Fiction Book Price Reduction A Life Worth Living

Hello faithful readers.  I have decided to reduce the price for A Life Worth Living for a limited time.  Hurry and get your copy today at www.smashwords.com www.barnesandnoble.com www.amazon.com www.kobo.com www.diesel.com you can also get it at apple ibooks and more.

Please take the time to post your review of the book.

Wishing you well,

TL Scott

Short Story Fiction Scary Story A Cold Night by TL Scott

http://adriannajoleigh.com/2013/10/29/the-cold-night-by-t-l-scott/comment-page-1/#comment-848

Hello all,

The link above will take you to the blog of the wonderful Adrianna Joleigh.  She has been so gracious to host my short story A Cold Night.  With Halloween coming up it is time to get into the mood.

Please let me know what you think of the story.

All the best,

TL Scott

Book Review A Life Worth Living by T. L. Scott

Thank you for the review Jennifer. I am glad you enjoyed the story so much.

Jennifer Higney originally shared to Support-a-Writer (Interesting links to help us):

Here is my review of A Life Worth Living! I am so excited to say that I was able to read this, and I absolutely loved it and I hope you do as well!
T.L. Scott’s new book A Life Worth Living is nothing short than amazing. It was a wonderful story of a man (Dave), his wife (Debbie), and his children (Summer & Aidan). Dave is dedicated to his job to provide the best life possible for his family. Dave does not realize he is sacrificing his time with his family and filling them with monetary supplements. All Debbie and the kids want is to spend more time with the man they all love and cherish. This story takes many different twists in turns as you connect with all the characters on a very real basis. This story was one that is very easy to connect to, especially in today’s day in age, when we are all very concerned with work, and providing lives worth living for our families. But at what price to do we pay for the “stuff” we have? And can that “stuff” ever satisfy the need for love? As the story unfolds, and tragedies arise will this family’s love be strong enough to survive, and still have a life worth living?
In my opinion, this story was a must read for anybody from young adult all the way to elderly adult. I feel it is so relatable to how the majority of society feels today, and we all have the pressures of balancing work and family. I think this story can benefit people, and maybe help people appreciate what they have. I laughed with this story, and cried with this story and connected very much so to the characters. I felt the changing in narration was a bit confusing at times, and some misplaced punctuation, and slight repetition made the story a little difficult to follow. However, all in all I would give this story a huge thumbs up. I would rate it an 8 out of 10. After reading the story I was filled with a new appreciation on my life, and I hope you will all feel the same.

Book Review A Life Worth Living by T. L. Scott

Hello fellow readers.  Jasveena has posted her review of A Life Worth Living and it is available here:

http://thoughtsandviewsthatmatter.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-life-worth-living-review.html

It is her honest review of the book and I thank her for it.  I am interested in more people posting their honest review.  If you would be interested in posting your own review please contact me.  You can either leave a comment here, visit my facebook page, or email me at tlscott.official@googlemail.com

Thank you,

TL Scott

IBP's Trailer: A Life Worth Living by T.L Scott

Scattered Thoughts In A Busy World

Hello fellow writers and storytellers.  Here is a question for you: What do you do when life and the world around you creates a microcosm of chaos to the extent that focusing on expressing yourself in a coherent fashion is a task that is almost insurmountable?  When problems in other areas have you so distracted with the intricate details of how bad things have become that you cannot focus on what brings you joy.  These things, and the real and potential problems they may bring, have you pondering the unimaginable potential problems that may come to dominate your future days?

Okay, now take a breath. . . what can you control?  Identify the things you can do to take control of the miasma of chaos circling your life and do what you can about them today.  If there are other things to do tomorrow and then the next tomorrow then make a plan to do it and follow through.  For those things that are outside of your control focus on what you can influence.  Can you set a good example that others may follow and therefore improve things around you in time if they take your lead?  Well then lead by example!

For all else LET IT GO!  YOU CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.  Worrying about it will only make you worried.  Plan for the contingencies and hope they do not come about but let it go!!

Take another deep breath.  Alright then, you have done some very good things.  Accept that some or maybe all of the plans you have made will turn to shit. That is acceptable if not ideal.  Shit happens.  Refine your plans and move on.  Try not to stress so much.  After all stressing about something only makes you stressed while planning for something makes you prepared.

Now that you have gotten all of that taken care of, sit down, open up your writing instrument and do what you are really good at.  Tell the story!  Create your world and the people that inhabit it.  Be the storyteller. Don't worry those problems will still be there when you emerge from your story and come back to what others call reality.

I hope this helps.

All the best,

TL Scott

Childrens Picture Book Ride With The Wind (A Scary Story) Discounted for a limited time

Hello,

The Childrens Picture Book Ride With The Wind (A Scary Story) is now available at a discounted price. Save 66 percent with the coupon code YP62Q. 

This offer is only available through 10 October so download your book today.

Get you discounted copy today at www.Smashwords.com

Please take a moment and write a review of it and let others know about it.

All the best,

TL Scott

Childrens Picture Book A Scary Story Discounted for a limited time

Hello,

The Childrens Picture Book A Scary Story is now available at a discounted price.  Save 66 percent with the coupon code TN82C.

Get you discounted copy today at www.Smashwords.com

Please take a moment and write a review of it and let others know about it.

All the best,

TL Scott

Book Review

Hello faithful readers,

Well The Scary story series including A Scary Story and Ride With The Wind (A Scary Story) as well as A Life Worth Living have been available for your enjoyment for the first month and sales indicate strong interest.  I am very happy to be able to bring the stories to you.  It is my most sincere hope that you enjoy them.

Please take a moment and post a review.

If there are things you love about the stories please let me know.

If there are things about the stories you don't like so much let me know that as well.

If you enjoyed them please help me to get the word out about them.

If you have any problems at all downloading your copy of any of the stories please let me know.

I look forward to hearing from you.

All the best,

T. L. Scott

Childrens Picture Book

Hello,

The Childrens Picture Book A Scary Story is available as an e-book from https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/351762

Other outlets will be available in the very near future.

Scary is a brave young girl that finds herself all alone on a path in the woods on a dark dark night. She has to be brave and face her fears while she finds her way to safety.

Come along with Scary on her adventure on a dark dark night.

Scary uses her eyes and ears to tell what dangers are around her. She has to be brave even though she is scared. Being brave is okay, it makes us be careful. We have to be careful because it can be dangerous on a dark dark night.

This is a story that teaches children to pay attention to what is around them and to be brave even though they may be frightened. It can allow parents to engage with their children and discuss possible dangers they may face. In the story Scary faces an owl, a cat, and a dog. Come along with Scary for an adventure on a dark dark night.      

I will be in touch again soon.

All the best,

TL Scott       

              

New Novel from T. L. Scott

Hello again,

I want to update you on the progress of the next novel to be released.  Fault Line is developing nicely and the characters are taking on a life of their own.

This story is not connected to A Life Worth Living.  It takes place in a small Texas town where a gang is using this normally quiet slice of America as their illicit base of operations north of the border.  A group of soldiers are in town to attend the wedding of one of their little sisters when all hell breaks loose on main street.

If you are looking for an action/adventure story then this one is for you.

I am working on getting it to you this winter. 

Please stay in touch as the story evolves.  I will keep you updated.

In the mean time please review A Life Worth Living.  It is available at Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, Apple, Kobo and more soon.

The Scary Story series is also available for you to enjoy with your children.  Scary is a brave girl that has to face her fears.

Keep smiling and enjoy,

T. L. Scott

T. L. Scott is now on Twitter

Hello everyone. 

I want to let you know that I am now on Twitter at T.L.Scott@TLScottAuthor

Please bear with me as I learn the art of tweeting.

T. L. Scott

Interview with T. L. Scott Author of A Life Worth Living

Interview with T. L. Scott

 

What motivated you to become an indie author?

I really believe in this story and these characters. I want to share them with you and the quickest way to do so was to be an indie author. The traditional publishers are extremely selective and do not publish many new authors.

I have the paperback version of the story in the process of being published by Horton Jones. They are a new publisher to the industry.

Maybe after A Life Worth Living has its own following one of the major publishers will be interested in representing the story. I respect how broad their distribution channels are and hope in time you can find A Life Worth Living at every outlet that sells books.

That distribution reach is one of the things that really impressed me about Smashwords. They are definitely helping me to reach my goal of getting my story to as many readers as possible. Thank you Smashwords!

              

How has Smashwords contributed to your success?

As I stated in another answer, one of the things that really impressed me about Smashwords was its ability to distribute my story to so many major outlets. In addition to that the process was easy to navigate through and fast. Once the manuscript was converted and the errors fixed Smashwords sent the e-book out for distribution in a matter of days.

Success is measured in different ways. I prefer to measure mine in milestones. With the help of Smashwords I have achieved my second step in the process. I am now a published author. The first step was completing the novel A Life Worth Living.

I will continue to publish with Smashwords as I really like their business model and their ability to get my stories out to you for your enjoyment.

              

What is the greatest joy of writing for you?

My greatest joy in writing is finding that the story is taking a different direction than I had planned. When the characters become real and they take the story to a whole new place. When that happens I am as surprised as I hope the reader is. I have come to realize that while I may be writing the story it is the characters that are really telling it. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

 

What do your fans mean to you?

Well, since the is the first story I have published I don't really have any fans yet. I hope to have many fans of my stories. Fans of mine, well I have never aspired to that. I want people to enjoy the story and appreciate the characters for their strengths and their flaws. I promise any fans that I will always stay true to the story and aim to tell the best story I can.

              

What are you working on next?

I have just published the first two books in the Scary story series. The character Scary is a young girl that finds herself on a path in the woods on a Dark Dark night. She hears sounds that scare her. She must be brave and face her fears. She has to use her eyes and ears to understand what the dangers are and what she needs to do. Scary is a strong and smart girl that is also brave. In the second story Ride With The Wind (A Scary Story), Scary meets her new best friend and they go on a fantastic adventure. Scary is thrilled to find out that her new best friend just happens to be a unicorn. Come along and share the ride. I have finished 6 of the 10 books I have outlined for the series. If there is enough interest in the first two books I will work on publishing the rest. Please provide reviews.

I am also working on an adult novel that takes place in a small Texas town. A Bill and his fellow soldiers are in town to attend the wedding of his little sister. While they are relaxing at a café the morning stillness is shattered with the crack of automatic weapons fire. A madman is firing rounds in the air while he has a dark haired woman on her knees in the middle of main street.
It looks like their vacation will not be quite as relaxing as they had hoped. A gang has infiltrated this small town and is using it to launch their drug smuggling and human trafficking operation. The title is Fault Line. I will keep you updated on my blog as the release date solidifies. http://tlscotttheauthor.blogspot.com/

 

              

Who are your favorite authors?

The first book I remember falling in love with was by Anna Sewell. The book Black Beauty had great characters and a great story line. I was hooked. Mary Shelley blended the creepy Igor with the tragic monster. Jules Verne took me to places that I didn't even know that I yearned for.
Some of my favorite authors, in no particular order are: Michael Palmer, Nora Roberts, Daniel Steele, John Saul, Wendi and RIchard Pinni and their Elf Quest series, R. A. Salvatore, Nicholas Sparks, Ken Follett, William Brinkley for The Last Ship, and Dean Koontz. Of course there are many and more authors that I have enjoyed over the years but the above have been my main sources of enjoyment. There is one more that I have saved for last as he is my all time favorite author. His writing has been my constant companion since the day I picked up a copy of Cujo. As a young man it was always the story itself that had me coming back for more. They were so exciting yet chilling. Over time it was the characters which drew me to re-read them. Each time I found more layers to the story and enjoyed them all the more. In my humble opinion Stephen King will always be my favorite author. Thank you Mr. King for a lifetime of laughs and chills.

              

What inspires you to get out of bed each day?

Most days it is out of a sense of duty. I need to pay the bills and for now that is my 9 to 5 job. I enjoy it and I am grateful to have some really good colleagues. It is the days that I rise before the alarm clock with a thought for a story burning in my mind that I really enjoy. I would love to one day be in a position that my main job is writing.

 

When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?

I can usually be found with a book in hand. I am frequently reading 3 or 4 books at a time as well as writing one main story and developing other ones along the way. Yes it can get a bit crowded in my head at times but somehow everyone seems to get along most of the time. I also enjoy running. That time alone I allow my mind to just drift and have come up with some good ideas while taking one step at a time. I also enjoy spending time with my children. They are a true inspiration to me. Listening to a child puts a lot of things into perspective. They don't complicate things. It is the way it is and that is it. A good lesson for us all.

              

How do you discover the e-books you read?

I look at the genre I am interested at the time and then check out the best seller area. I also look at new releases and read the descriptions. If possible I look at the reviews. Of course I read my favorite authors when they release new stories but I keep an eye out for new talent as well. We all start out somewhere. I have to admit that I do pay attention to the cover as well. If it catches my eye I will look into it more.

              

Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?

I did not really start writing until A Life Worth Living. I was content with being an avid reader. Now that I have gone through the process of writing a complete novel I am glad that I waited. I am sure that I was not ready to tell the stories until now.

              

What is your writing process?

I get inspiration from a lot of different things. Ideas form and then I see where they are willing to go. Some ideas I let simmer for years, other ones I have to immediately write them out.

I try to get as much information about each character down on index cards. I have found that it helps me to keep the facts straight. I will also use a loose flow line to track events. I have found that by doing so I can see if there are inconsistencies. There are times I have found it difficult to link main parts of the story together. When that happens I take a step back and look at the story as a whole. I have found that the chapter is better suited somewhere else in the story. That is one thing I love about writing, you can keep working the story until it is complete. It does not all come out at once. It takes encouragement and hard work to get it just right. When it does though it is a very powerful thing. When it is right it can engage all of our senses. It can share ideas and provide insight into things we never considered.

I hope you enjoy the stories I share with you.

Hello everyone, so just to keep everyone updated A Life Worth Living is now available for purchase and download from www.smashwords.com www.barnesandnoble.com www.kobo.com and also WH Smith and on apple ibooks.  It will soon be available on Amazon and a few others.  Once it is available I will tell you more.

 

I am also happy to report that the Scary Story is available for download at the same sites as well. 

 

I hope you enjoy.  Please post a review.

 

 

A Life Worth Living release tomorrow!

Hello faithful readers. 

The wait is almost over.  The e-book is available for purchase tomorrow.  For all of you that pre-ordered your copy from one of the sale points all you need to do is download your copy. 

It is my sincere hope that you love the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. 

Please take a minute after you have read it to write a review.  I would love to hear your honest feedback. 

The first two books in the children picture book series A Scary Story are now available for purchase from www.smashwords.com  now and soon to be available on  www.barnesandnoble.com www.kobo.com with more following soon after that. 

Thank you.

I will be back soon.

TL Scott

A Scary Story publication

Hello faithful readers.

I am happy to anounce that I have just published the first two picture books in the Scary Story series.  The stories are about a young girl that faces her fears and learns some important lessons along the way.  Scary is brave, smart, and fun.  Her adventures take her to some out of the world locations while she adventures with her fary tale friends on a Dark Dark night.  This is a fun series that your young children will enjoy.

The wonderful illustrations were done by the very talented Sorie Olba.

The first two books are available for purchase on www.smashwords.com.

I hope you enjoy.

TL Scott

How To Publish your book

Hello again faithful readers and welcome to those that are visiting for the first time.

Okay so you have finished your story and now you are working on getting it published.  Fortunately you have several options.  I urge you to spend the time researching the different options and then choosing the right one for your book. 

If you are an established author you will likely go with a traditional publisher.  Well if you are an established author it is unlikely you are reading this as you already know how you are going to publish your book.

The traditional publishers typically only accept submissions from literary agents.  They already have a stable of established authors and are very selective when it comes to bringing in new authors.  Some do accept unsolicited submissions but know that your odds are slim.

So if the traditional publishers normally accept submissions from agents then lets talk about getting an agent.  First though I want to say that one of the main reasons for them relying on literary agents is because of trust.  Over time the publishers have come to realize that these agents submit quality stories that are likely to be successful.

The process of finding a literary agent is not an easy one.  It takes great perseverance.  You must write the perfect query letter.  You should avoid sending a mass query letter to everyone.  Many agents have posted what they want to see in your query to them and what their submission requirements are.  If you choose to ignore them you do so at your peril.  Remember as great as you know your story to be these agents are looking for authors that they are willing to work with for years to come.  They are looking for professionals.  You must do your research and query each agent individually.  I strongly encourage you to learn about query letters.  There is some good information online if you take the time to look for it.  One of the main parts of the query letter is your personal history.  This is a summary of what you have done.  What you have published before and any awards or recognition you may have earned.  If you have these achievements then by all means make sure you list them.  If however you are just starting then tell the agent why you are qualified to write this story.  Also tell them why you should be represented.  One thing to keep in mind is that if you do have a literary agent then you will also be required to pay your agent from your profits.  The representation can be essential.  Most of these agents are true professionals and are very good at what they do.  As in all professions there are some that are good at it and some that are not so good at it.  Again do your research and look for an agent that you feel comfortable with.  If you choose to go this way I wish you well.

Another way you may choose to go is with a vanity press.  This may be the right way to go for you.  If your story is likely to appeal to a small niche market or only for your family and friends then it may be worth it to pay to publish a small number of copies.  Be very careful though.  There are some companies out there that charge large amounts for their services and then do not perform well at all.  Do your research and tread carefully.

The last option I want to talk with you about is self-publishing in the ebook format.  In my opinion this is the way to go for everyone.  If you are an established author then this is a market segment that you cannot afford to overlook.  If you are just starting out then this is the way to go as well.  As long as your manuscript is formatted per their requirements then your submission will be accepted.  One other main advantage is that you will get a large percentage of the sale.  With a traditional publisher you will usually only receive 10 to 15 percent.  If you have a literary agent then you will need to pay the agent from those royalties.  Granted that the major publishers can get your book on the shelf in a lot of locations.  The more available your book is the better the chance of it being sold.  I recommend you make yourself familiar with www.Smashwords.com  This company in my opinion is fantastic.  They make the process very easy.  The submission process is simple and quick.  Compared to traditional publishers the e-publishing will get you between 30 to 80 percent of the sale.  Another major advantage is the Smashwords can get your book available in multiple outlets.  They will make it available on Smashwords, Kobo, Barnes&Noble, Diesel, Apple ibookstore, Sony, Amazon, and Library direct.  One major advantage is that Smashwords will consolidate your sale records across these different platforms.  If you were to publish your book individually at these different outlets then you will need to track your sale history on each of these sites.

In summary I recommend everyone research all possibilities and then do what is best for them.  If you are an established author then you will likely have an agent and go with a traditional publisher.  If you have not already I recommend you look into publishing your book as an ebook as well.

If you are in the beginning phase of your writing career I recommend publishing with Smashwords.  In my research I have not found any other way to publish your story at a lower entrance price and having such a large distribution channel available.  This should translate into a larger profit margin for you.

If you have any questions or comments please take the time to post your response.

I wish you all the very best.

T. L  Scott

Publication of A Life Worth Living

Hello faithful fans.  Great news on the release of A Life Worth Living.  The ebook version will be released on 31 August.  You can go to Smashwords.com now and download a sample of the book now.  You can even pre-order a copy for you and your friends so that you can be one of the first to buy the book.  Smashwords will make it available on their store as well as Amazon, Apple, Sony, Barnes & Noble, Diesel, Koobo and more. 

I can also now announce that the paperback will be available for purchase on the same day via Amazon and a few other sources (I will let you know soon).

The wait is coming to an end.  Please share the news with your friends and order your copy in advance.

If you have any questions or comments please let me know.  After you download your sample material please come back here and let me know what you thought of it.

I will be back in touch soon.

All the best,

TL Scott

Book Release Update the novel A Life Worth Living T L Scott

Hello faithful readers and welcome back. 

The e-book version of A Life Worth Living will be released via Smashwords and will be available at the end of August on Apple, Sony, Nook, Amazon, Diesel and more. 

Previews of the book are available now prior to the release of the complete book. 

I invite you to pour a warm beverage, get comfortable, and join me as we follow the life of Dave and Debbie, a hard working couple trying to provide a good life for their two children, Aidan and Summer.  Somewhere along the way Dave and Debbie have drifted apart.  Blame it on the late hours at the office.  Blame it on the way that they have settled into their relationship and along the way settled for the way things are.  Blame it on whatever you like but in the end they are drifting apart and are things are beginning to fray at the edges of their middle class life.

Their relationship was built on faith, trust, and love.  It will all be tested along the way as they work to make theirs a Life Worth Living.

Please post a comment and let me know what your thoughts are.

All the best,

TL Scott

Fiction Writing: Who are you writing for?

Hello again faithful readers.  Things are busy now that the days are longer.  I always find it harder to find the time to do everything I want to do this time of year.  Well that is because I want to do to much.  Even with this I have to remind myself to focus and keep things in balance.  Life is a series of trade-offs.  So with that said I will trade-off a few minutes of my time basking in the sun to sit down and talk with you.  You see, I am trying to balance things?  After this I will go back to basking in the summer sun. 

Alright, so you have the idea for a story knocking around inside your head.  It is taking shape and you are ready to start writing.  For each of us that process is different.  Some may outline until the whole story is plotted out.  Others may brainstorm and jot down thoughts on sticky notes till their creative space looks like someone from 3m re-decorated your space.  Still others will simply step off the ledge and leap "write" in.

I wholeheartedly encourage to follow this process all the way through to the end.  I am a firm believer that during this essential creative phase you should not be distracted by, well, anything if it can be helped.

After this initial phase has been completed I have found that setting the story aside for a while is a good thing to do.  Let it ferment for a little bit.  That is if the story will let you.  I have found that some stories tend to go at their own pace.  Some are a sprint while others are a more leisurely stroll.

When you pick up the creative thread again read through it with an eye to your audience.  Whoever you have determined your primary target audience to be, that is who you should focus on.  You should focus on them almost as much as you should focus on your characters.  After all this is a conversation between your characters and your target audience.  They are the ones that will be reading it.  You are a storyteller.  Weave your tail with all of the eloquence you are gifted with.  Tell your story to those that are interested in pulling up a rock and taking a seat around the campfire to listen to you weave your tale.

Keep in mind that your audience will be a select few.  While many of us like to read different genres there are many that focus only on their favorite.  Whether you tell romance, science fiction, or horror tales, tell them well and remember who your are telling your stories to.

Always keep in mind that it is your responsibility to your readers to tell them the best possible story you can.  Do not release your story until it is told.  Write it, refine it, edit it, re-write it, re-refine it, then edit it again.

Thank you for joining me once again.

I look forward to talking with you again soon.

All the best,

T. L. Scott