Jen McConnel's Blog, page 58

Writers on Wednesday: Linda Pedley, author of A JOURNEY OF BROTHERS

Greetings, everyone!  Hope you’ve all recovered from the end of summer blues and are ready to dive into whatever this fall holds.  Today,  author Linda Pedley dropped by to talk about her writing process and juggling multiple projects.  Enjoy!

1. When did you start writing?

Way back in grade school and junior high, from what I remember. I have keepsakes that confirm my love for writing, especially poetry, from those early years. Somewhere in my boxes, I have binder from junior high full of short stories with my biggest influence being detective shows (Mannix), pioneer stories (Little House on the Prairie, The Road West), and anything to do with horses.

2. Are you a pantser or a planner?

I try not to do things by the seat of… and I used to be an avid planner… I guess now I don’t really fit into either category. As we all know, best laid plans end up against the wall if there is a sudden obstacle, so being able to react is good, although being proactive is much better. Did I really answer the question?

3. Can you give us an idea of your writing process?

My general writing process involves several components which cycle through my whole writing life – learn, create, share – the triad drives my creativity by ensuring I continue to gather knowledge and experience through individual work and group involvement. Applauding and promoting the achievements of fellow writers is high on my list. Specifically to the process of physically writing, I employ whatever I need, depending upon what I am writing. Leave editing to another day – get those ideas and thoughts to paper with rough, raw, creative passion. That which falls upon the paper without technical encumbrances is usually the best piece of work.

4. Which authors have influenced your work?

I love Shakespeare, but I also love the work of emerging authors, especially fellow writing circle members and friends. These extremes have had a profound influence upon me as I strive to follow a mentor and mentor those who follow

5. What are your plans/future projects/new releases that we should be aware of?

My ongoing novel “An Elizabethan Affair” is soon to be completed – it’s about William and I can’t seem to want to write it fast… Another novel, “Power Struggle” (born of NaNoWriMo 2010) is in final edit and I hope to release it soon, first, as an ebook.  I always have some WIP in varying stages of edit and progress and I always blog. This year I published my first YA novella, “A Journey of Brothers” as an ebook and that process speaks to the busy life I possess where it was written over time, edited among colleagues, and published to the electronic format easily, quickly, and inexpensively.  I plan to participate in NaNoWriMo 2012 and write the follow up novellas, two and three.

6. Any tips for new writers?

Respect the old writers. Their experience is invaluable.

7. Any tips for old writers?

Mentor the new writers. Your experience is invaluable.

To both: provide support and promotion throughout the literary community to build its foundation and keep it strong. Thinking anyone is better than the other, fractures it – we all have something to offer.

Follow Linda:

My blog

My company

http://www.dreamwritepublishing.ca/authors/linda-j-pedley

Facebook

Twitter: @wildhorse33

My new book

An interview, some poetry, and more!

Today’s been a busy day for me out here on the Web.  Robert Zimmerman, over at A Life Among the Pages, posted one of my prose verse babel attempts: playing with poetry!

Also, my second ever author interview went live today on Ally Malinenko’s site.  You might remember when she was over here, talking about her upcoming debut, Lizzy Speare and the Cursed Tomb.  Hooray for connecting with other writers online!

In case you missed my first interview, you can check it out here at Aoibheal’s Lair.

Now, I’m off to the dentist.  Don’t get into too much trouble while I’m gone, and remember that I’ve got TWO easy giveaways going on right now:

Here and here.

Happy Tuesday, world!

Booker Award: thanks to Boyce!

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I’m a bit behind, but last week, S.M. Boyce awarded me the Booker Award.   Excitement!  Y’all know I love talking about books: it’s the curse of the avid reader.

 

This book-centric award gives me a chance to:

Post my top 5 books of all time

Add the booker award icon, and

Nominate 5 other bloggers to do the same, if they feel like it.

First, I’ll start with my nominations.  I’m going to break with tradition on this one!

If you love books, blog about books, or just like this topic, then I nominate YOU for this award.  Take it and run with it, my friends!

Now.  Onto my top five books of all time.

*Pause*

That’s really hard.  Every semester, I am wicked and ask my students to write their first journal about their favorite book, and every semester, I ignore the topic for myself.  It’s just that there are so many books that have shaped me: how can I possibly pick five?

Hmm.  I think I’ll pick the top five books I love to re-read, and call it good.  Yes?

1. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

I love this book.  When I first read it, I was a young teen, and over the years, my appreciation for both Mitchell and Scarlet has grown.  As an adult, I can even look fondly at Melanie, and I’ve realized that the reason I love this novel is the fact that Mitchell floods her book with strong women.  Scarlet is raw and sharp, Melanie is tempered steel, and between the two of them, they control the story.  Add into the mix Belle, the prostitute with a “heart of gold”, and you’ve got a third foil for the two protagonists.  Mitchell was herself a strong woman, and although there’s a lot about this book that makes it, um, questionable, her characterization of feminine power still thrills me.

2. Dracula by Bram Stoker

I could wax poetic about Stoker’s genius (in fact, if you check out the annual Murders, Monsters, and Mayhem extravaganza next month, you’ll see me do just that), but the real reason I love this book is the way it plays on human emotion.  I LOVE reading this in the fall, when the nights have turned cold and it’s easy to believe that things unseen lurk in the shadows.  I also love the multi-voice, multi-genre storytelling technique that Stoker uses.  All in all, this is my favorite book to read for a good scare.

3. The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury

When Mr. Moundshroud takes the boys on a whirlwind tour of Halloween traditions, they learn more about the nature of death and things that go bump in the night.  In classic Bradbury style, this novel is an ode to boyhood, but it’s more than that: it’s an ode to my favorite holiday.  Every time I read this, I catch more beautiful Bradbury phrasing and details that I’ve never seen before.  Current favorite line? “Sweet candy-corn soul”.

4. The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

I’m noticing a trend here: many of my re-reads are seasonal!  This is a book that I love to read in the depths of winter (although winter doesn’t really get that deep here in North Carolina, but still).  When Will Stanton turns eleven, he discovers that he is the last of the Old Ones, immortal beings whose purpose on the earth is to fight against the Dark.  But the Dark is rising, and Will’s powers are still weak.  Will he tip the balance in the eternal struggle between Dark and Light?  This book is the second of a series, but can easily be devoured on its own.  Love it!

5. American Godsby Neil Gaiman

Who doesn’t love this epic tale of myth and magic?  I adore Gaiman’s work, and this is my favorite.  When Shadow is released from prison, he stumbles into a world where the old gods are dying and the gods of technology and commerce are struggling to take their place.  Remember: it’s a two-man-con.

And that’s it for me today.  What are your favorite books?  Remember, I’ve given you the option to tag yourselves, so if you want the Booker Award, it’s yours for the taking!

Giveaway for my Tweeps!

Earlier this month, I promised a Twitter giveaway for The Burning of Isobel Key.  To say thanks to my wonderful followers, I’ve got one signed paperback ARC to giveaway.

Have fun!  This giveaway closes on September 20, 2012.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Where in the world…

(Okay, how many of you started singing the Carmen Sandiego song?  I know I did!)

If you’ve been following this blog for awhile, you know that I love to travel.  Luckily, I’m married to a man who enjoys globe trotting just as much as I do.  We tend to travel during the winter holidays (it’s hard to take time off from teaching, so we work with the time off we’ve been given), and lately we’ve been brainstorming ideas for this December.

The problem?  There are too many amazing places we both want to go!

So, friends, you tell me: where would you go in December if you could go anywhere?  Who knows, maybe you’ll give me the inspiration I need to pick a place and make a plan!

Last Christmas: London!

The Next Big Thing

Thanks to A.D. Trosper for tagging me for this fun interview.  It gives me the chance to talk about my next novel, and I also get to spread the love!  I’m tagging Patrice Caldwell, Mary Gray, Jaye Robin Brown, and Ally Malinenko.  Remember, ladies, talk about your current WIP, not a past project: give us a little sneak peak.

Now it’s time for my sneak peak

1. What is the working title of your book?  

Priestess of Moab

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?

After I read When God was a Woman by Merlin Stone, I had the idea to reinvision the Biblical story of Ruth, casting Ruth not only as a foreigner, but a devotee of one of the regional Queen of Heaven Figures, Astarte.  I was also inspired by the amazing novel The Red Tent by Anita Diamant.  

3. What genre does your book fall under? 

Historical and Paranormal

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Gagh, hard question.  On impulse, I would cast Jennifer Lawrence (you know her best as Katniss) as Ruth, and Maggie Smith as Naomi. 

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? 

When the strangers come to Moab, Ruth’s life will never be the same again.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? 

Self-published

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? 

I started writing it in 2008.  I wrote in pieces, taking long stretches of time off to play with other projects, but I probably finished the first draft by 2009.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

The Red Tent is the first that springs to mind.  Also, Hand of Isis.

9. Who or What inspired you to write this book?

As with so much I do, it goes back to the women in my family.  Ruth is an important figure for my grandmother, and she’s always been a part of my life.  Also, faith played into it: this novel was a chance for me to express my devotion to the Queen of Heaven, and to draw parallels between two seemingly disparate faiths.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Priestess of Moab is scheduled to be released on May 1, 2013: mark your calendars!

Three Things

Practicing gratitude is really important to me.  I’ve felt myself getting lighter the more I focus on the abundance that fills my life.  With that in mind, I’ve started posting three things that I’m thankful for each week.

This week, my three things are:

1. Family

2. An extra day off from work (hooray for Labor Day!)

3. September (one of my favorite months)

What are your three things?

S.M. Boyce Reveals LICHGATES News

S. M. Boyce wrote Lichgates a year ago. Now, she’s formally re-releasing the novel with a bunch of bonus features and a gorgeous new cover. Check it out!

Lichgates  New Features

The Lichgates re-release is going to be snazzy. I’m so excited. Here’s what you’ll get with the new edition:

·         New cover.

·         Re-polished narrative.

·         New Prelude chapter. This is an entirely new short that gives insight into Kara’s life before she found Ourea.

The re-release date is currently set for some time in September. Be sure to sign up for the Grimoire Trilogy VIP list to be the first to know when the date’s set!

What’s cooler is that its sequel, Treason, will come out just a month or so later. You can sign up for the VIP list to learn more about that the second news becomes available or apply for an Advanced Review Copy (ARC).

Whatever you do, make sure you add the full Grimoire Trilogy to your Goodreads TBR list!

Lichgates  Reviews

“This would make a great movie. A great TV show. Great everything. I mean, Boyce sells it at the concept, but she doesn’t stop there. She delivers.” —Rebecca Hamilton, author of The Forever Girl series

“Boyce’s storytelling is so rich and deftly executed that I found myself bouncing between pure amazement, unadulterated enjoyment, and absolute, perverse envy. She is that good.” H—Tom Winship, author of the Vaempires series

 

“This is fantasy at its best!” —The Story Seekers Reviews

 

“The writing is flawless. The kingdoms and surrounding landscapes breathtaking. The Grimoire is a piece of imaginative genius that bedazzles from the moment Kara falls into the land of Ourea.” —Nikki Jefford, author of the Spellbound Trilogy

 

…and those are only a few reviews. Check out Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads to hear what has people grabbing copies and salivating for the sequel.

The Lichgates  Blurb

The Grimoire turns its own pages and can answer any question asked of it…and Kara Magari is its next target.

Kara has no idea what she’s getting herself into when she stumbles across the old book while hiking along a hidden trail. Once she opens it, she’s thrown into Ourea: a beautiful world full of terrifying beings that all want the Grimoire’s secrets. Everyone in this new world is trying to find her, but most just want to control the new-found power the Grimoire bestows upon her.

Braeden Drakonin grew up in Ourea, and all he’s ever known in life is lying. The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life. He has one question to ask the book—one question that can fix everything in his broken world—and he’s not letting Kara out of his sight until he gets an answer.

Kara cannot escape her new life in Ourea. There’s no going back now.

The Lichgates  Prelude

Boyce is going to provide the prelude free online for anyone who has already bought the previous version. Sign up for the VIP list to learn when she posts it!

Lichgates  Links

Impatient? You can still grab the old edition and read while you wait.

Grab Your Copy

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Learn More

Read the 1st Chapter FREE

Watch the Trailer | Visit the Online Encyclopedia

Teaser: Treason (Grimoire Trilogy #2)

Available October 27, 2012

Kara Magari ignited a war when she stumbled into the dark and stunning world of Ourea, and all because of that stupid Grimoire she found. The armies have amassed. The traitors are exposed, and Kara is alone.

The war has started.

VIP List | Goodreads | Get an ARC

The Author

S.M. Boyce is a fantasy and paranormal fiction novelist who also dabbles in contemporary fiction and comedy. She’s a sarcastic twit, but her friends seem to like her anyway. She updates her blog a few times each week so that you have something to wake you up in the morning.

Also, her B.A. in Creative Writing qualifies her to serve you french fries.

Blog | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google | YouTube

Goodreads Author Page | Amazon Author Page

 

Writers on Wednesday: Ally Malinenko, author of LIZZY SPEARE AND THE CURSED TOMB

I’m super excited for this post.  Ally Malinenko offered to stop by and talk about writing.  Her MG debut, Lizzy Speare and the Cursed Tomb will be out in September.  Make sure you watch for it!  I’ll have a review of the book posted soon, but in the meantime, enjoy meeting Ally.

  1. When did you start writing?

I wrote my very first story when I was ten. It was eight pages long, which at the time felt about the same size as Moby Dick. It was a story about a girl who was hit by a drunk driver. Don’t worry, she survived. In my ten year old brain it was an intense tale of a young woman’s painful recover and the triumph of the human spirit. I presented it to my mother as my first novel. She lovingly suggested I try lighter topics. After that I moved on to shorter work and started writing very typical angst-y poetry in high school.

2. Are you a pantser or a planner?

I’m definitely a pantser. Sounds like fun, right? “Woo-hoo look what popped into my head today – let’s do that. Cool! Now, let’s change it. Let’s add a new character! Oh I like him, he’s funny. He stays. She goes. Woo-hoo!”

And guess what? It is fun. It’s loads of fun. It’s the embodiment of creation itself. Until it’s time to revise and the not fun part starts bringing with it all the hair-pulling and teeth-gnashing. That’s when I put my head on the desk and weep. Why oh why didn’t I write a plot summary? I’m quite convinced I could save a solid year of revision if I would become a planner instead. Alas, it has yet to happen.

3. Can you give us an idea of your writing process?

I drag myself out of bed at 5 am. Feed the cat. Make tea. And then climb into my writing closet (it’s literally a closet with a desk crammed into it) and I write. I write poetry and stories too, so most mornings I let myself go with whatever feels right. But when I was writing Lizzy it was pretty much all Lizzy all the time. Same is true for my current work in progress. I don’t write in a very linear fashion when I first start out (which also adds to my plot problems). In the beginning I write scenes – just moments – that I see so clearly in my head. That’s how I find my character’s voices. I just sort of play with them like little dolls. Then when I’ve got them down, I sew all the scenes up, like popcorn on a thread into one long story. Then comes the revision. When they say writing is work – revision is the part they are talking about.

4. Which authors have influenced your work?

The whole list would take up the rest of your blog considering nearly everyone I read (and I read a lot) have somehow added something. But since I wrote a children’s book – I’ll stick with the children’s authors that have affected me the most:

CS Lewis’ Narnia stories made me want to be a writer. “Wait a second,” says little me, “he got to make up a whole world?? I want to do that.”

Katherine Patterson’s Bridge to Terabithia taught me that a book can be scary and sad and happy and beautiful all at once. And it taught me about the vulnerability of true bravery.

And finally Madeline L’Engle. I read my copy of A Wrinkle in Time over and over again till the cover and the title page disintegrated into dust. For me, it was all about Meg. I loved Meg’s awkwardness and her fear. I loved her doubt. She felt scared and small the way I often felt scared and small. She was my first and favorite anti-hero – at least until I moved on to Hamlet.

5. Tell us about your debut!

Love to! Meet Lizzy Speare……a normal twelve year old girl with a talent for writing, who has a very not normal family secret. And when Lizzy’s father vanishes, that secret will change her life in ways unimagined. (Spoiler Alert!  It turns out that Lizzy, or Elizabeth S. Speare, is the last living descendant of William Shakespeare. Shhh! Don’t tell anybody!)

Then Lizzy and her best friend Sammy are kidnapped, awakening in the faraway land of Manhattan. Their host is Jonathan Muse, whose job is to protect Lizzy from becoming the latest victim in a family feud going back nearly five hundred years.  Is that why the mysterious, eye patch-wearing Dmitri Marlowe is after her? (Spoiler Alert 2—he’s the last living descendant of Christopher Marlowe, a friend and rival of Shakespeare’s.  But keep it to yourself!) Is Marlowe after Lizzy’s family fortune rumored to be kept in the tomb of that bald guy with the goatee? Does he seek artistic immortality? Or Revenge (with a capital R) for a death long, long ago? In a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, Lizzy and Sammy are thrust into the realm of the mythical and fantastic—from satyrs and Cyclopses to Middle Eastern cab drivers and Brooklyn hipsters in what is truly “an improbable fiction” as the Bard himself once wrote. Lizzy Speare and the Cursed Tomb is the first book in a series that I’ve (sort of, mostly, kind of) plotted.

6. Any tips for new writers?

If there is only one piece of advice I can give it is this: Read. Read. Read. You’ll learn more about how to write by reading than you will anywhere else. Beyond that – trust yourself. Even when you feel like you don’t know what you are doing keep writing. You’ll find your voice. And when you do it will be the first step on an amazing journey. The second step on that journey is discipline. Write every day. Write when you don’t want to. Write when you’re tired or feel icky or have no good ideas. Just write. And keep everything you write because you never know when that one little line you scribble on a piece of paper, that scrap of dialogue, or that little character sketch, will turn into your first novel.

7. Any tips for old writers?

See above.

Plus, remember when you were younger and you didn’t care what anyone thought or if they called you crazy cause you had complete faith in your hair-brained scheme and you knew it would work out? Remember that?

Be that kid again.

Visit Ally’s blog to learn more: allymalinenko.com

(Note: this post first appeared on my other blog on August 30)

Cover Reveal! Vaempires: Zombie Rising by Thomas Winship

Excitement!  Thomas Winship had a new novel coming in the Vaempires series, and I am thrilled to be able to offer you a sneak peak of the cover.

Væmpires: Zombie Rising

The tale of The Evolutionary War resumes in Væmpires: Zombie Rising.

Væmpires have taken control of twelve major cities. Their leader, Vielyn, seeks the atomic weapons that will bring the rest of the world to its knees.

Vampire forces are reeling. As Linq and Ray race to the royal estate to rendezvous with Cassandra and Daniel … the princess is captured and Daniel falls.

With the fate of world shifting to their teenage shoulders, Linq and Ray must deal with tremendous losses while battling a most unexpected—and undeadly—new foe.

Thomas Winship

Thomas Winship lives in New York. He holds an MBA in Management from St. Thomas Aquinas College, where he serves as MBA Director and adjunct professor of courses in English Composition, Communications, and Business. He also spent fifteen years working for a global pharmaceutical company, specializing in organizational development, talent management, and training.

Tom writes in his spare time. His first novel, a mystery/legal thriller entitled Temporary Insanity (a.k.a. Case Closed), was a 2008 finalist in a national contest but failed to garner industry attention. He published Vaempires: Revolution last October and a follow-up novella, Vaempires: White Christmas, in December. He is currently working on the next installment of the Vaempires series.

Tom is an avid collector of books, comic books, music, and movies. His interests are diverse—on any given day, Tom is likely to be found watching a horror movie, attending a hard rock concert, or enjoying a Broadway show.

Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

YouTube

Goodreads

Shelfari

Væmpires: Zombie Rising will be released in October 2012. However, you can view the book trailer and read the entire book during the Dark Mind Book Tours pre-release tour that begins September 10th. Details announced soon!