Nicki Elson's Blog, page 11
July 1, 2015
Insecure Writers Support Group: Growing Up
Y'know what? I don't really feel like talking about writing today. I'm nothing if not ADD, and at least one of those D's has taken my mind temporarily in other directions. Would you like to see my current creative obsession? As of my son's 18th birthday this coming fall, my house will have ALL adults living in it. So I adultified the kids' bathroom.
But I reject the idea that being adult means having no fun, so the under-the-sea theme stays.
The guest room is getting a grown-up fairy tale theme. I blame the froggie prince.
Creative minds can't stay locked on words and manuscripts all the time, right? Sometimes they need to break free and express themselves in paint and accessorizing ... and maybe even crafting window treatments out of ribbons instead of curtains.
Where do your creative energies flow when you're not writing?
This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as Insecure Writers Support Group, founded by the one and clonely Alex J. Cavanaugh.
But I reject the idea that being adult means having no fun, so the under-the-sea theme stays.
The guest room is getting a grown-up fairy tale theme. I blame the froggie prince.
Creative minds can't stay locked on words and manuscripts all the time, right? Sometimes they need to break free and express themselves in paint and accessorizing ... and maybe even crafting window treatments out of ribbons instead of curtains.
Where do your creative energies flow when you're not writing?
This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as Insecure Writers Support Group, founded by the one and clonely Alex J. Cavanaugh.
June 17, 2015
A Super Awesome Summer Playlist
Hey gang! I'm going to start posting links to my monthly newsletter at my blog. If you'd like to have Nicki's News delivered right to your very own in-box, you can sign up here. This month I'm sharing a super awesome summer playlist plus 5 things that are real in VIBRIZZIO & 5 things I WISH were real.
Read Nicki's News for June 2015(or click on the stack o' tapes to go directly to the awesome playlist)
On a total side note - have you seen JURASSIC WORLD yet? I just did last night & it's soooo good. So, so, so good. When my kids were toddlers they'd watch our VHS tape of JURASSIC PARK over and over and over again, so it was super fun to sit w/ them as almost-adults to watch this proper sequel. I thought it did a great job of being fresh while still giving nods to the original. I already want to go see it again.
Read Nicki's News for June 2015(or click on the stack o' tapes to go directly to the awesome playlist)
On a total side note - have you seen JURASSIC WORLD yet? I just did last night & it's soooo good. So, so, so good. When my kids were toddlers they'd watch our VHS tape of JURASSIC PARK over and over and over again, so it was super fun to sit w/ them as almost-adults to watch this proper sequel. I thought it did a great job of being fresh while still giving nods to the original. I already want to go see it again.
June 3, 2015
Another story on the never-give-up front: Susie Salom #IWSG:
Some of us first met Susie Salom as as the Girl Wizard. She's also Suze from the former Subliminal Coffee blog. (You can now find her on Twitter as @Susie_Salom.) Those of you who kept up on her blog were let in on many of the trials and triumphs of her writing journey. In case you haven't heard, here's the latest triumph---and it's a big one:
THIS was announced a few weeks ago.Scroll down at the link to see Susie's pretty face and read the details of the big announcement in Publisher's Weekly: Cheryl Klein at Scholastic's Arthur A. Levine Books has acquired world rights to Kyle Constantini Finds Her Way, a middle-grade novel by debut author Susie Salom.
Hooray!!! This absolutely wouldn't have happened if Suze had let earlier discouragements kill her dream and belief in herself. She's truly a testament to never giving up. I asked if she'd share a bit about her writing story, and this is the wisdom she poured forth:
From Susie Salon:
I wrote a women's fic piece and didn't submit it because I knew it wasn't pub-worthy. It was more a practice manuscript. Then I wrote another women's fic piece, a coming-of-age piece and a third women's fic piece. Over the course of five years, I wrote the three, queried two of them and took two of them to conferences. I had partial requests that turned into fulls that got looped into the revise and resubmit turnstile until my heart felt it wouldn't survive another round. But then came the MG piece. And after that, things happened fast. Why? Because everything was clicking. It was the sweet confluence of variables in which the story got into the hands of an agent who got what I was trying to do and then into the hands of an editor who was looking for something like this for her list. If anything, it was mostly a matter of staying true to the kind of writing I wanted to put out there and just waiting for everything to come together to nail the moving target.
And that's what I would want every writer to keep in mind. There's no such thing as a rejection. That's toxic semantics. Disassociate that word from the valid and personally-meaningful work you are doing because what you're looking for is your moment. It's the opening you're believing is going to present itself and for which you're staying ready. Because the universe doesn't play favorites, it just plays fast and hard and you've gotta keep your wits about you and be ready to leap--and keep on leaping--when your diving board swings into view.
Tingles on the Ferris Buellerish final sentence, right? I'm so happy this latest leap took her sky high. CONGRATULATIONS, Girl Wizard!
This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as Insecure Writers Support Group, founded by the one and clonely Alex J. Cavanaugh.
THIS was announced a few weeks ago.Scroll down at the link to see Susie's pretty face and read the details of the big announcement in Publisher's Weekly: Cheryl Klein at Scholastic's Arthur A. Levine Books has acquired world rights to Kyle Constantini Finds Her Way, a middle-grade novel by debut author Susie Salom.
Hooray!!! This absolutely wouldn't have happened if Suze had let earlier discouragements kill her dream and belief in herself. She's truly a testament to never giving up. I asked if she'd share a bit about her writing story, and this is the wisdom she poured forth:
From Susie Salon:
I wrote a women's fic piece and didn't submit it because I knew it wasn't pub-worthy. It was more a practice manuscript. Then I wrote another women's fic piece, a coming-of-age piece and a third women's fic piece. Over the course of five years, I wrote the three, queried two of them and took two of them to conferences. I had partial requests that turned into fulls that got looped into the revise and resubmit turnstile until my heart felt it wouldn't survive another round. But then came the MG piece. And after that, things happened fast. Why? Because everything was clicking. It was the sweet confluence of variables in which the story got into the hands of an agent who got what I was trying to do and then into the hands of an editor who was looking for something like this for her list. If anything, it was mostly a matter of staying true to the kind of writing I wanted to put out there and just waiting for everything to come together to nail the moving target.
And that's what I would want every writer to keep in mind. There's no such thing as a rejection. That's toxic semantics. Disassociate that word from the valid and personally-meaningful work you are doing because what you're looking for is your moment. It's the opening you're believing is going to present itself and for which you're staying ready. Because the universe doesn't play favorites, it just plays fast and hard and you've gotta keep your wits about you and be ready to leap--and keep on leaping--when your diving board swings into view.
Tingles on the Ferris Buellerish final sentence, right? I'm so happy this latest leap took her sky high. CONGRATULATIONS, Girl Wizard!
This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as Insecure Writers Support Group, founded by the one and clonely Alex J. Cavanaugh.May 26, 2015
Popping the bubbly for the ultimate forbidden romance: SAVING EVANGELINE by @Nancee_Cain
Congrats to Nancee Cain, who's debut novel, SAVING EVANGELINE, is out today! It's already getting great reviews. I asked Nancee my favorite release day question: If you had to choose one song that best captures the essence of SAVING EVANGELINE, what would it be and why? Here's what she said:
"Given to Fly" by Pearl Jam because of its feeling of being down, persecuted and yet rising above it to live and love and finally being free.
Such a cool song!
Evangeline is the town pariah. Everyone knows she’s crazy and responsible for the death of her last boyfriend. Even her mother left her and moved cross-country. Lonely and desperate, Evie decides to end her life.
Rogue angel Remiel longs to return to earth. There’s just one problem. He tends to invite trouble and hasn’t been back since Woodstock. The Boss sends him to save Evangeline, but there’s a catch. He can’t reveal his angelic nature and must complete the task as Father Remiel Blackson.
Forced together on a cross-country trip, a forbidden romance ignites and love unfolds. A host of heavenly messengers try to intervene, but Remiel and Evangeline are headed on a collision course to disaster. Will his love save her, or will they both be lost forever?
Links:Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Goodreads
Join Nancy at the Confess Your Love of Romance Novels Facebook event
on Sunday, June 7 from 2-4pm
May 25, 2015
Hmm, what music goes with humorous dark tales of human behavior? Congrats @NickPWilford on this fabulous collection!
The marvelous Nick Wilford has a release today! A CHANGE OF MIND AND OTHER STORIES is a collection of short speculative fiction. If you read any of Nick's flash fic during A to Z, you know he's a wizard with words. We're all in for a treat with this brand new collection of stories with a twisted edge.
SPECIAL RELEASE DAY PRICE: Only 99 cents!
Nick took time out of his busy schedule to answer one, simple question for me:
Me: If you had to pick one song that best captures the essence of A CHANGE OF MIND AND OTHER STORIES, what would it be and why?
Nick: I don't normally write with music in mind, but I kept coming back to Radiohead's "Karma Police". Apart from being a great song, I think the lyrics fit with my novella quite well. The chorus to me means "this is what you get if you mess with who we are, i.e. try to be someone you're not" ... and of course Reuben "lost himself" too!
Nick: It's quite an odd but cool little video. For an extra fun fact, the frontman Thom Yorke, who was the only band member to appear in the video, almost died of carbon monoxide poisoning from sitting in the car...
Blurb:A Change of Mind and Other Stories consists of a novella, four short stories and one flash fiction piece. This collection puts the extremes of human behaviour under the microscope with the help of lashings of dark humour, and includes four pieces previously published in Writer’s Muse magazine.
In A Change of Mind, Reuben is an office worker so meek and mild he puts up with daily bullying from his boorish male colleagues as if it’s just a normal part of his day. But when a stranger points him in the direction of a surgeon offering a revolutionary new procedure, he can’t pass up the chance to turn his life around.
But this isn’t your average surgeon. For a start, he operates alone in a small room above a mechanic’s. And he promises to alter his patients’ personality so they can be anything they want to be…
In Marissa, a man who is determined to find evidence of his girlfriend’s infidelity ends up wondering if he should have left well alone.
The Dog God finds a chink in the armour of a man with a megalomaniacal desire to take over the world.
In The Insomniac, a man who leads an obsessively regimented lifestyle on one hour’s sleep a night finds a disruption to his routine doesn’t work for him.
Hole In One sees a dedicated golfer achieving a lifelong ambition.
The Loner ends the collection on a note of hope as two family members try to rebuild their lives after they are torn apart by jealousy.
Purchase Links:Amazon US / Amazon UK / Smashwords / Barnes & Noble / KOBOSnatch it up at 99 cent Release Day pricing TODAY only
add to your list at Goodreads
Meet the author:
Nick Wilford is a writer and stay-at-home dad. Once a journalist, he now makes use of those rare times when the house is quiet to explore the realms of fiction, with a little freelance editing and formatting thrown in. When not working he can usually be found spending time with his family or cleaning something. He has four short stories published in Writer’s Muse magazine. Nick is also the editor of Overcoming Adversity: An Anthology for Andrew. Visit him at his blog or connect with him on Twitter or Goodreads.
SPECIAL RELEASE DAY PRICE: Only 99 cents!
Nick took time out of his busy schedule to answer one, simple question for me:
Me: If you had to pick one song that best captures the essence of A CHANGE OF MIND AND OTHER STORIES, what would it be and why?
Nick: I don't normally write with music in mind, but I kept coming back to Radiohead's "Karma Police". Apart from being a great song, I think the lyrics fit with my novella quite well. The chorus to me means "this is what you get if you mess with who we are, i.e. try to be someone you're not" ... and of course Reuben "lost himself" too!
Nick: It's quite an odd but cool little video. For an extra fun fact, the frontman Thom Yorke, who was the only band member to appear in the video, almost died of carbon monoxide poisoning from sitting in the car...
Blurb:A Change of Mind and Other Stories consists of a novella, four short stories and one flash fiction piece. This collection puts the extremes of human behaviour under the microscope with the help of lashings of dark humour, and includes four pieces previously published in Writer’s Muse magazine.
In A Change of Mind, Reuben is an office worker so meek and mild he puts up with daily bullying from his boorish male colleagues as if it’s just a normal part of his day. But when a stranger points him in the direction of a surgeon offering a revolutionary new procedure, he can’t pass up the chance to turn his life around.
But this isn’t your average surgeon. For a start, he operates alone in a small room above a mechanic’s. And he promises to alter his patients’ personality so they can be anything they want to be…
In Marissa, a man who is determined to find evidence of his girlfriend’s infidelity ends up wondering if he should have left well alone.
The Dog God finds a chink in the armour of a man with a megalomaniacal desire to take over the world.
In The Insomniac, a man who leads an obsessively regimented lifestyle on one hour’s sleep a night finds a disruption to his routine doesn’t work for him.
Hole In One sees a dedicated golfer achieving a lifelong ambition.
The Loner ends the collection on a note of hope as two family members try to rebuild their lives after they are torn apart by jealousy.
Purchase Links:Amazon US / Amazon UK / Smashwords / Barnes & Noble / KOBOSnatch it up at 99 cent Release Day pricing TODAY only
add to your list at Goodreads
Meet the author:
Nick Wilford is a writer and stay-at-home dad. Once a journalist, he now makes use of those rare times when the house is quiet to explore the realms of fiction, with a little freelance editing and formatting thrown in. When not working he can usually be found spending time with his family or cleaning something. He has four short stories published in Writer’s Muse magazine. Nick is also the editor of Overcoming Adversity: An Anthology for Andrew. Visit him at his blog or connect with him on Twitter or Goodreads.May 20, 2015
High Tea at Liz Blocker's
I'd be ever so delighted if you'd join Lady Liz Blocker and me at her esteemed blog for a spot of tea and an exclusive excerpt in which I'm told LOL's are to be had.
You can find us here.
You can also stop by My Crazy Corner's Romance Blogfest to learn how VIBRIZZIO all began.
May 12, 2015
Popping the Bubbly for TROUBLE ME by @BeckAndersonID
TROUBLE ME, the much anticipated sequel to RITA nominee FIX YOU by Beck Anderson, releases today! Congrats to Beck, a really cool person and a gifted writer of realistic romance that tugs at the heart in all the right places.Read the blurb below and then scroll down to listen to the most righteous 80's tune of the same title---which isn't an accident. Beck has always loves the lyrics of the song, and they fit nicely with the emotion of TROUBLE ME, the novel.
In Fix You, movie star Andrew Pettigrew (Andy to his fans, Andrew to his friends) somehow found the level-headed love he was looking for in young widow and “regular girl” Kelly Reynolds. Now, as they work to mesh their growing relationship with his gold-statue ambitions, things go a bit sideways, in true Hollywood fashion.
Though they’re still wonderfully in love, it’s challenge enough for Andrew and Kelly to decipher what it means to be a family—and a growing family at that—between takes on set. But Andrew also brings history with a temperamental co-star, assorted paparazzi, and someone out there who has serious, perhaps obsessive, issues with him into the mix. Suddenly the Reynolds-Pettigrew clan must fight not just to stay together, but to stay safe.
In Trouble Me, the sequel to Fix You and third novel from Rita finalist Beck Anderson, Kelly and Andrew struggle to stay sane within their whirlwind life. It’s a life that’s equal parts amazing and amusing, less glamorous than you might expect, and spiked with very real fears no amount of stardom can overcome.
Will Andrew and Kelly stay strong at the broken places or be torn apart?
Find all the linkage to purchase at Simon & Schuster.
May 6, 2015
Patience, Persistence, and Prevailing #IWSG
Well, well, well, here we are again. Welcome to the May 2015 edition of Insecure Writer's Support Group, brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh.
I keep blah blahhing over a little intro to this month's post, but I've been writing for nearly 12 hours straight for my day job and I appear to have used up my daily quota for decent words. So here, go read this guy's words. They're not only reassuring, they're inspiring. "Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner's reassuring Life Advice for Struggling Artists.
The article caused me to think harder about some words I heard spoken by a talented young woman on the speech team with my son. These are from Dolly Parton's book, Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You.
"Do not confuse dreams with wishes. There is a difference. Dreams are where you visualize yourself being successful at what's important to you to accomplish. And dreams build convictions. Because you work hard to pay the price to make sure that they come true. Wishes are hoping that good things will happen to you. With wishes, there is no fire in your gut, pushing you to the limit to overcome every obstacle to reach your heart's desire."
Matthew Weiner is a dreamer. I'd like to be, but I think I fall too often into the wisher category. Hey, sometimes wishing works---for example, right now I'm in the midst of a blog tour for my new release, VIBRIZZIO and the reviews have been really, really good. :) Here are some of my favorites so far:
"It was fast, fun and flirty. And the best part, it was funny!!"~Confessions of a Perfect Mom
"Vibrizzio is a fun yet insightful story that frequently had me smirking." Books and Bindings
"The characters are charming, the story is engaging, and the pacing is absolutely spot on!"My Book Addiction
(hehe, some of you may be interested in the giveaway at the book blogger links)
But it looks like the dreamer part of me will have to kick in to get the Amazon rankings to follow suit. Or maybe the situation is that I'm a dreamer when it comes to writing, but only a wisher when it comes to sales. Hmm...
How about you---where do you fall on the dreamer/wisher spectrum?
I keep blah blahhing over a little intro to this month's post, but I've been writing for nearly 12 hours straight for my day job and I appear to have used up my daily quota for decent words. So here, go read this guy's words. They're not only reassuring, they're inspiring. "Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner's reassuring Life Advice for Struggling Artists.
The article caused me to think harder about some words I heard spoken by a talented young woman on the speech team with my son. These are from Dolly Parton's book, Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You.
"Do not confuse dreams with wishes. There is a difference. Dreams are where you visualize yourself being successful at what's important to you to accomplish. And dreams build convictions. Because you work hard to pay the price to make sure that they come true. Wishes are hoping that good things will happen to you. With wishes, there is no fire in your gut, pushing you to the limit to overcome every obstacle to reach your heart's desire."
Matthew Weiner is a dreamer. I'd like to be, but I think I fall too often into the wisher category. Hey, sometimes wishing works---for example, right now I'm in the midst of a blog tour for my new release, VIBRIZZIO and the reviews have been really, really good. :) Here are some of my favorites so far:
"It was fast, fun and flirty. And the best part, it was funny!!"~Confessions of a Perfect Mom
"Vibrizzio is a fun yet insightful story that frequently had me smirking." Books and Bindings
"The characters are charming, the story is engaging, and the pacing is absolutely spot on!"My Book Addiction
(hehe, some of you may be interested in the giveaway at the book blogger links)
But it looks like the dreamer part of me will have to kick in to get the Amazon rankings to follow suit. Or maybe the situation is that I'm a dreamer when it comes to writing, but only a wisher when it comes to sales. Hmm...
How about you---where do you fall on the dreamer/wisher spectrum?
April 24, 2015
Are there sex scenes in your future? Y'might want to read this...
I don't know why they keep letting me back on there, but Savvy Authors has again invited me over. This time I'm talking sex. More explicitly, my topic is: How to Write Explicit Sex Scenes Without Being Raunchy or Ridiculous
Please stop by if you've got sex in your future. I mean sex scenes. That you write.
Speaking of sex scenes that are only ridiculous when I want them to be, I got word from my publisher that VIBRIZZIO's Kindle price will go up this weekend. So if you'd like to pick it up for a cool 99 cents, you can do that right here...but only for today. (Those of you waiting for Nook or Kobo formats should be in luck by Monday.)
VIBRIZZIO is only 99 cents for ONE MORE DAY!
Lyssa Bates doesn't need a man. Not while the world is fully stocked with double A batteries and a wide array of options in Amazon's health and sexual wellness category.
April 21, 2015
Sex and the City Meets Walter Mitty @SwoonRomance
VIBRIZZIO is heeeeeeere!How appropriate to have a release on R day of the A to Z Challenge.
VIBRIZZIO at Amazon
The official blog tour starts next week, but today on VIBRZZIO's first day out the world, I've got a mini-tour of sorts happening. First, stop by Michael Di Gesu's for one of his famous, original intros. I've no idea what he cooked up this time. I'm a little nervous...
Then catch a glimpse of VIBRIZZIO at the e-homes of these lovely people (get some delightful manly reactions to the Vibster's premise along the way):
Alex J. Cavannaugh Arlee BirdL. Diane WolfeJennifer LaneRumer HavenEarly Reviews at Goodreads
I know there are more of you & I'm sorry if you're missing from the list - when I catch ya, I'll add you. For anyone else who's willing to help me spread the word, I'd love it if you'd simply visit one of my social networking profiles & Share, reTweet, Like, and/or Favorite what you see:
By Nicki Elson on Facebook
@NickiElson3D at Twitter
nicki_elson on Instagram
Thank you!!!!!
Lyssa Bates doesn’t need a man. Not when the world is fully-stocked with double A batteries (long-lasting) and a wide array of options in Amazon’s health and sexual wellness category. Thank the gods of Internet ordering.
After yet another failed relationship, the twenty-six-year-old investment analyst is convinced that real guys aren’t ever going to live up to her expectations—so why should she bother with them when the only thing standing between her and her next mind-blowing O is the case in which she keeps Vibrizzio? Yep. She gave it a name. An Italian name!
She’s determined to keep her dating life purely electronic...though she occasionally fantasizes about Hayden King, the delicious new associate she just got partnered with at work.
While Lyssa manages her romantic risks by deleting men from of the equation, the ever-charming Hayden protects his heart by diversifying his love life across multiple women.
As the two young professionals travel together around the country for business, their flirty working relationship develops into a close friendship that hurtles toward something more.
Between hot tub confessions in Baltimore, an accidental kiss in Dallas, and an all-nighter in Chicago, Hayden proves himself to be better than any fantasy, and Vibrizzio's days may finally be numbered.
VIBRIZZIO at Amazon
The official blog tour starts next week, but today on VIBRZZIO's first day out the world, I've got a mini-tour of sorts happening. First, stop by Michael Di Gesu's for one of his famous, original intros. I've no idea what he cooked up this time. I'm a little nervous...
Then catch a glimpse of VIBRIZZIO at the e-homes of these lovely people (get some delightful manly reactions to the Vibster's premise along the way):
Alex J. Cavannaugh Arlee BirdL. Diane WolfeJennifer LaneRumer HavenEarly Reviews at Goodreads
I know there are more of you & I'm sorry if you're missing from the list - when I catch ya, I'll add you. For anyone else who's willing to help me spread the word, I'd love it if you'd simply visit one of my social networking profiles & Share, reTweet, Like, and/or Favorite what you see:
By Nicki Elson on Facebook
@NickiElson3D at Twitter
nicki_elson on Instagram
Thank you!!!!!
Lyssa Bates doesn’t need a man. Not when the world is fully-stocked with double A batteries (long-lasting) and a wide array of options in Amazon’s health and sexual wellness category. Thank the gods of Internet ordering.
After yet another failed relationship, the twenty-six-year-old investment analyst is convinced that real guys aren’t ever going to live up to her expectations—so why should she bother with them when the only thing standing between her and her next mind-blowing O is the case in which she keeps Vibrizzio? Yep. She gave it a name. An Italian name!
She’s determined to keep her dating life purely electronic...though she occasionally fantasizes about Hayden King, the delicious new associate she just got partnered with at work.
While Lyssa manages her romantic risks by deleting men from of the equation, the ever-charming Hayden protects his heart by diversifying his love life across multiple women.
As the two young professionals travel together around the country for business, their flirty working relationship develops into a close friendship that hurtles toward something more.
Between hot tub confessions in Baltimore, an accidental kiss in Dallas, and an all-nighter in Chicago, Hayden proves himself to be better than any fantasy, and Vibrizzio's days may finally be numbered.
