Kate Padilla's Blog, page 7

NEW RELEASES: MAY 13-19

MAY 14 THE STORYTELLER'S THRONE, BY JOCELYN BATES
Fiction: Sci-fi. Self-published. 350 pp.

A science fiction novel tangled in the psychology of being human and the vulnerability of an unconventional love story.

WHERE I'LL FIND YOU, BY J.A. OWENBY
Fiction: Romance. Self-published. 309 pp.

Where I'll Find You is a haunting story of disturbing secrets and harrowing betrayal. Come along with Hadlee on her journey as she begins to put the pieces back together again. J.A. Owenby will once again delig...

OBSESSION AND THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

When you think of a horror story, my guess is that Stephen King comes to mind. He's the King (pun intended) of the genre, but he interprets horror in a certain way -- typically dramatic and in-your-face. Other interpretations of the genre bring different flavors forward.

Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera may not come to mind immediately when you think horror. And it's not strictly horror, but it does highlight an often overlooked component of storytelling that works well in horror and thri...

THE STORY MAP: INCITING INCIDENT

Inciting Incident (optional): Like the catalyst, but Part 1-specific. The game changing event occurring during this section, often leading to a decision at the end of the First Plot Point.

In the last few years, I've done a lot of research in leadership, entrepreneurship, and goal-setting. It's one of the lessons I learned in goal-setting, specifically, that helps illustrate the purpose of this next section -- the Inciting Incident. In goal-setting, there are two key parts: The long-term goal...

NEW RELEASES: MAY 6-12

MAY 7 MY EVERY BREATH, BY BRITTNEY SAHIN
Fiction: Romance. EmKo Media. 273 pp.

After ten years of living in the shadow of the Irish mob, Gia Callaghan wants nothing more than to escape the darkness of her life. Her burning desire for answers about her past has her constantly plotting new ways to flee. When she comes face-to-face with the one man who might be able to help her, she'll have to decide exactly how much his life is worth.

OWL AND THE TIGER THIEVES, BY KRISTI CHARISH
Fiction. Gallery....

INDIE FEATURE: RADAR ROAD

RADAR ROAD: THE BEST OF ON IMPULSE, BY NATH JONES
Fiction: Short Stories. Life List Press (September 2016). 243 pp.
Buy Radar Road on Amazon THE STORY Radar Road: the Best of On Impulse highlights an exploration of twenty-first century narrative. In four collections that move from raw to refined, the On Impulse series invites the reader to contemplate how we use language not: online, in full-length books, and with each other. Morgan Kiger arranged this fifth collection to st...

THE STORY MAP: CATALYST

What life-changing event will knock down the entire house of cards? The catalyst serves as a way to motivate your character from problem to action.

I feel like we're at the start line. We've established the race we're running, we've laced up the shoes, and we've walked down to the track. We're ready to move forward, but we're waiting. What are we waiting for? The starting pistol -- the catalyst.
What is the Catalyst? When you google the definition of "catalyst," here's what y...

NEW RELEASES: APRIL 29-MAY 5

MAY 1 BUILDING YOUR EMPOWERED STEPS, BY L.M. PRESTON
Nonfiction: Self-Help. Phenomenal One Press. 65 pp.

Building Your Empowered Steps is your guide and personal mentor in making your life into the experience you desire. A tool to use to redirect your way of thinking about your ability to change and your worth in reaching for it through active exercises and simple bites that when taken can guide you in building your dreams and aspirations, one step at a time.

THE GLORY OF THE EMPRESS, BY SEAN...

INDIE FEATURE: TWOSPELLS

TWOSPELLS, BY MARK MORRISON
Fiction: YA Fantasy. Self-Published. 317 pp. BUY TWOSPELLS ON AMAZON THE STORY Sarah and her twin brother, Jon, are heirs to an ancient magical realm and its more valuable treasure, an enchanted library. The library endows readers with the supernatural means of crossing into the uncharted inner-sanctum of the second dimension, inhabited with peculiar and sometimes perilous creatures.
The children are emboldened with a wondrous mystical gift...

THE STORY MAP: SET UP

Set Up: In this section, introduce or hint at the other characters in your A story: plant character tics to be addressed later on in the story. I started to explain it in last week's post, but the Set Up is the last of the three sisters of a storyline. It's so closely connected with the Theme Stated and Hook Moment (specifically Hook Moment) that it could be easy to just lump them all together. But, in effective storytelling, it must be separate.
What is the Set Up? Going ba...

NEW RELEASES: APRIL 22-28

APRIL 24 THE ANGRY TIDE: A NOVEL OF CORNWALL 1798-1799, BY WINSTON GRAHAM
Fiction: Historical. St. Martin's Griffin. 624 pp.

The seventh novel in Winston Graham's classic Poldark saga, the major TV series from Masterpiece on PBS.

THE GIRL I USED TO BE, BY MARY TORJUSSEN
Fiction: Thriller. Berkley. 368 pp.

The acclaimed author of Gone Without a Trace delivers another twisting novel of psychological suspense in which a woman is backed against a wall -- with nothing left to lose.