R.S. McCoy's Blog, page 3

The Snow Owl Cover Reveal Sign-Up!

It's getting close! The Snow Owl is the fourth book in Blossom's series of shifters, romance, and political suspense. With the last book in the Alder Tales series nearly complete, it's time to start putting together the release day program! Here's what I have planned:Cover Reveal on December 1stARCs sent out on February 1stRelease Day on March 8thAre you a blogger who wants to participate? Are you a reader who would like to request to receive an ARC? Then click this link to sign-up! There are limited spots available!And don't forget to add The Snow Owl to your Goodreads TBR!

Review: Vicious by VE Schwab

This week, I dove into my last VE Schwab book (I'm not crying, you're crying!) and now I have to wait for her to write more. I loved this one!Vicious was SUCH a cool read. I really loved the broken chronology of the story, and how it jumped from present day to college and a few periods in between. I love the multi POV and the cast of characters, all so different and unique but somehow meshing so well together. Victor as a villain was easy to understand and sympathize with, while also recognizing that he is still a bad guy and dangerous. Sydney was my favorite. She was sweet and spunky and powerful and shy, such a great mix. Mitch was fun, too. I really liked how he defied assumptions. My only gripe was that the climactic scene felt really short after all the lead up, and I really wanted an epilogue! Come on VE! As always, VE's writing is flawless and delicious and I hope some of it rubbed off via osmosis. Just a pleasure to read great writing and great characters and interesting story all in the same book. Definitely one of my favorites of the year!Now I'm starting The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas. It has a super cool premise and a mind-blowingly beautiful cover. Who's read this one?

Review: Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen

This week, after attempting to trudge through The Beguiled (that's the fastest I've DNF'd in a long time!), I moved on to a long TBR-shelf stander: Stolen Songbird. I bought this book on a whim on Amazon forever ago, and for whatever reason I just never picked it up to read. In my self-challenge to empty out my TBR shelf, I decided to give it a go, and boy am I glad I did!The overall premise is a young woman Cecile is kidnapped and dragged to a hidden/secret Troll city only a few miles from where she grew up. The Trolls hope that bonding her to their prince will break a curse, so they put up with little of her protests. Overall, the book follows the basic fantasy premise:1. Girl kidnapped2. Forced to marry hot/cruel stranger3. Learns more about new world 4. Learns more about hot/cruel stranger5. Starts to like new world6. Starts to like hot and now nice stranger7. Works to stay in new world with hot strangerIn fact, this is the basic premise of my own book Blossom and the Beast (Blossom = Cecile; Kaide = Tristan; Norsa/Valenta = Elise/Zoe; Olin = Marc), and other fave reads like Amanda Hocking's Switched, Roshani Chokshi's The Star-Touched Queen, and even the infamous A Court of Thorns and Roses. It's obviously a format that works, but in order to be successful, needs to be strong and unique. Stolen Songbird had a really interesting world and culture, with a complex system of full-blooded trolls, half-bloods, and humans all working toward various goals. The city itself is trapped under a network of rock within a mountain that is maintained by magic, and a single troll has the ability to make it all collapse. The relationship between Cecile and Tristan was really interesting and dynamic. Cecile had definite focus and was a fun character, and Tristan had some of the best conversation and quips. They fought a lot which brought conflict to their relationship, but they also have some commonalities which helped unite them. I think I read this book in two days, I really had trouble putting it down! The writing was really decent. There were some clunky lines, but also some really beautiful lines, and on the whole it's some of the better writing out there. I'll definitely be picking up the rest of this series (after I finish up the rest of my TBR!). Until then, I'm picking up book two in the Remnant Chronicles, The Heart of Betrayal. I didn't *love* the first book, but since I've got the other two, might as well, right?What books are you reading this week?

Gauging Your Writing Quality

It's a known fact in the world that a successful writer is typically a good writer. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but in general, success is won by those with the ability to pen amazing novels. So as writers, how are we to determine the quality of our writing? And where exactly is the bar where quality meets success?For the past six months, I have submitted my latest creation to agents with the intent of following the path toward traditional publishing. No, I'm not cheating on self-publishing. I'm not failing and looking for a different path to success. But both traditional publishing and self-publishing have their benefits, and I intend to work hard to earn both. Things that indicate my book sucks:1. Agents are not responding or sending form rejections. A good portion of my submissions have been launched into cyberspace never to be seen or heard from again. Did they read it? Like it? Hate it? I have no idea. But my query letter and/or early pages failed to procure a response beyond the template rejection (or silence).2. Agents/mentors that read the full are offering limited feedback. So far, about ten folks in the industry, between big agents and published mentors, have read the entirety of my book. And so far, their feedback can be summed up by: I just didn't connect. If one person says this, it's probably a personal preference thing. If everyone says this, then something is wrong with the book itself, but no one can pinpoint exactly what that might be. 3. My book falls outside industry norms.Fantasy books should follow certain tropes. Romance books must end in an HEA. Young adult novels cannot ever be over 90,000 words. These are the industry norms that debut novels are expected to meet. And mine just doesn't. Mine is too romantic for the fantasy crowd, and too fantastical for the romance lovers. It's more than 110,000 words but still young adult. Readers want new and different stories, but not too different. Things that indicate my book rocks:1. Every single beta reader raved about it.To date, I've sent my book to about fifteen early readers and beta readers. Some were readers who have been with me since the beginning and some were total strangers off the street. I gave them each the final copy of my book and waited. And so far, every. single. one has loved it. They cried, they laughed, they're waiting for the next. Could they all be lying? Sure. Are they? I don't think so. Strangers have no reason to lie to me. My friends tell me when they don't like a book (they've certainly done so in the past). When a reader comes back six months after the fact and goes out of their way to tell me all the ways they loved my book, then I feel like I'm doing something right. 2. My books checks industry boxes.Looking for a book that passes the Bechdel and Mako Mori Tests? Mine does! Looking for a book with a diverse cast? Mine has that. Looking for a well-developed romance between realistic characters? Check. When I read lists of what agents and readers are looking for, my book meets most if not all of them.3. My story is amazing.I don't need betas or mentors or agents to tell me that I have something special here. I read enough books every year to know the difference between a captivating, well-written novel and a predictable, poorly written one. And this one is amazing. It's the most amazing thing I've ever written, and I'd like to think my other books weren't so bad (at least, reviews on Amazon/Goodreads seem to think they're pretty decent). But I have enough confidence and love for this book to recognize that it's destined for something more. I just have to figure out where it fits in the world. Things I don't know yet:The world of traditional publishing and literary agents can be a confusing and opaque one. Industry secrets are closely guarded and writers often struggle to get a foot in the door.So is it worthwhile to continue to peddle my little story to agents and publishers in wait for someone to jump? Or should I move toward self-publishing?Is there something I could change to make it more likely to get picked up? Or is it simply too different to ever be seriously considered by agents?Will I ever figure it out? I don't know! So I'm continuing to improve my book (in what small ways I can), and submit to agents and publishers in hopes of finding that one magical person who connects with my story. I just need one person to get it. I'll keep you posted. 

Dealing with Loss as a Writer

This week has been a tough one over here at Camp McCoy. On Thursday night, my grandmother swallowed a handful of pills and left a letter explaining why she was ending her life. On Friday morning, my grandfather found her and called 911, where she was found unresponsive but alive. On Saturday, I read the letter she left. On Sunday, my grandfather made the decision to pull her off all life support. On Monday, I explained to my kids that they would never see their great-grandmother again. My grandmother's decision to end her life isn't as uncommon as we might like to believe. She was in poor health that grew increasingly worse in the past four months, and didn't want to wait to be bedridden. She didn't want to live in humiliation while she waited to die. She took action to end her life the way she wanted, and for all my grief and sadness, I have to respect that. At this point, my grandmother is in hospice, surrounded by her three children, four grandchildren, two best friends, and a whole host of other folks who wanted to be with her. In reality, I'm the only one not there. I live across the country, have a husband who works 80 hours a week, and two small kids who started school. I can't up and leave my life, but it means I'm the one person who won't get to be there to say goodbye. That's kind of a blow. I wish I lived closer. I wish I had a bank account that could take that kind of strain. I wish I had the freedom to up and leave whenever I needed to. But I don't. And I have to make my peace with the fact that I'm never going to see her again. She's asleep, and even if I was standing at her bedside, I wouldn't get to talk to her. I wouldn't get to do anything. My grandmother is gone and only this physical form of her remains. Like most people, I am emotional and grieving. But also like most people, I still have kids, a job, bills that need to be paid. While I can take a few days off from writing and promoting (and I definitely did), I can't let my sadness overtake my life. So today, while my grandmother is made comfortable in hospice and my family is all with her, I have to figure out how to get back to work. Admittedly, I'm better at this than most. I'm good at compartmentalizing my emotions. I don't wear my heart on my sleeve. I internalize and process for a good long while before I show any external signs. Maybe it's the writer in me. First, I'm writing this blog post. I'm getting out my thoughts and feelings about my grandmother's suicide on paper (digitally, at least). I'm not writing a metaphor, I'm not writing about someone else's life. I'm writing about mine and directly processing my emotions. I'm sad. I'm grieving. I'm heartbroken to see my kids crying. And that's okay. Next, I'll write a story. I can't write my paranormal romance novel when all I have inside me is negative. So I'll write a short story or novella that will let me release some of these feelings in a positive way. I'll include things that are close to me and visceral descriptions of grief and loss as my characters might experience them. And through this vicarious expression, I'll be able to focus on processing my emotions while still embracing my writing routine. And then, it will be time to get back to work. I have a full paranormal romance novel to write, a backlist of books to promote, a blog to update, and a hundred other things to do. I'll still be sad. I'll fly home to Texas for a funeral and I'll cry with my mom and hug my dad and then I'll go home and get back to work. Because my grandmother believed in my success as a writer, and I owe it to her to keep at it. As long as it takes. We all deal with our feelings in different ways, and no way is better or worse than another. But as writers, we tend to internalize and process. We find it harder to get back into the flow when we've been disrupted. Being a writer means handling these kinds of events with a plan and getting our butt back into the chair and getting it done. And that's just what I plan to do. PS. This month is suicide prevention month. If you need to talk, you guys know how to reach me. :)

Synesthesia in Writing

Synesthesia: the production of a sense impression relating to one sense or part of the body by stimulation of another sense or part of the body.People who have synesthesia are basically experiencing life a thousand times better than the rest of us. They taste foods when they see colors, or they hear music when they smell flowers. The world itself is more complex and invigorating because the mind is combining two or more senses. Ted-Ed Video on Synesthesia:Writers can use the concept behind synesthesia to create multiple sensations related to their characters, settings, or emotions. Have a character that's not so nice? Describe him/her with words that invoke negative sensations, such as prickle, vinegar, or screech. For a main character or someone you want to the reader to like, use positive words like fleecy, coffee, or melodious. Look back over your WIP. Are your word choices contributing to the overall sensations you are trying to accomplish? What pairings will help your reader better connect to your characters and story?

August Reading Wrap Up

It's that time again. Another summer month has come and gone, and that means books were read! Sadly, with school starting up, I'll be focusing more on writing (not that sad, I admit!) and less on reading. Stay tuned for my summer wrap up next week when my kids are gone!This month, I managed a measly 7.5 books. However, two of them were epic fantasy, and I've been working halftime for the last two weeks. So hey, 7.5 ain't bad!Here's my reading list this month:1. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes2. Ink by Amanda Sun3. Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch4. Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton5. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas6. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas7. The Ring and the Crown by Melissa De La Cruz7.5. A Gathering of Shadows by VE SchwabSo, first up, Me Before You. I kind of knew what I was getting into before I read this. I'd had the book on my shelf since back when the movie was first announced, but I knew it was sad, an ugly cry book, and that it was so good they made a movie of it. My expectations were pretty high. And this book delivered! I loved Lou, that she was smart but didn't know what she was doing with her life, and she was attractive but not in the classic way. Her humor was fun and I loved watching her interact with Will. The ending was a tad expected, but then again, I was pre-warned going in that it was super sad, so you know, it was spoiled a bit. All in all, I didn't ugly cry, but I'm definitely glad I read this one alone at home... Really well done. Next was Ink. I bought this based on the cover art and blurb. Both really drew me in, and I was THRILLED to find out it took place in Japan. Some of the other elements left me unsatisfied, such as shallow romance (think Twilighty insta-love), characters making super dumb choices just for the sake of plot, and unnecessary drama (pregnant girlfriend who's not really his girlfriend). This book had all the makings of a great read but just never got there, which is a shame. I know a lot of readers really loved it, so maybe it was just a personal preference thing. I'd be interested to read more work by Amanda Sun outside this series, because it really had a lot of potential. Snow Like Ashes was another book I'd had on my shelf since forever. I think it was a Christmas present from my step-mom. I've seen this cover everywhere and figured I'd give it a go. And I really liked it. Meira was a breath of fresh air for a main character. She was strong and smart but also had weaknesses and made understandable but ultimately flawed choices. I found her really relatable and interesting. Some of the world-building elements bothered me, such as the naming of cities (after months on a calendar, but misspelled). Overall, an enjoyable read and a series I'll likely continue once I purchase the rest of the books.I've heard all kinds of amazing things about Rebel of the Sands, so I bought a copy and went in blind. And I immediately LOVED it. The Arabian elements were so well blended with the wild-west kind of gunslinging along with fantasy like the Djinni. There was a romantic interest that wasn't gong you over the face predictable and he had a purpose on the story other than to look good and cause strife, and I really appreciated having such multidimensional characters. I cannot say enough good stuff about this book and I recommend it to literally everyone. A stellar, amazing read and I can't wait for the sequel!Next up was Heir of Fire. Again, this book has been on my TBR forever. I think I was avoiding it because A) it's huge, and B) the end of Crown of Midnight had a big twist I wasn't a super fan of. So after a year of staring at it with shifty eyes, I finally hunkered down and dove in. Initially, I had a lot of confusion because it had been so long and this series has some major world building, but SJM is amazing and made it all better. Her writing is super smooth and I really liked that this book took place in a new location with new characters and new problems, but was still firmly set in the past with the first two books. A really hard and yet glorious balance was achieved here. I immediately dove into book four. Queen of Shadows was the return of Aelin to Rifthold with all her new friends. It was a really spectacular mixing of folks from the early books plus people from book three and then even new people after that. The planning and plotting and twists were amazing, and the characters are flesh-and-blood real. Manon was surprisingly one of my favorite characters, and I really enjoyed getting to know Aedion even more. Just a really amazing work all together. I couldn't put it down and want to smack myself for waiting so long to read it. This is exactly why SJM is at the top of so many lists, including my fave authors!And then came The Ring and the Crown. If you read my earlier review, you'll know this one was a tough read for me. There were a lot of characters, which isn't a problem. I write and read multi-POV and when done well, it's amazing. This one wasn't particularly done well, but I've seen worse. My issue with this one was the crazy way the plot twisted without making a lot of sense. Scenarios and relationships that had been built the entire book were swept away without mention or exploration, and everyone just seemed to take everything in stride. A princess who never wanted to rule runs away, and then mid-flee decides she doesn't really love the guy she's running away to marry and goes back to inherit the crown. But, but why? What was the point of this if no one actually accomplished anything? It was a really painful read and one that I was glad to put behind me. And last but certainly not least is A Gathering of Shadows. This is the sequel to A Darker Shade of Magic. While these books aren't as ABSOLUTELY STUNNING as This Savage Song and Our Dark Duet, they really are fun, interesting, and wonderfully written books. After a doozie with ARatC, I wanted to go back to an author I trusted to deliver a good story with good writing. I haven't finished this one yet, which is why I only gave it .5 instead of a full read, but I'm really enjoying it so far. Kell and Lila are a fun match and it's so interesting to see how they navigate conflicts in different ways. Unfortunately for my TBR, school is starting and I'll be going back to my usual rotation of a book every week (rather than two or three or five a week!), so expect these posts to be much shorter for the winter months. I'll be focusing on writing The Snow Owl and getting it polished and ready for market, as well as being a full time mom to my three-year-old monster, ahem, beautiful boy. What should I start with? And what are your September reading goals?

Review: The Ring and the Crown by Melissa De La Cruz

I've had The Ring and the Crown on my TBR shelf for a good year. I bought it on a whim on a random Walmart trip, and while the Walmart in my small town doesn't have much of a book selection, and while I really don't find anything appealing about this cover, I somehow managed to buy it. However, the uninteresting cover made it sit on my shelf for a long while. I might have read it just because I was tired of looking at it. The Ring and the Crown is Marie Antionette (the movie with Kirsten Dunst) and A Darker Shade of Magic. It's an alternate fiction set in 18th century London while the city is part of the British-Franco empire. The settings are lush and extravagant, the dresses large and expensive. Everything speaks to high cost and style. But there are also elements of magic, too. A Merlin (that's a title rather than a person) helps rule beside the queen and lives for a thousand years. The setting, the genre, the world building: these are all things I really, really enjoy, and since the book went on to amazing success and hitting a best-seller list, I settled into it with a mind to be blown away. But I just--wasn't. Much to my disappointment. At first, it was a whirlwind of characters. From the princess of the British-Franco empire, to the magician in training, to the poor American, to the Prussian prince, to the cast off lover of the future queen...you get the idea. There are a lot of folks here. And for a while, I was content to get to know them, to get introduced to the world building, to try to see how it all fit together. Each and everyone of the characters is about as deep as a puddle, and it was really frustrating to watch them do the same stupid things over and over again, but at about halfway through the book, I was content to at least see it through (see my previous posts about DNFs). Then the last 100 pages happened. Eye-roll after eye-roll. Vapid declarations of love. Girls realizing they didn't really love one guy and now love someone else. A prince who isn't really a prince. A villain who is discovered, identified, and neutralized ON THE SAME PAGE. I really, really struggled to finish, and had these events happened earlier in the book, I would have definitely set it aside. If one more shallow girl realized she loved someone the moment before they met a great danger, I was going to hurl!Several of the 'revelations' toward the end also completely undermined the entire story. They conflicted every event so far, the aspects of world building, and were explored 0%. I won't spoil them for you here, but it would be like telling Aragorn, 'Actually you're adopted' and he's all 'Sure, sounds good' and continues fighting against Mordor like nothing happened. What exactly, would be the point of it? I don't understand why those elements were included, and in my opinion, they rob the book of every bit of intrigue it might have had. Obviously, this book is hugely successful because some people are into this sort of thing. Some people watch The Bachelor, too, and I don't get that either. So that's not to say this book has no redeeming qualities or anything, just that the totally lack of plot, character development, and no concept of suspension of belief, I just couldn't get into it at all. I was so happy to have this one read and done with. As always after reading something that didn't taste right, I'm diving back into a favorite author who I know will cleanse the palate: A Gathering of Shadows by VE Schwab. After reading This Savage Song and Our Dark Duet, VE Schwab (or Victoria Schwab) is quickly rising into the ranks of favorite authors along with Maggie Stiefvater, Marissa Meyer, and Sarah J. Maas. I loved A Darker Shade of Magic and look forward to continuing this series! What are you reading this week?

Review: Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Boy was this book a surprise and a pleasure! Rebel of the Sands is like 1,001 Arabian Nights, An Ember in the Ashes, and the Wild West had a badass little baby. It reminds me of Hidalgo with the Middle Eastern setting for a gun-shooting, horse-riding, desert tale. I instantly loved Amani. The old shoot out scene at the beginning was the *perfect* place to get to know her. I loved that she faced really hard decisions and made the hard choice. She didn't just say 'I'd do anything to leave this town', she literally did *everything* she could to get out, even if it gutted her. It was so much fun to see a character stick to their guns that way (pun intended?). The world building of Djinni and Demdji was really fun and interesting. I loved all the old tales and how they affected the current cast of characters. Jin was also a pleasure--an interesting romantic lead without being all dickhead or all soft sweetheart all the time. He was dynamic and fun and kept us on our toes. All in all, I have no complaints about this book, except that I wish it wasn't over. I'm going to buy Traitor to the Throne right now!In the meantime, I'm finally getting back into the Throne of Glass series with Heir of Fire. I hope I remember who everyone is! It's been a while!What are you reading this week?

PitchWars 2017: #PimpMyBio

The WhoI'm Rachel, a 30-year-old mother of two, military wife, science fiction and fantasy writer, cancer survivor, yogi, dog mom, eldest (and therefore awesomest) sibling of three, former biologist, book nerd, and general goof. I was born and raised in Austin, TX: home of the weird and strange and eclectic. I spent my formative years attending concerts in seedy bars and music festivals in the park. For college, I moved to Galveston, TX where I earned a BS in Marine Biology, and subsequently waited tables for a while (every grad's dream!). I met my amazing husband and have been following him around the country in his military career ever since, hopping between being a biologist, teacher, and finally author. I've been a self-published author for five years and have nine novels currently available. My books are known to have realistic and complex characters, AMAZING worlds, and plot twists galore. And obviously, I'm a HUGE book nerd (and proud to be one!). Recent reads that knocked my socks off:1. Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor2. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater3. Ready Play One by Ernest Cline4. Illuminae/Gemina by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman5. Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore6. The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay7. Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab8. ACOMAF/ACOWAR by SJM9. The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey10. Me Before You by Jojo MoyesThe WhatFor PitchWars 2017, I entered my totally finished, polished, unpublished manuscript of House of Birds and Beasts. It's a 115k word fantasy romance novel in the vein of The Star-Touched Queen and An Ember in the Ashes. You'll like this book if you like:1. Complex family units2. Believable, time-won romance3. Amazing magic systems and worlds4. Characters who show different kinds of strength5. Feeling all the feels6. MCs who aren't beautiful and perfect7. Books that pass the Mako Mori and Bechdel Tests8. Worlds with diverse populations and cultures9. A different kind of magic10. Real, messy relationshipsA big thank you to all mentors, mentees, and the team over at Brenda Drake for putting together this awesome event!