Here is Alberta's 10 things that have surprised her the most about becoming an author:
1: What fun it is. All my life I had assumed that writing was a
serious business – well of course it is to some extent but. . .but. . . only a
part of it the rest is so enjoyable.
Maybe it is the advent of cyberspace that has made it so. We are no longer alone in a garret.
2: How much time it takes from conception
to actuality. As a child it seemed easy
to write a book. I did, 5 pages long
with illustrations :) In reality, there’s
thinking time (or dreaming if you prefer) translating imagination into words,
balancing and preening those words, finding
each and every mistake, finding a
cover, finding a means of publishing, and
then marketing. Really, maybe we should
stick to 5 page books with illustrations!
3: When I ventured up here in cyberspace to
self publish I was terrified. I am old
and computers came late in my life. The
internet was slow to take off here in the UK
4: The nitty gritty of it all is a downside
for me, I have lived my many decades in a glorious state of disarray, caused in
the main by having Dyspraxia, it never mattered. Now I grapple with the nitty gritty. Order, rules, specifics all try to rule my
rebellious heart. Editing is the tyrant.
5: Isn’t a computer a wondrous beastie?
When I think of authors such as Dickens writing by pen and ink I know I am
alive at the right time. I introduced my
father at the end of his life to one of the earlier machines (no internet, he
would have loved that)– he was still writing but with shaking hands and was
finding the task increasingly difficult, esp. the edits. Cut and paste was his golden moment. Enabled
him to write until the end.
Me I love all the software which enables me
to edit better, design covers, trailers etc, can invent music with an
instrument– the list goes on into 6)
6: I have to mention Dragon here – the
voice recognition software which enables me to dictate when my wrists will not
work anymore- love it:) Because there are days that arthritis says ‘not playing
today’. When one has a tale to tell this
is frustrating in the extreme. Putting
it off for another day does not feel like an option. Now I can dictate – it was very strange at
the beginning and I felt self conscious even when along but now – well I can’t
tell you. Great. The next try will have to be audio books.
7: I’m not keen on the marketing, being an
elderly middle class Brit, touting my wares is contrary to every aspect of
up-bringing I have had over the decades. I feel uncomfortable doing it, and so
it doesn’t get done well. I am improving,
slowly.
8: I
love delving into hidden depths and taking little side turns. Writing allows me to do this. It is called Research.
Actually it’s an excuse to
nosey out fascinating facts and whimsy:) I have to be careful that whole days are
not wasted following links to yet another site.
It’s this cyberspace thing again. If I had been an old time author I
would have had to work hard to accumulate all these facts, borrowing endless
books. I do still buy research books but
the internet means I can gather quicker and have a lot of fun on side paths,
all in the name of ‘writing’ (it is my job after all, someone has to do it –
right?:)
9: Deadlines
are a mixed experience for me. I self publish so deadlines are in fact self
imposed. Without them it is easy for
time to vanish. With them the increasing
stress when time slips, when writing dries up, when illness/life interferes,
can threaten happiness big time. The early hours of the morning become the
norm, backs that threaten to break, and eyes gummed and desperate to close all
indications the deadline is fast approaching.
This last year I have learnt (because of illness not common sense:) to
say it doesn’t matter – relax. Shh don’t
tell my head, I still have deadlines but they are much flexible now.
10: The
day I received that first box of books with my name on them was a day I will
never forget but maybe the best was the day the county library took the first
two of my books and put them on the book group lists for reading. As a child I haunted four libraries, piles of
books wended their way to my home and a great deal of pocket money wended back
to pay the overdue fines! They were Aladdin’s caves full of excitement and
treasure and that day when my books joined in was amazing.
Below are the codes to get Alberta's books on Smashwords if you read a blurb you like:
2111: Ellen
Wellfit, innocent and naive child of the safe,peaceful and sterile
cities. Bix Sefune, genetically modified as a child to fight with the
Sefuty Comrades (popularly known as Ferals), now dangerously charming.
They meet when she seeks his help to fulfil the dying request of an old
lady. Terrified of life outside the city walls Ellen, in venturing out
into the countryside, is forced to cling to Bix and he, responding, finds his
interest in her growing.
They both dare to think of a future together but he cannot live within
walls and they have to part. It is Ellen who seeks to find a way to
achieve their dreams. She takes a dangerous path but the results of her
actions hold out hope for them and also for the dwindling survivors of mankind.
Ellen's Tale is an historical romance set in the future, with three time
periods and two love stories set against a background of climate change, child
soldiers, landmines, genetic engineering and eugenics.
CODE: BW88X
2116:
Ellen, Bix and Jack have moved away from the city and settled at Blaisemill to
try and gain enough skills to survive in the wilderness. They are to
start opening up the beleaguered settlements and establish Trade Routes. In
Ellen's Tale Jack had rescued Keira Baha from death, and despite her
being Blaisemill's black sheep, the comrades elect her their
guide. Some in Blaisemill say she is mad, they all say she is bad and
consider it a mistake to take her on. Jack believes she can be rescued
from her own demons. Can he do so in time, for her, for them.
2164:
Karina Morgan, friend and colleague of Maia Linne who, with archivist Ris
Menai, has gone missing, presumed dead on a field trip, has taken up the
uncompleted work on the Sefuty Chronicles. Working with Keria Baha's
recording of events during the three years Ellen and Bix resided in the
settlement and some letters from Maia,
Karina tries to continue her friends work.
CODE: BE25
2120: Away from the City and imprisoned behind rings of mines, deprived of
resources, settlements battle famine, natural disasters and despair. The
companions of Ellen’s Tale and The Storyteller’s Tale have moved south
to settle in Belacot and to open new trade routes. This land to the west and
north of the City has been untouched by any form of law and order for over 50
years and soon our companions face new conflict and danger. As they begin to
liberate mined settlements they discover some of the survivors of the Great
Wars live by violence banding together to exist by means of terror and
murder. Undermanned and lacking the
resources of the City Bix’s Comrade is almost overwhelmed. Disasters threaten
the close knit comrades and relationships begin to founder under the stresses
of war.
2165: Karina Morgan continuing her
friends research has the task of sorting letters and journal entries into
some semblance of order. It is not work she is suited to and soon
comes into conflict with Clemens the new head of department.
CODE: DD98A
CODE: DD98A
Short
Stories
A Patchwork of Perspectives
From
innocent childhood to old age alberta
Can a
mother's love save her boy? Will the monsters catch the children? How effective
are our talismans?
Talking
cats, nightmares on the moon, murder most foul, children's imagination running
wild and old ladies losing contact with the world. All these and more in this
first volume of A Patchwork of Perspectives. Alberta
CODE JY26X
More
tales which will lead you along perilous paths from exotic locations to the
dark shadows of the night.
CODE: HP26Q
16 very
short stories. From the ordinary everyday events to the fantastical, all the
familiar elements are here. Childhood, old age and all between Alberta
A photo
album charts a life, modern day rage in the workplace, what happens after the
fairy tales end and would that tin provide the clue needed?
Blackmail,
revenge and sweet love all jostle with the madness of minds and the strange
alien worlds we know nothing about. Sit back, relax and enjoy Alberta
CODE: ZD45S
CODE
BU83L
Purchase Alberta's books here
About Alberta Ross
Alberta Ross is
the author of the Sefuty Chronicles - a dystopian tale taking place in 2100s
after extreme climate change has changed everything, except human nature.
Alberta spent
the first part of her adult life travelling the world, the middle years
studying and now has settled down to
write. From the first part she has endless photographs, memories and friends.
From the second she has a BSc Hons, an MA and friends. Now in this part
everything comes together.
Over the years her interests have expanded, as has her book and music collection:) A short list would include reading (almost anything) science, opera, folk, gardening, philosophy, crazy patchwork, freeform crochet, ethics, social history, cooking (and eating of course) gardening, anthropology, climate change and sustainability.
Alberta
Over the years her interests have expanded, as has her book and music collection:) A short list would include reading (almost anything) science, opera, folk, gardening, philosophy, crazy patchwork, freeform crochet, ethics, social history, cooking (and eating of course) gardening, anthropology, climate change and sustainability.
‘My parents gave
me, apart from a love of reading and music, an interest and curiosity in
everything which, in itself, has become a total inability to be bored and for
this I am always grateful.’
She considers
that she is a half full glass type of person, ready for fun and laughter and
that this world, this life, is so full of ‘magic’ there is hardly a need to
‘make anything up’
You can find more information about Alberta on these websites:
also found at
and
Thank you very much for the books spot:)
ReplyDeleteLovely interview!
ReplyDeleteAs much as I love drafting with paper and pen, I do agree that computers are wonderful when it comes to editing. It's soooo much easier to cut and paste and move scenes around!