A year ago, I set a goal: to give my all toward my writing career seeing that I got a windfall of hours due to my youngest finally heading to school full time.
I'd said if things don't go as I want, I'd consider heading to grad school (yes, I'd be completely out of my element... college was a loooong time ago.)
I started by entering the esteemed PitchWars with my YA, Mega Girl, again, this time a heavily revised version. It didn't makes it, but the encouraging letters made me think it's so darned close. So, I entered another, got lucky and got in. And wow, a few agents were intrigued. And the querying process began.
Then, I plotted a new YA, an upper YA... one I always wanted to write. Then for NaNoWriMo, I finished it in 18 days. Its temp title is Lotus Island. I get to tackle the first draft soon.
Then I returned to the previous year's NaNo... an NA, a category I had never written before, but after reading the NAs from many of my peers, I wanted to try. It was the most fun I'd ever had writing a manuscript. And I revised... and I had beta readers—fantastic beta readers... and I revised more. And I set a goal: to pitch it at my local RWA conference.
Meanwhile, Mega Girl's rejections started coming in in clumps... A few had interesting feedback, like it read young, it started in the wrong place, or it's a tough market (apparently a knack I have is picking the hardest market). Things like that. Some had the dreaded "dear author" which is one of the worst things to read when you're feeling puny.
I went to my first writer's retreat with some amazing writers who helped me in more ways than I imagined. (Can't wait until next year!)
Got a few more rejections and decided to take a Mega break.
And my NA got some love from a mentor in a new contest. That's right, what is now known as Nothing Ever Goes As Planned was liked, loved, by someone who wanted to take it under their wings! And the last near three months have been working toward that goal.
And now, I'm here a year later with three books, two completed and one just beginning. And funny enough, I'm entering Pitch Wars again too. Different story this time.
I've come full circle doing the exact same thing.
Nope, there's no publisher. No agent. No plans to self-publish yet.
Same spot, but I'm not in the same position. So far away...
So, I made that goal and then some. I've no plans to go to grad school anymore. I think I'm getting plenty of lessons from my tribe and betas and CPs without paying an arm and a leg.
I guess the point of the story is: Learn every day from yourself, others and you're richer for it.
Now to set up my next year's goals.
8.03.2016
5.16.2016
Art Reveal! MEGA GIRL
MEGA GIRL, my querying young adult contemporary fantasy, got a bonus a couple months ago.
To help fellow writer, Summer Heacock, aka the wonderful Fizzygrrl, I bid and won an artistic rendering from the amazingly talented SP McConnell ! I knew exactly who I wanted to see in full color, my first MC, the teenage powerhouse superhero, Mega Girl.
SP and I tossed a few ideas back and forth for a couple weeks. When we had a face, he got to work, sketching her, trying on different masks, touching up her hair. I would giggle with glee when I got a note from SP about it with a teaser. I was delighted when he would rave on how much fun it was doing it. And you could tell he did with the result. In the end, we were both so happy with her! I recommend his art highly!
You also might recognize his gorgeous work on KT Hanna's Domino Project series (which I also recommend highly!)
And without further adieu, here's MEGA GIRL kicking ass and busting down buildings.
Thank you for doing such a beautiful job on her, SP.
To help fellow writer, Summer Heacock, aka the wonderful Fizzygrrl, I bid and won an artistic rendering from the amazingly talented SP McConnell ! I knew exactly who I wanted to see in full color, my first MC, the teenage powerhouse superhero, Mega Girl.
SP and I tossed a few ideas back and forth for a couple weeks. When we had a face, he got to work, sketching her, trying on different masks, touching up her hair. I would giggle with glee when I got a note from SP about it with a teaser. I was delighted when he would rave on how much fun it was doing it. And you could tell he did with the result. In the end, we were both so happy with her! I recommend his art highly!
You also might recognize his gorgeous work on KT Hanna's Domino Project series (which I also recommend highly!)
And without further adieu, here's MEGA GIRL kicking ass and busting down buildings.
Thank you for doing such a beautiful job on her, SP.
10.15.2015
COVER REVEAL - GRUDGING by Michelle Hauck! + Giveaway!
Today, I'm so excited to announce all-around woman of awesome, MICHELLE HAUCK, has a cover to show off today!!
Today Michelle Hauck and Rockstar Book
Tours are revealing the cover for GRUDGING, Birth of Saints Book One series which
releases November 17, 2015! Check out the gorgeous cover and enter to win a
copy if the eBook!
On to the reveal!
Title: GRUDGING
Author: Michelle Hauck
Pub. Date: November 17, 2015
Publisher: Harper Voyager Impulse
Format: eBook
Find it: Amazon
| Barnes & Noble | iBooks
| Goodreads
A world of chivalry and witchcraft…and
the invaders who would destroy everything.
The North has invaded, bringing a cruel
religion and no mercy. The ciudades-estados who have stood in their way have
been razed to nothing, and now the horde is before the gates of Colina Hermosa…demanding
blood.
On a mission of desperation, a small
group escapes the besieged city in search of the one thing that might stem the
tide of Northerners: the witches of the southern swamps.
The Women of the Song.
But when tragedy strikes their negotiations,
all that is left is a single untried knight and a witch who has never given
voice to her power. And time is running out.
A lyrical tale of honor and magic,
Grudging is the opening salvo in the Book of Saints trilogy.
About Michelle:
Michelle Hauck lives in the bustling
metropolis of northern Indiana with her hubby and two teenagers. Two papillons
help balance out the teenage drama. Besides working with special needs children
by day, she writes all sorts of fantasy, giving her imagination free range. A
book worm, she passes up the darker vices in favor of chocolate and looks for
any excuse to reward herself. Bio finished? Time for a sweet snack.
She is a co-host of the yearly contests Query Kombat and Nightmare on Query Street, and Sun versus Snow.
Her epic fantasy, Kindar's Cure, is published by Divertir Publishing. Her short story, Frost and Fog, is published by The Elephant's Bookshelf Press in their anthology, Summer's Double Edge. She's repped by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary.
Website
| Twitter | Facebook page | Tumblr | Goodreads
Giveaway Details:
3 winners will receive an eBook of
GRUDGING. International
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10.12.2015
BOOK RELEASE! - TOUCHING FATE by Brenda Drake! + Giveaway!
TOUCHING FATE by Brenda Drake!!
The day is here! And it's all about Brenda.
I'm so happy to be able to announce this awesome lady's book. The cover is gorgeous. The text looks like a read I may not come up for coffee for. (Yes. I can't wait to read about Reese and Aster!)
Keep scrolling because links to a GIVEAWAY are below!
ABOUT TOUCHING FATE:
Aster Layne believes in physics, not psychics. A
tarot card reading on the Ocean City Boardwalk should have been a ridiculous,
just-for-fun thing. It wasn’t. Aster discovers she has a very unscientific
gift—with a simple touch of the cards, she can change a person’s fate.
Reese Van Buren is cursed. Like the kind of old-school,
centuries-old curse that runs in royal families. Every firstborn son is doomed
to die on his eighteenth birthday—and Reese’s is coming up fast. Bummer. He
tries to distract himself from his inevitable death…only to find the one person
who can save him.
Aster doesn’t know that the hot Dutch guy she’s just met needs her
help–or that he’s about to die.
But worst of all…she doesn’t know that her new gift comes with dark,
dark consequences that can harm everyone she loves.
ABOUT BRENDA DRAKE:
Brenda Drake grew up the youngest of three
children, an Air Force brat, and the continual new kid at school. Her fondest memories
growing up are of her eccentric, Irish grandmother’s animated tales, which gave
her a strong love for storytelling.
So it was only fitting that she would choose to write stories with a
bend toward the fantastical. When she’s not writing or hanging out with her
family, she haunts libraries, bookstores, and coffee shops, or reads someplace
quiet and not at all exotic (much to her disappointment).
GIVEAWAY!
Grand
Prize of the Kindle + Swag Pack (US/Canada)
$50
Amazon Gift Card (INT)
$50
Amazon Gift Card (US/Canada)
10.08.2015
COVER REVEAL: HYBRID by KT HANNA!
Hybrid (The Domino
Project #2) is the sequel to Chameleon. It's set in the wasteland of earth
after a meteor shower causes ecological disaster, damages the atmosphere, and
gives the gift of an alien parasite to the world. Book two furthers Sai, Bastian,
and Dom's journey in their fight to live free from GNW imposed rules.
The goodreads blurb is as follows:
As Sai recovers from her
life-threatening injuries, she struggles to piece together her damaged
relationship with Dom. He fights the parasite within, suddenly freed from the
interference of the other Dominos in his head.
Inside Central, Bastian’s Shine dosing has
become a dangerous dance. Enhanced security protocols and endless meetings have
him on a tightrope, with little room to move without revealing himself.
When the GNW release the Damascus to begin
their systemic hunt of the Exiled, the noose closes around the rebels and their
allies. If they can’t disable the threat, the Exiled won’t be the Damascus’
only agenda
Without further ado -
here's a teaser of the cover by the amazingly talented S.P. McConnell.
Go see the full cover at YA Interrobang!
Isn't it GORGEOUS!?!?!
Sit back and bask in this
for a moment.
It's available for
pre-order for $3.99 and will be available on November 10th, 2015!
It will also be available in print via
CreateSpace, Amazon, but best of all, the local indie store is being really
supportive and already has it available for pre-order in print there!
Watermark Books
Haven't read Chameleon?
There's still time to catch up!
Get it HERE!
About the Author
KT Hanna has a love for
words so extreme, a single word can spark entire worlds.
Born in Australia, she
met her husband in a computer game, moved to the U.S.A. and went into
culture shock. Bonus? Not as many creatures specifically out to kill you.
When she's not writing,
she freelance edits for Chimera Editing, interns for a NYC Agency,
and chases her daughter, husband, corgi, and cat. No, she doesn't sleep. She is
entirely powered by the number 2, caffeine, and beef jerky.
Note: Still searching for
her Tardis
Celebration!
To celebrate, we're
giving away a copy of books 1 & 2!
With an Amazon e-card, and a SWAG pack!
Winners will be announced
on Monday October 19th!
9.29.2015
BOOK RELEASE: LINK BY SUMMER WIER + Trailer + Contest!
I had a privilege to read this a couple year sago. And even then, I knew it was something special. As is its author, Summer Wier, a lovely, talented person I'm lucky to have gotten to know.
I'm proud and happy to present you with LINK the first in the SHADOW OF LIGHT series.
Congrats, Summer!
About LINK:
For seventeen-year-old Kira, there’s no
better way to celebrate a birthday than being surrounded by friends and huddled
beside a campfire deep in the woods. And with a birthday in the peak of summer,
that includes late night swims under the stars.
Or at least, it used to.
Kira’s relaxing contemplation of the universe is interrupted when a piece of it falls, colliding with her and starting a chain of events that could unexpectedly lead to the one thing in her life that's missing—her father.
Tossed into a pieced-together world of carnivals and gypsies, an old-fashioned farmhouse, and the alluring presence of a boy from another planet, Kira discovers she’s been transported to the center of a black hole, and there’s more to the story than science can explain. She’s now linked by starlight to the world inside the darkness. And her star is dying.
If she doesn’t return home before the star’s light disappears and her link breaks, she’ll be trapped forever. But she’s not the only one ensnared, and with time running out, she’ll have to find a way to save a part of her past and a part of her future, or risk losing everything she loves.
Dreamy, fluid, and beautiful, Link pairs the mystery of science fiction with the minor-key melody of a dark fantasy, creating a tale that is as human as it is out of this world.
Or at least, it used to.
Kira’s relaxing contemplation of the universe is interrupted when a piece of it falls, colliding with her and starting a chain of events that could unexpectedly lead to the one thing in her life that's missing—her father.
Tossed into a pieced-together world of carnivals and gypsies, an old-fashioned farmhouse, and the alluring presence of a boy from another planet, Kira discovers she’s been transported to the center of a black hole, and there’s more to the story than science can explain. She’s now linked by starlight to the world inside the darkness. And her star is dying.
If she doesn’t return home before the star’s light disappears and her link breaks, she’ll be trapped forever. But she’s not the only one ensnared, and with time running out, she’ll have to find a way to save a part of her past and a part of her future, or risk losing everything she loves.
Dreamy, fluid, and beautiful, Link pairs the mystery of science fiction with the minor-key melody of a dark fantasy, creating a tale that is as human as it is out of this world.
About
Summer Wier:
Summer
Wier is an MBA toting accountant, undercover writer, and all around
jack-of-all-trades. Link is her debut novel and the first
in The Shadow of Light series. She has three short stories appearing
in Fairly Twisted Tales For A Horribly Ever After and co-authors
the Splinter web serial. When she’s not digging through spreadsheets
or playing mom, you can find her reading/writing, cooking, or dreaming of the
mountains in Montana.
Release Day Trailer:
Tour Long Giveaway:
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