Ash Krafton's Blog, page 27
June 8, 2012
QueryTracker.net: Conquering the Cliche
QueryTracker.net: Conquering the Cliche: Whether a plotter or a pantser, a novice or a pro, every writer will eventually do the same exact thing—and that's stare at the screen, fingers poised over keyboard, planning a character's next move.
How you handle your character's next move will set you apart from the rest of the writing masses. Genre matters not; length matters not. What matters is whether or not that next move is a cliché. Continue reading this article at QueryTracker.net: Conquering the Cliche.
How you handle your character's next move will set you apart from the rest of the writing masses. Genre matters not; length matters not. What matters is whether or not that next move is a cliché. Continue reading this article at QueryTracker.net: Conquering the Cliche.
NOR: Summer Scavenger Hunt...and a Blog Bonus!
Welcome, web hunters!I'm thrilled to be a part of Night Owl Reviews SUMMER FUN WEB HUNT! I can't believe all the great prizes that are up for grabs. Talk about booty! I've won books in NOR's web hunts before so I personally know how much fun this is. I also found so many great new authors and books so it was a huge win all around...
I know you're here to find a special answer and I'm going to totally make it worth your time….'cause I got a BONUS WIN in this post!
The clue lies within the pages of the Demimonde…
BLEEDING HEARTS is the first book in my Demimonde series. Sophie Galen is an advice columnist who has a little secret…one she doesn't even know. Yet.
When she meets Marek, he seems to draw her secrets to the surface. His redemption depends on her. Unfortunately, he's got secrets of his own—dark secrets, terrible truths that are hard to share. He is Demivampire, in danger of losing his treacherous soul.
Sophie is drawn into his world, step by step, tempted by his seduction, enticed by his need, and lured by the promise of a love for which she searched half her life. What is her secret—and is she strong enough to accept her own truths?
Bleeding Hearts was released this March through Pink Narcissus Press. The follow-up, Blood Rush, is on the editor's desk (if her laptop is on her desk, I suppose) and is expected March 2013. I'm getting deeper into the Demimonde…and I hope you'll join me.
I've got an extra giveaway for you all. In addition to providing Marek's hint for the Night Owl Summer Fun Web Hunt, I have an extra surprise for followers of the Demimonde. Use the Rafflecopter form below to follow me and the Demimonde and you can win a print copy of Bleeding Hearts and a ten dollar gift card to Barnes & Noble! Earn bonus entries by Tweeting about the giveaway...the more, the merrier, I say!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for visiting my Demimonde…I'm thrilled to share my world with you. Be sure to stop back some time to check out the review links on the side bar to see why Bleeding Hearts is getting great reviews. Readers love Sophie and Marek and the world of the Demivampire. Will you?
I have a great idea for a Bonus Bonus Win! Since I'm trying to spread the word about Bleeding Hearts and the Books of the Demimonde, I can really use your help.
Anyone who puts my Rafflecopter widget on their page to promote my book will be entered in a private raffle…for a $25 dollar Amazon Gift Card! Just leave your name and a link to your page in a comment on this post so that I can verify your entry. You can find the link to the widget here...
My thanks for your help in getting the word out about Bleeding Hearts and the Books of the Demimonde. Without enthusiastic readers and helpful friends, our books would remain our secrets…and books are secrets we should never keep from our friends. <3
Hugs and thanks for joining the Demimonde!
http://www.nightowlreviews.com/nor/Index.aspx
June 6, 2012
BLOOD RUSH: Book Two of the Demimonde
The second installment to my series is complete and safely in the hands of the editor.
Second books are like middle children. Of course we want them; we are so much in love with our first-borns that we are eager to spawn another creation of wonder. But, like middle children, second books have a personality of their own. They have different moods, different ideas about their destinies. We find out quickly enough that they are not clones of their older siblings—they are unique individuals.
My first book--Bleeding Hearts--was born in a moment of passion, an urge to write, to create, to express. My second book was planned, a calculated decision to continue the story and round out the protagonist’s world. Of course, I didn’t expect the story to take on a mind of its own.
It’s a pleasant surprise, actually. While writing the first book, I developed as a writer. There are so many fantastic resources out there for writers and one day I’ll have to make a list of the library I’ve amassed; not only books, but blogs and websites, communities, and on-line workshops. But it was passion that drove the writing.
Coming up on the sequel, I had a clearer idea of plot set-up, structure, character development—in short, the technical aspects of the novel. I labored over the first chapter, the inciting incident, the three-act story arc, the first page, the first ten lines. And slowly it dawned on me—while I was ensuring myself no major revisions would be necessary, passion wasn’t first and foremost my driving force. This book was officially (gasp!) work.
Middle children shouldn’t be labeled as laborious. When I was doing final edits last month, I needed to understand my novel for the individual story it is, not for the expectations I’d placed upon it. So with this in mind, I returned to my first job as a writer—which is a reader—and read it straight through without stopping to edit. (Difficult task indeed.)
By stepping back and looking through the eyes of a reader, I saw the story for what it truly was—saw the themes, the messages, the journey of the characters and the conflicts that filled their lives. I reacquainted myself with them, remembered who they were and why I wanted to bring them to life. And during the reading, the spark of passion ignited, unfurled, and reminded me how much fun it is to be a writer.
It renewed me.
I ran the draft through a bit of a test—pulled out the Writer’s Digest Yearbook edition of Novel Writing and “workshopped” a few of the articles, making notes and comparisons. I opened Donald Maass' Writing the Breakthrough Novel Workbook and read through several exercises. I combined my eagerness to write with the skills I've learned and hope to continue creating stories that will captivate readers.
Coupled with my rediscovered passion, I am ready to jump back in and continue the series with the same eagerness that I felt while writing the first book. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have a little incentive—now that I finished the second, I can finally, guiltlessly, write the third.
Let’s just take life one WIP at a time.
Second books are like middle children. Of course we want them; we are so much in love with our first-borns that we are eager to spawn another creation of wonder. But, like middle children, second books have a personality of their own. They have different moods, different ideas about their destinies. We find out quickly enough that they are not clones of their older siblings—they are unique individuals.
My first book--Bleeding Hearts--was born in a moment of passion, an urge to write, to create, to express. My second book was planned, a calculated decision to continue the story and round out the protagonist’s world. Of course, I didn’t expect the story to take on a mind of its own.
It’s a pleasant surprise, actually. While writing the first book, I developed as a writer. There are so many fantastic resources out there for writers and one day I’ll have to make a list of the library I’ve amassed; not only books, but blogs and websites, communities, and on-line workshops. But it was passion that drove the writing.
Coming up on the sequel, I had a clearer idea of plot set-up, structure, character development—in short, the technical aspects of the novel. I labored over the first chapter, the inciting incident, the three-act story arc, the first page, the first ten lines. And slowly it dawned on me—while I was ensuring myself no major revisions would be necessary, passion wasn’t first and foremost my driving force. This book was officially (gasp!) work.
Middle children shouldn’t be labeled as laborious. When I was doing final edits last month, I needed to understand my novel for the individual story it is, not for the expectations I’d placed upon it. So with this in mind, I returned to my first job as a writer—which is a reader—and read it straight through without stopping to edit. (Difficult task indeed.)
By stepping back and looking through the eyes of a reader, I saw the story for what it truly was—saw the themes, the messages, the journey of the characters and the conflicts that filled their lives. I reacquainted myself with them, remembered who they were and why I wanted to bring them to life. And during the reading, the spark of passion ignited, unfurled, and reminded me how much fun it is to be a writer.
It renewed me.
I ran the draft through a bit of a test—pulled out the Writer’s Digest Yearbook edition of Novel Writing and “workshopped” a few of the articles, making notes and comparisons. I opened Donald Maass' Writing the Breakthrough Novel Workbook and read through several exercises. I combined my eagerness to write with the skills I've learned and hope to continue creating stories that will captivate readers.
Coupled with my rediscovered passion, I am ready to jump back in and continue the series with the same eagerness that I felt while writing the first book. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have a little incentive—now that I finished the second, I can finally, guiltlessly, write the third.
Let’s just take life one WIP at a time.
May 31, 2012
Night Owl Reviews SUMMER FUN WEB HUNT!
Welcome, web hunters!I'm thrilled to be a part of Night Owl Reviews SUMMER FUN WEB HUNT! I can't believe all the great prizes that are up for grabs. Talk about booty! I've won books in NOR's web hunts before so I personally know how much fun this is. I also found so many great new authors and books so it was a huge win all around...
I know you're here to find a special answer and I'm going to totally make it worth your time….'cause I got a BONUS WIN in this post!
The clue lies within the pages of the Demimonde…
BLEEDING HEARTS is the first book in my Demimonde series. Sophie Galen is an advice columnist who has a little secret…one she doesn't even know. Yet.
When she meets Marek, he seems to draw her secrets to the surface. His redemption depends on her. Unfortunately, he's got secrets of his own—dark secrets, terrible truths that are hard to share. He is Demivampire, in danger of losing his treacherous soul.
Sophie is drawn into his world, step by step, tempted by his seduction, enticed by his need, and lured by the promise of a love for which she searched half her life. What is her secret—and is she strong enough to accept her own truths?
Bleeding Hearts was released this March through Pink Narcissus Press. The follow-up, Blood Rush, is on the editor's desk (if her laptop is on her desk, I suppose) and is expected March 2013. I'm getting deeper into the Demimonde…and I hope you'll join me.
I've got an extra giveaway for you all. In addition to providing Marek's hint for the Night Owl Summer Fun Web Hunt, I have an extra surprise for followers of the Demimonde. Use the Rafflecopter form below to follow me and the Demimonde and you can win a print copy of Bleeding Hearts and a ten dollar gift card to Barnes & Noble! Earn bonus entries by Tweeting about the giveaway...the more, the merrier, I say!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for visiting my Demimonde…I'm thrilled to share my world with you. Be sure to stop back some time to check out the review links on the side bar to see why Bleeding Hearts is getting great reviews. Readers love Sophie and Marek and the world of the Demivampire. Will you?
I have a great idea for a Bonus Bonus Win! Since I'm trying to spread the word about Bleeding Hearts and the Books of the Demimonde, I can really use your help.
Anyone who puts my Rafflecopter widget on their page to promote my book will be entered in a private raffle…for a $25 dollar Amazon Gift Card! Just leave your name and a link to your page in a comment on this post so that I can verify your entry. You can find the link to the widget here...
My thanks for your help in getting the word out about Bleeding Hearts and the Books of the Demimonde. Without enthusiastic readers and helpful friends, our books would remain our secrets…and books are secrets we should never keep from our friends. <3
Hugs and thanks for joining the Demimonde!
May 16, 2012
QueryTracker.net: The Story Behind The Success: Lisa Amowitz
QueryTracker.net: The Story Behind The Success: Lisa Amowitz: Query Tracker is a site devoted to helping writers who seek agent representation. In addition to the huge database of agent listings, Query...
QueryTracker.net: Securing Online Reviews
QueryTracker.net: Securing Online Reviews: In today's publishing world, more and more of the burden of publicity and marketing falls onto the shoulders of the author. I've had quite...
May 14, 2012
The Truth About Hair and Why Indians Would Keep Their Hair Long -- Science of the Spirit -- Sott.net
Thought I'd re-blog this interesting article...I also believe a woman's hair is her glory--and the Eighties were the most glorious time of all.
:)
The Truth About Hair and Why Indians Would Keep Their Hair Long -- Science of the Spirit -- Sott.net: http://www.sott.net/articles/show/234...
:)
The Truth About Hair and Why Indians Would Keep Their Hair Long -- Science of the Spirit -- Sott.net: http://www.sott.net/articles/show/234...
May 9, 2012
Canadian Comic Creators Cross Channel to Kill Shakespeare in Bard’s Country
I thought I'd pass along a press release about Kill Shakespere's creators, Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col. I met the duo when I was at the Baltimore Comic Con last summer and am glad to share their announcement. Conor was a riot--he had a crowd around him every time I passed their table and I practically had to beat my way through the masses to buy my copy, which Conor dutifully signed for me. With great flourish, I might add.
So, with no further ado:
Canadian Comic Creators Cross Channel to Kill Shakespeare in Bard’s Country
London, UK - The creators of IDW Publishing’s Kill Shakespeare comic book series look to court controversy this month by bringing their take on Shakespeare and his characters to the birth country of the Bard himself this month on a two-week signing and convention tour of England.
“Colonists” Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col will be appearing at the Bristol Comic Expo as well as the Kapow! Comic Convention this month, along with a number of store signings in London, Manchester, Leeds and Stratford-upon-Avon. Series artist Andy Belanger will be joining the duo for the Kapow! Convention and a London signing. The trip to the U.K. is the final leg of their spring 2012 convention tour, which has seen them make appearances all over North America as well as at the Middle East Film & Comic-Con in Dubai last month.
To prepare for the tour IDW Publishing is proud to announce that they are releasing a fourth printing of Kill Shakespeare Volume 1: A Sea of Troubles. Originally released in April, 2010, this is the first half of the series that pits the Bard’s greatest heroes against his most menacing villains in a quest to track down and kill – or save – a wizard by the name of William Shakespeare.
IDW is also proud to announce that Del Col and McCreery have received their second straight Joe Shuster Award nomination for Best Writing in a comic series. The duo is pitted against such talents as Jeff Lemire and Kathryn Immonen in the category.
“We’re quite chuffed to see what people in England think of our take on the Bard,” says McCreery. “We expect some nay-sayers but we’re eager to show everyone that this project is just as vital a reflection of the Bard’s work as anything coming out of the Globe Theatre or Stratford-on-Avon.”
Kill Shakespeare has been in hot water before after Shakespearean scholar Kimberly Cox denounced the series as “bullshit” and said that “these guys really are helping to kill Shakespeare.” However, the adventure series, which incorporates Hamlet, Juliet, Othello, Richard III, Lady Macbeth, Puck and others, has received high praise from media such as the New York Times, NPR, BBC, CBC and Fangoria. The series has also spawned a 90-minute stage show that debuted in association with Toronto’s acclaimed Soulpepper Theatre company in November of 2011 and is scheduled to tour to various locations across North America this fall.
The current signing schedule includes:
Sat, May 12 – Sun, May 13Bristol Comic ExpoWed, May 16Travelling Man (Manchester)Thu, May 17Travelling Man (Leeds)Fri, May 18Forbidden Planet London MegastoreSat, May 19 – Sun, May 20 Kapow! Comic Convention
Published by IDW Publishing, more information about the series can be found at www.killshakespeare.com. The graphic novel is available at all major comic and book stores and digitally through iTunes or ComiXology.
TO REQUEST A REVIEW COPY OR BOOK AN INTERVIEW:
Conor McCreery (416) 844-4122 muchado@killshakespeare.com
Anthony Del Col
(416) 388-8587 delcol@killshakespeare.com
So, with no further ado:
Canadian Comic Creators Cross Channel to Kill Shakespeare in Bard’s Country
London, UK - The creators of IDW Publishing’s Kill Shakespeare comic book series look to court controversy this month by bringing their take on Shakespeare and his characters to the birth country of the Bard himself this month on a two-week signing and convention tour of England.
“Colonists” Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col will be appearing at the Bristol Comic Expo as well as the Kapow! Comic Convention this month, along with a number of store signings in London, Manchester, Leeds and Stratford-upon-Avon. Series artist Andy Belanger will be joining the duo for the Kapow! Convention and a London signing. The trip to the U.K. is the final leg of their spring 2012 convention tour, which has seen them make appearances all over North America as well as at the Middle East Film & Comic-Con in Dubai last month.
To prepare for the tour IDW Publishing is proud to announce that they are releasing a fourth printing of Kill Shakespeare Volume 1: A Sea of Troubles. Originally released in April, 2010, this is the first half of the series that pits the Bard’s greatest heroes against his most menacing villains in a quest to track down and kill – or save – a wizard by the name of William Shakespeare.
IDW is also proud to announce that Del Col and McCreery have received their second straight Joe Shuster Award nomination for Best Writing in a comic series. The duo is pitted against such talents as Jeff Lemire and Kathryn Immonen in the category.
“We’re quite chuffed to see what people in England think of our take on the Bard,” says McCreery. “We expect some nay-sayers but we’re eager to show everyone that this project is just as vital a reflection of the Bard’s work as anything coming out of the Globe Theatre or Stratford-on-Avon.”
Kill Shakespeare has been in hot water before after Shakespearean scholar Kimberly Cox denounced the series as “bullshit” and said that “these guys really are helping to kill Shakespeare.” However, the adventure series, which incorporates Hamlet, Juliet, Othello, Richard III, Lady Macbeth, Puck and others, has received high praise from media such as the New York Times, NPR, BBC, CBC and Fangoria. The series has also spawned a 90-minute stage show that debuted in association with Toronto’s acclaimed Soulpepper Theatre company in November of 2011 and is scheduled to tour to various locations across North America this fall.
The current signing schedule includes:
Sat, May 12 – Sun, May 13Bristol Comic ExpoWed, May 16Travelling Man (Manchester)Thu, May 17Travelling Man (Leeds)Fri, May 18Forbidden Planet London MegastoreSat, May 19 – Sun, May 20 Kapow! Comic Convention
Published by IDW Publishing, more information about the series can be found at www.killshakespeare.com. The graphic novel is available at all major comic and book stores and digitally through iTunes or ComiXology.
TO REQUEST A REVIEW COPY OR BOOK AN INTERVIEW:
Conor McCreery (416) 844-4122 muchado@killshakespeare.com
Anthony Del Col
(416) 388-8587 delcol@killshakespeare.com
Goodreads G!ve@way Time!
It's that time again! Let's have a Goodreads giveaway!
I'm amping up for my first appearance at the end of the month... Balticon, here I come. I gots my wicked cool stilettos, my killer tee shirts, a gameplan for big awesome hair...and maybe presents for my editors, whom I shall meet in the flesh for the very first time. I get to hang out with my publisher! WOOTS.
Memorial Day Weekend May 25-28, 2012
But...Balticon is a sci-fi/fantasy con. Do I really want to be sitting behind a table when there will be so much other geekfood around? I suppose we'll have to wait and see.
Going to Balticon? Look for me at the Pink Narcissus Press table, where I'll be promoting Bleeding Hearts: Book One of the Demimonde along with my Pink Narc sib, Lyle Blake Smythers. He's getting ready to release his novel Feasting with Panthers. We'll be kissing hands and shaking...wait, no. That's not it. Breaking hands and kissing babies? Eh, whatevs. We'll be there doing that thing that we do.
Or just watch for a huge pile of reddish-blonde hair walking around very slowly. :) Those shoes are going to be killer.
I'm holding a Goodreads Giveaway that will run to the end of the month. Wanna copy? Get your karma in...
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
Bleeding Hearts by Ash Krafton Giveaway ends May 31, 2012.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
If you're like me and never win a damned thing, there's a second-chance thingie you can consider...Book bloggers can get out my Request a Review Copy page (tab is up on the top) in order to get a review copy of Bleeding Hearts. All you have to do is ask! I don't bite (<--a lie. I really do bite. Bad Habit. Sorry.)
Thanks for entering...and hope to see you in Baltimore!
I'm amping up for my first appearance at the end of the month... Balticon, here I come. I gots my wicked cool stilettos, my killer tee shirts, a gameplan for big awesome hair...and maybe presents for my editors, whom I shall meet in the flesh for the very first time. I get to hang out with my publisher! WOOTS.
Memorial Day Weekend May 25-28, 2012
But...Balticon is a sci-fi/fantasy con. Do I really want to be sitting behind a table when there will be so much other geekfood around? I suppose we'll have to wait and see.
Going to Balticon? Look for me at the Pink Narcissus Press table, where I'll be promoting Bleeding Hearts: Book One of the Demimonde along with my Pink Narc sib, Lyle Blake Smythers. He's getting ready to release his novel Feasting with Panthers. We'll be kissing hands and shaking...wait, no. That's not it. Breaking hands and kissing babies? Eh, whatevs. We'll be there doing that thing that we do.
Or just watch for a huge pile of reddish-blonde hair walking around very slowly. :) Those shoes are going to be killer.
I'm holding a Goodreads Giveaway that will run to the end of the month. Wanna copy? Get your karma in...
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget { color: #555; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; background: white; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget img { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0 !important; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0; color: #660; text-decoration: none; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:visted { color: #660; text-decoration: none; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:hover { color: #660; text-decoration: underline !important; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget p { margin: 0 0 .5em !important; padding: 0; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink { display: block; width: 150px; margin: 10px auto 0 !important; padding: 0px 5px !important; text-align: center; line-height: 1.8em; color: #222; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; border: 1px solid #6A6454; -moz-border-radius: 5px; -webkit-border-radius: 5px; font-family:arial,verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; background-image:url(http://www.goodreads.com/images/layou... background-repeat: repeat-x; background-color:#BBB596; outline: 0; white-space: nowrap; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink:hover { background-image:url(http://www.goodreads.com/images/layou... color: black; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; }
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Bleeding Hearts by Ash Krafton Giveaway ends May 31, 2012. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
If you're like me and never win a damned thing, there's a second-chance thingie you can consider...Book bloggers can get out my Request a Review Copy page (tab is up on the top) in order to get a review copy of Bleeding Hearts. All you have to do is ask! I don't bite (<--a lie. I really do bite. Bad Habit. Sorry.)
Thanks for entering...and hope to see you in Baltimore!
May 8, 2012
QueryTracker.net: Character Connection
QueryTracker.net: Character Connection: One of the most common reasons for rejecting a manuscript is when the agent or editor can’t connect with the main character. Somet...
