Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Last Stop!

Hey all!

Phew! Today, I'm at the last stop for my official Endless blog tour. See? I told you there would be an end.

Today, I'll be discussing challenges of being an author based in South Africa over at Terry's blog.

Thanks so much for everyone who've been supporting me for the whole month, from the commenters to the blog tour hosts. You can't imagine how much I've appreciated every single one of you.

Misha


Monday, May 30, 2016

Out visiting...

Hello!

Almost made it! Tomorrow is the end of my official blog tour (although you'll probably see me popping up all over the place every now and then anyway.)

Today, I'm visiting  T.F. Walsh, writing about where my inspiration comes from.

See you there!

Misha

Friday, May 27, 2016

Update Day: May Day! May Day!

Hey all! Today is the last Friday of the month, which means that it’s Update Day! But before I get into that, I just wanted to mention that one of the main characters from Endless, Ryan, is over at Libby Heily’s blog, getting interviewed.



So, for those of you who are new to this blog, Beth Fred and I host this bloghop. All the entrants share their big/crazy/crazy important goals. Then on the last Friday of the month, we all get together and share updates and encouragements.

You’re more than welcome to sign up. Just fill in your goal instead of your name…




I have to admit that May was actually a bit of a terror for me. Within the first week of its start, I got hit with levels of anxiety that I haven’t experienced since the day I finished university. (In other words, it had even me worried.) Interestingly enough, the stress had slowly been receding, but I guess the exhaustion I’d been powering through caught up with me.

Add to that my blog tour and the surprise news that I might suddenly be without a job next month…

Yeah. May sucked. I’m glad it’s over.

But the thing is I changed my priorities from my goals to survival and then recovery. So… overall, I didn’t get much done.

In summary:

Goals for May:

1) 60k words written, 60 hours spent on edits or some combination.
Just over 22 hours on edits.

2) Find Crit Partners for Wo6C3. Any takers? It’s book 3 in The War of Six Crowns…
I didn’t get to this, because I took ages just to finish my round of edits.

3) Wo6C3 rough edits.
Got this one done.

4) Edit ES1.
Didn’t touch ES1 itself, but I’ve slowly been immersing myself in research, movies, books etc set more or less in that era so that I can get more of a feeling for the “world” of 1850s Texas.

5) Prep BvB2 rewrite.
Didn’t get there.

6) Finish Revisions to O1.
Didn’t get there.

7) Rewrite SS1. (Yep. This one’ll be sticking around for a while, I suspect.)
I was completely correct.
8) Add 10k words to StW1.
Didn’t write a single word of fiction this month.

9) Work on CdW concept.
Nope.

10) Start Sci Fi project. (Acronym still forthcoming.)
Nope.

11) Edit Untethered Realms Anthology short story.
I only got the editor notes back a few days ago, so I’ll get to this one in the coming month.

Reading:

Read 6 books.
I read four.

Read some chapters of Les Trois Mousquetaires.
This wasn’t one of them.

Networking and Marketing:

1) Get through blog tour for Endless.
Almost there. Only two more posts to go.

2) Regular updates to social networks.
This I can sorta call done, but I have to say, my whole anxiety experience is making me re-think my approach to social networks. Namely: I’m wasting precious time with most of them.

Life:

1) Find and maintain a balance between work, writing and life.
Kind of getting there, although the feeling like I had more balance *might* have been caused by circumstances more than any active decision on my part.

2) Find an exercise that I actually can do without the weather getting in the way. Balance is one thing. But let me just say that jogging just won’t happen if it’s cold and raining, and the wind blows hard enough to topple a link truck.
Done. I’m going to start dancing again, starting on Monday.

Goals for June:

Writing Goals:

 1) 60 000 words written, 60 hours of edits or some combination of those.
2) Find and submit to Critique Partners for Wo6C3
3) Critique works by critique partners.
4) Edit ES1
5) Prep rewrite for BvB2.
6) Complete revisions to O1
7) Add 10000 words to StW1
8) Work on CdW concept
9) Start Sci Fi Project. (Still thinking about an suitable acronym.)
10) Work on concept for a new story that came to me while I rested.
11) Edit my Untethered Realms anthology story.

Reading:

Read 6 books.
Read some chapters of Les Trois Mousquetaires.

Networking and Marketing:

Rethink Social Network Strategy
Regular updates to at least some of the social networks.
Confirm new covers for Wo6C series.

Life:

Maintain balance between life, writing and work.
Go to dancing classes once a week.
Get into the habit of eating more frequent, smaller meals. (Stress and an ulcer don’t mix, so I have to help where I can.)

How are your goals coming along?

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Thursday Feature: Lori MacLaughlin

Hey everyone! Today I want to welcome Lori MacLaughlin to The Five Year Project. Today, she's sharing info on how to get your self-published book into libraries. Take it away, Lori!


Is Your Self-Published Book in the Library?


Thanks so much, Misha, for having me over today!!

Libraries are a largely untapped market in the self-publishing world. It's not easy to get self-pubbed books into them. The sheer volume of books hitting the marketplace, limited shelf space, and the stigma that still surrounds self-pubbed books are just some of the barriers to library inclusion. Lack of library cataloging data is another.

I started doing research on how to break into the library market. Most of the articles I read described similar courses of action. These were some of the most important things that the articles recommended:

1.      Put out a quality product that has been professionally edited and has a professionally designed cover. Buy an ISBN for it.

2.      Create a website and social media presence to publicize your book. Libraries will be more likely to take a chance on your book if it looks like there will be demand for it.

3.      Get honest positive reviews for your book for the same reason. If you can get one from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, or the Library Journal, they'll definitely take notice.

4.      Provide library cataloguing data. This makes the librarians' jobs so much easier. Books published through Amazon's Createspace have the opportunity to obtain Library of Congress (LOC) Cataloging Numbers (LCCNs). Books self-published through other means may be eligible for LOC Preassigned Control Numbers (PCNs). Any cataloguing done through the LOC must be done before the book is published. Once it is published it is no longer eligible for LOC cataloguing.

5.      Visit local libraries and meet with the person responsible for acquiring books. Offer to donate your book to get your foot in the door. Do some local media promotion to get people into the library to read your book.

Here are some informational links that I found useful:






I think tackling the library market is well worth the effort. Has anyone else out there had any success with this?

 



About the Book:


Tara Triannon is no stranger to trouble. She's yet to find an enemy her skill with a sword couldn't dispatch. But how can she fight one that attacks through her dreams?

With her nightmares worsening, Tara seeks answers but finds only more questions. Then her sister, Laraina, reveals a stunning secret that forces Tara to go to the one place Tara's sworn never to return to. Her troubles multiply when Jovan Trevillion, the secretive soldier of fortune who stole her heart, is mentally tortured by an ancient Being intent on bending him to its will. And worst of all, the Butcher — the terrifying wolf-like assassin she thought she'd killed — survived their duel and is hunting her again.

Hounded by enemies, Tara sets out on a harrowing quest to discover the true nature of who she is, to come to grips with the new volatility of her magic, and to defeat the evil locked in a centuries-old trap that will stop at nothing to control her magic and escape through her nightmares.


Amazon  |  Barnes& Noble  |  Kobo  |  iBooks



About the Author:


Lori L. MacLaughlin traces her love of fantasy adventure to Tolkien and Terry Brooks, finding The Lord of the Rings and The Sword of Shannara particularly inspirational. She's been writing stories in her head since she was old enough to run wild through the forests on the farm on which she grew up.

She has been many things over the years – tree climber, dairy farmer, clothing salesperson, kids' shoe fitter, retail manager, medical transcriptionist, journalist, private pilot, traveler, wife and mother, Red Sox and New York Giants fan, muscle car enthusiast and NASCAR fan, and a lover of all things Scottish and Irish.

When she's not writing (or working), she can be found curled up somewhere dreaming up more story ideas, taking long walks in the countryside, or spending time with her kids. She lives with her family in northern Vermont.

You can find her here:


Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Out Visiting

Hey everyone,

Today I'm visiting Rachel Pattinson to share my favorite writing quote.

Seeya!

Misha

Monday, May 23, 2016

Endless Blog Tour

Hey all!

Today I'm visiting two blogs. I'm visiting J. Lenni Dorner for an interview and at Yolanda's I'm talking about Fear of Failure.

Come over and say hi!

Misha

Friday, May 20, 2016

Visiting Leandra

Hey all!

Today, I'm visiting Leandra and sharing some information on the research I did for Endless. 

Have a great weekend!

Misha

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Visiting Cherie

Hey all!

Today, I'm visiting Cherie, explaining how I went about creating the immortals in Endless. 

See you there!

Misha

Monday, May 16, 2016

Out and About

Hey everyone!

Today I'm visiting two blogs. At Lidy's, I'm explaining how I balanced writing a strong female character with having her be a damsel in distress. And at Jemi's, I'm talking about the writing advice we give new writers.

See you there!

Misha

Friday, May 13, 2016

At Murees's

Hey all! Today I'm visiting my friend and fellow SA writer Murees Dupe. I'm sharing one of my secrets to getting as much done as I do, so you might want to check it out. ;-)

Have a great weekend!

Misha

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Chrys Fey on Titles

Hey everyone! Today, Chrys is visiting to share tips on creating titles for stories. Take it away, Chrys!


Alternative Titles for Seismic Crimes


Coming up with a title can be tricky. Sometimes we come up with a great title right away. Other times, we’re half-way through our first draft when a title comes, or even after we’ve edited our manuscript several times. Occasionally, our titles change during the writing process if we come up with something better.

3 Tips to Name a Book:

1. What’s the tone/mood/theme?

My published books are dark and suspenseful. Death and crimes are common. Immediately when you read Seismic Crimes you know what kind of ride you’re in for.

2. Think about the main character.

For a paranormal story, it’s clever to add the type of supernatural being that your MC is to the title. Or to at least hint at it. For example: Despite the Fangs by Dylan Newton is about a woman who is the Alpha of a werewolf pack.

3. What happens in the story? (What’s the plot/purpose?)

In The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Katniss Everdeen has to fight in a deadly competition called the Hunger Games. What happens in your story? What does your character have to do? Consider your answers and see if a title pops out at you.

When I decided to write a sequel to Hurricane Crimes, I knew I wanted to link each title in the series with a disaster and the word “crimes”. With an earthquake as the disaster, I compiled a list of possible titles:

Earthquake Crimes
Quaking Crimes
Richter Crimes
Fault Line Crimes
San Andres Crimes

But one edged them out: SEISMIC CRIMES

Seismic describes earthquake activity but it also works as an adjective. When I think seismic, I envision monstrous chaos.



QUESTION: Do you think I chose the best title?


Title: Seismic Crimes
Author: Chrys Fey
Series: Disaster Crimes Series (Book Two)
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Format: Digital and Print
Page Count: 282


DIGITAL LINKS:

PRINT LINKS:

BLURB:

An Internal Affairs Investigator was murdered and his brother, Donovan Goldwyn, was framed. Now Donovan is desperate to prove his innocence. And the one person who can do that is the woman who saved him from a deadly hurricane—Beth Kennedy. From the moment their fates intertwined, passion consumed him. He wants her in his arms. More, he wants her by his side in his darkest moments.

Beth Kennedy may not know everything about Donovan, but she can’t deny what she feels for him. It’s her love for him that pushes her to do whatever she has to do to help him get justice, including putting herself in a criminal’s crosshairs.

When a tip reveals the killer's location, they travel to California, but then an earthquake of catastrophic proportions separates them. As aftershocks roll the land, Beth and Donovan have to endure dangerous conditions while trying to find their way back to one another. Will they reunite and find the killer, or will they lose everything?


HURRICANE CRIMES 99¢ SALE!


DIGITAL LINKS:
Amazon CA / NOOK / KOBO 


a Rafflecopter giveaway


BIO:
Chrys Fey is the author of Hurricane Crimes, Book One in the Disaster Crimes series, as well as these releases from The Wild Rose Press: 30 Seconds, Ghost of Death, and Witch of Death. She is an administrator for the Insecure Writer's Support Group and has participated in the Blogging from April A to Z Challenge.
When Fey was six years old, she realized she wanted to be a writer by watching her mother pursue publication. At the age of twelve, she started writing her first novel, which flourished into a series she later rewrote at seventeen.
Fey lives in Florida and is always on the lookout for hurricanes. She has four adopted cats who keep her entertained with their antics, and three nephews who keep her entertained with their antics. You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and through her blog, Write with Fey. She loves to get to know her readers!

AUTHOR LINKS:

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

I'm visiting Lori today.

Still going on with the blog tour. Today, I'm at Reading, Writing, and the Pursuit of Dreams, talking about setting my five-year goals and how I'm doing so far.

See you there! X

Monday, May 9, 2016

Where I Am Today

Hey everyone!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

Just wanted to let you know where you can find me for the blog tour.

I'm visiting Alex, talking about writing humor.
Then at Christine's, I'm sharing info on how I blended fantasy and reality in Endless. 
And last, but not least, I'm sharing tips for what to do when the Internet is down on Tara's blog.

Have a great day!

Misha

Friday, May 6, 2016

The ENDLESS blog tour continues

No, the blog tour does have an end. Really.

The one bad thing about my book's title is the fact that I can't seem to come up with pun free phrases.

Anyhow.

Today I'm visiting Coffintree Hill and Julie Flanders, talking about read-aloud edits and narrative voice, respectively.

Enjoy your weekend!

X

Thursday, May 5, 2016

IWSG on Thought Experiments

Hey everyone! Today you won't be able to find me on the bloggosphere, but I wanted to stop by to welcome the Insecure Writer's Support Group

Also, thanks to everyone who've commented on yesterday's post. You're all awesome. 

Thought Experiments

Have you ever engaged in a thought experiment? 

Albert Einstein’s famous Theory of Special Relativity came to be in part because of a thought experiment he conducted when he was a young man.  He imagined what it would be like to chase a light beam.  That act of imagination was the beginning of a revolution in the way we understand our universe.  Imagination is one of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal.

The ten authors featured in the Insecure Writer’s Support Group anthology Parallels: Felix Was Here engaged in a thought experiment of sorts when they sat down to write their submissions.  The task was to write a speculative fiction story that uses an alternate timeline or parallel universe.  That means asking some interesting questions.  If you’re dealing with parallel universes, how does the parallel universe differ from our own?  If you’re dealing with alternate history, what historical event happened differently, and how did the world develop because of that change?

Any writer must harness the power of their imagination when writing their stories.  Though the thought experiments that helped make this anthology possible won’t revolutionize the world of science like Albert Einstein’s thought experiment did, these stories will hopefully entertain readers and make them think about how the world could be different.  That is also a valuable outcome, and one that most writers hope to inspire.

Imagination can change lives.  It can change the world.  If you’re interested in entertaining new possibilities, Parallels: Felix Was Here may have something to offer you.

*     *     *


Parallels: Felix Was Here
An Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology

Available Now!


Enter the realm of parallel universes!

What if the government tried to create the perfect utopia? Could a society linked to a supercomputer survive on its own? Do our reflections control secret lives on the other side of the mirror? Can one moment split a person’s world forever?

Exploring the fantastic, ten authors offer incredible visions and captivating tales of diverse reality. Featuring the talents of L. G. Keltner, Crystal Collier, Hart Johnson, Cherie Reich, Sandra Cox, Yolanda Renee, Melanie Schulz, Sylvia Ney, Michael Abayomi, and Tamara Narayan.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will expand your imagination and twist the tropes of science fiction. Step through the portal and enter another dimension!

Purchase Links:

Anyone else engage in thought experiments? What stories did they inspire? 

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Insecure Writer's Support Group: This is a big one.

Hey everyone. Today I'm a bit all over the place. (Okay not really. Just here and three other blogs.) 

I'll get to this month's insecurity now, but first, let me just warn inform you of my whereabouts. 

First, I'm visiting Denise, sharing a story of the insecurities I faced when I started writing Endless. She cross-posts to two blog platforms, so if you're on Blogger, click here. Wordpress: here

Then, Jessica interviewed me on Author Tracker and Ken interviewed me on My Hogwarts Sabatical

But it doesn't feel like to skip the Insecure Writers' Support Group (and boy, do I have a doozie today), so I thought I'd leave a post here too. 


Okay so this is going to be hard. Because today I'm going to share a bit of a secret. Or not. I'm pretty sure I might have mentioned this once or twice before. 

The thing is, I don't like talking about it. 

But hey, as I said, it's a doozie of a cause for insecurity and I've been struggling with working through my feelings. So, since writing is a good way to do this (and posting gives me motivation to actually do it...) 

*Deep breaths* Warning. This does occasionally go into ranting territory. 

So on Saturday, I woke up to the thought that nothing I ever do is enough to actually succeed. 

Which, on its own, might seem like a rather silly little issue. 

Except I have an anxiety disorder. 

Yeah. I do. Had a psychologist who diagnosed me in my third year of university. Maybe I've had it forever. I know I had my first (and oddly enough last) panic attack when I was in sixth grade. People didn't handle it well. I suppressed it and thought that it had gone away. 

But yeah. My second year of university wrecked me. So badly that my mom made me go to a psychologist because she thought I either suffered from depression or did drugs. Yes. My emotional state had gradually darkened and grew so bad that my mom thought I had taken a control substance because my entire outlook on life had changed. 

I had gone from being a go-getter with huge goals and the daring to get it to someone who no longer felt like there was a point to trying anymore. 

It took me an entire year (and an existential crisis) to find myself again. During which I almost ran away (and I'm purposefully using the phrase) to the navy because I couldn't deal with my fears that I'd get trapped in a job I hated because of a degree I no longer even wanted to get.

But I clawed my way out. Step by step. First by realizing that I didn't actually have to do what people expected of me. Then, but proving to myself that I could get ahead and still write (which is actually one of the key aspects to my dealing with my mind.) 

And boy. I got ahead. I finished a shit ton of books. I got a publishing deal at 24. At exactly the same time, I was a co-owner and shareholder of an 8-digit turnover company.

It's easy to function through my insecurity when things are actually going well. 

That was 2013. 

In 2014, everything went to hell, basically, except for my and my family's health (which I'm grateful for). 

But materially speaking, we lost everything. My whole life went into a dive and I've been fighting to pull out of it ever since. 

In January 2015, I was determined to pull out and just. 

Fucking. 

Get. 

One. 

Fucking. 

Step. 

Ahead. 

It's May 2016 now. And yes, I've made progress. At the moment I'm touring the third book I released in two years. My mother and I started a business that we merged with another. 

But it's also May 2016, and after months of hard work, most of which I've spent working 12 to 14 hour work days (you know, not writing). 

And, except for the fact that I'm not able to write for vast majorities of the time and risking burn-out by writing in literally every available moment of time when I'm not sleeping, (I'm serious. Except for about eight hours of singing in total and maybe four t.v. days, I've done nothing but working, writing and sleeping since December.) I'm no better off now than I was last year this time. (In fact I'm worse off, but explaining that will probably stretch the post too far.) 

I can't describe the mixture of fury and hopelessness welling up within me as I write this. 

So on Saturday, I guess I came to the point where my anxiety would no longer be ignored. But if I give up, I'm fucked. And I won't be the only one. 

Somehow, I have to ignore the patent evidence around me to say that there is a point to this. That it must break at some point -- hopefully before I do. That yes, doing all the right things and working hard will bring me success again. 

That this time, my success won't be stolen by another asshole that I will see on t.v. with my fucking business that was also a casualty of 2014 (not kidding. Happened yesterday.). Or someone else I will probably hear of in my day-job due to (yep, you guessed it) anther 2014 casualty. 

Somehow, I have to fool myself into believing that all this will happen so that I can at least write again. Because if I stop writing, there's no point to hoping I'll become a writer, is there? 

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

News Day and Where I Am

Hey all! Welcome to my first May Edition of News Day.

For those of you who are new to the blog, News Day is a regular feature where I share news from around the bloggosphere. News can be anything from cover reveals to publishing deals and everything in between. If you think you have a bit of news that you'd like me to share, please mail me at mishagericke(AT)gmail(DOT)com with News Day in the subject line.


From This Blog 

Endless is out now. 


First, do no harm.” Blake Ryan swore that oath to become a doctor. Ironic, given that he spent most of his thousand year life sucking souls out of other immortals. 

Things are different now. Using regular shots of morphine to keep his inner monster at bay, Ryan has led a quiet life since the Second World War. His thrills now come from saving lives, not taking them. 

Until a plane crash brings Aleria into his hospital. Her life is vibrant. Crack to predators like him. She’s the exact sort of person they would hunt, and thanks to a severe case of amnesia, she’s all but defenseless. 

Leaving Aleria vulnerable isn’t an option, but protecting her means unleashing his own inner monster. Which is a problem, because his inner monster wants her dead most of all.


Blog Tour Stop

Today, I'm at Untethered Realms, sharing five reasons why I loved writing Endless. Hope to see you there!

Thursday Feature

I'm running a weekly feature on Thursdays where writer bloggers can post on my blog regardless of publishing status. At the moment, a lot of people posting are doing so as part of their blog tours, but it's open for any writer who wants to access my audience.

I have most of June open, so if you would like to book a spot, please mail me at mishagericke(AT)gmail(DOT)com with Thursday Feature as the subject.

This Week's Feature: 

The Insecure Writer's Support Group will be visiting on Thursday, posting about Thought Experiments. 

From the Bloggosphere

Coming Soon...

A Love that Disturbs by Medeia Sharif

Evernight Teen, June 17, 2016

Maysa Mazari is alarmed by her mother’s talk about arranged marriage. Meanwhile, as a hijab-wearing Pakistani-American, she wants to find love on her own. Her judgmental Muslim clique has protected her from racist taunts, although the leader, Aamal, is turning on her as Maysa strays from the group because of her attraction to Haydee.

Haydee Gomez is a former gang member and juvenile detention student. Now living with a clean-cut aunt, she wants to turn her life around, even though one person will never let her forget her roots—Rafe, her abusive pimp. Haydee attempts to pull away from a life of prostitution when she develops feelings for Maysa, although Rafe isn’t willing to give her up too easily.

Finding themselves in danger from Maysa’s friends and Haydee’s pimp, it’s apparent their love disturbs everyone around them as they fight to stay together.

Find Medeia – YA and MG Author

Blog   |   Twitter   |   Goodreads   |   Instagram   |   Amazon

Out Now: 

Parallels: Felix Was Here
An Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology


Enter the realm of parallel universes!

What if the government tried to create the perfect utopia? Could a society linked to a supercomputer survive on its own? Do our reflections control secret lives on the other side of the mirror? Can one moment split a person’s world forever?

Exploring the fantastic, ten authors offer incredible visions and captivating tales of diverse reality. Featuring the talents of L. G. Keltner, Crystal Collier, Hart Johnson, Cherie Reich, Sandra Cox, Yolanda Renee, Melanie Schulz, Sylvia Ney, Michael Abayomi, and Tamara Narayan.


Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will expand your imagination and twist the tropes of science fiction. Step through the portal and enter another dimension!



EBook


Paperback


More good news! 

Just a quick note of congratulations to Angeline Trevana on the birth of her second son! 

Monday, May 2, 2016

Endless Blog Tour Kicks Off

Hey everyone! Today's the first day of the blog tour for my book Endless. Today, I'm visiting Rena Rockford for an interview.

Hope to see you all there!

Misha