New Book Release! Poison by Lan Chan

Today, my writing partner, Lan Chan, is celebrating the release of her first novel, Poison (Wind Dancer, #1)! Yay! I'm so excited for her, as we have both been working on developing our writing craft and skills for years together. She is finally ready to plunge into the world of self-publishing and embark on a new chapter in her life as an author of fiction. (Also, isn't this cover gorgeous?)

Since the night her mother was murdered, sixteen-year-old Rory Gray has known one truth: There are no good Seeders. In post-apocalyptic Australia, the scientists known as Seeders have built a Citadel surrounded by food-producing regions and populated with refugees from the wars and famine. To maintain their control, the Seeders poisoned the land and outlawed the saving of seeds. It’s been six years since Rory graced the Seeders’ circus stage as the Wind Dancer and still the scars on her body haven’t healed. Even worse are the scars on her heart, left by a Seeder boy who promised to protect her. Now the Seeders are withholding supplies from Rory’s region for perceived disobedience. Utilizing the Wanderer knowledge she received from her mother, Rory must journey to the Citadel through uninhabitable terrain to plead for mercy. However, the Citadel isn’t as Rory remembered. The chief plant geneticist is dying and rumors fly that the store of viable seed is dwindling. The Seeders are desperate to find a seed bank they believe Rory can locate, and they will stop at nothing to get it. To defy the Seeders means death. But Rory has been close to death before--this time she’s learned the value of poison. 

Recommended for fans of The Hunger Games, strong protagonists, circuses and nature!

*Pick up your copy at Smashwords / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon AUS
 

IWSG: New Pen Name Edition? (#18)

Insecure Writers' Support Group (IWSG) is a really awesome meme that you should be doing along with the rest of us writers. Unless you truly are happy with your writing and don't feel the need to vent about your insecurities because they don't exist for you. But, really.... Don't they?  
IWSG is hosted by Captain Ninja Alex at his blog, Alex J. Cavanaugh.

I know it's been months since I've been regularly publishing blog posts, but I'm still alive! I've been writing, just like I said I was going to for my New Year's Resolution post. Since I made it a very easy-to-follow resolution, it's been 'cake' keeping up with it. I pretty much write everyday, although, because I get so far out ahead of my word count pace, I can afford to take some days off. It's pretty cool, and I've never been able to get myself to stick with a regular writing plan before, until now. So, I'm very happy with that. *silently celebrates* 

But, of course, I still have insecurities. Lots of them. Too many, like what do I blog about on a writing blog as an unpublished author? Since I can't ever come up with anything to blog about, hence my most recent post being published back in January, I just rarely do anymore. What is there to even say? "Hey guys, I'm writing.... Writing still.... Still writing.... Thought y'all might be dying to know I'm STILL WRITING." Uh... I just don't think anyone really wants to know about my boring life so badly.

Anyway, besides all this anxiety and angst over blog writing, I've been having serious issues with being able to fathom publishing my horrid stories. I typically never finish any of them, but that's sort of why I don't. Because I know they will be read by real super mean people one day, and because of how bad they are, those people will either lose all respect for me, or tear me a new one for deigning to make them waste a few hours of their life on my drivel.

On top of that, this anxiety is the kind that keeps me awake all night. I'm not exaggerating about that. When I write something I intend to publish one day, I get insomnia really bad. Like, REALLY BAD. The kind that will kill you if it even keeps up for a full week. The kind that makes you go insane for real. So, you can see how averse I am to finishing anything I write.

This, naturally, makes me ponder, "What is my life?" I can't be an author for a living as per my dream if this keeps up. Should I just quit? Probably. But, I thought about different scenarios of not quitting, and the only thing that seemed to greatly relieve my anxiety was the idea of publishing under a pen name. Yes. Because I can't put crap into this world with readers knowing it came from me (and, no, I don't write erotica, or anything like that. I just write crappy YA that embarrasses me). I do think I'll be able to do it so long as they believe me to be someone who doesn't actually exist.

I think one day, after years and years more of writing, I might be able to write books that don't make me or other people cringe, but, in the meantime, I can make a few bucks a month off some unsuspecting readers who either don't mind reading low-quality crap, or who just won't realize what they've gotten themselves into until it's too late. I'll keep the costs of producing the books very, very low and just see what happens. I know plenty of books have fared surprisingly well and are worse than mine. Might as well do it and see what it's like to be able to sleep at night, again.

So, assuming I actually do this in the future, I'll mention it, but won't let any of you know what the books' titles will be, nor the name I'll be using to publish them under. Unless you are going to be helping me edit the stories (although, they aren't going to be painstakingly edited), I need to keep everyone's awareness of my connection to them at a strict minimum.

Drastic times call for drastic measures. I'm sorry to those who will hate me for inflicting more crap onto the self-publishing world, but there's no law against doing it and sometimes, even those bad authors make a buck or two. That extra income will be very helpful as I've got credit card debt to get rid of. In a perfect world, I'd be writing at the level I want to be right now and publishing best sellers, but we all know that quantum reality is just too out-of-phase for me to reach. Someday, though. Maybe someday.

Have you ever published under a pen name? If so, why and how was your experience with it?

WIP IT GOOD Blogfest

The WIP IT GOOD Blogfest is a one-time blog meme opporutnity for authors to share some information about their current manuscript Works-in-Progress. Hosted by DL Hammons & Elise Fallson.

I know I keep doing blog memes on this blog and I'm so sorry, everybody! One of these days I'll have original content again--I swear. 

In the meantime, I decided to do this fun blog meme at the last minute because I am a bad blogger and can't come up with blog content to save my life. But, at least this is something, right? So, I will answer the questions pertaining to this meme about one of my many unfinished WiPs (and I have several, but this one I'm currently working on). This is my newest one.


1. WIP Title:

Rise of Iron (1st book in a planned series)

2. Word Count (projected/actual so far):

8,212 actual words written thus far. Should be topping out over 100,000 by the time it's finished.

3. Genre:

Young Adult sci-fi apocalypse with some fantasy elements. 

4. How long have you been working on it?

I think since last month, April 2013. 

5. Elevator Pitch (if you came across an agent in an elevator ride, what couple of lines would you use to summarize your book?):

A teenage girl saves a man's life by turning him into a machine (a cyborg) so he can eliminate all the evil robots destroying the entire city of Los Angeles. 

Yeah, that's basically what this wacky story is about without all the frill and fluff of language!

6. Brief Synopsis:

Mindy Collins refuses to leave the city even after the metal has come to life and has already destroyed most of Los Angeles. She chooses to stay and fight, but she's not strong enough on her own. When she saves a man's life after being nearly killed by one of the cities many living metal robots, she has no choice but to recreate him into a living robot, too. With the strength of ten men, he's the only hope the city has of actually exterminating the conscious steel that is determined to wipe out all organic beings on Earth. 

7. Are you looking for a Critique Partner?

No. Have that squared away already.

8. Are you looking for a Beta Reader?

Yes, if anyone is interested! I'm open to having more than one.


Anyway, this is what I'm working on right now. It's coming along slowly, but I guess that's how I work. I find I need at least 9 months to create an entirely new world before I feel l've got it all figured out. So, I'm still conjuring my story and world building and will be for some time to come. 

What are you writers currently WIPping?

 

Cover Reveal: The Faerie Prince by Rachel Morgan

Hey, peeps! Last year I discovered this amazingly cool self-published YA fantasy novel called The Faerie Guardian by Rachel Morgan. It's about a faerie girl named Violet who is training to become a fully-fledged faerie guardian and all the funny and interesting antics that ensue. I highly recommend reading it if you haven't already. 

The great news today is that author Rachel Morgan is gearing up to release Book 2 in the Creepy Hollow series, The Faerie Prince and I've got the gorgeous cover to reveal to you all! 

Whoa... Nice, eh? Another beautiful cover to add to collection. Now on to the deets about this here new book....


Book Description:

Guardian trainee Violet Fairdale is just weeks away from one of the most important occasions of her life: graduation. After messing up big time by bringing a human into the fae realm, Vi needs to step up her game and forget about Nate if she hopes to graduate as the top guardian of her year. Everything would be fine if she wasn’t forced to partner with Ryn, her ex-friend, ex-enemy, current ‘sort of friend’. They might be trying to patch up their relationship, but does she really want to spend a week undercover with him for their final assignment? On top of that, the possibly-insane Unseelie Prince is still on the loose, free to ‘collect’ as many specially talented faeries as he can find—and Vi is still at the top of his list. Add in faerie queens, enchanted storms, complicated not-just-friends feelings, and a murder within the Guild itself, and graduation is about to become the least of Vi’s problems.

Add THE FAERIE PRINCE to your to-read list on Goodreads.
If you haven't yet read the first book in the Creepy Hollow series, THE FAERIE GUARDIAN, you can find it at the following places:

Amazon, B&N, Apple iBookstore, Smashwords

To connect with the author, visit Rachel Morgan's blog.


 

Top Ten Tuesday (#1): My Spring 2013 TBR Pile

"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly (super fun) book blog meme hosted by the awesome folks at The Broke and the Bookish.

This post is a book list I made based on the "Top Ten Tuesday" bookish meme created by the book bloggers over at The Broke and the Bookish. I used to do this meme on my book blog back when I was blogging over there and it was always my favorite one. I figure, why not do it again? It was fun and it's not like my writing blog isn't about books. Obviously, I'm an avid reader or I wouldn't be a writer. So, here we go with this week's topic:

TOP TEN BOOKS AT THE TOP OF MY SPRING 2013 TBR PILE

  
 

1. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I just started reading this and I'm really liking it so far. It's such a high quality story, which I appreciate. I've been reading books that just aren't quite wowing me, lately. They've been good but not great. I hope this one is great for me. Since I love me some cyborgs and robots and Cinderella, it really stands a good chance.

2. Wake by Amanda Hocking

I bought this recently on my Kindle for a few dollars, so I want to get into this to see if it lives up to my love of Amanda's Trylle Trilogy. Also, the second book comes out in paperback in April, so it's a chance to get that book cheap, too, if I like this one.

3. Ascend by Amanda Hocking

This is the third book in the Trylle Trilogy, which I haven't read yet, but I love the first two, Switched and Torn. Call me crazy, but these books are good! I love the characters, even if the writing isn't dazzling. Amanda is more of a storyteller than a writer. Writing is how she tells her stories, so I don't hold that against her.
  

4. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

This YA trilogy is my absolute favorite! I completely adore everything about these books, especially the characters. Jem Carstairs is my favorite and this books should bring the entire debacle created in Book 2 to a conclusion, hopefully a happy one for him. (I'm so worried. Please don't let me down, Cassie!)

5. The Kensei by Jon F. Merz

I've had this book for two years now and still haven't read it. How is that possible when it has samurai and vampires in it? And Japan in it? I can't even... I don't know why I've neglected this book for so long, but I won't this spring. I'm all about swords and katana and samurai and vampires. How many animes have I seen with all these elements combined and loved them? (Hint: a lot.)

6. The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

This is the first book in the new Iron Fey spin-off series, which I adore. Read those Iron Fey books, people, if you love YA fantasy and faeries. They are THE YA faerie books to be reading. This book series is about the first book series' protagonist, Meghan's, little brother, Ethan as a teenager dealing with menacing faeries like how Meghan did when she was a teenager. I should have read this by now, too, but it's only been out since last October, so I'm not being that bad, am I?

7. The Warded Man by Peter Brett

I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway, so I better read it soon. I considered buying it because another favorite author of mine, Kevin Hearne of Iron Druid Chronicles fame, loves these books. Well, now I can read my copy before I'm considered delinquent to the First Reads people, although I probably already am. It sounds like a good read.

8. Hourglass by Myra McEntire

I bought this book really cheap last year on my Kindle and need to get around to reading it soon. It seems to be about time travel, which is a favorite subject of mine. Hopefully, it'll be a book series to replace the three trilogies I follow that are ending this year.

9. Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

This is another one of my favorite YA book series and this one is the last in the trilogy. This one and a few others, like The Infernal Devices series, are ending this year, which is great, but sad, too. The first two books in Across the Universe are so amazing! Everybody's said awesome things about this one, so I hope I can get to it soon. 

10. Sanctum by Sarah Fine

I found this book when it was really high on the Amazon best-seller list and it looks like something I'd totally love to read. I'm a huge Bleach manga and anime fan and the plot sounds a lot like how it goes, so.... Here's hoping I will like it, but appreciate it for what it is. I don't expect it to be like Bleach or anything else. Just hoping it's as good as the reviews claim it is.

      


Hey, it was fun to do this meme again! Maybe I'll keep it up from now on over here at this blog. What are you guys planning on reading this spring? 

      

Week in Review (#7)

WEEK IN REVIEW

Time for another 'Week in Review' post....


Past Writing

I spent last week mostly taking time off from my novella WIP, Pink Knight, because I figured the distance from it would do me good. I think it did. By the end of the week, I began to reread and edit it, realizing that the book really doesn't have an existing audience. I suppose I didn't think much about that when I was writing it because it was so much fun, I just didn't want to kill my joy. 

But, it is what it is and it's just not like other books out there. I suppose most writers set out to write as original of novels as they can. Usually, originality is a good thing. But, people don't like what they don't recognize--it's just the way our brains are wired. I'm all for getting away from using tired old tropes, but popular tropes are popular for a reason. Because people recognize them and can make sense of them. 

But, still I want to publish this book because it was so fun to write. Why not? I'm so eager to write the next novella in the series, I've already started the first chapter. 

It's safer to write what you know will sell, but I want to write what's fun for me. I can't see myself just writing something like YA paranormal romance when I usually can barely shove that down my own throat. I guess this means I'll fail, but I'll be having fun while I go down on my sinking ship....*waves*

Past Reading

I finished reading Velveteen by Daniel Marks and it really was a bit disappointing. A lot of books do this to me nowadays. But, this one was too long, too wordy, and too lost for me to enjoy it very much. Whatever. 

After that, I read a 50-page novelette called Guardian by Rachel Morgan, which is the first of a series of prequel novelettes to a novel called The Faerie Guardian. This little story was so good and funny! I loved the writing and the pacing. It was perfect for a quick, absorbing, exhilarating YA read. By the way, Guardian is free in both the Kindle and Nook stores!

Once finished with that, I moved onto The Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia and oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh...my gosh! This book is BEAUTIFUL and GORGEOUS! Wow. I'm only just starting it, but it's blowing me away with its incredible world building and the luscious prose that's making me feel like mine is a fat plumber in a tutu trying to dance around in a ballet. It's so freaking stunning.

From the POV of a human-like robot woman, it's about what it's like to be a freaking robot. How brilliant is that? One blurb said it's about "what it means to not be human." The automatons are the minorities in their society and get treated like dirt, so, Mattie, the protagonist, is a liberated automaton, but is still ignored and mistreated by everyone except her creator, a man named Loharri. Read this if you want to read genuine steampunk that means something. Like, what do all the cogs and gears mean? What is their significance to the story and its theme? You'll get that and more in this book.

Beyond that, I won three book giveaways last week, which is so bizarre, but awesome. One of them was even a Goodreads giveway, which I hardly ever win. The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett, which comes highly recommended by Kevin Hearne, author of the Iron Druid Chronicles. I look forward to reading that one.

This Week

I will continue to edit and revise Pink Knight, likely adding to its length a bit. I want to add so many little things to it, so it'll be a bit of a longer novella, which is good. It needs more wiggle room and more fleshing out.

Reading-wise, I'm going to keep on reading the magic that is The Alchemy of Stone--slowly savoring the delicious read about Mattie and her life as a robot whose maker refuses to let her have the key to her own clockwork heart because he's afraid she'll stop going over to his house to visit him. Parents....   


Sorry for the extra long post, but I'm finally finished now. Doing any editing on your WIP, lately? Discovered any amazing reads?