Rachel R. Smith's Blog, page 16

Prologues and Epilogues: to read or not to read?

Until I wrote my own book, I didn’t even know that there was a debate on this subject. And then, one day while I was revising book 1, we were talking about the prologue and my husband dropped the bomb on me that he…

doesn’t read prologues. My jaw dropped. I’m pretty sure I made the exact face of the little guy in this video. I spluttered. I may have hurled some accusations that included strong words like “inconceivable” and “blasphemy.” All in the most loving way possible, of course.

I love prologues. They lay the foundation that all of the events to come in the story are built upon. My line of thought was thus: If you skip the prologue, aren’t you going in missing key elements on the plot?

Hubby defended his nasty little habit as commonplace. Phone calls were made. Friends were surveyed. And I was stunned to learn that a lot of people really do skip prologues–and even more shockingly–epilogues.

So, in deference to the prologue skippers, I made the one in my book optional. Those who choose to skip miss out on some additional background information (and hints at events to come, muhahaha) but all the critical plot elements come in the main chapters.

In the end, I’m still really curious to know how extensive the practice truly is. So, fellow bookworms: to read or not to read prologues? That is the question.

New Ebook Cover Reveal for Reflection: Harbinger of the Phoenix! (Did I slip in the title for book 3 at the end?!)

Here it is, the new cover for Reflection: Harbinger of the Phoenix (Records of the Ohanzee Book 2)! Once again, credit for the artistic work goes to West Coast Design.

Click to view full size
Click to view full size

This cover features Caeneus in lovely shades of blue. I’m really happy with how it has turned out! What do you think?

West Coast Design is already hard at work on the covers for book 3 and 4, but I won’t be sharing those until closer to the release dates. Watch for Reflection: Thorn of the White Rose (Records of the Ohanzee Book 3) in late April/early May 2016!

Nooooooooooo!vember–when the sun disappears forever

The time has come. Every spring, the sun breaks through the clouds and gives me selective amnesia. Then November comes, and I remember. I remember that after Halloween, the spooky skeletons are put away, and the tree skeletons appear. An opaque grey ceiling sets in and the sun goes unseen until March. (Ok, it’s not totally unseen for that long, but it sure feels like it.)

Tree skeletons

I think I am at least partly solar powered because after a string of gloomy days like we’ve had this week, I have no energy left. At least I have book 3 to work on and keep me focused! And I have multiple forms of caffeine in a cool mug to keep me warm while I work:

It was a belated birthday present from my brother. Who knew he would turn out to be so wise? ^_-

And I also have a certain fuzzy sidekick to keep me company during the day. Today is laundry day, so Sumo is especially happy. He’s pretty good at doing silly things to chase the gloom away…

It’s a little blurry because *someone* kept wiggling…

Is the sun shining where you are? If so, would you mind sending it my way?  I’ll give it back…in March. wink, wink, nudge, nudge

It’s Not Just Post-it Notes (I have more nail polish than one person should, and I’m not sorry!)

As a (quasi) follow up to my previous post, I thought it would be fun to share another of my little obsessions. This one isn’t really related to books. Unless you’re like me and you think it’s important for your hands to look good as you tap away at the keyboard while writing.

You see, I love nail polish. Not love in a healthy, happy middle, I-own-a-few-bottles sort of way. I love nail polish with reckless and unfettered abandon. See exhibits A, B, C, and D below. Organized by color for my browsing pleasure (because, let’s be real, not many people wander into my bathroom).

Exhibit A-The Blues

Exhibit B- The Whites and Purples

Exhibit C- The Pinks

Exhibit D- The Reds

And those are just the ones that fit in the carousel. Some of the specialized ones (crackle top coats etc) are kept in a case under the sink. I used to keep all of them in a big plastic tub, but it was a hassle to find the exact color I wanted. Since we moved into our house, I have more counter space and thus was able to upgrade to a spinning “Nails” polish condo. (Wondering about the pun on “Nails?” Look closely at the sign on top of the carousel. ;) ) Since real estate in this carousel is limited, I’ve implemented a buy a bottle, give a bottle policy. Whenever I get a new color, I make myself get rid of one I already own. It just so happens that a friend’s daughter also loves polish, so I pass them along to her. It’s a win-win. :)

Out of all of the different types of makeup that exist, nail polish is unquestioningly my favorite. I have loved it ever since I was very young. I still remember going to visit my great-grandma and great-aunt and being so excited when they pulled out their (former) cookie tin filled with nail polish so I could pick what color I wanted them to paint my nails. I’m not nearly as talented or creative with it as many of the beauty bloggers out there, but I have more than a few tricks at the end of my sleeve (and I know how to do it on the cheap). If there’s any interest, I may start a weekly or bi-weekly Nail Polish Sunday post. What do you think?

My Sticky Little Secret

In the interest of full disclosure, I feel like its an appropriate time to make a confession here. I have a sticky little secret. Ok, ok, the secret’s neither sticky nor little at all. The sticky part is actually a temporary adhesive that leaves behind no tacky residue. And physically, the secret is one that is blue and pink, and approximately 18″ x 18″ and 12″ x 12″ respectively.

You see, I’m a Post-it note junkie. Writing books is really just an excuse to literally paper my house in gigantic and slightly less gigantic Post-it notes. If I tried to rein in my addiction, 3M stocks might just plummet.

No spoilers here, the notes on the blue Post-it are for half of Harbinger’s Chapter 19.

I’ve mentioned my notebooks before, which are my long-term idea storage solution. Post-it notes serve another purpose. For each book, I start by formulating a high-level outline of the main themes and work down from there into more specific parts–main events, character development, conflicts, etc. I use that high-level outline for the book as a checklist as I write each individual chapter to make sure I’m staying on track with timing of events and to ensure I don’t leave out any important details.  For each chapter, I start with a fresh blue Post-it and outline what needs to be written in that specific chapter. Some portions of the outline will be skeleton-like summaries, while other times I’ll actually write out the exact dialogue or descriptions right on the Post-it.

Each chapter usually requires 1 blue Post-it or 2 pink Post-its. Which one I use depends on my mood or what color pen I grabbed. (They have to match. Deep, I know.) It may seem like a lot of steps, but this structured approach is what works best for me. (That and it means I get to use lots and lots of Post-it notes…muhahahahaha XD)

Judging a Book’s Cover Conclusion (New paperback cover reveal!)

Thanks once again to everyone who shared their impressions and opinions on my attempts at redesigning the paperback version cover of Reflection: The Stranger in the Mirror! Your insights really have been invaluable as I’ve been working through my options.

Despite my best attempts at revamping the cover, opinions of the cover design remained mixed. Meanwhile, the response to the new ebook cover design was overwhelmingly positive. Even though I had invested a lot of time and effort into creating the original cover image (see post here), it rapidly became clear to me that it was time to let go of my personal attachments and let the professionals work their magic. And so, I present the new paperback cover for Reflection: The Stranger in the Mirror by West Coast Design.

Click to see full size

I couldn’t be more thrilled with the final version. The updated version will be available to order shortly and I can’t wait to hold the copy in my hands! I’ve now enlisted West Coast Design to create a new cover for Reflection: Harbinger of the Phoenix, so stay tuned in coming weeks to see the results.

Reflection: The Stranger in the Mirror – A Review

Records of the Ohanzee:

Thanks to Michelle at Book Adventures for her recent review of Reflection: The Stranger in the Mirror! Be sure to visit her blog and check out her other excellent book reviews and book-related posts.

Originally posted on Book Adventures:

This is a fantasy like I have never read before and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it 

Happy Halloween from my Favorite Does-Tricks-For-Treater!

It’s Halloween. You should either be trick-or-treating or handing out candy. But since you’re clearly not doing either one, please enjoy some pictures of my favorite does-tricks-for-treater!

Treat! Angel Sumo

Treat! Lobster Sumo

Treat! Pumpkin Sumo

Treat! Shark Sumo

Trick! It’s way too early for this costume!

Treat! Football Sumo

Treat! Prince Sumo

Trick! Too early for this costume too…

Treat! Shark Sumo version 2

Trick or Treat!

These sharks want something sweet to eat!

It’s still a few days before Halloween, but Sumo and I are totally ready. What are you going to be for Halloween this year?

Flowers…Candygram…Landshark (wo)man! Any classic SNL fans out there? ^_-

New Ebook Cover Reveal! (I have no willpower and couldn’t wait until tomorrow to share!)

In addition to the ongoing work to revise the paperback cover for Reflection: The Stranger in the Mirror, I decided to revamp the Ebook cover as well. For this format, I chose to go in a completely different direction both in terms of the image itself and by working with a designer. The result, which I am completely in love with, is below. Credit for the artistic work goes to West Coast Design.

Click to see full size

My concept for the new Ebook cover(s) is to showcase a different character on each one. Thus, this cover focuses on the main character, Neirssa, at the outset of the story. My plans are for the second book to feature Caeneus, the third Raysel, and the fourth Rian. I feel like having an actual person on the cover gives more of an instant connection to the reader than an object–even if the object(s) are items exactly from the story. As one of my commenters pointed out on another platform, if the reader has no idea of the significance of the item right off the bat, it’s not really interesting to them until after they read the book.

Since the feedback on the paperback cover version still seems to be mixed, I’m thinking that I may opt to have a full wrap version of this cover made and just have both formats be the same.

PS-Fellow authors: if you’re looking for covers, I’ve had a great experience working with West Coast Design. In my interactions with them, they have been prompt, informative, and courteous to work with. I would not hesitate to recommend them. You can see examples of their work and get their contact information from their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/westcoastcoverdesign