One of the most discouraging aspects of being a self-published author is the act of promoting your work. It’s hard to get the word out there, if you’re not signed … Continue reading Building a Catalogue
Author: Nicole E Woolaston
I'm a writer, artist and guitarist from NY. I love punk rock, anime and manga. I'm the author of the "Fortune's Wing" and "Valentine" series, & "Our Lady of Righteous Rage".Green Day and Jack White are my inspiration. Check out my blog and feel free to ask me questions about my books!
Book Signing at Barnes & Noble!
This is the biggest news I have ever shared! Barnes and Noble is hosting an event known as B-Fest! It’s a Teen Book Festival, from June 10-June 12. I will be taking part in the event at the Bay Plaza location, in the Bronx! I will be there Saturday, June 11th at 3pm, signing copies of Valentine and Our Lady of Righteous Rage, both the original and Extended version. I hope to see all of you there!
Barnes and Noble–Bay Plaza
290 Baychester Ave
Bronx, NY 10475
The World Ending in Fortune’s Wing
Here’s some info on the upcoming Fortune’s Wing: Flies Again, the third and final installment of the series. I’ll try not to provide any spoilers! The question in FW … Continue reading The World Ending in Fortune’s Wing
Custom Made Clothing on Vida
Hello, everyone! Wonderful news. I have teamed up with Shop Vida, and created a few pieces using Woolaston Entertainment book covers. There are shirts and a scarf available, and I will create more pieces in the future. If you’re interested, you can check my line out here: http://shopvida.com/collections/voices/nicole-woolaston. Thank you!
Sneak Peek at “Black Queen; Killing Machine”
I’m currently working on 3 manuscripts now, and I’d like to share a little sneak peek at the upcoming “Black Queen; Killing Machine”, another book in the “Valentine Apart” series, featuring Jo Fuentes, who I introduced in the third Valentine book. Enjoy!
Roger Plankman could feel the blood rushing to his head, as he dangled six flights up, over the side of the motel. Jo had a vice grip on his ankles, but every few seconds, she would lower him, then raise him again. He heard her groan, then he felt her tighten her grip even more. “He’s getting heavy, Kelly,” she whined.
“I know, I know,” Kelly said. She put one foot up on the edge of the building, and leaned forward, with her hands resting upon her thigh. “What’s it going to be, Roger? Are you going to tell me what I want to know, or am I going to have to let Jo drop you?”
“I don’t know anything!!” Roger insisted. “I swear!”
Kelly rolled her eyes. “This is becoming very tiresome.”
“Tell me about it,” Jo muttered.
“So, you’re not going to cooperate?” Kelly asked.
“I don’t know anything!” Roger declared.
Kelly sighed heavily, stood up straight, and waved her hand. “Oh, just drop him,” she said.
Jo shrugged, and release both of Roger’s ankles. He yelled as he plummeted towards the pavement below. He landed in a heap beside a dumpster. Jo leaned over the edge and looked down at him, and gasped. “Hey, look!” she said. “The fall didn’t kill him.”
Kelly stood beside her and looked down at where Roger had fallen. She saw him move his head, and one of his hands tried to reach up, towards them. “Oh,” she said. She reached into her waist band, and pulled out her hand gun. Pointing it down at Roger, she fired a single shot, and struck the center of his chest. “Yes it did,” she said, flatly. “Let’s go.”
Stream of Consciousness
Stream of Consciousness
This is a form of narration I have come to deeply appreciate. You can tell a story in first person or third person. Third person gives you a little more freedom in terms of getting into the minds of several different characters. First person, on the other hand, limits you to one character’s mind. That’s where stream of consciousness comes in handy. This allows the reader to enter the minds of several characters, seeing the events of the story unfold through various points of view. I was first introduced to this technique in high school, when I read William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying. At first, I wondered if I would be able to keep track of the different characters, but after the first two or three chapters, I didn’t even think about it. I found myself just reading the book (the same thing happens to me when I watch a movie with subtitles: after a while, I just watch the movie and ignore the captions. But, I digress…).
Stream of Consciousness is also present in Keith Donohue’s The Stolen Child (a very good read, by the way. I highly recommend it). The story of what seems to be a single life, is told through two characters. That’s all I’m going to say; I won’t spoil it for you.
At times, SOC can be slightly confusing, if you’re not paying close attention. If there are too many characters speaking, there may be too many points of view for the reader to keep up with. Also, if other narrators are introduced much later in the story. Your reader may find himself or herself thinking, “Okay, who’s this guy? There’s the parents, the two kids, the teacher at school, the daughter’s best friend, the neighbor, the neighbor’s wife, and now three quarters into the story there’s another character speaking?” In Our Lady of Righteous Rage, I introduced everyone early on, and didn’t add any additional narrators. It makes the story less confusing for the reader, and for me, the writer.
If you’re working on a first person narrative with more than one character, you may want to give SOC a try.
Novels vs Film Adaptation
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I like seeing a movie that’s based on a book, but I prefer to read the book before I see the movie. It doesn’t always work out that way (I’ll give you an example later in this post). But, whenever possible, I like to contrast and compare.
I’m a huge fan of Stephen King’s writing. Many of his books and novellas have been turned into films, or mini-series for television. In my humble opinion, most of them didn’t live up to expectations. Granted, these movies and series have been made across several years, and I try to judge each project based upon when it was made considering what type of CGI or technology was available, etc). You can’t judge a 1970’s film by 2016 standards; that’s just not fair. Still, I have my opinions. For example: The book Christine was good, and…
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Black Queen: Killing Machine
Two more books in the Valentine Apart series are on their way! Until they are ready, here’s a sample of the first chapter of Black Queen: Killing Machine. This book in the series reveals Jo Fuentes’ s past, before she met Valentine and just before she began working for Kelly McCormick. Enjoy!
Chapter One
She sat at the table, with her head down; right ear pressed against the surface. Her eyes were open, staring straight ahead at the metal door. The room was a typical interrogation room: painted in that drab matte gray. No windows. No pictures. No contact with the outside world. Only silence. Beyond the door, she imagined people going about their business, doing their jobs. Filing paperwork. Making phone calls. People in their fatigues or “dress blues”. Maybe a handful of people in “civies”. People who were moving around and doing important things, while she sat in a quiet little room, just waiting…
The door suddenly opened, and a man in uniform stepped inside. He was carrying a manila folder. She lifted her head and stood up from her seat, and saluted him. He nodded as he walked over to the table and took the seat across from her. He gestured for her to sit back down. Her eyes remained on his uniform as she seated herself. Marine. A Colonel. Bars. Awards. This guy seemed important.
“I’m Colonel Brantley,” he said. He set the folder on the table, and opened it. “It’s good to have you state-side, Lance Corporal Fuentes.”
“Thank you, sir,” she said. “But everyone calls me Jo.”
Brantley looked up at her through middle-aged gray eyes. “Jo, is it?” he said. “Jo. Okay, Jo. We need to talk about what happened. I’m going to ask you some questions, for my report. Is that okay with you?”
“Begging your pardon, sir,” Jo said, “But I thought a report had already been filed.”
“This is for my report,” Brantley clarified. “You see, what happened to you is a pretty extraordinary thing. I would like to know more about it.”
Jo shrugged her shoulders. “There’s nothing more for me to tell, sir,” she said. “We came under attack. Corporal Sullivan and I survived, and we’re both here in the states.”
Brantley looked down at the contents of the folder. He thumbed through a few documents, then looked at the eight-by-ten photos behind them. “I believe there’s more to it than that,” he said. He looked up at Jo. “Do you remember that day, Jo? Do you remember what happened?”
Jo stared ahead at him. Her face was still, but her mind was active. Images a Hummer, driving down a road in the Iraqi desert, her unit talking and laughing. Sullivan—Sully, as she called
him—made a joke, and everyone laughed. Suddenly, no one was laughing. There was an explosion, followed by darkness…
“Jo? Fuentes?”
She blinked at him, and furrowed her brow. “Yes, sir?”
“I asked you if you recalled anything strange happening before the explosion?”
Jo could feel her heart beating rapidly inside her chest. The explosion. The explosion…
(End of Sample)
A Good Review for Valentine!
Hello everyone! I have some good news concerning Valentine. The winner of the Valentine Series Giveaway on Goodreads.com read her books and posted a very nice review under Valentine 3: … Continue reading A Good Review for Valentine!
Valentine Apart Series: Lola and Jo
This week, I started working on Her Name is Lola Vencent, the second installment of the Valentine Apart series. I’m also working on book 3, Black Queen; Killing Machine. These … Continue reading Valentine Apart Series: Lola and Jo
