Whisper of Lies Nominated For Global EBook Award in Contemporary Fiction Romance Category

For Immediate Release

Cherry-Ann Carew, Author, Book Coach, Editor
Telephone: 1 949 231 0858
Email: cherry@writercacarew.com

 

  Whisper of Lies Nominated For Global EBook Award in Contemporary Fiction Romance Category

 

Santa Ana, California – April 19, 2012 – Cherry-Ann Carew’s novel, ‘Whisper of Lies,’ is the first of a two-part sequel. This engrossing tale is replete with emotion and offers challenges and thought provoking situations to which many readers can relate. The strength of the novel lies within its third-person account, though the book’s core concerns rejection, dashed hopes, and the inner turmoil of the character caught in a web of unfortunate events and lies. Most importantly, the story captures the struggle for independence, love and peace of mind. It expounds how the character deals with the dogged internal and external journey.

Carew explains, “I’ve always been intrigued with human experiences, that which is a part of life – the good and the not so good and decided to plot a story around these encounters. I also wanted to include culture and diversity in my writing; as such, the book is primarily about Lavina, whose story begins in Guyana, South America, and continues to London, England. I chose these two countries as the setting on two counts: first, I was born in Guyana and wanted to feature that part of my heritage and second, I wanted to highlight the beauty and culture of London that is my second home.”

Dana Hee, Olympic Gold Medalist and Inspirational Speaker, says: “From the first paragraph, I was hooked. Cherry-Ann’s style of writing draws you deeper and deeper into this powerful story and makes it difficult to put the book down. Congratulations to this fine writer for creating yet another wonderful work of art.”

Cherry-Ann Carew is also a book coach, editor and Founder of Writetastic Solutions. She has over sixteen years of experience in professional writing for various magazines, newspaper publications and online content. She worked as a sports journalist for one of Britain’s popular newspapers, The Voice, and as editor for BlaqSport, a national sports journal.

Cherry-Ann is also co-author of the bestselling book: ‘How The Fierce Handle Fear – Secrets To Succeeding In Challenging Times’ and ‘The Power Of 100:100 International Women Share Powerful Stories Of How To Stay Focused On Your Dreams’.

The Global Ebook Awards honor and bring attention to the future of book publishing. Now in its second year the Awards are in 72 specific categories, open to all publishers large and small, so that the winner is the best in its category not just the best of small or regionally published eBooks. The awards ceremony will be in gorgeous Santa Barbara on August 18, 2012. See http://GlobalEbookAwards.com.

‘Whisper of Lies’ is available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, or through the author’s website: http://cherryanncarew.com and is priced at $2.99 until April, 30. Thereafter, it will revert to its original price of $9.99.

Cherry-Ann Carew, Author, Book Coach, Editor
Telephone: 1 949 231 0858
Email: cherry@writercacarew.com
Author Website: http//:cherryanncarew.com
Writetastic Solutions website: http://writetasticsolutions.com

# # #

You Don’t Need To Know The Kama Sutra To Write Sex Scenes

A few readers, who have read my novel Whisper of Lies, asked me, “Where did you learn all those moves?” The question relates to the sex scenes in the book, and I have quite a few. I find this enquiry amusing.

Writers do not need to know the Kama Sutra to write sex scenes. However, depending on what a writer wishes to convey about the characters, she will research like she would any other subject. And, of course, she can use her imagination.

Sex scenes, like any other scene in your book should serve a purpose. It’s not only about the sexual act. This form of writing requires a different level of writing, however. Below is an article, My Favorite Sex Scene, written by fiction author Jessica Barksdale Inclán, who teaches how to craft a relatable—and memorable—sex scene:

I spent yesterday on the UCLA campus in the Public Affairs Building (aptly named, I think) to teach sex scene writing. Three or four times a year, I sojourn down to Westwood and teach amazing students things that I imagine they might want to know about it. Sex scene writing is definitely a skill all writers should master because sex is a wonderful way to convey character, plot, and theme. No doubt about it, how we do it says a lot about who we are, the state of our relationships, and what we want.

Sex shows the connection between the characters–or the lack of one. Sex allows their neuroses and flaws and issues to bubble to the surface, raw and real. Sex shows how good things are and how bad they will get. We need to praise D.H. Lawrence and Henry Miller and Anais Nin and dear E.M. Forster for trying to put these ideas forth to the world, giving us the opportunity to write characters in full life.

In the course of the class, I showed a few clips from films because film can really “do” a sex scene. The lucky film makers don’t have to worry about euphemisms for body parts (please strike sword, sheath, and shaft from your lexicon immediately). At least, when the director is thinking about character, plot, or theme. When the director is just thinking, “Damn, we need some skin in this flick,” the sex scene isn’t useful to us except in that prurient way sex scenes can be useful. We watch the body doubles and the body parts, and say, “Well, my word.”

One of my favorite sex scenes isn’t really “sex,” but a physical connection between two characters. This scene isn’t from writing but from a film, “Persuasion.” Here it is. Our dear, bedraggled Anne Elliot (Amanda Root) and Wentworth (Ciran Hinds) are walking in the countryside. It has been a long walk, and Wentworth is pretending not to notice that Anne is flagging. But when a carriage approaches, and it is discerned there is room for one person, Wentworth persuades Anne to get in. She can’t believe he’s actually paying attention to her, as he’s been flirting with and acting charming toward all others but her the entire day. And then he helps her into the carriage and grabs her gently at the waist and helps lift her to her seat.

Oh! My! God! You can feel that touch through the screen into your heart. By that touch alone, damn, you know he loves her. Eight years of separation and longing and anger and resentment and need all in one touch. This one touch changes the plot. This one touch begins to change Anne and Wentworth. The story moves on from that moment.

You are probably a little disappointed in me, I know. Maybe you wanted me to pick Diane Lane’s scene in “Unfaithful” or something from “Body Heat.” But no, it was wither this scene or that flipping amazing kiss in “Witness” between Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis. And maybe it’s not even the kiss in “Witness” that changes everything but the view Harrison gets of Kelly as she’s bathing, the light warm, her desire and acceptance of his gaze obvious.

Yowza!

After we watched examples and then read some sex scenes aloud, I gave my class the exercise of pairing up couples from their work. Thinking about their story or stories, put together the people who are or will or could or might or who should not have sex. Think about the idea of what they would learn from the sex they would have with this other character, despite and because of their relationships with each other.
And then write that scene, using all the good ideas we talked about, many from “The Joy of Writing Sex” by Elizabeth Benedict. This includes being specific, detailed, and clear. No exaggeration, no euphemisms that make us laugh our guts out. No clichés. No pulsing or heaving or breasts “growing.” (I am still unclear on how breasts grow or get heavy during sex. Please advise). No “It was the most amazing…” anything. No “He had never experienced anything like this . . .” ever.

Of course, the sex scene can be “bad sex.” Yes, characters have bad sex like the rest of us now and again, and that also tells us something about character, plot, and theme.

As they wrote, so did I, realizing that in editing, I’d managed to take out the one sex scene that all my readers had likely been waiting for.
So if you are at home and have no good sex scenes to watch, give this exercise a go. Guaranteed to interest!

Write It, Work It, Publish it!

 

© 2012 Cherry-Ann Carew
WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, NEWSLETTER, MAGAZINE, BLOG OR WEBSITE? Please do, but ensure you include this complete resource box:

Cherry-Ann Carew, aka The Power Writing Coach, Editor, Best-selling author and Founder of Writetastic Solutions is passionate about helping aspiring fiction and non-fiction writers bring out their creative expression to write their books. Learn how her coaching and editing services can help you at http://www.writetasticsolutions.com.

Read an E-book Week 2012

It’s ‘Read an Ebook Week’ from March 4-10, 2012. Join in this international literary event where you can get massive discounts and free E-books.

To get 50 percent discount on my novel, ‘Whisper of Lies’ go to http://tinyurl.com/77v2hnb, scroll to the bottom of the page, click on the title of the book, and use Coupon code: REW50.

Here’s a recent review on the novel:

Ms. Carew,

“I laughed, I cried, I emphasized and sympathized with the main characters of your story and yes, my “groin twitched.” From the get go, I felt that Ms. Carew was sitting beside me and relating the story of the life of any woman who has experienced the highs and lows of life.

“From the moment I started on Lavina’s journey, I related to the intricacies of the web that life weaves on us, women. I wept for both Lavina and Adel; Adel, a complex woman which is how I view myself….nurturing, kind and fiercely protective of my women friends. I was transported into the web of real life; this is what resonated most with me; I saw bits of myself in both Lavina and Adel. From the moment I picked up this book, I couldn’t wait to be transported into the spider’s web of these women’s lives.
Real, gripping, a truism of life; women’s lives and any woman can relate to this novel of reality, love, heartbreak, disappointment.”

Gillian Fredericks-Chin

Visit Smashwords.com if you have an E-book to share during ‘Read an Ebook Week’.

Click here to read the story of how ‘Read an Ebook Week’ evolved.

Write It, Work It, Publish it!

© 2012 Cherry-Ann Carew

Cherry-Ann Carew, aka The Power Writing Coach, Editor, Best-selling author and Founder of Writetastic Solutions is passionate about helping aspiring fiction and non-fiction writers bring out their creative expression to write their books. Learn how her coaching and editing services can help you at http://www.writetasticsolutions.com.

My NaNoWriMo Journey – Day 1-Outlining Not Typing

I’ve committed to writing the draft of my follow-up novel (the sequel to the prequel Whisper of Lies), over the next 30-days by participating in NaNoWriMo. For those of you not familiar with it, NaNoWriMo means ‘National Novel Writing Month.’ It has become an annual affair during the month of November.

‘Quote:’ It’s a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing on November 1. The goal is to write a 50,000 word, (approximately 175 page) novel by 11:59:59, November 30. ‘Unquote.’ You can find more info. here.

Tall order that, whipping out 50,000 words, especially if you are a novice. If you’re looking for inspiration to get going on that book you’ve placed on ice or you’ve been meaning to start writing, but lacked the know-how, register at NaNoWriMo and join a community in your area. Interact in the forums and connect with a writing buddy.

That said, how do you get off the mark if you’re looking for some inspiration? My advice is to do a brain dump. Empty all the scenes you’ve been playing in your head like a mini movie on to the page. Remember, the focus is based on word count, not quality.

Arguably, this could seem counterintuitive, because there is a lot involved when writing. Nevertheless, use this opportunity to test that you can commit and you can be disciplined. At the end of the month, you will have a finished product that you may be able to edit and thereafter publish.

Good luck!

As for me, not a bright beginning to this journey, I will admit. But before I elaborate on that admission, I have to explain that my decision to commit to NaNoWriMo was impromptu. Why? My simple answer is that though I had decided to take the rest of the year off after my book, Whisper of Lies, was launched in March, I’ve been mentally percolating the sequel, and well… in all honesty, I must be crazy given my current work load. To add, I decided to blog about how I’m doing and the challenges that I know I will face each day.  Surely that is confirmation that I am stark, raving bloody mad!

I may be a pro, but I have methods that I use when preparing to write a book which include outlining the overall book chapter-by-chapter and, that generally takes weeks. So given that I made the decision over the weekend, my elaborate admission is that I have not started on day 1. Rather, I spent the weekend and day 1 working on the outline using a beat sheet covering such things as, concept (extension of my idea), through line (aka elevator pitch), theme, hook, outlining scenes etc. So I have a lot of catching up to do. When inspiration takes over, I can knock out 5k to 10k words during the course of a day.

For this book, that is untitled, the concept and through line was not terribly challenging, as it’s an extension of the first book. Finding a hook that I felt was compelling took some mulling over. I’m pretty happy with what I came up with. So, through my folly, I’m envisioning a rough draft by the end of the month and that is empowering for me.

Now I need some stimulus to provoke my fingers to tap these keys.

Whisper of Lies (my Novel) Showcased in the London Met Alumni Quarterly

 

Alumna Cherry Ann Carew talks about her latest book, Whisper of Lies and invites you to “Immerse yourself in a tale, where you travel through years, geography, parents, elders, children and men.”

Click here to read the article.

Readers Favorite Book Review – Whisper of Lies – 5 Stars

 

Reviewed by Lynn F. for ReadersFavorite.com

Lavina Bradshaw was raised by her grandparents. She barely knew her mother and never knew her father. When her grandparents were killed in an auto accident, there was only one option for Lavina…to move to England and live with the mother who gave her away when she was a baby. As time moves forward, Lavina marries and has three children. Her marriage is not a happy one; she feels stifled, but financially she has no way out. Lavina wasn’t planning to have an affair…until she met Lamyal Campbell. There was an instant attraction between the two, but she failed to tell him she was married. Their relationship was filled with lies and deceit.

Be prepared; once you start reading Whispers Of Lies by Cherry-Ann Carew you will not be able to lay it down. This book runs the gamut of emotions and is filled with the trials and triumphs of one woman through her journey of growing up. The reader witnesses her hopes and love.

This was an excellent read. I was quickly caught up in the life of Lavina. It was heart-breaking watching her as a child, then see her grow into a woman. The author has a talent for engaging the audience; I felt as though I was in the midst of the situation. The plot stirs emotions bringing both tears and smiles. This is my kind of book.

How To Be Assertive Without Alienating Yourself

Asking for what you want—and setting boundaries around what you don’t want—is a key life skill. But sometimes in our enthusiasm to practice this skill, we over-do our own assertiveness and end up shutting down by getting frustrated and, or, giving up.

Here are 3 tips for developing your assertiveness in a way that will strengthen, deepen and enrich your mind set—thus avoiding the “alienation trap”:

Get Clarity

Being assertive starts with knowing what you are—and aren’t—willing to be, do, or have. For many of us, coming to this knowledge is a task unto itself. Here, it may be useful to ask: “What would I like to happen,” or “What would I like to accomplish?” Of course, this question is dependent on what project you are focused on at the time. For me, it was gaining as much international exposure as possible for my books before and after publication. Thus, I had to speak up and speak out. Focusing on an ideal outcome for whatever purpose opens our minds, prevents us from falling into passivity or ‘victim-thinking,’ and helps us get clear on what we want and don’t want.

Share, Share And Share

Once you know what outcome you need (or want), share it with others. It’s a step-by-step, repeatable process that you must execute to get results. With practice, you can actually sense when you’re hitting the mark. It can feel pleasurable to express your needs or desires out loud to build and maintain connection. You can build your assertiveness the same way you build any muscle, for instance, exercise. Practice speaking about your needs, whether big, or small, on a daily basis. When you speak up, you get used to your assertiveness. Soon, it becomes easier to implement. Furthermore, when bigger issues come along, you will have a healthy process in place for dealing with differences in needs and greater confidence to recover from setbacks.

Give as Much as you get

It’s much harder to do most things alone — especially marketing and promoting a book. Simply sticking it out there and hoping people will buy won’t cut it. But I digress… others will be assertive in their efforts too, so return the courtesy when they reach out. It’s really exhilarating when you see your collaborative efforts paying off.

Write It, Work It, Publish it!

© 2011 Cherry-Ann Carew

WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, NEWSLETTER, MAGAZINE, BLOG OR WEBSITE? Please do, but ensure you include this complete resource box:

Cherry-Ann Carew, The Power Writing Coach, Editor, and Founder of Writetastic Solutions, is co-author of the bestselling book, ‘How The Fierce Handle Fear, Secrets To Succeeding In Challenging Times,’ co-author of the ‘The Power Of 100 – 100 International Women Share Powerful Stories Of How To Stay Focused On Your Dreams,’ and author of ‘Whisper of Lies,’ a novel.  Cherry-Ann helps writers with their creative expression to add value to their books. Learn how her coaching and editing services can help you with your book. Subscribe for your FREE SPECIAL REPORT: Discover The 3 Simple Steps That Will Help You Start And Finish Your Book. Yes, you can have a finished draft fast!

3Ps To Marketing Your Book – Part One

One week ago today I launched my debut novel, Whisper of Lies. Sales were decent and I have some reviews and interviews lined up globally. I know from research and experience, that I probably wouldn’t have sold a single copy if I had not put a marketing strategy in place way before my book was published.

As authors, it’s our responsibility to build a platform whether publishing via traditional means, or self-publishing. To do that, you need to set an action plan in place in preparation before getting your book out into the world, because your book’s success is ultimately up to you. In addition, you need to have an intimate knowledge about the book’s outset and outcome.

In coming weeks, I’ll share brief extracts from an E-book I’m currently writing to assist authors to market their books.

At the outset, I focused on three main topics that I call the 3 Ps. They are: ‘Predetermine, Prepare and Promote.’  Many areas overlap, but in essence, Predetermine means understanding what your message/story is about. As obvious as this sounds, many writers start out wanting to write information that they feel will answer society’s problems, if writing non-fiction. If fiction, many do not know, or understand the overall story through line.

One of my clients, for instance, went through a grieving period after finding out her youngest daughter chose to live an alternate lifestyle. Once she was healed, she wanted to share her struggles with other mothers to minimize their pain. Her message was “The 7 Stages of Grief.” It’s important to be as specific as you can, so the purpose of your message resonates with your readers.

The other thing is to define which members of society your message is aimed at. Are they male, female, young adults, pregnant mothers, children of elderly parents or youths? Knowing who your intended audience is helps you to establish your niche market. Further, are they local, in the suburbs, nationwide, or global?

When do you want your message to be heard? What is your time line to get your book out? Will it coincide with a special occasion? For instance, Thanksgiving, Gay parade, Valentine, during a political campaign, Christmas, a sporting event such as the Olympics or World Cup?

How will you get your message out? What method(s), tools and resources are you going to use? Will you use business cards, flyers, social media and, or, traditional media?

Once you have established the above, you are on your way to putting a marketing strategy in place.

In the 3 Ps To Marketing Your Book – Part Two, I’ll cover Preparation.

Write It, Work It, Publish it!

 

© 2011 Cherry-Ann Carew

WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, NEWSLETTER, MAGAZINE, BLOG OR WEBSITE? Please do, but ensure you include this complete resource box:

Cherry-Ann Carew, The Power Writing Coach, Editor, and Founder of Writetastic Solutions, is co-author of the bestselling book, ‘How The Fierce Handle Fear, Secrets To Succeeding In Challenging Times, co-author of the “The Power Of 100 – 100 International Women Share Powerful Stories Of How To Stay Focused On Your Dreams,” and author of “Whisper Of Lies” a novel.  Cherry-Ann helps writers with their creative expression to add value to their books. Learn how her coaching and editing services can help you with your book. Subscribe for your FREE SPECIAL REPORT: Discover The 3 Simple Steps That Will Help You Start And Finish Your Book. Yes, you can have a finished draft in no time!

Whisper of Lies Book Launch

I’m delighted to announce that the long anticipated book, ‘Whisper of Lies’, is officially launched today, March 31st and I would like to invite you to share in my excitement and celebration. I have 3 exclusive gifts that include: lunch with me, or a gift of lunch for 2, as well as 30-minutes free lazer coaching and a free partial manuscript evaluation. In addition, many sponsors are generously giving away great bonus gifts. Click here for more details on how you can win these exclusive gifts and access the bonuses.

Whisper of Lies Press Release

For Immediate Release

Immerse yourself in a tale, where you travel through years, geography, parents, elders, children and men.

Costa Mesa, California – March 29, 2011 – Cherry-Ann Carew’s novel, Whisper of Lies, is the first of a two-part sequel. This engrossing tale is replete with emotion and offers challenges and thought-provoking situations to which many readers can relate. The strength of the novel lies within its third-person account, though the book’s core concerns rejection, dashed hopes, and the inner turmoil of the character caught in a web of unfortunate events and lies. Most importantly, the story captures the struggle for independence, love, and peace of mind. It expounds how the character deals with the dogged internal and external journey.

Carew explains, “The book is primarily about Lavina, whose story begins in Guyana, South America, and continues to London, England. I chose these two countries as the setting on two counts: first, I was born in Guyana and wanted to feature that part of my heritage in the book, and second, I wanted to highlight the beauty and culture of London, that is my second home.”

Dana Hee, Olympic Gold Medalist and Inspirational Speaker, says: “From the first paragraph, I was hooked. Cherry-Ann’s style of writing draws you deeper and deeper into this powerful story and makes it difficult to put the book down. Congratulations to this fine writer for creating yet another wonderful work of art.”

The book is available through various online book distributors, including Amazon.com.

Cherry-Ann Carew, a gifted writer, writing coach, editor and Founder of Writetastic Solutions, has over sixteen years of experience in professional writing for various magazines, newspaper publications and online content. She worked as a sports journalist for one of Britain’s popular newspapers, The Voice, and as editor for BlaqSport, a national sports journal.

Cherry-Ann is also co-author of “How The Fierce Handle Fear – Secrets To Succeeding In Challenging Times” and “The Power Of 100 –100 International Women Share Powerful Stories Of How To Stay Focused On Your Dreams.”

Contact:

Cherry-Ann Carew, Author, Writing Coach, Editor

Telephone: 1 949 231 0858 – 1 289 200 0585

Email: cherry@writercacarew.com

Author Website: www.cherryanncarew.com

Writetastic Solutions website: www.writetasticsolutions.com

 

 

# # #