E-book Piracy.

I recently found that all my books had been loaded onto a website that offered free downloads.   I was surprised that a new author like myself would find all three books on this site (I was alerted by a Facebook friend).  

I was also offended.  I felt strangely violated: as a new author, I have made very little money from sales … but this isn’t just about money, afterall, I currently have Book One (Emotes) free to download on Smashwords.  It’s the idea of someone taking something that belongs to me and distributing it without my permission.  It would be like me going into their home, taking a possession of theirs without asking and then sharing it out amongst my friends.

Whether or not you enjoy a particular author’s work, they have usually put a lot of time, energy and sacrifice into producing that book.  Books don't write themselves: authors often sacrifice a great deal, spending more hours than you could imagine writing that book ... forming the ideas, finding the right words, ensuring that the story gels without inconsistencies ... and then there is the hard slog of formatting, editing and proof-reading. 

That e-book isn't a creation that magically appears.  It takes hard graft and precious time.  Please don't begrudge paying for that author's services any more than you would any other service-provider in your life ... especially when so many e-books are priced cheaper than a newspaper or magazine! You would not expect to go to work and not be paid a salary ... so please don't expect an author to do just that.

I reported the copyright violation to the site in question and they have removed my books but I wonder how long it will be before "Google Alerts" notify me of another infringement.  I honestly think that some readers do not realise that when they download books for free, they are sometimes doing so illegally.  I think that most people are intrinsically honest.  I just hope that something can be instigated to police the increasing number of sites that are springing up, whose actions rob the very people whose work they admire.

The Real World Series is now on Smashwords: Book One (Emotes) is currently free!

The Real World Series, Books 1 to 3, has now been uploaded onto Smashwords, as well as Amazon.

Click here to go to Smashwords.

Book One (Emotes) is currently FREE to download on Smashwords (something that I have been unable to offer on Amazon for a prolonged period of time).

Book Two (Dark Beginnings) and Book Three (Dark Days) are also on Smashwords now.

Please read the series in order.  This is made easier by Book One being FREE.  I was recently given a review whereby a reader had jumped straight to Book Three, without reading the others and therefore clearly didn’t fully understand the story line.

Apparently, in addition to being able to buy from Smashwords direct, Smashwords also distribute to Apple iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo, Oyster, Flipkart and others.

Happy reading.  Please feel free to find me on Facebook … I love making new friends.

Click here to find me on Facebook

The pleasure of walking.

We've been out and about, taking advantage of this mild winter weather by walking a lot.  We've been fortunate inasmuch we don't live in a flood zone and so although it's been damp, it's been remarkably fine for January.

I got very excited last week when a wild deer crossed our path ... so much so, that I slipped down a bank and ended up with an extremely muddy butt! This had hubby and I in gales of laughter ... more so because the weight of the mud seemed intent on pulling down my jeans!

Life can be pretty stressful for most people nowadays ... modern living has it's advantages but we pay the price for it it many ways, with heavy workloads, responsibilities and not enough sleep.  I'm a big believer in taking time out from the rat race to recharge batteries and for us, walking does that: the open spaces, the quietness of the surroundings and the beauty of nature provide the perfect balm for a stressful week.

I sometimes stand and look at ancient trees, pondering their advanced age ... the changes that they must have witnessed ... and how temporal our life must seem to these ancient life forms, whose main enemy is man and his ever thirsty desire for progress.

I therefore take pleasure in our tramping about in the woods, coming home only when the tips of our fingers and toes start to tingle with cold ... shrugging off muddy boots and wet jeans and savouring the warmth of a hot mug of something nice in our hands.

Now on Smashwords!

I've uploaded Emotes, Book One of The Real World Series, onto Smashwords.

I've set it to be a free download for a while.  This book sets the background and basis for the rest of the series.  

Click here to be taken to the Smashwords page. 

I will also be loading the other books in the series onto Smashwords as soon as possible.

Smashwords apparently allows various ebook formats including:

Apple
Sony
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

and if I understand correctly, also readable on PCs/laptops and Smart phones.

Dark Days (Book 3 of The Real World Series) is now on Amazon

Dark Days was published on Amazon (multiple countries) on the 2nd of January 2014

Copyright © Elizabeth Lord

Dark Days,

Book 3 of The Real World Series

By Elizabeth Lord

77p UK and $1.27 USA (available in other countries too)

Elsie is fading fast and her magick is weakened when it is most needed.  Gareth’s killers have escaped justice and are being hunted by both Jared and their own family.   Chloe is determined to find her missing friend, despite the strange people that now call themselves her family.  Liser is still in denial about her feelings towards the Human Peter.  James and Ellie find themselves at the mercy of a depraved and sadistic ‘ghost’: their survival dependent on the whim of a cruel Hunter.

“The Vampire had laughed viciously and instead of killing them, he’d turned them … and then abandoned them to find their own way into immortality”

“He sighed heavily.  He hated involving Humans in the Supernatural.  It never ended well.  Humans had an idealised idea of what the world was, believing themselves to be the superior and ruling species: they fought their petty wars, had their little love affairs, ensured the continuance of their line and then died.  They had no idea of what the real world was: of what surrounded them.  They lived in an oblivious little bubble.”

“She was immediately distracted, as she returned his desire with an angry passion that he couldn’t help responding to.  She pulled him quickly towards the bed, as she whipped his top over his head and he fumbled with hers. They fell in a tangled heap and savagely leapt at each other, desire to brand, mate and mark overwhelming every other thought in their eager bodies.” 

Click here to go to Amazon.uk (Amazon UK)

Click here to go to Amazon.com(Amazon.com)

Wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy 2014.

We've had a busy Christmas ... it has passed in a blur of activity.    Why is it that when we’re having fun, someone seems to press the fast-forward button on our lives but when we’re having a tough time, the button is pressed for half speed?  Nonetheless, we were able to spend lots of time with friends and family … I feel blessed that we are surrounded by such special people.

I think it important to count our blessings … to remember that there are always people worse off than us.  Yeah, it can be tough sometimes … I know what it is to be bogged down with responsibility and to endure stress generated by another person’s actions … most of us have experienced hurt, pain, rejection, anger and humiliation at some point in our lives.  However, I would rather use my experiences to make me a stronger and more empathetic person … than to wallow in self-pity, making myself feel worse by dwelling on the rotten things in life rather than the good.

To this end I am going to count my blessings on a daily basis this year.   I am going to acknowledge not just the big things, like a roof over my head and food on the table … but the little things too: a sunny day, the perfection of a flower, a smile on a stranger’s face.

I recently saw a post on Facebook: it showed a picture of Jean-Luc Picard, with the caption

 “Don’t just wish for a great 2014 … make it so!”  

I intend to ‘make it so’.  I am not going to just have dreams but I am going to chase those dreams:  I am going to do everything I can to make those dreams come true.  I am going to actively do something each day that my future self will be glad that I have done.

When one leaves youth behind, it is easy to grow complacent … to accept one’s lot in life.  However, can one really be happy with just acceptance?

Two quotes from the wonderful film “Shirley Valentine” come to mind as I write this:

“I've allowed myself to lead this little life, when inside me there is so much more and it's all gone unused . . . why do we get all this life if we never use it?”

"… because we don’t do what we want to do, do we? we do what we have to do … and pretend it's what we want to do"

I know so many people that feel just like that … they find themselves living a life that they never planned to have and escaping their situation seems impossible.  It is true that sometimes we have responsibilities in life that we cannot escape but we can strive, to the best of our ability, to make our own lives … and by extension, our loved ones’ lives …  happier. 

To this end, I am not going to allow people to have power over me:  Eleanor Roosevelt said 

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent” 

and the more that I think about that statement, the truer I believe it to be.  There are too many people in this world that can only feel good about themselves by putting others down … however that is a reflection of their own poor self-esteem, as a truly confident person doesn’t base their self-opinion on the acceptance of others.    We need to love and accept ourselves, in addition to loving each other. 

We also need to learn how to let go of the negative things in our lives … as clinging to them will only make us feel worse.  I saw a quote recently that was accredited to Buddha … 'though I truly don’t know who said it ... but I thought it a good thing to remember: 

‘Holding onto to anger is like grasping a hot coal, with the intent of throwing it at someone else … you are the one that gets burned’.   

Whether or not we are able to forgive wrongs done to us, we need to develop the ability to let the bad feelings go:  bitterness and resentment can simmer away inside us for years, preventing us from really enjoying our lives … holding us back in so many ways.  

However, letting go of negative emotions can bring us peace and tranquility.    I have never been a worrier as I believe it to be a wasted emotion, dependent on too many variables … I worry if and when I know that I have a genuine and concrete reason to be worried … and even then, I am more a woman of action than someone that sits dwelling on things. 

In 2014 I am going to count my blessings daily, let go of any negativity in my life and enjoy the life that I have been given with the people that I love.  I am not going to ‘settle’ for a life half-lived but I am going to go out there ….  and to quote a friend of mine,  I am going to …

“Grab life by the balls and give it a good shake”.

Happy New Year to you all … may 2014 be the year that you grab hold of your dreams and turn them into your reality.

Best wishes, Lizzie xx

Derbyshire Walk.

We had a lovely day walking in Derbyshire this week.  It was fairly overcast but warm and dry.  I loved looking at the trees taking on their golden autumn cloaks, seeing the various berries springing forth on the bushes and inhaling that clean, fresh air that threatens but doesn't quite deliver a frost.

We had an act of kindness extended to us that is sadly rare nowadays.  Hubby and I had left our usual maps/compass behind and decided to follow a walk we’d seen online.  We meandered through some delightful woods, following a bubbling, remarkably clean river before coming unexpectedly to a road: the web site had misdirected us!

A kindly older gentleman hailed us and asked whether we were lost.  We explained that whilst we had a general idea of where we were, it wasn't where we’d intended to go.  The gentleman not only directed us back to where we needed to be but volunteered his phone number so that we could call him if we found ourselves off-track again.  We were complete strangers to this person and yet he happily offered his number , trusting us not to abuse that offer.  We didn’t need it, as hubby and I are experienced walkers but the gentleman’s kindness touched me.

Later that day, we were sat outside a pub enjoying a drink and the late afternoon sunshine.  We were the only customers.  The barmaid came out and told us that she needed to close but wanted to offer us the use of her restroom facilities before she did.  A small thing, maybe.  However, had she closed without us realising, I would've had to either find another establishment or sat with my “legs crossed” for the drive home.  Her small act of thoughtfulness ensured that I had a comfortable journey.

Likewise, I had to phone the G.P’s surgery for a relative this week.  I have grown accustomed to the brusque and robot-like voices of so many receptionists, who answer the phone and direct me through to the required extension … often before I’ve even had time to complete the sentence leaving my mouth!  When I made this phone call however, the lady was so warm and kind that I felt once more like a real person:  I wasn't just another caller on the factory-conveyor belt of her job.  She even noted and called me by name.  It took her no longer to complete the call than had she imitated a robot, like so many do but her friendliness made the experience much easier and more pleasant for me.

We are all capable of small kindnesses and giving thought to others.  It doesn't take a lot but could mean a real difference to the person that we direct it to: it might just warm that person’s heart to find someone that cares or it could make a real difference to their level of comfort or the happiness of their day.

Wouldn't the world be a nicer place if we all tried to be kinder and watched out for each other?

Blessings.

"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many--not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some."  Charles Dickens

In this life I meet two kinds of people: those whose cup is half full and those whose cup is half empty.

I have a life restricted by responsibilities that are not of my making: other people’s choices have meant that my life is more difficult and complicated than it needs to be.  My normal, every-day life has to pivot around those responsibilities, ensuring that very little is ever straight forward or simple.  This can make life challenging and stressful.

However, I refuse to be beaten into emotional submission.  I chose to take life by its horns and enjoy the ride.  I chose to accept that whilst I have bleak areas and memories that I wish would disappear, I also have blessings in abundance.  I have a roof over my head, warm clothes and food on the table.  I am not afraid of the people that share my home.  There are people that do not share those blessings and I know full well how much they would love to have them.

Most importantly, I have family and friends that I love and that love me, despite my eccentricities and foibles.  I will never underestimate the value of their love … it is more priceless than all the gold or diamonds on this planet.

I chose to believe that my cup is half full.  I chose to count my blessings, not the negative elements in my life … how about you? What do you chose?

Autumn has arrived.

Autumn has arrived again.   We now have to accept colder temperatures and less daylight hours … no doubt we’ll soon have Jack Frost lurking around, giving us the lovely job of scraping car windscreens with frozen fingers and half-awake eyes.

However, we are also surrounded by Mother Nature in her glorious Autumnal robes.  I love taking long country walks with my husband at this time of year: listening to the leaves crunching beneath our feet, looking with renewed wonder at the beautiful red and gold trees and inhaling the sweet scent of fallen apples.  I can’t wait to start cooking with pumpkin again!

We have a young niece that we don’t see regularly, as we live too far from each other.  When leaving this weekend, she gave me a hug that felt like she never wanted to let me go.  It’s sad that as adults we often need but don’t get those kind of hugs very often: society has taught us that we should only hug other adults for a few seconds before it becomes uncomfortable.  Why is that?  Hugs can communicate a myriad of emotions with one simple gesture: happiness, pride, comfort, empathy, love etc.  They often show our true feelings far better than words can.  We shouldn't therefore feel constrained by social niceties.  We should feel free to hug a loved one as though we never want to let go, just like my little niece does.

EXCERPT FROM

BOOK TWO OF THE REAL WORLD SERIES

DARK BEGINNINGS

BY

ELIZABETH LORD

Her eyes slid back to the painting against her will.  Her heart felt heavier than it had in her entire existence and her eyes pricked with unshed tears. 

Her mind slipped to the W.H Auden poem ‘Funeral Blues’ and one particular verse kept repeating in her head:

‘The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.”

Nothing would ever be the same again.  She had loved him, totally and irrevocably.

And now he was dead.

BOOK TWO OF THE REAL WORLD SERIES

DARK BEGINNINGS

BY

ELIZABETH LORD

Coming soon!

Publication date TBA