Cherie Colyer's Blog, page 57

Happy Book Birthday Streamline!

Streamline turns one-year-old this week! We're celebrating with a giveaway.


Synopsis:
Seems like Leo Scott has it all: looks, brains, and athletic talent. He's captain of his high school swim team with a bright future in college and beyond. But Leo has secrets. His mother's crippling car accident has devastated his family and left Leo to deal with his father's abuse, battered and alone.

Leo's girlfriend Audrey Rose is poised for her own share of success. As one of Florida's top high school swimmers, Audrey dreams of college swimming stardom. But there's an obstacle to her glorious rise to the top. Her number one supporter--her father--is in prison for murder.

Part murder mystery, part tale of young love in a military family, this gripping story takes readers on a journey from Pensacola to Annapolis. Leo and Audrey must band together to rise above the adversity they encounter and find their true selves in the process. When everything's on the line...streamline.

"What an emotional journey! I don't think I have ever cried over a character so much in my life."~Dani from Paulette's Papers
"The issues that are touched upon in the story: family, substance abuse, teen relationships, trust, honor...they are dealt with in an amazingly realistic, unglossed manner." ~Andrea from The Bookish Babe
"Overall, Streamline is a wonderfully, emotionally complex story about the ones we love, the ones we hurt, the mistakes that break the human heart, and the unconditional love that puts the pieces back together."  ~Dani from Refracted Light Reviews
Streamline at Amazon for $2.99
Streamline at Barnes & Noble for $2.99

Author Jennifer Lane is giving away one signed print copy of Streamline to a US winner and three ebooks to international winners. To enter, complete the Rafflecopter form.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How long is too long

How long should a chapter be? 
I always answer this question by saying it depends on the book. I still believe this to be true. Younger readers have shorter attention spans. I think short chapters work great for them, especially if the chapter ends with a cliff-hanger to makes the reader want to peek at the next page and possibly read just one more chapter. For young adult and adult novels, however, I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer. Several of James Patterson’s novels have chapters that are three to five pages. Each chapter is from a different character’s point-of-view. He stops the action early making me have to keep reading to find out what happens next. At the same time, I’ve read books where the chapters are longer—sixteen to twenty-plus pages—but the writing flows and the pacing is good so I don’t notice the number of pages per chapter because I’m enjoying the story too much to care.  
I started to think about chapter length when I was revising my newest work-in-progress and hit a chapter that was twenty-eight pages. I started to look at the rest of the chapters and most are between fourteen and eighteen pages. I then pulled books off my bookshelf and counted the number of pages in several chapters. Know what I discovered? Length varied widely by book. Some averaged four pages while others averaged twenty-four pages, backing my theory there is no right or wrong answer. I did divide my twenty-eight- page chapter into two, mostly because it was twice as long as the rest of the chapters in that book and I felt if anything I should keep them uniform.
Do you think about chapter length before you start to write a new novel? Does the length of your chapters depend on the book you’re working on? When you read, do you even notice how long the chapters are?

W*n a copy of Embrace

Hi!
I’m glad you stopped by, because I have exciting news! Mandy from I Read Indie  is giving away two copies of my young adult paranormal thriller/romance EMBRACE. 

Click here to enter
Hurry! This giveaway is over in 5 short days! 
Good luck!Cherie

Miscellaneous Musings

I feel as if my mind is a kaleidoscope of images and ideas this week. I think it’s because I have too many non-novel projects that I need to complete before I can focus on my stories. It’s been some time since this has happened to me, and I know I’ll get back on track as soon as I finish some of the side projects.

Due to the short turnaround to judged the short fiction entries for an upcoming conference, I shifted my focus and have been devoting ninety-five percent of what would normally be my writing time to reading the submissions. These stories were written by teens and have been amazing, so having to push away from my keyboard hasn't been torturous. Thanks to the writers for giving me so many wonderful stories to judge.

My keynote speech is coming along nicely. I do hope the conference attendees enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed putting it together.
On book news I received the schedule for book two of the Embraceseries. I now know when to expect my first round of edits. Cover discussion are in the works, and while I know it will be awhile before I see the designs, I can’t wait! Plus, I have a tentative release date. Since this is subject to change, I will only say that Hold Tight should be available by late summer.
I think that’s it for me this week. I’d love to hear from you. Let me know what you've been working on. How are you keeping busy this winter? Do you have cabin fever? I do!
Thanks for stopping by!


P.S.: In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, Omnific Publishing is offering their Irish author's debut novel for free. This is a limited time offer. Click here to learn more!

Also, follow the link below to Carol Oates' blog for a chance to win fun prizes!

March's IWSG

It’s the first Wednesday of the month, which means it’s time to talk about insecurities. Before I do that, I’d like to thank Alex Cavanaugh for hosting this wonderful meme. If you'd like to learn more about it, just click on his name.

This month's IWSG post snuck up on me. 
I’m currently in the calm before the storm when it comes to my writing.  I’m not a very patient person, but being an author demands patience. While I patiently (cough cough—anxiously) await the first round of edits for my sequel Hold Tight I’ve been keeping myself busy by working on a couple of new projects. I had gotten into a nice flow with one of them when I received a large white envelope that contained the short fiction entries for the SPC Conference I’m speaking at next month. The conference is for aspiring teen writers and I’ve read enough of the stories to know that these students are a very talented group. I’ve also drafted my Key Note speech for this same conference. Come to think of it, I suppose having a few weeks of calm isn’t all that bad. Still, I can’t wait to get started on the revisions for Hold Tight. And, truth be told, I’m dying to hear my editor’s thoughts. I’m hoping she likes the direction I took the story.  I’m also a little nervous that the revisions will be overwhelming. I’m glad I have other things to keep me busy, or I would probably drive myself crazy while I wait.
What do you do when you’re in wait-mode?

Writer Group Etiquette

You’ve written a novel, now what? For me the answer to that question was to learn more about the process of writing for teens and what it would take to develop my story into something others would want to read. To do this I joined a critique group.
By the time I wrote Embrace, I had the basic steps for writing a novel down. I had a beginning, middle and end. There was mystery, various plot threads each of which were important to the story, and my protagonist grew and changed during the course of the novel. But I’d been writing long enough to know the importance of sharing my work with my critique partners. I knew their comments would allow me to see my story in a new light.
I value the opinion of my critique partners. I learn as much from listening to their critique of my work as I do from participating in critiquing their pages. For any group to work there has to be a give and take.  
Below are a few tips to get the most from any critique.
Tips on giving critiques:Sandwich your comments   - Begin with positive thoughts.   - Offer constructive criticism in a helpful and respective manner.   - End with positive comments of encouragement.When offering suggestion, be specific.     - Provide examples.    - Ask what if.    - Would the character…Don’t rewrite the story to your personal taste.
Tips on receiving critiques:Listen and takes notes.Ask questions whenever you’re unclear as to what was said. Avoid being defensive. Remember your critique partners are critiquing your story, not you.

Prologues--to keep or to cut

I’ve had aspiring authors ask me how many pages a prologue should be. My answer is simple: zero.
The problem with prologues is they are often info dumps. The writer is using a prologue to explain the rules of his or her world or to provide back story. It’s a technique used by writers newer to the craft and, if done wrong, it will turn readers off instead of pulling them into the story.
The rule I recommend writers follow is this: If the information provided in a prologue is done in a way that gives readers insight into what’s to come AND draws them into the story then keep the prologue. If the information can be woven into the story as it unfolds, cut the prologue. Over ninety percent of books fall into the latter category.
If you’re still not sure if you need a prologue, write it. Then as you write the rest of the book watch for places where you can weave the details from the prologue into the story. Most of the time, this is possible.
There are times when a prologue works. For example, in Wicked Lovely, by Melissa Marr, we meet the winter king and learn how dangerous it is for a human to fall in love with him. The prologue is two pages and grabs the reader.
Gena Showalter includes a note from Alice in her novel, Alice in Zombieland. Her prologue is also two pages and gives the reader a hint of things to come.  
Another example of a book with a prologue that works is Fallen, by Lauren Kate. She starts with a prologue "In the Beginning" and through the eyes of one of the characters we are able to get a taste of his world and his pain. This prologue is longer, seven or eight pages, but it works because the information doesn’t read like back story or an info dump. It’s intriguing and gets readers to turn the page.
For those writers who insist a prologue is needed because the back story can’t be woven into the novel or that the reader will never understand the unique rules of the world without one, consider this--the subject of prologues often comes up at conferences. Editors and agents give the same response each time: cut the prologue. If you keep the guidelines above in mind while writing your novel, you will discover if you should keep the prologue or cut it. 

OMNIFIC VALENTINE'S DAY ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!

Omnific is giving away THREE KINDLES for THREE GREAT YEARS!


But before we get to that, Madison from my young adult romance/thriller EMBRACE would like to say a few words...
Hi guys! Madison Riley here. While Isaac and I haven’t shared a Valentine’s day, yet, I suspect ours would be spent at the lighthouse. It’s become the place we go to escape the world. I’d prefer a magical light show much like the one atChristmas to chocolate—once Hold Tight is out, you’ll understand why. Hope your someone specials sends a spark into your life!                                        Best, Madison

Kindle #1 will feature all of Omnific's 2010 titles! 
Passion Fish
Three Daves
Seers of Light
Boycotts & Barflies
A Valentine Anthology
The Unidentified Redhead
Stitches and Scars
Eve of Samhain
Life, Liberty, and Pursuit
With Good Behavior
Trust in Advertising
Take the Cake
Immortal Awakening
The Redhead Revealed
Whisper of Light
Shades of Atlantis
Breaking Point
Whirlwind



Kindle #2 will feature all of Omnific's 2011 titles!
Indivisible
Pleasures Untold
Bad Behavior
Pieces of Us
Becoming sage
Crushed Seraphim
The Way That You Play It
Big Guns
Concessions
It's Only Kinky the First Time
Starstruck
New Flame
Shackled
Swim Recruit
Sway
Full Speed Ahead
The Second Sunrise
The Summer Prince
Whatever it Takes
Ember
Cat O' Nine Tails
The Guardian's Wildchild
Small Town Girl
Poughkeepsie
Embrace

Kindle #3 will feature all of Omnific's 2012/2013 titles!
Destiny's Fire
Grave Refrain
Streamline
Burning Embers
Saving sunni
Cocktails and Dreams
The Winemaker's Dinner: No Reservations
The Winemaker's Dinner: RSVP
The Winemaker's Dinner: Appetizers
Recaptured Dreams
Clarity
Divinity
Glimpse of Light
Circle of Light
Iridescent
Between the Lies
Reaping Me Softly
Once Upon a Second Chance
Bittersweet Seraphim
Wallbanger
The Winemaker's Dinner: Entree
A Christmas Wish
Blood Vine

To enter fill out the Rafflecopter form below or visit Omnific Publishing Blog between February 14 -16, 2013.

In addition, Omnific Debut Collection is on sale between February 14-16 for only 99 cents each! Click here for a list of titles.




Good luck, and THANK YOU for your support of Omnific Publishing! Here's to many more years of smart, sexy, rule-breaking romance!

Feature: Alex Lidell, author of The Cadet of Tildor

With me today is Alex Lidell, author of The Cadet of Tildor, a young adult fantasy sure to please anyone who enjoys gritty, grimdark fantasy.


The Cadet of Tildorby: Alex Lidell
There is a new king on the throne of Tildor. Currents of political unrest sweep the country as two warring crime families seek power, angling to exploit the young Crown's inexperience. At the Academy of Tildor, the training ground for elite soldiers, Cadet Renee de Winter struggles to keep up with her male peers. But when her mentor, a notorious commander recalled from active duty to teach at the Academy, is kidnapped to fight in illegal gladiator games, Renee and her best friend Alec find themselves thrust into a world rife with crime, sorting through a maze of political intrigue, and struggling to resolve what they want, what is legal, and what is right.
Tamora Pierce meets George R. R. Martin in this smart, political, medieval fantasy-thriller.


Please help me welcome Alex Lidell.
Cherie: Tell us about your novel, The Cadet of Tildor, in your own words.

Alex: 16 year old Renee struggles to keep up with her male classmates at an elite military academy while dealing with her mentor's shadowy past and a friend's forbidden magic.

Cherie: Sounds intriguing! What was your favorite (or most difficult) chapter to write?

Alex: The Rock Lake conversation between Renee and Savoy.  The chapter was originally in Savoy's POV and changing it to Renee's took some work.  It's still one of my fav scenes though.  

Cherie: Can you share with us something about Korish that we don’t learn about her from reading the book?

Alex: This is a fun question!  Let's see...

When Savoy first came to the academy as a little boy, Seaborn (who is an awesome soccer player, btw) kicked a ball right into him.  On purpose.  

One of the things Savoy and Seaborn got in trouble for as little kids was ripping pages from a library book. 

Savoy enjoys drawing - he's actually very good

Cherie: I love finding these things out about characters. J What are you working on now?

Alex: CADET II :)

Cherie: Yay for a book two! Now that we know about your book and you as a writer, I have some fun questions for you. Try to answer in five words or less:

Favorite color?

Black

Who are you drawn to the good guy or the bad guy?

good guy

If you had all the money and time in the world, where would your dream vacation be?

Somewhere where I could pet all sorts of cool animals (tiger cubs!  Dolphins!  Elephants!) and ride really cool horses 

Favorite place to write?
Coffee shop 
Thanks, Alex, for stopping by my blog to chat! 
For more information about Alex and her books, stop by her Website or find her on Facebook






About the author:Alex is a YA fantasy author, a Tamora Pierce addict, a horse rider, and paramedic.  The latter two tend to hand in hand a bit more often than one would like. Alex started writing at 2 am.


Keep in touch with  Alex LidellWebsite | Facebook
The Cadet of Tildor Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Keeping a Positive Mind: an IWSG post

It’s the first Wednesday of the month, which means it’s time to talk about insecurities. Before I do that, I’d like to thank Alex Cavanaugh for hosting this wonderful meme. If you'd like to learn more about it, just click on his name.

I’ve decided that my motto this year is going to be you can’t live a positive life with a negative mind. This goes right along with the goal I set for myself in January to try to put a positive spin on my insecurities.  So far, it’s working.
January turned out to be a great month when it came to my writing. First, I’d like to share some good news. Omnific Publishing has picked up the sequel to my young adult paranormal romance/thriller Embrace. I’m very excited to be working with them on book two and can’t wait to receive my first round of edits. More updates coming on that.
I’m a keynote speaker at the SPC Literary Conference in April. Plus, I’ll be judging the short fiction category and hosting a breakout session on plot. I can’t wait to read their entries and to be a part of this event.
My newest young adult novel is now out on submissions, as is my middle grade ghost story. My agent and I are patiently (cough cough, anxiously) waiting to hear updates on both.
Plus I’ve made great strides on my current work-in-progress. I had finished the first draft to this one in December and set it aside for a month. Now, with fresh eyes and a clear mind, I’ve rewritten the first chapters and have gone through over 130-pages. My goal is to have it ready for a beta read by March. I’m sure I’ll be revising again, but with new focus.
As far as insecurities, they’re there, but I’m not letting them get the best of me. 

As a thank you to my Followers, I'm giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card in the Followers Love Giveaway Hop. There are lots of blogs participating, which means lots of chances to win. Click here or page down to my previous post to enter.
Hope you have a wonderful and productive February.