Bette Maybee's Blog, page 5
November 15, 2012
Paradise by the Dashboard Light...
No, I'm not sitting in my car with my cover model :) ... but I am sitting in front of the warm glow of my monitor in a darkened office, praying that no one knocks on the door to disturb my mid-day me-time. I'm sitting here in the dark because I want to tell you about last night...
Last night, I did something I never thought I'd be able to do...I completed my first round of edits for my publisher. Without screaming. Without crying. Without busting out a neglected bottle of Irish Mist from my top cupboard. You see, editing is a terrifying, gut-wrenching, amazingly exhilarating experience. I had no idea it would be like this!
When I first got my edits, I was almost afraid to open my email. What would she say? Would she want me to rewrite the whole thing? Would she hate it? Would she think I'm a complete idiot? Taking a deep breath, I hit download, and the whole, red mess came popping up. Actually, it wasn't a red mess. It was more... magenta. And it wasn't a mess. As a matter of fact, besides letting me know, repeatedly, that The Bird (as in flipping the bird) didn't need to be capitalized, the first chapter was left virtually untouched, which doesn't surprise me, since that's the chapter most authors pour 90% of their blood, sweat, and tears into. After that, the little magenta lights lit up my text sporadically, occasionally clustering in areas, indicating I may have been writing in my sleep which resulted in an overuse of commas, an occasional semi-colon, and even one section of head-hopping. These, thank goodness, were the easy fixes.
The challenge came with three panic-inducing comments. Marie, my editor, asked me to develop relationships and emotions in three main areas. At first I thought there was no way I was going to be able to do this. There was a reason I wrote it the way I did, and I thought it was near-perfect. (Authors tend to be very territorial about their babies, and Phoenix was definitely my baby.) But, knowing Marie was hired as an editor for a reason, I dug right down to the bottom of my soul (oh, yeah) and decided to look at my words through the eyes of my readers. And I knew. Marie, my now all-wise editor, was right.
So, last night I put the finishing touches on my first round of edits, reread them for the zillionth time, and I have to say I am forever grateful that Marie challenged me to stretch myself and my characters. I think the result is outstanding! I'm going to languish in that feeling for a while--at least until the next round of edits...
Last night, I did something I never thought I'd be able to do...I completed my first round of edits for my publisher. Without screaming. Without crying. Without busting out a neglected bottle of Irish Mist from my top cupboard. You see, editing is a terrifying, gut-wrenching, amazingly exhilarating experience. I had no idea it would be like this!
When I first got my edits, I was almost afraid to open my email. What would she say? Would she want me to rewrite the whole thing? Would she hate it? Would she think I'm a complete idiot? Taking a deep breath, I hit download, and the whole, red mess came popping up. Actually, it wasn't a red mess. It was more... magenta. And it wasn't a mess. As a matter of fact, besides letting me know, repeatedly, that The Bird (as in flipping the bird) didn't need to be capitalized, the first chapter was left virtually untouched, which doesn't surprise me, since that's the chapter most authors pour 90% of their blood, sweat, and tears into. After that, the little magenta lights lit up my text sporadically, occasionally clustering in areas, indicating I may have been writing in my sleep which resulted in an overuse of commas, an occasional semi-colon, and even one section of head-hopping. These, thank goodness, were the easy fixes.
The challenge came with three panic-inducing comments. Marie, my editor, asked me to develop relationships and emotions in three main areas. At first I thought there was no way I was going to be able to do this. There was a reason I wrote it the way I did, and I thought it was near-perfect. (Authors tend to be very territorial about their babies, and Phoenix was definitely my baby.) But, knowing Marie was hired as an editor for a reason, I dug right down to the bottom of my soul (oh, yeah) and decided to look at my words through the eyes of my readers. And I knew. Marie, my now all-wise editor, was right.
So, last night I put the finishing touches on my first round of edits, reread them for the zillionth time, and I have to say I am forever grateful that Marie challenged me to stretch myself and my characters. I think the result is outstanding! I'm going to languish in that feeling for a while--at least until the next round of edits...
November 13, 2012
Paradise by the Dashboard Light....
No, I'm not sitting in my car with my cover model :) ... but I am sitting in front of the warm glow of my monitor in a darkened office, praying that no one knocks on the door to disturb my mid-day me-time. I'm sitting here in the dark because I want to tell you about last night...
Last night, I did something I never thought I'd be able to do...I completed my first round of edits for my publisher. Without screaming. Without crying. Without busting out a neglected bottle of Irish Mist from my top cupboard. You see, editing is a terrifying, gut-wrenching, amazingly exhilarating experience. I had no idea it would be like this!
When I first got my edits, I was almost afraid to open my email. What would she say? Would she want me to rewrite the whole thing? Would she hate it? Would she think I'm a complete idiot? Taking a deep breath, I hit download, and the whole, red mess came popping up. Actually, it wasn't a red mess. It was more... magenta. And it wasn't a mess. As a matter of fact, besides letting me know, repeatedly, that The Bird (as in flipping the bird) didn't need to be capitalized, the first chapter was left virtually untouched, which doesn't surprise me, since that's the chapter most authors pour 90% of their blood, sweat, and tears into. After that, the little magenta lights lit up my text sporadically, occasionally clustering in areas, indicating I may have been writing in my sleep which resulted in an overuse of commas, an occasional semi-colon, and even one section of head-hopping. These, thank goodness, were the easy fixes.
The challenge came with three panic-inducing comments. Marie, my editor, asked me to develop relationships and emotions in three main areas. At first I thought there was no way I was going to be able to do this. There was a reason I wrote it the way I did, and I thought it was near-perfect. (Authors tend to be very territorial about their babies, and Phoenix was definitely my baby.) But, knowing Marie was hired as an editor for a reason, I dug right down to the bottom of my soul (oh, yeah) and decided to look at my words through the eyes of my readers. And I knew. Marie, my now all-wise editor, was right.
So, last night I put the finishing touches on my first round of edits, reread them for the zillionth time, and I have to say I am forever grateful that Marie challenged me to stretch myself and my characters. I think the result is outstanding! I'm going to languish in that feeling for a while--at least until the next round of edits...
Last night, I did something I never thought I'd be able to do...I completed my first round of edits for my publisher. Without screaming. Without crying. Without busting out a neglected bottle of Irish Mist from my top cupboard. You see, editing is a terrifying, gut-wrenching, amazingly exhilarating experience. I had no idea it would be like this!
When I first got my edits, I was almost afraid to open my email. What would she say? Would she want me to rewrite the whole thing? Would she hate it? Would she think I'm a complete idiot? Taking a deep breath, I hit download, and the whole, red mess came popping up. Actually, it wasn't a red mess. It was more... magenta. And it wasn't a mess. As a matter of fact, besides letting me know, repeatedly, that The Bird (as in flipping the bird) didn't need to be capitalized, the first chapter was left virtually untouched, which doesn't surprise me, since that's the chapter most authors pour 90% of their blood, sweat, and tears into. After that, the little magenta lights lit up my text sporadically, occasionally clustering in areas, indicating I may have been writing in my sleep which resulted in an overuse of commas, an occasional semi-colon, and even one section of head-hopping. These, thank goodness, were the easy fixes.
The challenge came with three panic-inducing comments. Marie, my editor, asked me to develop relationships and emotions in three main areas. At first I thought there was no way I was going to be able to do this. There was a reason I wrote it the way I did, and I thought it was near-perfect. (Authors tend to be very territorial about their babies, and Phoenix was definitely my baby.) But, knowing Marie was hired as an editor for a reason, I dug right down to the bottom of my soul (oh, yeah) and decided to look at my words through the eyes of my readers. And I knew. Marie, my now all-wise editor, was right.
So, last night I put the finishing touches on my first round of edits, reread them for the zillionth time, and I have to say I am forever grateful that Marie challenged me to stretch myself and my characters. I think the result is outstanding! I'm going to languish in that feeling for a while--at least until the next round of edits...
November 6, 2012
THERE IT IS!!!
OMG! I just checked out Evernight Teen and guess whose cover is featured on their homepage??? What a fantastic way to end the night! I just had to hop on here and share my good news before I head off to la-la land. Sweet dreams, everyone!
October 31, 2012
COVER REVEAL!!! Phoenix: The Rising
**loosening collar**
**clearing throat**
And now. . .
as promised . . .
the COVER . . .
PUBLISHING DATE: JANUARY 11, 2013
MUST . . . REMEMBER . . . HOW. . . TO . . . BREATHE . . .
Seriously, though, it took my breath away the first time I saw it! Evernight Teen caught all the elements I requested, and then some! I hope you love it as much as I do!
PHOENIX: THE RISING now has its own Goodreads Page and I would love it if you'd stop in for a visit and mark it as a To-Read! I also have a Goodreads Author's Page, if you'd care to take a look!
And please, PLEASE, know that I would love it if you'd become a member and follow this blog! It only takes a moment to sign up and I can promise you updates on Phoenix, future novels, and will start posting reviews of books by my awesome writerly-type friends--ala Nyrae Dawn, Kelley Vitollo, Alex Adams, Colleen Oakes, and Stephanie Lawton, to name a few!
Thanks so much for taking the time to be part of my COVER REVEAL!!
**clearing throat**
And now. . .
as promised . . .
the COVER . . .
PUBLISHING DATE: JANUARY 11, 2013
MUST . . . REMEMBER . . . HOW. . . TO . . . BREATHE . . .
Seriously, though, it took my breath away the first time I saw it! Evernight Teen caught all the elements I requested, and then some! I hope you love it as much as I do!
PHOENIX: THE RISING now has its own Goodreads Page and I would love it if you'd stop in for a visit and mark it as a To-Read! I also have a Goodreads Author's Page, if you'd care to take a look!
And please, PLEASE, know that I would love it if you'd become a member and follow this blog! It only takes a moment to sign up and I can promise you updates on Phoenix, future novels, and will start posting reviews of books by my awesome writerly-type friends--ala Nyrae Dawn, Kelley Vitollo, Alex Adams, Colleen Oakes, and Stephanie Lawton, to name a few!
Thanks so much for taking the time to be part of my COVER REVEAL!!
October 24, 2012
A SNEAK PEEK!!!
My cover for PHOENIX: THE RISING has finally arrived, and it's better than I ever dreamed it could be! Seeing the vision of my hero come alive before my eyes...seeing the title emblazoned across the image... seeing MY NAME in bold type across the bottom has been simply overwhelming! I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time when I first opened the email from my publisher. It's hard to believe this is really happening!
To give you a good idea of what PHOENIX: THE RISING is all about, here's the jacket blurb:
Every 300 years, the immortal Phoenix returns to Mono Lake to be reborn--but this time it didn't return alone. The Nephilim are back in force, trying to keep it from being reborn so one of them can claim its immortality. But first they have to figure out who the Phoenix is--and any red-haired, green-eyed, seventeen-year-old in the area is fair game. And so, the killing begins...
Julie Mason doesn't believe all this legend crap until she falls for Eli Sullivan, whose hallucination-inducing kiss not only saves her, but makes her the Nephilim’s prime target. But, it's worth the risk. Her death is inevitable...not even Eli can prevent it. All she has to do is keep the Nephilim off Eli’s trail until The Rising. Once Eli is reborn and forgets his past life, Julie’s life is over, whether she’s dead or not. At least that's what she thinks...
PHOENIX: THE RISING is aimed at the upper young adult (high school-aged), new adult (college-aged), and adult audience. It's most definitely not for younger readers. Although I'd love to share the entire cover with you, right now you'll have to settle for a SNEAK PEEK! Keep checking back for the total COVER REVEAL which will be happening soon. I promise!
And now, for a peek at my banner...I hope you love it as much as I do!
COMING JANUARY 11, 2013 FROM EVERNIGHT TEEN !
To give you a good idea of what PHOENIX: THE RISING is all about, here's the jacket blurb:
Every 300 years, the immortal Phoenix returns to Mono Lake to be reborn--but this time it didn't return alone. The Nephilim are back in force, trying to keep it from being reborn so one of them can claim its immortality. But first they have to figure out who the Phoenix is--and any red-haired, green-eyed, seventeen-year-old in the area is fair game. And so, the killing begins...
Julie Mason doesn't believe all this legend crap until she falls for Eli Sullivan, whose hallucination-inducing kiss not only saves her, but makes her the Nephilim’s prime target. But, it's worth the risk. Her death is inevitable...not even Eli can prevent it. All she has to do is keep the Nephilim off Eli’s trail until The Rising. Once Eli is reborn and forgets his past life, Julie’s life is over, whether she’s dead or not. At least that's what she thinks...
PHOENIX: THE RISING is aimed at the upper young adult (high school-aged), new adult (college-aged), and adult audience. It's most definitely not for younger readers. Although I'd love to share the entire cover with you, right now you'll have to settle for a SNEAK PEEK! Keep checking back for the total COVER REVEAL which will be happening soon. I promise!
And now, for a peek at my banner...I hope you love it as much as I do!
COMING JANUARY 11, 2013 FROM EVERNIGHT TEEN !
October 7, 2012
SQUEEEEEE!!!!!!!!
WOW! I can't believe I finally get to say it, but here goes ... I'm being published!!! PHOENIX: THE RISING (yes, I changed the title again, but an author gets to do that!) is set to be one of the launching titles for Evernight Teen, with a tentative release date of January 2013. Until then, you can check out my author's bio page at http://www.evernightteen.com/bette-maybee/ .
BUT WAIT ... THERE'S MORE!
If you're a YA author, Evernight Teen has a CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS going on right now. Head on over to http://www.evernightteen.com/submissions/ and get those manuscripts sent in!
BUT WAIT ... THERE'S MORE!
If you're a YA author, Evernight Teen has a CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS going on right now. Head on over to http://www.evernightteen.com/submissions/ and get those manuscripts sent in!
July 8, 2012
Elvis has left the building!!!
It was a long time coming, but I'm happy to announce that I have finally finished writing MONO LAKE. Yes, you read correctly. I've changed the title. Authors get to do that. :) I actually finished almost two weeks ago, but spent the last two weeks editing and writing a synopsis, which (THANK GOD!) I finally finished last night. Writing a synopsis is almost physically painful, since you have to summarize everything from your story in two pages.
In celebration, I'm going to post one final excerpt. This is a scene from the first quarter of the book where Julie finds out her best friend, Charsey, isn't the ditz she thinks she is.
“Charsey Winters. You’re looking delicious, as usual.”
Julie saw Kas’ eyes drift down to Charsey’s cleavage, which was billowing over her tube top. Charsey’s hand snaked up to Kas’ face. She pulled him to her and gave him a full-on kiss, pressing her chest up against his. Julie could swear she saw an exchange of tongues before Kas pulled away from her. Julie cleared her throat and looked up at Kas.“Kas, could you get me a beer?” Kas tore his eyes from Charsey’s cleavage. “Sure, babe. Be right back.” Julie had no intention of drinking. She just wanted to get Kas away from her for a few minutes so she could talk to Charsey. “Where’s Eli? I figured you’d be here with him.” Charsey’s eyes flashed. “Well, you figured wrong. I decided Eli isn’t my type.” Her eyes trailed over to Kas. “Now Kas, on the other hand ...” Julie couldn’t care less if Charsey was interested in Kas. As a matter of fact, she would gladly turn him over to her. But right now, she wanted to know what was going on with her ditzy friend. She grabbed Charsey by the arm and dragged her down the hallway. Finding an empty bathroom, she pulled her in and locked the door behind her.“Are you drunk, Charse?” Charsey pulled out a tube of strawberry lip-gloss from her pocket, turned to the mirror and applied a double layer, smacking her lips together in approval. “No.” She put the tube back in her pocket, then leaned forward and kissed the mirror, leaving a perfect imprint of her lips. “I’m not drunk, sweetie. I am in total control.”“Then why are you acting like this? Like a--”Charsey finished her sentence, “Ditz-extraordinaire?”She turned back towards Julie and cocked her head. “That is what you think of me, isn’t it Julie?”Julie lowered her eyes, ashamed that Charsey knew exactly what she thought of her. “Ummm ... well, yes, sometimes.” She looked back up to see Charsey smiling.“I’m a pretty good actress, aren’t I?” Charsey lifted an eyebrow. “Boys love the ditz, Julie. Well, most of them, anyways. Plus, it keeps me out of your precious AP classes. Those kindergarten courses I qualified for are a breeze, and that’s how I like it.” She unlocked the door and pulled on it. “You know what they say, Jules, ‘all work and no play makes Charse a dull girl’. A paraphrase of a very old proverb.” Charsey hesitated, closed the door again, and walked back to a now baffled Julie. “I like the second part of the proverb better, ‘all play and no work makes Charse a mere toy.’” She leaned in and whispered directly into Julie’s ear, “I like being a toy, Jules. I like it very much.” Julie swallowed and stood frozen to her spot as Charsey breezed out the door, humming. Who the hell was that?
In celebration, I'm going to post one final excerpt. This is a scene from the first quarter of the book where Julie finds out her best friend, Charsey, isn't the ditz she thinks she is.
“Charsey Winters. You’re looking delicious, as usual.”
Julie saw Kas’ eyes drift down to Charsey’s cleavage, which was billowing over her tube top. Charsey’s hand snaked up to Kas’ face. She pulled him to her and gave him a full-on kiss, pressing her chest up against his. Julie could swear she saw an exchange of tongues before Kas pulled away from her. Julie cleared her throat and looked up at Kas.“Kas, could you get me a beer?” Kas tore his eyes from Charsey’s cleavage. “Sure, babe. Be right back.” Julie had no intention of drinking. She just wanted to get Kas away from her for a few minutes so she could talk to Charsey. “Where’s Eli? I figured you’d be here with him.” Charsey’s eyes flashed. “Well, you figured wrong. I decided Eli isn’t my type.” Her eyes trailed over to Kas. “Now Kas, on the other hand ...” Julie couldn’t care less if Charsey was interested in Kas. As a matter of fact, she would gladly turn him over to her. But right now, she wanted to know what was going on with her ditzy friend. She grabbed Charsey by the arm and dragged her down the hallway. Finding an empty bathroom, she pulled her in and locked the door behind her.“Are you drunk, Charse?” Charsey pulled out a tube of strawberry lip-gloss from her pocket, turned to the mirror and applied a double layer, smacking her lips together in approval. “No.” She put the tube back in her pocket, then leaned forward and kissed the mirror, leaving a perfect imprint of her lips. “I’m not drunk, sweetie. I am in total control.”“Then why are you acting like this? Like a--”Charsey finished her sentence, “Ditz-extraordinaire?”She turned back towards Julie and cocked her head. “That is what you think of me, isn’t it Julie?”Julie lowered her eyes, ashamed that Charsey knew exactly what she thought of her. “Ummm ... well, yes, sometimes.” She looked back up to see Charsey smiling.“I’m a pretty good actress, aren’t I?” Charsey lifted an eyebrow. “Boys love the ditz, Julie. Well, most of them, anyways. Plus, it keeps me out of your precious AP classes. Those kindergarten courses I qualified for are a breeze, and that’s how I like it.” She unlocked the door and pulled on it. “You know what they say, Jules, ‘all work and no play makes Charse a dull girl’. A paraphrase of a very old proverb.” Charsey hesitated, closed the door again, and walked back to a now baffled Julie. “I like the second part of the proverb better, ‘all play and no work makes Charse a mere toy.’” She leaned in and whispered directly into Julie’s ear, “I like being a toy, Jules. I like it very much.” Julie swallowed and stood frozen to her spot as Charsey breezed out the door, humming. Who the hell was that?
June 3, 2012
Whatever Lucy wants...Lucy gets! (or does she??)
Just hit the 61K mark on Phoenix, and I'm so close to the end, I can taste it! Here's my latest snippet. Enjoy!
Lucy waited several minutes until she heard slow, steady breathing behind her. The feel of Eli's warm breath on her neck just about drove her crazy with desire, but she knew she had to move slowly or she could really screw things up. Patience, and just a few small movements brought her in full contact with the only body she had ever yearned for, and, as if it were scripted, his arm slid over her, pulling her close. The warmth of his form saturated hers, eliciting a soft moan from deep within her. She expected her body to scream for him to take her, but instead, a rush of contentment washed over her, and all it wanted to do was sleep. She felt something she'd never felt before. Safe. Safe in his arms. Lucy couldn't help but giggle. God, I must really be tired!
Lucy waited several minutes until she heard slow, steady breathing behind her. The feel of Eli's warm breath on her neck just about drove her crazy with desire, but she knew she had to move slowly or she could really screw things up. Patience, and just a few small movements brought her in full contact with the only body she had ever yearned for, and, as if it were scripted, his arm slid over her, pulling her close. The warmth of his form saturated hers, eliciting a soft moan from deep within her. She expected her body to scream for him to take her, but instead, a rush of contentment washed over her, and all it wanted to do was sleep. She felt something she'd never felt before. Safe. Safe in his arms. Lucy couldn't help but giggle. God, I must really be tired!
March 24, 2012
Just Keep Writing...Just Keep Writing...
Just hit the 42K mark on PHOENIX, and made some headway on I'LL TAKE MANHATTAN! It feels so good to get back into my characters! My favorite snippet of the day from PHOENIX:
Julie lay silently, her skin swimming in a pale blue light, as if death had visited her and left its mark. If it weren't for her slow, shallow breathing, Eli would have sworn she had died.
"Julie." The name was just a whisper on his lips, but it was enough. Her eyelids fluttered and opened.
"Eli? Are you here?"
Julie lay silently, her skin swimming in a pale blue light, as if death had visited her and left its mark. If it weren't for her slow, shallow breathing, Eli would have sworn she had died.
"Julie." The name was just a whisper on his lips, but it was enough. Her eyelids fluttered and opened.
"Eli? Are you here?"
February 29, 2012
What Inspires Me...THE LEGEND
One question I hear whenever someone finds out I write is, "What inspires you?" That's a tricky question. It could be anything! A news story. A picture. A song title. My life. A love letter tucked away in my undies drawer for thirty-three years.
In the case of PHOENIX, I set out wanting to write a young adult paranormal romantic suspense. I wanted my hero to be a Phoenix in human form--one with the power of healing and immortality. I wanted a cool setting--just outside of Yosemite in California, and I wanted to combine it with a Native American legend from that area. So, I began my research into Native American folklore and stumbled upon The Lady and the Giant--a Paiute legend. The moment I saw "Giant", my mind immediately went to Genesis 6:4, where Nephelim (offspring of human women and angels) are introduced. I knew I had my nemesis, and PHOENIX: The Gathering was born.
Melding those three legends, I wrote what started off as my prologue, basing my entire novel on this. Eventually, the prologue turned into a large section of my fourth chapter. I'm now nearing 36,000 words and figure I have about another 30,000 to go.
Curious? If you'd like a peek at my original prologue, click HERE .
I'm also curious. If a book has a prologue, do you take the time to read it? The concensus among authors is that people DON'T like prologues. I happen to enjoy reading them. Do you?
In the case of PHOENIX, I set out wanting to write a young adult paranormal romantic suspense. I wanted my hero to be a Phoenix in human form--one with the power of healing and immortality. I wanted a cool setting--just outside of Yosemite in California, and I wanted to combine it with a Native American legend from that area. So, I began my research into Native American folklore and stumbled upon The Lady and the Giant--a Paiute legend. The moment I saw "Giant", my mind immediately went to Genesis 6:4, where Nephelim (offspring of human women and angels) are introduced. I knew I had my nemesis, and PHOENIX: The Gathering was born.
Melding those three legends, I wrote what started off as my prologue, basing my entire novel on this. Eventually, the prologue turned into a large section of my fourth chapter. I'm now nearing 36,000 words and figure I have about another 30,000 to go.
Curious? If you'd like a peek at my original prologue, click HERE .
I'm also curious. If a book has a prologue, do you take the time to read it? The concensus among authors is that people DON'T like prologues. I happen to enjoy reading them. Do you?
