Samantha Combs's Blog, page 14
September 12, 2012
Everspell is now touchable
I wanted to find a new way to make my announcement, but I'm sure every single way has been done to death. In any case, here's my big deal:
Everspell is now available in print!
Get the touchable reference now? Like pages and such? *sigh* Just excited. Sorry. Anyway, in case you either haven't seen the book or forgot the beginning, here is a piece to chomp on.
EVERSPELLBook Two in the Spellbound series continues the love story of Logan and Serena. Having previously dispatched Christophe, the dark demon trying to capture and kidnap Serena for her special witch DNA in Book One, the two lovers believe they are now free to plan and live their lives together. Or are they?
When an innocent mistake made by their newlywed friends frees the way for Christophe to return, their idyllic attempt at happiness is marred by the nightmare they must outsmart, finally, to achieve the happily ever after they deserve.
They know they can rely on their coven to be there for them, and some new friends and additions to the family, as they once again embark on an epic battle that will secure their life, their love, and their future together. Once, they were Spellbound, now their story continues. For love, forever, for Everspell.
Everspell is now available in print!
Get the touchable reference now? Like pages and such? *sigh* Just excited. Sorry. Anyway, in case you either haven't seen the book or forgot the beginning, here is a piece to chomp on.
EVERSPELLBook Two in the Spellbound series continues the love story of Logan and Serena. Having previously dispatched Christophe, the dark demon trying to capture and kidnap Serena for her special witch DNA in Book One, the two lovers believe they are now free to plan and live their lives together. Or are they?
When an innocent mistake made by their newlywed friends frees the way for Christophe to return, their idyllic attempt at happiness is marred by the nightmare they must outsmart, finally, to achieve the happily ever after they deserve.
They know they can rely on their coven to be there for them, and some new friends and additions to the family, as they once again embark on an epic battle that will secure their life, their love, and their future together. Once, they were Spellbound, now their story continues. For love, forever, for Everspell.
September 8, 2012
Moving It Forward
This post could be a companion piece to my earlier post about Killing Your Darlings. Since I just addressed this issue in a teeth-gnashingly way, I thought there may be value in it on a post.
I wrote a completely brilliant chapter. The words were neat and concise, the feeling perfectly conveyed by the language, and the chapter seemed to flow beautifully, like a fast-moving river. There was just one problem. It was pith. Pretty pith, but pith nonetheless.
That lovely chapter that made me swoon with delight every time I read it, just didn't move the story forward. It didn't advance my main character forward in her journey, it failed to reveal anything that wasn't already evident in the manuscript, and it simply had no rhyme nor reason for being there. It had to go. But, I didn't make it easy.
I wailed over it, edited it, tried to shove relevant facts and notions into it, all to no avail. As brilliant as the chapter may have been, it did nothing for the story. So, I highlighted it in preparation to delete the entire thing. And then didn't delete it. Mind you, it remained highlighted through dinner, bedtimes, and the beginning of The Tonight Show before I touched the "enter" button. But, I finally did. It was painful. However, reading the story through again without that chapter, I saw that it worked. It didn't have that inexplicable "speed-bump" feeling I got (which I would not admit to myself) when the chapter was in place before.
I was so mad at myself for not seeing the problem earlier, I clicked open an unfinished horror short story and pounded on it for a half hour, wrapping it up in a very pleasing manner.
You may think I conquered the problem and I could leave it here, letting you believe just that. But, you know how hard it is to kill your own darlings. So, I removed that chapter and pasted it into a new Word document. I'm saving it. You never know when it might be the perfect fit for something. It really is lovely. (I know, I know, I'm sure there is a twelve-step program for this, but until I am ready to admit the addiction, I hope to never be cured!)
I wrote a completely brilliant chapter. The words were neat and concise, the feeling perfectly conveyed by the language, and the chapter seemed to flow beautifully, like a fast-moving river. There was just one problem. It was pith. Pretty pith, but pith nonetheless.
That lovely chapter that made me swoon with delight every time I read it, just didn't move the story forward. It didn't advance my main character forward in her journey, it failed to reveal anything that wasn't already evident in the manuscript, and it simply had no rhyme nor reason for being there. It had to go. But, I didn't make it easy.
I wailed over it, edited it, tried to shove relevant facts and notions into it, all to no avail. As brilliant as the chapter may have been, it did nothing for the story. So, I highlighted it in preparation to delete the entire thing. And then didn't delete it. Mind you, it remained highlighted through dinner, bedtimes, and the beginning of The Tonight Show before I touched the "enter" button. But, I finally did. It was painful. However, reading the story through again without that chapter, I saw that it worked. It didn't have that inexplicable "speed-bump" feeling I got (which I would not admit to myself) when the chapter was in place before.
I was so mad at myself for not seeing the problem earlier, I clicked open an unfinished horror short story and pounded on it for a half hour, wrapping it up in a very pleasing manner.
You may think I conquered the problem and I could leave it here, letting you believe just that. But, you know how hard it is to kill your own darlings. So, I removed that chapter and pasted it into a new Word document. I'm saving it. You never know when it might be the perfect fit for something. It really is lovely. (I know, I know, I'm sure there is a twelve-step program for this, but until I am ready to admit the addiction, I hope to never be cured!)
September 6, 2012
Make It Personal
Writing my latest release, Waterdancer, has been a truly eye-opening experience to my own writing process. Please read about it in this guest post I did for the Waterdancer blog tour over at Letters Inside Out.
GUEST POST: SAMANTHA COMBS (AUTHOR OF WATERDANCER)
5SEPposted by Amanda
Tour Schedule
GUEST POST: SAMANTHA COMBS (AUTHOR OF WATERDANCER)
5SEPposted by Amanda
Tour Schedule
GUEST POST: MAKE IT PERSONAL BY SAMANTHA COMBSI recently allowed my muse, Musina to headline in an interview about me. I learned something. I thought I had sprinkled part of my life into my books, but as it turns out, I have been borrowing liberally. Empowered with this epiphany, I truly feel that personal connection is what makes my stories easy to believe and accept, even though I write in the paranormal genre. I make it believable by making it personal.Once I realized I had been doing this, it was simple to identify the personal parts in most of my books. In Spellbound and Everspell, even though, no, I am not a witch, I used my past to color the landscape of my story. The street they live on is the same as mine, and the main characters large house resembles one that used to stand at the end of our block. Thick with overgrown brush, we used to call it the “witch house” as kids will sometimes do. In Ghostly, the main protag’s best friend is drawn nearly completely from a couple of friends I had in school, and the school itself is the same layout as my old high school in San Diego. Likewise, the jr. high in The Detention Demon resembles the one I never went to, but my little brother did.But perhaps nowhere else than in Waterdancer did I borrow so heavily. I was in a high school just like Bailey, having moved to Del Mar the summer before my freshman year. I had a new stepfather, new siblings and was experiencing the first love of my life. Cool, zen, and a serious local-boy surfer, Bailey’s love interest, Jack, also comes from my past. It doesn’t stop there, either. The layout of Bailey’s new condo matches the one I lived in during high school and living across the street from a state beach is the same as well. Even down to the path that leads from the cliff to the beach, the details are just the same. I often wonder if a local may read this book and wonder if I invaded their life.During those tender, angst-filled teen years, I was also rebuilding my relationship with both my mother, and my previously absentee father. But, just to be clear, Daddy is not an octopus. Okay?I know many authors write paranormal and make up as much of it as they can. I love that. But, I challenge you as a writer to inject as much of yourself, or your life, as you can. I am tremendously proud of this latest YA for that reason. I feel that the “me” of it shines through. Musina was clearly in charge on this one, because I didn’t realize any of this until her interview. Even after read-throughs, edits and grammar checks, I never noticed it. But, it was there all along. I believe the reason I love it so much is that that it is so close to my “me-ness”. Try it yourself. Use a name from your past, landscape your manuscript with images from your childhood, or pull from your own experiences, even the painful ones. Writing can be cathartic, too. And watch your story come alive! One of my favorite sayings is this: Be bold, for when you are bold, magnificent forces will come to your aid. So, writers and authors and storytime tellers, be bold. And make it personal. Your readers will love you and your stories for it.As if high school isn’t hard enough, try being Bailey Wasserman. Try being the new girl in town, navigating a touchy relationship with your flighty mom’s rich new husband in a brand new town he’s just moved you to. Add to that finding out that your father, a semi-pro surfer who’s just mysteriously re-entered your life after nearly fifteen years of silence, is half sea-creature and you’re about to inherit that particular gene on your sixteenth birthday which is only a few days away, all after you just met the cutest surfer boy you’ve ever seen in your life.Bailey feels she and her mom have always met life’s challenges as a team of two, more like best friends than mother and daughter. But her mom’s recent marriage has changed all that. Having her little brother Landry is all Bailey can find good about that union. The move to wealthy Del Mar from their humble beginnings has turned Bailey sour, until a chance meeting of surf hottie Jack West changes all that. Then, when her father reenters her life, with his annoying Zen-surfer lingo and a talking turtle he claims is her spirit guardian, no less, he threatens the only relationship Bailey thinks is working in her world. She soon finds out that’s not all his arrival will do. His presence and their shared family trait could ultimately force Bailey to make a decision that will alter the course of her own life and those she loves…..forever.
Author Bio: Samantha Combs is a young adult/middle grade author living in Southern California. The author of six books, three are young adult paranormal romances, Spellbound, Everspell, and Ghostly, a middle grade horror novel, The Detention Demon, two adult horror collections, Teeth and Talons, and Way Past Midnight, and a new standalone YA paranormal, entitled Waterdancer, which you should look for in Sept. 2012. Samantha hopes to complete and release two other books currently in progress. 2012 looks amazing!When she is not writing or reading voraciously, Samantha enjoys bloggers, the Food Network Channel, reality television and wandering around the aisles at Target. She recently conquered Facebook and is learning how to use Twitter. She is sure she can handle any situation if she has the right shoes and has a mad passion for totally inappropriate earrings. Samantha believes the movement toward technology is the most exciting thing to happen to publishing and can’t wait to see what the industry is going to do next. Anything that makes kids want to read can’t be a bad thing.Facebook | Blog | Twitter | Goodreads
September 4, 2012
Meet Bailey, the Teen Star of Waterdancer
I may have mentioned, Waterdancer, from Musa Publishing, is out this Friday. So you believe me when I say this book release is NOT all about me, I would like you to know I have given the spotlight over to Bailey, my spunky protagonist, for the most recent interview. My great fellow author from Astraea Press, Patricia Kiyono, handled the reins for this one. I won't waste time with useless banter, just please read the following and get to know Bailey.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Today I am honored to introduce you to Samantha Combs. Samantha is a prolific author, writing Young Adult Paranormal stories not only at Astraea Press, but also at Musa Publishing. She is a true cheerleader for her fellow authors. She was the first blogger to interview me after the publication of my first novella, The Legacy, and so I am glad to have the chance to return the favor as she prepares for the launch of her latest release, Waterdancer . SinceSamantha herself is quite busy with all the promo surrounding the release, she sent her main character, Bailey Wasserman, to answer my questions.
PK: Thank you for coming to chat with us today, Bailey. Why do you think Samantha choose you to represent her?BW: We are a lot alike. Most of how I am in Waterdancer is drawn directly from her own teen years. She had the standoffish stepfather, the new home, the new school, and the absentee father. While he wasn’t a sea creature, everything else is the same.
PK: Tell us a little about yourself.BW: I just moved with my mother and her new husband and my awesome little brother Landry to a brand new city. I have to go to a new school, too. I’m pretty laid back, but this is turning out to be a seriously stressful summer. Even a zen chick like me has her limits.
PK: What is your birth date?BW: Let’s just say my sixteenth birthday this summer will bring more surprises than presents.
PK: Where do you live? What is it about that area that drew you there?BW: We live in Del Mar, California Pretty ritzy place. This is where my stepfather, Warren, brought us to live. Before my Mom married him, we had a great little house in a totally not expensive area. We were happy. I’m still working out if I like being here. Secretly though, I have fallen in love with the beach. Never had that before!
PK: What do you wish people would know about you?SC: If they knew about the mermaid tail, they would think I was a freak, or creepy. So I DON’T want them to know about that. Except for Jack. He kind of found outby accident. And he still likes me! Unheard of.
PK: What is your perfect evening?BW: Since I learned how to surf, the perfect evening is riding the waves with Jack until the sun goes down, and watching that sunset with him on the sand.
What do you do to relax?BW: Surf. And I’m a teenager. We don’t relax, much.
PK: Tell us about Jack. What drew you to him?BW: He is seriously cute and for some unknown reason, he likes me. Besides, I wasn’t drawn to him…he kind of stalked me at Registration. Thank you, Jesus,because he was the cutest boy in that whole room.
PK: What about the girl on the cover? Is that a fair representation of you?BW: Yes. She is a bit wistful, and you can sense her awakened desire for theocean.
PK: What’s your biggest turn ons?BW: Surfing with Jack, spending time with Landry, people telling me the truth.
PK: What are your biggest Turn offs?BW: Deception.
PK: Do you believe in ghosts?BW: Well, I didn’t believe in sea creatures before this summer, so I guess I need to change my mind about ghosts, too.
PK: What is your biggest fear?BW: That something will happen to Landry because of me.
PK: Why should the readers be interested in your story?BW: Because I’m just a normal teenager trying to make my way in a life that has just been turned upside-down. Because my story could be any girl’s story, maybe just not with sea creatures as parents. And because I am honest, and real, and sincere.
Thanks for coming today, Bailey!Readers can find Waterdancer at your favorite online source beginning THIS FRIDAY, September 7. You can find Samantha on Facebook, her blog, or on Twitter:
Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samantha-Combs-Fan-Page/205186202866933Email: samanthacombswrites@gmail.comBlog: http://www.samanthacombswrites.blogspot.comTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/samanthacombs1
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Today I am honored to introduce you to Samantha Combs. Samantha is a prolific author, writing Young Adult Paranormal stories not only at Astraea Press, but also at Musa Publishing. She is a true cheerleader for her fellow authors. She was the first blogger to interview me after the publication of my first novella, The Legacy, and so I am glad to have the chance to return the favor as she prepares for the launch of her latest release, Waterdancer . SinceSamantha herself is quite busy with all the promo surrounding the release, she sent her main character, Bailey Wasserman, to answer my questions.
PK: Thank you for coming to chat with us today, Bailey. Why do you think Samantha choose you to represent her?BW: We are a lot alike. Most of how I am in Waterdancer is drawn directly from her own teen years. She had the standoffish stepfather, the new home, the new school, and the absentee father. While he wasn’t a sea creature, everything else is the same.
PK: Tell us a little about yourself.BW: I just moved with my mother and her new husband and my awesome little brother Landry to a brand new city. I have to go to a new school, too. I’m pretty laid back, but this is turning out to be a seriously stressful summer. Even a zen chick like me has her limits.
PK: What is your birth date?BW: Let’s just say my sixteenth birthday this summer will bring more surprises than presents.
PK: Where do you live? What is it about that area that drew you there?BW: We live in Del Mar, California Pretty ritzy place. This is where my stepfather, Warren, brought us to live. Before my Mom married him, we had a great little house in a totally not expensive area. We were happy. I’m still working out if I like being here. Secretly though, I have fallen in love with the beach. Never had that before!
PK: What do you wish people would know about you?SC: If they knew about the mermaid tail, they would think I was a freak, or creepy. So I DON’T want them to know about that. Except for Jack. He kind of found outby accident. And he still likes me! Unheard of.
PK: What is your perfect evening?BW: Since I learned how to surf, the perfect evening is riding the waves with Jack until the sun goes down, and watching that sunset with him on the sand.
What do you do to relax?BW: Surf. And I’m a teenager. We don’t relax, much.
PK: Tell us about Jack. What drew you to him?BW: He is seriously cute and for some unknown reason, he likes me. Besides, I wasn’t drawn to him…he kind of stalked me at Registration. Thank you, Jesus,because he was the cutest boy in that whole room.
PK: What about the girl on the cover? Is that a fair representation of you?BW: Yes. She is a bit wistful, and you can sense her awakened desire for theocean.
PK: What’s your biggest turn ons?BW: Surfing with Jack, spending time with Landry, people telling me the truth.
PK: What are your biggest Turn offs?BW: Deception.
PK: Do you believe in ghosts?BW: Well, I didn’t believe in sea creatures before this summer, so I guess I need to change my mind about ghosts, too.
PK: What is your biggest fear?BW: That something will happen to Landry because of me.
PK: Why should the readers be interested in your story?BW: Because I’m just a normal teenager trying to make my way in a life that has just been turned upside-down. Because my story could be any girl’s story, maybe just not with sea creatures as parents. And because I am honest, and real, and sincere.
Thanks for coming today, Bailey!Readers can find Waterdancer at your favorite online source beginning THIS FRIDAY, September 7. You can find Samantha on Facebook, her blog, or on Twitter:
Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samantha-Combs-Fan-Page/205186202866933Email: samanthacombswrites@gmail.comBlog: http://www.samanthacombswrites.blogspot.comTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/samanthacombs1
September 3, 2012
Waterdancer Blog Tour
I have never done a blog tour before, but I need to send a shout out to Megan from http://readingawaythedays.blogspot.com, who has put together an amazing blog tour for me for the new YA paranormal release Waterdancer, releasing this Friday, Sept., 7th from Musa Publishing. She even made this far-too-cool banner, using the same colors of the book cover.Because I am stupidly new to this, she took me by the hand and walked me through the whole process. I provided links and interviews and blog posts, oh my! I just did whatever she asked me to do and I am so surprised by some results. I have new blog followers, new likers, and, music to an author's ears, reviewers who are enjoying my story. I have posts and tweets and google-y stuff, too! Megan just does it all.
I would be remiss if I didn't thank her specifically, and the other blogs doing a thingy on me as well. So, here is a list of these wonderful reviewers/bloggers. Please check them out, and not just for this tour. I have found each blog to be well-thought out, engaging and entertaining, and best of all, informational. Once again, I am reminded that were it not for these reviewers and bloggers, us indie authors would be way more indie than we would like.
So, please join me in joining them!
http://readingawaythedays.blogspot.co.uk/ http://worldsawaybookblog.blogspot.co.uk/http://we-do-write.blogspot.co.uk/http://aboveaveragebelowspecial.blogspot.co.uk/http://jbarrett5.blogspot.com/http://www.lettersinsideout.net/http://littlepocketbooks.blogspot.co.uk/http://thecoverbybrittany.blogspot.co.uk/
One other thing I want to mention...this blog tour was offered to me for free. These great bloggers do this for the best reason of all, love of books and a great desire to introduce authors to you that you may not have even heard of. I can never, ever thank them enough. But you can do what I have done. Follow them. They are worth it.
And if you decide to jump on the blog tour, check it out with this schedule:
Today: Book Excerpt & Giveaway @ my blog http://readingawaythedays.blogspot.co.uk/ & Promo @ this blog http://worldsawaybookblog.blogspot.co.uk/3rd September: Interview @ http://we-do-write.blogspot.co.uk/4th September: Review @ http://aboveaveragebelowspecial.blogspot.co.uk/ & Review @ http://jbarrett5.blogspot.com/5th September: Guest Post @ http://www.lettersinsideout.net/6th September: Casting Couch @ http://littlepocketbooks.blogspot.co.uk/7th September: Character Interview: http://thecoverbybrittany.blogspot.co.uk/
August 28, 2012
Musina Hogs the Spotlight!
This was such a great interview, I am double-dipping it and posting it here from my author friend Joanna Fay's blog. Is it me, or does Musina sound like a spoiled teenager?
Meet Samantha Combs…and her Muse (up close and personal)
Samantha Combs, fellow author at Musa Publishing and awesome creator of Paranormal YA novels, stretched the boundaries of author interviews recently by posting an interview with me…by my budgie. Now it’s Samantha’s turn! And her feisty Muse-with-an-Attitude, Musina, has kindly (I think) stepped in to give us an amazing window into her pet author’s creative journey.Welcome, Samantha and Musina. The floor is yours:Hi, Musina. When did you first meet Samantha, and did she recognize you straight away?I first came into Sam’s life when she was ready for me. She had been writing since she was a small girl, but I never sensed the right time. If you get it wrong, you can totally harsh the gig. Like the human has creative overload and goes all postal on you. So I waited. One night, when she was having one of those conversations you can only have with a four-year-old, I introduced myself. She didn’t know who I was until long after that, but she knew something had changed. The writing became more than a hobby. It became a passion. She felt me compel her and we wrote her first published novel in 2 months of only writing at night and on weekends during nap time.What is your favourite way to ‘appear’?I like the “compelling” thing. I start as an urge, almost like the human need to go pee…insistent, increasing in strength and just not going away! She used to hate it, but she gets it now. Now, she likes it when I compel her to open the laptop, and then we settle in together. We have reached an easy alliance, her and I. She knows I am there, and she knows I will run with seed, if only I allow her to plant it. Most of the time, I try not to interrupt her regular life. Well, some of the time. What? I have a job to do. Whatever.Which is your favourite book of Samantha’s? I have a special place in my heart for two of them. The first is Ghostly. I think more than anyone I resemble the sidekick friend Sixx from that book. Without her knowing or really understanding, she wrote that character as me. Smart-assed with an awesome fashion sense. Yeah! I also love the one about to release, Waterdancer. I have always dropped bits of Sam’s life in our writing, but this time, she let a whole lot more in. When we re-read the final draft, we cried. We understood so much of Bailey, the main character, of her life. A lot of it is in that novel.Can you tell us the sequence of Samantha’s novels and why you chose that order to inspire her with? I must admit, I mess with her a bit on that score. She wrote Spellbound, then I interjected the idea of another two stories before we broached the idea of the sequel. Plus, those damn characters wouldn’t shut up! Waking Sam in the middle of the night and making her poke ideas into her smartphone is MY job, damn it. I couldn’t compete with their insistence, so I finally compelled her to write the damn sequel. And now the greedy twits want another one! *sigh* A muse’s job is NEVER done!What do you do when Samantha is saying ‘I don’t wanna’? Do you have more than one approach? She had a bad patch when she lost that silly job she had. It was harder to get in. One day I planted a seed more like the size of a watermelon and sort of smacked her stupid with it. I came to her as her Mum’s voice. Never fails now. Also, like in real estate, it’s all location, location, location. So I have a favorite. In the shower. Now, that’s my best place to jam ideas in…she’s alone there and rarely anywhere else. Or in her car while she’s driving. At least there she can take notes. Thank you, iphone and Siri! (A cousin of mine….distantly related. She’s okay, just a bit of a know-it-all. It’s annoying. Whatever.)What do you like to do best in your spare time (if you get spare time)?Untangle traffic jams, find lost wedding rings, but nothing directly related to another individual. For better or for worse, Sam and I are together for life. See, once you discover a Muse, she will forever after be your inspiration, and yours alone. It takes a while for you to find each other. I’ve had failures, sure. Vanilla Ice, the movie Ishtar, and Crocs. But, then, there was Sam. She’s a keeper. But, you know, I was like, assigned to her. I have to stay. It’s not like I love her or anything. She just….she gets me. It’s cool. Whatever.Do you have any special advice to other Muses? Keep trying to find your person. It’s really kicky when your seed becomes something that makes others laugh or cheer or cry. That’s when I know she is at her full creative potential. And I am fulfilling mine. What’s not to like? Winner, winner, chicken dinner, everybody gets a prize! It’s a rockin’ cool partnership, like….like peanut butter and bread. Most people say peanut butter and jelly, but without the bread, where do you spread it? Right? She’s my bread. Whatever.Samantha, you’ve got your work cut out for you…and I somehow think Musina’s still got plenty of novels up her sleeve for you. Keep having fun, you two!Take a look at Samantha’s novels :SPELLBOUNDEVERSPELLGHOSTLYTHE DETENTION DEMON TEETH AND TALONS WAY PAST MIDNIGHT And coming in September from Musa Publishing: WATERDANCER, a new YA paranormal.
CONNECT WITH SAMANTHA!Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samantha-Combs-Fan-Page/205186202866933Email: samanthacombswrites@gmail.comBlog: http://www.samanthacombswrites.blogspot.comTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/samanthacombs1WRITE, PUBLISH, AND BE INFORMED!
Meet Samantha Combs…and her Muse (up close and personal)
Samantha Combs, fellow author at Musa Publishing and awesome creator of Paranormal YA novels, stretched the boundaries of author interviews recently by posting an interview with me…by my budgie. Now it’s Samantha’s turn! And her feisty Muse-with-an-Attitude, Musina, has kindly (I think) stepped in to give us an amazing window into her pet author’s creative journey.Welcome, Samantha and Musina. The floor is yours:Hi, Musina. When did you first meet Samantha, and did she recognize you straight away?I first came into Sam’s life when she was ready for me. She had been writing since she was a small girl, but I never sensed the right time. If you get it wrong, you can totally harsh the gig. Like the human has creative overload and goes all postal on you. So I waited. One night, when she was having one of those conversations you can only have with a four-year-old, I introduced myself. She didn’t know who I was until long after that, but she knew something had changed. The writing became more than a hobby. It became a passion. She felt me compel her and we wrote her first published novel in 2 months of only writing at night and on weekends during nap time.What is your favourite way to ‘appear’?I like the “compelling” thing. I start as an urge, almost like the human need to go pee…insistent, increasing in strength and just not going away! She used to hate it, but she gets it now. Now, she likes it when I compel her to open the laptop, and then we settle in together. We have reached an easy alliance, her and I. She knows I am there, and she knows I will run with seed, if only I allow her to plant it. Most of the time, I try not to interrupt her regular life. Well, some of the time. What? I have a job to do. Whatever.Which is your favourite book of Samantha’s? I have a special place in my heart for two of them. The first is Ghostly. I think more than anyone I resemble the sidekick friend Sixx from that book. Without her knowing or really understanding, she wrote that character as me. Smart-assed with an awesome fashion sense. Yeah! I also love the one about to release, Waterdancer. I have always dropped bits of Sam’s life in our writing, but this time, she let a whole lot more in. When we re-read the final draft, we cried. We understood so much of Bailey, the main character, of her life. A lot of it is in that novel.Can you tell us the sequence of Samantha’s novels and why you chose that order to inspire her with? I must admit, I mess with her a bit on that score. She wrote Spellbound, then I interjected the idea of another two stories before we broached the idea of the sequel. Plus, those damn characters wouldn’t shut up! Waking Sam in the middle of the night and making her poke ideas into her smartphone is MY job, damn it. I couldn’t compete with their insistence, so I finally compelled her to write the damn sequel. And now the greedy twits want another one! *sigh* A muse’s job is NEVER done!What do you do when Samantha is saying ‘I don’t wanna’? Do you have more than one approach? She had a bad patch when she lost that silly job she had. It was harder to get in. One day I planted a seed more like the size of a watermelon and sort of smacked her stupid with it. I came to her as her Mum’s voice. Never fails now. Also, like in real estate, it’s all location, location, location. So I have a favorite. In the shower. Now, that’s my best place to jam ideas in…she’s alone there and rarely anywhere else. Or in her car while she’s driving. At least there she can take notes. Thank you, iphone and Siri! (A cousin of mine….distantly related. She’s okay, just a bit of a know-it-all. It’s annoying. Whatever.)What do you like to do best in your spare time (if you get spare time)?Untangle traffic jams, find lost wedding rings, but nothing directly related to another individual. For better or for worse, Sam and I are together for life. See, once you discover a Muse, she will forever after be your inspiration, and yours alone. It takes a while for you to find each other. I’ve had failures, sure. Vanilla Ice, the movie Ishtar, and Crocs. But, then, there was Sam. She’s a keeper. But, you know, I was like, assigned to her. I have to stay. It’s not like I love her or anything. She just….she gets me. It’s cool. Whatever.Do you have any special advice to other Muses? Keep trying to find your person. It’s really kicky when your seed becomes something that makes others laugh or cheer or cry. That’s when I know she is at her full creative potential. And I am fulfilling mine. What’s not to like? Winner, winner, chicken dinner, everybody gets a prize! It’s a rockin’ cool partnership, like….like peanut butter and bread. Most people say peanut butter and jelly, but without the bread, where do you spread it? Right? She’s my bread. Whatever.Samantha, you’ve got your work cut out for you…and I somehow think Musina’s still got plenty of novels up her sleeve for you. Keep having fun, you two!Take a look at Samantha’s novels :SPELLBOUNDEVERSPELLGHOSTLYTHE DETENTION DEMON TEETH AND TALONS WAY PAST MIDNIGHT And coming in September from Musa Publishing: WATERDANCER, a new YA paranormal.
CONNECT WITH SAMANTHA!Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samantha-Combs-Fan-Page/205186202866933Email: samanthacombswrites@gmail.comBlog: http://www.samanthacombswrites.blogspot.comTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/samanthacombs1WRITE, PUBLISH, AND BE INFORMED!
August 24, 2012
Why I Don't Like Five Star Reviews
So, having read the title of this post, as an author you must be thinking I am out of my mind. Not liking five-star reviews? Is this bitch kidding? EVERYONE wants a five-star review! This is heresy! Stone her!
Okay, okay, before you drag out the torture table, let me explain: it's not that I don't want five star reviews, it's more that I am afraid of them.
If I was a fledgling actress nominated for and winning an Academy Award, I'm sure I would have the same crisis of faith. And make no mistake, it IS about faith. I think that actress and I would have the same fears, actually. Namely, that we would never be able to top the excellence, the perfection, the sheer genius that caused the award to be given on her first film. Too many five stars would scare me.
As an author, I have received my share of five-stars. And since that did happen, I feel as though I am qualified to make these statements. I am grateful for every one, but here's what frightens me: To me, the five-star review is the pinnacle of the ratings scale. So, if I get a fiver, where do I go from there? Is there six stars? Seven? Eight? No. That's it. Five is the top. So my true fear is that too many of them is going to be a slippery slope into complacency. Maybe not right away, because I seem to have, so far, an endless supply of story ideas and notes, but someday. Someday, I fear I may sit back on the sofa and breathe out slowly, wondering where else can I go? Wondering is it worth it to try?
I, personally, LOVE a four star review. Now this, I can sink my teeth in! This means you loved it, but you can see where I might have taken it farther. A four-topper guarantees you liked me enough to purchase my next book, and my next one. Then, when I have reached the level of success and recognition I only now dream of, then you can lather me with those fivers. Oh, please do. Please, please do.
I also appreciate a well-researched and itemized three star review. This gives me somewhere specific to go. Up. I can strive for something, and as an artist, that's what I am always doing. Striving, perfecting, vowing to achieve.
Interestingly enough, in American literature, one's descent into madness is most often preceded by unhealthy obsession. Obsession over a person, a love, real or imagined, and, Dear Authors, over an ideal. A willingness to slave and grieve and COMMIT to one thing so totally, so completely, that you will submit yourself to review and comment and critique, by people we don't know and are killing ourselves to impress.. Oh...wait a minute....isn't that what we as authors do? But, I digress.
Back to the five stars. I appreciate them, I covet them, yes, maybe I do even like them. But, I'll be damned if I'm going to let them make me complacent. Because my intent with my writing is to get better, to correct my mistakes, to tighten my wording and color my descriptions. And with every book, my intent is to draw my reader in deeper and deeper until the characters become a part of them.
I have a book coming out two weeks from today. It's my seventh one. Waterdancer, a YA paranormal, is being released by Musa Publishing. Check it out and let me know.....am I going in the right direction?
August 21, 2012
The Kid Interview Series #12 - Lisa Greer is interviewed by her daughter!
Today on the series, I am welcoming my fellow Musa Publishing author (we call ourselves Musalings!) and her daughter, Gracie. I have always loved that name. Lisa is the Gothic and romance author of breathtaking stories I could never hope to write. Sometimes I think I write YA and horror because I never have to do the "everlasting kiss" thing. But make no mistake, this is something where Lisa excels. Those in the know have told me her stories are "swoon-worthy"! That sounds good. Please enjoy this off-the-grid interview for a romance writer!
THE KID’S INTERVIEW
Gracie Greer, age 9, is interviewed by her mom , the author Lisa Greer
Q. Can you name all your Mom’s books? Gracie: She Walks on the Shore, Moonlight on the Palms, Magnolian, Shadow beneath Evil, Blood on Snowflakes
Q. Which is your favorite and why? Gracie: I haven't read them yet, but I like the covers.
Q. When does your Mom write? Where in the house? Describe her writing area. Gracie: She writes near the backyard door, near my computer and dad's computer. She writes a little bit in the morning and afternoon and a lot at night.
Q. What are you doing when Mom is writing? Gracie: Playing outside, watching TV, reading, playing a game with dad, playing with the cat, talking to her by her computer, or in bed
Q. If Mom got rich and famous, what would you want her to do with the money? Gracie: Buy a bigger house with an upstairs, give some of it to people who need things.
Q. Do you read your Mom’s books? Gracie: No, not yet. I like science and R.L. Stine stories better.
Q. Do you think you do better in school because Mom is a writer? Gracie: No, because I'm better at math than reading.
Q. Do your friends know what your Mom writes? Do you tell them? Gracie: Sometimes, when their moms want to buy a book and I deliver it at school.
Q. Do you want to be a writer when you grow up? If not, what do you want to be? Gracie: No, a scientist. I gave up on art.
Q. If you could dedicate a book to your Mom, what would you say? Gracie: What? I wouldn't dedicate a book to you. Then: I would just put your name...and a big heart. That's all I'd put.
Please connect with Lisa! And Lisa, please tell Gracie, do I have a middle grade horror story for you! Ask your mom about The Detention Demon, also by Musa Publishing! (i loved the R.L. Stine comment!)
Contact Info:Websitehttp://www.lisalgreer.com
http://gothicked.blogspot.com
THE KID’S INTERVIEW
Gracie Greer, age 9, is interviewed by her mom , the author Lisa Greer
Q. Can you name all your Mom’s books? Gracie: She Walks on the Shore, Moonlight on the Palms, Magnolian, Shadow beneath Evil, Blood on Snowflakes
Q. Which is your favorite and why? Gracie: I haven't read them yet, but I like the covers.
Q. When does your Mom write? Where in the house? Describe her writing area. Gracie: She writes near the backyard door, near my computer and dad's computer. She writes a little bit in the morning and afternoon and a lot at night.
Q. What are you doing when Mom is writing? Gracie: Playing outside, watching TV, reading, playing a game with dad, playing with the cat, talking to her by her computer, or in bed
Q. If Mom got rich and famous, what would you want her to do with the money? Gracie: Buy a bigger house with an upstairs, give some of it to people who need things.
Q. Do you read your Mom’s books? Gracie: No, not yet. I like science and R.L. Stine stories better.
Q. Do you think you do better in school because Mom is a writer? Gracie: No, because I'm better at math than reading.
Q. Do your friends know what your Mom writes? Do you tell them? Gracie: Sometimes, when their moms want to buy a book and I deliver it at school.
Q. Do you want to be a writer when you grow up? If not, what do you want to be? Gracie: No, a scientist. I gave up on art.
Q. If you could dedicate a book to your Mom, what would you say? Gracie: What? I wouldn't dedicate a book to you. Then: I would just put your name...and a big heart. That's all I'd put.
Please connect with Lisa! And Lisa, please tell Gracie, do I have a middle grade horror story for you! Ask your mom about The Detention Demon, also by Musa Publishing! (i loved the R.L. Stine comment!)
Contact Info:Websitehttp://www.lisalgreer.com
http://gothicked.blogspot.com
August 16, 2012
The Kid Interview Series #11 - Joanna Fay is interviewed by her budgie!
Okay, so I have run this interview series with authors who have been interviewed by their children, their grandchildren, and even their dogs! Today, we continue to veer off the beaten path with this interview. My fellow author from the Musa Publishing family, Joanna Fay, takes her turn under the lights with the exacting answers from her budgie, Pippy.Check the end of the interview for links to contact our avuncular brevis avi (small bird, stretching my Latin, thank you) and Joanna Fay, author of Daughter of Hope, available now from Musa Publishing and at all good ebook outlets. And look for a great reciprocation from Joanna soon.....she interviews my snarky and world-weary muse, Musina. Can't wait for that one!
And now, heeeeeere's Pippy!
THE KID’S INTERVIEW
Interview with Pippy the Budgie.Pippy, age 2, interviews his author mom, Joanna Fay
Q. Can you name all your Mom’s books?She has one novel out so far, called Daughter of Hope, which is the first book in The Siaris Quartet. The other books are Traitor’s Game, Restoration and Vow’s Answer.
Q. Which is your favorite and why?I like all of Mom’s novels because they’ve got my favorite topics in them: feathers, pinions, quills, filaments, wings and flying.
Q. When does your Mom write? Where in the house? Describe her writing area.Mom writes in the afternoon, and after dinner until late. She writes on the sofa in the lounge-room, near my castle (cage), with her laptop on a tray table.
Q. What are you doing when Mom is writing?Mostly, I sit on the kitchen blind with Rosie, singing or eating seed, or else I fly down to Mom’s laptop to help her type and add extra punctuation.
Q. If Mom got rich and famous, what would you want her to do with the money?I want her to buy me a never-ending supply of millet sprigs, an air-conditioned house, and new corners on the blind covers where I’ve chewed them off. The rest she can donate to the local bird sanctuary where my big cousins live.
Q. Do you read your Mom’s books?Yes. I’m the first person to read them. Actually, I sit on the keyboard and read while she’s writing them. I like reading close to the screen.
Q. Do you think you do better in school because Mom is a writer?I do homeschooling with Mom, so it’s good she knows a lot of words. So far she’s taught me ‘boy boy’, ‘hello budgie’ and ‘pretty boy’. We’re now working on ‘good morning, sweetie-pie’.
Q. Do your friends know what your Mom writes? Do you tell them?I tell my best friend, Rosie, about Mom’s writing every day, although she usually goes to sleep while I’m talking.
Q. Do you want to be a writer when you grow up? If not, what do you want to be.I already write on Mom’s laptop. I’m also practicing to be a famous storyteller and singer.
Q. If you could dedicate a book to your Mom, what would you say?To my Mom, thanks for looking after me and Rosie and never making us go in our cage if we don’t want to. You’re such an understanding Mom!
Look for Joanna's book, Daughter of Hope, here: http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=302
And contact her here:My website:http://joannafay.me/ My FB author page:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joanna-Fay-Author-Page/307685265935899?ref=hlTwitter: https://twitter.com/JoannaFay11
August 15, 2012
What I Loved and Hated About the Olympics
So, the Olympics are over. In some instances, I was enthralled and wishing it could go on forever. Other times, I couldn't wait for it to end. As I'm sure there will be a million posts and articles and takes on the every-four-years event, just add this one to the pile. There were some absolutely thrilling moments that made my heart soar and sent my spirits skyward. Then there were the others. Those displays of greed, and deception, and general classlessness. This, therefore, is my opinion of the highs and lows, the good and bad, and the best and the brightest of these, the Games of the XXX Olympiad.
Things I Loved:
The "grace under pressure" displayed by the little girls on our gymnastics team. Compared to the racking sobs the winning of a silver medal instead of a gold displayed by the Russians, it was precious.Oscar Pistorius and his big ol' double amputee heart.Oscar Pistorius's mother, who always made him do whatever his big brother did. Hey, Moms everywhere? That's how you raise a champion and a wonderful person: never let him use any handicap to say "I Can't"Kirani James. This beautiful man from Grenada won his gold with such unabashed pure joy, I was screaming for him, not the USA. Then, when I heard what he wrote on an autograph requested by a mother for her daughter, he entered and never left my heart. He wrote : Dear Sydney, your Mom is extraordinarily proud of you." I love him.Hope Solo, for telling the juicy truth about hookups in the Olympic Village between adrenaline-rushed, endorphin-producing athletes cooped together with like-minded souls. OF COURSE, they hooked up. Thanks to Hope for telling the truth.Ryan Lochte's mother, for giving away her son's secrets about one-night-stands, and making him EVEN THAT MUCH HOTTER, thank you very much.Kerry Walsh Jennings and Misty May Treaner. Not for winning the gold, which was awesome. Not for giving me some of the most thrills watching an event in the Olympics, over 5 times. No, I love them because they are so respectful of one another and such best, best friends. Also, I love their bodies and that they are such serious examples of how beautiful the human form can be.Prince William and Princess Kate, for every time they hugged, and cheered and for being the first Royals to do the wave. For just being two people I could totally have a drink with. And for putting their true love on display for the world to see, and making it look so easy. Fairy tales do happen. And for that matter......The Queen, for parachuting into the event and agreeing to a fun opening sequence with hunky Daniel Craig. And lastly, a brilliant opening and wacky, fun, brought-such-a-smile to my face closing ceremonies. I mean, The Spice Girls? Really? Yet it worked. My Mum, a Londoner, was loving every minute of it. Thank you, Mr. Boyle.Things I Hated:Frantically avoiding the internet and news briefs during the day, so as not to see results for events I had not seen yet.Staying up until 1230am for 2 1/2 weeks to see all events. I mean, I am seriously dragging. Still.Badminton players tanking games for better bracketing. Really, fake tennis players?Not seeing certain events of the Games, considered not worth airtime. Uncool, NBC.The media hype over Serena's victory dance. Celebrate any way you want, girlfriend, you just won a frickin' gold medal.The hype over Jordyn Weiber, making her loss in the all-arounds painful to watch.The hype over Lolo, who really is beautiful. So what if she is going the way of Anna Kournikova? Anna is hot, has a hunky man who loves her, and we ALL know her name. What's not to hype?The hype over Michael Phelps. 'Nuff said.NBC only giving fluff pieces to Ryan Seacrest. He may not have been in Iraq or Afghanistan or anything, but he has built a media empire all by himself. Who else gets the hosting job of the #1 radio show in LA, the #1 talent show on tv, the #1 New Years Eve program WITH the blessing of the creator, and then gets invited to the London Olympics on the Today Show dime? Give the man some credit. He deserved it.Showing microphones in athletes faces mere SECONDS after their crushing defeat in the only thing they have worked their whole lives for. Like, can I get a minute to have a donut or something? No sense keeping that competition-ready figure then, right? Ok, maybe not. But at least a minute to blast the smeared mascara off their faces.So, like I said, this is just my opinion. I know you have some loves and hates. As always, share them with me! And stay tuned....I like the Winter Olympics even less than these ones. All that snow and ice. It just looks painful when they fall on packed snow. Anyway, I digress.
Things I Loved:
The "grace under pressure" displayed by the little girls on our gymnastics team. Compared to the racking sobs the winning of a silver medal instead of a gold displayed by the Russians, it was precious.Oscar Pistorius and his big ol' double amputee heart.Oscar Pistorius's mother, who always made him do whatever his big brother did. Hey, Moms everywhere? That's how you raise a champion and a wonderful person: never let him use any handicap to say "I Can't"Kirani James. This beautiful man from Grenada won his gold with such unabashed pure joy, I was screaming for him, not the USA. Then, when I heard what he wrote on an autograph requested by a mother for her daughter, he entered and never left my heart. He wrote : Dear Sydney, your Mom is extraordinarily proud of you." I love him.Hope Solo, for telling the juicy truth about hookups in the Olympic Village between adrenaline-rushed, endorphin-producing athletes cooped together with like-minded souls. OF COURSE, they hooked up. Thanks to Hope for telling the truth.Ryan Lochte's mother, for giving away her son's secrets about one-night-stands, and making him EVEN THAT MUCH HOTTER, thank you very much.Kerry Walsh Jennings and Misty May Treaner. Not for winning the gold, which was awesome. Not for giving me some of the most thrills watching an event in the Olympics, over 5 times. No, I love them because they are so respectful of one another and such best, best friends. Also, I love their bodies and that they are such serious examples of how beautiful the human form can be.Prince William and Princess Kate, for every time they hugged, and cheered and for being the first Royals to do the wave. For just being two people I could totally have a drink with. And for putting their true love on display for the world to see, and making it look so easy. Fairy tales do happen. And for that matter......The Queen, for parachuting into the event and agreeing to a fun opening sequence with hunky Daniel Craig. And lastly, a brilliant opening and wacky, fun, brought-such-a-smile to my face closing ceremonies. I mean, The Spice Girls? Really? Yet it worked. My Mum, a Londoner, was loving every minute of it. Thank you, Mr. Boyle.Things I Hated:Frantically avoiding the internet and news briefs during the day, so as not to see results for events I had not seen yet.Staying up until 1230am for 2 1/2 weeks to see all events. I mean, I am seriously dragging. Still.Badminton players tanking games for better bracketing. Really, fake tennis players?Not seeing certain events of the Games, considered not worth airtime. Uncool, NBC.The media hype over Serena's victory dance. Celebrate any way you want, girlfriend, you just won a frickin' gold medal.The hype over Jordyn Weiber, making her loss in the all-arounds painful to watch.The hype over Lolo, who really is beautiful. So what if she is going the way of Anna Kournikova? Anna is hot, has a hunky man who loves her, and we ALL know her name. What's not to hype?The hype over Michael Phelps. 'Nuff said.NBC only giving fluff pieces to Ryan Seacrest. He may not have been in Iraq or Afghanistan or anything, but he has built a media empire all by himself. Who else gets the hosting job of the #1 radio show in LA, the #1 talent show on tv, the #1 New Years Eve program WITH the blessing of the creator, and then gets invited to the London Olympics on the Today Show dime? Give the man some credit. He deserved it.Showing microphones in athletes faces mere SECONDS after their crushing defeat in the only thing they have worked their whole lives for. Like, can I get a minute to have a donut or something? No sense keeping that competition-ready figure then, right? Ok, maybe not. But at least a minute to blast the smeared mascara off their faces.So, like I said, this is just my opinion. I know you have some loves and hates. As always, share them with me! And stay tuned....I like the Winter Olympics even less than these ones. All that snow and ice. It just looks painful when they fall on packed snow. Anyway, I digress.
