Donor Introductions: Day One!

Hello everyone!

I'm extremely excited to be able to introduce the first three donors of the Writers For Hope Auction! Get ready to see a lot of exclamations points in the titles for the next couple of weeks, because these people deserve ALL THE EXCITEMENT.


EMMIE MEARS

Except for an ill-fated space opera she attempted at age nine, most of Emmie’s childhood was spent reading books instead of writing them. Growing up she yearned to see girls in books doing awesome things, and struggled to find stories in her beloved fantasy genre that showed female heroes saving people and hunting things. Mid-way through high school, she decided the best way to see those stories was to write them herself. She now scribbles her way through the fantasy genre, most loving to pen stories about flawed characters and gritty situations lightened with the occasional quirky humor.

She spends most of her time causing problems and ruining worlds. Emmie is represented by Jessica Negrón of Talcott Notch Literary Services. Her debut novel THE MASKED SONGBIRD (Scottish Songbird #1) will be published in early autumn 2014 by Harlequin E, followed by a sequel down the road!

Emmie is also the editor and Grand Pooh-Bah of Searching for SuperWomen, a geek hub focused on furthering the conversation about the role of women in geekdom and loving awesome things in the process.

DONATED PRIZE: Query Critique



SKYLAR DORSET

PHOTO CREDIT: LARRY STRITOF

Skylar’s first story was a tale of romantic intrigue involving two feuding factions of squirrels. Think “Romeo & Juliet” but with bushy tails and added espionage. She was seven.

Since that time, Skylar’s head has been filled with lots of characters and lots of drama. She is delighted to be able to share some of it with all of you now, because, honestly, it was getting pretty loud and crowded in there.

Skylar believes fiction should take you to a world that’s like yours, only better. The idea for THE GIRL WHO NEVER WAS (release day June 3, 2014!) came to her in a dream, as some of the best ideas do. (Some of the worst ideas, too; the trick is figuring out the difference.)

Skylar is a proud member of OneFour KidLit, The BookYArd Writers, and A Game of Tomes. She is represented by Andrea Somberg of Harvey Klinger, Inc.

DONATED PRIZE: Query OR First Chapter Critque

ALLISON PANG

Allison Pang is the author of the Abby Sinclair urban fantasy series from Pocket Books. She also writes the online graphic novel Fox & Willow, found at http://www.sadsausagedogs.com. 

She has a penchant for Hello Kitty, sparkly shoes and gorgeous violinists. Find her at http://www.heartofthedreaming.com and @allison_pang.

She is represented by Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary.

DONATED PRIZE: First Chapter Critique

Hope you all are just as excited as I am! Stop back in tomorrow to meet our next three donors!

Auction Update!!

Hello all!

Thought you might want to know what’s going on with the April 23^rd auction to benefit the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN). So, here’s the timeline:

April 7 – 18: Introducing the amazing donors and the exciting prizes they’re offering.

April 21: Auction rules posted.

April 22: All prizes will be posted, to give you time to come up with your bidding strategy.

April 23: AUCTION!!! Bidding will open at 12:00am EST and close at 11:59pm EST. 

April 24: Winners will be announced. 

For those of you who don’t write or know writers, but still are interested in donating – first of all, THANK YOU. You’re just the very definition of awesome. Secondly, you can do so here.

Okay, now go have a phenomenal weekend and check back in on Monday to hear about the first of the aforementioned AMAZING donors!

Feelings, Furniture & Fiction Formulation

When I work on a first draft, I'm not always sure how to best describe how a character's emotional state is physically impacting her/him. So I use placeholders.

Stomach twisting. Eyes burning. Weight lifting off chest. And, of course - letting out a breath one didn't realize was being held.

The classics.

Then during the editing rounds, I look for new ways to say these things. Ways that haven't been used a million times before.

I try to re-experience the emotions the character is dealing with - only this time paying closer attention to what's going on physically during the experience. This means I've had to figure out what events best trigger which emotions.

For instance, a character I'm working with right now feels a little claustrophobic and a lot annoyed around her former classmates. Even though she knows that she's going to feel this way, she also knows that interacting with them is a but of a must right now. So, she works to control it. But even when those around her can't tell, she still feels it all.

Well, recently, I've been asked to go to a number of furniture stores in a helper capacity. And I've discovered something - I really hate furniture stores.

If Dante lived today, his Inferno would have a tenth circle. And it would look exactly like a furniture store. 

They're so crowded with armoires and breakfronts and credenzas (don't ask me what the difference is) that even when there's a reasonable number of people in there, it's too many. I've caught my hip bone on more sideboard corners than I'd like to admit. And whoever coined the term "funny bone" was clearly being ironic.

And while I'm somewhat sympathetic to those working on commission, it's hard not to feel closed in when you know that a furniture store employee is constantly following you from a not-so-discreet distance and making comments on every chaise lounge your gaze falls on, interrupting your mental meanderings back to the relaxation patterns of ancient Greek gods.

One store also contained an inordinate number of tall, fake potted plants. The furniture store pursuant who claimed us at his own chose to stand behind the plants while we looked. At one point, he bolted quickly across a room full of sofas to stand just behind another plant by the far doorway. He only came out when another employee tried to talk to us.

It was an odd experience, but useful. Now every time I make my character walk back into her old school, I put myself back in the furniture store - sometimes literally, as I am lucky (unfortunate??) enough to live around a plethora. And this time I pay attention.

What's happening in my chest? Does my breathing change? My brain isn't racing, but it's probably doing something. What? Exactly how long does it take before I have to stifle the urge to throw some elbows?

Once I go through my check list, it's time for another pass on the scene. This time with hopefully a few less overused phrases.

Writers, what inspires you when you're writing about emotional reactions?

You've left me no choice...

Do you ever have one of those days where you just want to be cynical and world-weary? To soak in the pool of curmudgeonisity until your skin is as wrinkled as your pruney little heart? 

'Cause I do. 

And you know what really pisses me off? You people make it impossible. 

Every time I turn around, one of you is there being all illustrative of optimism and positivity and hope. It's enough to make anyone's heart grow Grinch-style. And since, despite my best efforts, my heart is a decent size to begin with, this three times expansion rate pretty much makes it explode. And not like a cool, gory movie scene explosion, but one of love that pretty much leaves everyone around me covered in a splatter pattern of glitter and happiness. 

It's a mess. 

But you know what they say, something about sour fruits and beverages that don't make sense to drink while it's still this freaking cold. 

What I'm trying to say is: Fine. I give in to your smiling faces. I surrender to your infectious laughter. 

I decided just yesterday that I wanted to do another fundraising event, this time virtually. I sent out a few emails, to test the waters. No sooner had I hit send than my brain started reminding me that these things can be hard to pull off. And that people are busy. And that maybe it's too last minute. And - well, look at all those positive responses rolling into my inbox. Wait a second, not only are people offering their time, but they're thanking me for the opportunity to do so??

You know, it makes it really challenging to fill out the "con" half of my list, when you people insist on being so awesome. So now my paper looks all lopsided. And that's on your heads. 

To get to the point of this morning's mental meanderings, on Wednesday, April 23rd I will be hosting a truly fantastic event here on the blog. Some wonderful editors and agented/published authors are donating their time for a great auction. Current prizes include signed books, query critiques, first five pages critiques, first chapter critiques and a full manuscript critique - with some more in the works!

All proceeds of the auction will go to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. 

I will be posting updates and rules and whatnot over the next few weeks. Please tell all your writer-type friends about the event. And if you don't happen to be a writer-type yourself, but know one who has a birthday coming up, or who you just like a real lot, feel free to bid. All the prizes would make great gifts. 

Will your help, this event will be amazing. And considering you've already proven yourselves to be completely incapable of anything less than scrumtrulescence, success really appears to be the only option. 

Not-So-Guilty Pleasures: The N.K. Traver Edition

Good morrow, fellow story lovers!

Today on the blog, I have the pleasure of hosting the lovely N.K. Traver, who was generous enough to do the same for me during Pitch Wars. But, as you know, today isn't about writing samples - it's about those little things we love, but make us think "maybe it would be better if the whole world didn't know I was obsessed with....nah....never mind....this is awesome. Everyone should be shown the light."

Here's what Ms. Traver wants to illuminate:


Not-So-Guilty Pleasures

5. Leonardo DiCaprio

I have loved him since Titanic. I think he's a brilliant actor and I will never let go, Jack.

4. Crazy bright neon socks

Opening my sock drawer requires sunglasses. I have socks that are supposed to match and socks that are not supposed to match, though I lost track of the matching ones a long time ago.

3. King of the Nerds

I'm not a reality TV fan, but I LOVE. THIS. SHOW. Nerd drama + sciency experiments + quotes like "I just hope it involves the Pillars of Lava and light sabers like we discussed"? How can anyone resist?

2. Video games

The Sims. Resident Evil. Tomb Raider. Every LEGO Xbox game ever made. I could go on, so I won't. I love puzzles and great stories, and video games often bind those two together. I'm also scared of dying, so I play on the easiest difficulty level possible and I don't care who knows about it.

1. 'Staches

Yes, these -->  

I can't explain my obsession. But I have stache earrings, a stache ring, a stache blanket, a stache shirt, stache socks and stache duct tape. I will collect stache things until there's nothing left to collect, or until my husband stages an intervention.

As a freshman at the University of Colorado, N.K. Traver decided to pursue Information Technology because her classmates said "no one could make a living" with an English degree. It wasn’t too many years later Traver realized it didn’t matter what the job paid—nothing would ever be as fulfilling as writing. Programmer by day, writer by night, it was only a matter of time before the two overlapped. Her debut, DUPLICITY, a YA cyberthriller pitched as BREAKING BAD meets THE MATRIX for teens, is coming from Macmillan Entertainment in winter 2015.

Want to really amp up your anticipation of DUPLICITY? Or maybe get some tips on where to buy the best staches? (Which, let's face it, is all I've been thinking about since I first read this list.) Follow Ms. Traver on her blog, Goodreads, or Twitter. 

Not-So-Guilty Pleasures: The Sandra Waugh Edition

Greetings, all!

Got some more Not-So-Guilty Pleasures for you! As I'm sure you've figured out by now, I'm a pretty big fan of the fantasy genre - and young adult fantasy holds a particularly special place in my heart. Brings back memories of trekking out to the elementary school roller skating party only to find a dim corner in which to read. Ahhhh, bliss.

So, I'm super excited to welcome Sandra Waugh here today, and it pretty much goes without saying that I can't wait to read Lark Rising when it comes out next September. Having to wait six months is a little rough, but luckily we have the opportunity to get to know Ms. Waugh a little better, which should tide us over for awhile. Or maybe just give us a yen for gummi bears....


NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES

I can find countless pleasures in a day and can feel guilty about pretty much anything, so I thought it might be best to frame (or, rather, limit) some not-so-guilty pleasures by drawing one from each of the five senses.

Sight—Blockbuster movies.  I WAIT for May, for November when the ‘big’ films come out.  Sci fi, fantasy, monsters of metal or bone… I eat this stuff up.  (Actually, I grab popcorn—the tub size). And I drag my children to the theater with me, so I don’t look totally insane.

Taste—Gummi Bears.  Have to be the original Haribo!  I swoon.

Touch—Luxury hotels.  This requires a little explanation (and a big splurge):  I love traveling, but I am not a camper.  I truly admire anyone who is.  On the other hand, while I cringe at sleeping out of doors, I LOVE mucking about on vacation.  Slog me through any jungle, rat-infested alley, spider-ed tomb, cave and/or mudpit during the day AS LONG as I arrive at hot water and clean sheets by nightfall.  The nicer the bath and softer the sheets, the better, and the more fun it is to rough it in daylight.  My husband has learned this about me and has risen to the challenge.  I adore him.

Sound—Birds. The guilt is not so for much the glorious singing that goes on in our backyard, but that I lose track of time (and all responsibilities) standing listening, trying to sort them out, trying to memorize and revel.  It’s a symphony. It breathes SPRING.

Smell—it would be nicer to wax rhapsodic about lilacs and lavender, but for a not-so-guilty admission, I have to choose the scent of boxwood—that thick evergreen hedge that can be shaved into all sorts of chess pieces and mazes like here. It’s lovely and whimsical that boxwoods are so green and dense and happy to hold whatever shape you give it, but the best thing of all is the smell.  Some liken it to cat pee, some are allergic… but I am in love with the scent of boxwood. It stops me cold in mid-stride through a garden—I have to stand and inhale… and then feel my heart hurt, because for me a boxwood holds the scent of yore—of Tudor England, of King Arthur, of long gowns and longer paths through forgotten herbs and wildflowers. It is the scent of mystery and romance and yearning, and all the things that ever inspired me to write… and dream.

Want more info? Go wandering in these directions:

sandrawaugh.com

Facebook

Pinterest

Tumblr

Goodreads 

Twitter

Drafting Bucket Lists

Hello, all! 

I am elbows deep in the drafting process and my mischievous little mind grapes have decided to start throwing me ideas for other stories. So, basically I'm constantly walking around with three notebooks - one for the story I'm actually drafting and the other two to catch the random ideas that pop up for the other two that my brain is suddenly so enthusiastic about. Damn overachieving gray matter. 

Yesterday morning it actually had the audacity to throw something else in the mix, but I shut that nonsense right down. Three notebooks is ridiculous enough. If I carry around four, I'm honor bound to do it in a backpack with hearts drawn in White Out on the straps - you know,  eighth grade style. Okay, maybe high school sophomore. 

Fine, I still have it in my closet. But that doesn't mean I want to take it from place to place with me every day. 

So, streamlining. Three notebooks and no more!

Hence, I've been working on narrowing my focus back on to the story I'm actively drafting. I decided to play a game and started writing up bucket lists for all the main characters. Most of these goals will probably never make it in to the story, but it's definitely helpful in getting to know these people better. Which in turn makes it easier to write about them. 

Thought I'd share what I have so far for character número uno. She's a sixteen-year-old who is just trying to clean up an epic mess she never meant to cause and see her family again. 

Get her family back

Have at least ten minutes entirely alone

Not have any more secrets

Actually stop caring about people calling her crazy (instead of just saying she doesn't)

See the Northern Lights

Get her license

Drive cross country

Learn to swim

Visit the Cliffs of Moher

Meet a mermaid

Smash a pie in someone's face (maybe a specific someone)

Learn to cut her own bangs without looking like a freak show 

Become a Private Investigator

There are no doubt other things she wants to do, but this is all she's shared thus far. What do you think?

Blog Tour: Once in a Lifetime by Jill Shalvis

I mentioned a while back that I love airport bookstores because the limited selection often forces me to try books I might have otherwise missed. Well, the same can be said for the book aisles in grocery stores.

A few years ago I was stuck out at a house that I rent waiting for someone to come and turn the gas back on so the new tenant could move in. In the grand tradition of such things, this was going to happen sometime in a four hour window.

I was stuck in a house devoid of furniture, television or computers. I had yet to succumb to the lure of the smart phone. And, horror of horrors, I was without a book. It had been one of those days. I'd been twenty minutes into the hour and a half drive to the house before realizing that I'd forgotten the house keys and had to go back and start all over. It wasn't overly surprising that I'd also managed to leave my book on the bedside table.

So, to the local grocery store I went, for a much needed jolt of Dr. Pepper and literary balm for my diminishing sanity. I grabbed the first book that seemed interesting and beat a path back to the house in case the gentleman from the gas company arrived on the early end of the spectrum.

He didn't.

And I didn't care.

Sitting on the floor of the unheated living room, with my coat securely fastened against the December chill, I was first introduced to Jill Shalvis' Lucky Harbor. Between my Dr. Pepper IV and Maddie & Tara's stories, the three and a half hours I spent waiting seemed like nothing. By the time I was on the road home again, I knew that I had made a whole new group of literary friends and also had a new location to add to my list of fictional places I'd like to reside. I've happily gone back to visit with every new addition to the series and am always anxious to return again.

Which is why I was super excited Once In A Lifetime was released on Tuesday. I couldn't wait to get to know Aubrey and Ben better. Particularly after receiving this from Ms. Shalvis:

Top 5 Favorite Quotes from ONCE IN A LIFETIME

1. He was in jeans, wearing a tool belt slung low on his hips, his T-shirt clinging to him. He seemed a little irritated, a little sweaty, and just looking at him Aubrey got a whole lot hot and bothered in places that had no business being hot and bothered by this man at all.

2.  He was back in his tool belt, which was made of leather and crinkled all male-like when he moved. Plus, it forced his jeans a little low on his hips. She couldn’t stop staring, because there was something about the way he wore his clothes that suggested he’d look even better without them.

3.  She had no idea how long they kissed—and kissed—but she didn’t think about stopping until she ran out of air. Breathing hard, she slowly opened her eyes and stared directly into his.

      They’d heated. Darkened. And something else. He wasn’t looking so relaxed now. In fact, he was looking the opposite of relaxed. He looked…feral.

      And she was his prey.

4. “You’d better say it again,” he said very quietly.

     “What?”

     “That you don’t want me.” He gave a slow shake of his head. “Because you’re looking at me like I’m dinner and you haven’t eaten all day.”

5.  His mouth should be illegal in all fifty states, but she bet he could do things with it. Things she wanted.

      Bad.



So, I decided to read just the first few chapters last night before bed. You know, a nice way to unwind. (This is how I've been tricking myself into reading later than I should for the last twenty odd years. I fall for it every time.)

Naturally, I read the whole thing. And today, as I suffer from chronic yawnies, I can't even find it in me to be annoyed at Past Kelly. Because, if I were in her shoes right now...I'd probably make the same decision.

It would totally be worth it.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Once in a Lifetime

ONCE IN A LIFETIME by Jill Shalvis (February 18, 2014; Grand Central Publishing Mass Market; $6.00)

SOMETIMES WRONG IS OH-SO-RIGHT
After a wrenching loss, Ben McDaniel tried to escape his grief by working in dangerous, war-torn places like Africa and the Middle East. Now he's back in his hometown and face-to-face with Aubrey Wellington, the hot-as-hell woman who is trouble with a capital T. Family and friends insist she's not the one to ease his pain, but Aubrey sparks an intense desire that gives Ben hope for the future.

Determined to right the wrongs of her past, Aubrey is working hard to make amends. But by far, the toughest challenge to her plan is sexy, brooding Ben - even though he has absolutely no idea what she's done . . .

Can this unlikely couple defy the odds and win over the little town of Lucky Harbor?

About the author:

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill's bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Social Media Links:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Buy Links:

Amazon

B&N

IndieBound

iTunes

My Mind - Crowded, Noisy, But It's Home

By Ardfern (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons
Only not really. I'm kind of full up here. 

You know what is buckets of fun? When I see an old idea and suddenly it seems brand new.

A little over a year ago, I was working on a story. I loved the characters, the world, the plot. All the pieces made me happy. Unfortunately, they just weren't quite coming together right. I knew something was off, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what. Frustrations galore.

I went the route of tough love. Moved those characters to a special room in the back of my mind - told them to work it out and get back to me when they had.

Let me tell you, they took their sweet time. At first I was annoyed with their playing hard-to-get, then I was grateful. Some new characters were asking for attention and I was happy not to have them battling it out in my brain pan.

So, I focused on the new guys. They were much more forthcoming with their tale. So much so that I finished the MS right before celebrating the coming of the new year. I really love these folks and am happily drafting the next segment of their story. But the other night, just as I was drifting off to sleep, there was a little knock on that door at the end of my mind hallway.

Before I could even open it, they all started talking at once. They knew how to fix the story. I'll be honest with you, their timing could have been better. I was looking forward to the whole sleep thing and suddenly I was completely wide awake. They insisted upon it, seeing as I haven't figured out how to take notes in slumber yet (I'm working on it). The only thing that kept me from a sleep deprived fury storm was that they had really good ideas. Maybe even great ones.

And it all started with the main character saying, Yeah, I don't think I'm as old as you think I am.

For the last three days, it's been pretty much an avalanche. All the aspects that I couldn't quite connect the first time around are suddenly making sense as a whole. Major, all consuming rewrites need to be done on the work that I started way back when and a whole bag of new inserts must be crafted. The amount of work to get this all done will be massive. And big time exciting.

How about all of you? Any visitors in your mind motel making noise lately?

The Vomit Test

My nephew has recently started understanding that certain things are funny. As a result, he's big into laughing now. Last night, we really had him going. Something about bringing our heads really close, really fast without smashing them together just does it for him. He handled his mirth well - laughing as hard as he could until the only possible next move was completely emptying the contents of his stomach all over me. 

He handled it with panache. Quick, quiet expulsion and then he was back to laughing. Honestly, it took me a second to process what happened. 

But what I'm sure was my comical expression of horror as the realization dawned is not the point of this retelling. The point is laughing not only until you vomit, but through the vomiting itself. 

I mean, that is a high level of merriment. We've all laughed until our faces hurt. Or our stomachs cramped. Or maybe even until our bladders weakened. But throwing up and smiling about it? I don't know about you, but I haven't hit that tier of excitement yet. 

I have, however, decided that I'd like to see every fictional character have a moment like this. Okay, it doesn't have to actually involve vomit, but I'd like to see a character so overjoyed by something that in that moment no adverse thing spewed at them is enough to make them stop smiling. That would tell us a lot about the character. What passes his or her vomit test? What is it that can make him or her that completely happy? 

And then, because I'm mean, I'd like to take it away from them. Because if something can make you smile through vomiting, I'm willing to bet you'd do a lot to get if back. 

And that's a story in which I could really get invested.