Liz DeJesus's Blog, page 45
October 18, 2012
Shattered Frost
Steampunk Snow White by *MarcelPerez on deviantART
Nothing to do with what I'm writing. It's just a badass picture that I wanted to share. :D
Steampunk Alice in Wonderland by *MarcelPerez on deviantART
See, Hear, and Speak No Evil by ~faidoi on deviantART
6289 / 50000 words. 13% done!
October 17, 2012
Glass Frost ~ Excerpt
Modern Snow White by *Nika-N on deviantART
“Amazing,” she whispered. There were vertical rows of vines, rosettes, and snowflakes carved into the walls of the cottage. The furniture rose up from the floor. Almost as if the chairs, tables, and other pieces of furniture had sprouted from the ground.
It’s like instead of a typical tree, it decided to turn into a chair, table, trunk, and whatever the cottage needed. Crazy! This must’ve taken them forever to accomplish.
The dwarf pulled a red handkerchief out of his back pocket, dusted off the couch, and asked her to have a seat. He called his brothers once more. He then muttered something about them being hard of hearing when he needed their attention the most.
“Mr. Dwarf,” she said.
When he heard her call him that, he snapped his head toward her. Now she had his attention. He furrowed his brows in confusion.
“My name is Knox. You know that,” he said.
He walked up to Bianca, reached out to touch her face, and then pulled his hand away. Bianca reached out for his hand and placed it on her cheek. His eyes became watery with the threat of tears as he gently studied her forehead, cheeks, and chin.
“You’re not her,” he whispered. His face fell and he walked away.
She let out a long, drawn out sigh. This was what she had been afraid of. The last thing she wanted was to get the dwarves’ hopes up and then let them down by not being Snow White.
© Liz DeJesus 2012
October 15, 2012
A Buckeye Girl Reads
New review of First Frost!
What I loved most about this book was that Bianca was such a normal teenager! She and her friend Ming are there for each other, and I loved her when things got tough they both knew each others breaking points. I also loved how the romance in this book was gradual and I loved that it surprised me . The setting of the fariy tale realm was great-I loved how there wasn't a lot of info dumping and I felt like I was experiencing it with Bianca and Ming instead of being confused. While I thought the parts of the book where a tad unbelievable, most of the book had me cheering Bianca on. The ending made me think that there is a possibility for a second book, and I really hope that there this! I really look forward to reading more by this author.
Read the rest here.
What I loved most about this book was that Bianca was such a normal teenager! She and her friend Ming are there for each other, and I loved her when things got tough they both knew each others breaking points. I also loved how the romance in this book was gradual and I loved that it surprised me . The setting of the fariy tale realm was great-I loved how there wasn't a lot of info dumping and I felt like I was experiencing it with Bianca and Ming instead of being confused. While I thought the parts of the book where a tad unbelievable, most of the book had me cheering Bianca on. The ending made me think that there is a possibility for a second book, and I really hope that there this! I really look forward to reading more by this author.
Read the rest here.
October 13, 2012
Shattered Frost
Alice and the Mad Hatter by ~jasminetoad on deviantART
Mad Tea Party by ~Gurololi on deviantART
Time for Tea by *LittleGeeky on deviantART
5649 / 50000 words. 11% done!
October 12, 2012
Children are the Keys to the Future By Sharon Ledwith
And now, children are the only hope for our past.
Sharon Ledwith is a brand new, uber talented author you definitely want to read. Her writing is YA, but pleases readers from every generation are sure to enjoy The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis.
BLURB:
When Amanda Sault and her four classmates are caught in a major food fight at school, they are given the choice of suspension or yard duty. It was a no-brainer. A two-week crash course in landscaping leads the kids to discover a weathered stone arch buried in an overgrown backyard. Instead of a forgotten lawn ornament, it turns out to be an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis. Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers—legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from an evil force—the five children, along with two offbeat adults, are sent on the adventure of their lives to save the Earth from an uncertain future. The Timekeepers’ first mission lands them in England in 1214, where they must find an adolescent Robin Hood and his band of merry teens before history is turned upside-down.
EXCERPT:
Amanda Sault silently studied the words she just scrawled: May 1st, 1214—Games and songs and revelry, act as the cloak of devilry. So that an English legend may give to the poor, we must travel to Nottingham to even the score.
She frowned. She was the Scribe. Amanda knew that meant she was supposed to understand what this riddle meant. But she didn’t have a clue. All she knew was that she, her four annoying classmates, and two offbeat adults were standing in what was left of the lost continent of Atlantis and they were supposed to be the Timekeepers, the legendary time travelers handpicked by destiny to keep Earth’s history safe from evil. But no one had told them how they were supposed to do it.
Their problem: no matter what happened—good or bad—they weren’t supposed to mess with the past. Period. Dot. End of story. Amanda felt hot liquid build in her throat. Her thumb traced the words of the arcane riddle. Their first Timekeeper mission. Amanda knew this wasn’t the end of the story.
This was just the beginning.
Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/YA time travel series, The Last Timekeepers. Book one, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, debuted May 18 from Musa Publishing. To read more about the book, or purchase, please click HERE . Keep up with Amanda and the world of The Last Timekeepers series on Facebook .
When not writing or digging up the past, Sharon enjoys reading, yoga, kayaking, time with family and friends, and single malt scotch. She lives in the wilds of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, a water-logged yellow Labrador and moody calico cat.
Visit Sharon on her blog and Facebook . She is only a tweet away. Feel Free to click HERE .
Character development
Another important thing when writing....your characters. Especially your main character but you have to keep in mind that the secondary characters are just as important. Even the ones that pop in unannounced in the background. It just makes for a richer story.
You don't necessarily have come up with an entire back story on them but like everything in life, people show up for a reason.
Bianca is so much more than just a bunch of random descriptions. For example, she has black hair, pale skin and ice blue eyes. But that's not all there is to her. You have to ask yourself questions such as:
What's her favorite color? Purple.
Favorite type of music? Indie, alternative, punk and rock.
Pet peeves? People chewing with their mouths open.
Chocolate or sour patch kids? Both...but not at the same time.
Toast or cereal? Toast with butter and a tall glass of chocolate milk.
Favorite places? The library and the bookstore.
Favorite quotes? 'That is twenty different kinds of crazy.' ~ Ming Lee.
Dreams? Of having a life of her own.
Greatest fears? Someone getting hurt or killed because of a mistake she made.
Etc. (You get the idea)
You're creating a person out of thin air...that has for the most part taken up all of the free space you have in your brain. I also made Bianca nearsighted. She needs to wear glasses to see things that are far away. She hates wearing them and refuses to wear contacts. It's an on going joke throughout the series, but you never know...it may come in handy one day. :)
What are some things you do when creating a character?
You don't necessarily have come up with an entire back story on them but like everything in life, people show up for a reason.
Bianca is so much more than just a bunch of random descriptions. For example, she has black hair, pale skin and ice blue eyes. But that's not all there is to her. You have to ask yourself questions such as:
What's her favorite color? Purple.
Favorite type of music? Indie, alternative, punk and rock.
Pet peeves? People chewing with their mouths open.
Chocolate or sour patch kids? Both...but not at the same time.
Toast or cereal? Toast with butter and a tall glass of chocolate milk.
Favorite places? The library and the bookstore.
Favorite quotes? 'That is twenty different kinds of crazy.' ~ Ming Lee.
Dreams? Of having a life of her own.
Greatest fears? Someone getting hurt or killed because of a mistake she made.
Etc. (You get the idea)
You're creating a person out of thin air...that has for the most part taken up all of the free space you have in your brain. I also made Bianca nearsighted. She needs to wear glasses to see things that are far away. She hates wearing them and refuses to wear contacts. It's an on going joke throughout the series, but you never know...it may come in handy one day. :)
What are some things you do when creating a character?
October 10, 2012
Something Wicked
Started writing a new short story for an upcoming anthology with my new guild (still smile every time I say guild).
It's possibly going to be tied in to the Bianca Frost novels. Sort of a prequel to Glass Frost. *shrugs* Who knows where it will go. I'm a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda writer. I just follow my characters and hope that they'll take me somewhere interesting. :D
Diamonds and Toads Acrylic by *Carliihde on deviantART
Diamonds and Toads by ~AnitaSR on deviantART
The Effects of a Sweet Nature by ~hannahbird on deviantART
621 / 10000 words. 6% done!
It's possibly going to be tied in to the Bianca Frost novels. Sort of a prequel to Glass Frost. *shrugs* Who knows where it will go. I'm a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda writer. I just follow my characters and hope that they'll take me somewhere interesting. :D
Diamonds and Toads Acrylic by *Carliihde on deviantART
Diamonds and Toads by ~AnitaSR on deviantART
The Effects of a Sweet Nature by ~hannahbird on deviantART
621 / 10000 words. 6% done!
Writing, life and everything in between
Okay...I get asked this question A LOT.
How do I write with two children in the house?
While my system isn't perfect (I don't write every day) it works for me. So hopefully there are a few tips in here you can use to your advantage.
I start the morning at around 8-8:30 AM. If my boys are still asleep I sneak into the study and write. Even if it's to type in a few ideas or transfer a few notes into my computer I at least got that tiny bit done.
By the time 9 O'Clock rolls around my children are officially awake. So that means diapers get changed, little boys are sitting on the potty, breakfast, cartoons, bribes are made, time outs are handed out and before I know it...I look at the clock and it's 11 AM. By this point my kids have finally settled on a cartoon (my youngest is sitting in the playpen gnawing on a toy and my oldest is sitting on the couch). But no worries, while I was feeding them breakfast and changind diapers I was still writing. It's all in my head...which means I have to hurry and write it down before I forget but still...I have a story which is the important thing.
I do a lot of thinking and plotting while I'm doing mundane chores around the house. When I'm doing laundry...I'm really thinking about character description. When I'm washing the dishes I'm thinking about witty conversations between Bianca and Ming. When I'm driving I'm thinking about what dreams Bianca is having while she's staying in Everafter. I finally get a chance to do actual writing while I'm sitting in the parking lot waiting to drop off my son at school. And even more writing if I'm lucky and Peter has taken a nap while Mason is in school. That's 3 whole hours all to myself!
One thing that does suffer is the house work. Because I've spent all the time writing, I didn't vacuum the carpet or dust, or put the kids' toys away...or fold their clothes. But the good news is that I figured out my way out of chapter 5 and I wrote almost 2,000 words worth in three hours. :D
Before I know it, it's time to pack up Peter and pick up Mason from preschool. And what am I doing while I sit in the parking lot? You got it...I'm writing. 10-15 minutes worth of writing amounts to 3 pages in my notebook. I don't waste any time at all.
Then it's time to give my son's their snacks, change diapers, sit Mason in the potty, watch cartoons or play video games because that's Mason's favorite thing to do...make ME play. And once more I'm living inside my head mapping out more of my novel. Now before you assume that I'm not emotionally present with my children or give them my full attention, you are greatly mistaken. I am able to set my writing aside to be there for my children. It's just that I'm able to multitask certain things in my mind. I also take my kids to the park, the mall, read books with them, color (if they feel like it) and any other activity they are interested in at that moment.
Let's not forget dinner (my least favorite task), because I also have a husband to take care of too. :) Then it's a whole new set of things to take care of. Dinner for the family, take care of the dirty dishes, bath time (myself included), checking facebook (excesively), emails, and then at around 8PM I ask my hubby to take over with the boys and I get a little writing done. Then at 10PM Mason is asleep, Pete is still running around because he's a baby and doesn't understand the concept of sleep (he's a very energetic 1 year old) and by 11PM my day is officially done.
Time for sleep...and then the following day I get to do it all over again.
How do I write with two children in the house?
While my system isn't perfect (I don't write every day) it works for me. So hopefully there are a few tips in here you can use to your advantage.
I start the morning at around 8-8:30 AM. If my boys are still asleep I sneak into the study and write. Even if it's to type in a few ideas or transfer a few notes into my computer I at least got that tiny bit done.
By the time 9 O'Clock rolls around my children are officially awake. So that means diapers get changed, little boys are sitting on the potty, breakfast, cartoons, bribes are made, time outs are handed out and before I know it...I look at the clock and it's 11 AM. By this point my kids have finally settled on a cartoon (my youngest is sitting in the playpen gnawing on a toy and my oldest is sitting on the couch). But no worries, while I was feeding them breakfast and changind diapers I was still writing. It's all in my head...which means I have to hurry and write it down before I forget but still...I have a story which is the important thing.
I do a lot of thinking and plotting while I'm doing mundane chores around the house. When I'm doing laundry...I'm really thinking about character description. When I'm washing the dishes I'm thinking about witty conversations between Bianca and Ming. When I'm driving I'm thinking about what dreams Bianca is having while she's staying in Everafter. I finally get a chance to do actual writing while I'm sitting in the parking lot waiting to drop off my son at school. And even more writing if I'm lucky and Peter has taken a nap while Mason is in school. That's 3 whole hours all to myself!
One thing that does suffer is the house work. Because I've spent all the time writing, I didn't vacuum the carpet or dust, or put the kids' toys away...or fold their clothes. But the good news is that I figured out my way out of chapter 5 and I wrote almost 2,000 words worth in three hours. :D
Before I know it, it's time to pack up Peter and pick up Mason from preschool. And what am I doing while I sit in the parking lot? You got it...I'm writing. 10-15 minutes worth of writing amounts to 3 pages in my notebook. I don't waste any time at all.
Then it's time to give my son's their snacks, change diapers, sit Mason in the potty, watch cartoons or play video games because that's Mason's favorite thing to do...make ME play. And once more I'm living inside my head mapping out more of my novel. Now before you assume that I'm not emotionally present with my children or give them my full attention, you are greatly mistaken. I am able to set my writing aside to be there for my children. It's just that I'm able to multitask certain things in my mind. I also take my kids to the park, the mall, read books with them, color (if they feel like it) and any other activity they are interested in at that moment.
Let's not forget dinner (my least favorite task), because I also have a husband to take care of too. :) Then it's a whole new set of things to take care of. Dinner for the family, take care of the dirty dishes, bath time (myself included), checking facebook (excesively), emails, and then at around 8PM I ask my hubby to take over with the boys and I get a little writing done. Then at 10PM Mason is asleep, Pete is still running around because he's a baby and doesn't understand the concept of sleep (he's a very energetic 1 year old) and by 11PM my day is officially done.
Time for sleep...and then the following day I get to do it all over again.
