Loni Townsend's Blog, page 31
July 16, 2014
Soulless Cover Reveal
Today, I have the privilege of bringing you the cover of Crystal Collier‘s upcoming book, Soulless. I hope to someday see a color changing cover like Moonless on Crystal’s site (*hint, hint* *wink, wink*), but that might be a bit tricky with the darker title.
Enough with my speculation! Here is the cover.
Have you met the Soulless and Passionate? In the world of 1770 where supernatural beings mix with humanity, Alexia is playing a deadly game.
SOULLESS, Book 2 in the Maiden of Time trilogy
Alexia manipulated time to save the man of her dreams, and lost her best friend to red-eyed wraiths. Still grieving, she struggles to reconcile her loss with what was gained: her impending marriage. But when her wedding is destroyed by the Soulless—who then steal the only protection her people have—she’s forced to unleash her true power.
And risk losing everything.
What people are saying about this series:
“With a completely unique plot that keeps you guessing and interested, it brings you close to the characters, sympathizing with them and understanding their trials and tribulations.” —SC, Amazon reviewer
“It’s clean, classy and supernaturally packed with suspense, longing, intrigue and magic.” —Jill Jennings, TX
“SWOON.” —Sherlyn, Mermaid with a Book Reviewer
Crystal Collier is a young adult author who pens dark fantasy, historical, and romance hybrids. She can be found practicing her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, three littles, and "friend" (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese. You can find her on her blog and Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.
COMING October 13, 2014
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Have you read Moonless? Are you looking forward to Soulless’s release? Are you hoping for a color changing cover like I am?
The post Soulless Cover Reveal appeared first on Squirrel Talk.
July 11, 2014
Featured Photo Friday
While on vacation, I learned that my husband actually looks forward to Featured Photo Friday, and was disappointed when I missed a couple weeks. So after lunch that day, I hopped on the Connector and hit downtown to try my hand at urban photography.
I suck at urban photography. But I got a couple of decent shots.
I present Public Parking.
Downtown is the culture hot spot of Boise. Plus parking is free for the first hour!
Do you like urban photography? What type of photography do you like best?
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July 8, 2014
Civil War World?
If you haven’t seen, Elizabeth Seckman is hosting a blog challenge to celebrate the release of her book, Bella’s Point. The only prompt is: It was the year 1865…
With a prompt like that, how could I not write a story? The tricky part is this: when I write something outside of the Niniers, it’s always Cera. But Cera doesn’t time travel; she world hops.
This is where I fudge things a bit. You see, time passes differently depending on the world. It might seem like a normal 24-hour day while she’s on the world, but that could be five annuals on Chikara (Cera’s home world) or only an hour.
So, it’s not really time travel, because it’s not really our world. Or is it?
Cera winds up on the banks of the Rio Grande, east of Brownsville, Texas. The month is May, and the year 1865…
I’ve bumped this yet-to-be-named Cera Chronicle to highest-priority-WIP status, since the challenge starts in a week. I doubt it’ll be polished, and it won’t be complete, but we’ll see if I can generate about 500 words of interesting hook to entice the judges. I’ve never written a historical before, so we’ll see how well I do at adhering to facts.
Primary considerations: What was expected of women’s behavior in 1865? What was women’s fashion? What tropes are related to the civil war? What would 1865 world have to offer Cera as a potential cure for her dad?
Are you participating in Elizabeth’s challenge? Have you tried writing a historical? What do you know about the year 1865?
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July 2, 2014
IWSG – Vacation
Today is the first Wednesday of the month. That means, it’s time for Insecure Writer’s Support Group!
You can find the sign up for the IWSG here. We owe Alex J Cavanaugh a huge thank you for thinking this blog hop up.
Writing time is one of those valuable, limited resources. Lately, I’ve been too overwhelmed to be insecure.
My solution? Vacation!
That’s right, I’m on vacation this week. My kids are at daycare. My husband’s at work. It’s just me and my three dogs lounging by the pond, too far from the wireless to even get online.
Have you ever taken vacation to get some writing done? What do you do when you’re overwhelmed?
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June 30, 2014
Paying It Forward Blog Hop
I mentioned in my last post that Chrys Fey, author of Hurricane Crimes, tagged me in the Paying it Forward blog hop. Thank you, Chrys!
This blog hop consists of four questions:
What am I working on? How does my work differ from others of its genre? Why do I write what I write? How does my writing process work?
What am I working on?
Right now, I’m focusing on finishing up minor changes to Cera Chronicles: This World Bites before handing it off to the fabulous people who agreed to beta read for me. (If you want to beta read as well, don’t hesitate to speak up.)
As soon as that hand-off is done, I’ll be back to putting words down for Isto, book 2 of the Niniers.
How does my work differ from others of its genre?
For the Niniers, it’s hard to say. I’ve read a lot of fantasy, so other worlds, new races, deities, and mystical powers aren’t anything I can claim as unique. Maybe throw in a homicidal alter ego, and yeah, that might be a bit different.
On the other hand, the Cera Chronicles takes a group of travelers from an epic fantasy world (created in the niniers series) and throws them onto other worlds. How does this differ from every other run-of-the-mill interdimensional travel story? Every Cera Chronicle aims to spoof a particular genre/theme.
Why do I write what I write?
The Niniers series has been with me for half my lifetime. The same could be said for Cera. I’d have written the Ninier series even if no one read it, because Derek demanded I tell his story.
Cera is pure, silly fun, usually influenced by my husband’s crazy ideas.
How does my writing process work?
My writing process differs based on project.
In a world of plotters and pantsers, some might call me a hybrid. I’ve known people who knew how many chapters were in a story, word counts for each chapter, and specific series of events for each section…before they even type a word toward the story.
I don’t have that type of plan, but I do have a plan of attack.
With the Niniers, I know who my POVs are, what each character’s (both major and minor) goals are, and the key events that propel things forward. The rest is discovery. I use yWriter for my novel writing, which lets me drag and drop scenes to rearrange chapters on a whim. And I never have to delete anything, I just mark it as unused. That’s great, because I hop all over the timeline when writing. I write whatever scene is vivid in my mind, and find a way to tie it together later.
The Cera Chronicles are completely pantsed. I go into a story with a target genre or theme (like Wild West World, which turned into Murder Most Fowl), storm up all the tropes related to that theme, and plunge into the story without a plot in sight. These, strangely, I write chronologically and in a single document.
Well, that’s it for me. Hope I didn’t disappoint you, Chrys. 
To pay this forward, I’ve chosen the creative Aldrea Alien, the prolific Milo James Fowler, and the super humorous Sarah Brentyn. These three people captivate me from the moment I start reading. They make me laugh, grip the edge of my seat, and all around go, “whoa.”
Have you read Chrys’s action-packed story? Are you a plotter or a pantser? Do you have the same writing process for all your projects?
The post Paying It Forward Blog Hop appeared first on Squirrel Talk.
June 24, 2014
Not A Romance – WIP No. 2 – This World Bites
Chrys Fey, author of Hurricane Crimes, tagged me in the Pay It Forward blog hop. It was after I’d already drafted this post that I realized the four questions could’ve been integrated. Unfortunately, I haven’t picked my three people yet. As a result, you’ll see more on that at a later date.
Last week, I brought up the first of my WIPs, Isto from the Ninier series. This week, I bring you a character whom some of you have already met: Cera.
I’d intended for This World Bites to be the first introduction to Cera and her gang. But then the A to Z challenge rolled around, and I realized the only way for me to come up with 26 consecutive posts was to write a serial story. I gave you Murder Most Fowl, an unedited, uncritiqued story. If you look at last week’s diagram, you’ll see I’ve got a plan to flesh it out more before publishing it on the market.
In the meantime, I’m in the last stages of revising This World Bites. All of the Cera Chronicles are intended to be novella length. TWB rolls in at 25K. I’m looking for beta readers. I’m hoping for people who haven’t read Thanmir War, to help work out some of the elemental race nuances that might be unclear, but I’ll take anyone willing! My goal is to publish it this fall.
As the post title says, it’s not a romance. At least it doesn’t fit the romance genre. *cough* I’ve had mixed reactions to it. Some love. Some hate. I’m tweaking the ending still.
I don’t have a good blurb yet, but here’s a brief description:
Cera has just landed on a new world and Michael, her guardian, has been bitten by a zombie and will soon join the undead ranks.
Everyone tells her there’s no cure, but Cera isn’t one to be deterred. She’s willing to face off with zombie hordes, demon slavers, and black market informants if it means she’ll find a cure for Michael. But it turns out, she’s not the only one hunting for something. Something is hunting her.
POV: Cera
Perspective: First person limited
Genre: Fantasy/Humor
And speaking of Michael, I’ve posted his origination story online. It’s a flash fiction piece, and it’s not humorous. But then, none of the origination stories are. I’d love to hear any thoughts or feedback you have on it.
This World Bites by Loni Townsend on Grooveshark
Do you enjoy humor? How about urban fantasy? Anyone interested in beta-reading This World Bites?
The post Not A Romance – WIP No. 2 – This World Bites appeared first on Squirrel Talk.
June 23, 2014
Effigy Cover Reveal
When I found out M.J. Fifield was a fantasy author, I squealed a little. I love fantasy. And as a reader of M.J.’s blog, I knew whatever she’d produce would be entertaining. I can’t wait until July when this book is released.
In the meantime, I’ll just stare at this cover. Isn’t it pretty?
Blurb:
The survival of a once-mighty kingdom rests in the hands of its young queen, Haleine Coileáin, as it slowly succumbs to an ancient evil fueled by her husband’s cruelty.
A sadistic man with a talent for torture and a taste for murder, he is determined to burn the land and all souls within. Haleine is determined to save her kingdom and, after a chance encounter, joins forces with the leader of the people’s rebellion. She gives him her support, soon followed by her heart.
Loving him is inadvertent but becomes as natural and necessary as breathing. She lies and steals on his behalf, doing anything she can to further their cause. She compromises beliefs held all her life, for what life will exist if evil prevails?
Her journey leads to a deceiving world of magic, monsters, and gods she never believed existed outside of myth. The deeper she goes, the more her soul is stripped away, but she continues on, desperate to see her quest complete. If she can bring her husband to ruin and save her people, any sacrifice is worth the price—even if it means her life.
Release date: July 22, 2014
Cover art by Ravven
About The Author:
Armed with a deep and lasting love of chocolate, purple pens, and medieval weaponry, M.J. Fifield is nothing if not a uniquely supplied insomniac. When she isn’t writing, she’s on the hunt for oversized baked goods or shiny new daggers. M.J. lives with a variety of furry creatures—mostly pets—in New Hampshire. Effigy is her first novel.
This is one of those books I am bouncing on my toes to read. You can bet I’ll be picking up this book as soon as it goes live.
Are you as excited as I am for this book? What do you think of the cover? What weapons are you going to collect to celebrate this book’s release?
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June 20, 2014
Featured Photo Friday
I don’t take many pictures of people, except for my husband and children. If you follow me on Instagram, you’d know they’re my most favorite subject. So today’s featured photo was a bit different for me.
As a habitual DIYer, I try everything (within reason) myself and then consult the experts if I fail. I have a vision for what I want my Cera Chronicles book covers to look like, but I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to find stock photos to match what I wanted. I asked Carrie Butler (because, you know, she’s an expert) what she thought my odds were of finding what I wanted. Between same model and awkward poses, the likelihood was low.
So I set up my own mock studio in my living room and hit up my creativity buddies for a bit of help. Dani agreed to be my model and Cami helped with hair, make-up, directing, and photographing. Cami actually has a fancier camera than I do, but we both took over 100 pictures each.
Out of all the pictures, I fell in love with one pose in particular. This was for Gritty Crime World (working title)–a noir/hard boiled detective parody. I downloaded the picture to my phone, threw it into Snapseed, and used a dark drama filter. Dani gave me her permission to post it to my blog.
This isn’t what the cover is going to look like. For one, Cera has bronze skin and red hair. But still, it made me say “wowza!” (We’ll ignore the wrinkles in the bed sheet behind her.)
Since I already had the picture in Snapseed, I decided to play with it more. Again, the coloring and effects will differ, but the cover will be closer to this.
Dani was a great sport, though I think Cami had the most fun out of all of us. The great thing was, I had many of the props on hand, including: fedora, katana, pearls and corset, opera gloves, and flame red lipstick.
I probably won’t be the one doing final editing on the pictures for the book covers, but at least I have some material to work with.
Are you a DIYer? Do you have friends who are willing to help you with your creative endeavors? Do you have any weird props at your house?
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June 17, 2014
The Monsters Are Free – WIP No. 1 – Isto
Here it is. I’m finally getting around to writing about my WIPs. I’ve divided them into three categories: Origination Stories, Niniers, and Cera Chronicles.
Color Key:
Green – Production ready
Aqua – High Priority
Blue – Medium Priority
Purple – Low Priority
Today’s featured WIP is Isto, book 2 of the Niniers.
Each of the Niniers novels follows an idea:
Book 1 – Discovery
Book 2 – Consequences
Book 3 – Revenge
Book 4 – Recovery
If you haven’t read Thanmir War then the following information may come as a spoiler. To safeguard any spoiler haters, I’ve used spoiler tags.
Tag Line and POVs (Click to Show)
Working Tag Line: He saved his wife. Now he has to save the world from his wife.
POVs (plus Male and Female Character Archetype):
Derek (Main Character) – The Woman’s Man
MaTisha – The King
Cameron – The Business Man
LaTonya – The Amazon
Perspective: Third Person Limited
I even busted out my sketchpad for you.
Istos are monsters introduced in Thanmir War. Some people consider them superstitions or stories intended to frighten children. They are blamed for many things, including livestock deaths and unexplained murders. There’s a misconception that they are the vengeful dead, returned to terrorize the living. That’s not true. But the tales did get something right.
They can’t be killed.
There’s a distinction in my mind between eternal and immortal. The elementals are eternal. They won’t die, unless they’re killed—but they can be killed. The istos are truly immortal. They are energy. They can’t be created or destroyed. But they are ever-thirsty for their missing half.
In Isto, the main character faces the consequence of decisions made in Book 1.
Thanmir War Ending Decision (Click to Show)
Derek used the niniers to steal the Drethamir’s power and bring MaTisha back to life. Doing so threw off the balance between dark and light, illusion and reality, death (Miasho) and life (Drethamir). That imbalance sets off a series of events, including: an illness plaguing anyone stemming from both powers, monsters breaking free of the “in between” and hunting down the opposite power, and a breach in security, which allows the elemental fugitives to escape the mines where they had been imprisoned.
Derek must find a way to save himself from the illness before he dies and takes the world with him. MaTisha combats her desire to feed off of and kill Miasho upholders, including Nicholas, her former guardian. LaTonya’s guardians were killed by the Miasho istos, and she’ll stop at nothing to get her revenge. Cameron faces treason and banishment, while inheriting powers from his real mother—a woman who wasn’t his father’s wife.
The sketch is actually of MaTisha.
Research required: Jewish mythology, Physics
Major Questions Asked: Why would monsters choose to kill a certain group of people? How do you restore balance to a world? How was I going to get my characters out to a set of islands they didn’t know about?
Chapter 1 Opening Line: Everyone he loved ended up dead.
Playlist:
Isto by Loni Townsend on Grooveshark
There’s a lot more I could say about my WIP, but I’m not sure how much information is too much. I had a panic-inducing change in Thanmir War, which led to major rewrites in Isto. I still haven’t fully recovered. Slowly, but surely, I am gaining ground.
Do you like to read series? How many projects can you work on at one time? Is there any information you’re curious about?
The post The Monsters Are Free – WIP No. 1 – Isto appeared first on Squirrel Talk.
June 13, 2014
Featured Photo Friday
You might be able to tell, but I’m in love with my pond…
When I first mentioned it, Lexa commented about mosquitoes as a concern. My husband’s solution to that is keeping the water moving/agitated. The result is a lovely waterfall.
This featured photo is taken with my camera, not my phone. I played with the shutter speed and focus to get the water smooth in the background. Too fast, and the water doesn’t look so flowy (okay, so that’s not really a word).
The pond is finally in a place where we can call it done for now. I never did get my dragon, but we’re using flagstone to cover the well and waterfall pipe. Someday, though, I will get my dragon. *looks up sculpting guides online*
Do you have any favorite spots to hang out? Do you have anything you absolutely love about where you live?
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