Sharon Wagner's Blog, page 4

Bodice Rippers and Space Trippers

 

“As mothers and daughters, we are connected with one another. My mother is the bones of my spine, keeping me straight and true. She is my blood, making sure it runs rich and strong. She is the beating of my heart. I cannot now imagine a life without her.” ―Kristin Hannah, Summer Island.

After publishing my novel, some friends and family remarked on how proud my parents would be of my literary achievement. Would they be proud? If they were alive, would my parents even read my book? It’s a paranormal sci-fi after all. Sorry, Dad, but you were the one who thought one of my paintings was a placemat. Maybe now, my dad would finally feel redeemed that he paid my college tuition in graphic design, and then I became a flight attendant.

My mother didn’t read sci-fi. She read romance and left those books scattered around the house. That’s why all of my novels have a suspicion of romantic titillation. I grew up reading Kathleen E Woodiwiss instead of typical middle-grade or young-adult books because they were ready and available. I subsisted on Danielle Steele and my favorite author of the time, LaVyrle Spencer. But when I read the magical realism and supernatural novel Like Water for Chocolate by Mexican author Laura Esquivel, my literary world changed forever. Yes, there was still a doomed romance, but the world the author created was magical, beautiful, and surreal. The food the protagonist poured her heart and soul into creating came alive in my mind. I could smell the rose petals and taste the chocolate and freshly ground spices in her mole sauce. The protagonist was so sad; she knitted a quilt that was as long as a crescent-shaped beach, and it dragged behind the wagon that took her away from her beloved. I’ll never forget that imagery.

If my mother was alive, would she read and enjoy my book? I don’t know. It’s my mother’s birthday today. Mom, if you were here, you’d receive a book for your birthday, whether you wanted one or not!

Don U. won a free Conspiracy Theory board game set by sharing my book on social media. Thanks Don! You can win, too. :) Plus, this is what I heard from a librarian named Karen: Is your library likely to purchase this title? Yes
Will you recommend this title through Readers’ Advisory, book clubs, events, etc? Yes. 

I say: "Yes!!!"

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sharon

Sharon Wagner Books

My Book Launched like a Pumpkin on a Catapult...

“There was a hand inthe darkness, and it held a knife.” Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book

 

The room was black,wholly mysterious and unseen, just like the foul thoughts a person keeps buried,the ones you’d never divulge to anyone, not even your mother, lest she thinkyou are demented or downright evil. A piney decay permeated the air, with notesof bone broth, sumac, and a lingering fishiness. I held my arms before me toinvestigate the depth of blackness and saw nothing. My fingers swiped oversomething moist, and I wiped the wetness across my neck. Where was I? The floorfelt firm, but I wondered if I was sitting next to a fresh grave where pinetrees were too thick for an owl to flap feathery wings. Cold air moved over mybare arms as something or someone scurried around the scrub. Perhaps themaneuvering was the devil’s minions carrying eternal logs to a caldron to bakemy soul.

But it was the sound that truly scared me.

 

Moist slurping, smooshing, and tearing sounds floated in thedarkness. Everywhere and all around, crunching, lips smacking, and the perversegumming of gelatin. There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.I heard sawing and then prolonged mastication. I swung my hand before me, andsomething tipped, water washing over me. “Oh, sorry, miss. Let me replace yourwater glass. How is your macadamia and sumac-encrusted sea bass?”

 

I swallowed. “It’s fine. Although, I can’t get the hang ofeating in the dark. Frankly, it unsettles me. Can I get a doggie bag?”

 

“Sure thing,” said the waitress, awkwardly retrieving my plateand disappearing into the gloom.

 

Across the table, I heard my husband clink a knife across hisplate and fumble with his napkin while emitting a dramatic sigh. “Hate is toosubtle to describe this meal. I’d rather visit a haunted house than dine in thedark,” he said.

 

The End.

 

Every launched pumpkinmust fall. But who cares? My book flew! Candy for everyone. A new,spooky, strange journey begins on Amazon for The Levitation Game. Thefirst subscriber to leave a review on Amazon will win a free Conspiracy Theory boardgame! But any subscriber can win by sharing my content on social media.Just clue me in. That’s my treat. Thank you to Kate at Neddy Gamesfor a year’s worth of fun freebies. During my Goodreads giveaway, 1,343readers entered, and 1,269 readers marked my book as want to read. Plus, I had librarians and book sellers download my book on Netgalleythis month. A quiet, hushed, happy dance ensued. Look to yourinbox for my next newsletter on November 20th. You can only win free games if you subscribe. 

Happy Halloween!

Click here to read my interview with book blogger Kriti khare!

 

Visit my haunted website...

Don't miss my spooktacular celebrity blurbs below...

Trick or Treat.

Ha!

 

The Name Game

 

"Theysay we die twice - once when the last breath leaves our body and once when thelast person we know says our name." Al Pacino

What’s in a name? Inbooks, as in life, a lot. 

My first name originated withmy mom’s best friend, Sharon Lindsay, which led to a funny fullcircle of monikers because my favorite childhood actress was the Bionic Woman, LindsayWagner. I mean, what little girl didn’t want to jump from rooftops witha kinetic soundtrack punctuating every epic action? I wished my first name was Lindsayever after. Eventually, I married a man, attaching the end of my superhero’slast name to create Sharon Wagner.

My friend Danielle asked mewhy I chose Esme for my main character in The Levitation Game. Well, Ihave a sprawling answer for that. My first novel, Chorus of Crows, revolvesaround a retired farmer who battles Parkinson’s and unwanted visitors that mayor may not be real. It’s a horror story. I named my character after StephenKing’s favorite uncle, Oren. Growing up, my mother loved The Waltons ontelevision, so I called the character Oren Walton. Since my dad’s battlewith Parkinson’s inspired my novel, I gave a nod to Michael J. Fox (who alsohas Parkinson’s) in my second novel and named my central character Esme,after the actor’s daughter.

All my books will pay tributeto my friends and family, onscreen and off. I’ve weaved many real-life namesinto my stories. Ethelene, a character in The Levitation Game, is named aftermy Aunt Ethel. Plus, I loved the character Etheline from the Wes Anderson movieThe Royal Tenenbaums. I have a cousin named Lavinia, so I used that name in abook. Do you remember Matthew’s ill-fated love interest, Lavinia, in DowntonAbbey? I remember and have loved it ever since.

My character, Sedona, fromChorus of Crows, is a nod to the beautiful southwestern city, and the town alsoplays an integral part in the story. The most fun I’ve had with naming acharacter so far is the name Owletta from The Savannah Book of Spells. Imade it up entirely because the character looks like an owl. Sometimes, it’sfun to be an author! Well, I could go on and on. It’s one of the great joys ofwriting books, naming characters that become beloved fictional family members.

Fun blurbs and reviews arerolling in, and I’ve been sharing them on social media. Dawn C. won a free ConspiracyTheory game by sharing my content on Instagram. Neddy Games has given away almost 500 dollars worth of free games to my newsletter subscribers. So subscribe to win.

My book finally launches nextmonth. Hooray!

Look to your inbox on October 23rd for my Halloween newsletter. 

"Forgive your enemies, but never forget theirnames."

— John F. Kennedy.

 Sharon Wagner Books

 

Summer Scaries

I’ve always considered Augustas summer’s third act when the fun and sun are fleeting and the end ofsomething magical is near. That’s how I feel about my life right now. I’m leavinga season of innocence and literary elation and entering a phase of life thatterrifies me. The launch of The Levitation Game has been pushed to October 17thto collect enough reviews and blurbs to feather my word nest. (I’m sorry forthe delay!) But reviews horrify me. Will my book soar? Or will my spirit witherfrom the jabs of a thousand feisty quills? I never had to worry about suchthings as a children’s book illustrator.

All authors go through this. Ilove writing enough to brave the unknown. I must persevere because I’m writing twoother books that excite me. But how do authors cope with bad reviews? Recently,I read The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay. I loved the movieKnock at the Cabin, crafted from Paul’s book. Indeed, the concept involving thefour horsemen of the Apocalypse on a mission to disrupt the lives of a familyand a cute little girl named Wen was intriguing. At first, the book pulled mein, only to leave me struggling to reach the end of a scene that was supposedto be nail-biting. That’s when I investigated Goodreads and discovered that otherreaders felt the same way. One surly individual left a firey trail of GIFs,including one with the white-bearded, handsome, and worldly Dos Equis actorshaking his head in complete exasperation. Perhaps, after M. Night Shyamalancreated an exciting movie from Paul’s book theGIF doesn’t sting. Or does it? I feel potential shivers travel the length of myspine at the thought of mean-spirited GIFs.

 

In fabulous otherworldly news, I received a fun book blurb!

 

“A buoyant story ofcontact and connection, filled with levity and adventure.”

- Emily Jane,bestselling author of On Earth as it Is on Television

You can check out Emily’s book above. I love her cover. And the book is out-of this-world! Plus, Katie S. wona free Conspiracy Theory board game for sharing an early review on Goodreads.Thanks to Neddy Games for their ongoing freebies. Subscribers can win bysharing my bookish content on social media.

Subscribe by September 18th  to receive my next newsletter.

 

Sharon Wagner Books

Are You A Food Waste Warrior?

A hotdog wrapped in a cornmeal pancake. 

I’m an Electric Speed subscriber,and last month, writing guru Jane Friedman posed a non-literary question,inquiring about her readers' best cheapskate practices. “I eat my leftovers!” Isaid immediately to no one in particular.

Food waste, not at my house. InSouth Korea, throwing away food is illegal.

Later that day, during my writingcritique group on Discord, my writing peep Rodney admitted that my submission hadignited his taste buds for strawberries (In my story, the characters wereshopping at a farmer’s market in South Carolina with dewy, rainbow-coloredproduce). I was so happy! Because writing about food puts the sizzle in mystorytelling. Last month, I talked about birds as literary inspiration, and theculinary arts also inspired my novel. I could wax poetic about food like ashiny supermarket apple, but I’ll simply offer my best practices for eating myleftovers:

 

1)   Shredthe chicken from a supermarket rotisserie, freeze the bones in a jumbo Ziploc,and when you’ve compiled an entire henhouse of skeletons, make 1-2 giant potsof fragrant broth. Bones and water transform into gold; you don’t need Rumpelstiltskin.

2)   Leftovercornmeal pancakes become buttery hotdog wrappers or fluffy tostadas for taconight. Tasty tip: If you wrap a campfire hotdog with a piece of potato lefse,you’ll never return to a wonderbread bun.

3)   Leftoverchicken satay has become the perfect topper for my famous Thai pizzas. But anyleftover chicken will do. Combine peanut butter and soy sauce for the pizzasauce, then add mozzarella and parmesan. Top with chicken, diced carrots, and thinly slicedpeppers. Don’t forget to sprinkle cilantro and minced peanuts ontop after it’s baked. I use small flour tortillas as a quick pizza crust.

4)   Ifreeze leftover carnitas, chorizo, or taco meat for nachos. Nachos rule! The samegoes for Mexican restaurant chips and excess taco sauce packets. I use them onnachos, too.

5)   Chop and freeze old celery, peppers, and carrots as an instant soupstarter. The same goes for berries. Freeze them and put them in pancakes later. Throw leftover tomatoes into a blender and freeze them, too.

6)   Putleftover fried rice into a big pot of homemade wonton soup. See the brothabove! Trader Joe's has good frozen wontons; don’t forget to add candiedginger.

7)   Doyou have leftover potato oles from Taco John's? I call them crack because evenWalter White couldn’t create a more addictive drug. If the DEA knocks on yourdoor, throw the evidence into a veggie, ham, and cheese frittata.

8)  Doyou have a dab of vegetables left from dinner? Freeze them and keep addingleftover vegetable sides to the bag, and eventually, you can add the vegetablesto a pot of homemade soup.

9)   Youcan throw leftover ketchup packets into chili. Chocolate and molasses are goodin chili, too. 😊

10)  Do you have an abundance of basil in your herbpatch? Make a BBT = A bacon, basil, and tomato sandwich. Yum! I hope I’veinspired you to eat your leftovers!

I received a tasty literary appetizer last month when myfirst printed book arrived in the mail. Things just got real. Subscribe and look to yourinbox on August 21st for my next newsletter.

           “Unless you are a pizza, the answer is yes, I can live without you.”-Bill Murray

Sharon Wagner Books

 

Birds of a Feather

 

“The greatest achievement wasat first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn, the bird waits inthe egg, and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams arethe seedlings of realities.” James Allen

 

Emily Dickinson wrote thathope is the thing with feathers, and every debut author hopes they’ll find theperfect thermal to help their literary dreams soar. Feathers and fingerscrossed.

 

Recently, I read about a funexperiment that taught parrots to FaceTime new feathered friends. The parrotsloved their parrot-to-parrot video-calling system and could peck at a screenline-up of birds like an old-school gym class picking candidates for a team.How did the parrots feel when they didn’t get selected? Lousy. I would knowfrom personal gym experience!

 

I don’t consider myself a birder. Still, birdsare always on the fringe of my consciousness. I hear them, even when I can’tsee them. I find a closed window, a form of imprisonment, and an open window,the gateway to chatter and birdsong that punctuates my life. When I travel toCosta Rica, the mewling song of the toucan is ubiquitous and soothing. InFlorida, finding a sleeping osprey on the railing of my balcony is like aviannirvana. But there’s no yin without yang because birds on the balcony leavepoop. Good and bad experiences are almost always intertwined. Every radiantpeacock feather has a pointy end.

 

While writing my novel, Idiscovered that being a bird brain is considered a compliment. That’s because Iread The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman while writing and, believe it ornot, used the book as research for my paranormal sci-fi novel. My alienprotagonist, Dob-Dec, loves birds, and even though he isn’t impressed withhuman brains, he thinks that bird brains are very significant and intelligentfor their diminutive size. I do too. The intelligence of birds is a threadthroughout my novel, and if my book had a soundtrack, it would be the exotic, undulatingwhoop of an oropendola. As an author, I hope to have a career as varied as thesong of mockingbirds. I want every novel to have a different genre or melody.

 

And don’t get me started onthe beauty of birds. And speaking of flight, my ARC copies are flying into theinboxes of early readers, blurbing authors, and book review websites. Keep yourfingers and feathers crossed that my book garners some good peeps and chatter! Mynext newsletter flies into your inbox on July 17.

 

“Each day has a story thatdeserves to be told, because we are made of stories. I mean, scientists saythat human beings are made of atoms, but a little bird told me that we are alsomade of stories.” Eduardo Galeano

Visit Sharon Wagner Books!

 

 

 

 

Blurb Your Enthusiasm!

Book blurbs are so crucial toauthors that there’s even a book about book blurbs, and it’s calledBlurb Your Enthusiasm by Louise Wilder. Here’s a blurb for Blurb Your Enthusiasm:

 

‘Thebookiest book about books you’ll ever read – I loved it’ Lucy Mangan

 

I didn’t make up theblurb above. It’s on the book’s Amazon page. I noticed other fun facts aboutthis book:

1)    The initials spell the word BYE.

2)    When you say the initials out loud, you hear the word buy.What better word could an author hope for?

3)    Did you know that words that sound the same but are spelleddifferently and have another meaning are called homophones?

4)    The title is a take on Curb Your Enthusiasm, which is funny,too!

5)    I haven’t read the book yet.

 

Last month, I edited my book untilI was cross-eyed, sent it to my publisher with sweaty palms, and Ten16 Press formattedit into an ARC or an Advanced Reader Copy. I’ll wait by an unwound clock whileearly readers format blurbs and reviews. It’s a relief to wrap up the extensiveediting process, but knowing that errors will stick to the pages likeCockleburs is frightening.

Plus, there will be blood, as inbad reviews. I bet some of you think I have the literary world by the tail (Tailand tale is another example of a homophone!), but most debut authors feel like atadpole in an aquarium filled with sharks. It’s not the sharks that debutauthors worry about but being too small to care to devour. Gulp.

 

Look to your inbox for my nextnewsletter on June 19th, and subscribe to win!

 

Bye!

 

Sharon

 

“We read inbed because reading is halfway between life anddreaming, our own consciousness in someone else’s mind.” — Anna Quindlen

Discover more at Sharon Wagner Books!

 

My Doppelganger is Revealed!

I doubt you’ve googled me, but if you have, chances are you've found mynemesis: Sharon Blythe Wagner, author of several Nancy Drew mysteries,popular horse books, gothic romance, and other miscellaneous young adulttitles. How can I compete with such prolific publication? The other Sharon isone of the reasons I put supernatural in my title. Someday, I hope tooutrank her unless a potential upstart comes along to supersede me. If thishappens, I hope my new doppelganger writes nonfiction titles like How toTrain Your House Centipede or 365-Day Colon Cleanse. The centipedebook might have legs! 😊

 Several years ago, I received my first fan letter. For a millisecond, Ibasked in unexpected fame and glory. I did illustrate several children’s books,and that’s worthy, right? Alas, no. The young fan loved my horse books, and Ihaven’t written or illustrated any horse books. You guessed it: Sharon BlytheWagner. Damn!

 But things aren’t all bad because you can check out my first authorinterview on writer Joie Lesin’s blog. She’s the author of The Passenger, aparanormal romance set in the California wine country that’s tasty and sweet. Lookto my link party below for transportation. Thanks, Joie! She also won a ConspiracyTheory board game by being the first person to help promote my book onlineor on social media. You can win, too!

 I plan to market my butt off. So, maybe I’ll receive a real fanletter someday. And speaking of butts, since my book cover depicts images oftoilet paper and underwear, I picked the following quote to wrap things up.

 “I receiveunderwear - some clean, some not. No joke. My assistant who helps me with myfan mail constantly threatens to quit because of what we get sent.” AlexO'Loughlin

 

Look for mynext newsletter on Monday, May 22. Be sure to mark it as not spam! 

Visit Sharon Wagner Books!

Energy Book Marks!

 

My book cover is out there, and preorders launched on March 1st at Ten16 Press! I attached the paperback and hardcovers links to my little green link party. Hopefully, you’ve had time to investigate the revolving door that is my website content.

What have I learned since signing with Ten16 Press? Publishing a book is not for the squeamish. Writing a book is the easy part. Last time, I told you I felt like Vincent Van Gogh before he loped off an ear while creating my forthcoming book jacket copy. Well, painting my book cover was just as hard. As a kid, I erased holes in my drawing paper while pursuing perfection. Painting my book cover was no different. Perfection didn’t happen. But I like how the colorful and comic art reflects my supernatural story in a far-out way. I mean, who else in the history of book covers has depicted toilet paper? Perhaps, none. My book isn’t serious, it is pure entertainment, and my cover reflects that. It represents a chaotic levitation scene inside the story, and since space plays an important part, I created an energy loop amidst the stars. I’ve been fascinated with energy vortices since I saw them inscribed on an ancient rock in Panama. But I’ve seen them here, in the southwest, too.

Indeed, traveling is a theme on my blog and in my books. I hope you’ll take a literary journey with me soon!

My friend Tammie won last month’s free Conspiracy Theory game by being my first preorder sale. She was lightning fast. But thanks to everyone who ordered a copy. And thanks to Kateat Neddy Games for sending 150 bucks worth of free fun!

Now, newsletter subscribers can win free Conspiracy Theory games by sharing my bookish content on social media. Look to your inbox for my next newsletter on April 17th.

Stay tuned!

Sharon

“The image is more than an idea. It is a vortex or cluster of fused ideas and is endowed with energy.” Ezra Pound

Sharon Wagner Books

 

Candy Hearts and Book Covers

 

I’ve felt like Vincent Van Gogh before he loped off an ear, attempting to create a book jacket copy that condensed my story into a few tight yet intriguing paragraphs. Uff da lutefisk. Hard.

                                                       ***

Esme Wright can levitate objects as effortlessly as humming a tune. Except when she lands her first big break as an aspiring magician. Then, defying gravity goes horribly and embarrassingly awry.

After Esme’s failure on live television, a mysterious reunion with her childhood friend, Joseph Estrada, instigates a vortex of levitation, both frightening and bizarre. Since Joseph already fears Diablo possesses him, this new disturbance seals his sinister fate. Soon, strange signs appear, drawing them deeper into a supernatural puzzle.

Esme and Joseph must uncover the truth before a deadly levitation mishap ensues. They embark on an odyssey to unearth the secrets of their past, and what they find may change their future forever. 

Ultimately, the levitation game might be impossible to win—or survive—without answers from the stars.

                                                                     ***

Last month, Michelle B. won two Conspiracy Theory board games worth fifty bucks with the correct answer: Coast to Coast AM. She has a sweet-smelling, seasonal shop on Etsy called Catnap Botanicals.

My book cover is out there! Please view my website for details. Preorders for The Levitation Game will open on March 1st at Ten16 Press. But the book launch is still a few months away. Tweaking and tinkering of all bookish content are ongoing. The first newsletter subscriber to tell me they have preordered my book will receive a free Conspiracy Theory game!

I need early readers willing to post reviews and volunteer proofreaders. If that sounds like fun, email me at sharonwagnerstudios@gmail.com. 

Look to your inbox for my next newsletter on Monday, March 20th. I’ll talk about what inspired my cover art.

Me + You (My greeting and closing are from candy hearts!)

Sharon

“Yeast is to flour as action is to ambition. Rising to success requires adding and alternating starters.”

Sharon Wagner Books