Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Cover Reveal for I Am Forever by Wynne Channing

I Am Forever - lo-res Introducing I Am Forever, the highly-anticipated sequel to Wynne Channing's best-selling debut novel What Kills Me. Check out the teaser synopsis for the second book in the series which is due out in Winter 2013:
The prophecy said a girl would kill them all. Against an army of vampires, Axelia fought back and survived. Once fated as the destroyer of the vampire race, she is now welcomed into the immortal empire and revered as a god. But she is not safe. The empire is rife with danger and deceit — and Axelia and her companion, Lucas, are caught in the middle of a bloody war. With everyone's lives at stake, Axelia must battle to protect those she loves.
Sign up to be notified of it's release and for early excerpts, here!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaBYXpwOhIk]
If you haven't yet read the exhilarating first book, What Kills Me, which has an impressive 4.6 out of 5-star rating on Amazon (179 reviews), buy it here:


What Kills Me Cover SmallAn ancient prophecy warns of a girl destined to cause the extinction of the vampire race. So when 17-year-old Axelia falls into a sacred well filled with blood and emerges a vampire, the immortal empire believes she is this legendary destroyer. Hunted by soldiers and mercenaries, Axelia and her reluctant ally, the vampire bladesmith Lucas, must battle to survive. How will she convince the empire that she is just an innocent teenager-turned bloodsucker and not a creature of destruction? And if she cannot, can a vampire who is afraid of bugs summon the courage to fight a nation of immortals?  
Connect with Wynne
• Email: wynne@wynnechanning.com | Twitter: wynnechanning

cropped headshot About Wynne: Wynne Channing is an national newspaper reporter and best-selling young adult novelist. Wynne loves telling stories and as a journalist, she has interviewed everyone from Daniel Radcliffe and Hugh Jackman to the president of the Maldives and Duchess Sarah Ferguson. The closest she has come to interviewing a vampire is sitting down with True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgard (he didn’t bite). She briefly considered calling her debut novel “Well” so then everyone would say: “Well written by Wynne Channing.”

Monday, July 15, 2013

Organization: Your Fragmented Life by Randy Ingermanson

I found this article by Randy Ingermanson, a very good writer, and a very good teacher of writing, and a really smart guy. I struggle with trying to put my life together. I think we all do. He just happens to have some good advice about it, so with his permission, I present a recent article from his e-zine.

 Organization: Your Fragmented Life


So your life is fragmented beyond belief, right?

You need to research foods they ate in the 1880s in
France for your novel.

And the repair guy is coming at 10 AM to fix the busted
washing machine.

And you have a blog that needs feeding.

There's a storm coming and it might be time to clear
the gunk out of the rain gutters before they overflow.

Did you remember to sign up for that writing conference
that's going to have that agent you've been mooning
over?

The cat is way overdue to be spayed and she's acting
much too friendly with your teddy bear.

You haven't Facebooked in ages and you're not sure it
matters anymore because you hate it anyway.

Your boss wants that report on his desk tomorrow.

You're supposed to be writing your novel.


All of the above, and more, is on your plate for today.
Most of these tasks have been festering on your plate
for days or weeks already. You hate your plate. You
want all those tasks to just go away. They're all
important. Quick -- which do you do first?

Does any of this sound remotely familiar?

Good, you're human. If your life isn't fragmented, you
might be a robot. Or God. Or deceased.

So how do you deal with it all?

I can't tell you how you SHOULD deal with it all. But I
can tell you how I deal with it. If it sounds like it
might work for you, then try it.

There are really three basic steps here:

* Keep lists for the main Big Chunks of your life. All
tasks go on a list for one of your Big Chunks, or else
they go on the Miscellaneous list.

* Every day, pick a few of the Big Chunk lists to work
on. Assign a priority for each list for the day. Set a
fixed amount of time that you're going to work
exclusively on each list, when you'll be totally
focused on that list.

* When it's time to work on a given list, work on that
for the assigned amount of time and then stop. Ignore
all interruptions if you possibly can.


Does this work? Yes, it works for me. It might work for
you too. Let's see how it plays out in real life:

Today, I have a boatload of things to get done. A lot
more than I could possibly do in one day. All of them
are important.

They fall into four Big Chunks, and for today, I put
them in this order:

1) My novel. I'm proofing it for publication. Yay!

2) My business. I've got a ton of small tasks and one
big task. 

3) This e-zine. I've got three articles to write in the
next few days, plus editing.

4) A giveaway campaign on Goodreads that I just
started, and which I need to check up on.

Each of these Big Chunks has a bunch of tasks that all
need to get done. So on each list, I've got the tasks
in the rough order I want to do them.

This morning when I looked at my lists, it was pretty
overwhelming. That's normal. I can't remember when my
lists didn't look overwhelming. Yours look overwhelming
too. That doesn't mean we need to be overwhelmed.

What we need is focus.

When I started work this morning, I assigned myself 90
minutes to work on the novel, 60 minutes to work on my
business, 90 minutes to work on this e-zine, and 60
minutes to deal with the Goodreads campaign.

That works out to 5 hours total, which in my experience
is a good day's work, because there is also email to be
answered, small breaks to be taken, water to be drunk,
exercise to be had, cats to be coddled, and crises to
be managed.

The little things never go away, but you manage them by
wedging them into the cracks between the Big Chunks in
your day.

The point is that 5 hours of my day is scheduled for
the Big Chunks in my life.

I began with Big Chunk #1 -- working on my novel. I had
only 90 minutes assigned to it, which meant there was
no time to mess around. I dived right in and got
cranking. 90 minutes goes fast.

When my 90 minutes were up, I was on a roll and didn't
want to stop. So I kept on going until I reached 160
minutes. That was cheating, but my novel was my top
priority for the day, so I wanted to run with it. I'm
happy to cheat on behalf of the high priority things in
my life.

I felt pretty good when I finished, so I took a break
and did some e-mail. Not all of it, but enough to knock
down the in-box a bit. That burned 15 minutes.

Then I moved into Big Chunk #2, my business work. There
is an infinite amount of work on that plate, but I had
budgeted only 60 minutes for the day. Which meant there
was no time to mess around. I took the most important
task, which really NEEDS to be done today, and started
work.

There were some interruptions. Urgent phone calls from
my boss which I really can't ignore. That happens. But
I was pretty focused anyway, because I really wanted to
get this one task done. It took two full hours. I had
only one hour budgeted, but when you're halfway
through, you really don't want to stop. So I got it
finished.

Fact is, there are a dozen other important tasks I need
to do for my business. I did only one. But I finished
it. I could whine about the other eleven left undone,
or I could be happy about the one that I did. I'll take
the one. Some days, I don't get even one done. That's
just reality.

I'm right now working on Big Chunk #3, this e-zine. I
have 90 minutes budgeted for this, AND I have a crisis
to deal with from my boss which I have set aside to
ferment for a bit.

My theory on crises is you either kill them right away
or let them take their turn with all the other crises
in the world. This one is going to take its turn. I
just don't think I can solve it today, so why should I
let it interfere with the Big Chunks in my life? No
reason to do that. Not going to.

I have three articles for my e-zine I'd love to write
today. Not going to happen in the 90 minutes I have
budgeted. I'll be doing very well to get this one done
in that amount of time.

But in fact, the first draft is almost done. I'm pretty
focused right now. I've given myself permission to be
focused for this 90 minute block.

After the 90 minutes are up, I'll need to go check the
mail. And deal with the e-mail that's reproducing in my
in-box. And pay obeisance to the cat, who has not been
fed in two whole hours. And think about my boss-induced
crisis.

I don't know if I'll get to the Goodreads task list
today. It would be wonderful if I do, but the fact is
that it was #4 on my list of Big Chunks.

On different days, I choose different Big Chunks. My
life has several Big Chunks. Probably six or seven of
them. On any given day, I can generally get something
significant done on three or possibly four of them.

That's my life.

I bet yours is similar.

I bet yours is totally out of control.

Just like mine.

You will never get your life under control, if by
"control" you mean that all your lists are finished.

Not going to happen until you die. Because things
keeping adding themselves to your lists. Crises happen.
Cats select you to be their humble servant.

Yikes, my friend is Skyping me right now. I'll allow
myself a couple of quick responses to be polite. Got to
stay focused on what I'm doing.


Every day you can budget time on the Big Chunks of your
life. 60 minutes for this. 90 minutes for that. If you
get some actual work done, one or more tasks crossed
off the list, on each of three Big Chunks every day,
well that's progress.

Yes, we all want to get it all done.

No, none of us are ever going to do it.


Sure, your life is fragmented beyond all belief. But
you can defrag it a bit, right now, today, tomorrow,
and forever. By budgeting time for the Big Chunks.

What are your Big Chunks for today? (I'm hoping that
working on your novel is one of those Big Chunks, but
it probably can't be everyday.)

Which Big Chunk is most important for today? (On a good
day, your most important Big Chunk might be your novel,
but it probably won't be every day.)

How much time can you realistically spend on each of
your Big Chunks? (Remember that the little pieces of
life are going to intrude, so the time you spend on
your Big Chunks is not going to be 100% of your day.)

Now go work on the first Big Chunk for the time
allotted. Ignore all interruptions if you possibly can,
until the time is up. Then deal with the interruptions,
the crises, the incidental e-mail for a few minutes.

Then on to the next Big Chunk, and the next.

For me, three Big Chunks is a good day, and four is
spectacular.


Divide and conquer. It worked for Julius Caesar. It can
work for you.

One Big Chunk at a time.
 
 
This article is reprinted by permission of the author.

Award-winning novelist Randy Ingermanson, "the
Snowflake Guy," publishes the free monthly Advanced
Fiction Writing E-zine, with more than 32,000 readers.
If you want to learn the craft and marketing of
fiction, AND make your writing more valuable to
editors, AND have FUN doing it, visit
http://www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com.

Download your free Special Report on Tiger Marketing
and get a free 5-Day Course by e-mail in How To Publish
a Novel.


_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________


Randy Ingermanson 
Publisher, Advanced Fiction Writing E-zine
http://www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com/ezine 

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Cover Reveal for Daughter of Chaos by Jen McConnel

Nothing is more terrifying than the witch who wields red magic.

DOC cover
Witches must choose the path they will follow, and Darlena Agara is no exception. She’s been putting it off long enough, and in her case, ignoring it has not made it go away. In a moment of frustration, Darlena chooses to follow Red Magic, figuring she had outsmarted the powers that be, since there’s no such thing as Red Magic. But alas, Darlena’s wrong (again) and she becomes a newly declared Red Witch. Her friends are shocked and her parents horrified by the choice Darlena has made. As a Red Witch, she now governs one third of the world’s chaos. She is the walking personification of pandemonium, turmoil, and bedlam, just as the patrons of Red Magic would have it to be. But Darlena believes there must be more to Red Magic than chaos and destruction, and she sets out on a journey to achieve balance. Only doing so puts her at odds with the dark goddess Hecate, who simply will not allow Darlena to quit. She encourages Darlena to embrace who and what she is and to leave good magic to the good witches. If only Darlena could, life would be simple, and she would not be the Daughter of Chaos. DAUGHTER OF CHAOS is the first in a YA paranormal trilogy. Coming March 2014 from Month9Books.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jen McConnel first began writing poetry as a child. Since then, her words have appeared in a variety of magazines and journals, including Sagewoman, PanGaia, and The Storyteller (where she won the people’s choice 3rd place award for her poem, “Luna”).
She is also a former reviewer for Voices of Youth Advocates (VOYA), and proud member of SCBWI, NCWN, and SCWW.
A Michigander by birth, she now lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. When she isn't crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches writing composition at a community college. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time.
Follow Jen McConnel on Twitter
Connect with her on Facebook.
Visit her website.
a Rafflecopter giveaway



Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Exciting YA Fantasy Cover Reveal for Illusion (Grimoire Saga #4) by S. M. Boyce

The Grimoire Saga is an Amazon bestselling series by fantasy author S. M. Boyce. Boyce has been designing and outlining this series since 2006, and the final book is nearly here. The cover for Illusion (Grimoire Saga #4) was formally released by Caffeinated Books Publishing. And because I’m awesome, I got you a sneak peek.

Illusion eBook Cover (Silver)
Available Fall 2014
In 2014, the Grimoire Saga ends with Illusion. Blood is spilled. Love is tested. Loyalty fades. Peace will come at a hefty cost. And in the final moments of the war, both Braeden and Kara must make a heartbreaking sacrifice to win. (Set to release in Fall 2014.)
Gorgeous, right? Want to get an advance review copy (ARC) of Illusion? Sign up for email notifications of when all Boyce's ARCs become available.
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About S. M. Boyce

S. M. BoyceInternational Amazon Bestseller. Fantasy Author. Twitter addict. Book Blogger. Geek. Sarcastic. Gooey. Odd. Author of the action-packed Grimoire Saga. S.M. Boyce is a novelist who loves ghosts, magic, and spooky things. She prefers loose-leaf tea, reads far too many books, and is always cold. She’s married to her soul mate and couldn’t be happier. Her B.A. in Creative Writing qualifies her to serve you french fries. Boyce likes to update her blog a few times each week so that you have something to wake you up in the morning. For those of you new to the series, here’s the first book, Lichgates. Make sure you get your free copy (links are below).
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Lichgates

“The writing is flawless. The kingdoms and surrounding landscapes breathtaking. The Grimoire is a piece of imaginative genius that bedazzles from the moment Kara falls into the land of Ourea.
  Spring 2013 Rankings #6 Kindle Store | #1 Science Fiction & Fantasy | #1 Epic Fantasy | #1 Sword & Sorcery | #1 Teens   Fans of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and Eragon will enjoy this contemporary remix of the classic epic fantasy genre.
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Grimoire SagaKara Magari is about to discover a beautiful world full of terrifying things—Ourea. Kara, a college student still reeling from her mother’s recent death, has no idea the hidden world of Ourea even exists until a freak storm traps her in a sunken library. With nothing to do, she opens an ancient book of magic called the Grimoire and unwittingly becomes its master, which means Kara now wields the cursed book’s untamed power. Discovered by Ourea's royalty, she becomes an unwilling pawn in a generations-old conflict—a war intensified by her arrival. In this world of chilling creatures and betrayal, Kara shouldn’t trust anyone… but she’s being hunted and can’t survive on her own. She drops her guard when Braeden, a native soldier with a dark secret, vows to keep her safe. And though she doesn’t know it, her growing attraction to him may just be her undoing. For twelve years, Braeden Drakonin has lived a lie. The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life. Though he begins to care for this human girl, there is something he wants more. He wants the Grimoire. Welcome to Ourea, where only the cunning survive.
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Note: All eBook copies of Lichgates are free
Learn More (free chapters and excerpts)