Meradeth Houston's Blog, page 45

Announcements, awards, and other fun things

Hi everyone!! It's a holiday week (at least in the States) and I hope people have fun plans :) I'm looking forward to fireworks and hopefully some barbecue. And some nice summer weather! Plus, I started a very fun new project this last weekend so I hope to get some good words in there.

And, the first round of major revisions on book #4 are finished!!! Which is awesome. And I'm sending it to betas! Woot woot! (If you're up for a read of something--basically a "does this make sense and what massive plot holes have I totally overlooked?" let me know, m'k? I'll love ya forever!)

What I'm officially doing now.Also, I was tagged in two fun memes this past week! Thanks to the lovely Crystal Collier for tagging me in Versatile Blogger meme. I'm supposed to write out a bunch of random stuff about me....but I've done that before, so if you're curious and missed it the first time, check here :)

And if that's not fun enough, the awesome Rachel Schieffelbein tagged me in the Lucky Seven meme. Here's how it works: I have to turn to page 7 or 77 of my current work in progress, count down to the 7th line, and print the next 7 lines. Fun, right? Here's a bit from book #4 (which seriously needs a title):

Because being a Sary meant pretending I didn’t matter. For the past fifty years I’ve been a nobody. A shadow in other’s lives. With nothing for myself.

And I’m tired of it.

So the chance to change things? Hell yes, I took it.

“Are you sure you’re up for this?” Leon asked, his head cocked to the side as he watched me closely.

I nodded quickly, hoping that he didn’t catch on to my little space-out. I have to make sure he knows I’m with him 100%. Not that there’s any turning back now.

Hmm, hope that sounds a little fun. And as for tagging other authors...can I just say that I am *horrible* at doing that? Let me know if you'd like to be tagged in either of these and I'm MORE than happy to add your name here!!!
Okay, last fun this for today: Faith Sullivan is one of the most awesome and talented authors in the New Adult scene and one of her amazing male characters is the the New Adult Crush Tournament this Thursday. I'm here to tell ya that you really need to vote for Eric! There's a million different reasons WHY, but suffice it to say that he's just downright awesome. So be sure to check out the post on Thursday here, and vote vote vote!!!

The Revision Process: first revision pass for a WIP

I've mentioned that I'm in the process of revising the fourth (and probably final) Sary novel at the moment. It doesn't have a title :) But I'm currently trying to jigsaw four different story lines together, which take place all over the world, with a single main character (Marcus), and smaller snippets from three more characters (Leon being one of them, for those who have read Surrender). Anyhow, this is no easy process and I've started referring to it as the puzzle without a box (as in, no picture to work off).

I'm also putting out a call for beta readers, which I'll be needing shortly. You'll probably want to of read one of the other Sary books, as this is "true" sequel, but I'd love for anyone willing to give it a read!

Anyhow, today, I thought I'd talk a little about this first big set of revisions. I'm no expert, but there are several things that I tend to look for at this point that absolutely have to be in working order before I can start the next stage, which is polishing. This first serious dig through a manuscript is vital, as it shapes the course of the whole thing, and allows for ensuring the "big" issues are more settled. So, in general I tend to focus on:

-Does it all make sense? In other words, where are the plot-holes? Did I leave a character hanging? Did I forget to tie in that loose end? That kind of stuff, if not fixed instantly, goes onto a sticky-note for future reference.

The time-line from Hades :) I have also started crossing
the lines, which is even more fun. (And if you didn't
catch that Ghostbusters reference, well, you need to go
see that movie, post haste!)-Time line. Does the story progress over the days it says it does appropriately? (Right now this means keeping four different time zones in order--thank heavens for the internet!) I get really kind of frustrated when I find this in other books, so I'm rather particular about it, hence the written out pages, and often a very full white-board.

-Names and details. I've accidentally changed a few things here and there and then not changed it consistently, so I make a bunch of notes and make sure it sticks throughout.

-Character arcs. First thing: is there one? If yes, yay! If no, well, what am I going to do about it?

-Back-story. Do I need more? Do I need less? Basically, how fleshed out are the characters, and do I need to layer in some, or start cutting.

-Voice. Are the characters sounding discrete? I worry about them sounding consistent and strong, so I keep an eye on this quite a bit, and do what I can to keep wording/sayings/idiosyncrasies separate for them all. I write each character's piece as a whole, then weave them together, which helps, but sometimes I need to do more.

Basically, the first pass is a big muddle of attempting to knock off a lot of the really rough edges. I really do my best to avoid sitting there for an hour trying to get a certain sentence just right, or worrying excessively over passive voice or comma usage. That comes later, and admittedly, is not exactly my favorite part. I've mentioned my issues with commas, right? :)

What about you? What sorts of things do you look for in your first pass through a recently finished novel?

After Reading: SNIP, SNIP REVENGE by Medeia Sharif

Beautiful, confident Tabby Karim has plans for the winter: nab a role in her school’s dramatic production, make the new boy Michael hers, and keep bigoted Heather—with her relentless Ay-rab comments—at bay. When a teacher’s lie and her father’s hastiness rob her of her beautiful hair, her dreams are dashed. The fastest barber in Miami Beach has made her look practically bald.
With all her pretty hair gone, Tabby doesn’t believe she fits the feminine role she’s auditioning for. Michael is still interested in her, but he’s playing it cool. Heather has taken to bullying her online, which is easier to do with Tabby’s ugly haircut. Tabby spearheads Operation Revenge, which proves satisfying until all of her problems deepen. After messing up, she sets to make things right. (Goodreads)

Sharif's novel hits on a bunch of important and interesting topics, from self-esteem, family issues, race, and friendship, weaving them together in a wonderfully fun and engaging way. I really loved reading about Tabby and her world (which, can I just say, I love her high school and am all kinds of jealous of how interesting it seemed!). And of course: hair. A girl and her hair have a special bond, especially in high school. That may sound a bit trivial, but I completely understood Tabby's love of her hair, and what happened to her, well, was just painful to read. I definitely understood how she'd be completely devastated. There were a lot of elements in Tabby's life that were identifiable, for myself, and I'm sure for teens, which made her a lovable character, flaws and all. The rest of cast was also interesting and well fleshed out, and I loved the wide breadth Sharif brought into play in terms of different people. It was fun and refreshing! The growth that Tabby had over the course of the novel was what in the end I probably liked the most, as she really came into herself in ways that were important, and I loved that she never completely lost her confidence despite her struggles--it just became something more firmly rooted in what she stood for. Overall, this was a fun read, with some great characters, and left me with some serious hair-envy! :)

Missoula photos on a Friday

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you have an awesome weekend planned. I'm going to really wade into the fourth Sary book, which I now I have working draft of (woot!). Okay, so working draft might be a bit of a stretch...a really big stretch, but technically I have all the pieces worked together and in chapters, so I'm going with it.

Other than that, since I moved I've been enjoying this great trail system by the river and thought I'd share a few pictures, just for fun. I didn't drag out my good camera, so pardon the crappy cell phone quality! (The quality got really wonky when I uploaded from my phone. So strange!)
You can't totally see it here, but there's a nice big sign that says
Beware of Bears. GULP!
Lots of water right now!
Every time I run here I think that this is going to take me somewhere magical.
Because, well, that how my random brain works for some reason :)
So many flowers!
We've had a ton of snow/rain which has led to quite a few boggy areas.
A river most certainly runs through it here!

After Reading: DON'T FALL by Rachel Schieffelbein

Happy Wednesday everyone! Hope you're having a wonderful day!

In which a teenage girl endures the over-protective love of her adoptive mother until she falls for a boy who has her wanting to spread her wings, pitched as a contemporary retelling of Rapunzel.

Seventeen-year-old Anya leads a very secluded life in a house on the edge of town with her adopted mother. She doesn't go to school, but instead has a private tutor. Her over-protective mom keeps her so sheltered that she doesn't even have a best friend. 

But Anya doesn't seem to mind. She has her books, her photography, and her daydreams, and would do anything to please her mom. Until one day at the library, the only place she's allowed to go, she takes a picture of a beautiful boy.
Before long she's lying to her mom, and sneaking out late at night to meet Zander. But Zander wants more than a secret romance. If Anya wants to be with the boy of her dreams, she will have to risk her relationship with the only other person she's ever cared about. (Goodreads)

Summer is the perfect time for beach reads, and Don't Fall fits this category perfectly, I think :) It's sweet, it's got a great heart, it's got cute boys, and great books, and was generally just one of those reads that left me sighing happily as I read. Plus, cupcakes--who doesn't like cupcakes? Anya was a great character and she tugged at my heart so many times. Zander is just incredibly sweet. You know how they say boys are better in books? Well, this one really fits the bill! He was just awesome. I loved how he treated Anya, and even if he's still human, he came across as definitely swoon-worthy. And Anya's relationship with her mother, while painful, felt very real. A little on the crazy side, but definitely something that I wouldn't be surprised to see happen. Thank heavens Anya managed to turn out as normal as she was with all that's happened to her! Anyhow, this would be a great read for anytime, but especially while sitting by the ocean or pool. Check it out!

Have you read this one?

UNSTOPPABLE By SR Johannes blog tour

I'm happy to have Shelli here today to talk a little about music and books. I'm a huge fan of writing with music and Shelli has some great things to say. Be sure to say hello in the comments!

Ways to use music in your writing

Check out more on Goodreads!Some writers need complete silence. Some can’t write unless they listen to music. Music can create various moods.

I go back and forth – sometimes I listen to classical music as I am writing. Sometimes I use various songs in various scenes that help me get deep into the character’s head. Sometimes when I need to finish a book, I listen to fast music to keep me typing.

Here are ways music can help you in your writing:

Gets you started

Find a song that grounds you – one that makes you want to write. Sit in the chair and play that song when you are ready to type. For me – this is classical music. It calms me. Centers me. Helps me focus.

Tap into your emotions

Remember when you were sad, you used to listen to sad songs to help you let it all out. If you are feeling tapped or can’t seem to get that love scene right, maybe you can’t muster up enough inspiration for an action scene – try music. Pick a song that gets you feeling. Alice Peacock and Susan Tedescki does this for me. They have songs that just get to me every time. It may help you tap into those emotions that may be hard to reach on a daily basis.

Brainstorming ideas

Sometimes if I am in carpool or working around the house or running, music helps me brainstorm or process my book ideas. I think it comes down to what inspires you, what makes you feel a certain way, or what kind of book/scene you are processing/brainstorming. For me, I pick something like David Gray or Jason Miraz.

Moves you past writer’s block

Music might help you if you are struggling with writer's block. Various songs may just be the muse you need. If you need some action or excitement, try some fast pace songs. For me, this may be some popular pop songs like One Republic or Justin Timberlake.

Puts you in a mood for a scene/chapter

If I am writing a really big love scene, I may choose something that gets my heart beating. For me, this is Ed Sheeran. Or if I need something really sad, maybe Cat Powers or Adele. If I am writing an action scene, I may use a little Timbaland, Muse, or Eminem.

Gives you a book soundtrack

Combine all the songs that help you write various scenes and chapters. Now you have a playlist. This can be used to write daily or it can be an extra for your readers when your book comes out.

Do you write to music? If so – what kind? Do you have a favorite band/group/artist that you write to more than others?
Unstoppable is on sale in ebook format. The paperback releases later this month.

(Note: if you have another ereader device - see these instructions for getting a Kindle ebook converted to your ereader. It's easier than you think.)

If you haven't read Untraceable or Uncontrollable, you can get them in paperback and ebook at all major booksellers including Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, and B&N.

UNSTOPPABLE By SR Johannes blog tour and giveaway

I'm happy to have Shelli here today to talk a little about music and books. I'm a huge fan of writing with music and Shelli has some great things to say. Be sure to say hello in the comments!

Ways to use music in your writing
Check out more on Goodreads!Some writers need complete silence. Some can’t write unless they listen to music. Music can create various moods.
I go back and forth – sometimes I listen to classical music as I am writing. Sometimes I use various songs in various scenes that help me get deep into the character’s head. Sometimes when I need to finish a book, I listen to fast music to keep me typing.
Here are ways music can help you in your writing:
Gets you started
Find a song that grounds you – one that makes you want to write. Sit in the chair and play that song when you are ready to type. For me – this is classical music. It calms me. Centers me. Helps me focus.
Tap into your emotions
Remember when you were sad, you used to listen to sad songs to help you let it all out. If you are feeling tapped or can’t seem to get that love scene right, maybe you can’t muster up enough inspiration for an action scene – try music. Pick a song that gets you feeling. Alice Peacock and Susan Tedescki does this for me. They have songs that just get to me every time. It may help you tap into those emotions that may be hard to reach on a daily basis.
Brainstorming ideas
Sometimes if I am in carpool or working around the house or running, music helps me brainstorm or process my book ideas. I think it comes down to what inspires you, what makes you feel a certain way, or what kind of book/scene you are processing/brainstorming. For me, I pick something like David Gray or Jason Miraz.
Moves you past writer’s block
Music might help you if you are struggling with writer's block. Various songs may just be the muse you need. If you need some action or excitement, try some fast pace songs. For me, this may be some popular pop songs like One Republic or Justin Timberlake.
Puts you in a mood for a scene/chapter
If I am writing a really big love scene, I may choose something that gets my heart beating. For me, this is Ed Sheeran. Or if I need something really sad, maybe Cat Powers or Adele. If I am writing an action scene, I may use a little Timbaland, Muse, or Eminem.
Gives you a book soundtrack
Combine all the songs that help you write various scenes and chapters. Now you have a playlist. This can be used to write daily or it can be an extra for your readers when your book comes out.
Do you write to music? If so – what kind? Do you have a favorite band/group/artist that you write to more than others?
Unstoppable is on sale in ebook format. The paperback releases later this month.

(Note: if you have another ereader device - see these instructions for getting a Kindle ebook converted to your ereader. It's easier than you think.)

If you haven't read Untraceable or Uncontrollable, you can get them in paperback and ebook at all major booksellers including Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, and B&N.

Guest Post by Mary Waibel, author of THE MYSTERY PRINCE

Let's hear it for Mary today! She has some awesome books available, and The Mystery Prince looks like it will be another fantastic read! Be sure to say hi! 

Oh, and I have to link to this review of Surrender the Sky, because it made me all happy-author-smiley and I think you'll like it :)
Meradeth, thank you so much for letting me stop by today and talk about my love for twisting fairy tales and my newly released novella, The Mystery Prince.

Elena Ringo http://www.elena-ringo.comWhen I started writing, I didn't intend to twist fairy tales, but when I was given the suggestion to write the story about the girly-girl saving the prince, I knew the perfect thing to do was a twist on Sleeping Beauty.

But what makes fairy tales so fun to play with? Because most people are familiar with the stories, you have a ready made tale with expectations for the ending. This gives you plenty of opportunities to lead your reader down a familiar path then take a drastic turn they don't see coming. And that is why I like to twist fairy tales.Cover by CK VolnekThe Mystery Prince, a novella

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KU6TSY8

Book Blurb:Tristan enjoys being in the shadows as Prince Rand's bodyguard. Similar in looks, the two often exchanged places in their youth, but he never expected the king to order him to impersonate the heir to the throne in order to win the hand of a princess.

Princess Zoe needs to find a husband. After a year of searching with no success, her father insists on hosting a masquerade ball for the eligible princes of the nine kingdoms. Not one prince piques her interest, until she meets the mysterious stranger who won't tell her his name.

When Tristan meets Zoe he finds the girl of his dreams. The only problem? She's a princess and he's impersonating a prince―a crime punishable by imprisonment and floggings. Unable to tell Zoe his real name, he gives her a special navigation device. One that leads to the owner's true love. Will this magic device lead Zoe to Tristan, or will her true love forever remain a mystery prince?

Author Bio: Mary lives with her husband, son and two cats. When she isn't twisting fairytales, she enjoys reading, playing games, watching hockey, and camping. Her Princess of Valendria series (Quest of the Hart, Charmed Memories, Different Kind of Knight) are available from MuseItUp Publishing and other major retailers.  Her novella, The Mystery Prince, is available at Amazon. Her Faery Marked (book 1 in the Faery Series) will be available from BookFishBooks this summer.

You can find Mary Waibel at:http://marywaibel.blogspot.comhttps://www.facebook.com/authormarywaibelhttps://twitter.com/mewtweety14

Working out a social media schedule

Summer break is HERE!!! (I'd add a whole lot more exclamation points there, but I'll refrain, but know that they're there in my mind :) Anyhow, this summer has so far included moving, a family reunion, and a whole lot of books. But, very little writing. And that needs to change because I've got loads to do. Like this:

-Finish the 4th Sary book. (Woot!)
-Revise that book. (Not so woot.)
-Revise another book I wrote ages ago but want to work on again. (Maybe woot?)
-Work on this shiny new idea that I really think will be epic if I can get some time to get it started. (Possibly, very likely, a cool woot!)

So, I'm attempting to work out a schedule for how to handle my social media load. Because lately its
gotten a little overwhelming, and with limited time (because I still have research to do this summer...even if I don't get paid *grumble grumble*), there may be some changes. First off, I'll only be blogging twice a week. I'll still post stuff for friends and all, but I'll be cutting back.

I'll probably respond to comments less here on my blog, too. Because, well, who goes back and reads my responses? Does anyone? I really don't do so very often at all, and I'd rather go to your blog and see what you have to say there. (But I'm curious, do you read my responses?)

Twitter and facebook are other beasts. I sometimes feel like I'm really fumbling and don't know how best to go about them in the first place. I love interacting with people, but coming up with posts that allow for that? Not my forte. Soooo, who knows what I'll be doing. I love Triberr for sharing tweets about cool blog posts, and then Hootsuite for scheduling posts, too. Facebook's scheduler has also been really helpful.

Question: what do you find most interesting on twitter and facebook? What do you most like seeing?

Anyhow, this is my plan right now. I'm not totally sure how it's going to work out in the end, but hopefully it allows for a little more time to, you know, actually get some work done on my projects :) If you have any hints on stuff that's worked well, I'm all ears!

Oh, and check out this awesome trailer for Kelly Hashway!!




And seeing as how I gave one of these away over on facebook yesterday, I'll do another here. Just leave a comment to enter!

After Reading: JADE SKY by Patrick Freivald

Matt Rowley hasn't been human for years. A commando for the International Council on Augmented Phenomena, he hunts down superhuman monsters the military can't handle. But his abilities come with a price: bloodthirsty whispers that urge him to acts of terrible violence.
An encounter with a giant, angelic being with wings of smoke and shadow casts him into a world of inhuman brutality, demonic possession, and madness, where he must choose between his family and his soul. (Goodreads)

First off: sorry for the lack of anything other than book reviews lately. Life's been a little nuts since school got out, with both moving and an out of town family reunion. Which basically means limited internet time, but lots of reading. So, hopefully I have a little more time in the near future :)

So, the book: This was not my general choice for what to read, but it was definitely interesting and engaging. I will first note that if you have a weak stomach, this probably isn't the book for you, as it's pretty graphic in the blood and guts department, but that's not something I have a problem with, so it wasn't a problem for me. In general, this is definitely a plot driven book, with a ton of action, which was quite a bit of fun. I basically thought of it as being a lot like Wolverine meets Dan Brown conspiracy theories. The world that was depicted was really fascinating, with people who have the ability to be augmented ("aug"ed), which can give them a variety of skills, from being able to be healed, to see the future. At first it's billed as just a new drug that allows for these enhancements, but as the novel progresses, the truth comes to light...and it isn't pretty. Tying in the nephelim was what originally caught my attention, and without giving away anything more, it was really kind of cool. Anyhow, overall if you're looking for a good beach read (and don't mind a little b&g) then this one's for you!