. Don't second-guess yourself to death. Find one or two trusted critique partners and set deadlines for yourself. Take constructive criticism well. Be willing to edit. Make yourself accountable for progress. Give yourself treats when you hit a goal. Be flexible. 

The industry requires 3 Ps: Perseverance, Patience (publishing houses take forever to get back to you), and Passion. If you don't care about your work and career, no one else will.

And then on that blessed day when your book is on that shelf there is nothing like it in all the world. Trust me. But, then of course, steel yourself. Not everyone will love your book. Some people will HATE your book and tell everyone they know to burn it. You just can't let it phase you. No one likes everything, that's why taste is subjective.

Don't let anyone tell you NO or belittle your dreams, whether that applies to writing books or any passion, anyone who does that is just jealous they are not pursuing their own dreams. Being a writer is hard. It takes more discipline than I have to give every day, and yet it is what I am called to do. Being a writer may be hard, but it is not stupid or silly. I am shocked by stories of my fellow writers being put down or discouraged by unsupportive people in their lives. Storytelling, in my humble opinion, is one of the most noble professions in the world. Again, nothing that's ever worth doing isn't full of a lot of hard work and suffering in the hope of triumph. 

Blessings and best wishes to all the aspiring writers of the world, I am cheerleading for you and with you. Cheers and happy haunting!

Leanna Renee

Please visit my website for more about my books, enjoy free reads and stories, goodies and such. And I'm usually around on social media one way or another, so feel free to give a greeting!

Cheers and happy haunting!
Leanna on Twitter: http://twitter.com/leannarenee
FB: http://facebook.com/lrhieber
Instagram: http://instagram.com/leannareneehieber.com
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"Behind the Scenes" #4 - My First Blog Interview!

My first blog interview!

Please check out my first blog interview at Kwana Minatee-Jackson's fabulous blog!

I talk about my brand new and best-selling release, DARK NEST, the writing process, eBooks and more!

Thanks Kwana!

Countdown to DARK NEST Release Date!

Mark your calendars!

May 5!

Cinco de Mayo!

Grab a Margarita and your computer and download DARK NEST!

If all goes as scheduled, on that very date you should be able to download my futuristic, psychic novella DARK NEST from Crescent Moon Press!

Praise for DARK NEST:

"Fabulous read! Once I started, I couldn't stop until I reached the very satisfying end."
- Isabo Kelly, award-winning author of Marshall's Guard

Teaser:

Chief Counsel Ariadne Corinth has just found out her long-time lover, the powerfully gifted Chief Counsel Kristov Haydn, has died. Newly evolved psychically gifted humans have been sent by the Homeworld on a space mission aboard two distinct “Nests”. Relationships between the Light Nest and the Dark Nest have faltered and Ariadne is sure there’s something insidious behind it. In a matter of hours, Ariadne must find out what really happened to Kristov, unite her people to discover vast new powers the Homeworld denied them, or else submit to genocide.

STAY TUNED FOR DARK NEST EXCERPTS DURING COUNTDOWN WEEK!

"Bunny Thinks..."

BUNNY THINKS...

Mom's writing is really good.

In my tummy.