The stories in My Darling YOU

These are the titles of the stories in my ebook My Darling You. Read some comments I have made on the stories by clicking on the links

The Santa Picture 

First Love

Emancipation Park

The Empty Jam Jar

A Caribbean Princess

The Search

Now you may well ask why I have not commented on the other stories.

I have no answer to that. If you have read the stories and would like to interview me I'll gladly answer your questions. Meanwhile, I continue to wonder about their genesis. The muse is very fickle and sometimes obscure

Read some good (unsolicited ) reviews of the book on the page
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007U78HEC

Please support me by buying  a copy. I think you will enjoy the stories
Thanks

History anyone?

I am having a bit of trouble deciding whether some of my stories set in the 70s and 80s qualify as 'historical'. What exactly is the time frame for historical? Anything happening in time past is history, so when can a story be classified as historical?

Realistically, when we see that classification, we think of time long past with characters in history books and significant world periods, like: medieval, Elizabethan or Victorian times. Or, in the Caribbean, we think of  Tainos (Arawaks), pirates, slavery, maroons and sugar plantations. People must be dressed in old time clothing and speak old fashioned language.

In researching this topic on the Internet, I saw one suggestion that a historical setting is anything before World War one. Another suggestion was anything before 1950, it being the halfway mark in the last century. That would make anything after that modern, I suppose. Of course, the next period would be contemporary meaning up to date with all the things that are happening around us now.

So, I suppose my 70s and 80s stories would be modern, but definitely not contemporary as there are no cellphones nor the host of other technological devices which are now so commonplace.

My ebook My Darling You  Get it on amazon

Who Are These People?

Like many other persons who teach writing fiction courses, I advise my students to make detailed character sketches for the persons they put in their stories. This is a must for the protagonists and any other significant characters in the story.
We go down the usual check lists : name (nickname if any); age; physical description; primary relationship(s) MOTIVATION etc

You know the list. As a writer/creator you should know every aspect of your characters' lives. This will help if you run into a roadblock in the story-knowing how your character responds to various situations etc.

Good advice, but not all writers write in the same way.

My characters tend to be born whole. I don't have to work at creating a back story, they come with it. I often find that as I write I am following the character with great interest to find out just what it is they are planning and will get up to next and they tell me why. Once I know what it is I want to say, I can start writing and trust the characters to do their thing. Characters even force their way into my stories. I find that these are usually very interesting persons. They very often add another dimension to the story. (see my earlier post on this blog at http://hazeldeebooks.blogspot.com/2012/04/my-favourite-story-in-my-darling-you-4.html

I tell my students that they need to know the 'rules'  - i.e. what usually works for writers, but not to be so hard bound by the 'lessons' that they stifle their own creativity. The guidelines work for some, but not for everybody.

See my ebook of short stories My Darling You at
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007U78HEC

Appreciate your support Please buy a copy

BACK to normal

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007U78HEC

My two days free download of my ebook My Darling You have ended. Thanks to all who took the time to get a copy.I hope you like the stories. If you read AND liked the stories, please consider writing a review, clicking the 'like' button and telling others about it.
If you scroll down this blog you will find some insights as to how some of the stories in this ebook came to be written, as well as a couple of free stories. 
My favourtie story in the ebook is Emancipation Park. Here's why.
http://hazeldeebooks.blogspot.com/2012/04/my-favourite-story-in-my-darling-you-4.html

My ebook is available.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/

B007U78HEC

My ebook My Darling You (love stories - sort of )  Short stories from Jamaica. Please help me get into the top 100.  Please buy  a copy and write a review.Thank you.  

 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007U78HEC

Some great reviews on the page. Check it

You don't need to own a kindle to read ebooks on your PC.Check the right side of the page for a free app which allows you to download the ebook and read it on your PC.

I didn't know it took so much work

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007U78HEC

When I published my ebook  My Darling You (love stories -sort of) I didn't realize it would take so much work to get people to go to the amazon page and most of all purchase a copy. Four months later, I am learning that it takes a lot of work, especially as a new comer, to get noticed. I am now knee deep in using social media, making contacts here and there, writing blog entries, begging sites to list my book etc.  -  all of which takes away time from writing. But that's life. If I succeed, my pocket will be heavier and perhaps, next book, I can hire a service to do some of  this for me.

Most useful have been the writers groups on Linkedin. I have got very solid advice from my groups about what to do to promote my ebook 
ALSO
Here's very useful advice from smashwords for writers wanting to publish an ebook at www.smashwords.com. 


Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success (Smashwords Guides) is also available freee at amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Publishing-Success-Smashwords-ebook/dp/B007P8H80A/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1344939941&sr=1-1&keywords=Secrets+to+Ebook+Publishing 

Check it. It's free and remember you don't need to own a kindle to read ebooks. Check the amazon page for a free app which allows you to read ebooks on your PC

Another way to sell/buy ebooks

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007U78HEC

Here's how you could get to buy my 'ebook' if you do not have a USA credit card facility to order online.

 

Some days ago ,I posted on Linkedin my frustration at poor sales of my ebook despite very good reviews. There were many useful replies suggesting ways of finding my niche and getting more contacts and sales.

In response to one of the suggestions to sell to friends, acquaintances, church buddies etc, I had responded that I live in Jamaica and many persons had said to me that although they would love to buy the ebook, they did not have the foreign credit facility to purchase books via a USA credit card.

Here is my respondent's great reply:

"To get over the problem of foreign credit facilities (if you have access to foreign credit facilities) have you considered taking orders yourself and then via amazon.com you can 'buy' a copy as a gift for someone else!"

Very good idea, IF I myself had a credit card facility BUT it occurred to me that this is something a book store like Bookophilia in Jamaica could take on.

Persons could go to the bookstores and ask them to order Hazel Campbell's ebook ,My Darling You (love stories –sort of ), pay them what they work out as the cost and they would then order it from amazon and 'gift' it to the person ordering. On the amazon page, the purchaser is allowed to send the book as a gift to someone's kindle or computer You don't have to own a Kindle to read the ebook since there is a free download which allows you to read ebooks on your computer. Instant download,by the time you get home the book would be there for you to read.

This is just one step up from ordering physical books.(cheaper too) I wonder if anybody has thought of this possibility. Please let me know if it exists.

Another great review for my ebook

Read another great review for my ebook My Darling You (love stories-sort of ) here:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Darling-YOU-love-stories-ebook/dp/B007U78HEC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343915464&sr=1-1

Also see http://hazeldeebooks.blogspot.com/2012/05/getting-some-good-reviews-on-my-new.html