L.E. DeLano's Blog, page 8

When You Know You Wrote It Right

Finn reaches out, taking my hand. “Come on,” he says.

He pulls me back over to the bench, where he spreads one of our blankets down so we have a warmer seat.

“We need to turn our backs to the fire,” he says. “If we want the best view.”

I sit as he directs, making room for him on the blanket beside me as he pulls the other blanket over our shoulders. My stew has cooled off, but I don’t care. The coffee is still hot, and just as we’re finishing the last of our dinner, it begins.

The first wash of color streaks the sky, rolling across in a wave of brilliant green, shimmering into a yellow-orange and then streaming out to the horizon, where it fades into pinks and purples. As it dies out, another wave takes its place, then another, playing across the sky in colors so fierce and fiery, they take my breath away . . .

That’s an excerpt from one of my favorite chapters in DREAMER. The main character, Jessa, and her love interest, Finn, are taking in the northern lights in an alternate reality surrounded by extinct animals that live in a wildlife preserve.

The scene was not in the original draft. The latest round of edits on the book came in from my editor, and between two chapters she wrote that I needed a bonding moment – something to show Jessa and Finn connecting and growing closer. I scratched my head, sat down at the laptop, flipped through my ideas for romantic places, then added in a cool element from Jessa’s multiverse travel. It all clicked. The scene took me on a wonderful adventure and pretty much wrote itself, ending with a tag line that punched you right in the feels. I turned in that draft, and my editor left one comment on the chapter in her next set of notes. Three words.

This is magic.

I pull those three words out of my memory vault any time I’m feeling the angst of imposter syndrome, or I’m beating my head against a granite slab of writer’s block. See? I remind myself. I’m a writer, and a good one. I just need to trust that.

Do you have a positive writer memory that keeps you going?

TRAVELER news – And It’s Big!

So here’s the big announcement: I have re-acquired the rights to TRAVELER and DREAMER, and added into the purchase was the right to keep my cover art, so my new publisher won’t need to re-cover the books (which is awesome because I LOVE my covers).

That’s not the most exciting part: since the books (and the series) are now under new management, there may well be continuing adventures for Jessa, Finn, Ben, Olivia, and Danny.

It will likely be the new year before these are all converted over. You’ll still be able to purchase paperbacks from the old stock, but you’ll have to wait a bit for the ebook. We’re working as fast as we can to get these out, I promise. So stay tuned for the re-release and I’ll be letting my imagination run wild with our favorite multiverse travelers (and writing, writing, writing)!

A to Z Book Review: Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare, etc.

My letter “T” pick for the A to Z Challenge was Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, and Robin Wasserman.

I’ve been meaning to read this for years, especially since I generally adore the Shadowhunter universe. I have never read a bad Cassandra Clare book, and this one did not change my point of view. That being said, I wasn’t crazy about the way the stories hopped all about on the timeline and followed various characters, interspersed with the linear story arc of Simon Lewis, Shadowhunter-in-training.

I would have greatly preferred to have this as a collection of novellas since the parts of the book that I enjoyed the most were Simon’s chapters. I’d just be settling into a chapter when it would end and the next chapter sends me to London in the 1800’s or New York in the 1980’s, etc. I would have preferred to keep Simon’s chapters together so I can savor and sink into the narrative, then everyone else’s stories (Robert Lightwood, the Merry Thieves, etc.), also kept intact instead of being pieced out the way they were.

Having four different authors writing in the same universe can seem a little disjointed (due to variety in writing styles and voice), but hacking the stories up and weaving the chapters in and out of each other left me irritated despite the fact that the stories were good. I’ll give this three stars, just for poor execution.

A To Z Book Review: Sunreach by Brandon Sanderson & Janci Patterson

As with my letter “R” pick, my letter “S” pick for the A To Z challenge, SUNREACH by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson continues the adventures of Skyward Flight (from the SKYWARD series) as they battle the evil galactic Superiority that’s bent on imprisoning and/or exterminating the humans along with the horrific Delvers from another dimension.

The previous installments of this series were strong stories about the continuing battle of the humans on the planet Detritus and their valiant Defiant Defense Force of pilots as they work to push beyond their borders by reclaiming dormant low orbit defense platforms, battling Superiority drones and learning the secrets of hyperdrive so they can escape their prison planet. It was great to see them interacting with the cute and somewhat bizarre Tanix (colorful slug-like creatures that can transport themselves and others across great distances) and mastering their use for the hyperdrives of their ships, and while I love the characters of Rig the engineer and FM the DDF pilot, this book devolved pretty quickly into a space romance that was all about whether or not FM would get her man. Skyward flight has a hell of a lot more going on to make the romance more than a subplot. I’ll give this three stars because this book could have been so much more.

My Kinda-Sorta Book Announcement

Yep, that’s a new book.

Pardon me if this one quietly sneaks out and stands at the edge of the playground watching the big kids play.

Here’s the thing. I wrote this book because every time I present a workshop or mentor a writing group, I am asked if I have written a book about writing and where they can get it. This is my way of obliging them.

I am an award-winning author, who has been traditionally and independently published with a combined twenty-two novels and thirteen novellas in three different genres.

I am not a USA Today Bestselling Author (I did land a film option on a book), but I bring in respectable numbers. Am I the greatest writer out there? Not even close. I’m still learning about the craft and will be as long as I’m doing it.

I do know a lot about writing discipline, managing time, organizing inspiration, and busting through obstacles, especially since I survived a massive stroke in 2018 and went on to write and publish the award-winning novel – one I partially drafted while sitting in a hospital bed with my brains all scrambled and my body not cooperating.

So I know how to get your writing act together, and have a system for plotting that keeps even the most free-spirited Pantsers (like me) on track.

I put all of that down on paper (and in eBook). Read it through if you’d like, and take what you can from it. And if I see you in one of my workshops at a conference or book fest, I will now have a book to push into your hands, should you want one. Go me!

Meanwhile, I’m working on my next YA adventure. Stay tuned!

BUY THE BOOK.

A To Z Book Review: Redawn By Brandon Sanderson

My letter “R” pick for the A to Z Book Challenge was REDAWN by Brandon Sanderson. This is book two of the Skyward Flight series, once more following the members of Skyward flight while its hero, Spensa Nightshade (of the original Skyward book and series) is traversing the galaxy and alternate dimensions.

In this installment, we follow Princess Alanik of the planet ReDawn, who had recently crash-landed on the planet Detritus, only to find (much to her shock) a group of humans battling The Superiority, a galactic empire bent on controlling and manipulating all its member planets, as well as eradicating the human scourge once and for all.

Alanik has been working against the manipulations of The Superiority on her own world, whose ruling council is putting pressure on Alanik and the population to join The Superiority as a member planet. Alanik reminds her people (just as she once warned Spensa), “Don’t trust their lies. Don’t trust their false peace.”

When The Superiority finally makes their move, Alanik and her new-found allies, the Skyward Flight, must find a way to repair and harness ancient weapons if Redawn is to remain free.

I have to say, I have loved every single book in this series. Brandon Sanderson’s imagination is bigger than the galaxy and just a breathtaking. This book had all the thrills, twists, and humor I’ve enjoyed in everything he’s written and I am looking forward to the next book in the series very much. I’ll give this four stars out of five mainly because Alanik just didn’t capture my heart the way Spensa Nightshade did. Maybe she’s set the bar too high.

A To Z Book Review: Querencia

My letter “Q” pick for this year’s A to Z Book Challenge was Querencia: Reflections on the New Mexico Homeland, edited by by Vanessa Fonseca-Chávez, Levi Romero, and Spencer R. Herrera. Querencia is defined as homesickness or nostalgia for a place where you are free to be your true self, and as I was born and mostly raised in New Mexico, this book was like a warm sopapilla (with honey – none of that powdered sugar nonsense) and a cup of cocoa.

This collection of stories based around the Querencia theme come from Chicano, Indigenous, and Genizaro authors and is an exploration of the culture, history, literature, and media of New Mexico. I really enjoyed the individual viewpoints and learned a few things about varying cultures I hadn’t explored in depth before. All the contributors stressed the unity and community of under-represented people and cultures and gave their own unique view of what New Mexico living is and has been within those communities.

This was an engaging read, but a couple of the essays strayed into a list of aired grievances rather than discussion, which led me to a rating of four stars.

A To Z Book Review: The Polygamist’s Daughter by Anna LeBaron

1/2

My letter “P” book for the A to Z book challenge was THE POLYGAMIST’S DAUGHTER by Anna LeBaron.

Recounting her childhood as the daughter of the notorious polygamist and murderer Ervil LeBaron, and the polygamist cult he lead, Anna LeBaron had a horrific childhood. With her father wanted for murder and the FBI chasing them down, Anna’s early childhood was one of being constantly on the run with the other sister wives and her brothers and sisters (there were fifty). She often dealt with gnawing hunger, uncertainty, and feeling like she was alone despite being surrounded by others. She escaped the cult at thirteen, and after some twists and turns ended up in a far better place.

I have to confess, this one was very nearly a DNF for me. Despite the inspirational story and the heart-wrenching subject matter, this book was dry as dust – mainly because Anna skimmed over so much of the real story of the LeBaron cult, her fathers murders, their practices, etc. It was more a detail of her life of poverty. This book is touted as a gripping memoir, but the final third of the book was a straight-up sermon after Anna converts to conservative Christianity.

If you’re a very religious person, this book is meant for you. If you’re looking for a riveting memoir and true crime recounting, there are many better books and documentaries about the LeBaron cult that will give you the full story in a much more interesting way. Also, if you’re considering buying this on audiobook – don’t. The narrator is monotonous and volume levels are all over the place.

I’m giving this two and a half stars, and one of those is for my respect for all she’s overcome.

A To Z Book Review: Objects Of My Affection by Jill Smolinski

My letter O pick for the A to Z Challenge was OBJECTS OF MY AFFECTION by Jill Smolinski, a lighthearted book about what it really means to let go.

Lucy Bloom, our protagonist, finds herself in a serious bind when she’s dumped, then homeless because she had to sell her house in order to put her nineteen year old son in rehab. Having had some success with a book about decluttering, she takes on the enormous (but well-paying) task of cleaning and organizing the home of Marva Meier Rios, an eccentric old artist and hoarder.

Lucy soon begins to understand “there are those things you keep, things you let go of – and it’s often not easy to know the difference.”

This was a light, funny, heartfelt read. It got off to a bit of a slow start, and in the beginning, Lucy was irking me by talking down to the crochety but lovable Marna. I got pulled in more as the book unfolded, but the shining star of this story wasn’t Lucy and Marva’s relationship, Lucy and her ex and new boyfriend’s relationships, but the emotionally eviscerating, helpless-but-still-hopeful relationship between Lucy and her son Ash. If you’ve ever dealt with a loved one dealing with addiction, this will hit you right on the feels and rub them raw with sandpaper.

The story does resolve everything in a satisfactory manner, and once it started rolling, I felt like I flew right through it. If you plan on listening to the audiobook, I must say in all honesty the narrator was not very good and the performance did the story a disservice.

Three and a half stars.

One Month Until BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS!

Just one month to BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS 23 in Lititz, PA! Meet 70+ authors from varying genres, buy your next favorite read, then grab some swag and a free tote bag. I’ll be there with all my novels at table 19 – be sure to stop by and say hi!

Tickets are only $5 and available at Eventbrite.

Pre-order your books here and I’ll have them waiting for you at the table. Every pre-order puts you in the running to win a free book plus my show giveaway swag pack.