BACK like I never left

To know where I’m going I had to know where I’ve been. Black Fire was released by my former publisher almost six years ago and I appreciated the feedback I received from it. The joy I felt while reading through reviews some good and bad was surreal I couldn’t believe I had a book published for readers to review. However, there was the downside of this book. There wasn’t a sense of consistency and maybe it was from my lack of enthusiasm, input on covers and promotion.  There was also a lot I didn’t know about this industry nor had the resources I have now to push myself and my book. 

In 2016, I came to the conclusion that I should revise my first book and republish it under my own company. This time I shopped for my own photos for the cover, put together my own creative campaign for the release and chose my own editor. I was apart of the entire experience from the revisions of the storyline to the graphics. After years I realized that patience will make the quality of product much better in the end. I’m one to tell my authors trust the process and that’s because I had to learn to all over again and found it to be true. Quiet as kept I just wanted to be a publisher at one point after not releasing and at the same time I never stopped writing. Re-releasing Black Fire gave me the power to want to publish what I’ve been writing on for the past years. 

 

Former cover from Black Fire

My first novel have a face lift and it will be released on April 20th on Amazon Kindle and paperback. I will have a huge giveaway for this release. 

 

Loved my first cover, but this one I absolutely LOVE! This makes me appreciate what I do so much more. Being a part of the process while I trust it is dope and packed with knowledge I didn’t have. I encourage any author aspiring and experienced be a part of your process- see it to the publish button and promote even after. 

Black Fire started as a three part trilogy that I put together as one. So readers can get a feel of the storyline and the characters for the spinoff Blue Money coming this Summer. 

Synopsis

Three friends
One robbery
All gone right then… wrong
Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Naima is a young lady living a fast life in a fast city, working for an up and coming drug dealer named Rancy. Life was good until she realized her worth was being under appreciated by the boss she love and hate; she couldn’t tell if she hated the love or loved the hate.
When a man shows you that he’s everything you want and everything you don’t. Believe him.
An underdog, Keyon known to the block as Key enters Naima’s life to stir up trouble, simply by presenting her with an opportunity to make more money. She enlisted her best friends Anissa and Mika to assist. What they thought would make them a little easy money spiraled into a web of kidnapping, betrayal, unexpected love, and a hurricane to remember.
This is not your average love story, and will leave you asking yourself “who can you trust in this cold world?”

Coming to you 4/20

---

 

Drusilla Mars The Storyteller

 

Hold up wait a minute!

If you thought I was finish psshh. Not hardly. Lol. There is a short story spinoff to this full length novel that I am rereleasing as well because it dropped before Black Fire 3 when it was suppose to drop after. Just like Black Fire I read and revised and had a part in each step on the road to republishing. The original title was Diana Loves A Rebel the new title is… 

Throughout this entire ordeal of republishing I learned that patience is key. I was separated throughout the entire process which caused me to rush the publication and just get it out of my hands. Not anymore.

SOON COME!

Drusilla Mars born and raised in Louisiana has always been an avid reader since a little girl and to date she loves to be tuned into well-developed characters in unforgettable storylines that she can’t get enough of. When asked how did she find her passion for storytelling she replied “Reading, imagination and reality.” The novelist is not one to be put into a box she writes outside the lines without mercy.

To get updates on my upcoming releases, news, and giveaways follow my page or visit my page

 

Triumphing Writers Block

In 2015, I didn’t release anything solely because I wasn’t inspired and it became more of a job than anything. Once upon a time writing came natural and I was shelling out 90K word books like it was nothing. Until 2015 I was writing but not as much as I would like and then when I did write it didn’t read good or it wasn’t enough. I scrapped about 100K words of what I consider “not good enough” work. Writer’s block set in and I was desperate because like any other author writing is a passion of mine.

After googling and researching for countless hours I found remedies for this disease. The first was writing prompts everyday for 10-15 minutes with pen and pad. I backed away from the computer and found prompts that focused on setting, character development, emotions, scenes etc.

I learned that with this prompt no matter what trial you face or block you come to. NEVER STOP WRITING! Even if it’s a letter to yourself writing needs to become a part of your daily regimen. To help me I set alarms to do my daily writing prompt for 15 minutes and then I adapted a new routine to use a new word in my writing. So now I’m writing everyday and expanding my vocabulary.

The next thing I do  is write about my day in a journal for 30 days. Soon after writing prompts, word of the day and writing in my journal become a routine I look forward to. At first this seemed boring but it helped as I started to get brilliant raw ideas from this. I keep a folder with all sorts of plot ideas so when I do get my mojo back I have all I need.

In October 2015, I received a gift of James Patterson Master Class and it comes with a handbook, assignments and James Patterson offering advice and tips to all who ask and attend the online class. My first thought was “Damn, this man is New York Times Best seller how many times!” but I quickly shut down all doubt and started. The class touches on EVERYTHING that pertains to writing a bestseller.  I learned that all ideas can be used and research is required.

Most importantly to write a bestseller you need to plan. In order you need; plot idea (write 3-5 concise sentences of a plot and get honest opinions from people you trust), research (setting, characters), and outline story. Outlining a story/series helps you write the story faster and helps you build the plot. DO NOT  let your outline get in the way of the story meaning if you can’t figure out how to get something to happen that’s in the outline. TAKE IT OUT/MOVE ON!!!!!! Don’t become a slave to your outline it’s only a rough guide.

 

Get the story down on the first draft. Write as raw as you can. Do not SOLELY  count on the opinions of others but opinions are good. Write. WRITE. Write. You’ll write your best seller at LEAST three times before you get the final product. My advice is to get the story out with as many words before you ask anybody their opinion because you’ll spend more time perfecting 10K words. Trim the fat once it’s COMPLETE.

This is how I triumphed writer’s block:

• Daily writer’s prompt (10-15 minutes)
• Word of the day (define and use in prompt)
• Different music
• 30 Minute walk (2-3 times a week)
• Eat a fruit
• Write ideas by hand
• 30 day journal challenge
• Read books outside the genre I write and review them