C.M. Barrett's Blog, page 10

Happy New Year

I didn't exactly make resolutions this year, although I have a multitude of goals. However, I received something wonderful in my email today, called 7 lovely logics. Here they are.

1. Make peace with your past so it doesn't spoil your present.
2. What others think of you is none of your business.
3. Time heals almost everything, give the time, some time.
4. No one is the reason of your happiness except YOU yourself.
5. Don't compare your life with others; you have no idea what their journey is all about.
6. Stop thinking too much; it's all right not to know all the answers.
7. Smile, you don't own all the problems in the world.

I plan to keep this on my desktop and read it regularly.

And speaking of regular, I will be posting more frequently, now that the holidays are over.

It's the Year of the Dragon!

5 More Days to Win: Holiday Blog Hop

I've been giving away ebooks and entering people to win either a labradorite elephant, a malachite sphere, or a lapis cross pendant. The grand prize for this blog hop is a Kindle Fire.

For more details, please go to my web site

And Happy Holidays!

Meet Sarah Woodbury, Author and Creative Dreamer

Sarah Introduces Herself

I am a homeschooling mom of four kids (ages 7 to 20), married for 21 years. I came to fiction writing 5 ½ years ago, having done the academic thing up until then, culminating with a Ph.D. in anthropology. Until I was in my thirties, I would routinely tell people "I haven't a creative bone in my body." I believed it! I don't anymore. According to my extended family, I'm now so far off the map in being arty and alternative, that I've forgotten there even is a map.

Sarah, since my blog is about creativity, that's a great introduction to yourself. What created the shift in your belief about your creativity, and what did you do to encourage taking action?

When I was in graduate school, I remember talking with my sister-in-law (also in grad school), about my committee's desire for me to come up with an original research project for my dissertation. I didn't know how they could expect that when I hadn't had an original thought in 12 years! We laughed because it felt so true.

Undermining that certainty, however, were my children. My daughter was born after my first year of graduate school, and my son two years later. Because of them, I postponed looking for a 'real' job as a professor, and then decided that staying home with them and homeschooling was a real job.

My focus had been on academics. That was my identity. That was my value as a person. With academia in the rearview mirror, I was only a mom. And that's where my creativity began to sprout. Tiny at first. Ten years ago, we bought a house that needed a complete makeover, inside and out, and we did the outside first. Which means I designed the garden and planted it. I had told myself for years that I had a black thumb and all of a sudden, the plants grew! And were beautiful.

My daughter, in particular, has always been very creative and my next foray was into quilting, entirely because I was looking for something to do with her. Was writing a logical extension of that? I don't know if it would be for anyone else, but on April 1, 2006, I sat down at my computer and wrote the first line of my first book. And changed my life.
I love the idea that the act of gardening and resultant success helped to make inroads into the "black thumb" belief.

You discovered that you could create beauty. That's so powerful.

Let's move on to the flowering of your literary imagination. Tell us about that first book: why you chose the subject you did and how it played an integral part in your creative journey.

I wrote that first book in six weeks, just to see if I could. I'm thankful that I didn't have any desire to write the great American novel, or to exorcise demons from my past because it might have made the book harder to abandon. Again, it was my children that drove my creativity and I wanted to write something that they might enjoy reading.

This book had elves and magic in it and will never see the light of day. It is locked at the bottom of the proverbial trunk. It was very bad. Unsalvageable. At the same time, it showed me that I could write a novel (bad though it was), and gave me hints as to how I might go about writing a second one.

It is my second novel that set me on my present course. I had a dream about driving my mini-van into medieval Wales. I woke up and knew I had to write the story. This book eventually became Footsteps in Time. It is a young adult novel about two teenagers who do exactly what I dreamed: drive a mini-van from our world into thirteenth century Wales.

It is Footsteps in Time that I wrestled with and that haunted me for four years. I queried hundreds of agents about it, acquiring 72 rejections before one took me on. I read it out loud to find typos. Twice. I cut 1/3 of the chapters from it three times. I rewrote it a fourth time (cutting out 15,000 more words) before I published it in 2011. I've sold over 7000 copies of the book this year. And every one is like a little miracle.

I'm so glad you raised the subject of dreams, because they have always been a powerful source of creativity for me. The story of your second novel also reveals a fascination with Wales. Would you like to tell us more about the source of that fascination?


Some of my ancestors were Welsh, and that tradition is one of the stories that my family has always told about itself. That we came from Wales, even if it was 400 years ago, is a source of pride, as well as curiosity as to what that means and who those people were. My daughter and I (as a homeschool project) began researching our genealogy in the late 90's and that's when I began to read more about Wales. I also lived in the UK for a year while in college, visited Wales, and fell in love with the country and its people. So to dream about it was natural.

The dreaming is also one of those double-edged swords. I dream vividly (and some time horribly) every night. I don't sleep well—to wake up a dozen times in a night is normal for me—and this pattern started about the time I started writing. I think it's clear that my dreams inform my writing, and in turn, my writing seeps into my dreams. I'm not sure now if I could have one without the other.

Getting more specifically into your novels: While I don't have a lot of knowledge about the Arthurian era, I am aware that probably countless novels have been written on the subject. It's obviously a story/saga that captures the human imagination.

Why does it capture your imagination? Why do you think it has so great a universal appeal?

It is my sense that the King Arthur story appeals to different people in different ways, and on many levels because it's got a little bit of everything in it. There's the beginning—the young boy who becomes a king. It's the child's story of the mythic hero; then there's the sophisticated interplay of politics, the machinations of Merlin, magic, and treachery—the dark side, if you will; and finally, there's the tragic downfall.

But that's not the King Arthur story that appeals to me, actually. King Arthur, as usually written, comes off as either as a flat character, someone whom the author employs as a backdrop to explore the personalities of other characters (Merlin, Guinevere, Lancelot), or as unheroic and human, tripped up in the end by the overwhelming burden of his imperfections. Arthur is either a pawn, buffeted by the winds of fate, or so flawed, one has to ask how he was remembered as a hero in the first place.

There is a simple reason for this: it is very hard to synchronize the different aspects of Arthur's story into a complete whole because the essential, heroic element of Arthur's story—his defeat of the Saxons for a generation—has been grafted, at both the beginning and the end, to a romantic tale told for reasons having more to do with the medieval authors who were telling the story, and the time in which they were living, than with Arthur. In so doing, his character is incomplete and inexplicable, one who reacts instead of acts, and who never has a say in his own destiny.

Instead, it is Merlin who is the active character. It is he who sets the whole plot in motion, whose behavior acts at times like a 'get out of jail free card' for Arthur, who manipulates everybody else, but who is powerless to stop Arthur's downfall in the end. In the classic Norman/French tale, it is through Merlin's actions at the beginning of the story that Arthur becomes high king, and because of Merlin's abandonment at the end of the story that (in rapid succession), Arthur loses his wife, his best friend, his son, and his life.

In the Welsh tales, on the other hand, Arthur is nearly super-human. He may have a few flaws, yes, but he is a 'hero' in the classic sense. He takes his men to the Underworld and back again, he finds the 13 treasures of Britain, and he rescues his friends and relations from danger and death. It is these tales, that appeal to me and the stories upon which I base my books.

I have three books related to King Arthur. Cold my Heart, which is set in the end of his reign: By the autumn of 537 AD, the autumn of 537 AD, all who are loyal to King Arthur have retreated to a small parcel of land in north Wales. They are surrounded on all sides, heavily outnumbered, and facing near certain defeat.

But Myrddin and Nell, two of the King's companions, have a secret that neither has ever been able to face: each has seen that on a cold and snowy day in December, Saxon soldiers sent by Modred will ambush and kill King Arthur.

And together, they must decide what they are willing to do, and to sacrifice, to avert that fate.

The Last Pendragon/The Pendragon's Quest, two books about the heir to Arthur's throne: He is a king, a warrior, the last hope of his people--and the chosen one of the sidhe . . .

Set in 7th century Wales, The Last Pendragon is the story of Arthur's heir, Cadwaladr ap Cadwallon (Cade), and his love, Rhiann, the daughter of the man who killed Cade's father and usurped his throne.

Born to rule, yet without a kingdom, Cade must grasp the reins of his own destiny to become both Christian king and pagan hero. And Rhiann must decide how much she is willing to risk to follow her heart.
My other books are a medieval mystery, The Good Knight, and a time travel fantasy series about two teenagers who travel back to medieval Wales: Footsteps in Time/Prince of Time/Daughter of Time.

Links:
My web page: http://www.sarahwoodbury.com/
My Twitter code is: http://twitter.com/#!/SarahWoodbury
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahwoodburybooks
Links to my books:
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=woodbury%2C+sarah&x=14&y=12

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=woodbury%2C+sarah&x=0&y=0

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/woodbury-sarah?store=ALLPRODUCTS&keyword=woodbury%2C+sarah

Apple: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/sarah-woodbury/id413605519?mt=11

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=woodbury%2C+sarah

Holiday Blog Hop: Dec. 15--25

Members of fIndie Writers Unite!, myself included, are participating in a Holiday Blog Hop from Dec. 15 to Dec. 25. Many great prizes, including free ebooks, gift cards, and other special gifts, will be offered on participating blogs and web sites.

The grand prize will be a Kindle Fire.

I will give away two copies of Big Dragons Don't Cry per day. The first two people to email me will win.

If you don't hear from me, you weren't the first.

I am also giving away a carved labradorite elephant, a lapis cross pendant, and a malachite sphere.

For more details, please visit http://www.adragonsguide, my web site.

Everyone Wins!

Cats in Command and Other Stories has just been published, and it's free at Smashwords in a number of ereader formats.

In Cats in Command, a woman is abducted into a world ruled by cats. Among other problems, she discovers that felines have their own view of justice.

This is one of seven short stories and a novel excerpt. In other stories, the villains rewrite fairy tales, a jury decides the fate of humankind, and a gargoyle comes to life.

Magic and Mermaids: The Fiction of Marsha A. Moore

This week I welcome Marsha A. Moore to the blog. Marsha writes fiction on a wide variety of subjects.

I notice that you have a mermaid series. Could you tell us what inspired you to choose that subject?

I enjoy reading/researching fantasy written through the ages in folktales, myth, legend, and lore. My library of those is constantly growing. I often blend ideas of folklore from around the world into my works.

During the winter of 2008-9, I moved my mother from NW Ohio to Tampa. It didn't take much to convince me to stay through the winter to help her get settled before I moved my own household the following summer. When I learned about the annual Tampa Gasparilla Festival, I was enthralled and a pirate captain, a mermaid, and a merman became the characters of my writing. Local legends and folklore of the famed pirate Jose Gaspar inspired me to write my fantasy romance book, Tears on a Tranquil Lake, which released earlier this year. The sequel, Tortuga Treasure: Ciel's Legacy, will release in January, 2012.

My latest release I'm promoting is an historical fantasy about the big-top circus in the 1920s.

Tell me more about Le Cirque de Magie. What inspired you to write that story?

When we first moved to the Tampa area three years ago, we toured the Ringling Museum in Sarasota—a fascinating trip back into the magic of the circus. The spirit of the circus pervades the community, adding to the local cultural heritage. As a hub of circus activity for over seventy-five years, the city has earned the title, "Home of the American Circus." No other area in the country has served as home base to as many circuses as Sarasota. I was fascinated by the local history, which inspired me to write this story.

Tell me more about Ravi's magical abilities.
Ravi is a character based upon Sanskrit folklore. He is an Asura god—a human who now possesses magical power or maya. Specifically, Ravi is a Suparna or sun-bird, who receives his powers from the sun. That much is based on Sanskrit legend. In my story, he is a human who can sprout wings and fly when he wishes. The stars give him guidance, and he can channel the sun's energy through his eyes in various ways.

Add anything you'd like to say about this story.

I enjoy combining topics that interest me in unusual ways. I've been a yoga addict for twelve years, and the Indian culture fascinates me, their gods and goddesses. I enjoy studying folklore and legends from this culture. I also love the magical illusion of the circus, as well as nostalgia for the simple pleasures of visiting the traveling big-top show when I was very young. This story combines those interests in a way that explores my new environment in Florida. Those three elements in the story are parts of my regular life.

What books do you have planned for future writing/publication?

In January, I have a fantasy romance novel, Tortuga Treasure: Ciel's Legacy, releasing from MuseItUp Publishing. This is a sequel to Tears on a Tranquil Lake, in a series about the adventures of a mermaid named Ciel. It involves plenty of fast action and romance, but also allows Ciel to mature through her interactions with the mermaid and pirate communities.

I'm eager to self-publish an epic fantasy romance series, Enchanted Bookstore Legends, I've been working on for a year and a half. It is a five-part series, and books one and two are written. The first will release in March, 2012.

As a writer, do you plot extensively, or do you let the story come to you as you write?

I create a detailed outline to make certain I have the correct turning points spaced properly to allow adequate development. I know the major events each chapter must contain. From that, it flows openly with details falling into place. Without some freedom as I write, a lot of the rush of getting swept away by the story would be lost.

What other creative outlets do you explore?

I paint and draw. The cover image for Le Cirque De Magie is my own original watercolor. I've wanted to paint my own covers for many years, and with a self-published work I gain the satisfaction of meeting that goal which working with a publisher hasn't allowed.

Also, I love cycling and ride at least thirty miles each week. During the past year, I've been learning kayaking—it's wonderful! I kayak each week on the big lagoon beyond our backyard which connects to Tampa Bay. I love the beach—can't possibly be there enough. I write at the beach, longhand in notebooks.



Do you find that having more than one outlet enhances your writing?
Definitely. I draw from all of my interests to feed both my writing content and creative process.

Why Indie?


Like I mentioned, it is fun for me to have more control over my cover design. Also, there is a unique satisfaction that the product is more representative of me, my vision and my creativity.

What advice would you give people considering diving into writing (or into any creative endeavor)?

You must enjoy writing for its own intrinsic value, aside from publishing. One of my favorite quotes: "Don't seek to be published, seek to be read." ~Tracy Hickman

This quote helps me take a deep breath and refocus when the publishing industry overwhelms me. Some days it seems like a chaotic mess, expecting me to be capable of the incapable. Maintaining this perspective on a simple, clear goal helps me disregard the muck and consider what is really important--writing for the enjoyment of readers.
This space for anything else you want to say.
Blurb:

The circus is a blur of commotion with last minute preparations for the spring tour. Ravi, the high-wire heart throb, becomes jittery when he meets the company's newly-hired female dwarf. Hours before departure, his magical perceptions are on fire as he witnesses her involvement in a gory bump off.

The circus manager can't be found. Ravi is desperate to protect his sweetheart and performing partner, Alice. The train creaks away, beginning the long journey with danger stowed on board. Nicknamed the Great Birdman, Ravi steps forward and exposes his true identity—a real risk during edgy, vigilante times of prohibition. A brave move—but will his Suparna abilities be enough to snuff out this fierce demon?

Le Cirque De Magie Excerpt:

Before the evening show, he dressed early and patrolled the grounds. Nothing appeared suspicious outside, so he stood between sets of bleachers, watching for trouble during the performances. Again, Sadie missed her cue. It seemed too easy for her to give up at his warning—demons liked to fight.

Clowns, trained dogs, unicyclists, and fire-eaters all came and went without issue. Alice was in his sight, in the watchful company of her brother and the manager. Aromas of buttered popcorn and spun cotton candy mixed with animal odors—the typical circus smell. Nothing odd. He looked through the crowd for the dwarf. Instead of finding her, the number of children in the audience impressed him. All those smiling, young faces he must keep safe.

After a deep breath, he refocused, looking for any strange happening in the rings. Clown acts took the right and left rings. In the center, the snake charmer and his assistant wheeled out carts of large rush baskets. Three would contain his Naga friends. Upon the sweet notes of the charmer's wooden flute, lids of the baskets opened and ropes danced up in response to his calls. Henry, Walter, and Gladys actually controlled those ropes, using their magic to extend them above their bodies. Ravi seldom watched the shows anymore. In full costume, the act came off well, a crowd-pleaser earning lots of cheers.

Tigers growled and pawed the wagon bed of their holding cage as it rolled in behind where Ravi stood. Sensing his magic, they clawed the bars nearest him, creating a spectacle.

Blocked from leaving by the animal wagon and not wanting to walk in front of the crowd, he climbed into the stands. When at last he found a seat, chaos ensued in the center ring.

The Nagas crawled in all directions, writhing and coiling. Above them a white bird with a forked, black tail swooped—a kite. It struck the snake people with both its talons and beak. The charmer, his assistant, and half a dozen other men ran around frantically. Some waved large nets on poles to catch the bird, and others yelled in various languages.
How did the raptor get into the ring?

Ravi jumped to his feet, again wrestling to control his outward appearance.

Soon everyone around him stood, craning to see the ruckus.

The snakes hissed and struck, but the bird soared out of reach. In one ill-fated attempt, Henry missed and bit the shoulder of his trainer.

The men dropped their nets and kneeled beside the wounded man. They slapped his hands and cheeks. It was too late. Few knew the snake people possessed real, deadly venom.

The kite continued to torment Gladys, despite her attempts to slither under a cart. Her snake tail hung limp, wounded. Was that bird another form of the dwarf?

The tigers roared and flung themselves at their cage walls. Spectators screamed and rushed down the steps to leave. The rickety bleachers swayed with the frenzy of motion.

Ravi's wing tips burst out of the slits in his costume at his shoulder blades. The tangle of people stopped him from getting to the ring, so he climbed atop the handrail and lifted into flight.

Someone high in the stands cried out, "Birdman!"

Purchase Links

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/107323
http://www.amazon.com/Le-Cirque-De-Magie-ebook/dp/B006C96WYQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1322069790&sr=1-1
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/e/2940013510074
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13101214-le-cirque-de-magie


Author Links:
http://MarshaAMoore.com

http://twitter.com/MarshaAMoore

http://www.facebook.com/marshaamooreauthor

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/marsha-a-moore/2b/8/aa9

http://www.goodreads.com/marshaamoore

http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/marsha-a-moore.html

Author Lynn Hubbard Visits

Tonight my guest is Lynn Hubbard. She talks about her favorite book of those she's written.

Run into the Wind by Lynn Hubbard
www.lynnhubbard.com

Back Cover: Sabrina Lovett heads west and hops off a train to start anew. Hiding from her affluent brother she takes on the guise of a boy. Brock Stafford the new Sheriff was used to being in control. He was irritated to no end by the stable boy "Will" who challenged him at every turn. Aggravated by his own reaction to the boy he tries to ignore him completely until tragedy brings them together. 

Run into the Wind is one of my favorite books I have written. Even today, I still go back and take reread my favorite parts. I have a twisted since of humor so I tried to instill that into the book. You can't have drama and tragedy without laughter. That's not how life is.

So Sabrina goes through a bevy of emotions as she tries to find her path in this world. Much like we all do. When I write, I try to get into the characters heart and mind. So that you can better understand their choices.
I also tend to write with emotion! If I'm having a good day, Sabrina has a good day. If I'm in a bad mood…watch out Brock! ;-)

I cannot write on a schedule, I can only write when I'm inspired, otherwise it doesn't flow properly. So it does take me a year or so to write a Novel but you know what? Life takes time.

I am attempting to take Run into the Wind to the next level. I am starting a Kickstarter program to convert it to an Audio Book. Being a mother of a child with disabilities it makes me more aware of the plights of others. I would like to share my book in all forms so all persons can enjoy listening or reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them.

Please take a peek at my Audio Book Campaign and share it with your friends!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lynnhubbard/create-an-audio-version-of-run-into-the-wind-a-rom

Please enjoy this excerpt of Run into the Wind.

To set the scene this is when Sabrina and Brock first meet. Of course, he thinks she is a boy. ;-)

Brock rode up to the stable only to find it void of life. He looked around irritated from his fatigue and then decided to tend to his own horse. He led his mahogany stallion inside and noticed an empty stall in the rear and headed over to it. He was about to open the stall door when he noticed a boy asleep in the corner. He cleared his throat and the boy woke, startled, and scrambled to his feet.

"I'm so sorry, mister, may I help you?" Sabrina stammered. After a quick glance up at the handsome man, she quickly turned all of her attention to his horse. Sabrina was glad that it was so hot; it helped explain the blush that suddenly colored her cheeks. It had been a long time since she had seen a man like him. He reminded her a little of her father. He was tall, and his clothes were dusty but clean. Since she did not get an answer yet, she reluctantly looked back up at his face. He stared at her intently as if looking into her soul as she waited for him to answer her question.

Nervously she looked down, relieved that her shirt was completely dry. Well, maybe a little damp. She saw the long shadows through the open doorway of the stable and realized the sun was sinking in the sky and she gasped.

"Oh, my gosh! What time is it?" He looked at his pocket watch irritably.

"It's three thirty."

"Oh no! Mr. Swanson is gonna skin me alive. I was supposed to have Miss Reynold's carriage ready by four." She started out of the stable and stopped in her tracks, remembering the man and his horse. She bit her lip in indecision. It would take at least twenty minutes to rub down his horse and then another twenty five to get the carriage ready. She sighed, well first come, first served, she thought as she walked back over to the gentleman.

"I'm sorry, sir, let me tend to your horse," she said, walking over. He watched, impressed, as she spoke softly to Troy before actually touching him or attempting to take the reins from his owner. "He's a beauty," she breathed, looking up at the graceful animal. "What's his name?"

She took the reins and skillfully led him into a stall. The deep rumble of the man's chuckle sent shivers down Sabrina's spine.

"His name is Troy, and my name is Brock Stafford."

Sabrina nodded to him. "They call me Will." She ran her hands over Troy's flank.

"He's dehydrated." She looked accusingly at Brock.

He nodded in agreement. "We've traveled a very long way," Brock murmured, wondering why he felt guilty. He always took excellent care of his animals and here was this boy insinuating that he did not. He watched the boy get fresh oats and water for Troy and then head off to set up the carriage.

"I'll rub him down after he's better rested," Sabrina said over her shoulder to Brock. Brock shook his head as he headed out of the barn. He watched the young boy struggle to pull the fancy black carriage around so that he could align it with the horses. "Need a hand?" Brock questioned.. "No, thank you," Sabrina grunted as she pushed it into place with an extra hard shove. He watched amused as the boy scurried around, expertly taking down tack to fix it to two brown mares. She then led the ladies out of their stalls and hooked them up to the carriage.

Sabrina had just finished checking their hooves and bits when a well-dressed lady in a bonnet swaggered up to them. She was attached to a nicely dressed man who Sabrina knew was her brother. She had never liked Sally but her brother seemed okay. His name was Thomas and she thought he was a little puny, but he seemed nice enough. He stopped by occasionally to check on their horses.

"Why who is this?" Sally Reynold drawled with a simpering smile as she spied Brock leaning against the corral fence.
"Stafford, Ma'am; Sir," Brock said, tipping his hat to the pair.

She noticed he did not introduce himself as Brock as he had to her and wondered about it. Sabrina nodded to the woman as Thomas ushered Sally quickly up to the carriage. Sabrina kept her head down as she held the horses steady and Thomas helped his sister into the carriage and took the reins from Sabrina.

"Thank you, Will," Thomas said, paying Sabrina for the horses' board and giving her a nice tip. She thanked him without looking up and headed into the stable to finish caring for Troy.

"Who was that?" Brock asked, watching the carriage roll down the dusty street. Sabrina's brow furrowed.

"Why didn't you ask her yourself?" she said, biting her lip. She had a bad habit of saying what she was thinking. She sighed, wondering why he had not left yet. Brock was wondering the same thing as he watched her walk up to Troy's stall and unlatch the door. She first took a tool and cleaned around his shoes, removing tiny pebbles and as much dirt as possible. She checked the nails in his shoes and hammered in a couple that were loose. Grabbing a brush, she began the tedious yet soothing task of grooming the horse.

She started at his head and worked her way down, talking in a soothing tone to the horse the entire time. Brock strained his ears to hear what the boy was saying but he could not make it out. At some point he thought he was actually singing to the horse. Sabrina stepped back, looking at how Troy's dark red coat shimmered in the dim light and she smiled at her work. Troy seemed much more relaxed.

She nodded. "Much better." Turning around quickly, she ran right into Brock's chest. The force knocked her back into the wall and she cursed as she hit her head.

"Would you look where you're going?" she grumbled, as she walked around Brock to put her cleaning items away. "Your horse is fine; you can go now."

Thank you all for your time, I know this is a busy time of year!

Find Lynn at:
Website
Kickstarter Campaign
Twitter
Facebook

Why I Write

Author Camelia Miron Skiba asked fellow authors why they write. Here's my answer on her blog.


http://cameliamironskiba.wordpress.com/2011/11/19/why-do-you-write-guest-connie-m-barrett/

My reasons may not be so creative, but they are definitely survival oriented. If cats run your life, you'll understand.

How to Crush Your Creativity: Worry

Worry might be described as a single-minded focus on negative possibilities. It doesn't have the strong physiological intensity of fear. Worry's effects more gradually—but just as surely—erode the creative urge.

Start with this scenario. You get a really exciting idea that you'd love to develop.

Worry that someone has already thought of it.
Worry that you won't be able to keep your inspiration high for the idea.
Worry that it isn't as good as you thought it was.

Next, work on your project, and don't tell anyone about it, because you worry that they'll laugh at you. Even if they don't laugh, they will think loud thoughts that would destroy you if you heard them, so you imagine them instead.

Complete your project and worry that no one will like it. Again, tell no one and do nothing to unveil it or in any way bring it to anyone's attention.

Solution
Worry is really very creative. You may not like what your imagination is delivering, but there's no questioning that it's at work. If you can pause in the midst of one of the humiliating scenarios you're concocting, you'll recognize this. If you're a writer, you have material for an enlightening expose of a character. If you paint, you can describe in color and form the complex emotions that worry arouses.

No matter who you are, once you've managed to detach from your emotional turmoil to realize that you are the artist who's created it, you can begin to make the necessary shift. Now that you've proven your ability to create through this nightmare scenario, realize that by changing your intention to experience positive energy, you can imagine the circumstances and details to do so.

Challenge: Practice changing your mental story.

With A Little Help From My Friends: Interview with Cindy C. Bennett

The theme of my blog is creativity, and one aspect I haven't yet explored is the importance of having support from others. It occurs to me no one more desperately needs supports than teens. So often, they face the choices of denying their individuality, which is the source of creativity, in order to be accepted or of trying to be true to themselves and risking ostracism.

Do these themes come up in your YA novels? If so, how do you express and resolve them?

It's funny that you talk about teen's creativity. I just had a conversation with my friend who has a daughter who is extremely unique and creative. Her daughter (who is 14) recently had two separate friends tell her she needs to stop being so unique if she wants people to like her. I find that depressing. One actually told her she needs to be more like everyone else.

To answer your questions, yes, I hope to make my characters unique, where they stand out from the crowd for one reason or another. I want them to remain true to themselves even if it means being made fun of or being looked at oddly. I try not to make any of my main characters "stereotypical", such as dumb jock, air-headed cheerleader, etc. Those characters might exist on the fringe, but not as a main part of the story. In Geek Girl, which comes out in December, my hero acts like a jerk at one point just because he thought people were thinking him a fool, and hurts the one he loves because of it. But I gave him a brain, which he uses to figure out that it doesn't matter what anyone thinks, and he gets over it.

What your friend's daughter is experiencing is depressing. That brings me to the question of your own children. Obviously, you give them the best possible role model by expressing your own creative uniqueness? How else do you support them in their creative expression? What advice would you give to those parents who want to encourage/support their children?

I truly believe that kids' creativity should be allowed to flow. I've always tried to support and encourage my own kids in this area. For example, if they have a report due, I would work with them and try to help them to make it the best they could, so that it would stand out above others. My sons always tease me that I don't believe any piece of school work is done until it has a border around it. But you know what? Over the years, teachers have kept many of my kids projects to use for examples for other classes. So borders help. :o)

I have been in homes where they look a bit like a mausoleum, and I've been in homes pasted with drawings and writing done by their kids. I like those homes better. I still have walls and shelves decorated with things my kids have created over the years. You always have time down the road to have a museum quality house, at least until you have grandkids! They say necessity is the mother of invention, I say creativity is the mother of invention. Encourage every ounce of creativity your kids have, because you never know where it might take them.

What a great answer. Now I'd like to move onto a related area. I know that you're part of a very successful critique group. I know from my own experience that a good group can truly support one's creative work with constructive feeback.

I have several questions. The first two are of a practical nature.

1. How did you all find each other, and how long have you been together?
2. How does the critiquing process work (meaning in practical terms)?

We met through an online class for writing a winning query letter. Once the class was over, Camilia Miron Skiba asked if we all wanted to stay in contact. Only Jeffery Moore and I said yes, and she's the one who came up with the idea of exchanging chapters for critique and editing. We've been together almost 2 years now, and have added a fourth member, Sherry Gammon, recently.

What we do is send out a chapter when we've finished writing it. One person takes it and goes through it, pointing out editing issues (punctuation, spelling, grammar, etc.) and adding any suggestions or critiques. We use the review feature on Word so that is shows in a different color. That person then emails it to everyone one, and someone else takes second shot, and then finally the third person. We used to all send separate critiques, but then it's harder for the person receiving them because they have to match three to their original, rather than having all three on one. It also makes sense to do it this way so that we aren't all correcting the same mistakes, though the second or third person sometimes catches things the first misses. We don't have any kind of organized order in which we take them, it's just whoever has time when they first see it on an email. We all takes turns, and have had no issues with anyone feeling like they are doing more than anyone else. We all have different strengths, write different genres, and it works very, very well for us.

The next are of a more subjective nature. I have observed that when people share their creative works with others, they—especially if they are new to this process—feel unsure about handling critiques. Sometimes they experience them as criticism. Other times, they may feel that the critiques are off the mark, but their own confidence in their work may be weakened by differing opinions.

These issues go to the heart of the creative process, in my view. We need to trust our own insights and intuitions and also be able to receive critiques in an objective way.

3. How do you handle critiques that you feel are off the mark?
4. What do you do when you're unsure?
5. How has being in a critique group affected your creative process.

Please add anything else you'd like to say about your group.

You are absolutely right in what you say. And I will say that when we first began, we were all much more hesitant to give honest critiques. We now are very honest, but we also keep it kind and respectful—no mean spirited comments allowed. We also understand that critiques are opinions, and we can choose to use the suggestions or reject them. It depends on how strongly we feel about what we've written—after all, our writing is our baby. Sometimes it's simply a matter of the writer assuming knowledge on the part of the reader, and when someone says what? then we can realize we didn't give a good enough explanation or back story. Sometimes we defend our choices to one another, which might sway the critiquer, or sometimes we just ignore the suggestion as I said. It can be hard to take critiques of my baby, but honestly, my writing is much stronger when I listen with an open mind. Sometimes one person will offer a suggestion or critique, and the others will disagree.

Being part of this group has expanded my creativity to no end. It's nice to have others to give you feedback, especially when you're unsure of a particular passage, or to ask questions about plot points, or have something pointed out that you've used incorrectly. It helps me to know when I'm writing really well, and when I've veered off course and am writing something that has nothing to do with the story I'm trying to tell. I can't imagine any professional editor worth more than our group, and all they cost me is a little of my time returning the favor. It's the best thing I've done for my writing yet!

That is so well said, and I hope those writers reading this who haven't considered or are wondering about the benefits of a critique group will benefit from what you've said.

If there's anything else you'd like to say about your writing process, creativity, or your books (or all of the above), this is your opportunity.


I hope that when people read my books they find themselves entertained. That's my goal. If you finish one of my books and are glad to have stepped into that particular world for a few hours, then I've done my job. You won't find me on the literary lists next to Shakespeare, for example, but hopefully I'm just as enjoyable to read (and easier to understand).

I would like to thank you for having me on your blog. If I could give any advice to writers or inspiring writers out there, I would just say to use whatever process works best for you. Everyone has a different way of writing, a different way of tapping into your creativity. It's great to discover how others do things, but that doesn't mean it will necessarily work for you. My creativity comes from just letting it flow when it will, not trying to force it. Some people are more regimented, and schedule it. I envy them! I can't do that. Find your creativity in whatever area it is, and make sure to nurture it.

You can connect with Cindy C. Bennett at www.cindycbennett.com

Blurb for Geek Girl

"Think I could turn that boy bad?"
My two best friends--my only two friends, really--follow my gaze and laugh.

"Trevor Hoffman?" Beth scoffs. "No way, Jen."

"I bet I could," I say, shrugging.

"Why him?" Beth asks. "Why not any of the other nerds sitting there with him?"

"Because," I say slowly, "he isn't your typical run-of-the-mill geek. Trevor Hoffman is different. He would be a little more difficult to take down--more of a challenge, you know?"

Jen's teenage life of rebelling and sneaking out is growing stale. In an effort to combat her boredom, Jen makes a bet to turn Trevor, a nice geek, into a "bad boy." Unexpectedly, she is pulled into Trevor's world of sci-fi movies, charity work, and even--ugh!--bowling. Jen discovers that hanging out with Trevor isn't so bad after all.

But when Trevor finds out about the wager, all bets are off.



Interview with R. J. Palmer: How to Saddle Your Imagination and Ride It

Since my blog is about creativity, I'm especially interested in your creative process as a writer and also how you came to develop and believe in your creativity.

Most people might call it a little airheaded when I say that it didn't hit me until I was in my early twenties that I even had talent and potential as a writer. Really when I finally understood that I wanted to be a writer it was one of those "facepalm" moments and I wanted to berate myself by saying, "Why didn't you think of that before, you twit? DUH!" I really wasn't that hard on myself or anything but I wanted to be primarily because, well, I was so OLD when I started writing. Ah well, better late than never I suppose.

Would you describe yourself as a creative child? Did you make up stories or express creativity in other ways?

Looking back on it, yes I can say that I was a very creative child. I could rock a brainstorming session and my parents tried to push me toward drawing but I can't draw a straight line with a ruler, so that was out. My best drawings were the happy face doodles on my folders when I was bored in school. Other than that, I read a lot and had an insatiable appetite for the written word. Honestly, if someone couldn't find me, I was curled up somewhere with a book I didn't want to put down. When I wasn't reading or drawing horridly lopsided and disfigured cartoons on my school folders, I couldn't shut up. That probably should've been a clue to parents and teachers alike.

Your autobiographical notes are quite intriguing. You describe yourself as having an over-active imagination that finally got channeled into writing. Do you find other useful outlets for your imagination when you're not writing?

Does cooking count? I have several taste testers around the house, just ask the kids and every once in awhile, I'll experiment with something new. Sometimes it turns out and sometimes it doesn't but it's never fun or interesting if you don't try. If I don't write or have some kind of creative outlet, I've figured out that I can't sleep so well because I can't get the rampaging thoughts that are swirling chaotically around in my head to settle down for long enough to fall asleep. It's horrifying when I'm getting to a really good part in a book I'm writing because I'll toss and turn until the wee hours of the morning if I don't either get up and write or concentrate on clearing my mind.

What inspired you to write Birthright?

Sheer unadulterated penniless boredom. I had had the idea for Birthright revolving around in my head for years and just hadn't acted on it so when I was out of money and totally at loose ends one winter I just sat down and started to write. Birthright came out and I discovered a passion for writing. Writing is now something of an addiction for me. I gotta get my fix!

What methods do you use to enhance your creativity (i.e., certain music, total solitude, etc.)

When I was writing Birthright, it was nothing less than Mozart all the way and it did the trick. Now that I'm writing Sins of the Father, I like total quiet because it helps me focus and center myself. Sometimes I wish someone would tell that to the kids and the dog. I can't complain too much though because the dog hangs adoringly on my every word and it strokes my inner ego-centric.

How do you get yourself back in motion when you get stuck?

Sometimes when I'm writing something that's just everyday stuff I have to slog through it and get on with it. I was plagued up until a few months ago with the most horrible case of writer's block ever though and it took me months to get past it. I tried everything from the advice of others to reading back over my own work to see if there was something there that might spark my creativity and nothing until I sat back and almost gave up to start writing another project. At that point it was like BLAM! Something went off in my head and I've been writing every spare moment since pretty much. I guess I just needed to quit beating my head against the figurative brick wall and relax.

How does a mother of six find time to write?

All kids go to school and sleep sometime. I love early in the morning when the kids first go off to school because the house is quiet and I can write. I hate getting up at six a.m. to get them off to school but I guess that little sacrifice is worth it in the end. I do so love school!

Do your children inspire your creativity?

All the time, my dear. I look at the little things the kids do and the funny little ways they act and whether anyone knows it or not, which is something I'm sure no one ever really will know, I incorporate small aspects of my children's personalities into my writing. It helps to make the characters come alive for me and maybe someday the children will notice this and realize how much I cherish them. Then again, maybe not.

Do you feel that being an indie writer gives you greater scope for your creativity and literary imagination?

I've never regretted the decision to go Indie because I have free license to make professional and creative decisions that I wouldn't otherwise have. I have creative control over my own work and when my work comes out in publication, it looks a lot more like me and my work. It echoes my thoughts and personality more than it would if I had to deal with a publishing house and though I'm not contemptuous of the work and sacrifice that traditionally published authors have had to go through, I can smile and say, "Glad it's them and not me." That rocks!

What advice would you give someone who is hesitant to express his/her creative urges?

Disregard everyone else because I'm guessing someone somewhere down the line was very jealous and made a tart or rude comment that turned you off to the idea of being creative. They need to shut up and get real because they're always going to be the voice inside your head that says you can't do it when you know you can. It's far better to be yourself, be creative and fall flat on your face than never to bust out with what could be the next great work whether written or drawn or sung. I can respect having tried and failed because at least you tried and you learned from your failure. Build on that. If you don't ever try, you can't fail and that will never garner anyone's respect, including my own. Wouldn't you be kicking yourself in the posterior for years if you didn't and someone else did?

Description of Sins of the Father:

A minister losing touch with his faith…

A severely autistic child with no past, no present and no real future…

An evil older than time itself…

When the boy Lucian is thrown into Aaron's life with nowhere else to go all hell breaks loose and Aaron confronts things he never actually imagined could really exist in an effort to save one small, tortured child.

Excerpt:

Aaron's dreams, if they could be called such with their nightmarish quality, were dark and angry and brutal. Blood and fire; there was blood and fire everywhere and no matter where he ran, he could not get away. The blood and the fire chased him and no matter where and how fast he ran, he was endlessly pursued. Disembodied laughter and a voice echoed in his consciousness as well and they were filled with undiluted malice. He didn't know what the voice was saying; the language was not familiar to him. The wealth of loathing and bitter rage that were infused into both the voice and the laughter were though and he shied away from them both even if he could not escape them.

There was also a great infinite black that was his constant albeit unwanted companion. It shadowed and followed him with lethal intent and an unquenchable thirst and that thirst was for blood. He didn't know how he knew that but he did for there was a constant feeling or portent running through his dreams apace with the blood and the fire. It was as if whatever chased him doggedly in those dreams was whispering something to him that he could not hear with his ears, only with his deepest secret heart.

He tried desperately to ignore it but it would not be ignored. He tried with everything he was to run away and could not escape it. He tried to confront it but there was nothing there to confront. There was an invisible nemesis driving him to the trembling edge of madness from the confines of his dreams that would not be silenced or stilled and he couldn't get that one idea out of his head.

Vengeance thirsts for blood…


Birthright is available at:

Amazon

Smashwords

Visit R. J. Palmer's blog.

The Sins of the Fathers will be available in April, 2011.