E.J. Wesley's Blog, page 9
May 21, 2013
A Hard Day
Hey, gang. I'd planned to do some kind of writing related post today after taking last week off from the blog, but the Oklahoma tornado yesterday has kind of left me in one of those 'nothing I do is important' kind of places.
Most of you know I live in Texas. But I spent most of my life in Oklahoma. Almost all of my family, and my wife's family, still live there. I'm overjoyed to report they are all safe. Some cousins lost everything they own except for their lives, but all are accounted for.
The thing about Oklahoma that you wouldn't understand unless you've spent some time there, is how close we are as a state. That's partially due to it being a smaller state population-wise, and partially due to it being a primarily rural state. (We have 2 metropolitan areas, Oklahoma City & Tulsa. Both are fairly modest as far as big cities go.)
Closeness there isn't so much measured by proximity--get any old farmer to tell you about his "neighbors" and he'll mention some place 10 miles down the road--as it is the spirit of togetherness you share with the folks around you.
We celebrate the triumphs of our fellow Oklahomans like they were our own (most of us from there can recite all of the astronauts, famous musicians, athletes, etc. that claim Oklahoma as home like recalling our own family tree), and unfortunately, we also feel the pain of tragedy like it's our own.
I've shed a lot of tears since last night. My Oklahoman neighbors--my "family"--have lost children, parents, grandparents, siblings, pets, homes... too much to even comprehend. All in the span of a 30 minute monster storm.
The days ahead will be worse for them. The shock will wear off, and they'll be left to process the literal and psychological shreds their lives have become. Many will never regain what they've lost, and none will ever be the same.
But if you flip on the news, you'll see the real magic of the state going on already. My Facebook is overrun with people from the far reaches of Oklahoma already loading up semi-trailers full of supplies and donations to send to those affected. My nephew, who lives in Oklahoma City, went to the damaged area early this morning to start helping with the cleanup (he's an electrician, so he'll be a valuable volunteer, I think), and he's one of thousands that will do so. In fact, at some point they'll have to turn the general volunteers away there'll be so many.
Many of the major catastrophes to have hit Oklahoma (the Oklahoma City bombing, the May 3rd, 1999 F5 tornado--which hit almost the exact same area as yesterday's storm, etc.) and this is the way it always is. Oklahomans don't wait around for permission or incentive to help one another, they just do.
But it won't be enough. Not this time. There's just too many people impacted by this, and the losses are total for so many. There'll be people living in shelters for weeks, the only things they have left are what they wore in. There'll be thousands of pets with lost owners that will need to be fed and taken care of until they can be reunited or adopted. There'll be scores of injured folks that need blood and time to heal--time with no income for food and the necessities. The thousands of workers required to clean something of this scale up will need water, work gloves, and more to be able to do what they need to do... the list is endless.
So I'm asking all of you, if you're able, to help in some way. Maybe it's just by sharing this post and saying a few prayers. Maybe you can text the Red Cross to donate $10 (info below the pics & video). Maybe you're part of a church group or other organization, and can instigate a drive to send goods to those impacted. Whatever you can spare or do, it will be desperately needed, and forever appreciated.
I'm sharing some of the photos and videos I've seen in the last few hours that have impacted me the most. Below those, you'll find links with information on how you might be able to help. All of them are through locally and nationally recognized aid organizations, and I tried to provide links so you can investigate them yourself.
Thank you in advance for any help from an Oklahoman, for all of Oklahoma.
~EJ~
Video: Woman finds her dog in the rubble of her home on live TV.
Video: Stunning footage.
PHOTOS: Gallery of incredible destruction and survivor photos.
PHOTO: Being reported as the largest tornado on record at 2 1/4 miles wide.
PHOTO: A giant hail stone from the storm.
PHOTO: Puppy survives the storm.
YOU CAN HELP HERE
Financial
Text: REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10 (charged to your mobile bill I believe...)
orGo to http://www.redcross.org to donate
United Way of Central Oklahoma’s Disaster Relief Fund is open.
Donations may be made online at www.unitedwayokc.org or by mail to United Way of Central Oklahoma, P.O. Box 837, Oklahoma City, OK 73101 with notation for May Tornado Relief.
Contributions to the Moore & Shawnee Tornado Relief Fund can be made securely online at www.TulsaCF.org. Donations can also be mailed to TCF offices at 7030 S. Yale, Suite 600, Tulsa, OK, 74136.
Pets
The Pet Food Pantry of OKC is offering dog food, cat food, leashes, collars, food bowls, etc to those in need. (405) 664-2858 www.petfoodpantryokc.org (Go to the website to donate funds to their efforts.)
The Lost & Found May 20 Tornado Facebook page. (They share lots of good information about who is housing pets, etc.)
The Animal Resource Center of Oklahoma is housing lost/displaced pets and accepts donations.
Goods
The Red Cross truly needs your money as much as anything (they are already housing and feeding hundreds of people this AM), but if you're someone who can organize a large scale goods drive, some of the items being requested are:
Water,
Gatorade,
energy bars,
snacks,
non-perishable food,
cat and dog food,
clothing,
blankets,
air mattresses,
toiletries,
diapers for children and adults,
formula and bottles,
toys,
peroxide, disinfectant alcohol and medical supplies.
NEW items requested are rakes, shovels, brooms, bottled water, leather gloves, sunscreen, DEET insect spray, dust masks, trash bags and lip balm.
If you plan on doing a drive in the coming weeks, please contact the Red Cross prior to see what things they might need, as this list will likely change as more people donate and conditions continue to evolve.
May 8, 2013
IWSG + Indie Life: Debunking Perfection
Hey, gang! Hope everyone is doing well. Sorry I've been MIA lately, lots of travel, etc. and more to come I'm afraid. But I'm going to check in as often as I can. (So no house parties!)
I've been reading a lot of A to Z retrospective posts lately. Most of them sound something like this: "I screwed up and missed a day or two. I was overly ambitious with my theme. I feel like I've been on a month-long acid trip, I now wear bifocals, a clump of my hair fell out in the shower from the stress, and I have seizures every time my child sings his A,B,C's... but I had fun."
I've done A to Z a grand total of one time and that was enough to make me sympathize with you. It is fun. You meet crazy amounts of people. But it can totally deplete your blogging and social media mojo. Like for months.
It's especially hard on people who strive for perfection, or are just really serious about doing a good job. Which, DING DING DING you guessed it, includes most of us writer types.
You don't write for publication if you aren't driven to prove yourself--maybe just to you. Getting a story from concept to polished and shareable is grueling work. You have to care. Lots. It may sound harsh, but the people who don't care just don't last long in this business.
As part of that caring we often shoot for perfection. Or what we perceive to be perfection. Why put that pressure on ourselves? Because it's seemingly all everyone around us does.
Those annoyingly perfect bloggers that never miss a day, have ALL the followers, and share stuff so important that you never miss a post even though you secretly despise them. The authors who publish a new book every month and have one-hundred 5 star reviews two weeks before the book even drops. Those social media gurus who rack up follows and retweets like a dog collects fleas. The writer who just signed a six-figure deal for her first novel that isn't even finished and is exactly like the book you just read, just with angels instead of vampires, and were-monkeys instead of wolves.
They're perfect. Their lives are perfect. I bet if we went over to their house right now we'd find a Lexus with a bow on it in the driveway, their 2.5 kids playing hopscotch in the street with no traffic, and a labrador and kitten frolicking with deer in the front yard. It's enough to make you gag, but it shouldn't...
My fellow indies and insecure writers, I'm here to let you in on a little secret: It's total BS. Perfection is a myth. ESPECIALLY in the writing business.
We are ALL fraught with worry that our last story was indeed our last. We all set up at night wondering what the heck we're going to blog about tomorrow, or if we even want blog again at all. We all have days and weeks go by without writing a thing and are embarrassed by it because we call ourselves writers. We all watch television, Facebook, and Tweet when we should be reading something that will help us get better. We all have a backlog of manuscripts from friends we need to read and critique, but barely have time to sleep, so we keep putting them off. We all get bad reviews. We all have to answer to relatives we love who ask the, "When will you have something published?" questions. We all blush when we're truthful about how much time we put into this stuff and how little money we make in return. We all wish we did it for something other than money, but secretly know we'd sure like to make some money, too. We are all sick of rejection, and are ashamed by the number of dead manuscripts we have lying in the 'graveyard hard drive'. We all regret a few queries we hit 'send' on prematurely, a few blog posts we've published in anger, and the friends we've let down or lost touch with along the way to wherever we're at. We all reach a point where we want to give up.
So I guess I'm asking for everyone to let go of that perfection goal for a little while. (Doesn't have to be forever.) It's lofty and unattainable in your writing and in your life. It's okay to miss blog posts, to fail to promote a friend because you forgot, and to not write for a few days. Heck, it might even be a healthy dose of perspective.
And speaking of missing blog posts! My apologies to my IWSG friends for missing last Wednesday's monthly go-round. I have no excuse other than life swept me away. I'll do better next month, and know that you heavily inspired today's post. :)
Click the buttons to learn all about the Indie Life group and the Insecure Writer's Support Group. They are full of fantastic folks, and you won't regret joining up.
~EJW~
I've been reading a lot of A to Z retrospective posts lately. Most of them sound something like this: "I screwed up and missed a day or two. I was overly ambitious with my theme. I feel like I've been on a month-long acid trip, I now wear bifocals, a clump of my hair fell out in the shower from the stress, and I have seizures every time my child sings his A,B,C's... but I had fun."
I've done A to Z a grand total of one time and that was enough to make me sympathize with you. It is fun. You meet crazy amounts of people. But it can totally deplete your blogging and social media mojo. Like for months.
It's especially hard on people who strive for perfection, or are just really serious about doing a good job. Which, DING DING DING you guessed it, includes most of us writer types.
You don't write for publication if you aren't driven to prove yourself--maybe just to you. Getting a story from concept to polished and shareable is grueling work. You have to care. Lots. It may sound harsh, but the people who don't care just don't last long in this business.
As part of that caring we often shoot for perfection. Or what we perceive to be perfection. Why put that pressure on ourselves? Because it's seemingly all everyone around us does.
Those annoyingly perfect bloggers that never miss a day, have ALL the followers, and share stuff so important that you never miss a post even though you secretly despise them. The authors who publish a new book every month and have one-hundred 5 star reviews two weeks before the book even drops. Those social media gurus who rack up follows and retweets like a dog collects fleas. The writer who just signed a six-figure deal for her first novel that isn't even finished and is exactly like the book you just read, just with angels instead of vampires, and were-monkeys instead of wolves.
They're perfect. Their lives are perfect. I bet if we went over to their house right now we'd find a Lexus with a bow on it in the driveway, their 2.5 kids playing hopscotch in the street with no traffic, and a labrador and kitten frolicking with deer in the front yard. It's enough to make you gag, but it shouldn't...
My fellow indies and insecure writers, I'm here to let you in on a little secret: It's total BS. Perfection is a myth. ESPECIALLY in the writing business.
We are ALL fraught with worry that our last story was indeed our last. We all set up at night wondering what the heck we're going to blog about tomorrow, or if we even want blog again at all. We all have days and weeks go by without writing a thing and are embarrassed by it because we call ourselves writers. We all watch television, Facebook, and Tweet when we should be reading something that will help us get better. We all have a backlog of manuscripts from friends we need to read and critique, but barely have time to sleep, so we keep putting them off. We all get bad reviews. We all have to answer to relatives we love who ask the, "When will you have something published?" questions. We all blush when we're truthful about how much time we put into this stuff and how little money we make in return. We all wish we did it for something other than money, but secretly know we'd sure like to make some money, too. We are all sick of rejection, and are ashamed by the number of dead manuscripts we have lying in the 'graveyard hard drive'. We all regret a few queries we hit 'send' on prematurely, a few blog posts we've published in anger, and the friends we've let down or lost touch with along the way to wherever we're at. We all reach a point where we want to give up.
So I guess I'm asking for everyone to let go of that perfection goal for a little while. (Doesn't have to be forever.) It's lofty and unattainable in your writing and in your life. It's okay to miss blog posts, to fail to promote a friend because you forgot, and to not write for a few days. Heck, it might even be a healthy dose of perspective.
And speaking of missing blog posts! My apologies to my IWSG friends for missing last Wednesday's monthly go-round. I have no excuse other than life swept me away. I'll do better next month, and know that you heavily inspired today's post. :)
Click the buttons to learn all about the Indie Life group and the Insecure Writer's Support Group. They are full of fantastic folks, and you won't regret joining up.
~EJW~
May 1, 2013
Come Party With NA Alley & NA Lit Chat + Maybe Win A Load of Books!
It's party time!!! Come join us at #NAPARTY tonight at 8pm EDT over at Twitter. We have some serious book prizes to give away tonight, so you're not going to want to miss it.♥ DETAILS ♥
Who: NA Alley
What: Our 1st Blogiversary Party
Where: Twitter (#NAParty)
When: May 02, 2013 from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. EDT
Why: Because we love you!
Come on and check out the author websites. They all donated to this awesome event so let's give them some love:
Summer Lane: Website | Blog | TwitterCarrie Butler: Amazon | Twitter | FacebookEJ Wesley: Goodreads | Twitter | FacebookLynn Rush: Goodreads | Twitter | AmazonJuliana Haygert: Blog | Twitter | FacebookVictoria Smith: Blog | Twitter | FacebookJaycee DeLorenzo: Blog | Goodreads | TwitterLG Kelso: Blog | Twitter
Once the NA Alley Party is over, join the after party at NA Lit Chat!
Hey, gang! (E.J. here) Once you're done partying with Lynn and the others, I hope you'll stick around for the official NA Alley Blog-NA Lit Chat After Party! It's super exclusive, and only those who know the password are allowed in. Closed-toed shoes and bottle service are a must!
Okay, it's not THAT exclusive, but it does require a Twitter account and the use of the #NALitChat tag in your tweets. And you'll probably be asked to verify your fandom for Channing Tatum... but that's a story for another time. :)
What is NA Lit Chat? I'll tell you: In 2012 I stumbled across this band misfit NA bloggers called NA Alley. I got really excited about this NA stuff, started tweeting with the Alley contributors, and began cyber-stalking their blogs.
In one of my correspondences to them I said that I was going to start using the #NALitChat tag on Twitter, because if YA, Adult, Indie, etc. had their own hash, NA should too. Shortly thereafter, one of the Alley ladies contacted me and said, "Hey, we should totally have a weekly chat, too. Why don't you do it?"
I was like, "I don't know how... but hell yes!"
Much weeping, gnashing, and planning ensued, but eventually we gave birth to a thriving Twitter chat in July of last year. You'll notice I said "we", because without the gentle--but persistent--nudging and support of the Alley folks I don't think I'd have had the courage to do it on my own.
Since that time, the chat has boomed. We trend on Twitter most weeks. Some of the fledgling writers who I first met on the chat not even a year ago are now USA Today and NYT bestselling authors. (No credit to the chat by the way--just an example of the kind of awesome we attract! lol) We regularly have guests and publishing industry experts who share their knowledge and insight with our NA chatters. All of which might not seem like that big of a deal, but when we started this thing, I figured most weeks it would be me, Carrie, Jaycee, Victoria, Summer, Juliana, Bailey, and L.G. talking about what we had for dinner.
In short, I've been blown away by all the fervor for NA just like everyone else, and I like to think the chat is a small part of it all. And I also think NA Alley--like so many other things in the NA community of ours--was a key part of making it happen.
So join us (9 PM EST) after the NA Alley Twitter Celebration tonight, and help Carrie and the others keep the party going.You'll meet a ton of fellow NA cheerleaders, chat with NA authors, and probably make some new friends, too. Bonus: We do this Twitter NA chat thing EVERY Thursday night, so you might even have a new hangout when it's all said and done.
Happy Blogiversary NA Alley!
Your Grateful Fans,
E.J. & Everyone From #NALitChat
April 18, 2013
THANK YOU!!!! And news...
Hey, gang! I wanted to jump on here and thank all of you who pitched in for my W4WS efforts this week. It was an amazing few days of excitement, and was a good reminder for me that no matter what kind of ugliness the world demonstrates, the beauty of simple kindness always overshadows it.
It also once again left me wondering what I'd done to deserve the kind of support y'all continue to show me. You're fantastic, and if I had to do this writing 'thing' tomorrow without you or not at all, I think I'd choose 'not at all'.
Enough of my sappiness--how about some news?
First, blogger-writer-publicspeaking wizard, L. Diane Wolf, gave me a shout out on her blog--for being helpful to others, no less. I was thrilled to be mentioned with some of MY sharing role rolemodels in this writing-blogging scene, but was mostly just like, "You think I'm a helpful guy? You should see my friends!" *see above sappiness* You can read it HERE. (And follow LD if you don't already--she rocks.)
Second, one of my personal author heroes, Brinda Berry, shared me on her blog, not once, but twice this week! I think Brinda is awesome, but a little crazy for talking about me on multiple days. (We're trying to INCREASE traffic by blogging, B, not frighten folks off with talk of crazy, bearded people :D)
The first post mentioned my W4WS shenanigans. The second was for her A to Z 'N' day.
She chose 'New Adult Literature' (NA). As you all know, I'm fairly crazy about the subject, so I suppose it was fitting she threw my name/work out. But honestly, it mostly just surprised (and honored) the heck out of me.
Apparently, Brinda read my little story, Blood Fugue, on a recent vacation (yes, we're ALL jealous of you now, B) and reviewed it on Goodreads. In short, she enjoyed it, and was pleased to find a New Adult story that wasn't Contemporary Romance. (Note: The Moonsongs books are definitely NOT Contemporary Romance.)
Anyway, it was fitting, because my first post as an official member of the NA Alley Blog was also this week, and I basically blogged about the EXACT same thing.
NA is evolving into so much more than some kind of sexified, sub-genre of YA, and I hope I can reflect that a little with my writing and actions.
You can read my inaugural NAAB post HERE. (And I'd love for y'all to follow me over there, too.)
FINALLY, and also on the NA front, if you're at all interested in checking out what all the fuss is about, or generally want to pick some brains about the category, tonight is the night for you!
The first ever 'NA Super-Chat' is going down, and it's a coordinated effort to bring three of the larger online NA communities together: The New Adult Authors G+ Community, The NA Lit Chat Twitter group (yes, I'm still doing that thing, too lol), and NA Alley.
It'll involve a combination of a live G+ Hangout (with yours truly on air with others) AND the usual #NALitChat Twitter chat. If you take part and follow the Twitter discussion, you'll be able to ask questions and comment to the G+ panel in real time, and we'll be responding on air.
Cool, right? You'll find all the details HERE. But basically, just be free at 9 PM EST tonight, log onto Twitter and follow the #NALitChat convo, then hop over to the New Adult Authors G+ Community. (There'll be a link up there to watch/listen to the hangout.)
Would love to 'see' you all there if you have some free time. (Quit laughing... we all remember what free time was like. *scrunches brow pondering* It was fun... oh yes, we likes it, Precious.)
~EJW~
It also once again left me wondering what I'd done to deserve the kind of support y'all continue to show me. You're fantastic, and if I had to do this writing 'thing' tomorrow without you or not at all, I think I'd choose 'not at all'.
Enough of my sappiness--how about some news?
First, blogger-writer-publicspeaking wizard, L. Diane Wolf, gave me a shout out on her blog--for being helpful to others, no less. I was thrilled to be mentioned with some of MY sharing role rolemodels in this writing-blogging scene, but was mostly just like, "You think I'm a helpful guy? You should see my friends!" *see above sappiness* You can read it HERE. (And follow LD if you don't already--she rocks.)
Second, one of my personal author heroes, Brinda Berry, shared me on her blog, not once, but twice this week! I think Brinda is awesome, but a little crazy for talking about me on multiple days. (We're trying to INCREASE traffic by blogging, B, not frighten folks off with talk of crazy, bearded people :D)
The first post mentioned my W4WS shenanigans. The second was for her A to Z 'N' day.
She chose 'New Adult Literature' (NA). As you all know, I'm fairly crazy about the subject, so I suppose it was fitting she threw my name/work out. But honestly, it mostly just surprised (and honored) the heck out of me.
Apparently, Brinda read my little story, Blood Fugue, on a recent vacation (yes, we're ALL jealous of you now, B) and reviewed it on Goodreads. In short, she enjoyed it, and was pleased to find a New Adult story that wasn't Contemporary Romance. (Note: The Moonsongs books are definitely NOT Contemporary Romance.)
Anyway, it was fitting, because my first post as an official member of the NA Alley Blog was also this week, and I basically blogged about the EXACT same thing.
NA is evolving into so much more than some kind of sexified, sub-genre of YA, and I hope I can reflect that a little with my writing and actions.
You can read my inaugural NAAB post HERE. (And I'd love for y'all to follow me over there, too.)
FINALLY, and also on the NA front, if you're at all interested in checking out what all the fuss is about, or generally want to pick some brains about the category, tonight is the night for you!
The first ever 'NA Super-Chat' is going down, and it's a coordinated effort to bring three of the larger online NA communities together: The New Adult Authors G+ Community, The NA Lit Chat Twitter group (yes, I'm still doing that thing, too lol), and NA Alley.
It'll involve a combination of a live G+ Hangout (with yours truly on air with others) AND the usual #NALitChat Twitter chat. If you take part and follow the Twitter discussion, you'll be able to ask questions and comment to the G+ panel in real time, and we'll be responding on air.
Cool, right? You'll find all the details HERE. But basically, just be free at 9 PM EST tonight, log onto Twitter and follow the #NALitChat convo, then hop over to the New Adult Authors G+ Community. (There'll be a link up there to watch/listen to the hangout.)
Would love to 'see' you all there if you have some free time. (Quit laughing... we all remember what free time was like. *scrunches brow pondering* It was fun... oh yes, we likes it, Precious.)
~EJW~
April 14, 2013
#W4WS - I need the Wolf Pack!
Writers4Writers - I need the Wolf Pack!
I'm just one author, a lone wolf, plodding his way across the barren writing landscape. I throw my head back, and yelp a prayer to the heavens.
Tonight, as is all too often, my singular howl is stolen by the wind--an offering to the omnipotent Moon who sees all, yet responds to little. She jealously guards the way to the universe, and has left me unheeded at the gates again.
I'm alone...
I lower my gaze, preparing to trek onward--always onward--when a reply echoes in the distance. My ears perk. My claws instinctively sink into the hard, cold earth preparing to launch me into airless flight.
Could there be another?
Soon, one howl becomes a chorus. The wind yields to OUR voices! The Moon, she yawns in white and yellow radiance, bidding us enter to frolic among the stars! The Wolf Pack has found me. At last we run as one.
Today I'm extremely honored to be a featured author on Writers4Writers. What is W4WS? Here's the skinny:
Our Mission:
• Help writers bring awareness of their book(s) to tens of thousands of new people
• Help writers reach Amazon Top 100 in at least one category (i.e., suspense, free, etc.)
• Increase sales of their book(s) after the promo is over
• Drive new traffic to their blog and increase following
• Create verbal and viral buzz.
How it Works: The spotlighted author will choose a social media avenue, such as Twitter or Facebook (or both). Then, the good people of Blogdom will promote the author’s book to their Twitter followers or Facebook friends, that is, incredibly large new audiences the author could not reach on their own.
Facebook: The writer posts an image of their book along with a short blurb and a link to Kindle on their blog. Visitors simply click the Facebook page, then share the link with their FB friends. https://www.facebook.com/Writers4Writers
Twitter: The author posts pre-written Tweets on his/her blog. At your convenience, simply copy and paste Tweets into Twitter. Or go to #W4WS on Twitter and Retweet.
So there it is. For the next few days I'm asking the Wolf Pack (my fellow authors, bloggers, and friends) to join in howling my name to the sky in the hopes of helping me find a larger audience--and maybe even the stars. :)
Specifically, I'd like to share news of my latest release, Dark Prelude, Moonsongs Book 3:
Jenny Moonsong recently inherited the title of "monster hunter" and an ancient tribal journal/how-to manual passed down by her Apache ancestors. Unfortunately, a lot of on-the-job training is required to be a monster hunter, and unlike her computer repair business, this gig could literally kill her.
Dark Prelude finds the feisty protagonist, Jenny, searching for her best friend Marshal's missing father in the midst of a freak, West Texas winter storm. To survive the frigid night, she'll have to deal with a hated town rival, face a monstrous creature no Moonsong hunter has ever encountered before, and undo a mysterious curse. Can she keep everyone alive? If not, who will pay the ultimate price?
Dark Prelude is approximately 17,000 words or 53 pages, and is the third volume of the Moonsongs Books, an ongoing series of New Adult, paranormal-horror-action novelettes by author E.J. Wesley.
~Moonsongs Series List~
Blood Fugue, Moonsongs Book 1
Witch's Nocturne, Moonsongs Book 2
Dark Prelude, Moonsongs Book 3
If you'd like to run with the Pack, along with sharing links to this post, here's how you can help:
Tweet and/or Facebook about the latest book in the Moonsongs series, Dark Prelude:
DARK PRELUDE TWEETS TO COPY/PASTE
Jenny will face a monster no Moonsong hunter has ever faced before--Dark Prelude http://amzn.to/ZL0MUU #NewAdult #paranormal #fiction #W4WS
"The wind greedily pulled at his scarf and muted his voice...only the groaning tree branches replied." http://amzn.to/ZL0MUU #fiction #W4WS
Dark Prelude, Moonsongs Book 3--a #series of action-packed, para-horror novelettes--available now http://amzn.to/ZL0MUU #RT PLZ #W4WS #WS4U
DARK PRELUDE FACEBOOK UPDATES
#W4WS helping authors! Indie author E.J. Wesley just released Dark Prelude, the third installment of his Moonsongs Books, an ongoing series of New Adult, paranormal-horror-action novelettes. Action-packed, 'rural' fantasy in the vein of television shows like True Blood, Supernatural, and Walking Dead. http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Prelude-Mo...
#W4WS love! Help indie author E.J. Wesley spread the word about the latest installment in his 'rural fantasy' Moonsongs series. Dark Prelude is a New Adult, paranormal-horror-action novelette--with a Texas twist. http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Prelude-Mo...
I'm also making the first Moonsongs book, Blood Fugue, free on Smashwords this week for those who want to start the series from the beginning.
BLOOD FUGUE TWEETS TO COPY/PASTE
"...one of those endings that you least expect, giving it that "OMG" reaction." Read Blood Fugue #FREE today http://bit.ly/ZL9y5a #W4WS
"Jenny--is written amazingly well. She's a tough chick--& also surprisingly very funny." #READ Blood Fugue FREE http://bit.ly/ZL9y5a #W4WS
One last bit, feel free to create your own tweets, etc. with the links below:
Blood Fugue, Moonsongs Book 1, is available at:
Amazon
Smashwords
Barnes & Noble
Witch's Nocturne, Moonsongs Book 2, is available at:
Amazon
Smashwords
Barnes & Noble
Dark Prelude, Moonsongs Book 3, is available at:
Amazon
Smashwords
Barnes & Noble
E.J. Wesley can be found at:
Goodreads
Twitter
Facebook
A HUGE 'thank you' to everyone who helps. Your support, as always, means the world to me. :)
~EJW~
I'm just one author, a lone wolf, plodding his way across the barren writing landscape. I throw my head back, and yelp a prayer to the heavens.
Tonight, as is all too often, my singular howl is stolen by the wind--an offering to the omnipotent Moon who sees all, yet responds to little. She jealously guards the way to the universe, and has left me unheeded at the gates again.
I'm alone...
I lower my gaze, preparing to trek onward--always onward--when a reply echoes in the distance. My ears perk. My claws instinctively sink into the hard, cold earth preparing to launch me into airless flight.
Could there be another?
Soon, one howl becomes a chorus. The wind yields to OUR voices! The Moon, she yawns in white and yellow radiance, bidding us enter to frolic among the stars! The Wolf Pack has found me. At last we run as one.
Today I'm extremely honored to be a featured author on Writers4Writers. What is W4WS? Here's the skinny:
Our Mission:
• Help writers bring awareness of their book(s) to tens of thousands of new people
• Help writers reach Amazon Top 100 in at least one category (i.e., suspense, free, etc.)
• Increase sales of their book(s) after the promo is over
• Drive new traffic to their blog and increase following
• Create verbal and viral buzz.
How it Works: The spotlighted author will choose a social media avenue, such as Twitter or Facebook (or both). Then, the good people of Blogdom will promote the author’s book to their Twitter followers or Facebook friends, that is, incredibly large new audiences the author could not reach on their own.
Facebook: The writer posts an image of their book along with a short blurb and a link to Kindle on their blog. Visitors simply click the Facebook page, then share the link with their FB friends. https://www.facebook.com/Writers4Writers
Twitter: The author posts pre-written Tweets on his/her blog. At your convenience, simply copy and paste Tweets into Twitter. Or go to #W4WS on Twitter and Retweet.
So there it is. For the next few days I'm asking the Wolf Pack (my fellow authors, bloggers, and friends) to join in howling my name to the sky in the hopes of helping me find a larger audience--and maybe even the stars. :)
Specifically, I'd like to share news of my latest release, Dark Prelude, Moonsongs Book 3:
Jenny Moonsong recently inherited the title of "monster hunter" and an ancient tribal journal/how-to manual passed down by her Apache ancestors. Unfortunately, a lot of on-the-job training is required to be a monster hunter, and unlike her computer repair business, this gig could literally kill her.
Dark Prelude finds the feisty protagonist, Jenny, searching for her best friend Marshal's missing father in the midst of a freak, West Texas winter storm. To survive the frigid night, she'll have to deal with a hated town rival, face a monstrous creature no Moonsong hunter has ever encountered before, and undo a mysterious curse. Can she keep everyone alive? If not, who will pay the ultimate price?
Dark Prelude is approximately 17,000 words or 53 pages, and is the third volume of the Moonsongs Books, an ongoing series of New Adult, paranormal-horror-action novelettes by author E.J. Wesley.
~Moonsongs Series List~
Blood Fugue, Moonsongs Book 1
Witch's Nocturne, Moonsongs Book 2
Dark Prelude, Moonsongs Book 3
If you'd like to run with the Pack, along with sharing links to this post, here's how you can help:
Tweet and/or Facebook about the latest book in the Moonsongs series, Dark Prelude:
DARK PRELUDE TWEETS TO COPY/PASTE
Jenny will face a monster no Moonsong hunter has ever faced before--Dark Prelude http://amzn.to/ZL0MUU #NewAdult #paranormal #fiction #W4WS
"The wind greedily pulled at his scarf and muted his voice...only the groaning tree branches replied." http://amzn.to/ZL0MUU #fiction #W4WS
Dark Prelude, Moonsongs Book 3--a #series of action-packed, para-horror novelettes--available now http://amzn.to/ZL0MUU #RT PLZ #W4WS #WS4U
DARK PRELUDE FACEBOOK UPDATES
#W4WS helping authors! Indie author E.J. Wesley just released Dark Prelude, the third installment of his Moonsongs Books, an ongoing series of New Adult, paranormal-horror-action novelettes. Action-packed, 'rural' fantasy in the vein of television shows like True Blood, Supernatural, and Walking Dead. http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Prelude-Mo...
#W4WS love! Help indie author E.J. Wesley spread the word about the latest installment in his 'rural fantasy' Moonsongs series. Dark Prelude is a New Adult, paranormal-horror-action novelette--with a Texas twist. http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Prelude-Mo...
I'm also making the first Moonsongs book, Blood Fugue, free on Smashwords this week for those who want to start the series from the beginning.
BLOOD FUGUE TWEETS TO COPY/PASTE
"...one of those endings that you least expect, giving it that "OMG" reaction." Read Blood Fugue #FREE today http://bit.ly/ZL9y5a #W4WS
"Jenny--is written amazingly well. She's a tough chick--& also surprisingly very funny." #READ Blood Fugue FREE http://bit.ly/ZL9y5a #W4WS
One last bit, feel free to create your own tweets, etc. with the links below:
Blood Fugue, Moonsongs Book 1, is available at:
Amazon
Smashwords
Barnes & Noble
Witch's Nocturne, Moonsongs Book 2, is available at:
Amazon
Smashwords
Barnes & Noble
Dark Prelude, Moonsongs Book 3, is available at:
Amazon
Smashwords
Barnes & Noble
E.J. Wesley can be found at:
Goodreads
A HUGE 'thank you' to everyone who helps. Your support, as always, means the world to me. :)
~EJW~
April 12, 2013
Indie Life - Sharing is Caring
Hey gang! Sorry for the radio silence this week, but I've been really busy getting the 3rd Moonsongs book out into the world. I'm happy to report that it is! Here are the details if you're interested:
Jenny Moonsong recently inherited the title of "monster hunter" and an ancient tribal journal/how-to manual passed down by her Apache ancestors. Unfortunately, a lot of on-the-job training is required to be a monster hunter, and unlike her computer repair business, this gig could literally kill her.
Dark Prelude finds the feisty protagonist, Jenny, searching for her best friend Marshal's missing father in the midst of a freak, West Texas winter storm. To survive the frigid night, she'll have to deal with a hated town rival, face a monstrous creature no Moonsong hunter has ever encountered before, and undo a mysterious curse. Can she keep everyone alive? If not, who will pay the ultimate price?
Dark Prelude is the third volume of the Moonsongs Books, an ongoing series of New Adult, paranormal-horror-action novelettes by author E.J. Wesley.
(These stories contain language and content better suited for readers 17+)
Dark Prelude, Moonsongs Book 3, is .99 cents and available at:
Amazon
Smashwords
Barnes & NobleGoodreads
I missed my Indie Life post as part of the 'week of publishing hell madness', something I think every Indie author can certainly appreciate.
RANT -- If I ever meet Mark Coker in person--I've heard he's super nice btw--we're going to draw swords over Smashwords' vetting system is all I have to say. LOL I know they're rolling it out, but PLEASE hurry and make it to where I can just upload an ePub file and be done with it--I hate Microsoft Word with the firey passion of a thousand suns... I NEVER, ever thought I'd say this, but give me html any day over trying to 'clean up' a Word doc.-- RANT OVER
ANYWAY, today I'm going to make up for my Indie Life post by doing the most important thing the Indie community has taught me: Sharing.
I think authors, both traditional and Indie, do a fine job of supporting one another. I can name dozens of authors on both sides of the publishing coin who are true cheerleaders.
However, any Indie will tell you that having other authors lift you up isn't just a 'kind gesture' from supportive friends, it's required if you want to survive and thrive. We don't get shelf space at the front of Big Bookstore, Inc., and we typically don't get reviewed or spotlighted in major publications.
It's up to us to spread the word about each other.
Nothing made this so clear to me as this week when I was invited to take part in the Writers4Writers campaign. My day is coming up Monday (I'll post then with all of the details on how you can help me out if you have time/desire to do so), and I'm thrilled for the opportunity.
In a nutshell, W4WS is a movement to help authors expand their readership, and it's instigated by authors sharing links, etc. to a selected person's books during a short 'blitz' period. It's really at the heart of what the Indie community is all about.
So in that vein, and to build a little good karma for Monday :), I'm going to share two new book releases with you from some author friends of mine.
Destiny Gift by Juliana Haygert
Thirty years in the future, a sinister New York City exists in permanent darkness.
A student at the secured NYU, nineteen-year-old Nadine has visions of Victor Gianni, an imaginary guy she has real feelings for. Afraid of being truly insane, she explains the visions away as simple daydreams, but she can no longer deny them when she bumps into Victor in real life. But this Victor doesn’t know her, and turns her away. After the encounter, Nadine’s visions change to those of eerie fates, gods she’s never heard of, demons with sharp claws they are not too timid to use … and instructions.
To discover if she’s losing her mind, Nadine follows the vague directions—with the real, rude and reluctant Victor—leading to a man who knows it all: Nadine can restore an ancient creed by unveiling the clues on her visions, and bring sunlight and peace to the world again. But that’s only if the demons and the other evil forces behind the darkness don’t stop her first.
Amazon | Barnes&Nobles | Smashwords | Goodreads
Always by DM Yates
Always is the first in a series of New Age Fantasy Spiritual Romance novels. Two eternal lovers, Einarr and Katura and their circle of friends have travelled to Earth to experience mortal life several times. Now, they return again as Simon and April. The novel is situated mainly in England and begins when Simon is 36-years-old and searches the world for saleable antiques. His best friend's niece, 16-year-old April has come to England to spend the summer with relatives. She has a crush on Simon and Simon wants nothing to do with her. April believes she's on a mission to lead Simon to love and she is aided by her friend, a Celtic Wiccan Telulla and April's Great-Aunt Tillie. The book follows their lives through the years, ending when April is 80-years-old.
Amazon ~ Smashwords ~ Goodreads
A to Z is almost halfway over--keep it up! :D Hope you all have fantastic weekends!
~EJW~
Jenny Moonsong recently inherited the title of "monster hunter" and an ancient tribal journal/how-to manual passed down by her Apache ancestors. Unfortunately, a lot of on-the-job training is required to be a monster hunter, and unlike her computer repair business, this gig could literally kill her.
Dark Prelude finds the feisty protagonist, Jenny, searching for her best friend Marshal's missing father in the midst of a freak, West Texas winter storm. To survive the frigid night, she'll have to deal with a hated town rival, face a monstrous creature no Moonsong hunter has ever encountered before, and undo a mysterious curse. Can she keep everyone alive? If not, who will pay the ultimate price?
Dark Prelude is the third volume of the Moonsongs Books, an ongoing series of New Adult, paranormal-horror-action novelettes by author E.J. Wesley.
(These stories contain language and content better suited for readers 17+)
Dark Prelude, Moonsongs Book 3, is .99 cents and available at:
Amazon
Smashwords
Barnes & NobleGoodreads
I missed my Indie Life post as part of the 'week of publishing hell madness', something I think every Indie author can certainly appreciate.
RANT -- If I ever meet Mark Coker in person--I've heard he's super nice btw--we're going to draw swords over Smashwords' vetting system is all I have to say. LOL I know they're rolling it out, but PLEASE hurry and make it to where I can just upload an ePub file and be done with it--I hate Microsoft Word with the firey passion of a thousand suns... I NEVER, ever thought I'd say this, but give me html any day over trying to 'clean up' a Word doc.-- RANT OVER
ANYWAY, today I'm going to make up for my Indie Life post by doing the most important thing the Indie community has taught me: Sharing.
I think authors, both traditional and Indie, do a fine job of supporting one another. I can name dozens of authors on both sides of the publishing coin who are true cheerleaders.
However, any Indie will tell you that having other authors lift you up isn't just a 'kind gesture' from supportive friends, it's required if you want to survive and thrive. We don't get shelf space at the front of Big Bookstore, Inc., and we typically don't get reviewed or spotlighted in major publications.
It's up to us to spread the word about each other.
Nothing made this so clear to me as this week when I was invited to take part in the Writers4Writers campaign. My day is coming up Monday (I'll post then with all of the details on how you can help me out if you have time/desire to do so), and I'm thrilled for the opportunity.
In a nutshell, W4WS is a movement to help authors expand their readership, and it's instigated by authors sharing links, etc. to a selected person's books during a short 'blitz' period. It's really at the heart of what the Indie community is all about.
So in that vein, and to build a little good karma for Monday :), I'm going to share two new book releases with you from some author friends of mine.
Destiny Gift by Juliana Haygert
Thirty years in the future, a sinister New York City exists in permanent darkness.
A student at the secured NYU, nineteen-year-old Nadine has visions of Victor Gianni, an imaginary guy she has real feelings for. Afraid of being truly insane, she explains the visions away as simple daydreams, but she can no longer deny them when she bumps into Victor in real life. But this Victor doesn’t know her, and turns her away. After the encounter, Nadine’s visions change to those of eerie fates, gods she’s never heard of, demons with sharp claws they are not too timid to use … and instructions.
To discover if she’s losing her mind, Nadine follows the vague directions—with the real, rude and reluctant Victor—leading to a man who knows it all: Nadine can restore an ancient creed by unveiling the clues on her visions, and bring sunlight and peace to the world again. But that’s only if the demons and the other evil forces behind the darkness don’t stop her first.
Amazon | Barnes&Nobles | Smashwords | Goodreads
Always by DM Yates
Always is the first in a series of New Age Fantasy Spiritual Romance novels. Two eternal lovers, Einarr and Katura and their circle of friends have travelled to Earth to experience mortal life several times. Now, they return again as Simon and April. The novel is situated mainly in England and begins when Simon is 36-years-old and searches the world for saleable antiques. His best friend's niece, 16-year-old April has come to England to spend the summer with relatives. She has a crush on Simon and Simon wants nothing to do with her. April believes she's on a mission to lead Simon to love and she is aided by her friend, a Celtic Wiccan Telulla and April's Great-Aunt Tillie. The book follows their lives through the years, ending when April is 80-years-old.
Amazon ~ Smashwords ~ Goodreads
A to Z is almost halfway over--keep it up! :D Hope you all have fantastic weekends!
~EJW~
April 3, 2013
IWSG - Following The Leader
Hey gang! I said I wouldn't post much this month (and I won't), but I did want to participate in IWSG AND give a shout out to a few writer buddies here and there. :)
First, IWSG...
What is the Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG)?
Click the pic to join IWSG!Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer.
Following The Leader
A to Z is in full swing, and there's no better time to marvel at the productivity and creativity of the writing/blogging community. Hop around to just a handful of participating blogs, and I'll guarantee you'll see at least one idea, post, etc. that makes you shake your head and say, "How do they do this? For 30 freaking days in a row, no less!"
Then you see their following numbers shoot up a dozen people every day, while you've been stuck in the 430s for like two years. Then you see that their publishing a book this month ON TOP OF A to Z... and they're also getting married... and participating in three decathlons... and sewing their kid's prom dress while switching the entire family (there's 10 of them, by the way... with infant triplets) over to all organic food produced from the hydro-garden they grow in their attic... and--WELL, I think you're getting the picture by now.
These are folks we admire and look up to for good reason. They model the reality that writers are living, breathing folks who have to write when they have time, and nurture their author careers the best they can. Those people have gotten me through some tough times, because I've thought: If they can do all that, I can surely manage the little bit of 'stuff' on my plate.
But it can also make me feel like a total slug.
It can get very difficult to tread your own course in our 'little' online community. There are people modeling the success we crave and work for around every corner--almost like there's a secret elevator to the top of the mountain we're all trying to climb, and you're the only fool trying to do it the hard way (i.e., one rock at a time). There are people seemingly doing the exact same thing we're trying to do, but they do it ten-times faster with ten-times the results.
That's when I have to pump the breaks.
This isn't follow the leader. We have to live OUR life. Get up every morning, focus on what WE can do, do the hell out of it, and run it back again the next day. This is a cover of one of my favorite 'get your head straight' songs, Live Your Life by T.I. featuring Rihanna:
How great are those kids, btw? :)
It's fantastic having blog and writing heroes. I've definitely got several. (Hey Arlee & Alex! :) But at some point, we have to go our own way and be comfortable doing it.
~EJW~
Happy book birthday to Carol Kilgore & Solomon's Compass!
The lure of buried treasure. A sexy former SEAL who makes her crazy. Could USCG CDR Taylor Campbell want more? Don’t ask. A story of love, loyalty, and the value of keeping a promise, SOLOMON’S COMPASS is available at Amazon in paperback and Kindle.
Carol writes a blend of mystery, suspense, and romance she calls Crime Fiction with a Kiss. Always at least one crime; always a love story. You can find her here:
blog . website . facebook . twitter . goodreads . amazon
First, IWSG...
What is the Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG)?
Click the pic to join IWSG!Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer.
Following The Leader
A to Z is in full swing, and there's no better time to marvel at the productivity and creativity of the writing/blogging community. Hop around to just a handful of participating blogs, and I'll guarantee you'll see at least one idea, post, etc. that makes you shake your head and say, "How do they do this? For 30 freaking days in a row, no less!"
Then you see their following numbers shoot up a dozen people every day, while you've been stuck in the 430s for like two years. Then you see that their publishing a book this month ON TOP OF A to Z... and they're also getting married... and participating in three decathlons... and sewing their kid's prom dress while switching the entire family (there's 10 of them, by the way... with infant triplets) over to all organic food produced from the hydro-garden they grow in their attic... and--WELL, I think you're getting the picture by now.
These are folks we admire and look up to for good reason. They model the reality that writers are living, breathing folks who have to write when they have time, and nurture their author careers the best they can. Those people have gotten me through some tough times, because I've thought: If they can do all that, I can surely manage the little bit of 'stuff' on my plate.
But it can also make me feel like a total slug.
It can get very difficult to tread your own course in our 'little' online community. There are people modeling the success we crave and work for around every corner--almost like there's a secret elevator to the top of the mountain we're all trying to climb, and you're the only fool trying to do it the hard way (i.e., one rock at a time). There are people seemingly doing the exact same thing we're trying to do, but they do it ten-times faster with ten-times the results.
That's when I have to pump the breaks.
This isn't follow the leader. We have to live OUR life. Get up every morning, focus on what WE can do, do the hell out of it, and run it back again the next day. This is a cover of one of my favorite 'get your head straight' songs, Live Your Life by T.I. featuring Rihanna:
How great are those kids, btw? :)
It's fantastic having blog and writing heroes. I've definitely got several. (Hey Arlee & Alex! :) But at some point, we have to go our own way and be comfortable doing it.
~EJW~
Happy book birthday to Carol Kilgore & Solomon's Compass!
The lure of buried treasure. A sexy former SEAL who makes her crazy. Could USCG CDR Taylor Campbell want more? Don’t ask. A story of love, loyalty, and the value of keeping a promise, SOLOMON’S COMPASS is available at Amazon in paperback and Kindle.
Carol writes a blend of mystery, suspense, and romance she calls Crime Fiction with a Kiss. Always at least one crime; always a love story. You can find her here:
blog . website . facebook . twitter . goodreads . amazon
March 29, 2013
Frailties Of The Bond
Gang! Super excited to share this fantastic new release from our blogging/writing sister-at-arms, Angela Brown.
AB is legit, and so is this cover:
The dirty on Frailties...
NEO – Network of Extraordinaires and Otherworldlies:
Those who answer the call from NEO play their part in maintaining balance in our ever-changing times. With power-hungry malcontents, jealous gods, and even those with misguided good intentions, the fate of our world has oft been held in the hands of unsung heroes such as those that are members of NEO.
But before NEO, these heroes and heroines had lives, loves, issues and interests that didn’t involve saving mankind.
In Frailties of the Bond, it only takes one bite to change a life…
After a hiking trip gone wrong, sixteen-year-old Luca should have been dead. Since then, he’s drifted from one school day to the next, annoyed by the looks of suspicion. When a vampire attack claimed his mother and forced his first shift into animal form, Luca set out for Texas, vengeance bound, only to discover so much more when Aimee crossed his path.
Flesh-born of vampire parents sixteen years ago, Aimee shouldn’t exist. Magic, though, made dreams come true for an undead couple desperate for a child all their own. But this magic came with a price, a cost Aimee discovered after one forbidden bite.
An Excerpt:
“That’s not the way to really drink, beautiful.” He pulled down his collar, tilted his neck and exposed his jugular to me. The vein throbbed to the steady beat of his heart. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
Bloodlust slapped me like a cornered beast. Ignored for far too long.
I sprang at Trevor, my bared lips a hair’s breadth from his neck, the pulse teasing and inviting. My lips trembled. They grazed his smooth skin. The very idea of sucking his blood sent fire coursing from my core, splintering throughout my body. My fangs drew forth.
I closed my eyes, resisting long enough to stutter out a squeaky breath.
“Do it,” he rasped.
I sank in my fangs. Hot blood splashed against the roof of my mouth and soaked my tongue. Like the B-shop anty pouches, I sucked it down my throat like melted chocolate. I suctioned my lips to keep every delicious drop within the circle surrounding my puncture marks.
Quivers wracked my body. I dropped my Bloody Joey and held to Trevor for dear life.
He gasped, then started moaning. But not from pain. No. Something else was going on with Trevor. My heartbeat quickened and I felt…ALIVE. Complete bliss crested like a crescendo where his heart and mine beat as one. This was the wonderful thing my parents kept from me my whole life. For one heartbeat, I despised my parents for keeping me from experiencing such a high. When I opened my eyes, the moment crashed.
Where you can find Frailties:
Buy links: Amazon US, Kobo,B&N
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17406766-frailties-of-the-bond
Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6476148.Angela_Brown
Angela Brown in the Pursuit of Publishness blog: http://publishness.blogspot.com/
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Angela-Brown/e/B009JJEX60
Partners in ParanormYA (with Gwen Gardner): http://partnersinparanormya.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/neostateofmind
PIP Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Partners-in-ParanormYA/462052430493091
The dirty on AB...
Born and raised in Little Rock, AR, Angela now calls Central Texas home.
Reading and writing have been lifelong passions. It was around the time she gave birth to her forever-love, nicknamed Chipmunk, that she really took writing seriously. After all, how could she teach her child to follow her dreams if she hadn't tried herself?
As a YA fantasy/sci-fi reader and author, she favors the magical, mysterious, the darker side of life...even harbors a secret fright for things that go bump in the night.
NEVERLOVE is a special project spawned from a blog-challenge-turned-blog-opera, the Abby and Basil affair. It is the first in the Shadow Jumpers series.
FRAILTIES OF THE BOND is the first in a series of novellas and short stories introducing heroes and heroines of the secret organization, NEO – Network of Extraordinaires and Otherwordlies.
Congrats AB! Have a feeling this one is going to be huge!
If you leave a comment on this post to wish Angela luck, I'll enter you for a chance to win a free eCopy of Frailties.
Also, want to wish everyone a happy Easter and a great weekend, too. :)
~EJW~
March 27, 2013
My A-Z Plans & New(s) Adult
Winner! Winner!
Congrats to Melissa Maygrove on winning last week's giveaway for a free eCopy of Julie Flanders' Polar Night! Julie will be in touch, and I hope you enjoy. :)
My A to Z Plan... or Lack Thereof
Hey gang! April is nigh, and that means the A to Z blogfest is getting ready to explode our inboxes and web readers. It's a great bit of fun, but an extremely nuts time for those who participate.
I've decided to abstain this year as I'm very busy preparing my third Moonsongs book for launch (coming very soon!), prepping my home and family to relocate across the country in June, and adapting to some exciting new blog/writing opportunities. (More on that below...)
So what's my A-Z plan, then? To support you all, of course! Almost every blogger I follow is doing A-Z, so I'm going to spend my time commenting on and sharing your posts. As a result, this blog will be pretty quiet in April.
But you'll probably still be able to find me around the blog world...
New(s) Adult
If you've been following this blog very long, it's no secret that I'm a fan of New Adult literature. I love the idea of creating stories specifically for the 18 to 20-something crowd. It's a time in life when folks are truly just figuring out adulthood. They're actively conquering life and, sometimes, life is conquering them.
Being that age often means struggling to find a career or an identity in the professional world. It can also mean a lot of exploration in relationships with a freedom and responsibility not experienced in the teenage years.
In short, it's a dynamic life stage. A stage that was very meaningful to me personally, and one I think deserves some real attention from both readers and storytellers alike.
I truly believe it's not a category of literature that simply should exist, it's a category that demands to exist. (And does now!) That passion is what led me into the New Adult community online.
How I got into NA
Just under a year ago I was totally floored to find this blog of New Adult writers and enthusiast called NA Alley Blog. At the time, I had no idea there was a name for the kinds of stories I mentioned above. I just knew I was writing them, and that I wanted to read more like them.
After visiting with NAAB, an idea was hatched to start a weekly New Adult chat on Twitter. So I did.
I honestly figured it would just be me and those enthusiastic ladies from NA Alley doing all of the chatting at these things. People in publishing circles were still very uneasy with the concept of New Adult, it seemed, and considering I'd just heard of the term myself, I couldn't imagine there'd be much interest.
I was very, very wrong.
The chat was an instant hit, and thanks to the support/knowledge of the folks at NA Alley, it became a real resource for the NA community. We had authors of all kinds, readers of all kinds, editors, etc. stopping in to chat with us on a regular basis. Word of mouth spread, and within weeks we were regularly trending on the BIG Twitter lists.
Amazing!
I'm proud to say that the chat is still going strong (we'll celebrate our first birthday in July), and has grown into quite a 'thing'. I still host most Thursday nights, but have been able to tap into a network of professionals who are eager to share their expertise with New Adult writers. So you never know who'll be around!
Meanwhile, New Adult has also become quite a thing. Publishers are eagerly looking for it, big time media is starting to investigate it, and readers are snapping it up.
And I truly think it only goes up from here.
My next role in the NA movement is...
That's why I was so thrilled to apply to be, and subsequently be accepted (last week!) as an official contributor to NA Alley Blog. These are the folks who got me into NA, the people I turned to for NA answers, and now I get to be a part of that for others.
As part of NA Alley Blog I'll have a special opportunity to share my--hopefully--unique voice with a diversity of writing and reading communities. I'll do my best to bring energy, fun, and encouragement as well.
I'll be blogging about NA centric things over there on a regular basis, as well as taking part in the various activities and initiatives on that front. I'll be sharing that stuff with you all, of course, but this blog will still be my own--for better or worse. :)
I'll be busy, and it may take me a while to figure out how to mange three blogs/endeavors (I'm still running the NA Lit Chat blog). But I hope you'll stick around to see where this latest adventure takes me. Who knows, maybe you'll even join me on the NA front?
A Special Thank You
I want to publicly thank Alex Cavanaugh and P.K. Hrezo for endorsing my application. If you know them (how could you not), you know they're special people in our writing community. They're great ambassadors for what we all do and aspire to do as writers online. They operate with a class, thoughtfulness, and spirit of community that is hard to find in my 'real life' relationships, much less from people I've never met face-to-face.
It's the spirit of people like P.K. and Alex I hope I bring to the NA community, so they were naturally the first people I approached to write me notes of recommendation for the NAAB position.
Just as naturally, I suppose, they said yes. :) In the end, they are more than role models, they are people I'm proud to call friends. And I hope they would consider me the same.
~EJW~
Congrats to Melissa Maygrove on winning last week's giveaway for a free eCopy of Julie Flanders' Polar Night! Julie will be in touch, and I hope you enjoy. :)
My A to Z Plan... or Lack Thereof
Hey gang! April is nigh, and that means the A to Z blogfest is getting ready to explode our inboxes and web readers. It's a great bit of fun, but an extremely nuts time for those who participate.
I've decided to abstain this year as I'm very busy preparing my third Moonsongs book for launch (coming very soon!), prepping my home and family to relocate across the country in June, and adapting to some exciting new blog/writing opportunities. (More on that below...)
So what's my A-Z plan, then? To support you all, of course! Almost every blogger I follow is doing A-Z, so I'm going to spend my time commenting on and sharing your posts. As a result, this blog will be pretty quiet in April.
But you'll probably still be able to find me around the blog world...
New(s) Adult
If you've been following this blog very long, it's no secret that I'm a fan of New Adult literature. I love the idea of creating stories specifically for the 18 to 20-something crowd. It's a time in life when folks are truly just figuring out adulthood. They're actively conquering life and, sometimes, life is conquering them.
Being that age often means struggling to find a career or an identity in the professional world. It can also mean a lot of exploration in relationships with a freedom and responsibility not experienced in the teenage years.
In short, it's a dynamic life stage. A stage that was very meaningful to me personally, and one I think deserves some real attention from both readers and storytellers alike.
I truly believe it's not a category of literature that simply should exist, it's a category that demands to exist. (And does now!) That passion is what led me into the New Adult community online.
How I got into NA
Just under a year ago I was totally floored to find this blog of New Adult writers and enthusiast called NA Alley Blog. At the time, I had no idea there was a name for the kinds of stories I mentioned above. I just knew I was writing them, and that I wanted to read more like them.
After visiting with NAAB, an idea was hatched to start a weekly New Adult chat on Twitter. So I did.
I honestly figured it would just be me and those enthusiastic ladies from NA Alley doing all of the chatting at these things. People in publishing circles were still very uneasy with the concept of New Adult, it seemed, and considering I'd just heard of the term myself, I couldn't imagine there'd be much interest.
I was very, very wrong.
The chat was an instant hit, and thanks to the support/knowledge of the folks at NA Alley, it became a real resource for the NA community. We had authors of all kinds, readers of all kinds, editors, etc. stopping in to chat with us on a regular basis. Word of mouth spread, and within weeks we were regularly trending on the BIG Twitter lists.
Amazing!
I'm proud to say that the chat is still going strong (we'll celebrate our first birthday in July), and has grown into quite a 'thing'. I still host most Thursday nights, but have been able to tap into a network of professionals who are eager to share their expertise with New Adult writers. So you never know who'll be around!
Meanwhile, New Adult has also become quite a thing. Publishers are eagerly looking for it, big time media is starting to investigate it, and readers are snapping it up.
And I truly think it only goes up from here.
My next role in the NA movement is...
That's why I was so thrilled to apply to be, and subsequently be accepted (last week!) as an official contributor to NA Alley Blog. These are the folks who got me into NA, the people I turned to for NA answers, and now I get to be a part of that for others.
As part of NA Alley Blog I'll have a special opportunity to share my--hopefully--unique voice with a diversity of writing and reading communities. I'll do my best to bring energy, fun, and encouragement as well.
I'll be blogging about NA centric things over there on a regular basis, as well as taking part in the various activities and initiatives on that front. I'll be sharing that stuff with you all, of course, but this blog will still be my own--for better or worse. :)
I'll be busy, and it may take me a while to figure out how to mange three blogs/endeavors (I'm still running the NA Lit Chat blog). But I hope you'll stick around to see where this latest adventure takes me. Who knows, maybe you'll even join me on the NA front?
A Special Thank You
I want to publicly thank Alex Cavanaugh and P.K. Hrezo for endorsing my application. If you know them (how could you not), you know they're special people in our writing community. They're great ambassadors for what we all do and aspire to do as writers online. They operate with a class, thoughtfulness, and spirit of community that is hard to find in my 'real life' relationships, much less from people I've never met face-to-face.
It's the spirit of people like P.K. and Alex I hope I bring to the NA community, so they were naturally the first people I approached to write me notes of recommendation for the NAAB position.
Just as naturally, I suppose, they said yes. :) In the end, they are more than role models, they are people I'm proud to call friends. And I hope they would consider me the same.
~EJW~
March 22, 2013
Where's The Science Fiction?
Where’s the Science Fiction?by Ellie Garratt
Thank you for hosting me, EJ. Today is the last day of my Passing Time Blog Tour. Where did the time go?
I guess most people looking at my Blog, Goodreads, Facebook or Google+ accounts will be used to seeing my spacewoman avatar. Although I write both science fiction and horror, I’ve always been crazy about science fiction. Star Trek. Battlestar Galactica. NASA. Space Camp. Dr. Who. The list goes on. I love anything to do with space or the unknown. So I’m sure some people have looked at my dark fiction story collection, Passing Time, and wondered what happened to the science fiction stories.
Well they are coming…in time. Taking Time is a collection of previously published and unpublished sci-fi stories, launching July 1st this year. It’s not a collection of alien abduction or time travel tales–it’s so much more. Here’s a teaser from one of the stories, Schrodinger’s Gamble:
“Take a seat, Charles. There are a few things we need to discuss,” the female says with an exasperated tone to her voice.
I stay standing.
Ignoring my failure to sit, she continues. “The thing is safety–your safety. We couldn’t possibly leave you out there to be savaged by The Fleet. Have you any idea of the tactics those friendly-faced terraformers would use to get your ticket? The deceit they would employ to pass themselves off as you? No. And we won’t even start talking about the dictators on Gemini I and II. So for your safety–for everyone’s safety–the draw is pre-determined.”
“Pre-determined?”
“You don’t think we leave it to chance do you? Let a random person or group of people win a planet. Considerable research and thought goes into deciding who is the best candidate for the job. Of course there have been mistakes–the first planet and the isolationists–but on the whole I think we got it right.”
“Job?”
“You don’t get it for nothing, young man,” the taller male answers. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “But I haven’t got it for nothing. I’ve spent the last seventeen years living on only half my food and water rations. I’d hardly call that nothing.”
I hope my teaser as wetted your appetite. I shall be doing a cover reveal in early June, so watch this space for further details.
EJ Note: Ellie is also the author of the recently released, Passing Time. I've just started reading, but can already highly recommend it to fans of horror and short fiction. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post to enter the tour giveaway! Here are the details:
Nine dark fiction stories that may just give you nightmares.
A man lives to regret Passing Time. A father will do anything to save his son in Expiration Date. An author finds out her worst nightmare is back in The Devil’s Song. A woman gets more than the claim fee when she takes out vampire insurance in Luna Black.
In Dining in Hell, the Death Valley Diner becomes the wrong place to stop.
A serial killer wants to add another file to his collection in The Vegas Screamer. In Eating Mr. Bone, an undertaker could meet an unfortunate end. A con man meets his first ghost in Land of the Free. And will truth finally be set free in The Letter?
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Goodreads
About The Author
A life-long addiction to reading science fiction and horror, meant writing was the logical outlet for Ellie Garratt’s passions. She is a reader, writer, blogger, Trekkie, and would happily die to be an extra in The Walking Dead. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and online. Passing Time is her first eBook collection and contains nine previously published stories. Her science fiction collection Taking Time will be published later in the year.
Website
Amazon
Goodreads
a Rafflecopter giveaway
