Erin Keyser Horn's Blog

SOUL OF STORM

I know it’s almost four years late… better late than never??

Introducing the third and final installment of THE THUNDERBIRD LEGACY:

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SOUL OF STORM

1000 years ago, the Serpent cursed the Thunder Clan.

50 generations of our loved ones have died young.

16 years ago, I was born with the eyes of a bird.

4—the number of times I’ve nearly died.

3 boys will help me… or hinder me.

2 spirits, good against evil.

1 chance to save a soul.

 

“A satisfying and exciting conclusion to this beloved series.

Fans will not be disappointed!”

—Ellie Ann, New York Times bestselling author

 

Dear readers, I’m SO sorry for the delay in getting this book to you. Do you forgive me?? Thank you for your patience, and I hope you find that it was worth the wait!

WHERE TO GET THE BOOK:

Signed paperbacks

Amazon

Contact me for local delivery or book signing info

The ebook is also available on Kobo, Tolino, Barnes & Noble, Scribd, Apple, Playster, and 24 Symbols.

Send me any questions! And lotsa lotsa love to all you readers. xoxoxo

EYES OF LIGHTNING is free!!

RIVER’S DEEP Audiobook!

If you know me at all, you know how much I adore audiobooks and how I listen to them all the time. All four of my own books are available in audio format, but there’s something special about my newest audiobook, RIVER’S DEEP. It’s my first audiobook with multiple narrators, AND it features music throughout. Very creepy/beautiful music performed by my audiobook producer (and opera singer!) Carin Gilfry. To give you a taste of this music, here’s a video of Carin singing the Rusalka Song (along with my photographs of the Mississippi River):

Isn’t her voice ethereal?! Perfect for emulating the sounds of the rusalki, who use their singing to lure men to destruction. Carin is the opposite of evil, but she sure did nail that tempting song.

Joining Carin in the RIVER’S DEEP audiobook is Adrian Rosas, who narrates Blay’s chapters. Adrian is also an opera singer (!!!). Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to showcase his singing talents since Blay can’t carry a tune. But Adrian does a great job of bringing Blay to life with his voice alone. Here’s an excerpt of the audiobook, which starts with Adrian/Blay narrating a romantic scene (ladies, get ready to swoon), and ends with sarcasm and danger from Carin/Kasia:

I was so curious to learn more about Carin and Adrian, and they were more than willing to let me interview them. This is the audio recording of our discussion:

I asked them the following questions (make sure to listen to the interview to hear their very interesting answers!):

1. Tell the listeners who you are and the CliffsNotes version of your jobs.

2. So you two have been friends for quite a while now, right? Can you explain how you first met and became friends?

3. Carin, you’ve narrated about sixty audiobooks now! How do you do it? Is it getting easier with each one?

4. Adrian, you’re fairly new to the world of audiobook narration. Is it different than you expected?

5. Carin, you do a lot of singing in the RIVER’S DEEP audiobook. How do you the think the music changes the experience of the audiobook?

6. Adrian, was it hard to play the part of a teenager? How does narration compare to acting onstage?

7. Without spoiling too much, can you both tell me your favorite scene of RIVER’S DEEP?

 

I love how these two are such close friends. Check out the photos of some of their performances:

That man on the far right? Ira Glass of THIS AMERICAN LIFE fame. How amazing is that?!

 

So if you haven’t tried audiobooks yet, what are you waiting for?? You can listen to them in the car, or while you’re doing chores, or anytime you need some entertainment in your ears. You can even use Audible on a trial basis and get your first audiobook FREE. Nothing to lose, and you might find that you love audiobooks as much as I do.

With all the music in RIVER’S DEEP, the audiobook really is an enhanced form of the story, one you won’t want to miss. It’s the perfect spooky entertainment for your Halloween season! Buy the audiobook on iTunes, Amazon, or Audible!

RIVER’S DEEP Release!

Happy release day to RIVER’S DEEP!

 

RIVER’S DEEP Synopsis:

The granddaughter of a legend inherits a fatal love story in this highly anticipated sequel to RIVER’S EDGE . . .

My name is Kasia Maier. Most girls my age are preparing for college, learning at summer jobs, and trying not to mess up dates. Not me. I’m preparing for life underwater, learning that my voice hypnotizes people, and trying not to kill guys with a kiss. I’m still human. . . for now. Several things could change that in the next few days:

1. The clan of rusalki I’m leading could orchestrate my death.

2. A vindictive forest spirit might decide that revenge is too sweet to resist.

3. The river spirit lurking inside my body could turn me into a monster.

4. I might accidentally kill the boy I love because I hunger for his breath—all his breath.

Even if I avoid these possibilities, I only have a week before my rusalka genes take over my humanity, rendering me an undead siren who feeds on men. My life isn’t a Slavic fairy tale—it’s a horror story in the river’s deep. I have no idea how I will escape alive.

Praise for RIVER’S DEEP:

“In this wonderful follow-up to one of my favorite books, RIVER’S EDGE, Erin’s writing effortlessly flows off the page to create a perfectly executed story of love and life that will tug at your heartstrings.” ~ Devri Walls, author of The Solus Series

“Erin Keyser Horn seamlessly weaves mystery, romance, and horror into RIVER’S DEEP. It’s not only an exciting story about overcoming the monster within, it’s a profound look at the meaning of true love. Highly recommended!” ~ Ellie Ann, New York Times bestselling author

HOW TO GET IT!

Click HERE to buy the ebook on Amazon or HERE to buy it on Barnes & Noble. Paperbacks will be available for purchase through Amazon sometime later this week. But I already have paperbacks of my own, and I’d be happy to mail you a signed copy!

The RIVER’S DEEP audiobook will be released within the month. I’m SO excited about this audiobook, which features two very talented narrators and some great original music. If you’re an audiobook fan, you won’t want to miss it!

To celebrate the release of RIVER’S DEEP, I put the RIVER’S EDGE ebook on sale for only $0.99! This is a great time to get the whole series for less than $5 . . . just in time for your spooky Halloween reads!

I love my awesome readers, and I wanted to do something special for the readers of The River Immortals series. So my biggest fans now have a chance to join Operation Kasia. You only need to do two things:

1) Review both RIVER’S EDGE and RIVER’S DEEP on any popular review site (Amazon, Goodreads, B&N, etc).

2) Share your love of the series on any social media site, blog, or website.

Once you email me links for those two things, I’ll need your address so I can mail you a free cross necklace made by me (because you never know when a monster might try to slit your throat!). Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks so much to you future members of Operation Kasia!

If you need a picture to share on social media, feel free to use this one:

 

Hope you enjoy the books, and thanks for reading!!

The People Behind RIVER’S DEEP

This beautiful cover was designed by Rod Karmenzind. It’s beautiful, but it’s also heart-wrenching. Kind of like the process of writing this book.

I’ll try my best to write this blog post without getting melodramatic. To say that RIVER’S DEEP was the hardest book I’ve written is not melodrama, but fact. The original plan was to release this book in early June, but so many things did not go according to plan.

Some things are within my control, and many things are not. There were days when real life got in the way of writing. There were days when I got in my own way. This book has light moments, humor, and romance. But it also has dark moments, creepy and gritty and edgy. That’s going to happen when you write a story about a girl with a demon inside her who is fighting demons all around her. There’s just no way to avoid it if you stay true to the story. And some days, imagining all those demons was just too hard, too dark. It didn’t help that I was in the middle of the coldest, longest winter I can remember. My thoughts turned dark, and the story turned darker.

I don’t want to make excuses for why it took me so long to finish this book. What I do want is to tell everyone: It’s okay if life doesn’t turn out how you planned. The important thing is that you try, and keep trying, and never stop trying. You fight life, and you forgive life, and you love life. And I love how RIVER’S DEEP turned out. It’s dark, but it also has light and hope. It has so much of my heart and soul.

I thank God for giving me the courage, endurance, and tenacity needed to write this book. I also thank Him for all the amazing people in my life . . .

I couldn’t have produced a book of this quality without my editor, Ellie Ann. More importantly, I wouldn’t want to be in this writing biz without her. She keeps my head above water. Sending you sincere thanks, my dear, today and every day.

Pat was another invaluable editor, offering religious knowledge and insights into the mysterious male mind. He was also a crucial part of writing The Rusalka Song. Thank you so much for all your time and effort, Pat—you made this book better in many ways.

Stephanie is the lady to ask when you need a Mississippi River guide, or when in search of beasties. She’ll help you through every obstacle—like when your car gets stuck, or when you nearly get arrested for trespassing on lock and dams. She’ll even send you pictures of these wild adventures and fill you up with river lore. Thanks, Steph, for all the info, memories, and laughs.

Rod, thank you for another masterpiece of a cover. It makes my heart ache every time I look at it. This year has been heart-wrenching in many ways, but I’m so thankful to know you and call you my brother.

My lovely test readers—Andrea Ward, Brenda, and Devri Walls—were so generous with their precious time. Thank you for giving me feedback on such short notice!

Huge thanks to family and friends who have encouraged me on this crazy journey of mine: Lorraine, Jenny, Savannah, Victoria, Megan, the Lang family, the Miller family, and many more. Special thanks to my parents, my son, and my husband. I love you all.

Readers and fans, I can’t thank you enough for all your reviews, kind words, and support. I wouldn’t be writing these words if not for all of you. THANK YOU.

 

To read the RIVER’S DEEP synopsis, click HERE. To see the book signings I currently have scheduled, click HERE.

RIVER’S DEEP

 

 

RIVER’S DEEP, Book 2 in The River Immortals
Synopsis:

The granddaughter of a legend inherits a fatal love story in this highly anticipated sequel to RIVER’S EDGE . . .

My name is Kasia Maier. Most girls my age are preparing for college, learning at summer jobs, and trying not to mess up dates. Not me. I’m preparing for life underwater, learning that my voice hypnotizes people, and trying not to kill guys with a kiss. I’m still human. . . for now. Several things could change that in the next few days:

1. The clan of rusalki I’m leading could orchestrate my death.

2. A vindictive forest spirit might decide that revenge is too sweet to resist.

3. The river spirit lurking inside my body could turn me into a monster.

4. I might accidentally kill the boy I love because I hunger for his breath—all his breath.

Even if I avoid these possibilities, I only have a week before my rusalka genes take over my humanity, rendering me an undead siren who feeds on men. My life isn’t a Slavic fairy tale—it’s a horror story in the river’s deep. I have no idea how I will escape alive.

Praise:

“In this wonderful follow-up to one of my favorite books, RIVER’S EDGE, Erin’s writing effortlessly flows off the page to create a perfectly executed story of love and life that will tug at your heartstrings.” ~ Devri Walls, author of The Solus Series

“Erin Keyser Horn seamlessly weaves mystery, romance, and horror into RIVER’S DEEP. It’s not only an exciting story about overcoming the monster within, it’s a profound look at the meaning of true love. Highly recommended!” ~ Ellie Ann, New York Times bestselling author

The River Immortals is only a two-book series, so RIVER’S DEEP is the final book in the series. Paperbacks will be available to buy starting August 4th! Ebook and audiobook editions will be available later in August, so stay tuned for more info!

WINGS OF THUNDER Audiobook Giveaways!

For the month of April I’m celebrating the awesomeness of the WINGS OF THUNDER audiobook! And I can say that without feeling conceited, because voice actress Terri Doty took the book and brought it to life with her powerful narration. She made ME laugh and cry, and I should’ve been immune to my own story! Check out this excerpt of the audiobook:

Plus I LOVED this hilarious blooper reel of WOT audio that Terri created. I laughed so hard my ribs were sore!

What kind of celebration would this be without prizes?? This is your chance to win one of several free copies of the WOT audiobook! I’m currently giving away a copy to my email newsletter list, but I have four other giveaways lined up . . .

Schedule of WOT Audiobook Giveaways:

1. This Blog Post: April 1st-4th

2. Facebook: April 7th-11th

3. Twitter: April 14th-17th

4. Pinterest: April 22nd-25th

All these contests will end at 8:00 PM CST on the final day.

Meanwhile, Terri will be giving away copies as well! She’s doing a series of really fun contests on Tumblr where people have to guess which actor she imagines for the three main boys in WOT: Cal, Dan, and Gabe. So that’s three weeks of giveaways, and week one is already underway. Plus you might want to follow her on Twitter and Facebook . . . never know when she might do a sporadic giveaway!

If you haven’t yet read EYES OF LIGHTNING, Book 1 in The Thunderbird Legacy, you should. You’ll enjoy WINGS OF THUNDER even more if you read EOL first. All ebook, paperback, and audiobook options for EOL can be found HERE.

So, back to this week’s giveaway of WOT. All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post. Not just any comment! You have to answer this question: Do you typically listen to audiobooks? Why or why not? 

From the commenters I’ll pick a random winner at 8:00 PM on April 4th. If you win, I’ll email you the code for the free audiobook. If you don’t win, try again with the other contests! Good luck!!

Writing Workshop 6: Draft Schedules

The first building block of writing style was VOICE. The second was CHARACTERS. The third was PLOT. The fourth was THEMES. The fifth was DETAILS.

This last writing workshop is more of a wrap-up, a looking-ahead to that day when your book is finally done. You’ll need a plan, a schedule for your drafts. Here’s the schedule I use for my books:

No one should see your first draft. First drafts are hard enough as it is; don’t put pressure on yourself to make it perfect the first time around. Use the second draft to make the story the best you can on your own, using your editing cheat sheet.

After the second draft . . .  if you’re ready, send the story to your main writing partner(s) to make sure you’re on the right track with the story. Use that feedback to write a third draft.

After the third draft . . . send your story to a few test readers. You’ll be taking some of their advice, but not all. Sometimes two readers will give you conflicting information. Obviously you can’t make everyone happy, so trust your instincts to guide you in what’s best for the story.

After the fourth draft . . .  don’t forget to give yourself a break from the story so you can come back to it with fresh eyes. Do this as often as necessary, and write as many drafts as you need. We are constantly learning and growing as writers, and we continue to improve with time. Space from the manuscript will help you catch mistakes.

If you decide to self publish . . . you’ll need to hire (or trade with) at least three editors before releasing your story to the world:  creative editor, technical editor, and proofreader. Some talented editors can do all three jobs, but it’s best to have more than one person. The more eyes on your story, the more mistakes will be caught. Please don’t skimp on these editing steps. If you do, readers will know your work is unprofessional.

Never stop learning! There are countless resources for writers to learn: books, the Internet, conferences, classes, and more. Some of the more popular writing books:  On Writing Well by William Zinsser, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, On Writing by Stephen King, Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell, and The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White. Internet opportunities continue to grow—it’s never been so easy to be a writer. IndieReCon is an example of a great (FREE!) online conference for indie writers.

If you want to be a professional writer for the long haul, then you’ll need to hone the writing craft for the rest of your life. It’s hard to stand out from the crowd and be a successful author, but the rewards make it more than worthwhile. Even if you don’t make a lot of money, you’re still influencing people with the written word.

Good luck on the writing path, and thank you for joining my writing workshops!

 

Writing Workshop 5: Details

The first building block of writing style was VOICE. The second was CHARACTERS. The third was PLOT. The fourth was THEMES. The fifth is DETAILS.

They say the devil is in the details. Though it can be devilishly hard work to add in all these details, the results will be heavenly. Getting the details right can make the difference between a good book and a great one.

Every writer needs editors and test readers. EVERY. WRITER. However, that doesn’t mean you get to slack off. You’re responsible for doing a lot of editing on your own. Learn the rules of grammar, spelling , and punctuation—then master those rules. Triple-check your figures, quotes, and references. You have to search for mistakes in all these areas, plus many more. Here’s an editing cheat sheet to help get you started:

Create atmosphere with the setting. You’ll see this trick when a storm is brewing right before something ominous happens in the story. Hello, tension. Setting can also refer to the charm of a small town, the mystery of the woods, the fast-paced city life, etc. What mood do you want for your story?

Work all five senses into each scene.  This makes the story come alive and seem more real. Sight and hearing are the easiest to describe. Taste is the hardest one to incorporate (unless your character is eating in every scene). But maybe your character is biting her tongue, or her mouth is dry from nerves. Don’t forget about using touch to ground the reader, plus smell—often associated with strong memories.

Make your punctuation pack a punch. Don’t limit yourself to commas and periods. Use ellipses to convey a pause or hesitation. Use dashes to show abrupt change or instant action. Mix things up with the occasional semicolon. These things are great in moderation but will lose their impact with over usage.

Make your words even stronger.  You’ve no doubt heard about limiting your use of adverbs. This is because relying on adverbs makes us lazy. We need to find stronger verbs that reduce the need of adverbs. Even using too many adjectives can be bad. Paint a vivid picture with a few powerful words. Limit passive voice until it’s nearly extinct, making it easier to pack your sentences with action. Beware of “purple prose”—flowery descriptions that are too wordy and too unrealistic for characters to think or say. On that note . . .

Develop characters with dialogue and metaphors. If you know your character well, you’ll know what he or she will say. And whenever possible, use metaphors tailored for your character. Like if she’s a sports fanatic, she’ll compare bad luck to a strikeout, or good luck to a shot at the buzzer. Always ask yourself, “Would my character say this? Is the language appropriate for her age and personality?”

Delete repetitive words. Most writers tend to overuse certain words. If you’re not aware of what words you’re overusing, copy and paste your manuscript into Wordle, which will produce a word cloud for you. The more often you used a word, the larger it will appear in the cloud. Once you’ve identified the overused words, search for them in your manuscript. Utilize a thesaurus to find better words. And beware overusing character names. In real-life dialogue, we use each other’s names sparingly.

Delete anything unnecessary. Every word should be required. Don’t say “stand up” when “stand” is sufficient. Don’t say, “I am going to run to her house.” Say, “I’ll run to her house.” Don’t use two similar sentences when one strong sentence will have more impact. Ask yourself if every word, sentence, paragraph, and scene is necessary for the sake of understanding the story.

Spice up your openers and closers. This entices readers to keep turning pages. Start each scene or chapter with an interesting hook—a few minutes into the scene, not a few minutes before the action starts. And whenever possible, end a scene or chapter with tension. Don’t tie up every chapter with a nice neat bow, because that will tempt the reader to put the book down.

Check your story with eyes and ears. Yes, you’re mainly editing with your eyes to find mistakes, and you want to make sure the words look good on the page—enough white space and a variety of structure in sentences and paragraphs. But you should also edit with your ears. Read the story aloud, or better yet, get someone to read it to you (even if that someone is a robotic voice on your computer). You’ll be amazed at how often something doesn’t sound right. Then you can choose words with a better flow.

 

That’s all for this week, but check back next week for one last writing workshop!!

Writing Workshop 4: Themes

The first building block of writing style was VOICE. The second was CHARACTERS. The third was PLOT. The fourth is THEMES.

I admit—I was never very good at analyzing themes in high school English class. I just wanted to enjoy the story, not go digging for themes and presume I understood what the author meant to convey. Even now, I believe that story comes first. Write a good story first and foremost . . . but if you can work in some powerful themes, even better.

Themes can be tricky. Go overboard and you’ll come off as preachy. But without any themes at all, the story is just fluff. How do you know if you’ve nailed the themes? Your editors and test readers will tell you.

Why are you writing this story? What message are you hoping to get across? Remember that people read for connections, to FEEL something. If your themes resonate with readers and stay with them after they finish reading, you’ve done your job.

Four things to keep in mind regarding themes (with Harry Potter examples):

Use symbols and metaphors to convey themes. This works on two levels: author level and character level. The author will choose appropriate symbols throughout the book. For example, a snake is a common symbol of evil, and talking to snakes is a common trait of Slytherins (even the name Slytherin sounds evil). Character-level choices are seen in actions and dialogue. For example, Hermione is always referring to things she’s read about in books. You won’t ever hear Harry or Ron talking the way Hermione does. This is just one aspect of Rowling’s character development, and it serves the double purpose of labeling Hermione as “the smart one.”

Raise theme from different angles and POVs.  Some common themes in stories include friendship, family, love, and home. Themes become deeper when you find different ways to explore them. We can compare Harry’s miserable home life with the Dursleys to the way he misses his parents but finds friendship at his real “home”—Hogwarts. Or we can compare Harry to Hermione, who also grew up in a Muggle home but with loving parents. Compare both of them to Ron, who has a big magical family with little money but lots of love. All these connections and comparisons are like a web that makes the story stronger.

Show theme through plot, not in a preachy way. The four Hogwarts houses represent courage, loyalty, wisdom, and ambition. But you won’t find Rowling’s characters preaching on about this. Over time they just prove—through their choices and actions—how they fit in well with their appointed house.

Reinforce themes on all levels. By levels, I mean physical, mental, emotional, and maybe even spiritual (not always explored in every story). A good example of this is seen in the fifth Harry Potter book, The Order of the Phoenix, the darkest of the HP books in my opinion. As Harry’s connection to Voldemort grows, it starts to take a toll on Harry. He’s tired, grouchy, and stretched too thin. And though the book is sometimes dark and maybe even depressing, it strongly conveys the torment Harry is going through.

I think I’ll be learning about themes for the rest of my life. Which is good—every author needs to keep discovering and growing forever.

How do you feel about themes??

Come back next week for the fifth building block!