Elizabeth Sharp's Blog, page 13

Second Nature's release will be delayed.

Sorry, folks, I know it's disappointing, but the release will have to be pushed back a couple of weeks. I am having some medical issues and need to concentrate on getting better. The book is in the editing process and should be done soon, but I don't know how long my body will need to recover. I will give an official release date as soon as I can. I apologize for those of you who are waiting for the release, but I want to give you the best book I can. I hope everyone understands.

Character Monday

This week I'd thought I'd discuss some of my favorite characters on tv. There has been a slew of new programs this fall and I'm loving it. In fact there are so many new programs I am interested in, my DVR can't keep up. Though this list isn't restricted to the new shows, some of the characters might come from them.
Without further adieu, here's my top ten characters.
#10:  NYPD homicide Detective Jane Timoney (Prime Suspect) [image error]
Yup, already into a new show. I just started watching the show and the snarky, sarcastic, wisecracking detective had me from moment one. I love her rough exterior and the in your face attitude. Maybe it's a little cliche, the ballsy female detective, but eh, I like it.
#9:  Annie Walker (Covert Affairs) Joining the CIA after getting her heart broken, Annie has had to learn on the job. Innovative and tough, she always has an ace up her sleeve. She is smart and thinks outside the box, and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. Come on, what girl doesn't want to be a bad ass?
#8: Dean Winchester (Supernatural)
Setting aside the fact that Jenson Ackles is adorable, Dean is full of gravel and vinegar. His rough outside hides a softness he wouldn't admit if his life depended on it. Fiercely loyal to his family, he would give his life if he thought and would help others - and he has.
#7: Monroe (Grimm) Ok, I know there's only been one episode, but I really like this show and wisecracking Monroe is a big part of that. He's outspoken and sarcastic, two of my favorite flavors. And though reluctantly, he seems to have Nick's back. I definitely think this is a show I will be watching as long as it is still on the air.
#6: Dr. Elizabeth Shannon (Terra Nova) Elizabeth is tough and yet soft. She is a compassionate doctor but she will get her way no matter what. From the moment she helped her husband escape prison and sneak through the portal, her grit had me paying attention.
#5: Damon Salvatore (Vampire Diaries) There's something about this bad boy that makes my pulse race. He is a predator and he's ok with that. I'm not sure which I like better, his dark side, or his gorgeous eyes. 
#4: Alec Hardison (Leverage) [image error] Way too smart for his own good, wisecracking Hardison is not as manly as he would like the world to believe. He is slowly filling out, and can hold his own in a fight if he has to. But it's his abilities behind the keyboard I'm really jealous of, to be honest. If it has a keyboard, he can hack it. And he does. Weekly.
#3: Richard Castle (Castle) A writer with a Peter Pan complex, Castle has some suprising depth. He consults with NYPD with wisecracks, hair-brained theories and a cockiness that drives Beckett crazy. Now I love everything Nathan Fillion is in, but this has to be far and away my favorite. Between his silliness, his tender moments with his daughter and his big boy with expensive toys ways, I love every minute.
#2: Shawn Spencer and Burton "Gus" Guster (Psych) Ok, I know this is technically two characters, but it's the back and forth between the two that I enjoy the most. From Shawn's reckless attitude to Gus's attempts to control him, it's all funny. Besides, who wouldn't like a show about a fake psychic detective?
#1: Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Bones) Forensic anthropologist with the Jeffersonian Institute, Bones seems cold and methodical. A hard core scientific mind, her inability to cope with the real world outside her lab as well as her interaction with her partner Seely Booth (hubba hubba!) lends itself to a lot of laughs. But inside Brennan is a softie, a fact she is simply incapable of expressing. It's this contrast between the scientific demeanor and the compassionate attitude that makes me love this character, and this show, so much. And did I mention Seely Booth? ;)

Winter is on it's way, or so my thermostat says

So winter is definitely coming. They're saying this year will be a hard one, too. Winter's always been hard on me, because I'm very conflicted about the season. I love snow and Christmas, but I don't like cold. As I said, conflicted. I spend a lot of time wishing for a big storm, the kind that shuts down the city. I don't wish that too loud because people tend to get mad at me for it. I also love ice storms, the whole state is all shiny and filled with wonder. I know it's hard on the trees and dangerous for people, so the wonder is a little sullied, but it doesn't seem to diminish it much.


The problem with winter is the cold. I don't like cold weather. I am asthmatic and struggle to breathe in cold air. I have been known to wear enough layers that I look like Randy from A Christmas Story. Cold weather and I are not tight. So I spend a lot of winter indoors, hiding away from the cold, and gazing dreamily out the windows hoping for just a few more inches of that four little world.

Natural Selection Book Tour Giveaway

Welcome to my blog. Whether you followed me here from the book tour or are a regular reader, you're going to be glad you checked me out, This blog is your ticket to win. At the end of my tour, on November 12, I will be drawing one random winner for the grand prize pack. Since the giveaway happens the day after the November 11 release of Second Nature (hopefully) you can win:
A signed paperback copy of Natural selection [image error]
A signed paperback copy of Second Nature
A promotional postcard [image error]
A promotional bookmark
A promotional seed pack
[image error]
So it's definitely worth your while to enter and it's very simple to do so. Also feel free to check out any stop on my book tour to win a free copy of Natural Selection. Just click the picture \/ down there. \/


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Fantasy Friday

It's really sad that the focus of my writing, urban fantasy, is the most neglected of my new scheduled posts, so I will remedy that. Though it is Saturday, I intend to do a Fantasy Friday post today. And for that guest post I would like to discuss a topic a lot of people have mentioned about my writing. Today I'd like to talk about my supernatural creatures.
I do not like reading the same old books. I want new, original and creative. I don't want someone to chew Twilight, Vampire Diaries, and Interview with a Vampire and spit out some regurgitated version of a vampire book. I'm not asking an author to reinvent the wheel, but don't go cliche, and don't give me the same books I'm sick of. A little creativity never hurt anyone. And I'm not saying I won't read vampires, because that's not the case either. I just like to read something new.
But I digress. When I began Natural Selection, one of the things that inspired me was Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers. And what I liked most about her book was that I didn't know a lot about many of the creatures that dotted her pages. It was new and refreshing and I wanted to do that. So I sat down and thought about what creatures I could use to populate my pages. I quickly stumbled upon the demons and it wasn't too long before an epiphany about nature spirits hit me. What if all the ancient gods weren't really gods but supernatural beings. From there I looked at the ancient gods and started noticing a theme. Ancient cultures used their polytheistic gods to explain the workings of the natural world, so many of the gods and goddesses fell into the realm of nature spirits. But the ultimate nature god had to be Mother Nature, or Gaia. An idea was born.
As I pondered further on the idea (and understand the entire process happened in five minutes) I noticed that the gods with the more violent and dangerous powers tended to be men, while the nurturers and controllers of bounty were women. Men hurled lightning, called on the fury of the sea and controlled the fiery interior of the earth. The women ruled over the harvest and made plants flourish. Another idea. 
What if women gaia controlled plants and nurtured animals, while the men harnessed the more destructive forces of nature such as manipulating the weather, hurling lightning, and exploding the  earth. And what if the story centered around a pair of them? 
It was what you might call a light bulb moment. I rushed to my computer and furiously typed until the wee hours of the morning, but by the time the toothpicks were no longer sufficient to hold my eyelids open, Natural  Selection was well on it's way. It would take a couple months of struggling with internal demons and a few more epiphanies, but the bulk of Amelia's tale was born in that moment. 
You wanna know more about Amelia and gaia in general? Sorry, you're gonna have to read the book for that. ;)

Blog Tour

Come along as I hit the virtual road. Promotional Book Tours has put together a great book tour for Natural Selection. Everyday I will post the day's stop so you can all join in for the contests, reviews, guest posts and interviews.

Today's stop is For the Love of Books. Check it out for a review and a chance to win. :D

Writer Wednesday

Every writer has gone through it at some point. Call it writer's block, a missing muse, a lack of inspiration. Whatever you want to call it, it's never a pleasant feeling to stare at the blinking cursor, your mind as empty as the page your blank gaze looks through. It's not that you don't have an idea, you just can't seem to find that connection. It happens to us all. Even the greats. But fear not, my scribbling friends, there is hope on the horizon. Today I am chock full of tricks to get that inspiration back.
Tip #1 Take a trip that is connected to your book. whether it's to the setting of the story or just a character's favorite coffee house, this trip is about connecting with your characters, so make it count. Got a fashonista? Head to the mall. Try some things you could afford if you gave up eating for a month. Maybe two. Is your main a caffeine guzzler with a fifty bucks a day Starbucks habit? A caramel Frapacino might just put you back in touch with the jittery java junkie. There has to be something around you that relates to your characters. Find it and immerse yourself in it.
Tip #2 Write a blog from a character perspective. Character Monday's are as much for me as they are for my readers. Sometimes it helps me get my juices flowing when things seem to a little tougher than they should be. And it's fun to explore the voice of characters other than the main.
Tip #3 Call a friend who will let you talk about your story. Explain it to them. Explain the problem, explain where you want to go. You'll be surprised how the process of making them understand what you are trying to say gets things flowing again. A critique partner is good here, since they know the back story, but sometimes a fresh mind is good too.
Tip #4 Focus on something else for a little while. Let's face it, sometimes we all need a break. Sitting staring at the screen blankly is frustrating and sometimes you need to walk away. Clean the house, work on a prject you've been putting off, run on the treadmill. Do something that doesn't take your concentration and let your mind roam. I'm amazed how many times this works for me.
Tip #5 Focus on one sentence. After that sentence, focus on a second. Don't worry about the big picture, just focus on the next sentence. It never ceases to amaze me the seamless flow from this technique into rapid fast-as-my-fingers-can-fly typing.
Tip #6 Write something else. A blog post, a short essay, an email to a friend. Usually the act of sitting at the keyboard makes it easier to stay there.
Tip #7 Skip a part that's giving you trouble. There has been a time in the past where for a period of time, a chapter existed as a list of things I needed to happen in that chapter to set up the next chapter. I moved on and when I came back I was able to flow through the chapter with ease. If you can focus on something somewhere else in the book, don't dwell on what you can't get to work. 
Tip #8 Sometimes none of these tricks work. That is the moment when you need to reach deep down inside yourself and JFDI -- just fricking do it! I know it's hard. I know it's grueling. But the longer you keep at it, the easier it gets. Do it for ten minutes one day, then twelve the next, fifteen the next and so on. So what if less than half of it is crap, the point is to get words down. You can refine them later. 
So there's 8 good tips on how to get yourself out of rut. Now how about you? What helps you when you get stuck?

Character Monday

Sariah here, and welcome to Character Monday. I have hijacked this blog since it is seriously lacking in style, so I thought I'd spruce the joint up a little. If there's one thing I know, it's what looks good, but sharing my sense of fashion with others is a little more challenging. I know people believe I roll out of bed looking perfect, and while the cards are stacked in my favor on that front, it's not entirely true. I start my morning with a long steamy shower with exfoliating wash to slough off dead skin cells and give me the radiant glow I am known for. Then after the proper application of lotion and perfume, I blow dry and style my hair to perfection. This usually involves a blow dryer, a curling iron, lots of hair spray and a good comb. Finally I apply my makeup, a smoky eye usually, since it suits the cat shape of my eyes. Finally I choose my clothes. I'm currently into a layered look, lacy cami, well cut shirt and tailored jacket.
Now I know that my being able to change my appearance makes it seem like I just automatically look good, but no matter what form I take, bad style carries over. No matter what my appearance changes to, the color or texture of my hair makes no difference to the style it's in. I can't go from a ponytail to sexy bed head with a morph, Though I must admit I love that I don't have to visit a salon to change my hair color or wait for it to grow out after I get bored with the latest adorable bob.
So despite what you might have heard, fashion isn't automatic, it's hard work. But I think it is work that is well worth the time and effort, therefore...

Wait, wait, wait, Sariah, you're girlifying it!
No one asked you Xander!
Would the two of you please stop arguing when we have company? 
It's not my fault she's being lame where people can see, Amelia.
Xander, just because you're not interested in a topic doesn't mean no one else is. And Sariah, what gives you the right to hijack the entire blog? Seriously, I'm the youngest, I shouldn't have to referee.
Hey, you got the blog to yourself last week. Neither of us interrupted you.
Yes, well, it's not my fault you two are easily distracted. Wait is that something sparkling over there?
Puh-leeze! Get over yourself, would you. Just because Elizabeth gave you the starring role doesn't give you the right to be all bossy.
Yes, well, at least I'm not a diva.
Says who?
Aw, Xander, you wound me. And here I thought you had my back.
I got your back, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let you get a swollen head. 
Ok, I'm hijacking this blog back, you three go bicker somewhere the people can't see. Sorry folks, I'll try not to let all three of them have at the blog at once, but these Hoffmans definitely have a mind of their own!

Writer Wednesday

So today for Writer's Wednesday, I thought I'd let you in on what in my opinion is the most important tool in a writer's arsenal, your support system. It great to have family and friends rooting you on, but that's not necessarily what I'm talking about here. I'm talking about other writers you can turn to for advice and help, critique partners and beta readers.

A writer's mind is a very unique place. The average person goes through their day cataloging events that seem important for later recall. A writer on the other hand, is constantly cataloging every minute detail that would make for interesting characters. Every twitch, fidget and overly loud phrase becomes fodder for use to feed into the giant maw in our heads that chews up our day and spits out compelling fiction--or at least we think it is. The ordinary people in our life just don't get that while our conversation about the person they sat next to on the bus is very interesting, our minds are recording every detail of the strange man pacing while yelling into his cell phone, creating his back story and possibly even a little bit of plot for him. It's not our faults, it's just so hard to turn off. And everywhere we go there is a story.

Enter the writer's group. When I am in mine, I am surrounded by people who's minds wander the same way mine does. We could be in the middle of a in depth conversation about the merits of ebook vs traditional publishing (SOOOOO not going there) and I can suddenly ask what flower would best cover the smell of a decaying body. None of them eye me askance and wonder if there is a serial killer in their midst (though in reality any good author has to have at least one murder under their belt if not more. I personally have killed over twenty people over the years) No men in white coats get called (though perhaps they should be since I DO hear voices chattering in my head). But when I get a calm educated answer to questions like that (And I have actually asked that one for the record), I know I am in the right place and these people are my peers.

Now onto critique partners. I don't advice using a friend for this because to be frankly honest, good critique hurts. You pour your heart and soul out through your keyboards and any human would be attached to that. It's the ability to think of it as a healing pain hat makes it so much easier. And you will most likely become friends with your critique partner, who is privy to some of your most intimate internal processes. But the most important thing about a critique partner is you need someone who isn't going to pull punches. I'm not saying you're looking for some sadist who won't be happy until you're curled int he fetal position mumbling to yourself, but you need someone who will tell you how it is. If you give your manuscript to ten people and nine tell you "it's good" and the tenth comes back with a list of things that cold use improvement, don't necessarily blow off this one person. See if heir suggestions have merit. You aren't looking to be told what you want to hear, you're looking to hear what your reader is really thinking. And that one person might be a psycho and you need to ignore them. But if they're right, do whatever it takes to get them to agree to critique for you in the future.

And lastly we have beta readers. A beta takes a look at a manuscript after it is edited, formatted and ready for uploaded to catch any mistake that might have slipped through all the edits. You need fresh eyes for this, someone who's never read the work before. I have at least four of these. One is a grammar Nazi who will find and point out every misused/typo-ed word. Another is not afraid o go "Wait, this doesn't make sense." Another will argue (or rather passionately discuss) mythology with me. No two minds read the same thing the same way and the more variety you get in your critquers and betas, the more rounded your final product is going to be. And remember, if you don't think you can handle this many people telling your their opinions, how are you going to handle all the people who shell out their hard earned cash for your book and find it subparr? They won't be afraid to let you know...

Character Monday

Please forgive the late post, in the hustle and bustle of getting ready to leave home I forgot to schedule my blogs. Today I am pleased to welcome Amelia Hoffman with this weeks Character Monday post.


I am honored to be invited to share with you all this lovely September day. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Amelia Hoffman. I'm just about to turn 16 (later this week) and I live in Jacksonville, FL. At least for now. It's been a little crazty for me the last year,  but things finally seem to be calming down now. 
When I first was invited to share a post I had no idea what I should talk about, but I finally found a topic i could discuss. Sotoday I'm here to talk to you about some of the organic things I use, since my body can't handle anything man made. 
Do you have any idea how impossible it is to cut all chemicals out of you life? The hardest one for me has been water, but after many mishaps I discovered the answer to this one is actually very simple. I use regular tap water and boil in a special bottle that passes the vapors through a tube and cools them until they condense back into water again. All the impurities and chemicals that were added are left in that white film on the sides of the now empty bottle. It looks somewhat like a mad scientist's experiment or maybe a moonshiner's still. It's a little easier for me since I have some connestion and get regular shipments from a Gaia colony in Canada  who get the stuff from glacial springs.
Makeup wasn't easy. I was lucky that my mother was really into makeup and taught me everything she knows. There are a couple brands that use natural products, and thanks to the internet they're available everywhere. My favorite brand is Aveda, though I have to read the ingredients because a few of their products have preservatives. I do a lot of holistic things, like olive and almond oil instead of lotion for my skin. If I wanted to color my hair, there are options for that too, most notably henna (though why would I want to make it redder?). There are options to make me look like any other woman in the world, I just have to work a little harder at it. But if you think about it, the ancient Egyptians had both makeup and dye, so there has to be things out there to use. 
Aside from makeup, food has been a major obstacle. I can't think of a restaurant that I can eat at, because the need to mass produce things doesn't allow for things to grow naturally. My food comes from my garden with a little bit of supplementation from an organic market. But it's hard. Even organic food sometimes still uses some man made substances, and I can taste it if the farmer's field was down wind from a farm that sprayed pesticide. 
I tell you what. Kermit the frog hit the nail on the head. It ain't easy being green.
Thank you for stopping by, And thank you Amelia. Hopefully next week I will have our first guest post for character Monday, but we'll see.