Shades of Rose YA Promo Company...

  Just wanted to let all of you YA authors know there's a new PR company geared toward helping you promo your books. Shades of Rose YA Marketing They will be opening their doors in a matter of days and are currently looking for blogs to host their upcoming tours. If you're interested in gaining exposure for your blog and promoting fellow authors, being a tour partner is a great way to accomplish those goals! Check out their site and fill out the form on the Home page to be included. While you're there take a peek at their promo packages. They have some nice choices at reasonable rates. Happy Monday!

Oops...

I completely forgot I was supposed to blog today, and now the day is almost over. However, if you are interested in learning about the madness that was my week at the Romantic Times Booklovers' Convention, I'm doing a 3 part series on it at Writings of a Wicked Book Addict. Part 1 went up today...
http://wickedlilpixie.com/2012/04/21/rt-hangover-er-round-up/

And, I promise something absolutely genius for next month. Right now I'm still a bit in recovery mode.

Brainstorming Fun

I apologize for missing my post last month. I have no excuse, but I also don’t know what happened. One day I looked at the calendar and it was almost April. Where March went, I have no idea.

Today I’m going to talk about Brainstorming.

I have a couple of writing friends that I talk to on instant messenger a lot. They’re real life friends too, but they’re both writers and we are often on the same wavelength. When I’m stuck, many times I can bounce ideas off of them and solve my problem in a short amount of time. It’s great. They say writing is a solitary activity, and in a way it is, but the internet has changed that a lot too. I do love instant messengers.

Sometimes we’re so much on the same wavelength that it’s scary. This happens a lot with one of them. Story time!

One lonely Sunday night about a month ago, I was sitting at my computer trying to do something with myself. My writing work was done for the weekend and I wanted to play. What do writers do when they play? They write stories for fun. I was pondering possibilities when my friend popped up and proposed an idea for a new world that we should work with in the future—we write together a lot too. I said cool, because I liked her idea, but neither of us were intending to work it out that night. We chatted about some other stuff, then suddenly I had an inspiration and decided, what the heck, I’ll start a story based on her idea. Just to be clear, the idea was for us to share, I wasn’t “stealing” as it were. I threw an idea out at my friend and we were off to the races… I didn’t end up getting any actual story written that night, but four hours later we had a complete world built. I had a complete crew for my airship and some of the plot for my first story in the world. My friend had characters, plots, etc for her stories. We even had a lot of them tied together. We were so much on the same wavelength that we’d send the same idea to each other at the same time. No joke, our IM’s almost mirrored each other for content. It was amazing and a little freaky.

Happily I have the first novella in this world completed, only a month later, and the plots for two more stewing. It was very exciting and nice to work in a new world for a while. This one isn’t a young adult either, though I suspect it would appeal to many age groups. Sometimes small, spontaneous projects make writing fresh again, and brainstorming with a friend is a ton of fun. So, if you’re in a slump, need a change of pace, or just need to bounce ideas off of someone… call a writing friend. A lot of times it helps them too.

You can look for my Steampunk novella later this fall.

When Bad Reviews Become Good Fun (for Some)

Literally as I was writing this post, I ran across a random reviewer posting his reading status of one of my books. I’m usually pretty happy to see those. Maybe I’ve just been spoiled by kind and, hopefully, fair reviewers who are generally happy to read one of my books.

But this reader, man, he was out for blood. Goodreads has this bar where they tell you a reader’s progress, and 20% in this guy was already discounting the science, and by 39% in he was openly snarking on my clothing choices for certain characters.

At first I was hurt, then I was embarrassed, a tad ashamed, but after awhile his comments, reactions and outright vitriol became… amusing. This was clearly sport for him; blood sport, apparently, and the more vicious and gleeful he got the less meaningful his review became.

He was no longer reviewing the book, I felt, but the anger he was experiencing while reading the book. It happens. One kindly blogger once explained to me that a really bad review simply means you’re producing a strong reaction in readers.

I get that; and that’s all good. Of course, I’d prefer to get a positive strong reaction. I don’t set out to write bad books, and I don’t enjoy getting bad reviews; even ones that are so overblown and self-important that they become a certain form of entertainment in themselves.

Still, it was a good lesson in my ongoing education of dealing with bad reviews. I just hope most of you can avoid learning it for yourself for as long as possible!

Yours in YA,

Rusty

It's all about Goals

Last week was spring break for the kids in our area. So it meant a week without my day job for me, a time to focus on my writing, evicting the dust bunnies (I served notice mid-winter break), and start converting an unused bedroom into an office.

For my focus on writing I composed a reading list of books I've wanted to enjoy but haven't had time to, picked out a book to read on plotting, and of course set word count goals.
When Thursday came, I knew I was in trouble. I'd reached none of the mid-point in my goals for the week. Time to reassess….

Goals are dreams with deadlines. ~Diana Scharf Hunt

And my deadlines were looming four days away….

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. ~Les Brown

This is true but sometimes you need to hit the moon…. For example, edits need to be returned on time. The thing about setting goals is to find the 'ideal'. Ones that are achievable yet stretches you.

So looking back, I can say my goal list was a bit beyond realistic BUT also I suffered from an extreme case of shiny object disease.

Success isn't a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire. ~Arnold H. Glasow

This is so true in my case. While I probably couldn't achieve all the things on my to-do list, I could have crossed more off. One of the main things I was reminded about this last week – I don't do well with 'free – floating' deadlines. I had all week to accomplish the things on my list without any interference from the day job. So I relaxed – to the point of almost slipping into a coma. The result of this? I lost a week I needed! Now I have to squeeze those things around my day job schedule.

I need to break my goals downs to 'micro' goals. For example, for Monday, I have a 1k word count goal before leaving for my day job. This will mean no playing Bubble Atlantis on facebook which I love to do. I also have goals sprinkled throughout my day.

So how do you set goals? How do you keep them?

Is There Life After Marketing?

Available in eBook or Paperback on Amazon

Until Darkness Comes, my debut novel, released last week, and I’m quickly discovering that writing the book was the easy part. Wow…so much to do in so little time. Blog touring and marketing can seem like a full-time job in itself. I remember a time when I had countless hours to write, and I now find the thing I love, my passion, is taking a back seat to other demands. I guess like with all things, it boils down to balance, and with time comes efficiency.

I find it interesting when I talk to other authors, they all seem to have their “favorite part.” For some it’s the writing, some it’s the editing, and others, it’s the marketing. I’d love to hear from you and find out what do you love most about being an author? J

I have been blessed by the support of my editor, publishing company and fellow authors, who have all taken the time to invest in me and support the launch of Until Darkness Comes. Thank you, everyone, for your support!

Have a great week!

Melynda Price



Updates and Stuff...

So, first off let me say...isn't my new cover pretty? Subversive! The third book in The Warrior series is in the midst of edits. Hopefully, I'll have release date news soon. For the record, I still misspell Subversive every time I write it. Perhaps I will learn one day not to pick a title I can properly type.

As for me, I have been writing my adult line pretty extensively. Busy. Busy. Busy. But in the best possible way.

How are you guys doing?

Catching Up

Well, it's been a little while since I posted. Life gets in the way a lot these days. However, I have been able to get some work done!

The first three books of the Hell House series are back up at Amazon - YAY! The whole entering the self-publishing world has been nerve-wracking and exhilarating at the same time. But I wanted my books back out there so that readers could continue to enjoy them. Now I need to get hard at work on the next one! (tentatively titled A Little Bit Zombie, BTW)

I've also been busy with my adult writing, getting a contract for a release this summer. Edits have me pretty wrapped up, along with the day job. Never enough hours in the day!

Managing to squeeze some reading time in there as well. I've read the first two books of Amanda Hocking's Trylle series, and just finished The Hunger Games. Probably will plan a blog about those guys in the near future.

So, what has everyone else been up to?

The Hunger Games - Movie or Books?

Lots of hype going on this past weekend over the release of The Hunger Games movie. My brother and sister-in-law went, and then she went back later that night with her fourteen year old daughter to see it again. My brother didn't read the book, but he enjoyed the movie. Several of my friends went as well. Some read the book and others didn't.

I didn't read the series yet. It's been on my "to do" list for a few months, but I haven't gotten around to it. I know... I know... you're probably asking if there is something wrong with me? Yes, I've been under a rock. The writing rock, that is, and it has left little time for me to read for pleasures these days, but I swear to fix that this summer when my life slows down. My Kindle is full of amazing reads.

 I'm one of those people who almost always enjoys the book ten times better than the movie. So, I'm thinking I have to sit this one out and save my forty bucks (if I take my husband with me) or else my reading experience could be ruined. I'd probably get more out of the movie if I read the book first anyway.

What are your thoughts? Did you read the book? See the movie? Both? Do you have any words of wisdom for me?

Ella

Can You Feel the Music?

When I first started writing toward publication, I couldn't comprehend the idea of writing to music. I thought it would be distracting and I'd end up typing song lyrics instead of the words that were meant for my manuscript.

Then... the manuscript stalled for me. A friend suggested writing to music. I cringed. And then I agreed to try it--if she could recommend some non-classical instrumental-only stuff. So began my love affair with Apocalyptica, but also... I finished the manuscript and developed an addiction to writing to music.

I moved on from instrumental-only and created playlists for every manuscript. When I first began doing it, I tried to make each playlist completely unique, but I found that didn't work for me. Too different meant that it was a distraction, just as I'd always feared. Then, rather than trying to make everything different, I just picked songs that spoke to me AND to the story. In the end, that means a lot of my playlists feature the same artists, and often the same songs, over and over.

Now, that seems logical enough, but the funny part is that I can tell them apart. If I have on the wrong playlist (even if 50% of the artists/songs are the same) it distracts me and I can't sink into the music to write what I'm working on. For me, the playlist itself--the very order and slight variety of songs--speaks to the story. It's my entry point to the world, and without it the writing is harder.

The playlist for Pretty Souls was one of the first I created. For fun, I want to play a little game. Some of you have read Pretty Souls, but for those who haven't, here's the blurb:

My life followed a simple pattern. 

Run to keep my inner wolf asleep. 

Make sure my blood-sucking foster sister, Cass, feeds. 

Hunt for supernatural trouble when we should be sleeping. 

Keep my grades up and my head down. 

It was mostly a game. 

Until people started wandering around like living zombies. 

Until people I care about started getting hurt. 

Until the menace came knocking on my front door. 

Game’s over. 

Time for the soul-stealer to realize just because he’s hunting something doesn’t make it prey. 

Cass and I bite back. 

~The Paranormal Response Team~ 

Saving the World Before Breakfast

There is also an excerpt here.


With what you know of the story, what song (or songs) would you have put on the playlist? 

(At the end of the week, I'll post the actual playlist I made when I wrote the book. And if anyone nails one of the songs, I'll draw one of the "right" answers randomly and give away some sort of prize--to be discussed with the winner. As a hint, there are no Apocalyptica songs on the soundtrack, but there's one below just because I love them.)

When Posting, How Polite is Too Polite?

I was entering a few book giveaways on Goodreads.com the other day (yes, I’m officially hooked on that “giveaway crack”) and whenever I came across a compelling new (to me) YA book, I would click on the author’s website or blog to check it out.

It was a really nice way to get to know more about some fellow YA authors and I ran across one in particular who was a grade-A, hmmm, how should I put this? A grade-A… personality. And I mean that in the epically most awesome way ever.

Seriously; she had attitude to spare and it was such a… revelation. I think she was ranting about some bad review or another and just really going to town; about readers, writers, publishers, the whole ball of wax. It was great to read because I was like, “Wow, she said what she really wanted in a really honest and unvarnished way… and no one’s running her out of town with pitchforks and torches!”

Personally, I try to come off as very polite, non-feather-ruffling and generally a helpful, nurturing kind of guy. Part of that is the teacher in me; I was trained to be politically correct, helpful, nurturing and generally stay in control of my emotions in front of a class full of kids.

 Part of that is just me; if you meet me I pretty much am polite, helpful, calm, even-keeled, etc. But it’s not ALL of me. Drive with me for five minutes and you’ll hear enough cussing to get an NC-17 rating. Stick around while I read a bad review and you’ll hear a whole lot more! And I certainly have VERY strong feelings about writing, reading, reviews, bad reviews, publishing, agents, eBooks, print books and more.

 I just always figured I should avoid sharing that hardcore, personal or angry or venting or rant-y stuff with my young, impressionable readers. Then I remembered, most YAs don’t exactly flock to my blog! (Come to think of it, most adults don’t either!) And even if they did, wouldn’t they prefer getting the “real” me versus the watered down version?

 It’s not that I’m some big, fat phony when I post. I’m always honest, but I’m generally… polite. I don’t swear or foam at the mouth or rant and rave and, well, would it be so terribly bad if I did once in awhile?

 So, I dunno, reading that YA author’s blog the other day was a real revelation. It kind of made it “okay” to be me, or at least a little bit more like the real me.

 I don’t think I’ll be swearing and ranting and raving like this one author, but she’s far from alone. I know of several YA author blogs where writers, readers, even reviewers are quite frank, fun, wise, sarcastic, sassy and with plenty of… personality.

 So what do you think? How polite is too polite? Or should bloggers abide by a certain “code” and keep themselves to themselves? Comment boxes are open; fire away!

 Yours in YA,

 Rusty

Where's that Opener?

Across the Universe begins with a chilling opener of a girl watching her parents go through an excruciatingly painful and horrifying cryogenic procedure. What makes this scene even more compelling is her dad entrusting her with the decision of whether she will become a popsicle next, or opt-out.

Immediately, I was hooked and so were all of Beth Revis’ loyal FB followers, whom she takes the time to individually thank after the credits roll at story’s end.

So, how important are opening scenes to the success of a novel?

In my opinion, they’re everything! Not only for the reader, but also for the agent and editor, who need to fall on your hook hard and fast. They simply have too many other manuscripts on deck to bother with a slow boil story.

In my novel, Time Warped, I begin with Lanie Landry’s overwhelming compulsion to pull the fire alarm at her high school.

“The lure of the box had been strong for months. Almost an obsession, really. What would it feel like to release the siren? To hear the mad shrieks of chaos, the smattering of running feet in all directions, the pounding of my heart bursting through my chest?”

Once Lanie pulls the alarm, there’s no turning back for her character. The fire alarm becomes the catalyst for shocking change, of Twilight Zone proportions, in which she’ll meet a midget, an albino, a red-headed cheerleader and the love of her life—all in an insane asylum!

In closing, I’d love to know have you found your opener?

Cheers,

Tracey

Tracey L Pacelli
Award Winning Author
Time Warped
www.timewarped.net

Where do you come up with this crap?

***To learn why this pictureof Queen Victoria is here, please scroll to the bottom for a History Lesson.***

Writers get this all the time. People ask where we get inspiration. It really depends on mood and how much chocolate is on hand as to how we answer. Here's my answer and only because I just bought some truffles.

The answer is

everywhere.

Okay, that's way too general. I’ll try again.

I was born with insatiable curiosity. And I grew up being told to shut-up all the time. This meant that I spent almost all my time inside my own head.

Point of fact –

A silent person is not stupid, deaf, or blind.    

I have many interests and I always go to the books when I want to know more. 

All those ideas need to be pondered and explored.  Since no one was interested in discussing, say the genealogy of the British Royal Family in regards to hemophilia, when I was a kid growing up, I had to sort all those ideas out myself.  That morphed into writing stories.

And so I began writing my own books.

Yesterday, I was watching Colonial House, a living history project on by PBS, and I wondered how they organized their community, particularly the buildings. I drove my husband crazy getting him to fix our Internet connection so I could look it up.  I didn't need to know these things.  I’m not writing a new novel set in Colonial America…yet. But I was still desperate to know. My husband understands this and he also brings chocolate too, which is probably why we’ve made so many babies together.

So the next time you're sitting at Starbucks and you see someone with an iPad and her chin resting on her hand, elbow on the table, while she stares out the window, it's quite possible she is a writer.  And you may very well be witnessing the creation of the next great best-selling novel.

Gosh, I hope it’s me.

If you want to go ask, that's fine. She won't like to be snatched out of her imaginary world though.  Better bring chocolate just to be on the safe side.

***

History Lesson:   Queen Victoria was an ambitious woman who really liked to have her way with the Prince Consort, which resulted on lots and lots of babies.  When they grew up, she married most of them to foreign rulers.  Before long, she was called 'the Grandmother of Europe.'  One of her granddaughters, Alexandra, married the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II. 

Hemophila is genetic, but females are only carriers. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001564/   It's the male offspring that get nailed with it.  Nicholas and Alexandra had four daughters and one son.  Some believe it's the fact that their only male heir had a deadly disease contributed to their downfall.  The Tsarina was terrified for her son, fell under the spell of a madman who claimed he could heal the boy, poor decisions were made, revolutionaries were pissed off, many bad things happened, and the entire family was eventually murdered.  That's it in a nutshell, but you can already see where it provides plenty of inspiration for any fiction-writer dreaming up stories about powerful families and wars and such.

Bat-ting a Thousand

I’ve got a recommend for you this week. A short story we recently discussed in my YA book club called Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block, originally published in 1989, but wonderfully relevant today as we hurdle toward the Aquarian Age. It’s a funny little tale about a young woman who takes control, not only of her body, but of her life, and fashions a unique home-life for herself that includes two gays, a filmmaker, and a child fathered by all three!

Weetzie Bat is the type of non-judgmental character who presents an argument for tolerance, accepts people as they are, and does not insist there is only one right way to live your life and be happy.

Not to be all political, but in this day and age where congress is trying to enforce their will on womens' rights, legalize intrusive procedures, and place obstacles in the path to birth control--while men pop their Viagra pills at will--then what we have here, young readers, is a monumental failure to communicate!

Weetzie Bat is the type of non-judgmental character who presents an argument for tolerance, accepts people as they are, and does not insist there is only one right way to live your life and be happy. And this writer accomplishes all of that while telling a highly descriptive and entertaining story with pace in her Wonderland called Los Angeles.

After reading Weetzie Bat, I now look at Duck Hunting in a new way, with my Slinkster Dog at my side!

Cheers,

Tracey

Tracey L Pacelli
Award Winning Author
Time Warped

Young Adult Books and Political Humor

I saw this video and I knew I just had to share it here. This is meant to be a joke. I'm really not political. I just thought it was amazing how mainstreamed Young Adult Books have become. When I was a kid, they never would have been included in this kind of joke.

See more at CollegeHumor

Celebrating the Release of Until Darkness Comes

                                                 Available April 1, 2012 from 5 Prince Publishing

A guardian angel… A forbidden love… Eternal consequences… 

    Olivia Norton was born with a gift—a gift heaven has sworn to protect, and hell is bound to destroy. Her perfect world is turned upside-down when two handsome strangers, Max and Liam, step into her life. Olivia soon discovers that her ‘Mr. Perfect’ is actually a perfect nightmare.

    The rules of engagement have changed and Liam, Olivia’s guardian angel, is forced to cross dimensional borders, or risk losing the woman he’s sworn to protect. Suddenly, thrust into a world unlike anything he’s never known, Liam isn’t prepared to come face to face with the young woman whose life he holds in his hands.

    But nothing is as it seems, and secrets abound that will ultimately force him to choose between two impossibilities. Max will stop at nothing to finish what he’s started, and Olivia is soon plunged into a battle between good and evil. Her very life hangs in the balance as two forces fight to win her heart.

I'm pleased to announce the upcoming release of my novel, Until Darkness Comes. This is the first book in my four-part Redemption series, and was written to appeal to readers that enjoy series such as Twilight, Hush, Hush, and Wicked Lovely. An excerpt is available on my website.

Thanks for stopping by :)

Melynda Price

Leg-Up on the Competition

Watching the Oscars this past Sunday had me asking many important questions, such as: How hilarious would the Oscars be if Sacha Baron Cohen hosted next year? And why didn’t Hugo win best picture over The Artist?

Now don’t get me wrong, I loved The Artist. Throwback pics are right up my alley, along with tap dancing and appreciating the bliss of non-verbal communication. But, for me, Hugo was an unmitigated masterpiece that perfectly blended 3-D with the art of a great film—derived, first and foremost, from a book! So, why didn’t it take the big prize?

And then as I watched in delighted glee as Angelina Jolie struck the pose twittered around the world, it dawned on me that the key to success is getting a leg-up (shameless pun intended) on the competition.

“Throwback pics are right up my alley, along with tap dancing and appreciating the bliss of non-verbal communication.”

Hugo whimsically hit the theatres, striking a chord with viewers and critics alike, but it failed to show its gams and stop traffic in the way, for instance, It Happened one Night did—which incidentally won for Best Pic and made Claudette Colbert’s leg just as famous as Jolie’s, in her day.

The Artist, though technically silent, packed a loud wallop with its glitz and old Hollywood glamour, gaining a leg-up on the competition by bringing black and white back in vogue.

I’ve noticed the book publishing world has even taken hold of this trend, fashioning many striking YA covers, of late, using black and white, with a dash of Hollywood red to give it some pop.

So, as I sit down to edit my new YA novel, I wonder will it have a leg-up on the competition to establish myself as The Artist, or may it perhaps win a Hugo, instead? Only time and a good pair or stockings will tell!

:) Tracey

The Voices Inside My Head

Now that I'm published I've realized something pretty important. Apparently I'm not the only one who hears voices inside my head. There are a ton of us out there. I think they refer to us as authors. ;)

For as long as I can remember, the dialogue has always played out in my mind. I realize most people who hear voices in their head usually think that's a problem. I, on the other hand, think it’s a problem when I don't hear those voices. Some of my best stories come from a few lines of conversation created when I'm standing in line at the supermarket or when I'm driving to the mall. Sometimes I don't even make it to the mall because I have to turn around and start putting to paper what I've just come up with. Well, that's not entirely true, since I always make it to the mall, especially when Macy's is having a sale. But, you get my point. (I always carry a notebook in my bag for such emergencies!).

The plots and conversations keep flowing, but I'm not complaining. I'm glad I've finally found a place to work them out and get the stories published. Now I don't feel so crazy!

I hope you'll get lost in my words.

Ella

xoxo



Swift Inspiration

You’ll often hear about music inspiring the writer. Stephanie Meyers wrote Twilight with the help of a steady stream of musical tracks that accompanied not only her books, but the movies too.

My teen daughter is the same way, musically shuffling her way through mountains of daily homework with the help of her ipod. I tried it myself, but found I’m just not hard-wired that way. My music is silence, and through it I hear my muse best. All else is simply a distraction for me. But I do so admire those artists who can absorb every note and give back to the world something equally artistic in return.

Taylor Swift, a gifted young singer who writes her own music, recently accomplished the reverse. She was asked to write a song for the upcoming movie, Hunger Games, so she voraciously read the novel in only a few short days. Swift grew inspired by Collins’ words, much in the same way that Meyers’ literary efforts were inspired through song, and the result has produced a new single of exquisite ethereal quality never achieved by Swift before. Safe & Sound sounds nothing like Swift’s previous tunes, and that’s what I love best about it. She nails the paranormal vibe like she was born in a graveyard and her video mirrors her song perfectly too.

In a recent interview Swift said she sat on the gravesite of a couple who lived and died in 1853 and began thinking, “What were their lives like?”

I’m not Swift’s mom, and yet I feel proud of the way her career is evolving. To give yourself over to the muse and bravely create something out of your comfort zone is an act of courage to be admired. Kudos to Swift on her eerie new song. Hope the movie will live up to its soundtrack.

A Quick Update

I'm really drawing a blank on trying to come up with something witty to say. It's probably because I'm tired. I'm not sure how I managed to get anything done when I had a day job. The thing is, my life hasn't changed much. I still look after my son until 7pm and then from 7 onwards I write, well I write if I'm not walking the dog, or doing dishes or having a bath.

I got some really good news this week, I'm going to be in an anthology. Which is going to be released this time next year. This will be the first thing I've done that will be in print. I hope that this is a sign of things to come. The idea is 'Once Upon A Clockwork Tale' and if you can't guess it's steampunk fairytales. My idea is based on Hans Christen Anderson's 'The Wild Swans' I'm so excited about this. I'm also working on edits for 'A Impossible Task' which is the sequel to my Molly O'Brien series.

So it's back off to do more edits. If you've got five minutes I'd love for you to check my blog out http://www.ellagrey.wordpress.com it has some musings on it and some reviews.