Nadette Rae Rodgers's Blog, page 13

Goodreads Giveaway!

Hi guys!

Today is the last day to enter to win a signed copy of Illusion. 

Click the link below to enter

 

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Goodreads Book Giveaway







Illusion



by Nadette Rae Rodgers

Giveaway ends August 13, 2016.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/197883

Why I love writing…

Happy #WritingWednesday everyone!

I recently made my author profile on Goodreads! You can look at my profile here.

They have a feature where you can ask the author a question (so if any of you have a question for me, feel free to ask it! I’ll be answering as many as I can this week!). The one question was: What’s the best thing about being a writer?

My Goodreads answer was:

I love being a writer because I get to create a whole world out of words. I dream up these places and scenarios in my head and make them a reality by writing them down. Then I get to share those words with others and they get to paint the pictures in their heads in their own unique ways. I love that I have the ability to tell a story and get the constant stream of words in my mind out into other people’s minds. I love that I can make an impact on a reader’s life through my writing.

* * *

But today I thought I would elaborate on my answer a little bit just because I love writing so much and really want to inspire other young writers to follow their dreams!

The best thing about being a writer is honestly the creativeness of it all. As a writer, you get to come up with anything and turn it into a story. Turn a name into a character, a place into a world. Readers across the world might crack open your book and wherever they are, they get transported to the same place and time as someone reading your book halfway across the world.

Take for example, J.K. Rowling. She created a whole new world of wizards and creatures and magic. Thousands upon thousands of people of all ages turn to her books for entertainment or an escape from reality. Now, her creation is literally a place in a theme park. How incredible is that? People pictured Hogwarts for years and then saw it play out in the movie franchise, but now? Now kids and adults alike get to run through the world like Harry did, waving their wands and feeling like they really are inside the book. And to think, Rowling’s words inspired all of that!  

It’s crazy to think about sometimes, how much of an impact writers have on people. I can recall a few books that helped me through tough situations or big decisions. For so many, books is where their hearts really lie, where they can escape to for just a little while when the going gets tough.

As an author, I have the ability to create a world that a reader can fall in love with and that world just might become their safe haven in tough times- and that is truly amazing to me! I know that my writing helps me through situations because I have a way of expressing myself and putting my thoughts into words on paper, but the idea that a story-line I thought up in my head one day could help someone or make them smile? That, reader, is why I write.

Let me know in the comments below if there’s a book that made an impact on your life or if you’re a fellow writer, what the best thing about writing is for you!

~Nadette

Want a signed copy of Illusion?

Enter to win a signed copy of my new book through the Goodreads Giveaway!

It starts right now and will be open for entries until August 13th.

Be sure to check out my Goodreads author page too, where you can ask me questions on “Ask the Author” or follow my reviews of other YA books.

Goodreads Book Giveaway


Illusion
by Nadette Rae Rodgers

Giveaway ends August 13, 2016.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

 

Self-Publishing: Tips & Tricks

The Self-Publishing Process: Quick Tips and Tricks for the Indie Author

Hi guys,

As you know, I recently released my debut novel, Illusion. I decided to go the self-publishing route as I had an idea of how I wanted to cover and everything to look. I wanted to have more control over the choices of my book, and this is the first book I’ve ever published, so I figured I’d try the self-publishing route for the first one.

There are pros and cons to both forms of publishing (self and traditional), but if you have the time to put into doing the work yourself and decided to do self-publishing, here are some of my tips!

CreateSpace.com → It is a division of Amazon and I know many people who have successfully used this company. I myself found their support staff to be very helpful and they answered all questions I had. Additionally, I was working with a bit of a time crunch, so my project team helped me find the path with the fastest turnaround while still completing everything necessary to get a solid book printed.
ASK QUESTIONS! → It is beyond important that you know what you’re doing. I bought at least five different books on the self-publishing, publishing, and editing processes. Search the internet for blogs and websites where already published authors answer any questions you can think of. If you know someone who has gone through the process, ask them about their experience!
Make everything legit→ Don’t plagiarize or steal from other books. Make sure your cover is your own idea and does not look like another popular book.
Give credit where credit is due→ So on your copyright page or acknowledgements page thank the people who helped you get to this point. Also, if you weren’t the one to take the photo for your cover, you need to specify who did.
Edit, edit, edit, then edit again! → If it is only your eyes looking at the manuscript, take some time off and then look at it again. Chances are, you’ll catch typos or spacing issues you didn’t see the first time. However, I recommend getting your book edited or at least having a friend read through it to make sure it makes sense. Having a fresh set of eyes look at it could save you from having two chapter threes or repeating words.
Trust your gut→ This is your story! If you have a certain vibe you want to get across or an idea for the cover, keep brainstorming and working with your design team (if you are using one) until they get what you are getting at. Sometimes it takes a while, but if you have an idea of the cover and it’s not quite there yet, keep working.
If you are working with Microsoft Word, use this feature in the center of the home tab. (The orange, highlighted paragraph symbol in the upper right hand corner) → This feature saved me so much time. My interior formatting specialist at CreateSpace told me about this and it really helps with finding spacing issues or typos.


Most importantly→ You have a story to tell, so keep trying until you tell it. Your words matter and your story matters. Take your time, take a deep breath, and trust in yourself.

Happy Writing and Happy Publishing!!! Best of luck to all of you writers out there! 

~ Nadette

Summer Reads: The Moon and More

Here’s my Goodreads Review of The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen:

“Lock and Key” is still my favorite Sarah Dessen book! However, I really liked “The Moon and More”. Dessen just has a way of creating characters that are relatable.

This book, like most of the Sarah Dessen books I’ve read had a focus on family and finding the real meaning of it.

Also, this book shows that not everything turns out exactly like you plan in life. There isn’t always the “Best After Ever”. There are unexpected bumps in the road, but you can get through them, just like the character in this book.

I also loved the meaning behind the title and how that is what Emaline’s mom tells her. It was really sweet.

Favorite line in the book: “No matter where I was, or what got me there, I would always feel at home when I touched the sand.”

This line wrapped up the meaning of the whole book SO well! It also really meant a lot to me personally because that is how I feel. It was a really sweet line, and it tied the book together very well.

* * *

I would definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for a cute, summer-y book![image error]

Follow my other reviews on Goodreads (Goodreads Author Nadette Rae Rodgers).

Happy Reading!

~Nadette

Friday Five: Classic Novels

Hi everyone!

Happy Friday! You’ve all made it through another week!

I was talking to a friend today about those books everyone has to read for school, and we were comparing our thoughts on each of them. So that was the inspiration for my post today.

Here’s a list of my favorite classic novels (some I read on my own and others I had to read for school assignments over the years) but here are some of my favorites, and my reasons why:

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne→ This book is PACKED with irony and symbolism and I just love that about it! I didn’t expect to enjoy the book when I saw that the introduction was 45 pages in itself, and I remember how daunting the book seemed to a high-school-sophomore-me. But this book ended up being my favorite classic novel thus far. I wrote a whole paper on Pearl and the symbolism surrounding her. This book has the classic love triangle, with each character having his/her own “scarlet letters” to bear. If you haven’t read this one yet, I definitely recommend it! At first, the incredibly long sentences can seem intimidating, but once you get used to Hawthorne’s writing style, you’ll come to love it. He gets so much across with his words and uses symbolism incredibly.
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams → Okay, I know this is a play and not a novel, BUT, I really, really liked it! I read this one year for extra credit and at first, I wasn’t too sure how I felt about it. But once I thought about the story and looked a little deeper into it, I came to love the story line, as well as all of the characters. First of all, the mom in this classical work is quite the character. She’s so stuck in the past she is missing her children’s lives in the present. The son wants nothing more than to leave the house, while the daughter would be fine staying there forever. There’s so much more to this story than what appears on the surface. I just really enjoyed Williams’ style and his characterization.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte→ Okay, at first, I really did not like this book. But by the end, I was completely invested in the character of Jane. (That seems to be a pattern with me, I don’t like it and then end up loving it a while later…) Anyway, this book is a coming-of-age story and as the reader, you really do get to see Jane grow up. The book starts out when she is a child and by the end, she’s a grown woman. You see her come into her own and stand up for herself and her values. You start rooting for things to finally work out for her. I really liked her as a character because it felt relatable.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott→ Growing up I loved reading Little Women. I read it multiple times, and it never seemed to get old! I also used to read the spin-off books that followed each of the March sisters. It’s a good story, full of loveable characters, and you feel like part of the family when you read it. I definitely recommend this book!
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley→ I liked the overall plot of this book. The futuristic, dystopian style like Orwell’s 1984 that comments on social issues and aspects of life that still apply today. I think it’s interesting also that after books like 1984 and Brave New World, the idea of what our world will be like in 100 years or more has become a popular basis for books and movies today. I like reading the classics that started the trend.

 

 

Of course, there are lots of classic works to pick from that all have their merits. These are just the five that come to mind as being books I really enjoyed reading or would read again.

I’m thinking of reading some Jane Austen or Tolstoy next. Any suggestions?

What’s your favorite classic book? Let me know!

Happy Reading and Happy Friday!

~Nadette

Mask Dreams: Unmasked

Masks play a big role in my new book, Illusion, so I thought I’d blog about that today. There is a dance the main character goes to at her high school and it ends up being masquerade themed. The antagonist is constantly wearing a mask or has his face shaded by a hoodie. The main character is pictured on the cover in a mask herself because she feels she has to hide her crazy dreams from the people around her.

So, what does it mean to dream of a mask?

Well, in general, seeing a mask in your dreams means that there is something in your life you feel you need to hide. Or that you are trying to be someone you’re not.

Say you are talking to a friend and you happen to be wearing a mask. That should clue you in that whoever you are talking to should not be trusted.

~Nadette

*Some info found at: http://dreamstop.com/mask-dream-symbol/

http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamdictionary/m2.htm

#1linewed

Hi all! 

Happy Hump Day! 

In honor of #1linewed, here’s a line from my new book, Illusion. 

Have a super happy Wednesday and a good rest of the week! 

~Nadette 

Dreaming of the ocean…

Ever wonder what it means to dream of the seven seas?

Seeing an ocean in your dreams is basically a representation of your emotions.

For example: if the ocean is calm waters, it signifies that you feel at peace and that your emotions are pretty much in check. You are feeling tranquil and refreshed (most likely spiritually). You have life pretty well figured out right now.

However, if the waters are rough a choppy, it represents turmoil. Life has its ups and downs right now, and you are doing your best to stay afloat. It may be hard, but you are trying.

As a whole, any form of water in your dream is linked to your spirituality. The way water is presented to you in your dream is usually a clear symbol for life. (i.e. is the water crystal clear or kind of murky? Is it a calm turquoise-blue or a terrifying navy/black? Is it still or rough? Is it a puddle or a large body of water?)

Dreams about water/the ocean are good dreams to analyze if you want to figure out what’s going on in your subconscious.

Sweet Dreams!

~Nadette

Some info found at:

http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamdictionary/o.htm

Read Illusion for Free!

Hi everyone!

The Kindle version of my new book, Illusion, was just released this week. To celebrate, you can now download the Kindle version for FREE! 

This will be available today and tomorrow only, so click the link below to get your free copy of Illusion for Kindle.

Don’t have a Kindle? You can download the Kindle App and still download Illusion for free today or tomorrow (July 11th & 12th) on  your phone or tablet.

Thank you to everyone who has already read Illusion, my readers mean the world to me!

Enjoy Illusion and let me know your thoughts when you read it!

~Nadette Rae Rodgers

CLICK HERE TO READ ILLUSION FOR FREE