The Betrayed by Deborah Andreasen

The nice thing about having my own blog is that I can post about my own books. :)

The publication of The Betrayed is a little over two weeks away. That's coming right up! And here is the official cover of The Betrayed:

 Am I in love with this cover? Absolutely! I'm thrilled with the way it turned out. My poor designer sent me like six versions and I kept saying, "I like it, but..." Ultimately, I didn't love any of the drafts she sent me. The night before we were supposed to wrap it up, she texted and said she had one more draft and she thought I was really going to like it.

I was so nervous! What if I didn't? We were pushing up against a deadline and I needed that cover! But, one look and I went, "That's it. That's the one." What a relief!

Here's the back cover with the synopsis:

 

Is that amazing, or what? Sounds like a great book to me. I can't wait until it's released. 

It's now on Goodreads! Go, add it to your shelves and make me feel awesome. ;)

Starting this Friday, I'll post one quote a day from the book on my website: http://www.deborahandreasen.com

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Blog Tour: Writing Scary Scenes, by Rayne Hall

Writing Scary Scenes, by Rayne Hall

Are your frightening scenes scary enough? Learn practical tricks to turn up the suspense. Make your readers' hearts hammer with suspense, their breaths quicken with excitement, and their skins tingle with goosebumps of delicious fright.

This book contains practical suggestions how to structure a scary scene, increase the suspense, make the climax more terrifying, make the reader feel the character's fear. It includes techniques for manipulating the readers' subconscious and creating powerful emotional effects.

Use this book to write a new scene, or to add tension and excitement to a draft.

You will learn tricks of the trade for "black moment" and "climax" scenes, describing monsters and villains, writing harrowing captivity sections and breathtaking escapes, as well as how to make sure that your hero doesn't come across as a wimp... and much more.

This book is recommended for writers of all genres, especially thriller, horror, paranormal romance and urban fantasy. It is aimed at advanced-level and professional authors and may not be suitable for beginners. 

File Size: 292 KB
Print Length: 143 pages
Publisher: Scimitar Press (July 6, 2012)

Exerpt:
CONTENTS

Introduction
1. Flavours of Fear
2. Instant Hooks
3. What Lurks Behind That Door?
4. Dark and Dangerous
5. Sounds Build Suspense
6. Total Isolation
7. Strip to Tease
8. Keep the Clock Ticking
9. Feel the Fear
10. Pacing
11. Euphonics
12. Peaks and Troughs
13. Structuring a Scary Scene
14. Choosing the Location
15. Using the Senses
16. Cliffhangers
17. Villains and Monsters
18. Captivity
19. Chases and Escapes
20. Violence And Gore
21. Humour
22. Backloading
23. The Story's First and Final Scenes
24. Black Moment And Climax Scenes
25. Genres
26. The Wimp Effect
Sample Story: Druid Stones
Sample Story: Through The Tunnel
Sample Story: Only A Fool

Book Trailor:




My Review:
Who knew there could be so much information on how to create a scary scene?  Apparently Rayne Hall does, and she spills it all in this writing guide.

Whether you are writing thrillers, mysteries, romance, or children's books, there is good information in here for you.  Hall breaks down the different types of fear and goes into detail on how to achieve each emotion.  She shares excellent information on the use of euphonics, senses, and sentence structure and how to temper your descriptions to match the genre you are writing for.

I had never heard of most of the issues she talks about, and I eagerly gobbled up every word.  She clearly explains each concept and provides helpful examples.  I can easily see how best selling writers utilize these tools to manipulate the emotions of their readers.  It also made me rethink some of my own writing and wonder if I had unknowingly made one (or many) of the mistakes she points out.

I would recommend this book to anyone writing a novel, middle grade on up.  The information in this book is mostly universal and can be applied to any writing style and genre.

* Side note: Hall writes in British English, so some of her spellings and vocabulary are slightly different than what you may be used to.

Guest Post:
WRITING CRAFT: CHASES AND ESCAPES

Does your novel-in-progress contain a scene where the heroine escapes from danger, with the villain chasing after her? Excellent. Readers love the these scenes.

Here are some techniques to make your escape scene exciting.

1. Point of View

Stay in deep Point of View. If possible, write the scene from the fleeing person's point of view. This means showing only what this person sees, hears and feels. If the PoV character runs for her life, she won't pause to watch her pursuer, so don't describe what the pursuer looks like, or how the distance between gradually closes. However, you can describe the sounds the pursuer makes: boots thudding on the asphalt, clanking armour, yells, curses.

2. Pacing

Chases are fast-paced, so use fast-pace writing techniques: short paragraphs, short sentences, short words. But if the chase or escape spreads over more than a few paragraphs, try to vary the pace. This will make it more exciting. When she runs fast, use very short sentences - even sentence fragments - and mostly single-syllabic words. They create a sense of breathlessness and fear. When she's hiding, when she's struggling to climb up a facade inch by inch, when the pursuers have trapped her and when the policeman handcuffs her, use medium-length sentences and words.

3. Reader Sympathy

The reader's sympathy always lies with the fleeing person. You can increase this effect if several people are hounding the refugee. Nothing stirs reader emotion more than a situation of many against one. If possible, build tension by introducing the other pursuers gradually. At first, she runs only from one foe. Just when she thinks she may get away, one of the villain's henchmen comes from another alley. And then a third. In addition, you can give the pursuer advantages over the refugee: physical health, weapons, technology.

4. Danger from the Surroundings

Increase the tension by shifting the action to increasingly dangerous ground. As your heroine flees from the evil villain, she moves towards quicksand, a crumbling bridge, a cliff edge or a ravine. Now she must decide rapidly which poses the greater danger – pursuer or location – and take the risk.

  

5. Stumbling

When a person runs from danger, a cocktail of chemicals gets released in the brain. It includes adrenalin and other substances which dull pain and give stamina but also impair motor skills. Your heroine's movements won't be as coordinated as they usually are, so she may miss her footing, stumble or slip. This is all the more likely because in her hurry, she won't examine the ground where she's treading.

6. Physical Symptoms

The running person is probably out of breath, struggling to get enough oxygen. Her chest may feel like it's about to burst. Her heart thuds loudly, not only in her chest but in her head. This thudding continues even when she stops running, and while she's hiding, the heartbeat in her head may be the loudest noise she hears.

7. Put up a Fight

When the pursuer catches up with her, she puts up a fight. She does not need to win, but readers will respect her if she manages to inflict some hurt on him before he overpowers her. This is better than if she surrenders meekly, or if she faints and comes to again in the dungeon.

Questions?

If you're a writer and planning or revising a scene in which your protagonist flees from danger and want to discuss your ideas, please leave a comment. I'll be around for a week and will respond. I love answering questions.

To Buy:
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Writing-Scary-Scenes/book-r47obySnr0uGXL9C8OTcLA/page1.html?s=kXLWOl4EN0CJJOcLRi3feA&r=1
Amazon com: http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Scary-Scenes-ebook/dp/B008IEJTSE
Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Writing-Scary-Scenes-ebook/dp/B008IEJTSE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1355789422&sr=1-1
Barnes&Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/writing-scary-scenes-rayne-hall/1112219888
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/writing-scary-scenes/id546105761?mt=11
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/179899

Amazon | Goodreads | Author Website

About the Author: 

Rayne Hall writes subtle horror and outrageous fantasy fiction. Currently, she tries to regain the rights to her out-of-print books so she can republish them as e-books.

She is the author of thirty books in different genres and under different pen names, published by twelve publishers in six countries, translated into several languages. Her short stories have been published in magazines, e-zines and anthologies.

After living in Germany, China, Mongolia and Nepal, she has settled on the coast of southern England in a small dilapidated seaside town of former Regency grandeur.

Rayne holds a college degree in publishing management and a masters degree in creative writing. Over three decades, she has worked in the publishing industry as a trainee, investigative journalist, feature writer, magazine editor, production editor, page designer, concept editor for non-fiction book series, anthology editor, editorial consultant and more. Outside publishing, worked as a museum guide, apple picker, tarot reader, adult education teacher, trade fair hostess, translator and belly dancer.

She edits a series of themed short story anthologies and teaches online classes for writers ('Writing Fight Scenes', Writing Scary Scenes', 'Writing about Magic', 'Edit your Writing' and more). Pin It

New Facebook Page

With The Betrayed set to release in six weeks and the 3rd book already in the works, I realized something. I have a Facebook page, but it's called, "The Gifted, a Novel by Deborah Andreasen."

Right now, The Gifted is my only novel, but I already have three additional books in the works. The Betrayed, the sequel to The Betrayed, and another book that is not part of The Gifted series. Someday, very soon, I'll have more than one novel published. What then? Will I make a FB page for every book?

Nope.

A few nights ago, I sat down and made another Facebook page, this time for me as an author. This is really exciting because it means my "brand" is growing. I'm continuing to write and publish. It's great.

The bad part is, all my awesome fans that follow my current FB page now have to do a little bit of work and migrate over to my new page.

So. If you are one of my AMAZING fans, please take just a quick moment to go to my Facebook page and Like me. I've got some great stuff coming up soon, including some giveaways and exclusive The Betrayed info that I'll post there and not on The Gifted's page.

And please spread the word. You are my most valuable tool in writing success. Pin It

In case you didn't know, I'm actually an author.

Hola. I just wanted to take a break from ALL the reviewing I've been doing to give you an update on what's going on with my writing.

I say "all" because I mean "all." I haven't posted a review in like six months, no joke. Dena has doing all the reviews, and she's doing an amazing job. Be sure to leave a comment on her reviews to let her know. I also have some reviews coming from a guest reviewers. Stay tuned for those as well.

So. It has officially been nearly two years since I published The Gifted. I took some time off from writing to figure out the business side of being an author, and then I had a baby. Then I had to figure out how on earth to raise two children instead of one. When I felt like I had a sort of idea of what I was doing, it was finally time to write a sequel to The Gifted.

It's "only" taken me about 8 months to bang out the rough draft, but I've done it! The Betrayed is now in the editing process. I don't have a cover to reveal quite yet, but I will soon. We finally found a picture of Hunter (as he's the main character of The Betrayed) after sifting through literally thousands of pictures. 

At the moment I'm just waiting for the revisions to come back from my editors. I felt so excited about The Betrayed, I started work on the third and final book in the series while I wait. That's good news because it won't take another two years to publish the next installment.

After that? I already have another book in the works. That makes three, count 'em, three books I'm working on at the same time. This third book is going to be totally different than anything I've done, and I feel like I have an original idea here. Mainly because I did a bit of research and found nothing on the type of character I want. I had to create his race of beings as well as the background legends that accompany him. That was pretty fun.

Anyway. I just wanted you all to know that while Dena works hard reviewing books, I'm working hard to write them. I actually have a few book reviews in the works, and Dena has been writing as well. So I guess we both wear a few hats. The difference is she's a world renowned artist, and I'm...not. ;)

Happy reading! Come back soon.  Pin It

Book Review: How I Got Rich Writing 'C' Papers, by Andy Hueller

How I Got Rich Writing 'C' Papers, by Andy Hueller
High school senior Charles Remington Dremmel* wants to graduate with a legacy of two things: 1. winning his senior class's Nerf War and 2. not getting caught writing essays for his classmates (while making enough money to pay his way through college). Now that graduation is swiftly approaching, he decides to share the secrets of his success through this writing guide, which author Andy Hueller has cleverly disguised as a novel.

*Not his real name

Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc. (January 8, 2013)

My Review:
It took me a little while to decide to read this book simply because I couldn't decide if it was fiction or non-fiction.  As soon as I started reading, however, I discovered that it was a little bit of both!

In spite of the title, I discovered that this book is not about making money (unless you decide to follow Charles' horrendously unethical business plan idea).  Rather, it is a novel about a boy who has made large donations to his own college fund by charging his classmates to write their essays.  Frequently, Charles interrupts his story about the all important Nerf War going on at school to dissect and give examples of the different grade levels of essays.  

In addition to showing us how to properly write D, C, B, and A letter grade essays, Charles also infuses his story with bits of writing wisdom.  Like the comma splice.  He hates it, and he tells you so repeatedly.  If you don't know what a comma splice is, then I would suggest you read the book. :)

I loved this book.  I loved the silly story about Charles managing his business and the Nerf War and I loved the writing advice.  Andy Hueller gives wonderful advice for anyone interested in writing, but keep in mind that it is intended to be a writing guide for teenagers.  It is not an advanced or professional writer's guide.  

I gave this book four stars.  I didn't give it the final star because there were a couple of instances where the protagonist's "voice" made some of his instruction confusing.  But for the most part, Hueller delivers a nice breakdown of good essay writing technique that is easy to understand and implement.

Amazon |  Goodreads | Author Website

About the Author:

Andy Hueller is the author of Dizzy Fantastic and Her Flying Bicycle (Cedar Fort, 2010), as well as the upcoming Skipping Stones at the Center of the Earth (Cedar Fort, TBD). He writes every day--sometimes the work is a thrilling adventure, and other times it's a slog. He always feels better, however, after he's given it a go. Mr. Hueller teaches at St. Paul Academy and Summit School. He lives in Minneapolis, MN with his wife and their dog. Pin It

Love...what is it?

I love a good love story. I adore getting my heart racing wondering if two people will finally realize the universe has conspired to bring them together. I need to have my heart melted every now and again, and nothing does that like reading about a good, sweet first kiss.

But let's be frank for a moment.

My genre of choice is YA. I read a lot of paranormal, and that usually means paranormal romance.

Is love - passionate, all consuming, ache in your chest love - reserved for only the young? And when the hero is more handsome that a Greek god, and the Heroine embodies beauty herself, and the two cannot keep their eyes (or their hands) off each other...is that love?

To me it sounds like a heavy case of lust. Or hormones.

If a teenager tells her boyfriend that he is her entire world, her only reason for existing, that when they are apart she feels physical ache, and that she would cease to exist if he ever left or died...is that love?

To me, that sounds like she has separation anxiety.

Do I think the young have no concept of love? Absolutely not. I think they are as much capable of loving as the rest of us. We just have more experience and know that there is life after a break-up, even if he is more handsome than Edward Cullen.

And why is it that when I read "love" stories in adult books, or romance, as they're called, the books are mostly about sex? There is usually a deeper thread of understanding and appreciation and real, genuine love between the characters. But there is also sex, and a bunch of other things I'm not comfortable blogging about.

A relationship that focuses around physical contact...is that love?

I don't know. To each their own. I think we all have a different way of viewing love, expressing love, and desiring to be loved.

To me, love is having my husband in the kitchen baking banana bread because he knows I'm not allowed to be on my feet for long. Or having my husband get his work clothes ready the night before so he doesn't wake me up in the morning. Or sleeping in on a Sunday and waking up to the smell of French toast.

To an impressionable and passionate teen, my sense of love might make her think of one word: boring. And that's totally fine. I just worry sometimes the message we send when we write love stories are love is all good looks and heroic acts. Maybe that's why we write them. Real life isn't as fun to read about.

To me, love is not sex or lust. Love is not good looks and social standing. Love is not...well, you get the picture. To me, love is reliable. Honest. Enduring. It starts as a seed of friendship and attraction, and it grows over time.

I think I could probably go on forever talking about my favorite topic. So, while I enjoy good love stories, I get a little tired of reading about teenagers who border on unhealthy obsession and call it love.

I guess the point is, if you have teens (or you are a teen), make sure they have a healthy sense of reality. Pin It

YA New Summer Reads Competition

Don't forget! The YA New Summer Reads Competition will begin accepting submissions on April 15th. Hey, that's tomorrow!

From BookTwirps:

This competition is available to any book (published or self-published). The only stipulation is that it must be published between January 1 and August 1, 2011. Also, only the author, author’s agent or author’s publisher may submit the book.

Since this is the first year of the competition, our resources are a bit limited, so we will only be accepting novels in the following categories:

* Contemporary Teen Fiction & Teen Romance
* Paranormal/Fantasy & Dystopian Teen Fiction

1. Submissions will begin April 15 and go through April 30, 2011.
2. A maximum of 50 entries will be accepted in each category
3. The judges will begin reading excerpts on May 1
4. The top 5 in each category will be announced on May 22. These 5 will move on to the final round.
5. The top 5 authors MUST send a copy of their book to each judge. The book must be received by June 1.
6. The winners in each category will be announced on August 1.
7. Each judge will post their review of the winning book on their site, as well as here on Book Twirps, Good Reads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and LibraryThing.
8. Each judge will also host a Q&A with the winning author in the category they judged on their blog, and also host any giveaways the author would like to participate in.

--

So if you've published a novel between January 1 and August 1, 2011, run over to BookTwirps and check out the submission requirements. (And while you're there, you might as well Meet the Judges.) If you've recently read a great book you think could win it all, contact the author or publisher and let them know about the contest.

Spreading the word couldn't hurt either. You never know what budding novelist reads your blog and could very well be the next big thing. Pin It

The Gifted is Now Available for Purchase

I want to feel happy. I really do. My book is now released for all to read! So why do I have emotions other than pure joy coursing through my veins?

1. My son was up all. night. long. coughing and sneezing. Poor kid is sick and that is never fun for moms. Especially moms who are trying to get everything in order to release a book at midnight. That aside, though, it's a constant battle between am I doing too little or too much? Should I let him cry it out or put him in bed with me? Does he need Tylenol or a breathing treatment...or neither? Kids don't come with how-to manuals. And because he isn't sleeping well, he got up bright and early this morning.

2. Though my book is now available...but it isn't available on Amazon.com yet. Why? I don't know. I think it's because Amazon likes to have the books on hand so they can ship them via 2 day shipping or next day. I think I'll have to wait until Amazon has a shipment of books before The Gifted will be available on their website. (I have a query in to the publisher and I'll get answers soon. I hope.)

Would this have been good information to know beforehand? You betcha. I could have planned accordingly and not spread the word that fans and readers could get their hands on a copy on March 28th. So, I'm a little frustrated, dog tired, and nursing a sick little boy back to health.

Chocolate for breakfast, anyone? Don't mind if I do.

And please, don't think just because The Gifted isn't on Amazon you can't buy it. You can purchase it now if you'd like! And I'd love it if you did. Buy your copy here and make one tired momma a very happy woman.

If you've already purchased a copy (I know some of you have!) let me know and I will publicly sing your praises and kiss your feet! Hypothetically speaking, of course. Pin It

A couple of things.

First of all, I woke up this morning to a fantastic surprise! An email from fellow Author (with a capital A) - Allie Burke. She has a three-book series, The Enchanters, and I won book one of the series: Violet Midnight. I'm beyond thrilled. I've been wanting to read this book for a long time now.

Thanks Allie! (Check her out and give her some blog love.)

**

Second, I got a cool email today from O'Dell at BookTwirps. I've been picked as an official judge in the YA New Summer Reads Competition!

Authors - do you have a YA book released between January 1, 2011 and August 1, 2011? Then this is your chance! See the submission guidelines here. Good luck! I actually considered entering The Gifted, but since I'm a judge in the category, I think it wouldn't be too fair. :)

I'll keep you updated with progress and reminders. I'm very excited about this opportunity. It's an honor.

**

Third, I got a knock on the door tonight, and was presented with another surprise. In honor of my book release, my friend brought me a cake:

(I'm the cutie on the right. I didn't even photoshop this picture at all, so you get to see my big toothy grin.)

Isn't that amazing?! She even used the colors of my book cover and the copied the cover's embellishments. Wow! Now THIS is friendship. Can you see there are even pages and a book mark? She is so sweet and fantastic.

Thanks, M! You're amazing.

**

And lastly...


TOMORROW (3/28) IS RELEASE DAY!!!!!!!!!! (Insert never-ending happy dance here)

That means I'll be up until well after midnight tonight making sure everything runs smoothly and that The Gifted shows up on Amazon and on the estore via the publisher's website. Luckily, my sweetheart let me take a nap today while our little guy was asleep. And hey, if I get drowsy, I've always got cake to keep me occupied! :) (That and Firelight)

See, lots of really exciting stuff! Sorry I crammed it all into one post, I just didn't think I could wait on any one of them. Pin It

Why are we yelling?!

Do you remember when you were in elementary/middle/high school, and you used to pass notes? Do you remember what those notes said? Please, allow me.

Hey! Oh my gosh, today has been the worst day EVER! Guess who totally walked by me and didn't even say hello?! It was like he didn't even see me!! I was so mad!

So...maybe not everyone had something as trivial as that to say. Perhaps it was just me who felt my tiny, teenage heart being squeezed by the un-affections of the male species.

Moving on.

When looking at the "note" above, I see nothing wrong with it. It's not meant to be literature, it's supposed to be venting.

Emails, blogging, texting, etc, are all similar. Do you have to be grammatically correct all the time? No way. That's exhausting. (Though when dealing with business communications, one should endeavor to be as close to perfection as possible.)

Novels, on the other hand, well, let me say I learned things the hard way.

Here is an unedited line from the very first book I wrote. (Someday I'm going to go back and rewrite the entire book.)

“Gilbert what’s going on?”
“Nothing! But it’s got to be the red ones. I don’t like the green ones!” Gilbert shook his head vigorously and furrowed his brow in disgust.

There are many things wrong with this scene (not just this little passage). In the interest of time, I'll refrain from dissecting it and get to the point.

The characters are talking about apples. Gilbert is a pudgy little boy with a big heart. He's got dirty cheeks and holds his hands behind his back as he talks. Can you imagine someone asking him suspiciously, "What's going on?"

Gilbert, who is innocent, shakes his head, his eyes as big as saucers. "Nothing," he insists.

Does he really shout the answer? Probably only if he's being defensive, which, in this case he isn't. When he also insists that he can't stand green apples, does he really have to yell?

If he were strapped to a table and men covered in lab coats and masks were forcing his mouth open to shove in a sliver of green apple, it would probably warrant him shouting, "I don't like the green ones!" Other than that? No raising of the voice is necessary.

But the real question is, how do I know he's shouting? Because of this nifty little invention: !

When my sister announces to everyone she's pregnant (hypothetically speaking, of course), I will say, "Congrats!!!" and put as many exclamation points on there as I please. In literature, however, the exclamation point should be used as sparingly as possible and only when appropriate.

For instance, if your character wakes in the middle of the night to a smoke filled room and heat licking at the door, he will probably sit up and shout, "Fire!"

If, as the author, you were to write something like: "Fire," he shouted. - The meaning would be totally lost. Your reader would lose confidence in you and probably write horrible things about you on their blog. Just kidding. I hope.

If your character is really, honest-to-goodness shouting, give him an exclamation point! (But only one.) If he is insisting, scolding, excited, nervous, issuing a warning, and a bushel of other adjectives and verbs, well, then, some discretion is advised.

I just started reading a book that is not exactly published by a major publishing house. I put it down after the first page and rubbed my temples. 

"Are you alright?"
"Fine!"
"Well, I'll leave you to it!"
"Yes. I'll be home in time for supper!"

(Not a direct quote.)

The dialogue consisted of so many exclamation points, I finally had to ask myself, "Why is everyone screaming at each other?" With the exclamation point, I read it in my head as yelling, and that's enough to give a person a headache.

What you really have to remember is, yes, there are times when your character will shout. And when those times come, you must make sure enough emotion is otherwise portrayed in the scene so that the reader knows the exclamation point is warranted.

Punctuation is not used to show an emotion. You are the author, that's your job. You are the lead detective, punctuation is just the back-up. Pin It

How to break through Writer's Block.

I am no Stephenie Meyer, but I have been around the block when it comes to writing novels. Did I mention I've written five?

And I've banged my head against that mental brick wall before.

Scientifically, there are some very good reasons for experiencing writer's block. It has to do with brain waves and such. Anyway, if you've never hit that barrier before, let me explain it to you. Wait, first let me explain the writer's block I'm talking about is the kind that occurs in short periods of time. Not the kind that stalls a novel for weeks at a time. OK, here we go.

Sitting at the keyboard, my fingers flying so fast I think they're tying in knots, the story comes alive on the page before me. Seriously, this is really how it happens! Ok, focus. So, the story comes. The character is afraid. He/she sees a door, and it's the door we all see in a movie and we shout, "Don't open the door!" But what does the character do? He/she opens the stupid door and steps into the dark.

And then...

And then...?

And then my fingers hover over the keyboard. Literally, they wait and wait as my brain goes, "Uhh...what? Did you say something?" Like it had been asleep the whole time and is just waking up, completely oblivious to the fact the story is depending on it! And still my fingers hover, waiting for the words that don't come. Sometimes I look over my shoulder at nothing, and Mr. A says, "What's wrong?" I just shake my head, conveying, "Don't bother me, I'm in a daze."

So how do I get out of the mental black hole, around the brick wall, out of the bottomless pit?

Simple. I dance around the kitchen with my son. Crank up some peppy music, dance, laugh, make a fool of myself, get my blood flowing and my mind flying.

You don't have a child? Dance around the kitchen with your spouse. Don't have a spouse? Dance around the kitchen with your significant other. Your dog. Your cat. Your gerbil. Yourself. You at least have that readily available. Don't have a kitchen? Dance around the living room, your office, the bedroom, in the shower, down the street...whatever! (Just try not to do it in too much of a public place. :) )

You think I'm kidding, but I mean it. Sometimes you just have to get up and move before there are permanent hiney indentations on your writing chair.

So. The next time you are caged in by your own mind, get up and turn on some music. After your heart is pumping and you feel like you've got the giggles, get back to work. You will have to get back in the groove, but at least the words are coming once again.

Anyone else have any good ideas? Pin It

It's the little things.

As of right now, I have 15 "likes" on Facebook. I have 9 followers on blogger. And, get this, I have a fan on Goodreads! An actual fan! Yes, yes, yes, yes!

Who cares if he's a friend? I didn't have to ask him to be my fan, did I? For the record, no. I didn't ask him. His wife is one of my old roommates, and she periodically tells me that he's asking about my book. That sure makes a person feel good.

Yeah, right now, I'm feeling really good.

Thank you, thank you EVERYONE for being so supportive and so excited for me.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a cloud nine to float on. Pin It

My own worst enemy.

I finished my proof read of The Gifted last night.

I was pleasantly surprised. Deep inside I was afraid that it was going to be terrible and I'd have to retract all the hard work I've done to market my book. I was breaking out in a cold sweat just thinking about what I was going to tell people when they asked why they couldn't read my book.

"Sorry. It stinks." (Insert pathetic shrug here.)

But the good news is, it doesn't stink! :) I knew that, I just needed reassurance. 

I was also surprised at the number of edits I'm going to have to do. I went through last night and counted. Out of 256 pages, plus the dedication page, about the other page, and copyright page, so 259 total, there were 15 pages that did not have edits.

Very few of these were grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors. A few, but not many. Mostly it's just things like redundant word use or a description that doesn't really fit. At one point, I even made Mr. A stand up and attack me so I'd know how natural Pyper's reaction was.

It wasn't natural at all.

The thing that makes me laugh, though, is how hard I am on myself. If you flipped through my proof copy of The Gifted, you would see things like, "This is weak." Or "What? That makes no sense."

Mostly I say those things so I will know what a reader is thinking at that point. Yes, I have read a book before and thought, "What? That makes no sense." So I'm doing everything in my power to keep my readers from doing the same thing.

My husband says it probably doesn't matter how many times I edit and review my book, I'll never be completely satisfied. I think he's right. I just want it to be perfect. I'm doing all this for you. Pin It

Proof reading.

The title of the post is actually a play on words.

I got the proof copy of The Gifted in the mail yesterday. I got out my red pen and my ruler and I've been marking up the book. The first mark was the hardest. I didn't want to defile my book! But after that first correction, things have been much easier.

The first time I went through, I measured the chapter headings and found weird spaces in odd places. I had a critical eye for just formatting.

The second time around, I am actually reading the book, looking for spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors. I am also looking for plot holes or things that don't make sense.

So far there are a lot of little things, but nothing really all that major. I'm about a third of the way through and am pleased with the results thus far. We're finally getting into the goods of the book...even though I think it's all "goods."

It is an incredible feeling to read this book and realize, "I did that." I'm not entirely sure I'll ever get over it. Pin It

Self-Publishing options

I recently came across an article on Promotion a la Carte that talked about how more and more authors are turning to self-publishing because it's getting harder and harder to break into the traditional publishing market. Read the full article here. It's short and very interesting. 

Traditionally, an author submits a query (a letter about your book) to an agent or publisher. They either accept the manuscript, suggest the author edits and then resubmits it, or reject it. The process is slow, painful, sometimes expensive, discouraging, but potentially worth it.

When your work is accepted by an agent, the agent then submits your book to publishers until someone decides to buy it. The publisher then edits, corrects, prints, ships, and markets your work. There should be little to no cost to the author, and sometimes the author has little say in what happens to his or her work, including the book cover.

An author also has the option of self-publishing. "Self-publishing is the act of publishing your work independently of an established publishing house." - about.com.

Vanity Press: A publishing option in which the press with (likely) proofread and edit the manuscript, design a cover, print the book and even offer some marketing tools. All this comes at the expense of the author.

This is a very expensive option, but it might be the only one for authors who don't have the resources to self-publish through a POD (discussed below). This is a good choice for family memoirs and non-fiction, such as a business book, cook book, etc. There is some opinion that this is not the best alternative for fiction.

Examples:

Dorrance Publishing
Xlibris
iUniverse

Publish On Demand (POD): A press that has the technology to print books only as needed. This eliminates the cost of warehousing books and keeping an inventory on hand. The author has total control and responsibility for content, book cover, and marketing. Some POD presses have editing and marketing options available, but at a cost.These services are completely optional with POD. If you are required to pay in order to have your book published, you are dealing with a Vanity Press. Note that Vanity Presses can have POD capabilities and may not require you to buy an inventory.

The cost to print with POD is more expensive per book, and, like I mentioned earlier, the author is responsible for editing and content. If you don't have the resources for editing your manuscript, you can either use their editing services (for a fee), or try the Vanity Press.

Most POD presses have the capability of putting your book directly to a major online retailer like Amazon or Barnes and Noble, as well as the option of offering your book as an ebook.

Examples:

CreateSpace - Note Amazon.com is the parent company.
LuLu

As you can see, if you are considering self-publishing, you have a few options and a little bit of research to do. Luckily we live in a day and age where making our work available is an option.

If you decide to try getting picked up by an agent or a publishing house, just be aware that you should never be asked to pay for any part of the publication process. If they tell you there are fees involved, that's a big red flag!

Good luck! Pin It

What am I thinking?!

Here's something you may not know. Most of my books come from a dream. I will wake up one morning with a scene burning in my brain. It is, then, my job to create the rest of the story.

This morning, I woke up with a scene burning in my brain. I had to sit down and write it out. Before I got too far along I thought, "What am I thinking?!" I just finished writing/editing/submitting a book. Now I'm in the process of editing another and prepping it for publication on http://www.createspace.com/. Do I have time to write another one?! Do I have time to do the research, character building, world building, plot outlining, etc?

No.

So what am I going to do?

Write out the scene I dreamt, jot down some other ideas, and then leave it be.

This is kind of hard because it's going to be a good one. Maybe a sci-fi kind of thriller. I dunno. We'll see. I don't even have names yet. In fact, wherever a name should be mentioned, I did this: ______ or ______'s.

Someday I'll have time for you, Little Awesomeness.

Now the trial is going to be seeing how long I can leave it alone. :) Pin It

Teaser Tuesday -2-

Teaser Tuesday: Reading a book? Open it to a random page and include 2 passages from that page. Be careful not to include spoilers. Share the book name and author so that readers know what it is they're enjoying.

Yesterday I finished re-reading My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison (who is a mastermind at YA novels. And she's seriously funny. Seriously.).

1. "You're higness, I'm sure you'll meet many women tonight. And besides, you can't trust anything a fairy tells you. They're constantly getting things wrong."

2. Now it seemed silly on his lips and altogether insulting. I didn't want somoene who had to force himself to overlook my personality.

Page 257 (I use random.org)

I love this book. I cannot wait for the sequel to come out in April: My Unfair Godmother. Pin It

And now back to my regularly scheduled life. Please.

Here's something you should know about me. I am the Procrastinator. Not a procrastinator. The Procrastinator. I am the queen of waiting until the last minute, selectively remembering a task, or finding something completely unimportant to do instead of my very important thing I should be doing.

I need a deadline. Give me a date and time. I'll be there. Give me a, "Whenever you get around to it," and I'll never get around to it.

Even though I need a deadline, what that really means is I'll put it off until the last possible second, pull an all-nighter to get it done, and then wipe my brow with self-satisfaction. Disaster averted.

I've known for months that I am going to enter my book into the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. Months. I wrote this novel in November for goodness sake, and I've known since then that this puppy was going to be entered into the contest.

My dad and aunt are also writers, so we edit each other's manuscripts. I have had almost three weeks to review and edit my manuscript with the critiques from my editors.

Three weeks.

The contest opens tomorrow night at midnight. Yesterday morning I woke up with over 40 pages left to edit. Ouch. That doesn't sound like a lot, but considering it took me 3 weeks to edit 120 pages, that number felt like Mt. Everest.

Editing is not the same as reading. It's basically like taking what you wrote, pressing delete, and starting over with someone else's suggestions (as a reader) ringing in your ears.

Ok, it's not that bad, but you do end up deleting a lot and writing a LOT. In the course of my edits, I wrote an additional 13 pages of story, equaling almost 5,000 words. To sit down and write 13 pages is not hard for me. But to spread that over 165 pages (meaning a sentence here, a paragraph there, an explanation squeezed in...), that was hard. Really hard. Not to mention time consuming. (My computer chair has permanent hiney indentations I think.)

So, what does the Procrastinator do when she realizes she has a deadline looming? She makes crafts. What else? She watches a movie. She reads another book. She spends the day with her sister-in-law. And then she waits until her family goes to sleep and then sits down in front of the computer to edit until the wee hours of the morning. Either that or until she goes cross-eyed (which usually happens around 12:30).

Oh yeah, and there's the "other" stuff. You know, being a wife and mother. I still have laundry, dishes, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming to do. Library books still need picked up and dropped off, groceries need bought. Seth still needs fed, bathed, clothed, loved, read to. He still has doctor's appointments to go to and puzzles to do with mommy. Tyler, while arguably more self-sufficient, still needs listened to and occasionally fed. He needs attention and to know his wife hasn't disappeared. She hasn't been sucked into the black hole of the computer monitor.

This morning after editing for a few hours, I heard, "You want to go play in the snow? Maybe mom will come too."

That's code for: We are going outside and you are coming with us.

This evening I was so close to finishing I could taste it. I had 3 pages left, and I put it down to eat dinner or something. I don't even remember what it was. Tyler was acting a little like a grizzly bear with a thorn in it's paw. I asked him why he was upset and he said something like, "I thought I'd been pretty good about letting you finish your book. I haven't even complained!"

It's true. He's been so good about hiding in his bedroom to watch CSI reruns or playing Angry Birds on his phone so that I have time to edit. He's been a jem.

When he made that comment tonight, what he was really saying was, "I want my wife back!"

Aw. Thanks honey. You'll be happy to know I finished and plan to enter that puppy in the contest tomorrow night. Maybe this week I'll get to bed before 1am. Who knows. A girl can always dream.

Pin It

Teaser Tuesday -1-

 Teaser Tuesday: Pick up the book you are reading. Flip to a random page. Share two - spoiler free! - sentences (teasers) from that page. Be sure to include the author and book names so intrigued readers will know what to check out.

So, I've seen the concept of TT before, but I've never done it. For some reason, today I'm feeling sassy. I wanted to participate, but since I'm not really "reading" anything, just editing, I guess that means you get to see quotes from my work.

Huzzah!

Here we go...

THE GIFTED by Deborah Andreasen

1. “You want answers? Guess what, so do I.” I cross my arms and sit back in my chair, feeling rather sassy.
2.  I look up and meet Kael’s anxious gaze. It surprises me that he is so excited to hear the terrible tale of my death.

It probably would have been better if it came from a real live published author...but like I said. I'm not reading anything right now but my own work. So you're stuck with Teasers from me. And you might notice that I said I was feeling sassy, and then so did my main character. That was NOT intentional. I guess we're just more alike than I thought. :)

Want to play along? I'd love it if you did. That way I'd know what good books to read. Pin It

No thanks.

As most of you know, I am a writer. A lot of you got to read the first 17 pages of my book The Gifted when they were featured on Amazon.com. Since that time I have had a lot of questions about when it will be published. Even a very good friend of my family's joked he wanted to open a publishing house just so he could print my book and read the rest of it. That makes a person feel good.

Since last July I have been sending it to agencies and publishers trying to get someone to love it as much as I do. Last week I got yet another rejection letter. Honestly, I haven't gotten that many because I have not sent it to that many agencies or publishes, but it's enough to be a little discouraged.

I have decided to publish The Gifted myself. I'll be going through CreateSpace, which means The Gifted will be available for sale directly on Amazon.com. I had pretty much decided to do this a few months ago, but my dad told me to give this last agency one more shot. I did and they shot me down. Oh well. You have to have a tough skin. The only thing this really means is that I won't become rich and famous. But hey, at least my book will be published and anyone who is interested can read it.

Are you excited? I am. But there's one more thing. I won't even be able to start working on The Gifted until February. Until then I'll be busy in a series of edits for manuscripts to enter into the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. I'm entering the book I wrote in November, but as it is no one would take a second glance at it. It needs lots of work.

So, at the beginning of February I'll pick up The Gifted and work it into a polished state worthy of the printing press. Until then, you'll just have to find something else to read. Pin It