Briana Vedsted's Blog, page 26

WIP update

Charles Yallowitz tagged me in his WIP Progress Update post (http://legendsofwindemere.com/2013/05/24/2696/)

Stop by his site and read about his latest work in progress!

  

1. What is the name of your current WIP?

The Cowboy Angel

2. Ready to do a cover reveal?

No, I don’t even have an idea for the cover yet.

3. How many words are you into it?

1,400

4. Goal word count by the end of the week?

I’m actually just coming back to this book, so I don’t have any goals set for it right now.

5. Goal word count for the entire manuscript?

20,000

6. What genre does your work in progress fall within?

YA western romance

7. When would you *like* to publish this project?

I’d love to publish it this winter, but since I don’t even have the first draft done, it probably won’t be for another year or two.  

8. Go to page 5 of your manuscript and pick a sentence at random to share with us!

“Valentina, I’m not what you think I am: I’m not a human anymore.”

9. Will this WIP turn into a series book?

No

10. What has been the hardest challenge in working on this WIP?

Finding the time to actually string all my ideas together.

11. What has been your favorite part of working on this WIP?

I get to start doing some research again, since I’m adding some history .

12. Any special treat planned for when you finish the final draft of your WIP?

Self-publish it and order a few paperback copies to hand out as gifts. No one other than me gets to read the book before publication.

13. Tag three people to complete this WIP meme!

http://jadereyner.com/

http://lmarie7b.wordpress.com/

http://elainejeremiah.wordpress.com/

There are things I don’t want to know about him…

I love history. And there is one subject in particular I love to study: Billy the Kid. I’ve read all books, WebPages, and magazines about him that I can find, and I especially love watching movies about him (Young Guns is my favorite western movie of all time.).

But there are two things I cannot bring myself to do: read the book written by Patrick F. Garrett (it was actually written by his friend, except for the last few chapters) or visit Fort Sumner, the location Billy was supposedly shot and buried.

I’m afraid of what might be lurking under the cover of Garrett’s book. Billy told Garrett stories of himself, and Garrett used those details against him. I don’t want to know what Garrett thought or felt. I don’t know if Garrett’s friend used Billy’s exact words, or if he twisted them to make people hate him (Billy) even more. So the book sits under a layer of dust on my bookshelf. One day I might read it, but then again, I may never have the courage to look at the pages.

And I don’t want to see Billy’s grave. Because in my mind, Billy is still very much alive. (Not physically, of course.) But I’m afraid that if I see his headstone, I will feel like a rock is crushing me. I think I might just feel like I have been lying to myself with the vain hope that Billy lived on after July 14, 1881.

Is this silly? Am I hurting or helping myself for filling in the gaps with bits of fiction from my own imagination? Should I just open that book and see what it says? Should I go to Billy’s supposed place of rest?

With my luck, you know what I’d see there? Billy. His ghost anyway. And then I’d just have to interview him!

 

Author Interview Program #18

I recently met a very nice lady by the name of Jade Reyner. She’s an author, and has a very interesting book series she’s working on. If you’re not already following her, you should stop by her blog and say “Hello!”

1. Where can we find you?

Jade’s Jungle (blogsite) http://www.jadereyner.com

Twitter – @twelvedaysjade

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/twelvedaysjade

I’m also on Goodreads and have an author page on Amazon – just search for Jade Reyner.

2. What is your author name and is it a pen name?

My author name is Jade Reyner and yes, it’s a pen name. I am trying to keep my author persona separate.

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

Twelve Days – The Future. It is the sequel to my first novel Twelve Days – The Beginning.

4. What is the genre of your book?

I am kind of cross genre with this one – in essence it is a romance and as such is pretty racy, although it has a thriller element to it as well.

5. 3-4 sentence synopsis of your book.

I’ll do Twelve Days – The Beginning as that is the one that is published at the moment.

“Twelve Days – The Beginning is an emotional rollercoaster of a book which covers the life of the main character, Elise Grayson, over the period of Twelve Days. The Twelve Days start when she unexpectedly meets Vaughn Granger and in that short space of time, he has an impact on her life that she has absolutely no control over and ultimately, a life changing decision has to be made. During that time friends become enemies, addiction and betrayal form part of everyday life and all that Elise knew and believed to be true is questioned. Twelve Days – The Beginning is dark and emotional in parts, and covers sensitive issues, but has a beautiful and enduring love story at the heart of it which pulls readers in and enables them to identify with Elise and her struggles as she tries to navigate her way through the turmoil that her life has become. There is also a beautiful cast of supporting characters, two of which will have their own book as part of the series.”

6. What inspires you to write?

Put simply – my life and the world around me. I have always been a reader and knew that I wanted to write a novel one day but never thought that I would achieve it. Eventually I got to a point in my life where I was happy and settled and this enabled me to reflect on my past, and by relating this to the present and my observations of life and people, I have been able to build characters and storylines which I hope are both believable and relevant.

I also have to say that if it weren’t for the support of my family, there is no way that I would have written one page, let alone 40 + chapters and it is to them, that I will always be indebted.

7. Self published or Traditional? Why?

I have chosen the self publishing route basically because I am impatient. Once I had the book written I just wanted to see it out there and so the quickest way to do that was to self publish. As have many writers, I have read tons of material on the pros and cons of both routes and I do think that it is down to personal choice. As my journey is developing there is no way that self publishing is the easy option, and whilst it enables you to get your book out there quickly, you have to do everything else on your own which is extremely hard work.

If I had the courage to approach a publisher and deal with the rejections (I am essentially a coward!), then I would never rule out the traditional route. There is a lot to be said for both.

8. What advice would you give an aspiring author?

Gosh. This is a tough one as I still consider myself to be ‘aspiring’. I can’t really comment in terms of success and publication as it is so early in this journey for me, but what I would say is that if you have an idea, then don’t shy away from it. Get it down in whatever format suits you and don’t pressure yourself or compare yourself to others. We are all different, and at times it’s hard not to reflect on what other’s are achieving but I really believe that we have to write because we want to write and if you don’t have that desire, then you may be chasing an impossible dream. It’s certainly not a get rich quick scheme, it’s a labour of love, and you can only really write believable words, if you have the love and desire yourself. Wow – that sounded profound!

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

Well, just thank you for taking the time to read really. Please feel free to stop by my blog where you can find Chapter One of Twelve Days – The Beginning to read absolutely free. I welcome all feedback and so please, email me or contact me via the blog to let me know your thoughts.

Billy the Kid

Anyone ever seen a picture of Billy the Kid? Well, for today’s Billy-related article, I’ve included the only known photo of him. (Credit of Wikipedia)

And now for the fun part! I’m adding a poll to test your knowledge. I’ll post the correct answer to the question next week.




Take Our Poll

Semper Fidelis

Oh my word! I feel so important and loved! I’ve been nominated for the Sepmer Fidelis blog award by the incredible Charles Yallowitz (http://legendsofwindemere.com/)! Thank you, thank you Charles!

Semper Fidelis is Latin and means Always Loyal. Loyalty means the world to me. I am very loyal myself, but I’ve got major trust issues as well. And I think trust is very important if you are sharing so much of yourself with people you meet through the internet. So I am working on that!

Why the wolves? Because wolves have very strong ties with their pack. Like a family or a great group of friends. And I just love them!

This award stands for the loyalty and love between friends.

The Rules:

 Add the Semper Fidelis Award logo somewhere on your blog.

 Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.

 Nominate 5 bloggers who’s loyalty and friendship you value and you consider being part of your ‘pack of wolves’ on WordPress.

 Post something special for each one of your nominees and dedicate it to them. This can be a quote, saying, poem, picture, anything you think that would fit that person.

 Let the nominees know that you’ve nominated them.

My nominees:

Charles Yallowitz. http://legendsofwindemere.com/ Yes, I know you’re the one who nominated me, but you were the first person here in the land of WordPress to welcome me and lend a hand. You’ve helped me so much. I cannot thank you enough. “It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer.” ― E.B. White

Ionia Martin. http://readfulthingsblog.com/ “Words are easy, like the wind; Faithful friends are hard to find.” ― William Shakespeare

Helen Valentina. http://helenvalentina.com/ “If I had a flower for every time I thought of you…I could walk through my garden forever.” ― Alfred Tennyson

Franny Stevenson. http://frannychallenge.wordpress.com/ “Everyone has a gift for something, even if it is the gift of being a good friend.” ― Marian Anderson

Ellespeth. http://balconyviewz.wordpress.com/ “There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.” ― Linda Grayson

Seed of Light

I received this beautiful and heartfelt award from http://bastetandsekhmet.wordpress.com/ Thank you so much!

The rules are very simple:

Seed of Light

Planting is easy: if you receive this award, simply pass it on to another blogger who inspires you through the beauty of their words/images as well as any blog which brings joyful awareness to nature and our connection to each other.

Again: all you who blog deserve this wonderful award…you inspire many and bring light into the world!

So here are the four deserving blogs I pass this award to:

http://elainejeremiah.wordpress.com/

http://thecatshack.wordpress.com/

http://jadereyner.com/

http://relpud.wordpress.com/

New Page

http://neverendingstorydepository.wordpress.com/submission-guidelines-submit-your-work/

A new page for both writers and readers!

Confidence

Something I’ve learned recently is that a lot of new authors lack self-confidence! Oh my goodness! Dear fellow aspiring authors: have you written a book? Have you written part of a book? Have you printed it out and held it in your hands? Do you realize that not all people can ever do that? I can’t remember all the people who’ve come up to me and said, “I wish I could write books!” or “I never could write stories.” Now, being a modest person, I smile, and tell them that I’m sure they could do it. But it is becoming clear to me that not everyone can write. we all have our talents. Some people can cook fabulous meals, some people can sew gorgeous quilts, some people know how to dance, some people are artists, some people can knit mittens and socks, some people race motorcycles, some people can ride horses, and some people are great making people happy. Whatever your talent is, you should be proud of it. And for those of us whose talent is to write, hold your heads up high! Don’t worry! If you wrote (or are writing) a book, that is awesome! Being an author means that if you’ll donate the time to your manuscript, you’ll end up with a beautiful novel. It doesn’t mater if you’re making a picture book, a child’s bedtime story, a book for teens, a YA book about vampires, a romance, or a tear-jerker: it is your talent flowing through your fingers into blank pieces of paper to create something that never existed before. You are amazing!     

Of course, there are critics out there. There are beta readers, editors, and customers who may not like your book at all. And I know bad reviews can really hurt a writer and make them question themselves, but one really great review can out-weigh all the bad ones. Trust me. It doesn’t mater what other people say. Take a look at your book. Did you put your heart into it? Did you love and hate the characters? Cry for a death? Laugh at a joke? Doesn’t that wonderful, unique, and beautiful book deserve your praise? Don’t you yourself, as the author, owe it to yourself to be proud? Sure, your book may never be accepted by an agent/editor/publisher, but in that case, you still have options. You can self-publish your book! And today, many people prefer self-publishing over traditionally publishing for various reasons. But either way, if your book is accepted or if you publish it yourself, it is still a book. You are still the author. Be happy with that knowledge, dear writers! You are great! You are doing what some people only dream of doing! You took a leap of faith and actually wrote a book! Some people will spend their whole lives wishing they had the courage to do that! So to all of you: congratulations! You did it!

 

200 followers?

I just needed to make a quick post to let out some frustration.

Lately I’ve been hearing a lot that only blogs with fewer than two hundred followers are eligible to be nominated for blog awards. That isn’t fair! Just because you have a large fan base shouldn’t mean you don’t deserve awards!!! I’m 48 followers away from 200, and don’t want to stop getting awards! They are so cool and a huge spot of sunshine in my day! Also, I am pretty sure this is a rule that doesn’t need to be followed. It is the same as having to nominate so many people, answer so many questions, and so on and so forth. It is basically up to you how you accept the awards and send it along to other people. For example, there are times that I don’t nominate any certain blog(s). I just let my followers take the award if they want it. Mostly this is because I’m being lazy and/or don’t have the time to go through and decide which person doesn’t have the award, which people are currently accepting awards, etc.

Not being able to have an award if you have 200+ followers is about like having your taxes raised if you make 200+ million (okay, so that’s a lot of money, but if you have it, obviously you deserve it. Unless you robbed a bank. And if so, that isn’t fair either!) But why should you be penalized because you’re smart, funny, popular, rich, or just plain awesome??? So for me and my blog, I say forget the 200 follower rule! I don’t care if you have 1000 followers; I’m still going to nominate you for awards! So there!

Okay, I’m going to bed now. Good night all.

Awards! Yah!

I was nominated for The Versatile Blogger Award and The Wonderful Team Member Award by the wonderful L. Marie at  http://lmarie7b.wordpress.com/ Thank you so much! 

And I was nominated for the Liebster award by the kindhearted Robynn Gabel at  http://dupler.org/  Thanks Robynn!

       

Rules!

Versatile Blogger:

Thank and link to the person who gave you the award.

Tell seven facts about yourself.

Pass it on to seven other bloggers.

Link to specific posts on their blogs so they’ll be notified by pingback

Liebster Award:

List 11 random facts about you.

Answer the questions that were asked of you.

Nominate 11 other blogs for the Liebster Blog Award and link to their blogs.Notify the bloggers of their award.

Ask the award winners 11 questions to answer once they accept the award.

Wonderful Team Member Award:

1. The Nominee of the Wonderful Team member Readership Award shall display the logo on his/her blog.

2. The Nominee shall nominate 14 readers they appreciate over a period of 7 days, all at once or little by little.

3. The Nominee shall name his/her Wonderful Team Member Readership Award nominees on a post or on posts during 7 days.

Over a period of 7 days (1 week), the Nominee shall nominate a number of readers that he or she appreciates—this can be done at any rate during the week. It can be all on one day or a few on one day and a few on another day, as most convenient to the Nominee.
The Nominee shall name his or her Wonderful Team Member Readership Award nominees on a post or on posts during the 7 day (1 week) period.

Well, I’ll give you 7 facts about me, but I’m not going to nominate any certain blog(s). I have 150 amazingly awesome followers and have received 1350 ‘Likes’. So for any of you dear people who have ‘liked’ my posts or followed my blog, these awards are for you! Enjoy, and thank you so much!

1. I love eating apricots warm right off the tree

2. I think lilacs are the prettiest smelling flowers

3. Western movies are my favorite

4. If I could, I’d have chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast every day

5. My favorite colors are red and blue, but mostly everything I own, clothes, toys, etc. are purple!

6. I really like the smell of leather

7. Seeing pictures of couples silhouetted against a sunset makes me incredibly happy