Author Guest Post: Graham J. Sharpe

Hey guys! Today we have a special guest post for you. Graham J. Sharpe was nice enough to give us a guest post on the writing process. I hope you guys enjoy.

The Writing Process

Graham J. Sharpe

I would have never taken myself seriously as a writer if it wouldn’t have been for the wonderful support system that I had around me. I never planned on being a writer. I have, however, always known that I need some sort of creative outlet in my life.

 

One day, kind of by accident, I realized that I had a good idea for a story. I brought up the idea of writing a book to a friend and she told me to go for it. I had taken a few creative writing courses, but didn’t have a college degree. Because of this I really didn’t think I had any business writing a book. Eventually, I just decided to go for it.

 

I work as a flight attendant when I’m not writing and completed my first novel during the sleepless, jet-lagged hours spent in hotel rooms around the world. In the beginning I didn’t have a plan. It took me three years to really get serious about writing. Two years later I finished Purple.

 

I was proud of myself and really happy with my work but I knew that I needed to get a fresh pair of eyes to read over it. A friend referred me to a London-based literary consultancy called Cornerstones. At first, it was very scary to have someone look over my work. I think that’s a feeling that all new authors have to get over. Cornerstones told me that I had potential, but they also thought that it needed some edits. Eighteen months later Purple was finished.

 

I started sending the book out to agents. At the same time I started to hear about self-publishing and the big boom associated with eReaders like the Amazon Kindle. I had been waiting for agents to get back to me and I really didn’t know how much longer it would take. Three, four five months? Eventually, I thought to myself, “Maybe I can publish this on my own in the same way that I had written it on my own without any help.”

 

A friend had ideas for the cover and another friend put the website together and it just kind of grew on its own. Before I knew it I was self-publishing Purple as an eBook on Amazon. Every writer has a different system, and I think it’s important for new writers to find the one that works best for them. My system probably wouldn’t work for most people, but it’s worked for me and I couldn’t be any happier with where the book is today.

The end! We would like the thank Graham for stopping by today. Below you will find more information about Purple and Graham.

 

 
Readers had the opportunity to download Graham J. Sharpe's debut novel as an e-book on October 13 and 14 free of charge. The author announced the promotion after Purple honored as a Finalist for the title of Best Indie Book 2012 in the Young Adult category by The Kindle Book Review.

 
About Purple
Purple is a fantasy adventure set in modern-day London. After a purple storm sweeps around planet Earth, stealing millions of people, four teenagers struggle to make it alone. Drawn together by a series of bizarre coincidences they soon find themselves entangled with a bunch of interfering pensioners. Among the cast of players are flamboyant hairdresser Mr. Rupert, Pearl the loud-mouthed tea lady, and June, a psychic, who travels the world on her motorbike.

Reviewers have described Purple as beautifully written, funny and thought provoking.

Excerpt from the beginning of Chapter One:
Ellie Arnold believes in reincarnation and thinks she may have been Marilyn Monroe in a previous life. When Ellie told her parents about this, they laughed out loud.

Twenty-three weeks later, June 22nd, one a.m. to be exact, Ellie tidied her freshly-bleached Marilyn Monroe hairstyle in the mirror. She applied a coat of red lipstick, penciled in a beauty spot and blew herself a kiss.

She'd turned the light off at ten, but insomnia must be an eight-hour virus that lurks in toothpaste. As soon as she'd cleaned her teeth and put her head on the pillow, the symptoms appeared. Too late to prevent infection, she lay alone in the dark and imagined the blood rushing AWAKE round her system: swoosh...swoosh...swoosh. It made her feet burn, her legs restless and her shoulders ache. It caused a sudden onset of wriggle-squirm-roll-flip. When it finally reached her brain, triggering an explosion of thought, she gave up and trudged downstairs to the lounge.

To learn more about Sharpe and purchase Purple, visit http://www.grahamjsharpe.com.


About Graham J. Sharpe

At the age of 12, author Graham Sharpe regularly danced around the lounge to Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights." Today, he still hasn't decided what he'll do when he grows up. So far, the East Sussex, England-based writer has worked in an ice cream shop, trained as a hairdresser, studied sociology and psychology, written for and performed with a touring theatre company, and backpacked across far-flung countries with loose change in his pocket. Graham now combines travelling with writing and he completed his first novel, Purple, during the sleepless, jet-lagged hours spent in hotel rooms around the world. Honored as a Kindle Book Review Finalist Best Indie Book for 2012, the 358-page eBook is also available in paperback from Amazon.

For more information, visit http://www.grahamjsharpe.com.
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Graham Sharpe is available for comment on Purple, creative writing, eBook publishing, young adult literature, anti-bullying, tolerance, education, generational relationships, and more. To schedule an interview, please contact Gwen Goudeau at gwen@chatterbuzzmedia.com or 321-236-0083. High-resolution photos are also available