Mara Valderran's Blog, page 35
July 20, 2013
What Social Media & The News Has Taught Me Lately
I don't read the news. I know some people might think I am terrible and ignorant for that, but I'll admit it anyway. Reading the news has a terrible effect on me. It either pisses me off to no end, or I am so heartbroken and devastated that I want to curl up underneath my covers and disappear.
But a funny thing has been happening lately. Facebook has been making me feel the same way. Everyday I am bombarded with pictures of young white kids who were brutally murdered by a black person and captions screaming about why this wasn't on the news or why the President hasn't said anything about this. (FYI I live in the southern US, and yes, the mindset is very different here.)
I very nearly deleted my Facebook account because I was so enraged over these pictures. Why does it have to be a race issue? I keep saying. Do we have to continue to belittle the senseless death of an unarmed teenage boy for the sake of the political statement it makes?
I felt like I was screaming at the wall for all the good it has done me. People responded back with comments either dismissing mine or inviting me to delete them since I felt this way and they felt that way.
I get freedom of speech, I really do. You are entitled to your opinions. But I'm entitled to have a Facebook feed clean of upsetting comments. I get on Facebook to see how my friends are doing and laugh at the occasional funny picture they post from George Takei. I get on there to keep in touch.
But that's the problem isn't it? And that's where the first lesson from social media comes in:
We know too much about each other.
I know things about my friends, their dark little thoughts, that I didn't know or care to know before. People think random things and dark things, but now they have outlets in which to post their thoughts without a filter. My friends wouldn't call me or text me to tell me how they think the death of a teenage boy shouldn't be a national news headline because it isn't for other white kids. It might have come out in conversation with some, but I would like to think they would phrase it better.
The other lesson is from both social media and the news. Throughout this whole thing, I have not been able to understand why it is a bigger issue that Trayvon Martin was a black kid who was killed than the fact that he was a seventeen year-old who was killed. When I first heard about this, I heard about how he looked suspicious because he was wearing a hoodie. My heart broke. As someone who grew up in the era of Jnco's, I completely understood the stereotype of "sketchy" because of the clothes you wear and I was outraged. If a kid in a hoodie walks down my street, I think that a kid in a hoodie is walking down my street.
Zomg! A teenager is walking down my street in baggy pants and a hoodie! He must be up to no good! Or it must be a day that ends in "y"...
And this is where I learned something really important about myself today through social media and the news:
I don't want to believe in racism.
That's right, folks. I don't want to believe racism exists in our world today. Not this heavily. I reserve that ignorant stance for older people who came from eras where it was more common and a bigger issue. But today? We should be beyond that. I hate seeing signs of it in people I care about. I hate seeing it so much in the news. I hate to think that people are looking at me and my "twin" (Yes, she is like a real twin to me. Same birthday only she is a couple hours older than me and we are so alike it is scary sometimes. We don't even communicate in full sentences.) funny when we are out because she is black and I am white.
I hide in my little bubble, naive as it is, and pretend all is well with the world. And then I get pissed when Facebook pops my little bubble.
So what can I do about this? Stop being so naive, I suppose. But I won't. Because, honestly? I'd rather live in my happy little bubble where people see the death of an unarmed teenage boy as tragic and newsworthy because it was tragic and the circumstances made it worse. I might have to delete my Facebook to do it, but I refuse to live in the world it forces me to see sometimes. I'll take my ignorance with a side of bliss, thank you.
But a funny thing has been happening lately. Facebook has been making me feel the same way. Everyday I am bombarded with pictures of young white kids who were brutally murdered by a black person and captions screaming about why this wasn't on the news or why the President hasn't said anything about this. (FYI I live in the southern US, and yes, the mindset is very different here.)
I very nearly deleted my Facebook account because I was so enraged over these pictures. Why does it have to be a race issue? I keep saying. Do we have to continue to belittle the senseless death of an unarmed teenage boy for the sake of the political statement it makes?
I felt like I was screaming at the wall for all the good it has done me. People responded back with comments either dismissing mine or inviting me to delete them since I felt this way and they felt that way.
I get freedom of speech, I really do. You are entitled to your opinions. But I'm entitled to have a Facebook feed clean of upsetting comments. I get on Facebook to see how my friends are doing and laugh at the occasional funny picture they post from George Takei. I get on there to keep in touch.
But that's the problem isn't it? And that's where the first lesson from social media comes in:
We know too much about each other.
I know things about my friends, their dark little thoughts, that I didn't know or care to know before. People think random things and dark things, but now they have outlets in which to post their thoughts without a filter. My friends wouldn't call me or text me to tell me how they think the death of a teenage boy shouldn't be a national news headline because it isn't for other white kids. It might have come out in conversation with some, but I would like to think they would phrase it better.
The other lesson is from both social media and the news. Throughout this whole thing, I have not been able to understand why it is a bigger issue that Trayvon Martin was a black kid who was killed than the fact that he was a seventeen year-old who was killed. When I first heard about this, I heard about how he looked suspicious because he was wearing a hoodie. My heart broke. As someone who grew up in the era of Jnco's, I completely understood the stereotype of "sketchy" because of the clothes you wear and I was outraged. If a kid in a hoodie walks down my street, I think that a kid in a hoodie is walking down my street.
Zomg! A teenager is walking down my street in baggy pants and a hoodie! He must be up to no good! Or it must be a day that ends in "y"...And this is where I learned something really important about myself today through social media and the news:
I don't want to believe in racism.
That's right, folks. I don't want to believe racism exists in our world today. Not this heavily. I reserve that ignorant stance for older people who came from eras where it was more common and a bigger issue. But today? We should be beyond that. I hate seeing signs of it in people I care about. I hate seeing it so much in the news. I hate to think that people are looking at me and my "twin" (Yes, she is like a real twin to me. Same birthday only she is a couple hours older than me and we are so alike it is scary sometimes. We don't even communicate in full sentences.) funny when we are out because she is black and I am white.
I hide in my little bubble, naive as it is, and pretend all is well with the world. And then I get pissed when Facebook pops my little bubble.
So what can I do about this? Stop being so naive, I suppose. But I won't. Because, honestly? I'd rather live in my happy little bubble where people see the death of an unarmed teenage boy as tragic and newsworthy because it was tragic and the circumstances made it worse. I might have to delete my Facebook to do it, but I refuse to live in the world it forces me to see sometimes. I'll take my ignorance with a side of bliss, thank you.
July 19, 2013
The Ups and Downs of My Writerly World
I'm sitting here, thinking I should take a nap before I set off for my evening plans. Why is a nap necessary? Well, in case you don't follow me on Facebook, here's the long and short of it:
My doctor tells me I have carpal tunnel AND tendonitis. Because, you know, I'm an overachiever like that.So my meds make me really sleepy and it is seriously hard to type with this thing on. But I have to wear it for three weeks. And I still have the nerve conduction study to look forward to. *grumble*
That's pretty much the "down" part of my writerly world right now. The "up" part is what is keeping me awake right now. I set my release date for Heirs of War. September 13th! The cover reveal will be August 30th. I know, I know...that's cutting it closer than most. But I have a reason for that. A reason that involves even MORE good news and excitement.
Wattpad has agreed to feature Heirs of War starting September 11th! If I could dance a jig without threatening to break something or cause myself further injury, I would. As part of their promotion, they will be doing a "Cover-Off", which will help me decide which cover to use. Because, honestly, sometimes Gretchen is just too good. Since the cover-off is the deciding factor, I won't be revealing the cover until around a week after.
And, to keep the good news rolling, one of my nearest and dearest is also setting up another marketing promotion type thing for me, which she informed me of last night. More on that as it unfolds. :)
So where will I be in the weeks before my book launches? At DragonCon, of course, waving my fangirl flag high and proud. I just found out I'll have a bit more money than I expected to spend, which means my dream of being in the middle of one of the sexiest sandwiches ever for a fangirl (James Marsters + John Barrowman....Yup: Captain Jack and Spike!!) might be coming true.
Now...what was I saying about that nap? Oh, right. Not likely! =D
P.S. I redesigned the blog, too. Hope you guys like it!
My doctor tells me I have carpal tunnel AND tendonitis. Because, you know, I'm an overachiever like that.So my meds make me really sleepy and it is seriously hard to type with this thing on. But I have to wear it for three weeks. And I still have the nerve conduction study to look forward to. *grumble*That's pretty much the "down" part of my writerly world right now. The "up" part is what is keeping me awake right now. I set my release date for Heirs of War. September 13th! The cover reveal will be August 30th. I know, I know...that's cutting it closer than most. But I have a reason for that. A reason that involves even MORE good news and excitement.
Wattpad has agreed to feature Heirs of War starting September 11th! If I could dance a jig without threatening to break something or cause myself further injury, I would. As part of their promotion, they will be doing a "Cover-Off", which will help me decide which cover to use. Because, honestly, sometimes Gretchen is just too good. Since the cover-off is the deciding factor, I won't be revealing the cover until around a week after.
And, to keep the good news rolling, one of my nearest and dearest is also setting up another marketing promotion type thing for me, which she informed me of last night. More on that as it unfolds. :)
So where will I be in the weeks before my book launches? At DragonCon, of course, waving my fangirl flag high and proud. I just found out I'll have a bit more money than I expected to spend, which means my dream of being in the middle of one of the sexiest sandwiches ever for a fangirl (James Marsters + John Barrowman....Yup: Captain Jack and Spike!!) might be coming true.
Now...what was I saying about that nap? Oh, right. Not likely! =D
P.S. I redesigned the blog, too. Hope you guys like it!
July 16, 2013
Belated Cover Reveal: Stay with Me by Elyssa Patrick
A day late, and a dollar short. With all the craziness of yesterday for me personally (going to the doctor about my arm, new massive hulk of brace/splint, working in said bulk...), I completely forgot about the cover reveal for Elyssa Patrick's new novel,
Stay with Me
, set to be released August 30th. You can find more about Elyssa on her blog, or you can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. Check out the cover, blurb, and trailer, and stay tuned below for an excerpt to get you counting down the days until the release!
With one look, I’m his...
With one touch, he’s mine...
With one kiss, it changes everything between us...
I’ve been famous since I can remember. Singing, acting, dancing—I’ve done it all. The tabloids cover my every move, but I don’t want that anymore. I want to be normal, whatever that is.
When I leave Hollywood for college in Vermont, I’m on my own for the first time in my life. This is my chance to figure out who I am and what I want in life.
But it’s a lot harder than I expected. I can’t escape my image. Classes are hard, and I’m struggling. And then there’s Caleb Fox.
Sexy, intriguing Caleb Fox.
Caleb is the one man who doesn’t want to use me. He breaks down my walls. He challenges me. He wants me. And I just don’t know if I can give him the same—or if he’ll stick around when he finds out my shameful secret that the tabloids haven’t managed to uncover.
Dating him is risky enough, but loving him could break me.
Excerpt from Stay With Me:
I give him a look. “You’re not really expecting me to introduce myself, are you?”
“Why not?”
“Because . . . because . . .” I look up at the sky; no answers are there among the few stars that have now broken free of the clouds. “Because it seems silly. We already know each other’s names.”
“Let’s pretend we don’t. Here. I’ll start.” He holds out his right hand to me. “Hi, I’m Caleb Fox.”
I stare at his hand. “This is—”
“I’m sorry. I don’t talk to strangers.”
“Funny.” But then I decide to play along—I tell myself that it’s not to feel Caleb’s hand around mine once again. “Hi, Caleb. I’m Hailey Bloom.”
I like saying his name.
“Hi, Hailey.”
I like it even more when he says mine.
His hand grasps mine in a firm, no-nonsense grip. It should be an ordinary handshake. Something brief and impersonal, and something easily forgotten.
This handshake is anything but ordinary, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.
His slightly rough skin is still cool against mine, and his thumb sweeps the inside of my wrist. I gasp out loud and his fingers briefly tighten. The handshake should be over by now.
He doesn’t let go. Neither do I.
“Now we’ve met,” he finally says.
“Yes,” My mouth feels dry, and I lick my lips. “We have.”
With one look, I’m his...With one touch, he’s mine...
With one kiss, it changes everything between us...
I’ve been famous since I can remember. Singing, acting, dancing—I’ve done it all. The tabloids cover my every move, but I don’t want that anymore. I want to be normal, whatever that is.
When I leave Hollywood for college in Vermont, I’m on my own for the first time in my life. This is my chance to figure out who I am and what I want in life.
But it’s a lot harder than I expected. I can’t escape my image. Classes are hard, and I’m struggling. And then there’s Caleb Fox.
Sexy, intriguing Caleb Fox.
Caleb is the one man who doesn’t want to use me. He breaks down my walls. He challenges me. He wants me. And I just don’t know if I can give him the same—or if he’ll stick around when he finds out my shameful secret that the tabloids haven’t managed to uncover.
Dating him is risky enough, but loving him could break me.
Try our slideshow creator at Animoto.
Excerpt from Stay With Me:
I give him a look. “You’re not really expecting me to introduce myself, are you?”
“Why not?”
“Because . . . because . . .” I look up at the sky; no answers are there among the few stars that have now broken free of the clouds. “Because it seems silly. We already know each other’s names.”
“Let’s pretend we don’t. Here. I’ll start.” He holds out his right hand to me. “Hi, I’m Caleb Fox.”
I stare at his hand. “This is—”
“I’m sorry. I don’t talk to strangers.”
“Funny.” But then I decide to play along—I tell myself that it’s not to feel Caleb’s hand around mine once again. “Hi, Caleb. I’m Hailey Bloom.”
I like saying his name.
“Hi, Hailey.”
I like it even more when he says mine.
His hand grasps mine in a firm, no-nonsense grip. It should be an ordinary handshake. Something brief and impersonal, and something easily forgotten.
This handshake is anything but ordinary, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.
His slightly rough skin is still cool against mine, and his thumb sweeps the inside of my wrist. I gasp out loud and his fingers briefly tighten. The handshake should be over by now.
He doesn’t let go. Neither do I.
“Now we’ve met,” he finally says.
“Yes,” My mouth feels dry, and I lick my lips. “We have.”
July 5, 2013
Cover Reveal: Soul Ties by Lisa Swallow
I love cover reveals. They're all shiny and new, and it's all about the excitement, knowing the release date is just around the corner. Today we are introducing the cover of
Soul Ties
, the first in the new adult paranormal romance series by my new writerly friend Lisa Swallow. If you would like to follow Lisa's writerly exploits, you can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. Soul Ties is due out in August, so be sure to check back here as I interview Lisa and maybe even get an excerpt out of her for her release date!
Ava didn’t expect to find terrible secrets about the fate of the souls she takes. Or fall in love... Soul-hunter Ava has retrieved hundreds of souls from demons, but has never been assigned the dangerous mission for a Nephilim soul. She must hunt down Keir since she needs his Nephilim soul to trade for her freedom. When she arrives on campus and meets Keir, she also meets a strange girl, Dahlia, who has an inexplicable hold on him. Unexpectedly Ava discovers Keir holds secrets that are more valuable than his Nephilim soul – secrets she could trade for the life she wants.When she uncovers the true fate of the souls she takes back to her superiors, and what Keir is doing to stop it, Ava’s world is turned upside down. She finds herself in the middle of a war where the lines between good and evil are blurred and she only has two choices… Betray Keir and live or join his battle and risk going to Hell.
Lisa was born in the UK and she moved around Europe with her military family before completing a BA (Hons) in English at the University of Leeds. Her home is now in Perth, Australia with her husband and three children. Lisa has written since she was a child - moving from writing poems and short stories aged nine to writing novels in the last few years. With the encouragement of her family and local writers group, Lisa found the confidence to share her latest paranormal romance series with the world.
In between running her home based craft supplies business, looking after her family, and writing, Lisa sometimes finds spare time to do other things. This often involves swapping her book worlds for gaming worlds. She even leaves the house occasionally, enjoying walks with her dog and time with her family. She loves all things from the Whedonverse and preferred vampires before they sparkled.
Ava didn’t expect to find terrible secrets about the fate of the souls she takes. Or fall in love... Soul-hunter Ava has retrieved hundreds of souls from demons, but has never been assigned the dangerous mission for a Nephilim soul. She must hunt down Keir since she needs his Nephilim soul to trade for her freedom. When she arrives on campus and meets Keir, she also meets a strange girl, Dahlia, who has an inexplicable hold on him. Unexpectedly Ava discovers Keir holds secrets that are more valuable than his Nephilim soul – secrets she could trade for the life she wants.When she uncovers the true fate of the souls she takes back to her superiors, and what Keir is doing to stop it, Ava’s world is turned upside down. She finds herself in the middle of a war where the lines between good and evil are blurred and she only has two choices… Betray Keir and live or join his battle and risk going to Hell.
Lisa was born in the UK and she moved around Europe with her military family before completing a BA (Hons) in English at the University of Leeds. Her home is now in Perth, Australia with her husband and three children. Lisa has written since she was a child - moving from writing poems and short stories aged nine to writing novels in the last few years. With the encouragement of her family and local writers group, Lisa found the confidence to share her latest paranormal romance series with the world.In between running her home based craft supplies business, looking after her family, and writing, Lisa sometimes finds spare time to do other things. This often involves swapping her book worlds for gaming worlds. She even leaves the house occasionally, enjoying walks with her dog and time with her family. She loves all things from the Whedonverse and preferred vampires before they sparkled.
June 23, 2013
The Power of a Fandom
My husband and I recently started watching Arrested Development, and we are finally up to season 4. For those who don't know the history of the show, let me give you a brief rundown. The show aired on the Fox network for three seasons (2003-2006), won several awards and lots of critical acclaim, and developed quite the cult following as what IGN referred to as the funniest show of all time (according to the show's Wiki--give me some credit, I am a new fan so I didn't know any of this stuff until now).
And, as is the tradition with Fox and good television shows, they decided to cancel it due to low ratings.
RIP Dollhouse, Firefly, FreakyLinks, Dark Angel, Blood Ties, Alphas, Veronica Mars, Legend of the Seeker, Dead Like Me, Stargate Atlantis, Moonlight, Jericho, Farscape, The Gates, Freaks and Geeks, Don't Trust the Bitch in Apt 23, Daria, and so many more I am probably forgetting.I'll never understand the ratings system. Anyhoo! There's always a risk with any show on television that it will be cancelled, I suppose. Unless it is reality TV, but that's a whole different soapbox that I will jump on down the road. Having one of your favorite television shows cancelled is depressing and disheartening. I used to get really involved in fandoms, even going so far as to help head efforts to get movies made or organize a fandom-written second season (here's glaring at you, Lifetime). Those efforts never paid off, which was even more upsetting. The passion would dwindle and the old adage "Out of sight, out of mind" (or in this case, "Off our TV screens, off our minds" might be more accurate) would come into play. And soon, I would give up and move on as well.
But something has happened in the age of the internet. People, distracted by shiny new things as they might be at times, remembered. And fans stood up and said "We want more." We've seen this happen a few times over the years, as with the Firefly and Farscape movies, and with fans of Jericho able to convince the network to bring it back (seven episodes is better than nothing!).
It seems this is happening more and more. Now fans have managed to bring back Arrested Development for another season
seven
years after it was cancelled. Veronica Mars fans have now financially backed the movie they have been begging for since 2004, raising over 5 million dollars to make it happen. And recently I have seen that Legend of the Seeker fans are trying to get their show back. Terry Goodkind's Facebook had a nice status about it, which surprised me since I had always heard he didn't like the show (In his defense, it does stray REALLY far from the books).
So what does all of this tell us? That there is a power in fandom unlike any other. Power enough to bring about financial miracles and resurrections despite how long ago the death might have occurred. It's humbling and empowering and encouraging. And not just that the fandoms have managed to move mountains, but that the actors and producers and writers are all on board. From what I've seen so far, the full casts of Veronica Mars and Arrested Development have all returned. If you ask just about any actor from SG1 if they would come back for a movie, the answer is always a resounding "Hell yes!" Terry Goodkind is supporting efforts to resurrect a show he has the right to hate. And why? Because they are all appreciative, if not fans themselves. They understand the power of a fandom, and they respect it. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they were in as much awe of it as I am right now.
There's a lesson to be learned from this as writers who hope to one day gain a fandom, or who might already be building one. It doesn't matter how many books you sell. It doesn't matter how many best seller lists you make. What matters is the fans. Honor them because they are honoring you by dedicating such passion to your work.
And, as is the tradition with Fox and good television shows, they decided to cancel it due to low ratings.
RIP Dollhouse, Firefly, FreakyLinks, Dark Angel, Blood Ties, Alphas, Veronica Mars, Legend of the Seeker, Dead Like Me, Stargate Atlantis, Moonlight, Jericho, Farscape, The Gates, Freaks and Geeks, Don't Trust the Bitch in Apt 23, Daria, and so many more I am probably forgetting.I'll never understand the ratings system. Anyhoo! There's always a risk with any show on television that it will be cancelled, I suppose. Unless it is reality TV, but that's a whole different soapbox that I will jump on down the road. Having one of your favorite television shows cancelled is depressing and disheartening. I used to get really involved in fandoms, even going so far as to help head efforts to get movies made or organize a fandom-written second season (here's glaring at you, Lifetime). Those efforts never paid off, which was even more upsetting. The passion would dwindle and the old adage "Out of sight, out of mind" (or in this case, "Off our TV screens, off our minds" might be more accurate) would come into play. And soon, I would give up and move on as well.But something has happened in the age of the internet. People, distracted by shiny new things as they might be at times, remembered. And fans stood up and said "We want more." We've seen this happen a few times over the years, as with the Firefly and Farscape movies, and with fans of Jericho able to convince the network to bring it back (seven episodes is better than nothing!).
It seems this is happening more and more. Now fans have managed to bring back Arrested Development for another season
seven
years after it was cancelled. Veronica Mars fans have now financially backed the movie they have been begging for since 2004, raising over 5 million dollars to make it happen. And recently I have seen that Legend of the Seeker fans are trying to get their show back. Terry Goodkind's Facebook had a nice status about it, which surprised me since I had always heard he didn't like the show (In his defense, it does stray REALLY far from the books).So what does all of this tell us? That there is a power in fandom unlike any other. Power enough to bring about financial miracles and resurrections despite how long ago the death might have occurred. It's humbling and empowering and encouraging. And not just that the fandoms have managed to move mountains, but that the actors and producers and writers are all on board. From what I've seen so far, the full casts of Veronica Mars and Arrested Development have all returned. If you ask just about any actor from SG1 if they would come back for a movie, the answer is always a resounding "Hell yes!" Terry Goodkind is supporting efforts to resurrect a show he has the right to hate. And why? Because they are all appreciative, if not fans themselves. They understand the power of a fandom, and they respect it. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they were in as much awe of it as I am right now.
There's a lesson to be learned from this as writers who hope to one day gain a fandom, or who might already be building one. It doesn't matter how many books you sell. It doesn't matter how many best seller lists you make. What matters is the fans. Honor them because they are honoring you by dedicating such passion to your work.
June 19, 2013
Cover Reveal for Rachel O'Laughlin's Coldness of Marek
Hey, you! Take a break! It's time for me to flaunt a shiny new book that you are gonna want to get your hands on. Today is the cover reveal for Rachel O'Laughlin's
The Coldness of Marek
, book one in the Serengard series, which comes out in August. Rachel is a writing buddy of mine, so there will be plenty more to come on the release. For now, check out the cover and the blurb, get to know Rachel on Twitter and Facebook, preorder the book through her website, and start counting down the days until the release! I know I will be!
Serengard has been under Orion rule for centuries. Centuries of insufferable adherence to laws and traditions that none of its people ever asked for or agreed to. Raised by her scholarly grandfather in the fiery southern city of Neroi, Trzl is out to turn the monarchy into a free society where knowledge is king and no one has to be subject to the whims of an Orion. As the rebellion escalates, her choices have an eerie impact on the revolution at large, elevating her to a position of influence she has only dreamed of attaining. But there are downsides to her power: appearances and alliances that must be upheld. One of them is Hodran, a rich rebel who wants to aid her cause, and another is Mikel, a loyalist farmer who wants to destroy it… and who just might be winning her heart at the same time.
By the time Trzl realizes she is in too deep, she has an infant son and a dark mess of betrayal and lies. She runs, to the farthest corner of the kingdom, in hopes she will be left alone with her child. But she has a few too many demons. Someone she once trusted takes her captive among the chilling Cliffs of Marek. She is thrown back into the political mess she helped create… at the mercy of a man she never wanted for an enemy.
About Rachel O'Laughlin:
Obsessed with all things history, Rachel grew up reading adventure stories the caliber of Rafael Sabatini and only recently fell in love with fantasy as a genre. She lives in Maine with her husband and children, grows roses and tweets often. In addition to reading and writing, she loves coffee, spy series, and alternative rock.
Serengard has been under Orion rule for centuries. Centuries of insufferable adherence to laws and traditions that none of its people ever asked for or agreed to. Raised by her scholarly grandfather in the fiery southern city of Neroi, Trzl is out to turn the monarchy into a free society where knowledge is king and no one has to be subject to the whims of an Orion. As the rebellion escalates, her choices have an eerie impact on the revolution at large, elevating her to a position of influence she has only dreamed of attaining. But there are downsides to her power: appearances and alliances that must be upheld. One of them is Hodran, a rich rebel who wants to aid her cause, and another is Mikel, a loyalist farmer who wants to destroy it… and who just might be winning her heart at the same time.By the time Trzl realizes she is in too deep, she has an infant son and a dark mess of betrayal and lies. She runs, to the farthest corner of the kingdom, in hopes she will be left alone with her child. But she has a few too many demons. Someone she once trusted takes her captive among the chilling Cliffs of Marek. She is thrown back into the political mess she helped create… at the mercy of a man she never wanted for an enemy.
About Rachel O'Laughlin:Obsessed with all things history, Rachel grew up reading adventure stories the caliber of Rafael Sabatini and only recently fell in love with fantasy as a genre. She lives in Maine with her husband and children, grows roses and tweets often. In addition to reading and writing, she loves coffee, spy series, and alternative rock.
June 17, 2013
The Paranoia That Accompanies Posting Your Work Online
As I talked about in my last blog, I decided to post Heirs of War on Wattpad as I edit. I've posted all the way up to chapter 16 and am currently banging my head against the brick wall that is chapter 17 and the changes that need to be made.
But I digress. So, I've been trying to become active in the Wattpad community because, well, that's what you do. I tried to do the same with Figment, but in getting so overwhelmed by spam, I just deleted my account. Which I feel bad about because I promised some people I would read their story. One thing I have learned to be annoyed by is the people in the writing community who want something for nothing. Don't expect people to read your work or comment on your work in a contest if you aren't willing to do the same. Make a commitment to the community and you will reap the rewards.
That's a soapbox for another day, I suppose. Because the point of this blog is all about writerly insecurity. Yup, I has it. I didn't think I did. Well, not that bad anyway. But man does this whole read counts and voting system really screw with a novice writer's head. I might even blame it for my current dilemma with chapter 17. You see, I have (currently) 155 reads according to my title page with the blurb. Does that mean 155 people have read that page, or total for the story? No clue. I explored the site but didn't find an answer, got frustrated, and went back to writing.
Moving on. Chapter 1 has 61 reads, and chapters 2 and 16 have 9. But! Some of the in between chapters have as little as 2 reads. Does that mean people are skipping around? Or the reads count is inaccurate? No clue.
Moving on. Out of 61 reads, I only have 2 votes (both by people I know). Does this mean it sucks? Or do people wait until the story is complete to vote for it? No clue.
And not sure if I should move on. I'm wondering if maybe this whole Wattpad thing is creating more of a fuss in my head than it has the potential to give me reassurance that all my effort is worth it. I'm not willing to do the whole "Read/vote for my story, and I'll read/vote for yours" thing that annoyed me so much on Figment. I've got a list of stories I am going to critique, but I made it clear they owed me nothing but patience in return. If someone is going to read my story, I want it to be because they like it, not because of some deal.
Maybe that means I am the wrong kinda author for sites like that. I'm going to give Fictionpress a shot since they don't appear to have anything like the systems used on Wattpad and Figment. And I suppose I will keep posting on Wattpad until the story is done...but not with much confidence I will gain anything at this point.
But I digress. So, I've been trying to become active in the Wattpad community because, well, that's what you do. I tried to do the same with Figment, but in getting so overwhelmed by spam, I just deleted my account. Which I feel bad about because I promised some people I would read their story. One thing I have learned to be annoyed by is the people in the writing community who want something for nothing. Don't expect people to read your work or comment on your work in a contest if you aren't willing to do the same. Make a commitment to the community and you will reap the rewards.
That's a soapbox for another day, I suppose. Because the point of this blog is all about writerly insecurity. Yup, I has it. I didn't think I did. Well, not that bad anyway. But man does this whole read counts and voting system really screw with a novice writer's head. I might even blame it for my current dilemma with chapter 17. You see, I have (currently) 155 reads according to my title page with the blurb. Does that mean 155 people have read that page, or total for the story? No clue. I explored the site but didn't find an answer, got frustrated, and went back to writing.
Moving on. Chapter 1 has 61 reads, and chapters 2 and 16 have 9. But! Some of the in between chapters have as little as 2 reads. Does that mean people are skipping around? Or the reads count is inaccurate? No clue.
Moving on. Out of 61 reads, I only have 2 votes (both by people I know). Does this mean it sucks? Or do people wait until the story is complete to vote for it? No clue.
And not sure if I should move on. I'm wondering if maybe this whole Wattpad thing is creating more of a fuss in my head than it has the potential to give me reassurance that all my effort is worth it. I'm not willing to do the whole "Read/vote for my story, and I'll read/vote for yours" thing that annoyed me so much on Figment. I've got a list of stories I am going to critique, but I made it clear they owed me nothing but patience in return. If someone is going to read my story, I want it to be because they like it, not because of some deal.
Maybe that means I am the wrong kinda author for sites like that. I'm going to give Fictionpress a shot since they don't appear to have anything like the systems used on Wattpad and Figment. And I suppose I will keep posting on Wattpad until the story is done...but not with much confidence I will gain anything at this point.
June 5, 2013
Why I've Decided to Post on Wattpad
Now, I know this doesn't sound like a big deal. But it is, I swear.
The thing is, I have edited the crap out of Heirs of War. I've also queried the crap out of it. There are a few critique partners who still have it, and a few have offered their insights already. Of course, I know that you can't make everyone happy, so I've been working on incorporating some of those suggestions while I mull over a few others. I'm still working on that. I've also sent a sample to my editor friend to see what kind of editing she thinks it would need before self-publishing.
Where do I start??
Because that's what I've decided to do. Honestly, I think I decided it a while ago and was just querying out of habit. I mean, why else would I go ahead and hire a cover artist if I hadn't, somewhere in the back of my mind, decided self-publishing was the way to go? Gretchen is still working on the cover, but I'm using the last mockup she sent me in the meantime. Why? Because I can't help but show off all her awesome work.
I digress. You might be asking yourself why I would decide to post my MS on Wattpad since I am A) still editing, B) still waiting on my editor friend to get back to me along with CPs, and C) intending to self-publish anyway. The answer is simple, really.
To find out if it is worth it.
I know, I know. It sounds silly. I should have said something like "To help build an audience before I publish", which is part of the reason. But the real reason is simply validation. I've been trying to decide what to do with Heirs of War for months now, shying away from even looking at it because that question is so complicated. Do I self-publish and possibly shoot myself in the foot for future endeavors I might want to get published the traditional way? Do I rewrite the entire series to cater to the requests of the publishing world, telling the story of only one character instead of five? (Had multiple professionals advise this) Or do I shelve it completely, hoping something else I write works out better and opens the door for this to get published down the road?
Is your head spinning? I know mine has been. But then something funny happened when I watched the season finale of Doctor Who.
Who am I to argue with the Doctor?I decided to write a one-shot fanfiction because this nagging little epilogue scene wouldn't leave me alone. I loved sharing that one moment of my fanfiction. I got reviews, the story gained followers, people favorited the story...And I was exhilarated. I wanted to write more. And believe it or not, that fanfiction helped me remember why I got into this gig to begin with.
I want to share my story, the story of these five girls embarking on five different epic journeys that will ultimately lead them all to the same path. Every trial, every romantic moment, every heartbreak, every loss--I am chomping at the bit to share these moments with all of you.
So I am going to do just that. And I am going to keep editing, keep incorporating my CPs' notes, chat with my editor friend, and gush over the new cover. When I get the finished product, I'll start the process of self-publishing. Or I'll just leave it there as I move on to book 2. Who knows? But for now, I'm just enjoying the ride.
You can find Heirs of War on Wattpad. Chapters will be posted as I finish editing them (this go round, anyway).
The thing is, I have edited the crap out of Heirs of War. I've also queried the crap out of it. There are a few critique partners who still have it, and a few have offered their insights already. Of course, I know that you can't make everyone happy, so I've been working on incorporating some of those suggestions while I mull over a few others. I'm still working on that. I've also sent a sample to my editor friend to see what kind of editing she thinks it would need before self-publishing.
Where do I start??Because that's what I've decided to do. Honestly, I think I decided it a while ago and was just querying out of habit. I mean, why else would I go ahead and hire a cover artist if I hadn't, somewhere in the back of my mind, decided self-publishing was the way to go? Gretchen is still working on the cover, but I'm using the last mockup she sent me in the meantime. Why? Because I can't help but show off all her awesome work.
I digress. You might be asking yourself why I would decide to post my MS on Wattpad since I am A) still editing, B) still waiting on my editor friend to get back to me along with CPs, and C) intending to self-publish anyway. The answer is simple, really.
To find out if it is worth it.
I know, I know. It sounds silly. I should have said something like "To help build an audience before I publish", which is part of the reason. But the real reason is simply validation. I've been trying to decide what to do with Heirs of War for months now, shying away from even looking at it because that question is so complicated. Do I self-publish and possibly shoot myself in the foot for future endeavors I might want to get published the traditional way? Do I rewrite the entire series to cater to the requests of the publishing world, telling the story of only one character instead of five? (Had multiple professionals advise this) Or do I shelve it completely, hoping something else I write works out better and opens the door for this to get published down the road?
Is your head spinning? I know mine has been. But then something funny happened when I watched the season finale of Doctor Who.
Who am I to argue with the Doctor?I decided to write a one-shot fanfiction because this nagging little epilogue scene wouldn't leave me alone. I loved sharing that one moment of my fanfiction. I got reviews, the story gained followers, people favorited the story...And I was exhilarated. I wanted to write more. And believe it or not, that fanfiction helped me remember why I got into this gig to begin with.I want to share my story, the story of these five girls embarking on five different epic journeys that will ultimately lead them all to the same path. Every trial, every romantic moment, every heartbreak, every loss--I am chomping at the bit to share these moments with all of you.
So I am going to do just that. And I am going to keep editing, keep incorporating my CPs' notes, chat with my editor friend, and gush over the new cover. When I get the finished product, I'll start the process of self-publishing. Or I'll just leave it there as I move on to book 2. Who knows? But for now, I'm just enjoying the ride.
You can find Heirs of War on Wattpad. Chapters will be posted as I finish editing them (this go round, anyway).
May 28, 2013
Kiya Blog Tour: Guest Post by Katie Hamstead
As promised, today I am lucky to have Katie Hamstead stop by to talk about the research she did on the origins of Israel for
Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh
(available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble). If you'd like to hear more from her, you can follow her on Twitter or check out her blog.
Thank you, Mara for having me on your blog.The Origins of IsraelAbraham was the first father of the people known as the Israelites. Abraham married Sarah who gave him Isaac in their old age. Isaac then married Rebekah who gave him twins; Esau and Jacob. Jacob then traded for the birthright with Esau, and married Leah, then Rachel, and further down the line Bilhah and Zilpah. These four women gave him twelve sons between them, and Jacob become known as Israel.These sons are:From Leah – Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah(Jews), Issachar and Zebulun.From Bilhah – Dan and NaphtaliFrom Zilpah – Gad and AsherAnd from Rachel – Joseph and Benjamin.Each of these sons fathered the twelve tribes of Israel, excluding Reuben. Reuben lost his birthright by sleeping with Bilhah. So, Joseph became the birthright because he was Israel’s favorite wife’s firstborn, (We all know the story of Joseph and the techni-colored dream coat! ) and became the father of two tribes; Manasseh and Ephraim, of which Ephraim is the birthright line.So, now you can understand why it is so significant that Naomi (Kiya) is a direct line of Ephraim in Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh. Israel’s time in Egypt isn’t well documented. We see at the end of Genesis Israel dies, but then many generations later, Moses begins Exodus. During this time they grew enormously as a people and somehow went from being favored by the Pharaoh to being slaves.This is the time in which the Kiya trilogy is set.
Thank you, Mara for having me on your blog.The Origins of IsraelAbraham was the first father of the people known as the Israelites. Abraham married Sarah who gave him Isaac in their old age. Isaac then married Rebekah who gave him twins; Esau and Jacob. Jacob then traded for the birthright with Esau, and married Leah, then Rachel, and further down the line Bilhah and Zilpah. These four women gave him twelve sons between them, and Jacob become known as Israel.These sons are:From Leah – Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah(Jews), Issachar and Zebulun.From Bilhah – Dan and NaphtaliFrom Zilpah – Gad and AsherAnd from Rachel – Joseph and Benjamin.Each of these sons fathered the twelve tribes of Israel, excluding Reuben. Reuben lost his birthright by sleeping with Bilhah. So, Joseph became the birthright because he was Israel’s favorite wife’s firstborn, (We all know the story of Joseph and the techni-colored dream coat! ) and became the father of two tribes; Manasseh and Ephraim, of which Ephraim is the birthright line.So, now you can understand why it is so significant that Naomi (Kiya) is a direct line of Ephraim in Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh. Israel’s time in Egypt isn’t well documented. We see at the end of Genesis Israel dies, but then many generations later, Moses begins Exodus. During this time they grew enormously as a people and somehow went from being favored by the Pharaoh to being slaves.This is the time in which the Kiya trilogy is set.
May 23, 2013
What the Heck Am I Doing?
Have you ever had one of those "Well, duh!" type epiphanies? The ones that come out of nowhere (usually in the wee hours of the morning when you have to be at work at 7am, of course), blindsiding you with how obvious this revelation should have been to you even though it has been hiding for months?
I had one of those last night. Complete with interrupted sleep (Which might explain the rambliness of at least this post. The others? I'll get back to you with an excuse later). I've been working on my YA Dystopian WIP for a couple of months now, letting Heirs of War sit on the backburner until I get done. I hate interrupting one story to work on another. It messes up my flow.
So I decided when I started the WIP that I would write it to finish with the first draft. After all, it's a YA book so it's not like it will be the 200k that HoW 2 is trying to be. Shouldn't take much time for someone used to 5-10k days like me. Right?
Wrong. Apparently there's this little thing called life that gets in the way. So months later, I am only 10k in. Not a big deal. I'll just push through. I had said that I would give HoW another edit this summer, but I can push it off. No problem.
Wrong again. Here's the epiphany I had: HoW is much closer to being publication-ready than my WIP. I am most likely going to end up self-publishing HoW, so basically it is waiting on me. I just received some AMAZING notes from a critique partner (ahemRachelahem), so I now have some solutions to problems I've been puzzling over for almost a year. So why wait? Why hold back in the hopes of finishing one story's rough draft when I might be close to the final draft of another?
So I've decided to shelve the WIP and finish HoW, getting it ready once and for all for publication. I shouldn't be so proud of this revelation since it really is the most obvious choice, but I am. I feel good about it. And one thing I have learned in this business so far is to hold on to that feeling.
I had one of those last night. Complete with interrupted sleep (Which might explain the rambliness of at least this post. The others? I'll get back to you with an excuse later). I've been working on my YA Dystopian WIP for a couple of months now, letting Heirs of War sit on the backburner until I get done. I hate interrupting one story to work on another. It messes up my flow.
So I decided when I started the WIP that I would write it to finish with the first draft. After all, it's a YA book so it's not like it will be the 200k that HoW 2 is trying to be. Shouldn't take much time for someone used to 5-10k days like me. Right?
Wrong. Apparently there's this little thing called life that gets in the way. So months later, I am only 10k in. Not a big deal. I'll just push through. I had said that I would give HoW another edit this summer, but I can push it off. No problem.
Wrong again. Here's the epiphany I had: HoW is much closer to being publication-ready than my WIP. I am most likely going to end up self-publishing HoW, so basically it is waiting on me. I just received some AMAZING notes from a critique partner (ahemRachelahem), so I now have some solutions to problems I've been puzzling over for almost a year. So why wait? Why hold back in the hopes of finishing one story's rough draft when I might be close to the final draft of another?
So I've decided to shelve the WIP and finish HoW, getting it ready once and for all for publication. I shouldn't be so proud of this revelation since it really is the most obvious choice, but I am. I feel good about it. And one thing I have learned in this business so far is to hold on to that feeling.
