Welcome to this week’s Blog Ring of Power guest, T.E. Ridener. She resides in the small community of Gray, Kentucky, with her equally eccentric yet amazingly interesting family. Miss Ridener has written a handful of novels as well as various short stories during her career as a writer. When she is not writing, she enjoys listening to nearly every genre of music, watching movies, and spending time with her niece and nephew. Her greatest accomplishment to date has been The Blood Betrayal Series, with characters she dreamed up while she was still a teenager. She believes that the Blood Betrayal Series will go far one day, despite the overrating of vampires in the past few years. According to her, vampires will -never- go out of style even if their fashion choices do!
Don’t miss the rest of T.E.’s interview:
Part 1 @ Emily
Part 2 @ Sandra
Part 3 @ Vicki
Part 4 @ Terri
Part 5
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? When I started Transition, I really just wanted to write a Halloween themed story for people to enjoy, but after I finished it I realized there is indeed a message. Everyone has a purpose. It takes some of us a little longer to figure out what that purpose is, and sometimes that purpose is out of this world; but we all have a purpose. We were all placed here for a reason.
What tools are must-haves for writers? For me, it’s my laptop, pen and paper, and a thumb drive. It’s so important to save save save! I also find that using another backup is great, too. I use dropbox and email myself files regularly. You never know when something terrible may happen. I’m always super paranoid about things like that, haha. Of course, you also need a dictionary, thesaurus, and a good search engine!
What are your current / future project(s)? Right now, I’m bouncing back and forth between books 3 in both The Descendants Series and The Blood Betrayal Series. I’m also working on my bear-shifter novel that should be finished up anytime now. On top of that, I’ve added some more to my plate by trying to start the sequel to Romance in Rodney, told from the perspective of Nate’s little sister, Maggie. Hopefully I can have all four of these done before 2015 arrives. My current goal is to write 10 books this year, so fingers crossed!
Tell us about your route to success – how/when did you decide to self-publish? Did you query an agent first? How did you handle the editing, proofreading, cover design, etc. I decided to self-publish in 2011 when I discovered Amazon’s KDP program. I thought it was an amazing opportunity and I quickly snatched it. I’ve never regretted that decision and I can’t imagine I ever will.
I’ve never queried an agent. Honestly, there’s that fear of rejection, but I like being my own boss. I make up my deadlines (and prolong them), I get to interact with my readers, and it’s all on my time. It can’t get any better than that!
As far as editing, proofreading, and cover design; I have wonderful Beta Readers who help me catch mistakes, and they aren’t afraid to tell me when something doesn’t sound right. I’m eternally grateful (just like the little green aliens) for all of their help. I make my own covers as of now, and I think I do a pretty wonderful job. I get better and better with each cover, and that’s all part of the process. You learn and you grow.
What are the most important elements of good writing? I think the most important elements of good writing for me are tone, imagery, and storytelling. At the end of the day, it’s your story and you reserve the God given right to write it however you see fit, but make sure that the story is understandable for the reader, and most importantly; enjoyable. If you’ve already started writing a book, then chances are, you’re well aware of which elements work best for you. All you can do now is better yourself. Grow. Flourish. Absorb as much knowledge as you can when it comes to writing. There is always room for improvement!
Do you have any advice for other writers? Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. Listen to me on this, please. When I was a senior in high school, my ‘guidance counselor’-and I use that term loosely- told me I wasn’t smart enough. Smart enough for what, exactly? College? The business industry? Writing stories? Well, no matter which way she may have meant it, I have proven her wrong in all three instances.
You can do whatever you want to. We are only given one life and we have to live it how we want to. For me? I choose to write, and to write often. Don’t be afraid to hit publish. Don’t be afraid to ask a friend to look over your work and help you correct any errors. Just don’t be afraid. Ever.
Be the brave little Gryffindor I know you are and show the world how amazing your writing is! Not everyone is cut out to be a writer; that’s true. But chances are, if you’re reading this, you’ve got just the right mix of crazy, hope, faith, and imagination it takes to give others an escape from reality. Go forth, my little writer. Go forth and tell your story!
A wise man once said ‘A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.’
I absolutely agree with him.
Never give up on your dreams.
Is your book in print, ebook or both? Ebook for now. Print will come later.
Please let us know where your readers can stalk you:
Blog: teridener.wordpress.com
Facebook: facebook.com/TERidener
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6535925.T_E_Ridener
Twitter: twitter.com/TE_Ridener
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/T.E.-Ridener/e/B0072S9U8Q
Google +: https://plus.google.com/116562535517354273173
TRANSITION: From the moment we are born, we accept that a day will come when our lives must end.
That is not the case for 23 year old Ren Croswell.
Ren died a few short months before his 24th birthday and he’s been stuck in the Colgrove cemetery for the past five years. He’s made some friends and it’s not all that bad, but there is one thing that won’t settle in his restless soul; he isn’t supposed to be dead.
Twenty-three-year-old Hannah Benoit moved to Colgrove, Kentucky, in hopes of escaping her past. One can only handle being ‘the girl who sees ghosts’ for so long. This new town will give her a clean slate and a fresh start, but nothing can prepare her for what she’s about to find.
On Halloween, the one day of the year when Ren can walk among the living, everything will change. Death promised him it would be different this year, but there’s no possible way Ren could’ve known the true reason for his sudden and mistaken demise. Hannah will discover that her blessing of a curse was given to her for a reason, and they will both find what they’ve been looking for this entire time; the truth, and each other.
You won’t see it coming.
———-
Transition is a New Adult Fantasy novella that will accompany a future series from T.E. Ridener, currently untitled. If you are under 18, please be aware there is strong language in this novella from time to time, and sexual situations are implied.
D. Buy/Book Links:
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00HTP8BA0
