Copyright law can seem confusing, but authors need to know the basics—especially when (and whether) to register a copyright, and what to do when using a pseudonym.
As a publishing lawyer, I work with copyright issues (and authors) all the time, and today, I thought I’d take a closer look at some popular myths about copyright law and how it applies to novels and other creative works.*
Hello, SE Readers. Joan here. It’s Friday which means its time for the Story Empire Authors to share some of their favorite articles found in and around the web that relate to the craft of writing. And if you haven’t read them yet, check out the second of Harmony’s posts on Commas and How to Use Them, Part 2 and my post, Read Your Way to Better Writing.
Kike has struggled for years to break out of the chains of her marriage to Lekan. After moving out of the Ogun estate, she has to cope with condemnation not just from family and friends but from unseen followers as the story of her relationship with Freddie becomes media fodder. She’s finally free to love a man who loves her but is she about to lose everything else that matters to her?
Freddie has a new family—Kike and the kids—and he has to pull out all the stops if he is to outwit a powerful sociopathic pastor as well as and deal with ghosts from his past that come to haunt him. He will do whatever it takes to keep the woman he loves safe but the price might be his sanity and his life.
Lekan is not about to give up on a woman he sees as his property and uses every weapon in his arsenal to get Kike back, including following through on the threats he made.
With the odds stacked up against Kike and Freddie, is a happy future together even possible? Will they ever be out of Lekan’s reach?
This story unravels in two instalments—this is the second part and not a standalone.
Apprehension knotted Kike’s stomach as she showed Freddie around the house she planned to rent. The estate agent had arrived ten minutes earlier with the keys. Kike had asked the woman to wait outside while she showed Freddie the place.
“Have you already seen this house previously?” Freddie asked as they headed up the stairs to the upper level. He probably wondered how she knew her way around the property.
“Yes. Tolani used to live here before she moved to Lekki. She’s just finished refurbishing it ready to let it out,” Kike replied.
“So it’s a three-bedroom house?” Freddie asked as he strode into the large master bedroom.
The space lay empty aside from the built-in closet and an en-suite bathroom.
“Four—bed. Three up here and a guest room downstairs. Ranti and Yomi need separate rooms. They can have the other two and I’ll have this one.” Kike replied.
On her single income, she couldn’t afford a huge house like the one she shared with her husband. Leaving Lekan meant walking away from the ostentatious lifestyle. A price she would happily pay for her peace of mind.
“Is there an annex for the security team?”
“Yes, there’s a 2-bed boys’ quarter at the back.” She sashayed to the large window overlooking the back courtyard and pointed at the single-level building close to the back wall. “There.”
“Okay.” Freddie came to stand beside her, his right arm brushing her left.
Her skin tingled at the contact as her heart raced. The man took her breath away just by being around her. His presence in her life had reawakened her as a woman.
“But I’m hoping you’ll spend more time in here with me than out there.” She swallowed and held her breath, her sweaty palm clenched around the leather handle of her tote.
Although they’d shown their attraction to each other, he hadn’t done anything to indicate he wanted to become her lover, or a live-in one at that. He remained restrained in his interactions with her.
There had been the moment in Rebel Studios earlier today when he’d given her an orgasm in the most delicious way. But that could have been the result of his frustration at her because he’d found her in Lekan’s room a week ago.
She’d hurt Freddie and, in all honesty, she hadn’t been expecting him to forgive her so readily. So he had the right to reject the invitation to her bed.
He turned, leaning his side against the cream wall. A slow smile curled one corner of his lips. “You want me to share your bed?”
Warmth bloomed through her chest at seeing his smile, easing some of the tension in her back muscles. “Yes. I’d love to have you in my bed. Every night if possible.”
He reached out and cupped her cheek. She leaned into his touch, relishing his callused palm and the tingles spreading out on her skin.
“You know I want you, more than I’ve ever wanted any other woman.”
The mixture of his raspy voice and coarse hand sent bolts of desire piercing through her and melting her core.
“But the only way I’m going to make love to you is if you choose me as your Dominant. You are my kitten and that’s the way I want you in bed.”
Kiru is the award winning author of His Treasure. She writes sensual and passionate multicultural romance stories set mostly in Africa. When she’s not writing you can find her either immersed in a good book or catching up with friends and family. She currently lives in the South of England with her husband and three children.
I’m honored and pleased to have Dr. K.E. Garland on the blog today. An educator by profession, Dr. Garland is not only finding success as an indie author, but her works of creative nonfiction are fostering discussions for social change [among women especially] on an international level.
Today, Dr. Garland shares three outcomes she never imagined when she first decided to self-publish.
The Unhappy Wife was conceived during one of my former 320-mile commutes to and from work. During those drives, I used to call family and friends to keep me company. Many calls were with one of my male cousins. This time, his marriage woes were exhausting.
“I’m going to write a book called The Unhappy Wife,” I told him, “and I’m going to ask your wife to participate!” He laughed and laughed at me, but I was serious.
It wasn’t just his wife and their drama. I had friends who were in marital dilemmas and I’d felt dismayed in my own union years prior. Once I thought about it further, I knew the stories had to be written. Locating the 12 women was the easy part and writing creative nonfiction is a gift I have. But as any Indie author will tell you, marketing and selling those books was a whole nother story! However, once I learned the business side of bookselling, I was in for a few pleasant surprises that reached beyond readers simply engaging with my book. Here are three:
Connected with a Local Book Club
One January day, I tweeted information about The Unhappy Wife, just as I would any other day. To my surprise, a local book club, U.S.G.I.R.L.S. retweeted and a conversation ensued. I suggested they check out my book and they agreed! It was one of the most organic happenings as a result of doing what I naturally do…connect and write. The following month, I joined them in discussing The Kitchen House, and they invited me to discuss my book. That day, I sold over ten copies. Their support didn’t end there. Just last month, these literary ladies hosted a special meeting just to converse about the stories, and because of this group, my Amazon reviews increased without my having to beg people.
Influenced Teenaged Mothers in Grenada
Another surprise was when FSU’s College of Social Work approved my goddaughter’s use of “Gina’s” story, the second narrative in The Unhappy Wife. In March 2017, she traveled to Grenada, read the chapter aloud, and discussed psychological and emotional abuse with teenaged mothers. Impacting young women’s lives was my intention; however, I didn’t know it was going to manifest in such a powerful way. She used the Power and Control Wheel to reflect the warning signs of an unhealthy relationship, something that Gina’s story demonstrates.
Reached Readers Everywhere
I’ve said it before, and I’ll continue to say this. WordPress bloggers are the most supportive and genuine group I know. Bloggers from Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, India, Kenya, Canada, and China have not only read The Unhappy Wife, but many have also reviewed or blogged about their experiences. Additionally, readers in the States hail from Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, New England, and California, just to name a few. This outpouring of love was hoped for, but I never could’ve imagined the level of support I received from this online community in particular. For this I’m grateful.
If you’re interested in reading The Unhappy Wife, then please visit my author site at kegarland.com to order the paperback or digital version. Copies are also available directly from the following places:
I also lead a discussion on one wife from the book the second Friday of each month via my blog, kwoted. Join us July 14th as we talk about how adultery both hindered and helped “Pamela’s” marriage.
Katherin Garland is an award-winning Indie author whose work includes, Kwoted and The Unhappy Wife. Her work has been published with The Coil, For Harriet, and The South Florida Times. The Transition, a story Katherin wrote about her father, won first place at the Royal Palms Literary Award in Creative Nonfiction. More of her writing can be found at kwoted.wordpress.com and her editing services can be procured at writingendeavors.org. Katherin’s next project, Daddy, is an edited collection of women writers who’ve opened their hearts to talk about their father-daughter relationships. It will be available June 2018.
Many thanks to Dr. Garland for visiting with us today and sharing some of the impact her self-published work is having on real lives. This should give us all pause to reflect… and food for thought – you never know where the path will lead once you hit the Publish button.
Rick Lupert at Poetry Super Highway is offering a poetry contest that you might want to enter. The main prizes are cash (read below), but there are also a lot of other prizes available, including two copies of Doll God, which I am donating as a sponsor of the contest. There are lots of other books donated, too. What I love about Rick’s contests are that they aren’t to make money for a literary magazine, but to really benefit the poets themselves.
Read and ENTER. This is the best value contest around. The submission fee is $1 per poem!!! You can’t beat that. Think of the things you can buy for a buck. NOT MUCH and surely not even a large cup of coffee.
Warning: on my computer screen words do run too far to the right, but you can still get the gist of everything you need to know…
This blog serves the purpose of helping all of those who likes to write to get technical information as well as, having a safe harbor to discuss ideas.
on Writer Unboxed site:
Flickr Creative Commons: Dennis Skley
Hello, SE Readers. Joan here. It’s Friday which means its time for the Story Empire Authors to share some of their favorite articles found in and around the web that relate to the craft of writing. And if you haven’t read them yet, check out the second of Harmony’s posts on 
The Unhappy Wife was conceived during one of my former 320-mile commutes to and from work. During those drives, I used to call family and friends to keep me company. Many calls were with one of my male cousins. This time, his marriage woes were exhausting.
Nesie's Place 