Hey all! My mom fell off her horse today, so today was out for doing pretty much anything. She's okay though, thank heavens. Only hurt her leg (which is now braced).
I'll try to come back later with something more meaningful, but for now, you can check out my post on C. Lee McKenzie's blog about my querying process.
...And now I'm back.
So there's two and a half hours left until NaNoWriMo starts. I've arranged my day tomorrow so that I can get more writing done in the morning. Because that's where I think I'm going to win time. The mornings, when no one's around to distract me.
But first, I need to get back into the routine of waking up early. But before that, I really really want to be here at midnight to get some words down. Even if it's just for thirty minutes.
I'll see how I feel, though. NaNo's actually a marathon, not a sprint. In the meantime, I'm playing more music to get into the mood, I'm rereading some of my projects, and I'll be drinking water like a fiend.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, will be the extent of my NaNo Prep.
Are you ready?
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Skye Callahan's Fractured Legacy
Hey all! I'm hanging out at Laura's today, talking about my NaNoWriMo/Drafting Method. Hope to see you there! In the meantime, I'm repaying a favor and showing an awesome cover on my blog. ^_^
Kaylyn Anderson's fascination with abandoned places and dark creatures kindled her work as a paranormal investigator. But when dreams begin to distort reality, she questions what is real and pulls away from everyone she trusts. The opportunity to investigate the Teague Hotel--a long-abandoned landmark that has always piqued her curiosity--provides a chance to redeem herself. Unraveling the hotel's secrets won't be easy, but Kaylyn soon finds herself the target of a dark entity that has been trapped in the building for decades. If Kaylyn stands any chance of defeating the spirit, she'll have to accept that her fears are real and convince fellow investigators that she hasn't lost her mind.
Buy your copy on Amazon. Read the first 3 chapters on Wattpad Follow along with the Release Tour for interviews, excerpts, reviews, and a chance to win a signed paperback (US), bookmarks and Fractured Legacy swag in the Rafflecopter giveaway.
Can Kaylyn figure out how to stop a spirit that has been looking for her since she was a child?
Available Now!
Fractured Legacy by Skye Callahan
Kaylyn Anderson's fascination with abandoned places and dark creatures kindled her work as a paranormal investigator. But when dreams begin to distort reality, she questions what is real and pulls away from everyone she trusts. The opportunity to investigate the Teague Hotel--a long-abandoned landmark that has always piqued her curiosity--provides a chance to redeem herself. Unraveling the hotel's secrets won't be easy, but Kaylyn soon finds herself the target of a dark entity that has been trapped in the building for decades. If Kaylyn stands any chance of defeating the spirit, she'll have to accept that her fears are real and convince fellow investigators that she hasn't lost her mind.
Buy your copy on Amazon. Read the first 3 chapters on Wattpad Follow along with the Release Tour for interviews, excerpts, reviews, and a chance to win a signed paperback (US), bookmarks and Fractured Legacy swag in the Rafflecopter giveaway.
About the Author: Skye Callahan
Skye Callahan was born and raised in Ohio and has seen enough unbelievable stuff to feed a lifetime of paranormal stories. When not writing or working at the dayjob, she hangs out with her ethnomusicologist husband and pet ferrets, reads, and takes long walks through the cemetery.
Now who else thinks this story sounds right in season?
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Well... this sucks... but let me tell you about this interesting thing...
Mmm. My blog tour host absconded with my post, it seems. Or she's asleep and the time zone difference is killing us. Or aliens sucked my blog from her schedule.
Either way, although I waited all day for the link to go live, it hasn't.
*blink blink*
So... uh... *does a random tap dance*
And now, on to a somewhat more regular posting.
I figured I'd do a post on something weird today. Or... not weird. Just different.
See recently, the stresses of my day-job with the magician fruit thieves *snarl* had a massive toll on me. Not only was I becoming about as snappish as a non-extinct and hungry TRex, but my creativity was suffering. As was every single other activity in my life.
It came to the point where I went to a psychologist, knowing I'd never faced this sort of stress before. I needed a way to deal with everything. A healthy way.
Not being one to pop pills, I was pleasantly surprised when he shared my sentiment. The surprise grew when he introduced me to this thing called Emotion Freedom Technique, EFT.
It's weird. Really weird. Basically, the premise is that our bodies build up with negative emotions until the result is quite similar to an electric short circuit. Our thoughts, memories, basically everything works on electric impulses running through our nervous system. Negative things like fear, perfectionism, anger, trauma etc. mess with the way the impulses flow.
And when that happens, we lose our capacity to perform certain tasks. Or any tasks, for that matter.
I think you guys know what I mean. That sucky feeling you get when you've had a bad day, followed by feeling as if you're writing through goo in your brain? Yup. That's what I'm talking about.
So far, so normal(ish). The weird thing is that tapping, or rubbing certain nerve points on your body can make it go away. It doesn't remove the cause or the memories of your problem, but it usually makes the fear and angst associated with it disappear. And when that happens, it's easier to deal with everything.
The best thing (for me) about it is that it can take as little as ten minutes to get rid of baggage. Sometimes it comes back, but I can get rid of it again, and again, and again.
This month, I basically dropped into the doldrums because of the magical fruit thieves, me not being able to write, the cat dying and all other manners of tiny but significant tortures. Usually I come out of the funk soon enough, but this time, it just kept on coming. So today, I decided to give the tapping a chance.
I'm already feeling a ton better. And I'll probably do it again closer to NaNo. In the meantime, I'm rearing to get back into my stories. Guess I should have done the EFT sooner.
Anyway, it's really easy to learn, but it is in a bit of an experimental stage, so if you think it might help you in some way (and it probably can), please go find a professional who can help you. I think it's safe, but I'd be irresponsible if I didn't refer you to those who know better than me.
Anyone hear of EFT or use it?
Either way, although I waited all day for the link to go live, it hasn't.
*blink blink*
So... uh... *does a random tap dance*
And now, on to a somewhat more regular posting.
I figured I'd do a post on something weird today. Or... not weird. Just different.
See recently, the stresses of my day-job with the magician fruit thieves *snarl* had a massive toll on me. Not only was I becoming about as snappish as a non-extinct and hungry TRex, but my creativity was suffering. As was every single other activity in my life.
It came to the point where I went to a psychologist, knowing I'd never faced this sort of stress before. I needed a way to deal with everything. A healthy way.
Not being one to pop pills, I was pleasantly surprised when he shared my sentiment. The surprise grew when he introduced me to this thing called Emotion Freedom Technique, EFT.
It's weird. Really weird. Basically, the premise is that our bodies build up with negative emotions until the result is quite similar to an electric short circuit. Our thoughts, memories, basically everything works on electric impulses running through our nervous system. Negative things like fear, perfectionism, anger, trauma etc. mess with the way the impulses flow.
And when that happens, we lose our capacity to perform certain tasks. Or any tasks, for that matter.
I think you guys know what I mean. That sucky feeling you get when you've had a bad day, followed by feeling as if you're writing through goo in your brain? Yup. That's what I'm talking about.
So far, so normal(ish). The weird thing is that tapping, or rubbing certain nerve points on your body can make it go away. It doesn't remove the cause or the memories of your problem, but it usually makes the fear and angst associated with it disappear. And when that happens, it's easier to deal with everything.
The best thing (for me) about it is that it can take as little as ten minutes to get rid of baggage. Sometimes it comes back, but I can get rid of it again, and again, and again.
This month, I basically dropped into the doldrums because of the magical fruit thieves, me not being able to write, the cat dying and all other manners of tiny but significant tortures. Usually I come out of the funk soon enough, but this time, it just kept on coming. So today, I decided to give the tapping a chance.
I'm already feeling a ton better. And I'll probably do it again closer to NaNo. In the meantime, I'm rearing to get back into my stories. Guess I should have done the EFT sooner.
Anyway, it's really easy to learn, but it is in a bit of an experimental stage, so if you think it might help you in some way (and it probably can), please go find a professional who can help you. I think it's safe, but I'd be irresponsible if I didn't refer you to those who know better than me.
Anyone hear of EFT or use it?
Monday, October 28, 2013
Re-evaluation completed
Hey all! Before I start, just want to let you know that I'm at S.K. Anthony's blog talking about how I beat insecurities and at Gwen Gardner's talking about how I create complex characters.
So, as I mentioned on Friday, I'll be doing NaNoWriMo again this year, but that at this stage I needed to re-evaluate how I was going to approach it.
I decided I'm going to let myself off the hook while pushing myself at the same time. Sounds crazy, I know, but here's how I look at it.
As far as drafting's concerned, I don't really care what my word counts go towards, as long as I write. So at the moment, I'm a bit too stressed to focus on my current WiPs, but it doesn't mean that I shouldn't write. Just means I can write without focusing on a given project.
Does it mean I'm wasting my time? Probably not. The way I see it, I'll be adding words to most of my projects, since I won't really be able to stay away from them. Maybe not 50k to one, but I'll finish all of them anyway.
Also, doing prompts will open up my thoughts again. It's been weeks since I could focus on writing, so I need to get back into the swing of things.
Besides, who knows? Maybe one or more of those random prompts I'll do will lead to an awesome story.
Who else is doing NaNo? If you want to buddy up, my user name's iceangel. What will you be working on?
So, as I mentioned on Friday, I'll be doing NaNoWriMo again this year, but that at this stage I needed to re-evaluate how I was going to approach it.
I decided I'm going to let myself off the hook while pushing myself at the same time. Sounds crazy, I know, but here's how I look at it.
As far as drafting's concerned, I don't really care what my word counts go towards, as long as I write. So at the moment, I'm a bit too stressed to focus on my current WiPs, but it doesn't mean that I shouldn't write. Just means I can write without focusing on a given project.
Does it mean I'm wasting my time? Probably not. The way I see it, I'll be adding words to most of my projects, since I won't really be able to stay away from them. Maybe not 50k to one, but I'll finish all of them anyway.
Also, doing prompts will open up my thoughts again. It's been weeks since I could focus on writing, so I need to get back into the swing of things.
Besides, who knows? Maybe one or more of those random prompts I'll do will lead to an awesome story.
Who else is doing NaNo? If you want to buddy up, my user name's iceangel. What will you be working on?
Friday, October 25, 2013
Update Day
Before I start, I just want to let you know that I'm at Tyrean's for an one-word interview. Also, I'm visiting Alex to share a Nordian joke.
And now, to the point. You know... This month started off on a high. The Vanished Knight got published, and I have a sneaking suspicion that it's doing pretty good for a debut.
But other than that, I can safely say the wheels have come off. See, the drafting in my down-time went to hell when my publisher let me know that hey, edits are done and I'd be published a week later. (Not really anyone's fault, and honestly, it turned out well, so I don't mind.)
What I do mind is that I'm simply not in a head space to write. Tried to kick-start it by writing 31k by the end of the month. I managed 10k. 8k of which were guest posts.
Then there were family trips, work issues (which I will continue to refuse to dignify with expansion on the internet) and this week, food poisoning. In fact, I'm only starting to feel human again now.
Except I'm feeling a lot like an injured one. Because today, one of my family's cats died. Just so you know, it wasn't one of the kittens. It was an older cat. Eight years old, but utterly devoted to my brother. His loss has been closely felt in my family. And I'm crying as I write this. Honestly, he was too young to die, and his illness was way too sudden. It took him in one week. We don't know why, but maybe we'll have some answers when the necropsy comes back. I'm just praying now that this isn't something contagious.
So yeah. I'm currently physically and emotionally tired. And I really need a rest. Blog hiatus is out of the question, though. And I'm NOT going to miss NaNo.
I will, however re-evaluate in this week before NaNo starts. I'm not sure if I want to work on any important drafts right now. Right now, I don't think I need to feel like writing is work. So I'll need to figure out a way to get me writing in a way that'll get me back on capacity. Without pushing me over the edge.
Where are you writing-wise?
EDIT: The necropsy came back. Seems the cat's cause of death was congenital. He had smaller than average kidneys and liver, and the longest small intestine either of the animal hospital's vets have ever seen. Looks like Sylvester had been suffering for some time without us knowing, and it was just a matter of time before his systems shut down.
We did see him before he died, and it seems as if he'd waited the whole day for us to visit. Because the vet found he'd died within an hour after that. Already missing him like hell.
And now, to the point. You know... This month started off on a high. The Vanished Knight got published, and I have a sneaking suspicion that it's doing pretty good for a debut.
But other than that, I can safely say the wheels have come off. See, the drafting in my down-time went to hell when my publisher let me know that hey, edits are done and I'd be published a week later. (Not really anyone's fault, and honestly, it turned out well, so I don't mind.)
What I do mind is that I'm simply not in a head space to write. Tried to kick-start it by writing 31k by the end of the month. I managed 10k. 8k of which were guest posts.
Then there were family trips, work issues (which I will continue to refuse to dignify with expansion on the internet) and this week, food poisoning. In fact, I'm only starting to feel human again now.
Except I'm feeling a lot like an injured one. Because today, one of my family's cats died. Just so you know, it wasn't one of the kittens. It was an older cat. Eight years old, but utterly devoted to my brother. His loss has been closely felt in my family. And I'm crying as I write this. Honestly, he was too young to die, and his illness was way too sudden. It took him in one week. We don't know why, but maybe we'll have some answers when the necropsy comes back. I'm just praying now that this isn't something contagious.
So yeah. I'm currently physically and emotionally tired. And I really need a rest. Blog hiatus is out of the question, though. And I'm NOT going to miss NaNo.
I will, however re-evaluate in this week before NaNo starts. I'm not sure if I want to work on any important drafts right now. Right now, I don't think I need to feel like writing is work. So I'll need to figure out a way to get me writing in a way that'll get me back on capacity. Without pushing me over the edge.
Where are you writing-wise?
EDIT: The necropsy came back. Seems the cat's cause of death was congenital. He had smaller than average kidneys and liver, and the longest small intestine either of the animal hospital's vets have ever seen. Looks like Sylvester had been suffering for some time without us knowing, and it was just a matter of time before his systems shut down.
We did see him before he died, and it seems as if he'd waited the whole day for us to visit. Because the vet found he'd died within an hour after that. Already missing him like hell.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Magna's Plea by Cherie Reich
An excerpt of Magna’s Plea by Cherie Reich
Amora
12-13 Days of Luquiry
Year 1717 AUC
Tendrils of smoke swirled heavenward. The smoldering
stench reached Princess Magna at the top of the palace’s northern tower. She
wrinkled her nose at the unpleasant odor, yet it still smelled better than the
filth plaguing the besieged seven-hilled city.
She’d vowed to protect Amora. Her
heart shattered a little more each day at the devastation afflicting her
kingdom.
The once grassy and flower-filled
plain sprouted dust plumes from the trampling feet. As the sun neared the
western horizon, a bloody hue washed over the battlefield. Tiny, metallic dins
and men’s shouts rang out. Magical bursts flashed in the sky like Thean’s
lightning, beautiful and deadly. A wooden catapult hurled a human-sized stone
slab into the city’s wall. Magna jerked away from the opened window she stood
before, as if the object had struck her instead. Rock crumbled from the impact,
but the barrier held.
When the reddish orb sank lower, the
fighting ceased. War’s chaos parted into two orderly sides, and soldiers
crossed the field to gather their dead.
She brushed a shaky hand over her
cheeks. Tears dampened her face, and she struggled to turn away from the battle
before her. Almost two months had passed since the Apenthans had begun their
attack Amora. How much longer could the Amorans—she—stay safe behind their impenetrable
wall?
Book
Description: A princess will rise and
challenge Fate.
While her father, brothers, and people fight against the Kingdom of Apentha, tenacious eighteen-year-old Princess Magna can only watch the destruction of Amora, her besieged city and kingdom. Her mother, Queen Vyvian, has refused to allow her heir to join the fray.
But Magna won't take no for an answer. She seeks out an end of the war from Prince Cyrun of Apentha, their prisoner. If she can't persuade him toward peace, then Amora may fall.
This short story prequel includes a sneak peek of Reborn, Book One of The Fate Challenges, forthcoming May 2014.
YA Epic Fantasy
The Fate Challenges #0.5
A 5500-word Short Story
While her father, brothers, and people fight against the Kingdom of Apentha, tenacious eighteen-year-old Princess Magna can only watch the destruction of Amora, her besieged city and kingdom. Her mother, Queen Vyvian, has refused to allow her heir to join the fray.
But Magna won't take no for an answer. She seeks out an end of the war from Prince Cyrun of Apentha, their prisoner. If she can't persuade him toward peace, then Amora may fall.
This short story prequel includes a sneak peek of Reborn, Book One of The Fate Challenges, forthcoming May 2014.
YA Epic Fantasy
The Fate Challenges #0.5
A 5500-word Short Story
Read online at Wattpad
Add to Goodreads
About the
Author: A self-proclaimed bookworm, Cherie Reich is a speculative fiction
writer, freelance editor, book blogger, and library assistant living in
Virginia. Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies, and her
books include the horror series Nightmare,
a space fantasy novella trilogy titled Gravity,
and the fantasy series The Foxwick
Chronicles. She is Vice President of Valley Writers and a member of the
Virginia Writers Club and Untethered Realms.
Her debut YA Epic Fantasy novel Reborn, book one in The Fate
Challenges, will be released on May 23, 2014.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Paul Anthony Shortt on Consequences
Hey all! Today I want to welcome Paul Anthony Shortt to my blog! Before we go into that, though, I just want to let you know where I am and what I'm doing. :-)
First, I'm doing an excerpt swap with Quanie Miller, author of the up coming book It Ain't Easy Being Jazzy. My excerpt is here. Hers is here. By the way, if you haven't met Quanie yet, I suggest you check out the writings she's posted so far. The lady has some kick-ass talent and I'm looking forward to read Jazzy.
Second, I'm visiting Rebecca to talk about writing a series.
Hope to see you there!
Okay, take it away Paul. Adore the cover, by the way.
First, I'm doing an excerpt swap with Quanie Miller, author of the up coming book It Ain't Easy Being Jazzy. My excerpt is here. Hers is here. By the way, if you haven't met Quanie yet, I suggest you check out the writings she's posted so far. The lady has some kick-ass talent and I'm looking forward to read Jazzy.
Second, I'm visiting Rebecca to talk about writing a series.
Hope to see you there!
Okay, take it away Paul. Adore the cover, by the way.
Consequences
Today’s guest post is pretty self-explanatory. A good story needs consequences. A character can’t run around, messing with the plans of powerful beings, throwing their own lives into disarray, and expect to get off scott-free.
At the end of Locked Within, Nathan Shepherd has suffered for his actions against the Council of Chains, and his obsession with unexplained murders. One friend of mine describes it as Nathan having “the worst week of his life.” And that’s true.
Or it was, anyway.
In Silent Oath, Nathan has to contend with the demands of his new role. The more he fights to keep people save, the harder he has to work. It’s as if his reward for each heroic act is to be presented with ever more dangerous challenges. He has to learn that it’s not enough to kill a few vampires. He must build something that allows the people of New York to protect themselves. He needs a conclave, a united group of people in the know to stand united against the Council of Chains.
But even that noble goal will have unexpected consequences. Outside conclaves look to Nathan for support. As his reputation grows, amid rumours that he is not just any reborn, but in fact the reincarnation of a legendary hero, he finds that more enemies want to challenge him, which those under his care look to him more and more for guidance.
Nathan must rise to this, and take charge if he is to do any real good.
However, reincarnation is tricky, and Nathan’s memories haven’t finished coming. He has other things to remember; events in past lives that will leave him shaken to his core. His actions, past and present, are leading him, inexorably, to war. For all his determination and strength, Nathan could stand to lose everything he’s built, and he doesn’t yet even remember why.
This is why consequences are so important in a story. As I wrote Silent Oath I thought more about Nathan’s past lives and how centuries of death and rebirth might affect him. What lengths would he go to in order to keep people safe? What if he wanted to have a quiet, peaceful life for a change? Fate has a funny way of dragging heroes back into action, no matter what they may do. This, too, is a consequence. The events that unfold throughout Silent Oath all stem from action or inaction on Nathan’s part. The challenge is for him to not only defeat his new enemies, but come to terms with the way he has changed things in New York, for better and for worse.
Bio:
A child at heart who turned to writing and roleplaying games when there simply weren't enough action figures to play out the stories he wanted, Paul Anthony Shortt has been writing all his life. Growing up surrounded by music, film and theatre gave him a deep love of all forms of storytelling, each teaching him something new he could use. When not playing with the people in his head, he enjoys cooking and regular meet-ups with his gaming group.
Paul lives in Ireland with his wife Jen and their dogs, Pepper and Jasper. Their first child, Conor William Henry Shortt, was born on July 11th, 2011. He passed away three days later, but brought love and joy into their lives and those of their friends. The following year, Jen gave birth to twins, Amy and Erica, and is now expecting their fourth child.
Paul's first novel, Locked Within, was released on November 6th, 2012, by WiDo Publishing. Silent Oath is the second book in this urban fantasy trilogy.
Blurb:
Hope has returned to New York City. Nathan Shepherd leads a small band of dedicated fighters against the Council of Chains and the city's supernatural masters. But it's not enough. Because from the shadows of Nathan's former lives comes an old enemy, one who knows terrible secrets that Nathan has not yet remembered, secrets that could undo everything he has fought for.
Nathan's only chance to uncover the memories of his previous existence, and to conquer these new forces of evil, lies in Elena DeSantis. A woman he has fought beside in past lifetimes. A woman he has loved.
Together, Nathan and Elena are the only future the city has.
Links:
Twitter: @PAShortt
Quanie Miller's It Ain't Easy Being Jazzy
Excerpt:
Finally, my curiosity got the best of me. I went outside because the conference room had a window. I squeezed my behind through two bushes and squatted. Yes! The blinds weren’t down all the way, so if I turned my head to the right angle, I could see…Blondie’s ass? That was no good. Wait—why was she standing? Didn’t people normally sit down at meetings? Her goons stood too, and then so did Lynnette, Rudy, and Jack. I wondered if Lynnette could take this woman. Lynnette was small, but I’ve seen her beat the shit out of a vending machine that gave her a Kit-Kat instead of the Snickers Bar she wanted. Blondie had the height advantage. And Rudy - he looked like one of those guys who always got beat up by girls in school. And Jack…he wore Bill Cosby sweaters. I knew good and well he couldn’t whup no ass. What should I do? I ran back inside and went to the kitchen. Lynnette said to give her an hour before I called for her nun-chucks. Maybe if I saved the day, she would give me a raise.
The iron. Blondie and her goons were in for a surprise because I would take that iron and…what? Crease their clothes? Or worse, make them grilled cheese sandwiches? What if they had a gun? Then I would look silly, bringing an iron to a gun fight. I would never live that down. But the anticipation made me antsy. What in the world was going on in that room? Suddenly, the conference door opened. I knew that if I wanted to eavesdrop I would have to be discrete. Too bad I tripped on my own foot and went sprawling head first into the hallway, landing right near Blondie’s stiletto. I looked up. I swear she seemed thirteen feet tall.
She said, in her deep, gurgling, sexy chicken voice, “Thanks for the Pellegrinos.” She stepped over me and so did The Slick Back Kids. Inside the conference room, Lynnette, Rudy, and Jack were all scribbling feverishly on those notepads. When Lynnette sensed she was being watched, she hopped up and shut the door. I felt like they were Desi and I was Lucy Ricardo; why couldn’t I be in the show? I ran back to my office and peeped out the window, but Blondie and her entourage were gone. I sat at my desk for the rest of the day, wondering if they were doing something illegal, and if so, why didn’t they ask me to participate?
Blurb:
Jazzy secretly wants to get back together with her ex-boyfriend, Curtis, so when he calls and reveals that he’s got something important to tell her, she’s got no idea that he’s about to propose—to her first cousin and bitter rival, Mercedes.
The annual family dinner is coming up, and fearing that she will spend the evening seething while Mercedes flaunts her four carat engagement ring in her face, Jazzy asks Reggie, an Adonis she met at the mall, to accompany her. As fate would have it, not only did Reggie and Mercedes used to date; that backstabbing, leopard print wearing cow is still carrying a torch for him! Revenge. It’s never been so sweet.
But falling for Reggie? Holy crap! That wasn’t part of the plan! She’s got enough on her plate as it is; restaurant shootouts, a neurotic boss, a mother who spies on the neighbors, and a sister and best friend with man problems that could land them on Jerry Springer. Who has time to fall in love? So when Curtis comes sniffing around again—this time, with an accusation that sends her blood pressure shooting through the roof—the one good nerve that Jazzy’s got left has just about run its course.
Bio:
Quanie Miller grew up in New Iberia, Louisiana. She fell in love with reading at an early age and spent most of her time at the Iberia Parish Library discovering new authors like R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike (she was often found walking back home from the library with a stack of books that went up to her chin). She holds degrees from Louisiana State University and San Jose State University. She has been the recipient of the James Phelan Literary Award, the Louis King Thore Scholarship, the BEA Student Scriptwriting Award, and the Vicki Hudson Emerging Writing Prize. She loves writing humorous stories about strong willed, sassy women who can’t keep themselves out of trouble. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina with her husband and is currently, as always, working on another novel. To find out more about Quanie and her works in progress visit quanietalkswriting.com.
Buy Link:
http://www.amazon.com/It-Aint-Easy-Being-Jazzy-ebook/dp/B00FVAFA4A
Social Media Links:
quaniemiller.com
Monday, October 21, 2013
I'm not doing a post today, but luckily you can find me here. Plus a haiku on pie.
Yeah lucky thing I arranged these visits ages ago, because today I barely have the energy to type. So if you're at all interested in getting your Misha fix today:
1) I'm hanging out with Darrion and Gawain from The Vanished Knight at the A to Z Challenge blog.
2) I did an interview with Laura on writing on whether I prefer cake or pie. Answer is cake. Probably forever. See below for the reason.
3) Michael wrote a cool intro to The Vanished Knight.
4) I'm visiting Robin, talking about how I first started writing.
I hope to spot you at any or all of these. Probably later. Right now, I'm going back to sleep. Before that, though, you deserve an explanation, both about why I lack energy and why I now hate pie.
My haiku on pie.
There once was a pie,
I devoured without thought of
it poisoning me.
On that lovely thought, I leave you today. Anyone else wanted to die from food poisoning before?
1) I'm hanging out with Darrion and Gawain from The Vanished Knight at the A to Z Challenge blog.
2) I did an interview with Laura on writing on whether I prefer cake or pie. Answer is cake. Probably forever. See below for the reason.
3) Michael wrote a cool intro to The Vanished Knight.
4) I'm visiting Robin, talking about how I first started writing.
I hope to spot you at any or all of these. Probably later. Right now, I'm going back to sleep. Before that, though, you deserve an explanation, both about why I lack energy and why I now hate pie.
My haiku on pie.
There once was a pie,
I devoured without thought of
it poisoning me.
On that lovely thought, I leave you today. Anyone else wanted to die from food poisoning before?
Friday, October 18, 2013
I'm out and about again.
Hey all! Sadly, another quick post from me today. You'd think that having time off would give me more time to write... :-/
Anyway, today I'm at Father Dragon's Cave talking about how goals helped me get The Vanished Knight Published.
Hope to see you there!
Thursday, October 17, 2013
The Art of Self Publishing
Hey all! Today I'm over at Sheena's talking about the good and bad about living in South Africa. Hope to see you there! In the meantime, I want to welcome Jamie to The Five Year Project. He's recently self-published a book that promises to be awesome, and has generously offered to share what he's learned about self-publishing.
Take it away, Jamie!
So you’ve written a book, and you’ve decided to publish it yourself. You poor, misguided soul. Don’t worry, I’m just as poor and misguided as you. Luckily I’ve put myself through the wringer and am prepared to share what I’ve learned to help you in your current and/or future projects. For the purpose of this post, I’m going to assume you’re already at the final stage of your project. You’ve already gotten an editor, and your cover design is finalized (or on your way to it) and now you’re unsure about what to do in regards to self publishing. Allow me to help!
Let’s start with the obvious.
It goes without saying that Amazon is the top ebook retailer, and for good reason. With ebooks now outselling physical books for the first time ever, Amazon sits atop the heap for all things relating to the medium. They have a program called KDP Select (Kindle Direct Publishing) that’s set up to help authors promote their books and garner sales. Through the system, Amazon assists with promotion of your book through email suggestions to Kindle members and it also allows you to set up to 5 days during each 90 day period to give away your book for free. The hitch? While part of the KDP Select program, you can’t be listed through any other ebook retailer.
Take it away, Jamie!
The art of self publishing, and by art I mean what you get after giving a hundred five-year olds finger paints.
So you’ve written a book, and you’ve decided to publish it yourself. You poor, misguided soul. Don’t worry, I’m just as poor and misguided as you. Luckily I’ve put myself through the wringer and am prepared to share what I’ve learned to help you in your current and/or future projects. For the purpose of this post, I’m going to assume you’re already at the final stage of your project. You’ve already gotten an editor, and your cover design is finalized (or on your way to it) and now you’re unsure about what to do in regards to self publishing. Allow me to help!
Let’s start with the obvious.
It goes without saying that Amazon is the top ebook retailer, and for good reason. With ebooks now outselling physical books for the first time ever, Amazon sits atop the heap for all things relating to the medium. They have a program called KDP Select (Kindle Direct Publishing) that’s set up to help authors promote their books and garner sales. Through the system, Amazon assists with promotion of your book through email suggestions to Kindle members and it also allows you to set up to 5 days during each 90 day period to give away your book for free. The hitch? While part of the KDP Select program, you can’t be listed through any other ebook retailer.
Now, I opted to sign up for the KDP select program and remain exclusive to them. My book far exceeded my expectation. I would have been happy just selling a couple dozen copies to people that weren’t my friends or family. Instead, the few hundred copies I sold during my 90 day exclusivity period, and the 500 copies given away for free have helped to validate the feeling that I should be writing a heck of a lot more.
Which leads me to the next point: self promotion. Do you use Twitter? Well, now you should. Facebook? Don’t be afraid to pimp out your work to your friends and family. You may be surprised how many people would be willing to shell out a few books just to support, and you may just turn some of the people you already know into your biggest fans. I’m also a big advocate of Google Plus. Contrary to popular belief, that site is NOT a ghost town, and in fact has more active users than Twitter. If you make all of your posts public, it’s effectively a blog. I’ve made many business contacts through Google Plus, and I’m garnering new followers every day. Don’t forget to join Goodreads while you’re at it.
You opted to start with Amazon, but now your sales are dropping and your KDP select
exclusivity is up. What now?
You’ve got options. Lots and lots of options. Start by reviewing Smashwords.com to see if that’s something you’d like to consider. Their purpose is to help indie authors publish across many platform and to promote them. I haven’t personally done anything with them, but I’m still considering it. I went with four additional carriers aside from Amazon, and it’s been a...process.
What are the pro’s and cons of each?
Nook
I’ve heard that Nook isn’t terribly popular, though it seems to be a decent format. Their process was relatively painless, except when I had to go in and label each of my chapters, one by one. Their self publishing process is supposed to pick out the number of chapters you have and automatically label them, buuuuut it told me I had two chapter. Yep, twenty five chapters distilled into two. I spent the next thirty minutes labelling each chapter. Fun times. Then the book got hung up in “pending” hell for four days until I contacted customer support for them to fix that.
Kobo
Kobo was even simpler than Amazon for self publishing. I’m not totally sure what Kobo is, but they have their own line of ereaders and I liked their site. However, the book has been available for a week, and I haven’t had a single sale. I have no clue how much traffic books on their site get.
Google Play
Another fairly simple process here, though not as simple as Amazon or Kobo. Aside from Amazon, I think Google Play has the best potential for sales. The Play store keeps showing up on more and more devices, especially as Android continues to expand and tablets continue to fly off the shelves. Though I have no idea how it’s doing, since the site refuses to actually give me my sales numbers, after putting me through a three day ordeal where it kept telling me the book “needed action” on some unknown payment issue. Wrote to them, and still had to figure it out on my own after a vague issue.
iBooks
Here’s the thing. I’ve never had any love for Apple. I have a thing about my products being worth the price of admission. Prior to a week ago, I hadn’t signed up for an itunes account. Not only was that a process (why the hell should I give them my credit card just to start an account?), but then I had to get approved as a vendor. So a few days pass by, and I get my approval email. I just need to log in and work with the book to publish it. Simple right? So I go to log in. Invalid password. I try a few different variations of my password, until it boots me out and prompts me to reset. Did I mention that this is the SECOND TIME it’s happened in as many days? I threw my arms up in disgust and decided the few meager sales I might get weren’t worth the hassle, because I had no idea what awaited me once I was able to log in.
The conclusion?
I honestly don’t know if going off of the KDP Select program is worth it. Only time will be able to tell there. I don’t have a bright outlook on that. Amazon isn’t helping with promotion anymore, but the sales are still regular on Kindle. I’m hopeful that my own experiences here in self publishing will help you in deciding which way is best for you. Maybe you’ll decide to stick with KDP Select, or maybe you’ll just publish everywhere you possibly can from the get go. Find what works for you, and experiment!
It’s so easy to hate super heroes. They’re arrogant, they’re destructive, and they’re everywhere. Then there’s the spandex. My God…the spandex. Some want to be famous, some want to get rich, and some just want to dispense their own vision of vigilante justice.
Then there’s Dennis. Married forty something father of three who puts in long hours as a bank executive in Philadelphia. He observes these Supers (general term used for humans with exceptional abilities) daily, cursing as they trash the city, demolish landmarks, and wreak havoc on his insurance premiums.
Dennis’ biggest problem though, is that he’s one of them. He’s spent his entire life just trying to be normal. Getting married, raising a family, and having a good job are all he’s ever wanted. Is it really too much to ask to just live, love, and retire in peace?
Of course it is! Supers are easily monetized. Comic books, movie deals, television shows, public appearances, and well paid security gigs draw people with any kind of powers to join the limelight with the rest. Dennis comes to find that no matter how much you deny who you are, the world will never stop spinning, and you will eventually be dragged right along with it. Unfortunately for him, that dragging is bloody, painful, and unrelenting.
Superpowered is a first person fiction narrative from the eyes of a reluctant, power-wielding human being. Focusing not on super heroes or super villains, but instead on people with extraordinary abilities, this book will take you along for Dennis’ tense, thrilling, and gruesome journey through the highs and heartbreaking lows.
Amazon
Nook
Google Play (where it’s discounted right now)
Kobo
You opted to start with Amazon, but now your sales are dropping and your KDP select
exclusivity is up. What now?
You’ve got options. Lots and lots of options. Start by reviewing Smashwords.com to see if that’s something you’d like to consider. Their purpose is to help indie authors publish across many platform and to promote them. I haven’t personally done anything with them, but I’m still considering it. I went with four additional carriers aside from Amazon, and it’s been a...process.
What are the pro’s and cons of each?
Nook
I’ve heard that Nook isn’t terribly popular, though it seems to be a decent format. Their process was relatively painless, except when I had to go in and label each of my chapters, one by one. Their self publishing process is supposed to pick out the number of chapters you have and automatically label them, buuuuut it told me I had two chapter. Yep, twenty five chapters distilled into two. I spent the next thirty minutes labelling each chapter. Fun times. Then the book got hung up in “pending” hell for four days until I contacted customer support for them to fix that.
Kobo
Kobo was even simpler than Amazon for self publishing. I’m not totally sure what Kobo is, but they have their own line of ereaders and I liked their site. However, the book has been available for a week, and I haven’t had a single sale. I have no clue how much traffic books on their site get.
Google Play
Another fairly simple process here, though not as simple as Amazon or Kobo. Aside from Amazon, I think Google Play has the best potential for sales. The Play store keeps showing up on more and more devices, especially as Android continues to expand and tablets continue to fly off the shelves. Though I have no idea how it’s doing, since the site refuses to actually give me my sales numbers, after putting me through a three day ordeal where it kept telling me the book “needed action” on some unknown payment issue. Wrote to them, and still had to figure it out on my own after a vague issue.
iBooks
Here’s the thing. I’ve never had any love for Apple. I have a thing about my products being worth the price of admission. Prior to a week ago, I hadn’t signed up for an itunes account. Not only was that a process (why the hell should I give them my credit card just to start an account?), but then I had to get approved as a vendor. So a few days pass by, and I get my approval email. I just need to log in and work with the book to publish it. Simple right? So I go to log in. Invalid password. I try a few different variations of my password, until it boots me out and prompts me to reset. Did I mention that this is the SECOND TIME it’s happened in as many days? I threw my arms up in disgust and decided the few meager sales I might get weren’t worth the hassle, because I had no idea what awaited me once I was able to log in.
The conclusion?
I honestly don’t know if going off of the KDP Select program is worth it. Only time will be able to tell there. I don’t have a bright outlook on that. Amazon isn’t helping with promotion anymore, but the sales are still regular on Kindle. I’m hopeful that my own experiences here in self publishing will help you in deciding which way is best for you. Maybe you’ll decide to stick with KDP Select, or maybe you’ll just publish everywhere you possibly can from the get go. Find what works for you, and experiment!
 |
It’s so easy to hate super heroes. They’re arrogant, they’re destructive, and they’re everywhere. Then there’s the spandex. My God…the spandex. Some want to be famous, some want to get rich, and some just want to dispense their own vision of vigilante justice.
Then there’s Dennis. Married forty something father of three who puts in long hours as a bank executive in Philadelphia. He observes these Supers (general term used for humans with exceptional abilities) daily, cursing as they trash the city, demolish landmarks, and wreak havoc on his insurance premiums.
Dennis’ biggest problem though, is that he’s one of them. He’s spent his entire life just trying to be normal. Getting married, raising a family, and having a good job are all he’s ever wanted. Is it really too much to ask to just live, love, and retire in peace?
Of course it is! Supers are easily monetized. Comic books, movie deals, television shows, public appearances, and well paid security gigs draw people with any kind of powers to join the limelight with the rest. Dennis comes to find that no matter how much you deny who you are, the world will never stop spinning, and you will eventually be dragged right along with it. Unfortunately for him, that dragging is bloody, painful, and unrelenting.
Superpowered is a first person fiction narrative from the eyes of a reluctant, power-wielding human being. Focusing not on super heroes or super villains, but instead on people with extraordinary abilities, this book will take you along for Dennis’ tense, thrilling, and gruesome journey through the highs and heartbreaking lows.
Amazon
Nook
Google Play (where it’s discounted right now)
Kobo
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Guess I'm my own worst critic...
Hey all! Today I'm at Tossing It Out, having tossed out some serious opinion on YA writing. Hope to see you there and read what you had to say!
In the meantime, I thought I'd do a short post about a dream I had:
I woke up and read my e-mails first thing as I always do. In it were two e-mails from agents. I clicked on the one I've been waiting for with bated breath, and this was the message.
Dear Ms. Gericke,
Wow, I have to say this. At the beginning of the query, I was quite keen on your story, but by the end of it, I'd lost all interest in ever meeting any of your characters.
Sincerely,
(Agent name forgotten)
I woke up smiling, quite grateful that I got either form rejections or nice let downs.
Any of you ever dream about queries you didn't send yet?
In the meantime, I thought I'd do a short post about a dream I had:
I woke up and read my e-mails first thing as I always do. In it were two e-mails from agents. I clicked on the one I've been waiting for with bated breath, and this was the message.
Dear Ms. Gericke,
Wow, I have to say this. At the beginning of the query, I was quite keen on your story, but by the end of it, I'd lost all interest in ever meeting any of your characters.
Sincerely,
(Agent name forgotten)
I woke up smiling, quite grateful that I got either form rejections or nice let downs.
Any of you ever dream about queries you didn't send yet?
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Where I am today...
Hi all! Sorry for being such an absentee blogger lately! Had to leave town yesterday and the destination had zero connections. No phones. No internet... zip.
Anyway, today I'm at two blogs. First, I'm at Scribbleweed to talk about setting big writing goals. By the way, if you're not familiar with Scribbleweed, do go check it out while you're there. Awesome place for fun writing exercises etc.
Then, I'm also visiting long time blogging friend Terry for an interview, discussing reading and more of my wacked out approaches to writing. ;-)
Hope to see you there! And I really will put up something more substantial tomorrow. Was planning to do so today, but I've spent about 28 of the past 48 hours traveling, so I can barely think straight. Besides which, I still owe some awesome people guest posts....
Anyway, today I'm at two blogs. First, I'm at Scribbleweed to talk about setting big writing goals. By the way, if you're not familiar with Scribbleweed, do go check it out while you're there. Awesome place for fun writing exercises etc.
Then, I'm also visiting long time blogging friend Terry for an interview, discussing reading and more of my wacked out approaches to writing. ;-)
Hope to see you there! And I really will put up something more substantial tomorrow. Was planning to do so today, but I've spent about 28 of the past 48 hours traveling, so I can barely think straight. Besides which, I still owe some awesome people guest posts....
Monday, October 14, 2013
I'm Out Yet Again
Hey all! Today, I'm visiting Aimee at http://aimeebeatricejodoin.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-vanished-knight-war-of-six-crowns.html. She reviewed TVK and interviewed me based on what she read. Hope to see you there!
P.S. Sorry for the untidy Iink. Am away from my computer and my tablet refuses to play along...
Friday, October 11, 2013
Alex J. Cavanaugh's Publishing Story
Hey all! Today I welcome Alex J. Cavanaugh to my blog to talk about his journey to publication.
The Journey to Publication
I did some research online, as I had no idea where to begin. I already knew science fiction would be a tough sell, as most of what I’d read said it was dead. It seemed a lot of writers seeking publication had been writing for a long time as well. Outside of writing as a teen and some technical writing, I didn’t have that much experience. I certainly didn’t have any credits to my name.
Once I figured out how to compose a query letter, I made a list of those who published science fiction. I didn’t even bother looking at agents, as that felt way out of my league. There weren’t a lot of science fiction publishers who took submissions either. I sent out my queries and it didn’t take long to run through the list. What now?
I broadened my search and looked at smaller publishers. I tried anyone who remotely accepted speculative fiction, and even tried other genres. Most people would say that wasn’t a smart move, but a publisher who was looking for young adult requested a full. (CassaStar is sort of a coming of age story, which is what had led me to them.) They offered a contract, stating they would publish it as an adult science fiction story, and I signed with Dancing Lemur Press.
From start to finish, the whole process of finding a publisher took about eight months. It was another year and a half before the book came out, but that gave me time to establish myself online and prepare. Not that I think anything could’ve prepared me for what has happened in the past few years!
What’s the journey been like? Life-changing to say the least. I never anticipated writing more books. I certainly never thought they would sell so well. I didn’t envision the Insecure Writer’s Support Group or website. Nor did I expect to meet so many amazing people along the way. That last thing has been the greatest blessing in my life.
Everyone’s journey is different. Your journey will be different. My best advice is just to enjoy it!
CassaStorm
By Alex J Cavanaugh
From the Amazon Best Selling Series!
Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.
After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.
Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could return. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…
“CassaStorM is a touching and mesmerizing space opera full of action and emotion with strong characters and a cosmic mystery.” – Edi’s Book Lighhouse
“With a talent for worldbuilding and a compelling cast of characters, Alex J. Cavanaugh combines high powered space battles and the challenges of family dynamics to provide readers a space opera with heart.” - Elizabeth S. Craig, author of the Southern Quilting and Myrtle Clover mysteries
"Cavanaugh makes world building on the galactic scale look easy. The stakes affect the entire known universe and yet Cavanaugh makes it intensely personal for our hero. The final installment of this series will break your heart and put it back together." - Charity Bradford, science fantasy author of The Magic Wakes
$16.95 USA, 6x9 Trade paperback, 268 pages, Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.
Science fiction/adventure and science fiction/space opera
Print ISBN 9781939844002 eBook ISBN 9781939844019
$4.99 EBook available in all formats
Find CassaStorm:
Barnes and Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
Amazon -
Amazon Kindle - http://www.amazon.com/
Book trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design and graphics. He is experienced in technical editing and worked with an adult literacy program for several years. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. The author of the Amazon bestsellers, CassaStar and CassaFire, he lives in the Carolinas with his wife.
Website – http://alexjcavanaugh.
Twitter – http://twitter.com/
Thursday, October 10, 2013
I'm visiting Mel Chesley today
Hey all!
First of all, I just want to let you know I'm at Mel's today, talking about TVK's rather inauspicious beginnings. I hope to see you there!
But before you go, I just want to say thanks. Quite a few of you have put up the cover, or did reviews or even mentioned my book without telling me. And I think you're AWESOME! Thank you!!!
First of all, I just want to let you know I'm at Mel's today, talking about TVK's rather inauspicious beginnings. I hope to see you there!
But before you go, I just want to say thanks. Quite a few of you have put up the cover, or did reviews or even mentioned my book without telling me. And I think you're AWESOME! Thank you!!!
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
On my first days as a published author
Hey all! Today I'm at Mark Koopmans's blog, talking about why paying it forward is so important.
BTW, the Paying Forward Awards are on, and I'm collecting prizes. Please see here for details.
Some of you might be wondering what I'm up to at the moment? Signings? Press releases? T.V. interviews? Nope. I'm being a writer. I.E. I (supposedly) write.
At the moment, though, I'm struggling a bit. I'm so busy with writing blog posts, visiting blogs, checking my Amazon rankings (seriously. It's something I do compulsively.), responding to comments on guest posts and interviews etc. that when I do sit down to write, the words aren't there.
Which is annoying, because I know my muse is tapping her feet, waiting for me to get my butt into gear. But maybe I'm not in the right mental space to write. Which sucks, because deep down, I know I need to get writing again.
I need to escape the craziness that is being newly published and to focus on my real love. Yes, I'd love to be read. I want desperately for people to read The Vanished Knight. But first of all, I love creating stories. And I feel that if I lose sight of that for even a moment, my creativity will suffer.
So what I'm doing is this. I set a goal for 31k words this month. And every day, I'm sitting down by a blank page. If the words come, I write. Even if it's nowhere near my daily goal. I'm not forcing out more. But I am dedicating time to my muse.
Hopefully, the words will come easier as I fall into the new routine that comes with being a published writer.
How do you balance marketing with writing? Do you think I'm nuts for even trying?
BTW, the Paying Forward Awards are on, and I'm collecting prizes. Please see here for details.
Some of you might be wondering what I'm up to at the moment? Signings? Press releases? T.V. interviews? Nope. I'm being a writer. I.E. I (supposedly) write.
At the moment, though, I'm struggling a bit. I'm so busy with writing blog posts, visiting blogs, checking my Amazon rankings (seriously. It's something I do compulsively.), responding to comments on guest posts and interviews etc. that when I do sit down to write, the words aren't there.
Which is annoying, because I know my muse is tapping her feet, waiting for me to get my butt into gear. But maybe I'm not in the right mental space to write. Which sucks, because deep down, I know I need to get writing again.
I need to escape the craziness that is being newly published and to focus on my real love. Yes, I'd love to be read. I want desperately for people to read The Vanished Knight. But first of all, I love creating stories. And I feel that if I lose sight of that for even a moment, my creativity will suffer.
So what I'm doing is this. I set a goal for 31k words this month. And every day, I'm sitting down by a blank page. If the words come, I write. Even if it's nowhere near my daily goal. I'm not forcing out more. But I am dedicating time to my muse.
Hopefully, the words will come easier as I fall into the new routine that comes with being a published writer.
How do you balance marketing with writing? Do you think I'm nuts for even trying?
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
I'm at Screwing Up Time Today...
Hey all! I've been a bit rushed for the past few days, so today's just a quick note of a few things:
1) As the title says, I'm at Screwing Up Time, doing an interview with Connie.
2) I'm still looking for tour dates and cover reveals until end January. If you're willing to let me post on your blog, please click here.
3) I'm also hosting another Paying Forward Awards. So if you have anything to offer to other members of your community, please go here.
4) If you'd like to check out what my book cover's about, please go here...
Okay that's it for today! And now it's time for me to visit some of your blogs...
1) As the title says, I'm at Screwing Up Time, doing an interview with Connie.
2) I'm still looking for tour dates and cover reveals until end January. If you're willing to let me post on your blog, please click here.
3) I'm also hosting another Paying Forward Awards. So if you have anything to offer to other members of your community, please go here.
4) If you'd like to check out what my book cover's about, please go here...
Okay that's it for today! And now it's time for me to visit some of your blogs...
Monday, October 7, 2013
Opening for Paying Forward Sponsors
Bet you thought I'd bore you with The Vanished Knight updates. Nope. Despite the fact that I'm now published, I'm still me. And I really really hate people pushing their books down my throat the whole time. So, being the fair-minded sort, I thought I'd not do it to my beloved blogging friends.
Instead, I just want to ask, that if you haven't yet, you please find it in your heart to go to this post and let me visit your blog sometime between now and the end of January. Thanks to everyone who has offered to help already!
Also, I want to let you know that I'm talking about The Vanished Knight's cover on the lovely Ashley Nixon's blog today. If you've been wondering what it's about, and why my pseudonym is what it is, heading over is a great idea! ALSO! It's the first blog that'll show my new, shiny new blurb. Oooh!
But don't go yet! I have something else important to ask. I'm bringing the Paying Forward Awards back. Last month was a bit of a mad rush with visitors and then editing and publishing, but at least now, I feel I should do the Paying Forward awards again.
For those of you who don't know what the PFA's are: I regularly ask people to sponsor prizes. These prizes can be anything you think would be appreciated by other bloggers in our community. Once I have the prizes, I open up nominations for people who deserve or need to have their days made. And then, if there are more nominees than prizes, we vote for the winners.
But as you can see, I can't do it alone (although I always offer a prize). I need your help. Any prizes from crits to books to banners to survival kits to amazon vouchers are welcome. So please. If it's at all within your ability to offer something, do. We really can make some people's day a little brighter this way.
How to do it? Easy. You can either let me know in the comments, but please please please add your e-mail address. I need to be able to reach you. Alternatively, you can mail me at mishagericke(AT)gmail(DOT)com with "Paying Forward" as the subject.
Thanks in advance to all you awesome people!
Instead, I just want to ask, that if you haven't yet, you please find it in your heart to go to this post and let me visit your blog sometime between now and the end of January. Thanks to everyone who has offered to help already!
Also, I want to let you know that I'm talking about The Vanished Knight's cover on the lovely Ashley Nixon's blog today. If you've been wondering what it's about, and why my pseudonym is what it is, heading over is a great idea! ALSO! It's the first blog that'll show my new, shiny new blurb. Oooh!
But don't go yet! I have something else important to ask. I'm bringing the Paying Forward Awards back. Last month was a bit of a mad rush with visitors and then editing and publishing, but at least now, I feel I should do the Paying Forward awards again.
For those of you who don't know what the PFA's are: I regularly ask people to sponsor prizes. These prizes can be anything you think would be appreciated by other bloggers in our community. Once I have the prizes, I open up nominations for people who deserve or need to have their days made. And then, if there are more nominees than prizes, we vote for the winners.
But as you can see, I can't do it alone (although I always offer a prize). I need your help. Any prizes from crits to books to banners to survival kits to amazon vouchers are welcome. So please. If it's at all within your ability to offer something, do. We really can make some people's day a little brighter this way.
How to do it? Easy. You can either let me know in the comments, but please please please add your e-mail address. I need to be able to reach you. Alternatively, you can mail me at mishagericke(AT)gmail(DOT)com with "Paying Forward" as the subject.
Thanks in advance to all you awesome people!
Friday, October 4, 2013
The Day is Come. The Vanished Knight is out on Amazon and B&N
The Black Knight, Nordaine’s crown prince, has no legitimate blood heirs, meaning someone must be appointed to succeed him. With two of the candidates’ families willing to kill for the appointment and the third candidate being seen as a threat to all, peace is balanced on a sword’s edge.
But then the Black Knight vanishes.
Darrion and Gawain, two of his possible heirs, set out to find him, but after they rescue an earth-girl from Merithian soldiers, they discover she has possible ties to Nordaine. Not only that, but Callan Blair could be an Elvish princess. And war looms on the horizon…
But then the Black Knight vanishes.
Darrion and Gawain, two of his possible heirs, set out to find him, but after they rescue an earth-girl from Merithian soldiers, they discover she has possible ties to Nordaine. Not only that, but Callan Blair could be an Elvish princess. And war looms on the horizon…
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Insecure Writer's Support Group
Today's another round of IWSG, a bloghop run by Alex J. Cavanaugh where writers can come together to share their insecurities and encouragements.
This month I've pretty much turned into a bundle of insecurity, and it's all centered about my book's release on Friday.
Firstly, because my Publishing House decided to drop the bomb on me last Friday. Secondly, because I now have to put together a marketing campaign on a week's notice. Without any of my materials to date. BTW. If you can help at all, please go here.
My main insecurity has nothing to do with these things. On the contrary. It has to do with what happens after the book is out? See... this is a story I've been working on for years. I've spent years writing, rewriting, and editing. Then I spend almost another year querying. And six months more turning my story into the one that's about to see the light.
I've had this fear so many times before, but I kept pushing it back, saying that I don't need to worry about this just yet. But guess what, the time has come when I can push it back no further, and it's haunting me.
What if it isn't good enough?
What if all my years of work and rejection and work add up to absolutely no reader interest? What if (and this is possible, since I purposely veered into new epic fantasy territory) my target audience despises the story? What if no one except me, my editor and my CPs actually get my story?
Part of me knows that this is irrational, that it's all out of my hands now anyway. But I just can't reason away the fear.
Guess it's a good thing that I only have two days left until my book's out.
Anyone else get pre-publication jitters? How do you deal with them?
One more thing before you go! Ellie Garratt interviewed me today and the interview features an excerpt from The Vanished Knight. I hope you'll check it out!
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
A bit of a dilemma
Before I start, I just want to ask pretty pretty please that you check out this post. A lot of you have already volunteered to help me get word out about my book, but I'd love it if I had even more places to go...
Also, I'll be putting the excerpts for Realms Faire Artists' Way up on Thursday. So if you have an excerpt, please enter it in by Midnight, Tuesday. If you want to take part in the art side of the competition, please sign up as soon as you can so that I know who you are.
Okay... now that that's out the way... (No, I promise my book has no two thats in one sentence.)
Ahem. *Gathers thoughts*
As some of you might have read yesterday, I'm trying very hard to not think of my book release. It's making me nervous in more ways than one. But that, my darlings, I'll face tomorrow.
In the mean time, I'm kicking back. I'm reading. I'm stroking my kitties. (Pictures in yesterday's post.) I'm about finished with my quilt. I'm doing everything possible to distract myself from the release.
Except for writing.
The reason for this is simple: I finished the Birds vs. Bastards rewrite a few days ago, so it makes sense for me to rest up before moving on to the next project(s). After all, the last thing I want is a burn-out. Especially since it's so close to NaNo. And ESPECIALLY because I'll be NaNo'ing along with hosting a huge blogfest, along with marketing The Vanished Knight. If I'm to survive at all, I'm going to need to be nice and calm and rested.
The problem is, the whole time I'm not writing, it feels like I should be. Maybe it means that I'm actually not all that tired of writing. Or maybe it's just the fact that I keep feeling time ticking away. I keep having this sense that by next year, I won't have this sort of writing time on my hands.
I have way too much to do and not enough time in which to do it.
My dilemma is this. If it's this panicky feeling that's pushing me to write, I shouldn't or I'm going to burn out. If it's just me being creative, I should be writing. But how on earth am I supposed to know the difference?
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