Foto Friday ~ Gratitude

THE WATCHER Book Blast & Giveaway!

 

The Watcher Millennia ago, he fell from heaven for her. Can he face her without falling again? Fascinated with ancient civilizations, seventeen-year-old Mia Crawford dreams of becoming an archaeologist. She also dreams of wings—soft and silent like snow—and somebody trying to steal them. When a horrible creature appears out of thin air and attacks her, she knows Michael Fontaine is involved, though he claims to know nothing about it. Secretive and aloof, Michael evokes feelings in Mia that she doesn’t understand. Images of another time and place haunt her. She recognizes them—but not from any textbook. In search of the truth, Mia discovers a past life of forbidden love, jealousy and revenge that tore an angel from Heaven and sent her to an early grave. Now that her soul has returned, does she have a chance at loving that angel again? Or will an age-old nemesis destroy them both? Ancient history is only the beginning.
 

From November 28th to December 1st The Watcher is on sale for just $1.99!

Download your copy today!!      Praise for The Watcher "Voisin's THE WATCHER blends paranormal mystery and romance into a book that is sure to keep readers turning the pages late into the night." -- Eileen Cook, author of THE ALMOST TRUTH "Perfect for fans of angels and demons, Lisa Voisin has created an uplifting tale of redemption, love, and spirituality that gives hope. Never preachy, THE WATCHER is the perfect answer to critics who claim Young Adult literature is too dark." -- Stephanie Lawton, author of WANT and SHRAPNEL "The Watcher is stunning! A paranormal romance that you won't want to put down. Voisin will enthrall you until the very last page." -- Stephanie Keyes, author, THE STAR CHILD series "Grips the reader, pulls them in and leaves them cheering for good!" -- InD'tale Magazine “The Watcher is my favorite angel fiction tale yet.” -- Katrina @Kindred Dreamheart “This book is phenomenal! I was hooked in right away and didn't want to stop.” -- Michelle @Michelle’s Paranormal Vault

 Book Trailer Excerpt
Instead of saying more, he brushed his fingertips along my cheek, and his halo glimmered. I could hear the waves slapping the rocks behind us, the wind driving them in. That same wind whipped against my skin, but the touch of his hand on my face was all I could think about. It sent a current through both of us and filled me with longing for something I wasn’t sure I understood. “I’m sorry.” He stepped back and shoved his hands into his pockets as the light around him faded. “You don’t know what it’s like. Being near you now, remembering those moments we had…” His hair blew into his eyes, but this time he didn’t move. I wanted to brush it back, but I didn’t know how he’d react. Would touching him be bad? “You want to know who you were?” he asked. “You may look different, but you’re the same. I look into your eyes and see you.” He took in a deep breath, fixing his attention on the horizon. I’d seen and heard so much now that the logical part of my brain had long since given up arguing with me. I could feel what he was saying was true. All of it.  

Author Lisa Voisin A Canadian-born author, Lisa Voisin spent her childhood daydreaming and making up stories, but it was her love of reading and writing in her teens that drew her to Young Adult fiction. A self-proclaimed coffee lover, Lisa can usually be found writing in a local café. When she's not writing, you'll find her meditating or hiking in the mountains to counteract the side effects of drinking too much caffeine! Though she’s lived in several cities across Canada, she currently lives in Vancouver, B.C. with her fiancé and their two cats.  

Twitter * Facebook * Website * Blog

   

BookBlast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 12/18/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author.

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pep Talk from Marie Lu

Marie’s Website
Marie’s Books

Hey Wrimos,

You’re past the halfway mark. Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and you can see the faintest glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. But you can barely breathe. Your brain feels sore. Things might be getting a little rough, right?
I’m not going to give you inspirational words. I’m not going to tell you how hard it is to be a writer or how courageous you are to be doing this (which you are, by the way, didn’t you know that already?). You don’t have time for all that—you’re trying to finish a novel! Today, I’m going to give you some practical tips on how to make it through the third week. The dark swamp. The mines of writer’s block.

Pull your favorite, tattered, dog-eared book off the shelves. Find a chapter that leaves you breathless. Start typing it out in a new document, word for word. Don’t just type blindly; think about what you’re writing. For me, something about this exercise helps me see the genius in the other writer’s storytelling, and will stimulate my own writing and thoughts. Be careful, of course, that you don’t end up plagiarizing it right into your novel… but there’s something to be said for drawing inspiration from another.

Write a long list of all your characters. Then, start drawing random lines connecting random characters to each other. Don’t think—just connect. Afterward, look down at your page. Try to figure out a connection between each of the two random characters you just linked—something scandalous, maybe, or something sweet. Something three-dimensional and unexpected. Some explosive scene that throws the two together.

Turn to a different creative venture. This is the point in NaNoWriMo when you start feeling exhausted, which makes you lazy, which makes your storytelling lazy. Words might not be inspiring you anymore. So turn to writing’s creative cousins. Art. Music. Games. And so on. I personally will draw my characters. You can do the same, even if you don’t usually draw or you don’t want to draw your characters. Take 10 minutes and make a map of your world, even if you’re writing contemporary. Where’s the post office? What’s the layout of this house? What places do your characters love to visit? Draw a random box in the corner. Make that a secret/forbidden/abandoned place. A love hotel. A bar with a hidden basement.

Turn to music: make a playlist of music that matches the mood of your story. Don’t just play it back, either—plug in some good headphones, close your eyes, sit back, crank the volume, and get lost. Play the scenes of your story out in your head. Imagine the lyrics matching your story. Listen to the story arc inherent in the song. Go to where your characters are. Somewhere in the darkness, you might see the spark of a scene.

Of course, none of this can trump the ultimate, time-worn advice:
Just Keep Going.
Write an entire monologue with your main character if you have to. Spend a chapter just exploring the life story of an antagonist. Write a scene with nothing but dialogue between your hero and your villain. Write a steamy love scene between your favorite couple. They don’t have to be scenes in chronological order. They don’t even have to end up in your book. But they will help you to keep going.
So keep going. You’re almost there. Just a little more. You are stubborn. You are exhausted. You are determined. You are a Writer.
Marie

Foto Friday ~ Peter F. Drucker

NaNo Pep Talk from Bella Andre

Pep Talk from Bella Andre

Bella’s Website
Bella’s Books

Dear Novelist,
In the workshops I give to writers, I talk a lot about blocking out the white noise (email, Facebook, phone calls, prolonged internet searches for information you don’t really need to know to write your first draft, etc.) and putting on blinders so you can really give your focus to your book. This advice is a lesson I personally relearn with every single book I write.
In the past two and a half years, I have written 10 books in my contemporary romance series about the Sullivan family. Today, I began number 11.
That’s the quick and pretty version, but if you pull back the glossy cover, the past 30 months actually look like this:

• Decide to start my new book.

• Do everything but start the book.

• Make more big plans to start the book, for real this time.

• Freak out about not starting the book.

• Tell myself that tackling the non-writing items on my enormous to-do list is important, necessary work, so really, how could I start the book yet?

• Tick through non-writing items on my to-do list… and get crankier by the day.

• Force myself to sit down with my laptop and stare at the blank page and not get up until I’ve written at least 1,000 words.

• Finally realize (yet again!) that the number-one thing to help both my career and my peace of mind is sitting down and writing. Every single day. From one book to the next.

Today’s start of Sullivan #11 was no exception. I went through every one of the above steps during the past two weeks until I simply couldn’t stand it anymore. When I woke up this morning, I decided the to-do list could wait. Answering emails could wait. A walk could wait. Eating could wait.
But the book could not.
I truly believe that no matter where you are in your writing career, the book is always the most important thing. For a new writer, finishing your first book will likely require great focus and determination. All you want is to finally get to “The End.” But once your book is out in readers’ hands, the most important thing will always be your next book. I’ve seen again and again, in both my own career and others’, that the surefire way to create ongoing success is to write the next book. And the one after that. And the one after that.
Once I finally push myself to start a new book, I always find that’s when the focus finally comes. Fortunately, day by day as I sink deeper into the manuscript, it becomes far easier to block out that white noise and keep focus on the writing.
That’s why I love NaNoWriMo so much. Because it’s all about the book coming first.
Happy writing!
Bella Andre

 http://nanowrimo.org/pep-talks/bella-andre

I love these pep talks from the NaNo website!!

Confessions...

I have a few confessions I need to admit to:

I sometimes dog-ear library books. *cringes* I do it very lightly but still, I bend the page.
 Please don't tell the librarians.
There are just certain sentences or phrases that I love and sometimes I want to go back and reread my favorites. Sometimes, they are an answer to my writers block of the book I'm working on. Other times, I just love the words and want to hold onto them
When I confessed my guilt to a friend, she gaped at me in surprise and repulsion. Then kindly suggested those little sticky tabs. Brilliant! Why hadn't I thought of that? So I now have two packages of sticky tab thingys.


* How many of you mark a book you're reading? With, uh, those sticky things?

Next, I collect quotes.
There is is. I am a quote junkie.
My biggest Pinterest board is "Quoteth."
I enjoy making memes for my blogs, which become my Foto Friday posts.
I get emails from value.com that send me a couple of quotes a week.

This is one of my favorite writing quotes:

If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.

Toni Morrison

* What is your favorite quote?


Here is a link for more writing quotes. There are some good ones here:

Stuck for ideas? 20 Quotes to help

Thanks for stopping by and being part of my confessional. There are many more confessions I could tell but two is enough for this month. Phew.

Foto Friday~ Dream

Writers on Wednesday ~ Nicole Giles Book Blitz Interview AND Giveaway!

Today we have Nicole Giles on her blog tour for her book DESCENDANT! 

Welcome, Nicole!

What what your favorite scene to write?

    NG: Kissing scenes. My favorite scenes to write will always involve kissing. I’m just a romantic like that.

How long did it take you to write Descendant?

    NG: Ttwo years. But that included some very serious rewrites and restructuring and world building. There was never an outline involved, and I should also add that Descendant was my first solid, real experience with finding a unique idea I felt was interesting enough to pursue publication. The next book I wrote was more like a year, and the one following that was a little less. Every book is different for me, and this particular story has a lot of complicated layers.   

Will Descendant be a standalone or are you going to write a sequel?

    NG: Birthright (book 2) is already drafted and rolling toward a spring publication. I hope to also write a third in this series to round out and complete the story.

What are you currently working on?

    NG: I am always working on more than one project. For instance, as I focus on rewrites, edits, and other details for Birthright, my agent also has one of my manuscripts on submission, and another one in her inbox for consideration. I am currently fleshing out a new idea which may involve either a co-author or a lot of research, and I am also writing something fresh and new this month for National Novel Writing Month.

Who designed the cover of Descendant?

    NG: Originally, Descendant was published by Rhemalda publishing, which was a high quality small publisher. The company president came up with the cover concepts using author input (I know, I loved that!), and then sent the ideas to the Rhemalda cover designer, Melissa Williams, (aka Michelle Davidson Argyle) who finished the final designs. When the company closed, I was given the option to keep my cover art, and paid the designer to make the necessary adjustments to remove the Rhemalda logo and add the one for Jelly Bean Press.

What was the hardest scene for you to edit out?

    NG: My publisher had me cut the first three chapters of DESCENDANT, which meant I had to work a lot of backstory in later to make up for the loss of information. I will say, though, that I’m very happy with the way it turned out.

Did any music inspire you while writing Descendant?

    NG: Music always inspires me, and I actually listened to music often while writing and editing this particular story. I’ve switched computers three times since this book was originally written, and so my iTunes playlist was lost long ago--but I remember that Coldplay’s Fix You was on it, as well as Til Kingdom Come, and Nickleback’s Far Away, and How Does it Feel by Avril Lavigne.  

What is the best book that you’ve read recently?

NG: Seige and Storm by Leigh Bardugo (second in the Shadow and Bone series) and Abandon by Elana Johnson (third in the Possession series). It’s very sad to admit this, but I have a huge stack of TBR books, and have been so crazy busy with my work that I am way too far behind on my reading.

What is currently in your TBR pile?

   

NG: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke, The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen, Everbound by Brodi Ashton, Finding It by Cora Cormack, Lady Outlaw by Stacy Henry, Pivot Point by Kasee West, Catch by Michelle Davidson Argyle.

Thanks, Nicole! 

Now for the giveaway! 

Nichole is offering a grand prize pack that includes a print copy of DESCENDANT, a signed poster and bookmark, a wrist band, DESCENDANT lip balm, and a healing crystal AND a $20 Amazon gift card.Then Nichole is also giving away another 1st edition print copy of DESCENDANT  and three e-book copies (which will be the new version with the bonus material).

a Rafflecopter giveaway



  The Book:

Descendant by Nichole Giles
Published May 1st, 2013
Published by Rhemalda Publishing (now self published)
Genres: Ya, Fantasy

Seventeen-year-old Abigail Johnson is Gifted.

Blessed—or cursed—with Sight and Healing, Abby lives an unsettled life, moving from place to place and staying one step ahead of the darkness that hunts her. When she arrives in Jackson, Wyoming, she is desperate to maintain the illusion of normalcy, but she is plagued with visions of past lives mixed with frightening glimpses of her future. Then she meets Kye, a mysterious boy who seems so achingly familiar that Abby is drawn to him like he’s a missing piece of her own soul.

Before Abby can discover the reason for her feelings toward Kye, the darkness catches up to her and she is forced to flee again. But this time she’s not just running. She is fighting back with Kye at her side, and it’s not just Abby’s life at stake.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17332031-descendant
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Descendant-Nichole-Giles/dp/1936850672
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/descendant-nichole-giles/1114967746?ean=2940148648581

About the Author:
Nichole Giles had early career plans that included becoming an actress or a rockstar, but she decided instead to have a family and then become a writer.

She was born in Nevada, the oldest of seven—a number which increased to eleven with the addition of four step brothers—and has lived in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and South Texas.

Her future aspirations include owning a home on a tropical island, even if it's just a vacation home. For now, she plans to travel to as many tropical locations as possible, scouting for her future paradise.

Currently, she lives with her husband, one of her two sons (the other is in college), two daughters, two golden retrievers, and one lucky bunny rabbit.

Writing is her passion, but she also loves to spend time with her family, travel to exotic destinations, drive in the rain with her convertible top down, and play music at full volume so she can sing along.   
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=128455014233
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicholegiles
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3384651-nichole-giles
Blog: http://www.nicholegiles.blogspot.com/

Pep Talk from James Patterson

James’s Website
James’s Books

So Writer, you’re trying to write a novel in 30 days. Has anyone told you you’re crazy yet?
You’re not crazy. I promise. I know because I’ve written a novel in a couple of months. And yes, I’m a human being (just ask my editor, or my wife) and I do sleep. The book even got published. So anyone who tells you it’s impossible is wrong and you should probably stop taking their advice. Unless it’s your mom. Then just stop taking her advice about writing (you should still floss once a day).
There’s no getting around the fact that it’s hard, though, is there? By now you know that better than anyone. Maybe you should give up on this whole novel business and go relax. Or work at a paying job. But I say, keep at it. Because, like I said, it’s possible. And as you must suspect, it’s a pretty fantastic feeling to have written a book.
So how do you do it? Here are some tips on making it to December 1 without going crazy or giving up. (Though if you have to do one of them, I’ve always found sanity overrated.)
Outline. If you already have: gold star; proceed to the next piece of advice. If you didn’t, don’t worry, because it’s never too late to go back and make an outline. An outline isn’t something to be scared of, it’s just a chapter-by-chapter description of the scenes that, lined-up together, make your book. On the count of three, tell me the story that unfolds in your novel. All the way to the last chapter. Now write that down. There’s your outline. Easy, right?
Lie to yourself. Honesty is a great quality, but we’re writing fiction here, so you’d better get used to a little light lying. Tell yourself you can do this. Tell yourself your book will be great. The world will love it and you’ll be the next J.K. Rowling, J.D. Salinger, Art Spiegelman, or whatever flavor of author you hope to become.
Get into a writing routine. Think it’s hard to write every day during NaNo? Most professional writers keep this kind of pace all year round. Holidays, birthdays, vacations—you name it, we’re writing. The trick is making writing into a daily habit. Same time. Same place. Same hot beverage of choice. Every. Single. Day. Again. And. Again.
Don’t do it alone. If you live with somebody, tell them to be unpleasant to you if they see you doing anything else during your writing time. Buy them a water gun. If you live alone, have friends call and check on you. And if you have no friends, you will have no trouble writing a book in 30 days. What else do you have to do? (I’m not knocking friendless people. We’ve all been there.)
Don’t stress. I don’t mean to undermine the above, but remember this is one month, not your entire writing career. Try hard, learn from it, and if you don’t get to 50,000 words, figure out what you did wrong so you can get there next time.
Stop reading this. Start writing. Now. (Or at midnight your time.)
James

Foto Friday ~ John F. Kennedy

Chris Ashton Kutcher Advice

I love these three pieces of advice from from Ashton:


1. Opportunity~ "I believe that opportunity looks a lot like work."

2. Being Sexy~ "The sexist thing in the entire world is being really smart. And being thoughtful. And being generous. Everything else is crap."

3. Living life~ "Build a life, don't live one."

Foto Friday ~ Omar Bradley