Terra Harmony's Blog, page 4

World-Building with Mermaids

Yesterday, I hit the 30,000 word mark with my first mermaid book. WOO-HOO!!! The average length of my books is 80,000, though I shoot for 90,000 words to allow for cuts during the editing process.  This means I am about 1/3 of the way there.  WOO-HOO!!!

My goal is to finish writing by the end of July. Then it goes out to my editors and beta-readers (speaking of, my list of beta-readers is growing, but if you are interested, see my post here). Final release date (crossing fingers until they turn white) is September 2013.

So, at the 30,000 mark, I’m done setting up most of my undersea world, introduced in bits and pieces throughout so it doesn’t come off as one big info-dump. I have to admit, this is the slowest I’ve ever written a book because I have to stop every few sentences to research something. Seriously – by the time I’m done with the series, I might just have to apply my research toward a Marine Biologist degree! I’ve even emailed a professor at Stanford specializing in ocean acidification with questions Google can’t answer, and I get a quick response! Note to self: include him in my acknowledgments.

World building is a difficult thing, and so you may ask, what does my mermaid world like? Below are some answers (just some – can’t give away all my hard work, yet), followed by a short excerpt.  Let me know what you think!

Want to see some more awesome mermaid pics? Check out my Pinterest page: http://pinterest.com/terraharmony/mermaids/ and be sure to follow it!

What do mermaids call themselves, their kingdom, humans, the earth above, etc.? In my story, they call themselves ‘undine’ which means ‘water fairy’. Humans are ‘ungainly’ (meaning clumsy or awkward), and the human world above seas is called ‘The Dry’ (this one seems a little cheesy, so I may change it – feel free to offer ideas). The undine community is ‘Society’.

How is the ruling party structured? There is a king advised by his second-in-command and his council. The council is selected by the king himself and consists of the most powerful members of Society (head of the guard, head caste or ‘school’ master, etc.). All male undine join the king’s guard, simply because there are so few males left. There are about a dozen of them compared to maybe 300 females.

What is their schooling like? All undine attend school until they are 16 years of age. Each year is a different ‘caste’ (thus, caste master (school teacher), caste mates, etc.) At graduation, they enter The Choosing. They select three potential jobs they would like to spend the rest of their life doing, then during a ceremony are told what they are given. Most (and that is the key word – MOST) are given one of their three choices.

What do they eat? I just got done writing this part, and learned some very interesting facts myself! I found a very interesting article to help. Basically, the sea is an especially potent source of minerals. Whereas terrestrial vegetables are limited to what they can obtain from the soil, sea vegetables spend their entire lives luxuriating in the world’s largest, oldest, most complete mineral bath. They soak it up and are among the richest sources of iodine, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, manganese, and all other (56 of ‘em in total) minerals essential to the human body.

Basically, undine eat the dozens upon dozens of edible seaweed, plus fish and crustaceans. Our main character is a vegetarian, though.

Where do they live? The setting is in the waters of British Columbia, the northern pacific ocean. Browning Pass, to be specific, between the mainland and Vancouver Island. The undine live in underwater caverns, some which become flooded during high tide, and empty during low tide. For the most part, undine are protected from curious humans by dangerously quick currents running through the pass.

How do they have sex and give birth? Like fish or mammals? (I promise, this is a YA book – but this question is always on the tip of my tongue when I think about mermaids.) The undine in my series transform into their human forms to mate and give birth. Although they can transform at will (and it is painful for them), they only consummate and give birth during the full moon.

Where do the werewolves come in? Here is the exciting part! A while back, werewolves were actually created by undine to protect them on land while they mate and give birth – which is why werewolves only change during the full moon.

What is the conflict? Werewolves viewed their status almost as ‘slaves’ to the undine, so they revolted. It was a one-night blood bath, during the full moon, when several undine were giving birth, including the queen herself. The queen, the newborn prince, and several others were killed. In fact, the only one to come out alive was our main character, Serena. She grew up as an orphan, and because of the werewolf uprising, is one of the last undine to be born. The species as a whole is on the decline because of 1) ocean acidification and 2) they are unable to procreate.

 

So there is the start of my world! It isn’t everything, and though I may reveal more later, you’ll just have to read the book to get all of it. Below is a short excerpt, you can read the first chapter here (after the call for beta readers).

 

When Serena reaches the surface, bobbing between Vancouver Island and the mainland, the sun is already sinking into the ocean. Already, she can spot the outline of the moon behind her. It is waning, and though it may look the part of a full moon there will be no werewolves tonight.

Normally, she can swim in the shadows cast by seagulls skimming the waves for their dinner, moving in closer to shore undetected. This evening the skies are as deserted as is the thin strip of beach. A light rain begins to fall and thunder cracks in the distance.

Serena disappears below the water, resurfacing down the stream. Her eyes scan the shoreline for signs of life; ungainly or otherwise. Werewolves aren’t the only animal to inhabit these forests. Grizzly bears, coyotes, and the most concentrated population of cougars in North America all patrol the borders where Serena’s world ends.

She appears further up the coast. The rain is falling harder now, and lightning flashes in the distance as though the sky goddess herself is giving her the all clear.

One powerful push and Serena is caught up in the breakers. She swims just below the whitecaps, a mirror image of a surfer gliding on a wave. One of her fins slice up, catching a taste of briny air.

All too soon, the earth below angles up to meet the sky above, and the ocean disappears in a squeeze between them. Serena’s smile grows wider, as it always does when she flirts with the edge of the world.

She somersaults with the dying wave, fins brushing sand, air, sand, air. On the next flip, a cold wind scrapes against the bottom of her feet, freshly formed, still raw from scales retracting in. Tucking her legs for one more roll, she straightens them to stand. She sinks into wet sand as the remnants of a once powerful wave lick at her ankles; a desperate attempt to call her back into its clutches.

Serena moves forward, toward the moon. It is another force, almost as powerful as the ocean, calling to the undine maiden.

Beta Readers Apply Here

Just kidding, there is no application.  But I do need beta readers! I’m almost 1/3 of the way into the first book of my next series, and I’m looking for volunteers to read an advanced copy (e-book only). I’d love to have a group of readers to provide comments on grammar, spelling, format and accuracy of text, and another group to provide comments on actual content, dialogue, plot, etc.  My plan is to have it ready for you in August or September; but there will be a working deadline of about 3 weeks.  If you are interested, please send me an e-mail at terra.harmony11@gmail.com, and I’ll put you on the list.  When the manuscript is ready, I’ll send out e-mails double checking your availability.  Unfortunately, there won’t be any monetary compensation, but I’ll of course send you a final e-book in the format of your choice, and if you run a blog I can sponsor an e-book giveaway.

The series is a young adult eco-fantasy.  Here is the first chapter, just to give you a taste (posted before, but have since made a few changes):

Chapter 1

Serena turns the corner of the thin, rocky path. Her shoes slide along the pebbles, almost sending her head first into the trees. “Damn things!”

She looks behind her. There is time; the beast isn’t yet in her sight. She slows down enough to slip off the shoes. The beast takes the corner too fast as well. When Serena hears the skidding, she turns and throws one of her shoes. A miss. The beast scrambles to get his legs under him and lunges for her. She throws the other shoe, nailing him in the nose. Serena laughs out loud, then resumes her steady running pace.

“I thought werewolves were faster than this!” she yells over her shoulder.

She doesn’t know if he can understand speech in his animal form, but he is angry. His growls tell her so. Her legs brush past the sharp, thick shrubbery outlining the path. Shallow cuts crisscross over her otherwise smooth, white skin.

Next to come off is her shirt. She throws it behind her, only stopping to watch the beast tear madly at his own face, where the shirt lands. unclasps the button on her skirt, but has to throw it backwards over her head as she runs. The beast is on the move again. He dodges the clothing, finally learning what to expect.

Serena breaks through the tree line at her fastest pace yet, feet sinking into soft sand and slowing her down. The wolf is close; she can smell his foul breath. The thing snaps at her, almost reaching the tresses of her black, curly hair. Werewolf spit flings forward onto her shoulder. “Gross!”

The beast is faster on the sand. Serena does not expect that. The greedy thing doesn’t even wait until he has a sure kill. He swipes at her when the long reach of his paw is close enough. The gash causes Serena to falter, and she stumbles in the sand. Trying to avoid the yellow razor-like gnashing teeth, Serena rolls. The beast rolls with her, unwilling to let go of his prey. In the split second he is on top, Serena pushes up and out with her powerful legs. The werewolf yelps as he spins, head over tail, into the water.

Rough waves topple over the beast as he struggles to get on his feet. The ocean pushes and pulls, becoming stronger and stronger, as if it is working against the werewolf. Serena laughs again, delighted to see the mighty creature out of his element, and into hers. He drags himself out of the water, weighed down by his thick, matted fur and gasping for breath. Serena passes him, keeping a wary eye out. Welcoming waves reach out to her, drawing her into their frothy grip.

Once he is ankle deep, the werewolf shakes his fur, ridding himself of the salty sea water. He looks out into the ocean, and spots his prey bobbing up and down with the waves, well beyond his reach. He turns his head toward the full moon and howls.

It is an ear-piercing noise that makes Serena cringe. She flicks her freshly formed fins, spraying water onto the hound. His howl ends with a sharp yelp.

Serena turns, flinging her body up then down again, diving into the cold, dark water.

* * *

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!

My Trip to Red Rocks, Final Battle in The Akasha Series

Kaitlyn’s adventure has ended. But mine is just beginning! I would love to visit each of the places in The Akasha Series (see my post here to read more about them), and I am going to start at the end.  Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado is the location of the final battle in ‘Earth’. I was fortunate to go there this weekend with my sister.  Fair warning – this post contains crap loads of pictures; hope it loads okay for you!

A young group of runners (pre-teen girls) going all the way to the top. Look at them go!

The stage at Red Rocks, right where Kaitlyn lands.

 

View from the bottom. This is what Kaitlyn sees when she lands. Except for at night – and filled with scary, menacing members of One Less – not exercisers and tourists. I left my bottle of water all the way down here, not realizing until I was huffing and puffing at the top. For the record, I did not go back for it.

 

One of each of the cliffs on the sides, Creation Rock and Ship Rock.

One of each of the cliffs on the sides, Creation Rock and Ship Rock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me and my sister, Krista, the inspiration for the main character in my next series!

 

Me with a print copy of ‘Earth’! I accidentally dropped it, so it is technically the only print version to have touched the Red Rocks themselves. I gave it to my dad (sorry about the bent pages, dad).

 

Some of the trees Kaitlyn uses as cover along the sides.

 

Did I mention how many people were there exercising? It made me feel…inadequate. I solaced myself in the fact that I was about to attempt the BoulderBoulder 10k run (well…run/walk…okay mostly walk).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More freakin’ exercisers.

 

There is Downtown Denver!

The bar at the pavilion at the top where Shawn keeps Micah.

 

Hey Look – one of my favorite bands played there in 2012! Avett Brothers – wish I was there!

 

And there is my other favorite band – Mumford and Sons!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love ya, Sis!

 

 

 

 

 

Ocean Passion

After publishing, ‘Earth’, the final book in The Akasha Series, I’ve had some great success with sales! Though I promised myself a short break, the sales are motivating me to begin my next series.  MERMAIDS AND WEREWOLVES Y’ALL!!!  I’m already several chapters in, and hope to have the first book published in/around September this year.  Until then, it will be my job to get you all excited about what goes on in the deep.  More importantly, I want you passionate about the health of our planet’s oceans. I’ve done a lot of research, and so far this video best portrays the dire situation. It is a documentary narrated by Sigourney Weaver, originally aired on Discovery Planet Green. Please take the time to watch this video (it’s 20 minutes – if you don’t have time now, bookmark it to watch later):

On a lighter note, if you aren’t already an email follower of my blog – sign up now!  Over the next few months, I’ll be posting snippets of my new series as I write it.  I have to know what you guys think!

Earth Day

Today is the day! ‘Earth, Book Four of The Akasha Series’ is available for purchase on iTunes, Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords. $4.99 will get you through the exciting conclusion to the series. Join the already over 200 people who have added ‘Earth’ to their TBR list on Goodreads, now.  Plus, Goodreads already has 4 reviews and 5 ratings – I’d love if you could add yours! Did you know each book is available in print, too? You can find Water, Air, Fire, and Earth on Amazon (just make sure you are purchasing the print version, not the Kindle version).

 

I am also currently in the middle of creating audio books for the entire Akasha series. The ‘Water’ audio version should be out sometime late May, with the rest to follow. Check out the very talented narrator I chose for the series, Emily Lawrence.  I chose her out of 15+ auditions for her great voice, her knowledge about the business, and her reliability and professionalism. Plus – she is an author, herself. What a great match!

 

Also, by the beginning of May, I will release ‘Akasha, The Complete Saga’. This is a boxed set of all four books (available in electronic formats only), for $9.99. The boxed set will include never before published bonus content; short stories for each of the main characters (including one for Bee – twenty years into the future). I certainly understand that many of you will have already purchased the entire series, and don’t want to spend ten bucks for a few short stories. You can still get them – without spending the money! All you have to do is send me a link to a review of each of the four books (preferably on Amazon or Goodreads), and I will send you the bonus content (just the bonus content – not the boxed set) – for free! Please remember, they have to be a review (one or two sentences is fine), not just a rating.

 

So – on to the important stuff. How are you celebrating Earth Day? This weekend, we kept our celebration small and planted an herb garden on our outdoor deck area. Thyme, dill, parsley, sage, mint, basil, and some lavender thrown in for scent. Herb gardens are great; they cut down on pollutants, save you money, and green your area. They can be done inside or outside, whether you live in a house or apartment. And trust me – those summer mojitos with fresh mint are totally worth it! We have about ten of these planters, and can’t wait to start cooking with fresh herbs!

Not sure what to do for Earth Day? Go to www.google.com, check out their interactive, animated doodle – then search for evens in your area!

Cover Reveal and a Surprise for My Followers

Two surprises, really.  One of which is a cover reveal:

This is the cover for the ‘boxed set’ of all four books in The Akasha Series, which will be available for $9.99 shortly after ‘Earth’ is released on April 22nd.  The boxed set will only be available as an e-book, but will include bonus content – short stories for each of the main characters.

Once again, a big shout-out to my cover designer, Keary Taylor for doing such a great job with this series!

Now for the second surprise.  From now until April 22nd, anyone who e-mails me at: terra.harmony11@gmail.com, will receive a free advanced e-copy of ‘Earth, Book 4 of the Akasha Series’ as a .pdf, .mobi, or .epub.  The hook – you must be a follower of my blog.  Sign up via e-mail over there on the right, then e-mail me.  If you don’t hear back within 24 hours, leave a comment here to remind me (your e-mail may end up in junk mail and I don’t want to miss anyone).

Why? Because I love you!  Seriously, I love you, man. Also, I am hoping to get a few reviews up before the release date.  If you do receive an e-copy, please, please, please leave a review on Goodreads, Smashwords, B&N, iTunes, or Amazon.  Or better yet, all of the above, if you can. Ok – I’m staring at my inbox now, just waiting for your emails!

New Adult Blogger Interview

Time for another interview with another great book blogger.  I met Navaeh through the New Adult Book Club on Goodreads.  Then…I met her in person. Crazy, right? But yes, in this virtual world of blogs and electronic books and uploads and downloads – we sat down and had coffee and talked face to face.

Neveah runs a New Adult Book Blog, be sure to check it out! Her book reviews are packed with wonderful extras; a sense of humor, songs that remind her of the book, pictures, short samples of text – I love perusing her blog!

Anyway – on with the interview:

Terra: First thing is first – how did you get into book blogging?

Neveah: I read a ridiculous amount of books and found that I needed an outlet to express my feelings about those books, as well as keep track of who’s who and what happened in which book. I also love to discuss books I’ve read and have few friends who enjoy the same type of books I do…now I have tons! Also, I wanted to get into the daily habit of writing so that I might actually get something published someday myself. I have found that it is a double-edge sword though; I am writing every day now, but mostly reviews and find little time for writing anything else. Hopefully, I’ll learn to balance my time better soon.

T: Tell me more about Nevaeh’s New Adult Book Blog.

N: The blog was borne out of my resolutions for the new year, and is one of the few that has made it all the way until March ;o). I realized that most of what I have been reading could be considered “new adult” (NA), and after reading about the rising popularity of books in this genre, I decided to focus my blog reviews here. Not that I don’t read some YA and adult literature, but unless it crosses over and can also be considered NA, I don’t review it on the blog. There are plenty of YA blogs out there, and far fewer NA blogs. Most of what I review is contemporary romance, but I love to throw in a little dystopian, paranormal, and fantasy just to keep it real ;o).

T: White wine or red?

N: Red, definitely. After living in Argentina, I grew to love Malbecs but love a good Cabernet as well.

T: OMG – Malbecs are my favorite!  I think it’s because they remind me of meat, and I am a total carnivore.

N: And that is really funny because I a vegetarian. A native Texan who lived in Argentina, both locales known for their beef, and I decide to go veggie. Go figure.

T: What is your favorite part of the ‘job’?

N: I have really enjoyed “meeting” authors, reading their work (many of which are debut novels), and sharing their work with others, who might not have seen or heard of their books otherwise. It feels good to be a part of getting the word out about those who are deserving of a chance to have their stories be heard.

T: What is your not-so-favorite part?

N: Technology. I am admittedly not tech-savvy and have no desire to be, but obviously that is part of the blogging “business”. I love reading and writing, but it’s definitely a challenge to make myself learn how to actually build a better blog.

T: I think the term is tech-tard. At least, that is how I refer to myself. It’s like we have to be multi-talented when we barely have time to use one talent. How many hours would you say you spend on reading? How many hours on reviews and your blog?

N: Way too many but also not near enough ;o). Between reading and writing the reviews, I probably spend at least five hours a day (most of which is spent reading). I’m a night owl and operate on very little sleep, and have horrendous self-control when it comes to putting down a good book.

T: Tell me about the New Adult Genre.

N: Although some argue it isn’t a genre, and maybe it isn’t yet, I do feel it should be. To me, there is an obvious distinction between NA and YA books. New adult literature tends to have more explicit sex, significantly more swearing (and use of “harsher” swear words), and often deals with extremely mature issues (ie. sexual and/or physical abuse, suicide, illegal drug use and abuse). Characters tend to be in the age range between 18-25, though sometimes one of the main characters is older or younger. In the libraries, these books are often mixed in with YA books (since there isn’t currently a New Adult section), and I hate the thought of 12 and 13 year-olds coming across them, when they really aren’t geared toward them. Fortunately, many authors of new adult books have been responsibly putting a warning at the beginning of their books, warning that the content is more suitable for ages 17+. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that younger kids aren’t picking them up and reading them anyways.

T: I have to say, I wasn’t aware of the NA genre when my books first came out (not sure if it was around then), but I’ve grown to love it. I feel like it’s what I’ve been looking for all along! What kind of book is worthy of five wine bottles?

N: One that I never want to end. One that tugs on my heart strings, makes me laugh and maybe even shed a tear or two. One where I prefer their reality over my own, even if mine is easier. One where I say to myself, “Damn, I wish I would have written that book!”

T: Perfect answer – I agree! Who are some of your all-time favorite authors and series? What about your favorite movies?

N: In the New Adult genre, I love anything written by Colleen Hoover (Hopeless, Slammed, Point of Retreat…all incredibly written). Rebecca Donovan’s “Breathing” series (Reason to Breathe, Barely Breathing, and the yet-to-be-released Out of Breath) is ultra-intense; definitely “five-wine bottle” books. Jennifer Armentrout (also writing under the name J. Lynn) is very good, as well as Jessica Sorenson, Jamie McGuire, Abbi Glines, and Tammara Webber.

There have also been some fantastic YA series (some that border on NA). For example, The Mortal Instrument series by Cassandra Clare, Divergent series by Veronica Roth, the now world-famous Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and of course, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling.

Let’s see…movies. That one is trickier because I’d pick a good book over a movie any day (and most often I do). Really anything with a good love story and a happily-ever-after ending. I guess if I had to pick a favorite I would choose Pride and Prejudice (the Keira Knightley version)….love that Mr. Darcy!

T: What is next for you?

N: I am hoping to concentrate more time on bettering the blog, both in appearance and content. I have focused almost solely on review writing and would like to do more interactive posts, with giveaways, interviews, etc. Outside of the blog, I’m also hoping to write something other than reviews and be published (self or otherwise) by the end of this year; that’s the goal anyway. I’ve been working on a book in the new adult genre and another novelette is begging to see the light of day.

 

Thanks, Navaeh for your time – it was wonderful meeting you in person and I look forward to many more of your blog posts!

Be sure to check out Navaeh’s blog!

Amazon to Buy Goodreads

I woke up to this news this morning. (Official press release here.) And I have to say – I’m shocked…and worried. Kudos to Amazon, though. It makes me wonder if their competitors are all:

I know I am, a little bit. The problem is, Amazon tends to roll out incentives to those who publish exclusively to them, and punish those who don’t (KDP program and certain royalty rates). It makes me wonder if I, as a self-published author, will not be able to reap all the benefits  Goodreads has to offer because I am not exclusive to Amazon. In fact, I would be hard-pressed to even think about it, considering the majority of my sales now come from iBooks.

On the plus side, I think Amazon can help bring Goodreads into the digital world. So far, Goodreads hasn’t really been integrated into e-readers, and I am sorely disappointed in their smartphone app.  Heck – Goodreads doesn’t allow ebooks in their giveaway section. It is print books only.

Until now, Goodreads has been a wonderful ‘crowd-sourcing’, review generating outlet. I hope it doesn’t lean too far toward its for-profit owner, but how could it not?

If Shelfari (Amazon’s other review site) is any indication of what’s to come, we can say goodbye to Goodreads and hello to whatever new book review platform Google or Apple might roll out. Maybe – just maybe, Amazon competitors are cheering…

What do you think?

Earth Hour 2013

This Saturday, on March 23rd at 8:30 pm local time – turn out your lights! Earth Hour is a global movement uniting people to protect the planet. Towards the end of March every year, Earth Hour brings together communities from across the world celebrating a commitment to the planet by switching off lights for one designated hour.

The symbolism of the hour is incredibly important in bringing people and communities together across the globe. Earth Hour has also launched ‘I Will If You Will‘, a platform to inspire individuals to share their commitment to the planet with their friends, colleagues, leaders and networks. Watch this short, 3 minute video about both initiatives:

Kids are Stupid

Introducing another one of my blogs; Kids are Stupid

I’ve had this blog for a while – it is really just an outlet for my personal life, mostly so I don’t bombard you with that stuff here.  If you are interested, here are some of the better posts:

Disney is Stupid

Daddy’s Special Tool

Fair warning, this blog has nothing to do with The Akasha Series (or vampires or mermaids, for that matter), and there will be pictures of my kids plastered all over it.  Enjoy!