Briana Vedsted's Blog, page 24

Cover Reveal

Okay everyone, here it is! The cover for my upcoming novel, Me and Billy the Kid, is ready to be revealed! Drumroll please!

I was NOT horsing around!

I know I’ve mentioned that I live on a farm/ranch. For the past fifteen years, it was mostly a farm with a small-scale cattle operation on the side. But two years ago, come October; my dad bought a permit in the mountains. 200 head of cattle came with that permit. At first, I was excited. I thought it was time to kiss my life of farming goodbye, since I’d hated farming with a passion ever since I can remember.

But with the permit, horses came. There’s no other way to maneuver the mountain unless you’re atop a horse. And last summer, I discovered something: I hate horses. And apparently, horses hate me, too.

The best example I can give of my rocky relationship with the four-legged beasts-of-burden is a true story that took place last Saturday:

We had to gather the whole herd so we could brand the calves that had managed to slip under the fence the week before. I was to ride a horse who is my favorite (favorite, meaning that out of out horses, I like him the best.) He also happens to be as old as I am. (For a horse, 20 isn’t exactly ‘spry’.) My brother rode my horse, my sister rode my mother’s horse, and my dad rode a friend’s horse. My mother and her almost-one-year-old puppy would stay at the corral and wait for us. I could tell it was going to be a bad day right from the start. My horse fell down. He didn’t trip or fall into a hole, he just flat-out fell down. (Did I mention I was still on his back?) That scared me. It was the second time this horse has gone down on me, and it was worse than the first time. This go round, my foot got stuck in the stirrup and I couldn’t get loose. The horse started to get up, but I was afraid he was going to fall again and flounder around, squashing my in the process. So I dove to one side. My foot slipped out of the stirrup just as my horse got to his feet. I didn’t realize he was that tall. That really set the mood for the rest of the day.

A couple hours later, when we had almost reached out ‘destination’, my horse (who, by the way, hates walking in mud or water) ran up a hill and under a cottonwood tree. Despite my explicit instructions to go around the tree, my horse went straight and even though I ducked, a branch slammed into my shoulder, bringing a bit of colorful language and a muttered “You stupid horse!” from me.

Not ten minutes later, after I’d got off my horse and left him tied to a tree, as I walked along behind the herd trying to hasten them towards the corrals, my sister’s horse swerved in front of me and high-tailed it through some rather thick trees and brush. I watched my sister slowly bend backwards in the saddle and throw up her arms to shield her face as the horse plowed onward. My sister clung to the branch as her horse trotted away, and then fell to the ground, arms scratched and scraped.

Meanwhile, my dad almost got bucked off his spirited pony, and while no one was looking, a cow went right over the top of my mother and stomped on her wrist. It was about that time the cattle decided they weren’t going to play nice anymore. They all turned and scattered. Battered and bruised, my family and I limped back to the corral and got in the truck and came home. The next day we went out again and managed to get almost all the cows back in.

So when I’m older and have my own cattle operation (I know what you’re thinking: Are you nuts? You go through all this and you still want to own cattle?!) I know that I won’t mind being called a ‘modern cowgirl’. My sister loves her horses, but I love four-wheelers. They can’t go as many places as a horse can, but they are loyal and a lot better listeners. Now, if only I could figure out a way to get up the mountain on a four-wheeler. My world would be back to almost-perfect.

On a positive note, my trying weekend gave me some new inspiration for a fantasy western book. It will be something about a boy in the 19th century who lives on a ranch but cannot connect with his horses and is the laughingstock of the county. On his journey to becoming a cowboy, our young hero will meet with a magical creature who becomes his noble steed and a beautiful young wizard. (Has anyone ever heard of a female wizard?) So what do you think? Will this be an interesting story? Is fantasy-western a genre that might have some takers?

P.s. Did I mention that I like farming now? All it took was a job I hated more to turn me into a devote farmer. So keep that in mind. If you don’t like your current job, try doing a job that’s much worse. Then you’ll find out how much you really do love your job.

Writing Prompt

What is one thing that has inspired your writing recently? A picture, a song, a movie, something that happened to you, someone you met?

New Record!

I’ve hit another milestone in my author career.

In the month of May, I sold eleven eBooks! I am thrilled! That’s the most books I’ve ever sold in a single month since publishing my novellas back in January. I can’t express my gratitude to my awesome fans enough! Thank you for taking the time to buy, read, and review my work. I sure do appreciate it!

Author Interview Program #21

I finally managed to get in touch with this gifted authoress and talk to her about some of her work-in-progresses! Please give Ms. Kristen Poli a nice round of applause!

Where can we find you? (website, blog, twitter, facebook, etc.)The best place to find me is through WordPress, at sugarxwolf[dot]wordpress[dot]com.

What is your author name And is it a pen name?

My author name is Kristen Poli, and it is not a pen name.

What is the title of the book you’re currently working on?

I have a few novels in the works at the moment. The one that is garnering most of my attention at the moment is tentatively called “Crown.” My other novels in the works are called “Bloodwork,” “Downfall,” and “Beneath the Blue.”

What is the genre of your book?

“Crown” is a YA novel, as best as I can tell at the moment. The other three are all in the fantasy genre.

3-4 sentence synopsis of your book:

“Crown” is a novel centered around Crystal, the new student, at a privileged New York City high school. She will need to learn how to maneuver not only between classes and extracurricular activities, but also the drama and lies that descend from her new classmates. Time will tell if Crystal will succumb to their peer pressure, if she will rise above it, or if she’ll twist it around entirely.

What inspires you to write?

I first started writing after being inspired by my favorite video games and soundtracks, to be honest. The gorgeous fantasy worlds and twisting plots of the games and the sounds of music sparked my creative energy. How brilliant would it be to live in a world where fire and ice could dance together, where animals could spin tales as well as any human, where the clouds were made of marshmallows and floated in a maroon polka dotted sky. Nowadays, my muses still get a good boost from video games, movies, and music, but my family is also a source of amazing inspiration. Everyone is supportive of my need and want to write, especially my younger sister Rachel whom shares my passion. Having someone who understands everything you are going through on this journey to being a writer is fantastic, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Self Publish or Traditional? Why?

I would prefer traditional, considering it seems more professional, but I wouldn’t mind trying my hand at self-publishing. Self-publishing would give me more control, despite the additional work on my end, and it would certainly help my credentials as an author when I do find a traditional publisher.

What advice would you give an aspiring author?

Read everything you can get your hands on, in all sorts of different genres. Take risks. Take a walk. Talk to people. Be inspired. Be inspiring. Most importantly, keep writing and never give up. Honestly, as an aspiring author myself, actually getting all of those words down on paper is the toughest aspect of being an author. However, if you have the burning need to keep writing, if you have ink rather than blood running through your veins, then you’re well on your way to becoming an author.

Author Interview Program #20

Yah! I’ve got another author it interview! Please welcome this very talented young author: Ms. Elaine Jeremiah.

Where can we find you? (website, blog, twitter, facebook, etc.)

I have a blog which can be found at: http://elainejeremiah.wordpress.com and I’m on twitter: @ElaineJeremiah I don’t currently have an author Facebook page but I may set one up eventually.

What is your author name? And is it a pen name?

Elaine Jeremiah is my real name. I’ve pretty much decided not to use a pen name. I think my name is fairly unusual anyway, so I don’t see much problem with using it. And I don’t mind people knowing that I’m the author of my work.

What is the title of the book you’re currently working on?

I’m currently editing my novel ‘The Inheritance’ but I’ve started another which has the working title ‘Reunion’.

What is the genre of your book?

‘The Inheritance’ is NA contemporary drama while ‘Reunion’ is women’s fiction.

3-4 sentence synopsis of your book:

‘The Inheritance’ is a modern reworking of ‘The Prodigal Son’, the parable Jesus tells in the Bible about the wayward son who demands his share of his inheritance, then leaves his father and brother and gets into a lot of trouble. I’ve updated it to present day England and instead of two brothers, I’ve changed it to two sisters living on their father’s farm in Cornwall. The younger one is headstrong and troublesome; she wants her inheritance immediately so she can go to London to live how she wants to. The elder sister is more sensible and loves living on the farm, helping their father to run it and she can’t see why her younger sister is in such a hurry to leave.

What inspires you to write?

I guess in part it’s the novels I read that have inspired me to write. There’s just something wonderful about being able to lose yourself in a good book, to enter into another world in your mind. I’d really love to be a part of that, to have my stories out there being read, adding them to all the great ones out there already.

Self-Publish or Traditional? Why?

For the moment I’m planning to go down the self-publishing route because I’d like my work to be in the public domain sooner rather than later. With a previous novel I wrote, I did apply to a few agents but got nowhere with it. It’s so time consuming and discouraging. With self-publishing you’re your own boss. You can do things your way and in your own time. I know that as an indie author you have to do all the marketing etc. yourself, but at least you’ve got more control over your writing career. And as a self-published author whilst you may not get an advance, you do get 70% of sales.

What advice would you give an aspiring author?

Well I’m an aspiring author myself really, but my advice for others would be to just keep practising. Keep honing your craft and don’t give up. If you’re persistent with your writing efforts, you’ll find that you’ll improve. Once you’re satisfied that you’ve finished your work in progress, you’ve been through it all thoroughly and had it read by others too, look at all the options. Decide what’s best for you, whether it be to go down the traditional route for publication or to try to self-publish. Remember that ultimately it’s you that has the power over your own future as an author.

Anything else you’d like to say to your audience?

Persevere! If you think about it there are billions of people in the world, so there’s a big enough audience out there for all kinds of stories. And definitely enough room for your story too.

Weekends

Back in the ‘old days’ weekends were supposed to be fun.

No work and no school.

Just two calm, relaxing days filled with good times and sun.

Saturday and Sunday, oh what a treat!

Monday was dreaded, Friday was celebrated.

Grab your shades, spread out a blanket, lay down and like a lizard, soak in some heat!

But woe is the rancher, their work is never done.

Now comes the time to hop on your horse, whistle for the dog, and go out to pasture and tend to the herd.

Lasting from dawn until the setting of the sun.

The horse goes to trotting, you’re bouncing in your seat.

Over the hills and through the valleys, down to the pond, and back through the trees.

Oh how I’m glad I don’t have to walk for miles on my own two feet!

I am sore all over, yet the work has just begun.

Tomorrow is Sunday, back to my job again.

When, oh when, will it be my turn to have some fun?

Bestiary of Blatherhorn Vale

As I travelled through Blatherhorn Vale via this book of whimsical poems, I could not help but be amazed by the author’s imagination. I wonder how he ever came up with the names and descriptions of such wild and delightful new creatures. I loved the Tree Fox, the Wedge-Billed Wolgat (what girl wouldn’t like a pink and purple bird?), the Nocswine, and the Soft-Bellied Strudge. These poems give the reader stunning visual pictures of the mysterious Blatherhorn Vale. If you like fanciful poems or reading about creatures other than the usual dragons, unicorns, and trolls, you’re going to love this book!

Cry

Let it out, let it go

Pain and hurt and love and hate

Sorrow vanishes as the tears flow

Salty, sticky, and hot on my skin

Streaking me cheeks and drips off my nose

You must cease to fight, you just cannot win.

Crying helps, yes it does.

Let the tears was the sorrow from your heart

And then all you’ll remember is what was.

Thank you to all

Thank you to all you wonderful people who have bought my books, The Night I Walked off of Boot Hill and The Untold Story of Margaret Hearst, alias Maugrim Valletta! As you know, I’m holding a contest, and if I get 100 eBook sales by July, I’m going to pick three names off this list and award them with some prizes. So far, here’s my list of contestants:

http://1writeway.com/

http://mauldinfamily1.wordpress.com/

http://lmarie7b.wordpress.com/

http://www.thenoifmatrix.blogspot.com.au/

http://sarahcradit.wordpress.com/

http://helenvalentina.wordpress.com/

http://balconyviewz.wordpress.com/

http://amyrostron.wordpress.com/

And thank you also to these awesome people who’ve reviewed my book:

http://legendsofwindemere.com/

http://readfulthingsblog.com/

http://helenvalentina.wordpress.com/

http://balconyviewz.wordpress.com/

I hope this list continues to grow so I will be able to hand out those prizes next month!