Gabriella Slade's Blog: The JOY of Writing, page 8

The Official Reveal of #destiny17!

Happy Monday!!!!!

Honestly, this is my favorite Monday of all year! I’ve waited SO LONG to finally share this with you guys! I want to fangirl with all of you, I want to know what you guys think of what I’ve been working on!

If you haven’t possibly guess by the title, today is the OFFICIAL REVEAL OF #DESTINY17!!!!!!

Yes! It’s Here! *Squeal!*

I have for you…a title, a cover, a backcover blurb, and a trailer to share with all of you! Plus some stories! Let’s get started!

So the title of #destiny17…The real, finalized name, is…

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SHOW ME, BOOK 1 OF THE DRAGON ARTIFACTS SERIES

Yay!!! *Breathes sigh of relief* It’s out there. The Title is officially called Show Me. It took SO much digging for me to finally choose a title, which is why I went with the name #destiny17.  Of course…what does Destiny do with Show Me?

A little story here: My original idea for this book, was originally called The Destiny Series. It was a very different story from what I ended up writing. It was, in fact, draft 1. But halfway through reading, I realized that we had some MAJOR changes that needed to happen for this book, because it honestly sounded like a rewrite of Eragon, and didn’t have enough juice for the whole series. I needed my own ideas. And a new genre.

So I went from a YA epic fantasy, to a YA Supernatural fantasy, and I’m super satisfied with how it turned out.

Thoughts on the title? Does it intrigue you like it did for me when I first discovered it? Please tell me in the comments below! Also, It is a part of a 6–7 book series.

 So the blurb is coming next! I think i might be more nervous about this than the title. It’s the first insight you receive of the story, including the Main Character’s name. Here is the Official BLURB for Show Me!

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Sixteen year old Kade has always been different. Unknowingly, there are magic, and dangers in the world he has never known of.  All he knows of is his tiny village and his ability to feel the emotions of others.  After he is  saved by a mysterious man from a creature known as a kaminza, Kade is thrust into a world of Soul Questers–elves who have the ability to not only feel emotions, but also hear thoughts.  Kade can do what they can, but he is not one of them.  He must train to use his powers in secret.  If he is discovered by the elven government, he could be killed. That is, if his powers don’t kill him first. And that isn’t the only problem.  Kade’s adopted father, Axel, has apparently hidden more than Soul Questers from Kade, and now those secrets could also be dangerous enough to get Kade killed.  If he’s going to survive, Kade himself might have to learn to keep a few secrets, and they’re not just about him…

 

So…

What do you think??

Questions??

Leave them in the comments below!

And now….

THE COVER

Shout out to Kat @ https://11mothhollow.wordpress.com/ for designing this beauty! I love love love it, and it I honestly think it reflects the book so well!

So in

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*Gasp!*

A beauty, ain’t she?

Now before I close out my reveal, I just want to give you a heads up:

If you are NOT subscribed to my email list, you will NOT get access into y new page: Chap One of Show Me.

Subscribers from now on will get a Password to unlock this exclusive content! I’ll leave it at that, and the form will be left below.

Thanks for reading!

Thoughts on the book? What was your first initial reaction of Show Me? Please leave them in the comments down below, and I will see you all next Monday!

In HIS Joy,

Gabriella Slade.

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My August 2017 Goals!

Happy Monday Reader Fam!

Today I’m going to try something new: A monthly schedule for my blog posts!  This will also make things easier for me, as I plan my content ahead of time, and for you, as you can know what to expect every week!. Here is the new schedule:

1st Monday: FBM (Featured Book of The Month.) My book reviews, author interviews etc that I do on my favorite book from the month before.

2nd Monday: #destiny17 post: In TWO SHORT WEEKS my book will be revealed to the public, and I will continue to write often on it, and it’s journey.

3rd Monday: Writer’s Life post: Examples include my posts on goal setting, taking breaks, and book recommendations.

4/5th Monday: Goals for this month/results from the previous months. A new thing, starting today.  If we have 5 Mondays in a month, I will simply do another Writer’s life post on the forth week.

Now for Today’s post: My August Goals PLUS the results of my July Goals

July Goal Results

Write 50K in the first draft in my WIP: A total fail–at least for this month.  I didn’t even reach 10K. Probably because I am way more invested in editing at the moment. I am going to try to catch up.
Get 50 likes on my Facebook Page: I’ve got about 40, so we’re not quite there yet.  If you haven’t, be sure to go like it!
Finish Draft 3 of #destiny17: Technically, yes, I did do this. I am in Draft 3.5 right now! (Yes, I am quite serious!)
Start blogging on Saturdays: I have only done this once. I know, I know. I’m going to extend my one month trial to two months and see if I can do better at this.

So July wasn’t the best month when it comes to goals. But a lot of editing DID get done, and that in itself is an accomplishment.

August Goals

Write 30K in my WIP: A bit of a more reasonable goal. Hopefully I actually write this time!
Reveal #destiny17: It’s Finally happening! August 14! I hope you guys are just as excited as I am for this event!
Gain 20 Subscribers to my blog: If you haven’t, PLEASE Subscribe to my blog! I send out emails with all new posts, as well as monthly newsletters. And *hint hint!* there may be some exclusive #destiny17 content released at my reveal for all subscribers! You won’t want to miss out!
Relaunch my Newsletter: Yes, I don’t really feel satisfied with my newsletter right now, and I’m going to try to write it in more of a letter form and see how that turns out.

So these are my August Goals! Some of them are kind of easy, but I find they are still quite vital!

Want to Help? 

Well, You Can! Here’s how:

Subscribe to my blog
Share my blog/ about #destiny17
Attend the #destiny17 event! It will be on Facebook, my blog, and (hopefully) on Teens Author’s Journal.

That’s all for today! Please subscribe, and Comment below What YOUR August Goals are! 

In HIS JOY,

Gabriella J. Slade

 

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5 Budding Authors I Highly Recommend

Happy Monday!

Last Saturday, I (finally!) gave you an Official Reveal date for #destiny17! This will include the final title, cover and back cover blurb for the book, as well as an official book trailer. Although I will be sharing everything on my blog that day, much of the excitement will be over on my Facebook Page, where I have an entire event dedicated to the reveal.  If you’re not on Facebook, that’s fine. Everything will be shared here as well for your viewing pleasure, but most of my interaction will be on Facebook.

OK, on to today’s topic: 5 Budding Authors You Should (totally!) check out!

There are SO many new books being published these days, it’s often times hard to find the diamonds in the rough. Today, I am sharing books by five different authors I LOVE and Highly recommend you pick up!

Disclamer: I am in no way associated with the authors for this post, or trying to sell you their work.  These are just books I read and love, and am recommending to you guys.

Sara Baysinger: I recently picked up Baysinger’s debut, The Black Tiger, and fell in love with the story instantly.  I finished the entire trilogy in a matter of days, and the characters and their stories are still fresh in my mind. She gives you SO MANY Plot Twists, you will be on the edge of your seat the entire story. Trust me.
Kara Swanson: I was on Kara’s launch team for her debut novella, The Girl Who Could See.  (I actully interviewed her on my blog about a month ago. Check it out Here) This book was amazing. Seriously. Her writing style is so unique, and I apsolutely love it! If you haven’t picked up her Novella yet, please do, and then come to fangirl with me.
Annie Louise Twitchell: I was also on a launch team for this book. Spinner of Secrets is a fairy tale retelling of the classic Rumpelstiltskin. The thing I loved about this book, was getting to know the characters better, and their backstories.  I look forword to future work by Twitchell.
C. E. Mueth: I am still deep in Mueth’s second work, The Outer, but his first book, The Secret of Blackneck, is still something I enjoy rereading. His descriptions are absolutely breathtaking, and the story lines inserted in his books are stunning. The only thing I did not personally like about his books, are the simplicity in character names for Genres such as Sci-Fi and Fantasy.  But it is only a personal preference, and does not make me like the book any less.
Abigayle Clare: Clare’s book is one of those read-it-slow-so-you-don’t-finish-it-too-quickly kind of books. I don’t read too much contemporary, but Martin Hospitality is definitely one held close to my heart. I love the themes in this book, and how it’s about a big family showing love to someone who really needed love, which is something that is quite like my own large family.

There we have it! 5 Budding Authors I highly recommend you please pick up! They are all so great and special for very different reasons, and I loved them all! I am now in the process of making sure I own all of these great books in paperbacks! (I’ve got one trilogy and one standalone to go!)

That’s all I have for you today! If you haven’t, please subscribe to my blog to get weekly updates and monthly newsletters from me! Love you all, and I will talk to you later!

In HIS Joy,

Gabriella Slade

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How to Write a Love Triangle the Right Way (And a Reveal Date for #destiny17!)

Happy Saturday!

I know what you’re thinking–Gabriella posting on a Saturday?? If you’ve been following me long enough, you know that I typically leave blog posts here for you guys on a Monday.  Well, starting today, I am going to be experimenting with posting on Mondays and Saturdays, for one month. If this works for me, I will start posting twice a week.  If not, I’ll just go back to my typical once a week updates.

Why?

I am striving to produce more content for you guys, and I think adding a second post each week is a great way to start this! I am also working on some fun bonus’ for subscribers…so be sure to subscribe to get those later on…

Now to todays post. You may already be thrown off by the title, if you despise love triangles. How do you write a love triangle the right way, when there is no right way in the first place? you say.

Great Question! I believe, that the cliche Love Triangle, is only a cliche, because everyone likes to do it in the same way each time: Girl falls for two boys at the same time. One is the simple and sweet best friend, or person she has had a past with before. (i.e. Jack Dawson, Peeta Mellark) The other is the dark and broody bad boy who hates the best friend and selfishly wants the girl for himself (Cal Hockley, Gale Hawthorn).

This can get tiring, especially if we all know how the story ends.  But what if the strategies for a Love triangle were played around with, tampered and tweeked your unique genre and story? (Also, let me clarify that in no way am I saying that every story has to have a love triangle. It often depends on genre, and is usually in YA.)

With that in mind, let me give you four tips/tricks for creating a new and unique love triangle for that story of yours!

Switch gender stereotypes: This can be done in several different ways: Make it a boy falling for two girls, or twin sisters both crushing on the same guy.  And who said it had to be a triangle? Why not make it a complicated love octagon?? (This probably would work best when writing series, so your characters’ love lives don’t take up the majority of the story!
Set roles for each character participating in the triangle, and relistic reasons for falling for one another.  Please, no more boys who just want the girl without a good reason! Maybe he grew up with her, or she saved his life when he was a kid. Give them backstories, and don’t just throw a character in for no good reason except to participate in a love triangle.
Set Stakes: What happens if the boy can’t win her heart? Will he be forced into an arranged marriage? Will he not be able to convince his father to let him stay in the city? Give him a ticking timer! Your characters–and your readers–will be on the edge of their seats!
Show the character interacting with her love interests separately. And please make them genuine. I can’t stand Katniss-Gale scenes. They just feel so darn fake it hurts.  It’s because of this I can never root for them together (beside the basic fact that Gale is just a jerk.) So if you make these scenes genuine from both sides of the love triangle. Then, you’ll really be pulling at your readers heartstrings.

In Conclusion: Don’t write a love triangle that sounds overdone. I know there is nothing new under the sun, but we can all use our unique imaginations to build off of something that’s already been done before.

Now moving on to….The REVEAL DATE FOR #DESTINY17!!!

It’s what you’ve all been waiting for: Me opening up on my WIP, you all know as #destiny17.  Well here below, is the official reveal date! Make sure to subscribe to my blog to stay updated on more news concerning the upcoming reveal!

August 14, 2017

There you have it! And I will see you Monday!

In HIS JOY,

Gabriella J. Slade

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Featured Book Of The Month: Writing The Fiction Series

Happy Monday, and Happy (belated) Forth of July!

Despite the fact I had time off of school, and went camping for an entire week, I only read ONE book.  That is this month’s FMB: Writing the Fiction Series by Karen Wiesner.

I’ve read this book like a million times, and highlighted almost every other sentence in my well loved paperback copy, but I can almost always learn something new from it, so I am excited to share my thought and opinions on it!

About Writing The Fiction Series

The definitive guide to crafting a series!

From the Hunger Games Trilogy to the Jack Reacher series, from Harry Potter to Harry Dresden, there’s no denying that writers–and readers–have caught series fever. But if you’re contemplating writing a series, there are plenty of considerations you’ll need to make first. Writing the Fiction Series is the complete guide to ensuring your series stays hot after the first, fourth, or even fifteenth book.

Inside, you’ll learn how to:

Write a series that captures the hearts of readers and stands out in a sea of competition.
Find the focus of your series, develop your idea, and plan ahead.
Hone in on the two most important aspects of series writing: characters and consistency.
Utilize a variety of series organization techniques, complete with downloadable worksheets and checklists.
Market your series effectively and increase your sales.

With insights from nearly 100 series authors and publishers, as well as “Grow Your Series Muscles” exercises, Writing the Fiction Series is the only book you’ll need to write a series that sizzles.

So, where to start?

I orginally got this book at the library, and eventually bought it because of how relucant I was to give it up. I’m so glad I did! I finally have the freedom to highlight, take notes, and give this well loved book a place on my bookshelf.

Inside of this well written book, we learn about the different types of series arcs, and catagories, and how to discover which ones our series fit’s into. Wiesner uses real life examples from popular books such as Harry Potter and Twilight, as well as her own books (which, at the time of her writing this book, was up to 98 books.)

Other things learned through this book was:

How to stay consistent throughout the writing of this book.
How to stand out in a crowd full of series
How to market and organize a series

What did I like about this book?

I loved how there were examples used from popular fiction, which many readers can see and understand, especially if you’ve read the series over and over again.

The tips Wiesner give in this book are so invaluable, and I will certanly be using them in the near future. (hint, hint!)

What did I not like about this book?

The author used her books way too much as example, and it seemed that she was just trying to advertise inside her book at some points.  The other thing is, I looked up this author, who speaks of having an update websites and beautiful covers for your series. Her website was very outdated, and her covers were just downright awful. (I am in no way trying to spread hate to this author! I am just being honest about what I saw, compared to what she said in her book)

Other than that, this book was great! I give it five out of five stars, and I hope that you potential series writers will have the chance to one day pick up this book and read it for yourselves!

That’s all for today! Be sure to subscribe to my blog if you enjoyed today’s post, and like my Facebook Page if you haven’t already! See you all next Monday!

In HIS Joy,

Gabriella Slade

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#destiny17 Clue 3!!

We’re getting So darn close to the reveal, and I am SO PUMPED.  Popularity and excitement for this book has grown so much since I first started this project, and I am so thankful for every one of you followers who have been keeping up with #destiny17!

And today, it is time for CLUE THREE!!!!

The last thing we learned, was that our MC is living in a culture other than his own. And I actually did a whole Q&A based on my book, and I’ll link the post here: http://gabriellaslade.com/2017/06/12/... , in case you would like to see some of the new, exclusive information released, including a small snippet of the final cover for the book.  For Clue 3, I am actually going to give you the name of one of my characters, PLUS name two books sound like they have similarities to #destiny17.  (Disclaimer: the following name is not the name of the main character.  I decided after much consideration, to save the MC’s name for the official reveal.)

So without further ado, let me give you the name of a minor character in my book!

Drum roll please….

The name I am sharing is Jerome! (It’s supposed to be pronounce Jer-ohm, but I pronounce it Jere-omay.  

How (and Why) Should I Set Goals?

Happy Monday!

It is the middle of June, and I am absolutely LOVIN’ the warmth, how about you?

Today I am going to list you 5 tips for setting goals, and 2 reasons why you should set goals. At the end, I’ll share my goals for this summer, so you guys can keep me accountable, OK?  And in the comments below, don’t forget to share what YOUR summer goals are.

HOW DO I SET GOALS?

Tell yourself what you want, and why. This is kind of obvious.  So what do you want? To write a novel? To read 5 books a month? To make the competitive dance team: (A goal I set for myself and ended up achieving

#destiny17 Q&A!

It’s here guysss!

I asked you recently what you wanted to know about my book, #destiny17, and you guys shot me some really awesome questions, that I’m so pumped to answer for you guys!  And at the end, I may or may not have a snippet of the cover to share with you guys!!!

Q 1:  Can you tell us a little bit about the personality of your main character?

A 1: Great question! My MC is an independent and opinionated teenager.  If he has an opinion on something, he’s going to stick to that opinion, no matter what other people tell him.  It takes a lot to persuade him on something. He also has a knack for breaking the rules.

Q 2: What time period/genre is this book set in?

I’ve mentioned this before, but #destiny17 is a YA urban fantasy set in a world named Arjedia, which is has a steampunk-urban-industrial feel to it if that makes any sense.  A lot of the technology is up to like 19th centurary period.

Q 3: What’s his relationship with his (the MC’s) family?

A 3:  I don’t want to give away too much, but I will reveal that my MC is adopted!

Q 4: Who does the MC look up to, as a kind of mentor figure?

A 4: His adopted father, although this changes a bit during the course of the story

Q 5: Is there magic involved in this book?

A 5: Magic plays a major role in the story, although I don’t want to say how.  Let’s just say however, this magic is quite different from what you might expect.

Q 6: What does the MC’s love life look like?

A 6:  Not much (at the moment) Like any other teen, he’s learning about how he feels about girls, and how to control it. There may be some love interest(s) introduced in the book however.

Q 7: You mentioned that the MC is living in a culture other than his own.  Can you expand on this?

A 7: Sure! My MC is forced to completely change his home and culture, and even his identify, and how he’s looked at, for a reason he doesn’t exactly agree with.  This is something that will be explored furthermore  in the story.

Q 8: Is this a part of a series?

A 7: YES! I will not say how many books yet, until the book reveal, and I also will not reveal the series name until the reveal, but yes, this is a part of a series, which will follow the same MC throughout it’s continuity.

That’s all the questions! Feel free to leave more in the comments below, and I’ll will for sure use them in a future Q&A!  Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below on #destiny17 so far, and if you plan on reading it when it’s released?? I’d love to hear what you have to say!

And now…The moment you all have been waiting for! A TINY snippet of the cover for #destiny17! Also, I forgot to mention, the TITLE REVEAL will be coming VERY VERY SOON, so stay tuned, and make sure to subscribe to stay updated!

So, drumroll please

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I know it’s tiny, but can’t we agree that it looks epic!!!!!

I’m so pumbed to reveal the real cover, and the book, which I have completely poured over these past few years, and I hope you like it as much as I do!

That’s all for today! See you all next Monday.  Don’t forget to subscribe and like my Facebook page if you haven’t already!

In HIS Joy,

Gabriella Slade

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Featured Book of The Month: An Interview with Kara Swanson

Happy Monday! My #destiny17 post is currently being put off, because we are currently celebrating the release of The Girl Who Could See! The Girl Who Could See released June 1st, and I am so happy that I got to be a part of her launch team.  We are hosting a scavenger hunt, and CLUE 8 will be revealed at the bottom of the post, as well as a list of the rest of the visiting blogs.  And for this month’s FBM, I happened to get to INTERVIEW Kara Swanson Herself! Here is some information about Kara and the Girl Who Could See below!

ABOUT THE GIRL WHO COULD SEE

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All her life Fern has been told she is blind to reality—but, what if she is the only one who can truly see?

Fern Johnson is crazy. At least, that’s what the doctors have claimed since her childhood. Now nineteen, and one step away from a psych ward, Fern struggles to survive in bustling Los Angeles. Desperate to appear normal, she represses the young man flickering at the edge of her awareness—a blond warrior only she can see.

Tristan was Fern’s childhood imaginary hero, saving her from monsters under her bed and outside her walls. As she grew up and his secret world continued to bleed into hers, however, it only caused catastrophe. But, when the city is rocked by the unexplainable, Fern is forced to consider the possibility that this young man is not a hallucination after all—and that the creature who decimated his world may be coming for hers.

ABOUT KARA SWANSON

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As the daughter of missionaries, Kara Swanson spent sixteen years of her young life in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. Able to relate with characters dropped suddenly into a unique new world, she quickly fell in love with the speculative genre. At seven- teen, she released a fantasy novel, Pearl of Merlydia. Her short story is included in Kathy Ide’s 21 Days of Joy: Stories that Celebrate Mom. She has published many articles, including one in the Encounter magazine, and she received the Mount Hermon Most Promising Teen Writer award in 2015.  

 

Gabriella: Thanks for coming, Kara!

Kara:  Thank you, Gabriella! So grateful to be here. 

Gab: So to start it off, How did you get started as a writer?

Kara:  I’ve been scribbling down stories since I could hold a pencil, but it didn’t become something I considered a passion until I was 17, when I co-authored a fantasy novel called “Pearl of Merlydia” (you can find it on Amazon! Or get a signed paperback from moi) with a very dear friend of mine, that I realized it was something I loved to do. Had to do. Even if I never got published, I’d still be writing because there’s so many stories swirling inside me dying to get out.

Gab: Where do you see yourself ten years from now?

Kara: Married, raising a few kids, living somewhere kind of unique (the beach, maybe? I love coastal areas!), a traditionally published author (I hope! Or indie published) and working with troubled teens.

Gab: What is you writing go to food/beverage for writing?

Kara:  CHOCOLATE.

Why Writers Should Take Breaks

As you can see, this is not a normal Monday post.  I was sick yesterday and did not have the brains to write anything.  So, now that I am doing better, I’m hitting you guys with a later post.  We are going to talk about why writers should take breaks. This is an adapted post from a sermon from my church’s lead pastor.

Let’s start off by asking ourselves this question–Why do we rest?  Because we get tired. 

This is basically what I am talking about.  But not in just the physical aspect.  Yes, we as writers get tired of physically pushing our fingers on that keyboard and staring at the screen with dreary eyes.  But what about our heads?  Do you ever get to that point where you are tired of your story?  If you don’t, are you even human?  Even if this story is our passion, there is always this one day where we just can’t even look at our manuscript.

So what do we do? Do we drop the story in the waste basket and go start something new?  No, we simply need to take that break.  Not looking at our manuscript for a day or two can do a lot.  If you look at the manuscript with fresh, rested eyes, you will be able to see clearly how you really feel about it.  Maybe your passion will be reignited with that story, and a fire will start within you, begging for you to finish that story.  Or you end up really not wanting to work on the story.  In that case, set it aside and start something new.  Don’t completely throw it away; you might regret it later on.

This is a shorter post, since I am still easing back into this after being sick, I’m going to wrap this short conversation with you guys with a summary of what we just learned:

 Why do we rest? Because we’re tired
What do we do when we are tired: we rest
Should we throw away a project because we are ‘tired’ of it? No.  Rest from that project and come back to it after you have rested

Thanks for reading! Make sure to join me next Monday for a new post.  It may just happen to be on my debut novel, #destiny17