Thursday, February 26, 2015

Cover reveal: The Heart

   
The Heart will be released on March 26th!
Ivy Pierce has been to Hades and back trying to escape Nix and his evil plans to use her. After a failed attempt to save her loved ones, she was forced to leave her friends, her sister and the boy she had fallen in love with, Ryder Sutton. And yet Olympus isn’t finished with her yet. As Nix plots to overthrow the legendary mountain, Ivy is pulled back into the twisted, manipulative world of the Greek pantheon. Thrust into the middle of an ancient feud, Ivy will learn quickly that Nix is not the only threat to her freedom and not the only god interested in using her unique skillset to resurrect the Age of Olympus. In a deadly game between two powerful factions of Greek gods, Ivy will have to battle both fate and the Fates in order to secure her future once and for all. She will discover new powers, fight for her friends’ lives and convince the only boy she has ever loved that he can trust her again. In the end, she’ll learn the hardest lesson of all. This isn’t a fable or a Greek myth, her life is a love story.    
Haven't read this Amazon Best Selling Series Yet?

Lila Felix, Author of Burden and The Love & Skate Series -- This is a magnificent ride on the mythological side--but with an exciting contemporary flare. Rachel nailed it with The Siren Series.
Mandy from I Read Indie book blog -- It is a book that keeps your interest and eager to find its secrets. Secrets that are well worth the wait. I am absolutely anticipating book 2.
A life not her own—A future already decided.
Every facet of Ivy Pierce’s life is meticulously planned out and plotted. Cynical and jaded by sixteen, Ivy’s only hope is to escape the legacy she was born into. She has a plan, a carefully thought out, feasible plan. She just has to play by the rules until everything falls into place. Unfortunately as predictable as her life can be, she never sees Ryder Sutton coming. He tumbles into her life unimpressed and untouched by her and the life she lives. He’s an enigma to her. A gorgeous, frustrating, sincere mystery and a complete phenomenon in the ugly world she lives in. What blooms between them is a fiercely intense attraction that cannot be ignored. Even though they would both be better off without each other—Even if both their lives depend on staying apart.
Get The Rush FREE on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1LIxzNT
Get The Rush FREE on iBooks: http://bit.ly/1ERcDjN
Get The Rush FREE on B&N: http://bit.ly/1DqTGEM
Get The Fall on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1wpmqOM
Get The Fall on iBooks: http://bit.ly/1JN8Uu4
Get The Fall on B&N: http://bit.ly/1JN8ZxO
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About Rachel Higginson
Rachel Higginson is the creator of The Star-Crossed Series, Love & Decay Novella Series, The Starbright Series, The Siren Series, Bet on Us and the soon to be released, The Five Stages of Falling in Love! She is also the co-creator of the podcast "Zach & Rachel Take Over the World." She was born and raised in Nebraska, and spent her college years traveling the world. She fell in love with Eastern Europe, Paris, Indian Food and the beautiful beaches of Sri Lanka, but came back home to marry her high school sweetheart. Now she spends her days raising four amazing kids. In the few spare moments she has to herself, she is either reading for hours on end or writing her own stories.  

Author Interview: Devika Fernando


1. When did you first know you wanted to write?
I wrote my first short story when I was 7 years old, so I started pretty early. Of course it was just a hobby throughout the years, but I never gave up on the dream of writing my own novel one day. I finally decided to make that dream come true in 2013 when I started writing my first romance novel.

2. Which authors inspire you the most?
Too many to name… Within the romance genre, Nora Roberts is a huge inspiration for me. Apart from that, I also find Anne Rice’s books immensely inspiring.

3. How did you get the inspiration for your novel?
My first book “When I See Your Face” was loosely inspired by a daily soap opera on Sri Lankan television. I thought of a story idea for my paranormal romance novel “Playing with Fire” when I saw some great artwork on DeviantArt. I’m a very visual person, so often photos spark an idea. I also draw inspiration from quotes and from things I observe in life.

4. What is your favorite part about being an author?
Being able to create stories that people can identify with and get lost in.

5. What is your least favorite part about being an author?
As a self-published author, formatting and uploading can be a pain in the neck. Marketing is sometimes difficult, though it can also be fun.

6. Could you write a bit about what your publication process was like?
I chose to go the indie way. Every single part of the book publishing process is in my hands. I write, edit, format, upload and market my novels. I also make my own covers.

7. Do you have any upcoming projects?
The romantic thriller “Forbidden”, that I have coauthored with bestselling author Mike Wells, has just been released. And I’ll be releasing the contemporary romance novel “Saved in Sri Lanka” in March.

8. Describe in three or fewer sentences what makes your book unique and why a reader should buy it.
My 3rd book “Kaleidoscope of Hopes” is a sweet and sensual romance novel in which both protagonists are reluctant to accept their second chance at love. They face various obstacles like trouble at their workplace and being a single-parent with a small child. It’s also Cinderella told backwards because the heroine goes from riches to rags.

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Author Bio

Almost as soon as Devika Fernando could write, she imagined stories and poems. After finishing her education in Germany and returning to her roots in Sri Lanka, she got a chance to turn her passion into her profession. Having lived in Germany and in Sri Lanka with her husband has made her experience the best (and the worst) of two totally different worlds – something that influences her writing. Her trademark is writing sweet, yet deeply emotional romance stories where the characters actually fall in love instead of merely falling in lust. What she loves most about being an author is the chance to create new worlds and send her protagonists on a journey full of ups and downs that will leave them changed. She draws inspiration from everyone and everything in life. Besides being a romance novel author, she works as a self-employed German web content writer, as a translator, and as a faithful servant to all the cats, dogs, fish and birds in her home. When she’s not writing, she’s reading or thinking about writing.

https://twitter.com/Author_Devika

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Guest Post: BB Sorores


Are we boxing ourselves up?




I've been interested in genres lately; how we define a book. I've recently had book one of a new series published and one of the first things I've had to do is define it.



But I find this quite hard. I end up rattling off what I think will be right - it's new adult, because the protagonist is in his early 20s, but it's also cougar, with the secondary lead being a mature woman. But then, it's also paranormal. And I'd have to throw in that it's erotica too - because it's got sex scenes in it.



I guess I have to do this so that I can narrow down the options to reach the right audience.



But who is the right audience? What I really want to tell people is that it's a story. I didn't really start out with a set agenda based on a genre, I set out with an idea for telling what I hoped would be a fun tale for people to read.



What it's made me realize though, is that when trying to define a book, authors often end up finding that the story itself seems secondary. Okay, so we need to add some tags to a book in order for it to reach the right audience. Or do we?



Most of the people I talk to who read books, as opposed to writing them, start by discussing the book itself - the story, how it made them feel, the new thoughts that it triggered in them, or just the pure joy it gave. Rarely will they define it first as a particular genre.



So it's interesting to see the contrast with the publishing world where I'm asked to define my book, categorize it, package it up so people know exactly what it is and who it's supposed to be for. Sometimes that's hard to do. I tend to start with a general idea or situation and a character, and shape the story from there. I write for the thrill of creating something new, for the love of story.



It was interesting the other week when I sat down over a cup of coffee with a fellow author. He talked about the development of his next book, how he was going to slot it into what he thought the publisher would want based on the genre they covered. It made me feel slightly sad. "What about the story?" I asked him, "you know, what it's going to be about. The characters you'll create." He looked at me in surprise. He didn't have a story yet. He'd carve one out based on the definition of what he thought would sell. He'd studied the publisher's requirements, he'd read loads of books in the genre so he could use them as cookie cutters to create something people would buy. Sure, we all want our books to sell, but perhaps for different reasons. I want to pass stories on, to entertain, to hone my art of storytelling - not constrict my readers to tightly defined boundaries.



Storytelling is an art, and there are definitely tried and true methods in creating a story that we as human beings react to. But have we gone too far? Are we focusing too much on genre and boxing up our books into neat little categories in order to make a quick buck?



Or should we try more to keep in mind the words of Carlos Fuentes: "I'm a writer, not a genre."





Author bio

My aim with storytelling is to sweep you far from the shores of boring, everyday life. To send you galloping through new lands, surround you with adventure, with silliness, with a bit of pleasure and delight.



My new Big Cats series celebrates bold, brilliant, complex women. Women who are not always nice, and who don't always get their way, but sure have fun trying.



Facebook

Book blurb

The City is everything Adam Reid could possibly have hoped for – power and potential. And his scholarship to the prestigious Harton University is his ticket to it all. A chance for a fresh start. A chance to hide from his dark past.



But the City has secrets and its doors only open if you know the right people. People like Jack, Adam's new louder-than-life room mate, and Lia, who yearns for a soul uncorrupted by the City.



Then Castalia Vallas stalks her way into Adam's life. Intoxicated by the seductive professor, Adam learns to confront and control the desire he dares not speak of.



But who is the hunter and who is the prey?



Buy links






Secret Cravings Publishing

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Spotlight: Idealism is an Attractive Flower


 
Gold Winner in the 2015 Feathered Quill Book Awards Poetry Category



This book contains a collection of 87 individual mixed-media works combining original poetry and photography by Oneida Morningstar Cramer.

Idealism is an Attractive Flower on Amazon
Oneida Morningstar Cramer

Monday, February 23, 2015

Guest Post: Donna G. Driver



How to Write a Sequel to a Book That Had an Ending



D. G. Driver 



“I thought the ending, while quite unsettling and heartbreaking, was very well thought out and perfectly satisfying, but I do hope there will be a sequel. I just can't get enough of June, Carter and
Driver's brilliantly engaging writing. And of course, I want to find out how it all will turn out.” Evie Seo,
Bookish, from her review of my YA fantasy novel Cry of the Sea.



She wasn’t the only one who wrote something like this. Several reviews hinted at the need for a sequel. Many of my friends have pestered me about writing a second book. I’ve had notes from readers asking if I was working on the next one.



I love that people want more of this story. It’s extremely flattering. The thing is, I’m not sure why they want it. In my mind the novel came to an end. The big plot point of my novel was resolved. There are some minor points left open, but I certainly didn’t create a cliffhanger of any sort. Cry of the Sea is a story about Juniper Sawfeather, a daughter of environmental activists, who discovers mermaids washed up on the beach during an oil spill. Her battle throughout the book is to keep them from being exploited or destroyed by her parents, the media, the kids from school, and the oil company itself. I don’t think it spoils anything to say that the novel does come to a conclusion regarding those mermaids.



My publisher has asked me to write a sequel, too, and has poked me periodically over the year that has passed since the book came out to get it done. It took me nearly half a year to figure out what I wanted the plot to be for the second book. I knew that the focus couldn’t be on the mermaids; it had to be on Juniper. When I originally came up with the premise for Cry of the Sea, I saw it as an X-Files-ish story with a main character that encounters unlikely creatures. To that end, I knew for a sequel Juniper would have to discover another mythical being, and it had to have another environmental theme. I decided to make it about some kind of tree nymph interfering with a lumber company, but it was still really vague in my head how to write it.



I started researching American Indian mythology (Juniper’s heritage), and I found the most amazing thing: there is a legend of brothers who were magically transformed into a tree, a stone, and a merman. What???? Suddenly, it all came clear to me how this legend would make my new story idea work and tie in neatly to the first book – and maybe even give me enough fuel for a third. My stand-alone concept is now going to be a three-parter!



I’m ¾ of the way through and hope to finish soon. In the meantime, take a look at Cry of the Sea if you haven’t yet. I hope you’ll enjoy it and find yourself eager to read the next book, which is finally flowing out of my brain.





 D. G. Driver social media links:
Twitter: @DGDriverAuthor

Where to find Cry of the Sea? Here's a few places:



Sunday, February 22, 2015

Love and Decay Episode 6 is out!

Zombies- as if that wasn’t enough to ruin any girl’s dream of a happily ever after.

Get Page back.

That’s the only thing Reagan and her friends can focus on, but that is not the only problem facing them.

While new allies provide valuable assistance, the outside world still threatens to tear this group apart. Finding the youngest Parker is their top priority, but danger lurks behind every corner and there are rumors that Matthias has made it to Mexico.

Reagan will have to find a way to save Page and keep the rest of her enemies at bay long enough to find safety. Or is that only a myth?

The help they have raises concerns and the help they need comes from a very unexpected place.

Love and Decay, Episode Six is the sixth episode in Season Three of a novella series in a Dystopian Romance about Zombies, the end of the world and finding someone to share it with.
Amazon

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Blog Tour and Interview: Amanda Marie

How long have you been writing?
I've been writing for fifteen years about. I began working on my fantasy novel when I was a sophomore in high school and it too me until 2013 to finish it. It went through a lot of changes.


What is your favorite part about being an author?

The best part is hearing happy readers. I know what it's like to read a great book, and that's what I want my readers to feel. Getting those rave reviews, there's nothing better than that. 



If you could jump inside the world of a book, what would you be and what would you do?

I would be an elf. I find elves fascintating, that's why I like Lord of the Rings so much. Being a wizard would be pretty cool too. 


Could you talk a bit about your publication process?

Well, I spent a long time trying to find a publishing home, and I thought I found one, but it turned into a nightmare. I finally decided I could help others not have to go through the same thing and opened my own publishing house last year. I have a great team of editors and we currently have ten novels and 4 kids books. It's been a nice start in the 9 months we've been open. 



Are you working on any other projects?

I'm currently working on the sequel to Torii, but I'm also working on several screenwriting projects as well. 



If you could be any person for a day alive, dead, or fictional, who would it be, and what would you do?

President Lincoln, to be a part of ending slavery would be awesome. But being either JK Rowling or Stephanie Meyer would be pretty epic too. 

My website is writeramandamarie.com for more info. 

About the Author:
Amanda Marie was born in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Like any other female growing up in the 90's she was a fan of artists like Backstreet Boys, Five, and Aaron Carter. She started writing when she was in junior high and from there went to write many "Fan Fictions" and some of her own original stories. Amanda has a degree in business management and just received her Master's degree in Creative Writing at Full Sail University. She hopes to use what she's learned to teach at a college or high school level and also to bring her books to life on the big screen. She had the opportunity to be an extra in the film Redwood Highway starring Shirley Knight, Tom Skerritt, and James LaGros. Redwood Highway is due out in the spring of 2014 and is currently making its round in different film festivals throughout Oregon and the rest of the US. For more information, see their facebook page at Facebook.com/redwoodhighwaymovie

About her Book:
Tara just wanted to fit in, but she hated school. When the weird talking dog shows up in her room, Tara is convinced she's studying too hard, but she can't shake the feeling that something's wrong. When her best friend is killed, Tara finally decides to listen to the dog, and finds herself in a world she only thought existed in books and movies. So just who is she? And who is the mysterious man with the hypnotic green eyes? Are myths really reality?

Friday, February 20, 2015

Spotlight: Hot Heads


Description:
When the local policeman's bike is stolen, Steve, an aspiring pre-teen detective, is intent on solving the crime. Meanwhile, his dad, plans to win a gardening contest, and organize a bowling match to win a donated pig, who the local children call Patch. The pig charms most of the local populace but a small contingent, including Dirty Ronnie – an evil vagrant hobo – aims to win the pig for it's nutritional value. Steve and his friends embark on a mission to solve the bicycle crime, help his father win the competition, and rescue the doomed pig.

Steve concludes that it must fall upon his friend Sarah, who has become quite attached to the pig, to win the bowling competition and save the animal, but his dad's bowling extravaganza is fraught with problems, as are his attempts to construct a fish pond to win the garden contest.

Tempers begin to flare and the village is divided as false accusations fly and rival factions begin fighting over the pig, the garden contest and the village fate festivities. Things get worse the night before the event when Steve's dad is arrested for bike theft, and the pig mysteriously disappears.

Of course, it all turns out well in the end, despite the bungling misguided efforts of our armature detective.
 

Author Bio:

Stephen R. Drage is a freelance author, speaker and entrepreneur. He was born and raised in the UK but after traveling extensively he eventually settled in the US. He now lives in Atlanta, GA.
In 2011 Stephen published his first novel Mud Lane – a comedy about life, seen through the eyes of a child growing up in rural post war England.
He followed up with two more books,“Hot Heads” and “Mountain Misery,” that continued this tradition of comedic nostalgia.
In 2012 Stephen was awarded the Atlanta Writers Club prize for fiction, was a finalist in the Toastmasters “funniest man in Georgia contest, ”and in addition has won numerous awards for public speaking.
He is currently working on a comedy about Gardening. 

Hot Heads on Amazon
 

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Review: Beyond the Gardens



Title: Beyond the Gardens
Author: Sandra C. Lopez
Page Count: 432
My Rating: 2 TURTLES: A so-so read. It had some redeeming qualities, but not enough to recommend.
Amazon
 
Description:
 At the age of 18, Esperanza Ignacio begins her college years at an upscale Los Angeles art school, where she studies to fulfill her long-term dream in Animation. But she soon learns the truth to the old folktale: "you can take the girl out of the barrio, but you can't take the barrio out of the girl." Even though she's getting financial aid, Esperanza works a part-time job during her break from classes just to make ends meet. Her roommate, Anna, is what she calls a "chicana from Beverly Hills" because of the rich daddy and the new car she got for her quinceañera.

Things get a little confusing for Esperanza when an old friend comes
looking for her, hoping to start a meaningful relationship. But is Carlos
the right guy for her? She never even considered him to be anything more than a friend since high school. Then comes Jake, a gorgeous mechanic, who shares her passion for books and loves her for who she is. What's a girl to do?

Strength and determination help pave the way for the future. And, as she approaches her graduation, she is faced with a difficult decision: should she leave Los Angeles and leave behind her family, her home, and everything she's known? Ever since she was born in the California barrio of Hawaiian Gardens, she's always had to look over the fence, wondering what she's been missing. Now she's taking a flying leap over to see what's beyond the little barrio. What's beyond her family, her friends, and her past? What's beyond the little nothing town, where dreams don't exist? What's beyond The Gardens? Is it life, love, a future? The story of Esperanza is finally concluded in this wildly entertaining and heart-warming sequel.

Review:
I received this book for review from the author. I had reviewed her other book, Esperanza, last year and liked it well enough to want to read the next installment in the story. Unfortunately, much of the same things that annoyed me in Esperanza continued in Beyond the Gardens. And while I might have been able to overlook these things to an extent in one novel, having to read four hundred more pages with similar errors and annoyance made me less inclined to rate this book favorably.

One of my big issues with this book was the amount of grammatical errors, particularly with tense agreement. As a writer, I know how easy it is to be plugging along in past tense and switch over to present without thinking about it, but when the discrepancies make it onto the final product, it can be really disorienting and disrupting for the reader. I also recently read a book that switched tenses so badly I never actually figured out which tense it was supposed to be. Thankfully, this book is nowhere near that inconsistent, but that book did make me particularly sensitive to books randomly changing tenses, no matter the length of time.

Another thing I noticed in the first book that reoccurred in this one was the plot structure. Esperanza followed the title character through all four years of high school and ended with graduation. Beyond the Gardens was the same, except it followed her through college. This structure made more sense in the first book since it followed Esperanza’s path from adolescence to adulthood, but even then it dragged. With Beyond the Gardens, though, I thought the structure worked even less because their wasn’t even the overarching goal of Esperanza reaching adulthood. It felt like a lot of sub-plots strung along for four years that all tied up around the time of Esperanza’s college graduation. It might have been the author’s intention to have college be the overarching plot, but the only scenes we have of her college experience where in depth descriptions of some of her classes, down to snippets of the professor’s lectures. Any conflict that occurs within this area – such as Esperanza struggling in a subject – resolves itself within a few pages. This book took me a while to finish because I was bored, I didn’t feel the plot had direction. Even memoirs that follow a person’s life tend to focus on one aspect of a person’s life, they don’t try to follow it in its entirety.

On top of the plot, part of the reason the book was a slower read for me was that I couldn’t really get invested in the characters. Many of the minor characters, which could have been interesting were cheapened either by Esperanza’s shallow, generalized descriptions of them or by the fact that they revealed themselves to be fairly one sided through the plot. Two characters, that really grated against my nerves were Carlos and Carla, twins who were Esperanza’s best friends growing up. They got a little on my nerves in book one because the only thing Carla would talk about is how perfect Esperanza would be with Carlos after Esperanza repeatedly said she didn’t see Carlos like that. This book was a continuation of that. Esperanza gives it a try with Carlos and then the twins stop talking to her altogether when she realizes that she’ll never be more than a friend with Carlos. These were supposed to be her best friends in the world! Carlos I understand more, and least for the first few months, because he was hurt, but Carla? She gets mad that Esperanza can’t fulfill her fantasy and goes so far as to say it is Esperanza’s fault because she went to college. I just had a hard time believing all this, because it was basically reducing these characters’ purpose in this story down to this one drama that did not really affect other aspects of the story at all.

The last thing that I will touch on in this review is Esperanza herself. Something that bugged me in the last book showed up her too, and that would be Esperanza’s negativity. I completely understand she did not have the easiest upbringing, but that doesn’t really redeem for me the rudeness and complaining that Esperanza disguises as humor. It’s prevalent throughout the book and made me like her less as a character, which is tricky when the story hinges on you rooting on the main character.

I’m bummed because the story has potential to be really inspiring, but it just fell flat for me. I know there are people who have loved this book and were not bothered by the things that bothered me, but I personally cannot recommend this book.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Calling all Authors: Romance Anthology!

“ROUGH EDGES”
A COWBOY ROMANCE ANTHOLOGY
NOW OPEN TO SUBMISSIONS

Alpena, MI (February 19, 2015Red Moon Romance (Eileen Wiedbrauk, Editor-in-Chief) has announced Rough Edges, a cowboy romance anthology edited by Cori Vidae, is open to submissions through July 31, 2015.
Work hard, play hard, love hard. Nothing is sexier than a man how knows what he wants and has the confidence go after it. Red Moon Romance is looking for hot romances featuring those kinds of rough-around-the-edges alpha males in the (North) American West:  stories about the kind of men who ride horses during the day and their partners at night, who speak few words but mean every one of them, and who would never break their own personal code of honor. We’re talking about cowboys.
For full submission guidelines and details, visit: http://www.redmoonromance.com/submit.html
From cover model to author, Cori Vidae has performed many roles in the creation of erotic titles but this is her first time wearing an editor hat for this genre. Be gentle with her. Or don’t. That can be fun too. corividae.com

Red Moon believes in sexy romance. We believe reading should be fun. We believe that at their core, romances are relationship stories, and that erotic romances are relationship stories with orgasms in them, not stories about orgasms. We believe our readers deserve whatever fiction incites their passions. We believe that a woman should never be judged or shamed for what she reads. We believe in giving a woman what she wants. Hot romance, it's what we do.

World Weaver Press is a publisher of fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction, dedicated to producing quality works. We believe in great storytelling.

# # # # #

@WorldWeaver_wwp

Guest Post: Laura Vanderkam


How to make space for fiction when you write all day
by Laura Vanderkam

Normally when people talk of finding time to write a novel, it’s a tale of bits of time: at night after the kids go to bed, during a lunch break at one’s day job.

I had a different issue. I’m fortunate in that writing is my day job. I write for a number of publications, including Fast Company, Fortune, and USA Today. I write non-fiction books on time management and productivity. I have plenty of time to write, and I wanted to challenge myself by attempting a novel. The problem is that I’m writing so much from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily that carving out time to write more, particularly something speculative and long-term, didn’t seem immediately appealing. It’s like the joke about the pie-eating contest where the prize is more pie.

So for me, it wasn’t about finding the time. It was about finding the energy. So here’s what I figured out while writing The Cortlandt Boys ( Amazon ), my novel about a small town high school basketball team that wins the state championship on a last second 3-point shot, and then deals with the fall-out from that lucky break for the rest of their lives.

First, I realized that getting something on the page was the hardest part. I would simply have to push through. So I set a goal to write 2000 words a week. It was enough to get somewhere, but not an oppressive goal either.

I’m pretty good about sticking to my goals (I do write about productivity for a living!) but even so, I found an accountability partner to keep me on track. I checked in with her weekly to say that I’d written my 2000 words. One week, I found myself composing an email to her about why I hadn’t hit my word count. Then I realized that I could put that same energy into actually writing what I was supposed to write. A few hours later, I had.  

I made sure to turn off my inner critic. Sure, there was a lot of work to do on my sloppy rough draft. I wrote out of order and had to piece things together later. But writing is re-writing, and there’s always going to be more editing to do. The sooner the draft exists, the sooner you can get to the editing stage.

That’s all pretty standard writing advice that can keep you on track no matter what you do for a living. But, as someone who already wrote all day, I ultimately relied on two other more surprising strategies to achieve my goal.

First, I changed my environment. I usually write at my home office, with my laptop on my desk. I did write some of my novel there, too, but since I was surrounded by my usual files and notes, I’d often be thinking about other projects. I solved this problem by going to my local library to write. The different space gave me permission to get in a different mindset.

Second, I chose to write at a different time. Writing is my day job, and I have childcare during my working hours so I can focus. However, I tend to think of work hours as revenue-generating hours. Writing a novel is speculative in a way that my non-fiction books, for which I can count on advances based on proposals, are not. So I’d carve out one night a week for novel writing. Either my husband would take the kids or I’d get a sitter. Some parents might take one night “off” per week to go to an exercise class or out with friends. Novel writing became my me-time instead.

The good news is that with these strategies in place, eventually I got into my story. I found my characters compelling enough that I was soon cranking out far more than 2000 words a week. I wanted to make my draft better, and so the novel found its way onto my during-the-day to-do list. I was happy it was there, it just took a little while to happen.

Laura Vanderkam is the author of a novel, The Cortlandt Boys, and several non-fiction books including 168 Hours (Portfolio, 2010), What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast (Portfolio, 2013), and the forthcoming I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make The Most Of Their Time (Portfolio, June 9, 2015). She blogs daily at www.lauravanderkam.com

About The Cortlandt Boys:
A small town high school basketball team wins the Pennsylvania state championship with an improbable last second three point shot. The Cortlandt Cavaliers celebrate their unlikely victory, but good fortune changes the boys’ worlds in unpredictable ways. This story revisits the characters 10 and 20 years later as the ramifications of their youthful success play out over the course of their lives, forever linking them and the people around them to this little town that has its ways of not quite letting you go.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Blog Tour Stop: Treasure Darkly

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Beware a Treasure Darkly…

(The stunning cover art is thanks to Amalia Chitulescu)
Seventeen-year-old Clark Treasure assumes the drink he stole off the captain is absinthe…until the chemicals in the liquid give him the ability to awaken the dead. A great invention for creating perfect soldiers, yes, but Clark wants to live as a miner, not a slave to the army—or the deceased. On the run, Clark turns to his estranged tycoon father for help. The Treasures welcome Clark with open arms, so he jumps at the chance to help them protect their ranch against Senator Horan, a man who hates anyone more powerful than he.

And he is not alone. His new found sister, Amethyst, thinks that's rather dashing, until Horan kidnaps her, and all she gets is a bullet through her heart. When Clark brings her back to life, she realizes he's more than just street-smart - and he's not really a Treasure. Amethyst’s boring summer at home has turned into an adventure on the run, chock full of intrigue, danger, love, and a mysterious boy named Clark.

TREASURE DARKLY, book 1 of the Treasure Chronicles
The young adult novel is a dark mix of steampunk, the paranormal and romance in a “Wild West” setting. 
Below is an excerpt from TREASURE DARKLY.  You can read more on the Curiosity Quills Press website.
“Looks like he did drink it up.” The general client spoke from the right. “Must’ve interacted with all that bloody hertum. Look at ‘im, he’s bleeding already.”
“What’s it gonna do to him?” the guard from the morning asked.
“Lots of stuff.” The general laughed. “When he touches the dead, he’ll be able to bring them back, and exchange that life for another. Perfect soldier, huh? We only have one vial ready and I was going to give it to a lucky fellow. Guess it will be this boy.”
“Whatcha gonna do with him?” The guard snickered.
“Have to be a test subject,” the general said. “Sure thought it was that Judy who stole my bottle. Pity I killed her. She sure knew how to make my pecker sing.”
Judy.
Clark’s mother.
Clark bolted off the ground and ran. He could hide in the hole under the shed behind the brothel. Mable never found him under there. He might be cursed with raising the dead—he’d already done that to the poor mine worker—but it didn’t mean he’d let them take him for tests.
###
You can read more about Amethyst Treasure in GEARS OF BRASS, a steampunk anthology from Curiosity Quills Press available now from Amazon and Barnes and
Noble.

Jordan Elizabeth, formally Jordan Elizabeth Mierek, is the author of ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW, available from Curiosity Quills Press.  Check out Jordan’s website, JordanElizabethMierek.com, for contests and book signing locales.  Jordan is represented by Belcastro Agency and she is president of the Utica Writers Club.
No blog tour is complete without a giveaway.   Enter below for a chance to win a paperback copy of GEARS OF BRASS.