Entire Worlds in My Mind #IWSG

IWSG was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. November's co-hosts are Joylene Nowell Butler, Jen Chandler, Mary Aalgaar, Lisa Buie Collard, Tamara Narayan, Tyrean Martinson, and Christine Rains. For a list of other IWSG posts, click here.

November's question: What is your favorite aspect of being a writer?

This is a hard question. I would find it easier to list my least favorite aspect of being a writer, but then again, that aspect usually falls in the published writer area. *coughs*Marketing*coughs*

I think my favorite aspect of being a writer is creating something out of nothing. I have entire worlds in my mind, and I'm lucky enough to be able to share some of them with others by writing the characters' stories down.

Last month, I was considering joining NaNoWriMo. Unfortunately, I came down with an upper respiratory infection, which slowed my brain down and continues to linger on (week and a half and counting). Even though I still wrote a bit every day, some of my word counts were lower than I needed to finish A Soul to Reap by October 31 and have my outline for A Soul to Keep ready for November 1.

That said, I am on the last chapter of A Soul to Reap and will go through it to fix some minor plot things I thought up while writing. Major stuff will have to wait until after my critique partner reads it. Although I usually wait to send a new work to anyone until after my self-edit, I know she's looking forward to finding out what comes next after reading the prequel A Soul to Kill.

Beyond writing A Soul to Reap, I didn't get much done in October. So my November goals include:

- Finishing A Soul to Reap and fixing minor plot issues in it and sending it to my CP.

- Outlining the rest of the Soul Reaper series (Books 2-5). This will be my two 30-minute writing sessions a day as it's still creative writing.

- If I finish the outlines, I will start writing A Soul to Keep (Soul Reaper #2).

- Continue notes/read-through of The Fate Challenges series.

- Continue helping my CP with her novella series.

Since I'm taking a week off at Thanksgiving, I'm hoping to get a few of these goals accomplished.

What are your goals for November?

2016 Stats: 302,816 words written and 1,907 pages edited

BOOK READ

Cloak of Snow by Christine Rains

BOOK REVIEW

Cloak of Snow by Christine Rains

What Saskia Dorn, a polar bear shifter, discovers in the tundra of Alaska might be more than she bargained for in Christine Rains' Cloak of Snow. The third Totem book raises the stakes. Saskia is a determined and head-strong woman, and her relationship with Sedge is explosive as the two buttheads at every turn. Yet together they will have to destroy the Jinxioc, which are not your average garden gnomes, but fierce little people with sharp teeth and a vicious appetite. As soon as a boy was taken on Saskia's watch, I knew she wouldn't abandon the people of Kuci. The emotional turmoil Rains creates in this novella is just as strong as the physical action. And the ending, my heart hurts for Saskia. Cloak of Snow by Christine Rains continues the Dorn sisters' plight to find the totem tokens, and I'm looking forward to see what will come next for them.

#SPECFIC BOOKS RELEASING IN NOVEMBER

Lodestar by Shannon Messenger

Flashfall by Jenny Moyer

The Burning Isle by Will Panzo

After Atlas by Emma Newman

Highway Thirteen to Manhattan by Kourtney Heintz

Cloaked in Christmas by T.F. Walsh

Cloak of Snow by Christine Rains

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Timeless by Crystal Collier

Raven by Rachel Morgan

The Jekyll Revelation by Robert Masello

Infinity by Jus Accardo

Arena by Holly Jennings

Huntress Found by A.A. Chamberlynn

Forever Charmed by Dawn Chartier

Flying Through Fire by Nina Croft

Catalyst by Kristin Smith

Saving Hamlet by Molly Booth

Once Upon a Happy Ending by Various Authors

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling

Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson

Unreal Encounters by Milo James Fowler

IWSG: Some #NaNoWriMo Tips | 99c Ebook Sale | Wattpad Wednesdays

IWSG was created by the Captain Ninja Alex J. Cavanaugh. To visit the IWSG participants, please click here. The co-hosts for November are Tyrean Martinson, Karen Walker, Denise Covey, and Stephen Tremp.

November is upon us, and I know a lot of people are typing away to reach 50,000 words by the end of the month. I participated in NaNoWriMo from 2009 to 2013. During that time I wrote three novels to first draft completion and wrote partial drafts of four more. Even though I didn't participated last year and am not participating this year, I cheer you on and have a few tips to help you on your way.

1. Outline. Wait, you say you didn't outline before November 1? That's okay. When you finish writing for the day, think about what might come next and write a sentence or two about it. When you gear up to write the next day, pull up that mini outline note. It'll help you get into a frame of mind of what to write next.
2. Never stop writing at the end of a scene/chapter. One of the hardest things about writing is beginnings. Writing a paragraph or two of the next scene/chapter before calling it a day will give you a jump start into the next day's writing.
3. Consider using a timer. When I used to write without a timer, I would wander a lot. Write a bit here, check Facebook there, etc. I easily became distracted. To overcome distraction, I started timing my writing. With that clock ticking down, it keeps me focused. Try ten or twenty minutes sprints and see if it helps you clock in more words.
4. You are all winners. Writing is hard. Seriously. Even if you don't finish the book or get anywhere near 50,000 words, you are writing, and that's a win in my book.
5. Have fun.

Do you have any NaNoWriMo tips? What are your insecurities?

From now until 11/16, you can purchase Once upon a Nightmare: A Collection (paranormal horror), Reborn (YA Epic Fantasy), and People of Foxwick and Their Neighbors (Epic Fantasy short stories) for 99 cents a piece.

Click here for purchase links.

Read Reborn from the beginning or Chapter Thirty-Six.

The Realms Faire starts next week! Be prepared for Riddle Me This on this blog, and there will be tons of games and prizes on the participating blogs.

The authors of Mayhem in the Air are on tour this week and next. Read excerpts from our stories, and there is a giveaway for a $40 Amazon gift card! Click here for a list of blogs participating.

Wednesday's Writing Update and The Faerie War by Rachel Morgan

 

Happy Wednesday!

Tonight I'll be giving a talk on writing horror, so if you're in the Charlottesville, VA area today, feel free to stop by, since it's open to the public. Click here for more information.

I got a very slow start to the month, but I do feel quite productive lately. I finished writing the short stories in Neighbors of Foxwick and have all my self-edits done, so the stories are now with my critique partners. I finished my map for the Kingdom of Foxwick. You'll get to see it next Wednesday on the blog. Also, I outlined Reigned for NaNoWriMo 2013. The premise of Reigned is: Challenged by Fate. Betrayed by Love. Imprisoned by Chaos. A new queen must break free and reign. Reigned takes place 500 years before The Fate Challenges trilogy.

Tomorrow, I plan to start fixing the beginning of Reforged, book two of The Fate Challenges, since a few things I'm changing in Reborn will change things in Reforged. My goals for the rest of the month are to edit Reborn and edit/write Part I of Reforged, so I'll be ready to start writing Part II in November for NaNoWriMo 2013.

---

It's party time!!! 

Today is the official online release of Rachel Morgan's third Creepy Hollow novel, The Faerie War. After that cliffhanger at the end of the second book, fans can finally find out what happens to Violet and everyone else in Creepy Hollow. If you'd like to get your copy, you can find it at the following online stores, plus a few others:

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

iTunes

CreateSpace (print)

There are seven other teaser images displayed on various blogs today. If you'd like to see them, you can visit the following fabulous bloggers:

And there's a major giveaway going on!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday Excerpt: The Prologue of The Phoenix Prophetess

 

Usually I share the first chapter of my NaNoWriMo novel on the NaNo site. This year, I didn't do that because I wanted to share it here. I know a lot of people say you shouldn't have a prologue, but whether you call this "prologue" or "chapter one," I will fight for this chapter to stay in The Phoenix Prophetess. Otherwise, I worry what Apenth might do to me, if I don't. Hehe! I hope you enjoy!

PROLOGUE

The Island of Mournia

23 Day of Inasham

Year 2500 AUC

The newborn baby lay limp upon the table, a thin cloth separating her from the wood. She was a perfect girl, except for one thing:  she was dead.

Apeth had waited five hundred years for this child’s birth. His bunched muscles across his shoulders and back relaxed. Breath flowed from his nostrils and rustled her dark hair. The midwife had placed her in this room away from the grieving parents. The small crib sat discarded in a corner. A doll peered at him with coal-black eyes. The wails from the other room sent pain through his ears. They didn’t know he was here, watching, waiting for an opportunity to save their child. His hand hovered over her heart.

One touch would change everything.

“Stop, my son.” A wrinkled and liver-spotted hand seized his wrist.

He cursed his lack of foresight. Shouldn’t he have known Postera, the goddess of the future, would try to stop him? He was the god of prophecy, after all! Her bony fingers gripped tighter with a strength he didn’t know she possessed. With a sigh, he lifted his head and focused upon her clear blue eyes, so like his own.

“Mother, she’s the one. I have to continue Amora’s prophecy.” He gently pried her aged fingers from his wrist.

“No. You can’t go against the Fates again. The gods are displeased.” She reached into her dress’s folds and revealed the severed darkening thread of the baby’s lifeline. The yarn of life pulsed around her dark robes. “It’s too late. Her life is forfeited, and her soul shall reside in Hupogaia’s realm.”

His heart sank. The detached thread swayed like a pendulum in the darkened room. Was it too late to revive the child? His body curled closer to the baby girl. Her chance for life was slipping through his fingers with each passing grain of sand in the hourglass.

This girl had to be the sixth one.

“You know what will happen if I don’t do this.” He jerked away from her grasp. His eyes flicked between the blackened thread and the baby. If he didn’t save her, who would foretell the prophecies? Who could stop Fate? Her future was fading into the dark depths of the Underworld, and he wouldn’t allow her to be one of Hupogaia’s eternal children.

“I know what may come. Who taught you prophecy? I did.” Postera blew air through her nose. “You can’t keep meddling. Don’t you see my wrinkles, my white hair? I don’t want to see Kisa curse you like she has me. Remember Hupogaia protested against you in front of the High Council. They said grave consequences will come if you save another one.”

He couldn’t forget the council’s words. But visions of the Kingdom of Amora in flames flashed through his mind. He could taste the ashes, like burnt charcoal, and hear her people’s screams. The prophecy of the kingdom’s destruction brought sour bile to his mouth. The other gods, including the queen goddess Kisa, may be willing to turn their backs on their loyal people for Fate, but he wasn’t.

Then, there was this infant in front of him. She reminded him of his daughter. His mortal family resided in the Underworld, but he couldn’t let this child.

“I have to save her.” He ripped the threads from his mother’s hands and joined the thread of death with the yarn of life. The piece sizzled, reattaching to the other, and transformed to blood red.

“No! You can’t do this! Think of the consequences.”

He was, though. They both knew what would happen.

Ignoring his mother’s shrieks, Apenth leaned over the lifeless baby. His lips pressed against her ashen forehead. It was already too cold. Was he too late? Postera clawed at his arms, but he shoved away her hands. Nothing would stop him from completing Amora’s prophecy, protecting the city named after his love.

“You are mine, little prophetess.” His hand pressed over her heart. Electric heat flowed from his glowing fingertips. They tingled, nearly burning his flesh, but his hand remained steady. Luminosity brightened around them, further blocking out Postera’s pleas. The room filled with the blinding white light.

“Live.” His command, his plea. Let it work one more time.

The light imploded into the child. Her flesh glowed for a moment before the room’s shadows returned. A tiny strawberry-colored birthmark in the shape of a phoenix blossomed upon the flesh over her heart. The baby’s lungs filled with air, and a cry broke from her lips.

The Phoenix Prophetess was reborn.

Wednesday's Writing Update: #NaNoWriMo and The Nightmare Collection

 

Happy Wednesday!

I  can't believe there are just two more days of November! I think my brain is still stuck in around April or so. That also means NaNoWriMo is coming to an end. Last Wednesday, I reached the 50,000 word mark, so I became a NaNo winner. Unfortunately, my rewrite of The Phoenix Prophetess is not finished. By the end of today, I should have Part II done, but I still have Part III, which is another eleven chapters (if I don't add any). I probably have another 35,000-45,000 left to write, so that means I'll be extending my novel writing into December. There's nothing exactly wrong with this other than I had hoped to be finished earlier, so I could take a bit of a break in December. Oh, well. Hopefully I can finish it in the next couple weeks.

The main reason I had a harder time finishing the complete rewrite of The Phoenix Prophetess is because I was proofreading/formatting The Nightmare Collection, which is now available! Plus, I had guest posts, interviews, and excerpts to create for the blog tour December 3-7.

A legend is hungry tonight.

A child monster will gets its first taste of blood in Nightmare at the Freak Show. Four friend will enter the forest on December night, but only one can survive in Once Upon a December Nightmare. Almost ten years after Cassie's December nightmare, the monster awakens to hunt again in Nightmare Ever After.

A review of The Nightmare Collection:

"This is an amazing collection of horror stories. An intriguing mystery, masterful characterization, and heart pounding suspense. Oh, you'll see your fair share of horrific things, but there's so much more to these tales." - Christine Rains, author of L'il Gal Al and the Zombies of Amarillo 

To purchase the ebook for $2.99: Amazon US / UK / DE / FR / ES / IT / JP  Smashwords  Nook US / UK  Kobo

To purchase the print book for $7.95: Createspace  Amazon US / UK / DE / FR / ES / IT

Add on Goodreads

After the New Year, I do plan to raise the price of The Nightmare Collection, so I can use Createspace's extended distribution, so I can get the book in places like The Book Depository.

Next week is the start of The Nightmare Collection Blog Tour. I have over twenty stops in five days filled with interviews, character interviews, excerpts, reviews, and guest posts. There will also be a Rafflecopter giveaway, where I'll be giving away two prize packages (a signed copy of The Nightmare Collection, a signed copy of Gravity: The Complete Trilogy, and a $10 Amazon Gift Card). The giveaway is open internationally. 

I am also doing a Goodreads giveaway open to US residents for signed copies of The Nightmare Collection.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Nightmare Collection

by Cherie Reich

Giveaway ends January 06, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Wednesday's Writing Update: Cover Reveal, NaNoWriMo, Goals, Stats, a Review, and a Break

 

Happy Wednesday! And I would like to wish a very happy birthday to my good friend and critique partner Aubrie Dionne!

As you may have seen on several blogs, I have the cover art for The Nightmare Collection.

Cover art by Nicemonkey at Dreamstime.com. Cover design by Aubrie Dionne. Bookworm logo for Surrounded by Books Publishing created by Cherie Reich.

A legend is hungry tonight.

A child monster will get its first taste of blood in Nightmare at the Freak Show. Four friend will enter the forest on December night, but only one can survive in Once Upon a December Nightmare. Almost ten years after Cassie's December nightmare, the monster awakens to hunt again in Nightmare Ever After.

Forthcoming late November 2012

Add to Goodreads!

It looks really cool in person too!

I also have my October stats.

Words Written: 7,771

Pages Edited: 271

I published Nightmare Ever After on October 29th and finished plotting my YA Fantasy The Loveless Princess (a Foxwick Chronicles novella). Although I had a major breakthrough with Starred, I only managed to edit two scenes in October due to lack of time.

My November goals are:

1. Re-write The Phoenix Prophetess for my NaNoWriMo 2012 novel. I'm at 35,153 words so far with twenty chapters left to write.

2. Proofread The Nightmare Collection and finish formatting for print/ebook formats. Then, publish the collection. My goal is to have this done by November 19th.

3. Complete guest posts/excerpts/interviews for The Nightmare Collection blog tour December 3-7. I plan to send my blog tour hosts everything they'll need on November 26th.

Earlier this month, I also received a fantastic 5/5 starred review for Once Upon a December Nightmare. It made me smile. You can read the review here.

Also, I will be taking a small blogging break through Thanksgiving. The break will be from November 20-25, but I'll try to still visit blogs when I can.

So what are you up to? If you are participating in NaNo, how are you doing?

IWSG: NaNoWriMo time again and a look back #ResurrectionBlogfest

IWSG is hosted by the awesome ninja captain Alex J. Cavanaugh. Please click here for a list of participants.

It's NaNoWriMo season again. So I'm typing my fingers off in rewriting The Phoenix Prophetess. When NaNo comes around, I think back to my previous NaNos. I've been participating since 2009 and so far have won NaNoWriMo every year. I hope this won't be the year that I don't. I must admit I'm worried about it. Typically, I block off my schedule so all I have to do is write, but this year I'm working on publishing The Nightmare Collection and working on blog tour posts and the like while trying to do NaNo. So to say that I'm insecure about NaNo this year--and everything else I need to do--is an understatement.

To give myself inspiration, I joined the Resurrection Blogfest hosted by Mina Lobo at Some Dark Romantic. The goal is to find a post from something from your first year of blogging that you believe deserves some TLC, or that you're especially proud of and wish to showcase, or simply has sentimental value for you. And since I needed some NaNo inspiration, here is a post I posted on November 30, 2009. 

Monday, November 30, 2009

NaNoWriMo Day 30: First Draft of VIRTUOSO finished!

Yesterday, on November 29, I completed the first draft of VIRTUOSO. The novel was 68,176 words long, 25 chapters (prologue + 24 chapters), and 302 pages double-spaced. VIRTUOSO is the first book in the Riverwood Trilogy. I plan to write book two next year and book three the year after that. I do not know if I will continue to use the Riverwood Trilogy as my NaNo 2010 and NaNo 2011 books yet.

I was more excited in finishing VIRTUOSO than I was finishing THE PHOENIX PROPHETESS back in September. When I finished VIRTUOSO, I was absolutely thrilled and excited. When I finished THE PHOENIX PROPHETESS, I was wondering what in the world I had gotten myself into. Of course, Prophetess was my first novel ever completed, so perhaps that is what made it so different. I'm really proud of myself. I've written two novels in less than a year's time. I honestly never thought I would be able to finish one novel.

I have also created a little book cover for VIRTUOSO. Here it is:

I believe the picture I found is just perfect for the novel. Several times, Nadia compares her life to a jigsaw puzzle, and she is a violin virtuoso. The cover art is mainly just for me, but I thought I would share it.

On other writing news, now that December is heading in tomorrow, I need to get back to real writing life. *laughs* I have 2-3 short stories I would like to write for by the end of December. Plus, I will begin doing my rewrites/edits for THE PHOENIX PROPHETESS and begin on the plot outline for THE PHOENIX SORCERESS. I need to read through my previous short stories as well once more and send them out again next month. Fun, fun!

I still like the picture of the puzzle violin, and it's amazing how much Virtuoso will change when I get back to rewriting it. It started out as a YA Paranormal, book one of a trilogy, to YA Contemporary, standalone novel. And I never did get The Phoenix Prophetess rewrites done until this NaNo. Hopefully. *crosses fingers*

Have you looked back on old blog posts to see what you'd hope to do or look back on those small accomplishments that meant the world to you? Please be sure to visit the other Resurrection Blogfest members as well as the other IWSG members.

And I would like to dedicate this post to my guinea pig Abby. She passed away on Saturday. I had her for almost five years, and she was almost six years old.

January/February 2007 - November 3, 2012

Wednesday's Writing Update: Nightmare Ever After and Ten Tales available, plus a Halloween treat

 

Happy Halloween!!

I'm still catching up on things from my five-day weekend last week, but I'm almost there in time for NaNo tomorrow!

Nightmare Ever After and Spells: Ten Tales of Magic are both available!

 

A Horror Novella 

The Sequel to Once Upon a December Nightmare 

Almost ten years have passed since that fateful December night.

But the monster is hungry again.

As the killings start again New Haven, Virginia, FBI Agent Timothy “Tim” O’Conner sends for the lone survivor from the ’02 murders to help him catch a killer. Cassie Richards wants nothing to do with the monster that killed her friends or the agent’s investigation, but she can’t forget the night that has haunted her nightmares. She returns to Virginia in search for closure, but will she be able to catch and kill a legend in time? 

Some reviews of Nightmare Ever After: 

“Get ready for another terrifying ride as you turn pages to discover the killer’s identity and who he’ll pick as his next victim.” – Cher Green, author of Escape to Love  

“The mystery haunts the reader through the pages, slowly unveiling the horror. The story has a definite X-Files feel.” – Christine Rains, author of L’il Gal Al and the Zombies of Amarillo   

To Purchase: Amazon US / UK / DE / FR / ES / IT / JP  Smashwords  Nook  Kobo (forthcoming)  iTunes (forthcoming) 

Add on Goodreads

 

Ten fantasy stories by ten authors.

1. SYSTEM, MAGIC, SPIRIT by T.D. Edge
Will Ambrose betray his magic system just to save an idiot prince?

 2. OBSESSION by Pamela Turner
Some questions are best left unasked. 

3. LADY BARD by Cherie Reich
A love song may be the only cure for a cursed prince.

4. THE FINAL SPARK by CJ Burright
She couldn't afford to fail again.

5. ST JAKE OF THE FUNHOUSE by Douglas Kolacki
For Edward, the 'saint' part was the scariest.

6. BARNABAS by Jeff Hargett
Sixty years, Barnabas has searched for his magic. Will he finally find it in Matilda’s Magic Shop?

7. BY YOUR OWN FREE WILL by Rayne Hall
What price would you pay to get your heart's desire?

8. A MAGICAL MELODY by Ciara Ballintyne
In a world where magic is in the music, Avram must settle the score before it's too late.

9. BRAINS, SEX OR MONEY? by Tara Maya
What would you choose?

10. THE WHITE RAVEN'S FEATHER by David D. Levine
Ibude is a warm-weather wizard held hostage in a frozen land, but his troubles can still get worse.

Some of these stories have been previously published in books, magazines and ezines. 

To Purchase: Amazon US / UK  Smashwords 
It's forthcoming on Nook, iTunes, and Kobo! And if you would like to read and give an honest review, please let me know, and I can hook you up with a copy. 

For a special Halloween treat, I am offering free copies of Once Upon a December Nightmare. If you would like a free copy, then in the comments please answer this question: "What is your favorite part of Halloween?" Also leave an email or some way for me to contact you to send you a coupon code for a free copy. 

And can you believe November 1st is tomorrow? It's time for NaNoWriMo, and even though I'm rewriting a novel, I don't feel all that ready for it. So much left to do!

So are you participating in NaNo this year? Ready for it to be November? Are you doing anything special for Halloween?