Books for kids, teens, & those who are young at heart

Tag: Fantasy (Page 3 of 3)

Meet Kai Strand author of Beware of the White

Today I’m doing an interview over at the new MuseItUp Young and YA blog. In my absence, please welcome fellow Muser Kai Strand, author of the middle grade fantasy Beware of the White (check out my Goodreads review), as she discusses her editorial process. 

DO THE HARD WORK

Hi everybody! I’m Kai Strand, author of the newly released middle grade fantasy adventure, Beware of the White. I’m thrilled to be on Katie’s blog. Katie was my content editor for Beware of the White and she helped me SO much!

I have a love/hate relationship with editing. I cannot stand the initial revisions, the first pass review that follows the creative high of the first draft. As painfully boring as those revisions are to me, I understand they are crucial to the process. I have great critique partners and I don’t want to jeopardize our working relationship by sending them work I haven’t done due diligence in. It is disrespectful of their time and expertise to send sloppy work.

Once I get their input, I enjoy the editing process again. I like to see how they suggest improvement to the storyline or character development. I love to see where they melt over a character or shake a fist in frustration. I even find the occasional question mark (the ‘what-exactly-do-you-mean-here’ question mark) challenging. As an author, it isn’t my job to defend my work, it is my job to make the story and characters clear to the reader so that no defense is required.

After that, I usually go into another funk of  ‘this is so boring’ as I prepare the manuscript for submission. Once I get an editor assigned from the publisher I fall back in love again. I love when an editor really challenges me to improve the book. I love wanting to tear my hair out because it feels like so much work after having put in so much work already. Because I know that will make it a stronger story that will resonate with the reader.

So here comes my last hateful relationship with the editing process. The hard work. Ah, you thought I already mentioned the hard work above, huh? There is one more crucial step. When a content editor reads your work, she examines the story for logic, gaps, motivation. She notes if the pace falls off, mentions an awkward dialogue exchange, points out where your heroine suddenly jumps out of character. You fix the things she mentions and the two of you exchange the manuscript a few times to tweak and refine your words. The line editor points out all of your misuse of commas, grammatical errors, and tweaks to the formatting.

But wait…who is making sure that after all these changes, the words still flow? OH! The author. Before those final edits are turned in, do the hard work and read your story aloud. When you are micro-editing it is so easy to edit in duplicate words or phrases, awkward transitions or a different writing voice. The only way to make absolutely certain the edits are a success is to start at the beginning and read all the way to the end. And do it OUT LOUD! Don’t cry. I know it’s a lot of work, but your story will be stronger for it. I promise.

About Beware of the White:

As is tradition, Terra learns on the Saturday past her twelfth birthday that she is a Natures Spirit. It is her legacy to serve in the peaceful underground city of Concord. Learning she is named in a prophecy and being threatened by the leader of the death tribe…that part breaks tradition.

The Trepidus are the death janitors of the Underworld, responsible for delivering fatalities with a smile and cleaning up after themselves until Blanco, recent leader of the Trepidus, decides the day of reckoning for his species is coming. He begins organizing the creatures and leads them toward an uprising. The prophecy says there is one person who can stop him. Terra.

With Spirit of Security, Frank, protecting her, Terra attempts to complete her training and discover her Spirit talents. Together, they go on a rogue investigation to learn how to defeat Blanco. In the end, it comes down to a battle of the minds. The future of Concord is at stake. Will Blanco, the older, more experienced being win? Or will Terra, the young, new Spirit earn back the peace of the city?

Buy It:

MuseItUp Publishing

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

To celebrate the launch of BEWARE OF THE WHITE, Kai Strand has awesome book related prize packages. Be sure to enter to win. And return again and again to claim entries as you qualify. Kai will also have Spontaneous Giveaways during her book tour. Those giveaways won’t be announced so be sure to follow Kai’s tour. Only virtual stalkers will have the opportunity at all the fun!

About the author:

Kai Strand writes fiction for kids and teens. Her debut novel, The Weaver, was a finalist in the 2012 EPIC eBook Awards. She is a (very lucky) wife and the mother of four amazing kids. The most common sound in her household is laughter. The second most common is, “Do your dishes!” She and her family hike, geocache, and canoe in beautiful Central Oregon, where they call home.

To find out more about Kai’s books, download companion documents, find links to her published short stories and discover all the places to find Kai both virtually and in person, visit her website: www.kaistrand.com. She loves to hear from readers, so feel free to send her an email or visit her facebook page, Kai Strand, Author.

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Quest of the Hart by Mary Waibel

Please welcome fellow Muse author Mary Waibel as she interviews Prince Devlin from her YA fantasy Quest of the HartBased on the interview, this book feels like it’s going to be action-packed. Mary is giving away a copy of the book while on her blog tour. Use the rafflecopter below to enter!

Cover Quest of the Hart 300dpiMe: Welcome, Prince Devlin.

Devlin: Please, call me Devlin.

(He smiles, his silver eyes shining like coins, and I barely hold back a sigh.)

Me: Oh, well, thank you so much, Devlin, for taking time away from your duties to chat. I’m sure you have so much to do, with your wedding just a week away. And speaking of your wedding, I have a few questions about Princess Kaylee.

D: I’ll answer what I can, but I only have a few minutes. Kaylee and I are going for a ride soon.

Me: I’ll be as quick as I can, then. So, how did you and Kaylee meet?

D: We have an arranged marriage. In fact, until a few days ago, I’d never seen her. But, now that I have, I can say she’s wonderful. Kind, caring, smart, funny. Did I mention beautiful?

(Princess Arabella saunters in during his descriptions and groans.)

Arabella: Please, isn’t there anywhere I can go in this castle where it isn’t Kaylee this and Kaylee that? I thought it was bad when it was Devlin this and Devlin that. Things will be different before the day is out, though, I promise you that.

D: What do you mean?

A: Nothing. Aren’t you supposed to be out riding with Kaylee?

D: Oh, yes. I’m late. It was very nice meeting you. I hope you enjoy the wedding.

(Devlin leaves, and Arabella smirks.)

A: Not if I have anything to say about it.

(She slinks from the room.)

Me: Well, I guess we’ll just have to read Quest of the Hart to see what that was all about!

Quest of the Hart blurb:

A reverse Sleeping Beauty tale where the princess goes on the quest to save the prince.

Princess Kaylee has never had to fight for anything. Her entire life has been arranged, even her marriage. But when Prince Devlin falls under an enchantment, she finds she is willing to do anything to save him, even if it means fighting a dragon.

Devlin’s own sister, Princess Arabella, is behind the deadly plot. She wants the throne and will use any means necessary to gain it. Her perfect plan unravels, leaving Devlin caught in a magical sleep that is slowly spreading through the kingdom of Breniera. All Arabella needs to finish her spell and claim the crown is a drop of Kaylee’s blood, but obtaining the single drop is proving more difficult than expected.

To save her betrothed, Kaylee embarks on a quest to find an ancient sword and gather a drop of dragon’s blood, while trying to stay out of Arabella’s traps. But Arabella’s traps aren’t the only danger. Time is everything. For once the last inhabitant of the kingdom falls asleep, the spell will be sealed, and not even true love’s kiss will break it.

Quest of the Hart can be purchased at the MuseItUp bookstore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5SvEAbFQtE

Author Photo- Mary WaibelAbout the Author:

Mary lives with her husband, son and two cats. When she isn’t twisting fairytales, she enjoys reading, playing games, watching hockey, and camping. Her debut novel, Quest of the Hart, will be available from MuseItUp Publishing April 19, 2013. The Lost Princess, a companion novel, will be available from MuseItUp Publishing in August 2013. You can find Mary Waibel at:

http://marywaibel.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/authormarywaibel

@mewtweety14 (twitter)

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The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

Warning: The Next Big Thing Blog Hop has gone viral. On this hallowed day, I’m sad to report I’m the latest victim. That means you’ll have to suffer through hearing all about my latest work in progress, a follow up to my novel Elixir Bound.

This all happened thanks to the virus-spreading Rosalie Skinner, who shared the pestilence of her work in progress last week.

What is the working title of your book?

Elixir Saved

Where did the idea come from for the book?

When I wrote Elixir Bound, I always knew I wanted to write a more epic sequel. Enter Elixir Saved. Three POV characters, an epic battle scene, and life-and-death choices.

What genre does your book fall under?

YA fantasy adventure

What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

This is a tough one, mostly because I haven’t had power for the last few days, which inhibits my ability to scan the Internet looking for just the right actors.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Each saved by the Elixir, three survivors must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice with their second chance at life.

Will you book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Most likely neither. I’ll be sending it to the publisher of Elixir Bound once it’s ready.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Who can say? Hopefully not as long as it took to write Elixir Bound. I’m aiming for less than a year.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Genre wise I’d say Kristin Cashore’s and Melina Marchetta’s fantasies. Wouldn’t I love someone else to compare me to those writers!

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

My sister Kylene, who died unexpectedly at the age of sixteen. I’ve been very candid about how she has influenced me in my writing career.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Most of your favorite characters from Elixir Bound will make appearances in this book. Honestly, I’ve grown so much as a writer these last few years, I think Elixir Saved will be even better than its predecessor!

On November 7th, the next victims of the blog hop will be posting about their own books and works in progress and spreading the madness. Tag, you’re it:

Meradeth Houston

Cheryl Carpinello

Sarah C. Pilon

Elixir Bound nominated for the 2012 Cybils Awards

Well, I made it through my first author event without any major hiccups (no passing out or vomiting midspeech!). Rumors have been circulating that the whole thing was recorded and may end up on YouTube. I’ll be sure to let you know if that comes to fruition (and, of course, only if I look good in the video!).

CybilsLogo2012-Web-ButtonIn other news, I was thrilled to have Elixir Bound nominated for the 2012 Cybils (Chilrden’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards) in the Teen Fantasy/Sci-Fi category. I’m up against some stiff competition, and that’s only after the public nominations have been listed. It’s an honor just to be in the running. (I certainly don’t expect to beat out a book like Kristin Cashore’s Bitterblue!) A special thanks to Ladybug Lin for nominating Elixir Bound.

Finally, check out an original short story of mine called When Angels Die up on the MuseItUp Publishing blog today. I penned this one specifically for the Halloween season, so I hope you like a good scare.

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