October 18, 2023 • 31 mins
Get ready for a thrilling journey as we sit down with Marty McNair, debut author of the riveting dystopian novel, Island of Ruin. McNair's fascination with dystopian fiction, her inspirations, and the journey of her protagonist, Jasmine, are laid bare in this intriguing conversation. The struggle against oppression, the power of resilience and the art of creating an immersive world, are just a handful of the topics we'll be sinking our teeth into.
Turning the tables in the second half, we delve into the fascinating process of publishing. From her experiences with publishing "Island of Ruin", to the significance of crafting a captivating title and cover design, there's a wealth of information for voracious readers and budding authors alike. McNair also gives us a glimpse into her writing process, her debut author challenges, and invaluable tips for those embarking on their own writing journey. Tune in for this vibrant exploration of dystopian fiction and publishing!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hi and welcome to the Writing and Marketing Show
brought to you by author Wendy HJones.
This show does exactly what itsays on the tin.
It's jam-packed with interviews, advice, hints, tips and news
to help you with the business ofwriting.
It's all wrapped up in onelively podcast.
So it's time to get on with theshow.
(00:23):
And welcome to episode 182 ofthe Writing and Marketing Show
with author entrepreneur Wendy HJones.
As always, it's a pleasure tobe with you again and to have
you join me here on the Writingand Marketing Show.
Today I'm going to be talkingabout life as a debut author and
writing dystopian fiction withdebut author Marty McNair, and
(00:45):
more about Marty in a moment.
So what's been going on in mylife?
Well, I've been in the Statesfor the last three months and,
as we record this, I have oneweek left.
So a week from today, as Irecord, I will be on my way back
.
A week from today, as youlisten to it.
If you listen to it on thecorrect day, then I will be back
(01:09):
in the UK and wending my wearyway from London up to Scotland,
and I've had a whale of a time.
And more about that and what itdid for my author career,
possibly next week's episode.
So I've got, I'm off toGraceland yes, graceland, that
is the home of Elvis.
(01:30):
I'm off to Memphis, tennessee,and I'm doing a book signing at
Graceland not the mansion itself, because obviously you couldn't
have a number of authors andreaders milling around in there,
but it is in the mansion'sfunction centre.
They've got a hotel and afunction suite there.
So I will be on the Gracelandestate doing a book signing and
(01:52):
I can absolutely assure you thatwhen I started this 10 years
ago, I did not for one minutethink I would be doing a book
signing at Graceland.
But I am and I cannot wait.
So I will tell you all about itin next week's episode.
So before we introduce Marty, Iwould like to say that, yes, it
(02:13):
is a pleasure to do this for youevery week.
However, it does take time outof my writing.
If you would like to supportthis time, then you can do so by
going to patreoncom.
Forward slash Wendy H Jones,that's P-A-T-R-E-O-N dot com.
Forward slash Wendy H Jones andyou can support me for the
price of a tear coffee per month, and I would be very grateful.
(02:37):
So what of Marty?
Well, residing in the heart ofBurns territory in south west
Scotland, marty M McNair is anaward winning Scottish author.
Recently, marty has returnedfrom a successful authors tour
in Virginia America with herdebut novel, island of Ruin,
selling all of the books shippedout.
Island of Ruin is the firstbook in her trilogy Ruin or
(02:59):
Redemption, with book two,rebels of Ruin, scheduled for a
Christmas release.
Marty has fully immersedherself in the realm of writing,
currently holding the role ofvice president for the Scottish
Association of Writers.
She is also in partnership withWendy H Jones and Shoma Mitre
in their company Oz ScottPublishing and Retreats, and has
recently taken on a new role ascopywriter for the Writers
(03:20):
Narrative magazine.
Marty's passion for literaryengagement extends further as an
active member of the AirWriters Club and History Writers
.
She is constantly seekingmeaningful connections with
writers and readers worldwide.
So, without further ado, let'sget on with the show and hear
from Marty, and we have Susanwith us.
(03:43):
Welcome, susan.
How are you today?
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Hi, yes, I'm very good, and thank you again for
having me.
Wendy, it's lovely to be here.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Oh, thank you for being here.
I really appreciate you takingthe time because I know you are
a busy lady.
You're busy writing yet anothernovel.
My goodness, you are prolific,that's for sure.
So where are you?
Let us know where you are inthe world.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
So I am in South Bay, scotland.
I am in a little hamlet calledChris Hands, and right now I am
in my son's bedroom, simplybecause someone might come in
while we are in the middle of aninterview and I don't want
there to be any noise.
Wow so the safest place is upthe stairs and out of the way.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Fantastic.
I'm glad that you've thoughtabout us and you've moved out of
the way, but what's the weatherlike where you are?
Speaker 2 (04:42):
It's very dull.
It hasn't rained much today,but it has been very dull and
pretty miserable.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Well, it's sunny here in Virginia, but it's still a
nip in the air.
I'll have to say I'll be backin sunny Scotland next week.
Back to the rain.
In the cold, you'll need torumble, eva.
Let's have this interview,which will take us all away from
the cold and the rain, becauseit's going to be magic in here.
So thank you for taking thetime.
(05:10):
My first question is always canyou tell us about your book?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
So Island of Ruin is told through the eyes of my
protagonist, jasmine, and theplotline reflects the struggle
of her living under anoppressive regime and her quest
for freedom and self-discovery.
Jasmine's transformation comesthrough finding a mysterious old
woman who symbolises thepossibility of Jasmine breaking
(05:37):
free from the constraints of heroppressive society.
The theme of resilience, hopeand human spirit and the ability
to endure transcends all thechallenging circumstances and it
helps drive the plot forward asJasmine navigates her way
through several encounters.
That's not very nice.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Well, I know it's a brilliant book and I mean for a
debut.
It's exceptional.
So you know.
That's why I knew I wanted tointerview you for this show.
So I mean dystopian fiction.
It's not something I read allthe time.
So can you share yourinspiration for writing
dystopian fiction and what drewyou to the genre for your debut
novel?
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Well, I always had a deep appreciation for horrors,
thrillers, crime, crime novelsand stories that tested the
metal of all characters.
This voidiness for such a typeof story led me to George Orwell
1984 in his Animal Farm, aswell as Aldous Huxley's A Brave
(06:42):
New World.
Also titles such as theHandmaid's Tale and the Hunger
Games.
All these stories captivated mewith the exploration of human
resilience and facingchallenging circumstances, and I
was always captivated by suchnarrative arcs and finding
myself more and more beingpulled into a dystopian setting.
(07:03):
Landscapes where there'salternative realities fascinated
me, and I was always told rightwhat you know.
So I think for me, although Idon't live in such a dystopian,
you know, and thankfully neverhad encountered some of the
problems that you see dystopiancharacters going through.
So I tend to write what I enjoyrather than what I know, and I
(07:28):
think that's why I love creatingthese horrors and creating the
hazardous situations for mycharacters.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Yeah, I mean, you're right, it can be challenging to
live in a dystopian society andI'm glad as well that I'm not
living in it.
I don't think I was cut out forthat, to be honest.
I was cut out for comfort, butit does give you, in terms of
novel writing, it does give youa certain freedom.
(07:56):
You know that we can explore abit further on, really, but
before we get to that it's thenwriting a novel is a significant
undertaking.
It really is.
We all know that the listenersto this show Could you describe
your writing process and how youmanaged to stay motivated
throughout the journey tocompleting a debut novel Well?
Speaker 2 (08:17):
a Patek.
Eileen de Bruin is an example.
This is a process that spanneda considerable length of time.
I first entered, you know, myfirst draft of 7000 words into
the Young Adult Competition forthe Scottish Association of
Writers, and that was about 13or 14 years ago, and so since
(08:38):
then the book is only now beingpublished.
It was after that particularconference that I began to truly
learn the craft of writing andthen started to make changes to
better the manuscript.
Obviously, family, working life,writing for me was only a hobby
, and so it was only done anytime a bit of spare time was
(08:59):
allowed.
However, I kept writing otherstories, entering competitions
and then, in the last year or so, dedicated more of my time to
finally complete and get a finaldraft of Eileen de Bruin.
Once I was happy and confidentwith it, you know, then
obviously went for publication.
There were many things that didkeep me motivated, some such as
(09:23):
the love of the craft and theneed to write down all stories
that were running through myhead.
Probably a huge motivator wasthe many wonderful friends that
I've met, including yourself,wendy, that have helped me
through my writing journey andhelping me get to the stage that
I am today.
So, you know, I'd say that thelove of our writing community as
(09:46):
well, and all the knowledge andencouragement that offers, was
a great motivator and, to behonest, I don't think there's
anything that I would rather bedoing than writing novels and
stories and trying to, you know,get my ideas out there.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Yeah, I agree, writing is such an amazing
privilege really and to be ableto do it and, you know, stay
motivated for 13 years, mygoodness.
And yes, I agree with you, Idon't think you can do that
without the support of othersaround you.
There's a myth that all writersare in isolation, but really
and truly, we're all surroundedby other writers who cheer us on
(10:24):
and support us and keep usgoing when we're demotivated.
So, yeah, you make a good pointthere.
There must be people in theworld today that think they're
living in dystopian societies,because dystopian worlds often
reflect social and politicalcommentary.
How did real world events orissues influence the creation of
(10:45):
your dystopian societies andits themes?
If it did, in all fairness?
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Well, for me that is a very good question, because
from a young age, I was alwayspolitically motivated and I also
loved reading about history,and so when you combine the two,
you could find many topics andtwist them, you know, take them
into a context and turn theminto a dystopian setting just
from what we know of the past.
(11:11):
And it's like what you said,what you touched on.
Yeah, you only need to look atthe state of the world today and
actually ask yourself are weliving a dystopian reality right
now?
Take the COVID lockdowns, thecontinual wars, injustice and
oppression and the effects ofclimate change.
There's also a thing right nowthat I'm really looking into,
(11:33):
which is the birth of smartcities and put that long tail
for the population, the advancesin technology and how this
impacts the elderly and thoseunable to afford them.
So there's loads of things thatyou know influences dystopian
settings in the current worldand in past history.
So yet I draw in all aspects ofthat and you know I'm always
(11:55):
digging deep to see oh, you know, this could work, that could
work, and it always comes fromsomething that has happened or
something that's going on.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Now I agree.
I mean, you're having a love ofpolitics and what's going on in
society can also can often helpyou shape what you write,
whatever it is, but particularlywhen it comes to dystopian
fantasy.
So I'm curious as to whatchallenges of any did you face
in the publishing process as adebut author and how you
(12:28):
overcame them.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Well, probably I mean , you could be here all night
probably answering that question.
So probably, as a brief summary,my biggest issue was time.
There was never enough hours inthe day or weeks you know days
in the week which allowed thewriting process to flow, so that
(12:50):
made writing more difficult andit felt bitty, you know,
sometimes having to pick oh, youknow, I didn't look at that
manuscript, I'm just looking atit now in a last sort last week.
So yeah, I think for me thebiggest issue was time and then
having a job where I sat all dayat a computer and you would
come home at night to start yourwriting process.
(13:11):
Your brain just turned too much.
So that as well was maybe toomany hours looking at a screen,
not having enough time or neededrefresher ideas.
So for me I think that is it.
If someone was to say to mewhat was the biggest challenge,
I would say I never had enoughtime.
However, I have now reduced myworking hours, which will
(13:31):
hopefully free up time andhopefully you never know many
best sellers will follow.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Excellent.
Yeah, time just disappears,doesn't it?
Like it's stand through yourfingers?
There it is one minute andthere it is gone the next.
Yeah, seriously, I'd like totake it just slightly further
and go.
Can you discuss your overallexperience with publishing your
book and have you got any tipsfor aspiring authors in that
(14:00):
regard?
Speaker 2 (14:02):
Contact Wendy each Jones.
To be fair, you would agree tohelp Wendy.
If it was me, for yourencouragement and everything
that you taught me along theprocess, I'd still be playing
around with the manuscript andchanging it and it would never
be ready and it would never begood enough, and I'm still
probably a bit weary of thewhole self-publishing process.
(14:24):
But I think that is becauseI've only done one book.
I've only completed one novelat the moment and you know what
I actually published in outthere.
Probably, as I do more andobviously with your help and you
know the wonderful writingcommunity that I'm involved in,
my confidence will grow and I'lllearn more and more and become
more confident.
With regards to tips, probablyone of the biggest ones is never
(14:48):
give up, because there are somany times people start you know
I speak to people they start anoval and before you know it
they're not even halfway through, but they can't carry on.
So never give up, no matter howmuch the voice inside your head
tells you that you're notworthy of completing the
manuscript and getting yourstories told.
No matter how many obstaclescome in your way.
(15:11):
Keep going, and I wouldencourage everyone to join a
local writing group or findfriends within their writing
community to help and supportthem, because the knowledge and
support that you are giving fromother writers is invaluable and
the more you involve yourselfin the writing community, the
(15:31):
more you'll learn and the moreyou'll grow as a writer.
So that would be the aspiringtips.
I would sorry, the tips for theaspiring authors.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Yeah, I agree.
Never give up, becauseeverybody gets stuck in the
messy middle, the muddle in themiddle.
Everybody thinks I can't writethis book.
You could have written 200books, it could be on your first
one.
You get stuck in the messymiddle, which is like wading
through treacle for everybody,and that's when you start to
doubt yourself.
I'm rubbish at this, so nevergive up and you feel a fake.
(16:02):
You feel a fake, you do.
Everybody feels.
Every single writer in theworld has imposter syndrome and
they think that this is going tobe the book that will crash
their career.
Anyway, moving swiftly onwards,before we make writers feel
they have to have impostersyndrome, get you done if you
don't have it.
I know you've said about othercommitments and things, but as a
(16:24):
new author, you're saying youhad to juggle writing with other
commitments.
What strategies did you use tofind the time and balance to
work on your novel?
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Oh, strategies was.
It was basically any spare timeyou had to write your own.
You know, this was back when Iwas working full time.
I had a very demanding job, thelong hours, and you know so the
strategy was right.
When you can, any any spendminute that you had and, as I
(16:56):
say, working along the cominghome putting on your laptop, it
could be a struggle but I alwaysloved when I got to Friday
after a long hard week, gettingthe dinner made, you know, the
dishes out the way, opening mylaptop, having a glass of wine,
and I would sit there and write.
And, lucky for me, you know, Ihave a wonderful husband and two
(17:16):
wonderful kids that helped, youknow, with the dishes and
helped with the other stuff tofree up my time.
And I always remember sittingin my laptop working away and
Martin making the comment ohmurder, she wrote, you know so.
So, yeah, basically my strategywas right.
When you can and try and writequality, you know, sometimes you
(17:38):
would pick up your laptop andif it wasn't coming and it
wasn't flowing, you would thinkyou know I'm writing, you know
I'm not doing well, time to stop.
So it was me just about whenyou could write.
It was about obviously havingto try and get quality words
onto the paper, words thatflowed and you know made sense
and you know that wasprogressing your story forward.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
No, I would agree with you right when you can,
because it's often making achoice between picking up your
phone and scrolling throughendless Facebook, twitter and
every other social media and I'mnot getting any of those social
media sites.
I'm just saying it can be atime suck and it's a choice
between that and writing.
It's better to pick up yourlaptop and write and do that.
(18:21):
Turn the television off.
Turn the television off.
I agree totally.
You know there's only so muchhome and away and you can watch
Emmerdale.
So the cover and the title of abook are critical in attracting
readers.
How did you come up with atitle and cover design for your
novel and how does it reflectthe story's essence?
Speaker 2 (18:43):
So titles for me, as you know, wendy, is a touchy
subject.
My original title was Childrenof Rune, which I didn't realise
was an epic trilogy and a sci-fiseries.
However, this led me tochanging my title to Island of
Rune, and which, hindsight, Iactually prefer.
I think Island of Rune servesas a metaphor for the characters
(19:07):
in my book.
They're emotional and physicalstates.
The title for me reflects theinner turmoil and struggles
which I have placed thecharacters in, basically because
the island is called Rune thatis the name of the actual island
and obviously because a lot ofthese characters in my book,
they have a life in Rune.
So you know, basically, that'swhere I get the title thrown.
(19:31):
At this point I feel I have togive a big, huge shout out and a
wonderful thanks to JessicaBale.
She's an amazing cover designerand you know again, as you know
, wendy, she went beyond thecall of duty, helping me change,
you know, the title to thetitle from Children of Rune to
Island of Rune.
(19:52):
How Jessica came up with thebook cover was she asked me for
three scenes from the book, so Igave her.
I always knew what I had inmind.
In my mind there was a picturethat I envisaged.
I gave Jessica three scenesfrom the book and she came back
with three pictures and theminute I saw the first picture I
thought you've captured it andyou've basically for me, even
(20:14):
looking at the cover.
Well, you've read the book,wendy.
I don't know if you would agree, but looking at that cover,
jessica has managed to depictthe theme, the mood and the.
You know the elements in thebook and I love my cover.
I couldn't have had a betterone and even though it was
something similar, I envisagedit was not half as good as what
(20:35):
Jessica produced for me.
So yeah, I really love it and Ifeel it captures the essence
and the story of my book.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Yeah, I would have to agree with you.
The cover is outstanding andJessica got it from the get go,
absolutely 100%, perfect.
So Jessica Bell of Jessica BellDesigns Guys, she's outstanding
.
If you're looking for a coverdesigner, 100%.
So you're doing.
(21:04):
It's a debut novel, but itexplores unique world building
and complex characters.
Can you share your approach tocreating a dystopian setting and
developing memorable characters?
Speaker 2 (21:17):
For this question.
I'll go back to my love forhistory and politics, so I'll
bring this back in if you don'tmind.
I remember reading many yearsago the aftermath of Hiroshima
and the consequences that led tothe dropping of the bomb.
I'm also reading of people likePol Pot in his regime in 1975
(21:42):
in Cambodia, where he oppressedhis people.
Even today, as well as lookingat the past, there's so much
injustice and unhuman atrocitiesthat happens all around the
world.
It's perfect, if you like,information on how a dystopian
(22:04):
world can be created, becausedystopian comes mostly from
things going wrong.
I look to create the second.
These are the articles I read,the online historical facts of
what it was like, because eventhough it's dystopian and made
up, you still want to make it areal world for your reader.
That is basically where a lotof my instances, like Hiroshima
(22:26):
and Cambodia, is, where a lot ofmy world setting comes from,
because it's a world beingreborn from bad elements that
have happened.
The characters how do I engagewith my characters and make them
believable and real andmemorable?
I become each character as I'mwriting, so if I'm in the head
(22:48):
of Jasmine, I think, how would Icope with this situation?
Do I like it?
Is this fair?
Can I get out of it?
How do I get out of it?
Then I flip the coin and I goto my antagonist as well as my
pro-targetist and say how wouldI feel if I lost my power?
How would I feel if those who Ioppressed as my own charge?
How do I subdue them?
(23:10):
How do I keep what I have?
So, basically, to form thecharacters, I put myself in
every one of their heads and Itake it from there and I hope
that the storylines flow.
Contrary to my husband's belief, I am not schizophrenic, even
though I've got all thesecharacters.
So, yeah, that's how I do thecharacters.
(23:30):
I try and place myself in yourshoes and think how will I react
to each situation that I createwhen I do it along?
Speaker 1 (23:37):
the way.
It's a great way of doing it.
But yeah, getting that close toyour characters can really help
, so that's a great tip, really.
Dystopian fiction often servesas a lens through which readers
can explore pressing societalissues.
What messages or themes are youhoping readers will take away
from your novel?
Speaker 2 (23:58):
So not just in the novel, but through the Field
Traveller J.
When did the Field Traveller Jhas completed, I hope to cover
an array of subjects that wouldmake people look inward and
think about their humanitytowards how we treat other
people, how we can become betterpeople in one society.
(24:18):
It doesn't matter your colour,your creature, religion, whether
you're from Mars, whetheryou're from wherever.
We all have a right and anequal right to be people of the
world and to help others in theworld that are failing.
Climate change is a huge issue.
You find out through thetrilogy that climate change is a
(24:41):
big factor for my dystopiansetting.
So I would like people to takequestion their morality on how
do we make the earth a betterplace without pollution and
without the things that'shappening to the oceans and
without the ozone layer becomingthinner.
So there's a whole load of themissues there that I feel that I
(25:07):
would like people to look backand say you know I could learn
from that and you know we can dobetter.
No matter who we are, we canalways do better and we can
always meet the world and helpmeet the world a better place.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
Yeah, that's great messages really, and I mean
you're right about the climatechange.
We really need to be thinkingabout that, and bringing it out
in fiction is a way of makingeveryone think about it,
particularly young people aswell, who are very aware of
these things, you know so debutnovelists they've often got
incredible stories behind theirpublishing journeys.
(25:39):
Can you share a memorableanecdote or experience from your
journey as a new author thatyou think would inspire or
resonate with fellow writers?
Speaker 2 (25:48):
Well, again, it was a brilliant question and I, you
know, I debated this questionfor a good 10 minutes before I
actually decided to put pen topaper and think this is the
question and how I'm going toanswer it.
So, if you don't mind, I'm goingto give you a quote and
basically it is the first draftis just you telling yourself the
(26:09):
story, and that's TerryCratchett.
And the reason I chose that wasbecause and you'll be able to
resonate with me in this one,wendy, having done a hundred
drafts of Island of Rune, I toldthe story to myself so many
times and I changed it so manytimes.
Sometimes I need it worse,sometimes I need it better, and
hopefully the one that's nowpublished is the right one, the
(26:31):
right story to tell.
I guess what I'm trying to sayis you know and I hope this is
the thing that will resonatewith fellow writers Don't hold
on to your manuscript for whatseems like forever, because I
did.
You know, and you know, releaseyour manuscript when it's ready
, set it free and let othersenjoy the you know the process.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
If you have what, and that's, that's a really good
point, because we can oftenthink, oh, I just need to do
another bit of tit-of-a-ton andanother bit of tweaking, and
another bit of polishing andanother bit of and you know,
eventually a diamond has to comeout and it has to emerge and be
put into the world.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
I think you were probably ready for shooting me,
you know, by the end of yourdiscussion.
Publish it, publish it, publishit.
So, so you get it out there andlet people read it and you know
, don't hold on to it.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
And that's when you discover they all love it.
So it's great because your bookis doing extremely well.
What would be your top threetips for anyone starting out in
the writing journey?
Speaker 2 (27:34):
Top three tips.
Number one, I would say join awriting club.
And a nurse herself in thewriting community.
We've already discussed howvaluable the knowledge and the,
the community and the.
You know the encouragement isthere.
Yeah, definitely number onejoin a writing club.
Number two, just what we saiddon't be scared to share your
work with others and trust andaccept their feedback.
(27:55):
If they are true friends,they'll advise you what works
and doesn't work in your story.
Remember, we know, as writers,we know the story in our heads,
but someone else reading it canpick up blips that we don't see,
which would potentially pullanother reader, you know, out of
a story.
So don't be scared to share anddon't be scared of the
(28:17):
constructive criticism thatyou'll receive back.
So that would be number two.
Number three again, look whatwe said earlier keep going, even
when you feel the world isagainst it and nothing seems to
work out in your favor.
It's worth it when you come tothose two lovely words after
having written thousands andthousands of words, those
special two words, the end youknow, and you'll feel so much
(28:40):
happier having completed it.
So keep going and never give up.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Yeah, they're the best words in the world.
At the end, the end, how did itget you?
And that's when you realizethat the real work begins when
you start to edit Absolutely,absolutely.
So my very final question wherecan my listeners find out more
about you and your books?
Speaker 2 (29:05):
So I'm hoping to have my website up and running soon.
That's martymnmiacom, sohopefully, soon as that's up, I
shall put a wee social mediapost and people will be able to
visit my website.
You can also visit my Facebookpage, twitter and Instagram.
However, for the books, ifyou're looking for ebooks of
(29:26):
Island of Ruin, you can find itin Kindle, nook, apple, kobo,
skride and Smashworks, and forthe printed book, you can find
that in Amazon.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
Excellent.
Well, thank you very much, andI hope you have enjoyed the rest
of your day.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
I will do and thank you.
It's been a pleasure being hereagain, Wendy.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Oh, it's been my absolute pleasure to have you on
here and so many good tips andgood advice, and it's been
lovely hearing about the processof your writing.
So bye.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
And can I just put?
Sorry, can I just put one weeplug out?
I am in the middle of readingyour book, Wendy, and I'm really
enjoying it your very firstbook in your Di Shona Mackenzie
series and I can highlyrecommend it to anyone listening
.
Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Right, have a great day.
Bye, thank you, bye.
That brings us to the end ofanother show.
It was really good to have youon the show with me today.
I'm Wendy H Jones and you canfind me at wendahjjonescom.
You can also find me on Patreon, where you can support me for
(30:36):
as little as $3 a month, whichis less than the price of a tea
or coffee.
Go to wwwpatreoncom, forward,slash wendahjjones.
I'm also Wendy H Jones onFacebook, twitter, instagram and
Pinterest.
Thank you for joining me todayand I hope you found it both
useful and interesting.
Join me next week when I willhave another cracking guest for
(31:00):
you.
Until then, have a good weekand keep writing, keep reading
and keep learning.
Hi and welcome to the Writing and Marketing Show
brought to you by author Wendy HJones.
This show does exactly what itsays on the tin.
It's jam-packed with interviews, advice, hints, tips and news
to help you with the business ofwriting.
It's all wrapped up in onelively podcast.
So it's time to get on with theshow.
(00:23):
And welcome to episode 182 ofthe Writing and Marketing Show
with author entrepreneur Wendy HJones.
As always, it's a pleasure tobe with you again and to have
you join me here on the Writingand Marketing Show.
Today I'm going to be talkingabout life as a debut author and
writing dystopian fiction withdebut author Marty McNair, and
(00:45):
more about Marty in a moment.
So what's been going on in mylife?
Well, I've been in the Statesfor the last three months and,
as we record this, I have oneweek left.
So a week from today, as Irecord, I will be on my way back
.
A week from today, as youlisten to it.
If you listen to it on thecorrect day, then I will be back
(01:09):
in the UK and wending my wearyway from London up to Scotland,
and I've had a whale of a time.
And more about that and what itdid for my author career,
possibly next week's episode.
So I've got, I'm off toGraceland yes, graceland, that
is the home of Elvis.
(01:30):
I'm off to Memphis, tennessee,and I'm doing a book signing at
Graceland not the mansion itself, because obviously you couldn't
have a number of authors andreaders milling around in there,
but it is in the mansion'sfunction centre.
They've got a hotel and afunction suite there.
So I will be on the Gracelandestate doing a book signing and
(01:52):
I can absolutely assure you thatwhen I started this 10 years
ago, I did not for one minutethink I would be doing a book
signing at Graceland.
But I am and I cannot wait.
So I will tell you all about itin next week's episode.
So before we introduce Marty, Iwould like to say that, yes, it
(02:13):
is a pleasure to do this for youevery week.
However, it does take time outof my writing.
If you would like to supportthis time, then you can do so by
going to patreoncom.
Forward slash Wendy H Jones,that's P-A-T-R-E-O-N dot com.
Forward slash Wendy H Jones andyou can support me for the
price of a tear coffee per month, and I would be very grateful.
(02:37):
So what of Marty?
Well, residing in the heart ofBurns territory in south west
Scotland, marty M McNair is anaward winning Scottish author.
Recently, marty has returnedfrom a successful authors tour
in Virginia America with herdebut novel, island of Ruin,
selling all of the books shippedout.
Island of Ruin is the firstbook in her trilogy Ruin or
(02:59):
Redemption, with book two,rebels of Ruin, scheduled for a
Christmas release.
Marty has fully immersedherself in the realm of writing,
currently holding the role ofvice president for the Scottish
Association of Writers.
She is also in partnership withWendy H Jones and Shoma Mitre
in their company Oz ScottPublishing and Retreats, and has
recently taken on a new role ascopywriter for the Writers
(03:20):
Narrative magazine.
Marty's passion for literaryengagement extends further as an
active member of the AirWriters Club and History Writers
.
She is constantly seekingmeaningful connections with
writers and readers worldwide.
So, without further ado, let'sget on with the show and hear
from Marty, and we have Susanwith us.
(03:43):
Welcome, susan.
How are you today?
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Hi, yes, I'm very good, and thank you again for
having me.
Wendy, it's lovely to be here.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Oh, thank you for being here.
I really appreciate you takingthe time because I know you are
a busy lady.
You're busy writing yet anothernovel.
My goodness, you are prolific,that's for sure.
So where are you?
Let us know where you are inthe world.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
So I am in South Bay, scotland.
I am in a little hamlet calledChris Hands, and right now I am
in my son's bedroom, simplybecause someone might come in
while we are in the middle of aninterview and I don't want
there to be any noise.
Wow so the safest place is upthe stairs and out of the way.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Fantastic.
I'm glad that you've thoughtabout us and you've moved out of
the way, but what's the weatherlike where you are?
Speaker 2 (04:42):
It's very dull.
It hasn't rained much today,but it has been very dull and
pretty miserable.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Well, it's sunny here in Virginia, but it's still a
nip in the air.
I'll have to say I'll be backin sunny Scotland next week.
Back to the rain.
In the cold, you'll need torumble, eva.
Let's have this interview,which will take us all away from
the cold and the rain, becauseit's going to be magic in here.
So thank you for taking thetime.
(05:10):
My first question is always canyou tell us about your book?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
So Island of Ruin is told through the eyes of my
protagonist, jasmine, and theplotline reflects the struggle
of her living under anoppressive regime and her quest
for freedom and self-discovery.
Jasmine's transformation comesthrough finding a mysterious old
woman who symbolises thepossibility of Jasmine breaking
(05:37):
free from the constraints of heroppressive society.
The theme of resilience, hopeand human spirit and the ability
to endure transcends all thechallenging circumstances and it
helps drive the plot forward asJasmine navigates her way
through several encounters.
That's not very nice.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Well, I know it's a brilliant book and I mean for a
debut.
It's exceptional.
So you know.
That's why I knew I wanted tointerview you for this show.
So I mean dystopian fiction.
It's not something I read allthe time.
So can you share yourinspiration for writing
dystopian fiction and what drewyou to the genre for your debut
novel?
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Well, I always had a deep appreciation for horrors,
thrillers, crime, crime novelsand stories that tested the
metal of all characters.
This voidiness for such a typeof story led me to George Orwell
1984 in his Animal Farm, aswell as Aldous Huxley's A Brave
(06:42):
New World.
Also titles such as theHandmaid's Tale and the Hunger
Games.
All these stories captivated mewith the exploration of human
resilience and facingchallenging circumstances, and I
was always captivated by suchnarrative arcs and finding
myself more and more beingpulled into a dystopian setting.
(07:03):
Landscapes where there'salternative realities fascinated
me, and I was always told rightwhat you know.
So I think for me, although Idon't live in such a dystopian,
you know, and thankfully neverhad encountered some of the
problems that you see dystopiancharacters going through.
So I tend to write what I enjoyrather than what I know, and I
(07:28):
think that's why I love creatingthese horrors and creating the
hazardous situations for mycharacters.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Yeah, I mean, you're right, it can be challenging to
live in a dystopian society andI'm glad as well that I'm not
living in it.
I don't think I was cut out forthat, to be honest.
I was cut out for comfort, butit does give you, in terms of
novel writing, it does give youa certain freedom.
(07:56):
You know that we can explore abit further on, really, but
before we get to that it's thenwriting a novel is a significant
undertaking.
It really is.
We all know that the listenersto this show Could you describe
your writing process and how youmanaged to stay motivated
throughout the journey tocompleting a debut novel Well?
Speaker 2 (08:17):
a Patek.
Eileen de Bruin is an example.
This is a process that spanneda considerable length of time.
I first entered, you know, myfirst draft of 7000 words into
the Young Adult Competition forthe Scottish Association of
Writers, and that was about 13or 14 years ago, and so since
(08:38):
then the book is only now beingpublished.
It was after that particularconference that I began to truly
learn the craft of writing andthen started to make changes to
better the manuscript.
Obviously, family, working life,writing for me was only a hobby
, and so it was only done anytime a bit of spare time was
(08:59):
allowed.
However, I kept writing otherstories, entering competitions
and then, in the last year or so, dedicated more of my time to
finally complete and get a finaldraft of Eileen de Bruin.
Once I was happy and confidentwith it, you know, then
obviously went for publication.
There were many things that didkeep me motivated, some such as
(09:23):
the love of the craft and theneed to write down all stories
that were running through myhead.
Probably a huge motivator wasthe many wonderful friends that
I've met, including yourself,wendy, that have helped me
through my writing journey andhelping me get to the stage that
I am today.
So, you know, I'd say that thelove of our writing community as
(09:46):
well, and all the knowledge andencouragement that offers, was
a great motivator and, to behonest, I don't think there's
anything that I would rather bedoing than writing novels and
stories and trying to, you know,get my ideas out there.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Yeah, I agree, writing is such an amazing
privilege really and to be ableto do it and, you know, stay
motivated for 13 years, mygoodness.
And yes, I agree with you, Idon't think you can do that
without the support of othersaround you.
There's a myth that all writersare in isolation, but really
and truly, we're all surroundedby other writers who cheer us on
(10:24):
and support us and keep usgoing when we're demotivated.
So, yeah, you make a good pointthere.
There must be people in theworld today that think they're
living in dystopian societies,because dystopian worlds often
reflect social and politicalcommentary.
How did real world events orissues influence the creation of
(10:45):
your dystopian societies andits themes?
If it did, in all fairness?
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Well, for me that is a very good question, because
from a young age, I was alwayspolitically motivated and I also
loved reading about history,and so when you combine the two,
you could find many topics andtwist them, you know, take them
into a context and turn theminto a dystopian setting just
from what we know of the past.
(11:11):
And it's like what you said,what you touched on.
Yeah, you only need to look atthe state of the world today and
actually ask yourself are weliving a dystopian reality right
now?
Take the COVID lockdowns, thecontinual wars, injustice and
oppression and the effects ofclimate change.
There's also a thing right nowthat I'm really looking into,
(11:33):
which is the birth of smartcities and put that long tail
for the population, the advancesin technology and how this
impacts the elderly and thoseunable to afford them.
So there's loads of things thatyou know influences dystopian
settings in the current worldand in past history.
So yet I draw in all aspects ofthat and you know I'm always
(11:55):
digging deep to see oh, you know, this could work, that could
work, and it always comes fromsomething that has happened or
something that's going on.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Now I agree.
I mean, you're having a love ofpolitics and what's going on in
society can also can often helpyou shape what you write,
whatever it is, but particularlywhen it comes to dystopian
fantasy.
So I'm curious as to whatchallenges of any did you face
in the publishing process as adebut author and how you
(12:28):
overcame them.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Well, probably I mean , you could be here all night
probably answering that question.
So probably, as a brief summary,my biggest issue was time.
There was never enough hours inthe day or weeks you know days
in the week which allowed thewriting process to flow, so that
(12:50):
made writing more difficult andit felt bitty, you know,
sometimes having to pick oh, youknow, I didn't look at that
manuscript, I'm just looking atit now in a last sort last week.
So yeah, I think for me thebiggest issue was time and then
having a job where I sat all dayat a computer and you would
come home at night to start yourwriting process.
(13:11):
Your brain just turned too much.
So that as well was maybe toomany hours looking at a screen,
not having enough time or neededrefresher ideas.
So for me I think that is it.
If someone was to say to mewhat was the biggest challenge,
I would say I never had enoughtime.
However, I have now reduced myworking hours, which will
(13:31):
hopefully free up time andhopefully you never know many
best sellers will follow.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Excellent.
Yeah, time just disappears,doesn't it?
Like it's stand through yourfingers?
There it is one minute andthere it is gone the next.
Yeah, seriously, I'd like totake it just slightly further
and go.
Can you discuss your overallexperience with publishing your
book and have you got any tipsfor aspiring authors in that
(14:00):
regard?
Speaker 2 (14:02):
Contact Wendy each Jones.
To be fair, you would agree tohelp Wendy.
If it was me, for yourencouragement and everything
that you taught me along theprocess, I'd still be playing
around with the manuscript andchanging it and it would never
be ready and it would never begood enough, and I'm still
probably a bit weary of thewhole self-publishing process.
(14:24):
But I think that is becauseI've only done one book.
I've only completed one novelat the moment and you know what
I actually published in outthere.
Probably, as I do more andobviously with your help and you
know the wonderful writingcommunity that I'm involved in,
my confidence will grow and I'lllearn more and more and become
more confident.
With regards to tips, probablyone of the biggest ones is never
(14:48):
give up, because there are somany times people start you know
I speak to people they start anoval and before you know it
they're not even halfway through, but they can't carry on.
So never give up, no matter howmuch the voice inside your head
tells you that you're notworthy of completing the
manuscript and getting yourstories told.
No matter how many obstaclescome in your way.
(15:11):
Keep going, and I wouldencourage everyone to join a
local writing group or findfriends within their writing
community to help and supportthem, because the knowledge and
support that you are giving fromother writers is invaluable and
the more you involve yourselfin the writing community, the
(15:31):
more you'll learn and the moreyou'll grow as a writer.
So that would be the aspiringtips.
I would sorry, the tips for theaspiring authors.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Yeah, I agree.
Never give up, becauseeverybody gets stuck in the
messy middle, the muddle in themiddle.
Everybody thinks I can't writethis book.
You could have written 200books, it could be on your first
one.
You get stuck in the messymiddle, which is like wading
through treacle for everybody,and that's when you start to
doubt yourself.
I'm rubbish at this, so nevergive up and you feel a fake.
(16:02):
You feel a fake, you do.
Everybody feels.
Every single writer in theworld has imposter syndrome and
they think that this is going tobe the book that will crash
their career.
Anyway, moving swiftly onwards,before we make writers feel
they have to have impostersyndrome, get you done if you
don't have it.
I know you've said about othercommitments and things, but as a
(16:24):
new author, you're saying youhad to juggle writing with other
commitments.
What strategies did you use tofind the time and balance to
work on your novel?
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Oh, strategies was.
It was basically any spare timeyou had to write your own.
You know, this was back when Iwas working full time.
I had a very demanding job, thelong hours, and you know so the
strategy was right.
When you can, any any spendminute that you had and, as I
(16:56):
say, working along the cominghome putting on your laptop, it
could be a struggle but I alwaysloved when I got to Friday
after a long hard week, gettingthe dinner made, you know, the
dishes out the way, opening mylaptop, having a glass of wine,
and I would sit there and write.
And, lucky for me, you know, Ihave a wonderful husband and two
(17:16):
wonderful kids that helped, youknow, with the dishes and
helped with the other stuff tofree up my time.
And I always remember sittingin my laptop working away and
Martin making the comment ohmurder, she wrote, you know so.
So, yeah, basically my strategywas right.
When you can and try and writequality, you know, sometimes you
(17:38):
would pick up your laptop andif it wasn't coming and it
wasn't flowing, you would thinkyou know I'm writing, you know
I'm not doing well, time to stop.
So it was me just about whenyou could write.
It was about obviously havingto try and get quality words
onto the paper, words thatflowed and you know made sense
and you know that wasprogressing your story forward.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
No, I would agree with you right when you can,
because it's often making achoice between picking up your
phone and scrolling throughendless Facebook, twitter and
every other social media and I'mnot getting any of those social
media sites.
I'm just saying it can be atime suck and it's a choice
between that and writing.
It's better to pick up yourlaptop and write and do that.
(18:21):
Turn the television off.
Turn the television off.
I agree totally.
You know there's only so muchhome and away and you can watch
Emmerdale.
So the cover and the title of abook are critical in attracting
readers.
How did you come up with atitle and cover design for your
novel and how does it reflectthe story's essence?
Speaker 2 (18:43):
So titles for me, as you know, wendy, is a touchy
subject.
My original title was Childrenof Rune, which I didn't realise
was an epic trilogy and a sci-fiseries.
However, this led me tochanging my title to Island of
Rune, and which, hindsight, Iactually prefer.
I think Island of Rune servesas a metaphor for the characters
(19:07):
in my book.
They're emotional and physicalstates.
The title for me reflects theinner turmoil and struggles
which I have placed thecharacters in, basically because
the island is called Rune thatis the name of the actual island
and obviously because a lot ofthese characters in my book,
they have a life in Rune.
So you know, basically, that'swhere I get the title thrown.
(19:31):
At this point I feel I have togive a big, huge shout out and a
wonderful thanks to JessicaBale.
She's an amazing cover designerand you know again, as you know
, wendy, she went beyond thecall of duty, helping me change,
you know, the title to thetitle from Children of Rune to
Island of Rune.
(19:52):
How Jessica came up with thebook cover was she asked me for
three scenes from the book, so Igave her.
I always knew what I had inmind.
In my mind there was a picturethat I envisaged.
I gave Jessica three scenesfrom the book and she came back
with three pictures and theminute I saw the first picture I
thought you've captured it andyou've basically for me, even
(20:14):
looking at the cover.
Well, you've read the book,wendy.
I don't know if you would agree, but looking at that cover,
jessica has managed to depictthe theme, the mood and the.
You know the elements in thebook and I love my cover.
I couldn't have had a betterone and even though it was
something similar, I envisagedit was not half as good as what
(20:35):
Jessica produced for me.
So yeah, I really love it and Ifeel it captures the essence
and the story of my book.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Yeah, I would have to agree with you.
The cover is outstanding andJessica got it from the get go,
absolutely 100%, perfect.
So Jessica Bell of Jessica BellDesigns Guys, she's outstanding
.
If you're looking for a coverdesigner, 100%.
So you're doing.
(21:04):
It's a debut novel, but itexplores unique world building
and complex characters.
Can you share your approach tocreating a dystopian setting and
developing memorable characters?
Speaker 2 (21:17):
For this question.
I'll go back to my love forhistory and politics, so I'll
bring this back in if you don'tmind.
I remember reading many yearsago the aftermath of Hiroshima
and the consequences that led tothe dropping of the bomb.
I'm also reading of people likePol Pot in his regime in 1975
(21:42):
in Cambodia, where he oppressedhis people.
Even today, as well as lookingat the past, there's so much
injustice and unhuman atrocitiesthat happens all around the
world.
It's perfect, if you like,information on how a dystopian
(22:04):
world can be created, becausedystopian comes mostly from
things going wrong.
I look to create the second.
These are the articles I read,the online historical facts of
what it was like, because eventhough it's dystopian and made
up, you still want to make it areal world for your reader.
That is basically where a lotof my instances, like Hiroshima
(22:26):
and Cambodia, is, where a lot ofmy world setting comes from,
because it's a world beingreborn from bad elements that
have happened.
The characters how do I engagewith my characters and make them
believable and real andmemorable?
I become each character as I'mwriting, so if I'm in the head
(22:48):
of Jasmine, I think, how would Icope with this situation?
Do I like it?
Is this fair?
Can I get out of it?
How do I get out of it?
Then I flip the coin and I goto my antagonist as well as my
pro-targetist and say how wouldI feel if I lost my power?
How would I feel if those who Ioppressed as my own charge?
How do I subdue them?
(23:10):
How do I keep what I have?
So, basically, to form thecharacters, I put myself in
every one of their heads and Itake it from there and I hope
that the storylines flow.
Contrary to my husband's belief, I am not schizophrenic, even
though I've got all thesecharacters.
So, yeah, that's how I do thecharacters.
(23:30):
I try and place myself in yourshoes and think how will I react
to each situation that I createwhen I do it along?
Speaker 1 (23:37):
the way.
It's a great way of doing it.
But yeah, getting that close toyour characters can really help
, so that's a great tip, really.
Dystopian fiction often servesas a lens through which readers
can explore pressing societalissues.
What messages or themes are youhoping readers will take away
from your novel?
Speaker 2 (23:58):
So not just in the novel, but through the Field
Traveller J.
When did the Field Traveller Jhas completed, I hope to cover
an array of subjects that wouldmake people look inward and
think about their humanitytowards how we treat other
people, how we can become betterpeople in one society.
(24:18):
It doesn't matter your colour,your creature, religion, whether
you're from Mars, whetheryou're from wherever.
We all have a right and anequal right to be people of the
world and to help others in theworld that are failing.
Climate change is a huge issue.
You find out through thetrilogy that climate change is a
(24:41):
big factor for my dystopiansetting.
So I would like people to takequestion their morality on how
do we make the earth a betterplace without pollution and
without the things that'shappening to the oceans and
without the ozone layer becomingthinner.
So there's a whole load of themissues there that I feel that I
(25:07):
would like people to look backand say you know I could learn
from that and you know we can dobetter.
No matter who we are, we canalways do better and we can
always meet the world and helpmeet the world a better place.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
Yeah, that's great messages really, and I mean
you're right about the climatechange.
We really need to be thinkingabout that, and bringing it out
in fiction is a way of makingeveryone think about it,
particularly young people aswell, who are very aware of
these things, you know so debutnovelists they've often got
incredible stories behind theirpublishing journeys.
(25:39):
Can you share a memorableanecdote or experience from your
journey as a new author thatyou think would inspire or
resonate with fellow writers?
Speaker 2 (25:48):
Well, again, it was a brilliant question and I, you
know, I debated this questionfor a good 10 minutes before I
actually decided to put pen topaper and think this is the
question and how I'm going toanswer it.
So, if you don't mind, I'm goingto give you a quote and
basically it is the first draftis just you telling yourself the
(26:09):
story, and that's TerryCratchett.
And the reason I chose that wasbecause and you'll be able to
resonate with me in this one,wendy, having done a hundred
drafts of Island of Rune, I toldthe story to myself so many
times and I changed it so manytimes.
Sometimes I need it worse,sometimes I need it better, and
hopefully the one that's nowpublished is the right one, the
(26:31):
right story to tell.
I guess what I'm trying to sayis you know and I hope this is
the thing that will resonatewith fellow writers Don't hold
on to your manuscript for whatseems like forever, because I
did.
You know, and you know, releaseyour manuscript when it's ready
, set it free and let othersenjoy the you know the process.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
If you have what, and that's, that's a really good
point, because we can oftenthink, oh, I just need to do
another bit of tit-of-a-ton andanother bit of tweaking, and
another bit of polishing andanother bit of and you know,
eventually a diamond has to comeout and it has to emerge and be
put into the world.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
I think you were probably ready for shooting me,
you know, by the end of yourdiscussion.
Publish it, publish it, publishit.
So, so you get it out there andlet people read it and you know
, don't hold on to it.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
And that's when you discover they all love it.
So it's great because your bookis doing extremely well.
What would be your top threetips for anyone starting out in
the writing journey?
Speaker 2 (27:34):
Top three tips.
Number one, I would say join awriting club.
And a nurse herself in thewriting community.
We've already discussed howvaluable the knowledge and the,
the community and the.
You know the encouragement isthere.
Yeah, definitely number onejoin a writing club.
Number two, just what we saiddon't be scared to share your
work with others and trust andaccept their feedback.
(27:55):
If they are true friends,they'll advise you what works
and doesn't work in your story.
Remember, we know, as writers,we know the story in our heads,
but someone else reading it canpick up blips that we don't see,
which would potentially pullanother reader, you know, out of
a story.
So don't be scared to share anddon't be scared of the
(28:17):
constructive criticism thatyou'll receive back.
So that would be number two.
Number three again, look whatwe said earlier keep going, even
when you feel the world isagainst it and nothing seems to
work out in your favor.
It's worth it when you come tothose two lovely words after
having written thousands andthousands of words, those
special two words, the end youknow, and you'll feel so much
(28:40):
happier having completed it.
So keep going and never give up.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Yeah, they're the best words in the world.
At the end, the end, how did itget you?
And that's when you realizethat the real work begins when
you start to edit Absolutely,absolutely.
So my very final question wherecan my listeners find out more
about you and your books?
Speaker 2 (29:05):
So I'm hoping to have my website up and running soon.
That's martymnmiacom, sohopefully, soon as that's up, I
shall put a wee social mediapost and people will be able to
visit my website.
You can also visit my Facebookpage, twitter and Instagram.
However, for the books, ifyou're looking for ebooks of
(29:26):
Island of Ruin, you can find itin Kindle, nook, apple, kobo,
skride and Smashworks, and forthe printed book, you can find
that in Amazon.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
Excellent.
Well, thank you very much, andI hope you have enjoyed the rest
of your day.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
I will do and thank you.
It's been a pleasure being hereagain, Wendy.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Oh, it's been my absolute pleasure to have you on
here and so many good tips andgood advice, and it's been
lovely hearing about the processof your writing.
So bye.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
And can I just put?
Sorry, can I just put one weeplug out?
I am in the middle of readingyour book, Wendy, and I'm really
enjoying it your very firstbook in your Di Shona Mackenzie
series and I can highlyrecommend it to anyone listening
.
Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Right, have a great day.
Bye, thank you, bye.
That brings us to the end ofanother show.
It was really good to have youon the show with me today.
I'm Wendy H Jones and you canfind me at wendahjjonescom.
You can also find me on Patreon, where you can support me for
(30:36):
as little as $3 a month, whichis less than the price of a tea
or coffee.
Go to wwwpatreoncom, forward,slash wendahjjones.
I'm also Wendy H Jones onFacebook, twitter, instagram and
Pinterest.
Thank you for joining me todayand I hope you found it both
useful and interesting.
Join me next week when I willhave another cracking guest for
(31:00):
you.
Until then, have a good weekand keep writing, keep reading
and keep learning.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.