FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT
Dave Amoroso, Ron Sonntag Public Relations, Inc.
414-354-0200, ext. 108 - dave@rspr.com
Release Date - October 9, 2007
64 AUTHORS = ONE GREAT NOVEL
MILWAUKEE, WI – Every time a writer sits down to begin a new book, he or she dreams it will be great. But multi-published author Diana Laurence wanted to do more than dream, so she asked herself what she could do to create a truly unique work of fiction. Her idea: have a team of readers involved in the writing.
A big team. The bigger the better.
“I realized my writing was limited by my own vision and skill,” says Laurence. “What I needed was the help of a band of motivated, invested readers, people who could work with me to do a better job than I ever could alone.”
Laurence, who since 2004 has been focused on writing romance fiction, put the word out on her project via a number of popular fiction Web sites. Throughout the early months of 2007, she recruited 63 interested book lovers. Women and men of all ages signed up, from all over the United States and foreign countries, including Wales, Finland, and Bolivia. Some were longstanding Diana Laurence fans and others were new to her work. There were published authors, editors, and reviewers in the group, as well as ordinary voracious readers.
In March 2007, Laurence kicked off the project by surveying her partners to determine their preferences for genre, point of view, sensuality level, and plot. Before long, the group had decided on a paranormal fantasy novel with strong suspense elements—a completely new take on a blood-drinking race of immortals. Based on the author’s character sketches, the partners picked names for a young orphaned innkeeper and her brother, and the trio of attractive but mysterious visitors who set the story in motion. By April, the novel that would be called Bloodchained was well underway.
Just how is a book “by committee” written? Explains Laurence, “Initially I shared excerpts on the Web and sought feedback. I used online poll software and surveys, and also simple email exchanges.” The input of the partners helped Laurence make sure she was going in a good direction, and setting forth a clear and intriguing story. When she hit a plot snag, a survey was the answer to figuring out the best course to take.
It was a completely new writing experience for the author, who has been freelancing for three decades, on subjects from Lenten devotions to hockey humor to Jungian psychology. “Creative writing is typically done in a vacuum,” says Laurence, “so just having other brains to pick was such a boon. All the while I had this delightful cheering section backing me up.”
The feeling of delight was mutual. One member of the group told the author, “I’m enjoying involvement in this particular kind of empowerment and I’m appreciating you for doing this! Moreover, it’s helping wannabe writers like myself understand the details of actually writing something rather than merely dreaming about doing so. I’m honored to be connecting in some way with a published author.”
When the first draft was complete, Laurence recruited six of her partners to serve as advance readers. They edited and critiqued the entire manuscript. “That was very humbling,” says Laurence. “I was just amazed at the brilliant insights they gave me and the excellent improvements they suggested. They took a good book and made it remarkable, really. After that, I was inspired to do even more work and more careful editing, to live up to the quality of book my partners deserved.”
The bond between author and partners and their creation ultimately became a strong one. One participant told Laurence, “I have learned about these characters and their feelings so much that I know them and have come to love them. I can hardly wait to read the outcome of Bloodchained. I am just happy to have a part in this. I love it!” Other partners felt likewise and there arose a grassroots effort to promote the book by word of mouth, blogs, articles in publications all over the Web, and the like.
Living Beyond Reality Press published the novel in September, with the names of the partners included in the acknowledgments. The award-winning Laurence feels it is her best work to date and enthusiastically shares the credit with her author partners. Meanwhile, the early reviews of Bloodchained were excellent, and seem to prove the point that 64 heads are better than one. Coffee Time Romance called the book “refreshing and unique” and praised its well-written characters. Sime~Gen declared it a love story that touched the heart and “a phenomenal read.” Romance Junkies praised its blend of paranormal and historical elements and called it a “superb book.”
Will Diana Laurence write another such collaborative book? “The process of writing Bloodchained made me a much better author, and I’d love to have a support group like that again,” she replies, adding, “Besides, I’m not sure I could write another book that good all by myself!”
The ending of the novel certainly leaves room for a sequel. Concerning that matter, in true communal spirit Laurence says, “I’d love to write a sequel, and I sure will…if the readers want it!”
Bloodchained is available in trade paperback and ebook formats from Living Beyond Reality Press (www.livingbeyondreality.com) and online book retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Powell’s Books. For more information on the author, visit www.dianalaurence.com. For more about the book Bloodchained, visit the official site at www.bloodchained.com.
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