Jen McConnel's Blog, page 45
February 8, 2013
Blogger Book Fair Travel Feature: Towering Mountains, Flawless Hiking Trails, and….magic? A Guest Post by S. M. Boyce, author of the Grimoire Saga
February 7, 2013
Blogger Book Fair: Free Book Alert
Blogger Book Fair: Where Would You Go?
February 6, 2013
Writers on Wednesday: Len Lawson
1. When did you start writing?
I’ve had an affinity for writing since elementary school. Teachers would always compliment me for my handwriting. I entered an Arbor Day poetry contest in middle school and won 3rd place. In high school, I earned an honorable mention for an essay contest about the American flag. Obviously, those weren’t my best efforts, but the rhythm of both poetry and prose came naturally to me. It’s probably because I read a lot as a child.
2. Are you a pantser or a planner? I try to be a hybrid actually, but my preference is toward being a planner. As educators, we live and die by schedules and deadlines. In fact, I teach composition on the college level, so I prepare my students for writing by teaching them prewriting techniques such as brainstorming and outlining. However as a creative writer, those techniques can be a blessing and a curse. Too much planning can deter the liberty of creativity, yet a good outline keeps us honest from a pacing standpoint. If I map out guidelines or timelines for chapters and for whole works, I do so mostly in my mind. Conversely, I allow my imagination to reveal how those plans come to life on the pages. Then, when the draft is actually completed, revision must take place anyway. If I get stuck somewhere in the process, then I find myself revising what I’ve already written.
3. Can you give us an idea of your writing process?
For smaller works like stories and poetry, I try to build around one idea or one thought that inspires me. For example, if I saw a butterfly hopelessly grounded by its wings on a sidewalk, my mind would begin investigating the matter by asking questions like “How?” “Why?” or “What if…?” Then, I would allow my imagination to open doors to other creative thoughts surrounding those questions. It’s a bit like Alice chasing the white rabbit through Wonderland; I don’t know what I will found unless I have the courage to chase the idea to its end.
For novels, I use the same approach, but the process is expanded. Sometimes, though, the process remains scattered. Discipline is the key for me to complete a novel. The ideas are present and ready to be written, but I have to be vigilant enough to record them which takes time.
4. Which authors have influenced your work?
I admire the classic novelists of the 20th century. Since high school, I gravitated toward Zora Neal Hurston and Toni Morrison. Their imagination and poignancy cannot be matched. They transcend all genres and cultures. I wrote my master’s thesis on Morrison’s book Playing in the Dark by applying her theories on race to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (two of my favorite novels). In poetry, Langston Hughes draws me as a student of the craft. The best thing about these writers is that they transformed the culture around them. It is a powerful thing to influence one’s generation, especially with writing.
5. What are you plans/future projects/new releases that we should be aware of?
My upcoming poetry/short story book The Very Least of Me will be available in early 2013. It features poems and stories I’ve amassed for the past 5-6 years. It truly showcases my growth as a writer. Following its publication, my novel City of David will appear later in the year. It is an allegory about a young man who joins a college campus ministry in his freshman year but struggles with the temptations of college life. Both projects are receiving some pretty good reviews so far.
6. Any tips for new writers?
The first thing to do is to join a writers group. Somewhere in their town is a gang of writers who meet in someone’s living room, in a coffee shop, an alley, or somewhere to discuss writing from any genre. I joined SCWW this year, and it has made all the difference in my writing and my career. I received the confidence in my own work that I was lacking. Furthermore, the networking and relationships I’ve built with other writers have been priceless.
7. Any tips for old writers?
For “mature” or “seasoned” writers, I suggest expanding their base using the Internet. Social media and online sales are a must for our industry today. Readers today are tech-savvy and want their reading to be also. Moreover, as I discussed with a group of writers recently, the traditional publishing process using agents and publishers is becoming obsolete; it is only for a fraction of the industry. We must be more involved in the process with a hands-on approach. Instead of allowing marketers and publishers to do the work for us, we must embrace the process fully as those entities are seemingly looking to do less and less for writers.
Connect with Len:
Twitter: @LenvilleLaws
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lenvillelaws
Blog: lenlawson.blogspot.com
February 5, 2013
You’re Invited to the Blogger Book Fair!
READERS – DISCOVER NEW AUTHORS
FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE!
Are you searching for new authors to fall in love with?
Are you trying and trying to find that new book to fall in love with?
Well friends, it’s your lucky day … The Blogger Book Fair is your answer!
This is the event where you have the opportunity to discover dozens of new authors.
With bloggers and authors teaming up to offer giveaways or discounts – You can find that Brand New book for a great price – Possibly even FREE!
Bloggers across the net are teaming up with authors to showcase authors’ works –
JUST FOR YOU!
This year the Blogger Book Fair runs from February 7th – 10th.
Be sure to check out the website for more information! You don’t want to miss is it!
Readers – This event only happens twice a year …
Go NOW to the Blogger Book Fair web page to get all the info you need. You wouldn’t want to miss out on this opportunity. Great new authors and books are hard to come by – Find yours this February at the BLOGGER BOOK FAIR, February 7th – 10th!
Who knows – You might just find yourself a BRAND NEW favorite author and series!
P.S. Be sure to follow the Blogger Book Fair blog as well. You’ll find it in the right bar of the official web page. Don’t miss out on the Blogger Book Fair news. Thanks Again!
February 4, 2013
Follower Love Giveaway Hop: Saying Thanks!
It’s a month where everyone seems to say “I love you.” As much as I’m looking forward to a romantic Valentine’s with my hubby, I also wanted to stop and tell each of you that I love y’all.
Whether you’ve been following my writing and publishing journey since the beginning, or whether you only recently wandered over to this blog, I want to take the time to say thank you.
I’m so excited to participate in the Follower Love Giveaway Hop! And I’ve decided to give away a signed paperback copy of my debut adult novel, The Burning of Isobel Key, to one of my followers! To enter, simply click the Rafflecopter giveaway.
Thank you for following my writing journey. See what the other bloggers are giving away this week!
When Lou travels to Scotland, she’s a mess. She’s twenty-six, unemployed, and unsure of herself. It doesn’t help that she’s traveling with Tammy, her best friend, who is everything Lou is not. At first, the trip pushes Lou towards the brink of depression, but then she meets Brian, a handsome local tour guide. When Brian tells the tourists about the countless witches burned in Scotland, Lou starts to listen. And when she discovers information about Isobel Key, one of the victims of the seventeenth century, Lou finds renewed purpose. She sets out to learn the truth of the condemned witch, but she isn’t prepared for the knowledge that waits for her. Lou must face her demons if she has any hope of righting the wrongs of the past.
Book Extras
Official Book Website | Book Trailer | Reading Guide
Grab Your Copy
iTunes | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords | Amazon (US) |
Amazon (UK) | Goodreads | Createspace
Ten years after the trip to Scotland that changed her life, Lou is back in the misty, magical country. This time, however, she’s not on vacation: Lou is there to settle some distasteful and depressing family business. When Brian, her old Highland fling, turns up, Lou is forced to wrestle with a past that she thought was dead and buried. As tension between the former lovers mounts, something wicked is stirring in Scotland. Lou must use all her strength to handle the increasingly desperate situation, but will she be strong enough to battle both a vengeful ghost and her heart? The Key Inheritance is a novella that takes place a decade after the events of The Burning of Isobel Key. This contemporary story crosses into the supernatural as Lou discovers evidence of a long-dead spirit who refuses to rest in peace. Lou may have thought that she was finished with the witch Isobel Key, but her inheritance is more than the young woman can handle alone.
Grab Your Copy
Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | Goodreads |
Fractured Soul Blog Tour: Review and Promo
Fractured Soul: REVIEW
What an entrancing book! Even though I hadn’t read the first book, Fractured Light, I was immediately drawn into the world McClellan creates. Llona is a powerful heroine, but she’s not sugar and spice. This girl has definite flaws, but it’s just possible that her tendency to question authority will keep her alive. As her understanding of her power grows, Llona makes some startling decisions that keep the reader guessing until the end. The stakes are high, the magic is electric, and this is a paranormal novel you’ll love to discover.
Excerpt
As soon as the Vyken appeared in the doorway, I tossed a ball hard. He dodged it by jumping up along the side of the wall, his nails and bare toes somehow finding a hold in the thin cracks of the wall. I threw another one, but he was already moving, scrambling alongside the stones like a spider. He was grinning.
I rolled away from the wall until I was in the middle of the room. I lost sight of him for just a fraction of a second, but that was enough. The Vyken was gone, or, I should say, hiding. He was still here. I could feel him. I looked up toward the rafters of the tower roof. It was pitch black.
At the bottom of the tower, I heard Christian begin to ascend the stairs. “I’m coming, Llona!” he yelled.
Still staring up, I created Light again in the palm of my hand and willed it to rise. The closer it got to the rafters the faster my heart beat. Sweat rolled down the small of my back.
Light began to fill dark spaces, exposing that which wished to remain hidden. My Vyken was there, but he wasn’t alone. Another sat crouched on a beam. Where his left eye should’ve been there was an empty hole.
I screamed when my Vyken dropped from the ceiling, extinguishing the light. He fell onto my stomach, pushing my shoulders into the floor. I tried to create Light, but it was as if he knew what I was going to do because his hands slipped up and pinned my wrists together. He bent forward and inhaled my skin. The warmth of his breath steamed my ear when he said, “I’m going to eat every part of you.”
About Fractured Soul (sequel to Fractured Light)
Llona will do whatever it takes to protect her new found friends and home, but the dark plot threatening Lucent Academy, a school that’s supposed to be a safe place for Auras, may be too powerful for even Llona to defeat. This fast-paced tale of love, loyalty, and overcoming the darkness will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!
What others are saying:
“I love these books! A kick-butt heroine and a hottie love interest, with a refreshingly original concept. Be prepared—once you start, these are hard to put down.”
—Paula Cotton, book reviewer at ReadingLark.blogspot.com
“Fractured Soul is a brilliant sequel, exceeding even the remarkable first book in the series. It will haunt your every waking moment between the times you’re reading it, and it will stay with you long after you’ve finished. It’s an amazingly well written and engrossing story that I highly recommend—after you’ve read the first one, of course.”
—Cindy Bennett, bestselling author of Geek Girl and Rapunzel Untangled
Author Bio
Rachel McClellan was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When she’s not in her writing lair, she’s partying with her husband and four crazy, yet lovable, children. Rachel’s love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was…
Find Rachel
Facebook | Blog | Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Book Trailer
Buy Fractured Light
Starting on February 4th, Fractured Light will only be $2.99 for two weeks only!
Buy Fractured Soul
About Fractured Light
Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.
As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.
February 3, 2013
Scottish Sundays: Ponies
Welcome back to another Scottish Sunday!
Scotland isn’t generally know for its wildlife, but if you think for a minute, all the animals we associate with Scotland are actually livestock. Sheep, hairy highland cows, and, of course, the charming Shetland Ponies spring to mind. Aren’t they adorable?! Watch out, though; these cute, petite ponies pack quite a punch. My mom had one growing up, and it was a nippy little thing with a lot of attitude.
It looks like the Visit Scotland folks have devised a campaign with dressed up ponies and the Twitter hashtag #naturalscotland as a quirky advertising strategy. The ponies are even designated as ambassadors! Charming, quirky, and a bit odd…and yet, I sort of want to go see these fancy ponies, don’t you?
Using the ponies as part of a tourism campaign may seem a bit strange, but then again, this is the country that lists the unicorn as the national animal. No one can ever say the Scots aren’t creative!
What animal do you associate with Scotland?
January 31, 2013
My Hero’s Journey as a Writer
I’ve always been a sucker for Joseph Campbell’s work, but when I started writing seriously, I found myself relying more and more on the hero’s journey that Campbell outlined and explored for much of his career. I realized that setting my characters on this path usually fits my writing style, and although I deviate from the steps from time to time, I owe a great creative debt to Campbell for spelling out this storytelling technique that is centuries old.
It occurred to me this week while I was journaling with my college students (ah, the things teaching teaches me!) that I have come to an end of one of my own personal hero’s journeys. It was writing the phrase “the new normal” that caught my eye and got me thinking. Let me ‘splain:
Six years ago, I started writing seriously and pursuing publication. This wasn’t my call to adventure; that happened three years ago, when author Brian Davis visited the middle school where I was teaching. He spoke to a small group of my dedicated writers, and told them about his own hero’s journey. He talked about quitting his job to focus on his writing, and how that kind of scary leap of faith was something he owed his characters. I perked up and listened, but I dismissed the idea of following in his footsteps almost immediately.
You see, my resistance to the call (to become a full-time writer) stems from generations of hardworking, practical Midwestern blood. Until my siblings and I came along, no one in my family made rash career choices. They were careful, cautious, and mightily aware of the value of a steady salary with benefits.
But a year after my call to adventure, I was finally ready to take a risk and follow my journey. I quit my full-time teaching job as the 2011 school year came to a close, and I launched into a writing life. I had a completed YA manuscript (not my first novel, but the one I thought was my best), and no clue how I’d be spending my days.
As I followed the path towards really feeling like a writer, practicality crept in, and I accepted some part time teaching work for an online university as well as a community college. But I insisted on calling myself a full-time writer, and most days I treated writing like my job. (Don’t get me wrong: I love teaching, but that’s another journey to explore another time).
And then a magical thing happened: I signed with an agent. She was my guide and mentor (and still is in many ways) before her own journey changed. When I decided to strike out on my own, I learned to face the dragons of formatting and promotion as I veered onto the indie author path. I even had a few dark moments of the soul along the way, but in the end, I circled back to the YA novel that had propelled me from the first.
Earlier this month, I sold that novel to Month9Books. It was a heady experience, but I didn’t understand why I couldn’t immediately leap back into my old writing groove. I berated myself for my lowered word count and frazzled approach to projects (both were once rigorously regimented every day), but then this week, I realized that I wasn’t stuck or being lazy; I have been struggling to adjust to my new normal, the bittersweet thing that comes after the culmination of the hero’s journey. Because of dragons, guides, and darkness along the way, the hero, although triumphant, is unable to return to “everything as it was”. It happened to Frodo. It happened to Luke Skywalker. Why did I think I would be immune?
It’s with relief that I write this post, because I feel like I finally understand my funky, listless month. I don’t think my publishing journey is anywhere near as epic as the tales Campbell charted, but it’s my own mythic structure, and it’s amazing to realize that I have completed at least one of my soul journeys already. Besides, if it’s one thing I learned from Campbell, every person gets to be the hero of her own story, and I’m looking forward to writing the next chapter!
Before the next adventure, though, I think I’ll take some time to simply enjoy the sensation of being right where I am for a change.
January 30, 2013
Writers on Wednesday: SJ Byrne
I’m pleased to present SJ Byrne, author of My Butterfly, to answer writing questions today. Hope you enjoy this interview!
1. When did you start writing?
I started writing in school, but the real stories began in high school. It’s always been the main source of my creativity even though I played music as well. I had dreams of being published before I turned 25, but life got in the way and I didn’t write for over a decade.
2. Are you a pantser or a planner?
Am definitely a pantser…if that mean what I think it does LOL I don’t plan out my books other than a very vague main story line. Like “young woman become paralyzed and how she comes to heal herself emotionally and physically.” My characters cannot stand the thought of me trying to plot out their story – I will sit in silence for months if I even try!
3. Can you give us an idea of your writing process?
It’s actually quite helter-skelter. I’m usually writing, watching a movie, and chatting on facebook all at the same time. My mind goes in so many different directions that I need the distractions to keep those parts of it occupied while I connect to my creativity.
4. Which authors have influenced your work?
Every book I have ever read has influenced me. How could they not? The bad ones give ideas of what NOT to do and the good ones, well the way they influence is limitless.
5. What are you plans/future projects/new releases that we should be aware of?
I’m currently working on 4 WIPS and have one with an editor. It’s been a busy year even if I only have one book out.
6. Any tips for new writers?
Nike said it best – Just do it! No one will force you to. In fact the competition is so stiff many would probably like if you didn’t! But if writing is for you like it is for me – an absolute necessity to remain somewhat sane – then don’t ever stop!
7. Any tips for old writers?
Don’t get so stuck in old patterns. Keep things fresh. One thing I dislike about these authors that have like 40 books out – same storyline just different characters. Don’t be afraid to branch out and try something new!
Connect with SJ Byrne! 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/SJ-Byrne/163037843739072
I write therefore I AM!
Author of: Mo Dearbadan~de
