My Music Monday (TIED Countdown)
I know, I know. It’s been foreverrr since I posted a new My Music Monday, so we begin again. 
This week I’ve been painstakingly compiling, and scaling down, the massive playlist for TIED, book one of The Fire Born Novels. Originally this playlist had close to 50 songs. I’ve narrowed it down to 34. Since I have 32 weeks until the launch of TIED, I thought a teaser was in order to get the momentum started. So … I’m going to play a small sampling of what’s to come every Monday all the way up to launch day. I’ve decided not to put the songs in order of scenes/chapters, as I don’t want to give too much away, but the songs will be in order when the playlist goes live, and in full, on the 9th of September. ENJOY!
Wait … Should I Write That?
There is a moment now and then when writers may catch themselves and think … wait, should I write that?
My fellow writer, and friend, Elena Ransley wrote a post titled, Just because I write it, doesn’t mean I did it.
I think her words are both honest and true. There is a fine line writers walk between fiction and fact. Fantasy and reality. So much of who we are is embedded in our stories. Our words, our voices, our hearts … our sometimes crazed imaginations. Elena writes, ”Just because you write about an axe murderer, doesn’t mean you are slightly unhinged and could lose it and carry out your protagonists actions in the middle of the night – just because you think it, doesn’t mean you would do it.”
People judge you as a person when you put your stories out there. And we can judge ourselves as words fly from our fingertips in a flurry of ideas. Whether you write horror or paranormal romance, people will either love your work and sing your praises, or wonder if you are indeed unhinged.
Does it matter? As a writer who has chosen to share their work with the world–it probably shouldn’t. It’s the risk you take when you decide to go public. It’s the reason every writer hears those few words of caution, “Grow a thick skin. You’re going to need it.”
Not everyone will praise or even like your work. Some people may hate your genre, your ideas–your imagination. And they will judge you. But we can’t please everyone and we can only write what moves us and hope our words resonate with readers.
So I leave you with this to ponder:
“Writers are not just people who sit down and write. They hazard themselves. Every time you compose a book your composition of yourself is at stake.” ~E.L. Doctorow
So the question is, Are you willing to put yourself out there? It’s the risk all writers have to take. The difference between owning what you love and hiding it. The difference between being public or private. Published or tucked away in a drawer.
SO WRITE ON WRITERS. Take your best shot.
*** Re-posted from April 2012 ***
The Next Big Thing Blog Hop!
Light the fireworks: http://www.shotsforpassion.com – New domain name for my blog! (Photo credit: Shots For Passion)
Here’s how the THE NEXT BIG THING blog hop works. I get tagged to answer a bunch of question about my current book, (while simulataneously getting more word out), thanks to J.A. Belfield for the tip, and then I tag YOU, and you get to share in the love on your own blog to get the word out about YOUR WIP.
I’m supposed to tag eleven bloggers, but I’m cheating a little and tagging all of you who have WIP’s to play. Why? Because there are a lot of you. Yay me.
I questioned being involved in the hop considering my current WIP is kind of under wraps, while my current finished book is on its way to publication–but, I thought this would be fun.
SO …. I’m going to pretend that my current finished novel is actually a WIP–even though it’s not. K? K!
Here goes:
What is the working title of your book?
The title of my book is TIED, and it’s the first book in The Fire Born Novels series.
Where did the idea come from for the book?
This is one of those questions that’s hard to answer. Ideas sort of pop into my head and I run with them. Some work, some don’t–The Fire Born worked.
What is the genre of your book?
I write young adult dark/urban fantasy, paranormal romance, with bit of mythology mixed in.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
No clue. If I had to choose, it would probably be from people who aren’t even actors. I think it’s really hard to peg the right face/personality to a character you’ve dreamed up in your head.
What in one sentence is the synopsis of your book?
Yikes! Honestly, I don’t even think I’m allowed to tell you guys that yet—-under contract and all that. BUT–soon, so very soon.;) So, I’ll leave you with the hook that’s flying around on all my social media pages:
How far would you go … to protect the one you love?
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency/publisher?
All of The Fire Born Novels will be published by J. Taylor Publishing.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Hm … first draft took three months. All subsequent drafts took — forever. Seriously. A longgg time.
What other books would you compare this story to in your genre?
I wouldn’t. Funny–I was just thinking about this. My play off fantasy and paranormal feels a bit different than what I read–and I read a lot. I guess the readers will have to decide ultimately. But, my intention is always to speak from my own voice and let it roll. Whatever comes, comes. I’m not aiming to compare my books to anyone else’s.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Another loaded question that’s difficult to answer. I’m not sure that any one particular thing inspired me, necessarily. A ton of factors led me to continue to write this book and see it through to the end. Not all my novels have made it to completion. TIED spoke to me in a way nothing else has. So I guess you could say, the story itself inspired me.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
The blurb will be out very soon, and I can’t spoil that, so I’ll just say that if the hook I mentioned before intrigues you–just wait
*** That’s it for me. Anyone want to jump in and let us know what all your blood, sweat and tears are pouring into? Leave me a link so I can check your book out!! ***
Cover Reveal CAGED by J A Belfield
Like Werewolves?
J.A. Belfield’s 3rd book in her incredible HOLLOWAY PACK series is coming soon! And here’s the Cover!!
CAGED
A Holloway Pack Story #3
By J.A. Belfield
Genre: Adult, Romantic, Urban Fantasy
Blurb:
If the meek can become deadly, the strongest can be weak.
For Ethan Holloway, his mission to find a missing werewolf should be simple.
Crack a few heads, bust a few chops and the solution always reveals itself.
Always.
Not this time.
Ethan’s reputation precedes him, and because it does, someone is ready. Waiting.
Unbeknownst to Ethan, he’s about to go down. Hard. Against a foe he never suspected and in a world he never imagined could be real.
What awaits Ethan is a fight not only for his reputation, but also his pack, his female, and his life.
If he survives, damage control will become priority number one.
If he survives.
Because even Ethan’s not sure he’s strong enough to take on an entire race all by himself.
Especially one hell bent on exposing who and what he is in the name of sport.
Check out all the HOLLOWAY PACK STORIES here:
The Publisher: J. Taylor Publishing
What The New Year Holds …
Happy New Year 2013 (Photo credit: sangak)
Happy 2013, everyone! I’m so excited about the new year.
TIED, the first book in The Fire Born Novels series, will be released September 9! And in preparation of that upcoming event, my blog will be undergoing a few changes.
In January I will be hosting an interview with fellow author, L.S. Murphy about her upcoming release, REAPER, a young adult paranormal romance/urban fantasy. I will also have a special cover reveal for fellow author, J.A Belfield’s upcoming release, CAGED.
In March I will host fellow author, Aimee Lane, for her SILENT ECHOES blog tour.
In addition, marketing will begin for the release of TIED, which will include the cover release, blurb, excerpts and more!
Hold on tight, the ride’s about to get bumpy!
And The Nominees Are …
I was nominated for the Liebster Award! Thank you so much to Jaime Guerard for nominating me for this very unexpected award. Jaime is a fellow YA fan as well as YA Paranormal Romance Thriller writer and author. Go check her blog out!
The award works like this:
- I list 11 random facts about myself.
- I will answer the 11 questions asked of me by the person who nominated me.
- I will then nominate my 11 picks for the award along with my 11 questions for them to answer when they post a response.
- If you’re nominated, your name/link will appear at the bottom of this post along with your questions. Follow the same format; paste the award badge to your blog, give us 11 random facts about yourself, answer my 11 questions, and choose your nominees…but you cannot nominate the blog who nominated you.
Here are 11 random facts: (Hmm … I’ve gotta think about this.)
1. I’m a Tea fanatic. Yes, really. Hot tea, iced tea, black tea, flavored tea. I could hang out in Teavana.
2. I’ve been dancing since I was a little. Love it. Miss it. Quit after too many injuries. Now I run. (Like that’s better or something … )
3. I’m a chef.
4. I read obsessively. Even when I should be writing and editing my own books. ;P
5. I’m a Tolkien fan to extremes. Love, Love, Love his books. Movies too. I could watch LOR from start to finish without a hitch. All 9 hours.
6. Same goes for Harry Potter. I can recite the books.
7. I have 3 dogs, and if I had more space, I would own way more than that.
8. I love Summertime.
9. I’m an introvert, but a few of my friends would probably argue with me over that.
10. I’m of Irish decent.
Here are my questions from Jaime Guerard:
1. Who is your favorite author?
I have so many, so I’ll name the big ones. Anne Rice, J.K. Rowling, George R. R. Martin, and J. R. R. Tolkien. Oh, and I really enjoy Michael Scott.
2. What is your favorite quote?
“You can’t win or lose if you don’t run the race.” ~ The Psychedelic Furs
3. What type of genre do you like to read? Why?
Fantasy. High fantasy. Paranormal. Mythology and some Sci-Fi. Both YA and Adult. I write what I read. Why? Because these genres are transporting and magical.
4. Where do you hope to be in 5 years?
I hope to still be writing stories from my heart. The ones that inspire me and speak to me.
5. How long have you been writing?
I started writing poems are a young age. 7 maybe. They were a kind of expression that just flooded out. I still write poetry. Short stories followed, and in my early twenties I tried a few strike out swings at novels. I think my writing has grown considerably since then.
6. Who has inspired you throughout your life?
My mom.
7. What is one word to describe your personality?
Hmm … Sarcastic? Hahaha. Probably depends on which friend you asked.
8. What is your favorite book and why?
That’s almost impossible to answer. Although all of my favorite authors have things in common, their writing styles are vastly different, yet equally brilliant. I could name series’ of books. The Witching Hour series by Anne Rice. The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. The Lord of The Rings/The Hobbit by Tolkien. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling.
9. Life’s too short for …
Regretting the chances you were afraid to take. Better to have tried/spoke your mind/put yourself out there, and failed, than never to have tried at all.
10. What is your desert island food (you only get one choice)?
Coconut!
11. If you could have one celebrity on your speed dial, who would it be and why?
One celebrity? Geesh … idk. Probably Anne Rice. I could bounce some pretty amazing ideas off of her, I think. She’s the queen of dark fantasy.
And … my nominees are:
Short Story Diary
http://shortstoriesdiary.wordpress.com/
My Story To You
http://dragoneystory.wordpress.com/
Bottledworder
http://bottledworder.wordpress.com/
Gin and Lemonade
http://ginlemonade.wordpress.com/
Lee Rawn
http://www.leerawn.com/
Rich Weatherly
http://richweatherly.wordpress.com/
AK Taylor
http://www.backwoodsauthor.com/
Alison DeLuca
http://alisondeluca.blogspot.com/
Ido Lanuel
http://idolanuel.com/
Leigh Gembus
http://submeg.com/
Whitney Moore
http://writeinlife.wordpress.com/
Nominees, here are your 11 questions:
- What books are you reading?
- Who are your favorite authors?
- What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
- Where do you see your writing taking you?
- How do stories come to you? (or blog posts, poetry, etc …)
- Plotter or Pantster?
- What is your favorite genre?
- If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
- Introvert or Extrovert?
- Who inspires you?
- What inspires you to keep moving forward in your writing?
Go check out all these great blogs! And Congrats to the nominees!
Always Dream
“Always dream and shoot higher than you know how to. Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.”
William Faulkner, 1954 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Cliffhangers
Rock climbing stanage (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Cliffhangers.
Some readers hate them, while others love them–especially fans of a series. Cliffhangers keep the story moving forward from book to book. They have the ability to leave the reader wanting more.
Or … less.
Some readers get so furious when a story leaves them hanging that they give up on the series entirely. The majority, however, cling to the book, wanting more, more, more!
So, as a reader, do you hate a cliffhanger ending, or do you love them?
Still Aspiring?
Aspire: to long, aim, or seek for.
Aspire is one of those words with an embedded escape clause.
“If I really suck at this, or if I just give up, it won’t matter because I’m only aspiring.”
GHAACK!
Do you love to write? Does it speak to you?
Then WRITE.
Aspiring isn’t goal setting. It’s an escape hatch. It is scribble, scribble, blah, blah … What was I talking about?
If you want to write then write. If you want to become an author work your ass off at it. It’s hard and it will make you want to scream one second and cry the next. But writers write. It’s what we do. Don’t be afraid to put a label on it.
~ Author Unknown
What’s In Being A Contracted Author?
Our computers (Photo credit: aranarth)
Fear.
Yep, I said that.
Getting a publishing contract is everything you’ve wanted, everything you’ve worked your ass off for, and when you sign on the dotted line, everything you’re afraid of.
It’s a truth I think a lot of authors keep under wraps because some days when you sit staring at your story, the one that has a deadline attached to it now, the one that needs to be as close to perfect as you can make it—some days, it can feel like you’ve signed yourself up to fail. The days when nothing makes sense and you wonder who in their right mind, including yourself, ever thought your story could actually sell. The days when fear seeps in and hangs on.
From the legalese of contracts, to the swell of accomplishment in your chest that is almost immediately replaced by the tightening of panic, to the real edits and real deadlines, being a contracted, and soon to be published, author is both thrilling and terrifying.
But, in those split seconds when rays of light shine through the blinds in your mind, it is incredibly gratifying. The times when, for once, there are no blue, red, or green edits marking up your pages and your comments come back with “Great!” instead of “Huh?” or “Powerful.” instead of “Make it clearer.” Those are the days when every drop of doubt and ounce of fear is worth it. The days when you’re proud as hell. Maybe they’re far and few between, but those rays of light keep the writing fire burning bright and remind you that you should feel proud, maybe even excited–even if only for a second.
You’re Not Working Hard Enough.
Via Warriorforum.com
Like many writers, I have spent the last few years trying to ‘do it all.’ Whether I’m drafting another blog post, tinkering with Twitter, shouting out to writers on Triberr, checking my Facebook profile, posting on my Facebook author page, pinning on Pinterest, reading the dozens of emails I receive daily, or finishing my novel revisions, everyday is filled to the rim. In my mind, the most important of these is my novel. It’s the reason for everything else. Yet everything else seems to overwhelm it most of the time.
I read all day long, in one form or another. In order to write well, you must read. A lot. Preferably in your genre, although reading in general is the point. I try to stay current with the latest books, all the advice on book marketing, social media reach, blog hits, and on and on. It’s endless.
via pinterest.com
Yesterday I read an article that stated people aren’t reading less in the digital age, instead people are actually reading more. Wanting more. More to download. More, more, more. Readers want books NOW. How are they reading them all? Who knows.
What it means for writers is what concerns me. Many authors are now attempting to hammer out three….four, five books a year to stay in the game.
WHAT?!
The industry standard has forever been…one book per year.
ONE. Maybe.
But with the introduction, and popularity, of ereaders the standard is changing. Rapidly.
For me, and many others, that’s an issue. Besides the fact that I write at turtle speed, and revise at snail, I’ve worked myself to near exhaustion trying to do everything, and be everywhere. How are we supposed to do it all? We can’t. And we shouldn’t try to either.
Balance is the key.
I’ve talked about balance a lot in prior posts, but I didn’t know how to attain it. I’ve had to force myself to step back, and breathe. Step back and realize that NO ONE can do it all, and do it well. Not going to happen. Not for long anyway. I still believe that through all the chatter and advice, all the constant information flying everywhere, that our main goal as writers should be creating good content.
We can market until we are blue in the face and crawling. Put our names out everywhere and brand until everyone knows it. But none of that will matter if our books suck. Writing is hard enough without trying to master social media.
W. Somerset Maugham
Via zazzle.com
I know we as writers are a helpful and supportive group. We want to help each other succeed. We want to feel like someone else gets it, and we aren’t wandering around alone searching for answers in the dark. So we read everything, follow a hundred blogs, and basically overwhelm ourselves with information. Not the best mindset to have when we are trying to write an 80,000 word novel.
Slow down. Really.
I don’t have this thing figured out either, but it occurs to me that a few things are obvious.
**Write your books and write them well. No good book—no reason for social media.
**Write your blog posts, tweet your shout outs, engage. But put a time limit on it.
**Back to writing.
Remember the reason why you are doing all of this. Is it to write stories? To get lost in those worlds? Yeah? Go get lost then, and create the best worlds you can.
The other stuff at the end of the day is secondary. Important, yes, but still secondary.
So tell me, what part of this industry have you found the most difficult?
**first posted in May 2012 before I landed the book contract, so let’s add that once thrown into the mix, things got busier. The difference? Now, I feel like everything else finally matters.
Thankful …
I am thankful for the gift of words, the gift of insight and imagination. For my love of books and the ability to spend hours reading them.
For friends who stand by me, even when they think I’ve lost my mind, or disagree with every decision I make. You keep me upright.
For my family and their unyielding encouragement throughout my life. I would be lost without you.
For my health and sanity.
My ability to run again after my second round of physical therapy.
For music that vibrates my core and spills through me with every beat.
For my cherished memories of times and people past. I miss you.
For the chill of Autumns approach and the fall of red bruised leaves.
For all the gifts I cherish and hold dear in my life, I am truly grateful.
And of course for all of you who read, listen, like, comment and care about what I have to say, even when it’s utter nonsense. Thank You for listening.
Thanksgiving Turkey (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Writers Who Are Readers and Readers Who Are Writers
Which one are you?
I’m the latter. Definitely.
Although I’ve always written, my love of the written word began before my sentence structure did. My imagination of worlds far and beyond sparked at a very young age. Writing the stories I imagined in my own head, came later.
Books (Photo credit: henry…)
I realized recently, after having a conversation with a fellow writer, just how different the above breeds of writers can be. When I began my novel and truly delved into learning craft, I found reading for my usual enjoyment difficult, and suddenly lacking. Instead of the story I saw sentence structure, grammar use. I would hear myself questioning the decisions the author made and wondering what I would have done differently. I couldn’t see the stories anymore. I’d lost the magical quality that had originally turned me on to writing. I’d lost what I craved most. The story.
Writers who are readers pick stories apart. Readers who are writers, read. For the sheer enjoyment of it. To be transported. To live in someone else’s shoes.
I learned that when you are only looking for errors, they are all you will ever see. And when you are editing your book as a writer, they are all you should see. But when all of that is done–you should see your story.
Now, I have to shut off the writer brain (as hard as that is sometimes) and turn on the reader one. If I don’t, I find myself reading as I would a text book. But if I do… I remember why I love to read. Why I love to write, too. I have worlds I want to share. Characters and plots. I have to stories to share. That’s the aim, right? To share good stories? And at the end of the day, after all the edits are done and proofreads have been finished, I want to be able to read my book through the eyes of a reader. If I can’t do that — if I can’t still feel the emotion that sat me in front of the laptop for months on end — if I can’t see and feel what I need the reader to see and feel — well, what exactly have I been doing? Remember that readers read because they want to be carried away. You need to see your book not only through your eyes as a writer, but more importantly, through the eyes of your readers. They are the ones who matter. They are the ones who will make or break you as an author. Every single time. And readers, the vast majority of them, are story cravers, not editors, not writers, just readers.
Write the best book you can. Get the best editor you can. Nit pick the crap out every tiny detail in your novel. Then go back and read it. And remember why you wrote it in the first place. The best grammar in the world will not save a crappy story. But…an awesome story will trump a few overlooked grammatical errors. Check out some book on the best sellers list. Readers aren’t looking for perfect. They aren’t looking for the same things writers are. They’re looking for that one story that digs into their soul. The one story they can’t stop thinking about. The one they read over and over again. That’s the book we as writers should be writing.
WRITE ON, WRITERS! And tell your stories.
Related articles
- Be a Storyteller First (selfpubauthors.com)
- Relearning How to Read (magnificentnose.com)
The Treasure That You Seek
“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure that you seek.”
Joseph Campbell (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
What’s In An Editor? (Why Do I Sound Like An Adult?)
I tend to scribble a lot (Photo credit: Unhindered by Talent)
Young Adult fantasy novels are my first go-to on reading shelves. My first love of books in general. I write them too. Pretty well, I think. At least in content, anyway. 
Sometimes, however, “Laney, YA writer” gets crossed with “Laney … well, Laney.”
Why do I sound like an adult sometimes when I write? Besides the fact that I am one, I get caught up in the flurry of the story–action scenes, love scenes– and I occasionally forget contractions and ‘teen speak’, as my editor calls it. When I’m on a writing roll, I write what I see in my head. The words kind of disappear. Strange? Maybe so.
Stories read like moving pictures for me. Like a blur of color. My editor slows the view down so I can see what’s staring back at me from the screen. It’s an invaluable tool.
Writers need editor’s eyes. They are programmed to see what we miss. Although, sometimes it may feel nit picky or overwhelming–we need to use it, learn from it.
My story reads tighter, cleaner … better. As far as I’m concerned, the frustration that can come from full-blown edits are worth every ounce of hair pulling and head banging. The goal is to produce the best story I can. Even if that means cringing every time I open a document to find blue ink covering my pages.
If You Don’t Have The Drive …
A writer never finds the time to write. A writer makes it. If you don’t have the drive, the discipline, and the desire, then you can have all the talent in the world, and you aren’t going to finish a book.
Nora Roberts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Related articles
- Nora Roberts: A Publishing Phenomenon (bookmavenpicks.wordpress.com)
- Nora Roberts’ happily-ever-after life (cbsnews.com)
I Believe
“I believe legends and myths are largely made of truth …”
~ Tolkien
Tolkien’s monogram, and Tolkien Estate trademark (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
It’s Always Too Early …
“It’s always too early to quit.”
-Norman Vincent Peale
Norman Vincent Peale, Christian preacher and author of The Power of Positive Thinking (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
What’s In An Editor? Part 2. (How Do You Feel?)
filedesc http://www.epa.gov/win/winnews/images05/0510keyboard.gif (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Pre-Final edits are in full swing, so forgive my sporadic blog posts of late. The writing pendulum is searching for the mid-point.
Turns out real editing with changes and revisions takes a while. Add in a deadline and … yeah, it’s a time stretch. With that in mind, I’m continuing my What’s In An Editor post series (a spin-off of What’s In A Beta Reader). And since I’m new to the editing game, it will be a work in progress. Here we go:
I keep asking myself, “How would you feel?” Or, “What does that look like?”
Feelings are hard to write. For me. Well, I should reword. Feelings are hard to show in my writing. It’s a point of head banging lately. Rewriting sections to show instead of tell. Showing say … scrutiny, for example, causes my head to ache. How would I show scrutiny? It’s a good question. One that I’m working on.
The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi is an invaluable tool. One that I use from time to time (more often lately). It doesn’t, however, give a writer all the answers. It simply leads them a bit farther down the ‘expressive’ path. After that, showing is still in the mind of the writer. Showing without repetition … harder still.
I’ll move back to my example. The sentence I needed to alter per my editor was this one: I scrutinized both of them.
So, how do I show scrutiny?
Here’s the definition: A critical observation or examination.
I could have my character shake his/her head, but I do a lot of head shaking (it’s an easy and probably overdone fix). I could have a disbelieving eye roll (also a bit overdone even though I like eye rolling). How about narrowing eyes? That works. When we are skeptical of someone’s behavior we narrow our eyes in disbelief.
Still, it’s a crap shoot. Seeing eye to eye on every little detail is unlikely when it comes to editing, but your words should feel right. Put yourself in your characters shoes and ask yourself, “How do I feel?”
Nobody said editing would be easy.
WRITE ON, WRITERS!
What’s In An Editor?
Grammar police (Photo credit: the_munificent_sasquatch)
An interesting thing happens when you work with an editor. You are quickly reminded (or I am) that although you may be a good storyteller and okay grammatically, becoming a terrific storyteller and a grammatical whiz, is quite another animal. Patience reigns. Glad my editor has a lot of it.
WRITE ON, WRITERS!
** The homonym police got me…. reins vs. reigns. See what I mean about editing? Thanks, Carol.
