L.M. Ransom's Blog: Hearts and Sports Reporter, page 3

TILT IS COMING

Hey everyone, I wanted to let you know that Tilt, book two in the Flying Ponies trilogy, is releasing in just a mere two weeks, on March 2.

I've already started writing Spin, the third and final book in the trilogy. After that, I will be releasing a new epic fantasy series.

IT'S ALMOST HERE

I have at my desk ARCs of Tilt, book two in the Flying Ponies trilogy. It's beautiful (but then all authors think their books are beautiful, right?). I am going through one of them right now, marking some places where I didn't get it quite right, and then I'll be ready for ordering the official copies in the next week.

Tilt releases March 2, 2019, from Wicked Whale Publishing.

Working Writer

I am now on the second round of edits on Tilt, book two in the Flying Ponies trilogy. This is my highlighter round, and I must say - the manuscript looks pretty with all those colors scattered through it!

I'm also writing a guest blog post for a fellow author's website, and will hopefully be getting into some classrooms this fall and winter to talk about writing with students. I love to talk about writing and books - what author doesn't?

Hope you are having a great week! Happy fall!

Full Tilt!

It's been a long time, I know. Some of that is actually coming up with something interesting to tell you; the other is just plain doing it. I'm not good at that - obviously.

So here's an update on the Flying Ponies trilogy for those who care: I am in the first round of editing Tilt, book two. The story is solid and I love my characters and oh yeah - there's a bit more romance. Plus a lot more Flying Ponies. I'm enjoying the process, and as I've gone through it with Lift once, I know more what to do before I hand it off to my publisher and editor.

Hope you're enjoying your week!

Stormy Weather

There's a storm system making its way over Lake Michigan at the moment, and I can't wait for it to hit our town! We've had weather in the 90s already this spring, and let me tell you: my horse pastures are turning brown! We need the rain.

I love rain and thunder storms. It clears the air, and the massive thunderheads are glorious to look at. Rain makes everything look new again, too. I know there are people who are probably already griping about the coming storm, because nothing in our world happens without someone complaining about it, but there's no sense in being unhappy. It's coming whether you want it to or not.

Now there is a chance the system will fall apart over the Big Lake, because that happens quite a bit. I hope it doesn't - our grass around here looks fried. Want some ketchup with that, horses? The wind is coming up, so that could be a good sign. The wind might also blow the storm off-course, and we won't get a drop of rain. Still, no sense in complaining. It is what it is.

I like that saying. It gives you an out. Why get upset when something happens when it's not in your control, anyway? At my age, finally, I'm learning not to worry so much about things. For one, God has my back. You don't have to believe that. That's okay. I don't expect everyone to believe the same thing I do. But seriously, I'm cutting things out of my life that don't have a good use. I'm not finishing books that don't do it for me. I'm sure that my own novel doesn't do it for some people. That's all right. We all have our tastes.

When you start to cut things out, I notice, you don't miss them. We've cut a lot of TV out of our lives this past year. I don't miss it. That's more time for reading and writing, which are two things I would miss. I'm cutting down on the amount of Mountain Dew I inhale. Yeah, okay, I DO miss that. But it's better for my health. And there are some things, like the storm coming, that I can't do anything about, but I choose to roll with it instead of griping. It will be over soon enough for those who don't want it, and I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

So, my friends, I hope you are doing well and chilling. We all need more of that in our lives.

The Sun Is Shining

Hey everyone, it's a beautiful day here in my town! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and I've got my window open in the back room of the library waiting to hear my son practicing with the Shelby Marching Tigers Band! I absolutely love watching him march and listening to him play. My hubby was a trumpet player in high school, and both our kids are following in his footsteps.

Lift is doing well, making me a happy writer. I'm about half-way through the second book in the trilogy, and constantly surprised by my characters and their growth and the way they keep throwing the story into chaos. I know being a pantser isn't for every writer, but wow: I wouldn't change it for the world!

Have a blessed week!

I Love This Job

Some of you may have wondered (or maybe not) how the book launch party went. It was AWESOME!!! I am not a person who likes speaking in front of others, particularly big groups, and it was indeed a big group! Now, mind you, it was a lot of relatives and friends, but even so: it was still a bit terrifying to have to get up on the stage!
I sold every single copy I had, and could've sold several more if I'd had them. I spoke about Coney Island and its carousels, and then about writing Lift. It was such a wonderful time, and the Book Nook in Montague, MI, is a fabulous place for a launch party.
My next author event is Saturday, May 26th, from 4-5 pm, at Gales IGA in Hart, MI. I'm looking forward to it; I think I will be much more relaxed about the whole thing. It will be a shorter time, for one thing. I'm starting to get used to this new aspect of my life, and I'm loving it (sorry, MickeyD's...I know that's your thing).
Hope each of you has a wonderful, blessed week!

It's Almost Here!

Hey everyone, it's me again. LIFT releases tomorrow! Yay! And to help celebrate that launch party, I wrote a blog entry for the Breathe Writers Conference about being an indie author. You can see it here:
https://breatheconference.com/home/fe...

I hope you all are having a great day. It is finally sunny here in west Michigan - I think we might actually hit the fifties today. This will be a busy weekend for my family, so I probably won't get to read much. I'm currently reading the fourth Wings of Fire book, by Tui Sutherland. It's about Starflight, the NightWing dragon in the prophecy. Glory is my favorite of the dragonets in the series, but Starflight is my second fave.

Have a blessed weekend, friends!

BOOK RELEASE WEEK!

I know, I know, I've been bad about updating this blog! I will try to do so once a week, to keep in contact with any fans (and future fans!). But guess what?? This is THE week! LIFT releases on Saturday, April 21st! Yes!! Here is the back copy of the novel:

"For sixteen-year-old Charlotte Flynn, moving into the heart of the Michigan woods with her family is the biggest adventure she’s ever had. A self-proclaimed geek girl with a penchant for Sherlock Holmes, she wonders if she’ll ever have an exciting quest of her own.

But when she discovers an antique carousel tucked into the woods near her new home, her life soon spins out of control. For the ponies are so much more than their faded paint portrays. Filled with primal magic, the ponies are alive, and they have been waiting for her for a long time.

With the help of a young carousel caretaker named Black, Charlotte soon discovers that the Flying Ponies are in danger from others who want to possess them and their magic. Drawn into a battle for the carousel and ultimately the entire world while navigating her first true romance, Charlotte may have more adventure than she ever bargained for . . . "

Lift will be available on Amazon, as both a trade paperback and a Kindle book, and also from Ingram Spark. If you are in the White Lake vicinity of Michigan this Saturday, from 4:30-6 pm, I would love to meet you! Stop by and say hi, ask me questions about writing, and pick up your copy of Lift.

Winter Fangirl

I love the Lunar Chronicles. I'm not quite sure I'm a "Lunartic," a nickname given to the fans of the Marissa Meyer YA fantasy series, but I'm involved. I'm currently reading Winter, the fourth book in the series. And so far, it's my favorite, along with Scarlet.

I have to admit to taking a break between Cress and Winter. I found Cress to be tedious. That desert scene went on way too long for me. And Cress's naivete, while understandable, wore on me. Captain Thorne is fun and can be adorable, but their relationship didn't do a lot for me. Now Winter and Jacin - that's a completely different story!

Winter doesn't give Jacin a break in the book (I'm currently on page 160, so not far), and I think it's hilarious. I love how even though she knows he cares for her, she pushes him by touching him or standing close to him, which of course irritates him. I have always loved the "guard/princess" kind of romantic entanglement. You can blame it on Voltron. Captain Keith was in love with Princess Allura, but because of his station and attitude toward the fair maiden, he never allowed himself to be with her.

Jacin doesn't strike as the type who won't ever let himself be with the girl he loves, but I can foresee it taking something drastic for him to declare his love. It's a long book, so that scene probably won't happen until near the end, but it will be worth waiting for. Scarlet and Wolf were my favorite couple in the Lunar Chronicles, but I can see how Winter and Jacin could overtake them.

What book(s) do you fangirl or fanboy over? What's your favorite series?