Terra Harmony's Blog, page 3

Forbidden Future Blog Tour

A time travel anthology including a short story from yours truly!  Bloggers – sign up for the tour now. Forbidden Future is now available for $3.99 on Amazon.
What becomes of mankind in the future? Is life better or worse?

Forbidden Future by James Wymore

When a time machine technician working the graveyard shift gets divorce papers from his wife, he decides it’s time to take the machine for a ride—no matter the consequences.

Jump by Jon Bradbury

Jesse Kendall thinks he’s seen it all. He’s about to see more.

Road Trip by Matt Mitrovich

Four friends drive to a college party and take an unexpected detour into the future.

Cacotopia by James Lauren

Kayne Adamson went into suspension to await a cure, but never imagined how long his sleep would last or the world he would awaken into. Is it really the utopia it first appears to be?

Society by Terra Harmony

Take a ride on the Energy of the Future where society gets a fresh, clean start—no matter who they have to leave behind.

The Mountains Haven’t by Kade Anderson

Something is very wrong in the downtrodden town of Dignity and only the town’s Watcher, Julia, can see what it is.

Between Utopias by Michael Trimmer

After being saved from a fatal heart attack by being transported to the future, David must choose from two opposite utopias.

‘The Rising’ Now Available

Finally available across all channels for purchase! ‘The Rising, Book One of the Painted Maidens Trilogy’ has been described as a wonderfully unique story. I guarantee this young adult series sets apart from any mermaid story you’ve read, or what you might come to expect.

The ebook is $4.99 on Amazon, Smashwords, B&N, and iTunes. For the rest of November, I’m willing to send out a free copy of ‘The Rising’ for anyone who agrees to post a review on either Amazon or Goodreads, or both. Send me an email at terra.harmony11@gmail.com or comment below. And don’t forget to add it to your Goodreads TBR List. I encourage you to take the plunge – you might just love what you discover down in the deep!

“It was a great ride. I devoured every page and loved the whole thing through.” by Ariel Avalon, Book Blogger

“This is a wonderfully unique story.” and “I recommend this if you enjoy mermaids or werewolves with some great action, mystery and a bit of romance.” by Darker Passions Book Blog

“The book is fast paced filled with action that keeps you on the edge of your seat till the very end, add in a little romance and mystery for the perfect balance. The author has written a beautiful story that sparks the imagination. I loved everything about the story and can’t wait for the next one to see what happens to both Serena and Liam as their stories unfold.” by The Reading Diaries Book Blog 

Amazon  |  Smashwords  |  B&N  |  iTunes  |  Goodreads

The Painted Maidens Blog Tour

TOUR TIME!!!

With the help of Patchwork Press, and a handful of amazing book review bloggers, we will kick off the Painted Maidens Blog Tour on October 21st. It will run all the way through November 9th with several reviews of the book, a character interview, an author interview, a dream cast reveal and a couple different guest posts by yours truly.

But the best news of the whole thing is that I will be giving away some awesome prizes; 5 lucky winners will receive a free e-copy of ‘The Rising’, one winner will receive a $10 Amazon gift card, and the grand prize is a brand new Kindle Paperwhite!

Once October 21st rolls around, you’ll want to enter as many times as you can, and there will be chances for you to enter daily.  Just be sure to check back here on or after that date, or better yet – follow me on Twitter or Facebook (over there on the right).  Good luck!

The Rising

Book One of the Painted Maidens Trilogy

Fifteen-year-old Serena is the youngest member of a dying race. The increasing acidity of the ocean is destroying her home, slowly eating away at the once thriving underwater landscape. But since the night of Serena’s birth, it is an outside force that most threatens their dwindling population. Werewolves, who once served as protectors for mermaids in the Kingdom of the Undine, now seek to eliminate all who dwell in the ocean—and Serena is about to find herself right in the middle of the deadly conflict.

Given the title of Werewolf Liaison, Serena is determined to make things right for her people. When she ventures to The Dry, she meets Liam, the werewolf with hazel eyes, and her whole world gets turned upside down.  As Serena discovers the real history between werewolves and mermaids, she is left wondering who her true enemies are.

Add to your Goodreads TBR list now!

Akasha Series Book Trailer

Some exciting stuff happening over the next month, and no – I’m not talking about Congress finally passing a budget.  I’m talking about ‘The Rising’, baby!  If you missed the cover reveal and blurb, click here. ARCs are now available via NetGalley (if you request a copy of the book and are denied, just email me and let me know – I’ll make sure you get a copy). The blog tour starts on Oct. 21 and goes through Nov. 9th, where I’ll be giving away several e-copies of ‘The Rising’, plus a grand prize of a Kindle Paperwhite. If you haven’t already, sign up to receive my blog posts via email (over on the right), so you don’t miss out on this contest.

Finally – something fun for The Akasha Series fans – a new book trailer!  See below and let me know what you think!  It was put together by Kellie Sheridan of Patchwork Press (thanks, Kellie!) and the vocals are by Emily Gittelman, the narrator that did the entire Akasha Series on audiobook!

Official Cover Reveal

I’ve kept this jewel under wraps long enough. You have no idea how much I wanted to just put it out there. Without further ado – the official cover to ‘The Rising, Book One of the Painted Maidens Trilogy’:

Fifteen-year-old Serena is the youngest member of a dying race. The increasing acidity of the ocean is destroying her home, slowly eating away at the once thriving underwater landscape. But since the night of Serena’s birth, it is an outside force that most threatens their dwindling population. Werewolves, who once served as protectors for mermaids in the Kingdom of the Undine, now seek to eliminate all who dwell in the ocean—and Serena is about to find herself right in the middle of the deadly conflict.

Given the title of Werewolf Liaison, Serena is determined to make things right for her people. When she ventures to The Dry, she meets Liam, the werewolf with hazel eyes, and her whole world gets turned upside down.  As Serena discovers the real history between werewolves and mermaids, she is left wondering who her true enemies are.

Add ‘The Rising’ to your Goodreads TBR list now.

 

My Cover’s Story

Beyond a good story, nothing is more important than the book’s cover (other than maybe the blurb, but that is a post for another time).  Creating the book cover is an exciting, gut-wrenching process for an author.  It is trying to convey the greatness of your masterpiece into one simple but striking visual image. And we usually don’t get it right the first time around. Case in point; the before and after pictures of my first novel, ‘Water, Book One of the Akasha Series’:

BEFORE

AFTER

The difference: the first cover is a product of my imagination. The second cover is a product of the artist’s imagination.

In creating the first cover, I just kept thinking of more stuff the cover should have and telling the artist to revise, revise, revise.  She did everything I asked her to do; her mistake.  After seeing the final product I sat back, looked at it, and thought, “What in the hell was I thinking?”  I paid the artist then hired another.  My decision was validated by a friend’s opinion, “It looks like a vagina.”

The second cover is a product of the artist’s imagination.  I gave her all the same instructions I gave the first artist, and she plain out said, “no.”

I tried again, giving her the simple instruction of, “Water.  Fantasy.  Go.”  And….voila.  A vagina-free masterpiece.  She came up with an attractive cover that pops against the black background.  The design was easily mimicked for all books in the series; Air, Fire and Earth, and even the boxed set. Branding at its best.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She even did my vampire anthology cover:

 

Love it!

Now that I am ready to publish a brand new series, I thought I knew enough about the business to take a crack at creating my own cover.  For ‘The Rising’, a mermaid, young adult fantasy trilogy, I came up with several versions:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I sent it around.  My husband and mom loved it. No shocker there – they are biased.  But a few problems were quickly pointed out by the lovely ladies of Patchwork Press (my new partners in crime).  In the first version, there isn’t a real ‘mermaid’ element, all of them look too similar to my New Adult series (branding across genres isn’t always the best idea), and they are not very typical of young adult covers – which may or may not be a good thing.

I searched the internet for images, and came across this one on Deviant Art (you’ve seen it in my previous blog posts):

Sadly, it has already been claimed as a book cover.

Grr! (If you are interested, click on the book cover image to purchase and read and let me know what you think!)

Finally, I went back to the same amazing cover artist that did the Akasha Series covers, Keary Taylor. Turns out, she basically lives where the story takes place, and she was super excited to do a mermaid cover.  I turned her loose on my mermaid pinterest page for inspiration, and I am so excited to do the final cover reveal.  It turned out great!  Here is a sneak peak:

Boo!  I know – you don’t get to see the whole thing yet! Stay tuned for a reveal in mid-September. Book Review Bloggers can sign up here to do a cover reveal on their own blog, plus sign up for the book tour and an ARC.  And be sure to add it to your Goodreads TBR list!

My Journey from Scrap Paper to Novel; Six Times Over

Several days ago, I clicked ‘save’ then closed the document on the first draft of my sixth novel. ‘The Rising; Book One of the Painted Maidens Trilogy’ is now with my awesome editing team, and an equally awesome bunch of beta readers.  I welcome the break as I wait for the feedback, but my fingers can’t stay idle for long – it is a curse and a blessing.  They itch to get back to the keyboard.

I’ve already started on the second book of the trilogy, but want to take some time to reflect on my writing journey, and how it came to be.  My first novel, ‘Water, Book One of the Akasha Series’, took nearly ten years to write.  It started in high school, when I would be stuck in class daydreaming. I daydreamed of a cute boy coming into the classroom to sweep me off my feet. I’d dream of an equally cute villain coming into the classroom to take us all hostage. I dreamed of fighting the snobby girl next to me. How would I react? What would I do?

I went through the same daydreams over and over in my head, changing minor details until the scene was perfect – then I’d go over it again. I couldn’t stop. Finally, in order to keep some level of sanity, I began writing them down. They were just scenes; not even complete short stories. It worked well in class, I looked like a very studious note-taker.

I graduated high school and tried my hand at college. It was…boring. So, I joined the Marine Corps. Boot camp wasn’t so boring. And neither was the first two years in the corps.  But things settled down, and the daydreams started as once again, I sat behind a desk, this time at work but in cammies and boots. I can’t sit still for long.

I got married, had a child, and went back to school to earn my bachelor’s degree. I also resumed writing.

 

After five years, I left the corps for a career in the translation business.  The job was good, but I still continued to write.  Eventually, I took all these little ‘scenes’, saved in a folder from my high school years, and melded them into a story. I typed them up, working on my lunch break at work, in the early morning, or in the evenings.

In September of 2011, more than ten years after I started, my first novel was finished. My second novel, ‘Air’, only took two months. Since then, it has been a whirlwind of writing, editing, and marketing. I have six books and seven short stories to my name, and I still have so much to learn and do. The ideas are still flowing – I’m not sure I will ever be done writing.

One thing I’ve learned from writing on scrap paper, literally on the back of my biology notes, and eventually turning them into an actual published novel – even if it takes ten years, never give up!

Keep pushing for your dreams. If you never quite get there; the journey itself will be worth it.

The Rising

Digital art by Renu Sharma

There will be some very exciting posts to come out in the next few weeks; all centered around my next series.  I’ll have a cover reveal soon, and maybe even a book trailer.  For now, I’ll have to tease you with the title and blurb:

The Rising

Book One of the Painted Maidens Trilogy

             Sixteen-year-old Serena is the youngest member of a dying race. Increasing acidity in the ocean is destroying their environment, but there are other threats to her species. During the full moon, when the mermaids of the Undine Kingdom surface onto The Dry to breed, werewolves chase them off. The key to the survival of the Undine race lies with Serena, who has just been given the title of Werewolf Liaison. Serena believes it may be a punishment for her secret excursions to The Dry, but then the king himself brings her to trial for meddling, and  for risking the exposure of her entire species. The penalty, should she be found guilty, is death. If the changing environment or the pack of werewolves doesn’t kill her, her own king certainly will.

Sound enticing?  Add it to your Goodreads TBR pile now!

It seems not too long ago I was just beginning the writing process on this book (May 8 to be exact – I went through my old posts), and now the novel is becoming a reality.  The book is with my editor now.  Then it goes out to beta readers.  Barring any major setbacks, the tentative release date is September 19th, 2013.  If you missed previous posts, click here for the first chapter and here for world-building with mermaids.

Stay tuned for the cover reveal – you aren’t going to want to miss this one!

Terra Harmony Joins Patchwork Press

A couple big things happening to The Akasha Series. First, the second e-book ‘Air’ will run at a promotional rate of $0.99 for the next four days (as you know, ‘Water, Book One‘, is always free across all platforms.). Be sure to get ‘Air’ at Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, or iTunes and start getting caught up with the series!

Second, I’ve joined forces with Patchwork Press, a joint American-Canadian publishing venture founded by Kellie Sheridan and Erica Crouch.

Patchwork Press is not a traditional publisher. All authors keep 100% of their rights and royalties, but by joining forces with other skilled independent authors, each book we publish as a team becomes stronger.

I’ve taken the plunge and hope to start building PWP’s First Readers Program, as well as getting my titles up on NetGalley (‘Water’ is there already, for those of you who use it).

Finally, to kick off what I think will be a long-lasting, cohesive relationship, I’m having a giveaway!  Woo-hoo!  Here is what you can win:

1 Grand Prize: A $25 Amazon gift card.

12 Runners-Up: An e-book of one of four Patchwork Press Titles; The Akasha Saga (the complete series to include bonus content), Mortality, Ignite, or Follow the White Rabbit.

 

Here is how you can enter:

Follow the links below to like and follow for extra entries (all extra entries will be verified). Then, fill out the form at the bottom.

For one extra entry each, like us on Facebook:

Like Patchwork Press on Facebook

Like Terra Harmony on Facebook

For one extra entry each, follow us on Twitter:

Follow Patchwork Press on Twitter

Follow Terra Harmony on Twitter

For three extra entries each, follow us by email:

- Go to Patchwork-Press.com, and scroll down the page.  At the bottom right-hand corner, sign up to receive the Patchwork Press Newsletter via e-mail.

- On the right hand side of this page, follow Terra Harmony by e-mail.

Now complete the form below and good luck!
[contact-form]

Contest Rules:

This giveaway is open internationally. Giveaway is open until 11:59 PM EST on July 14th, 2013. Must be 13 or older to enter. Winners are selected at random and will be emailed. Winners will have three days to respond, or new winners will be selected.

‘Water’ Now Available as an Audiobook

Very exciting news!  ‘Water, Book One of the Akasha Series’ is now available as an audio book via Amazon, Audible, and iTunes!  The rest of the series is already in production.  You can purchase or listen to a sample of ‘Water’ right here.

I want to send a special thanks to my narrator, Emily Gittelman, who was patient enough with a newbie to get me through the process, then take on three more books!  I am so impressed, I decided I had to share her with you all! Below is Emily’s interview – and seriously, let me know what you think about the audio book!

Terra:  Thanks so much for doing the interview with me!  I know you are busy – speaking of, what keeps you busy these days?

Emily: Audiobooks keep me very busy. I started out doing it part time last year, but it’s become my full time job. I’m also an actress, so I sometimes have auditions to go to and projects I’m working on.

T: Which job(s) do you enjoy doing best and why?

E: I’m lucky that I love all my jobs. I can’t think of anything better than making a living doing what I love: acting and narrating audiobooks.

T: As if being a narrator/actress/author doesn’t keep you busy enough, what do you do in your spare time?

E: I’m an avid reader, which is what drew me to audiobooks in the first place. I like to be informed, so I read four newspapers every day. I love to travel, though I haven’t been able to recently. I spent most of 2010 traveling in Europe. I lived in London and Prague each for four months and went on weekend trips to other countries for a total of 23 countries in Europe. I kind of miss it, but traveling that much is exhausting. I also spend time with my wonderful boyfriend, who lives with me in Los Angeles. And I occasionally LARP on weekends (I’m a bit of a nerd).

T: You are finished with narrating ‘Water, Book One of the Akasha Series’ and are gearing up for the rest. Maybe you can tell us a little about why doing audio books, even for Indie authors, is a good idea?

E: Well, I love listening to audiobooks myself. There’s something about having a book read to you that just makes it come alive (with the right narrator). For me, narrating audiobooks is just acting with my voice. I love scenes that are really emotional or dramatic because it allows me to really get into the moment and express the emotions the characters are experiencing with my voice.

T: Any advice to give authors when they are ready to do an audio book – or even what to keep in mind as they are writing their novels?

E: Make sure you find a narrator who brings your imagination to life. This is especially important with a first person narrative, where the narrator’s voice is the character’s voice. Also, if you can, try to put together a budget for your project. Most of the more professional narrators won’t do a royalty share unless the book is selling really well. For the sake of quality, it’s worth raising the money to pay for a decent narrator.

T: Now the fun stuff – tea or coffee, Coke or Pepsi?

E: Er… None of the above. I don’t drink caffeine or soda… sorry!

T: You live in New York (right?)? What is life in the Big Apple like, especially for your line of work?  Give us all the glamour and the down and dirty!

E: I grew up in NY, but I moved out to Los Angeles about a year and a half ago. I very much enjoyed living in NY. It has a certain energy to it that you can’t find anywhere else. And I loved being able to walk almost everywhere. The thing I miss most about NY is public transportation. Traffic in LA is awful.

T: Favorite TV shows/movies/plays?

E: I’m not a big favorites person. I don’t usually have one thing that sticks out above all others. HOWEVER, I do have a favorite TV show: Six Feet Under. It was on HBO from 2001 to 2005 and in my opinion, it’s the best show that has ever been on television. It’s heartfelt and profound, full of substance, while still having moments that make you laugh, and some that make you cry. It asks really important questions that leave you thinking for days afterward.  I wish there were more shows like it! (HBO didn’t pay me for that. Promise. Though they’re welcome to if they see this.)

T: Do you have any funny stories about narrating? Or even in some of your other jobs?

E: … Not that I can think of? Sorry. That’s so boring.

T: Finally, tell us more about your books!

E: Well, this question has two answers depending on what you’re asking.

I’ve narrated dozens of audiobooks. Mostly teen or young adult fiction. I’ve done a lot of books with author Morgan Rice, including books three through eight of The Vampire Journals series, books one and two of The Survival Trilogy, and books one and two of The Vampire Legacy series (which will be released soon!). The other books I’ve done have been mostly fantasy or romance (or a combination). Lots of vampires.

While I was in college, I co-authored a few books with my dad, Steven H. Gittelman. Literally since the month I was born (August 1989), my dad has been volunteering at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport, NY. Because of this, I volunteered there from the age of eight until I moved to Los Angeles at twenty-two. Our life-long association with the museum inspired us to write several books about the Vanderbilts. The first two books my dad wrote on his own and I’m credited as chief editor. Those books were Willie K. Vanderbilt II: A Biography and J.P. Morgan and the Transportation Kings: The Titanic and Other Disasters. The former is a biography of the Vanderbilt who owned the mansion at which we volunteered. The latter details a conspiracy between J.P. Morgan, the Vanderbilts, and other tycoons to dominate global shipping and transportation circa the turn of the twentieth century. After, that, we wrote two books together. The first was Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt: The Unlikely Hero of the Lusitania. Alfred was Willie K.’s cousin, and his story is one of lust, power, and tragedy. He was basically a playboy who, at the age of 22, inherited a huge amount of money. For sixteen years he behaved like any playboy would, resulting in the tragic suicides of at least three women. Then, he gets on the Lusitania and spends the last eighteen minutes of his life saving women and children. It’s such a great story, I’m currently working on a screenplay version that I’m hoping to get produced. The publisher keeps pushing back the release date, but right now it’s set for June 24th. The other book we wrote together was a historical novel inspired by Willie K. Vanderbilt II’s second circumnavigation of the globe in 1933. That one is being privately published by the museum, and will hopefully come out soon.

The works I’ve authored, edited, and narrated, can all be found by searching my name on amazon.

About Emily:

Emily Gittelman grew up in New York and received her BFA in drama from New York University in 2011. Shortly after graduation, she moved out to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting under the name Emily Lawrence. More information about her acting career can be found on her website at www.emilylawrence.com. In the last year, Emily has narrated dozens of audiobooks, which can be found on audible and amazon. In addition to this, she’s also a published writer and editor of mostly non-fictional works. She writes creatively in her own time, but hasn’t worked up the nerve to publish any of it yet. Maybe one day!