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Diana Murdock's Blog, page 4
August 9, 2012
Orangeberry Virtual Book Tour
Please join me there and take a look at the great questions that were presented to me! Here is the link:
http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot....
See you there!
July 18, 2012
CRAZY S**T MY BOYS OBSESS ABOUT – THE SLENDERMAN
Truth – for the most part we use our internal radar to weed out falsehoods from fact. We could have hard-core facts (pro or con) shoved in our face about something, but whether a particular subject resonates with us or not determines if it becomes a belief. If a belief somehow serves us, we’ll fight to hold onto it.
Two years ago my oldest called me over to his computer, totally freaking out.
The second of the original Slender Man images, by Victor Surge – alastairstephens.com – Do you see him under the trees?
J: “Mom! Look at this! The Slenderman!”
Me: What is that?
J: The Slenderman! Oh, my God, Mom. You have to see this picture of him! He’s real!
Me: Seriously?
J: Yeah! If you look at him, you’ll die!
Me: So they guy who took this picture is now dead?
J: Probably! But not everyone can see him so those are the ones who are safe.
*eye roll*
For those of you who don’t know about the Slenderman, here is an explanation from ufosearchonline.com:
“Slender Man (or Slenderman, depending on how you spell it’s name) is described as wearing a black suit strikingly similar to the visage of the notorious Men In Black, and as the name suggests, appears very thin and able to stretch his limbs and torso to inhuman lengths in order to induce fear and ensnare his prey. Once his arms are outstretched, Slender Man’s victims are put into something of a hypnotized state, where they are utterly helpless to stop themselves from walking into them. Slender Man is also able to create tendrils from his fingers and back that he uses to walk. Whether Slender Man absorbs, kills, or merely takes his victims to an undisclosed location or dimension is also unknown as there are never any body’s or evidence left behind in his wake to deduce a definite conclusion. Slender Man is most often seen as a tall, extremely thin man with long, strange arms, and a face that no two people see the same way (if they see any face at all). Where he comes from is as much a mystery as what he wants.”
*Big sigh* How could it be that my son had so readily accepted, albeit with a fit of tears, that the Easter Bunny wasn’t real when I broke the news to him? (Yeah, yeah, yeah. In my defense I thought he already knew and was just going along to make me happy.) My son had eventually figured out that I was Santa Claus and took that with relative grace when I confirmed his suspicions. The bottom line – he trusted me enough to accept my truth.
But in the case of Slenderman… no dice. Nothing I said would convince him. The fact that this mythical creature existed obviously resonated with him. I can’t possibly begin to understand that one, but until we moved out of our house on five forested acres, he refused to go outside after dark, swearing to me that one night he saw the Slenderman peek around the corner at him while he waited for the dog to come back inside. And now that we’ve moved into town? My son is always out after dark. Apparently the Slenderman doesn’t like to hang around the lake or Starbuck’s after dark. But in the heavily treed areas…
See the creature behind us? My cousin and her husband digitally manipulated a photo of a male figure to make their own version.
There’s only so much we can do to protect our children from beliefs that freeze them up or make their imaginations go wild. At this point, this is one of those things I have to file in the “Let It Go” folder. He’ll figure it out… I hope.
July 11, 2012
If You Let Them Go, They’ll Stick Around
I had no idea that the gap that launched me into single status could possibly get any wider. I can see now, though, how inevitable it would be, for as I kept taking steps backward, slowly turning away from the disaster my life had become, and finally running like hell, my scenery changed, my viewpoint cleared, and my vision sharpened. I found myself standing in a place my ex would never understand. The rules regarding school work, curfew, healthy eating – the rules that united, albeit loosely, the ex and I together – soon became the mother of all disagreements.
photo credit: glaciers1011w3.wikispaces.com
Seventeen years ago, as part of my efforts to be the “perfect” mom, I adopted other women’s examples of what raising children “should be,” even if it didn’t resonate with me. Man, was that exhausting. I had rules up the wazoo and fought to keep them in place. And the boys fought back.
But eight months ago the blinders dropped to my feet and I found that I had forgotten to preach what I practiced. The solution was so simple.
Let them be.
Which is exactly how I prefer to be treated. I don’t want anyone telling me what to do or telling me what path to choose, so why should I do that to my boys? Sure, my body may be older, but my children’s souls are just as experienced as mine. These boys aren’t mine in the possession sense. From a spiritual point of view, I don’t have the right to put borders around their spirits and make them the exact image that society or even I believe to be true. I’m here to guide them, not mold them. They know who they need to be. Besides, what a waste of time when quite possibly after 18 years, they’re going to do and be what they want anyway. I know I did.
It is my belief that we come into this existence knowing what our life path is. The road map has already been printed up, although our free will sometimes overrides that map and takes us on some wild side trips. When we truly deviate off that path,though, it doesn’t go unnoticed. Don’t we feel the discord when we want to go one direction and someone tries to convince us otherwise? Especially if the only source of righteousness is in their own mind? Or what about compromising on something we truly believe in?
My mother pushed me to go to college because it was what I “should” do, yet all I did was spin my wheels, lost a lot of brain cells, and ran up a student loan that never should have been. Besides, halfway through the first year I realized I still didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. This is one area I won’t push my boys on. No amount of lecturing is going to make this the right choice for them. True motivation must come from them. Otherwise it becomes my job to keep them going, a burden that will have us both resentful.
In the months past, I’ve gotten a clearer view of who my boys really are. Without the shoulds masking their true source, I’ve been able to appreciate their way of thinking. I’m beginning to understand what makes them tick and why they don’t fit into the boxes I’ve been trying to put them in.
photo credit: totaltranslucency.wordpress.com
Sex, drinking, drugs, school, safety, curfew – those are issues I will never compromise on. Honestly, though, I have no control over their ultimate decisions on those topics, but I’ve made damn sure they know what the consequences are if they deviate from my “recommendations.” So, armed with that information, it’s their decision as to what outcome they desire.
Some may think this is the wrong approach or the lazy way to parent, but it is actually very difficult at times. To stand back and watch their actions put in motion a set of reactions (whether they be mine or someone else’s) makes me want to peek out from behind splayed fingers. It’s nothing short of a challenge to stay back and let them do damage control. On the flip side, when they are really thinking it out and the outcome is in their favor? It’s awesome.
It felt good to finally release the ties, because forcing the boys to do what they clearly do not want to do didn’t resonate with what I was all about – freedom of choice and independence. I’ve let my boys make choices of when to go to sleep (though the connection between late nights and being tired the next day still hasn’t sunk in), meals, what school classes to take, and friends. As long as safety isn’t an issue and they’re not hurting others, I’m good.
Which might explain why they gravitate to me and not to the “other.” That “coolness” factor I seem to have with the boys and their friends is, I believe, actually the elation they experience when they connect with who they are.
Think about the people we tend to gravitate toward – those who speak to and understand our souls. Not those who contradict or repress our fires, but those who stoke it, feed it, and encourage it to rise.
My boys’ path is their own. I’ll be there to dust off their knees, put a band-aid on a broken heart, give them advice on hangover cures, and I’ll give them room to fly, because they’ll need it to get over the Grand Canyon-size crevasse of thought that yawns between “the other half” and me.
photo credit: flikr.com
July 9, 2012
Would You Buy a Soul for $2000?
I was going to blog about something totally different today. In fact, I have my thoughts scribbled out and ready to be organized into something legible.
Then I got side-tracked by a link sent to me by my friend in Arizona, an interesting and timely story of a woman in New Mexico who listed her soul for sale on eBay. Click here to see one of the stories circulating he internet.
Want to see who would actually do this and why?
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According to one story, eBay has a strict policy about selling human body parts and remains on their site, but they may need to redefine their policy to include souls. One newscaster actually brought up the point of the logistics of this auction – How is it to be delivered? How do you know if what you bought has been delivered?
If one were to actually purchase a soul, I would imagine there would be either total elation or total conflicting vibrations that would swirl around inside our body, leading us to know if it had been “delivered.” Typically, as like attracts like, an outside entity is attracted to a host body that has the same vibration that it has, such as a happy person, a sad person, an adrenaline junkie – which in turn would heighten whatever is our prominent vibration. On the flip side, I could see a soul latching onto a host for the sole purpose of draining the host’s energy, while the host soul fights the intruder for control. That would be where the Jekyll and Hyde thing would play out.
In the case of this New Mexico woman, though, it’s neither of these. As proof of delivery, the woman offers of a piece of paper – a $2000 piece of paper. A bill of sale of sorts. Huh. Kind of a let-down if you ask me.
But, for Seth Thompson, the high school student who bought a soul on eSouled.com (a site still under contruction – but check it out just for kicks), what he received was quite different than a piece of paper and was a hell of a lot cheaper. Here is an excerpt from Souled:
My palm began throbbing—not like thorns or needle pricks—more like claws had sunken in and raked down the skin. But my palm was the least of my worries. Because, though I didn’t want to believe it, I felt it. Something was inside me. Something… other. Very other.
A second pulse inside me beat steady, strong, and disturbingly close to mine.
And then the truth hit me. Hard. I knew.
The soul had been delivered.
So, yeah, there’s a lot of crazy stuff out there for sale as people try and unload and make a quick buck. What about you? What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen for sale? Were you tempted to buy it?
Speaking of crazy things for sale, check out Natalie Hartford’s blog where she posts the best of the craziest and unusual items on the internet.
June 27, 2012
Going Once, Going Twice…SOULED!!!
So, hey! Amazing that a week has gone by since I released Souled. Seems like just yesterday I clicked on the publish button. The days are flying by for me. I really wanted to take a few weeks off, but already the opening chapter for the sequel is pounding against my door, demanding to be let in. I’ll see how long I can hold off.
What I would like to do, though, is give you another peek at a section of Souled. The first passage was revealed when I got tagged in the Lucky 7 game. So here’s another part of the story:
“Hey.” I pulled Dani against me again and rested my forehead against hers. “Thanks for going with me tonight.”
“I don’t know why you thought I wouldn’t.” Dani leaned back and searched my face. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, definitely.” This night was going to be great. “I love you,” I said.
“Me, too.”
I cupped her face, pulling her close enough to brush my lips against hers, closing my eyes to shut out everything that could possibly distract me from this moment. The dark behind my eyes became darker before it flared, and stopped me mid-kiss. Something didn’t feel right.
“What’s wrong?” Dani frowned.
“Your mom’s coming.” Perfect timing, because I couldn’t explain what was wrong, just that something felt off, as if something bad was about to happen.
Janice appeared in the doorway. “Sorry I took so long. I had to replace the batteries. This darn thing uses them up so quickly. Okay. Get closer,” she said, sweeping her hand through the air, motioning us to get closer.
I draped my arm around Dani and pressed my cheek against her hair, smiling at the lens.
In the split second after the flash went off, I blinked and in that split second of darkness, I saw it.
What the HELL?! Maksim?!
I focused on Dani, squeezing her shoulder and pulling her closer still. I wasn’t feeling so good anymore. “Thanks, Mrs. Parsons,” I managed to say. “I think we’d better go, Dani. Justin is probably waiting for us.” But there was nowhere I could run to hide from what I had seen. And it was more than seeing; it was suddenly knowing the truth. Knowing I had been duped.
I took a deep breath, causing a tremor in my chest.
The voice had a face. Freakin’ A. He had a face.
And that face told me that Maksim was no angel.
~ ~ ~
Slightly curious about what that was all about? You can download Souled on your Kindle via Amazon, or pick up the print version, which is available through Createspace or Amazon.
As for the winner of the giveaway, I had my youngest draw a name out of the hat, and the winner is Debra Kristi! Debra, you need to let me know if you’d like the eBook or print version.
As for the rest of you awesome peeps, I appreciate all of you stopping by and leaving me a comment and supporting the book’s release. I’d like to show my gratitude by offering you an e-version of Souled. Thank you so much!!
June 19, 2012
Time To Soul-e-brate!
Soul attachment, as common as a cold, and just as easy to be rid of… sometimes. Would you know if another entity had hijacked your body? If you did, what would you do?
Lose yourself in the story of Maksim and Seth, old versus young, good versus badass. Available on Amazon in ebook format now, with the print version available within a few weeks.
What 17-year-old boy wouldn’t be tempted by the promise of power and control – no matter what form that promise came in?
Seth knew exactly what he would do with power and control. He’d be well on his way to a wrestling scholarship, his dad could stop working so hard to make ends meet, and he’d forever have the heart of his girlfriend, Sandpoint High’s most beautiful girl.
For Seth, the temptation was much too strong to resist. And why should he? The way he saw it, he had everything to gain.
But when he unknowingly invites another soul to share his body, Seth discovers that not all power is good – especially when it was never his to wield. And when the soul reveals its true intentions, will Seth have the strength to fight it or would death be less painful?
And just for kicks… Check out location pictures and the story behind the making of the cover.
In honor of Souled’s release, I’m giving away a copy, either ebook format or print. Just leave a comment and I’ll put your name in hat and draw the winner’s name next Tuesday!
Until then… be careful what you buy online!
June 14, 2012
Three Minutes Inside A Book Blogger’s Head
No, not really me, but she thinks like me…
I’d gone through an apple, two yogurts, and a handful of pretzels (I think better when I snack) and still I can’t remember exactly how I stumbled upon Bookish Temptations. It could have been from any number of avenues. You know how it is, we’re hanging around Twitter, watching the tweets, something catches our eye, we follow it, which leads us down another vein then to another. But I do remember the blog post that originally caught my attention, and that was Sexy Sentence Saturday. I started following Bookish Temptations and looked forward to the day of the week when Bookish posted Book Blogger Confessions, which gave great insight into the workings of this particular book blogger’s mind.
This led me to some reverse thinking. As authors, we’re constantly looking for avenues through which we can pitch our novels and ways to get noticed. The book bloggers and reviewers are tremendously helpful in that regard. We all look to them to help us get the word out. They rock at what they do: Reading, reviewing, blogging their thoughts, interviewing us to get inside our head.
But… Have you ever wondered what goes on inside theirs?
This week I decided to turn the tables. Tamie, from Bookish Temptations, has graciously allowed me to put her in the hot seat and to answer a few of my own questions. So grab your favorite beverage and enjoy.
Thanks for being here, Tamie. To start off, what inspired you to start blogging in the first place?
An opportunity presented itself and it sounded both interesting and fun. I’ve been a bookaholic as long as I can remember, and I liked the idea of having a forum to share my passion with others.
Do you remember what your very first blog was about?
I reviewed the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. I was so nervous the day it published I thought I might throw up or pass out…Seriously.
That’s a huge series to review the first time out, Tamie. I loved that series. I’d like to see that review of yours! Perhaps you can send me a link? Okay, sorry for the diversion… So, now y ou have a “team.” Who are they and what are their special areas of interest?
Debb is the first person I asked to join Bookish. I’d left the blog I started with to begin my own, and after about a month I realized that Bookish needed something. I knew that Debb was an expert where FanFic is concerned, and that a lot of peeps read a lot of it. So I asked her and happily she said yes. She then added Annie and together they became a super team on Fridays.
Next I asked Morgan to do a guest post, and I loved it so much I asked him to join us permanently. He agreed to a once a month deal. He’s an author and gives great tips during his Wordslinger posts. He has a fabulous sense of humor too, which is what drew me to his writing in the 1st place.
Gina and Elena came next and at about the same time. I knew both of them were avid readers, and I was looking for 2 very specific things…more reviews on BT, and quite frankly…I needed a break from posting every day. They’re both excellent reviewers and sounding boards.
Our newest team member is Katiebird. Debb needed to take some time off, and Katiebird has guest hosted FanFic Friday in the past, so I was thrilled when she said yes. We’ve also discovered that we’re very alike in a lot of ways…kindred spirits if you will.
Having a team is a great approach! It definitely keeps the posts diverse. Do you get a lot of review requests? If so, which camp makes up the greatest percentage – indies or trads?
It seems to come in waves… a few a week and them BAM! A whole bunch at once. Right now there’s a fairly long waiting list, so I’m really limiting the yeses. Most of it is indie at the moment.
This next question will help me as well as other authors, I’m sure. Is there a “protocol” on your site that requesting authors should follow but sometimes don’t?
Yes… anytime an author or publisher/publicist requests a review from a book blog they need to be prepared to furnish a copy of the book. Most know this and offer to do so, but every once in a while a request comes in without mention of a book being provided. In my reply I always let them know what formats we accept and I remind them of our ratings policy. If the book doesn’t rate a 3 or above it won’t be reviewed.
Of all of the books you read, what genres do you prefer?
My personal favorites are Romance, Erotica, Paranormal, and Historical. I also enjoy Mystery/Suspense…just not as much as I used to.
There’s always something going on at Bookish Temptations. Do you find it difficult to find a balance between your extensive blogging and your personal life?
Hmmm… While I do spend a huge amount of time every day doing something in conjunction with the blog I really enjoy it, and let’s face it… I’m not being forced to do it… it’s a choice. I went on a 10 day vacation to Canada in April and I kept in touch every day, but I didn’t spend hours on it, and it didn’t interfere with the fabulous time I had. So for now at least I’m ok with the balance…or lack thereof.
Your blogging is so diverse. What is your favorite topic to blog about?
O…that’s a tough one. I really love trying to find unique ways to spotlight my favorite authors and their book(s) for example: when I asked several authors to contribute a character Valentine during V-day week, or when I did the Gabriel’s Inferno tour. I’m doing a fun one again this Wednesday with Gabriel’s Rapture which will be published before this is, and the Sexy Sentence Saturday. Also, I love writing the Observations posts…they’re usually based on something personal, but I try to bring in something literary based as well. My favorite meme is the Book Blogger Confessions every other week. Yeah…that was way more than one 
On the topic of author availability, how important is that to a blogger?
I think to have a really great book blog you need to have some good relationships with the authors you feature. So far I’ve been incredibly lucky in that respect. (Crosses fingers and toes having said that).
What is your take on the move from trad published to indie published and the overall quality of novels that are put out?
Since most of what I read comes from indie authors/publishers I would say it’s terrific. Just because an author doesn’t have a “powerhouse’ publishing company behind them doesn’t mean they aren’t amazingly gifted writers. I’ve seen some peeps complain about horrible editing and lots of errors in indie books, but I just haven’t found that to be true for the most part. Are there some? Of course, but I’ve seen books put out by the “big boys” that had them as well. I have seen that more with self-published authors, but most of the time it isn’t so bad that I just want to throw the book away. Yes, it can be distracting, but maybe I have a higher tolerance for it than others do.
Do you have a reading preference between trad and indie?
For me… I’m really liking all the indie books I’ve read in the past year. I like trying to bring attention to authors that others might overlook, and in all honesty they’ve been some of the best written and have become personal favorites…so I’m quite happy to be an indie girl.
~ ~ ~
I’m thrilled to hear you say that, Tamie, but then again, I’m a bit biased on the indie movement.
Thanks again, Tamie for stopping by and putting on a different hat for awhile. It’s good to know what goes on inside a book blogger’s mind.
Bookish Temptations is one of the many great book bloggers out there and they have so much to say, and then some! So swing by Tamie’s blog or hook up with her and her crew on Twitter. You’ll be glad you did.
May 30, 2012
Sex Sells, But Should Young Adults Buy Into It?
Image from businessuiteonline.com
It’s everywhere we look – In magazines, television, movies, books, bedrooms, back seats of cars…you the idea. There’s no escaping it. I don’t care how “good” we claim to be, we’ll look. We’re curious about the body, what it looks like (more importantly, what other bodies look like). Let’s admit it and move on – naked bodies or scantily clad bodies – are a complete turn on. We shamelessly flock to online sites en masse and hoot our approval. For the males, they have the Hooter Girls, the Jaegermeister models, and a long list of others scantily clad women toting tools, beer bottles, and motorcycles.
Image from flickr.com
Image from people.desktopnexus.com
It goes wayyyyyy back. Check out this one *snort* from 1953…
“Rigid Wrenches” Image from hisvorpal.wordpress.com
Look at the success of the MANday posts by Jillian Dodd and Wordless Wednesday by Bookish Temptations. Us women love, love, love it! We create it! Look at what CJ West is doing for the cause! (By the way, comment on his challenge post and you could win a $500 Amazon gift certificate – but the biggest prize is to get CJ shirtless!)
What about brain candy? Look at the success of Fifty Shades of Grey. Sex, sex, and more sex. And the public is eating it up! Then there’s Gabriel’s Inferno and the eagerly anticipated The Winemaker’s Dinner (available July 31, 2012). It’s all about the seduction that makes us squirm (in the very pleasurable sense of the word).
Which brings me to my original topic. How young is too young for readers to be exposed to sex in literature? Where should we draw the line? Should we draw the line?
I’m not advocating it one way or another, because that is a purely personal opinion for authors and the parents of young readers to deal with. What I have observed, though, is the fact that these young adults are getting younger and are already well-schooled about the ins and outs (yes, pun intended) of sex, the very same stuff some of us try to keep out of their hands.
Let’s face it. The act of sex is primal. Used for procreation or not, there is, at various levels, arousal. None of us are immune to it.
In my day job as a medical transcriptionist, I’ve lost count of how many reports I’ve typed regarding 14-year-olds who go to the emergency room due to complications from their pregnancy. As much as I’m against babies having babies, the reality is that they know all about sex and keeping it out of books probably isn’t going to stop them from doing the wild thing. In fact, they’ll see it, read it, and do it if they want.
A friend of mine understands that mentality, and even though her son is only 14 years old, he has a girlfriend, so she keeps a stack of Trojans within his reach. Just in case.
When I was in seventh grade, there was a couple who spent every lunch, every recess playing throat hockey and copping feels. Sheesh. If they did that in public, one could only guess what they did in private.
I’ve been told by a few teens that they’ve read my novel, Again, which has a few choice sex scenes ranging from sweetly intimate to raw. (My guess is that they actually skimmed the book for the “best parts” and ignored the rest.) And they seemed rather proud of themselves for having read it. I totally cringe at the thought, but then I remind myself of the time when I was 12 or 13 and the stuff I got my hands on. *shrugs* Whaddya gonna do?
I’m not going to tell you if I wrote any sex into my next Young Adult novel, Souled, or not, because that would be a total spoiler, but suffice it to say, I kept it as real as possible. I would love to hear your thoughts. Is there a line you draw as a reader or writer? What are your beliefs?
May 22, 2012
It’s All In The Mind’s Eye
“The world only exists in your eyes – your conception of it. You can make it as big or as small as you want to.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
Great words from a great writer, but the question is, how does a writer create a pathway from our eyes to the minds of the readers of novels? Fortunately, archived records and the Internet can bring history of centuries ago into an author’s hands, allowing us to recreate a world long gone, in order to give the reader some sort of anchor as they turn the pages of our novels. With a little imagination and fantastic writing skills, many authors transport us back to a time none of us have experienced first hand (at least not in this lifetime).
If the setting of the novel is in the present, we have access to maps, photos, and transportation to get to wherever the story takes place so that we may get a first-hand accounting of the sights and smells of the area. Though some novel settings are loosely based on a certain locale, the authors are still able to give the reader the same flavor as if that particular imaginary city actually existed. And those novels that are grounded in an actual place? That could be a lot of fun for the readers as well. Just ask Tamie from Bookish Temptations. She recently toured Toronto in search of the offices, restaurants, museums, and streets that Sylvain Reynard fleshed out in Gabriel’s Inferno. In reading her blog, you can feel her excitement as she was able to “be” where the characters were. What a cool connection, right?
In my upcoming novel, Souled, the characters are firmly rooted in Sandpoint, a small town in North Idaho. Because I am very familiar with the area, I was able to write from first-hand experience. I’ve posted on my website and on Pinterest, pictures of where some of the scenes take place, so when the novel is released (weeks away), the readers who cannot actually visit the area, can at least “see” where it is that the characters live.
EFX bowling alley
Zero Point (stone shop)
In the case of futuristic or high fantasy, a writer can create an entirely new world, or they can do what Angela Peart has done for her soon-to-be-released novel. (By the way, she filled me in on the details of her story, and…yeah. This one is going to rock our socks off.). So, rather than me trying to explain her method of creating setting, I’m going to let Angela do the talking because you just need to experience it.
Take it away, Angela!
“The story of my upcoming Young Adult paranormal novel, Greed (this is a “working title”), takes place in Seattle—the city that I have been calling home for many years now. But because the plot contains elements of high fantasy, some of the scenes happen in imaginary places. I will introduce those amazing places in another post. Today I want to share with you a very special spot from my novel. It is Queen Anne Academy of the Arts and Sciences in the Seattle’s picturesque district of Queen Anne. No, the school does not exist in reality, but the area is 100% real.
The Seattle skyline viewed from Queen Anne – photo by National Geographic
All except one of my teenage characters attend this prestigious private school. The Georgian architecture building and the surrounding grounds are not based on any real location. Only my imagination and the knowledge that I have obtained, studying interior design at the Art Institute of Seattle, are responsible for the creation of this intriguing place.
I am not ready to reveal my characters’ names just yet. There will be a special blog post in the near future, where you will learn more about them. For now I am simply “coding” them as X, Y, and Z. I know, not very creative, but try to overlook that and only concentrate on the descriptions of my dream high school.
Here are two excerpts from my novel. Enjoy!”
1. He looked up at the ceiling, his eyes tracing the acanthus leaf castings clustered in the corners and along the sides. An enormous antique chandelier hung down by thick chains. A ring, covered in intricate patterns, encircled a massive hand-painted globe. The pale colors of the land and surrounding oceans looked subdued like on an antique map. Twenty-four sweeping, rounded arms reached out from the metal ring and curved up and out, ending in elongated candle-shaped electric lights. The sphere rotated lazily, as if imitating the real Earth. X gazed at it, transfixed, wishing it was dark outside and the whole thing would light up like it always did in the evenings.
2. He shook his head, smiling to himself, and then walked toward the massive double front door. The door was two stories high, set between two flat columns protruding from the walls on both, interior and exterior, sides. A semi-circular intricately-carved arch encased the top of the door.
Y opened the door and stepped outside. He shaded his eyes with his hand and, squinting, looked at the cloudless sky. The door closed with a dull thud behind him, as he started down the wide stone stairs. Strings of green ivy clung to the solid-stone balustrade on both sides of the steps. The stone was aged, its natural color richly variegated. Two huge urns flanked the staircase, their color scheme identical to the balusters.
So, can you see it? Can you feel it? Thanks, Angela, for a sneak peek into your novel and giving us a great example of how an author’s mind works.
How do you feel about settings in the novels you read? Do you like detailed descriptions or minimally-there descriptions? Everyone’s preferences are different, but then again that is why we have so many types of authors and novels!
April 3, 2012
Starting A Wilde’s Fire – An Interview with Krystal Wade
The path that authors walk is as unique as the authors themselves, but there is one common thread we all share – we’ve always wanted to write. It’s just something we need to do to keep sane. Telling tales is as natural as our next breath.
And there are a lot of great tales out there, as I’ve discovered since setting up house in the writing community almost two years ago. Today I have the pleasure of introducing to you one of these talented authors. Krystal Wade has just released her Young Adult Fiction, Wilde’s Fire, the first novel in her trilogy. So let’s get to it.
Thanks for stopping by, Krystal! I love asking this first question, because it gets to the heart of every writer. When and why did you begin writing?
I’m not one-hundred percent sure why I started writing; the desire started too long ago for me to remember. But I didn’t always follow my dreams, and for a number of years I ignored writing. In 2011, I sat down and took my words seriously.
Do you remember your first writing creation?
I believe it was a poem about cats. I was in third grade.
I think a lot of writers start with poems! So, from poem to novel, can you tell us a little bit about your new release?
Wilde’s Fire is a story about a girl without a clue. Kate is not a bad person; she’s just been left in the dark. But when she goes on a camping trip with her sister and their friend Brad, Kate accidentally leads them into another world . . . a world where the sun doesn’t shine, but light is shed on Kate’s true identity. And if she doesn’t accept this new future, everything will be lost.
Wow! That’s a lot of pressure! What inspired you to write Wilde’s Fire?
I had an image of a young girl reaching out her finger to touch something shimmering in the forest. That was it.
Sometimes that’s all it takes! Who is your favorite character and why?
Flanna. She’s a fiery redhead who says everything I wish I could.
Now that Wilde’s Fire has been released, what project are you working on?
I’m working on Wilde’s Meadow, the third book in the Darkness Falls trilogy, and an unnamed urban fantasy . . . the main character shares my daughter’s name.
That must be way cool for your daughter! So, besides your family, who would you say is your biggest supporter?
Besides my family? Gosh, I have so many supporters. I would feel really bad naming only one.
There are a lot of things that can stop a writer in her tracks. Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?
Time. Being a mother of three with a 50-mile commute, I have to make time for writing. Which means I don’t get a lot of sleep. Lately I’ve been slogging through these interviews, wondering if anything I’ve written is coherent.
I can understand how hard that would be to find the time. Do you ever get writer’s block? If so, how do you get through it?
Just keep writing. Just keep writing. Even if you only write a word, or a sentence, just keep writing. Every day.
Good advice! You say you have a 50-mile drive to work! Do you plot while you drive?
Definitely. I’m not sure I ever stop plotting.
I absolutely love the cover of your novel. It has such mystery around it! Who designed it?
Casey Harris designed Wilde’s Fire’s cover.
What are the other titles in the series we need to watch for?
Wilde’s Army and Wilde’s Meadow.
That is so exciting! Those plotting sessions on your commute are definitely a good thing!
Thank you so much for swinging by, Krystal! Before we go, where can your readers find you and your novel online?
www.facebook.com/author.krystalwade
Twitter: @krystalwade
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5773867.Krystal_Wade
Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/wildes-fire-darkness-falls
