Evil Fish and Bulbous Trees - 10 Things You Didn't Know About A Darling Secret

Were the sinister Shadow Gods in my new book inspired by an evil fish?

How is an ancient Bolivian legend tied to my story?

Click HERE to learn the surprising, and funny, secrets behind A Darling Secret. 
 

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I hope you enjoy learning more about A Darling Secret. Don't forget to check these out too:

• 10 Things You Didn't Know About Strange Luck
• 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Nightmare Birds

It's Time To Go Indie Now!

What book inspired me to become an author?

What music do I listen to when I write?

What strange career did I explore before writing?

Find out the answers to these questions, and more, in my interview with Go Indie Now - Episode 19. My segment is 1:00:02 in, but I highly recommend you check out the entire show. There are so many awesome authors and musicians out there!

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If you enjoyed this video, please subscribe to my You Tube channel. :)

First Drafts Aren't Perfect - My Guest Post on Proof Positive

I'm excited to share that I'm a guest author on Proof Positive's blog today! I discuss the favors you do yourself by taking breaks from re-reading and editing your novel. Here's a snippet:

"The words poured effortlessly from my fingertips and onto the page completely free of grammatical errors and typos, forming a perfect, succinct, and intriguing story that everyone in the world wanted to read…said no author ever."

Click HERE to check out my tips on how to edit, revise, and polish your novel.

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If you enjoyed my post on rewriting, you might benefit from these too:

• How to Write A Novel, Part 1: Let The Journey Begin 
• How to Write a Novel, Part 2: Brainstorming, Drafting, and Getting Organized 
• How to Write A Novel, Part 3: Editing Like A Pro  
• How to Be a More Productive Writer

The Month in Writing: My Favorite Things and Tips

Writing is hard work, which is why I'm always on the hunt to improve my craft and dream up new story ideas.

Take a look at what I've been reading this month and a few other things that inspired me.

Articles:

Neil Gaiman's Eight Rules of Writing

Writing tips from one of my favorite authors.

Quotes for Writers:
Make a fool of yourself. 

Everybody does at one time or another. :P

 

Infographics:
Instead of 'Look' Use

I love these helpful worksheets.

 

Cool Stuff for Writers:

Working Fountain Pen Necklace 

I want one!

Writing Fuel:

One Minute Cinnamon Roll In A Mug

Salivating yet?

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Did you miss last month's writing tips and cool stuff? Click here.

Have you checked out my other posts on writing?

• How to Write A Novel, Part 1: Let The Journey Begin 
• How to Write a Novel, Part 2: Brainstorming, Drafting, and Getting Organized 
• How to Write A Novel, Part 3: Editing Like A Pro  
• How to Be a More Productive Writer 
• The Importance of Rewriting 

The Month In Writing: My Favorite Things and Tips

Writing is hard work, which is why I'm always on the hunt to improve my craft and dream up new story ideas.

Take a look at what I've been reading this month and a few other things that inspired me.

Articles:

How to Become a Happy & Productive Writer

This is such a beneficial article!

Cool Books:
The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well

I'm obsessed with all things Hygge right now, and after you read this book, you will be too.
 

Books for Writers:

The Bestseller Code

My good friend gave me this book and had it autographed for me. It's definitely worth a read.

Quotes for Writers:
I Write To Give Myself Strength

Inspo anyone?

Cool Stuff for Writers:
Octopus Typewriter

Although it's not functional, you still might be able to channel Lovecraft. That's reason enough for me.

Present Tense Mug
He he :)

Infographics:
190 Ways to Say "Said"

I love these helpful worksheets. They work wonders.

Writing Fuel:
Matcha Cookies

Yum!!!

 

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Have you checked out my other posts on writing? You might enjoy these, too:

• How to Write A Novel, Part 1: Let The Journey Begin 
• How to Write a Novel, Part 2: Brainstorming, Drafting, and Getting Organized 
• How to Write A Novel, Part 3: Editing Like A Pro  
• How to Be a More Productive Writer 
• The Importance of Rewriting 

Why I Left Academia to Write Fantasy Books

I'm honored and thrilled to be a Psychology Today guest blogger!

Click HERE to learn why I left academia to write fantasy books.

Don't forgot to check out the other articles on PT's College Confidential.

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Have you checked out my other articles about writing? You might enjoy these too:

• How to Write A Novel, Part 1: Let The Journey Begin 
• How to Write a Novel, Part 2: Brainstorming, Drafting, and Getting Organized 
• How to Write A Novel, Part 3: Editing Like A Pro  
• How to Be a More Productive Writer 

How to Edit Your Novel - My Tips and Tricks

Round 3 of editing is underway. Only 250 pages to go! :P

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Curious about my editing methods? Want to know how I plan my books? You can learn all about my process here.

Don't forget to check out my editing checklist while you're there. 

Surprises Around Every Corner - Five-Star Review From Paperback Junkie

I'm delighted to share a five-star review of The Nightmare Birds from Paperback Junkie Book Review.

Here's a snippet from the review:

"If you are looking to get lost in a book that presents you with another option of what the world holds, I would highly recommend The Nightmare Birds...There are surprises around every corner. The book was well-written, thought out, and put together so well that it receives a 5 star review." 

Reviews like this put a big smile on my face. :) I'm thrilled you enjoyed my book.

You can also read what Paperback Junkie Book Review had to say about Strange Luck (book I) here.

Telling Secrets - My Interview With Sunshine Somerville

Which of my characters are based on real people?

Do I ever let them in on the secret?

Find out the answer to these fun questions (and many more) in my latest interview with Sunshine Somerville.

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Have a question for me that's not answered here?

I'd love to hear from you!

Writing Update - A Darling Secret

I know I haven't been posting much lately. I'm in the final writing stages of Book III in the Strange Luck series (A Darling Secret).

As of this week, I'm pleased to report that I've officially surpassed the length of The Nightmare Birds. If all goes well, the book will be finished by the end of the month. Woot!

I'm so excited that the series will be coming to a close soon, and that Daisy will finally discover her true self, but I'm also quite sad that it will be over. :( I've really enjoyed getting to know these characters and sharing their stories. It has been SOOOOOOO much fun writing these books and creating these worlds. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself once it's over.

Is it weird that I grieve over my own characters???

Each of my books has focused on a different theme. In Strange Luck it was memories. In The Nightmare Birds is was meaning. A Darling Secret will focus on strength. My hope is that this final book will be even more intense, magical, dark, and full of surprises than the first two, and that overall, this series will be something that will stay with you forever. I can only hope you'll agree when you read it. :D

More details to come soon. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a book to write...

Review Time!

It's truly a remarkable feeling when authors you admire write glowing reviews about your own books. I'm so flattered that suspense author Ingrid Foster had this to say about Strange Luck:

"As a reader, I love any book that can pull me in on page one and keep me turning pages. Strange Luck is definitely that sort of book."

And had this to say about The Nightmare Birds:

"Original plot, unusual, captivating and memorable characters and story line. A must read for fantasy lovers.

I also just got a review of Strange Luck from the talented Sarah Noffke, author of the Lucidite series. 

"This book grabbed my attention from the beginning...A great story with fantastic writing."

 

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If you're looking for something new to read, I highly recommend checking out any books by these authors. You won't be sorry :)

www.ingrididfoster.com
www.sarahnoffke.com

The Little Ninja

So I'm sitting at a cafe writing a fight scene for my new book, when I get the feeling that I'm being watched.

I was right.

A ninja was watching me from the crevice!

I'm wrapping up Chapter 14 right now and hope to have more writing updates soon. :D

Follow You Passion, Even If It Means Taking Some Detours

I'm a Women For One Truthteller!

Read the true story of why I  gave up a good job, steady paycheck, and wearing high heels to pursue my greatest passion: writing fiction.

What is the Difference Between a Good Book and a Great Book? - Guest Post by The Regal Critiques

In December I featured a guest post from Fantasia Reviews called What Makes a Good Book? You guys liked it so much that I thought it would be fun to take it one step further. That being a post about the difference between a good book and a great book. Enter The Regal Critiques. Veronika, the book blog's founder, spills all in this month's guest post. Enjoy!

Hello everyone! I’m Veronika from The Regal Critiques! (*waves*). Amie was kind enough to invite me for a guest post, and I was happy to say yes, so here I am today, writing about what’s the difference between a good book and a great book.

To tell you the truth, upon picking this topic from the ones Amie suggested I was convinced this would be an easy post to write. Alas, it wasn't. I was struggling with thinking of a way to start off this topic and doing a bit of research didn't exactly help me in any way. I did discover some information, as this is a wildly talked about topic in the literary world, but, likely very few of the books I find 'great' would make the cut in their opinion. And so, I just left that all behind and am instead writing a fully subjective post about my thoughts on this topic. It's more fun this way anyhow.

Without further ado, let me list and explain the three main differences between a good and a great book.

1. THE UNIQUENESS

Who the heck wants to read a book that has nothing new to showcase, just the same old, same old story? No one, that's who. Ya'll know those authors who keep recycling the same plot, same characters, same EVERYTHING, don't you? Cuz I sure as hell do, and their books are no fun. Nuh-uh. Show me something I haven't seen before, darn it. Don't take ideas from someone else, don't use ideas from your old works, create something different instead, something unique.

Obviously, that doesn't mean using a couple of tropes or cliches is a deathly sin - but my favorite authors are the ones who use them creatively, making them their own.

2. THE EFFECT THEY HAVE ON ME

For me to call a book great I need it to affect me in some way that's more than: oh, that book made me smile like crazy. Sure, that's an effect as well, but not one that'll stay with me for a long while.

What I really want are characters who are so vividly-written that they come off the pages, characters I can connect with, either because they represent some part of me incredibly well, or simply because I admire/understand/love them.

I want a story that I can relate to, learn something from about myself or the world, or educate myself on something that I had little to no knowledge about it before.

3. THE LASTING IMPRESSION

There are books I read, love and then forget like, 99% of what actually happened in them super-quickly which proves they weren't that outstanding to begin with. I don't expect to remember every little detail or even most of the characters' names, but the overall plot? The major characters who were my favorites? I need to be able to recall them even two years after I read the book.

So, what makes a story unforgettable? For me, the two things I mentioned above - their uniqueness and the effect they have on me, this I can say that these three things are, to some extent, connected.

To wrap it all up,

ARE GOOD BOOKS AND GREAT BOOKS SO DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER?

Depends on who you ask, but I honestly don't think so. There are various books I adore so so SO much, rate them 5 stars, but wouldn't add to my all time favorites shelf for lacking either of the three things mentioned above. Does that take away from my enjoyment of them? Not much, no.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS TOPIC?

WHAT WAS THE LAST ’GREAT’ BOOK YOU READ?

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Thanks, Veronika, for sharing what you look for in a book. I completely agree that there isn't much difference between good books and great books. Some of my favorite books I'll probably never read again, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of reading it.

To all the authors out there, I hope that this post helps steer you in the right direction, or at least opens your eyes to what book bloggers take into consideration when reviewing your book.

What are you waiting for? Get out there and write!

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Have you checked out these posts? You might enjoy these, too:

• How to Write Historical Fiction Without Really Trying - Guest Post by Christie Stratos

• How to Write Fantasy and Have Fun While Doing It - Amie Irene Winters

• Science and Other Scary Word - On Writing Science Fiction - Guest Post By Belinda Crawford

• Don't Write for the Market - Guest Post by J.D. Estrada

Roughing It In The Rockies - Saturday Symposium with K.J. Simmill

Beautiful!

Did I really complete an eight-day wilderness solo in the Rocky Mountains?

What is the one word that friends would use to describe me?

How long does it take me to write a book?

Find out the answers to these questions and more on K.J. Simmill's Saturday Symposium.

Have a question not listed? Ask me anything below. In the meantime, here are two hints to answer the first question above:

Writing Update + A FREE Copy of Strange Luck

I'm pleased to report that Book III in the Strange Luck Series is coming along nicely.  I just finished writing Chapter 10 of A DARLING SECRET yesterday!

That's one of the benefits of living in Pennsylvania - when it's 5 degrees out you don't want to go anywhere or do anything else, so writing is that perfect activity. :D

My desk

This is where I've been spending all of my time this winter. As you can see I have piles of notes, my trusty writing notebook filled with more notes, and a warm cup of tea. What more does an author need?

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If you haven't read Strange Luck (Book I) yet, I've got a surprise for you! If you sign up for my newsletter I'll send you a FREE e-copy of Strange Luck. That's it!

How to Write Horror - Guest Post by Mercedes Fox

It's no secret that I love horror, which is why I'm especially excited to share this guest post today. If you've ever been curious about writing horror, or are just a fan of the genre, then you're in luck! Mercedes Fox, author of the Vengeance of the Werewolf series, reveals her trade secrets.

How to Write Horror

Although I put my books in the horror category I’m not sure they are actually scary. I tend to lean to putting them in the horror-splatter punk genre. The best way to write about horror is write about something which scares you. I’ve always had a fear of the closet monster or monster under the bed. Even now at 42 my imagination still rules my impulses.

You must first setup the scene. Make the reader smell it. Make the reader hear the world around them. Put the reader in your character’s shoes by ramping up the nerves. Horror/thriller scenes are best in the dark or a dark room. Somewhere spooky, like an abandoned barn or old mine shaft or old slaughterhouse. Aisle 13 at Walmart is not scary unless the power is out, zombies are breaking through the glass doors and wandering about. You can hear the breath rattling in their chests. Or the werewolf is inside with you. The reader hears the click of its claws on the floor.

A fellow writer and teacher of writing, Rayne Hall, said it best, “cowards are the best horror writers.” Another trick is to not keep the reader on edge the entire book. You must run your story on a squiggle line. Take them up and down or you lose the effect. Allow the reader to calm down and relax and then spring the monster on them.

I find short chapters help keep the story moving and it provides a good scene break. If the chapters are too long I tend to zone out. Although I’ve only wrote about werewolves, I’m going to do some reading of the greats (Tim Miller, Matt Saw, Sam West to name a few). I want to try my hand at psychopaths who don’t go all furry.

To tighten up your writing and really get the reader involved once you’ve wrote your first draft, take a look at all of Rayne Hall’s books in her Writer’s Craft series and then go back through your manuscript. A couple word tweaks here and then make a huge difference. I know from experience. After following the steps above my editor made comment my writing improved 100% from the first book she edited. She also said she never eats when reading my work :)

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Bio:
I’m married for 22 years and the proud mamma to three dogs. I’ve published three books. I love werewolves so my books revolove around them. I write horror/thriller/splatterpunk; my books are explicit in everything from sex to killing. I write what I like to read. I enjoy reading, movies, shopping with my mother, folding origami cranes, crocheting, peg doll painting, and benchrest shooting. I’m also a big Harry Potter fan. Click here to learn more.

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Have you checked out these posts? You might enjoy these, too:

• How to Write Historical Fiction Without Really Trying - Guest Post by Christie Stratos

• How to Write Fantasy and Have Fun While Doing It - Amie Irene Winters

• Science and Other Scary Word - On Writing Science Fiction - Guest Post By Belinda Crawford

• Don't Write for the Market - Guest Post by J.D. Estrada

Movie Dream Cast, Binge-Watching, and Writing - My Inteview With Mercedes Fox

Bella Thorne is the perfect Daisy Darling!

Who would be my dream cast if my books were made into a movie?

Why do I write?

What am I currently binge-watching?

I spill all in my interview with author Mercedes Fox.

You Don’t Need to Say Yes to A Literary Agent If You Don’t Want To

When I finished my first book I followed the traditional publishing order of progression:

1. Write a damn good query letter

2. Send it to a ton of agents

3. Cross your fingers and pray for a miracle

Over the years I tweaked my query letter a million times to see what worked and what didn’t. I kept a massive spreadsheet of all the agents I queried, what version of my query letter I sent, what I sent them (e.g., chapter excerpt, synopsis, etc.), their general response time, and the status of my submission.

It was EXHAUSTING. And soul-crushing. Especially when I would receive a generic rejection letter like: “This project isn’t right for my list.” Or the worse possible response - no response at all.

In the end, I received lots of partial and full manuscript requests. Maybe a dozen exclusive full manuscript requests. Then, my big break came.

An agent loved my story and wanted to represent me! But...I had to make some changes to my story. We’re talking era, character names, major parts of the story taken out, etc. Whatever she asked for I did it willingly (even though I didn’t agree with the changes) because I thought that was my only option. I did three rounds of revisions with her over the course of a year.

The result?

A book I hated and didn’t even recognize anymore. She had changed everything and buried my voice, and ultimately, we parted ways. That experience led me to explore the world of self-publishing, and the more I researched it, the more it appealed to me. I started connecting with self-published authors and asking them about their experiences. One told me she turned down a major publishing deal with a Big 5 publisher because they were constantly harassing her and trying to get her to change things she didn’t want to. There seemed to be a general consensus among these authors though - ultimate freedom! And that’s exactly what I wanted.

So began my journey to publish Strange Luck. I couldn’t believe how much happier I felt while writing and how much time I had saved when I stopped querying and tracking my submissions. I wrote The Nightmare Birds next. Then something strange happened. An agent out of the blue read my first book, loved it, and wanted to represent me. It was magical. It was everything I had ever wanted, but, I was weary to give up everything I had worked so hard for. All of it made me question what I truly wanted as a writer. After a lot of thought, nail-biting, and some hair-pulling, I ultimately decided I wanted to do what I was currently doing - self-publish.

Friends and family looked at me like I was crazy (and you probably think so too), but when things came down to business and I got the final contract on my desk, it just didn’t feel right. So many things were going to change and I was terrified of losing my story all over again. I fired off an endless lineup of questions to the agent, hoping with all hope that my feelings would change, but they didn’t.

This experience prompted me to write this article to hopefully help those who might not know they have options. Whether you have an interested agent, or are debating between self-publishing and traditional publishing, below are some questions I asked the agent that helped me determine if it was a good fit or not. Please remember that each literary agent is different. They have different abilities, personalities, connections, wants, and experiences. It may or may not be a match for any or all of those reasons. It's okay to say no. The most important thing you can do is to trust your intuition. If it doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not. If they are everything you've ever wanted and you feel great about it, then by all means scream "yes" from the rooftop. Do what works best for you and your story.

Questions to Ask A Literary Agent Before You Sign:

1. How long have you been an agent? 

2. How long has the agency been in practice? 

3. How long is your average client relationship? 

4. Are you a member of AAR? 

5. How long would our contract be? 

6. What percentage of projects that you sign do you sell?

7. If you’re unable to find a publisher, what would be the next step? Would I need to re-edit and then resubmit, or would the publisher accept me on the condition that I work with their assigned editor and make the changes? 

8. Can I speak to one or two of your clients about their experiences? 

9. What is your procedure and time-frame for payment of author royalties and advances received from the publisher?

10. How often would you update me regarding publishing prospects and developments?

11. Have you represented books in this genre before?

12. If a publisher did accept my book(s), what kind of control would they have?

13. Do you think my books have a stronger market in the US or internationally?

14. Can you tell me about a few recent sales you made? Any with the publishers that you have in mind for my book?

15. Will you represent every book I write, including the ones I’ve already self-published?

16. What are the terms of your contract? Is there a specific length of time, etc.?

17. What co-agents do you work with for foreign rights, film rights and other sub-rights? Is there someone in-house who specializes in this? Can you tell me about some recent successes selling sub-rights of a project?

18. What support (e.g., marketing, promo, etc.) would the agency offer me?

19. What is your commission?  

20. If I did receive an advance from a publisher, would it be considered a "loan" against future sales?

21. Do the publishers you work with have a "do not compete" clause?

22. If we did sell the books to a publisher what would happen to the current books out there? Would they be replaced on Kindle with a new cover uploaded, etc., or be deleted entirely and posted as a new title? What about my current reviews out there? Would they all go away?

23. What would be the significant benefits of me signing with a publisher vs. remaining self-published? What could a publisher offer me that I’m currently not already doing?

I hope that this article helps you make the best decision possible for you and your book.

As for me, if another opportunity were to present itself I would start by asking the same questions and going from there. It may or may not be a match, but that's okay. In the meantime, I'm perfectly content with doing what I'm currently doing.

Have you checked out my other posts on writing and self-publishing? You might enjoy these, too:

• How I Self-Published My Novel 
• Is Self-Publishing For You? 
• How to Be a More Productive Writer

Book Impressions - Fantasia Reviews The Nightmare Birds

"An impressive addition to the series."

"Fun and beautiful."

"Her use of the language, the pacing of the story, the imagination behind her imagery, each is admirable in their own right, but together pushes her strong narrative to be even greater."

Wow! I'm beyond thrilled about this review. Reading reviews like this makes it all worth it. :D

Read what else Fantasia Reviews had to say about The Nightmare Birds in their five-star review!