Hailey Rose's Blog, page 15

Almost Here!

The Old River Road releases in TWO DAYS!!!!!

*panics* *screams* *hides under the bed*

*exhales*

I am almost ready. Not quite. Still have a few technical things to sort out. But I shall be ready, with bells on, bright and early the morning of July 8th, screaming to the world that MY BOOK IS OUT!!!!

Okay, well–to be honest, I will certainly NOT be wearing bells in the morning (’cause mornings STINK), but I might scream out the back door. *nods* Yes, that sounds like a lovely idea. After all, I will only release my FIRST book ONCE.

It is very late as I type this, and I can’t think of anything else you absolutely must know about. My mind is void of intelligent words, probably compliments of too much studying. Actually, it’s probably always void of intelligent anything.

*clears throat*

Well, I shall let you all get back to your daily duties. Aaaannnnddddd since I cannot think of a decent closing for this post, good-bye. :)

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June Wrap

Yes, I am aware that it is July 2nd. Seriously…life. I can’t believe June is over. WHERE DID IT GO?!? Last month–YUK. It was on the hairy side. BUT. It is over now.

 

~Reading~

Goal: 9

Read: 6 (*pfft*)

Favorite(s):

God’s Will by Meghan M. Gorecki

Warriors of the Realms by Chuck Black

 

Really amazing books. Highly recommended.

 

~Writing~

BIG THINGS happened. I got my book sent off to the formatter. When it came back, I ordered my proof copy. Which came early. :)

My goal was to do 2 binge writing sessions, but I only got about 3/4 of one in. It fell down on the priority list with getting The Old River Road ready to release. That’s okay though. Progress is progress, right?

BTW, this is what happens to me during a binge write:

Characters shut off couches and sit on lights. *sigh*  All in the name of a first draft.

 

~Blogging~

The ever-elusive VLOG was finally published. And my post about Writing Romance has gotten the most hits out of any other post. That’s pretty awesome. :)

As for other people’s blogs, I did a pretty cruddy job of being a bloggy friend. I was kinda sucked into my own little black hole this month (sorry everyone!). I am hoping to emerge soon, but July isn’t looking much better. August holds promise, though.

 

~Beta-Reading~

Abi’s Martian Hospitality (Which I finished, and it was AWESOME!)
Kendra’s Lady Dragon, Tela Du

 

~Life~

I LIVED. Seriously, I’m happy I’m alive and functioning enough to say that. Never mind the fact that it is 12:30am on July 2nd. Nope, this post was NOT written in advance like I usually do. This month was pretty much just survival. Please tell me I’m not the only one who has these monsterous months/weeks/days where you’re just happy to be alive at the end.

This is what my desktop looked like for the majority of this month. YUK, right?!?

We went camping for 4 days, so that was a nice little giveaway. Also, I was able to swim in the lake on JUNE 2nd. That’s the earliest I’ve been able to swim in years (I’m a bit soft since I’m so SPOILED to live on a lake).  The weather has been hot. Very hot. Cooler than last year, but still hot. I’m loving it.

 

~Goals~

Last months goals were this:

Survive college. (I’m still alive.)
Read 9 books. (Weeelllll…..)
Plan and execute my next binge writing session. (Kinda sorta life-took-over.)
Send out ARC’s of The Old River Road, order the proof copy, and organize the blog tour. (Done!!!)
DO THE VLOG!!!! (DONE!!!)
Get 20 subscribers. (As of June 29, I have 2o subscribers. WOOT WOOT!!!!)

 

This month’s goals:

Release my FIRST BOOK into the big world of scariness
Write 10,000 words
Music camp (YAYYYYY!!!!!!!!)
Get 5 more subscribers
Be more active on the webernet
Read 8 books
Survive the second half of my first semester

 

~~~~~~~~

Do you like hot weather? How warm is it where you live?

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PROOF COPY!!!!!!

I had another post planned for today, but life happened and that went out the window.

ANYWAY…

 

Lately my life has been consumed by college and preparing to launch The Old River Road. I had NO IDEA how much work it is to prepare a book launch! Here’s a cyber high-five to everyone who has done it. You’re amazing.

 

 

Some excitement has happened on that front…

The Old River Road is now available for pre-order on Amazon.

 

I got to see my book ON MY KINDLE:

 

 

 

 

And my proof copy arrived!!! *confetti* *fireworks* *chocolate chips!*

 

 

 

 

 

Isn’t it absolutely beautiful? I drooled over it for a few seconds before showing it off to my family.

 

Boy, the emotions of that moment…opening the box and seeing MY BOOK (btw I thought the contents of the package was another author’s book I had ordered)–I was able to forget all the late nights and tears and struggles for a few glorious minutes. It was so worth it. SO worth it.  There is absolutely nothing like the feeling of holding the finished product in my hand. And look at how thick and georgeous it is!!!

 

I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!! :)

 

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Beautiful People–June Edition

Here we are, with another round of Beautiful People!

I’m telling you, this one is GOOD. It’s the childhood edition. Childhoods have a huge impact on characters, so this one was super good for me to write. And guess who the character is from? (Hint, hint.) Yup, Ocean Hues! You’re probably getting sick and tired of these characters by now…so sorry. Its so good for me to be doing these, as I need some inspiration to get this story finished, and deepen the characters. I’m almost done with the first draft! *WOOT! WOOT!*

What is their first childhood memory?

Chelsea has fleeing images of her mom, but the first real “memory” is when her daddy asked her what they should name their new fishing vessel, and she said, “Cora Lee for Mommy!” It’s the only time she remembers her dad crying. (She was three.)

What were their best and worst childhood experiences?

Best would be sitting on her daddy’s lap in the wheelhouse of the Cora Lee doing schoolwork and watching the deckhands below. The worst would be

What’s something that scared them as child?

Two things.

Number 1, gummy worms.(She has three boy cousins, two of them older than her. Imagine the stories about innocent gummy worms?)

Number 2, sleeping in a room by herself. Maybe it started after her mom died, and her dad started letting her sleep in his bed. Or maybe because there was always a stray cousin ready to have a sleepover.

 

Who did they look up to most?

She looked up to her aunt Kendra, who was the only mother figure in her life and taught her girl things in an all-boy household.

Favorite and least favorite childhood foods?

Favorite would be raw broccoli, and least favorite is shrimp (still is).  :)

If they had their childhood again, would they change anything?

She wouldn’t take her close-knit family, unusual as they are, for granted.

What was their childhood home like?

It’s a beachfront cottage on a quiet, secluded beach on the Washington coast.

 

 

What kind of child were they? Curious? Wild? Quiet? Devious?

A combo of curious and devious, and probably a hint of wild. When raised by only a dad, next door to three boy cousins, she had to learn to hold her own.

What was their relationship to their parents and siblings like?

Her relationship with her dad is pretty special, especially so because she doesn’t have a mom. She doesn’t have siblings, but her three boy cousins are the closest things she’s got, and they all get along very well, even in their adult years.

What did they want to be when they grew up, and what did they actually become?

She wanted to be a crab fisher like her daddy. And she married a crab fisher. :) Next best thing.

 

 

~~~

Are you getting sick of Chelsea yet? Should I switch to another character to interview for these things?

What kind of a child were you?

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Writing Romance: Where to Draw the Line?

No doubt, this is a touchy subject. I do not claim to be right, nor do I claim to be an expert on the subject. I’m probably going to make some people upset with this post, and I know that not everyone is going to agree with me–and that’s OKAY! I’m merely going to point out some of my personal convictions when it comes to writing romance. Sound good?

 

Just about everyone will admit that they have read–or watched–an encounter between a couple that made them uncomfortable. Even if the couple is married, the way they show affection to one another–affection that is not “wrong”–can feel very wrong to be seeing [or reading] it.

On the flip side, there are those books where the couples rarely show affection to one another.

As a reader, either one of these scenarios can be maddening. As a writer, it can be hard to know how much is appropriate to show.

So how can you know?

This is a subject that really bothered me a few years ago. Hence, I decided that the best route to take was to write romance-free books. It was a great idea in theory, but my characters revolted. I found myself needing a way to handle their romance rather than ignore it.

So I went crying to my dear mom, “How do I know if it is okay to write about characters who decided to love each other?!?”

Moms are full of wisdom, peeps.

She told me something that someone had told her when she was young, and it boils down to this:

Would that couple be doing/saying/behaving that way if someone was standing in the room watching them?

I had to think about that for some time before I made sense of it in my head. And, more importantly, I had to figure out what that meant for my writing.

What I decided to do is pretty much what that says. My characters don’t do, say, or behave in such a way that would make me uncomfortable if I were in the same room as them.

Let’s face it: plenty of things go on between couples that other people shouldn’t see, whether it be a private conversation, a passionate kiss, etc. Therefore, they shouldn’t go in books. Readers are smart, and a little imagination can go far enough. There is no need to be explicit about subjects that should be reserved for husbands and wives.

“But how can I show that my characters love each other without writing those things?”

Think about it–do you have to see what goes on behind closed doors to know that couples you know (parents/neighbors/friends) are in love? I don’t. If you pay attention, it really isn’t that difficult to see when a couple loves each other merely my the way they interact even in a public setting.

Love can be shown in so many ways. I challenge you to utilize some of the more subtle ways of showing love between couples, and leave what happens behind closed doors behind closed doors. It is entirely possible to write a sweet romance/relationship without giving too much information.

For my own writing, I have made the decision to not write any romantic relationship that goes beyond what I would be comfortable seeing/hearing were I in the room with my characters. I have been told that the romance I write is “immature” and should be “more graphic.”

I must admit that I actually laughed when I heard that.

But you know what? I’d rather write “immature” and “un-graphic” romance that I believe is appropriate than worry about overstepping my bounds and making some readers, not to mention myself, uncomfortable.

~~~~

How do you feel about writing romance? Are there any specific guidelines you’ve set up for yourself? I’d love to hear–new ideas are always welcome! :)

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My First Interview

Wow, this week is full of firsts. Well, here is another. Deborah C. interviewed me as part of her Recommend June Fest! So head on over to her blog and check it out!

 

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My Very First Vlog

(Finally), here is the vlog I promised last month! :) I was so nervous, so don’t laugh at my stumbling!!!! (Well, you can laugh. I would laugh at me.) Filming this was fun, despite the fact that the phone rang, my mom called for me, and the dog started barking. My Scarlet Fever rash hasn’t completely gone away yet either, hence a large sore on my lip and red spots on my face, but hey–no one cares, right?

 

Sorry the video is SO long…yikes, I knew I liked to talk, but who knew I could talk to a CELL PHONE for 12 MINUTES?!?! Sheesh.

 

Okay.

 

Eeek.

 

I’ll let you watch it now.

 

*CRINGE!!!!!*

 

 

June 2016 Vlog from Ivy Rose on Vimeo.

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Defy by Tricia Mingerink Blog Tour

 

The war for Acktar has begun.

With his betrayal revealed, former Blade Leith Torren flees into the Sheered Rock Hills, pursued by King Respen’s vengeful Blades.

Left behind at Nalgar Castle, Renna Faythe tries to find her purpose, yet that purpose isn’t what she expected.

Brandi Faythe has been torn from her sister, and that isn’t all right. If Leith can’t rescue Renna, Brandi will take matters into her own hands.

War demands sacrifice. Courage falters. Who will find the strength to defy King Respen?

Acktar rests on one hope:

The Leader is ready.

 

My Review of Defy:

I am almost glad that I didn’t hear about Dare and Deny until March of this year. Had I heard about them any earlier, I might have pulled all of my hair out waiting for Defy. I had high expectations, and it didn’t disappoint! So many things happen—I think my heart got trampled into a million pieces. But oh! It’s SO good!!!!!

 

Plot/Storyline: 5/5

I love the story. It really can’t get much better. There was a lot of growth of our favorite characters in this book, which was fun to witness (some of the growth did feel like FINALLY!!!). :)

 

Characters: 5/5

The characters are awesome; their awesomeness just grew in this book. And I love Jamie. He’s just so…adorable. I love how protective he is of Brandi.

 

Writing: 4/5

The first 5-ish chapters felt a bit rough and choppy. It smoothed out after that, though, and was absolutely fabulous.

 

Dialogue: 5/5

The way Tricia does dialogue is so unique and interesting. It’s like you’re really there, hearing every lilting tone and seeing every cocked eyebrow. I love it!

 

Want-to-read-ability: 5/5

Lots of twists and turns in the book that I wasn’t expecting—I was glued to the Kindle. It was so good! Lots of fangirl squealing happened while reading. :)

 

Interview with Tricia!

 

What is something that writing has taught you?

How to graciously accept criticism. It is very easy to get defensive when someone either doesn’t like something in your book or gives you pointers or finds mistakes. I’ve learned to bite my tongue and listen.

 

Has writing brought you closer to the Lord? If so, how?

Yes, it has. I spend a lot of time pondering the same questions and tough decisions that my characters do.

 

It has also helped me depend more on God. Each book is written through a lot of tears and prayers, especially when the draft isn’t working or the spiritual questions in the book are also spiritually draining for me.

 

How do you get through the ‘low points’ in writing?

Prayer. Lots and lots of prayer. I have several really great writing friends who are really good about praying for each other. Whenever I’m in a tough spot, I know I can ask them for prayers.

 

My sister-in-law also is a big help. She listens to me whine and complain when my characters aren’t behaving or my plot isn’t working.

 

What was the hardest thing about writing Defy?

Honestly, Defy didn’t have much of a hard spot. The first draft was a dream to write. The edits were fairly easy. As usual, it took three drafts to get the characters to feel real instead of flat, but it only took three drafts, not six like Deny.

 

The scariest part about Defy is releasing it into the world. I love the book so much that it is hard to let it go. I’m worried that less than stellar reviews of this book will bother me more than they have on Dare or Deny.

 

What is your advice to aspiring authors?

Keep writing. I know that sounds cliché and it’s what every writer says, but it’s true. Don’t push yourself to publish before you’re ready. Keep writing simply for the joy of writing. Publication will come.

 

 

About the Author

Tricia Mingerink is a twenty-something, book-loving, horse-riding country girl. She lives in Michigan with her family and their pack of pets. When she isn’t writing, she can be found pursuing backwoods adventures across the country.

You can connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Goodreads, Twitter, Instagram, and her blog.

 

 

 

 

Schedule

May 26

Author Interview & Book Review – Soleil Bourdon
Book Review – Claire Banschbach
Author Interview & Book Review – Hope Brockway
Book Spotlight – Gabrielle Nadig

May 27

Book Review – Rachael Steele
Book Spotlight – Mandy Fender
Book Spotlight & Review – Jesseca Wheaton
Book Spotlight – Micailah Cialella

May 30

Author Interview & Book Review – Gabriela Paige
Author Interview & Book Review – Alyssa Van Fossen

May 31 – Release Day!

Book Release Announcement – Tricia Mingerink

June 1

Author Interview & Book Review – Jessica Dowell
Book Review – Hannah M. Rodes
Author Interview & Book Review – Ivy Rose
Book Review – Hannah Williams

June 2

Book Review – Jaye L. Knight
Book Review – Abby Cashen
Book Spotlight – Faith Potts
Facebook Party! 

June 3

Book Review – Shantelle Hannu
Book Review – Bethany Reinstedt
Book Review & Spotlight – Jonathan Trout




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May Wrap

I cannot believe that May is already over. Didn’t I just write one of these posts?!?

~Reading~

 

Goal: 8

Read: 9 (heh. Beat myself).

 

Favorite(s):

 

War in the Wasteland by Douglas Bond.

Defy by Tricia Mingerink

My own book (again. Kill the typos!)

 

*Squeee!!!!!!!* Those books were SO good!!! Well, I’m getting rather sick of reading mine, but the other two were absolutely fantastic.

 

 

~Writing~

This section should be titled “editing” this month. I pulled several late nights finishing applying my beta-reader’s comments before sending the book to my editor. Since my mother is a fellow night-owl, she comes in and takes photos of me while I’m working. So excuse the messy room. It was 2am and I had been working for 6 hours.

 

After eleven absolutely glorious days of NO MANUSCRIPT, during which I moaned and groaned and wandered about aimlessly not knowing what to do with myself. It was a serious problem. I didn’t want to dive into another project for a mere couple of days, but I was LOST without one! My family laughed at me. I laughed at me. I guess I depend on writing more than I thought. :)

 

When the manuscript returned from my editor, applied her comments and printed the monstrous thing to read out loud. (It helps me catch some of those little errors that are easily glossed over while reading on screen.) My mom asked if I could read it to her.

 

*CRINGE GASP FACEPALM*

 

I hate reading out loud. I am embarrassed to share my stories with people in my family (don’t ask why though…I have no idea!!!) Enticing much willpower and summoning up a gargantuan amount of courage, I read out loud. To my mom.

 

We made it. I did it. The entire book in 3 days.

 

AND SHE TAKES PICTURES OF ME. -_-

Yes, I am wearing two pairs of glasses.  Long story.

 

 

~Blogging~

Well, some pretty exciting things happened this month blogging-wise. I  revealed the cover of my book. I wrote a letter to my book. I got to participate in Jaye L. Knight’s blog tour for Samara’s Peril. I opened sign-ups for MY OWN blog tour. SO MUCH AWESOMENESS!!!

Also, I realized that the post for my blog tour just happened to be my 100th post! How cool is that?!?

From other folk’s blogs:

This post from Chelsea Bontrager really struck me and made me think. I encourage you to check it out.

 

~Beta-Reading~

 

Abi’s Martian Hospitality
Hope’s Song of the Sword.
Kendra’s Lady Dragon, Tela Du

 

They are all lovely books. I cannot wait until they are out in the world for all to see. :)

 

 

~Life~

Ugh, lots of life this month. Not all so great, either, but hey…life never promises to be pretty.

 

I am sick and tired of my book. There, I said it. I cannot wait to be done with this thing. Note to self (and to all of you who will be publishing): book needs to be completely ready to publish 2 MONTHS before release date. Take my word for it and spare yourself some sleep.

 

I graduated high school. It wasn’t much of a big deal; I graduated on Friday, college classes started on Monday. :) Yes, I am going to have a party, but it will be in July when the weather is nicer for a day at the lake/backyard BBQ. We will be celebrating my graduation, my 18th birthday, and I will be getting baptized.

 

As afore mentioned, I started college. It was a bit of a rocky start, seeing as I had all of three days to complete a week’s worth of assignments. And I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. BUT. I survived. :)

 

The reason I had only three days to complete a week’s worth of assignments is because my family took our very first camping trip of the year. We went with some close family friends for three days of fun, ATV riding, and fellowship in the mountains. And guess what? It rained. The entire time. (FYI, we have a nice cozy motorhome, and our friends had trailers, so everyone was dry and warm.) But honestly, I think it was one of my favorite camping trips ever. Maybe because I so desperately needed the break from work, technology, Wi-Fi, and cell service. Maybe because it was fun to have nothing better to do than play Dutch Blitz for hours. Maybe because I needed to be able to read for hours upon hours without feeling guilty for not doing something else. I don’t know…whatever it was, I had an absolute blast.

Oh, and since it was raining cats and dogs, my personality-twin brother and I decided that we may as well utilize the muddy puddles and go mud riding.

It. Was. Awesome.

 

 

 

The day after arriving home from the soggy camping trip, ALL SIX of my siblings came down with Scarlet Fever. All of ‘em. I held out not catching it for three whole days. Annnndddd I then I got it. However, I was lucky enough to get the more adult version of it, called Rheumatic Fever. Also not fun, but at least I could still functioning like a normal human being.

Funny note—Clara gets Scarlet Fever in The Old River Road, so I was able to make sure I had everything accurate watching my poor siblings in agony for those few days. And I was better able to describe the horrid rash. :)

 

 

~Goals for next month~

 

Get better.
Survive college.
Read 9 books.
Plan and execute my next binge writing session. (Blog post forthcoming on that topic)
Send out ARC’s of The Old River Road, order the proof copy, and organize the blog tour.
DO THE VLOG!!!! (I haven’t forgotten about it! As long as my voice comes back and the Rheumatic Fever rash on my face goes away, I’ll film it this Saturday. Send any questions you might like me to answer by FRIDAY, June 3rd.)
Get 20 followers. Y’all can help me with this one… :)

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

How was your May? How warm is it where you live? Have you ever had Scarlet Fever (or Rheumatic Fever)? Maple bar doughnuts or chocolate-iced crème-filled?

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The Old River Road Blog Tour Sign Up

There are just six weeks left until release day! How terrifying amazing is that? :)

 

In addition to the blog tour, I am also offering limited reviewer slots for those of you who don’t have a blog, yet want to help out a new author. (‘Cause everyone wants to do that, right?)

 

Click here if you want to learn more about the book.

 

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