Erin Keyser Horn's Blog, page 7

Libraries ROCK!

Yeah, I work at a library. No, I’m not biased at all. Take these two examples:

1) Galena Public Library hosted a book signing for me on Monday. First they lured people in with chocolate and Chex Mix and flavored popcorn. Then they charmed me with their kindness. Several grandmas came in and bought books for their granddaughters. And I got a picture with Adria, who is a freshman at Galena (just like Ivy in my story!).

Adria and me at Galena Public Library!

2) Elizabeth Township Library, my home library, hosted a book signing for me today. I knew everyone who came in! It’s a nice feeling to greet people by name. And they all had such great questions about my writing process. Really enjoyed those conversations! Many thanks to Kim, Annette, Jerry, Brenda, Velda, Betty, Rob, Frank, and Karen! Here’s a picture of Karen—she’s been to two of my book signings and bought multiple books. She and her husband Glen are two of my biggest supporters!

Karen and me at Elizabeth Township Library!

Thanks again to libraries and the patrons who visit them! All the support means so much to me!

Last book signing of the year will be this Saturday, the 22nd, at Morrison Public Library from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. Maybe I’ll see you there??

Book World Signings

I had a ton of fun last night at Galena Book World! Lots of awesome people to talk to! Many thanks to Beth, Ryan, Maddie, Will, Deanna, Kaitlyn, Larissa, Heidi, and everyone else who came to buy books! I really appreciate all your support! Book World was a great host, and I left a few books in the store if you’re in the neighborhood and want to buy a signed copy.

Window display at Book World! Are those stuffed Thunderbirds underneath??

Maddie and me. Hope you enjoy the book, Maddie!

Kaitlyn’s in the middle . . . didn’t catch her sister’s name! If one of you sees this, let me know so I can add her name!

Larissa was the super-nice Book World employee on duty for the signing. When her shift ended, I caught her before she could walk out the door and forced her into a picture. Thanks, Larissa!

 

Three more book signings this week! Check out the “Book Signings” page for all the details!

 

 

 

The Next Big Thing

Ever heard of a blog hop? I thought maybe it was like a sock hop where I could dance in a poodle skirt. Alas, dancing does not seem to be involved (unless it’s virtual dancing . . . does virtual dancing burn calories?).

No, apparently a blog hop is a fun way for authors to spread the word about new books and the cool people who write them. I like it when authors form a tribe and work together for the greater good of writerdom. Rock on! The name of this particular blog hop is THE NEXT BIG THING. I was nominated by Next Big Thing Ellie Ann.

Available now for Kindle!

Here’s the blurb about Ellie’s debut thriller, BREAKING STEELE:

Sarah Steele has a lot to prove. Foster care brat turned successful Assistant District Attorney, she’s enjoying her magical pumpkin carriage ride but knows she is only one mistake away from landing on the curb. When she’s given an open-and-shut case regarding multi-millionaire Hank Williams and his murder of young Tracy Mulligan, Sarah’s determined to win. But when everything goes wrong, and there’s a killer on the loose, she isn’t prepared for who the real battle is against: herself. Is she really willing to do anything to take Hank Williams down? 

Who is she? The successful, happy ADA or the wild, angry vigilante? 


Ellie’s currently working on the sequel to BREAKING STEELE and a YA steampunk, both slated for release in 2013. SO excited for her!! She truly is The Next Big Thing. Click HERE to read Ellie’s Q & A on her website.

Ellie asked me the same ten questions about my book . . .



1: What is the title of your book?

EYES OF LIGHTNING. It’s first in The Thunderbird Legacy, a four-book series.

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

I was a junior in college, working in the ecology lab sorting macroinvertebrates from aquatic samples (seriously—that was my job). I’d recently seen the Stephen King movie Dreamcatcher, and that might’ve inspired the direction my brain took. The scene that popped into my head doesn’t happen until Book 3, so I can’t describe it without spoiling everything. Basically, I imagined four kids with supernatural powers. What does that have to do with macroinvertebrates and a movie about aliens? I have no clue. Just goes to show: you never know when or where you’ll get a killer book idea. The idea grew into several scenes. When I couldn’t get the characters out of my head, I knew I had a novel-worthy story.

3: What genre does your book come under?

YA Paranormal. On Amazon it’s also been tagged as “Romance” and “Christian Fiction.” If you can figure it out, let me know. I’m thinking this book doesn’t fit neatly in one box.

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

I’m embarrassed to admit I can’t answer this question. I watch zero TV and very few movies. To find appropriate actors for my characters, I’d have to start searching websites . . . and several hours later I’d probably still be there, eyes glazed over from hundreds of celebrity photos. Anyone have some actors you could recommend to me??

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

Fifteen-year-old Ivy and three neighbor boys discover the supernatural powers of the Thunderbird and try to save Ivy’s grandfather.

6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

Self-published. I wanted to try it to see what all the hype was about, and I wanted to prove to myself I could do it. But I was VERY lucky to have such talented people backing me: my editor, Ellie Ann, and my cover designer, Rod Karmenzind. They make me look good.

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

About two months. It was the thousand additional drafts that took forever.

8: Who or what inspired you to write this book?

My first critique partner, Syd Gill, inspired me to participate in National Novel Writing Month in 2007. That’s when I started the first draft of EOL.

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

I love nature, mythology, and sarcasm. You’ll find all three in my book . . . especially the sarcasm.

So that’s it for my Q & A. Now I get to pass the sock hop, er, blog hop along to another up-and-coming author. I nominate Devri Walls as THE NEXT BIG THING!!  *applause and confetti*

Now available for Kindle!

Devri’s book, WINGS OF TAVEA, just released yesterday (literally!)! It’s a YA fantasy with magic, romance, and plenty of adventure. As the copy editor for this book, I was blessed with an early look. It’s the second book in the Solus Series. Check out the first book, WINGS OF ARIAN, if you haven’t read it yet. The party is moving to Devri’s site next, so click HERE to keep dancing! And thanks to all you readers for dancing along!

More Book Signing Fun!

I was signing books at Sterling Book World today! Despite being an introverted hermit at heart, I truly LOVE it when people stop at my table to talk! And today I was privileged to meet some super nice people: Samantha, Lea, Ruth, and more! Thank you, all of you, so much! Your support makes my day.

Me and Samantha—what a sweetheart!

Ruth and Lea—thanks, ladies!

Victoria and Savannah, adorably hamming it up!

 

 

2 Giveaways = 4 Free Books!

Need a copy of EYES OF LIGHTNING?? Four chances coming your way!

Goodreads Giveaway: 3 copies

This one is simple if you have a Goodreads account (if not, go sign up!!). All you have to do is click HERE to enter your name and address. Make sure to read their terms and conditions for the giveaway. Once you’ve entered, all you have to do is wait and see if you win—contest ends December 16th. And while you wait, make sure to add me as a friend! I love getting book recommendations from friends.

“Spread the Joy” Contest: 1 copy

Several of you have already finished EYES OF LIGHTNING and have told me you want another copy to give as a Christmas present. I would love to help you out with that, plus I want to say THANK YOU to all you early readers. Your support and encouraging comments mean the world to me! So this “Spread the Joy” contest is my way of rewarding one of you with a free Christmas gift. Here’s how you enter the giveaway:

Write a review of EYES OF LIGHTNING on AMAZON, B&N, or GOODREADS. You can review on one, two, or all three (it’s okay to use the same review on the different sites). You can review the ebook or the paperback—doesn’t matter because all reviews are linked.
Use the “Contact Me” form on this website to send me your name and the link(s) of your review(s). I’ll enter you once for each review you post, for a maximum of three entries.
Contest ends at 8:00 PM CST, December 16th. I’ll draw a name and announce it that night. Then I’ll get in touch with you. I can either send the free copy to you or directly to the recipient of the gift. I will ship anywhere within the U.S.

And that’s it! Let me know if you have any questions. These will probably be the last two giveaways before Christmas, so GOOD LUCK!!

How Do You Write?

Robby asked me this question about EYES OF LIGHTNING:

“How did you write the book? Did you write it all at once and then go back over? As you know, Dean Koontz is my favorite writer, and he writes a single page about 50 times before he moves on to the next page.”

I didn’t know that about Koontz—how interesting! But that is not how I write. The coolest thing about writing:  Anyone can write, however you like. There is no wrong way or right way. You find a writing process that works for you . . . though it may differ from draft to draft, or book to book. So many ways to choose from!

As a perfectionist obsessed with details, I could easily go the Koontz route and rewrite a page fifty times before moving on. I’ll all aglow just thinking about it. But here’s the problem—when I send the story to my test readers, they’ll inevitably tell me to delete a scene or redo some aspect of the story. It’s a LOT harder to delete a page if I rewrote it fifty times, because I’m regretting all those wasted minutes (or hours).

So I’ve learned the hard way that it’s better for me to focus on the DRAFT goal rather than a page-by-page goal. For EYES OF LIGHTNING, I wrote the first draft in eight weeks. The second book I wrote (not related to EOL), I trimmed that first-draft time down to six weeks. I like first drafts because I’m not pressuring myself as much. I’m just trying to get the words out, even if the metaphors are cliche and the jokes fall flat.

Second drafts are harder for me. I have to reread all that subpar material and try not to lose hope in the process. I have to shape the clay into something useful. I tighten the plot, delve into characters, and improve the language. Second drafts can take me two or three months.

Then I send the manuscript to my critique partner, Ellie. She reads through it and gives me her big-picture analysis which is so priceless. She can spot a plot-hole from two states away. My third draft consists of fixing all the problems Ellie found. But she gives me lots of encouragement too, so I’m excited to be nearing the end.

Next I send the story to a few test readers and my other critique partner, Pat. I incorporate their suggestions into the fourth draft.

EYES OF LIGHTING was such a long time in the making, I lost count of all the drafts. It’s been replotted, rewritten, remade. But for the final, FINAL draft, I do a copy edit. This appeals to the Grammar Nazi in me. I look for redundancies, mistakes, and formatting issues. Ellie deletes a hundred exclamation points, Pat clears up my prose, and I polish every word as best I can.

So the short answer for how I write: One draft at a time. I’ll go over and over the story as many times as necessary until I’m happy with it.

Now it’s your turn, all you writers out there. How do YOU write??

Second Book Giveaway!

UPDATE: The contest has ended, and the winner is . . . Elizabeth Burgener! Congratulations! Elizabeth, use the “Contact Me” link at the top of the website to send me your address, and I’ll mail you a free copy of EYES OF LIGHTNING!

Thank you to everyone who entered! Loved reading all your comments. I will have more giveaways in the near future, so don’t despair!

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Here’s your second chance to win a free copy of EYES OF LIGHTNING! And it’s OH-SO-EASY. All you have to do is leave a comment on THIS POST (not on Facebook, nor anywhere else on the website. This post only!). One comment allowed per person. Comment with your name, and tell me your preferred method of reading (paperback, Kindle, Nook, etc). That’s all you have to do! Contest is open until Friday, November 30th, 8:00 PM Central Time. Then I’ll draw a name and announce it Friday night. I can ship a book anywhere in the continental U.S.

Simple, right? Scroll below and leave a comment to enter the contest. And good luck!

P.S. Check the “Book Signings” link at the top of the page to see some updated listings.

Book Signing Photos

I had an AMAZING time in Southern and Central Illinois this weekend! I saw more family and friends in two days than I’ve seen in . . . I don’t know how long! Plus, I got to meet some new people, which was double the awesome. Thanks to EVERYONE who came—I really appreciate the support! A few photos from the Fairfield and Olney signings:

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Winner Announced . . . and Lots of Books!

Happy to announce the winner of this week’s book giveaway:  Rachael Ellis!! Congratulations, Rachael! And thanks to everyone who liked the Facebook page! I’ll be having more giveaways, so stay tuned.

Also, if you wanted to come to a book signing but didn’t have time to reserve a book—never fear! I have LOTS of extra copies, so please come to a signing! Click on “Book Signings” at the top of this page for all the details. Or let me know how I can get a book to you. Here’s a pic of my trunk, packed with books:

Hope everyone has a VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! I know I’m feeling EXTRA thankful this year!!

Book Giveaway!!

Book Giveaway Time!! Anyone who has liked my Facebook page, or who WILL like the page before 8:00 PM Central Time on Wednesday, Nov. 21st, will be entered in a drawing for a free copy of EYES OF LIGHTNING! If you don’t live locally, I’ll ship it anywhere in the continental U.S. I’ll announce the winner Wednesday night. So if you haven’t already, click the Facebook “Like” button on the right side of this website to be entered in the contest. Good luck!!