Goddess of the Corn

On Little Wings, Giveaway & Interview With Author Regina Sirois

2012-01-31T20:23:00.000-08:00

ON LITTLE WINGS

By,

ReginaSirois

Have you read this book yet? If not, seriously, put it on your to-read list right now on goodreads. We'll wait. Done? Good. Let's continue.

My good friend, Danyelle Ferguson, mentioned that her friend's book was shooting up the charts at Amazon and had landed right on the website's front page. I popped over to see it and downloaded the free sample.

LOVED IT.

She has the coolest way of wording things. Imagine the refreshing honesty of Sarah Plain and Tall, but with modern eloquence meshed with laughter that both touches the soul and lightens the heart.

The characters are rich and endearing, from the best friend that was so ugly as a child that the church matrons prayed for the poor dear, to the Jacks, a trio of elderly salt sailors that would have gotten along perfectly with Statler and Woldorf of the Muppets unless the subject of politics came up, then there'd be blood in the water.

Regina is as sweet as her book and was kind enough to answer a few questions for me.

Share with us a 60 word pitch for your book.

Her mother isn't an only child. Her aunt has thirty seven freckles. And life just stopped making sense for sixteen year old Jennifer. It will take one forbidden journey, an octogenarian movie star, three old pirates and one scarred genius to put it all back together again. If that's even possible.

When did you consider yourself to be a real writer?

I'm still working on it. :)

What writer would you like to emulate and why?

Dodie Smith. Whenever I think I wrote something decent I read her and get schooled!

Where are you from? Does that impact your writing?

I came from heaven, like everyone else. Like everyone else I inherited the desire to create. It impacts every word that I write.

Have you ever wanted to quit? Why didn’t you?

Yes. I quite all the time! I didn't write anything but my blog for over a year. I decided I wasn't a writer after all. One little comment changed my mind and got me here. A teenage test reader told me she missed my book and wanted to read it again. She lit a little fire under me.

Well. Regina, I'm sure glad you changed your mind! For the rest of this interview (including my favorite answers, like her thoughts on how her book became such a smash hit on Amazon) be sure to check out www.onfictionwriting.com on January 4th-10th when her interview will be featured on the website.

TIME FOR PRIZES!

Would you like to read On Little Wings for free? Yes? Awesome.

We're giving away 2 free ebooks!

To enter, follow this blog and leave a comment with your email
(youremail AT wherever DOT com).

Tada! You're entered.

Just fot fun, tell me who your favorite author is.

Winners will be announced February 16th

Don't want to wait? Snag it here now.

Now show Regina some love! You can find her blog here
(Her blog is mostly about life, not books)

Her website has her more professional side and you can enter her contest to win free, inscribed paperback. She's also on Facebook and Twitter.

Is Your Blog Easy To Follow?

2012-01-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

I'm stalking you. No really, I'm trying, but some of you are hard to find!

If you are a follower of this blog, then chances are that I have already clicked on your picture to try and follow you back, but surprisingly, many of you--even authors who I KNOW have great blogs out there--have no information on your blogger profile.

Have you clicked on your little avatar picture before? Do you know what comes up? When you use blogger, up in the right hand corner, there should be a little picture of you or else a box that says "sign in."

Take a moment to look at your profile there. If you don't have a working blog link listed under "Links" then your would-be fans, like me, can't find you!

Email, where art thou? More than once, I've had a winner of a giveaway that left no email in the comments, and who has no email listed on their profile. The result? I had to pick a different winner and they missed out!

Multiple and outdated links! Many of you who do have a link listed on your profile, have multiple, but outdated links. Several blogs even say "We moved! Go to our new location!" But it was YOUR blogger profile that sent me to the outdated link in the first place.

Repeat after me: Updated blogger profiles are good for me. Updated profiles help me win prizes. Updated profiles drive more followers to my blog.

*Virtual pat on the back* Excellent!
If you've never looked before, you might wonder what the links are under "Sites I've Joined." These are blogs you follow, but that information doesn't help me find your blog.

So, as your humble, would-be stalker/follower, I urge you to check and update your profile on blogger.

Did you do it? Were you surprised at what you found?

My eBook Aha Moment

2012-01-21T22:23:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit of a book freak. I love the way they smell, the way they look on my shelves, the way they feel in my hands. I take them everywhere; doctors, dentists, kid's school--anywhere I think I might have a spare minute to wait.

The idea of ebooks never interested me at all. You can't touch them, stack them, hold them, love them, look at them on your shelf, read them in the tub.... You see? what is the point?

Just to try, I downloaded a book last year onto my iphone and read it, but I couldn't get into it and I eventually gave up reading. I decided the screen was too small and it just wasn't as good as a regular physical book.

Well, this week, on a whim, I downloaded On Little Wings, by Regina Sirois. And....*drum roll*... I loved the book, and didn't care one whit that I had an ecopy.

I know it's stupid for me not to realize it at the time, but apparently it wasn't the ebook format I hated last year, but the book itself. (No, I won't tell you which it was.)

I like the instant gratification offered by ebooks. No waiting, no shipping, just BAM! There's your copy. I also liked the price. 2.99? Sweet deal for such an excellent book.

I still prefer hard copies, but I'm branching out. You can see from my goodreads bookshelf picture that I read mostly YA, but a little of everything else as well.

So tell me, what are some really good ebooks you have read lately? I'm in the market. (Who knew?)

Winners of the Transcendent Giveaway!

2012-01-05T22:55:00.000-08:00

Special thanks to everyone who entered the Transcendent giveaway. If you would like another chance at winning, be sure to check out the publisher's contest that runs till January 15th. More than 25 prizes will go out in that one!

And the winners are....

Drum roll please....

Kristin Feliz with goodie bag #1

Jennifer with goodie bag #2

And

Diana with goodie bag #3

Congratulations ladies!

And thanks again to everyone that entered!

That's a fun way to start out the year. What New Year resolutions have you made this year?

Indie Book Fair! Sweet New Books for Your eReader.

2012-01-01T21:07:00.000-08:00

I am one of 30 bloggers participating in this Indie Book Fair! Read on; it's pretty cool.

Did you find a new Kindle, Nook, or iPad under the Christmas tree? Browse the Indie Book Fair and find a new ebook to break in that reader! These great new books were released Nov 2011-Feb 2012 by Indie authors, priced right so that taking a chance on a new author doesn’t have to break your wallet. (Check out the previous Internet Book Fair for other great Indie finds.)

[Indie = self-published or small-publisher, for the purposes of this post, because no matter how we’re published, we’re all in this together, trying to get the word out about our books]

Note: Links are given for Amazon, but most authors publish across all e-book formats. Click on the author’s name for additional purchasing options, including paper copies.

For Your Browsing Pleasure

Contemporary (Adult)

Build a Man by Talli Roland (Chick Lit)

Slave to the rich, rude and deluded, cosmetic surgery receptionist Serenity Holland longs for the day she's a high-flying tabloid reporter. Unfortunately, every pitch she sends out disappears like her clients' liposuctioned fat, never to be seen again. Then she meets Jeremy Ritchie -- the hang-dog man determined to be Britain's Most Eligible Bachelor by making himself over from head to toe and everything in between -- giving Serenity a story no editor could resist. With London's biggest tabloid on board and her very own column tracking Jeremy's progress from dud to dude, Serenity is determined to be a success, even going undercover to gain intimate access to Jeremy's life. But when Jeremy's surgery goes drastically wrong and Serenity is ordered to cover all the car-crash goriness, she must decide how far she really will go for her dream job. $0.99 on Amazon

The Golden Sky by ElisaHirsch (Memoir)

The night I met Cade I never would’ve thought that two years later, after we were homeless street musicians in Hawaii, we would have a little girl and another baby on the way. Our son was born with the type of birth defects that make televangelists cringe. The “death home” gave him a really nice funeral, the kind I’d never wished to attend. We lost it after that, totally cemented in our grief. Cade got into drugs, joined a rock and roll band, and I kicked him out of the house. That was how I met: Earl (an old man and unlikely best friend), the “big sag” (a middle aged woman who still flashed folks), Todda (the stripper next door), and Chris (a cowboy who fell in love with me). It wasn’t until I killed a rogue skunk, and my daughter nearly choked on a fry, that I gave my husband another chance. But could our marriage recover from the death of our son? $2.99 onAmazon

Someone Else’s Fairytale by E.M. Tippetts (Contemporary Romance)

Jason Vanderholt is the hottest actor under thirty with legions of screaming fans. Chloe Winters is a college student who hasn't gotten around to watching most of his movies. When they meet by chance, he is smitten, but it just isn't her fairytale. In fact, it could be her worst nightmare as her past, attracted by the bright lights of the media, comes back to haunt her. $0.99 on Amazon

Historical Romance(Adult)

The Duke’s Divorce by Anne Gallagher Available late January 2012

A simple trip to the Scottish Highlands finds the Duke of Cantin with a bride he does not want. With her impeccable beauty and fiery disposition, Fiona takes Society by storm. As their prearranged divorce proceedings draw near, can Fiona change his mind? Check author's website.

Literary Fiction

String Bridge by Jessica Bell

Greek cuisine, smog and domestic drudgery was not the life Australian musician, Melody, was expecting when she married a Greek music promoter and settled in Athens, Greece. Keen to play in her new shoes, though, Melody trades her guitar for a 'proper' career and her music for motherhood. That is, until she can bear it no longer and plots a return to the stage—and the person she used to be. However, the obstacles she faces along the way are nothing compared to the tragedy that awaits ... $6.99 on Amazon ALSO: Music Sample!

Mystery

Sherwood Ltd. by Anne R. Allen

Sherwood. The name immediately conjures up images of Richard Greene, Michael Praed and Russell Crowe. Or maybe that sly fox in the Disney version. Only, in Anne R. Allen's latest rom-com mystery the fox is a coyote and there's no Robin Hood. Or is there? In her usual inimitable fashion Allen peels back the layers, one hilarious subplot after another, until you just never know what's real and what's not. Rather like the Robin Hood legend. When the Manners Doctor, Camilla Randall, flies into Robin Hood airport with a suitcase in one hand and a book contract in the other she thinks she's leaving all her problems behind and is about to start a new life. If you look very carefully you may just spot the Sheriff of Nottingham, Maid Marian and even Little John hidden away. But as for Robin Hoodhimself... You'll just have to read it and find out. $2.99 on Amazon

Short Stories and Anthologies

The Initiate (Cloud Prophet Trilogy) by Megg Jensen (YA Fantasy)

Over a thousand years ago, the gods left Eloh's people and took their magic with them. To win back their favor, her people sacrifice ten female initiates every ten years. No has ever survived. There has never been a Chosen One. Forced into becoming an initiate, Eloh will try to find a way to beat the odds, stay with her boyfriend, and survive the fires that threaten to consume her. But will her lack of faith in the gods and her disbelief in their magic doom her to a painful death? $0.99 on Amazon

Eight by Karly Kirkpatrick (YA Paranormal Short Story Collection)

Prepare to be thrilled and chilled by Kirkpatrick's eight short tales in EIGHT. These eight stories, while short, pack a big punch. There are demon spirits, zombies, and even some human baddies. Each story comes complete with author's commentary. It also includes the previously unreleased short Grenades. $0.99 on Amazon

{CoverComingSoon} In His Eyes by The Indelibles (YA Anthology) - Available February 14th

Just in time for Valentines Day, The Indelibles bring you a one-of-a-kind young adult anthology! Twenty original short stories, all from the point of view of our favorite male characters - some are old flames from our novels and some were dreamed up especially for this anthology. Let these imminently crushable, swoon-worthy guys show you what romance looks like – in his eyes. Add to Goodreads TBR

The contributors to IN HIS EYES include award winners, frequent “Top 100” placers, and hot 2011 debut authors: S.R. Wells, C.K. Bryant, Elle Strauss, Susan Kaye Quinn, Jessie Harrell, Magan Vernon, Lisa Nowak, Heather McCorkle, RaShelle Workman, Ali Cross, Karen Amanda Hooper, Cory Putman Oakes, Laura Pauling, Stacey Wallace Benefiel, Sarra Cannon, Katie Klein, Cheri Lasota

Transcendent: Tales of the Paranormal byLani Woodland, Melonie Piper, Rita Webb, Wendy Swore, Melanie Marks, Heather McCubbin and Evan Joseph (YA Anthology)

Discover the secrets of a siren, fly with a hawk girl over the mountains of Montana, and flee supernatural party-crashers as the décor comes to life in this magical journey through paranormal stories. Along the way, watch for ghosts in a haunted house, or ride through the moonlight with a stranger. Save a comatose boy who has lost his soul, and don’t forget to bring your garlic and wolfsbane—you never know when the shadows will snag you. Transcendent includes eight stories of magic, love, death, and choice by some of the newest names in young adult fiction. $0.99 on Amazon

Young Adult

Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn (Paranormal/Science Fiction)

When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep. Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf’s mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she’s dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her. $2.99 on Amazon

Bound by C.K. Bryant (Paranormal Romance)

When a photo shoot ends in tragedy, Kira discovers her best friend, Lydia,has been keeping a secret. Knowing the truth, and accepting it, will change Kira’s life forever and thrust her into a world of ancient curses, magical objects, and savage enemies. What happens next will challenge everything Kira knows about her world, herself and the shape-shifting warrior she’s falling in love with. No longer the timid mouse her mother accused her of being, but a woman who finds the mental and physical strength to endure and survive. $3.99 on Amazon

Become by Ali Cross (YA Urban Fantasy)

Sixteen-year old Desolation Black wants nothing more than to stay in Hell where it’s cold and lonely and totally predictable. Instead, she’s sent back to Earth where she Becomes the evil she despises and the good she always feared. When Desi is forced to embrace her inner demon, she assumes her Choice has been made—that she has no hope of being anything other than what her father, Lucifer, has created her to be. What she doesn’t count on, is a reason to want to change—something she’s never had before—a friend. $3.99 on Amazon

Exiled by RaShelle Workman (YA SF Romance)

Worlds divided them. Chance brought them together. Only love will save them. An alien princess exiled to Earth. An arrogant boy. One week to get back to her planet or she'll die. And, her only chance for survival? She must help the boy find his soul mate. Piece of cake! $0.99 on Kindle

The Secret of SpruceKnoll by Heather McCorkle (Urban Fantasy)

Following the tragic death of her parents, Eren Donovan moves to Spruce Knoll to live with an aunt she’s never met. Little does Eren know the entire town of Spruce Knoll is filled with “channelers”—a magical group of people who immigrated to the small Colorado town when they were driven out of their own lands. Channelers are tied to the fate of the world. As the world slowly dies, so do they—and they alone have the power to stop the destruction of Earth. Soon, Eren learns she not only lives among them, but she is one. When she meets local boy Aiden, his charm convinces her that being a channeler may not be all bad though. $4.99 on Amazon

Destined by Jessie Harrell (Retelling)

When Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with the one creature even the gods fear. As she feels herself slipping closer into the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she's come to expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined. $0.99 on Amazon

Darkspell by Elizabeth Mueller (Paranormal Romance)

Winter Sky believes she is everything ordinary . . . until she is kissed by Alex Stormhold. As seer of Stormhold Coven, Alex is sworn to be Winter’s protector against the darkness that hunts her. Violently thrust into a magickal realm she always thought impossible, she stumbles upon a disturbing secret of her own. Will love prove thicker than magick? $3.99 on Amazon

Untraceable by S. R. Johannes (Thriller)

Grace has lived in the Smokies all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival. When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he’s dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him. One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father. Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon she’s enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. Andit’s going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves. $2.99 on Amazon

Rival Demons (Book 5 of the Peachville High Demons Series) by Sarra Cannon (Paranormal Romance) Available January 20th

After narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Order of Shadows, Harper finds herself thrust into the strange and beautiful world of the shadow demons. But crossing through the portal doesn't mean she is safe. The Order of Shadows is determined to bring her home and transfer the Prima line to the Harris family. They send their most vicious hunters after Harper. Hunters who will not stop until they have found their prey. Determined to keep her safe, Jackson takes her deep into an underground world filled with dangers of its own. Here, Harper will begin a journey that will teach her more about herself and her own path than she ever imagined possible. Add to Goodreads TBR

The Legend of Victor Standish: Under a Voodoo Moon by Roland D. Yeomans (Urban Fantasy/Romance)

Can love kill? Yes ... if you love a ghoul who hungers for your flesh only slightly less than she does your heart. Yet to the lonely street orphan Victor Standish, who has risked his life for a meal, to find love (even for one magical French Quarter night) is worth dying in the morning. $2.99 on Amazon All profits go to the Salvation Army.

Getting Sideways (Book 2 in the Full Throttle Series) by Lisa Nowak (Contemporary)

Getting shipped off to live with his uncle Race was the best thing that ever happened to fifteen-year-old Cody. Then a wreck at the speedway nearly ruined everything. Cody’s making every effort to get his life back on track—writing for the school paper, searching for the perfect girlfriend, and counting the days until he gets his drivers’ license—but there’s no escaping the nightmares that haunt him. A chance to build his own car seems like the perfect distraction. Until Cody realizes he’ll have to live up to Race’s legendary status. But that’s the least of his worries, considering he doesn’t have his dad’s permission. All he has to do is the impossible: keep Race from discovering his lie until he can convince his dad that racing’s safe. Yeah, sure. That’ll be easy. $3.99 on Amazon

Tangled Tides by Karen Hooper (Sea Monster Memoirs)

Yara Jones doesn’t believe in sea monsters—until she becomes one. When a hurricane hits her island home and she wakes up with fins, Yara finds herself tangled up in an underwater world of mysterious merfolk and secretive selkies. Both sides believe Yara can save them by fulfilling a broken promise and opening the sealed gateway to their realm, but they are battling over how it should be done. The selkies want to take her life. The merfolk want something far more precious. Treygan, the stormy-eyed merman who turned Yara mer, will stop at nothing and sacrifice everything to protect his people—until he falls for Yara.The tides turn as Yara fights to save herself, hundreds of sea creatures, and the merman who has her heart. She could lose her soul in the process—or she might open the gateway to a love that’s deeper than the oceans. $4.99 on Amazon

Here by Denise Grover Swank (SF Romance)

Sixteen year old Julia Phillips buries herself in guilt after killing her best friend Monica in a car accident. Julia awoke in the hospital with a broken leg, a new talent for drawing and false memories of the accident, in which she dies and Monica lives. The doctors attribute this to her head injury, but no one can explain how a bracelet engraved with her name ended up at the scene of the accident. A bracelet no one has ever seen before. Classmate Evan Whittaker paid Julia no attention before the accident, let alone after. Now suddenly he’s volunteering to tutor her and offering to drive her home. She can't ignore that his new obsession started after his two-day disappearance last week and that he wears a pendant she’s been drawing for months. When the police show up one night looking for Evan, he begs Julia to run with him, convincing her that Monica is still alive. Julia agrees to go, never guessing where he’s really from. $2.99 on Amazon

The Veil by CoryPutman Oakes (Paranormal Romance)

Seventeen-year-old Addison Russell is in for a shock when she discovers that she can see the invisible world of the Annorasi. Suddenly, nothing is as it appears to be—the house she lives in, the woman who raised her, even the most beautiful boy in town all turn out to be more than what they seem. And when this strange new world forces Addy to answer for a crime that was committed long ago, by parents she has never known, she has no choice but to trust Luc, the mysterious Annorasi who has been sent to protect her. Or so he says . . . $7.99 on Amazon

Embrace by Cherie Colyer (Paranormal Romance)

Madison is familiar enough with change, and she hates everything about it. Change took her long-term boyfriend away from her. It caused one of her friends to suddenly hate her. It’s responsible for the death of a local along with a host of other mysterious happenings. But when Madison meets a hot new guy, she thinks her luck is about to improve. Madison is instantly drawn to the handsome and intriguing Isaac Addington. She quickly realizes he’s a guy harboring a secret, but she’s willing to risk the unknown to be with him. Her world really spins out of control, however, when her best friend becomes delusional, seeing things that aren’t there and desperately trying to escape their evil. When the doctors can’t find theanswers, Madison seeks her own. Nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover. $6.99 on Amazon

Onyx Talisman by Brenda Pandos (Paranormal Romance)

Unrest stirs deep in Scotts Valley. Filled with uncertainty, Julia anxiously awaits Nicholas’ return. Phil, holds the pieces of Julia’s fragile psyche together, secretly hoping Nicholas stays away forever. But Alora secretly conspires to reclaim her talisman and strip Julia ofeverything she holds dear. Little do they know, a war is coming and more than one vampire would like to see the Prince of Vampires overthrown. Can Julia bargain with fate? Find out how it all ends in this explosive grand finale of The Talisman Trilogy. $3.99 on Amazon

How to Date an Alien by Magan Vernon (Science Fiction)

High school senior Alex Bianchi's estranged father gets her an internship at Circe Operations Center to pad her college applications. But Circe isn't your typical military base. It's an alien-run operation center and not all of the aliens are friendly, especially the one that tries to kill Alex on her first day. When Ace, a dark-eyed Caltian, enters and saves the day, she can't help but be drawn to him. Can these star-crossed lovers survive when they're on the brink of intergalactic war? $2.99 on Amazon

Fireseed One by Catherine Stine (Science Fiction/Thriller)

Fireseed One is a journey into a tricked-out near-future earth where 18 year-old Varik has inherited a vast ocean farm, following the suspicious drowning of his Marine biologist father. When Marisa, a beautiful and devious terrorist, destroys the world's food source, Varik is forced to travel to a lethal hotzone, teeming with dangerous nomads and a strange cult to search for a magical hybrid plant that may not even exist. The catch? He must take Marisa along, the only person who seems to know way, way too much key information. $2.99 on Amazon

The Missing by M.A. Leslie (Paranormal)

Eight-year-old, Ethan Doyle is just a normal kid whose biggest problem in life was to fight for the attention of his busy parents from his older twin siblings. But, after his aunt and uncle tragically die, his family takes in his teenage cousin, Kelsey, and moves to a spooky old, manor house in a new town. At first, everything seems fine, but when he begins to see and speak to a spirit named Lucas, his biggest problem becomes, just staying alive. Lucas was ten years old when the spirits of the house came to him and asked him for help setting their spirits free. Unfortunately, he never made the deadline and as a result the spirits took him and made him a part of the house as well. As he soon finds out, the only way he can save his own soul is to save the souls of the missing boys in the house. With his own deadline in place, Ethan enlists the help of his cousin Kelsey to solve the twenty-year-old mystery of THE MISSING. $0.99 on Amazon

Princess Kandake by Stephanie Jefferson (Fantasy) Available February 1, 2012

In Nubia a woman can be whatever she chooses. At 14, Kandake knows exactly what she chooses...Prime Warrior of Nubia. But her grandmother has said that she will follow her father on the throne. Refusing to abandon her warrior dreams she continues to train. When her brother is kidnapped, Kandake learns she must be both queen and warrior to win his release! See Author's Website

Middle Grade

Blink of a Dragon by Eisley Jacobs (Fantasy)

Discovering she’s connected to dragons is one thing, but when another dragon is caught hanging out in the fifth grade, Meia thinks things couldn’t get any worse. Is she ever wrong! Trouble is brewing in the cosmos and Deglan believes this new dragon holds the answers, but his hopes are crushed when the leader of the exiled dark dragons ambushes them. The fate of the dragons and possibly the whole world falls to Deglan and Meia as theysearch for the only creature powerful enough to send the dark dragons back into the abyss. What they encounter along the way makes the adventure worth fighting for. $6.99

Paperback preorder

How's that for a lot of wonderful books to choose from? Have you read any of these books yet?

Over 25 Free Books, Ebooks, and SWAG in This Giveaway!

2011-12-30T22:27:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,
First off, if you haven't already, be sure to check out the cool SWAG I'm giving away on my blog to celebrate Transcendent.

Robot Playground, the publisher of Transcendent, is hosting this huge giveaway of all these awesome books from amazing writers like...

Lani Woodland
Melanie Marks
Elana Johnson
Karen Hoover
Heather Justesen
CK Bryant
Tristi Pinkston
Cindy Hogan
Laura Bingham
Cheri Chesley
RaShelle Workman
Ali Cross
Cathy Witbeck
Tori Scott
Elizabeth Mueller
KC Blake
Rita Webb
& Wendy Swore (That dashing, amazing, brilliant writer)

I mean really, can you get any cooler than that? With twenty five different prizes, your chances are really good.
Here's the link.

It runs through January 15th
Have fun!

If you could choose any prize for a giveaway, what would it be?

Transcendent Interview with Heather McCubbin

2011-12-21T06:52:00.000-08:00

Free Books, Prizes, and Goodies! Enter the Awesome TRANSCENDENT Giveaway Here!

Today we're visiting with Heather McCubbin, one of the new authors of Transcendent, Tales of the Paranormal.

1) Tell us a little about your story inTranscendent, Tales of the Paranormal:

My story begins in what is rumoredto be a haunted house; haunted by the ghost of Ms. Ravenscroft who died 60years earlier. Dawn, the main character, really doesn't want to be there so sheis standing on the outside of this haunted party, people watching andsupporting her best friend's ghost hunting habit. Up until this party, Dawn is a firm believerthat there aren't ghosts, as she has never seen one and neither has her ghost-lovingbest friend. Dawn's belief is shattered after she begins hearing voices thataren't in the room and comes face to face with a ghost from her past. A ghostwho has answers to questions that enable Dawn to move on in her life.

2) What gave you the idea for thestory?

For some reason, I have had anobsession with twins ever since I was younger. I wanted a twin sister when Iwas little and when I began writing stories as a preteen each story had acharacter that was a twin, triplet or more! So, right away I knew there had tobe a twin. Also, when this opportunity was presented to me before RobotPublishing picked it up, I was told to have a scene where the character wasdrinking punch (the original name was Paranormal Punch). So, working aroundthose two ideas, the story just wrote itself. The name "Ravenscroft" is one of my ancestors' names, and itsounds a bit Edgar Allen Poe-ish. That's how I chose that name for the ghostwho is supposed to haunt the house…

3) What wouldyou tell yourself if you could send a letter back in time?

I would tell myself to NOT throwaway all those stories I hand wrote, on the back of my father's scrap paperfrom work. When I left for college, I purged my filing cabinet knowing I didn'thave room for them in my dorm and I didn't want my parents to read any of them.I have memories of two young adult stories that I wrote and I think I was about7^th or 8^th grade when I wrote them…

4) What was thebest moment you’ve ever had as a writer? The worst?

The worst was when the very firstrejection letter came for one of my YA Romance books that I wrote around 2005.When you finish an 80,000-word manuscript and love it, edit it and then send itout you think you are the bomb. That because you love it, so will an agent.

Wrong.

After getting rejections, I tookanother look at it and finally got two friends to read it and give mesuggestions. I read books on editing,attended workshops on writing and had a published author (Edith Hemingway)listen to my first paragraph. After encouragement from her and the writinggroup, I continued to work on it. Now, it was a polished as I could make it.This leads into a best moment (not counting this short story being published!)when I sent out that story refurbished, polished and edited the best that Icould and I received some interest! Four agents wanted more, so I gave it tothem. Of those three, two wanted the whole thing. Of those two, I got greatfeedback (one in an email and one in a handwritten letter) as to why itwouldn't work and what I could fix it, plus the strengths of the story. Oneeven said he'd look at it after I fixed what he suggested. However, life happens, I got a new job andthe book got put on the back burner. I am hoping that in the next few months, Ican upload it to Amazon if there aren't any takes on publishing it!

5) Have you ever written a shortstory like this before?
No, never. Besides the usualessays and papers you have to write in high school and college, I never wrote ashort story. I am too wordy and find that I get attached to the characters andwant to tell more about them. This was a challenge for me and the story tookabout two weeks to write. The editors were amazing and helped me trim it down.I had so much fun writing this short story, I know that I could do it again!

6) Why do you write?

I write because what I want to read, sometimes, isn't out there. I canonly read so much about vampires, werewolves and the mortals who love them. Ican only read, "boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl"romances. so many times in a row. So, to change things up, I write so the hundreds of story lines floating around in my headwill become a reality on paper and will finally have an ending or closure. Ifind that when I go back and read the stories that I have written, I can't putthem down (if I can, then that's a bad sign and I delete it or put it in a"To Be Worked On" Folder) it gives me a sense of accomplishment.Finally, I write because it's relaxing and gives you another world to live infor just a little while so all your worries float away. Just for a bit. Until achild comes in needing something!

7) Where are you from and does itimpact your writing?

I am from Middletown, MD which is a smallrural town about an hour west of Washington DC. I have lived here since I beganKindergarten so this is all I know. "Shadows of Promise" doesn'treally reference a specific place, but the haunted house looks like a housethat is here in town. My other stories that I have written all take place in asmall town, with a larger city easily accessible. Every house that I mention inany of my stories exists within Middletown. You know how Forks, WA began offering tours of areas that the"Twilight" books referenced? I could probably take my readers on awalking tour of "Shadows of Promise" (or my other unpublishedstories) and show them where Dawn attended school, what her house looks like,what the haunted house looks like or where the popular hang out is for teens.So, yes, where I live has a huge impact on the setting ofmy writing.

Be sure to find Heather on goodreads, facebook, or her blog.

Can you relate to Heather's perspective on writing?

Free Books, Prizes, and Goodies! The Transcendent Blog Tour Starts Now!

2011-12-14T16:29:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Transcendent Blog Tour!

Are you in the mood for some sweet paranormal prizes?

Yes?

Excellent. You've come to the right place! In fact, we'll be giving away three,

yes count 'em,

three prize bags full of awesomeness.

(more on that in a moment)

Transcendent, Tales of the Paranormal, is a collection of short stories from some of the newest names in YA fiction. ...and Evan Joseph.

You can read its blurb and great reviews on goodreads, or in my last post. The ebook is out now, and the hardback will be out in about a week.

(Okay, back to the fun part... Let's give away some prizes!)

Goodie Bag #1:

A hardback copy of POSSESSION by Elana Johnson,

an ecopy of TRANSCENDENT,

an ecopy of SEASON OF SACRIFICE by Tristi Pinkston

and your choice of Sour Patch Kids,

Popcorn,

or (in honor of one of Elana's Favorite foods) Bacon Popcorn!

*Update, Elana says this popcorn is not as good as regular bacon, but it mails better.*

Goodie Bag #2

A hard copy of TRANSCENDENT,

an ecopy of BECOME by Ali Cross,

an ecopy of BOUND by C.K. Bryant,

And your choice Twizzlers,

or a Symphony bar (C.K.'s favorite treats!)

Goodie Bag #3

A hard copy of TRANSCENDENT,

an ecopy of THE SAPPHIRE FLUTE: Book 1 of the Wolfchild Saga, by Karen Hoover,

an ecopy of its sequel, THE ARMOR OF LIGHT

and your choice of Russel Stoffers Chocolates (Karen's Favorites),

or Junior Mints.

(Shipping only to the continental US. International winners receive ecopys only)

CONTEST IS CLOSED!
Thanks to everyone who entered! See the winners here!

BONUS ENTRIES:

Tweet, Blog, OR Post on facebook about TRANSCENDENT
AND link back to this post
OR add Transcendent to your Goodreads "To Read" list

OR review TRANSCENDENT (on goodreads, amazon, or another online scource)

Or Join the Book Discussion on goodreads,

Or Like the Transcendent facebook page

OR Subscribe to this blog via feedburner (on the left of this page)

= one bonus entry of each kind per day
= 7 possible bonus entries per day.
Leave a comment telling me what you did with the link so I can verify.
Be sure to keep a running tally of your points.

Want More Chances to Win?
Go on the Blog Tour!

Check out these awesome bloggers--each with a different giveaway! The number in front of their name is the date in December when their Transcendent giveaways begin.

Awesome New Paranormal YA Anthology!

2011-12-10T21:21:00.001-08:00

I'm thrilled to announce the release of Transcendent, a new YA paranormal anthology which includes two of my short stories, Strike and Spectre. Check out these excellent reviews:

"Transcendent is deliciously creepy with hauntingly unforgettable stories that will keep readers glued to the page--even after the lights go out." --Elana Johnson, author of Possession

"Holy cow, I loved this book!!! I'm not usually a short story person, but this was full of creepy tales, love stories, ghosts, and things that go bump in the dark. A fascinating, well written paranormal collection I'd recommend to any and all!" --Karen E. Hoover, author of The Wolfchild Saga

"Mystical, romantic, and downright otherworldly, these stories will open your imagination to the possibilities of all that lays unseen with our mortal eyes." --Tristi Pinkston, author of the Secret Sisters Mysteries

"Transcendent offers everything you get from a full-length novel but in bite-sized pieces--perfect for those times when you only have a few minutes to read!" --Ali Cross, author of Become

~ Back Cover ~

Discover the secrets of a siren, fly with a hawk girl over the mountains of Montana, and flee supernatural party-crashers as the décor comes to life in this magical journey through paranormal stories.

Along the way, watch for ghosts in a haunted house, or ride through the moonlight with a stranger. Save a comatose boy who has lost his soul, and don’t forget to bring your garlic and wolfsbane—you never know when the shadows will snag you.

Transcendent includes eight stories of magic, love, death, and choice by some of the newest names in young adult fiction. Also included, are stories from Lani Woodland, Melonie Piper, (the co-author of Strike) Rita J. Webb, Melanie Marks, Heather McCubbin, and Evan Joseph.

You can purchase an e-copy of Transcendent on Amazon now for just 99 cents. This clean, fun read, would be great for any teen or YA reader who'd like a little dip into the paranormal!

The hard copy will be available soon. I'll update you as soon as that becomes available!

Isn't that awesome news? While I'm at it, here's one more fun bit of news to share!

Aspiring Writers Short Story Winning Entries: Another of my stories as just come out in this anthology of twelve winning stories, each only 750 words long. My story, Voodoo Hog, not only won the horror competition, but is the overall winner of the collection. All proceedes from this book go to St. Lukes Children's hospital, the charity of my choice. I loved writing this story because I only had 750 words to tell a whole story, so every word had to count. This collection is available on Lebrery. for $4.00--all of which goes to St. Lukes.

Awesome Shirt

2011-12-04T21:33:00.001-08:00

I think I may ask Santa for this shirt for Christmas.

Winners for the Variant Giveaway

2011-11-21T07:13:00.001-08:00

With the help of Kidlet#5, we've chosen the winners for the Variant givaway!

And the winners are...

........drum roll please.......

Lolawid

And kbrebes

Congrats, ladies! Look for my email today.

Kidlet#1 Reviews: Tears by Rita J Webb.

2011-11-13T18:05:00.001-08:00

My eldest child, a book lover like me, wants to review someof her favorite books on my blog. So this is the first installment of… drumroll…

KIDLET#1 REVIEWS!

Please note that heropinions are 100% her own.

Kidlet#1 Review: Tears, By Rita Webb.

Review by Kidlet#1 (13 years old)

What was the book about?

It was about Lelea, a cyborg who was sort of insane becauseher mind lives in the past. And she started to rebel against her father, theevil Father General (muahaha!) by lying and then swearing her own oath to takehim down and free her people. She goes on an adventure to find the dragon eggsand save the universe from her father. Alongthe way, she finds love.

What did you like best about the book?

I like the adventure and description of the characters, Iliked how immensely powerful the words are.

Did anything bother you about the book?

Nothing bothered me.

Who was your favorite character?

My favorite character was Jadon with her self-esteem & endurance.

How many stars do you give this book? All the stars possible.

Kidlet#1 signing off...and read this book people, it rocks.

Wendy's note: She read the book in 1 day, then turned around and read it again the next. That never happens. It speaks volumes for how well this resonated with her.

Mrs. Webb, I'd say you hit your target audience spot on.

Here's some handy clicky links to find Tears on Amazon, or Goodreads. Rita Webb blogs here.

Variant Giveaway to Celebrate Writing Season

2011-11-09T22:04:00.001-08:00

As you might have noticed, it’s November—my most favoritemonth of the year.

Goodbye farming, and hello writing season! I celebrated by attendingan awesome writers retreat by Park City, with twenty other writers includingLisa Mangum, Kirk Shaw, Annette Lyon, Danyelle Ferguson, Ali Cross, C.K. Bryant, and manyothers from Authors Incognito that I'm grateful to call friends.

Imagine 4 days in a condo/cabin by Park City, Utah, whereeveryone has a quiet nook of their own to plug in and write. There were enoughof us there that we only had to help with one meal for the whole time. Can youimagine? Meals done, quiet time, no kids, almost no calls, and house full ofpeople who shared your same passion for writing. After months of busting myrear on the farm, it was exactly what I needed. We also had prizes for wordcount sprints, early birds and night owls.

If you ever have the chance to go to a retreat, do it. Youdeserve it.

To celebrate writing season, I’m giving away 2 copies ofVariant by Robinson Wells, a hot new YA dystopian that has been heralded as havingthe best YA twist since Enders Game. Also, Publishers Weekly has named Variant as one of the best books of 2011. That’s some high praise, myfriends.

You can read the synopsis and some of its great reviews on goodreads here.

There are a couple of other great reasons why I chose to give Variant away. Bottomline: it’s an excellent book from a deserving author. If you’ve ever thought of buying it, today is a good day.

TO ENTER the Variant giveaway:

Follow my blog and leave a comment with your email like myemailAT wherever DOT com so spammers don’t find you.

If you would like to tweet or Facebook about the Book Bombor this post, then you win good Karma and my appreciation for passing it on. J

I'll draw a winner on November 20th!

So, to all you crazy nanowrimoers out there, good luck! (anddon’t forget to occasionally do boring things like eat, sleep, speak to your family, and bathe.) Toeveryone else, may you have a very excellent writing season. I know I will.

Grammar Thief, and the Hag Herself.

2011-10-28T21:43:00.000-07:00

Grammar is an evil hag that haunts writer's dreams and laughs as they ditherinto the wee hours of the morning--staring at the computer screen with hauntedfaces, agonizing over punctuation.

We've had our disagreements, grammar and I, but over the years, we'velearned to tolerate each other fairly well. We give each other our proper spaceand even, dare I say it, respect. She's learned to bend just a little now andthen, and I've learned to stay on her good side whenever possible.

The good news is that the more time we spend together, the better we getalong. I don't know that we'll ever be friends, but I think we have developed agood professional working relationship.

How is your relationship with grammar? Do you love her, obsess over her,hate her? How do you deal with all the rules?

COLORLESS took second...again!

2011-10-04T01:02:00.000-07:00

Boy what a busy time this has been for me! I've been picking corn, harvesting other produce, making the corn maze, & hauling pumpkins. This picture shows one of the many loads we did today. Tell you what, the kids fell into their beds as soon as we were done.

But in the middle of all that, I entered the first chapter of COLORLESS into another contest and took 2nd place! This one was hosted by Authors Incognito. The cool part is that the other gals who placed 3rd & 1st are really wonderful, published authors. I'm happy to even be on the same page as they are.

Here's a look at the results...

The good news on the home front is that I'll be done with farming and back to writing full time on November 1st! Yay! I've registered for a writer's retreat that first week of November as my reward for working my rear off for no pay all year long.

It's great to get the feedback that people understand and enjoy my writing.

Have you ever gotten that one special feedback that just made your day?

DARK LIFE, One of the Coolest YA Books Ever

2011-07-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

After much of the continent became submerged, people startedprospecting and farming the only place left to find land: the bottom of theocean. Ty lives with this family on their 400 acre farm and dreams of the daywhen he'll own his own land--except the common wealth says no one will get anyland, or any supplies until the notorious criminals aboard the Seablite arecaught. Ty tries to help Gemma, a girl from topside, find her missing brotheramongst the ruff frontier folk while keeping an eye out for Shade, the infamousleader of the Seablight gang. He has a dark gift that makeshim almost impossible to catch...and he's not the only one.

WOW. If I could give six stars, I would. DARK LIFE is themost original and interesting YA book I've read in years. Take 2000 LeaguesUnder the Sea, mix in a little X-Men, and add a healthy dash of Kenneth Oppel'sAIRBORN, and you've got DARK LIFE.

I'm adding Kat Fall's to my list of favorite authors, and then I'm going to stalk her website to see when the next book, RIP TIDE comes out.

The Winner of POSSESSION by Elana Johnson is....

2011-07-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

ALEX HOAGLAND!
Congratulations!

We gave each entry a different number, cut the papers up, and had my youngest girl pick a paper with her eyes shut.

Thank you to everyone who entered! I do a giveaway every other month or so--so stay tuned for more good things.

Happy Summer!

Summer Giveaway, POSSESSION by Elana Johnson!

2011-06-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

Since summer is always more fun with a giveaway, I’m giving away POSSESSION, by Elana Johnson.

I met Elana at Storymakers writer’s conference 2010 and she helped me change my pitiful query letter into something worthwhile. I was impressed by her vivacious personality and contagious smile. You can’t visit with her and not smile. She’s that cool.

Elana's debut novel, POSSESSION, is available from Simon & Schuster now!

Elana's Bio:

"She wishes she could experience her first kiss again, tell the mean girl where to shove it, and have cool superpowers like reading minds and controlling fire. To fulfill her desires, she writes young adult science fiction and fantasy.

"She is the author of From the Query to the Call, an ebook that every writer needs to read before they query.

"She runs a personal blog on publishing and is a founding author of the QueryTracker blog. She blogs regularly at The League of Extraordinary Writers, co-organizes WriteOnCon, and is a member of SCBWI.

"Elana is represented by Michelle Andelman of Regal Literary."

If you are struggling with getting good responses from your query, you should definitely check her out. She’ll rock your query.

If you like fast-paced, YA dystopian, then Possession would be a fun summer read for you.

Entering is easy! Just follow my blog & leave a comment with your email like this to prevent spammers: youremail AT wherever DOT com.

If you tweet or share this giveaway, let me know and I’ll throw in another entry for you.

I’ll draw a winner July 1st! Good luck!

Pop Quiz, How Well Do You Know Me?

2011-05-26T06:06:00.000-07:00

Hello, Awesome Bloggers,

A good Tweep of mine, Dorothy Dreyer interviewed me. Read it here for a glimse at Unlocked, my writer's journey, and woolly mammoths.

I want you know how much I appreciate your support and friendship. Give yourself a cyber squeeze from me, and have a cookie. (When sharing with friends, calories don't count.)

My Author Website

2011-05-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

We learned at Storymakers that we should have a website to make it easy for agents to find information about us!

Right now the site is just a bio with my links, but at least it's there. Tada!

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Here's mine:
https://sites.google.com/site/authorwendyswore/

.

COLORLESS Won 3rd...

2011-05-07T21:35:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to say that my alternate history WIP, COLORLESS, won 3rd place at the Storymakers first chapter contest. Yep, having a pretty good day...

I shall now go do the happy dance.

My Successful Pitch

2011-05-06T22:36:00.000-07:00

Hello awesome cyber-buddies! I'm thrilled to report that I got a request for a partial this weekend for COYOTE DREAMS! Yay! Would you like to hear my pitch? This is how it went...

After she smiled and shook my hand, she said, "so tell me about your story."
My pitch:

It's a coming of age story about sixteen-year-old Jenna who lives on the Sho-Ban reservation near Pocatello, Idaho. After her father has a near fatal accident, she has to run the family farm alone. But the dog that caused the accident is still harassing and killing her animals. This is no ordinary dog, but the fabled Coyote spirit.

Two neighbor boys, a farm boy and an Indian, offer to help, but their interest develops into something more than friendship. Jenna finds their attention both exciting and unsettling at the same time.

As the problems on the farm and the Coyote's attacks increase, she learns that accepting help is not weakness or failure. But when the Coyote goes after her little brother, she has to overcome her fears to save both their lives.

Coyote Dreams is 74,000 words and is similar to HATTIE BIG SKY, but with native mysticism and modern day characters.

Do you have any questions about my story?

The first thing she said was, "wow, that's a really good pitch. It sounded like the back of a book." Then she asked some questions and it ended with a partial request.

The reason why I'm posting this is because everywhere I turn people are saying shorter! Shorter! make it a one liner! Last year I did what they said and hacked at my poor query until it was something like this:

"After Jenna's father has a near-fatal accident, she must run the farm alone, but the dog which caused the accident is around and killing her animals. But this is not ordinary dog, it's the fabled Coyote."

The editor said, "so it's a horror then?"

Um, no. Not even close.

I was so worried about getting it short, I'd lost the feel of what my story was about. This year I trusted my gut, listened to Elana Johnson on how to write an awesome query, and then followed the advice at Pitch University. And this time, I feel that regardless of what comes of this, I gave her a true look at what my story was really about.

***Update! I learned that your one liner/elevator pitch doesn't have to sum up the story, it can be a simple comparison to give the reader a feel for your story. For instance, my one liner for COYOTE DREAMS could be, "It's a contemporary coming of age story with Toni Hillerman aspects." Tada! Now you know it has some Native feel aspects but you also know it is a coming of age. I love learning new things!

Would you like to hear one more cool moment from this weekend? My boot camp instructor, Sheralyn Pratt said, "your writing is like the Mississippi; it's smooth and deep. It flows and takes you on this journey."

I'm going to write that one down in my journal. I'm still thankful that she said that about my story.

Practicing Your Pitch

2011-05-04T22:51:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to go to Storymakers this weekend and meet all the wonderful writers, authors, editors, and agents! Last year I got several books signed by James Dashner, Jessica Day George, and David Farland. This year I'm bringing two great YA novels (The Hourglass Door, and The Golden Spiral) in the hopes that Lisa Mangum will sign them!

I learned so much last year that I decided to be brave this year and sign up for a pitch with an editor there.

In a valiant effort to NOT look like an idiot during the pitch, I've been researching everything I can find on what to do. My favorite website help for struggling would-be authors is Pitch University. I love, love, LOVE the lesson that says "don't memorize it" because my memorized speech was flat and mechanical.

So, if you are as crazy as I am and have signed up for a pitch, I wish you the best of luck.

I promise to take good notes to share with all of you again this year.

Cross your fingers for me!

P.S. Don't forget that you have a couple days left to put your name in to win DEPTH OF DECEIT by Betty Briggs. Just leave a comment HERE to enter. Giveaway ends May 10th.

DEPTH OF DECEIT Givaway!

2011-04-29T19:59:00.000-07:00

Betty Brigg’s DEPTH OF DECEIT was the 2010 winner of the Silver Quill award for second place in the Fiction category for the league of Utah Writers Publication Awards.

Here’s the back cover:

“Blonde and beautiful, fledging attorney Stephanie Saunders vows to protect the innocent even though as indigent defense attorney her clients rarely are. Does that include Josh Durrant who seems to be following her? Stephanie is dismayed when her peers begin calling her “Prom Queen” as her boyfriend, Todd Saxton, often does. Desperately trying to prove her worth, she falls prey to those who steal her innocence. Although she plans to forgive Todd for his ultimate betrayal, she is never given the chance. Her boss, Attorney Charles Connelly, offers solace, but is Stephanie’s welfare, or his own, top priority? The only thing that keeps Stephanie sane in her insane world are the horses she loves but does not own, especially the abused mare, Riskie Business, whose example helps Stephanie make the most difficult decision of her life. Relying on wit and courage, Stephanie must save herself and another during the final showdown where she proves a loyalty of which she never knew herself capable.”

Sound good? Would you like a free copy? No big hoops to jump through. Follow this blog and leave a comment if you’d like me to send you a brand spankin’ new copy with a cool book mark to go with it. If there are multiple entries, I’ll pull your names out of a hat.

Life is just more fun when books are free!

(Winner will be chosen May 10th)

If Zombies Attack

2011-04-05T09:32:00.000-07:00

Spring break is wonderful...and so is the day we get to send the kids back to school. Today I'm cleaning and getting all those things done that I didn't do during our 2 week break (that's right, TWO weeks!). Just for fun, here's a few tid bits of wisdom that I thought you'd enjoy.

What can I say? They made me smile.

Have you seen anything that brightened your day lately? Share the link or tell us about it.

Winners of Adopt a Book!

2011-04-04T21:12:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who adopted a book. I’m sure they will be well loved and cared for in their new homes.

And here’s the list of the proud parents with their new books:

lisasanuma , Unlocked, Ten Key Tales

Renee Miller , Artemis Fowl, and The Wish List.

Michelle Teacress , Artimus Fowl, The Opal Deception

Ladies! Congratulations. Please be sure to email me with your address!

Adopt a Book!

2011-03-10T09:32:00.000-08:00

Spring cleaning has yielded duplicate—but wonderful—books that need a home since I’ve ruthlessly ripped them from my shelves.

ARTEMIS FOWL, THE OPAL DECEPTION, and THE WISH LIST by Eoin Colfer

GIRL WITH A DRAGON TATTOO by Steig Larsson

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, hardback Disney classic (my son loves it, can you tell?)

UNLOCKED, TEN KEY TALES - This has one of my stories included in the anthology!

*Wipes a tear* Poor homeless little dears. Do you have a cozy spot on your shelves for these little darlings? The Goddess of the Corn Book-Adoption agency is ready for your application.

To apply:

Follow this blog, leave a comment stating which book you want to adopt, and mention something about what kind of a home you’d give the book = 3 points.

For multiple entries or to adopt more than one book, you can get extra entries for:

1. Subscribing to this blog via email (The email widget is just above my picture) = 3 points.

2. Sharing this on Facebook or Twitter = 1 point for each post. (use the Facebook link at the top of the page. The one below is giving me fits today)

3. Blog about it, or adopt out some of your own poor homeless books in your Blog and link back = 5 points.

4. Tell me what you did!

Winners will be announced on April 1st (no fooling) *wink*. Good luck everyone!

Egyptian Revolution--A View From the Inside, Part 6 (Final)

2011-03-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

We are visiting with my friend, Ahmed Nader Al-Gretly, a writer in Cairo, Egypt. You can read part one of this interview here.

What is your goal as a writer and as a citizen of Egypt?

My goal has always been to revolutionize the arts in Egypt, because I’ve always felt like people have lost interest in art around here, I wish I can revive that. My goal is to change the way people look at Egyptian writers who write in English, it’s not like they look down on them or anything, it’s just that they do not take them or their writing seriously. And at the same time, I think that the standards of books that’d been published in the past two years have had very low standards in comparison to the international market, the reason is that the authors are poor writers and poor editors at the same time. Writing is not easy, especially if English is not your first language, but this does not refute the fact that they shouldn’t pay more attention to their craft.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

Thank you for having me here, I’m really glad that people around the world paid attention to this historic event. I wish I could’ve answered your questions better, but I’m still recovering from the shock of it all.

One more thing, please do not take things for granted, never let anyone silence your thoughts, fight for your freedom and give peace a chance.

Thank you for sharing your insights with us, Ahmed. We may be half a world away, but our hearts are with you and your country. I think we all hope for a world where freedom applies to every man, woman, and child, and where religion is no longer used as an excuse for violence. I loved the pictures where Muslims and Christians stood side by side. It gives me hope.

Take care and good luck. May this new freedom you enjoy be a part of your life, always.

You can follow Ahmed @ANadarGretly on twitter. Have a question for Ahmed Nader Al-Gretly? Please comment.
Please join me in thanking him.

Egytpian Revolution--A View From the Inside, Part 5

2011-03-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

We are visiting with my friend, Ahmed Nader Al-Gretly, a writer from Cairo, Egypt. You can read part one of this interview here.

Who is now in control of Egypt?

The Armed-Forces are in charge right now, they’ll stay in charge along with a transitional government until the presidential elections in about six months.

How do you feel about the military?

I respect and trust the military. You see, there’s this relationship between the military and the people, the military is the most respectable sector in all of Egypt, and people just love them. The Armed-Forces even sends everyone text messages every now and then. Do you get the connection between the people and the military? It’s just wonderful.

What is next for your people?

We’re in a state of recovery right now, trying to shack off the past government. I personally see a bright future for all Egyptians. People are cleaning the streets, painting pavements and other projects are being made to push this country forward, to re-build our country and make it a better place. You should see it; the youth of Egypt are cleaning their country, such a beautiful sight.

Do you think it’s fair to have free and fair elections there, or do you think there will be the same problem of ballot stuffing on Election Day like there used to be?

I think the next election will be the fairest election in the history of mankind, but that’s just me, I’m very optimistic.

Do you feel that you have greater freedom now than before?

Of course I do, freedom is in the air. No corruption, no dictatorship, it’s the New Egypt Mrs. Swore.

How do you feel these changes will affect you as a writer?

Well, I’m currently overloading on inspiration, but it’s like I still cannot fully comprehend what happened, and at the same time I feel like I cannot put my infinite thoughts into mere words. The thing is that the market will feast on this revolution, songs, movies, and books, which I’m not sure is a good thing or not. I think if I’m ever going to write a novel about this revolution, it’s going to be like 3-5 years from now. But I like the atmosphere, there’s this creative sense in the air all around Cairo which is something new over here, artists of all kinds are working really hard to create something relevant. I think this is not just a political revolution, I think it’s also an evolution of the mind.

Do you read many books that are from popular writers here? Do you have a favorite genre or author?

Well, I started with horror and thrillers. Stephen King and Thomas Harris taught me a lot, ‘Silence Of The Lambs’ is one of my favorite novels of all time. In my point of view, I think Hannibal Lecter is one of the most well written characters in modern fiction.

Lately, I’ve been getting into the beat generation. Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and others are just mind blowing. I’m changing my voice from horror fiction to like a narrative, dream-like voice. I took that Goodreads 50 books challenge at the beginning of the year. So far, I’ve read ‘Big Sur’ by Kerouac, and I’m currently reading ‘The Girl Who Played With Fire’ by Stieg Larsson, which I’m really enjoying.

A new section of Ahmed's interview will post everyday this week. Only one post left! Tomorrow's question:
What is your goal as a writer and as a citizen of Egypt?

Have a question for Ahmed Nader Al-Gretly? Please comment.
You can follow Ahmed on Twitter @ANaderGretly

Egyptian Revolution--A View From the Inside, part 4

2011-03-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

We are visiting with my friend, Ahmed Nadar Al-Gretly, an Egyptian writer from Cairo, Egypt. You can read part one of the interview here.

What was it like for you when the “pro-Mubarak” supporters attacked the protesters?

I was baffled actually. I couldn’t understand what was going on, I kept asking myself, were these people hired? Did someone pay them money to do this? But I knew that this was an effort made by the previous government to divide the unity that held this revolution together. They tried to create a sort of a civil war between Egyptians. It saddened me to see my people being attacked by others of the same country, the same blood.

How did you feel after Mubarak made his last speech? And after Omar Suleiman announced that Mubarak had stepped down as president?

Mubarak’s last speech was highly depressing and badly written; I didn’t even hear the rest of it. We all waited for that speech and everyone expected him to step down that evening, but the speech itself was a slap in the face, it was very disrespectful to the minds and hearts of the Egyptian people. He was talking as if he didn’t care about this country, for example, he said “Your martyrs” when he was talking about the people who lost their lives in the protests, the use of the word ‘Your’ instead of ‘Our’ meant that he himself didn’t really care, it meant that he did not relate to these brave martyrs.

Now Suleiman’s (the vice president appointed on the 29th of January) speech –which lasted less than a minute, that was something else. I wasn’t home when they aired it on national television. I came down to park my car in the garage, and when I came out of the car, I heard something that sounded like a scream, but then after that, the screams turned into cheers of joy and I knew it. I rushed up stairs and heard the words that made Egypt cry tears of joy.

“President Mubarak has resigned from his role as president of Egypt…”

If you want me to sum up all these emotions in one word…I felt euphoric.

In your mind, what was the greatest factor in making this revolution a success?

It was the force; I’m not talking about Star Wars. I’m talking about faith. Faith gave people the power to go on and not back down; it was the fuel that kept their fire glowing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like “Hey, we’re gonna keep praying and eventually, God will prevail.” It’s more of “We’re gonna work, we’re gonna fight, we’re gonna do the best we can and God will protect us because we have faith that we are on the right path”

People had faith in the higher power; they knew that God was on their side, and that they were fighting for a good cause. That –in my point of view was the greatest factor in making this revolution a success. Did you see that photograph where Muslims were praying, surrounded my Christians who stood as a human shield to protect them? Did you ever see that before anywhere in the world? That’s who we are Mrs. Swore.

A new section of Ahmed's interview will post everyday this week.

Tomorrow's question: Who is now in control of Egypt? How do you feel about the military?
Have a question for Ahmed Nader Al-Gretly? Please comment.
You can follow Ahmed on Twitter @ANaderGretly

Egyptian Revolution--A View From the Inside, Part 3

2011-03-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

We are visiting with Ahmed Nader Al-Gretly, a writer friend from Cairo, Egypt. See part 1 of the interview here.

I understand that the police disappeared around the same day that the prisons were opened. What did people think of that?

Horror. Sheer and utter horror filled all our hearts. Who did this? Why? How? The constant questioning and fear that echoed through the streets of Cairo on those days was just unspeakable. That’s when people formed “The Civilian Resistance”. On Saturday, the 29th of January at around five or six in the evening, the sound of an Imam’s* voice echoed through the streets of Sheraton Heliopolis (My neighborhood). The Imam called for all the men to go down into the streets and protect their homes. That’s when we found out about the prisons and the police stations, about the escaped convicts (Which were about 2,000 convict) and thugs that roamed the streets of Cairo, armed with guns and machine guns stolen from burnt police stations.

The Civilian Resistance is what you might call Neighborhood watch, we created road blocks, formed teams to guard and protect our families and homes. That day, something clicked in me, it wasn’t the thought of being killed, it was the fear of the unknown. We did not know what to be afraid of, we were sitting ducks armed with swords, knifes and Molotov cocktails waiting for gangs of thugs to drive by in stolen cars and kill us all. The howls of the men, the screams of the women in the balconies…I was scared, in fact, I’ve never been that terrified in my life. Even in the middle of all that horror, we still made jokes, we still laughed the sorrow away with the sounds of gunshots being fired echoing through the night.

I remember standing, engulfed by fear and desperate for sleep, holding my sword sometime in the early morning. As I scanned the parameter, I saw strangers that had become friends, I saw the man who talked a lot, I saw the kid sleeping on his father’s lap with a tiny stick in his hand, and I saw the old man who kept walking around with his head up high and a faint smile on his face. All of them gathered around several bonfires, offering each other tea and cake on that cold dark night. I couldn’t help but smile. The murmurs, the cries of fear and the speeches of hope are still echoing in my mind, because that’s who we are.

[*An Imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the Imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services.]

How did the events in the square affect everyday business in the rest of the city?
When the government ordered the curfew on the 28th, the whole country went off. The majority of the people on the streets were ether going to the Square or shopping for food. All the stores were closed after curfew hours, but there weren’t any food shortages, however, panic made things a bit harder. The hospital a few blocks away from home was working fine, day and night.

A new section of Ahmed's interview will post everyday this week. Tomorrow's question: What was it like for you when the “pro-Mubarak” supporters attacked the protesters?
Have a question for Ahmed Nader Al-Gretly? Please comment.
You can follow Ahmed on Twitter @ANaderGretly

Egyptian Revolution--A View From the Inside, Part 2

2011-03-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

We are visiting with my friend, Ahmed Nader Al-Gretly, a writer from Cairo, Egypt. Be sure to check out part 1 of this interview.

There have been uprisings before, but people always backed down when the water cannons and tear gas came out. Why didn’t they back down this time?

There have been uprisings before, but none of them erupted with the magnitude and intensity of this one you’ve witnessed. We have our flaws, but Egyptians are loving tender people. They’re good people who never cease to make jokes when things get rough, we stand by each other. Take a walk in the streets of Cairo and look at their faces, look at the smiles, look at how complete strangers help each other; this is my Egypt, our Egypt. When Egyptians speak, they never say ‘I’, they always say ‘We’ because that’s who we are, we love this country, and on the 25th, we were determent to get it back, to free it from the hands of a greedy government. So to answer your question, fear made them want to escape and hide, but determination made them stand their ground and fight for their country.

Did you have friends that were in Freedom square that we saw on TV? Where any hurt in the clashes?

Yes, I did actually; several of my friends were in the protests on the 28th of January (A.K.A “The Friday of Wrath”) none of them got hurt in the clashes –thank God, but other people did. Tear gas bombs, rubber bullets and even live bullets were fired on the protesters by the riot squads; load and loads of innocent, unarmed civilians were killed on that day, and the days that followed. The hired thugs, the “Camels Incident” left thousands injured and hundreds dead or missing. But you have to understand something; this revolution is a gold mine for conspiracy theorists, who hired those thugs? Who burnt the police stations? All these questions have a cloud of suspicion surrounding it. I don’t blame the riot squads themselves; I blame the man who ordered them to do what they did.

Some members of the squads threw their weapons and joined the protests, some wept while they were beating up civilians, but everything that happened in that period was unacceptable. The government killed its people; they murdered them in cold blood, what kind of human being gave these orders? I’m known to my small group of fans as a gut wrenching horror writer, but this was something else. The brutality of it all, my God! Egypt wept for its children…

A new section of Ahmed's interview will post everyday this week. Tomorrow's question: The police disappeared around the same day that the prisons were opened. What did people think of that?

You can follow Ahmed on Twitter @ANaderGretly

The Egyptian Revolution--A View From the Inside

2011-02-28T08:35:00.000-08:00

Friends,

I’d like to introduce you to my friend, Ahmed, a writer from Cairo, Egypt, who has lived through this amazing revolution.

Ahmed, can you give us a feel for who you are?

My name is Ahmed Nader Al-Gretly, I’m twenty years old and I’m a Civil Engineering Student in the British University in Egypt, however, my real passion is to be a writer. I was born in Alexandria –the second largest city in Egypt, and then moved with my family to Cairo when I was four or five years old. I’m currently unemployed but planning to train in few construction companies next summer.

How did living under the previous government affect you personally?

The previous government lasted for thirty years; I was unlucky enough to have been among the living for twenty years of this period. It’s been said that those years witnessed the worst of this government. The lack of freedom—of democracy was the main aspect that affected me. The feeling that I did not have the freedom to say what’s on my mind, that I could be arrested if I questioned the methods of the previous government and the fact that the government controlled everything, even the media. Another thing is that they robbed us, and we knew about it.

They stole huge sums of money that could’ve been used to make this country a better place. The increasing levels of bribery and sexual harassments, murder and rape, and the hypocrisy of false-democracy. I hated it, I seriously wanted to just get out and leave this ghastly place behind. It was dirty, over populated, heavily polluted, but at the same time, to me it was beautiful. It’s my home. The simple fact that I felt like I could not do anything about it hurt me the most.

What do you think made January 25th different than any other day in the minds of the Egyptian people?

This country was a time-bomb bound to explode at any moment, the series of events in the last year paved the way leading to this revolution. From the torture at police stations, the forging of the parliament elections and the bombing of the Saint’s Church in Alexandria—every little detail built up the resentment, which led to the uproar. It’s a symphony you see, a symphony that took thirty years to be composed, and on the 25th of January, the world witnessed its grand opening.

A new section of Ahmed's interview will post everyday this week. Tomorrow's question: Why didn't people back down this time?

You can follow Ahmed on Twitter @ANaderGretly

Come to Storymakers 2011 Writer's Conference with me!

2011-02-25T20:50:00.000-08:00

Storymakers 2011 conference is coming May 6-7 in Salt Lake City, Utah!

Last year was my first year attending, and it was wonderful! I had dinner with Jessica Day George, James Dashner, and David Farland to name a few. I learned so much about how to be a better writer and what’s more, I made friends that are a big part of my life now.

The other day, my daughter and I were looking at books in a store and I pointed to eight different authors who I knew. It is so cool to know that those great stories were written by people who are nice and fun to visit with.

So, here’s the info if you’d like to check it out.

Storymaker's Conference

Storymakers Website

Storymakers Facebook Page

Storymaker’s Blog

It would be more fun to see you there in person, but if you can’t make it, I’ll still report back on the highlights and tips I find there.

BTW, If you register and blog/tweet about it, you can win a seat at the dinner table with Larry Brooks, agent Sarah Crowe, senior editor Marcia Markland, James Dashner, and Becca Stumpf. Details are here at the Show Your Love Contest.

Here's the good news I told you about

2011-02-15T09:47:00.000-08:00

Here’s the good news I told you about.

I participated in a flash fiction challenge for the Canadian emagazine, Open Book, and won! The rules stated that the story had to be 500 words or less, 3rd person limited, and funny. The winner would be published in the next month’s issue.

My flash fiction, Stroke, might feel a little risqué, but stick with it, and I hope it makes you smile.

You can go directly to Stroke here.

Or you can check out the emagazine, Open Book, here and scroll down to see the January Flash Fiction Challenge Winner.

I find writing comedy to be hard. It seems like it should be easy, but I don't think it is. I'm never quite sure if what I think is funny will tickle other people's funny bone or not. Do you have the same issue or is comedy easy for you?

Good News is Coming!

2011-02-11T16:13:00.000-08:00

Darlings,

I received some pretty cool news today. A short story of mine will be published in a magazine! I'll spill the details Monday so be sure to check back.

Quote for the day:

"It is better to shoot for the stars and fall short, than to aim for the manure pile and hit."

Exactly.

Believe in yourself and keep working toward your dreams. You are worth it.

Come, young grasshopper, let's be Ninjas!

2011-02-09T07:59:00.000-08:00

Editing? You are not alone. My friend, Ali Cross, has declared this month to be Ninja Novel Revising Month.

Many of us bust our butts during NaNoWriMo and enjoy the friendly competition and encouragement…but then what?

First off, congratulate yourself for having written something because "You can't edit a blank page." — Jodi Picoult

I can hear the whining already, I hate editing, wa wa wa. No. Stop it. Editing is the refiner’s fire where you sift impurities and plain old crap out of your writing.

I struggled with editing until my good friend, Renee Miller took the time to go through my first novel with me. A light bulb went off in my brain and I realized that while editing is hard, and sometimes painful, it’s doable and even—dare I say it—fun!

If you don’t know how to edit, spend a few days and research. Highlight all the ly’s, that’s, and just’s in your WIP and stand back as the screen explodes with a case of the unnecessary-word-pox. Watch for was, were, could and all those other sneaky passives.

Most of the time you can find a more active way of saying what needs said. And all that pretty prose, you favorite bits that are beautiful but add nothing to the plot? Put them straight in the crosshairs of your delete button and pull the trigger. Like Stephen King says, sometimes you have to “kill your darlings” to make the book worth reading.

My goal is to finish COLORLESS by the end of March and have it ready for readers.

What’s your goal? Want to be a Ninja too? You can. Check out these other Ninjas.

In which I help a few kids and have a blast…

2011-01-29T22:26:00.000-08:00

At my daughter’s request, I started teaching an after school young writers club. Friday afternoons I meet with 6-10 kids from the 5th-8th grade.

The first week we talked about Dan Wells 7 point story structure. If you have not watched all 5 of his free videos on Youtube, you should. They are awesome. Over the next few weeks we talked about character interviews. They filled in their own 7 points with both heroes and villains, and they interviewed each other.
We talked about grammar a little for some common mistakes, and focused on writing good dialogue. The Nanowrimo site has a terrific lessons for free downloads.

This last week, I was blown away by the quality of their writing.

One wrote a series of journal entries about a girl whose perfect family is falling apart as the parents spiraled toward divorce. Another wrote about a character who suffered from constant pressure from bullies and feared to tell anyone about it lest the cruelty get worse. The topics are far more deep and real than I expected. I’m excited to see what they write next.

After their stories are finished and edited, we’ll bind the stories together and make a book so they each get a copy to keep. I’m a shameless briber by the way. I give them a candy bar every time they complete a chapter.

When I was in 4th grade, I had a teacher that praised my poetry. In 7th grade when my grades were sliding and I had no faith in myself, a teacher asked me if I’d like to be in the honors English class. Why she noticed me, I’ll never know. But I still remember how it changed the way I thought of myself. I hope that when these kids finish this year, they will remember that this was the year they became authors.

Have you stepped out of your comfort zone lately?

Ever feel like this while reading?

2011-01-19T17:54:00.000-08:00

I had to laugh when I watched this video since I do get really cranky if it's the very end of a really exciting book and the whole world needs my attention. I've been known to tell the kids, "I'll come see what you want in 28 pages."

I just finished reading the Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest...so dinner was an hour late. Oops.
Anyone like me?

*update- I just had to add this other quick video to this post. Consider this a humorous mini-commentary on society technology*

What Makes You Stop Reading?

2011-01-16T22:04:00.000-08:00

As I’ve read many wonderful books (and several less than stellar ones) the last month or so, I found myself pondering on what makes a really good book—and what makes a reader decide to discard one.

I can easily list a few things that are deal-breakers for me with books.

#1 Children in real danger- I love YA books and like exciting adventures with kids in them, but if you have a phsyco-killer and have them kidnap a child so they can do horrible things…I’m done. I read for fun, and I spend far too much time stressing over my own kid's safety. I don’t want to worry about imaginary kids too.

#2 Bad writing – If the writing is so passive or cliché that I can’t get into the story, then I’ll give up 50 pages in or so.

#3 Predictable- I’m fine with knowing the girl gets the boy at the end, but I tire quickly when the storyline is all a set-up for the guy to convert or something. If I know the end before I get there, what’s the point of reading.

#4 Superfluous sex scenes- If a book has bedroom scenes, they better have a good reason other than just throwing it in there. I’ve tossed several books where the whole thing turned out to be a weak plot sprinkled with racy scenes. I read for a good story, not for cheap thrills.

What are deal-breakers for you? How many pages in do you read before you chuck the thing?

Meet Aprilynne Pike, Best-Selling YA Author

2010-12-14T20:28:00.000-08:00

A visit with Aprilynne Pike, part 3 of a discussion panel from Storymakers writer’s conference. (Our first two were with Dan Wells and Stephanie Black)

Aprilynne Pike, author of New York Times best sellers Wings and Spells, added a fresh voice to the discussion. I was impressed with her no-nonsense point of view both times I came to hear her speak.

Aprilynne doesn’t edit as she writes except for typos. Instead, she rereads what she just wrote the next day for 20 minutes and makes minor changes then.

She says “I swear by outlines,” referring to a 60 point outline that incorporates pacing. She jokes about having to put two child gates across the door to get her writing time in because there is always more laundry, dishes, and kids to fill your time. “You have to make (writing) a priority. Most authors give up T.V. to make time.”

“Writing is work, even when it’s fun. A manuscript becomes a novel with work!” She explained that in order for books to be best sellers, agents must be able to classify them. In other words, it’s a bad idea to put “my work transcends classification” on your query. Know your genre and be sure your book can be classified. She notes,“a marketable book gets you an agent faster than a beautiful one.”

When asked about agents, Aprilynne replied, “I wanted to be a best selling author. For that I needed to be in the top 6 publishing houses.” An agent was vital to that plan. She wrote 3 ½ books, and spent 2 ½ years querying agents—not publishers. In the end her persistence paid off and with the help of her agent, she has achieved her goal of being a best seller. She said, “your agent should be buying into you, not just your book. You need to find someone like that.” She recommended following Agent Kristen Nelson’s Pub Rants blog to get a good feel for the agent side of the industry.

She cautions against being scammed by a bad agent. “A bad agent is way worse than no agent. You should look up the predators and editors website.”

I visited with Aprilynne in the bookstore as she put out some more copies. She signed my copies of Wings and Spells—great reads, both of them. I’m happy to report that in person, she is very nice with a quick sense of humor.

Keep an eye out for her third book, Illusions which is due out May 3rd, 2011.

If you follow her blog then you might have heard her good news. She had her baby at home (she was a doula in her pre-bestseller life) on November 27th. Cute little thing too. You should drop in and wish her well!

Have any of you read her books? What did you think?

Reflecting on NaNoWriMo

2010-12-03T13:03:00.000-08:00

November is over, a time for reflection on gratitude—and this crazy idea to write 50,000 words in one month.

As of November 30th, my word count on my YA dystopian novel, Colorless, stood at 54,588 words. I should have a good version ready for readers by spring. I could have done more that week, but opted to do the whole Thanksgiving/snowday/family thing instead.

Now is the time for thankful hearts, exercise machines, and reflections on the lessons learned during NaNoWriMo.

Even something as solitary as writing is more fun with friends—be it in person or online.

Some jewels of wisdom I gleaned by following @FakeNNWMTips on twitter:

“Characters with verbal tics add to word count and have more personality! ‘Two…two birds with, you know, a stone.’ See? #nanowrimo”

“Keep at it! You’re only making a penny per word less than Charles Dickens! #nanowrimo”

I learned that while I can write fast—up to 6,000 words in one day—I do better work and avoid burnout if I plug along and write about 1,000 words a day.

I can’t promise that I’ll do NaNo again next year, but I do know that I have more to work with now than I ever have this early in the winter/writing season.

And to all those valiant Nanoers still emerging bleary-eyed from the trenches. Take a shower, my friends, it’s over. Find those critters--AKA, your kids--give ‘em a squeeze, and skip off for a winter buried in edits. Such are the joys of writers.

Did any of you learn something new about yourself this last month?

Colorless- A Peek at the Story

2010-11-13T06:32:00.000-08:00

Dear Awesome Readers,

This is an update from the trenches of NaNoWriMo. So far things are going really well and I'm wondering why I never had the courage to try to write 50,000 words in one month before.

I've learned a few things about myself.
#1 When I shut off my inner editor and just let my fingers fly, I can write over 1300 words in 30 minutes. (Who knew? Quality of those words: spelling = horrible, grammar = frightening, ideas = pretty darn good. )

#2 I can average over 2,000 words a day, every day. The biggest day so far was at an awesome writer's retreat I went to in Park City Utah with the coolness that is Authors Incognito. I wrote 12,000 words in two days. Was I the fastest? Not by a long shot. One amazing gal, Heather Justesen , threw down 27,000 words in the same time period. (Holy crap, she's fast!) I'll blog about the retreat later.

#3 I am in my happy place when I'm sitting at my computer, totally engrossed in the story unfolding beneath my fingers. I used to think of myself as a really slow writer, but now I think any limitations on speed were only put there by me. I have written over 30,000 words in only 12 days. I never dreamed that was possible for me.

#4 My dog makes a really nice foot warmer. When my 3yrold becomes too bothersome, which is every day, my dog signals the end of playtime by sneaking under my tiny desk and laying on my feet so I'll keep the little pest away from her. It's winter. I don't mind typing with a heater on my feet--unless she has gas and then I do mind, very much.

Would you like a sneak peek at my first chapter of COLORLESS? I've pasted it into one of those cloud things on the left side of my blog.I think it's kind of pretty. If you don't see it, try this link.

Happy writing everyone! Have you ever taken on a challenge and surprised yourself with your success?

The Riyria Revalations, a Fantasy Series Worth Reading

2010-10-31T06:59:00.000-07:00

This evening I had the pleasure of finishing Michael J. Sullivan’s latest installment of the fantasy series Riyria Revelations, Wintertide.

In short, I am amazed.

One of the things that make the Riyria Revelations different is that they were conceived as a single tale, told in six installments. Each book could stand alone, but they are oh-so-much better when the reader builds on the story that came before. Another outstanding quality is that these books are completely appropriate for any audience because there is no swearing or sex! How tedious it is to pick up a promising book only to find it’s just a chain of smut and profanity glued together with a pitiful plot. If you want an excellent read, this is it. If you’re looking for a romp in the sheets, look elsewhere.

I’d heard about his first book, The Crown Conspiracy, on Goodreads and it sat on my To-Read list for months, but once I cracked it open, I couldn’t put it down.

His masterfully woven tale of two thieves blends humor and intrigue with a dab of brilliance. Completely sucked into the fantasy, I turned the pages, brain working overtime in a futile effort to guess the ending. You can read Fantasy Book Critic’s review of the Crown Conspiracy here.

Sullivan’s next two books, Avempartha and Nyphron Rising, likewise were wonderful books. Full of adventure, betrayals, magic and mystery—the epitome of what fantasy novels should be.

I was pleased to find each additional installment better than the last, but it wasn’t until the 4th book, The Emerald Storm that the series elevated to a whole new level for me. Packed with the usual rich characters, settings and banter, the storyline builds with twists and turns until the final cunning surprise knocks us clear out of the ring. I closed the book almost in reverence, marveling at how each piece fell nicely in place without me ever being the wiser.

With excitement and a little trepidation (because I couldn’t fathom how Sullivan could possibly top his last achievement), I pre-ordered book #5, Wintertide.

I am thrilled to report that he did it again. Wintertide opens with our two favorite thieves, Hadrian and Royce, riding into Aquesta, the new capital of the Empire—a government that has been thrust into power through the devious machinations of a corrupt few which work their trickery behind façade of divine rule. Circumstance and duty separate the thieves as they each strive to save the people they love. Do they succeed? I’m not telling.

The battle for the throne is played in back rooms through subtle power-plays which culminate in the biggest power struggle of all. Personally, I’m dying to know who threw that fateful dagger, but I hardly dare guess because if there’s one thing I’ve learned from reading Sullivan’s books, it’s that I can’t guess what will happen next.

There are many authors that I admire, many more whose books are among my favorites, but Michael J. Sullivan’s books are in a class above.

I strongly suggest you read the Crown Conspiracy. In fact, you may as well buy the whole series because once you start, you’ll need them all before the week’s out.

Need more proof of how amazing this series is? Check out these stats:

2010 Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Finalist (Avempartha)
2010 Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Finalist (Nyphron Rising)
2009 Dark Wolf Award Top 10 Fantasy Books
2009 National Indie Book Award Finalist
2008 ReaderViews Annual Literary Award Finalist
2007 Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Finalist (The Crown Conspiracy)

Have any of you ever read his work before?

Taking the Plunge: NaNoWriMo

2010-10-25T19:44:00.000-07:00

Hello cyber buddies!

I’ve decided to finally take the plunge and do NaNoWriMo. What is it, you ask? It’s an insane challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. November. That’s right. ONE MONTH! I’ve heard about it for years in forums, but I’ve never had the desire to try…until now.

I have a myriad of good, perfectly valid reasons why I don’t have time to do it. Just add 5 kids to the farm and you’ve got an idea of how much I have on my plate. However, I also am a writer.

It finally dawned on me that even if I tried and only got 40k words in one month, then that’s still an awesome achievement. If we make it, we win. If we don’t reach our goal, we still win because we made the effort and wrote every day for the whole month. Is there a downside to this?

If any of you would like to join me in my quest for 50K, my username is mrs.farmgirl. I think I’ll spend every spare moment from now till November outlining.

Happy writing everyone, and I hope to see you there!

Are any of you doing NaNoWriMo with me?

Winners of the INTRINSICAL Givaway!

2010-10-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

Ding, Ding! Time's up! Special thanks to everyone who posted a comment for Lani Woodland's awesome novel, Intrinsical. We put each of your names on a paper a mixed them all up in a bowl. My 6 year-old drew the winning names.

The winners of the signed Intrinsical bookmarks with the cover picture on them:

Jen Wilks

Ariell Larson

Rachelle

The winner of the signed copy of the book Intrinsical, by Lani Woodland is...

...drum roll please....

Gail!

I will mail your bookmarks off tomorrow and Lani will mail Gail the Book directly.

Happy writing everyone. I hope you are all having a wonderful October!

Intrinsical, a New Twist on the Paranormal

2010-10-06T17:03:00.000-07:00

*UPDATE!* Lani read the comments below and noticed that people were hoping for a copy of the book...Wish granted! She has offered a free copy to add to the giveaway for this post! Swe-e-et. Spread the word my friends, this is a real treat! *

Need a new YA paranormal book that breaks the mold? Intrinsical may be just what you're looking for. I had the pleasure of visiting with Lani Woodland at Storymaker's 2010 and am happy to report that she is witty and fun, but also very nice and personable. This gal is talented! The beautiful cover is a photo she took underwater. I'm trying to think of an appropriate description and I think "Wow" covers it pretty well.

My review:
Yara’s Waker grandmother was crazy—at least that’s what people said about her so-called ability to speak to ghosts. Embarrassed by the name-calling, Yara tried to ignore the whole ghost issue—until the day she saw one try to kill another student at Penderell School.
She tried to ignore the evidence that her own powers as a Waker were growing. But each new twist and turn pushes her farther into the realm of the ghosts. Especially chilling are the wet footprints, faintly smelling of chlorine, which appear in her dorm room. You can almost hear the wet slurp of each step on the carpet as the unseen menace approaches.

Also caught in the middle of the ghostly mystery is Brent, the preppy handsome boy who takes an interest in Yara, and Cherie, Yara’s best friend who hopes for proof of ghosts, but lacks any paranormal talent. As Yara gets to know more of the students, it becomes apparent that something sinister is behind the deaths at the school—and that the Penderell curse is more than just a scary story.

I really enjoyed Lani Woodland’s debut novel! The writing is fast paced and well done. Free of swearing or sex, this is a clean read, appropriate for all YA readers. Everyone tired of the same-old Vampire/werewolf thing will love this new twist on the paranormal.

Pull up a chair and turn on the lights; you’ll need them both to sit a spell with the ghosts at Penderell.

Want to win a signed Intrinsical bookmark *OR a copy of the book*?

Leave a comment with your email (youremail AT wherever DOT com -to avoid spammers) and we'll draw 2 names for the winners. Contest closes midnight, October 17th.

*Bonus entries for you if you tweet, Facebook, or blog about the book and then tell me you did it.

Find out more about Intrinsical at the Website .Spread the word my friends, your tweeps and facebook buddies need to hear about this book.

My IRL Update

2010-09-17T22:09:00.000-07:00

Hello all you awesome writer cyber-buddies!

I’m overdue for an update on how things are going here on the farm in real life. Did you forget I farm? The title of my blog was a hint, but you can check out the farm here if you like. Goddess of the Corn sounds so much better than Unpaid Grunt Worker--don't you think?

Well, since the untimely demise of my laptop, my computer time has been extremely limited due to harvest season. Most of my day is spent outside walking though miles (not an exaggeration) of sweet corn rows and picking hundreds of dozens of corn. When I’m not doing that, I’m selling the corn and other fresh veggies out of the garage. I’m also hustling to get ready for the corn maze since every 4th grader in all of Pocatello will be coming to my farm the last 3 days of September. That’s around 1,200 kids, my friends.

The highlight of the day today was word from my husband (computer wiz extraordinaire) that my new laptop will be delivered Monday! This means that in-between helping customers, I’ll be able to access the computer, write, and catch-up on all the wonderful blog posts from you all that I’ve been missing for the last month and a half.

I’ve discovered that my muse hates writing with pen & ink. My first novel was written on the computer and writing without one feels off to me. The result is that I've been taking notes in the notebooks and reading several books a week. (My husband thinks I'm addicted to books--he may be right)

What about you? Have you found that one way of writing meshes best with your creativity? Do you prefer paper, computer or cave drawings perhaps?

Winners of the UNLOCKED Giveaway!

2010-09-02T07:49:00.000-07:00

First of all, don’t forget to get your own free ebook download of Unlocked, Ten Key Tales. Wouldn’t you want to read my story, Crop Circles? One super easy click and this YA anthology is yours. http://www.unlockedproject.com

Now, onto the contest results…

I wrote the names of everyone who entered a “keyn” response to the Unlocked giveaway on cards, put them in a bowl, mixed them up, and then had my 3 year old hand me three of cards.

And the winners of the Unlocked paperback copies are…. Drum roll please.

Angie

Debbie Davis

Grandpa Goose

*Cheers! Yay! Woot Woot!*

Congratulations to the winners and a heartfelt thanks to everyone who entered.

Good News & Bad News

2010-08-29T22:29:00.000-07:00

The Good News: I'll soon have a computer again! As my tweeps and facebook buddies know, My poor laptop died.

We held a candlight vigil for the hard drive amidst much tears, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. Okay so maybe it was just me that mourned the loss of all those outlines and notes that it took to the grave, but still. The bright side of this tragedy is that I've emailed all finished chapters to my writing buddies already so my current WIP (Colorless) and my finished one (Coyote Dreams) are not gone forever--just the notes I've made this summer. (You know, all the research, planning, soul searching, character studies... I need to stop now or I'll forget this is the bright side.)

A fixed laptop means that I'll be able to write during the day again--as opposed to in the middle of the night when I should be resting up for the next big day of unpaid grunt labor--er, I mean farm work. Harvest season here on the farm can be brutal, but I strive to write anyway. You can see what I'm up to on the farm right now here.

The Bad News:
You only have a few days left to win a free copy of my book, UNLOCKED, Ten Key Tales. Leave a comment on this thread and you will be entered for one of 3 free copies. No catches. It's easy! C'mon, don't you know a reader who needs a new good, clean book? Give it a go.

More Good News:
You can download the book for free right now. Go to http://www.unlockedproject.com/ to get your free copy.

UNLOCKED has been...well, unlocked. Happy Release Day Everyone!

2010-08-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

UNLOCKED is now available to you free! Check out http://www.unlockedproject.com/ and download this YA collection for you, or your kids for a fun, end-of-summer read. Be sure to put your name in the hat for a one of the 3 free copies I'm giving away. You can enter in the comments here in my contest.

Would you be willing to give us feedback on the project? Like it? Don't like it? Tell us the how and why. You can join the discussion on Goodreads in the new Unlocked group and even chat with each author about their story there. If you'd rather blog, you can check out http://unlockedproject.blogspot.com/ and connect with authors that way.

Remember, if you tweet, blog, or facebook about UNLOCKED, then you get an extra entry in the hat for a free copy, just tell me in the comments what you did.

IN OTHER NEWS: me.

I had the opportunity to be a guest blogger on Christine Bryant's blog series, Friendly Fridays. Would you like to know a little more about me? Check it out on Christine's Blog!

Book Trailer for Unlocked & Book Giveaway!

2010-08-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! This is the book trailer I've been working on for UNLOCKED, the YA anthology that will be available for free downloads on August 13th. I've just received permission for the music so I'm very excited! I hope you like my first attempt at making a video!

Now, how would you like to win a free physical copy of Unlocked?

Each story in the book contains the word key, though each used the word's meaning differently. So here's your challenge: Think of an unusual way to use the word key and post it in the comments below. At the end of August, I'll draw 3 names and send each a copy of UNLOCKED.

Post your email like myemailATthisserverDOTcom to avoid spam.

Extra entries for every tweet, facebook mention and blog. Be sure to report what you did.

August 13th is nearly here! I can't wait to share this with you all.

Mark your Calendar--UNLOCKED is coming August 13th!

2010-07-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

Unlocked by Wendy Swore, Rita J Webb and 7 other goodreads authors.

The brain-child of my co-editor (Rita Webb) and myself, this YA anthology is coming out August 13th! My short story, Crop Circles, is part of this FREE download. This collection of short stories is appropriate for YA readers but entertaining enough for adults too.

Humor, Regency, Fantasy, Horror,Coming of Age... Each of the 10 stories offers it's own spin on the key theme that binds them all. Check it out!

For me, the best part of this experience has been stepping into other roles. I selected the stories, co-edited, worked with each author, and even took the pictures that appear on the cover. My hat is off to all the editors out there--you have a difficult, but rewarding job. I hope you all like it!
View all my reviews >>

A Panel Discussion with Stephanie Black

2010-07-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

This is part 2 of 5 covering the awesome panel discussion. Part 1 is here.

I had the opportunity to visit with Stephanie Black over dinner with her friend, Gregg Luke, at Storymakers 2010. They both were very personable and open. A Whitney Award Winner, Stephanie is the author of several books, including Methods of Madness.

At the panel discussion, Stephanie said to “give yourself permission to write a lousy first draft. It means freedom.” When she writes, she presses forward, writing to the end of a manuscript. Then she goes through it three times before using her test readers. “It’s all about the rewriting.” In her recent blog post Finish Line Jitters on June 23rd, she opens up about some of the angst she feels in letting go of her manuscript.

She needs “something of an outline to get going.” When her children were young, she wrote during naps. They were “golden. Nothing else got done—unless it was an emergency…like my mother in law coming over.”

Writers must “give up TV or whatever and squeeze that (writing) time in.” She subscribes to the idea that you don’t have time for everything, so make time for the things that matter by eliminating the things that don’t.

In regards to a writing career and getting published, Stephanie advises “make sure you do your research so you can go about it the right way. Don’t just stumble around.”

I was impressed by how she maintained an air of professionalism about her while still coming across as a real, down-to-earth, nice person.

Have you come across any cool action filled novels that are clean like her books? Which are your favorites?

A Panel Discussion With Author Dan Wells

2010-06-27T23:03:00.000-07:00

At Storymakers 2010, we had the opportunity to hear a panel discussion from these amazing authors. This is part 1 of 5. I’ll be posting the comments of the other authors on the panel over the next few weeks.

Dan Wells writes chapter by chapter paragraphs summing up his novel’s storyline. Once he has a good outline, he begins to write. After the first draft is done, he waits 2-3 months before he goes into revisions on a rough draft. Dan comments that once the revisions have been done, it’s important to “know when to leave a book—don’t marry yourself to it.”

He warns that publishing is a slow moving machine. He sold his horror novel, I Am Not A Serial Killer, three years ago, and it just hit shelves a couple months ago. Back then, he’d work all day and then come home and write between the hours of 10pm and 2am. He felt burned out after work, but he used that for motivation to keep writing. He says, “the last thing I wanted to do with my life is go back to work about a shampoo” so he had to make the change happen through writing.

When asked about his late hours, Dan mentioned that he did find some meds that cured his insomniac tendencies, but after sleeping through the night for a week, he decided to drop the meds. He joked, “this is crap! How do people without insomnia get anything done?”

Directing his gaze to the audience, Dan pointed a finger. “If you want to do this (writing) for your living, you cannot do it in your spare time. Treat it like a job and find the time. If you don’t have time to write, it’s not a scheduling problem, it’s a value issue.”

While suffering through mind-numbing college classes, his delightfully twisted brain made a goal that “someday, I’ll do a book and some shmuck will have to do an essay on it.” (enter muah-haha here)

On agents, Dan says, “eventually you’ll need an agent. Yes. As soon as I got an offer, I went and got an agent, but even then I was rejected four times.” Be careful though, “if an agent asks for money, drop them and report them. To become an agent requires no schooling. You could stand up and say you’re an agent and it would be true. Look them up!” A great website to check them out is Preditors and Editors.

I found Dan to be both knowledgeable and charming with his quick wit and well timed jokes. He kept us laughing while we soaked up his helpful hints and insights.

A special thanks to Dan Wells for being such a good sport throughout—even when a mock version of his novel titled “I Am Not A Cereal Killer” (about someone who ate all the cereal) became the running joke of the conference.

I was most impressed by his matter of fact determination. Write no matter what, no matter when. Make it happen seemed to be his motto.

*Update* you can watch Dan give a presentation on story structure on youtube for free! I've been struggling with creating an outline for one of my current novels and I have to say that watching this video really helped me organize my thoughts. Easy to follow, entertaining, and educational. Yup, he's the man.

Do any of you keep odd/late writing hours like Dan does?

New Set Of Posts About Writing On The Way!

2010-06-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

First of all, supremely awesome readers, I beg your pardon for not posting more frequently this month. Farming season has me in its clutches. You can see what I’ve been doing on the farm here. I’ll be more regular now that I’ve settled into the routine again. Eat, sleep, work like a dog…and write late into the night so my brain gets its fix. Then get up and do it all again.

I’m working on another round of blog posts that are from my notes from the writer’s conference, Storymakers 2010. So, stay tuned for a panel discussion with Dan Wells, Aprilynne Pike, David Wolverton, Anita Stansfield, and Stephanie Black. I visited with some of these authors outside of the workshop time and let me say, they are really cool people.

I always send blog posts to the authors first so they have the opportunity to check any quotes I took of them for accuracy, but I’ll have the first couple up in a few days.

Winner of the Drabble Contest...

2010-06-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

First of all, a big thanks to all you awesome writers who played along with my Drabble Contest. Your entries were great fun to read!

And the winner is.....*drum roll*......*using Random.org*......

Little Berry Girl!

Congratulations! You requested Seasons of America Past, by Eric Sloane. Consider it done.

Everyone, when my blog hits 100 followers, we'll play another giveaway game. Thanks for sharing your time and talents with me.

-hugs-

...and happy writing!

A Visit With Heather Justesen, Author of Rebound

2010-06-06T22:44:00.000-07:00

I recently had the privilege of reading Heather Justesen’s new release, REBOUND, and I couldn’t put it down.

You can read my review HERE but I bet you can already guess that I really enjoyed this book.

Heather is a fellow member of Author’s Incognito and she was kind enough to answer a few questions about her writing experience.

1. How long from when you started looking did it take you find your publisher/agent?

The LDS market is very small, so there are far fewer places to submit, and we don't use agents. I started submitting my first book in early March and had a contract in late September—but Cedar Fort had only had my manuscript for a couple of months before they offered to publish it.

2. Were you surprised with how many edits your editor asked of you or was it what you expected?

Honestly, I'm not sure what I expected. I did very few edits—and I've since learned it was far fewer than most publishers go through. That means I have to be extra diligent about self-editing and getting good feedback from reliable sources--but then, that's true no matter what publisher you work with.

3. Did you ever feel like giving up on your quest to be published?

I took several breaks during my journey to being published (and it was nearly 10 years before I got a contract) but not because I decided I didn't care, so much as because I had other priorities that had to come first.

I love writing and can't imagine giving it up, but I've had my moments of doubt about whether I would ever see a book in print, or if I was wasting my time--I don't know anyone who doesn't feel that way from time to time.

4. What is the hardest part about writing for you?

Building enough plot to keep the momentum going. I started out as a seat-of-your-pants writer and had trouble pushing the book through to the end because I either didn't build enough conflict into the manuscript, or I wasn't using the conflict I had well enough, so I would start to flounder around 60%-70% of the way through. I still struggle with that, but I do some basic plotting ahead of time now, so I have a better idea of where I'm going.

5. What's the easiest?

The first kiss--that scene pretty much writes itself!

6. Has your family always been supportive of you being a writer or did anyone need convincing?

I still remember telling my mother-in-law that I was going to be a writer and her saying "That's a nice hobby, but what are you going to do for a living?" Then she read one of my early manuscripts and became one of my staunchest supporters. =)

As for my family, my siblings claim they always knew I would be a writer one day--apparently I was the only one taken by surprise. I guess I'm very lucky in that my Uncle Allan Burgess was published many times over during his life, so it wasn't this odd fantasy that my family scoffed at--it was a totally doable goal.

7. How many drafts of your queries did you go through before you found one that worked?

You don't really do a normal query in this market, because all of the publishers take unsolicited submissions, but I'm terrible and admit that I only tweaked my cover letters a couple of times each before sending them. I've since learned a great deal more about queries and am taking this a lot more seriously in future submissions, including getting feedback from people who know more about a good query letter than I do.

8. I heard you mention in Danielle Ferguson’s interview that your next few books don't have basketball in them. Is there a reason you held to the basketball theme for the 1st two and then changed out for the next?

I don't think that was a conscious decision, actually. The fact is, I established in the first book that Curtis played basketball, and I wanted to make him a main character in the second book, so it ended up being basketball related. The next book in the series uses characters that aren't basketball players--and those characters actually existed before either of the books I have published. Sometimes I make decisions about what kinds of things I want the characters to be doing, and sometimes they tell me how it's going to be. =)

9. what did you want to be when you grew up?

I ran the gamut, but in college I seriously considered marine biology, and even took a bunch of heavy chemistry and biology classes, but changed to English Lit partway through my first year. I really didn't know what I wanted to be when I finished, but I remember thinking I wanted to do something with books and publishing, because I love books so much--but I wasn't going to be a writer, so I didn't plan for that at all! Writing is something that happened to me, and I found that I loved it and couldn't let it go, so I went after it. It wasn't something I planned from childhood like so many people I know--if it were, I probably would have been published years ago.

10. Is there any fun thing about yourself that we don't know?

I'm mildly allergic to melons, so I can hardly ever eat them, and I have a real thing for Rice Crispy Treats using the cocoa flavored cereal. So yummy!

11. anything else you'd like to mention?

Check out my BLOG between June 21 and 25th for some really fun giveaways!

Thank you ,Heather, for both the enjoyable read and the interview. It’s been fun getting to know you better!

Contest: 100 Words = ANY Book You Want!

2010-05-29T17:26:00.000-07:00

Are you a writer? Yes? Perfect. Then 100 words is a piece of cake for you. Right?

You can write 100 words before finishing breakfast with one-half your brain tied behind your back. But slow down! This isn’t as easy as it seems.

A Drabble must be 100 words exactly. No more. No less. It must be an original, fictional story with a beginning, middle, and end.

So, I’ve decided to sweeten the pot. How would you like to win that book you’ve been drooling over on Amazon? Which book you say? ANY BOOK YOU WANT! I have a wish list a mile long and I bet many of you have a book or two that you haven’t bought yet.

To Enter the Contest You Must:

1. Follow my blog.

2. Write your own drabble following these guidelines and post it in the comments of this blog thread before midnight, Sunday June 13th.

3. End your post with the book YOU want from Amazon and your email (written like: thisismyemail(at)thisprovider(dot)com to prevent spammers).

See? Easy. Want extra entries? You got it. You can get Bonus entries if you:

1. Follow me on Twitter & Tweet about this contest = 2 extra

2. Post something to Facebook about this contest = 1 extra

3. Blog about this contest -or- Do your own blog with a Drabble contest = 3 extra

....And send me the link. See? Easy.

Here, let me show you one I whipped out this morning so you can get an idea.

*******

Everything will be perfect. Skillfully, I apply the eyeliner and spray the masterpiece that is my hair. Heels, little black dress: preparation for my lover. I live for him, ache for him, depend on him.

His car arrives. A flutter of anticipation fills my belly. My eyes linger on his chest, his face.

The door opens.

I flash a come-hither smile.

He strides across the room, his body inches from mine.

He stoops, groping the recliner for the remote.

Our toddler walks in and vomits on my shoe.

I wince. “Happy Anniversary, Dear.”

The TV flicks on. “What’s for dinner?”

*******

*Snicker* I had you going there for a minute, didn’t I? That’s as risqué as I get, people.

Details: All entries must be acceptable for YA viewers (Nothing nasty, people, or I’ll delete it) If your book cost more than $25 then I will send you an Amazon gift certificate for $25 to go towards the purchase of your choice. The winners will be chosen using Random.org and announced on June 14th.

A special thank you to my good friend, Renee Miller, who challenged the writers from On Fiction Writing to write a Drabble and win a copy of our book Menage-a-20 from Lulu.com. You can follow that link for a chance to win Menage-a-20 with your drabble submission if you like!

******UPDATE! CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!******* Our winner was Little Berry Girl! Thanks to all who participated.

A visit with James Dashner and Jeff Savage -part 2 of 2-

2010-05-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

For the first half of the conversation, check out Part 1. These two guys were open and willing to answer all the questions we threw at them. Read on for more pearls of wisdom...

When asked about YA word counts, James said, "The average word count for YA is 60,000 words. “But yet Lisa McMann’s books are around 38,000 words, and mine are more like 100,000. Don’t worry about the word count; just write your story.”

On publishers, James notes that “a small publisher can treat you really well and a big one can, but if a big one treats you really well, then they can do way more for you. You may be doing all your own marketing anyway, so it’s both ways. Random house, has so much more power and placement and distribution, that if you are lucky to be published with them… I loved Shadow Mountain—really I do—but Maze runner has sold more in one month than 13th reality has this whole time. For Fablehaven, Brandon Mull has had to work his tail off.”

Jeff says, “a national contract will want a right of first refusal on that genre or on whatever you publish next. The LDS market is a different beast entirely. Deseret book is the largest publisher, and Shadow Mountain is big too. Some of the smaller publishers have contracts that are really tight so you need to be careful. Like you will sign and then everything you have ever written or every will write in this market again belongs to us. BE careful about this type of publisher.”

“A right of first refusal doesn’t mean that your book must go to them,” James clarifies. “They can look at it and they can offer, but you can still look around.” It’s not legal for them to force you to take a tiny amount for a book when another publisher is willing to pay much more for the same book. If your contract says FIRST AND LAST refusal, then it’s not a good thing. Read carefully before you sign.

Jeff notes that “Authors need to be savvy. If you don’t like it, ask if it can be changed before you sign.” Some will change and some won’t, but you should ask before you get stuck in your contract.

Where do you get your ideas for your books? Dashner smiles and says, “Ideas come to me all day long in my sleep, in the shower, on the potty, whatever. I can forget them so I try to write them down. When I was working on the 13th reality, I had to take time away from that. I can’t really do both at the same time, so I do a month at a time on one book and then the other.”

In answer to a question on whether or not to get an agent, Jeff raises his finger and instructs, “first of all, never ever take money out of your pocket to pay ANYONE.” Reputable agents and publishers require no money from you. “I don’t care if you’re the next Stephanie Meyer or not, You still have to market. You have to go on tour. You have to do your blog. There are publishers that can do more for you, but an agent gets your MS in the right hands (like the editor they had lunch with the week before). They do foreign rights, keep track of different trends. I cannot tell you how valuable it is to have a good agent, and it is worth EVERY PENNY.”

“This is a no brainer,” says James. “It is absolutely better to have an agent than not to have one. My agent makes me SO much more than I would make without one.” He noted that in general, the LDS market doesn’t have agents.

Should we submit to agents or publishers first? “Submit to publishers & agents both. If you get an agent, great. If you get a publisher, you can almost start calling agents and saying do you want to represent me?”

“If I could have told myself something 7 years ago…” James rubbed his chin in thought. “It’d be to have patience, both in my writing and in my submitting to publishers and agents. Patience in all those aspects. Something that has changed from my first book to the last, is that I take more time to add depth, and sensory scenes to the story. You can’t sell tons of books immediately. Word of mouth, school by school, book signing by book signing. Patience.”

Jeff’s parting thought was this, “Successful authors believe that they are good enough to be published and it’s just a matter of time. Go find your favorite book on Amazon, and look at a one star review, print it off. Use it as motivation to keep writing. Because every author I know has moment where they think they are terrible. There is a word for determined writers, Published.”

After the meeting, I stayed to visit with them and ask for permission to blog about what I’d learned. Both men were very gracious and offered me their email addresses. I learned a great deal from their “impromptu” breakout and I hope you learned a thing or two as well.

Be sure to check out FARWORLD and THE MAZE RUNNER along with their other books the next time you need an excellent read.

Thank you both for an amazing afternoon!

A visit with James Dashner and Jeff Savage -part 1 of 2-

2010-05-18T21:15:00.000-07:00

At Storymaker’s Writers Conference in Provo Utah, I had the privilege of listening to James Dashner (author of the 13th REALITY series and the NY Times Best Seller, THE MAZE RUNNER) and Jeff Savage (author of the YA Fantasy series, FARWORLD) in a very candid breakout.

The charming and witty duo, who have been friends for years, invited questions from the crowd and were refreshingly open about their experiences in the publishing industry.

James’s first 4 books, The Jimmy Fincher Saga, were published by a small LDS publisher. They sold several hundreds of copies, but no glimpse that writing could be full time. Then in August of 2003, He “set a goal to quit my job and be a full time author in 5 years.” He had already written The Maze Runner, but it was rejected for being “too dark.” However, Shadow Mountain did like the writing so he sent the synopsis & query for the 13th Reality. They liked it and it did really well, “but not enough that I could quit my job.”

At this point, James figured he has improved as a writer so he turned his attention back to The Maze Runner and rewrote the whole thing. It went from 68,000 words to 88,000 words—that’s a 20 thousand word difference. He had an agent, but he jokes that they “broke up” and he got a new agent. Random House bought the Maze Runner and the advance was large enough that he could quit his job.

“It turns out that it was 5 years, to the month, from when I had set my goal. Now a movie is being made out of Maze runner.”

Jeff said, “I watched James and thought if he can do it, then I can. One of the things you do in your mind is stop having agents or authors being up here and you down there. The guy selling a million copies is no different than you. You have to get that mindset.” When James told him about Shadow Mountain, Jeff got excited enough to write Far World and sell it to them.

More recently, his publisher requested an LDS Fantasy that is LDS “from the cover to the story to the title.” So, Jeff’s new book, FOURTH NEPHITE is coming out this August.

Jeff’s personal experience shows that even published authors have moments of nail-biting uncertainty with their careers. 5 months ago, because of the economy, Shadow Mountain said they didn’t know they if they were going to publish any more of the FARWORLD series. “400 schools, synopsis, blood sweat and tears and….” He was stuck. Even with published books, he couldn’t write anymore. But then, after going through 4 agents, with the aid of Deseret book and other things—suddenly people wanted it again and Shadow Mountain said, “Hey, go back to that 3rd book.”

Jeff commented, “when you’re giving your all, the time when you are feeling the most hopeless is often the moment when you’re closest to being published.”

When asked about how to find a publisher, James said, “every single successful author I know can trace their success back to someone they met. So, writer’s conferences and things like this are what you want to do.” He met both his editor, Krista Marino (Senior Editor of Delacorte Press), and his publisher that way. “There is no magic formula except keep writing, improve your manuscript, and network.”

Should a non published author hire an editor? Jeff said, “a legitimate editing company will do a page sample and see if you are at the level they think you should be.” He warns to be careful of people who run scams by passing you to so-and-so for money. Also, make sure that what you are getting is worth it because “lots of people have published without an editor.”

Jeff recommended that unpublished authors finish their MS prior to seeking representation. He sent out to 12 agents and got the first response in 3 weeks—though it can be 3, 4, or even 5 months before word comes. “One thing I learned, after you get a message of representation, contact the others and say “I have an offer for representation by THIS agent. Please respond to me within 7 days so I can make a decision.” This is a courtesy for the agents and it helps you get the most offers possible.

As for checking up on the status of your queries, James says, “you can’t freak out, but you CAN email that says ‘Just wondering what the status is’ and they won’t be that irritated. If you can’t sleep at night (and it’s been over 8 weeks) Go ahead.”

How do you feel about Kindle? Jeff said, “Stephen King did a book about a haunted Kindle for Kindle. Brilliant…. I think the biggest thing for me is to still be writing books so you’ll have more opportunities to be read if they liked your name.”

James responded, “I can’t imagine anyone will have a problem with this. Every single page of Diary of a wimpy kid is free online—and yet they sell millions and millions of copies.”

Should I finish the sequel of my book before I submit? James said, “no.”

The audience giggled at his short answer, but then he expanded on the subject. Editors want to be able to publish that book as a stand alone, and then if it’s good it can have sequels. Don’t say, hey I have a 27 book series, publish them please. Besides, if the 1st never sells, what can you do with the sequels?

(Incidentally, this was a great question for me to hear because I was debating whether to write the sequel to COYOTE DREAMS which is seeking representation right now, or work on a dystopian novel I had in the beginning stages. After this advice, dystopia it is.)

Thanks guys for your wonderful information. Part 2 of this visit is HERE Be sure to check it out for the rest of their awesome advice.

What was your favorite part they said?

Make the Time

2010-05-10T22:10:00.001-07:00

I've heard it said that if we are "too busy", then the real issue is a matter priority, not time.

As an aspiring writer, I strive to write, read, edit, work on submissions, and learn more about the publishing industry every day.

As a farmer, I've weeds to pull, plants to water, roadsides to burn, thistles to spray, and customers to help every day.

As a mother of 5 (ages 11-2), I've diapers to change, homework to correct, scrapes to clean...all the many duties that children bring into our lives...every day.

The house... The husband... The school...

I'm a writer, a maid, a farmer, a wife, a mother, a PTO volunteer, a cook, a taxi...

Are you tired yet? I am.

This past week I noticed my kids were getting a little out of sorts with each other, and yesterday I realized that I was the reason behind it. I’ve had such a heavy workload the last few weeks that I had put my many duties higher on the priority list than my kids. I was still with them of course, but I was focused on all the work we were doing, not on the kids themselves.

So, today I did my darndest to finish all jobs I had to do while they were at school so that when they came home, I could give them my full attention. Farming, housework, and even writing took a backseat to the most important people in my world, and my world is brighter because of it.

We made brownies, we sang, we laughed, we chased each other around just for fun. And the result? My kids are refreshed. I feel more connected and grounded. And the crazy part is, I feel more energized to do all the dull jobs that I put on the bottom of the priority list.

I think the lesson is that I was trying to pull water from an empty well. It's not enough to exist, work, and care for the physical needs of my children; I need to nurture the joy in their lives. Why? Because when I bring joy and laughter into their lives, it feeds my soul.

This is a lesson I have to learn—and relearn—whenever the balance in my life gets out of whack.

What about you? What feeds your soul? Is there something important that you have to remind yourself to make time for?

Agent Laura Rennert's Tips on Queries

2010-05-02T22:45:00.000-07:00

At Storymakers 2010, Agent Laura Rennert, a senior agent at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, shared an agent’s eye view of the process. I’m happy to report that she is both friendly and engaging as a speaker.

The question she asks of every query and pitch session is: “who, what, where, and why should I care.”

The WHO is your protagonist, and yes you should include the name. WHAT is your main conflict. WHERE is the setting, which can be geographical, temporal or both. And WHY SHOULD I CARE is that little detail that makes your story different from any other like it.

“Keep the query short,” she cautions. And be careful not to overhype, by making all sorts of glowing statements about your work. A simple exercise you can use to revamp your query:

1. Write down the title, category, setting, protagonist, and central problem.

2. Write down one vivid detail that makes any of the above elements different.

3. In your story, identify credibility, inherent conflict, originality, real emotional power, and voice. (By the way, original voice is the biggest factor for what new clients she takes on)

4. Come up with 3 “big words” relating to your story. (love, journey, destiny)

5. Set a timer for 5 minutes and crank out a query using the information you wrote down. Be sure to use one of the “big words” in the last sentence.

For your pitch, use credentials or anything that makes YOU the perfect author for this book. (Give a glimpse of the story behind the story) For instance, as a farmer who lives on the reservation, I’ve got a good handle on what that is like for my characters.

Another thing she looks for is your platform. Do you have an online presence? One of her clients, Maggie Stiefvater of the NYT bestseller SHIVER, had a great website which suddenly got loads of hits from a publisher as they were deciding whether or not to buy the book. Getting yourself “out there” is a good thing, my friends.

Be very cautious of exclusives. She suggests that you should only consider doing exclusives that are 2-3 weeks tops. An easy and polite way to avoid the exclusive dilemma is to send out your work to more than one agent/publisher at a time. Then you can politely say, “I’m sorry, but I’ve already sent it out to another person for consideration.” She says this response is not offensive.

How to get a QUICK REJECTION:

1. Have multiple email addresses in the “To” line on the email. They know you send it to several places, but having it shoved in their face without even a customized email is irritating.

2. Send the wrong agent the wrong category. If you write Horror, and send it to an agent that only works with YA, you’ve just wasted a stamp and both of your time.

3. Hyperbolic praise. (My story is so cool that Stephen King will weep when he reads it)

4. Not being able to situate a book in the market. Be squarely in a category for your first novel so that agents don’t run at your declaration that it is a mainstream, horror, fantasy, YA book with a chick-lit twist. Um, what?

5. Careless errors, such as typos and grammatical errors.

6. Not following instructions. Every agency/publisher has submission requirements. Find them. Read them. Follow them.

You can learn more about Laura and her agency at http://www.andreabrownlit.com/agents.php , and you can see some of her work at http://www.laurajoyrennert.com/ .

I think the biggest thing I learned from her was that agents “are just people who really love books.” If you have a good tale to tell, then she wants to read it. It was a pleasure to meet her, and I hope her advice helps you as much as it did me.

Author David Wolverton/Farland

2010-04-28T08:10:00.000-07:00

I was privileged to have dinner with David Wolverton/Farland http://www.davidfarland.net/ attend one of his workshops, and exchange email. He carried a special seat-back with him because his hip and back troubles him if he stands too long or sits in an uncomfortable chair. Far from dwelling on his discomfort, he joked about his family line at dinner and radiated a positive attitude. He holds the World Record for the longest book signing.

What struck me most about him was his extensive knowledge on all things bookish. He not only studied the how-to of writing, but also why people bother to read in the first place. Our everyday stress can be hard to deal with, but when we immerse ourselves in a good book, we’re suddenly running for our lives while battling a dragon to save all of mankind. If you doubt the impact of these stories on us, then stop and take your pulse the next time you’re reading the climax of a real nail-biter. To combat this stress, David says, “there are several chemicals that your body pumps out as rewards when you're reading—serotonin, dopamine, adrenaline, and cortisol.”

What’s more, once we close the book and get back to our daily lives, the stresses we have don’t seem like such a big deal. After all, I may have to battle weeds/traffic/carpools that day, but the human race won’t be snuffed out if I arrive a few minutes behind schedule. In short, books make us feel better and lessen the effect that our daily stress has on our bodies.

David considers it one of the “great tragedies of American writing history when they dismissed the form.” When people pick up a novel, they expect a certain experience. They hope to follow the hero as he/she battles against whatever obstacle stands in the way and—just when all hope seems lost—pulls off some amazing way to save the day/redeem the book. He jokes that writing a romance novel where the hero doesn’t get the girl at the end is a sure way to have a short writing career.

He dismisses the belief that “literary fiction” is superior to form writing, which many critics dismiss as “form fiction trash.” His goal is to “write form fiction, but to write it more beautiful than anyone else.” Bestselling novels and movies take us to another time and place. They provide escape. They also have a huge potential audience. “If we write only for ourselves, then we are the only audience for this novel.” It was no accident that James Cameron had storylines in Titanic that covered the seven major markets; he wanted to reach out to as many people as he could.

One of the most touching moments at the Whitney Awards Gala, was when Dan Wells (http://www.fearfulsymmetry.net/ a former student of David’s) asked for anyone whose life had been influenced by David’s teaching to stand. Almost every person in the room stood up. He was humble and gracious as he accepted the Lifetime Acheivement Award, and he teased that he hoped getting the lifetime award didn’t mean that he’d have to stop writing.

David said, “I'd like to emphasize that when a reader finishes a great novel, he will immediately begin looking for another. If someone loves your book, it increases the chance that he or she will look at mine. So there is no competition between writers. Another writer's success helps build a larger readership for all of us."

I think that statement sums up his generous character.

I need to say a special Thank You to David Wolverton/Farland for helping to shape this blog post via conversation and email. Here are links to some of his amazing books:

http://www.inthecompanyofangels.net/ - Won the 2009 Whitney Award for Best Novel of the Year

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2956822.Wyrmling_Horde_The_The_Seventh_Book_of_the_Runelords - One of the latest in an awesome fantasy series.

The Writer's Conference was Superb!

2010-04-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

The LDS Storymaker’s Conference in Provo, UT, was a fabulous experience that I highly recommend. As a writer, my skills improved from all the information, and as a person, my confidence in my newfound profession increased ten-fold.

I will share some of the awesome writing tips I learned there, so this will be the first of a series of blogs where I share notes, ideas, and even visits with such authors as James Dashner, author of The 13th reality series and the NY Best Seller, The Maze Runner. I am tickled to say that he is a charming, cool guy who puts on no airs of grandeur, but rather makes everyone around him feel at ease and confident.

So, a huge, HUGE thank you to the LDS StoryMakers for a job well done! You can be sure that I’ll be back again next year.

Avoid the Ticking Clock Mentality

2010-03-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest things I have learned through writing and editing my novel, Coyote Dreams, over the last two years is that a good story is worth the time it takes to polish it. Writing the first draft was an exhilarating adventure. I thrilled at each new twist that unfolded on my screen. Typing 'The End' was a big moment, worthy of the happy dance. However, I've since discovered that writing those two powerful words is somewhat of an oxymoron, since finishing a first draft is actually just the beginning of all the real work.

First, I read it over and made what edits/corrections I could see. Then I sent it out to several readers who sent it back full of enough red marks that I feared its wounds might be fatal. I made the needed edits again and sent it out for a second read. Thankfully I've been blessed with some readers who have a very good eye and were willing to teach me how to be a better writer. These are the edits I'm just now finishing. Huge thanks to Renee Miller and Rita & TJ Webb for this one. Don't know them? Well, you should:
http://www.reneeamiller.blogspot.com/
http://afantasyfiction.blogspot.com/

Soon, I'll send it out for one last read with a new set of readers to get their input. Perfecting my synopsis and query letter will be the focus while I wait. When I get those last reads back, I'll fix whatever I missed (and ignore whatever suggestions I don't agree with).

My goal is to be done by the end of April and research which agent to send my work to. It would be a wasted stamp to send my YA novel to someone who specializes in, say, romance. There is a love triangle in my book, but it’s a first kiss, not the whole she-bang.

I hope to get my first letter back from agents by the end of June. I know most will probably be rejection letters because everyone gets them. I think the key to keeping up moral is to have a plan on what to do with them. I'm going to follow Steven King's lead and spear the things on a nail.

While I wait for someone to accept my manuscript, I'll resume work my next story, Firebug, work on the farm over the summer, and begin the whole process again.

If I had been impatient and thrown my story out there before taking the time to polish it, then rejections would have been guaranteed, and the time invested, wasted.

The time was well spent. When Coyote Dreams goes out, I'll know that it is a story worth reading.

My Lucky Day!

2010-03-05T18:18:00.000-08:00

I've got some more awesome news to share. Remember how I told you that I was attending the LDS Writers Conference? Well I entered a drawing for a seat at the table with the guest authors and won! Oh. My. Gosh. I know! Crazy awesome. THis is who I will be dining with the weekend of April 23rd...and can I just say, Jessica Day George is one of my favorite authors of all time. I can't hardly believe it!

"Two--yes, two--lucky winners of the Show Your Love for the Storymakers Contest will receive a reserved seat at the 7th Annual LDStorymakers Writers Conference for Friday night dinner and entertainment at a special table with:

Shaun Barrowes
Musician for Friday night entertainment, and top 48 contestant on American Idol season 7.
http://www.shaunbarrowes.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/shaunbarrowes

James Dashner
Author of The Maze Runner and The 13th Reality Series.
http://www.jamesdashner.blogspot.com/

Jessica Day George [[[one of my favorite authors!!!]]]
Author of Dragon Slippers; Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow; Dragon Flight; Princess of the Midnight Ball; and Dragon Spear.
http://www.jessicadaygeorge.com/

Krista Marino
Editor for Young Adult and Middle Grade books for Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books. Recent books she's edited include The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel Series by Michael Scott, Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, and The Maze Runner by James Dashner.

David Wolverton/Farland
Author of several books, including the Runelords series, and writing instructor of authors like Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Brandon Mull.
http://www.davidfarland.net/ "

Anyone want to do the happy dance with me? I'm doin it, yeah!

I've also completed editing of three more chapters in my Coyote Dreams YA novel which brings the grand total up to...drum roll please... 25 of the 52 chapters are done. I am on target to get this done and ready for final readers by the end of March.

My Horror short, Voodoo Hog, won!

2010-03-01T10:21:00.000-08:00

I've got some fun news today, I wrote a horror short for a writing group competition and it won! That means that it will be included in an anthology at the end of the year. I'm really excited because for one, it's a nice suprise, and for two, I've never written anything horror before so it was really a challenge for me to write. This next part is cut and pasted out of the thread so you can see the announcement. Anyone want to do the happy dance with me? *doin it, oh yeah, doin the happy dance*

"The Winner of February's Aspiring Writers Short Story Competition

Before I begin, can I give a big thank you to both all the participants of the February competition and all the judges who gave their time in marking what was a really interesting and close fought fight for the genre of 'Horror', which for many of you took you way out of your comfort zone.

I trust that everyone had as much fun reading the stories, as I'm sure the writers had in writing them. The judges certainly weren't unanimous in their decision, which shows both the diversity and quality of the writing.

When collating all the scores, the lead kept changing all the time, which demonstrating how close it was at the top.

In 3rd place was 'Oh Dear' written by Candice Adams

In 2nd place was 'There's only room here for myself by Julia Tagliere

And the winner of February's Aspiring Writers Short Story Competition is..................

...Wendy Swore for 'Voodoo Hog'

So a BIG congratulations to Wendy for an excellent contribution and a worthy winner of our first monthly competition. Wendy's story will now go forward to our Grand Final at the end of the year"

My Spring Writing Goals

2010-02-20T12:59:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, I have been working on a YA novel with the working title Coyote Dreams since last year. The exciting news is that I am in the final stages of editing and should have the finished manuscript ready for one last read through at the end of March. I have been editing a chapter a day and need to keep up that pace to meet my goal. By the end of April, I'll have the synopsis and query letter done and sent out to prospective agents and publishers. The reason for the end of March goal is because I need to finish it before farming starts and I will be attending my first writing conference in Provo on April 23rd (2010 LDS Writer's Conference Anyone want to go with me? Check out their badge in the bottom left of the screen- scroll down). I want to be able to say; yes, I have a finished manuscript, and here's the synopsis--not, yeah, I've been working on this story for a really long time and it's still not done. See? That just doesn't sound near as good.

What's it about, you ask? It is a story about a farm family, living on the ShoBan reservation that must overcome tragedy and danger that comes to them in the form of a malicious white dog, the Ghost. 16 year old Jenna struggles to run the farm without her parents and has to face her fears in order to keep her little brother safe.

I have learned so much about writing and how to make the story really come alive since I started. What's more, I have awesome writing friends who have been willing to help me along the way so I can grow as a writer.

On any given day this spring if you wonder what I'm up to, you can make a safe guess that it's writing and editing that takes all my time not spent with my kids or housecleaning.

Quotes That Shaped My Character.

2010-01-25T21:26:00.000-08:00

What win I if I gain the thing I seek?
A dream, a breath, a froth of fleeting joy?
Who buys a minutes mirth to wail a week,
Or sells eternity to get a toy?
For one sweet grape who will the vine destroy?
Or what fond beggar, but to touch the crown,
would with the sceptre straight be strucken down?

From The Rape of Lucrece, by Shakespeare

This quote ran through my mind whenever I wanted to do something that might have far reaching consequences. It gave the moment of pause to look before I leap.

Another:

There is no chance, no fate, no destiny, that can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.

By Ella Wheeler Wilcox

I knew that failure only came if I was not determined enough to see a project through. That the ultimate success or failure in my life could only be attributed to me.

Have you any quotes that shaped you?

New Writing Goals for the New Year

2010-01-11T09:54:00.001-08:00

Last year I finished the first draft of my YA novel, Ghost Hunted, started on my next, Firebug, and got 2 of my short stories (Letting Go and The Foundation) published in the ebook Menage-a-20. Not a bad start to my writing career, but this year I plan to finish both manuscripts, start my third and send out query letters.

"Consistency is the key to productivity." I can't recall who said that, but I know it to be true. So if you would like to know what I'll doing on any given day this year, you can rest assured that in addition to my required tasks of mothering my children, and working on the farm (either accounting or slaving away outside), I will make the time to write.

May you find the heart to follow your dreams in this new year as well.

The First Quote of the Week

2010-01-09T16:53:00.000-08:00

Have you ever found that special quote in your life that you can rely on to help lighten the load and inspire confidence?

This was one such a quote for me:

"Be who you are...
say what you feel...
Those who mind don't matter...
and those who matter don't mind."

Dr. Seuss

Wisdom comes in many shapes and sizes.

Oh look, I made a blog.

2010-01-08T22:35:00.000-08:00

Yay for me.
Hang in there while I find my way around a blog. I'll get it figured out- eventually.

Goddess of the Corn

On Little Wings, Giveaway & Interview With Author Regina Sirois

Is Your Blog Easy To Follow?

My eBook Aha Moment

Winners of the Transcendent Giveaway!

Indie Book Fair! Sweet New Books for Your eReader.

Over 25 Free Books, Ebooks, and SWAG in This Giveaway!

Transcendent Interview with Heather McCubbin

Free Books, Prizes, and Goodies! The Transcendent Blog Tour Starts Now!

Awesome New Paranormal YA Anthology!

Awesome Shirt

Winners for the Variant Giveaway

Kidlet#1 Reviews: Tears by Rita J Webb.

Variant Giveaway to Celebrate Writing Season

Grammar Thief, and the Hag Herself.

COLORLESS took second...again!

DARK LIFE, One of the Coolest YA Books Ever

The Winner of POSSESSION by Elana Johnson is....

Summer Giveaway, POSSESSION by Elana Johnson!

Pop Quiz, How Well Do You Know Me?

My Author Website

COLORLESS Won 3rd...

My Successful Pitch

Practicing Your Pitch

DEPTH OF DECEIT Givaway!

If Zombies Attack

Winners of Adopt a Book!

Adopt a Book!

Egyptian Revolution--A View From the Inside, Part 6 (Final)

Egytpian Revolution--A View From the Inside, Part 5

Egyptian Revolution--A View From the Inside, part 4

Egyptian Revolution--A View From the Inside, Part 3

Egyptian Revolution--A View From the Inside, Part 2

The Egyptian Revolution--A View From the Inside

Come to Storymakers 2011 Writer's Conference with me!

Here's the good news I told you about

Good News is Coming!

Come, young grasshopper, let's be Ninjas!

In which I help a few kids and have a blast…

Ever feel like this while reading?

What Makes You Stop Reading?

Meet Aprilynne Pike, Best-Selling YA Author

Reflecting on NaNoWriMo

Colorless- A Peek at the Story

The Riyria Revalations, a Fantasy Series Worth Reading

Taking the Plunge: NaNoWriMo

Winners of the INTRINSICAL Givaway!

Intrinsical, a New Twist on the Paranormal

My IRL Update

Winners of the UNLOCKED Giveaway!

Good News & Bad News

UNLOCKED has been...well, unlocked. *Happy Release Day Everyone!*

Book Trailer for Unlocked & Book Giveaway!

Mark your Calendar--UNLOCKED is coming August 13th!

A Panel Discussion with Stephanie Black

A Panel Discussion With Author Dan Wells

New Set Of Posts About Writing On The Way!

Winner of the Drabble Contest...

A Visit With Heather Justesen, Author of Rebound

Contest: 100 Words = ANY Book You Want!

A visit with James Dashner and Jeff Savage -part 2 of 2-

A visit with James Dashner and Jeff Savage -part 1 of 2-

Make the Time

Agent Laura Rennert's Tips on Queries

Author David Wolverton/Farland

The Writer's Conference was Superb!

Avoid the Ticking Clock Mentality

My Lucky Day!

My Horror short, Voodoo Hog, won!

My Spring Writing Goals

Quotes That Shaped My Character.

New Writing Goals for the New Year

The First Quote of the Week

Oh look, I made a blog.

UNLOCKED has been...well, unlocked. Happy Release Day Everyone!