Allison Rohan's Blog, page 4
December 16, 2015
Blogger Awards in Three Days!
Be sure to check out the first category, Best Cover, at Schuyler's blog this Saturday!
Saturday, December 19- Best Cover, hosted by SchuylerSunday, December 20- Best Title, hosted by HannahMonday, December 21- Best Short Fiction, hosted by GhostyTuesday, December 22- Best Character, hosted by AnnieWednesday, December 23- Best Book, hosted by SarahThursday, December 24- Best Author, hosted by Allison (me!)
Saturday, December 19- Best Cover, hosted by SchuylerSunday, December 20- Best Title, hosted by HannahMonday, December 21- Best Short Fiction, hosted by GhostyTuesday, December 22- Best Character, hosted by AnnieWednesday, December 23- Best Book, hosted by SarahThursday, December 24- Best Author, hosted by Allison (me!)
December 13, 2015
Desert Island Book Tag, subtitled How to Build an Inexpensive Hut
I stole this unabashedly from My Lady Bibliophile. Thanks, Schuyler! Here are the eight books I would bring with me on a desert island.
The desert island1. The Bible
I've got to finish it sometime, y'all. As it is, I'm still stuck in Maccabees 1. Don't even get me started on the Wisdom of Solomon! I figure I would have plenty of spare time to finish it while stranded.
2. The Complete Plays of William Shakespeare
Yes, this is one book. Rereading all thirty-eight would keep me plenty occupied, and I could use it to kill small mammals for food. You really can't go wrong with Shakespeare.
3. Fire and Hemlock, by Diana Wynne Jones
Every time I read this book, I catch a new theme, a new reference, or a new take on a familiar character. Some of my other reading is pretty dense, so this would be the perfect book for relaxing and unwinding on a tropical, albeit desert, beach.
4. Chime, by Franny Billingsley
I would bring this for the same reasons as Fire and Hemlock. It is deceptively light and masks a great deal of subtle artistry, whose surface I have only begin to scratch.
5. Gaudy Night, by Dorothy L. Sayers
Because it is perfect. There need be no other reason.
6. The Complete Novels of Jane Austen
Yes, I know I'm grievously cheating and lumping multiple volumes into one. But I have seen it done before! I would bring Jane Austen for her civility and sharp wit. Besides, if you set it next to the Shakespeare and lay the Bible on top, it would make a decent hut.
7. The Iliad and the Odyssey, by Homer
Now my hut has a wall, and I can enjoy the adventure, warfare, and romance of the ancient Greeks.
And finally, 8. Words of Radiance, by Brandon Sanderson
I could spend happy hours reading about Kaladin, nobility, courage, Kaladin, honor, war, Kaladin, extraordinary worlds, and Kaladin. What's not to love? And besides, now my hut has a door.
I challenge you, readers! Which volumes would you bring with you on a desert island, and how would you assemble them into a storm-proof shelter?
The desert island1. The BibleI've got to finish it sometime, y'all. As it is, I'm still stuck in Maccabees 1. Don't even get me started on the Wisdom of Solomon! I figure I would have plenty of spare time to finish it while stranded.
2. The Complete Plays of William Shakespeare
Yes, this is one book. Rereading all thirty-eight would keep me plenty occupied, and I could use it to kill small mammals for food. You really can't go wrong with Shakespeare.
3. Fire and Hemlock, by Diana Wynne Jones
Every time I read this book, I catch a new theme, a new reference, or a new take on a familiar character. Some of my other reading is pretty dense, so this would be the perfect book for relaxing and unwinding on a tropical, albeit desert, beach.
4. Chime, by Franny Billingsley
I would bring this for the same reasons as Fire and Hemlock. It is deceptively light and masks a great deal of subtle artistry, whose surface I have only begin to scratch.
5. Gaudy Night, by Dorothy L. Sayers
Because it is perfect. There need be no other reason.
6. The Complete Novels of Jane Austen
Yes, I know I'm grievously cheating and lumping multiple volumes into one. But I have seen it done before! I would bring Jane Austen for her civility and sharp wit. Besides, if you set it next to the Shakespeare and lay the Bible on top, it would make a decent hut.
7. The Iliad and the Odyssey, by Homer
Now my hut has a wall, and I can enjoy the adventure, warfare, and romance of the ancient Greeks.
And finally, 8. Words of Radiance, by Brandon Sanderson
I could spend happy hours reading about Kaladin, nobility, courage, Kaladin, honor, war, Kaladin, extraordinary worlds, and Kaladin. What's not to love? And besides, now my hut has a door.
I challenge you, readers! Which volumes would you bring with you on a desert island, and how would you assemble them into a storm-proof shelter?
December 10, 2015
Christmas Is Coming!
... and I am nowhere near ready for it!
"But Allison," you say, "there are fifteen days until Christmas. You have plenty of time."
Ha. Ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
What if I told you there were only five?
My older sister leaves for college in a week. Her orientation is a few days before Christmas. So at my house, we're celebrating Christmas on December 15th.
(And then we're going to do it again on the 25th. My sister doesn't need to know about that.)
*cue mass panic*
And that is why it has been a quiet on the blog. Because here is my to-do list before the 15th:
1. Finish rewrites for my Five Magic Spindles entry. In terms of mechanics, this is more technical and complex than anything I have written before, but it's shaping up nicely. Rain or shine, I'm sending it off to my awesome beta reader on the 15th, after which I'll post a snippet and tell you about it.
2. Write my senior portfolio for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. It's due the 17th. I haven't written it yet. Yeah...
3. And I guess my family would like it if I got them Christmas gifts...
Actually, compared to last year, I have oodles and oodles of time. I finished my last final exam yesterday (it. took. three. hours.) and only have a few assignments before the semester ends. So expect more blog posts! Right...
Love,
Allison
"But Allison," you say, "there are fifteen days until Christmas. You have plenty of time."
Ha. Ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
What if I told you there were only five?
My older sister leaves for college in a week. Her orientation is a few days before Christmas. So at my house, we're celebrating Christmas on December 15th.
(And then we're going to do it again on the 25th. My sister doesn't need to know about that.)
*cue mass panic*
And that is why it has been a quiet on the blog. Because here is my to-do list before the 15th:
1. Finish rewrites for my Five Magic Spindles entry. In terms of mechanics, this is more technical and complex than anything I have written before, but it's shaping up nicely. Rain or shine, I'm sending it off to my awesome beta reader on the 15th, after which I'll post a snippet and tell you about it.
2. Write my senior portfolio for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. It's due the 17th. I haven't written it yet. Yeah...
3. And I guess my family would like it if I got them Christmas gifts...
Actually, compared to last year, I have oodles and oodles of time. I finished my last final exam yesterday (it. took. three. hours.) and only have a few assignments before the semester ends. So expect more blog posts! Right...
Love,
Allison
November 27, 2015
Black Friday Book Sale
It’s that time of year. The time for buying presents, making wish lists, and planning New Year’s Resolutions. If any of those activities involve books for you, Indie Christian Authors has a perfect event for you. From Nov 27 (that’s today!) through Nov 30th, more than 70 independent Christian books are on sale. You can find free shipping, $0.99 ebooks, package deals, and more! And if your budget is depleted from Christmas shopping, they’ve got you covered with some freebies Think 70 books is overwhelming? Narrow it down and find the perfect books for you or someone on your Christmas list by using this quiz to generate a customized book list.> What awesome reads of 2015 are you grateful for? What books are you looking forward to reading in 2016?
A note on the Ebooks Only page. All books are listed as “Sold Out.” This only refers to paperback copies of these titles. Please click onto the product pages to find descriptions and links to discounted or free ebooks.Acknowledgements: Thanks to Leah E. Good for her work organizing this sale, Gloria Repp for completing the time consuming job of uploading book info to the sale website, and Hannah Mills for her fantastic design work on the website graphics. Hannah can be contacted at hmills(at)omorecollege(dot)edu for more information about her design services.
November 26, 2015
November Nightstand Books and Happy Thanksgiving!
Hello, readers! I hope you are having a lovely Thanksgiving thus far. I am celebrating with jogging, Pilates, and yoga: my favorite holiday traditions.
I am pleased to present this month's addition of Nightstand Books, inspired by Jenelle Schmidt and D J Edwardson.
This is possibly the fuzziest picture to ever be posted to this blog.There are fewer books this time because it's so late in the month.
First is A Great and Terrible Beauty, by Libba Bray. So far, I've read the prologue and half of the first chapter, so I don't have any strong opinions on it. But I'll let you know when I do!
Next comes Rise of the Evening Star, by Brandon Mull. I read the Fablehaven series when I was younger, positively adored it, and then forgot it existed. So as a present to myself for finishing NaNoWriMo, I bought the series. And it is. So good.
Then we have To Say Nothing of the Dog, by Connie Willis. This is one of my favorite books, and I'm reading it to my mom.
I'm reading Ben Hur, by Lew Wallace, for school. Again, I've barely made it through the first chapter. But so far it's great!
And my Bible. I just finished Tobit today and started Judith, not to mention some rereads of Esther, one of my favorite books in the Bible.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving, readers!
I am pleased to present this month's addition of Nightstand Books, inspired by Jenelle Schmidt and D J Edwardson.
This is possibly the fuzziest picture to ever be posted to this blog.There are fewer books this time because it's so late in the month.First is A Great and Terrible Beauty, by Libba Bray. So far, I've read the prologue and half of the first chapter, so I don't have any strong opinions on it. But I'll let you know when I do!
Next comes Rise of the Evening Star, by Brandon Mull. I read the Fablehaven series when I was younger, positively adored it, and then forgot it existed. So as a present to myself for finishing NaNoWriMo, I bought the series. And it is. So good.
Then we have To Say Nothing of the Dog, by Connie Willis. This is one of my favorite books, and I'm reading it to my mom.
I'm reading Ben Hur, by Lew Wallace, for school. Again, I've barely made it through the first chapter. But so far it's great!
And my Bible. I just finished Tobit today and started Judith, not to mention some rereads of Esther, one of my favorite books in the Bible.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving, readers!
November 23, 2015
NaNoWriMo- Victory!
I did it, readers!!
And now I have the number of functioning brain cells once associates with, I don't know, a brownie or something.
I wrote a grand total of 50,039 words in one month for my latest project, The Winter Court. In late October, I wasn't completely sure this was going to happen. I cannot tell you how relieved I am to have done it!
I discovered three key things while on the voyage known as novel-writing.
1. I can consistently write 2,000 words in a little less than an hour. If I really buckle down, that means I can finish projects much more quickly than I have in the past.
1A (because I have to have three points in true literary fashion, which means I have to get creative). I cannot write 3,000 words every day. It takes exponentially longer, and by the time I finish, I can't do anything but watch TV all day. HOWEVER, writing 3,000 words a day for the first week made writing 2,000 words more efficient than it has ever been.
1B. I need weekends. Weekends are perfect. Weekends are lovely.
And 2. I did not finish my novel. With my roughest estimation, it will be around 90,000 words long. Could I write that in a month? Probably. Would it hurt? Yeah. You bet.
And finally, 3. I need some time away from my novel. I love the characters, I love the story so far, but I've reached the point where I realize I have absolutely no idea where I'm going with this. I don't know how the novel ends. I mean, I know how it sort of ends-- the hero wins, gets the girl, and lives happily ever after-- but I don't know the particulars. Any of them. And I would like to have these firmly in hand before I return to the manuscript.
And return I shall! This is only a passing break, albeit much-needed. I can figure out where my novel is going. And in the meantime, I can work on my other, poor-little-abandoned-projects that, you know, have due dates that are sort of creeping up on me.
But as for today, I'm taking time off. I think I've earned it. : )
Writers, keep writing!
And now I have the number of functioning brain cells once associates with, I don't know, a brownie or something.
I wrote a grand total of 50,039 words in one month for my latest project, The Winter Court. In late October, I wasn't completely sure this was going to happen. I cannot tell you how relieved I am to have done it!
I discovered three key things while on the voyage known as novel-writing.
1. I can consistently write 2,000 words in a little less than an hour. If I really buckle down, that means I can finish projects much more quickly than I have in the past.
1A (because I have to have three points in true literary fashion, which means I have to get creative). I cannot write 3,000 words every day. It takes exponentially longer, and by the time I finish, I can't do anything but watch TV all day. HOWEVER, writing 3,000 words a day for the first week made writing 2,000 words more efficient than it has ever been.
1B. I need weekends. Weekends are perfect. Weekends are lovely.
And 2. I did not finish my novel. With my roughest estimation, it will be around 90,000 words long. Could I write that in a month? Probably. Would it hurt? Yeah. You bet.
And finally, 3. I need some time away from my novel. I love the characters, I love the story so far, but I've reached the point where I realize I have absolutely no idea where I'm going with this. I don't know how the novel ends. I mean, I know how it sort of ends-- the hero wins, gets the girl, and lives happily ever after-- but I don't know the particulars. Any of them. And I would like to have these firmly in hand before I return to the manuscript.
And return I shall! This is only a passing break, albeit much-needed. I can figure out where my novel is going. And in the meantime, I can work on my other, poor-little-abandoned-projects that, you know, have due dates that are sort of creeping up on me.
But as for today, I'm taking time off. I think I've earned it. : )
Writers, keep writing!
November 20, 2015
NaNoWriMo Day 20
I am unabashedly stealing/lovingly borrowing this post idea from Sarah at Dreams and Dragons (love you, Sarah! Please don't sue me for plagiarism!) because it is past my bed time, I realized I haven't posted in forever, and I have approximately four brain cells currently operational.
Remember how I said I was doing NaNoWriMo? I was not at all convinced that I would finish. But right now, three weeks in, I am at a grand total of...
45,209 words!
I know I'm not at the finish line yet. But if stay on schedule like I have for the past three weeks, I should finish on Monday. As in, three days.
I should say witty things about the writing process and NaNoWriMo. But to be honest, I've been writing two thousand words a day for the past twenty days. I have approximately four brain cells that aren't fried, and for all that I'm ahead on NaNo, I'm woefully behind on rewriting my poor little Five Magic Spindles project. So I'll conclude by promising you two posts in the near future: one on the aforementioned Five Magic Spindles project, and the other on my woefully neglected November Nightstand Books.
Writers, keep writing!
November 7, 2015
Nanowrimo Begins....
Happy National Novel Writing Month, dear readers! May your word count surpass your wildest dreams!
I have, in my life, written three novels: one mediocre, one awful, and one considerably better than anyone, least of all myself, expected. That's not counting five novellas and innumerable short stories. So I'm working on my fourth novel, but it's the first I've done for Nanowrimo (the past three novels have taken me, at minimum, a year each).
It's been three years since I've written a novel. Until I typed that last sentence, I hadn't really processed that. I've been working on novellas because they're so much quicker, and I can hone my craft without dedicating a large portion of my life to it. But I'm so, so glad and excited to be back writing a novel.
I have a few goals for this novel:
I want to enjoy writing it. This is the highest priority for me. I always love writing, but sometimes it's in the awful, why-is-this-so-much-work sort of way. I understand that what I'm doing is hard, but I want to have fun while I do it.
I want it to (and I expect that it will) be of a higher quality than my previous first drafts. I have a lot, lot more experience as a writer than I did when I wrote my last novel. (Bless you, little novellas!) I know some tricks that make the writing process easier for me, and I'm employing all of them.
I want to exceed fifty thousand words. There. I said it.Three goals! We'll see if I reach them. Please note that one of my goals is not finishing the novel itself. It's been a long time since I've written a novel, and this one is, so far, significantly chewier than I expected, with more characters, subplots, and unexpected (to me, at any rate) twists. I honestly have no idea how long it's going to be. I guess I'll find out by the end of November.
I know I've briefly mentioned my work-in-progress. It has the working title The Winter Court, and it is heavily influenced by Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Macbeth (I'll give you a hint: one of these is not like the others...), as well as the innumerable fantasy novels I've read growing up that roughly seem to follow the same outline. I'm trying to take all the tropes and stereotypes that I love so dearly and, with some grace and luck, perhaps show a new side of them to the audience...
At least, that's the plan. We'll see how it goes. I'm trying to be flexible this year.
And to reward you for having so patiently waded through this post, I present a snippet from The Winter Court. It's about my two main characters, Valerian and Yarrow. (Everyone in this culture is named after herbs.)
“You’re right,” Valerian repeated. He ran a hand through his dark hair, dragging it out of order. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. My only explanation, feeble as it may be, is that I have something important to tell you, and I’m nervous.” “Apology accepted,” Yarrow managed to say, as her heart beat quicker. A moment before she had been unbearably tired, like she hadn’t slept for a week. Now her pulse raced, her veins felt like they flowed with champagne, and she felt dizzy, intoxicated. Don’t smile, she ordered herself. Don’t act like you have the faintest idea what’s coming. You need to look surprised when he says it. “Yarrow,” Valerian began. He bit his lip. “You know you’re my best friend, right? And that you always will be?” “Yes.” Don’t smile, don’t smile… “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you. It’s—well, it’s something I should have told you a long time ago. A really long time ago. And—I don’t think you’re going to like it.” Her heart stopped beating. Smile, smile! her subconscious screamed at her. Act natural! “Yarrow,” he said, glancing over her shoulder, the reflection of another form glimmering in his eyes, “I want you to meet someone…” Yarrow turned around. She saw the elf. She fainted.
I hope you enjoy, dear readers! I wrote that portion just today, which means, although I'm fond of it today, I may bitterly rue sharing it tomorrow... but that's the risk of writing, and it's one I'm prepared to take.
My Nano username is ARuvidich. Visit my page and add me as a buddy!
Happy writing, dear friends.
I have, in my life, written three novels: one mediocre, one awful, and one considerably better than anyone, least of all myself, expected. That's not counting five novellas and innumerable short stories. So I'm working on my fourth novel, but it's the first I've done for Nanowrimo (the past three novels have taken me, at minimum, a year each).
It's been three years since I've written a novel. Until I typed that last sentence, I hadn't really processed that. I've been working on novellas because they're so much quicker, and I can hone my craft without dedicating a large portion of my life to it. But I'm so, so glad and excited to be back writing a novel.
I have a few goals for this novel:
I want to enjoy writing it. This is the highest priority for me. I always love writing, but sometimes it's in the awful, why-is-this-so-much-work sort of way. I understand that what I'm doing is hard, but I want to have fun while I do it.
I want it to (and I expect that it will) be of a higher quality than my previous first drafts. I have a lot, lot more experience as a writer than I did when I wrote my last novel. (Bless you, little novellas!) I know some tricks that make the writing process easier for me, and I'm employing all of them.
I want to exceed fifty thousand words. There. I said it.Three goals! We'll see if I reach them. Please note that one of my goals is not finishing the novel itself. It's been a long time since I've written a novel, and this one is, so far, significantly chewier than I expected, with more characters, subplots, and unexpected (to me, at any rate) twists. I honestly have no idea how long it's going to be. I guess I'll find out by the end of November.
I know I've briefly mentioned my work-in-progress. It has the working title The Winter Court, and it is heavily influenced by Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Macbeth (I'll give you a hint: one of these is not like the others...), as well as the innumerable fantasy novels I've read growing up that roughly seem to follow the same outline. I'm trying to take all the tropes and stereotypes that I love so dearly and, with some grace and luck, perhaps show a new side of them to the audience...
At least, that's the plan. We'll see how it goes. I'm trying to be flexible this year.
And to reward you for having so patiently waded through this post, I present a snippet from The Winter Court. It's about my two main characters, Valerian and Yarrow. (Everyone in this culture is named after herbs.)
“You’re right,” Valerian repeated. He ran a hand through his dark hair, dragging it out of order. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. My only explanation, feeble as it may be, is that I have something important to tell you, and I’m nervous.” “Apology accepted,” Yarrow managed to say, as her heart beat quicker. A moment before she had been unbearably tired, like she hadn’t slept for a week. Now her pulse raced, her veins felt like they flowed with champagne, and she felt dizzy, intoxicated. Don’t smile, she ordered herself. Don’t act like you have the faintest idea what’s coming. You need to look surprised when he says it. “Yarrow,” Valerian began. He bit his lip. “You know you’re my best friend, right? And that you always will be?” “Yes.” Don’t smile, don’t smile… “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you. It’s—well, it’s something I should have told you a long time ago. A really long time ago. And—I don’t think you’re going to like it.” Her heart stopped beating. Smile, smile! her subconscious screamed at her. Act natural! “Yarrow,” he said, glancing over her shoulder, the reflection of another form glimmering in his eyes, “I want you to meet someone…” Yarrow turned around. She saw the elf. She fainted.
I hope you enjoy, dear readers! I wrote that portion just today, which means, although I'm fond of it today, I may bitterly rue sharing it tomorrow... but that's the risk of writing, and it's one I'm prepared to take.
My Nano username is ARuvidich. Visit my page and add me as a buddy!
Happy writing, dear friends.
November 1, 2015
2015 Blogger Awards Finalists: Best Author
Hello, dear readers! Welcome back to the 2015 Blogger Awards!
I am pleased to announce the finalists for Best Author. Drum roll, please!
*drums*
Kristy CambronSuzannah RowntreeNicole Sager
Congratulations, finalists! And thank you, everyone, for your nominations! Be sure to view the other judges' finalists and come back in December to see who will win the award.
Saturday, December 19- Best Cover, hosted by SchuylerSunday, December 20- Best Title, hosted by HannahMonday, December 21- Best Short Fiction, hosted by GhostyTuesday, December 22- Best Character, hosted by AnnieWednesday, December 23- Best Book, hosted by SarahThursday, December 24- Best Author, hosted by Allison (me!)
I am pleased to announce the finalists for Best Author. Drum roll, please!
*drums*
Kristy CambronSuzannah RowntreeNicole Sager
Congratulations, finalists! And thank you, everyone, for your nominations! Be sure to view the other judges' finalists and come back in December to see who will win the award.
Saturday, December 19- Best Cover, hosted by SchuylerSunday, December 20- Best Title, hosted by HannahMonday, December 21- Best Short Fiction, hosted by GhostyTuesday, December 22- Best Character, hosted by AnnieWednesday, December 23- Best Book, hosted by SarahThursday, December 24- Best Author, hosted by Allison (me!)
October 19, 2015
Welcome to the 2015 Blogger Awards!
That's right, it's happening again! I am pleased to present to you the second annual Blogger Awards, your friendly award ceremony honoring the books and authors of 2015.
Widget designed by Hannah Williams
This year, we will be awarding six categories:
Saturday, December 19- Best Cover, hosted by SchuylerSunday, December 20- Best Title, hosted by HannahMonday, December 21- Best Short Fiction, hosted by GhostyTuesday, December 22- Best Character, hosted by AnnieWednesday, December 23- Best Book, hosted by SarahThursday, December 24- Best Author, hosted by Allison (me!)
I can't tell you how excited I am this year, readers. Coordinating this event has been a dream thanks to the lovely hosts. In fact, there's only one thing missing. We have hosts, categories, and a schedule-- but we don't have the books yet!
We need nominations, and that's where you come in. Comment on this post and tell me which author who has published a book in 2015 deserves the Blogger Award. Then go to the other blogs and tell them your nominations for their categories, too! Nominations are open until November 1. With your help, this will be the best Blogger Awards yet!
Widget designed by Hannah WilliamsThis year, we will be awarding six categories:
Saturday, December 19- Best Cover, hosted by SchuylerSunday, December 20- Best Title, hosted by HannahMonday, December 21- Best Short Fiction, hosted by GhostyTuesday, December 22- Best Character, hosted by AnnieWednesday, December 23- Best Book, hosted by SarahThursday, December 24- Best Author, hosted by Allison (me!)
I can't tell you how excited I am this year, readers. Coordinating this event has been a dream thanks to the lovely hosts. In fact, there's only one thing missing. We have hosts, categories, and a schedule-- but we don't have the books yet!
We need nominations, and that's where you come in. Comment on this post and tell me which author who has published a book in 2015 deserves the Blogger Award. Then go to the other blogs and tell them your nominations for their categories, too! Nominations are open until November 1. With your help, this will be the best Blogger Awards yet!
