Tag Archives: writer

Sunday Snippet and #ROW80 Check-In

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Hi, folks!

I’ve decided to share snippets of my current WIP on Sundays instead of Saturdays, alongside my ROW80 check ins. I won’t be checking in on Wednesdays, I don’t think; just Sundays for now. We’ll see if I get to the point where I remember to do both :)

So my first snippet is an excerpt from my novel, Wolfspirit, which is book 2 in the Otherside trilogy. This is the first few paragraphs of chapter 1-draft 1.

~~~

You should never hit a pissed off redhead: Sometimes they hit back.

My fist connected with Tate’s nose with a resounding and almost-too-pleasing thwack. Bone cracked and his expression was nearly comical as his hands flew up to staunch the flow of blood that had begun to gush down his face.

Not that this was a laughing matter.

“You bitch.” If looks could kill, I’d be vaporized.

I crossed both arms over my chest, jutting my chin out and glaring at him. I refused to rub the bruise blossoming on my cheekbone. I wouldn’t give him the pleasure of seeing me in pain, even though it smarted. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to hit girls? Oh, wait, that’s right. You probably hit her, too!” The words were acid on my tongue. Tate had always had a rough family life, but I never thought…

His expression turned sharp, but I didn’t give him the chance to say anything. Twisting his class ring off my finger—the promise ring he’d given me almost two years ago, when we decided we were going to get married right out of high school and have a couple kids—I slapped it into his blood-sticky palm.

“I’m done.”

~~~ …dundundun!

I…forgot to blog Sunday. SO. Whoopsie. But I’m back now! :D

Week 1: I kicked butt!

 

Monday: 0 words – Blogged
Tuesday: 2,200 words – Blogged
Wednesday: 1,800 words & critiqued a piece – Blogged
Thursday: 1,000 words.
Friday: 1,300 words.
Saturday: 1,300 words.

Week 2: I sucked LOL!

Sunday: 0
Monday: 1,200 words
Tuesday: 0
Wednesday: 0
Thursday: 0
Friday: 0
Saturday: 1,100 words

To a better week! Aiiiii -warcries…and then falls asleep-

Summer Sale :)

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On the subject of #ROW80 real quick: I’ll probably just be updating on Sundays. Wednesdays, for me, are fairly forgotten in the midst of the week. Sundays, on the other hand, are my week’s beginning :) But I did manage over 2k yesterday after doing minimal writing for the past two months, so I’m proud.

ANYWAYS! Noticed Smashwords is having a summer sale! So! From now until July 31st, if you buy any of my novels on Smashwords, you’ll be able to enter a coupon code at checkout to get them for half off!

So you can get Wolfsong, Spellbound, and Souljacker each for $1.50 during the month of July :)

Happy reading!

Welcome To The Otherside…

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So, Wolfsong’s had a long life. From being created from the depths of my teenage brain in 2005, to a full-scale rewrite in 2011, to publication that same year, this novel’s been with me a long time. When I first wrote it, I’d planned on a sequel focusing on Kia’s future children, set apart from the first book but still connected. I never wrote it. I gave up writing for awhile, but when I came back, I didn’t want the “stale” old idea, I wanted something new and shiny. So Wolfsong #2 became put on hold. With each book over the years, I learned, with each book I grew. I’m a completely different writer than the girl I was in 2005. Even now, the Wolfsong everyone can read is hugely different than the first one I wrote. I guess we both grew up.

Anyway. After 2011′s rewrite, I pondered a trilogy. I loved the cast of characters and the world, so I thought about it long and hard. And decided that the story I was meant to tell–Kia and Arii’s story–could really go no further. Part of it, admittedly, was the fact that I’ve always thought of myself as a ‘stand-alone’ novel person vs. a ‘series’ person and that by admitting I could and would do a series? That scared me.

In March of 2012, Wolfsong went live on Wattpad, part of their Writer’s Partnership Program. And with every day, the amount of reads, comments, and fans went up–and they all agreed on one thing: They wanted a sequel.

Cue panic.

My knee jerk reaction was no: I’d told Kia and Arii’s story the way it felt it needed to be told. Sure, I had a couple of ideas for a second book…but I didn’t feel qualified. The whole “not a series person” hit me hard. The “what ifs” tried to take over.

It took a bit of poking and prodding from some of my closest friends (as well as most, if not all, of my fans <3). But I’ve decided on three books: The Otherside Trilogy. Instead of following the same main characters for each book, I’m breaking away from the norm. I’m staying in Wolfsong’s world, but switching it up. Wolfspirit, which is Otherside #2, will be Kia’s sister Shae’s novel. The third is undecided as of yet.

I’ll have a page when I come up with the summary and will cover-reveal when I have the page :) But I’m writing again! Just thought you all should know :)

It’s That Time Again — #ROW80 Round 3 Goals

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AKA: Yeah, I know I failed at this last year, but I have to try again.

See, I have an issue with commitment. I don’t like change–and that’s part of being a writer. I need to learn to cope with it, roll with it. You name it, I need to adapt. Sure, I can write. Sometimes my words are even beautiful, crazy things… But when I’ve spent the last three months letting FEAR get in the way of everything (my blog, my writing, everything…) something’s wrong. I know it’s easy to just ignore the problem and hope it goes away by avoiding it. But it’s not going to get my anywhere.

I didn’t expect to ever be afraid of writing. I don’t know if it’s actual fear of the writing itself, but it’s definitely fear. Of success? Of failure? Both? I’m not sure. All I know is that I’m lingering, hoping something will change, but I’m not doing anything about it. So it’s time to be proactive. I am a writer–I need to write. /end ramble.

Here are my #ROW80 Goals. These will be both writing and promoting related.

1) Post at least twice a week on the blog AND reply to all comments.
I’m horrible at this and I apologize; this is a very scary thing for me. I feel very…socially inept and I like to hide my head in the sand. I’m working on this.

2) Get reintroduced to Twitter and start participating more.
Again, comfort-zone issue. I was the same way with Facebook, but I’m doing better on that, just because I’ve forced myself to log in and piddle every single day! Now I find FB more of an amusement than an annoyance and hopefully I can fall back in love with Twitter again!

3) Buckle down and write 1,200 words MINIMUM a day.
My goal is to write at least a scene a day on my WIP Wolfspirit (which I’ll be blogging about here soon!) and then, at the end of the day, if I pass my minimum, I’ll allow myself some free-writing words on my adult romance project, which is my fun!WIP.

If I find need to change my goals, I’ll re-evaluate and update :) Also, I’ll probably only be checking in once a week, just because…I forget things. I’m so ADD sometimes, lol! But I’m going to set a timer on my phone to remind me :P

R is for Randomosity…and Reese’s Puffs

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So. Tonight I was going to make chicken parm. I gathered a pan to bake the chicken and a pot to make the pasta…

And then I decided I was too lazy. And it would be like, 11pm before I got to eat.

I look over.

:0

The box of Reese’s Puffs is staring at me…

I decided they would be tasty.

They were.

But now the roof of my mouth is sore LOL

/end story.

:D

Q is for Queer/LBGTQ Themes

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I don’t know if this post is proper, or whatever, but when it came to Q, I immediately knew what to blog about. I’ve always been a very open person, probably because my mom was so accepting of everything. I support gay rights/marriage, though I’m not an activist or anything. It’s just something I agree with.

Love is love is love; gender, race, and color shouldn’t matter. Everyone has their opinions and beliefs–and that’s mine.

Some of my favorite books deal with LBGTQ characters/themes: Julie Ann Peters’s books are fantastic, my favorite being Keeping You A Secret with Luna being a close second. Then of course there’s Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green and David Levithan, which is amazing and beautiful and made me laugh out loud and almost cry.

Likewise, I tend to write similar themes in my own novels; it happens during the writing process–the characters decide for themselves and no amount of straining will change their minds. Greyson from Wolfsong burst into that first scene, loud and clear, and there was no doubt he was gay. My upcoming science-fantasy novel, Souljacker, also has LBGTQ side characters. I have a couple of future novellas that star gay and lesbian leads.

The way I see it: I haven’t read or heard of many YA fantasy/paranormal books with gay leads. Every book I’ve read with gay leads has been contemporary YA with coming-out as a plot device. Doesn’t anyone think LBGTQ teens want to read fantasy with characters and couples like them?

The Nightshade trilogy by Andrea Cremer, one of her side-couples is gay and just adorable. I’ve heard that Malinda Lo’s novels, Ash and Huntress, are YA LBGTQ fantasy (though I’ve yet to read them, they’re on my to-read list!).

But yeah :) I understand that my books with queer characters/themes might not be as well-received as my straight novels, but that’s okay. I love them and write them in hopes they’ll reach who they need to reach, gay or straight.

Any favorite YA LBGTQ books? Indie or traditionally published works!

 

P is for Plotter

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When it comes to the question: Plotter or Pantser, I’ve always plotted, in a sense. When I was younger, I’d play-act out the scenes of a book before bed, sometimes multiple times in different characters’ eyes, so I got it right. Most of these stories never got written LOL but that’s okay. I feel every story, even unwritten, helped build me into the writer I am today.

Not to say I’ve never pantsed (aka: writing by the seat of my pants, for all you non-writers out there :D ) a novel; I have. Well…somewhat. Most of my NaNoWroMo novels have been pantsed (and failed!). With me, instead of freeing me up? I get anxious when I don’t know what happens next; I bite my nails, I squirm in my seat. I get blocked. I -need- to know what happens at least one scene ahead of where I am. Right. Now.

With Spellbound, I was frustrated and needed something -new- to write. Wylde came to my mind, fiery and free, and she and Kascien took turns painting scenes. I pantsed 20-25k. Panicked. Calmed down. Plotted it out, scene by scene for the next 10 scenes. Ended up giving up at 40k. Picked it back up a year later and decided I was going to finish it!

My saving grace were those plotted scenes, the crucial next steps in the story, because I’d forgotten most of it. Of course, I never plotted the ending, but my previous outline was enough to help me plot the rest of it. And voila! A book was born.

So for me, I guess I prefer to pants the first few scenes, get a feel for the characters, and then plot the rest of it out according to what I’ve learned. The first part of the book is both scary and exhilarating. The second half I have to be dedicated because, I’ll admit, once I know the story, it’s hard for me to want to finish it. xD But I do.

Writers: Are you plotters or pantsers or a little of both? :)

N + O = NO!

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AKA I fail again, but since I’ve blogged and had a lot of fun so far doing this A-Z Challenge…I’ll give myself credit and pat myself on the back, even if I’m tired and lazy tonight :) -patpat-

Unfortunately, real life is a pain in the butt and gave me money-and-family drama (NO!) yesterday, I ended up hanging with a family friend and watching episodes of Bob’s Burgers and Family Guy On Demand. LOL And I’m not a TV-person, at all. I’ve fallen behind so far on the few shows I do watch (Fringe? Yum. Way behind, but I own the first two seasons. I need to have a Fringe-marathon! True Blood? Can’t wait for season 4 to come out on DVD. Contemplating buying a couple months of HBO just to see season 5 LOL)

On a good note, however, I am nearly 8k into a new project I started :) Stay tuned for details, because I’m loving it!

Anyway. No O post…because what I came up with for O: Orangutans (Why?) or Ostriches (no thanks…) …or something naughty LOL :P Couldn’t figure out a darn thing for O, but I promise, P will be better :D (…and I promise it’s not naughty! Haha)

But while you’re at it, go over to my pal Val’s place. Her post for O is inspiring and wonderful enough for both of us :)

M is for Music

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I love music! Almost as much as I love my cats.

I grew up on early 90′s country–Travis Tritt, Randy Travis, Reba, Garth Brooks, to name a few–because both my parents loved it. My dad would blare it over the surround system we had and me and my little siblings would dance. Especially to this song:

Then it grew into 90′s pop. Backstreet Boys was my first-ever CD (I was like 9-10-ish) and I listened to it on repeat…for months. N’sync. Savage Garden’s still a favorite, even now. I started listening to the remixes late at night on a pop radio station that’s long-since gone under. (Still freakin’ love remixes.)

Then I had a Weird Al Yankovic phase (it lasted way too long -winces- My dad wanted to skin me!) which I’m thankful to say has FULLY passed, haha.

When I’m angry or angsty, I love My Chemical Romance. I’ve yet to find another band that screams that I like though LOL

I still love anime soundtracks, despite having not watched anime in a looong time. Faves? Escaflowne, Wolf’s Rain, Fullmetal Alchemist.

Lately, I’ve kind of developed a boyish-voice pop/punk/rock sort of love: Adam Lambert, Cartel, The Rocket Summer, Relient K, All American Rejects, Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco. Way more, but I’m tired so. XD

But all time favorites…would be the CDs my mom and I would listen to whenever we were sad, whenever we were happy. The music that we’d return to, despite my dad loathing it. John Mayer, Maroon 5, Keith Urban, and Jason Mraz.

And one more: My current obsession. I’ve yet to see The Hunger Games, but my bro introduced me to this song and, come on. It’s Maroon 5. :D Enjoy!

L is for Lily

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Immy, Chloe, Tobias and Lily

Summer of 2001, our doxie Chloe gave birth to five little female pups. One of those pups was my heartdog, Lily. We had two pups that were nearly identical and my brother named them Phil and Lil after the Rugrats. Lil was a bouncy, jovial little girl who pranced nicely at the end of a leash (where her sisters balked LOL) We found her a home…but a few months later we got a call back. The woman had allergies and although she tried to keep Lil, the doctor recommended she give her away. We went and picked her up and we just…clicked. She started sleeping with me and I began to train her and she became a member of our doxie family (Chloe, her mom, as well as our male, Tobias, and the runt of the litter that my mom kept, Immy)

We set up a date to get her spayed…only to have her go into heat and then a false pregnancy, becoming hormonal and even getting milk in. The vets didn’t want to do surgery until she dried up and recommended we wait. Only every time we’d get her in, she’d be in a false pregnancy. This went on for two years; we worked around her hormones (she was very…bitchy to put it nicely lol) and we joined 4-H…only to have her go after my dog leader with teeth. Fiiiinally we were able to get her in and get her spayed and she calmed down majorly. She even showed in a year of 4-H and loved it :)

We grew closer. She was the dog that put up with everything I put her through (once, after watching a Westminster show, I decided I was going to someday be a handler…and poor Lily was my guinea pig LOL) I battled with severe anxiety; the only way my parents could get me out of the house was if I could bring Lily. She became my security blanket in a way…and my best friend in another. She goes trick-or-treating with us every year (she dresses up as a hotdog xD!)

Hard to believe she’ll be 11 this year. She’s gotten grey and has lost some teeth. Her sister, Immy, we had to have put down last month due to declining health. Their mom Chloe is going downhill fast; my dad’s struggling with the right decision. Lil is the last remaining puppy from the litter of five that we know of. She still loves to go for car rides; all I have to say is “car” and her eyes light up like Christmas lights and she dashes out the door with the spirit of a pup. Even though she’s getting up there in years, I have hope that she’ll stick around awhile longer. She’s still moving around great and doesn’t seem to have any pain, or even aging signs beyond the grey muzzle.

My old girl in her hotdog outfit last Halloween :) A face only a mother could love xDD

She’s also the basis for Lil Summers, a teenage doxie shifter from my up-and-coming YA book, Hunger. :) Which I really need to finish LOL

I love my girl :)