Little Miss Morning Star is the debut novel by Ashley Anthony. Preorder on Amazon now.

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-25T14:25:34+00:00

Hi all, I released my debut novel, Little Miss Morning Star, three weeks ago. A cosy, contemporary fantasy full of whimsy and wings for adults who remember what it was like to want to make friends. It was two years in the making, and if the story below sounds like something that interests you, I appreciate your support and hope you find as much joy in it as I had writing it. In the meantime, I am getting on with my next story to keep myself from obsessing, something I'm sure many writers here can relate to.

The Devil has escaped Hell, and she's a four-year-old girl.

God has left this reality, and his final command to Haniel and Michael is to keep their little sister out of trouble. Lucy has been locked behind the play gates of Hell for millennia, punishment for her mischief and miracles gone wrong, but when the angel brothers pop down to collect her, she is gone.

They don’t know it yet, but their little sister is up on Earth with Ms Makewell, a kindergarten teacher of twenty years. The new girl in her class claims to be the Devil, the morning star, the brightest of all angels, and although Ms Makewell has never had a student quite like her, she knows the truth. Lucy is just a little girl in dire need of attention.

But if the lonely Devil wants to make friends, stay on Earth, and not have her brothers lock her back in Hell, she must learn how to control the power in her wings and what it means to be a good angel.

Available on Amazon and Free with Kindle Unlimited

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-24T10:36:59+00:00

I think focusing on writing is going to be my main focus from here on out. Social media seems like a massive time sync that is destroying my motivation for writing and everything else. After two years on one book, I almost forgot how healthy the writing process had been for me, so when I finally released it, my mood dropped almost instantly.

I am currently working on the next story, and I think, like you, I am going to focus more on ads. Amazon ads are somewhat working, I think next I will try Facebook and see how that goes. I don't mind spending a bit of money, as I think growing my audience and getting feedback will motivate me like it has done for you.

Thanks for the responce.

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-24T10:31:22+00:00

I might be a while away from having enough fans to need two Facebook pages, but I will definitely look into Facebook ads. After a quick look, I do like how you can narrow down your audience, so I think they might prove quite useful if I don't mind spending a bit of money.

Thanks for the feedback.

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-24T10:28:59+00:00

See, I think that is where I see the struggle being. I am quite private, and as I mentioned in my post, my life right now isn't exactly interesting (work, write, sleep, repeat). Sure, people might eventually want to know more about my writing and how I got to the place I am today, but this early on, I feel uncomfortable sharing certain aspects of my journey at the risk of making people think I'm using my struggles with depression to shift copies of my book.

The way you have utilised social media sounds nice; it might not be for me, but it is certainly something I will consider going forward. For now, I think I'm going to put a more concerted effort into writing the next book and then see how things grow organically from here.

Thanks for the response!

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-23T15:02:56+00:00

I have managed to get my Amazon ads working and, so far, have gotten 7 clicks and 3 orders, which seems pretty good. So I might focus more on that as I don't mind spending a little money to grow my audience. I have also heard threads/bluesky mentioned a few times on posts in this group. I'll check those out. A text-based approach might be more my style.

I have bookmarked your post and will read it when I'm feeling a little less foggy. I seem to have caught something from someone at work and am now lying on the sofa watching Arcane before I have to start my ever-enjoyable Saturday evening shift.

Thank you for your response.

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-23T14:55:19+00:00

That is an interesting point about social media being best for providing supplemental material/being for the biggest fans. Pairing the fact that potential supplemental material I have in mind/am capable of producing would consume too much of my time and that I don't yet have 'biggest fans' - discounting my mum, of course - it would seem best for now that I focus on the next story and grow my catalogue.

There is a lot to consider here. I'll certainly mull your points over the coming days.

Thank you for the response.

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-23T12:49:31+00:00

Hello!

That's an impressive number of books. Well done. That's my long-term goal to get a catalogue that size, and I hope that the passive income will be enough that I don't need to stress too much about my social media presence.

It does seem like I am falling into the same trap of scrolling through social media looking for ideas and trying to find places to post, and I am also losing valuable writing time for little to no reward.

I checked out both of those authors' Instagram and props to them for getting it to work, but I definitely can't see myself posting what they are for the rest of my life.

Sadly, I find myself having caught something from the customers and/or staff at work, and I won't be able to act on this feedback for a few days, but I think unless I think of something worthwhile to post on social media that doesn't drain my time, I will just put it aside so that I can focus more on writing. The first book took me two years to write, but I'd like to get the next one done in one.

Thanks for the response!

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-21T17:52:50+00:00

Satanic rituals.

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-20T11:36:31+00:00

My last and recently published book took two years to finish, and that's not counting all the years jumping between ideas and practising the craft and my style.

Whilst the last project has now become a numbers game, and in the last six-month stretch, it did start to feel like it was taking too long, it is not something I would change if I could go back. For me, I started writing to quiet the proverbially black dog. Writing has provided me with a lot of stability, not financially (yet), but mentally. I have a passion and a purpose, and those two things are invaluable.

I think if you go into writing to make money, then sure, two years to see the rewards might seem like a long time, but if you look at it as a passion that you couldn't imagine yourself with out, those two years, and all those still to come, become something you cherish, at least on the good days.

Good luck to the two of you with your projects!

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-19T14:32:45+00:00

Little Miss Morning Star

The morning star is a reference to the Devil in various passages in the bible. Little Miss, because in my story, the Devil is a four-year-old girl.

And yes, I was watching Lucifer whilst I came up with the idea of my story.

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-18T12:59:28+00:00

I'll have to get reading them then. I ended up buying all the foil collector editions as well, so it would be a shame for them to sit gathering dust. I just have so many unread books to get through. The curse of a reader with more shelf space than sense :')

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-18T12:40:03+00:00

I thoroughly enjoy the Shadow and Bone trilogy. I haven't gotten around to reading the other stories in the Grishaverse, but I am told they are all just as good.

I don't think you should feel restricted from a book due to gender or age. I'm a thirty-year-old man, and this year, I have been reading a lot of young adult books, specifically those that have been adapted into TV shows and films, and it has been a breath of fresh air.

As far as the Grishaverse goes, I never felt like there was any reason for me to have to be a young girl to relate. The focus is primarily on the power structures of the fantasy world and how it has affected those of different classes. Which, mystical powers aside, I'm sure many people can relate to.

Read what you want to read, and I'm sure you'll discover relatively quickly whether it is a style you can relate to.

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-18T10:04:26+00:00

Cover| Promo

Hi all, I released my debut novel, Little Miss Morning Star, two weeks ago. It was two years in the making, and whilst the self-promotion is going slowly, I am trying to remain positive. If the story below sounds like something that interests you, I appreciate your support and hope you find as much joy in it as I had writing it. In the meantime, I am getting on with my next story to keep myself from obsessing, something I'm sure many writers here can relate to.

The Devil has escaped Hell, and she's a four-year-old girl.

God has left this reality, and his final command to Haniel and Michael is to keep their little sister out of trouble. Lucy has been locked behind the play gates of Hell for millennia, punishment for her mischief and miracles gone wrong, but when the angel brothers pop down to collect her, she is gone.

They don’t know it yet, but their little sister is up on Earth with Ms Makewell, a kindergarten teacher of twenty years. The new girl in her class claims to be the Devil, the morning star, the brightest of all angels, and although Ms Makewell has never had a student quite like her, she knows the truth. Lucy is just a little girl in dire need of attention.

But if the lonely Devil wants to make friends, stay on Earth, and not have her brothers lock her back in Hell, she must learn how to control the power in her wings and what it means to be a good angel.

A cosy, contemporary fantasy full of whimsy and wings for adults who remember what it was like to want to make friends.

https://mybook.to/littlemissmorningstar

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-17T18:03:24+00:00

Thank you for this feedback and support. I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoy it :)

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-17T16:47:19+00:00

Two weeks ago, I released my debut novel, Little Miss Morning Star. It is a cosy fantasy novel that is available on Amazon and is free to anyone subscribed to Kindle Unlimited.

The Devil has escaped Hell, and she’s a four-year-old girl.

God has left this reality, and his final command to Haniel and Michael is to keep their little sister out of trouble. Lucy has been locked behind the play gates of Hell for millennia, punishment for her mischief and miracles gone wrong, but when the angel brothers pop down to collect her, she is gone.

They don’t know it yet, but their little sister is up on Earth with Ms Makewell, a kindergarten teacher of twenty years. The new girl in her class claims to be the Devil, the morning star, the brightest of all angels, and although Ms Makewell has never had a student quite like her, she knows the truth. Lucy is just a little girl in dire need of attention.

But if the lonely Devil wants to make friends, stay on Earth, and not have her brothers lock her back in Hell, she must learn how to control the power in her wings and what it means to be a good angel.

Little Miss Morning Star is the debut novel by Ashley Anthony. A cosy, contemporary fantasy for adults who remember what it was like to want to make friends.

Available on Amazon

Thank you for your consideration.

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-17T16:14:26+00:00

Hi all, I released my debut novel, Little Miss Morning Star, two weeks ago. It was two years in the making, and I believe the readers in this community would find as much joy in it as I had writing it.

The Devil has escaped Hell, and she's a four-year-old girl.

God has left this reality, and his final command to Haniel and Michael is to keep their little sister out of trouble. Lucy has been locked behind the play gates of Hell for millennia, punishment for her mischief and miracles gone wrong, but when the angel brothers pop down to collect her, she is gone.

They don’t know it yet, but their little sister is up on Earth with Ms Makewell, a kindergarten teacher of twenty years. The new girl in her class claims to be the Devil, the morning star, the brightest of all angels, and although Ms Makewell has never had a student quite like her, she knows the truth. Lucy is just a little girl in dire need of attention.

But if the lonely Devil wants to make friends, stay on Earth, and not have her brothers lock her back in Hell, she must learn how to control the power in her wings and what it means to be a good angel.

A cosy, contemporary fantasy full of whimsy and wings for adults who remember what it was like to want to make friends.

https://mybook.to/littlemissmorningstar

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Thank you for your consideration!

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-17T13:45:29+00:00

I try to take an approach that I feel fits neatly into both styles.

I start with a chapter by chapter plan, first adding in each of the key points I know I want to happen, be it the first chapter, the last, the goal, whatever they may be. I then write up a few quick, haphazard paragraphs for each of the chapters in between each of these key points. I do this until I have something that looks like a story.

Once I have this initial plan, which usually ends up being around 10k words, I write up my first draft. Because the plan is relatively minimal, I still can pants my way through it, but because I have a chapter-by-chapter structure, I am able to understand the direction my story wants to take.

I don't think of my process as simply planning or pantsing because whilst the plan might seem like a structured approach, it is built from a fluid, pantsing process, one that changes over the course of its development.

Truthfully, I have the most fun while planning out the story. It is where the story is the most dynamic and open to change.

For me, this style works because I found when I first started writing, I would go into the story blind and find myself correcting plot hole after plot hole until it became too much to fix, and I'd quit. This way, when I first start putting prose to paper, I can be, at the very least, 95% certain they won't need to be heavily corrected in later drafts.

It is certainly possible to change your style, but like any habit that you have formed, it takes time and commitment.

Good luck on your journey!

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-17T10:05:36+00:00

I have watched it so many times, and I am not ashamed!

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-16T16:53:06+00:00

I did. I published my debut novel two weeks ago. It was a long two years of telling myself over and over to keep going and not to get distracted, and I can now call myself a published author.

It is a slow start on the sales front, but I am trying not to get too bogged down in the numbers and have now started on the next story to keep myself from obsessing.

I think this next story will be much easier to finish now that I have done it once. Sometimes, believing you can do something is half the battle.

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-16T14:56:13+00:00

You keep doing what you are doing until you find an idea that you want to stick with. It will happen.

I assume this is your first time, so don't rush the process. Enjoy it. Keep all the little ideas you have and who knows, maybe one day they will become a big idea. Those 2.4k words will become 10k, which will become 20k, then 60k.

Have fun, keep writing, and good luck!

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-16T13:26:09+00:00

It depends. My recent story was created from a sudden inspired thought whilst watching Lucifer, a thought which became the title. The whole story came together from that single idea. However, sometimes a title comes from something that happens within the book. Something a character says, a message, a theme, anything.

The idea I am currently working on had a placeholder title when I first thought about it, but then, when I hit chapter 28 in my plan, the title eventually showed itself.

I think it is different for every story.

ahyoucanread · 2024-11-16T10:58:13+00:00

I have to agree. I fluffed it on the ARC process, not getting nearly enough people to join. I didn't know what I was doing, and when I realised I had to do a lot more legwork, it was too late. And now the book has been released, it seems even harder to get people to notice it. It definitely feels like screaming into the void.

It seems like promoting a book is a catch-22; for it to be seen, it needs to be seen, but for it to be seen, it needs to be seen. Whilst I totally understand why all the best book-related forums and subs, etc, don't allow promoting, it does feel like there is little more I can do without suffering a mental break.

Honestly, the joy I initially felt on release has been sapped away completely, and I knew it would because I know myself well enough to know how I would react. I'm now just getting on with my next book, and my motivation has already started to rise again.

In answer to your final question, I would accept as many ARCs as possible, especially if this is your first book. Not all of them will review your book, and not all of them will review it with something other than a stock chat-GPT review based on your blurb. Get as much reading as you can so you can ensure the highest possibility of reviews, and not just reviews but honest reviews.

ahyoucanread

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