Shellie Neumeier's Blog, page 2

It’s back!

 

NextGenWriter’s Free Online Conference announcement is up and they’ll be taking registrations beginning June 15. Check it out.

Pressing the “Hot Buttons” By Guest Blogger, Nicole O’Dell

So glad to have Nicole O’Dell with us as she shares a special ministry devoted to connecting teens, their parents and God. Here’s what she has to say about “Hot Buttons:”

What are Hot Buttons?

Well, in the broader sense, the phrase Hot Buttons means a lot of different things, anything really, that can get a rise out people. Something that charges them up and receives an intense reaction. For the purposes of Choose NOW Ministries, I’ve defined hot buttons as those tough issues that teenagers face–the things parents are often more afraid of and most hesitant to talk about.

Some examples include:

Drugs
Alcohol
Sex
Friendships
Racism
Internet Activity
Faith Matters
Divorce
Dating
Bullying
Occult
and more


Why press the Hot Buttons ?

Why not just leave it alone and let the kids figure it out? We can pray for them and trust it all to work out in the end. In some ways it does work itself out, true. Circumstances happen, pressure hits, relationships change. . .and your teens gets to figure it all out. In the heat of the moment. On their own. Hopefully they’ll make the right choice, but it’s really hard to know what will happen when the prep work isn’t done.

Take an issue like dating–we talk about the boundaries. We set rules for curfew and other things. We even make sure we apprrove of the date and talk about saying no to sexual advances. Right?

And that’s great. It really is. But there’s something missing. Our teens need to know what to do and what not to do, and what we expect of them, but they also need to understand why that’s going to be difficult for them. How does the body respond in ways that make it tough to say no? What will the feelings be like that make it difficult to leave the room or douse the proverbial flames?

You see, if we don’t hit those truth head on before they become an issue, our teens will think it’s a secret, it’s specific to them, and we really don’t know what we’re asking them to say no to. But, if we press those hot buttons in advance, if we have the difficult conversations, then our teens will enter those pressure-filled situations armed with understanding and equipped with the words to say to stay true to their commitments.

With every hot button issue, someone is feeding your tweens and teens information–do you really want that someone to be anyone other than you?

 

How do I press the Hot Buttons?

Now that you’ve made the decision to be proactive about helping your tweens and teens battle peer pressure, I love to share the principles behind the Hot Buttons book series and the method of communicating with your teens it prescribes.

Hot Buttons, O’Dell’s non-fiction series for parents pre-empts peer pressure by tackling tough issues. Visit www.nicoleodell.com.

 

The Man Who Lived in my Basement and a Plea for Help.

Dickens On Main, Boerne, TX

May, a month known for its busyness, is hurtling along at break-neck speeds, but before its gone for good and the kiddos are home for the summer, I wanted to share a couple things and ask for your help. First, if you’ve ever get spooked when you’re home alone, you’ll hate my real life tale of the man who lived in my basement. It’s here, if you’re brave enough to read it: The Barn Door. Be warned, you may get the heebie-jeebies…I know I did.

Second, if you’re a teen looking for that first summer job or your second or maybe your third, check out some interesting facts about teen unemployment: Proof, See The Evidence. And if you’re a teen writer (really any writer under 20), it’s coming…NextGenWriters Annual Conference 2012! August 2 and 3. More information and a list of presenters will be posted in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, check out the awesome writing advice shared by some of my favorite authors and editors: NextGenWriters.

Now for some fun news. Along with the December release of the second book in the Adventures of Ally and Cory series (the first book, The Wishing RingThe Wishing Ring, is available in ebook format with print release pending), I’ll be joining two other authors in the release of a Christmas Novella collection yet to be titled. I’m working on the project now and am about half-way through the story. What a challenge. Yes it’s a young adult story, but it’s a romance AND it takes place in a bakery. Um, I don’t typically write romance (ask Lisa Lickel, co-author of A Summer in OakvilleA Summer in Oakville). AND I don’t cook. Oooh, I love a challenge.

Here’s where you come in. We need a name for the book. They are contemporary stories set in Boerne, TX during their annual Dickens Event (a holiday tradition of literary proportions). If it helps, the tale I’m writing is a modern-day David Copperfield meets the Cake Boss. What do you think? What would you name this Christmas Novella Collection?

I See You

Haven't written a post–an honest-to-goodness, nothing-but-me post in a very long time. So I put down the manuscript I've been working on and took up a blank sheet. Here's what spilled out…

I See You

My hand trembles. In it, I clutch a steak knife. Not a fancy TV knife, but the simple kind my parents got as a wedding gift decades ago. She hasn't noticed the whole in the knife block, the one my knife should be sheathed inside. She never notices. She is never home. Never around. Head stuck in her computer. At her desk. With her friends. In a bottle. I'm dust to her. Flakes of dead skin that rest on her furniture. Annoying and in need of disposal.

To him, I am invisible.

"How's your day, darling?" He asks her as he presses past me in the hall. Never comes home. Stays with someone else's family. Lives in another place.

The only time I materialize is when my grades don't meet their standards. Then they yell.

"You're better than this." My report card waves, freshly printed, crackling like a whip before me.

What if I'm not? I want to scream. To cry. I try, but I am that bad. Those marks are who I am. Can't they see that? They can and they don't like it. It's as plain as the furrow between their brows.

The knife scrapes across my skin, lightly at first.

Derek sees me. Tom. Michael. Josh. Tall, dark, and devilish. I loved him. But he…he prefers someone else. Equally tall. Equally dark. Equally devilish.

The knife sinks. A breath. It is enough. Small bubbles of red dot the angry line. Then it comes. The sting and bite of the tool in my hand pressed against the white of my forearm. I tip my head back. Sigh.

I don't want to die as tears spring to my eyes. I want to be seen. To be like the remarkable dots of red. To sear this world like the pain I feel.  I don't even notice the sobs that shake my shoulder until the hiccups begin.

I gulp for air.

Set the knife anew and etch another perfect line.

Pain leaks past the numbness. Past the anger, the frustration. Pain I govern. I can master the cut. Perhaps it's the only thing I can control.

I don't want to die.

I am weird. The one in the hall that no one talks to, but everyone stares at. I am the one with the strange haircut that spikes my unnaturally-colored hair. I am the one who captains the cheer squad. I am the kid who pushes against wire glasses to see the teacher's writing. I am the kid who fits in as long as I am not myself. I am the kid who shoves away the crowd even though I desperately want to be part of them.

I don't want to be afraid. I want to be heard. Seen. But I live in a world that is deaf and blind.

Or…maybe…is it possible? Can you see me? Find me? I let the knife sink to the floor. Raise my eyes. I am your future. Will you be mine?

Second Book in the Adventures of Ally and Cory Series is Coming Soon

We're excited to  announce that The King's Seal (MuseItYoung), sequel to The Wishing RingThe Wishing Ring (MuseItYoung) and book two in the Adventures of Ally and Cory series, is to be released December, 2012. This action packed tween fantasy propels the series to new heights. Introduces new characters. Promises new escapades.  Check it out…

(Back cover:)

Princess Ally's thirteenth birthday dawns bright with the promise of gifts, parties, and her first royal gift, a signet ring with the mark of her family crest. A crest used to mark every royal decree and law of the kingdom. When Ally's royal ring disappears, Tallah, a mysterious newcomer, offers to help her find it. Princess Ally accepts, but soon discovers her adventure has thrust them into the center of a dangerous uprising.

Matwau warriors raid Cory's village, capturing every able-bodied man, woman, and child. When Cory escapes he sends for the King's help—for Ally's help. Ally and Tallah agree to rescue his family, but before they can begin Tallah disappears. As mystery and mayhem collide, Ally and Cory realize Tallah is the key to finding Ally's ring and Cory's family. If either is to be saved, they must find Tallah.

For more information about The Wishing RingThe Wishing Ring, check out its Media Page.

New Book Reviews are Up

Check out the new book reviews. Nicole O'Dell's Girl Talk: 180 Q&A (co-written with her two oldest daughters) and Zoe Mack and the Secret of the Love Letters by K. Dawn Byrd.

Thanks to co-author, Lisa Lickel, we also have new discussion questions to share for A Summer in OakvilleA Summer in Oakville. You can find them here.

Stop by and comment for a chance to win an e-copy of The Wishing RingThe Wishing Ring on Penny Zeller's blog and while you're at it, give yourself permission to dream.

Finally, stop by NextGenWriters.com if you're a writer under twenty and are interested in joining a critique group designed with you in mind.

Where Did all the Tweens Go?

As an author, marketing has become a large portion of my day-to-day routine. That used to mean blogging, online interviews, social media networking, with a few road trips to the brick and mortar stores nearby. With my latest release, The Wishing RingThe Wishing Ring, I've had to do a little regrouping. Rethink the traditional marketing realm and get creative. Still working on that part. Gives me a headache at least once a week. (Or once a day, depending on the day).

One would think marketing is marketing. Get your name out there, brand yourself, grab those followers…That's all well and good, but with a tween novella, like The Wishing RingThe Wishing Ring, the audience begins to alter the landscape a bit. Here, let me show you. Up until now, I've written young adult (DrivenDriven) or contributed the young adult pieces to contemporary stories (A Summer in OakvilleA Summer in Oakville, co-written with Lisa Lickel). Blog interviews and social networks are key avenues to marketing both of those. With teens avidly participating on social sites and adults perusing the blogosphere such tactics makes sense.

However, The Wishing RingThe Wishing Ring is a tween novella. In other words it's storyline is geared for readers ages 8 – 14. Facebook limits its users to those 13 and older. Makes hitting my readership tough. I could go for their parents, but unless it's Christmas or their lovelies' birthdays, parents are generally not as eager to thumb through tween fiction titles or reviews. (I know I don't…speaking as the mother of tweens:). Twitter is just now capturing the teen market (according to USAToday.com). Until that audience ratchets down from the 12 – 16 to the 8 – 14, I'm still sunk.

So where do tweens hear about their favorite reads? Here's what I've discovered (oh, and the results are in no special order)…

Word of mouth–always the best advertisement. If one tween (make that one popular tween and you've got it made) likes a book, other readers will follow.
Kindle Free lists–Bet you didn't expect that one. One of the top gifts for tweens this past Christmas season seems to have been ereaders. Teachers in our area are now encouraging children to use their ereaders in school (provided the games are not used–that could get your reader taken away:(). So tweens are looking for affordable reads, just like their parents. And when they find one they like, they…
Read an author to death–in other words, if they like an author, they'll search for all the material they've written to date. Creatures of habit, these guys are, but they are willing to try the newbie. Especially if that newbie book comes up while searching for their favorite author. Gotta capture those links.
Reading the back cover blurbs–this surprised me. I thought cover art would capture their attention before the back cover did, but from watching kids in action, they read the summary on the internet or flip the book over before making their decisions. These are savvy readers. Guess they have to be, considering the plethora of information thrown at them.
The book was a classroom requirement–Tried and true. If your teacher says read it and you've got some homework to do, chances are, you're going to read the book. (Ok, except for the few of you who are reading this and thinking about the book reports you weaseled your way through. I'm not talking about those "readers.")

There's nothing really ground-breaking about theses simple observations. And perhaps there are a few points you'd like to add (from your own observations or moments as a parent). I'd love to read them. Please leave them in the comment section below. For now, however, I am left with the dubious task of figuring out how to break into the tween market.  **Drums fingers on table and wonders how in the world to do that**

I pray word-of-mouth will come, but first they must hear about the book. They must read it. And so we move down the list…

Whether or not my book goes free for the kindle-free lists is a decision left up to my publisher. Considering this is my first tween (also known as middle grade) piece, I haven't built an audience seeking to read my newest works (having read and loved my previous ones), so that is also on hold…for now (always the optimist). That leaves me with two options. Really one, considering the back cover blurb has been written and posted. Yup, I'm taking the book to the classroom.

Wish me luck?

Before you go, don't forget to share how your tween chooses the books they read or if you have a creative way to market a tween novella, I'm all ears (or eyes in this case:). What Do You Think??

 

 

Book Release Day!

Whoo-hoo! The Wishing Ring officially releases today. Check out our two new portals to coincide with the new tween fantasy, The Wishing Ring. For teachers, the teacher resource page contains pdf worksheets and activities while the adventurers' page has games and puzzles for the readers. Check them out (right after you get your copy of The Wishing Ring ).

Feel free to visit the portals anytime. Just click the Adventures of Ally and Cory tab above.

**Whoo-hoo, it's release day!!**

 

New Book Reviews

Replication: The Jason Experiment

Have you checked out the new book reviews, yet? Scroll through the menu above for more information. Your favorite not up there? Let me know and we'll fix that.

 

 

 

 

Looking forward to next week's release of The Wishing Ring! On February 3, two new portals will go live. One for teachers and homeschoolers with The Wishing Ringworksheets on verb tenses and character descriptions. The other portal is for readers. There you'll find games, an online community, and other fun stuff. See you there!

Midnight Oil Guest Post by Marva Dasef

It's time to start talking about oil. Midnight Oil, that is. The color of the font is close to the color of the magical oil that can be used at midnight on the day of summer solstice. What's it for? Probably a lot of things. It's the WD-40 of magical ointments. However, in the YA fantasy of the same name, it's for healing ailments that cannot otherwise be cured.

Let's take a brief hop to the island Novaya Zemlya (and another important place described further down in this post) which is the extension of the Ural Mountains into the Barents Sea, Arctic Ocean, and Kara Sea way above the Arctic Circle. I wonder if this is the only island surrounded by three separate seas? Hm. Have to look that up.

The occupants are the Nenets, an indigenous tribe of hunters similar to the Eskimo and Inuits of North America. Their close cousins, the Samis, are also in the vicinity stretching across northern Siberia, Finland, and into the Finnmark region of Norway.

The Samis make up the paternal side of my heroine's family. If you read Bad Spelling, you'd also know that Kat's boyfriend is a Sami (formerly a troll changeling).

The unfortunate the Nenets have a problem, a big problem. Russian nuclear testing in the 1950′s left about as much radiation spread about as the explosion of Chernobyl. The Cold War certainly made major nations do some really stupid things.

In Midnight Oil, the radioactive has caused the Nenets' children born after the nuclear period to mutate. No, they didn't change into giant spiders. However, they were deformed and sick. The Nenets didn't get a lot of help from the former Soviet Union. Left to their own devices, they worked out that only one thing would save them; return them to normalcy: The Midnight Oil.

Therein lies a part of the tale. It's up to Rune (Kat's smarty-pants younger half-brother, who also happens to be half-vampire) and Ivansi (Kat's Sami grandfather) to first ask the Nenets gods where the oil is. The gods reside on a small island south of Novaya Zemlya called Hebidya Ya. You can see why it is called the Easter Island of the arctic with shrines to the various gods (illustrated on the map). Rune and Ivansi have to find the right god's pyramidal altar. The afflicted Nenets supply a totem to lead them.

After that, they have to steal the Midnight Oil from the forest elemental who happens to have it stored in her root cellar. Ajatar, however, is not a kindly elemental who'd be happy to help the distraught Nenets. Oh, no. Her mind is set on destroying her sister, another elemental spirit. In the meantime, Kat has been lost at sea along with her frozen father's block of ice. Yes, that's a bit odd, but it really does have a logical explanation.

You might be thinking that this plot is worthy of Days of Our Lives in complexity. Not really. Nobody has been married more than twice. Nobody has an identical cousin, and very few people have died and been resurrected (well, one).

Okay, maybe it is as complicated as a soap opera. But it's a lot more fun and filled with puns. I hope you'll want to read it when it's published next month.

 

EXCERPT:

 

Rune gazed toward the island the Nenets called the Home of the Gods. He noted, with some discomfort, that it teemed with people. This wasn't going to be an easy drop-in, say hi to the gods, and ask where the Midnight Oil might be found.

"Ivansi." Rune pointed to a small inlet further south on the shore. "Head that way. Fewer people around."

Ivansi complied, steering the motorboat southward, angling in toward the land. He ran the boat up on the beach. Here, at least, there were some low-lying shrubs. Rune jumped off the bow with the mooring line and pulled the rope toward a sufficiently large, although ragged, bush. He grabbed the main trunk and tugged. It seemed firmly rooted, so he lashed the line close to the ground. Sucking on his finger scratched by the nasty bush, Rune swore under his breath. His own blood didn't tempt his vampiric hunger. It just plain old hurt to get scratched by thorns.

While he was doing that, Ivansi left the boat, too. He held the Nenets totem high in his right hand and slowly turned, waiting for the totem to show him the way to go.

"Like a water witch, eh?"

Ivansi nodded and continued the slow scan of the island. The totem pulled his arm downward. Ivansi nodded in the direction it pointed. Rune joined the older man, and they set off across the rocky, barren landscape.

They walked about a hundred yards inland, when Ivansi stopped, looking puzzled. The totem pointed in a different direction. He held it up and tried the slow turn again. The totem pointed; Ivansi followed. Again, the totem changed direction. He tried a few more times, but the totem kept pointing a different direction every time he took a few steps.

Rune extended his hand. "Let me try. Maybe I can get a feel for what it's trying to say." He held the totem up as Ivansi had and turned. When it pointed, he pulled it back upright and turned some more. The totem seemed to be telling them the gods were all over this island, not just in a single spot.

"Oh, great. Now which way should we go?" Rune scratched his head with the totem. It slipped from his hand, and he grabbed for it, but the totem took off. Rune jogged after it. "Hey! Wait up!"

 

Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a free ebook.

 

Links:

by Marva Dasef http://marvadasef.com/  http://mgddasef.blogspot.com

MuseItUp Buy Page: http://tinyurl.com/6wswbsf

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006UTL54A

Midnight Oil Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdfNTVeMS1s

The book trailer was featured at http://yougottareadvideos.blogspot.com/ on January 20th. Voting is between the 21st and 26th. Drop by and vote for #20.