Guest Post: Jessie Atkin

All About the Cover

There are many things about self-publishing that are very difficult. You're kind of making your own way, you don't have the advantages of a full company behind you, or an agent, or anything. However, there are some really good things about self-publishing, and one of them is creative control. One aspect I really enjoyed was designing the cover.

I've heard that, more often than not, authors don't usually get a big say in their cover design. I was glad I did. I knew what I wanted. I wanted a hand drawn illustration. I didn't want photos, or Photoshop. All the covers I'd always liked most, especially for middle grade and YA fiction, had been illustrated. That didn't mean I had all the answers though. I was lucky. I have a very talented brother. So, while I didn't have an agent, or a publishing company behind me, I did, in fact, have an illustrator. 

I told him I wanted fireflies (trust me, they're a big presence in We Are Savages) but otherwise let him go. Better to trust someone who had more experience with visual story telling experience. And the cover came out better than I could have imagined. It was great to have a say in the cover, but it was also great to have talented people to work with. Actually working together, instead of sort of working at each other was definitely a plus to self-publishing.   

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Jessie Atkin lives in Upstate, NY, and attended Washington University in St. Louis. She received a B.A. in English Literature. Besides reading, she was also involved in theater during college, working as an assistant stage manager and even trying her hand at acting in a single show.

Jessie learned to read later than most, but her sudden ability coincided with the release of the first Harry Potter book in 1998, and an obsession was born. Aside from Harry Potter, she also learned to love comic books, with a particular affinity for superheroes. Other than young adult fiction, Jessie also writes plays in her free time. We Are Savages is her debut novel.

Author Interview: Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Today I would like to welcome to the blog Anne Elisabeth Stengl, author of Tales of Goldstone Wood.

1. When did you first know you wanted to write?

I grew up knowing that I wanted to be an author. My mother was a romance novelist with sixteen published titles to her name (including the award-winning Faithful Traitor), so professional writing always seemed very possible to me. I wrote my first "novel" when I was nine, enjoyed it so much, and never stopped!

2. Which authors inspire you the most?

I love everything written by Sir Terry Pratchett. The man is a genius, able to make you laugh and cry within sentences. I adore C.S. Lewis's profound and beautiful work. His writing is truly inspired! I also love Megan Whalen Turner, Robin McKinley, Diana Wynne Jones, and Shannon Hale. All of them, in different ways, have been inspirations to me.

3.How did you get the inspiration for your novel?

I came up with the story of Starflower when I was seventeen years old, while reading George MacDonald's strange novel, Phantastes, which includes a frightening sequence right at the end with a monstrous wolf and ritual sacrifice. Suddenly the characters and story of Starflower began to develop.

I wrote the first short-story version of this novel two years later, when I was a sophomore in college. I liked it, but it felt incomplete. So it was shelved again for several more years. But Starflower was a story aching to be told, and I couldn't ignore it forever!

4. What is your favorite part about being an author?

I love the puzzle that each story I write represents. The basic plots come easily enough, but the intricate art of how each story should be told is so intriguing . . . and often very difficult! I enjoy lacing the various characters, themes, and plot threads together. It's always such a challenge, and I love it.

5. What is your least favorite part about being an author?

I'm always scared to send my newest book out to the reading public. All of my books are dear to me . . . and there is no way to fully prepare emotionally for the reactions of those readers who won't like or get them. You always want to believe that your brainchild will be beloved by all, but that's simply not reality in the writing world!

6. Could you write a bit about what your publication process was like?

I wrote my debut novel, Heartless, the summer after finishing college. After polishing it through several drafts, I sent it out to Books & Such Literary Agency, and was signed by my agent, Rachel Kent. Soon after, she sent the manuscript to Bethany House Publishers, and they bought it. It was all very quick, really! I've been fortunate in how doors have been opened for me. I have been writing professionally ever since.

7. Do you have any upcoming projects?

I do indeed. I am currently polishing up the manuscript for my fifth novel, Dragonwitch, due to hit the shelves in summer 2013. I have just finished the first draft of my sixth novel (as yet untitled), which will release in spring 2014. So, still plenty more fairy tale adventures to come!

8. Describe in three or fewer sentences what makes your book unique and why a reader should buy it.

Starflower tells the story of an evil dragon, a heroine cursed to silence, a handsome and terribly self-centered hero . . . and the monster that could destroy them all! What's not to like?

Thank you for the feature on your lovely blog! And I hope all of you readers will find a chance to read Starflower. Find me on facebook or my author blog.

Release Announcement: The Haunted Housewives of Allister, Alabama

WORLD WEAVER PRESS

ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF

 “THE HAUNTED HOUSEWIVES OF ALLISTER, ALABAMA”

(A CLEO TIDWELL PARANORMAL MYSTERY)

BY SUSAN ABEL SULLIVAN

DIGITAL EDITION AVAILABLE TODAY

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012

AHEAD OF AN OCTOBER 30 PAPERBACK RELEASE

New York, NY (October 16, 2012) – World Weaver Press (Eileen Wiedbrauk, Editor-in-Chief) has announced the release of The Haunted Housewives of Allister, Alabama (A Cleo Tidwell Paranormal Mystery) by Susan Abel Sullivan as an early digital release today, Tuesday, October 16, 2012, ahead of a trade paperback release on Tuesday, October 30, 2012.

The Haunted Housewives of Allister, Alabama (A Cleo Tidwell Paranormal Mystery) is avaialble in ebook via Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Kobo.com, and other online retailers. You can also find The Haunted Housewives of Allister, Alabama (A Cleo Tidwell Paranormal Mystery) on Goodreads.

Praise for The Haunted Housewives of Allister, Alabama:

“The Burg gave us Stephanie Plum, Las Vegas gave us Lucky O’Toole, and now, Allister, AL, presents us with Cleo Tidwell.”
— Lane Robins, critically acclaimed author of Maledicte, Kings and Assassins, and the Shadows Inquiries series (as Lyn Benedict)

“Mystery, murder, mayhem, and…Elvis? Cozy in for a laugh-filled evening as Susan Abel Sullivan spins a ghost tale with Southern attitude and good style that you won’t be able to put down.”
— Heidi Ruby Miller, author of Greenshift and Ambasadora

“Fans of Stephanie Plum and the paranormal will love The Haunted Housewives of Allister, Alabama!“
— Sherry Peters, author of Silencing Your Inner Saboteur

“Imaginative, suspenseful, and funny…a unique, must-have addition to your to-be-read stack!”
— Kelly L. Stone, author of Grave Secret and Time to Write: No Excuses, No Distractions, No More Blank Pages

When Cleo Tidwell said, “I do,” for the third time, she had no idea her marriage vows would be tested by a gaudy Velvet Elvis painting. But Cleo’s not the kind of woman to let a velvet-offense-against-good-taste just hang--oh no, she’s on a mission to oust the King. Trouble is, Elvis won’t leave the building. And he’s attractin’ all manner of kooks, fanatics, and lookie loos to Cleo’s doorstep. Everyone wants a piece of the painting, but Cleo’s starting to suspect that whatever’s haunting the Velvet Elvis wants a piece of her husband. Why else would her hubby trade in his car for a ’56 pink Caddy, moonlight as an Elvis impersonator, and develop a sudden hankering for fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches? Between the death threats, psychic warnings “from beyond,” kidnapping attempts, invitations to join the Blue Shoe Loonies, and even murder, Cleo's fighting for her life, her marriage, and the perseverance of good taste everywhere.

Susan Abel Sullivan lives in a Victorian house in northeastern Alabama with two dogs, way too many cats, and a couple of snakes. When not writing she likes to get her groove on by teaching Zumba Fitness classes. She is a graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop for speculative fiction. Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in numerous online and print publications, including Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, ASIM Best of Horror: Vol II, Beyond Centauri, New Myths, AlienSkin, and Writers’ Journal. She is the author of Cursed: Wickedly Fun Stories, Fried Zombie Dee-light! Ghoulish, Ghostly Tales, and the Cleo Tidwell Paranormal Mystery series. Visit her website at susanabelsullivan.weebly.com or twitter @susan_abel.

World Weaver Press is a publisher of fantasy, science fiction, and nonfiction, dedicated to producing quality novels, novellas, collections, and anthologies. As a small press, World Weaver seeks to produce books that engage the mind and ensnare the story-loving soul.

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worldweaverpress.com

@worldweaver_wwp

Wordstock 2012

The Wordstock Chair

Yesterday I attended the Wordstock Festival at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. Wordstock is an annual event where authors, agencies, small presses, and other such people of the literary arts gather. I attended only the first day of the festival, today being the second, though I did get both of the books I brought yesterday signed - but more on that later.

Convention Floor

I arrived first thing and was one of the first people to start milling about the various booths, the majority of them local businesses from around the Pacific Northwest. After an hour of chatting and accumulating  multiple handouts, I went to my first panel with authors April Henry and Jeanne Ryan. I did a review of April's book Girl, Stolen a while back, and was very interested in hearing her talk about her writing process, as I writer myself I soaked up everything I could.

Right afterwards I went to see a panel with Storm Large (that's her real name) and Bettye Lavette. Both are singers, Storm being something of a local legend, and they had memoirs out. The panel turned out to be more of Storm Large interviewing Bettye Lavette about her book, and while I don't generally read memoirs, hers sounded very intriguing: growing up in Detroit and having a hit song at sixteen, knowing legends like Aretha Franklin, but never achieving a lasting measure of fame herself until recently. That event was one of the better attended ones of the day I saw.

Living In A Fantasy World

David Levithan's signature

After grabbing lunch at Red Robin where police officers were waiting tables to raise money for the Special Olympics, I came back to see one of the talks I was most excited about. It was called Living In A Fantasy World, and was made up of Alex Adams, Kevin Emerson, David Levithan, and Lissa Price talking about writing fantasy and dystopia (two of my preferred genres). The picture at right is supposed to be of them, but being armed only with my iPhone, I didn't get the best pictures. David Levithan acted as the moderator for the panel, but when the audience Q and A kicked in he answered some of the questions as well. I had to wait another hour though, before I could get David to sign my copy of Every Day since he had to run off to another talk right away, but when I finally met him he was super nice and complimented hat which really made my day.

The last talk I saw that day was with Lish McBride, author of Hold Me Closer, Necromancer and Necromancing the Stone, and Tonya Hurley, author of Ghost Girl and the Blessed Trilogy. I had gotten Hold Me Closer, Necromancer for Christmas last year and had brought my copy along for the signing, but had never heard of Tonya Hurley or any of her books before, so I was really glad I was able to find out more about her. By the name it ended and I was in line for the signing it was almost five o'clock. I had been hoping to meet some fellow bloggers but so far I hadn't found any. But as I was waiting in line I heard the women right in front and behind me start talking about reading and having a shelf full of ARCs, which isn't slang that most people just walking down the street would know about. When I asked it turned out I was talking to none other than Sara of Novel Novice, and Mel of Novels, News, and Notes from your Northwest Neighbors, and A Shot in the Arm. It was completely wonderful meeting those ladies, and I am hoping to start getting out to the author signings around town more often to meet up.

Left to Right: Mel, Sara, and Me.

Bottom line, if you have never been to Wordstock, I highly encourage you try to get there one of these years, it is a truly spectacular event!

Blog Tour Stop: Promising Light

The Protectors Blog Tour: Character Interview

Hello, everyone! First, thank you Larissa for hosting me. My YA Epic Fantasy series, The Protectors, is on tour! The books follow a family of shape changers as they struggle against a group of oppressive noblemen called the Protectors. For today’s tour stop, I’m interviewing my two main characters, Grace and Dar.

Context: This interview takes place a few chapters into Promising Light. Grace and Dar were carrying on a secret courtship, but they have since separated due to secrets and a strange man who told Grace that Dar was dangerous. At this point, they are both on a political trip in a city called Nyad. Grace is escorting the prince, and Dar is attending with his father, a governor of a state.

Emily: Hello, Grace, Dar. I suppose you’re both surprised the other is here.

Grace: Yes. I guess if I had thought about it, it would make sense that Dar would be here, considering who his father was.

Dar: I wasn’t expecting Grace at all.

Emily: Are you enjoying Nyad?

Grace: Yes, very much. It’s so different than my hometown, which is interesting because they’re rather close. But it’s beautiful here and Governor Peter and his family are so pleasant.

Dar: I’ve sat through a lot of boring meetings, but in general, yes.

Grace: The circus was amazing!

Emily: Dar, did you enjoy the circus?

Dar: Oh, yes.

Grace: I met the wild child. In the show, she pretended to be raised by tigers, but of course she was just a normal woman. Her name was Sierra.

Dar: You met her?

Grace: Yes. The prince seemed to know who she was.

Dar: Interesting.

Grace: I thought it was very interesting. You wouldn’t have anything else to say about it, would you?

Dar: Nothing at all.

Emily: Perhaps a change of subject. . .Grace, will you recommend an activity or food or something unique to Nyad to your friends back home?

Grace: Certainly. Their spiced cider is to die for. I think Jocelyn would really enjoy it.

Emily: Dar, how is Nyad different than your home state?

Dar: Shyra is a farming state. Flat lands, you may say. Nyad is very tropical. The people here are a bit more outgoing and flamboyant while Shyrans are more reserved. I’ve enjoyed Nyad, but Shyra will always be home.

Emily: Is there anything you wish Shyra had that other cities do?

Dar: There are a few people I wish would move to Shyra.

Emily: Such as?

Dar: I’d rather not say.

Grace: Of course you wouldn’t.

Emily: Grace, have you visited Shyra?

Grace: Yes. My family visited a few times. My father is the king’s general of the armies, so he went on a few recruitment tours around the country. I enjoyed my time in Shyra. Especially looking up at the stars and trying to name them with an old friend.

Dar: I enjoyed that, too.

Emily: I’ll end this while you’re on each other’s good sides. Thank you both for coming by.

If you want to read more about Grace and Dar, be sure to check out the series at Amazon (http://amazon.com/author/emilyannward) or any other ebook retailer!

We’re almost done on this blog tour! Wow! Tomorrow, you can come visit us at Vidya’s blog (http://vidya-booksaremagic.blogspot.com/) with Character Secrets!

Oh, and if you missed the last few posts:

Meet the Author (http://eveningfades.blogspot.com)

Genre-Bending: If Promising Light Wasn't Fantasy (http://fantasycollective.wordpress.com)

My Characters' Favorite Books (http://indieebookreview.blogspot.co.uk)

If Promising Light Were Set In Modern Day (http://fadeintofantasy.com)

Promising Hope’s Book Soundtrack (http://storiesofmylife.roncnieto.com)

Promising Light Excerpt (http://bloodskies.com/blog/)

Promising Hope Excerpt (http://bruceblake.wordpress.com/)

Tweets from Promising Light (http://delphinareadstoomuch.com/)

Interview with the Villains & Review (http://danicapage.blogspot.com)

Giveaway

If you’d like a chance to win the books, enter the giveaway here! Here’s what’s up for grabs:

(1) $15 Amazon Gift Card

(5) Protectors Ebook Packages (Shifting Light, Fire and Light, The End of Light, Promising Light, and Promising Hope)

(1)  Protectors Paperback Package (Promising Light and Promising Hope)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/406df511/a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also, you can comment on these posts and other stops on the tour or follow blogs participating in the tour to gain more entries! Hope to see you around :)

Bio

Emily Ann Ward is the author of Passages, Beyond Home, Finding Fiona, and The Protectors series. One of her first stories featured a young girl whose doll came to life. The rest is history. When it comes to fiction, she writes mainly young adult, contemporary, and fantasy. She also writes nonfiction, ranging from stories of her travels to thoughts on God and the Bible. Aside from writing, she’s also a content editor for Entranced Publishing. She loves reading, traveling, sociology, religion, and Reese’s sticks. Currently, she lives in Salem, Oregon with her husband Chris and their crazy cats. Visit her website at emilyannward.com.