Bri Clark's Blog, page 11

RJ Terrell Fantasy and God Genes

Hello Darlings, Please welcome RJ Terrell who describes himself "As a writer of fiction and fantasy and an aspiring actor I enjoy the outdoors and all the adventure it brings." His guest post paints a most interesting world he has created in the fantasy genre. Do take a look. 

Hello Bri and thank you for havingme on your blog!


I am primarily awriter of fantasy, but recently I have branched a bit to try my wings atdifferent fiction. Currently I am awaiting the cover artwork for my third andfinal book Heroes Of A Broken Age, in the Legend of Takashaniel Trilogy. Iwrote my first book, Echoes Of A Shattered Age, back in 2006, and it was alengthy affair, taking a little over a year and a half to write. I had neverwritten a book before, and though I greatly enjoyed the process, it was arather tall order and took some time.I had been readingfor some years, and fantasy had always been my primary genre to enjoy, though Ialways have enjoyed different types of fiction. It was back around 2003, ifmemory serves, when the first spark entered my mind that I wanted to write.Several characters came to mind, and would not leave me alone. (before youreaders call the mental hospital, every writer is constantly bombarded byvarious characters demanding to have their stories told. *wink*)Once I had decidedthat I would indeed like to attempt to write the book, I knew from the startthat there was one thing I wanted to do differently. Although things are slowlychanging, the fantasy genre at large is primarily told from the Eurocentric perspective,with the occasional character type that is patterned after a differentethnicity here or there. I had seen for years that there was a need forsomething more diverse, and judging from the fans on the message boards of manybestselling fantasy authors, I was not the only one to notice this. The one thing Iwas always taught as a child was to be the change, and if there is something Iwould like to see done, do it myself. I have nothing but love and admirationfor the many fantasy authors out there, paving the way for writers like myselfwho are just beginning, and I realize and respect that the stories they tellare theirs, not mine. My expectations of the type of change I would like to seein fantasy are my own, and I celebrate that. I like to think that I approachfantasy in the same manner that the creator of Star Trek has approached thatworld. What I mean is, Gene Roddenberry created Star Trek as a rich andethnically diverse world devoid of the racial issues we have today. This is howI approach fantasy. Although there are different ethnic groups, orrepresentations of ethnic groups in my stories, the reader will enjoy thiswithout the tiring (in my humble opinion) racial issues we deal with in ourworld.The Legend ofTakashaniel Trilogy is my first venture into such a world. It is based largelyoff of a future version of this world, after the death of the earth wasmysteriously and inexplicably avoided. Technology suddenly began to die awayuntil humanity was left to start over again in a world that had begun torapidly evolve around them. Many believed it was the Gods who took technologyaway, but there were some few who knew the truth of it. This trilogyfollows the exploration of a group of human warriors who carry a God Gene thatmakes them stronger, faster, and in every way, superior warriors than any whohad ever lived. But as always, there is a catch, and this Gene does have itslimits.In the first book,we walk alongside Kenyatta, an orphan from Jamaica who was adopted by avacationing couple from the Philippines. The couple raised him alongside hisbest friend, Kita, and the two were raised as brothers, and trained side byside every day of their lives.Akemi, a ninjademon hunter shares a close, yet sometimes comical relationship with hersamurai brother, Kenjiro. The two siblings have looked out for each other theirentire lives, and though Kenjiro feels his sister is somewhat reckless, deepdown he knows that she is the most fearsome warrior he has ever known. Shinobu is aFarstrider who carries with him a sword of unknown origin. It is hinted aboutin the first book, but is explored a bit more in the final book due out laterthis year. There will be a future book that more completely delves into therelationship between the strider and this weapon.The second book ismore of a linking book, that follows only part of the original cast. We onceagain follow the adventures of Kenyatta and Kita, but this time we delve deeplyinto a character who only played a small part in the first book; Seung Yoonfrom the village of Kyu, in Korea. This beautiful woman begins a journey thatwill answer many of the questions she's had about herself and her unusualappearance. In Legends Of A Shattered Age, we are introduced to new aspects ofthe world, and peoples that humans unwittingly share the world with…and I don'tjust mean the typical kind that come to mind when you think of fantasy. *grin* The final book,Heroes Of A Broken Age, further introduces you to more of the world, and bringsabout the conclusion to the struggle against Brit, an alien being who growsmore powerful by leeching energy from the earth. These warriors battle waves ofdemons, as small as a human, and as large a skyscraper. There is no want foraction in these books, and I have had a blast walking alongside the characters.

After the writingof the first book, I immediately started on the second, but after reaching nearthe halfway point, a family loss left me deeply wounded and lost. That, coupledwith living in a place I did not enjoy, I had been unable to write more than aparagraph for nearly five years. This is where we come to the question ofwhether or not a person can truly know if they are a writer. I believe I cannotarticulate this better than best selling author R.A. Salvatore when he said,"if you can make a living doing anything else, do it. If you can't imaginedoing anything else; if you have stories that demand to be written, and it's onyour mind all the time, then that's it. You're a writer." No truer wordshave ever been spoken. Though I had not written for nearly five years, thestory was always there, waiting patiently in the back of my mind for when Ifinally opened my computer once more. The characters, with the patience oftruly balanced warriors, waited for the day I came out of my prolonged griefand stepped back on the path with them to continue their story. And in June of2010, I opened the computer once more, and stepped back into Legends Of AShattered Age, and have been traveling in that world ever since.It is here, that Iwould like to note that I do not believe in writer's block. There are timeswhen we reach a snag, and the creative juices do not flow as freely. We mayneed to stand up and walk away for a while. We may need to take a break,whether for a few hours or a few days, but writer's block, to me, is in yourhead. When my father passed away, I didn't write for years. If I was on adeadline, I would not have been able to take such an extended leave. But I wasa beginning writer back then. It was a craft that was somewhat between aserious hobby and a scary career path.
And a scary careerpath it can be for the beginning writer. You've written that first book. It'syour baby that you've been nurturing for the past year or two, proofreading andre-writing and perfecting until you were ready to pull your hair out. Then, theprospect of submitting it to have it potentially torn apart by some stranger?It is a daunting thought. One thing I tell people when they ask me about thisis, "what do you find more frightening? Do you find it more frightening workingthe job you do right now for the rest of your life, or potentially having yourfirst manuscript read and constructively critiqued by a professional? At theend of the day, it is our precious ego that shrinks away from this challenge.We are afraid that our hard work and best effort isn't good enough. Then what?Then we workharder. When I was in the seventh grade, my best effort to climb the pole wasabout a foot off the ground. By the end of the seventh grade, my best effortwas up and down the pole faster than anyone in my class. Is there a difference?Nope. It's about putting in your best effort and improving, so that your bestis better than your best was yesterday, last week, last year.You want to be awriter, actor, basketball player, whatever. More than likely, your first besteffort won't make the cut, but with a good work ethic, some talent, a largeamount of effort, and a small (better yet, nonexistent) ego, your best can andwill be good enough. Fear is a barrier that tests us. Once you do what youfear, that fear will quickly disappear. Again, would you rather continue doingwhat you do now, or become that which you dream to be?I cannot stressthis enough that to be a success at whatever you choose to do in life, it willtake a lot of work and discipline. Remember that we are asking people to pay usfor the service we provide. There is nothing wrong with this as long as we giveour customer (in this case, the reader) our very best and most professionaleffort possible. Always.Will everyonealways like everything that you write? Of course not. But as long as you putforth your very best effort at what you do, there will be many who will enjoyand resonate with your work. And that is a very satisfying and humbling thing.

3 Ways to Gain Influence Online (That You Probably Haven't Thought Of)

[image error] 3 Ways to Gain Influence Online (ThatYou Probably Haven't Thought Of)guest post by K.C.Neal
1. Provide OriginalInformation
It seems like everyoneis a content provider these days. It's just so easy to start a blog or throw upa website. But how much of the content out there is truly original and useful?My background is in science and research, so I love data and original research.(Let's hear it for writers who love advanced statistics! Hello…?) Last year, I putout a book blogger survey, and over 70 bloggers responded. One of the mostpopular posts on my blog is based on some of the data from that survey: The One Thing Book Bloggers Hate Most. It's also one of my mostcommented-on non-giveaway posts. For all I know, I'm the only person who's everconducted a survey specifically aimed at book bloggers! That survey gave metons of original information to share. I've written several posts about workingwith book bloggers and doing blog tours, and I've taught a couple of webinarson these topics. Ya see? Originality… authority… influence. Find ways to provide useful, originalcontent, and I guarantee readers will get excited about it and be interested inwhat you have to say.
2. Spearhead anEvent, Group, or Service
Early this year, anauthor friend and I joined forces to create Spread Love, Not Hate, and anti-bullying blog hop event. (Iknow! An event that had nothing to do with my book, or any book, or writing, orpublishing!) One hundred people signed up to take part and blog about bullying,and it was an incredibly rewarding experience. Several people sent me privatenotes about how much it meant to them to be part of Spread Love, Note Hate, andmany of the participants were bloggers I'd never spoken to before. Pick something that's meaningful to you, orprovide something that meets a need or fills a gap.
3. Turn Off theLaptop and Put Down the Smartphone
What?! Yes, I'm sayingit: Step away from the internet. I promise it will still be there when you comeback. One of my goals for 2012 is to do at least one IRL (that's "in reallife") event per month related to my career as an author. So far, I'm keepingup with my goal: I've visited two junior highs and spoken to a few hundredstudents about writing and publishing, and I was a presenter at a localwriters' conference. Plans for more IRL events include a book signing, speakingto a publishing class at Boise State, attending a couple of conferences… andwho knows what other opportunities I'll find. As much as I love my onlinecommunity of friends, nothing beats meeting and chatting with people IRL… andmany of those people will become Facebook friends and blog followers, too. Look for the IRL events, organizations, andspeaking opportunities that are all around you.
I hope I've given yousome fresh ideas for expanding your connections and influence. Please find meonline and say hello:K.C. Neal on TwitterK.C. Neal's FacebookK.C.Neal's Blog 

 Author K.C. Neal isrepped by herself. Her debut novel, YA paranormal Pyxis:The Discovery(StoneHouse Ink), has received enthusiastic praise from readers. K.C. is aco-founder of StoneHouse University, an educational resource for authorsoffering affordable and uniquely industry-current webinars on a variety oftopics related to writing, publishing, and marketing books.



Well I just want to say that this is some great content. KC is an amazing author and a good friend and colleague. My favorite part I'd have to say would be the "IRL" Very interesting and something I will aspire to do as well.
Thanks KC.

What I wish I knew before I published that I know now

What I wish I knew before I published that I know now
By Joshua Graham


Prior to my contract with Howard Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster), I had always believed that I could be in control of all aspects of my career. On the surface, one could argue that I did all the right things, worked my tail off, and applied my knowledge of the craft and business, and those all led to my getting published with one of the Big 6.
Indeed, without work nothing will happen, because books don't get themselves published, nor do they sell themselves. 

That said, many who work hard and are deserving still don't get signed with a traditional publisher (if in fact, that is their goal.) For a long time, I sent in my query letters, received my rejections, and pushed through believing that my book DARKROOM was a work worthy of publication. I was blessed with many trusted friends, colleagues, and family members who continually spoke that into me, and I believed it enough to keep submitting it no matter how many rejections I received.

I'll admit, even with all the faith in God, and encouragement from beloved supporters, there were days that I spent discouraged and worried, questioning myself if I had what it took. But I had also learned to tune those voices of doubt out and keep moving forward in faith.

Eventually, I stopped worrying altogether and applied myself to writing the next book, and most importantly finding my value, worth, and identity in God. I started every day reading the Bible and cultivating a close relationship with my Maker and it got to the point that I was able to sense His presence and promptings in my life clearer than ever. I've got to tell you—it changed my life forever. I found that there was nothing more satisfying and more meaningful.
You see, I had recently lost my day job (in the I.T. field) which I'd held for nearly a decade. The job that had enabled me to support my family and keep a roof over our heads. My company had outsourced my entire department to Bangalore. So, you can imagine that as one who had seen himself as a bread-winner, it was a huge blow to my ego that I wasn't able to provide like I used to. But during that time, as I began to understand God more and more through daily prayer and study of the Scriptures, I learned that God is my provider, AND my family's provider. I learned that if I sought after Him and all that was important to Him, He would add to me everything I needed.

And He did.

Less than a year since I lost my job, my book BEYOND JUSTICE got published and within a couple of months hit #1 on several bestseller lists on Barnes & Noble, and shortly after hit several on Amazon.com (and stayed there for almost 19 months to date, climbing to #1 in several categories as well.) Then came the awards (International Book Award for Beyond Justice, Forward National Literature Awards, and USA Book News Best Books Awards). Long story short, I am now making better living now than I ever had before I lost my full-time day job, AND I'm writing full-time, doing what I'm truly passionate about.

Oh, and by the way—all throughout that time, as I was praying and cultivating my relationship with the Almighty, I continued with my due diligence in sending out query letters and proposals, praying over them, and then forgetting about them. I was too busy being excited about the new insights and revelations God was giving me that helped encourage my family, and my friends alike. I became a small-group leader in my church and was able to encourage others who were struggling financially, spiritually, and in their relationships, all because I made myself available to learn about life from the author of all life.

One day, as I was praying (my computer happened to be on), I heard the chime from my email notification. First of all, I usually don't even turn on my computer when I'm in the Word and praying, much less interrupt my prayer time to look at an email.
But this time, something in my spirit prompted me to "go ahead and take a look." Odd, but I just went ahead and did so. And there, lo and behold, at the top of my message list was an email from the editor at Howard Books with an attachment. That attachment was an offer letter from Simon & Schuster for DARKROOM!

Can I just be really transparent with you for a moment? As soon as I read it, I fell on my knees, lifted my hands to heaven and shouted, "Thank you, GOD!" (I think I startled my dog.) This was a dream come true. And of all the publishers out there, this was the one I always dreamt about working with.

You know what is truly interesting about this? I had come to a place of full surrender of my dreams just before I got the offer letter. By that, I don't mean that I said in my heard, "Okay, God. I get it. I'll just quit here." No, it was nothing like that. My thoughts were like this the entire time: "Lord, I know you have a great plan for me. I know you gave me the ability to write, and you specifically helped me write DARKROOM. So I'm going to quit worrying about it and let you do Your thing in Your time. Meanwhile, I'm going to make it my priority to get to know You and Your word more and more. I offer all my books for You to do with as You please."

Let me tell you something. When I did this, there wasn't a hint of sadness, or sense of loss. I was excited. Thrilled that I didn't have to worry about my life anymore, now that I'd entrusted it to Him. And just a few days later, after I came to that point, I got the offer letter from Simon & Schuster.

What do I wish I knew before that I know now? Well, there were some days that I felt really down, before I devoted myself to prayer and learning to hear from and commune with God. Those days did in fact drive me to seek Him with all my heart, soul, and strength. But if I had been able to see clearly how He makes" all things work together for the good of those who love Him, and are called according to His purpose," I might have saved myself a few sleepless nights, from a few extra gray hairs from worry, and been able to relax a bit sooner.
But nothing's lost. What I learned from that experience will stay with me forever, no matter the circumstance, no matter how I feel about things. When you seek after a relationship with the One who designed you, you really learn to fulfill your purpose and go from mere existence, to living life to the fullest by fulfilling your destiny.

I'm just beginning.

About Josh
Joshua Graham is the award winning author of the #1 Amazon and Barnes & Noble legal thriller BEYOND JUSTICE. His latest book DARKROOM won a First Prize award in the Forward National Literature award and was an award-winner in the USA Book News "Bests Books 2011" awards.
Connect with Josh at the following:
www.joshua-graham.com
www.facebook.com/j0shuaGraham
Twitter:@J0shuaGraham
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Ian Alexander
ONCE WE WERE KINGS
Amazon #1 Bestseller
Award-Winning Finalist in the USA Book News Best Book Awards 2011
Finalist in the Forward National Literature Awards
www.IanAlex.com
facebook: http://facebook.com/IanAlex70
Twitter: @IanAlex77
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Grade A April Fool

The only time I have ever really fallen for an April Fool'sDay joke was when my sister was in high school.
My life at the time involved my six month old baby andferrying my sisters around town for my parents. (That's just a bit of backstoryto help you understand the context of what my lovely, charming sister did.) Mysister ran cross country and track in high school. She often had meets out oftown on weekdays so often I didn't pick her up, only our younger sister.
One day (which, of course, happened to be April first) mysister called me around 4:15 in the afternoon. I never thought it strange thatshe would be calling me since I was the first person to be called if someoneneeded a ride.
She sounded upset, her voice stressed and broken like shehad been crying. Instantly all my alarms went up. I have a protective streakwhen it comes to my sisters (they are ten and fourteen years younger than me.)She proceeded to tell me that she had been at a track meet in a far west suburbof Chicago that doesn't have the best reputation for safety. According to herstory she had gone into the building for a minute to use the bathroom, and whenshe came out the bus was gone.
Thinking she was stranded at an unsafe school thirty minutesaway, I started to toss together my diaper bag and get my son ready to zip tothe car. As I assured her that I would be there as soon as I could, she brokeout laughing. To say I was confused would be an understatement.
Then she joyfully yelled, "April Fool's!"
I naturally did the only mature thing there was to do…I hungup on her.
She got a huge kick out of that story for weeks.
I felt like a grade-A fool.
Needless to say, I'm pretty leery of anything anyone says tome on 
April first. OH LOL Liz you are the best. Thank you so much for sharing this. I just freaked out my family by telling them my husband's recent vasectomy didn't take. It's been loads of fun. 
Happy April Fools Ya'll.
Author bio:Liz Botts was born, raised, and still livesin northern Illinois with her husband and three small children (two boys and ababy girl). When not writing, she enjoys reading, sewing, trying new recipes,and homeschooling her kids. She is proud to pass her love of stories on to herchildren, and makes several trips to the library each week. After working withteenagers for several years, she decided to write stories about them instead.In the Spotlight synopsis:When sixteen year old Hannah Brewster landsthe lead in the school musical she hopes it will be the perfect chance to getthe attention of her family and her long time crush, Kyle. The only problem isthat school super star, Josh Larson, has been cast opposite her, and he seemsto like her as more than just a cast mate.

As Hannah and Josh grow closer, things between Hannah and Kyle get complicated.When Hannah realizes that Kyle is not who she thought he was, she also realizesthat she just might like Josh as more than just a friend.

Will Hannah and Josh be able to overcome their obstacles and admit theirfeelings before the musical ends?
Web links:Website: www.lizbotts.com

Inside my head is a scary place...

I've come to the conclusion that myhead is a scary place to be, mainly because I think my brain is out to get me.I'm pretty sure of this, too. I'm sure those of you reading this know exactlywhat I'm talking about. Those moments when you think about something and youcan't let it go or you're writing a scene to your short story or novel andyou're so far into it that you feel as though you're the one it's actuallyhappening to. It seems to happen most when I'm writing a particularly horriblescene---like a death, an argument that spirals out of control, physicalviolence, that sort of thing. And when I finally remember to breathe and pushaway from the computer, I realize that I'm still stuck in some dark place and I can't get out. I float around in adaze, brain-numb and off-kilter, as if I'm caught in some weirdhalf-awake/half-asleep limbo. It makes me wonder if that's why there's such aheavy association between writers and booze. I mean, writers can either usebooze as a shield or a catalyst for that dark place. Me, personally, I've triedwriting while drinking (or drinking whilewriting) and I can't concentrate. At all.Buteven when I'm not writing or drinking, my brain is still lying in wait for me. Casein point:          My mom and I were bridal-shower-shoppingat the mall. We made the decision to split up---she went to Boscov's and I wentto JCPenney's. We actually do this a lot; it makes the chore of shopping alittle less like a torture device. The sooner it's over, the better off we are.          So as we went our separate ways, we agreedto meet back at Boscov's in an hour, by the downstairs escalators.           An hour of painful shopping ensueduntil finally, finally , the hour tomeet up was near. I arrived at our rendezvous. I didn't see my mom anywhere soI waited, thinking that she probably got hung up in the purse department, whichshe has a habit of doing. (Truthfully,those purses are as bad as my brain when it comes to ensnaring.)          Minutes ticked by. Then more minutesas I waited and waited.          And waited some more. Thirtyminutes went by before I called her cell phone.           "Where are you?" I demanded withbarely restrained annoyance.           "Where do you think? I'm by the escalators,"Mom said, indignantly. "Where are you?"          "I'm at the escalators too!"          "No, you're not!"          "Ma, I'm at the escalators in Boscov'sand I don't see you anywhere."          "Dear," she said pointedly, her tonematching mine. "If we're in the same place how could we not be seeing eachother?"          "I have no freaking idea," I began tosnap as I looked up.Mybrain short-circuited out.           The signs hanging above my head…          The bags that the shoppers carried asthey jostled around me…They all had a big red star onthem.Myjaw dropped to my feet. "Oh my God," I murmured.          "What?"          "I'm in Macy's."          "Macy's? How the hell did you end upthere?"Islapped a hand to my forehead. "I thought I was in Boscov's."Iwalked out of the Macy's with my mother's hysterical laughter ringing in myears.          Oh yes.          My brain?          Has a target on my back.

Hahaha! You are hilarious Melissa. While I'm no drinker I am sometimes absent minded and easily distracted when invested my brain isn't tethered. Thank you so much for having the gumption to share that.
 

Sassy Women Are Welcome Here

Please welcome Lisa Orchard. One of my APsistas whom I just adore. Being with Astraea Press is truly one of the most rewarding parts of my job.
Hello! My name is LisaOrchard and I'm guest blogging today. I want to thank Bri for allowing me tovisit.  Since Bri is kind of a sassylady. J I thought it would be appropriate to mention another woman who isconsidered sassy as well. Her name is Gloria Steinem. She's a pioneer in herfield and recognized as a leader of the women's liberation movement, and guesswhat? She's also a writer!
According to Wikipedia,Steinem actively campaigned for the Equal Rights movement in addition to otherlaw and social reforms that promoted equality between women and men. Heractions helped strike down many long-standing sex discriminatory laws, such asthose that gave superior rights in marriage and denied women equal economicopportunities.
In 1972 she became thefounding editor and publisher of Ms. Magazine, which brought feminist issues tothe forefront of society and the media, quickly becoming the movement's mostinfluential publication. This pioneering woman definitely has some sass!
Speaking of sassy women andsassy characters, check out the blurb and excerpt below from my debut novel,"The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer." These young girls fit into the sassycategory also.


This book opens in a small town inMichigan where fifteen-year-old Sarah Cole is stuck spending the summer at herAunt and Uncle's with her sister, Lacey. She's not happy with the situationuntil she befriends a girl named Jackie. The three girls stumble upon theruthless murder of a reclusive neighborhood woman. One of the officersinvestigating the crime believes the girls are responsible for her death.Fearing that this officer will frame them for the murder, the girls organizetheir own detective squad. They become the Super Spies and start their ownfact-finding mission.  The Super Spiescan't understand why anyone would want to murder the "Cat Lady" until theystart digging into her past and discover a horrible crime that happened thirtyyears ago. They uncover a connection between the two crimes and attempt tobring this information to the police, only to be reprimanded for meddling inthe inquest. Not only are the girls upset by the admonition, but they alsostruggle with the fact that their exuberant investigating could provide a legalloophole allowing the killer to go free. To make matters worse, the policedon't even believe them. Frustrated by this turn of events, the Super Spiesrealize it's up to them to snare the Cat Lady killer, or die trying…








Alarm bells rang in Sarah's head—thishas to be out of character for someone who never leaves their home.She turned back and whispered to the other girls. "Hey!"Jackie poked her head out. "What?""The storm door's open.""So?""So…what do I do?""Duh…Ring the door bell."Sarah shrugged and pushed thedoorbell. It let out an irritating buzz and she had the feeling it had beenbroken long ago and never fixed. She dashed down the stairs.  The cats scattered, alarmed by the suddenactivity. Reaching the shrubs, Sarah hid with her sister and Jackie.            Gaspingfor breath, Sarah waited for a reaction from the old woman. Her heart pummeledher ribs and she pressed her hand to her chest to calm it.After a few minutes, Sarah started topace. "Well…nothing's happened." She peeked out from behind the shrub and sawthe screen door hanging ajar. "I bet she's not even home. I'm going to tryagain."Jackie shrugged. "Be careful,remember she's a witch."Sarah shook her head, and then peeredout from behind the shrubs. Once again, she climbed the stairs. She was braverthis time and it didn't take her as long to make it to the door.She looked inside, her heart lurchingin her chest. She tiptoed to the picture window and peered through it. Gasping,she ran back to the entryway. Pulling it open, she lunged inside.Sarah stared, unable to tear herselfaway.  Shock ran through her body like anelectrical current as she eyed the scene before her. The crumpled form of theCat Lady lay on the living room floor, just inside the door. No life flickeredin the old woman's staring eyes. Her mouth gaped open in a silent scream andher hands were up around her head as if she were warding off blows. Turningaway from the Cat Lady's body, Sarah gagged as the coppery scent of bloodassaulted her. There was blood splattered everywhere, on the wall, on thecarpet and under the Cat Lady's body.Suddenly, Sarah's throat constrictedand she gasped for breath. Fearing she would faint, she stumbled back out thedoor and collided with Jackie and Lacey on the porch.Jackie grabbed Sarah's arm and shookher. "What are you doing? Are you crazy? I never said to go inside!"Sarah didn't speak—she just staredblankly at the porch.Jackie shook her again. "Are youunder the Cat Lady's spell?"Lacey whimpered. "Hey, Sarah….can youhear me? Sarah?""She's under the Cat Lady's spell,"Jackie said waving her hand in front of Sarah's eyes."Oh my---," Sarah moaned and clutchedJackie's arm."What is it?" Jackie shook her again."Speak…say something!""Th-th-the C-C-Cat Lady,sh-sh-she's," Sarah stuttered."She's what?" Jackie demanded."Sh-she's dead."

Secrets of the Acquisitions Editor: 5 Steps to Getting Your Novel Published

As my guest poster today I'm thoroughly impressed. When asked to describer herself Erin Lale wasn't pulling any punches "Acquisitions Editor at Eternal Press and Damnation Books and Editor and Publisher of Time Yarns and an author published both self and traditionally." See what I mean.


Secrets of the Acquisitions Editor: 5 Steps to Getting YourNovel Published
By Erin Lale, Acquisitions Editor at Eternal Press andDamnation Books, and Editor and Publisher of Time Yarns


If you want your novelpublished by a publishing company, there are five important steps to ensuresuccess. These steps are based on the five most common reasons why I reject amanuscript submission from Eternal Press or Damnation Books.
1.  Followinstructions. Read the submissions guidelines and follow every requirement. Ifthe guidelines say to submit your manuscript in doc or rtf format, don't submitit in a different format. If the guidelines say to include a marketing plan,then do so. "Market plan: whatever will sell millions of copies J" (yes, that is a quote from a real cover letter) isnot a marketing plan. If you don't know how to write a marketing plan, it's OKto ask for help. An author's marketing plan is just a list of all the types ofpublicity and marketing in which the author is willing and able to participate.An example would be doing a guest blog post via email, like this one exceptabout your book. Not following instructions is the most common reason why Ireject a manuscript submission.
2.  Write a strongopening scene. The second most common reason why I reject a manuscriptsubmission is a weak beginning. Often, I receive manuscripts in my slush pilewhich are weakest at the beginning and get better as they go along and haveterrific endings. To me, that is evidence that the manuscript is a first draft,and the writer learned to write better as he or she went along. Of course thereis nothing wrong with improving as one learns by doing, but the beginning isthe most important part of a book for grabbing the reader's interest, so manybooks would be much better if the writer rewrote or completely eliminated thefirst chapter. Often, the viewpoint character, the person (first, second, orthird), or another important element of the book changes after the first fewpages, leaving the book with an opening that does not reflect the quality ortone of the rest of the book. Of course there are examples of classic booksthat have beginnings that are dissimilar from the body of the book, but anauthor hoping to be published by an modern genre press should keep in mind thatreaders want to know with whom they are supposed to identify and what theirproblem is on page one, and may choose to stop reading if that information isnot provided in the first chapter.3.  Impress me withyour marketing plan or list of published works and the size of your fan base.If I've put your book in my "maybe pile" and am trying to decide between twobooks I'm not sure about, the cover letter that states "I'm a 21 year oldcollege student and I worked really hard on this book" (yes, that is a quotefrom a real cover letter) is going to come in second place to the one thatstates "I'm the editor of (name of magazine) and I can promote my book to my(number of) subscribers" (and that is also a quote from a real cover letter,and yes, I offered her a book contract.) Like any other business, a publishingcompany wants to sell units. Unlike some of the larger publishing houses, somesmall presses are actually more likely to want your book if you previouslyself-published it as an ebook, if you have a good sales record, some goodreviews, and some publicity already in place, such as a book trailer, reallycool author website, or speaking engagements and convention panel participationalready booked for the coming year.4.  Choose whichpublishing company to which to submit your book carefully. If I get the samebook in my inbox at both Eternal Press and Damnation Books, which have verydifferent lines, it seems to me that the author is just shotgunning their bookand does not really know where it fits. Also, if you are sending outsimultaneous submissions, it is considered good form to say so in the coverletter. Also, keep in mind that if you are submitting to a genre publisher, theeditor will be assessing whether a book fits the genre the author has assignedit in the author's cover letter. I have rejected a book that was supposed to bein the Young Adult category for having one completely inappropriate scene nearthe end of the book, because I would be embarrassed to give that book to afriend's child. I have rejected a collection of short stories because thesubmission guidelines say we are closed to short stories, and I have rejected aWestern submitted to Damnation Books because there was nothing dark about it;it could have played on family viewing time TV as an episode of Walker TexasRanger, and Damnation Books only publishes dark fiction.5.  Be original. I'mmore likely to like a book that has original ideas, although in category genrepublishing it is acceptable to follow the crowd. I will undoubtedly buy morevampire romances this year, but just once I'd like to read about a skinwalker. Moreimportant than originality of ideas, though, is simply submitting your ownwriting. One of the less common, but more egregious, failings of manuscriptsI've found in my slush pile is plagiarism. Copying and pasting from websites isreally obvious when the document file contains live links back to the websitefrom which it was stolen, and yes, that was a real book in my slush pile too.
Bio:
My career in the writing andpublishing field began in 1985, when my poem was published in an anthology. Iwrote for the Sonoma Index-Tribune, was editor and publisher of the quarterlymagazine Berserkrgangr, and owner of The Science Fiction Store in Las Vegas, all before theera of internet publishing. I published 15 of my own books and founded TimeYarns, and came out with 2 anthologies of other authors' works under that labelbefore becoming Acquisitions Editor of Eternal Press and Damnation Books.
Eternal Press site:
http://www.eternalpress.biz
Damnation Books site:
http://www.damnationbooks.com
Time Yarns site:
https://sites.google.com/site/timeyarns/home
Youtubelink to watch the Time Yarns trailer:

HD http://youtu.be/oW3hvRVmRCY

non HD http://youtu.be/OGvaUgP1K7U
Linkto buy my short story collection Universal Genius:
 http://www.amazon.com/Universal-Genius-Collected-Fiction-ebook/dp/B004SY9MF8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1308698786&sr=8-4


Universal Genius is a collection of my science fiction,fantasy, and magical realism short stories, mostly reprints from magazineswhich are out of print. The Timelessness Machine is a classic from the firstissue of Sterling Web and is also the story which originated the Time Yarnsuniverse, spelling out the way the physics of attempting and failing to timetravel works in the Time Yarns stories. The recent Time Yarns anthologies eachcontain a story in which attempted time travel results in similar kinds ofspectacular failure,  Testing Time byTony Thorne MBE in Cassandra's Time Yarns and 1400 Hours by Ian Miller inAnarchy Zone Time Yarns.

link to buy:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006S4IJ7I


link to buy:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006S4X5EK

Distractions, Roadblocks, and Naps

My blog had some kind of freaking tantrum and I couldn't post anything. But I digress...please welcome D.G. Glass. She describes herself as an author-wife-mother-eclectic personality who sometimes lets her adhd get in the way and gets distracted easily. But I have to tell ya DG is my girl. I"m a napper myself. 2pm 6 days a week.




Distractions, Roadblocks and Naps by D.G. Gass

Once upon a time, I told folks that FranklinCovey was my friend.  Not that I'mpersonally acquainted with Stephen Covey, the author of "The Seven Habits ofHighly Effective People".  It's just thatthere was a time I lived and died by my day planner.  Sounds silly I know, but the scheduling andthe planning had allowed me to get into routines.  Routines allowed me to get thingsfinished.  When things got finished, lifewas less chaotic. 
Am I a little OCD? Probably.
That was before I began forgetting where I placed myprecious binder that had all my dates and tasks that needed to beaccomplished.  To alleviate that, myhusband bought me a Hewlitt Packard Ipaq, palm pilot kind of thingy.  It was great. I could just automatically up load the contents from Outlook and thereit was, available to grab from my purse. Being a bit of a tech geek, I lovedit. I coveted it.  I forgot to chargeit.  Since it required being shipped awayto have the battery replaced, it became a paperweight that mocked me aboutmissed appointments and uncompleted tasks. It sat on the desk for several years like that, until I finally foundthe heart to get rid of it.
I reverted to Post It notes. You know the colorful little squares of paper that stick to things. Iwas actually taught this method in a Lean Sigma Six Delta something or anotherworkshop.  They were great.  I had an excuse to feed my addiction tohoarding colored paper.  The only problemwas more often than not, they would end up sticking to the cat's hind legsafter the beast rubbed up against the computer, the desk or my pant legs.  I never really am sure how the paper ended upon my pant legs. 
Getting into a habit is important, no, essential to me. Especiallysince I became serious about my writing. Few writers are afforded the ability to focus on their writingfull-time.  There's jobs and families toattend to.  Free time is often a jugglingact between adding a few extra hours to get a few thousand words typed up andtrying to squeeze in that nap.  And itget's worse when you try to add in those little luxuries such as eating andsleeping. 
Then there's the distractions.  The family members wanting to talk whenyou're in the middle of writing up that great dialogue.  The cats wanting attention by walking overthe keyboard.  The squirrel on thewindowsill taunting you because it knows he's teasing the cat.  If there's a dog involved, that's the timethey want to take  a walk.  Of course it doesn't help that they have towalk around the spot for the next thirty minutes deciding whether or not theyreally want to go there. 
Yet, we're our own worst enemy.  In a way, I can see how it may have beenbetter to use a typewriter. I know, with the advanced technology we have, it'smade it easier.  No backspacing andstrikeouts.  No white-out.  No ripping the sheet of paper out from thecarriage for do-overs.  Easy access todictionaries and a thesaurus.
Still, I've found it difficult to maintain focus at times.  Usually this comes when I have to bring upthe browser to verify spelling or find a synonym.  I'll just blame the subliminal messageshidden in the songs that are playing on Pandora telling me to check my emailsand statuses on all the social network sites I belong to.  You'd think that having been in the military,I'd be a little more disciplined. 
While it may seem that being distracted or being thrown offmy routine may be the biggest threat to my writing, it actually isn't.  It's frustration that comes from using otherwriters accomplishments as a benchmark. It would be the doubt that might comeif I thought I should be putting out so many words a day.  Or if I hit a wall and can't get through itat that moment that some how, I failed myself. 
When I was writing "Ghosts of Arlington",  everything that could sidetrack me, did. Iprocrastinated.  I allowed myself to getdistracted.  I allowed myself to getthrown out of my routine.  What didn'thappen, though, is important.  I didn'tallow myself to give up or quit.  Whenthe voice of self-doubt tried to divert me, I told it to "bite me" (yes, thosewere my exact words). 
It's difficult, I know. I had years of practice telling myself my writing was garbage, that wasuntil I found out people actually liked reading what I wrote, whether it was ablog or a poem.  I'd use thatencouragement from time to time to help keep me writing.
There's a lot of obstacles to achieving a dream, these were(and still are) mine.  Every writer hastheir own unique hurdles to cross.  Itwould be pointless for me to tell a new writer what to do.  Even if I had twenty books under my belt, Istill wouldn't be able to tell them what will work. 
The best I can tell you is this.  There's a lot of advice in books and on theinternet from other writers.  Try it out,see what works for you.  If it doesn'tseem to help, don't get discouraged. Keep trying until you find the right formula to get you into yourwriting zone.  If it's your passion, ifit's your dream, it will come together for you, even if it's not the same wayit came together for author X or writer B. If you feel like you stumbled, pick yourself back up and brush yourselfoff.  Achieving dreams is hard work andsometimes found in paths less traveled. 
I'd like to thank Bri for allowing me to ramble, I meanguest post, on her blog. And thank you to everyone who took the time to readit.  I hope you liked the picture. 
About the author: 
 Inspired by Walt Whitman and Carolyn Keefe, author D.G.Gass, from a young age, has always loved to write. It just took 40-years forher to believe in her work enough for it not to find the trash when shefinished. Originally from Jeannette, PA, the Yankee transplant, currentlyresides in Columbia, SC with her husband and daughter, not to mention, threecats that own her.

A veteran of the US Air Force, whose day job is in healthcare IT, the authorhas a passion for veterans issues, which is the driving force behind her firstbook, "Ghosts of Arlington". When she's not writing, she can be found curled upwith a good book, working on handcrafts, or staring blankly at walls in acatatonic state.

D.G. Gass released her first poetry compilation, "Twilight Ponderings, MidnightMusings" at the beginning of 2011. The compilation is a series of poetry andprose that was born out of loving someone with diagnosed chronic depression.

The author is currently working on several stories for submission to crime noiranthologies and is in the process of completing her second poetry compilation,"Dancing Along the Dreamscapes", to be released the summer of 2012.
Find me on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/DGGassAuthorWebsite:  www.dggass.com
Books available on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble.com
 

The Newsletter Formula

Though there is no one specific correct way to build an e-mail newsletter,there are things all e-mail newsletters should contain and basic ideas thatshould be included if you want to get the most out of the time you put intobuilding your newsletter, collecting a mailing list and shipping it out.

This e-mail newsletter outline is a basic newsletter that you can expound onor trim down. What's most important is the general ideas of the types of thingsyou should be looking to include. For those of you who find yourselves in thatall too familiar territory of staring at a blank screen and thinking"Newsletter... okay, what now?", hopefully this outline will give youa good start on producing the newsletter you want.

So where do we start a successful e-mail newsletter? Well, how about with apage?
The first step is to find a good e-mail newsletter template. Thereare plenty of them around so just Google search and then spend some timelooking through them until you find something you like. A two column templateis a good idea because it will let you keep information rich articles separatefrom other resources like links, ads, calls to action, offers or whatever elseyou include in the 'sidebar'. If you know some html you can customize thetemplate to fit your needs but, if not, don't worry. You should be able to findsomething that will work just fine for you.Next we need to consider a banner. If you want you can just take thebanner you use for your website and plop it into your newsletter. Or, if youhave any skill with graphics or banner creation, you can create somethingspecifically for you newsletter. Whatever you use as a banner just make sure itfits with the style of your website and is easily identifiable as yournewsletter. If people can't tell where its from, they aren't likely going toread it and may even report it as spam.Now we can move to the body of our e-mail newsletter. In the body of thenewsletter you want to look to include some informational content. Think alongthe lines of articles you might use for your website. Three to five articles isusually a good rule here. Try to use catchy headlines and then a line or twothat will draw the reader into wanting to read the article, followed by a linkto access the full text. Its also a good idea to have a small image accompanythe headline to give the newsletter a more professional look.A good idea for what content to include in the body section is to start withsomething personal, maybe a message from the 'owner' or 'editor'. Here you cantalk about all the exciting things going on on your site or better introduceyourself to your readers. Just try to let them feel they are getting to knowyou or your site better by being a newsletter subscriber. Next follow with one to three general articles on whatever topic yourwebsite covers. Make sure to keep them interesting and informational just asyou would with any content you posted to your site. Then finish with somethingyour readers can use in their day to day lives, like a how to article or a recipeor something you are sharing with them just for being a newsletter subscriber.Fstarting an finishing with more personal types of items will help thenewsletter subscriber feel like more of a part of a community than someone youare trying to sell to.Now, moving to the sidebar, at the top of the sidebar it is a goodidea to have links to all the useful pages on your site. Use buttons or someother type of small graphic with a short piece of text to let readers knowwhere the link takes them and include links to your homepage, maybe your mostrecent article, any special offers you may include on your site and links topartner or affiliate sites or other useful resources for your readers. Its alsoa good idea to include a link to register for the newsletter here, in case oneof your recipients forwards the e-mail to a friend who might want to register.After the links you might want to include advertising space for others, adsfor your own products, an inspirational quote or any other short bits of text thatyour readers might enjoy. Then, finish up with a small sidebar section whereyou can place special offers for newsletter recipients or any other type ofsale or special or call to action you might presently be implementing.Now you can either finish with a footer banner or just wrap it up and callit a done deal. Hopefully, this will at the least be an idea of how to start thinking aboutconstructing your e-mail newsletter and, from there, you can get creative andmake your e-mail newsletter something you can really be proud to send to allthose who find your site compelling enough to register.

Anissa Wardell is the founder of the The PublicistsAssistant a publicity firm based in Utah. She enjoys helping new authors andpassionate authors share their message. Anissa is the publicist for theupcoming film Don't Shoot! I'm the Guitar Man by Prodigy Motion Pictures.
ThePublicistsAssistant.com is a consulting and service PRfirm for people that want to get famous in the media, without going broke.[http://ThePublicistsAssistant.com]
Wow Anissa! That was a fabulous post. Thank you so much. I myself learned a lot!

A New Release and Writing Community

Bri, thank you so much for hosting me on yourblog.  I am so excited to start the blogtour of my second novel Raven's Songon your site.  I really get a kick out ofseeing you at different book events and following your posts on face book. Youhave so much energy and enthusiasm for the craft.  Sometimes I wonder where you find the energyto do all the things you do.  One ofthese days we will have to sit down to coffee and I will spend a few hourssiphoning out your secrets. (Fab Lucinda, congrats. I'd love to sit down and shoot the breeze.)


Let meintroduce myself to your followers.  Myname is Lucinda Moebius and I am a Science Fiction and Fantasy author.  My first novel Echoes of Savanna was released in August of 2010.  My second novel Raven's Song was released January 2012.  These are the first two books in a five bookseries subtitled The Haven Series.  I have been a reader since birth (maybe evensince conception since my mother read to all of her children all of our livesand she was reading to my brother and sister before I was born).  I am the third of eight children and mymother read to us in a house full of stories. It became a natural extension of who I am to become a story-tellermyself.  I love to create characters andsee them come to life under my fingers.
I havemany stories to tell but right now I am focusing on the Haven Series.  The concept for these novels started in aHigh School Creative writing class.  I was teaching my students how towrite short stories and we were all writing together.  I happened to findan article on the Internet about the use of Animal DNA and stem cells to repairhuman genes.  This concept fascinated me and I started to develop acharacter based on this idea.  The story started to build from there and Ispent the next three years researching ideas.  In the end, one characterdeveloped into a five novel series I call "The Generation Novels".  Eachnovel covers twenty years of one person's life. In other words: one generation. There is more information on these novels on my website: www.lucindamoebius.com.
I'mextremely excited to introduce a new section to my website.  I'm inviting authors ofall skill levels to submit their original, unpublished work as part of awriting workshop community.  This is acall out for writers to submit poems, short stories and excerpts from novels tothe Story Time section of my website.  Oncethe manuscript has been reviewed the writer will receive a response from ourpublication team.  All submitted workmust be appropriate for all audiences. Work will not be edited for content or grammar and will be posted asis.  The reason I am doing this isbecause I want to create a learning workshop. The work will be critiqued and the writer will receive feedback fromother writers and readers of literature.  This will give the writer the opportunity toreflect and improve upon the work.  Myhope is to develop a community of writers who support each other and help usall improve our writing.
Thank you again for inviting me to post on yourblog.  I am looking forward to seeing thetalent of the amazing writers we have out there in the community.  
Again, congrats Lucinda. I think that's fabulous to create a community. I wish you the best of luck. Thank you for answering my guest post call.

Bri ClarkLiterary Strategist/Consultant/Author/Speakerbri@belleconsult.combelleconsult.com





Echoes of Savanna:
Every generation has its defining moments, events that change history andturn the course of lives. Forever will the children of that generation bedefined by those moments.
Savanna Taylor is a medical doctor in 2036, the same year terrorists releasea series of plagues and viruses into the world. She is a nineteen year oldBrain Trust whose task it is to find a cure for the diseases and developvaccines to prevent their further spread. The world is thrown in turmoil andSavanna needs to find a way to survive with her sanity and family intact. Sheneeds to find a safe 
Haven for herself and for those she loves.

Can Savanna cope in a world in constant flux brought on by war and disease?Can she save the world and protect her loved ones or will she make the ultimatesacrifice? How will she be defined?
Raven's Song:

The next generation has come into its own.  Raven, Savanna's impulsive,impetuous daughter has begun her own epic journey.
Raven was born in a time of turmoil and war.  She decides her callingin life is to be a soldier.  Sacrificing the shelter and security ofHaven, Raven puts herself at risk to save others.  She finds herself inperilous situations and thrust into the role of leadership despite her ownmisgivings.  The Siren's Song of Haven is continuously singing toher.  She could be safe, protected, sheltered and warm if she returned toHaven and its stone walls.  But, is it her destiny to live in the walls ofHaven, or is there another destiny in store for this child of Haven?


About the author:Lucinda Moebius grew up in the mountains of Idahoand Eastern Oregon. Her mother taught her to read when she was four years oldand since that time books have been her constant companions. She has a Bachelor'sDegree in English Teaching, a Master's in Educational Leadership and iscurrently pursuing a Doctorate in Education. Lucinda supports her writing habitby teaching High School and College. She currently lives in Boise, Idaho withher husband, stepson and their dog and cat.Find me on facebook: Lucinda Hawks MoebiusWebsite: www.lucindamoebius.comBuy on Amazon:  Echoes of Savanna: http://www.amazon.com/Echoes-Savanna-Parent-Generation-ebook/dp/B006RM66QM/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_2Raven's Song: http://www.amazon.com/Ravens-Haven-Generation-Novels-ebook/dp/B006YJ92GO/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_t_2