Shannon Lawrence & The Business of Short Stories

I'm excited to welcome my friend Shannon Lawrence, AKA The Warrior Muse, to the blog today! 

Shannon has a fabulous guide to the short story business coming out soon and I had a chance to ask her a couple of questions.

1. What was the most challenging part of writing a nonfiction book? 

I think the hardest part was figuring out how in-depth to go and how wide an array of topics to include. Luckily, I've been teaching short story workshops for years and paid attention to what attendees were asking, plus I had awesome beta readers. One of the things I asked my beta readers to do was to jot down the questions they hoped to have answered before they read the book, so they could let me know both their expectations and whether I'd met them.

2. Your cover is fantastic! How did you come up with the idea for it?

Thank you! All credit goes to my husband, who does my book covers. I pulled all the writing craft books off my shelves and we went over what I liked and didn't like about them. I knew I wanted something clean and bright and different. A lot of the craft books were dark and/or used red, but since my books are usually horror, I wanted to separate them and do something I don't usually get to do. He presented me with several great versions, including a compass I liked, but the post-its were so apropos of the writing life. I used a bunch while writing and putting this book together!

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The Business of Short Stories: Writing, Submitting, Publishing, and Marketing

Author: Shannon Lawrence

ISBN: 978-1-7320314-5-6

Format/Price: Print ($13.99) and e-book ($3.99)

Release Date: February 1, 2022

Pre-order E-book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09PFSTJ2V

Pre-order paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Business-Short-Stories-Submitting-Publishing/dp/1732031452/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= 

Will also be available after the release date from Ingram, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and other sites.

Blurb: Whether you're looking to add short stories to your repertoire as a solo pursuit or in addition to novel writing, The Business of Short Stories covers every aspect from writing to marketing. Learn the dynamics of short story writing, where to focus your editing efforts, how and where to submit, how to handle acceptances and rejections, what to do with reprints, and how to market yourself and your stories online and in person. The information in The Business of Short Stories has been distilled from over a decade of short story publishing experience so you don't have to learn the hard way. You'll find information on submission formatting, cover letters, querying a collection, sending proposals to writing events, how to create a website, SEO, social media, and so much more. This is an invaluable resource for short story writers.

There's never been a better time to get into short stories!

Author Bio: Shannon Lawrence has made a career of short stories, with over a
decade of experience and more than fifty short stories published in magazines and anthologies. In addition, she's released three horror short story collections with a mix of new and previously published stories. Her true-crime podcast Mysteries, Monsters, & Mayhem is going into its third season. 

Website: www.thewarriormuse.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewarriormuse

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewarriormuse

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewarriormuse/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/shannon-lawrence

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/shannondkl

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Shannon-Lawrence/e/B00TDKPOAO

Podcast Website: www.mysteriesmonstersmayhem.com

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Thanks, Shannon!

Love the answers - I'm a post-it note fan as well!

Congrats on the book! It's going to be a great resource for all the short story authors out there!

Shannon Lawrence & Happy Ghoulidays!

 Shannon's latest book is out and about on November 20th!!

In celebration we're talking about our favourite cold-weather holidays.

I live in Northern Ontario in Canada so we have a lot of these! My favourite is definitely Christmas. We almost always have a white Christmas. I actually only remember one year having a green Christmas. That was so weird for us!!

Growing up we had a small in our back yard so we often spent Christmas afternoon taking our new toboggans or magic carpets down the hill. I'm sure our parents were thrilled to have us outside for most of the day!

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The holidays can be a stressful time, as we all know, but I'm hoping to lighten up this winter season with a little holiday horror.

Maybe "lighten up" isn't the right term.

The first story begins the winter holidays with Thanksgiving, with stories representing Christmas, Hanukah, Hogmanay (the New Year), Yule, Groundhog Day, and, finally, Valentine's Day. From serious horror to tongue-in-cheek. Read them all at once or save them for their holidays. Or both! 

Release day is November 20, which also happens to be my birthday! Just in time for Thanksgiving week. You can pre-order the Kindle version, with other versions, including paperback, available on release day.

Blurb: Family time can lead to murder and mayhem, especially during the holidays. A turkey with a tale to tell, elves under attack, sorority sisters putting on a killer party, a woman's desperation to save her family, and a stranger ringing in the New Year. These and other tales of woe await you beneath the mistletoe.

Be careful who you offer a kiss. It may be your last.

About the Author: A fan of all things fantastical and frightening, Shannon Lawrence writes in her dungeon when her minions allow, often accompanied by her familiars. She writes primarily horror and fantasy. Her stories can be found in several anthologies and magazines, and her collections, Blue Sludge Blues & Other Abominations and Bruised Souls & Other Torments, are available in stores. You can also find her as a co-host of the podcast “Mysteries, Monsters, & Mayhem.” When she's not writing, she's hiking through the wilds of Colorado and photographing her magnificent surroundings. Though she often misses the Oregon coast, the majestic and rugged Rockies are a sight she could never part with. Besides, in Colorado there's always a place to hide a body or birth a monster. What more could she ask for? 

Release date: November 20

Pre-order link:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MDZR9K5

Website: www.thewarriormuse.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewarriormuse

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewarriormuse

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13836289.Shannon_Lawrence

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewarriormuse/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Shannon-Lawrence/e/B00TDKPOAO

How about you? Are you ready for the Ghoulidays? Do you have any favorite cold-weather holidays or memories?

Dancing With Dementia - Day 3 Tour Stops & IWSG

The lovely Mason Canyon has organized a tour for Dancing With Dementia throughout the week. I hope you'll visit a stop or two this week and point anyone who this book might help in the right direction.

Today's stops are:

Wednesday, April 1: 
Alex J. Cavanaugh – Guest Post
Spunk on A Stick – Feature
Circle of Friends – Feature
Rockin’ Book Reviews – Feature & Top Ten List
The Girdle of Melian – Guest Post
The Warrior Muse – Top Ten List


You can find Dancing With Dementia here

Amazon.com           Amazon.ca.         Apple Books.         Kobo           Barnes & Noble.         BookBub. 

Add it to your Goodreads shelf here!

If you know anyone who is interested, I have another blog to discuss more things dementia related and YouTube Channel devoted to Quick Tips based on ideas in the book

Thanks again to all of the amazing people who have helped out!!

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The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. He, his clones, minions, friends, and fellow authors make it an amazing event every month.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

April 1 question - The IWSG’s focus is on our writers. Each month, from all over the globe, we are a united group sharing our insecurities, our troubles, and our pain. So, in this time when our world is in crisis with the covid-19 pandemic, our optional question this month is: how are things in your world?

It's a weird time in the world and I hope all of our IWSG members are well.

We're doing well here in Northern Ontario. We've all been self-isolating since early March, only running out for essentials. It's busier in our house as we're on childcare duty for the family members working from home. We're having lots of fun and the snow is melting!!

It's a terrible time for a book release, but with dates for preorders set up well in advance, there's nothing else to be done but do it.

Sending good vibes out into our IWSG network and hoping everyone stays safe!

Shannon Lawrence, Bruised Souls & Urban Legends

My blog buddy Shannon Lawrence - AKA The Warrior Muse - has a new book out!

Fear resides in the soul.

A welcoming widow with a twisted appetite; a war-time evil lurking behind the face of a child; a father’s love gone horribly wrong; a deadly government solution; a new job with a demonic pay scale; a woman trapped in a mysterious house with no memory of who she is or how she got there. These are a mere glimpse of the terrors that lie in wait in this collection of horror short stories, sure to grip the psyche and torment the soul.  

Order the book HERE!!!

Where can you find Shannon?

website          Facebook           Twitter.             Pinterest 

Instagram      Bookbub             Goodreads       Amazon Author Page 

To join in celebrating her newest release, Shannon has asked us to post about 1 of the following

1. Your favorite urban legend

2. Your favorite old wives' tale

3. Something scary that occurred in real life and taught you an important lesson

As many of you know I am a wimp. Before I even entered school, my parents had taken me to a doctor to find out why I had such debilitating nightmares. His answer was that I had an extra-vivid imagination. Apparently I still do...

One of the urban legends that gave me nightmares for many years was about the gulley in our backyard. It extended the length of the street and then turned a corner and travelled three more streets.

Right up to the local jail.

Streets had been built over sections of the gulley and there were culverts in many sections to help with drainage.

Perfect for escaping criminals.

When we found scraps of clothing one day, an older kid in the neighbourhood told us the tale of Walter's Ghost. How the man had been jailed for slicing up kids. He'd escaped and his bones had been discovered "right there" - with "right there" being less than 100 metres from our back door.

Didn't sleep well that night. Or the next, or the next...

How about you? Any intriguing urban legends involving your neighbourhood?

Anyone else looking forward to Shannon's tales? My copy's waiting on my Kindle ... to be read in the mornings 😃