Category: MuseItUp (Page 4 of 12)

Erin Albert Author of The Prophecy on the Editorial Process

April 4, 2014 / Katie L. Carroll

One note before we get to the guest post: Just wanted to remind you all I’ll be signing Elixir Bound at Bank Square Books in Mystic, CT tomorrow from 2-4 p.m.! And now back to the show…

Returning guest Erin Albert and I both have a lot in common. Aside from being short and writing YA fantasy, we also both have experience working with books as an author and an editor, which I think gives us an insightful look at the book editing process. Let’s give Erin a big welcome as she shares what it was like editing her YA fantasy The Prophecy.

When I first got my contract on The Prophecy, I thought I had submitted a pretty tight manuscript. I am, after all, a grammar freak. Given that, I honestly had no idea what to expect from my editors. My publisher, MuseItUp Publishing, assigned Katie Carroll and Susan Davis to be my content and line editors, respectively.

I received an email from Katie about a month or so after returning my contract. That day, I happened to be at a carnival and couldn’t see her changes from my phone. I spent the rest of the afternoon distracted. Upon arriving home, I raced to the computer to see what comments she may have made. Imagine my surprise when I noted she made nearly 100 comments on the first chapter alone. Talk about a reality check!

I poured through her notes. In the process, I learned a great deal about the publishing process. I discovered adverbs—my near and dear friends—receive no love in the writing world. When I studied as an English major, my professors encouraged the use of adverbs. But Katie told me to take out as many as I possibly could. Oh, my heart ached as I chopped adverb after adverb. Next, she mentioned my point of view shifts—those subtle moments when I’m in one character’s head but show a brief thought from another character’s. I learned to recognize the times I made those slips and correct them.

Katie and I went back and forth on edits for several months, and each time, I watched my story transform, getting better and better. When Susan took over, I again had no idea what to expect. The work Katie and I had done appeared complete, yet the line edits came back with even more corrections. Susan showed me I overuse certain wording like “she knew” and “she saw.” I watched in wonderment as the story improved yet again.

Thanks to Katie and Susan, I learned a great deal about myself as a writer and about the writing world in general. I’ve taken those lessons and combined them with my own grammar freakishness to become a line editor myself. And my personal writing has made leaps and bounds. I am about to enter my second editing cycle with Katie and Susan for The Outlanders, sequel to The Prophecy. I hope I’ve addressed the problems they discovered the first time, but I’m sure a host of new changes will present themselves this second time around. I will continue to grow, hopefully improving with each round. And that’s really the biggest lesson I learned from my editors—never stop honing your craft. Never hang up your hat and say, “It’s the best it will be, and I have nothing left to learn.” You always have something left to learn. Your work can always be better. So, don’t shy away from the assistance of others. Instead, embrace it and watch your mind expand.

The Prophecy blurb:

Growing up on a small farm in the kingdom of Vanguard, seventeen-year-old Layla Givens lives a deceptively tranquil existence. But her carefully constructed life quickly falls apart when she’s abducted by a religious zealot who proclaims her The Fulfillment of an ancient peace prophecy and whisks her away to marry her greatest enemy.

Wilhelm, Prince of the Ethereals, is reluctant to meet his new bride. He’s grown up believing Vanguards are evil, an enemy to fight and fear…not love. Can he set aside his prejudices and work alongside Layla to bring lasting peace after centuries of war?

Nash, a loner who has never fit in, carries a huge secret, one big enough to destroy both kingdoms. When he accidently meets Layla, he’s no longer content to live in the shadows, but he must resist his growing attraction—for her safety and for the longevity of the two kingdoms.

When Nash’s secret is revealed, a firestorm sweeps through both realms, with Layla at the center. Now she must choose between duty and desire while the fate of two nations hangs in the balance.

Purchase The Prophecy at the MuseItUp website, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and other ebook retailers.

About the Author:

Erin Albert is an author and fitness trainer. Since she picked up Morris the Moose Goes to School at age four, she has been infatuated with the written word. She went on to work as a grammar and writing tutor in college and is still teased by her family and friends for being a member of the “Grammar Police.” In her free time, Erin enjoys acting, running, kickboxing, and, of course, reading and writing.

Find Erin online on Twitter (@ErinAlbertBooks), on Facebook, at her website, or on Goodreads.

Author J.Q. Rose and Character Lacey on Coda to Murder

March 21, 2014 / Katie L. Carroll

It’s always nice to have a returning guest poster on the blog. And today we get a bonus, not only is J.Q. Rose back, but she’s brought along Lacey from J.Q.’s cozy mystery Coda to Murder. Welcome, J.Q. and Lacey!

Hello, Katie. Hello, readers. Lacey and I are so glad to be guests on Katie’s blog. Lacey is Pastor Christine’s closest friend in the cozy mystery/sweet romance, Coda to Murder. Because we know our dear pastor so well, we wanted to stop by so you could learn about her. She doesn’t like to “toot her own horn,” so we thought we’d do it for her.

JQ, there you go again with those clichés.

Oh, sorry, Lacey. Sorry readers, but you know they often say exactly what I mean “in a nutshell.”

Uh, JQ, never mind. Let’s tell the folks about Christine.

Thanks, Lacey. Take a peek at an excerpt from Chapter 3.

Christine jumped when she heard the doorbell buzz followed by a loud, “Yoo, hoo!” The cat hopped off her lap, and Christine climbed out of the recliner. She rushed to unlock and open the kitchen door. Lacey marched in with a bouquet of flowers and a brown paper bag.

“Hey, Chris. How ya’ doin’?” Lacey placed the vase of red and yellow tulips on the kitchen counter. “I heard about William. I am so sorry.” Lacey wrapped her arms around Christine and hugged hard.

The tall pastor and the petite florist couldn’t have been more different in appearance. Lacey’s blunt cut strawberry blonde hair and bright floral shirt and jeans contrasted with the minister’s black suit and shoulder length brown hair.

Because they were so alike in their life experiences, they became fast friends. They were nearly the same age, both single, both uncommitted,and both had marriages that ended badly.

She held out the brown bag. “Here, I brought us some light beers. I figured you needed some company.” She smiled big, making Christine realize how much she loved her friend.

# # # #

Lacey, you were such a wonderful support for Christine throughout this story. I have to give you credit for pushing Christine to notice the handsome Detective Cole Stephens.

“Well, I did point out he was hot. Take a look at this excerpt:

“I heard Cole Stephens is the investigator on William’s case,” said Lacey.

“He’s gorgeous.” She grinned a silly face at Christine and then sucked down more beer.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. I was so worried about Dutch, I didn’t even notice.”

“Well, I’m sure you had your mind on a lot more than Cole Stephens. Take my word for it, he’s a cutie,” Lacey said with a wink.

Christine tried to picture Cole Stephens. He was a tall, muscular man and handsome in his tie and sport coat. She remembered his short-cropped hair. Was it a flat-top, or was there some spiky hair sticking out? Did he wear glasses or not? Her memory of him was just too fuzzy.

“I didn’t exactly have my man radar out this morning.” She tried to brush off more of the cat hair, dust, and food particles on her suit coat and slacks.

“Well, I’m sure he’ll be talking to you some more if this investigation turns up foul play.”

Christine sat straight up on the couch and faced her friend. “Why would you even say something like that? You know William probably just tripped down the steps. Gosh, Lacey. What a thing to say!”

“I’m just sayin’…just wondering…I mean, really, Chris, nobody knows anything about William. He may have had too much wine and fell down the steps, or he discovered a burglar in the church, or any of a dozen things. Just sayin’…” Lacey quickly took another swig of the cold beer.

Focusing intently on Christine’s eyes, she said, “Cole Stephens has a reputation for digging for the truth. He won’t settle for any old explanation of William’s death. You have to be prepared for the worst.”

# # # #

“No truer words were ever spoken,” Lacey. Oh, there I go again. I thought I’d point out the cliché before you did.

Right, JQ. The readers will be taken along on a story that involves a murder mystery, but also a love story. Getting Chris and Cole together was difficult. So many obstacles to overcome, the main one being the darling detective wanted to nail Christine with the murder of the church’s music director, William.

As if that wasn’t enough, Christine was skittish about getting into another relationship with a man after being hurt so badly by her ex-husband.

Readers, there’s plenty of action, humor, and mystery in this book, Coda to Murder. If you want to download an excerpt or purchase the ebook, you can find it at MuseItUp Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other major online booksellers.

Coda to Murder blurb:

Pastor Christine Hobbs has been in the pulpit business for over five years. She never imagined herself caring for a flock that includes a pig, a kangaroo, and a murderer.

Detective Cole Stephens doesn’t want the pretty pastor to get away with murdering the church music director. His investigative methods infuriate Christine as much as his deep brown eyes attract her.

Can they find the real killer and build a loving relationship based on trust?

About the Author:

After writing feature articles in magazines, newspapers, and online magazines for over fifteen years, J.Q. Rose entered the world of fiction writing with her first published novella, Sunshine Boulevard, and her latest mystery, Coda to Murder. Both ebooks were released by MuseItUp Publishing. Blogging, photography, Pegs and Jokers board games, and travel are the things that keep her out of trouble. Spending winters in Florida with her husband allows Janet the opportunity to enjoy the life of a snowbird. Summer finds her camping and hunting toads, frogs, and salamanders with her four grandsons and granddaughter.

Connect with J.Q. Rose online at:

J.Q. Rose blog http://www.jqrose.com/

Girls Succeed blog http://girlssucceed.blogspot.com/

Author website http://jqrose.webs.com/

Facebook http://facebook.com/jqroseauthor

J. Q. Rose Amazon Author Page http://tinyurl.com/aeuv4m4

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/jqrose

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/janetglaser/

Cover Reveal Surrender the Sky by Meradeth Houston

March 14, 2014 / Katie L. Carroll

I love all of the books in Meradeth Houston’s Sary Society series and it’s a special thrill to share the cover of the most recent one, Surrender the Sky (see my 5-star Goodreads review here). Be sure to enter the giveaway and check out all of Meradeth’s books. If you pre-order Surrender the Sky, you’ll get The Chemistry of Fate free! Oh, and click on over to Meradeth’s blog to see my guest post today about Sary in the real world.

The third book in the Sary Society series, SURRENDER THE SKY, has a shiny new cover! (But you’re gonna have to read about what it’s about before I let you see it!)

Release Date: May 2014

Synopsis:

Gabby lives by two unbreakable rules: don’t expose her kind, the Sary, and don’t fall in love—too bad some rules are made to be broken.

When Gabby’s most difficult charge accidentally shoots her in front of a class full of students, the event exposes her carefully hidden identity. She shifts from looking like a normal teen to her secret Sary form, revealing her wings and the existence of her kind—immortals who try to keep people from committing suicide. Her incident attracts the attention of the next leader of the Sary, Jassen, who offers her an impossible bargain: she can keep her wings if she makes amends with those who know the truth. Things get more complicated when a rebel Sary, intent on exposing them to the world, starts interfering with Gabby’s work. And there’s no denying her attraction to Jassen, who is torn between his duties and his heart. With threats at every turn and her immortality on the line, Gabby has to find a way to save the Sary or surrender the sky forever.

Surrender the Sky is a stand alone title that follows COLORS LIKE MEMORIES and THE CHEMISTRY OF FATE, with cameos from several of the characters in the first books! It will be available in May wherever ebooks are sold!

Join in the celebration for a $10 Amazon gift card! Use the rafflecopter below for entries 🙂

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Find Meradeth Houston online at: www.MeradethHouston.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and of course her blog!

Interview with Christina Weigand Author of Sanctuary of Nine Dragons

February 28, 2014 / Katie L. Carroll

A hearty welcome back to Christina Weigand as she celebrates the release of Sanctuary of Nine Dragons, the third book in her YA fantasy series Palace of Twelve pillars. She’s been gracious enough to answer a few questions. Hi, Christina!

What made you want to become a writer?

A shark. When I was a kid for the longest time I thought I wanted to be a nurse. I desperately wanted to wear one of those little white caps that they wore back in the day. When I was a junior in high school, I went to see the movie Jaws. That night I had nightmares and couldn’t sleep. It was then that I decided that maybe nursing was not for me. I had always written. I wrote for the school newspaper and a local newspaper. Journalism seemed a natural choice.

What inspired you to write Sanctuary of Nine Dragons?

I can’t put my finger on one particular incident that inspired this book, except for the one when I finished the second book in the trilogy and realized that the story wasn’t finished yet. For the whole trilogy though, I don’t remember a bolt of lightning, or any particular thing that inspired the story. It started out as a lonely farm boy being told that he was a prince and wizard and blossomed from there.

What one book do you wish you had written?

There are so many books out there that I love, but the reason I love them is because the talent of a particular author are behind it. They were the best person to write that book. I couldn’t have written their book just as they couldn’t have written mine.

At what moment did you truly begin to feel like an author?

It was my first NaNo (National Novel Writing Month) when I was writing Palace of the Twelve Pillars. It was the first draft and writing the funeral scene of King Theodric. I stopped and reread after writing it. I couldn’t believe that I wrote those words, that they came from my fingers. I ran through the house showing it to anyone who was there. Of course my husband was the only one there and he just didn’t get that feeling.

What is your favorite part of the writing process? What is your least favorite part?

When the characters take control of the story and things just flow. My least favorite part is when the characters are silent and the words won’t come.

What is the single best piece of advice you have for aspiring authors?

If it is your passion, your calling, to write then don’t give it up. Don’t listen when others tell you not good enough or you should be doing something else. Write, read and write some more.

What is next for you in your writing career?

I just submitted a middle-grade novel to my publisher. God willing it will be published by the end of the year. I have another series that I have started.

Sanctuary of Nine Dragons blurb:

Joachim banishes Brandan to prison island of Hyogo. His infant son, Prince Airyn disappears from his cradle. A chain of events is set in motion that will pit brother against brother, friend against friend, parents against children as Brandan and Joachim struggle for control of their sanity and their very lives.

With Brandan declared dead and his son missing Joachim sinks into despair and anger, where those close to him fear he may never return.

Is Brandan really dead and if he is, who is manipulating the Mantion and enemies of Crato?

Can Maeve save her country and her husband from the tentacles of evil pervading the land?

Find it at the MuseItUp bookstore, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and other ebook retailers.

About the Author:

Christina Weigand’s a writer, wife, and mother of three grown children and a middle school daughter. She is also Nana to three granddaughters. She lives with her husband and youngest daughter in Pennsylvania, returning there after a short sabbatical in Washington. Currently, she’s working on fantasy novels and inspirational writing. Through her writing, she strives to share the Word of God and help people young and old to realize the love and mercy He has for everyone.

When she’s not writing, she’s active in her local Church as a lector, Bible Study, or with the church theater group, volunteering at her daughter’s school helping the children develop a love for reading and writing. Jesus fills her home with love as she shares Him through her writing.

Find out more about Christina on her blog, Twitter (@CAWeigand), Facebook, Goodreads, and Amazon.

Meet Rosemary Morris Author of The Captain and The Countess

February 21, 2014 / Katie L. Carroll

I’m very pleased to have historical novelist Rosemary Morris, author of The Captain and the Countess, share some of her writing wisdom today on the blog. Let’s give Rosemary a big welcome on her book b-day!

Thank you very much for inviting me to be your guest.

As you know I am a historical novelist, and one of the questions frequently put to me is: “Where do you get your ideas from?”

Usually, the idea for a plot comes from something I have read in a non-fiction book. While I am working in my organic garden, where I grow herbs, fruit and vegetables or while I am using them in my vegetarian cuisine, I think about the plot and theme. I ask myself the following questions. “Who are the main characters? What is going to happen? Where will it happen? When will it happen? Why will it happen?”

Before I can begin to write a historical fiction novel I name the characters. This is very important. They must be appropriate for the period when the story takes place. After I have chosen their names, I compose detailed character profiles. By the time I am ready to write the first sentence, I know who their ancestors were, what they look like, where they were educated, when they were born, what their favourite perfume is, their eccentricities, their hopes and fears etc. Although I only use a fraction of the four page profiles they create people who live and breathe in my imagination.

A frequent remark which people make is: “I could write a book.” I am sure they could if they set aside time to write. I wake at 6 a.m. and with short breaks I work until 10 or 11 a.m. If I am at home for the rest of the day I work from 1.30 p.m. until 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.

To complete a novel an author must be self-disciplined. The important thing is to keep to a routine. As I sip my early morning tea I revise the pages I wrote on the previous day and then continue the story. Whether my muse is with me or not my goal is to write 2,000 words but if I need to research something, depending on how much time that takes, I write less.

Part of my writing time includes reading historical non-fiction to research a wide variety of subjects – for example, clothes, food, furnishings, economic and social history. I also read poetry, fiction, letters, biographies and auto-biographies dating back to the era I am writing about. I believe historical novelists have a duty to reconstruct the life and times of their characters and recreate their world. In my opinion, the further back in time a novel takes place the harder it is to enter the minds of people who lived then, but although their culture and attitudes might have been different, they were driven by the same things as we are – love, hate, greed, revenge, duty, etc.

Apart from writing and research, which from time to time includes visiting places such as a stately home, garden or museum, I blog, apply critiques of my chapters from members of groups which I belong to and critique their chapters. This is mutually useful. We comment on rogue punctuation and spelling, query possible historical inaccuracies and tell each other what we like about each other’s novel

One thing is certain, my characters and I are never bored.

The Captain and the Countess blurb:

Set in England in the reign of Queen Anne Stuart – 1702 -1714

Why does heart-rending pain lurk in the back of the wealthy Countess of Sinclair’s eyes?

Captain Howard’s life changes forever from the moment he meets Kate, the intriguing Countess and resolves to banish her pain.

Although the air sizzles when widowed Kate, victim of an abusive marriage meets Edward Howard, a captain in Queen Anne’s navy, she has no intention of ever marrying again.

However, when Kate becomes better acquainted with the Captain she realises he is the only man who understands her grief and can help her to untangle her past.

E.books published by: MuseItUp Publishing available from the publisher, Amazon and elsewhere.

Tangled Love, Far Beyond Rubies (also available as a paperback) False Pretences, Sunday’s Child. New release 21^st February 2014 The Captain and the Countess.

About the Author:

Rosemary Morris was born in 1940 in Sidcup Kent. As a child, when she was not making up stories, her head was ‘always in a book.’

While working in a travel agency, Rosemary met her Indian husband. He encouraged her to continue her education at Westminster College. In 1961 Rosemary and her husband, now a barrister, moved to his birthplace, Kenya, where she lived from 1961 until 1982. After an attempted coup d’état, she and four of her children lived in an ashram in France.

Back in England, Rosemary wrote historical fiction. She is now a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Historical Novel Society and Watford Writers.

Apart from writing, Rosemary enjoys classical Indian literature, reading, visiting places of historical interest, vegetarian cooking, growing organic fruit, herbs and vegetables and creative crafts.

Her bookshelves are so crammed with historical non-fiction which she uses to research her novels that if she buys a new book she has to consider getting rid of one.

Time spent with her five children and their families, most of whom live near her is precious.

www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

http://rosemarymorris.blogspot.com