I am about 40K words into the first draft of Moonlit book #3. I'm not quite as far as I hoped I'd be. After steeping myself in the editing side of the process for months, is very hard to see the forest for the trees again. I over-analyze and tear apart every sentence instead of letting really terrible sentences/paragraphs/dialogue stand where they are as a plot place holder, to be polished during the second look.
I began drafting book #3 in November, and as of two weeks ago (when i was still busy inspecting every inch of bark on said proverbial trees) I was sitting, stalling at about 23K words, and I've probably cut at least as many words already. Now, as a disclaimer, I'm not a die-hard word-count girl. I don't set daily goals. Between my other job, two large indoor dogs, and my nearly 3 year old daughter, the only goal I have is to have a mostly-clean kitchen before I go to bed. Still, I knew I had a problem.
I recently read Stephen King's "On Writing," where he notes he typically does two drafts and a "polish" before submitting his work. And he's a Panster, to boot. I was both mesmerized and mildly devastated by this. I *know* authors all have different processes. But I barely know where I'm going until the third draft. Then it hit me: I am trying to figure out everything all at once in every sentence.
Yesterday, I was perusing one of my notebooks to find where I'd jotted those pesky notes for last year's expenses. I came across pages of ideas for Moonlit book #2, and from the date at the top, I knew I'd made these notes well after I'd finished the first draft. Some of the ideas were good, some were mediocre, some made me cringe. None of them made it into the draft I submitted to my acquisitions editor at WiDo. Not one.
I realized two things: first, that it's a-okay to come up with some really terrible ideas right now. And second, I've become more proficient at spotting and beheading a bad sub-plot before it grows legs and runs away with my main arch. As I imagine happens with killing anything, i have to grieve a little when I realize I've spent my precious window laying down 2000 words to nowhere. Select. Delete. Eat a cookie. Start again.
My hope is by the time Moonlit #3 is ready for beta readers, it will be in a tighter, tolerable place so they can dig into the sentences and conversations and help me chase those down instead of being bogged down by a loose, wandering plot.
Confession: this actually wasn't what I meant to write about at all, but it's apparently what was on my mind. I'll follow up with more on Moonlit #3 soon. :) So what are you working on? How's it going? What do you find trips up your process?
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Monday, December 30, 2013
I'm scared. I'll admit it. (and this is kind of a ramble so maybe you should be scared too...)
The sequel to Moonlit - currently dubbed Windswept - is in my publisher's hands for the final stages in the pre-release process: type setting, layout, cover design, etc. This means I'm free to begin work on Book #3. I'm about 20K words in, and this is where I admit I'm a little scared. There's this big BIG moment in book #3 that I can see so clearly... "crystal" as Jayce would say. But first I have to get there. Me and Tanzy and Lucas and Hope and Vanessa and Asher and Jayce and a whole cast of fellow candidates who you haven't even met yet all have to get there. It's like herding cats.
I learned a ton during the drafting and revision processes for the sequel. Most importantly, I learned when to look at a section of my writing and realize: there's a big problem here. This is not right. And I realized, for the way I work at least, a real fix comes in stages. It's like archeology, an analogy Stephen King uses in describing how he unearths his plots. In my case, it's how I fix pacing/tone issues in a chapter. One gentle fix reveals more bone, more of the picture - and more of the holes in the picture. Then again, maybe it's better to say it's like surgery. There is an awful lot of bleeding and cursing, and I envision an archeologist to be the subtle, whispery type.
Anyways, what scares me is how much of this first draft of book #3 is not going to make it into book #3. Of course right now it feels like all of it will - the major plot points, anyway, but I know that's not true. In book #2, the early drafts had a ferry boat, a tidal wave, a funeral, a truck plummeting to the bottom of the ocean with two major characters inside, a trip back to Kentucky, this scene where new character Jayce lines up little figurines on all the window sills that I freaking LOVED, and lots of explosions. None of those plot points made it into the final draft. I lied - there are still some explosions, but they're in different places.
Some scenes/sections I cut early on, and some I clung to like a mother to her baby. Until I sent the I-think-I'm-Really-Finished draft to my beta readers and they didn't coo where I was sure I'd have them near tears, holding their breath. In fact, they reacted to a few of my favorite moments like one might react to, say, a poopy diaper. And they were right.
Have you ever had a whole "darling" of a chapter (referencing the "kill your darlings" rule here)? How about a couple chapters... how about a 40K word section of "darling"? Welcome to the 8th draft of Windswept.
So now I'm beginning the very first draft of Book #3, and it is by far the most complex of the three books. And I want it to deliver. I want it to tie up every thread I've woven into this web. And I'd really really like to get it right on the first couple shots. HA. Never going to happen.
I'm a subscriber to Anne Lamott's idea of a "stinky" first draft. (She uses a different word beginning with S, something that can be found in the aforementioned diaper, and never smells like roses...) A first draft helps me see how I think this is all going to play out. It makes me see if the I can get to the last page with the ideas from the first page still intact. I'm not big on big outlines. I have a few key moments I want to incorporate if the characters arrive in the situation where the moment would apply, but otherwise I like to turn them loose and see what happens. Downsides: this means I stare at my computer screen a lot, knuckles buried in my cheeks, and force my brain to stop editing the line above so I can see what's coming next in the plot. It also means I spend more time on my drafts (at least I think it does,) and it definitely means I cut. A lot.
So here we are. And I'm scared. I don't want to stare and sweat and bleed all over this new draft just to cut 99% of my work like it never happened. It can be paralyzing, sometimes. But it's part of the process. I will no doubt do this every time. Every book. The funny part is that I still love those times where I glare at my screen all morning with no progress. In fact, I find I'm most intolerable to the outside world following a particularly lackluster drafting session because I can't wait to do it again.
I'm terrified, and I'm excited (and I'm writing this blog post because I'm totally stalling because another character wants a POV in book three and I told her we'd talk about it in a little bit...)
So, now that I'm sure you're sure I'm crazy, tell me what - if anything - scares you about the writing process?
I learned a ton during the drafting and revision processes for the sequel. Most importantly, I learned when to look at a section of my writing and realize: there's a big problem here. This is not right. And I realized, for the way I work at least, a real fix comes in stages. It's like archeology, an analogy Stephen King uses in describing how he unearths his plots. In my case, it's how I fix pacing/tone issues in a chapter. One gentle fix reveals more bone, more of the picture - and more of the holes in the picture. Then again, maybe it's better to say it's like surgery. There is an awful lot of bleeding and cursing, and I envision an archeologist to be the subtle, whispery type.
Anyways, what scares me is how much of this first draft of book #3 is not going to make it into book #3. Of course right now it feels like all of it will - the major plot points, anyway, but I know that's not true. In book #2, the early drafts had a ferry boat, a tidal wave, a funeral, a truck plummeting to the bottom of the ocean with two major characters inside, a trip back to Kentucky, this scene where new character Jayce lines up little figurines on all the window sills that I freaking LOVED, and lots of explosions. None of those plot points made it into the final draft. I lied - there are still some explosions, but they're in different places.
Some scenes/sections I cut early on, and some I clung to like a mother to her baby. Until I sent the I-think-I'm-Really-Finished draft to my beta readers and they didn't coo where I was sure I'd have them near tears, holding their breath. In fact, they reacted to a few of my favorite moments like one might react to, say, a poopy diaper. And they were right.
Have you ever had a whole "darling" of a chapter (referencing the "kill your darlings" rule here)? How about a couple chapters... how about a 40K word section of "darling"? Welcome to the 8th draft of Windswept.
So now I'm beginning the very first draft of Book #3, and it is by far the most complex of the three books. And I want it to deliver. I want it to tie up every thread I've woven into this web. And I'd really really like to get it right on the first couple shots. HA. Never going to happen.
I'm a subscriber to Anne Lamott's idea of a "stinky" first draft. (She uses a different word beginning with S, something that can be found in the aforementioned diaper, and never smells like roses...) A first draft helps me see how I think this is all going to play out. It makes me see if the I can get to the last page with the ideas from the first page still intact. I'm not big on big outlines. I have a few key moments I want to incorporate if the characters arrive in the situation where the moment would apply, but otherwise I like to turn them loose and see what happens. Downsides: this means I stare at my computer screen a lot, knuckles buried in my cheeks, and force my brain to stop editing the line above so I can see what's coming next in the plot. It also means I spend more time on my drafts (at least I think it does,) and it definitely means I cut. A lot.
So here we are. And I'm scared. I don't want to stare and sweat and bleed all over this new draft just to cut 99% of my work like it never happened. It can be paralyzing, sometimes. But it's part of the process. I will no doubt do this every time. Every book. The funny part is that I still love those times where I glare at my screen all morning with no progress. In fact, I find I'm most intolerable to the outside world following a particularly lackluster drafting session because I can't wait to do it again.
I'm terrified, and I'm excited (and I'm writing this blog post because I'm totally stalling because another character wants a POV in book three and I told her we'd talk about it in a little bit...)
So, now that I'm sure you're sure I'm crazy, tell me what - if anything - scares you about the writing process?
Thursday, October 10, 2013
What it sounds like in my head during "official" edits
Quick update: we just finished content, or "overview" edits of the Moonlit sequel, which is currently called "Windswept." That means the plot for the sequel is pretty much set in stone (sqquueee!!!) and that we're moving on to inline edits, where my editor comes after my sentence structure and word choices like they owe her something. And, in fact, they do. She makes sure every word, every sentence, deserves a place on the page once they're finally printed.
In my head, the whole content editing process sounds something like this:
1. Right after I've submitted the manuscript to my editor: I can't wait to see what she says! I can't wait to get started and tear it apart and make it better better better!! (then, this tiny voice says: what if she LOVES it and there's nothing to do? Bwahahahahaha. Hilarious.)
2. Once I've received the edits, I typically glare at the screen - not at my editor's notes, but my own words. How could I have thought this was any good? Why in the WORLD did my publisher accept this novel? There is EVERYTHING to do. Then I dig in and rearrange, shore up holes, apply pressure to the bleeders. Things get better, but aren't sewn up just yet, the fact of which really ticks me off.
3. I submit the first round, and then I avoid my laptop at all costs for fear I'll delete the whole manuscript on a whim and attempt to pick up a new hobby. True story: A week ago I got a puppy because I couldn't handle the down time of two weeks (fyi - that's like super insano lightspeed in the publishing world) between round one and round two. I am an idiot, a busy idiot who is now training a very energetic 4 month old dog.
4. I received the second round of content/overview edits. While the second round is usually lighter, I have found that with Moonlit and Windswept, they make me dig deeper. The first round merely made incisions in the body. The second round probes for the source of the bleed. And boy howdy does it bleed. Everywhere. You'd think by the second round of edits the major cuts were over. Nope.
5. And then, the best feeling on earth: Here it is! This is the giant traffic jam/plot hole to nowhere/personality disorder my manuscript is suffering from. And this is my favorite part, because now that I've identified the offender, I can seek and destroy it faster than that very energetic puppy can rip up a pair of undies. In Windswept, Tanzy opens the sequel with an axe to grind and a very large chip on her shoulder. That big heart of hers was nowhere in sight. The original opening not only made Tanzy practically unlikeable, but also foiled her emotional development in the rest of the story. Tanzy's journey in Windswept has a lot in store for her, and if she's already burned up inside by page 10, we have no where to go. Once I realized I'd plugged the wound in Tanzy's bleeding heart with my own southern-born, grudge-holding, short-fused temper, it was an easy (and lengthy) fix. The story is so much better now that I've taken myself out of the equation
When my editor - who I adore, okay worship... possibly stalk... anyways, when she suggested I soften Tanzy I thought: had she forgotten how Moonlit ended? Wouldn't she be royally brassed off if someone had pulled the pin on the grenade of her life and walked away? In truth, I have no idea how my awesome editor would handle the situation in reality, but I'd also forgotten how Tanzy would handle it, and put too much of myself in the opening chapters. There's a reason I'm not a heroine in a book somewhere.
We still have work to do. In truth, I was a little intimidated by the sequel as a whole. I have fans - actual, legitimate, they-don't-know-me-outside-of-this-book fans. What if Windswept doesn't deliver? What if I'm not good, I was just... lucky? The story line is so different, the pace so blinding... Then I think back to the state Moonlit was in pre-edits, the holes, the weak places, the choppy sections, and I realize we're right on track with Windswept. We still have work to do, and I'm sure I'll stumble around a few times and eat my way out of a writer's block or two. But I'm finally learning all of those steps and feelings and frustrations and breakthroughs are just par for the course.
Sharing is caring: what tips do you have for an author in the editing stage? Tell us about what you're up to, too!
In my head, the whole content editing process sounds something like this:
1. Right after I've submitted the manuscript to my editor: I can't wait to see what she says! I can't wait to get started and tear it apart and make it better better better!! (then, this tiny voice says: what if she LOVES it and there's nothing to do? Bwahahahahaha. Hilarious.)
2. Once I've received the edits, I typically glare at the screen - not at my editor's notes, but my own words. How could I have thought this was any good? Why in the WORLD did my publisher accept this novel? There is EVERYTHING to do. Then I dig in and rearrange, shore up holes, apply pressure to the bleeders. Things get better, but aren't sewn up just yet, the fact of which really ticks me off.
3. I submit the first round, and then I avoid my laptop at all costs for fear I'll delete the whole manuscript on a whim and attempt to pick up a new hobby. True story: A week ago I got a puppy because I couldn't handle the down time of two weeks (fyi - that's like super insano lightspeed in the publishing world) between round one and round two. I am an idiot, a busy idiot who is now training a very energetic 4 month old dog.
4. I received the second round of content/overview edits. While the second round is usually lighter, I have found that with Moonlit and Windswept, they make me dig deeper. The first round merely made incisions in the body. The second round probes for the source of the bleed. And boy howdy does it bleed. Everywhere. You'd think by the second round of edits the major cuts were over. Nope.
5. And then, the best feeling on earth: Here it is! This is the giant traffic jam/plot hole to nowhere/personality disorder my manuscript is suffering from. And this is my favorite part, because now that I've identified the offender, I can seek and destroy it faster than that very energetic puppy can rip up a pair of undies. In Windswept, Tanzy opens the sequel with an axe to grind and a very large chip on her shoulder. That big heart of hers was nowhere in sight. The original opening not only made Tanzy practically unlikeable, but also foiled her emotional development in the rest of the story. Tanzy's journey in Windswept has a lot in store for her, and if she's already burned up inside by page 10, we have no where to go. Once I realized I'd plugged the wound in Tanzy's bleeding heart with my own southern-born, grudge-holding, short-fused temper, it was an easy (and lengthy) fix. The story is so much better now that I've taken myself out of the equation
When my editor - who I adore, okay worship... possibly stalk... anyways, when she suggested I soften Tanzy I thought: had she forgotten how Moonlit ended? Wouldn't she be royally brassed off if someone had pulled the pin on the grenade of her life and walked away? In truth, I have no idea how my awesome editor would handle the situation in reality, but I'd also forgotten how Tanzy would handle it, and put too much of myself in the opening chapters. There's a reason I'm not a heroine in a book somewhere.
We still have work to do. In truth, I was a little intimidated by the sequel as a whole. I have fans - actual, legitimate, they-don't-know-me-outside-of-this-book fans. What if Windswept doesn't deliver? What if I'm not good, I was just... lucky? The story line is so different, the pace so blinding... Then I think back to the state Moonlit was in pre-edits, the holes, the weak places, the choppy sections, and I realize we're right on track with Windswept. We still have work to do, and I'm sure I'll stumble around a few times and eat my way out of a writer's block or two. But I'm finally learning all of those steps and feelings and frustrations and breakthroughs are just par for the course.
Sharing is caring: what tips do you have for an author in the editing stage? Tell us about what you're up to, too!
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Author Interview with Paul Anthony Shortt
I am so excited to welcome fellow WiDo author, Paul Anthony Shortt, who just released "Silent Oath," book two in the Locked Within Series. I've admired Paul from across the pond, and have thoroughly enjoyed watching his writing career take off. Today, we're talking all about his series, including the new release and a recently released short story for the series.
Thank you so much for visiting with me today. To start, tell me about your main character. What/who inspired him? How did his identity evolve as you learned more about him? Nathan Shepherd is a reborn, someone who can remember past lives and draw strength and knowledge from them. He’s based off the first real hero I came up with when I first decided I wanted to be a writer. I was about 13 years old when I came up with him. I suppose what really inspired him was seeing so many horror movies where the experienced, knowledgeable monster-hunter dies, and the rookie hero has to stop the villain in the end. Initially he was nothing more than a mess of ideas, all the elements I thought a hero needed. Over time, he’s become his own person, with his own wants and desires. There’s still a lot of me in him, but he’s much more rash than I am, prone to leaping before he looks, and he’s quite secretive even around people he trusts. In the end, Nathan is someone who tries to take everyone else’s burdens onto his own shoulders, even when it damages him. That’s a trait he and I share, though I’ve learned that you have to work out a balance when helping others, or else you burn yourself out.
Of course, it takes two to tango. Tell me the same about your villain. Some people will expect me to talk about Dorian here, but I’m not. Silent Oath introduces Nathan’s true nemesis, a renegade reborn who goes by the name Athamar. Reborn typically choose a “soul name”, a name they can go by from lifetime to lifetime so they can be easily identified when reuniting with past associates. Athamar casts aside the name he was born with in this life, and has a major grudge against Nathan. If he was inspired by anything, picture a combination of The Joker and the evil Angelus from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. He’s savage and remorseless, and also a little bit insane. Part of the puzzle Nathan must solve is to figure out exactly who Athamar is, and why he hates Nathan and his lost love Elena so much that he has hunted them throughout their previous lifetimes.
You and I are kindred spirits there, Paul. The Buffy series essentially shaped my adolescence, and made me lean away from the damsel-in-distress type entertainment and more towards the can-do-chick. You recently release a short story for the Locked Within series, which features a leading lady. What made you decide to showcase this aspect of the story in its own feature? Do you plan on releasing more short stories in the future? Cynthia’s one of my favourite characters in the series. She’s strong-willed, intelligent, and won’t let Nathan get away with any self-sacrificing nonsense when she’s around. He needs her. Their friendship is a major part of the series, and I think we could do with seeing more platonic relationships between men and women in fiction. Unfortunately for Cynthia, she spent much of Locked Within in a hospital bed after Eli savagely beat her. I wanted to give her some additional exposure, but also give readers a glimpse into how she coped with her ordeal. By the time Silent Oath begins, Cynthia is a practiced marksman and even coming into her own reborn abilities. I wanted to take some time to show how she regained her strength. I have another short story in mind, yes. This one will be set around Christmas time, between Silent Oath and the final book.
You've had a busy year - and I understand it's about to get even busier. How do you balance writing and family? Yeah, it’s been busy, all right. Our twin girls arrived just in time for Christmas, and we’re expecting another addition to the family in January. It’s all down to communication, to be honest. My wife has been my strongest supporter in my writing career. Since the day we met, she knew this was what I wanted to do with my life, so she understands if I need to spend an extra hour or two at the computer. I’m lucky enough to work in admin for my day-job, so I can spend my lunch hour writing solidly, and I get some extra writing time during the girls’ nap time at the weekend. If I’m on a deadline, I’ll also use a netbook in the evenings after the girls are in bed, so I can still relax on the couch with my wife while I work. I probably have more demands on my time than most people I know. I believe all things come down to priorities. You have to decide what are the most important things to you and budget your time for them, just like you might budget your finances. My top two things are my children and my writing. Once I set down time for those, everything else can fall into place.
Which character do you find easiest/most natural to write? Do you see any bits of yourself or your life in your writing? Probably Nathan. He’s been in my head, in one form or another, for 20 years at this stage. I try not to write literal people and events from my life in my books. I’d be too afraid someone might recognize themselves and take offence. However, experiences which have deep emotional effects on me do inspire my work. I draw on emotions for appropriate scenes and try to evoke those same feelings in the reader. One of the pivotal moments in Locked Within, for example, is Nathan and Laura’s breakup. That whole scene brings to mind several events in my life where I’ve been betrayed or cast aside by others. So when writing it, I dredged up all those feelings and let them fuel the words on the page.
What makes your series stand out? Well, at face value, it bucks the trend by being an urban fantasy with a male protagonist instead of female, but that’s hardly anything special. I think the first thing that makes Nathan’s story different from other urban fantasy series’ is that reincarnation is a fairly regular fact of life. In most fantasy novels, reincarnation is the special purview of the Chosen One, a sign of their heroic destiny. When I set out to write this series, I knew I wanted reincarnation to be a common occurrence. Secondly, despite his eidetic memory and being able to temporarily boost his strength by using his past-life memories, Nathan Shepherd is just a regular man. Yes, he has lifetimes of knowledge and experience, but he’s mortal. He has no super powers, no magic tricks. He can’t throw a fireball or regenerate injuries. He has to succeed by outwitting his opponents, or just by being too stubborn to stay down when he gets hit.
I understand you have already drafted the third and final book in the series. Did you always know how it would end? Most definitely. I tend to come up with the end of stories before any other part, and while some of the precise details have changed over time, I always knew that the series was going to come down to one final confrontation between Nathan and Athamar. I promise, it’ll be epic.
That sounds like quite a finale. I know it's hard to say goodbye to characters you've grown so close with and then introduce yourself to a whole new hero/villain. What's next for you? I’d like to say I’m going to go have a glass of wine and take the rest of the year off. But truthfully, I’d get bored within a week. I can’t stand not writing at least a little every day. Once I get confirmation, one way or another, on the third book in this trilogy, I’ll be getting ready to work on that, and looking ahead to next year’s release. In addition to that, I’m working on a new YA steampunk series which I’ll be self-publishing next year. More about that on my blog in a few weeks, actually. But I’ll still be traditionally publishing as well. I’ve always said my goal is to eventually be releasing up to 4 books a year, and the best way to do that is by using every opportunity available to me. I have some ideas for new series’. The only tricky part is choosing which to concentrate on! So stay tuned, because I have plenty more stories to tell!
Now then, let's check out the sultry, lovely cover of Paul's newest release:
Cover Copy
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.
About Paul Anthony Shortt:
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.
Links:
Twitter: @PAShortt
Monday, September 23, 2013
Am I really staring at October?
Yesterday morning, I sat in my driveway, sure I was dreaming, as bright leaves spun to the ground. Isn't it too early for this? I thought. This doesn't usually happen until late September or early October.
Hey there, Jadie. Welcome back to the present.
First, a recap. I had an awesome summer. Moonlit and I toured through Tennessee: a group author signing in Nashville and a Moonlit-themed horse show in Knoxville.
Mid-summer, I flew to Oklahoma City to sign books at the AQHYA World Championship Horseshow. I participated in my first ever pin-exchange (it's a total blast) and learned how to lasso thanks to my booth-neighbor, Cigi, who is the daughter of the most-winning rodeo athlete in history. Seriously.
That weekend, I hosted a multi-author signing near my home town with authors Julie Ford, Gillian Summers, and Elaine Little. Most recently, I spoke and then peddled my wares at the Decatur Book Festival.
In the midst of all of that, I received word that my submissions editor at WiDo Publishing loved - and accepted - the sequel to Moonlit. I did a happy dance that shook my kitchen and made my two year old daughter laugh and clap. To be honest, I was laughing and clapping, too. Because this summer, as most of you know, I also rewrote nearly the entire sequel.
Now, we're in content-edits for the sequel, currently dubbed "Windswept." My awesome, super-human editor, Summer Ross, is the best side-kick any writer could have. This is hands-down one of my favorite parts of the publishing process because of how much I learn. I push myself so much harder when I know she's keeping an eye on my every keystroke.
WiDo released a pretty fab press release about the acquisition of Windswept. I also spill some thoughts about where the series is headed. Check it out here: http://widopublishing.com/jadie-jones-moonlit-sequel-to-hit-the-shelves-in-2014/
I pinky-promise I will do my best to be more regular on here. Now then, tell me about your summers. What goal are you determined to accomplish by the end of the year? With any luck, I'll have a rough draft of the third book in the Moonlit series.
Hey there, Jadie. Welcome back to the present.
First, a recap. I had an awesome summer. Moonlit and I toured through Tennessee: a group author signing in Nashville and a Moonlit-themed horse show in Knoxville.
Mid-summer, I flew to Oklahoma City to sign books at the AQHYA World Championship Horseshow. I participated in my first ever pin-exchange (it's a total blast) and learned how to lasso thanks to my booth-neighbor, Cigi, who is the daughter of the most-winning rodeo athlete in history. Seriously.
That weekend, I hosted a multi-author signing near my home town with authors Julie Ford, Gillian Summers, and Elaine Little. Most recently, I spoke and then peddled my wares at the Decatur Book Festival.
In the midst of all of that, I received word that my submissions editor at WiDo Publishing loved - and accepted - the sequel to Moonlit. I did a happy dance that shook my kitchen and made my two year old daughter laugh and clap. To be honest, I was laughing and clapping, too. Because this summer, as most of you know, I also rewrote nearly the entire sequel.
Now, we're in content-edits for the sequel, currently dubbed "Windswept." My awesome, super-human editor, Summer Ross, is the best side-kick any writer could have. This is hands-down one of my favorite parts of the publishing process because of how much I learn. I push myself so much harder when I know she's keeping an eye on my every keystroke.
WiDo released a pretty fab press release about the acquisition of Windswept. I also spill some thoughts about where the series is headed. Check it out here: http://widopublishing.com/jadie-jones-moonlit-sequel-to-hit-the-shelves-in-2014/
I pinky-promise I will do my best to be more regular on here. Now then, tell me about your summers. What goal are you determined to accomplish by the end of the year? With any luck, I'll have a rough draft of the third book in the Moonlit series.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Spotlight: Initiate - Book 1 in the Unfinished Song Series - by Tara Maya (including excerpt)
It's no news flash that the book market is up to its gills in Fantasy series. So it takes something unique to make a reader sit up and take notice. Tara Maya - if you read this - you have my full attention. And, as soon as I'm done formatting this blog post, I'm going to grab your book.
Everyone else - if this piques your interest, you should check it out, too. Tara Maya's rep has been kind enough to provide me with the cover, summary, and an excerpt (all below.) It's FREE in ebook everywhere except for Barnes and Noble, where it's just 99 cents. Links are provided below for ebook download locations and social media connections.
First and foremost, take a peek at the lovely cover:
Blue-skinned rusalki grappled Dindi under the churning surface of the river. She could feel their claws dig into her arms. Their riverweed-like hair entangled her legs when she tried to kick back to the surface. She only managed to gulp a few breaths of air before they pulled her under again.
"Join our circle, Dindi!" the fae voices gurgled under the water. "Dance with us forever!"
"No!" She kicked and swam and stole another gasp for air before they snagged her again. There were so many of them now, all pulling her down, all singing to the tune of the rushing river. She tried to shout, "Dispel!" but swallowed water instead. Her head hit a rock, disorienting her. She sank, this time sure she wouldn't be coming up again.
Amazon http://amzn.to/15ciwYc
Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/13yM5Dr
Kobo http://bit.ly/1aFhg1P
iTunes http://bit.ly/1baddhN
Smashwords http://bit.ly/17zK8Xn
Everyone else - if this piques your interest, you should check it out, too. Tara Maya's rep has been kind enough to provide me with the cover, summary, and an excerpt (all below.) It's FREE in ebook everywhere except for Barnes and Noble, where it's just 99 cents. Links are provided below for ebook download locations and social media connections.
First and foremost, take a peek at the lovely cover:
Now then - the summary of "Initiate"
DEADLY INITIATION
A DETERMINED GIRL...
Dindi can't do anything right, maybe because she spends more
time dancing with pixies than doing her chores. Her clan hopes to marry her off
and settle her down, but she dreams of becoming a Tavaedi, one of the powerful
warrior-dancers whose secret magics are revealed only to those who pass a
mysterious Test during the Initiation ceremony. The problem? No-one in Dindi's
clan has ever passed the Test. Her grandmother died trying. But Dindi has a
plan.
AN EXILED WARRIOR...
Kavio is the most powerful warrior-dancer in Faearth, but
when he is exiled from the tribehold for a crime he didn't commit, he decides
to shed his old life. If roving cannibals and hexers don't kill him first, this
is his chance to escape the shadow of his father's wars and his mother's curse.
But when he rescues a young Initiate girl, he finds himself drawn into as
deadly a plot as any he left behind. He must decide whether to walk away or
fight for her... assuming she would even accept the help of an exile.
EXCERPT
Blue-skinned rusalki grappled Dindi under the churning surface of the river. She could feel their claws dig into her arms. Their riverweed-like hair entangled her legs when she tried to kick back to the surface. She only managed to gulp a few breaths of air before they pulled her under again.
She hadn't appreciated how fast and deep the river was. On
her second gasp for air, she saw that the current was already dragging her out
of sight of the screaming girls on the bank. A whirlpool of froth and fae
roiled between two large rocks in the middle of the river. The rusalka and her
sisters tugged Dindi toward it. Other water fae joined the rusalki. Long
snouted pookas, turtle-like kappas and hairy-armed gwyllions all swam around
her, leading her to the whirlpool, where even more fae swirled in the
whitewater.
"Join our circle, Dindi!" the fae voices gurgled under the water. "Dance with us forever!"
"No!" She kicked and swam and stole another gasp for air before they snagged her again. There were so many of them now, all pulling her down, all singing to the tune of the rushing river. She tried to shout, "Dispel!" but swallowed water instead. Her head hit a rock, disorienting her. She sank, this time sure she wouldn't be coming up again.
"Dispel!" It was a man's voice.
Strong arms encircled her and lifted her until her arms and
head broke the surface. Her rescuer swam with her toward the shore. He
overpowered the current, he shrugged aside the hands of the water faeries
stroking his hair and arms. When he reached the shallows, he scooped Dindi into
his arms and carried her the rest of the way to the grassy bank. He set her
down gently.
She coughed out some water while he supported her back.
"Better?" he asked.
She nodded. He was young--only a few years older than she.
The aura of confidence and competence he radiated made him seem older. Without
knowing quite why, she was certain he was a Tavaedi.
"Good." He had a gorgeous smile. A wisp of his
dark bangs dangled over one eye. He brushed his dripping hair back over his
head.
Dindi's hand touched skin--he was not wearing any shirt.
Both of them were sopping wet. On him, that meant trickles of water coursed
over a bedrock of muscle. As for her, the thin white wrap clung transparently
to her body like a wet leaf. She blushed.
"It might have been easier to swim if you had let go of
that," he teased. He touched her hand, which was closed around something.
"What were you holding onto so tightly that it mattered more than
drowning?"
LINKS
Tara's Blog: taramayastales.blogspot.com
The Unfinished Song on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheUnfinishedSongEpicFantasyAmazon http://amzn.to/15ciwYc
Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/13yM5Dr
Kobo http://bit.ly/1aFhg1P
iTunes http://bit.ly/1baddhN
Smashwords http://bit.ly/17zK8Xn
Initiate is free
everywhere except on Barnes and Noble (where it’s $0.99). You can download a
free .epub version via Smashwords.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Cover Reveal: "Revenge in Rio" by Samantha Darling
Every now and then, a book title tugs at the corners of my mouth and makes me raise an eyebrow. "Revenge in Rio" is one of those titles. I can't wait to read the book! I'm very excited to take part in the cover reveal.
First (consider it a proverbial drumroll...) the summary:
First (consider it a proverbial drumroll...) the summary:
Calculated revenge, unexpected
passion…
Business
magnate Luca Venancio is returning to Rio to pay his respects to his late
brother, and to seduce his once fiancée, Daniella, back into his bed. Five
years ago she left him without so much as a word, shunning him and the rich
life he could offer in exchange for his younger, reckless brother. Now Luca
wants revenge—seduce her and dump her, that's all he intends to do.
Blackmailed
into a violent farce of a marriage, Daniella had no choice but to comply to
protect Luca's life, even though it meant never being able to see him again.
Years later, a twist of fate reunites them, throwing her plans of fleeing Rio
out of the window and the love of her life straight back in.
Luca's flawless plan soon
becomes complicated when he discovers Daniella is expecting his brother's
child. It becomes even more complicated when old passions return. Can he
actually go through with seducing her, bedding her, and then discarding her?
Ah how I love these sorts of complications! And it looks like she's set the stage for a 2-part POV. We shall see... in the meantime, here's the cover! Make sure to scroll down for author info and links for Samantha Darling
Revenge
in Rio
By: Samantha Darling
Beachwalk Press
Releasing October 21st, 2013
About the author:
I live in
Essex, not too far from London, with my very understanding husband, our
identical twin boys, and two Bedlington Terriers. We're crammed into our rather
cozy two-up two-down terrace and we can barely swing a cat, but hey, we love
it. I work part-time as a nurse, but when I'm off duty, you will find me either
chasing the toddlers around like a headless chicken, head buried in a book, or
tapping away at my stories.
I have
always loved to read and romance is by far my favourite genre! You can easily
escape into such promising worlds, where sexy Alpha males lead the way and
strong heroine's often can't help but fall head over heels in love. I adore a
Happy Ever After - as I'm sure we all do if we're honest, right?!
Reading and writing go hand in hand and from the day I could read, I enjoyed writing. To put pen to paper and conjure up weird and wonderful little stories was what I thrived on! English was my favourite class at school right throughout to secondary - and I will always be thankful for the teachers who gave me the opportunities to develop and be creative! If I remember rightly, one of my first stories was called 'The Turkey Who Could Talk'...but I'll tell you more about that some other day :-)
Reading and writing go hand in hand and from the day I could read, I enjoyed writing. To put pen to paper and conjure up weird and wonderful little stories was what I thrived on! English was my favourite class at school right throughout to secondary - and I will always be thankful for the teachers who gave me the opportunities to develop and be creative! If I remember rightly, one of my first stories was called 'The Turkey Who Could Talk'...but I'll tell you more about that some other day :-)
Author Links
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