Writing Advice with Beth Prentice, Deadly Desire Book 3 (The Westpost Mysteries) Giveaway!

This week Author Beth Prentice talks to us about writing advice she follows. She has a new book, Deathly Desire: Lizzie ~ Book 3 (The Westport Mysteries). And she has a Kindle copy giveaway for one commenter! 



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Since becoming a writer I’ve been given lots of advice, some of it good and some not so good. Well, not good for me anyway. But we all write differently, so for you the advice may have been awesome! I’m certainly not going to say that I have very much good advice to give but I thought that it would be useful to pass along what I found valuable and what stuck with me. 

Advice that I have loved:
·     Never stop reading! I mean, why would you want to?
·     Write your story until it’s the best it can be, then put it away for a month. When you come back to it you will see it with fresh eyes. 
·     Once you’re happy with it, end it! Send it out to the world and be proud. You will always want to rewrite. But don’t. Be happy with what you have achieved and move on.
·     Write another book. Because really, you just can’t help yourself! J
·     If you can, chat regularly with other authors. This is one of my favorite parts of the job JI love chatting with my writer friends about promotions, plot points, characters and everything in between. And I love even more celebrating their achievements!
·     Be yourself. I mean who else can you be? Only you have your voice and it needs to be heard!
·     Write what you know. Now I’m using this one from the point of view of characters.  I believe that if you write characters that you know then you can’t go wrong. I don’t mean write that character exactly like your great aunt Betty, but take some of Betty and some of her friend Sal and put them together until your character is perfectly imperfect. For example, in Deathly Desire Lizzie is part me, part some of my friends, and part the barista at my local coffee shop. She’s complex and real with many personality flaws that make her loveable. The reader can see themselves in her and that’s why they connect.
·     Love your editor! They only have your best interests at heart. 
·     You may think it only takes one person to write a book, but it actually takes a village. Yes as the author you have the biggest part of the job, but it takes an editor, a cover designer, beta readers, a publisher, and readers to make it a book! 
·     And last but certainly not least, be grateful. J


Author Beth Prentice's new book:

Deathly Desire: Lizzie ~ Book 3 (The Westport Mysteries) 




When the past comes back to haunt you.

Lizzie is ready for a new adventure in her life, and it doesn’t take long for her to find it. After hitting the For Sale sign in to the ground of her house of mysteries, she is quickly charmed by another old house that is in desperate need of some love and attention. Only the house has a secret of its own. Who is its owner? Why is he so hard to find? And why does he own nine other deserted homes in Westport?

Keen to start this new chapter in her life, and with the help of her crazy family, her drop dead gorgeous boyfriend Riley, and the super sexy policeman that has just declared his undying love for her, Lizzie stumbles from one clue to the next. But when her past reappears and mixes with her future everything she has ever loved is at stake. 

Can Lizzie solve the forty-year-old mystery so that she and Riley can begin their next chapter together? Is her past really back to get her, or is there a copycat in Westport? Or will the star of her nightmares destroy everything before it even begins? 

Lizzie’s next adventure may not be as much fun as she had hoped.


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19 comments:

  1. Hi Nas and Beth - write, write, write ... and take notice of report backs on your work ... especially from your editor - excellent advice from Beth- cheers to you both = Hilary

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    1. That's awesome advice Hilary! I know a lot of authors that don't read their reviews, but I do. It's always good to learn what readers really think :)

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  2. What a great cover and the book sounds interesting too. Best of luck to Beth!

    I totally agree about loving your editor. I know the edits are a lot of work- but they are SO worth it. :)

    ~Jess

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    1. Thank you so much Jess! I have a very talented cover artist :) And you're right - edits are a lot of work but worth every bit of it!

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  3. Yes, read! Why wouldn't a writer read as much as possible? Because, as you say, reading is the best way to learn.

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    1. Thanks Janet! My reading pile is higher than my bedside table at the moment. And that's just my paperbacks. My Kindle is almost full :)

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  4. Those are good pieces of advice.

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  5. Wise words. I've been afraid to share my stories. ~shakes head~ But writing them is my purpose and joy in this life. Happy Writing!

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    1. Hi Darla! I completely understand how hard it is to allow someone to read your work. Writing is such a personal journey it can be terrifying to allow someone to read it for the first time. But the joy you get from seeing someone excited and happy to read what you have created is even more than the joy you get writing it :) Happy writing!!

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  6. I love all your advice. Some of these things I would have never thought about. Writing isn't easy.

    Have a fabulous day. ♥

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    1. Hi Sandee! I once read that anything worth while is never easy, and I absolutely love writing! I hope you're enjoying writing something, and if so please share. I'd love to know about it :)

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  7. I'm on such a mystery kick lately. This sounds great, so I'm going to start at the beginning and read them all.

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    1. Thank you so much Tara! I hope you enjoy them :) x

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  8. I completely agree with all of those points. So, so on target. I especially love that last one. When you count your blessings, your life is always filled with abundance and epicness.

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  9. Read. Read. Read. You are right on target!

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  10. Great advice! Thank you for sharing it with us!

    Congrats on the new book! Deathly Desire sounds like such a fun read! No need to enter me in the contest, though, because I currently don't have a Kindle.

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  11. I couldn't agree more with the first point. Why would anyone stop reading? Congrats on the new release to Beth.

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