tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60613801743710020292024-03-16T02:08:42.411-05:00brooke johnson's blogBrookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.comBlogger371125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-2388962612000158622016-01-27T11:42:00.002-06:002016-01-27T11:42:53.731-06:00Obligatory Award Eligibility Post<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0in;">Not that I think I could possibly win,
but if you are able to nominate books and authors for award consideration
(either being a member of WSFS or SFWA), I would very much appreciate a
nomination! Being considered for such a prestigious award would be an absolute
honor, and I’m happy to say that I am eligible for award nomination this year.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
And if you cannot nominate my books
for any of the following awards but still want to support me as an author, spread
the word about my book! If you enjoyed either <i>The Brass Giant </i>or <i>The
Mechanical Theater</i>, the best thing you can do is let people know. Whether
that’s <b>writing a review on Amazon</b>,
gifting a copy to a friend, requesting a copy at the local library, or rattling
on about automatons and clockwork engineering to your general practitioner next
time you visit, every little bit helps. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Read more about the awards I’m
eligible for below:<o:p></o:p></div>
<h1 style="text-indent: 0in;">
Hugo Awards</h1>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b>Best
Novel: </b><i>The Brass Giant<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b>Best
Novella: </b><i>The Mechanical Theater<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Voting for the awards is open to all
members of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), and to become a member all
you have to do is buy a membership in that year’s Worldcon. It is not necessary
to actually attend the convention. A “supporting membership,” the cost of which
varies from year to year (in 2015 it costs US$40; in 2016 it costs US$50), is
all you need to join WSFS.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Nominations are open to members of
the current year’s Worldcon, the members of the past year’s Worldcon, and,
starting with the 2012 Hugo Awards, the members of the following year’s
Worldcon. The final ballot is open only to members of the current year’s
Worldcon. You do not have to attend the Worldcon in order to vote. Each person
may cast only one nominating ballot even if that person is a member of more
than one Worldcon. A special category of Supporting Membership is available for
people who wish to vote but cannot afford to attend the convention. Supporting
Membership also entitles you to all of the official Worldcon publications for
that year, and entitles you to participate in the vote to select the site for
the Worldcon to be held two years hence. Each Worldcon sets its own membership
rates.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b><a href="http://midamericon2.org/the-hugo-awards/">http://midamericon2.org/the-hugo-awards/</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b><a href="http://www.thehugoawards.org/the-voting-system/">http://www.thehugoawards.org/the-voting-system/</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<h1 style="text-indent: 0in;">
John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer</h1>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
The John W. Campbell Award uses the
same nomination and voting mechanism as the Hugo, even though the Campbell
Award is not a Hugo.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Like the Hugo Awards, the Campbell
Award voting takes place in two stages. The first stage, nomination, is open to
anyone who had a Supporting or Attending membership in the previous, current,
or following year's Worldcon as of January 31. For Sasquan, this means members
of Sasquan (the 73rd World Science Fiction Convention in San Antonio),
MidAmeriCon II itself, and Worldcon 75 (Helsinki) can nominate any eligible
author. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
To be able to vote for the award,
you must be a member of MidAmeriCon II (the 74th World Science Fiction
Convention in Kansas City, MO). If you are not a member of MidAmeriCon and wish
to vote, you must purchase a supporting membership or an attending membership
before January 31.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b><a href="http://www.writertopia.com/awards/campbell">http://www.writertopia.com/awards/campbell</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<h1 align="left" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Nebula Awards</h1>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b>Novel:
</b><i>The Brass Giant<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b>Novella:
</b><i>The Mechanical Theater<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Only SFWA members may nominate and
vote for the Nebula Awards.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
A work must be nominated by an
Active, Lifetime Active, Associate or Lifetime Associate member (with no
fiduciary interest–which means, not the writer, not the editor, the agent,
publicist,) during the nomination period, which runs November 15 of the
eligibility year through February 15 of the following year. An author doesn’t have to be a member of SFWA
in order for her work to be considered. The six works in each category with the
greatest number of nominations become the finalists for the Nebula Awards for
that year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b>Deadline
for nomination: February 15th.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b><a href="http://www.sfwa.org/nebula-awards/rules/">http://www.sfwa.org/nebula-awards/rules/</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-29355736981219461402016-01-14T15:23:00.004-06:002016-01-14T15:23:38.321-06:00why THE GUILD CONSPIRACY isn't out yet<div class="MsoNormal">
Not that anyone checks this blog anymore... </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have a long-ish update to make regarding the release of my
next steampunk novel, so if you're wondering why the hell it hasn't come out
yet, or want to know why you haven’t heard a recent update from me, here's why:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">1.) It took a lot longer to write than I originally
anticipated.</b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0in;">
I thought I would
be done with the book in March 2015, but because of delays with <i>The Brass Giant</i>, I wasn’t able to start
on it until February. Even so, the goal was to finish the first draft by the
end of April. Three months seemed more than doable for the 80,000 word novel I had
planned. However, I didn’t account for editing my novella, <i>The Mechanical Theater</i>, or all the marketing and promotion I had to
do for <i>The Brass Giant </i>ahead of its
release in May, so an April deadline stretched on and on to a July deadline,
and my original plan for 80,000 words morphed into a 127,250 word monster of a
draft, even <i>after </i>cutting over 13,000
words in a desperate hope to bring the word count down early on in the drafting
process. But drafting took six months altogether (with about six weeks of
editing work mixed in). Not bad, really, though slower than I would have liked.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Also, it bears
mentioning that I have a toddler, and she is one of the primary reasons I take
so long to write and edit. I have a very limited number of hours each day in
which to write uninterrupted, and they are constantly shrinking. Things take
longer than they used to, and for this book in particular, I had to work many
long nights and weekends to make up for that lost time during the day. This was
not good for my health or my sanity. Do not recommend.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">2.)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Editing took longer than anticipated.</b></div>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><o:p></o:p><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Okay, so I finished the first draft mid-July. The idea was that I would give myself a short break, until the first of August, when I would start editing. I figured that I could have the entire thing edited by mid-September, giving me six weeks to complete the second draft before turning it over to my editor. Great. Except the book was even more of a mess than I thought, and I had a lot of work to do before I would feel it was good enough to send to my editor. I ended up cutting another 65,000 words from the novel, total, but between rewriting scenes and adding new ones, I added another 40,000 words back into the draft, ending up with a book that was still nearly 25,000 words over my initial goal. I finished the second draft and sent it off to my editor in the first week of October. Two months to edit 127,000 words. I had to bust my ass, but I did it.<div>
<b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">3.) </b><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">My editor has other clients.</b></div>
<div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0in;">
I’m not the only
one on her schedule, and because of the delays I caused by being late with my
book, I probably got shoved to the back of the manuscript queue. Can’t be
helped. But that comes to the crux of the situation…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">4.) My editor left Harper Voyager and took on a
new job at another publishing house.</b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Which throws a great
big damper on things. With my editor’s move to a new publishing house, that
means I now have to switch to a new editor who already has a handful of clients
to start with, and just got saddled with a handful more. So my book has to,
once again, shuffle into the first available slot for the imprint’s production schedule.
There is literally nothing I can do about this, but that’s okay. In the long
run, I think it’s going to work out for the better (see below).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<b>The
Good News</b></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0in;">I now have a rather good estimate
for when the book should release, barring any additional delays, and right now,
the book is scheduled to release </span><b style="text-indent: 0in;">August
9, 2016</b><span style="text-indent: 0in;">. It may shuffle a bit, depending on the rest of the publisher’s
lineup and needing to time releases optimally, but it’s safe to say that the
book will come out in the general timeframe of mid-August. Which means!—and
this is the really good news—in light of the delayed release date, I have a
chance to edit the book one more time before my editor gets her hands on it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Huzzah!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Why this is a Good Thing™: You’ll
see above that I edited the full 127,000 word novel in a mere two months,
working late nights and tiring weekends to get it done as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, <b>quickly</b> as possible
doesn’t always equal <b>best </b>as
possible, and in the months after turning my book over to the publisher, I’ve
realized a few things that I should have done differently with the story. The
truth is, the book I turned in was not my best work. But now I have an opportunity
to fix it, make it better. And you better believe I’m going to seize that
opportunity.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Despite the annoyances of yet
another delay in the book’s release, I know that I can sculpt the draft I turned
in last October into something much better now that I’ve had the proper
distance from the story to see it more objectively. I now have a chance to
tighten up the writing, strengthen the emotion in each scene, further develop
the characters and the setting, and really optimize each scene as it plays into
the greater plot. And in the process, hopefully I can bring the word count down
to something a bit closer to the word count listed in my contract. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Yes, it means that the book will
release later than planned, but in the end, it will be a better book. And that,
my dears is a <b>Very</b> Good Thing™. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-7728459231182293102015-11-12T09:45:00.003-06:002015-11-12T09:46:39.341-06:00How to Write a Compelling Opening Scene<div class="button" style="float: right; font-size: 16px; padding-left: 20px;">
<div class="like_button" data-post-id="133069487204" id="like_button_133069487204">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowtransparency="true" class="like_toggle" frameborder="0" height="20" id="like_iframe_133069487204" name="like_iframe_133069487204" scrolling="no" src="http://assets.tumblr.com/assets/html/like_iframe.html?_v=7e54d4bd89ee867096df32769aefa90c#name=brookenomicon&post_id=133069487204&rk=ozNdFnQT&root_id=133069487204" width="20"></iframe></span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Craft Workshop</i></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">(this workshop was originally presented to a classroom of students at Arkansas Tech University, November 5th, 2015; everything in this workshop is my personal opinion as a writer and reader of SFF fiction)</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Writing a good opening scene requires establishing the <b>setting</b>, introducing <b>characters</b>, and introducing some semblance of <b>conflict</b> or <b>plot</b> (often manifesting in the <b>inciting incident</b>).</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In a novel, you generally have a chapter to accomplish this; in a short story, you might have a single scene, or a page or two.</span></div>
<h3 style="font-size: 30px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Setting:</span></h3>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Setting needs to inform your story, either by providing obstacles for your characters or being an integral part to the plot. By effectively establishing your setting, you ground your characters in a world that feels real to the reader, whether it is a spaceship deck orbiting a distant star a thousand years in the future, a small town high school set in present day, or the medieval court of a French queen. </span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Establishing setting is different from world-building. This has nothing to do with figuring out the religions of the world, mapping an imaginary space station, or figuring out the political structure of the story world. This is strictly about grounding the reader and your characters in the story, providing a backdrop for the events of the story to unfold.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">[Disclaimer: I primarily write science fiction and fantasy based in history, so that is what I am familiar with, but these notes should be applicable to any genre]</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">To create a realistic setting for your story, you need to establish the following:</span></b></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Time-period</span></b></div>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>When </i>does the story take place?</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Could be a specific year or era in history, present day, far in the distant future, or any variation between. It can be as specific as an exact date or as broad as a political or technological era.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">The important thing is to provide the reader with an impression of when<i></i>the story takes place <i>in relation to the world that they already know</i>, whether your story is in the real world or in an invented world of your own making. How is it different—if it is different at all?</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">This can be most easily established with:</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">referencing specific dates, wars, events, or persons (<i>London, 1815; the Civil War; the reign of King Henry VII; the Han Dynasty; “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…”; etc.</i>)</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">technology, or lack thereof (<i>use of smartphones, internet, and social media for modern settings; horse-drawn carriages for settings existing prior to the 20<span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span> century; lack of indoor plumbing or electricity for pre-Victorian settings; primary use of swords or bows in combat for medieval settings; slightly improved technology for near future settings; holographic communicators, lightsabers, and spaceships for far future settings; etc.</i>)</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">fashion (<i>neon tights and side ponytails for the 80s; skinny jeans for a modern setting; empire-waist dresses for the Regency period; corsets, bustles, and cravats for the Victorian age; technologically advanced jumpsuits for a future setting, etc.</i>)</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Location</span></b></div>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Where </i>does the story take place?</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Could be a real location from history or modern day Earth, an invented location based on aspects of the real world, or somewhere completely from your imagination. (<i>e.g. New York City, Ancient Mesopotamia, Medieval England, a futuristic Detroit, outer space, the realm of fairytales, thirteenth century French court, etc.</i>)</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">The location for your initial scene may be small and simple <i>(a bedroom, classroom, or corporate meeting room),</i> vast and complicated (<i>a warring battlefield, a system of interconnected tunnels far beneath the earth, or on the deck of an imperial starship currently in hyperspace</i>), or anything in between.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">This can be established through expositional description, but think in broad strokes rather than specific detail. Only describe what is necessary for the reader to get a sense of where the story is taking place. I try to follow a general rule of no more than three sentences to describe a location, unless it is particularly important that I describe more (but it’s usually not that important).</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">You <i>don’t </i>need:</span></li>
<ul style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">lengthy descriptions of scenery</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">observations of weather (unless it’s important somehow)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">backstory and/or history related to the location</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">infodumps of any kind</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Social Atmosphere</span></b></div>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">What is the social status quo? How do characters interact with each other?</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">This doesn’t have to be an intricate examination of the sociopolitical atmosphere of your story world, merely an acknowledgement of what is considered <i>normal</i>.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Consider your main character(s) place in society, where they stand in the hierarchy of power, and how that affects the way they move through the world. For instance, a servant will interact with the world differently than a nobleman or a queen, just as a maintenance technician will interact differently than a starship captain.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">What are the divisions between gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, age, and physical or mental ability?</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">This errs toward world-building, but it can be an important part of establishing a realistic setting, especially how the divisions, prejudices, and discriminations affect the main character and those around them,<i>and</i> how those views differ from or adhere to the views of modern society. While you don’t have to include all of this in your first pages, it’s something worth considering.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> </b><b>Sensory Details</b></span></div>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Most writing relies on visual descriptions to establish setting, but using the other senses in your descriptions can really bring a setting to life.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;"><ul style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Sight:</b> remember to include color, the way light reflects off an object, visible wear or age, apparent texture, etc.</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;"><ul style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Sound:</b> consider the sounds your characters might hear as a direct part of the natural setting—distant conversation, construction machinery down the street, the creak of a ship’s mast or the splash of waves against the hull, the thrum of FTL engines powering up, wind in the trees, the tick of a clock, the pitch and tone of someone’s voice; etc.</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;"><ul style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Touch: </b>describe texture and temperature as it is relevant to how your character is interacting with the setting—rough, peeling wallpaper; condensation on a cold can of soda; the grit of sand against skin; the blistering heat of a desert sun; the dry brittle feel of an old skeleton; the thick humidity of a muggy swamp; the mushiness of processed food; etc.</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;"><ul style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Taste: </b>think beyond food and drink and consider other tastes that your character might experience—a change in saliva, presence of blood in their mouth due to injury, a tang of sweetness on the air, the taste of rain, dust, mud, grease, the taste of evaporated steel in the wake of a destructive laser—anything that could be a direct product of the environment.</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;"><ul style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Smell: </b>this follows along with taste, since the two are so closely entwined, but smell is one of your greatest tools after sight, so use it! Think of what scents and odors your setting might produce—the clean smell of pure oxygen pumped into a spacy colony, the scent of musty autumn leaves, coming rain, freshly trimmed grass, body odor, burning firewood, cigarette smoke, clean sheets, dusty parchment, etc.</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;"><ul style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Visceral: </b>the human body responds to external stimuli beyond the five senses, and giving your characters visceral responses will help the reader connect to them more deeply. Consider changes in heartbeat, changes in breathing, the feel of goosebumps, a character’s throat tightening up when they get emotional, a rush of adrenaline, a chill of fear, a tingling sense of dread, etc. For this, I highly recommend reading <i>The Emotional Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression</i> for a good primer on how to convey emotion and internal thought through physical action.</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">A good rule of thumb is to include one of the secondary senses at least once per page, and be careful of repeating the same sensory descriptions in close proximity. A little goes a long way.</span></li>
</ul>
<hr style="font-size: 16px;" />
<h3 style="font-size: 30px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Characters:</span></b></h3>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Introducing your characters and establishing their goals and motivations is paramount to getting readers to care about them. The sooner the reader becomes invested in your characters, the more likely they are to continue reading the first chapter or scene of your story—and beyond.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You should introduce your main character in the first sentence of your story, and they should be fully integrated into the story environment from the moment they are introduced. Ground them in the setting by having them interact with their surroundings, either directly, with the character acting upon the setting, or indirectly, with the environment acting upon the character.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Though make sure that you are telling the story through the right viewpoint character! Focus on whoever can tell the most interesting story, the person who will face the greatest change throughout the course of the story; this is usually the person who has the most at stake, the most to lose, or the most to prove. Personally, I find that ordinary characters who do extraordinary things make for more compelling viewpoint characters than experienced heroes.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are four things to consider when introducing a character in your opening pages: normal life, a definable goal, and the motivations behind their actions.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Normal Life</span></b></div>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">What is considered normal life for the main character?</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Does the character enjoy this life or wish for something else?</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Your story should start just before great change comes into the character’s life, either by their own actions or external forces. You must lay the foundation for that change in your opening pages to give the reader a reason to keep reading.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Definable Goal</span></b></div>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Your character should have a clear, definable goal in the first pages of your story.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">This can be something simple and specific, such as wanting to get to school on time, or something complex and ambitious, such as sneaking into a palace to assassinate a king during a brutal siege, which might be resolved by the end of the first scene or chapter of your story. Or it could be a distant goal that the character will work toward for the rest of the story, ultimately reaching their goal (or failing) by the end of the story.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Regardless of the type of goal, the character should be <i>actively </i>pursuing that goal in the first pages of your story. Your character needs to be an agent of change in their own lives, always moving toward their goals, even if they are repeatedly set back.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">There should be obstacles between your character and their goals. This is what creates conflict in your story. Sometimes these obstacles may manifest as a result of the antagonist’s direct actions, but obstacles can present themselves in the environment or setting, from within the character themselves, or by other external forces out of the character’s control. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">There <b>must</b> be a sense of forward momentum in the opening pages of your story, and a clear goal helps give the impression of <i>action</i> and<i>movement</i>.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Motivations</span></b></div>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Why </i>does your character want to pursue this goal?</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Your character needs a reason for wanting this, some driving force behind everything that they do. Try to determine what drives them and how far they will go to achieve their goals.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">This can be as simple as ambition, curiosity, obligation, feeling that it is the right thing to do, wanting to prove that they can do it, or because if they don’t, something bad will happen.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">The best motivations come from within the character, not from external forces, and even if external forces are involved in motivating the character, you still need to give the character a solid, internally justified reason for choosing to pursue the goal.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Things to avoid</b> <i>(these are generally agreed to be a result of lazy writing, so if you decide to use these tropes, it should not be the sole reason behind your character’s motivation; give the character a secondary motive for pursuing their goals)</i><b>:</b></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;"><ul style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Killing or harming loved ones</span></li>
<ul style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">(especially women who exist in the story only to be harmed or killed in order to motivate a male character; see “Women in Refrigerators”)</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Prophecies, Destiny, or “Chosen One” narratives</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Don’t:</span></b></div>
<ul style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 40px; text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">introduce your character by having them wake up in the morning</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">start with a dream or a flashback</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">show the character showering, getting dressed, eating breakfast, etc.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">have them describe themselves by looking in the mirror</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">allow your character to engage in pointless navel-gazing or reflective meditation</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">try to squeeze in your character’s entire backstory when you introduce them</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">start the story with your character in a life-or-death situation (the reader doesn’t care yet)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">start the story on the first day of school</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">have your character address the reader directly or introduce themselves by name</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Keep in mind that these openings can be done, but it is difficult to do them well. When these openings work, it is because there is a lot of other stuff being accomplished at the same time.</span></i></div>
<hr style="font-size: 16px;" />
<h3 style="font-size: 30px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Inciting Incident:</span></b></h3>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Once you have introduced your main character and established the initial setting of the story, the rest of your opening pages should build toward the inciting incident—the initial conflict that marks the beginning of the overarching plot, setting in motion the chain of events that make up the rest of the story, and motivating your main character into action.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Without the inciting incident, there is no story.</span></b></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is the moment when everything changes for the main character, upsetting the balance of their normal life, creating conflict, introducing adventure, and/or posing a problem that now needs to be solved. The main character is forced into action, usually by external forces, and is no longer able to return to the life that they had at the beginning of the story.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The sooner the inciting incident occurs and launches the main character into the story, the more likely readers will keep reading to find out what happens next.</span></div>
Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-17816871564124255582015-04-21T09:00:00.000-05:002015-05-07T10:47:08.762-05:00THE MECHANICAL THEATER cover reveal!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4nzF1AmnoYU/VTAJR2Ola8I/AAAAAAAAWik/zUy7EGs_5pM/s1600/MechanicalTheater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4nzF1AmnoYU/VTAJR2Ola8I/AAAAAAAAWik/zUy7EGs_5pM/s1600/MechanicalTheater.jpg" width="395" /></a></div>
<h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></h2>
<h2>
Available for download June 9th!</h2>
Petra Wade’s older brother, Solomon, has always dreamed of being an actor. Instead, he works grueling shifts in the clockwork city’s boiler rooms to help support his large adopted family. When Le Theatre Mecanique holds an open call for their upcoming performance, he decides to audition. However, the only role he is suitable to fill is that of the theater’s custodian.<br />
<br />
Leaving the well-paying boiler job behind him, Solomon immerses himself in the theater—watching rehearsals, studying the performances, and working with an emerging young actress to improve his skills. But back at home, his family feels the sting of their reduced income when his younger sister Emily develops pneumonia and the only treatment is too expensive.<br />
<br />
Solomon will be forced to make a difficult choice: fulfill his dreams of stardom, or help save his younger sister.<br />
<br />
Preorder now ($2.99): <a href="http://amzn.com/B00MMG19GO">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mechanical-theater-brooke-johnson/1121648209?ean=9780062387189">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-mechanical-theater">Kobo</a> | <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-mechanical-theater/id908431229?mt=11">iTunes</a> | <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062387189/the-mechanical-theater">HarperCollins</a>Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-40905419394550546652015-04-19T11:02:00.001-05:002015-04-19T11:19:41.593-05:00THE BRASS GIANT DIGITAL ARCso, if you are a reviewer and want an ARC of The Brass Giant, you can submit a request for a review copy at <a href="http://edelweiss.abovethetreeline.com/ProductDetailPage.aspx?sku=0062387162">this link</a>.<br /><br />i’m not sure exactly how the whole ARC process works with Harper Voyager, like what their requirements are, but if you let me know that you’re submitting a request and you have a fairly steady review output on your blog, Goodreads, or Amazon, i can nudge my publicist to make sure that you get a copy (or at least increase that likelihood).<br /><br />registering on Edelweiss is very simple and you don’t need to provide a full address or anything, just region/city/state/country. when you request the ARC (a button on the right hand side) all they ask is for relevant information about your reviewing history/presence to make sure that you are actually a reviewer. Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-29839888714150775682015-03-16T09:00:00.000-05:002015-03-16T09:00:02.023-05:00The Brass Giant: cover reveal!<div class="MsoNormal">
And now, the official cover for THE BRASS GIANT: A Chroniker
City Story!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Available for download May 5, 2015<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fOsynFTT0EE/VQH12FJZsdI/AAAAAAAAViA/IpSjJer8PZA/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fOsynFTT0EE/VQH12FJZsdI/AAAAAAAAViA/IpSjJer8PZA/s1600/unnamed.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
About THE BRASS GIANT:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Sometimes, even the
most unlikely person can change the world<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Seventeen-year-old Petra Wade, self-taught clockwork
engineer, wants nothing more than to become a certified member of the Guild, an
impossible dream for a lowly shop girl. Still, she refuses to give up,
tinkering with any machine she can get her hands on, in between working and
babysitting her foster siblings. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Emmerich Goss--handsome, privileged, and newly
recruited into the Guild--needs help designing a new clockwork system for a
top-secret automaton, it seems Petra has finally found the opportunity she's
been waiting for. But if her involvement on the project is discovered, Emmerich
will be marked for treason, and a far more dire fate would await Petra.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Working together in secret, they build the clockwork giant,
but as the deadline for its completion nears, Petra discovers a sinister
conspiracy from within the Guild council ... and their automaton is just the
beginning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Preorder now!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://amzn.com/B00M719Z06" target="_blank">Amazon </a>| <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-brass-giant-brooke-johnson/1121123553?ean=9780062387165" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-brass-giant" target="_blank">Kobo </a>| <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-brass-giant/id904017054?mt=11" target="_blank">iTunes </a>| <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062387165/the-brass-giant" target="_blank">HarperCollins</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-48856276888547801822015-02-03T16:09:00.000-06:002015-02-16T11:59:50.132-06:00Voyager Valentines Dating ContestA handful of Harper Voyager Impulse authors are hosting a Voyager Valentines Dating Contest for our readers. The prizes are many, with giveaways at most of the blogs.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jBdF2Bgoq7I/VNFGvNPAraI/AAAAAAAAUY0/vMMPUDpRN5o/s1600/Vday-Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jBdF2Bgoq7I/VNFGvNPAraI/AAAAAAAAUY0/vMMPUDpRN5o/s1600/Vday-Logo.jpg" height="182" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
To enter, read the dating profiles below--the two main characters from my forthcoming steampunk novel <i><b><a href="http://amzn.com/B00M719Z06" target="_blank">The Brass Giant: A Chroniker City Story</a></b></i>--and then match any one of them with a character from another author's blog. Once you pick your match, all you have to do is leave a comment on the corresponding blog, naming the two characters you think should go on a date. Each comment serves as an entry for both author's prizes, and you can match up all of the Harper Voyager authors' characters, or just one pair.<br />
<br />
The contest runs until February 28!<br />
<br />
<b>The Prize: </b>I'll be offering a $5 Amazon gift certificate for one lucky commenter, since my book is not yet available to buy (though you could totally <a href="http://amzn.com/B00M719Z06" target="_blank">pre-order</a> it for only $2.99 if you wish!)<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gPPXEHIdj8Y/VNFDKxwretI/AAAAAAAAUYg/s0gn-CLuan0/s1600/Petra-aged.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gPPXEHIdj8Y/VNFDKxwretI/AAAAAAAAUYg/s0gn-CLuan0/s1600/Petra-aged.jpg" height="320" width="216" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Name:</b><span style="font-size: large;"> Petra Wade</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Age:</b> 17<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What is your
job/career?</b> I work as an assistant/shop girl at Stricket & Monfore's
pawn shop, but I want to work for the Guild as an engineer. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Where are you from?</b>
I've lived in Chroniker City my whole life, fourth quadrant.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What do you do for
fun?</b> Build tickers, repair watches, that sort of thing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What is your most
treasured possession?</b> My pocket watch. I've had it my whole life, and it's
the only thing I know is mine. Someone gave it to me, inscribed my name it, but
I don't know who.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Who was your
childhood hero?</b> I've always been fascinated by Ada Lovelace, a woman mathematician
and scientist, as well as Lady Chroniker, the engineer-granddaughter of the
city's founder. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What's your favorite
childhood memory?</b> Summers at the beach, just me and my brother Sol playing
in the sun and sand. Sometimes I wish I could go back to those years.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What is your ideal
home?</b> Quiet. Spacious and silent, with nothing to bother me while I work.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What did your parents
do?</b> Don't know. I never knew my parents. I was raised by a nurse, and she
became a foster mother to me, and to my siblings. Now she works as a charwoman.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
-----<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-47T6cI6x8oY/VNFDSE-EGWI/AAAAAAAAUYo/i9anrdY4Zhk/s1600/Emmerich-aged.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-47T6cI6x8oY/VNFDSE-EGWI/AAAAAAAAUYo/i9anrdY4Zhk/s1600/Emmerich-aged.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a><b>Name:</b><span style="font-size: large;"> Emmerich
Goss<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Age:</b> 19</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What is your
job/career?</b> I am a student engineer at Chroniker University, newly assigned
to the Guild.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Where are you from? </b>I
grew up in Wittstock, and then me and my family moved to Chroniker City when I
was young.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What do you do for
fun? </b>Go to the pub with my friends. I like to read as well. Nothing like a
good book to forget the rest of the world.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What accomplishment
are you most proud of?</b> The wireless control-apparatus I fashioned for my
automaton.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What is your most
treasured possession?</b> A journal my uncle gave me. I've had it since I was
very young, and it's where I put all my mechanical designs. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What is your favorite
book?</b> <i>Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under
the Sea</i> by Jules Verne<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What's your favorite
childhood memory?</b> Spending time with my uncle, at the University. It seems
like a dream world now, a place where anything could happen, when science was
beautiful and the impossible just within reach. I remember the enthusiasm, the
passion for machines and scientific advancement. I wish that world was still
alive. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What did your parents
do?</b> My mother spends her days taking tea and shopping with her friends. My
father is a politician, currently residing on the Guild Council, Minister to
the Vice-Chancellor.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
-----</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b>So, which Voyager Valentine should my characters meet up with? </b>(Assuming we have a TARDIS, of course.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Read the other dating profiles at my fellow Harper Voyager Impulse authors' blogs:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><a href="http://www.afesmith.com/blog/voyager-valentines-a-matchmaking-contest" target="_blank">A.F.E Smith <span style="font-size: x-small;">(DARKHAVEN July 2015)</span></a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><a href="http://ingridseymour.com/2015/02/voyager-valentines-matchmaking-game/" target="_blank">Ingrid Seymour <span style="font-size: x-small;">(IGNITE THE SHADOWS April 2015)</span></a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><a href="http://christijwhitney.com/?p=231" target="_blank">Christi Whitney <span style="font-size: x-small;">(GREY Available 2015)</span></a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><a href="http://fairysockmother.com/" target="_blank">Nancy Wallace <span style="font-size: x-small;">(AMONG WOLVES May 2015)</span></a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><a href="http://johnayliff.com/2015/02/02/singles-of-belt-three/" target="_blank">John Ayliff <span style="font-size: x-small;">(BELT THREE June 2015)</span></a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><a href="http://www.drtel.co.uk/Detective-Strongoak.html" target="_blank">Terence Newman <span style="font-size: x-small;">(DETECTIVE STRONGOAK, Available now)</span></a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><a href="http://lauraliddellnolen.tumblr.com/post/109910302739/voyager-valentines-a-dating-game" target="_blank">Laura Liddell Nolen <span style="font-size: x-small;">(THE ARK March 2015)</span></a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><a href="http://www.dunnewriting.com/2015/02/the-voyager-valentines-character-dating.html" target="_blank">Lexie Dunne <span style="font-size: x-small;">(SUPERHEROES ANONYMOUS, Available now)</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://jackheckel.wordpress.com/2015/02/04/voyager-valentines-a-matchmaking-contest/" target="_blank">Jack Heckel <span style="font-size: x-small;">(ONCE UPON A RHYME and HAPPILY NEVER AFTER, Available now)</span></a></span><br />
<a href="http://aquietpint.com/2015/02/06/book-dates/" target="_blank">Bishop O'Connell <span style="font-size: x-small;">(THE STOLEN, Available now, and THE FORGOTTEN, March 2015)</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.andylivingstone.com/blog/a-date-with-destiny-or-marcella-or-gail-or-charlotte" target="_blank">Andy Livingstone <span style="font-size: x-small;">(HERO BORN, April 2015)</span></a><br />
<a href="http://awfullyserious.blogspot.com/2015/02/valentine-contest.html" target="_blank">Alison Stine <span style="font-size: x-small;">(SUPERVISION, April 2015)</span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Choose your favorite match-up between my characters and theirs, and then leave a comment below and at the corresponding blog!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Happy <strike>hunting</strike>... er... matchmaking! ^_^</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-47427230892760442842015-01-14T13:12:00.004-06:002015-01-14T13:12:38.945-06:00monthly writing update<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Paltino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">I am busy editing my steampunk novel (still untitled) for my editor at Harper Voyager, with a January 21st deadline that I am working night and day to meet. It's going to be a busy month.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Paltino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Paltino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
Because of the looming deadline, I've dropped all work on both <em>The Wizard's Heart</em> and <em>Dark Lord in Training</em> until further notice. Once the first steampunk novel is turned in to Harper Voyager, I imagine I'll soon get the notes for the novella, and I will also need to start drafting the second steampunk novel, as it needs to be turned into my editor around April-ish.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Paltino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Paltino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
I really want to continue working on <em>Dark Lord in Training</em> as soon as possible, but with <em>The Wizard's Heart</em>, I'm considering waiting until I've turned in the final revisions for the second steampunk novel before I continue working on it. It's been a rough novel to work on, and that's a mixture of poor judgment, worse timing, and increasing burnout. I think some time away will be good for me. And then hopefully, when I get back to it, I can work on it with renewed creativity, finish this draft, and have it ready for publication by the end of the year.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Paltino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Paltino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
But for now, it's edits edits edits.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Paltino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Paltino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
Here's to 2015.</div>
Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-45448290733137909752014-12-31T13:04:00.003-06:002014-12-31T15:59:44.421-06:00end-of-the-year wrap up<div class="MsoNormal">
2014 was an interesting year for me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Writing wise, it was nothing like I expected. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hWzDUTzPpoQ/U7wq1oMzm-I/AAAAAAAANnE/3SV7L_XhDT0/s1600/Jul%2B8%2C%2B2014%2B12%3A23%3A57%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hWzDUTzPpoQ/U7wq1oMzm-I/AAAAAAAANnE/3SV7L_XhDT0/s1600/Jul%2B8%2C%2B2014%2B12%3A23%3A57%2BPM.jpg" height="182" width="200" /></a>In January, I started writing and editing in earnest
post-baby, and that in itself <a href="http://thescriptors.com/the-struggle-of-being-a-full-time-writer-and-stay-at-home-mom/" target="_blank"><b>proved to be a challenge</b></a> I was not prepared to
meet. My production level was reduced by half, compared to pre-pregnancy,
no-baby output, and for the first half of the year, my brain was still not
totally committed to doing anything more taxing than making sure that I didn’t
put diapers on backwards and remembering how long it had been since the last
nursing session.<br />
<br />
Writing and editing was difficult. My creativity was all but
dead, and I had little to no motivation. But I soldiered on and did what I could,
trying to edit <i>The Wizard’s Heart</i> to
publish later this year.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<a name='more'></a>Around April or so, I started writing a new story to give
myself something fun to work on, when my mind was too exhausted to make sense
of my serious work. <i>Dark Lord in Training
</i>was born, reimagined from a sorry attempt at NaNoWriMo from the previous
November.<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And so 2014 started rather uneventfully. My writing and editing
progress was slow, but I was content with that. I had a baby to take care of
after all. <i>Any </i>progress made was
better than nothing at all, so I resolved to do my best, and make the most of
what may come.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And then May happened.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><a href="http://brooke-johnson.blogspot.com/2014/09/a-big-announcement.html" target="_blank">I received an offer from Harper Voyager</a></b> for my first steampunk novel, a planned sequel, and the
companion novella. This was totally unexpected, as I had completely forgotten
that I had even submitted the novel to Harper Voyager back in late 2012. I
accepted the offer, the contract was negotiated, and I signed the three-book
deal and began a new journey into the world of traditional publishing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the meantime, I continued working on <i>The Wizard’s Heart</i>, realizing that it was going to take me much
longer to complete than I originally anticipated. Because baby, and publishing
deal, and the fact that it needed a lot more work than I thought. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9EdBF2huS7w/VDbOn_s7U8I/AAAAAAAAQ0s/T2YejMn7wrc/s1600/Picture%2B204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9EdBF2huS7w/VDbOn_s7U8I/AAAAAAAAQ0s/T2YejMn7wrc/s1600/Picture%2B204.jpg" height="159" width="200" /></a></div>
<i>Dark Lord in Training </i>continued
along nicely, and in August, I began <b><a href="http://www.wattpad.com/story/18510972-dark-lord-in-training" target="_blank">posting chapters to Wattpad</a></b> for reader feedback. One of the <b><a href="http://thescriptors.com/writing-in-public-my-experience-with-publicly-posting-a-first-draft/" target="_blank">best decisions</a></b> I have ever made with regards to my fiction. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And now, at the end of the year, I’m in the middle of
revising my first steampunk novel for Harper Voyager, with the deadline to
complete the draft just three weeks away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2014 was nothing like I expected it would be. It was so much
better.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2015 is shaping up to be a busy year with at least two
publications with Harper Voyager already scheduled, writing and editing the
second steampunk novel, finishing and publishing <i>The Wizard’s Heart</i>, and finishing the first draft of <i>Dark Lord in Training</i>. I’m not going to
be any more ambitious than that. If I tried, pretty sure the stress would kill
me. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, for the end-of-the-year progress report for my books:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The Wizard’s Heart</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
–
in revisions; fourth draft, 20% complete; currently 115,000 words<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Dark Lord in Training</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>–
</i>drafting; first draft, approximately 30% complete; currently 23,000 words<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The Clockwork Giant*</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
– in revisions; Harper Voyager draft, 10% complete; currently 72,000 words<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: right;">
*tentatively titled<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Outside of writing, I spent most of my time taking care of
the little one, marathoning a few television shows, <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/1072357" target="_blank">reading books</a></b>, and trying (and failing) to keep the house from looking
like a disaster zone. I’ve learned to find peace in myself, despite the
constant chaos of my life and the world around me. I’ve made new friends and
drifted away from others, while growing closer to the two best friends in the
world. I have survived the first year of parenthood and experienced the
singular joy of having a child. My husband and I struggled to re-identify
ourselves, both individually, and as a family, but we too survived, with more
love in our hearts than before, and we learned more about ourselves and each
other in the process.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m excited to see what the next year brings. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iqw6-6_H3tw/VJ2bfas4ZzI/AAAAAAAATP0/qsXHOjYtlZ0/s1600/14%2B-%2B1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iqw6-6_H3tw/VJ2bfas4ZzI/AAAAAAAATP0/qsXHOjYtlZ0/s1600/14%2B-%2B1" height="255" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /></div>
Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-8427176229109434302014-12-19T14:26:00.002-06:002014-12-31T13:29:36.043-06:00a very Harry Potter ChristmasInspired by the <a href="http://www.epbot.com/2014/12/harry-potter-inspired-floating.html" target="_blank">Harry Potter Christmas tree</a> created by Jen at <a href="http://www.epbot.com/" target="_blank">Epbot</a>, I decided to make my own. She has several tutorials of how to decorate your own Harry Potter tree, like how to <a href="http://www.epbot.com/2014/11/make-your-own-golden-snitch-ornaments.html" target="_blank">create snitch ornaments</a> and how to <a href="http://www.epbot.com/2014/12/our-custom-hogwarts-express-complete.html" target="_blank">make your own Hogwarts Express</a>. As I don't have nearly as much time on my hands (and a tiny pair of baby hands that like to meddle), I decided to only do one major craft project and just try to find everything else already made.<br />
<br />
Here is the finished tree in all its magical glory!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ADc63_TUhWI/VJRyUiZtRTI/AAAAAAAAS-8/00otUmlIzwI/s1600/14%2B-%2B1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ADc63_TUhWI/VJRyUiZtRTI/AAAAAAAAS-8/00otUmlIzwI/s1600/14%2B-%2B1" height="640" width="291" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Jen's tree and mine have only two things in common: a cauldron base and the floating candles. Everything in between is totally and awesomely different!<br />
<br />
I chose to have the Sorting Hat as my tree topper, with a wand perched against it. I found some glittery floral thingies at my local craft store and stuck that through the wand to be all magicky. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cqkmjbk2Yv8/VJRyUoLI5gI/AAAAAAAATBM/hTjiLw2-cD8/s1600/IMG_20141219_114326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cqkmjbk2Yv8/VJRyUoLI5gI/AAAAAAAATBM/hTjiLw2-cD8/s1600/IMG_20141219_114326.jpg" height="292" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
I followed Jen's <a href="http://www.epbot.com/2014/12/harry-potter-inspired-floating.html" target="_blank">tutorial for the floating candles</a>, using hot glue to mimic wax drippings. The candles I found were a bit different than the ones she used, so I had to be a bit creative with the "wax" so that the screw-in lids wouldn't show. I also added some waxy bits to the bottom of the candle to hide the shape of the plastic. And then I just painted a few coats of Antique White acrylic paint to cover the glue.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eUWXcooWReo/VJG8WQFOCYI/AAAAAAAASow/gYmJ6TC1AD4/s1600/14%2B-%2B1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eUWXcooWReo/VJG8WQFOCYI/AAAAAAAASow/gYmJ6TC1AD4/s1600/14%2B-%2B1" height="260" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dQTatvDU21k/VJHrZQSGCVI/AAAAAAAASp0/g7XCk8qbRM8/s1600/14%2B-%2B1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dQTatvDU21k/VJHrZQSGCVI/AAAAAAAASp0/g7XCk8qbRM8/s1600/14%2B-%2B1" height="216" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
To hang them from the ceiling, I twisted 8 lb. fishing line between the top of the candle and the lid, and then screwed the lid down to keep the line in place. Then I stapled the fishing line to the ceiling, which was a lot harder than I thought it would be, and there are a bunch of rogue staples just hanging out among the popcorn texture where I missed.<br />
<br />
For the rest of the tree, I shopped around for a few different things.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TVnvNOV2tyI/VJRyUnu-5EI/AAAAAAAAS_A/SkdDNuaeqd8/s1600/IMG_20141218_211001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TVnvNOV2tyI/VJRyUnu-5EI/AAAAAAAAS_A/SkdDNuaeqd8/s1600/IMG_20141218_211001.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
I found this stuffed owl and perched him in the tree with a pair of round glasses. I wanted to display the glasses, and this was the only way they really stood out among the rest of the decorations. Black framed glasses against a green tree don't really do much. I did try painting the lenses of one pair, but that didn't work either. They just looked like two white circles from a distance. Good thing I bought a box of eight.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wIzcKgLQSlQ/VJRyUhNrZpI/AAAAAAAATBE/K3ABcY7uPCY/s1600/IMG_20141218_211015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wIzcKgLQSlQ/VJRyUhNrZpI/AAAAAAAATBE/K3ABcY7uPCY/s1600/IMG_20141218_211015.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
Jen created her own <a href="http://www.epbot.com/2014/12/diy-harry-potter-quidditch-broom.html" target="_blank">broomstick ornaments</a> using twigs and craft tape, but I knew I didn't have the time or patience to do that, so I bought some miniature brooms instead. You can find them <a href="http://amzn.com/B0089OC6UG" target="_blank">here</a>. The brooms I received are much darker, as you can see. I thought I was going to have to paint the bristles darker, but luckily, I didn't have to.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qqgyW-xvUJU/VJRyUlcZvSI/AAAAAAAATB8/eqeFmYlgcxU/s1600/IMG_20141218_210859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qqgyW-xvUJU/VJRyUlcZvSI/AAAAAAAATB8/eqeFmYlgcxU/s1600/IMG_20141218_210859.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
I found a red bird ornament at Target that I knew would make a perfect phoenix. All I had to do was brush some bronze paint onto its feathers.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aAN327l3DtE/VJRyfE1oj3I/AAAAAAAATBU/zHdPey4oKdM/s1600/IMG_20141219_114403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aAN327l3DtE/VJRyfE1oj3I/AAAAAAAATBU/zHdPey4oKdM/s1600/IMG_20141219_114403.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
I knew I wanted to have the doe Patronus on the tree, but I had a hard time finding the right doe ornament among the Christmas selection at the local department stores. I could only find stags, or does covered in glitter and bows and mistletoe. So I ended up purchasing a little plastic doe doll and painted a few coats of white paint on it. I couldn't figure out how to hang it up on the tree though, so I improvised and twisted some gold thread around its neck and used an ornament hook to attach it to the tree. I'll probably figure out something better later.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gc1IDJ5mhVA/VJRzznkL93I/AAAAAAAATAc/HPXPlTRqvgU/s1600/IMG_20141218_210920-MOTION.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gc1IDJ5mhVA/VJRzznkL93I/AAAAAAAATAc/HPXPlTRqvgU/s1600/IMG_20141218_210920-MOTION.gif" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
These lovely little cauldrons are nothing more than plastic party favors with a rainbow color-changing tea light and some polyfill stuffed inside. They look spectacular when they're all lit up on the tree.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZULHSd8ZfOw/VJRyUsCJATI/AAAAAAAAS_A/QU_a_bFwzvE/s1600/IMG_20141218_211114-MOTION.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZULHSd8ZfOw/VJRyUsCJATI/AAAAAAAAS_A/QU_a_bFwzvE/s1600/IMG_20141218_211114-MOTION.gif" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
As you can see from the full-tree pictures, there's a witch's broom stuffed into the lower branches. I thought it was a nice addition and adds visual interest. Also, more of the same sparkly twisty things spouting from the wand are tucked into the top part of the tree.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-op5Ge7yc-JU/VJRyUgi5tjI/AAAAAAAATBc/v1SmLv96Clw/s1600/IMG_20141218_211200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-op5Ge7yc-JU/VJRyUgi5tjI/AAAAAAAATBc/v1SmLv96Clw/s1600/IMG_20141218_211200.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
And finally, the cauldron. <a href="http://www.epbot.com/2014/12/plant-your-christmas-tree-in-potter.html" target="_blank">Jen made her own</a> out of a plastic planter, some cardboard, duct tape, and paper mache, but again, I didn't want to spend time making something if I could find a suitable alternative, and lo! I found this pot at Home Depot that was cauldrony enough that I thought it would work. My husband made a new tree stand to fit inside (similar to the one Jen's husband made). Once the tree was in, I stuffed some polyfill in the top, hid some yellow tealights, and I was done!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W81ns-put5w/VJRz3-cjLiI/AAAAAAAATAk/23ZrqYamqVk/s1600/IMG_20141218_210818-MOTION.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W81ns-put5w/VJRz3-cjLiI/AAAAAAAATAk/23ZrqYamqVk/s1600/IMG_20141218_210818-MOTION.gif" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
I have never been so excited to decorate for Christmas. So a big <i>Thank You! </i>to Jen at Epbot for the inspiration.<br />
<br />
Anyway, a big Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays and/or Winter Celebration of Your Choice! I hope you all have a spectacular end to the year! <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
----- </div>
<br />
<b>A Very Harry Potter Christmas Tree</b><br />
Overall cost: ~$200<br />
<br />
Tree: $30<br />
Lights: $35<br />
<a href="http://amzn.com/B002EEDYUS" target="_blank">Witch's broom</a>: $9<br />
<a href="http://amzn.com/B000BNY99E" target="_blank">Owl</a>: $10<br />
<a href="http://amzn.com/B00C2KS01M" target="_blank">Glasses</a>: $8 (for a set of 8) <br />
<a href="http://www.target.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/p/holiday-feather-bird-ornament/-/A-15749904" target="_blank">Phoenix</a>: $6 <br />
<a href="http://amzn.com/B00GVT7DQS" target="_blank">Doe</a>: $4<br />
<a href="http://amzn.com/B0089OC6UG" target="_blank">Tiny brooms</a>: $10<br />
<a href="http://amzn.com/B005DS6GBG" target="_blank">Tiny cauldrons</a>: $7 <br />
<a href="http://amzn.com/B002OMR2C6" target="_blank">Tealights</a>: $10<br />
<a href="http://amzn.com/B003XU4TG0" target="_blank">Wand</a>: $4<br />
Sparkly bits: $11<br />
Tinsel: $15<br />
Cauldron: $25<br />
<a href="http://amzn.com/B000H43358" target="_blank">Sorting Hat</a>: $17 (but I already owned it)<br />
<br />
What's nice is that most of this can be reused for Halloween, or other things, and some of it is going to decorate my office once Christmas is over. Some items were a bit more expensive than I would have liked, but I was determined to have a Harry Potter themed tree, so I spent it anyway, and considering that the total cost was about the same price as most pre-lit Christmas trees, I think I did all right. Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-30052056624992931172014-10-05T13:55:00.002-05:002014-11-16T11:25:35.233-06:00what i've learned...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s funny to realize how much I’ve grown as a writer over the last few
years.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I used to think I knew everything about writing, that the
"rules" were golden and never to be broken. I used to think that it
was my duty to point out everyone else's "wrongdoing", to correct
their mistakes, to criticize anything and everything I thought might could be
improved.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I used to compare myself to this author and that author,
wondering if I would ever be as talented as them, if I could ever reach their
writing level. I used to fear that because I had yet to find my success that I
would never amount to anything, that my writing was garbage, that I was garbage
(though, admittedly, I go through phases of this still).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I used to look down on other writers, whether it was because
of the genre they were writing in, their lack of talent, their uninformed rule-breaking,
or their seeming lack of commitment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s funny how someone can both think they're superior to
other writers and yet suffer such debilitating doubt at the same time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And in the last few years, I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned
that things I thought were true and absolute are a lot more wibbly-wobbly than
the black-and-white picture I’d constructed in my head.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve learned that the "rules" aren't golden. Grammar,
mechanics, and such, yes, those should be followed, but in fiction, style trumps
all. It’s not my place to point out someone else's mistakes unless they ask me
to. Unsolicited negativity gets you nowhere in life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve learned that comparing myself to other authors, whether
it's comparing myself to their voice, their style, their talent, their
creativity, or to their successes and failures, is a waste of my time. That's
time I should be spending cultivating <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">my</i>
voice, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">my</i> style, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">my</i> talent, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">my</i>
creativity... time I should be spending working toward <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">my</i> success and learning from my failures.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve learned that it's okay to aspire to someone else's
ability to tell a story, as long as I don't lose focus on what makes my fiction
mine. I’ll never write like Terry Pratchett. I’ll never write like Tolkien or
J.K. Rowling or Neil Gaiman or Rick Riordan or Diana Wynne Jones or the lovely
Rae Carson. I just won't. I can't. I’m not them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I will write like Brooke Johnson.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve learned that it's okay to feel a little jealous at
someone else's success, but ultimately, someone else's success in the writing
business is my success. Their success means people are reading. And to me,
that's a good thing, regardless of the book.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve learned that success will come to me if I keep trying. I’m
not garbage, just an undiscovered gem that needs a lot of polishing and
shaping.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve learned that every writer starts somewhere, that
everyone has the potential for a great story in them. It takes work, and it
takes practice, but I shouldn't look down on someone because they don't
approach writing the same way that I do. I shouldn't look down on someone who
is earlier in their writing journey than I am, because of what genre they
write, their lack of a daily word count or reliance on a muse, or because I
don't much like their style of writing. That’s petty and rude. And the world
has enough petty and rude people.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like I said: I’ve learned a lot in the last few years.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And I know I have a lot more to learn, about writing, about
storytelling. it's humbling in a way, to recognize how far I’ve come and still
see how far I have to go before I’ll really know what the hell I’m doing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I’ll learn.</div>
Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-41704046173104140002014-09-10T16:24:00.002-05:002014-09-10T16:31:24.586-05:00a big announcement!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:DoNotShowComments/>
<w:DoNotShowPropertyChanges/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have some big news today! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am happy to announce that I have signed a three-book deal
with Harper Voyager Impulse, the digital-first imprint of HarperCollins’
Science Fiction and Fantasy division!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gMikW1FSw0o/VBDDFSQoCTI/AAAAAAAAPo8/Mm1KJCQD_rM/s1600/logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gMikW1FSw0o/VBDDFSQoCTI/AAAAAAAAPo8/Mm1KJCQD_rM/s1600/logo.gif" height="80" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As part of the contract, Harper Voyager Impulse will be
republishing the first book in my steampunk series, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Clockwork Giant</i>,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>and
my associated novella, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Mechanical
Theater</i>, (tentatively titled), as well as publishing a sequel, with an
option for a third novel. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This would be why, if you happened to notice, I removed my
books from the market a couple of months ago and once again joined the ranks of
the unpublished. I wanted so badly to tell everyone what was going on
(especially those of you who asked!), but I had to keep everything hush-hush
until the contract was finalized. Well, after months of negotiations and
contract revisions, the contract has been signed, and I’ve been given the
go-ahead to announce.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<a name='more'></a>Now, assuming that you are all as surprised as I was when I got
the offer, you probably want to know <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">how </i>this
happened. So, flash back to 2012. Harper Voyager hosted an <a href="http://harpervoyagerbooks.com/harper-voyager-guidelines-for-digital-submission/" target="_blank">open call for submissions</a> of unsolicited manuscripts, even allowing previously self-published
books. Their plan was to sign 12 authors to launch their new digital-first
imprint in 2013. So, naturally, I submitted <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Clockwork Giant </i>for consideration, on the off-chance that I would be
accepted, and then I promptly forgot about it. The original window for response
was the following January, so when I didn’t hear anything, I assumed that my
book had been passed over, and I went on my merry way with a half-hearted shrug.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I didn’t know was that they received <a href="http://harpervoyagerbooks.com/2012/12/20/digital-submission-update/" target="_blank">over 4500 manuscripts</a>
in that two-week period, and due to the alarming number of submissions, they
would have to extend their respond-by date to who-knows when. Not only that,
but they promised to respond to every single submission, whether they made an
offer on the manuscript or not.<br />
<br />
I did not know of this. I was blissfully
unaware that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Clockwork Giant </i>was
still under consideration, even as the remaining submissions with Harper
Voyager dwindled.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, when, on a typically ordinary Tuesday afternoon in May, an
email notification popped up on my tablet with the words “Harper Voyager Impulse
offer for THE CLOCKWORK GIANT”… I was, for a moment, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">confused</i>. I think I read the subject like five or six times in the
breadth of a second before confirming that yes, it actually did say that, though
I couldn’t for the life of me figure out <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">why</i>.
I thought that maybe an email had gone astray and landed in my inbox by
accident. Someone else named Brooke Johnson must have written a book titled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Clockwork Giant</i> and given the
publishers my email address by mistake, because no way would I get an offer
from a major publisher for my already self-published novel. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then I read the email. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And I read it again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And there it was: an offer for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Clockwork Giant </i>and a sequel. But not only that, interest in my
novella as well. From HarperCollins. A major publisher. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My</i> book. Publishing contract. What. All because I
submitted my novel during their open submissions contest back in 2012.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My brain could only register a big <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">! </b>at this point. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rather than stare at the email for the next thirty minutes
while my brain tried to catch up, I got up, walked into the living room where
my husband was sitting in his recliner, and interrupting whatever it was he was
doing, I handed him the tablet with the email pulled up and said (rather
elegantly, if I might add), “So, um, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this</i>.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He might have asked me something at this point, probably to
clarify why I was handing him my tablet, but considering my brain was still
trying to process things, I was unable to articulate anything remotely coherent
as a response, so I just shrugged—twice—and gestured to the tablet, waiting for
him to read the email.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He read it and looked up at me. “Is this for real?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Apparently, I shrug when I’m in shock.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the fact that he read the email and read the same thing
that I did—book offer!—the reality of it started to click into place, and
excitement replaced my shock and disbelief, followed quickly by trepidation, lots
of enthusiastic swearing, and just a little bit of dancing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">was </i>real—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is </i>real. I got a book offer from Harper
Voyager, and after months of negotiations, I now have a signed contract… with a
major publisher… something I didn’t think I would accomplish until much later
in my writing career. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The goal has always been to sign with a major publisher.
Self-publishing was only the beginning. I had plans to grow an audience with my
self-published material and eventually approach publishers once I was
successful, dividing my work between traditional and indie publishing so that I
could reap the benefits of being a hybrid author—wide reach and high reward—and
eventually make a living from my writing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And now I find myself with a foot in the trad-pub door so
much sooner than I anticipated.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s exciting, and while I don’t know how this agreement
will pan out, for now, I’m thrilled at the prospect of what I might achieve
with the help of a major publisher. My goal has always been to get books into
reader’s hands, and it’s my hope that publishing with Harper Voyager will help
me accomplish that. That’s why I accepted the deal. It felt like the right decision,
and hopefully, with Harper Voyager, my books will be able to find the audience
that I couldn’t seem to reach on my own.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a new venture—both exhilarating and terrifying—but I’m
excited to see where it leads. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Clockwork Giant </i>is
expected to release from Harper Voyager Impulse early next year, with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Mechanical Theater </i>to follow. The release date for the sequel is yet undecided but should also be sometime
next year. Titles and release dates are subject to change, but I’ll definitely keep everyone
updated if they do.<br />
<br />
For more about the launch of Harper Voyager Impulse, you can read the press release <a href="http://corporate.harpercollins.com/us/press-releases/63/Harper%20Voyager%20Expands%20Digital-First%20Publishing%20Platform" target="_blank">here</a> and the official announcement from Harper Voyager Books <a href="http://harpervoyagerbooks.com/2014/06/12/voyager-impulse-to-publish-digital-submission-winners/" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-28803533966070224612014-08-01T09:09:00.004-05:002014-08-01T09:09:57.977-05:00a slightly depressing updateWell, August is here—already?—and I still don't have <em>The Wizard's Heart</em>
ready for publication, even though I last said it would be ready no
later than July. Well, it's not even remotely close to being ready.
Beta-reader feedback was mixed, and I have since been working to address
all of the issues they had with the book—everything from
characterization to plot and everything between. It's been a labor of
angst, frustration, tears, and cursing, but I <em>am</em> making progress, if slowly.<br />
<br />
However, as a result of all this, I really do not know when the
book will release. Once I finish the current draft, I'll have to read
through the whole manuscript and make additional changes for clarity and
consistency, and then I plan to send the book out for a second
beta-read. It will likely be months from now before I receive feedback
from a second round of betas, no sooner than the end of September. At
earliest (assuming that I actually have a better book after this draft),
I might—<em>might</em>—have the book ready by December. Maybe. Gosh, that's depressing. But it is what it is.<br />
<br />
In other <em>good</em> news, I will soon be able to make a super awesome announcement regarding a super amazing <em>thing</em> happening next year. But until then, we can all be sad about the delayed release for <em>The Wizard's Heart</em>.<br />
<br />
In other <em>other</em> news, <em>Dark Lord in Training</em> is
coming along nicely. I'm really enjoying the change of pace and coming
up with ridiculous situations to put my characters through. It is a nice
distraction from the seriousness of <em>The Wizard's Heart</em>, and it's a lot of fun to write. If you want, you can read snippets week to week on Google+ at the <strong><a href="https://plus.google.com/explore/DarkLordinTraining">#DarkLordinTraining</a></strong> hashtag.Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-23737620169129362112014-07-11T11:20:00.002-05:002014-07-11T11:27:16.521-05:00a little bit about Dark Lord in Training<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:DoNotShowComments/>
<w:DoNotShowPropertyChanges/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was tagged in a little questionnaire exercise, and I thought
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">why not?</i> Something fun to do in an
otherwise dull and unproductive week. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because I’m not really in the mood to talk about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wizard’s Heart</i> right now—edits are
beyond exhausting right now and me and the book are just not on good terms at
the moment—I’m going to answer questions about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dark Lord in Training</i>, the middle-grade fantasy that I am
oh-so-slowly drafting.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eC96tOnAUqg/U8APZb1Z3VI/AAAAAAAAOA0/6pl6VshoFzY/s1600/promo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eC96tOnAUqg/U8APZb1Z3VI/AAAAAAAAOA0/6pl6VshoFzY/s1600/promo.png" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Centaur; mso-fareast-font-family: Centaur;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What is the name of your character? Is
he/she fictional or a historic person?</b><br />
<br />
Alden Millard.
Fictional.<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Centaur; mso-fareast-font-family: Centaur;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">When and where is the story set?</b><br />
<br />
The story is set in
the Kingdom of Erilea, but most of the story takes place inside the Evil Lair
of Ryxik Hathmor the Blackhearted. It’s a standard fantasy setting, upgraded
slightly, because apparently they have decent plumbing and gas stoves. So, I
don’t know. Maybe it’s like a weird mid-1800s tech-level fantasy world. That
works, I suppose. <br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Centaur; mso-fareast-font-family: Centaur;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"></span></span></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Centaur; mso-fareast-font-family: Centaur;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What should we know about him/her?</b><br />
<br />
Alden likes to
think that he’s cursed with bad luck (and maybe he is! I haven’t quite decided
yet.), but on the whole, he’s a pretty positive, go-with-the-flow kind of guy.
This is life. Make the most of it. Otherwise, he’s not so sure he’s cut out for
being a Dark Lord. I mean, he’s not really <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">evil</i>,
is he? He doesn’t think so. But Fate has decreed that he is to be a Dark Lord—someday,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The </i>Dark Lord<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">—</i>so, he’s going to have to figure this whole evil thing out sooner
or later.<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Centaur; mso-fareast-font-family: Centaur;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What is the main conflict? What messes up
his/her life?</b><br />
<br />
Before all this, he
just wanted to apprentice to a master in Rosehall (the royal capital),
something exciting, but not dangerous—definitely not accounting, decidedly—but then
he was apprenticed to a Dark Lord. I wouldn’t say it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">messes up</i> his life, but it does change the course of what he
expected his life to amount to.<br />
<br />
I’m not so sure
there is a main conflict so much as a lot of little conflicts. I think this
story is going to be more about the journey and the characters than the
what-happenses, if that makes sense. Alden has to learn how to be evil, even
though he doesn’t <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">feel </i>evil. He’s
going to have to learn how to be a proper Dark Lord so that his master can
retire from the business. He’ll have to overcome the machinations of a
particular hero who is bent on vanquishing him. You know, fun things. I suppose
it’s a kind of coming-of-age narrative. <br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Centaur; mso-fareast-font-family: Centaur;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What is the personal goal of the character?</b><br />
<br />
He doesn’t want to
be a disappointment. For someone who thinks he has a curse of bad luck on him,
he doesn’t want to let it get the best of him, so he’s determined to make the best
of his new Dark Lord status. He claims to want a normal, simple life, and he does
want to make enough money to support his mother and father back home. But
secretly, I think he wants to be remembered for something. He doesn’t want to
be another nobody. That’s just what he expects because he’s never been
encouraged to be something <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">more</i>. Generally,
people worthy of remembrance come to untimely deaths. So, I think he’s secretly
excited at the prospect of being someone who might have an impact on the world,
even if it is through evil. And I think that surprises him, since he’s only
ever aimed for mediocrity. <br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Centaur; mso-fareast-font-family: Centaur;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Is there a working title for this novel,
and can we read more about it?</b><br />
<br />
As mentioned
before, this story is called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dark Lord in
Training</i>. I haven’t talked much about it, but if you check out the
<a href="https://plus.google.com/s/%23DarkLordinTraining" target="_blank"><b>#DarkLordinTraining</b></a> tag on Google+, you can read snippets that I’ve posted for
<a href="https://plus.google.com/explore/SaturdayScenes" target="_blank"><b>#SaturdayScenes</b></a>. <br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Centaur; mso-fareast-font-family: Centaur;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">When can we expect the book to be
published.</b><br />
<br />
Who knows? I’m
drafting very slowly, as I only write a little bit week to week, sometimes as
little as 300 words, sometimes 1000 or so. I’m only 11,500 words into the first
draft, and I expect it will probably be at least 60,000 words. That’s the goal
anyway. But with all the other projects I have going—and have coming up—I doubt
I’m going to get to spend a lot of time on it anytime soon. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">However</i>, I would like to have it
finished sometime next year. If I choose to self-publish it, you’ll probably
see it before the end of 2015, but I think I’m going to try the query-go-round
with this one and see if I get any bites from traditional publishers. Being
middle-grade, I think I’d have a better shot at reaching my readers through a
traditional publisher, so if that happens, who knows when it will actually
release?<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Thanks <a href="http://unexploredboundaries.wordpress.com/2014/07/11/meet-my-main-character-plus-two-side-notes/" target="_blank"><b>Sarah Brown</b></a>
for tagging me in this questionnaire! It was a fun distraction. </div>
Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-76019547608121137672014-05-23T18:35:00.002-05:002014-05-23T18:35:59.362-05:00for those of you wondering what i'm up to...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:DoNotShowRevisions/>
<w:DoNotPrintRevisions/>
<w:DoNotShowInsertionsAndDeletions/>
<w:DoNotShowPropertyChanges/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been rather quiet as of late, but I’m slowly getting
back into the swing of being social with people again. I’ve been swamped with
freelance editing work in addition to working on my own stuff. I’ve edited five
books since the beginning of the year, totaling approximately 265,000 words. I’ve
run <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wizard’s Heart </i>through another
draft and have started the revision notes for the next based on beta-reader
feedback. And, on top of all that, I’m taking care of a
six-and-a-half-month-old full-time. So, you know, I’ve been busy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But, as an update, I wanted to let you all know where I am
on things.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some of you will recall a bit of desperation when I received
beta feedback for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wizard’s Heart</i>.
I received a lot of negative comments—flat characters, predictable plot, dull
setting, clichéd concepts, subpar writing, outright boring to the point that a
good number of beta readers didn’t even finish the book. You know, happy stuff.
I was angry. I was upset. I wanted to just burn the book and forget I ever
wrote it. I’m tired of working on it. I’m tired of it not being good enough. I’m
tired of trying to make it better. All of that led to a particularly whiny post
that basically said ‘fuck it, I’m just going to publish this stupid thing and
get it over with’. But with some distance and perspective, I realized that I can
actually tackle the seemingly overwhelming edits to make this a good book—maybe
even a great one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<a name='more'></a>So I’ve been spending this week, outside of freelance work,
putting together a revision outline. I’m up to 77 items to address so far, not
including spelling errors or word choice issues or anything nitpicky like that.
That’s 77 items gathered from two readers. I expect to double it by the time
the revision outline is done, but I’ll have a map for how to revise the novel. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a lot </i>of
work to do. I’m not going to pretend otherwise. But I think I can do it. There
are several big changes I need to make—adding a few scenes to the beginning and
middle of the book, strengthening the character arcs—and then I have even more
small changes—clarifying this or that, better describing the setting so that the
reader doesn’t get confused, adding a line of dialogue here, changing a line of
introspection there, cleaning up combat scenes, and so on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately (and
you knew this was coming), that means I’m going to have to push the publication
date back for the thirty-thousandth time. I really wanted to have this book
published this June. I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really </i>doubt
that’s going to happen. I have hope for July, but realistically, I’m probably
looking at an August release, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">assuming</i>
my editor doesn’t find any horrible problems with the next draft. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a result of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Wizard’s Heart </i>being pushed back, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Guild Conspiracy</i>, the second Chroniker City novel, will have a later
publication date. I can’t start writing it until the fantasy novel is
published. That’s just the way of things. Depending on how drafting goes, I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">might </i>be able to publish the book by the
end of the year, but realistically, I’m looking at March of next year, and that’s
with a great big helping of optimism. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And now, in order to facilitate actual writing and
publishing of my own books, I’m cutting back on my freelance editing. I just do
not have the time to work on other writers’ stories <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and </i>my own. I have to choose, and because clients are paying me
now, they get priority. I don’t want anything—beyond being a full-time parent—to
take priority over my writing. If not for my editing, I’m pretty sure <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wizard’s Heart </i>would be published by
now, and I’d be well into writing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Guild Conspiracy</i>. But, it seemed like a good idea at the time, and I’ve
learned a lot from the editing projects I have done. That’s not to say I’m not
going to quit editing altogether. I have a few clients that I’m hanging on to
and will edit future projects for them until I deem that my time—and their
money—is better spent elsewhere. Truth is, I just want to write again. Maybe if
I wasn’t taking care of a six-month-old, I could do both the editing and the
writing each day, but it’s just not possible. I basically get to choose two,
and I would rather choose writing over editing. That’s just how I feel. So, I
may take on more editing projects in the future, but I’ll be extremely
selective in what I edit. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, that’s where I am right now. I plan to start the next
draft of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wizard’s Heart</i> in early
June, hopefully finishing in July for publication in August. Things may go more
or less quickly depending on how I handle the revisions. Once <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wizard’s Heart </i>is published, I’m
going to read over <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Clockwork Giant </i>to
refamiliarize myself with Chroniker City and Petra, and I plan to make a few
improvements to the story as I go—nothing major, just strengthening what is
already there. Then, I plan to dive into plotting <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Guild Conspiracy </i>again. I have a plot outline already, but I expect
it needs some fine-tuning before I start drafting. That puts me at probably
starting the first draft in September. Assuming the book is 80,000 words, which
is what I’m planning, it will take me roughly three months to draft, finishing
by the end of November. And then of course, it has to sit and mellow before I
move on to the next draft.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Writing takes time. But I’m doing the best I can with the
time I have. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-52326379307766125952014-05-08T13:09:00.004-05:002014-05-08T13:09:33.626-05:00in which i make up my mind about publishing a book<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:DoNotShowRevisions/>
<w:DoNotPrintRevisions/>
<w:DoNotShowInsertionsAndDeletions/>
<w:DoNotShowPropertyChanges/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a two-packets-of-sweetener-in-my-tea kind of day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
tl;dr: I have no idea what to do with my book and I just
about want to give up on it completely because obviously, it’s not ready to be
published, but… ::whine:: I want so badly to publish it, even though I know it’s
likely to get a bunch of bad reviews if I do.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The long version:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, I’ve received beta feedback for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wizard’s Heart</i> from all but one beta reader, and the
commentary is very… divided. Some of them loved the book and think it would be
perfect if I tweaked a little bit here and there, and others didn’t like it at
all, thought it was boring or just <i>meh</i>. My editor and a couple of betas think
it needs a complete overhaul, but they all have different issues with it. Two
of my beta readers purposefully stopped reading because they just <i>didn’t
care</i>. ::sigh:: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And though there were beta readers who loved it, I can’t
help but focus on the negative.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of all the mentioned problems, there is no consensus. The
character that some of the betas hated is the same character that other betas
loved. Some people thought the romance was perfect, and others thought it was
forced and unrealistic. Some loved the beginning, others thought it was slow,
and so on so forth. No one really agreed on anything. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This leaves me with next to no idea how to improve my book
for publication.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just about the only thing that most of them did agree on was
wanting more of the setting and mythology and how the magic worked, and those
of them who enjoyed the story wanted to know more about the villain at the end.
So, at least I know of a few things I can improve for the betterment of the
book.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But when I think about working on my book, I’m immediately
exhausted. I have worked on this book in one form or another four the last four
and a half years now. I’m ready to be done with it. But I also want it to be
the best book it can be. I don’t want to release a crap book. But I’m not sure
I have the time and energy to put into it anymore. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The truth is: I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">don’t
want to </i>work on it anymore. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">could</i>. That much
is certain. I could address all the issues my beta readers had with the novel.
I could really dig in and work my ass off to make this a five-star book. I
really could. I know I could. But it would take me at least another six months,
maybe a year, maybe longer. That’s another book or two or three I could write.
That’s another six months I could be improving my craft instead of trying to
rework this novel to death. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, really, I need to figure out what is important to me. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do I want to rework this novel into a five-star book? Sure.
But do I want to spend the time it would take to do it? Hell no, I don’t. So
honestly, I probably won’t. And part of me hates that. I would knowingly
publish something that isn’t the absolute best I can make it. I would be publishing
a four-star book… again. And, I don’t know, maybe that’s okay.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have to look at things pragmatically. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The Wizard’s Heart</i> is not a bad book. It’s not like I
vomited out a first draft without putting any effort into it. I put my fucking <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">soul </i>into this book. I have cried over
this book. I have cried over the characters. I have agonized over plot and
reworked certain chapters four, five, six times over. I have put more effort
into this book than anything I have ever worked on in my entire life, and
honestly, I’m not sure I have much more effort to give. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And honestly? I <i>love</i> this book. I absolutely love it. It’s
the story I wanted to tell four and a half years ago, when I first started. And
maybe that’s all that really matters. No, not everyone will love it as much as I
do. I can’t please everyone, but I <i>can</i> please myself. I can be proud of this
book. Even if I released it today, I would be proud of it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m willing to work on it a bit more—better describe the
setting, explain the magic system, set up the characters better in the first
chapters, show the villain’s motive, and fix a problematic scene in the middle.
Those are fixes that I can do and still maintain the integrity of the story I
wanted to tell. Those would be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">true
improvements</i>, not just change for the sake of change. Anything else, and I
think I would just be trying to please other people instead of myself. And if I’m
proud of the book, then who gives a shit what anyone else thinks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So maybe this whole thing has just been me making my mind up
on what to do. I can’t let doubt and fear keep me from publishing a book that I
love, a book that I’m proud of. I can’t let other people make me feel that way,
whatever their intentions. I won’t let myself fall into the trap of endless
revisions. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No. I’m going to publish this book.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And I’m going to publish it next month. That’s my deadline.
Come July, I’m done with <i>The Wizard’s Heart</i>. I’m moving on. I’m letting it
sink or swim on its own, and I’m not going to look back.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, take that, Doubt.</div>
Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-30416685616191245302014-02-27T15:32:00.001-06:002014-02-27T15:33:27.141-06:00evolution of a book cover<div class="MsoNormal">
Since I’m both cheap and somewhat skilled in graphic design,
it comes as no surprise that I design my own book covers. I wish I made enough
money from book royalties to justify paying a professional cover artist to
design my covers, but I don’t. Instead, I fiddle around for several hours in
Photoshop Elements until I have something I would be proud to display on a
bookshelf. I’m lucky that I have the skills to do this (hooray for taking art
classes throughout high school and college!) because as we all know, most
writers don’t. They don’t really have a choice but to hire someone to do their
cover art or purchase premade covers (which may be an option for me in the
future too, if I don’t think I have the skills to pull off a certain cover).
Anyway, lucky me for being so darn talented at things and stuff.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, since I’m not paying anyone to do my cover for me, I
have to spend several hours doing it myself. This post illustrates just how I
go about that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<a name='more'></a>First step for a cover is usually font choice for me.<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I could easily spend a few hours just selecting the proper
font for my title and name. No joke. Most of the time, I’ve decided on the font
well before starting the cover, usually while writing the first draft of the
book. I do need a pretty header for my document after all. In the case of <i>The Wizard’s Heart</i>, I settled on
<b><a href="http://www.dafont.com/portmanteau.font" target="_blank">Portmanteau</a></b>, a slightly distressed serif font.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yQTO4VKXLUs/Uw-sErHIBJI/AAAAAAAAKVc/KG8EDieng6Q/s1600/Untitled-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yQTO4VKXLUs/Uw-sErHIBJI/AAAAAAAAKVc/KG8EDieng6Q/s1600/Untitled-1.png" height="25" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Okay, so font chosen.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next, I needed a cover image.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cue more hours spent browsing DeviantArt, my favored place
to find stock textures. Luckily for me, user <b><a href="http://sirius-sdz.deviantart.com/" target="_blank">Sirius-sdz</a></b> releases his textures
to the public for any use, no rules. After searching for a long time, I found
this texture, which seemed to fit with the Persian-esque vibe I was going for.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LRVvv19lZMA/Uw-s7PHcYDI/AAAAAAAAKV0/8sZ3pCOLtjo/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LRVvv19lZMA/Uw-s7PHcYDI/AAAAAAAAKV0/8sZ3pCOLtjo/s1600/16.JPG" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then it was just a matter of figuring out colors and text
placement.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First version of the cover for <i>The Wizard’s Heart</i>, designed January 13,
2013:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--7nSbKQD50I/Uw-shPV6_UI/AAAAAAAAKVo/pvgXSFVv_jA/s1600/twhcover1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--7nSbKQD50I/Uw-shPV6_UI/AAAAAAAAKVo/pvgXSFVv_jA/s1600/twhcover1.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Not bad for a first go.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I let the cover mellow for a while, and over time, I
realized that something was missing. I needed a focal point. So I played with
the cover some more and created an orb in the middle. Basically, I just created
a circle with a bunch of lines squiggled in, and then used the swirl filter in
Photoshop Elements to swirl it all together until I got something that
resembled what I was going for. I did the same for the swirlies around the orb.
I then adjusted the layers so that the orb appeared transparent and glowed like
I wanted. I also adjusted the text a bit so that it looked cleaner and more
polished, and I added lines of pseudo-cuneiform to the edges of the cover.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The second version of the cover, designed February 28,
2013:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9yXH8t0ZFk/Uw-sysdFbRI/AAAAAAAAKVs/US-z9enZPEs/s1600/twhcover4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9yXH8t0ZFk/Uw-sysdFbRI/AAAAAAAAKVs/US-z9enZPEs/s1600/twhcover4.png" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
I was happy with that cover for a long time.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Until about a week or so ago.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was afraid that it was too plain. I felt the monochrome
blue wasn’t strong enough, and the font could be snazzier. So I made some adjustments
and came up with the third version of the cover, designed February 21, 2014,
nearly a year after the previous version:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yw8lz0uajLk/Uw-tTheBfKI/AAAAAAAAKWA/oTyvlpI6RSo/s1600/twhcover7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yw8lz0uajLk/Uw-tTheBfKI/AAAAAAAAKWA/oTyvlpI6RSo/s1600/twhcover7.png" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No one liked the font.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I tried the new, colorful orb with the old font and made
adjustments based on the feedback I received on the third version, resulting in
the fourth and fifth versions of the cover, designed February 22, 2014:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4yBosg3jxbI/Uw-t3peJADI/AAAAAAAAKWI/dXcIgYXdnpI/s1600/Untitled-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4yBosg3jxbI/Uw-t3peJADI/AAAAAAAAKWI/dXcIgYXdnpI/s1600/Untitled-2.png" height="236" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was happier with these two covers than any of the previous
ones. They better illustrated what I thought the wizard’s heart actually looked
like (which is the maguffin in my novel), and they were much better received,
though, after a vote, there wasn’t a clear winner between these two versus the second version above.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After mulling it over for a few days, I realized that the
two covers still weren’t quite right. I considered all the feedback I had received
so far, made a few more adjustments, and finally ended up with my final cover.
I’m extremely happy with this one. It only took me six tries.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final (for now) version of the cover for <i>The Wizard’s Heart</i>, designed February 26, 2014:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bv6DRAeMZgA/Uw-uI8LKkjI/AAAAAAAAKWQ/hM44RgBM9Xk/s1600/twhcover10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bv6DRAeMZgA/Uw-uI8LKkjI/AAAAAAAAKWQ/hM44RgBM9Xk/s1600/twhcover10.png" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And that, my friends, is how this cover came to be. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I may make a few slight adjustments between now and publication, but I look forward to seeing this one sitting on my bookshelf.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-40492830713546332672014-01-13T12:58:00.000-06:002014-01-13T13:11:54.210-06:002013 sales stats<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s that time of year again—time to review last year’s book
sales.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can’t say I’m not a little disappointed with last year’s
numbers. I sold more books than I did in 2012, but I made less money (combination
of having a lower priced title and two sales over the course of the year).
Anyway, here are the stats. You can click the spreadsheets to the right to see the breakdown for each month.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2013 Sales:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Total Sales: 99<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Total Royalties: $223.64<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: right;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Km2ow8_s9sQ/UtQ1cfzGZ2I/AAAAAAAAJsQ/aOPHdF8ABpA/s1600/sales+2013+TCG.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Km2ow8_s9sQ/UtQ1cfzGZ2I/AAAAAAAAJsQ/aOPHdF8ABpA/s320/sales+2013+TCG.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><i>The Clockwork Giant</i><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Total Sales: 52<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Total Royalties: $148.65<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Sales Channel
Breakdown: <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ebooks: 47<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Amazon: 38 <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Barnes &
Noble: 3<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kobo: 0 <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Smashwords: 4 <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paperbacks: 7<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Amazon: 3<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Extended
Distribution: 3 <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Direct: 1 <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><br /></i></b> <br />
<hr />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TiO4192T2D8/UtQ1cRzG1XI/AAAAAAAAJsU/uzBTbbcaQJs/s1600/sales+2013+LTM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TiO4192T2D8/UtQ1cRzG1XI/AAAAAAAAJsU/uzBTbbcaQJs/s320/sales+2013+LTM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><i>Le Theatre Mecanique<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Total Sales: 47 <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Total Royalties: $74.99<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Sales Channel
Breakdown: <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ebooks: 35<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Amazon: 32<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Barnes &
Noble: 1<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kobo: 1<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Smashwords: 1<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paperbacks: 12<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Amazon: 7<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Extended
Distribution: 0<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Direct: 5<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<hr />
<br />
As you can see, between two books, I
sold only 10 ebooks outside of Amazon, so in December, I decided to join Amazon’s
KDP Select program, making my books available exclusively at Amazon in exchange
for their promotional programs. I did a free giveaway of both books at
Christmas, giving away 988 copies of <i>The
Clockwork Giant</i> and 336 copies of <i>Le
Theatre Mecanique</i>. Since the giveaway ended, I’ve received four new reviews
on <i>The Clockwork Giant</i>, all but one
favorable. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
I also had a boost in sales in July
and December due to two sales. I reduced the prices of both my books by two
dollars for two weeks (with the free promo in the middle of my December sale). Sales
were slow, so it made sense to do the price-reduction. I can’t say if the boost
in sales is because people knew it was a sale or because the $2.99 and $0.99
price points are more attractive for a novel and novella. I’m averse to
reducing my prices permanently. I feel like $4.99 is a good price for my novel,
and $2.99 for the novella, but maybe that’s just my pride and feeling like I <i>deserve</i> that much. ::shrug::<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Other than the two sales and free
promo, I didn’t do any promotion except the occasional post on Google+ when I
saw a surge of new followers. Of course, there was the novella release in
April, but it didn’t really affect sales of <i>The
Clockwork Giant</i>, so I wouldn’t really consider it promotional. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
My hope is that 2014 will prove to
be a better year for book sales. I plan to publish two books, and one is the
sequel to <i>The Clockwork Giant</i>, so
maybe that will affect overall sales somehow. Maybe not. But maybe. I won’t
know until I release it. The other release is a standalone fantasy novel, so I
don’t expect much crossover between sales there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
I probably won’t do much promotion for
the new books except for what I’ve already been doing, in addition to Amazon
Kindle Countdown Deals every quarter. I don’t see the point in <i>seriously</i> promoting the Chroniker City
series until all three books are out. Until then, I feel like it would be
wasted. As for the fantasy novel <i>The Wizard’s
Heart</i>, I can’t say. It might be worth making a promotional effort, but I
have no idea what I’ll do, so stay tuned for that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-47053046645101628452013-12-30T14:09:00.001-06:002013-12-30T14:09:11.747-06:00goals for 2014<div class="MsoNormal">
2013 was a rather interesting year. As far as writing goes,
I didn’t write as much as I would have liked or publish as many books as I
wanted to, but I have the best excuse in the world for it: my beautiful baby
girl. Between pregnancy hormones, a not-working brain in my last few months,
and taking care of a newborn at the end of the year, publishing books just wasn’t
in the cards for me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I did manage to publish one book, the Chroniker City novella
<i>Le Theatre Mecanique</i>, in April, a
book I started at the end of 2012. That was before the hormones and the
pregnancy brain hit. I also worked on the second draft of <i>The Wizard’s Heart</i> and began working on the third draft with my
editor, but unfortunately, that revision just couldn’t happen while I was
pregnant. My brain wasn’t in the right space. It didn’t work properly. So, I
had to step away from <i>The Wizard’s Heart</i>.
I had to step away from <i>The Guild Conspiracy</i>,
sequel to <i>The Clockwork Giant</i>, for
the same reasons. I think I was more disappointed about that than my fans.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<a name='more'></a>Now 2014 is on the horizon, and I have the same goals as
2013. Only this time, I have no plans of adding another baby to the mix. Of
course, I’ll be taking care of my little one, and that’s going to change how I
work, and when, but I don’t expect it to have a huge impact on my productivity.
Yes, I’ll probably be writing weird hours, with a baby strapped to my chest,
holding a pacifier while typing one handed, but now that my brain is working
properly again, I shouldn’t have a problem actually writing or editing.<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, my goals for 2014 are thus:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>The Wizard’s Heart<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<ul>
<li>Finish the third draft and send to my editor</li>
<li>Revise the third draft</li>
<li>Prepare the beta-draft<i>
</i>and send to beta-readers</li>
<li>Revise for publication</li>
<li>Publish</li>
</ul>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>The Guild Conspiracy</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<ul>
<li>Write the first draft</li>
<li>Complete the second draft</li>
<li>Prepare the beta-draft and send to beta-readers</li>
<li>Revise for publication</li>
<li>Publish</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I expect <i>The Wizard’s
Heart </i>to take up the first half of the year and <i>The Guild Conspiracy </i>to take the second half. That means that I should
publish two books in 2014, one in the summer and one in the winter… hopefully.
Of course, plans are likely to change—they always do—but I have a good feeling
about this year. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If, miraculously, I do manage to publish both books <i>and </i>have some time left in the year, I
might work on <i>Wizardry Schmizardry</i>,
or I may work on the still untitled medieval fantasy. I’m not sure. I should <i>probably<b>
</b></i>go straight into <i>The Chroniker
Legacy</i>, the third and final book about Petra, but if I have a month or two
at the end of the year, it would be nice to take a break from Chroniker City
before jumping back in at the start of 2015. Who knows, I might be able to publish
the second book well before the year is over and then start on the third ahead
of schedule.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finishing the Chroniker City books is my priority. I’m only
putting <i>The Wizard’s Heart </i>first this
year because it’s <i>so close </i>to being
ready for publication, but once it’s out of the way, I want to get both <i>The Guild Conspiracy </i>and <i>The Chroniker Legacy </i>out as quickly as
possible so that I can be <i>done</i>. Then,
I can move on to other things.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So those are my plans for 2014. I already have my eye on
2015, seeing the completion of the Chroniker City series (or, at least Petra’s
story ::wink::), and maybe the start of something new, but I suppose I have to
get this year out of the way first, and maybe—just maybe—you’ll have two books
from me by the end of it. :)<o:p></o:p></div>
Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-48938168222475604072013-10-23T17:10:00.003-05:002013-10-23T17:14:07.677-05:00writing revelationsI posted this on Google+ and Facebook, but I felt I ought to post it here as well.<br />
<br />
I have come to the conclusion that I really ought to write and publish more books.<br />
<br />
This seems to be obvious, but it kinda hit me today that if I want to make a career out of this, I need to have more stuff for people to buy. Two books does not a career make.<br />
<br />
I also realized that I’ve been holding myself back ever since I published <i>The Clockwork Giant</i>. I managed to publish <i>Le Theatre Mecanique</i> only because I didn't fret over it until I considered it publishable. I went by a schedule. I wrote it. I edited it. I sent it to beta readers. I edited it again. I published it. I haven't looked at it since. It’s out there, and that's good enough for me.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>With <i>The Guild Conspiracy</i>, I over analyzed every little thing until I couldn't write anymore. I had to stop. Again, with <i>The Wizard's Heart</i>, I super over analyzed every tiny aspect and became paralyzed with fear of it sucking major suckitude, causing me to stop working on it.<br />
<br />
I’m not saying I should care less about the end quality of my books, but I really need to stop going for perfection. I need to write the best book I can, edit it to the best of my ability, and put it out there for people to read.<br />
<br />
I’m not going to get any better at writing if I agonize over every single word I write. I’m not going to publish more than a handful of books if I can't let go of that idea of perfection.<br />
<br />
I need to stop worrying so much and just write the stories I want to tell, naysayers be damned, because this crippling paralysis of needing to write something perfect isn't helping anybody. I’m never going to write the perfect book. I can only write the best book I can and give it to the world to either enjoy or disregard.<br />
<br />
I think stepping away from my "serious" writing has helped me see this. It’s helped me realize that I need to stop being such a hardass on myself and go back to loving what I do every day.<br />
<br />
Committing to NaNoWriMo this year to work on a silly book that doesn't matter has made me think about writing the way I used to--something fun. Not work, but play. I want to get back to that. And even though this project is for fun, I have every intention of publishing it someday. Because I’m not going to let fear of rejection, fear of imperfection stop me any longer.<br />
<br />
So, I’m going to have fun with <i>Wizardry Schmizardy</i>. It may end up a load of crap, but I’m going to have fun writing it. I’m not going to worry about being perfect. I’m just going to write.<br />
<br />
And when I go back to working on my other stuff. I’m just going to write it. I’m going to edit it. I’m going to follow a write, edit, beta, edit process, and when I reach the end of it, I’m going to publish. It won't be perfect, but it <i>will</i> be the best I can make it at that point in time.<br />
<br />
I just don't have time to sit around and wait until a story is absolutely perfect before I publish it, not if I want to make a career out of this. I especially don't have time now that I'm about to have a baby. I no longer have the luxury of time, and it kills me that I wasted these past two years worrying and fretting over my books.<br />
<br />
So anyway, this is to say that I'm done waiting. I'm done worrying. I'm done being afraid of rejection.<br />
<br />
I am a writer, and writers write.
Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-11279346433588269642013-10-11T13:25:00.002-05:002013-10-14T17:33:30.471-05:00let's do this novel writing thingSo, apparently, I'm participating in NaNoWriMo this year. I had no plans to, considering I am expecting a baby soon and don't know when I'll sleep, eat, or shower, much less write. But, I have a bad habit of committing to overly ambitious goals, so this is right up my alley.<br />
<br />
I'm actually looking forward to it. The story I'm going to be working on is the middle-grade humorous fantasy I've been contemplating for a few weeks now. NaNoWriMo seems like the perfect time to bang out a first draft. My writing muscles need stretching, and if I do it right, I should have a lot of fun working on this one. I'm not plotting or planning anything out, and as I write this post, all I have to go on is a loose premise, some vague scene ideas, and a handful of unnamed characters, and that's all I plan to have come November 1st. If I get stuck while writing, which I undoubtedly will, I have a mantra that I'm going to print out and stick above my computer: <b>think of the most absurd, silliest thing that could possibly happen... and do that</b>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DQvqkAGBR6s/Ulg2hm-ggdI/AAAAAAAAIwQ/VAPh3gHUmrU/s1600/mantra.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="61" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DQvqkAGBR6s/Ulg2hm-ggdI/AAAAAAAAIwQ/VAPh3gHUmrU/s400/mantra.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
This is going to be a fun story. It's going to be fun to write, and hopefully fun to read (when the day comes).<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Because I can't help it, I went ahead and wrote up a blurb based on the handful of ideas that I do have and designed a mock cover.<br />
<blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-38VGBM00AqU/Ulgi7bzVbRI/AAAAAAAAIu8/22Y7wKUIl1A/s1600/cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-38VGBM00AqU/Ulgi7bzVbRI/AAAAAAAAIu8/22Y7wKUIl1A/s400/cover.png" width="266" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h2>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Wizardry Schmizardry</span></b></h2>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">[a middle-grade fantasy]</span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Alden thinks his life is over whenever he's apprenticed to a
wizard on the town’s naming day. Disowned and abandoned by his disappointed
family and friends, he’s expected to amount to nothing but a lazy old man who
does nothing but chant, draw circles, and wave his hands around as if it means
something. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
Taken far from his humble home of hay-thatched houses and
predawn chores, where hard labor is worth more than potions and portals, Alden
leaves his mundane life to become a wizard's apprentice. But when faced with
fairy kings, unruly spells, and dark portents of an ominous sort, he'll
discover that wizardry is a bit more complicated and a lot more work than he
ever expected.<br />
<br />
And it's <i>fun</i>.</blockquote>
<br />
I'm going to write 50,000 words in November. I'm not going to <i>try </i>to write that many words. I'm going to do it. No excuses. Which means that I have to find time to sit down and write a little bit every day until it all adds up. It'll be good practice for when I go back to working on my other novels.<br />
<br />
But, until then, I'm looking forward to working on something that I don't have to take seriously at all. In fact, the less serious I am about it, the better it's likely to be.<br />
<br />
If you want to keep up with my progress on it in the month of November, be sure to follow me on <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/brookejohnson.writer" target="_blank">Facebook</a></b> or <b><a href="http://gplus.to/brookej" target="_blank">Google+</a></b> where I'll post word count updates and snippets from the story as I write it. And you can add me on the <b><a href="http://nanowrimo.org/participants/brookenomicon" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo website</a></b>.Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-9973344107841845882013-09-25T10:39:00.001-05:002013-10-11T13:48:04.187-05:00updateI really ought to update my blog more often.<br />
<br />
Well, in case anyone is still in the dark on this, I've put all writing on hold. I decided that I wasn't in a good brainspace to edit <i>The Wizard's Heart </i>to the best of my ability. This was about two months ago. I don't regret the decision. Trying to work on <i>The Wizard's Heart </i>was needlessly stressing me out to the point that it was affecting my health and overall well-being. So I put the book aside with plans to pick it up again after my baby is born. My brain just wasn't where it needed to be in order to do the book justice.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>It was a very frustrating decision, because I <i>hate hate hate </i>pushing my deadlines back yet again. For the entire month of July, and the latter part of June, I fought with the book and my brain, forcing myself to work on the novel with the hopes of having it ready for publication before the baby is born, but any progress I made wasn't really <i>good </i>progress. It was progress for progress' sake, not actual improvement. I wasn't willing to admit that it wasn't ready to be published, not by a long shot. It still needs at least two more rounds of major editing before it will be at that point, and it took stepping away from the novel for two months to really see that.<br />
<br />
Hopefully, once I've found some semblance of order after the baby is born, I'll be able to work on it again and have it out for publication sometime next year. I just want to make sure that the book I release is the best book that it can be, a book that you will love as much as I do.<br />
<br />
And, of course, as a result, the sequel to <i>The Clockwork Giant </i>will be pushed back again. I really want to have it out by the end of next year, and I think that's perfectly doable, but we'll see.<br />
<br />
Anyway, thanks to everyone who has been so supportive of my books and my writing, even with all the disappointing delays, and thanks for understanding<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: HI; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">—</span>or trying to understand<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: HI; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">—</span>how difficult it is to write, edit, and publish a book.<br />
<br />
Here, have a picture of my husband, me (and my growing belly), and my dog K.K. at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0m3XyFruCb4/UkMDcdFQlHI/AAAAAAAAIoo/b7xMA5TJtJk/s1600/DSCN0020a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0m3XyFruCb4/UkMDcdFQlHI/AAAAAAAAIoo/b7xMA5TJtJk/s400/DSCN0020a.JPG" width="356" /></a></div>
<br />Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-82881151520847233082013-06-08T17:10:00.001-05:002013-06-10T12:44:35.605-05:00short update and excerptNow that the Chroniker City novella <em>Le Theatre Mecanique</em> is out for the world to enjoy, I’ve turned my attention to other projects: the Persian-inspired fantasy, <em>The Wizard’s Heart</em>, and the second book in the Chroniker City trilogy, <em>The Guild Conspiracy</em>.<br />
<br />
My priority right now is finishing the third draft of <em>The Wizard’s Heart</em>, a structured rewrite under the supervision of my editor <a href="http://rjblain.com/"><b>Rebecca Blain</b></a>. Hopefully, I’ll be able to finish this draft by the end of July and send it to beta-readers in August, and with their feedback, I should be able to publish the book by the end of September And maybe, in the next month or two, I’ll have a book description and cover up on the website.<br />
<br />
As for <em>The Guild Conspiracy</em>, I have been writing a little bit almost every day, but with the need to get <em>The Wizard’s Heart</em> finished as soon as possible in order to maintain a 2013 release, I’m not going to be able to work on it consistently until <em>The Wizard’s Heart</em> is with beta-readers. However, I am making good progress on it. The story has been re-plotted, and I’m excited to continue Petra’s story. I hope to finish the first draft by the end of October, earlier if possible. I have a baby due in November, and I’d like to have the first draft out of the way before the tiny person takes over my life. Even with a baby on the way, I believe I’ll be able to stick to a 2014 release of <em>The Guild Conspiracy</em>, hopefully by next summer. I know it’s been a long wait since <em>The Clockwork Giant</em> released, but I promise that I am making progress, however slowly.<br />
<br />
To follow my daily progress on my writing, be sure to like my <strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/brookejohnson.writer">Facebook</a></strong> page or circle me on <b><a href="http://gplus.to/brookej">Google+</a></b>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
And now...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4vW1C2I8Gic/US_ULLdDyhI/AAAAAAAAFiM/LvImNFRc8TY/s1600/TWH.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4vW1C2I8Gic/US_ULLdDyhI/AAAAAAAAFiM/LvImNFRc8TY/s320/TWH.png" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>an excerpt from the beginning of <i>The Wizard's Heart:</i></b></div>
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shadiya lowered the basket of dried herbs onto the table and
peered down the western road to the edge of the village, shielding her eyes
against the setting sun. A cloud of dust rose into the sky, drifting above a
small caravan of horse-drawn carts, a dozen camels plodding alongside. When the
line of wagons reached the twin pillars at the village border, the caravan
lurched to a halt, barred from passing through until someone lifted the
protective wards.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shadiya touched the glittering blue pendant at her throat
and closed her eyes, casting her thoughts to her father through the sky stone. <i>There is a caravan at the western gate.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>A caravan? </i>Her
father’s voice echoed through her mind. <i>What
could have brought them so far south? I’ll be right there.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The air near the gatehouse shimmered, and a whirlwind of
white-gold sand materialized into a tall figure dressed in deep blue robes. The
man strode into sight of the caravan and pressed his hand against the
spellscript carved into the stone pillar, addressing the driver of the lead
cart. A moment later, the protective wards peeled away from the gate in a
flurry of luminescent sparks, and with the crack of a whip, the caravan rolled
into the village. As the line of carts passed through the gate, a chill settled
on Shadiya’s skin, raising goosebumps on her arms. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>What do they want? </i>she
asked her father.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>They are in need of medicine</i>,
he answered. <i>One of their number was injured
on the road, and they need to resupply their stock of bandages and poultices
before continuing to Mashhad.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The cold seeped deeper into her skin and crept into her bones,
sending shivers through her body. She gripped the pendant with shaking fingers.
<i>Something does not feel right—there is a
malevolence among them.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>A fell spirit?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>I don’t know. This one
feels different. </i>She stretched her mind to the caravan, weaving threads of
thought through the carts and cargo, searching for the source of the chill
spreading through her blood, but the pulse of sinister magic evaded her,
encapsulated inside a strange void within the caravan. It was an absence of thought,
an absence of life and existence, and the moment she tried to pry into the
essence of it, her thoughts rebounded, withdrawing into the safety of her own
mind. A wave of nausea rolled through her stomach with the backlash. Swallowing
the acrid taste in her mouth, she projected her thoughts again to her father. <i>I do not know the source, but something is
there, something that does not want to be found. </i>She inhaled a deep breath.
<i>Must the caravan stay in the village?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>These people need our
help, Shadiya.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>But—<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>I will not turn them
away. </i>The finality of his words echoed through her mind, a definitive end
to the argument. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A sigh escaped her lips. <i>Yes,
father.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He returned to the rear of the gatehouse and disappeared in
a whirl of sand. A gust of wind whipped Shadiya’s dark brown curls across her
face, and a heavy hand fell on her shoulder. “I would not let anyone into the
village who I thought might harm us, my flower.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shadiya leaned into her father and exhaled a deep breath. “I
know.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rubbing her arms to combat the chill, she watched the
caravan form a circle just beyond the farthest houses of the village. The drivers
stepped down from their seats and freed their horses from their harnesses while
the other caravan riders unburdened bags and tents from the camels’ backs, slowly
building a camp in the center of the wagons.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“How long will they stay?” she asked.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“A few days. Their need is not so dire that it cannot wait
until after the wedding.” He squeezed her shoulder, and a broad smile spread
across his weathered face. “Do not worry, my flower. Their presence here will
not interfere with your marriage.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A subdued grin claimed her lips. “If they do, you’ll have
Sadaf to answer to.” Drawing away from her father, she gathered the basket into
her arms and carried the herbs to the stone hearth, where Anandi sat grinding
flour. She placed the basket next to a bowl of dough, and dusting her hands on
her skirt, she returned to her father’s side.<i> </i>“If she asks, I’ll be sure to let her know <i>you </i>were the one who let them in.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
###</div>
</div>
Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-85972557679172963852013-04-16T12:53:00.001-05:002013-10-14T12:42:02.026-05:00Le Theatre Mecanique release day!<b style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">IT'S RELEASE DAY!!</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Le Theatre Mecanique</i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> is now for sale!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">$2.99</b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> for ebook, </span><b style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">$5.99</b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> for paperback</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L2-gsyZxV2Q/UW1Q_I1Nq0I/AAAAAAAAF8s/fdQkeMcoWfQ/s1600/LTM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L2-gsyZxV2Q/UW1Q_I1Nq0I/AAAAAAAAF8s/fdQkeMcoWfQ/s400/LTM.png" width="266" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">From the author of </span><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">The Clockwork Giant</i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">, explore another facet of Chroniker City and experience the drama of the world’s first fully-mechanical theater! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Solomon Wade struggles to support his adopted family, the only one of his foster siblings able to work the grueling shifts in the subcity boilers. But he doesn't want to shovel coal for the rest of his life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">When </span><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Le Theatre Mecanique</i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> hosts open auditions for their upcoming production, he decides it's time to give his dreams a chance, but his lack of talent lands him a part-time position as the theater's custodian instead. Broom and dustpan in hand, he studies the actors during rehearsals, and with the encouragement of a budding young actress, he practices to improve his acting skills.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">But when his younger sister's illness develops into pneumonia, her life depends on treatments Solomon can't afford. Leaving the theater and abandoning his dreams may be the only way to save her.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">* * *</span></span></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><b style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ebook</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Amazon US</b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> : </span><a class="ot-anchor" href="http://www.amazon.com/Theatre-Mecanique-Chroniker-City-ebook/dp/B00CD99V3S" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3366cc; cursor: pointer; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.amazon.com/Theatre-Mecanique-Chroniker-City-ebook/dp/B00CD99V3S</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Amazon UK</b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> : </span><a class="ot-anchor" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Theatre-Mecanique-Chroniker-City-ebook/dp/B00CD99V3S" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3366cc; cursor: pointer; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Theatre-Mecanique-Chroniker-City-ebook/dp/B00CD99V3S</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Amazon CA</b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> : </span><a class="ot-anchor" href="http://www.amazon.ca/Theatre-Mecanique-Chroniker-City-ebook/dp/B00CD99V3S" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3366cc; cursor: pointer; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.amazon.ca/Theatre-Mecanique-Chroniker-City-ebook/dp/B00CD99V3S</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Barnes & Noble</b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> : </span><a class="ot-anchor" href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/le-theatre-mecanique-brooke-johnson/1046493012" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3366cc; cursor: pointer; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/le-theatre-mecanique-brooke-johnson/1046493012</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Kobo</b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> : </span><a class="ot-anchor" href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Le-Theatre-Mecanique/book-p-v91PK9-EKvpb1BD_bPHg/page1.html" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3366cc; cursor: pointer; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Le-Theatre-Mecanique/book-p-v91PK9-EKvpb1BD_bPHg/page1.html</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Smashwords</b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> : </span><a class="ot-anchor" href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/306714" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3366cc; cursor: pointer; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/306714</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">(Due to wonky formatting with the Smashwords edition, which I unfortunately cannot fix: if you purchase through Smashwords--and eventually Apple and Sony--and you would like a better formatted version of the book, please email me at </span><a class="ot-anchor" href="mailto:brookenomicon@gmail.com" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3366cc; cursor: pointer; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">brookenomicon@gmail.com</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> with proof of purchase, and I can send you either a MOBI, EPUB, or PDF.)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span>
<b style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Paperback</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Createspace eStore</b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> : </span><a class="ot-anchor" href="https://www.createspace.com/4178594" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3366cc; cursor: pointer; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">https://www.createspace.com/4178594</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">(the paperback should be available through Amazon in 5-7 days if you would prefer to purchase through them.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span>
<b style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If your Amazon store is not listed above and you would like to purchase the book, please let me know, and I'll link to the book in the comments.</span></b>Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-55209834727558320312013-04-09T12:14:00.000-05:002013-04-09T12:14:04.168-05:00goodreads giveaway of Le Theatre MecaniqueHey everyone! Just popping in to announce that I've listed a giveaway at Goodreads for <i>Le Theatre Mecanique. </i>The giveaway will run for a month, and five entrants will receive a free paperback copy of the novella<i>. </i>The giveaway is only available to residents of the United States (I can't afford to ship copies elsewhere!).<br />
<br />
Enter below!
<br />
<div id="goodreadsGiveawayWidget49970">
<!-- Show static html as a placeholder in case js is not enabled -->
<br />
<div class="goodreadsGiveawayWidget" style="border-radius: 10px; border: 2px solid #EBE8D5; margin: 10px auto; max-width: 350px; padding: 10px 15px;">
<style>
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget { color: #555; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; font-size: 14px;
font-style: normal; background: white; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget img { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0 !important; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget a { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0; color: #660; text-decoration: none; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:visted { color: #660; text-decoration: none; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:hover { color: #660; text-decoration: underline !important; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget p { margin: 0 0 .5em !important; padding: 0; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink { display: block; width: 150px; margin: 10px auto 0 !important; padding: 0px 5px !important;
text-align: center; line-height: 1.8em; color: #222; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;
border: 1px solid #6A6454; -moz-border-radius: 5px; -webkit-border-radius: 5px; font-family:arial,verdana,helvetica,sans-serif;
background-image:url(http://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/gr_button4.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; background-color:#BBB596;
outline: 0; white-space: nowrap;
}
.goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink:hover { background-image:url(http://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/gr_button4_hover.gif);
color: black; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer;
}
</style>
<br />
<h2 style="color: #555555; font-size: 20px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0 0 10px !important; padding: 0 !important; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" target="_new">Goodreads</a> Book Giveaway
</h2>
<div style="float: left;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17692839"><img alt="Le Theatre Mecanique by Brooke Johnson" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1364236877l/17692839.jpg" title="Le Theatre Mecanique by Brooke Johnson" width="100" /></a>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0 0 0 110px !important; padding: 0 0 0 0 !important;">
<h3 style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0; padding: 0;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17692839">Le Theatre Mecanique</a>
</h3>
<h4 style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0 0 10px; padding: 0;">
by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5320239.Brooke_Johnson" style="text-decoration: none;">Brooke Johnson</a>
</h4>
<div class="giveaway_details">
Giveaway ends May 09, 2013.
<br />
See the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/49970" style="text-decoration: none;">giveaway details</a>
at Goodreads.
</div>
</div>
<div style="clear: both;">
</div>
<a class="goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink" href="http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/49970">Enter to win</a>
</div>
</div>
<script charset="utf-8" src="http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/49970" type="text/javascript"></script>Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.com0