Wednesday 7 September 2022

#IWSG September 2022 - Best and worst genres to tackle - IWSG Anthology, First Love, with pictures.

 Hello all! I might be a bit early for the IWSG post, but here I am, ready or not! I have some GREAT NEWS! (We're already halfway through Wed, 7th Sept Down Under!)


The awesome co-hosts for the September 7 posting of the IWSG are Kim Lajevardi, Cathrina Constantine, Natalie Aguirre, Olga Godim, Michelle Wallace, and Louise - Fundy Blue! Please visit them if time permits!

Welcome to September's IWSG. A pretty exciting month for some of us with the publication of First Love, the latest IWSG Anthology. The writers have been participating in blog posts on the IWSG Anthology Website which has helped keep us focused while we waited for what seemed a long time to see the Anthology come into fruition. 

So it's related to the September 7 question - What genre would be the worst one for you to tackle and why?

Ever since the IWSG Anthology was first announced by Alex J Cavanaugh back in the day, I've been waiting for a romance genre collection. There seemed to be a focus on sci-fi and fantasy which I have no interest in writing. I guess my Paranormal series is a fantasy, but it's not how I think of fantasy. That's just me. Sci-fi or fantasy would be 'the worst one for [me] to tackle'. Why? No offense, but I don't enjoy reading them as a rule, so no point writing them. I'm sure there are many who have an aversion to some genres - I'm not interested in military stories, cars (Fast and Furious) stories, erotica and so on and so forth. Which is good. Leave those to the experts in the field and concentrate on what each of us enjoys reading and writing.


I always knew a romance IWSG collection would be popular. I was told it had the most entries of any of the contests. Not surprised, seeing over half the books that sell are in the romance genre or sub genres of the same. Let's hope the IWSG's First Love Anthology sells well and many romance readers find hours of enjoyment in the pages.

My story, Marmalade Sunset, was set on Santorini in the Greek Islands. I just received an email from someone who just read it, and here is an extract: 

"It has been MANY, MANY, MANY years since I visited the Greek Islands and while reading your story, I was instantly transported back there again; walking up and down those graveled hills, viewing the whitewashed and blue buildings, and appreciating the bright pink bougainvillea against the azure blue skies. Sigh. I wish I was there now."


With love from Santorini, that blessed gem of a 
Greek isle. How could I not be inspired?

So grab yourself a copy. It's finally published!

I bought copies for family and friends. Here are two of my daughters proudly reading/holding their copies.

~*~

And of course there is a blog tour. To learn more scintillating titbits about the anthology, here is the list:

TOUR DATES:

 9/1 – IWSG Anthologies Blog, http://iwsganthologies.blogspot.com/

Book blurbs

 9/5 - Kelly F Barr, https://kellyfbarr.com/blog/

Interview

 9/6 - Kelly F Barr, https://kellyfbarr.com/blog/

Review

 9/7 – Diane Burton, http://dianeburton.blogspot.com

Interview

 9/7 - Cathrina Constantine, http://cathrinaconstantine.blogspot.com/

Book feature

 9/9 - Sandra Cox, https://sandracox.blogspot.com/2022/09/your-weekend-read-first-love-anthology.html

Book feature

 9/12 - Elizabeth s. Craig, https://elizabethspanncraig.com/blog-3/

Article - Working on an Anthology

 9/14 – C. Lee McKenzie, https://www.cleemckenziebooks.com/blog/

Interview

 9/16 - Louise M. Barbour, https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com/

Review

 9/19 - Susan Gourley, https://susangourley.blogspot.com/2022/09/first-love-art-of-making-doughnuts.html

Interview

Links:
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/First-Love-Art-Making-Doughnuts-ebook/dp/B09QH3Z28P/
Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/first-love-insecure-writers-support-group/1140884369?ean=2940165751301
iTunes https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id1605240999
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/first-love-the-art-of-making-doughnuts
Scribed - https://www.scribd.com/search?query=9781939844897&language=0
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60198262-first-love

~*~

                                                                         

It's a far cry from sweet First Love stories, but the WEP is approaching its horror fest for Halloween, in the form of the challenge, Thriller, based on the Michael Jackson song. Everyone's welcome to join our writing contest; horror is an option only.


 Denise


24 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

HOW I love the support of the blogosphere for authors. And what a wonderful email to receive about your latest book.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

What a lovely response to your story!!

Michelle Wallace said...

Marmalade Sunset is fabulous!
Santorini is second on my bucket list (after a re-visit to Paris, of course)
I also mentioned sci-fi and fantasy as the genres I have no interest in writing about. However, I've read a bit of sci-fi as well as fantasy. I'm amazed at the intricate worlds that these writers develop.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Congrats on having your story published! I loved the pictures of your daughters with the book.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Write to your strengths, they say.

How fun your daughters have copies of the book.

Jemi Fraser said...

Congrats again on the story! Looking forward to reading it!
Love the pics!

H. R. Sinclair said...

Congrats. You're daughters look so cute with the book!

Fantasy, and I guess sci fi, is huge with thousands of sub-genres--kinda makes my head spin.

Yolanda Renée said...

Just finished reading Jemi's last book, and then pre-ordered her next one. Love her stories, and yours too. Can't wait to dig into this new anthology. Not the least bit surprised your story made it in!!! Looking forward to reading it, and all the others. Congratulations! As far as genre's I don't like, can't think of one. Love reading too much.

Pat Garcia said...

Hi,
I look forward to reading the Anthology First Love and hope that it sells very well.
Also congratulations on your entry into it.

Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange

cleemckenzie said...

Great to see this one come out! Congratulations. Love the next WEP selection. It should give us some great reading!

Nick Wilford said...

Everyone needs to write what they love. I hope the anthology will be a smashing success and congrats on your entry.

Beth Camp said...

Thank you for highlighting all those marketing support links for the anthology. This shows us what we writers can/could do to support our own books! I've already got the anthology cued up in my to-read Kindle and congrats on making the final cut. Almost makes me want to sub for Oct! Have a great month writing what you love.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Congratulations!
Don't worry, I'll write those science fiction stories for you.

Olga Godim said...

Congrats with the anthology publication, Denise. I wish I could write romance the way you do.

kimlajevardi.com said...

Congrats on the anthology!

lostinimaginaryworlds.blogspot.com said...

You were early and I'm a day late! Good luck with the blog tour, and I admire you, being able to write romance, I wish I could.

Damyanti Biswas said...

Congrats on getting your story published for the anthology. Good luck on the blog tour!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Denise - congratulations ... the anthology sounds like fun ... and has obviously stirred everyone's writing passions. Lovely seeing two of your daughters with their copies of the anthology.

Then Thriller for WEP - could be darkly fascinating ... congratulations and thanks for organising all the posts for us - cheers Hilary

Douglas Thomas Greening said...

Awesome that you get to join with the other others in the anthology. That must be exciting. I don't consider paranormal as fantasy either. I may dabble someday.

Nilanjana Bose said...

I have a feeling that this one's going to be the first among equals in all the IWSG anthos. Congrats once again and all the very best!

Sandra Cox said...

Many congrats, Denise:)

Denise Covey said...

I haven't got used to this pop-up comment system and the difficulty of leaving a reply. I should have been onto it and replied more often. Sorry.
I thank each and every one of you for your congratulations on making the cut in the anthology. I've done my best to visit each of you.

Deniz Bevan said...

Congratulations!
Love the photos of the book "in the wild" :-)

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