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Riddle of Fate by Tania Johansson
Publication date: May 29th 2014
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Publication date: May 29th 2014
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Synopsis:
Khaya’s life, a life the
Order say was never meant to be, is thrown into turmoil when she
discovers she has a second ability. The Company who employs people like
her – with rare and special abilities – insists that having more than
one inevitably leads down a dark spiral into madness. So they are
watching and waiting, ready to terminate her at the first sign of
trouble.
Now, on the run from the Company’s agents while trying to prove her sanity, Khaya realises they are not the only ones she should fear. Angels are working towards her demise as well.
The question that haunts her is this: What did she do that was terrible enough to elicit the wrath of angels? And can she trust the mysterious Derrin, or is he the cause of all her tribulations?
Now, on the run from the Company’s agents while trying to prove her sanity, Khaya realises they are not the only ones she should fear. Angels are working towards her demise as well.
The question that haunts her is this: What did she do that was terrible enough to elicit the wrath of angels? And can she trust the mysterious Derrin, or is he the cause of all her tribulations?
Purchase:
10 Tips for Becoming a Better Writer.
Becoming a better writer is something
that I am obviously constantly striving for. I think any author who has stopped
this process needs to have a good look at their motivations. I know there are
many areas where I can still improve, but I’ll try to share what I’ve learnt on
my journey so far.
1.
Write!
This might seem an obvious thing that
goes without saying, but I think as authors we can become so embroiled in the
daunting idea of having someone read what you’ve written you can become frozen
to the spot. Even if you discard half of what you’ve written, that still means
you have words on the page.
2.
Read.
I believe most authors love reading long
before they discover their love of writing. There is great value in reading
what’s out there and taking inspiration from others. Sometimes if you have a
lull in your writing, reading a good book can be enough to reignite your
passion for stories and help kick you back into gear.
3. Rewrite.
I don’t believe anyone can write the
perfect story the first time round. You can always improve. It might be a bit
of a pain, but even if it means rewriting entire chapters, it will be worth it
in the end. I’ve heard Brandon Sanderson say that being a writer is a bit like
being a magician: No one sees you making mistakes while you are practicing,
they only see the final flourish. The first draft of your favourite book was no
doubt not nearly as good as the final product.
4.
Google
is your friend.
There are so many resources out there
that you can find the answer to pretty much any question you have. You are
highly unlikely to be the first person to ask, so the answer will be out there
somewhere. I listen to a few writing podcasts and Brandon Sanderson also allows
his lectures on creative writing to be posted online. These have been
invaluable.
5.
Use
Social Media.
This is definitively an area where I can
still do a lot better, but I know the importance of creating an online
presence.
6.
Have
a website.
Just having twitter or a facebook page
is not enough. To have a space where you can have all your information about
your books and events is a must. Having a website that is all yours gives you a
great deal of freedom in what you want to share and what you want to draw
attention to. It is a great place to communicate with your readers.
7. Get yourself a good editor.
An editor’s advice and services is not
optional. As an author you are so close to your project that it can be very
hard to gain proper perspective and those pesky little spelling and grammar
mistakes can slide away from under your gaze. My editor, Janet Philip, has been
amazing.
8.
Try
new things.
I am still refining the way I plan my
novels. It is a learning curve and with each of my books, I have used different
techniques. I used to think I am a discovery writer, but I have come to realise
that this is a sliding scale and I’ve found that I need elements from both
discovery writing and outlining in order to be most effective and to draw as much
enjoyment out of writing as I can.
9.
Listen
to critique.
It is very easy to a.) take offence and
b.) brush it off as ‘just their opinion’, but listening to what your critics
have to say can help you. It’s never easy to hear someone doesn’t think the
work that you’ve slaved over is perfect, but when you actually look at what
they are saying, you may just find some merit in there. Of course, sometimes,
you will listen to what they have to say and decide it is merely a difference
of opinion, but make sure you make that decision with a clear head rather than
defensively, in the heat of the moment. And never respond to someone’s review
of your book to try to tell them why they are wrong. In fact, never respond.
10. Enjoy it!
With the stress of writing, editing and
trying to get published, it is easy to lose sight of why you started writing in
the first place. If you haven’t been traditionally published and you want to be
(like me) then perhaps ask yourself the question, ‘If you never get that publishing
deal, would you still be writing?’
AUTHOR BIO
I grew up in a small town called Ficksburg in South Africa and moved with my family to England aged fifteen.
I then completed my schooling through a correspondence course from South Africa. This challenging time taught me a lot of self-discipline and determination. Qualities that have been invaluable while writing my first novel.
In 2004 I started studying optometry at Aston University in Birmingham, UK and currently I live and work as an optician in Kent.
In 2008, I married my wonderful husband, Tor. He has been such an amazing support and wealth of internet wizardry from when I started writing through to designing a cover for Book of Remembrance, to publishing my book on amazon as well as setting up this website. I cannot thank him enough.
Reading has always been one of my passions. I have fond memories of trawling through the library aged five (yes I was a geek from a young age!). More recently, I found myself wondering about the process writers must go through to complete a novel. I started thinking about how they would go about planning out a story and keeping track of all the various aspects of it. Finally, I decided to try my theories out. I have not looked back since!
I started writing Book of Remembrance end of May 2011 and finished it in December 2011. Since then, I have self-published it as an e-book on amazon. I have also started writing the follow up novel, which is untitled at the moment.
I then completed my schooling through a correspondence course from South Africa. This challenging time taught me a lot of self-discipline and determination. Qualities that have been invaluable while writing my first novel.
In 2004 I started studying optometry at Aston University in Birmingham, UK and currently I live and work as an optician in Kent.
In 2008, I married my wonderful husband, Tor. He has been such an amazing support and wealth of internet wizardry from when I started writing through to designing a cover for Book of Remembrance, to publishing my book on amazon as well as setting up this website. I cannot thank him enough.
Reading has always been one of my passions. I have fond memories of trawling through the library aged five (yes I was a geek from a young age!). More recently, I found myself wondering about the process writers must go through to complete a novel. I started thinking about how they would go about planning out a story and keeping track of all the various aspects of it. Finally, I decided to try my theories out. I have not looked back since!
I started writing Book of Remembrance end of May 2011 and finished it in December 2011. Since then, I have self-published it as an e-book on amazon. I have also started writing the follow up novel, which is untitled at the moment.
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