S.M. McEachern's Blog, page 11
February 16, 2013
Goodreads Groups Featuring Sunset Rising
I am very happy to announce that Sunset Rising will be a featured read on the Goodreads group YA Apocalyptic & Dystopian Fiction and I will be putting out another Smashwords coupon code for March. Anyone interested in getting a freebie of Sunset Rising to read over the March Break can join in on the monthly read with this awesome group!
There is still time to join GRs Addicted to Novels: YA and More and participate in the February read of Sunset Rising for free with a terrific group of people!
And I encourage anyone interested Sunset Rising to contact me directly here on my blog. I always love hearing from my readers and enjoy any feedback you would like to leave me. I have received some amazing support and reviews from readers and I thank each and every one of you!! You rock!
Cheers – Susan
Filed under: My Posts
February 8, 2013
5 Star Review from Sarah
Feb 06, 13
Read in February, 2013
Imagine not being able to feel the sun upon your face, or the wind caressing your skin. After World War Three in 2024,Nuclear Warfare forces 567 people underground – bringing a halt to a Democratic Government and forcing people to adopt a Dictatorial Government. Almost 283 years later, Seventeen year old Sunset O’Donnell has never been above ground and she’s never been free. She will never be free, unless she rises up for what she believes in. But, she can’t do it alone. One man, Jack Kenner, who has always lived freely, will take an extraordinary and unanticipated journey with her. They will, against all odds, fight for the freedom of an entire community of peoples, uniting them against an unjust and abusive Government.
I’ve always been a big fan of dystopian novels and have read a few interesting ones, but Sunset Rising is one of the best ones I have read. What makes it so remarkable is the realism illustrated in this story. It’s not incredibly far-fetched to anticipate Nuclear War and what that would mean for desperate people seeking shelter, fighting to stay alive. As a reader, I was hooked early on in the story because I kept on asking myself, “What would I do?” It’s almost too scary to think of in great detail because it isn’t an unfamiliar fear.
One of my favorite themes in this story is the possible love developing between the two main characters because, throughout the entire book, even as they are fighting to stay alive, the possibility of love overcoming all obstacles is always beautiful. I liked how the author, S. M. McEachern, didn’t allow the main character’s feelings for each other dominate the storyline. She tastefully and realistically evolved their relationship throughout the story, which not all authors have the ability to do. I’ve read too many books, where the main characters fall in love way too easily and have an unrealistic relationship, seeming forced and unnatural.
I am honestly glad that I gave this book a chance and look forward to reading more of what S. M. McEachern has to offer, including the next installation of this promising series.
Filed under: Reviews
February 7, 2013
Sunset Rising Free for February
I wanted to remind everyone that I am having a promotion on “Sunset Rising” for the month of February through the Addicted to Novels Goodreads group and the Addicted to Novels blog site. Join either one of those groups (or both!) and contact the moderator for a free copy of the book from Smashwords.
Filed under: My Posts
January 31, 2013
New Sunset Rising bookcover!
I’m sure you will agree that Nathalia Suellen is an amazing artist. Nathalia has captured Sunny sitting on the stone stairway that leads down into the Pit at the moment Sunny realizes what she has done. But as we all know, Betrayal is just the beginning.
Filed under: My Posts
January 27, 2013
Update
February 1st is quickly approaching and I’ve been working hard to get ready! My first “Sunset Rising” satellite story will be posted here on my blog, so if you want to see how Reyes is handling the break-up, check it out!
My new book cover is on schedule and looking gorgeous! Nathalia Suellen is so talented and it’s been an absolute pleasure working with her. I can’t wait to see what springs from her imagination for the entire series!
In case you didn’t already know, I have teamed up with “Addicted to Novels” to be their February read of the month! If you’re interested in an a giveaway of “Sunset Rising”, head on over to the Goodreads group, Addicted to Novels YA and More or Addicted to Novels Blog and become a member of one of those two sites (or both – they are fantastic!).
Filed under: My Posts
January 17, 2013
Why I think “Young Adult” is 16+
When I decided to write a Young Adult novel, my first obstacle was figuring out the age group of YA fiction, so I went on a google search. This did not help. Some define the Young Adult age group as 12 to 18, while another site defined it the age group as low as ten, and some as high as 18 to 25. Wikipedia reports that 55% of Young Adult readers are over 18 years of age. In the end, I had to decide what age group I was writing for and I came up with this rationale: YA is sixteen and over. While this may seem like an arbitrary decision on my part, it is not. I will explain.
During the time I was struggling to define Young Adult, my 13 year-old daughter (although she is 2 months away from being 14) came home from school and told me about her day. She and her friend Birdie (yes, it’s a made up name to protect her real identity) were hanging out on the school grounds watching the popular boys. One of the boys suddenly turned around and started vomiting and the other boys walked away in disgust. Of course, the boys didn’t stay away for long. They returned to the scene with a stick in hand and started poking at the pile of barf. Grossed-out and yet fascinated all at the same time, my daughter and her friend watched as the boys dissected the contents of their friend’s stomach.
When the boys got bored of poking at the steaming pile and left, Birdie urged my daughter to come with her to check it out too. My daughter is a bit squeamish about barf and didn’t want to get too close, but she went in support of her friend and kept a respectable ten-foot distance. Fearless, Birdie went right up to the pile and reported back to my daughter that it was indeed chunky and had a really weird color. It also stunk. With their curiosity now satisfied, the girls left the pile in search of the boys to see what else they were going to get up to.
Now, can we really use a phrase with the word adult in it to describe these individuals? In my opinion, the word adult describes an individual with some maturity… and maturity is gained through experience. For instance, a mature person might actually know that breathing in the fumes of a pile of steaming, chunky vomit might actually make her sick too. In this case, the mature individual would not want to go near the pile of barf. Nor would she consider a boy who wants to poke it with a stick as eligible dating material.
Now let’s consider how a sixteen year old would have reacted to seeing someone barf on the school grounds. I’m going to guess that the vast majority of sixteen year olds would avoid the pile of barf, and maybe even one or two girls would seek help for the sick person. The sixteen-year old boys would probably not have the urge to poke it with a stick, although they would most likely have the urge to take a peek and profess loudly to each other whether or not it was chunky. Boys would do this for the same reason that when someone announces he farted, they all have to sniff the air to confirm the claim. This is mature behavior for boys since they rarely change with age. While some girls may be disgusted by the boys, by sixteen they have come to accept it as normal, quirky behavior; in other words, a guy thing.
My point is by the age of sixteen, most individuals have gained enough experience to start making some mature decisions. They recognize gender differences and are beginning to accept them… in fact, maybe even embrace them. They are leaving their childhood behind to embark on becoming an adult. And most societies do recognize sixteen as the age of initiation into adulthood. Western culture celebrates the sweet sixteen birthday, Spanish celebrate the cuinceañera, and other cultures see sixteen as an appropriate age for marriage. So, when I wrote a Young Adult novel, I did it with the understanding that a Young Adult is 16+.
Well, that’s how I came to the conclusion that the minimum age of a young adult is 16… a controversial claim that will no doubt inspire the reader to comment on. I look forward to hearing from you!
PS – I have allowed my 13 year-old daughter to read my novel, however she refuses to read it because she is too grossed out that her mother wrote about kissing. So there you have it; a pile of barf is less gross than me writing about feelings.
Filed under: My Posts
January 14, 2013
Satellite stories are here!
I’ve completed my first Satellite Story for the “Sunset Rising” series. Satellite stories are short stories, based on a character or an element of the series, designed to enhance the story. Although I love writing from Sunny’s point of view, there are things happening among some of the other characters that she can’t see; hence, satellites stories allow me to give the reader a “behind the scenes” look at what is going on. Your feedback is important!
I will publish each satellite as a post and alert readers on Twitter whenever I have a new story. So if you are interested, please follow me on Twitter: @smmceachern
My first satellite is about Reyes Crowe. He’s hasn’t been taking the break up with Sunny too well. In fact, he’s a little lost and looking to find his way. Enjoy!
Filed under: Satellite Stories
Coming Soon!
I’m beginning to work on my first Satellite Story for the “Sunset Rising” series. Satellite stories are short stories, based on a character or a new element of the series, designed to enhance the story. I will announce when the first story is published so be sure to follow my blog!
Filed under: Satellite Stories
January 13, 2013
New Book Cover!
I am pleased to announce that I am working with the very talented Lady Symphonia on a new book cover for “Sunset Rising”! Stayed tuned for a cover reveal in February.
In honor of the new book cover, I will be doing a big promotion on the book in February. Check back often for updates.
Filed under: My Posts
January 12, 2013
Blog is up and running
Blog address: smmceachern.wordpress.com
