Elizabeth Sharp's Blog, page 17

New look, new feel

As you might have already noticed, the site has had an overhaul. I changed the appearance, added several tabs and will soon be getting an official web domain address for it. :D I just want to be ready with a professional looking page before August 12, when you can all finally buy Natural Selection. July 12 I think I'm going to add a counter to count us down to the day. I'm ecstatic and terrified at the idea of my work being available to strangers. I'm not sure if it will ever be real to me, even after the books are publishing. I'm not expecting to be the next JK Rowling or Stephanie Meyers, but I wouldn't complain if I was.

Not sure if I've shared on here, so I'm sorry if I'm repeating myself. I have been in contact with my local library. They have already said they will carry my book, which is exciting on it's own. On top of that, they told me they are starting a once a month "author's day" and are adding me to the list of people who will be featured! This is wonderful news to me. Once the date is closer, I"m going to go to all the book stores in town and introduce myself to the owners and see about setting up a signing. I may even drive to some of the other bigger towns around me to do it as well. My greatest fear is that I put this out there and people don't respond to my work. Love it or hate, I want to evoke a response. Now if it can be the kind of book that you get sad because you're nearing the end, that would be great. Not that I made you sad, but that I gripped you so thoroughly!

I am still trucking along with Second Nature, though it kind of stalled out for a bit. I felt the story was shallow, so I went back and tore the last chapters into pieces, inserting other things to fill it out and give it a more 3D feel. I'm really loving some of my new characters I've introduced, and the story itself is developing well. Now I just need like five more hours in the day to actually spend writing and it'll be perfect!

Dark Corners

I'm so excited to tell you guys about an amazing book I had the priviladge of beta reading. It's called Dark Corners by the amazing Liz Schulte. It is what I hope every Dean Koontz book will be like but they seldom are. Thrills, chills, and so much more! I seriously got so into this book I was jumping at everything. I'm not gushing because we're friends (which we are) or because we're in business together (even though we are) but because this is simply one of my all time favorite reads. It kept me guessing whodunit the whole way through. I know you're going to love it to!




Wanna know more? As soon as the book is available, the links to buy it will appear here!!

Write on!

MD Christie and I are starting a private writing challenge tomorrow and I want everyone to hold me accountable! ;D Before you decide it sounds like fun and jump on our band wagon trust me when I say hold out, there's something better coming down the pike. Keep your fork! (I wish I could remember where I read that to share, it's a wonderful analogy!) But we are going to try and churn out 1500 words per day to finish our manuscripts in a month. I'm looking forward to starting it, since I need to buckle down and get serious about Second Nature. I would like to have it written before August 12 when Natural Selection is published.

In other news, I had a blast on my vacation and will be posting my horrifying day at the beach another day. It's funny now, but not so much at the time. I can't even chalk this one up to research. I also want to spend some time on my ghost tour which CAN be used as research, but again, not today.

It's hot. And since my husband left the fan on top of the vent it's unbearable in the office and I must leave now....

Edit: Actually posting a blog entry makes it much easier for people to read...

On Stock art...

So today I wanted to talk about stock art. I have been a member at Deviantart for a long time and am very aware of their stock photos. As a digital artist, these are my bread and butter. I understand there are a lot of authors wanting to use stock art from DA but aren't getting any response or permission. Her's my thoughts.

Read their rules. Some of the photographers say "note if used off DA" or "Note if downloading for commercial use" but they say nothing about waiting for a response. So send a note and you're good. Let them no the name of the piece, the name of the book. If you need to, give them the credit in your legalese page.Don't be afraid to strike up a relationship. I have a couple of stock artists that i will always check first when looking for stock because I'm comfortable that their rules either allow for me to use their stock or they will respond in a reasonable amount of time.If you have noted and gotten no response after a long period of time, made every reasonable attempt to get in contact with the artist (I try and Google or Facebook the author as well as note them again on DA) I say that can't care too highly if they abandoned it like they did.. They knowingly left their art in a format that can be downloaded in high resolution, and make no effort to check for contacts, they probably aren't going to care how it's used. If this is the case I would DEFINITELY list the stock artist on our legal page. The use of fantasy art on book covers is as new as the e-revolution in publishing, so we are not entirely certain how this will play out. I am not a lawyer and one could very easily disagree with what I've written if so, don't do it! lol In closing I'm going to link you to the stock artists I like, who i have gotten permission to use stock for covers without any trouble. If you can afford to, please donate to these wonderful artists because they are wonderful artists. Don't feel guilty if you can't, that's why it's a voluntary donation. I have only thrown in pennies myself. Anyway, here's the good stuff....
Kxhara - I used her in my witchy picture, and since I comment on all of her work and follow her blog. I like to think I have a relationship with her, and I hope she feels the same... 
Mjranum Aside from his rules cracking me up, they are very fair and straightforward. If you are easily offended beware as his work is often mature...
Liam-stock I have never gotten a response, despite the number of times I have noted her, but her photos are phenomenal...
There are so many more, but these are the first three I check when looking for stock art. I'm also fond of Deposit photo because of their reasonable prices and great selection...

The Cast of Natural Selection...

I totally ganked this idea from Rachel Vincent's blog, but I really like the idea so I decided to run with it. It seems like fun.

What movie can you cast your book from? Hmmm..... Well, I will focus on Natural Selection since it is complete and I'm only a quarter of the way into second Nature. I'm gonna have to go with Bottle Shock for this one. HAven't seen it? Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, Eliza Dusku... Why are you still sitting there? Go rent it!

Anywho, I cast my characters witht eh acrtresses/actors of this film and with a couple exceptions, I'm happy with it..

Eliza Dushku as Amelia. Imagine her with copper hair and I can totally see it!
I'm not even kidding this is almost exactly how I picture Sariah in the first scene of Second Nature. I know I said I was sticking with Natural Selection, but I had to use this photo for the above reason.
Chris Pine as Xander. I swear I wasn't using Chris Pine when I first imagined Xander, but I might be from now on.
Mark Famigletti as NAte. I've never heard of him before, but I think I need to better aquaint myself. ;)
[image error] Marian Filali, another name I don't recognize, is perfect as Nancy, if she had red hair, of course. But I guess since my Amelia has brown hair, so can her mom...
Anjuli Sannerman as Evelyn. Ironically my brunette character is cast by the girl with reddest hair, but she screams Evelyn to me...
[image error] Anita Argent as Monica MAtthews
Alan Rickman as Frank Hoffman. What he lacks in similarity to my vision he makes up with awesomeness! I LOVE Alan Rickman. 
Bill Pullman as Peter MAtthews. I haven't found a muse photo for Peter yet, but I think I just did!
So these are all my major characters. Obviously these are not dead ringers, but I could deal with this. If they ever make a movie out of my books I hope to get to choose from a wider range of actors. ;)
So how about you? Can you cast your characters using a single movie? Feel free to use IMDB. I did....

Hey!

You should go read this cause it rocks. I <3 this book, and you can read Chapter One today over on Liz Schulte's Blog. It will be available to buy June 10!

About the writer's hop...

Life has officially gotten in the way of me organizing the writer's hop and frankly, interest seems to be waning. I'm out of ideas except this one. Who's up for a roaming host? Each week, the reins get passed from one writer to the next. I will choose someone to do Firday's post, they will choose the next who will choose the next, repeatedly passing it down the line. In your post, you let everyone know who you plan to pass it to the next week.Think up your own question and let everyone answer it as before. This shares the follower love. I don't know if anyone likes this idea, but either that or I will pass the host reins off to someone else, or the hop stops here. Volunteers? Ideas? Suggestions? Please share...

On Bad Reviews...

Ok folks, I've had something stewing inside me and it's time I let it out. I am getting so fed up with authors crying over every bad review. Don't get me wrong, it's ok to hurt and it's ok to cry. IN PRIVATE. But to bash a reviewer for forming an opinion that they are entitled to is just plain retarded! Any publicist will tell you, good or bad, press coverage is a good thing. How many of you have heard something bad about something and rushed to check it out - a movie, or a website, or yes, even a book. I personally don't like a book with only good reviews because no matter how wonderful or famous a book is, not everyone likes it. Look at Stephanie Meyers. How many Twihards are in the house? How many haters? Love her or hate her, you have an opinion. I bet Stephanie doesn't lose sleep over every opinion out there. Not everyone is going to love you. And that's ok. I know that each book is our baby, but the only way to honestly keep it unscathed forever is to lock it away from the world which is a tragedy. If you let every single blow bring you down, maybe the writing world isn't for you. It's ok to hate the review that is just mean, or strategizing, but don't hate a reviewer just because they don't agree with you. And don't forget, just because the person you're whining to is a fellow author, doesn't mean they're not a reviewer, or friends with one. And the toes you step on today could belong to the crucial dance partner of tomorrow. So zip your lips, buy some good rum and mourn in private, then come back tomorrow with some Tylenol and a shiny new attitude, determined to prove them wrong...

Second Nature

So while I wait for my critiques to come back to do the final edit, I started book two, which is going really well. I'm having a really good time hanging out with my characters again. I think I'm in love with Xander, I'd leave my husband for him if he, you know, really existed. ;)

I am burning the candle at both ends and it's only a matter of time before something has to give. I'm not sure how long until 4Corners starts to actually pay, but I hope soon so I can dedicate myself to it more fully... Meantime, I am divided and conflicted. I seriously dread the end of each day because I know the next one I have to go back. I really don't know what I'm going to do. I think once i get enough set aside to pay for everything I have planned then I might quit...

Had a couple inquiries at 4Corners ala carte menu, but no takers yet. Once made it as far as the mock up and sent it to her she backed out. So I think I'm going to mock up a title and add some fake covers of books to show my skillz... lol

Yay!! Blog hop's back!

Since Blogger's not hating on the blog hop this week, here we go again! ;)




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There are so many great authors who have inspired me over the years. I often wonder what it would be like to spend a day with them. If I could spend a day with only one, it would be so hard to choose. But in the end, I would have to go with JRR Tolkien. The man was seriously a genius and I imagine his brain would be kind of like mine, seeing something mundane and ordinary in a way no one else could even imagine. I can tell he is a very visual person, like me, by the vivid descriptions in his books. And I would also love to hear his opinion of Peter Jackson's interpretation of his vision.

So if you could spend a day with any author, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Please join me in welcoming MG Ainsworth of Writing After Nine with this weeks answer!
I consider myself fortunate that I've had an entire week to think about this because it's a difficult decision. There are many wonderful authors I admire and would like to meet. I considered Jane Austen, Dr. Seuss, Edgar Allan Poe and J.R.R. Tolkien as deceased authors and living authors included J.K. Rowling, Charlaine Harris, Nora Roberts and Chelsea Handler who would provide a most entertaining day, I'm sure.
After much deliberation Nora Roberts is the winner. Not only are her books in the Three Sisters Island, Key, Born In, In the Garden and Circle trilogies amongst my favorites, I also admire her work ethic and dedication to writing as a profession. While I don't read all of her books since I am more interested in those with an urban fantasy or paranormal vibe I admire her ability to write books across multiple genres and for different audiences.
She embodies being an Author as a profession. She once stated "you don't find time to write. You make time. It's my job." She spends her weekdays in an office writing and releases several novels a year with great reviews. I dream of being at the point where I am not finding time to write but making time, and I find I am make much more progress when I take this approach carving out hours dedicated to writing.
She has also uttered the words that have inspired me most as a writer both to start writing and to continue despite obstacles from self doubt to exhaustion:
"You can fix anything but a blank page"
I would like to spend a day with her not only because I admire her works but because she has some real insight into the writing process and inspires me as an Author to keep writing.
So how do you get in on the fun? That's a really good question. The rules are simple.
Follow me, Elizabeth Sharp, the originator of this hop Follow the featured author of the week <link to blog>.Copy the image code beow and paste it in your blog. Add your name to the link at the bottom of this post.Copy and paste the rules (the ones below, not these) in your blog, as well as this week's question.Answer the questionFollow, follow, follow. This is about networking, people, making connections with people in your community. So talk to us. We don't bite!If someone stops by, says hi and follows you, the polite thing to do is to say hi back.Comment here and introduce yourself and you just might find a new follower or two.
Breaking it down, you copy V this code V in this box V and paste into your blog in HTML mode
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m5...
Next, copy these rules. You don't want the ones above because they are tailor made for my page. These ones are for everyone else…Follow this blog.Follow Elizabeth Sharp, the originator of this hopFollow the featured author of the week, <link>.Go to Sharp words and copy the image code found there and paste it in your blog. Add your name to the link at the bottom of the post while you are there.Copy and paste the rules in your blog, as well as this week's question.Answer the questionFollow, follow, follow. This is about networking, people, making connections with people in your community. So talk to us. We don't bite!If someone stops by, says hi and follows you, the polite thing to do is to say hi back.Comment here and introduce yourself and you just might find a new follower or two
And lastly, add youself to the linky  

This last bit is optional, but if you want the linky, grab the code here:


get the InLinkz code