Good News and a Nice Review for Thorns

Hi everyone,

Good news! I've finished the rough draft for book #3 of The Frost Chronicles series, which is tentatively titled WEAVERS. I'm now in the process of revising. If everything goes according to the plan, Weavers will be released in mid-late January of 2013!!!

In other news, I really liked this review for Thorns and thought I'd share it.

:)

THORNS in Paperback!!

Hi everyone!

Again, sorry for the long absences lately. I have been very distracted over the last few weeks with several personal matters. Good things, mostly, just LIFE things, and life things can be time-consuming and stressful, you know? I'm thankful that I have the flexibility to deal with what comes my way these days, especially when it's in crazy waves like the last few weeks. But all sorts of fun things have happened too--I became an aunt for the first time last week, yay! My little niece is beautiful.

Fortunately, my family hasn't been in any way affected by Sandy, but to all those whose lives have been touched by the disaster, you have my thoughts and prayers!

I've taken a very brief hiatus from writing the third book in the Frost Chronicles series to deal with all those life things I talked about, but good news! I am back at the grindstone today, and my goal is to be finished with the rough draft by the end of this week. Eek! It's a lot to accomplish, but I think I ca do it.

It is still my goal to have a winter release for the third book, either the end of December (unlikely, but possible) or sometime in Jan/Feb of 2013 (much more likely).

In other news, THORNS IS NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK! Yay! So if you don't read ebooks, you can now snag a dead-tree copy for yourself.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful November so far!

Thoughts on Writing A Series

Hey everybody,

First, I'm sorry for the long blogging absence. At first I was just exhausted from the Thorns launch (which went fantastically well, guys, and it's selling really really well). Then I went to the beach on a week-long family vacation with my in-law, during which I did little except eat, read, and sleep all day.

Then, a few days after we returned from the beach, my husband had ACL replacement surgery using a donor ACL (hardcore!) and we've just been dealing with that since his recovery time was about a month of crutches and leg-straightening machines, not to mention the weeks of physical therapy he still has ahead of him.

Annnnnd....this past weekend I've been sick...I actually had to go to the ER because I got too dehydrated. But I'm feeling much better now, and I've been working VERY HARD yesterday and today on the first draft of the manuscript I'm still calling FROST 3, as it doesn't have a title yet.

I've been thinking a bit lately about how I feel about writing a series, since I'm smack dab in the middle of book 3 of The Frost Chronicles. Normally I've always preferred to dream up ideas for stand-alone books. I haven't been a huge series advocate because it requires a (very intimidating to plan) overarching plot or goal, plus all the self-contained plots and goals of each book, and honestly in the past the thought has always been a frightening prospect to me. But...surprisingly, I really like it. I like being able to return to the same world and play with the same characters. I like seeing them grow and learn and stretch into new places and directions. It's very rewarding. I think planning really pays off in this instance, because I've had some things in mind all along and I've been able to let them happen gradually over the course of several books.

So, it's a happy discovery. And when The Frost Chronicles is finished (some of you have been emailing me to ask how many books there'll be--I honestly can't say for sure, but right now I'm anticipating 5), I'll be sad to see it go.

I've got some other books up my sleeve, of course, ones I've been working on here and there. Most of them are NOT series, however. But we'll see...now that I like it so much, I might not be able to resist.

So...what do you guys prefer to read (or write)? Standalone novels, trilogies, or long series?

All Digital THORNS versions available!

Hey guys!

Good news. All digital version of THORNS are now available! So if you read on a Nook or if you prefer to buy your ebooks from Smashwords, you can now snag a copy of the Frost sequel.

Here are the all links again:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

 And again, if you are a book blogger who reviewed FROST for me, and you're interested in reviewing the sequel as well, shoot me an email at kellisonwrites(at)gmail(dot)com.

Also, Thorns has two covers! I decided to make an alternate, simpler cover just for kicks. (Lots of books get multiple covers with various edition and such.) So this is the Smashwords edition cover, which is a bit simpler and more streamlined:

Frost now has a new cover on Smashwords too, so be sure to head over and check it out.

THORNS is available in the Amazon store!

Hi everybody!

Thorns is now available for sale in the Amazon store!

* tosses confetti *

(Go here to buy Thorns on Amazon)

I'll be sure to post more links when it's available in all the other usual places. Also, there will be a print version, but it won't be available for another few weeks, I think. I'll let you know when that's available, too.

YAY!

When Is THORNS Coming Out??!?

Hi dear friends and readers!

(Psssst! You can now get Thorns on AMAZON!)

Lately, I've had a number of you ask me when Thorns: The Frost Chronicles #2 will be available. And I'm so pleased and honored by your interest and enthusiasm in this series, so thank you for that! And never fear, Thorns is coming out soon. And lots of interesting stuff has been happening to Lia Weaver lately. :)

I was shooting for today as a release date, but it had to be pushed back a little bit. So I think it's going to be another week before Thorns is available for purchase at all the usual places--Amazon, B & N, Smashwords, etc. But don't worry, I will let you know and give you links as soon as you can buy it! The ebook will be available right away, and it might be a few weeks before the paperback is in stock, but I'll let you know all that information as well when the time comes.

So check back here on the blog or sign up for the New Releases Newsletter (there's a tab for that at the top of the blog now) if you don't want to miss the release!

Have a great weekend!

PS ~ Bloggers, if you reviewed Frost for me and you're interested in reviewing Thorns as well, shoot me an email at kellisonwrite(at)gmail(dot)com.

Cover Reveal: Dazzle by Amber Garza

Today I have something really special to share with you...the cover reveal for Dazzle, a new paranormal romance by Amber Garza coming Oct 2012!

 So, without further ado...

* drum roll *

 

DAZZLE by Amber Garza

 

 

Isn't it pretty?? I think it's really simple but really evocative. And I love the little squiggle on the E.

 

Here's the deets:

 

Dazzle: Book One in the Delaney's Gift Series is a new YA paranormal romance by Amber Garza, set for release October 2012!

 

Sixteen-year-old Delaney Scott possesses a special gift. Ever since she was a child she has known about her calling and the duty she’s expected to fulfill.

However, all Delaney wants is to be normal. That’s why she is drawn to Sam. He can offer her the life she’s always desired. Only Sam has secrets of his own.

Secrets that are deadly. Secrets that can change everything.

 

You can find out more at:

 

Amber's Blog: http://www.ambergarza.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amber-Garza-author

 

 

My Everyday Magic (a guest post by Kai Strand)

Harry Potter. The boy who lived. Whose walk through the forest reduced me to
tears. Who was so angsty (in the fifth book), I was actually crabby while reading
it. Harry and I met after his fourth book (my favorite) was released. It was the
summer before my daughter was to enter fourth grade. She wasn’t reading much
and it broke my heart that she hadn’t yet discovered the euphoria of escaping to
another world to spy on some one else’s life. I’d heard loads about the Harry Potter
books and decided there had to be something there for so many around the world to
make such a big deal. So, I decided to lead by example. I checked out the first book
from the library and started reading it. I plowed through it and jumped right into
the second. My daughter, brow scrunched, picked up the first book and she started
reading. That summer she and I tore through all four books. We were absolutely
hooked and anxiously awaited the release of the fifth book, still a year and a half
out.

During that year and a half wait, I became so impatient that I decided I’d keep
myself busy creating my own world and my own characters and steep myself in
a fantasy of my own making. The first thing I dreamed up was an underground
transportation animal. Then I thought, “What would such an animal be used for?”
“Where would it take people?” “Who are those people?” and a writer was born.

It took more than a year of listening to my daughter and I obsess about Harry Potter
before we were able to hook the rest of the family. We discovered books on CD and
listened to Jim Dale’s wonderful readings on long trips. We would bring portable
CD players so that we could bring the story into hotel rooms with us in the evening.
If the trip finished before the book, we’d bring it into our own living room and sit
together to listen until the story was complete, often planning complete evenings
around it.

I took my daughter to midnight book releases; selfishly buying two books so that she
and I could both start reading immediately. My daughter and I went to the midnight
release of the third movie together. When the fourth movie was due to release, my
son was struggling in school and I told him if he focused and pulled up his grades, I’d
take him with us to the midnight release. It was so effective that the morning after
we saw that movie, I had to wake my son early and drag him to school because his
teacher was honoring him with a “Turn Around Kid” award.

But the every day magic of Harry Potter really hit home one day when my niece and
I were at a family Potter party for the release of the seventh book. Even though I’d
frizzed my hair, was draped in scarves and wore glasses so thick I was running into
furniture, she and I had a quite and serious moment together where she explained
that she’d discovered the books while she was battling breast cancer. The stories
whisked her away from her reality. While she visited Hogwarts she successfully
forgot about nausea and hair loss. Yes, that is magic. God bless you, Ms. Rowling.

You don’t have to write at the level of success as Harry Potter for your stories to
instill everyday magic in the lives of a reader. Each story, when released into the
world, affects readers in different ways. But when it resonates with its reader, it is
magic. When a story, or blog post, or birthday card I’ve written finds its perfect fit
with a reader, I feel as magical as Harry himself.

Harry has started a lifelong reader in my daughter, given me precious family time,
inspired me to become a writer, motivated my son to focus in school and provided a
blessed escape for my niece during a dark time. It is just a book series. But one full
of magic inside and out.

Now go out and have your own magic. I hope you can find a spark of it in one of my
books.

About SAVE THE LEMMINGS:

8th grade inventor, Natalie Isabelle Cailean Edwards is
the N.I.C.E. girl who finishes last with the kids in school. Sappy inspirational phrases and monochromatic outfits have all but her best friends wrinkling their nose at her. When Natalie’s invention, the Texty-Talky, goes nationwide, she becomes an overnight
sensation.

Suddenly her days consist of photo shoots and interviews with little time left for her friends. A local reporter shatters her good-girl image by reporting a graffiti incident and the media launches into a smear campaign. It is so bad, even her friends start to believe the stories. Will Natalie be able to overcome the lies being printed about her? And will she be able to SAVE THE LEMMINGS?

 BUY IT ON AMAZON!

 About the author:

Kai Strand writes fiction for middle grade and young adult readers.

Her debut novel, The Weaver, was a finalist in the 2012 EPIC eBook Awards. The Wishing Well: Another Weaver Tale is set in the same storytelling village as The Weaver. She is a (very lucky) wife and the mother of four amazing kids. The most common sound in her household is laughter. The second most common is, "Do your dishes!" She and her family hike, geocache, and canoe in beautiful Central Oregon, where they call home.

To find out more about Kai’s books, download companion documents, find links to her published short stories and discover all the places to find Kai both virtually and in person, visit her website: www.kaistrand.com. She loves to hear from readers, so feel free to send her an email or visit her facebook page, Kai Strand, Author.

This Week Online...

So I've been thinking that maybe I should do a weekly roundup of great book or writing or reading-related articles I've found around the internet. I always stumble across great things, and I tweet a lot of them, but it might be nice to have them all in one place.

Lauren Conrad caused a stir online when she used some books to make a craft project, which resulted in this thought-provoking article, Books Are Not Sacred Objects. And I agree--I used to absolutely shudder at the idea of destroying a book, and maybe people I know refuse to even get rid of old books they don't read anymore. But books themselves--and by this I mean the binding, cover, pages--are not so special. Perhaps if you have a first edition or a rare signed copy, you could argue for treating the container itself as something of value. But it's the STORY inside that matters most. (My perspective on this changed when I became an author, because as I handed different version of my own books I realized the story is the true magic, whether it's read on my laptop or my Kindle or from a print copy, or even if it's listened to as an audiotape or shared aloud by one reader to listeners.)

Speaking of different ways and mediums to consume stories, I read this fascinating article about the history of paperbacks. There's some pretty strong parallels between the emergence of (and initial opposition to and snobbery about) paperbacks and ebooks that I find fascinating. History repeating? Here's another article on How Paperbacks Changed Popular Literature.

Also, for those who are interested in writing - How to Use Foreshadowing to Jazz Up Slow Scenes
Read anything good online this week?

What Are You Reading?

Confession time: I haven't been able to really get into any books lately.

I've picked up a lot of things that sounded really promising and drool-worthy, but then..............they fizzle. Or I fizzle. One of us is to blame, and it's probably me.

Some of this lack of interest may be due to my workload--it can be hard to get into other books when I'm spending hours and hours slaving away at the very last edits for my own stuff, because whenever I have down time I am craving things that don't have to do with words. And some of this lack of reading interest is probably due to some health issues I was dealing with over the last month that are (thankfully) getting a lot better. But regardless of the reasons, my TBR pile has languished this past month or so. It's been so bad lately that I haven't actually finished anything except the occasional romance novel (SO not my usual modus operandi, you guys, but when I'm depressed or anxious nothing else appeals to me but the lightest, fluffiest stuff).

But I really, really, really hate not losing myself in a good book on a regular basis. Reading is like food for me. Without a regular diet of books, I feel like I'm starving. And all this writing with no reading feels like endless cooking without being able to sit down to a dinner myself.
 
So help me out here. What have you read lately that you loved? What grabbed your attention and wouldn't let you stop reading? I'm more in the mood for YA than anything else, maybe something really funny or really spooky (I really want to find something along the lines of Hex Hall or The Name of the Star), but I'll take any suggestions!

Interviews and Updates!

Hi everybody!

Sorry to be so AWOL lately. I have been slaving away at Thorns, but.................I think it's finally finished! I sent the revised draft to my editor yesterday, and when I get it back from her I'll do the final edits, then the book will be formatted, proofed, and made available for sale! There's no hard and fast release date this time since I don't have a launch party or blog tour lined up specifically for Thorns. But I am aiming for the very end of August or early September, so stay tuned.


Other fun news--I took part in a really fun interview with the Goodreads group Never Too Old for YA Books a few weeks ago, and it went up today. I really enjoyed this interview--the questions were intelligent and fun to answer, and I thought it was a good balance between questions about me/my books and general writing advice. I'm also answering questions in the comments, so be sure to head over and check it out!


Besides Thorns, I've been working on a manuscript I started last year, one that never quite made it to the publication stage. We'll call it my "super secret" book. I'm rewriting some parts, and maaaaaaybe I can manage to find time to work on it this fall. I've decided to generally not make promises about publication dates if I can help it, as so often my best intentions about projects come to nothing. My muse is a fickle lady, ya'll. But it's a really fun story and I want to share it with you guys. I'll give you the slightest hint of what it's about: sci fi thriller amnesia story.

Hope everybody's having a great week so far!

A Very Important Message

I watched this amazing video today and wanted to share. I know I've been guilty of this. I remember commenting on a blog post while I was feeling a bit heated, and later realizing I'd hurt someone with my words. I've done the same on forums and other online spaces. Even though we interact with others online through machines, there are real people being affected, and I have no idea what those people are going through. What if someone is being a bit testy, but I don't realize that they just lost their job--or their mom? It's a sobering thought.

Anyway, this video is a good reminder.

It's so easy to forget that the person on the other end is just that--a person.

Video by Derek Sivers.

Coming Soon!

Coming in just a few weeks!!

Lia Weaver went against everything she’d ever known when she risked her life to help a Farther fugitive named Gabe escape from the Aeralian soldiers, and her life changed forever. And the Frost changed, too—the Farthers have taken over her village, a new group of vigilantes calling themselves the Blackcoats are making plans to overthrow the Farther occupiers, and the Thorns are seeking for her to join them.

Lia seeks to fight back against the evil and injustice that has swallowed up her home, but danger lurks at every turn. The monsters that dwell in the deepest regions of the Frost are growing bolder and more dangerous every day, a Farther noble takes up residence in the village on a mysterious mission, and Lia discovers even more secrets embedded in her past.

Be sure to sign up for the newsletter so you are notified as soon as Thorns is available in stores!

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Cover Reveal of Thorns!!

Hi all!

Guess what? Today I have a wonderful surprise.



The COVER REVEAL for Thorns!!!

The wonderful Dani from Refracted Light Reviews is doing the honors, so head on over to her blog to check it out.

The book releases in just a few weeks, so stay tuned!!

10 Questions and A Welcome

Well, the Frost blog tour is still in full swing, and you can still enter to win a (signed) print copy or an e-copy of Frost!

There's a bunch of reviews for Frost on that list, so be sure to peruse them. I have a fun guest post up on One Book At A Time about what I do when I'm not writing.

I also have a "10 Questions" interview up on Front Row Lit. Check it out!

Now I've been somewhat absent from the blogsphere lately due to edits and other lovely book-related stuff, but I have noticed that there's been an increase in traffic and followers lately. So, to all my new followers, WELCOME! I should probably say something endearing about myself...hmmm...I love ice cream cake and zombicorns. Is that endearing? Or just weird?

Well. *whispers* It's okay to be weird here.

*clears throat*

I suggest you start here if you want to learn more about me and my fam, here if you want to learn more about my thoughts on why zombicorns are great, here if you want to learn more about the process of writing a book, or here if you want to know my silly thoughts on inter-book romance.

And stay tuned for day three of the tour!!

Frost Blog Tour Day 1!

It's started! The first day of Frost's tour is in full swing, and you can see the whole schedule here. Be sure to check out some of the reviews, and you can enter to win a signed print copy as well!

My guest post "Where I Like to Write" with Good Choice Reading


Some reviews (and be sure to enter the giveaway to win a signed copy):

Refracted Light review

Letters Inside and Out review

Xpressoreads review

What I've Been Doing

Hi everybody!

First, sorry I've been so absent in the blogsphere lately... but there's been a couple of good reasons for it. I've been very busy for a couple of reasons lately.

1) I've been working very hard on Thorns, the second book in The Frost Chronicles series. Lately I've been avoiding a lot of social media and writing like mad! But good news!! The book is finished!!

I'm currently working on revisions with beta readers, I'll be sending the book to my editor in a few weeks, and Thorns should release in mid or late August. * tosses confetti *

THANK YOU to everyone who's written me to tell me how much you are looking forward to reading the sequel--getting tweets or Goodreads messages or emails like that really helps me stay excited about the story when I'm in the "writing trenches," and I am so appreciative of your enthusiasm. There are some really cool things coming up in book 2!! I hope you all love it as much as I do.

2) I've been working hard on non-writing things like the Thorns cover (and some other promotional goodies that I'd like to share around the time of the release). The cover has been a bit of a challenge--I've actually designed and rejected a few ideas already. Hopefully I'll have something to show you soon.

3) Frost's official blog tour is NEXT WEEK, and I've been getting ready for that, too. (Hopefully I'll have some more deets about that up tomorrow.)

Anyway, I hope everyone is having a great weekend! Stay tuned for more updates, and be sure to sign up for the New Releases newsletter in the upper right-hand corner of the blog to be notified when Thorns releases.

Cover Reveal! Emily Ann Ward's PROMISING HOPE

Today I'm pleased to be part of the COVER REVEAL for Emily Ann Ward's newest release, Promising Hope!

* drumroll *

Isn't it pretty?

Here's the cover of the first book for comparison:

And here's the blurb for Promising Hope:

The curse is broken, but the war isn't over. Grace is under the spell of a love potion, torn between her obsessive love for the prince and her calling to protect Dar and the shape changers. Though Dar wants nothing more than her freedom, he's being held as a prisoner in the palace and watched at every turn. Miles away, Sierra is the reluctant savior of the shape changers as she tries to keep Evan alive in his lust for blood.

Grace and Dar struggle to make the political alliances needed to bring the shape changers back home while dealing with new doses of the love potion. But the king sides with the Protectors, who are willing to do anything to keep the magic away, even controlling the kingdom. When the man who cursed the shape changers ten years ago reappears at the castle, the Avialies abandon their attempts at peace in order to keep their family's future secure. The consequences of their actions catapult a sequence of events that threatens Grace, Sierra, and the Avialies in ways they could have never prepared for.

In this sequel to Promising Light, the war is just beginning, and no war is without casualties.

Add it on Goodreads!
Author Emily Ann Ward's Website

Check out the first book, Promising Light, if you haven't already!

Grace, a young noble, must decide whether to help a shape changer family break a curse set on their family by the powerful Protectors.

Author Spotlight: Ashley Stoyanoff

Kate: It's time for another installment of my author spotlight series! Today we're welcoming Ashley Stoyanoff, who's here to talk about her recently-released novel, The Soul's Mark: FOUND.

* cue music *

Welcome, Ashley! Tell me a little about your book.

Hi Kate, Thank you for having me!

The Soul’s Mark: FOUND takes a fresh look at soulmates.  Eighteen year old Amelia Caldwell has just moved to college when she realizes that her birthmark is more than what it seems.  She has been marked by a vampire’s soul. She is forced to unlock the painful memories of her past, and make life changing decisions.  Just when she thinks that life couldn’t possibly get any worse, Amelia’s reluctant meeting with a psychic reveals a prophecy that could ultimately change her entire life. 

"There is danger in your future. Many wish you harm and will seek to destroy you. The one you love most will be the cause of your death. But be warned he is also the only one who can save you. Revenge is for the weak. When the time comes you will need to forget the past and forgive those who have harmed you. Only then will you be able to forgive yourself. If you choose to be weak you will sacrifice those you love.” 

Kate: That sounds really intriguing!

Now, who's your favorite character in the book, besides the main character, and why is that character your favorite? What's your favorite scene?

This is a tuff one because I love all the characters, but I guess aside from Amelia and Mitchell, Eric would have to be my favorite.  He has a wicked sense of humor and a heart of gold. 

Kate: Did anything in particular inspire you or influence you when writing this book?

My biggest inspiration and influence would have to be my Mom.  If it wasn’t for her, I probably would have never finished The Soul’s Mark: FOUND.  When I got stuck on a plot twist or a character name or really anything I needed to talk through she was there. She encouraged me along the way, and her belief that I could write pushed me through all the bumps in the road.

Kate: She sounds like an awesome lady! 

What do you think is the hardest part of writing? The easiest?

For me, one of the hardest things about writing would have to be my crazy obsessive planning.  I create outline after outline after outline until the story is sound.  And then, once I’m happy with it, I’ll create another outline with new twists and turns. 

But all these outlines pay off because once I get to the actual writing the words come easily.  I know where the story is going and I can just let myself go and get lost in the characters and the plot.

Kate: Oooh, a plotter! I am a very dedicated plotter myself, although for me it's a fine balance, because too many outlines and I may not write the book. I have to find that sweet spot. Right now, I have sticky notes all over my computer serving as an outline of my current manuscript.

All right, enough about books! Tell me a little about yourself. What’s one fun or interesting fact about you that most people may not know?

Well, I live in Whitby, Ontario with my husband Jordan and two cats.  When I’m not writing, I’m usually reading.  I will read just about anything but my favorite would be romance with a supernatural twist.

One thing most people do not know about me is that I am a complete klutz.  I like to think that I hide it well.  Although, I’m not sure how interesting this is, but it shows how klutzy I am so I’ll tell you.   My legs are always covered in bruises because I walk into walls, drawers, doors, quite often.  I like to think that they jump out at me but the truth is I’m just a klutz. 

Kate: I run into walls, drawers, and doors a lot too! Its kind of hilarious and kind of sad. I always have a bruise on my leg SOMEWHERE. We must be kindred spirits that way.

Do you have any other projects or books you’re working on right now?

Currently, I am working on the second book in The Soul’s Mark series, called The Soul’s Mark: HUNTED.  The hundreds of outlines are done and I’m into the fun part now of the first draft. 

I am also working on something completely new, but at this point that’s all I can say. 

Kate: Well, best of luck with the new project (and the sequel!) Where can readers connect with you to learn more about The Soul's Mark series and your other projects?

Here are some ways you can talk to me:

Website: www.ashleystoyanoff.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AshleyStoyanoffTheSoulsMark Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/ashley_stoyanoff Email: ashley@ashleystoyanoff.com

Kate: Thanks so much for stopping by, Ashley! 

(You can buy Ashley's book here on Amazon!)

YOU GUYS.

I seriously love Goodreads.

I was just clicking around in some of the groups I hang out in, and I saw the monthly poll, this time for August's book of the month....and there was Frost!

http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/68210-book-of-the-month-august-female-indie-author

Anyway, seeing my book on that list made my night. It's a little thing, but it's awesome. Thank you to everyone who's voted for me and my book. I appreciate it so, so much. Just being nominated is such a gift.

:) :) :)

Now, I must return to writing. I'm trying to finish the first draft of Frost's sequel TONIGHT.

My Problem With Library Books

So when it comes to books, my eyes are bigger than my, er, reading capacity.

So when I see a book that looks interesting, I usually put it on hold at my local library (unless it's a low priced indie book, or on sale, and then I buy it for my Kindle! I am a starving artist...). Unfortunately, I seem to be only drawn to books that have catastrophically huge waiting lists. 157 people are ahead of me, 266 people are ahead of me...a message informs me of my fate, and I resign myself to waiting another two months for the book. So I put more books on hold. I stagger the wait times. This book has 52 people waiting for it, that book has 75, and this other book has only 15. Should work out perfect, right?

But somehow, inevitably, they all become available AT THE SAME TIME.

Eek!

At first, it's kind of like Christmas. I ooh and ahh and stare and drool.

But then, I have to actually read all these books. I take them home and pile them beside my bed in my "reading basket."

And that's where it gets ugly.

You see, when I have a lot of books to read my ADD and procrastination skills and all sorts of other troublesome tendencies sort of kick in. I feel pressured. I feel anxious to finish them all. Somehow, this means I read slower. And then I get really busy. And then I get the urge to revisit my lonely current manuscript, because reading makes me feel like writing. And then, inevitably...

I log into my library account and see that I have fines. Massive fines, multiplying like rabbits!

My library actually now has a rule that you cannot check out more books if your fine is over $15, and I sometimes wonder if they made that rule because of me and my mom (I'm not the only one who suffers from this affliction of too many library books).

And it's a vicious cycle, because I have a reading addiction, ya'll.

The good news is that I am helping my local library stay in business...

* sigh *

A Week of Inspiration, Day 4: Other Books

This week I'm celebrating and exploring the idea of inspiration--where it comes from, and how it can be stirred to life. On Wednesday we looked at travel as a source of inspiration, and how that can feed a writer's stories. Today we look at...

4. Other Books

Nobody creates art in a vacuum, and every writer stands on the shoulders of the ones that came before them in one way or another. Books are one of the biggest ways that writers are inspired, because reading is how most writers became interested in writing in the first place, and they are the best way to learn the craft. Award-winning author John Green even calls reading the "only apprenticeship [writers] have."

All authors have influences. Maybe those influences were characters and the stories themselves, the way Lord of the Rings has been inspiring fantasy fiction for years now, or maybe just the way the book made the writer FEEL.

If you're feeling creatively dry, return to the things that you love most. Ask yourself, why do you love ______ so much? What is it about that book, movie, or show that captivates you, keeping you coming back for me? Study that, whatever it might be, and try to capture and mimic it in your own unique way.

Learn from the people who came before you, and then make something special and passion-inspiring of your own.

Win a copy of one of my books!

Cool news!! Danielle from Known to Read has chosen to feature me in the Indie Author June Blog Hop. I'm thrilled and honored!!

If you want to win a free copy of one of my books, head on over to her blog and enter!

Enter to win a free copy of The Curse Girl, Frost, or Once Upon a Beanstalk!

A Week of Inspiration, Day 3: Travel

This week I'm celebrating and exploring the idea of inspiration--where it comes from, and how it can be stirred to life. Yesterday we talked about memories, and how that can feed a writer's stories. Directly related to memories is...

3. Travel

Visiting a new place can ignite a plethora of ideas in the writer's head. New sights, new experiences, new accents and food and weather and architecture...all these things can spark stories. And it doesn't have to be some place fantastic and glamorous, like Paris or London. For me, simply stopping at an unfamiliar gas station can fill my head with inspiration. Last year, my husband and I were driving to Michigan for a family vacation, and gazing at all those miles of uninterrupted cornfields and barns and tractors--Americana at its most stereotypical--out in the middle of nowhere gave me the first flash of an awesome sci fi story that I'm dying to write someday.

Even just a simple change of scenery can be inspiring. Next time you travel, be sure to take a notebook, and scribble down everything you see, hear, taste, or smell that inspires an idea.

A Week of Inspiration, Day 2: Memories

This week I'm celebrating and exploring the idea of inspiration--where it comes from, and how it can be stirred to life. Yesterday we looked at music as a tool for inspiration. So if you're a writer wanting a tip or two about gaining inspiration for your work, or if you're a reader wondering about some of the ways authors craft the stories they tell, read on.

2. Memories

A childhood memory

Memories fascinate me. Why do we remember certain things about our childhood clearly, and not others? Some of my recollections are as faded as an old photograph, while others stand out as crisp and clear as if they'd happened yesterday. I often sift through my memories for inspiration when it comes to stories--memories of events, like weddings, funerals, or graduations. Memories of trips I took, doctor visits I had, surgeries I underwent.

These memories can be mined--not necessarily just for the facts and landscape of the events, although those are great, too--but for the sometimes startling emotions they dredged up. I write mainly fantasy, and while I've never lived in a snowy forest populated by monsters, I have been terrified, and while I've never been imprisoned on an old house and forced to break a curse, I have been in situations where I felt trapped, both literally and figuratively.

Sometimes memories inspire me as a reader, too, because certain books remind me of things in my own past--friendships, family, or old boyfriends in that sweet nostalgic way.

What memories inspire you?

A Week of Inspiration, Day 1: Music

Writers often get asked, "Where do you get your ideas?" This is sort of a pet peeve question for many people, because it's basically unanswerable, at least in that form. We don't know where we get our ideas! They come over most authors/writers in a burst, in that "light bulb moment" that's so stereotypical.

A better question to ask if you're chatting with a writer and want to delve into his or her creative psyche?

"What inspires you?"

That inspiration is the fodder for the creativity, even if the writer doesn't know quite why or how the process works.

I've recently been ruminating on what inspires me, and I thought I'd devote this week to the topic!

The first thing that inspires me?

1. Music

Hearing a beautiful song lights a fire in my soul. There's something magic about music, and for me, it's all deeply linked with stories. I try to listen to lots of music when I'm writing, because it fuels my creative process. But even more so, I've found that listening to music while brainstorming helps open up creative pathways and unlock secrets in my head. It's like the ideas are already there, just waiting for the music to pull them out into the open.

And sometimes, a song "imprints" on a story of mine, if you will. :) I'll be listening to the radio or Pandora or watching a show, and a song will come on that just pairs perfectly with what I'm writing at the moment. That song becomes the book's unofficial theme song, and often hearing and identifying it can help me understand the emotional core of the story itself.

So for me, music serves all kinds of functions in the creative process.

Are you inspired by music? What songs or artists have been getting your creative juices flowing lately?

Grand Opening: Sketcher Girl Studios!!!

GRAND OPENING!!!!

Today is the day that Sketcher Girl Studios, LLC officially opens for business!

In celebration of this momentous event, Vic Caswell (owner/operator) is hosting a give-a-way.
Using the "Contact Us" form on the site, send her the secret word from the end of this post and you'll be entered to win.

Sketcher Girl Studios is a freelance illustration company with a focus on book cover design. Vic Caswell has produced the covers of Emily White's debut novel ELEMENTAL, as well as it's sequel FAE (release date not announced yet), and Kimberly Ann Miller's debut novel TRIANGLES (releasing June 2013).

SGStudios is passionate about books and getting them out there and into the hands of the readers who will love them.  Vic will read your book.  She will work with you to ensure that the design you end up with is something you love.  She doesn't use stock photography, so you are guaranteed an image that is original and she offers full legal usage of her cover images.  So, if you want to print it on swag, and sell that, the money goes straight to you.

Her prices are competitive- affordable for small press publishers as well as self-publishers.

She also provides other services- such as: tattoo design, logo design, header design, artistic prints, children's book illustration, and pretty much anything illustration that you can think up.

Stop by and drop the secret word: Mischief, for your chance to win one of these nifty prizes...

such as:   postcard sized prints of  her work titled PERCHED CREATURE, one of two copies of ELEMENTAL by Emily White, a ten dollar Amazon gift card, an original painting, and  free labor on a book cover (costs may be incurred for props/ models/ wardrobe) and more!

Links:
Sketcher Girl Studios
SGS on Facebook

Testimonials:

Vic Caswell is brilliant! Not only is she super easy to work with, but the things she comes up with are so amazing. She was able to take the half-coherent ideas I was kind of able to articulate and come up with exactly what I was thinking of. I loved working with her on both my books' covers and I can't wait to work with her again!- Emily White (author of ELEMENTAL from Spencer Hill Press)

"I'm loving my new logo!!! Victoria Caswell did a MARVELOUS job and was such a joy to work with. She made the process effortless and I swear she could read my mind. So, if you need some work done, please send it her way! You won't be sorry!" ♥ Nancy  Fennell (owner of Scents of Adventure)

Author Spotlight and Book Tour: Misty Gatlin

Today at the blog I'm interviewing Misty Gatlin, author of A Princess Broken, as part of her book tour!

1.  Welcome, Misty! Can you tell us a little about A Princess Broken? What’s it about? What kind of readers will enjoy it?

Sarah defines herself as many things: broken, damaged, addicted, and hopeless.  Hurt at an early age by someone dear to her, she retaliates by living a life filled with destruction.  Her past has finally caught up with her, and she's ready to call it quits.  Her story unfolds when she meets a compassionate stranger who helps her realize past decisions don’t define who she is, and what she thought was the end of her story is only the beginning.  A life-changing decision is placed in front of her, and she's forced to face it head on.  What will she choose, and where will that path lead her?

Although there is definitely a Christian undertone in this book, it’s not what one would consider “Christian Fiction.”  I wrote this book in such a way that the reader, whether he or she believes in God or not, doesn’t feel uncomfortable when such topics are brought out.  This book was written with everyone in mind, and it doesn’t push any specific belief on the reader.

2. Is this your first book? How long did it take you to write it?


This is my first fiction book and my first published book.  It’s funny how this book came to be.   I had never written fiction, but I had this idea stirring inside of me to write a fiction series on my blog, and A Princess Broken was it.

I believe I began writing in October and finished in early January.  Of course, I had to spend several more weeks writing after I received the first round of comments from my editor.  I think I ended up writing another 100 pages or so after that first round.  I think that’s when Sarah and Kate really developed into real, relatable, and memorable people.

3. It often takes me half the first draft to flesh out my characters, too. Sometimes you have to write it to find it! 

What do you think is the hardest part of writing? The easiest?

Let me start with the easiest thing about writing.  The easiest thing, for me, is just the fact that I absolutely love writing.  I love testing the boundaries on my writing.  My non-fiction writing is almost totally faith based, but it’s never pushy, and it’s truly different than most typical faith-based writing.  I talk about topics most people are afraid to talk about, and I did that very thing in this book.  Let’s face it, life is not all rainbows and butterflies, and I feel like that’s what most Christian writing tries to show.  So many movies and books depict Christians and Christian living as perfect or like it’s easier to overcome everyday obstacles when that’s just not reality.

Today, our teenagers and young adults are faced with drugs, sex, alcohol, death, abandonment, a need for relationships, and the list can go on.  It doesn’t matter what they believe, they are faced with difficult issues.  Some choose to go down a path that leads them to a place that isn’t pretty.  Too often, they feel like there’s no turning back, so they have no hope in getting out of a life they hate.

The easiest part of writing is knowing that I touch on topics others tiptoe around, and I use my writing to provide hope to those readers who may feel hopeless.  In this book, Sarah is at a point in her life where she doesn’t think it can get any better.  She can’t forgive herself for some of the things she’s done and doesn’t believe anyone could ever forgive or love her if they knew.   I hope this book speaks to someone who feels similar to what she does and realizes there’s more to life, and it’s never too late to turn around.

The most difficult thing about writing is making sure I keep it interesting for my readers.  I write what’s interesting to me, so I don’t know if others will find it as interesting as I do, and I try to keep that in mind.  When I write, I take myself to the place of the character so I can feel and see everything she feels and sees.  Then I write what it is I’m experiencing.  This book was difficult because of the intensity in some of the scenes.  I felt like I was experiencing them, and sometimes it took me a few days to recuperate before I could continue writing.

I’m currently writing A Warrior Wounded, which has a male as the main character.  My current readers are mostly female, and I want to broaden my audience with this book.  It’s much easier to get inside the head of a female because I know how they react for the most part in certain situations.  I’m nervous about being able to portray a male realistically.  That’s definitely difficult for me.

4. I recently read an article that said something along the lines of "Art has to show the shadows and the light, or it doesn't give a real picture of life." Sounds like you're committed to that idea, too. 

Now, Misty, tell me a little about yourself... What’s one fun or interesting fact about you that most people don’t know?  

Oh my!  I don’t know that there’s much fun or interesting about me.  I’m married to my high school sweetheart, and we’re probably two of the most boring people you could meet.  We’re both from a teeny little town that’s so small it doesn’t even have a known population (maybe 100 or so?)  Everyone knows everyone, and the whole town is like a close-knit family.  Somehow, though, my husband and I were dating for a while before I realized he lived less than a mile from me

5. That sounds so fun, though! I live in a big, impersonal city and sometimes I wish I lived in a small town where everybody knew everybody.

Do you have any other projects or books you’re working on right now?

I’m currently working on A Warrior Wounded, which follows Michael Johnson through his junior year of high school and on into college.  Like A Princess Broken, this book will have a few surprises that I believe will keep the reader turning the pages.

I’m always adding posts to my blog as well.  Many of my ideas come from things I’ve written in my blog or things I’ve experienced or witnessed in life.  I have several book ideas floating around, so I believe I’ll have many more projects to come.

6. Where can readers connect with you to learn more about A Princess Broken and your other projects?

I can be found on:
Twitter:  @mistygatlin
Facebook:  Misty Gatlin (Author)
Website:  MistyGatlin.com
Email: mistygatlin@ymail.com

A Princess Broken can be purchased on my website or through Amazon or Barnes and Noble.  It is also available as an eBook for most eReaders.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Misty!


Below, you can view the book trailer:

Building Worlds Out of Nothing

I read these picture books as a little kid called Harold and the Purple Crayon. They told the story of a boy named Harold who drew worlds with his crayon--and they became true! He could draw things and then interact with them. I was always so captivated by the wonder and whimsy of that idea...

...And I realized one day that it's true for authors, too.
 

We build things out of nothing. We create whole worlds from thin air, from a whiff of a dream or a handful of memories or a single shimmering idea that won't let us go. And we can go anywhere with those ideas. When I'm writing a story, I can take those characters to China or the moon or a country in a cupboard. I can build any sized set piece I want or need for this story I'm telling. There are no limits except the ones in my own imagination.

Sometimes I forget how AWESOME that is, how open-ended and full of promise storytelling can be. As an author, I'm not limited by budget or actor schedules or locations. It's magical. It's amazing. I feel like Harold with his purple crayon and a blank canvas.

And readers build worlds in thin air, too. When you read a story, you take the script on the page and bring it to life in your mind. The characters, the setting...it can all be as grand as you can imagine.

Books are magic, and those who read and write them are wizards.

Wizard on, friends.

How Do You Define "Favorite?"

Here's a question I get asked all the time online (okay, mostly Goodreads). But still!

"What's your favorite book?"

Guys. This question is practically IMPOSSIBLE for me to answer. Distilling all the thousands of books I've read over the years into one or two favorites? How in the world do I choose? How do I decide what's my favorite?

Okay, I am a little indecisive. But it's not even about that. It's about the way I categorize books.


"Favorite" is a tough categorization. Basically, if I LOVE LOVE LOVE a book, then it falls into one of three categories in my head, which handily come down to ABC.

This first category encompasses many books that I'd label as favorites...

3. Cake Books

Cake is delicious and I love to eat it. In fact, when I get cake, I usually gobble it up right away. I stuff my face. I practically INHALE it. Cake books are the same. I probably stayed up late into the night reading each one. I probably giggled, gasped, or squealed at least once while reading them, and I've probably spent some time daydreaming about them since. There's no "literary requirement" here--a cake book can be serious or fun, deep and literary or light and fluffy. But either way, I was glued to the page, starving for more, unable to stop reading. And the experience of reading was delicious.

Examples of Cake Books:

The Hunger Games, Cross My Heart, Scarlett Fever, Legend, Divergent, etc.

2. Breathtaking Books

Breathtaking Books are the kind of books that opened up my mind, challenged me, or, well...took my breath away. Breathtaking Books are often classics, or Pulitzer Prize-winners, or literary tomes filled with poetic prose. I don't ever forget Breathtaking Books...in fact, I may find myself changed by them, remembering them often, or taking bits of them into my soul or my own writing.

Are these my favorite books?

I don't know. In a way, yes, as I adored them. But I don't always want to re-read a Breathtaking Book, even if I loved it, and sometimes I don't even recommend them to other people. There's something personal about them, something raw and honest and sometimes frightening. A lot of books in the Breathtaking Book category were hard to read, too...maybe they scared me, or challenged me, or exhausted me. They are experiences I'm glad I had, but I'm not sure if I want to relive them. They definitely spring to mind when people ask for favorites, but at the same time a part of me wonders if I'm being HONEST when I call them favorites. But they certainly deserve a mention all the same. I more than liked them, and I even more than loved them. I was touched by them, changed by them, challenged by them.

The Life of Pi was a Breathtaking Book for me. So were The Poisonwood Bible, The Blind Assassin, The Lovely Bones, Looking for Alaska, The Fault in Our Stars, and The Bridge of San Luis Rey.

Of course, some books are both Breathtaking and Cake:


Teach Me, Delirium, and Pandemonium, for example. I read them furiously but also felt humbled and moved by the prose and the stories themselves in a way that will stick with me for a long time. The Fault in Our Stars was maybe a cake book, but it's hard for a book about cancer to be a cake book. But still.

But then there's a third category...

1. Amnesia Books

I call these books Amnesia Books because I love them so much and I found the experience of reading them for the first time so enjoyable that I wish I could take a pill that would give me selective amnesia so I could read them all over again and enjoy them "fresh," not knowing what will happen.

For example, anything by Megan Whalen Turner is definitely an Amnesia Book. A lot of beloved books of mine by Maria V Snyder, Eloise Jarvis McGraw, and Robin McKinley are as well.

I can't decide if Harry Potter is an Amnesia Book or not. MAYBE. Truthfully, there's so many books in the series, and the latter ones are so long and chock-full of stuff, that I easily forget half of what has happened in between readings and so I don't really need an amnesia pill. But you get the idea. :)

Of course, Cake Books are often Amnesia Books, although I've found that Breathtaking Books usually aren't. I'm usually glad I had the experience of reading a Breathtaking Book, but it's often a taxing one that I don't necessarily want to repeat. Sometimes, though... Every favorite book is different.

I am most likely to cite an Amnesia Book when someone asks for my favorite. But that isn't the whole story, because all these categories encompass my favorites, just in different ways.


Readers--do you have a particular way of categorizing your favorites, or do you simply have one category--favorites?