Archives for 2012

My Writing Around the Web

Hey guys!

My family and friends always ask where they can read a sample of my writing and such, so, since this time there are a few samples around the web, I decided to share them with you.

Also, I would be very happy if you want to comment/critique/pass along the word and, for figment’s short story, give me some hearts ;)

So, here they are:

The query for my NA Contemporary Fantasy Amber Energy at WriteOnCon Forums: here.

The first five pages of my NA Contemporary Fantasy Amber Energy at WriteOnCon Forums: here.

A short story (4000 words) for a contest with HarperTeen on Figment.com, called Into the Darkest Fire: here.

For the short story, we’re supposed to put up a cover. Well, they have some mockup covers on Figment and people do their own, but I’m terrible at this (even though I have a BA in Art Studio – Graphic Design), so I asked my NA sister Jaycee DeLorenzo to design a cover for me. I told her it didn’t need to be fancy, but omg, it totally is!

Here is the cover for my short story:

Isn’t it GORGEOUS?! I would take it as the cover of a real novel, not just a short story. I’m super happy with it ;)

I want thank Jaycee for the amazing cover. THANK YOU!

I also want to thank Jani Grey, Ladonna Watkins, Priya Kanaparti and Bailey Kelsey for beta-reading/critiquing the short story. THANK YOU!

Even if you can’t or don’t want or don’t know how to comment and/or critique, I would appreciate if you took the time to read them, after all, as a writer, I write to share my stories ;)

Thanks!

Cheers,

Categories: #ROW80, NTS

#ROW80 and NTS checkin 08/12

Hello all!

Welcome back for another ROW80 and NTS update.

My goals for the past week and how it went:

Writing: Monday and Tuesday, continue revising my manuscript (and finish it, then put it aside to get some distance from it). Wed, start outlining/writing something else (DG#2, maybe?). Well, this week didn’t go as planned but I’m not complaining. I stopped revising Amber Energy on Monday. I just needed a break from it, you know. So Tuesday I started working on a short story for a contest (see bellow this section about) it. I researched and came up with loose outlines. Wed, I read all day—had to finish a book that was released on Tuesday lol And Thu and Fri, I worked on the short story. Sent it to 3 CPs, and 2 already got it back to me ;)
Reading: read book #45 and I probably should update my goodreads challenge to a higher number. Read books #45, #46, and #47. As for the goodreads challenge, I updated and increased the number of books I want to read in 2012, but perhaps I still should increase more. I also read 20 pages from one CP’s manuscript, and 30 pages of another CP’s manuscript.
Social media: blog at least twice and hop on Twitter from time to time. Done.
Exercise: 3x at least. Went to the gym 5 times.

On Monday I found out about a short story contest called Defy the Dark. The prize is to be published on a Harperteen anthology! The deadline is Sept 1st. So, even knowing my chances are low, I wrote something for it and will enter the contest. Wish me luck!

Hubby comes back next Thursday! Can’t wait … I miss him terribly. But then his Executive MBA starts on Monday and they are going to squeeze one trimester in two weeks, making it very intense. Then it goes back to the regular schedule: Fridays and Saturdays. But I’m trying to keep in mind that this is going to be worth it. Only 18 months and he’ll have something extra on his curriculum.

Changing subjects, I want to thank Lauren Garafalo for revising my query, more than once. You rock, girl! THANK YOU!

My goals for next week:

Writing: actually, this is going to be revising, instead of writing. I’ll get back to Amber Energy. I’m giving myself until Sep 15th to finish it. (I won’t be doing much Thur and Fri, though, since hubby will take these days off work).
Revise the short story (2000-4000 words) and submit to the Defy the Dark contest.
Reading: read book #48.
Social media: blog at least twice and hop on Twitter from time to time.
Exercise: 3x at least.

Go support the other ROWers too! Have a great week!

Cheers,

Categories: Authors, Blog Tour, Crescent Moon Press

Denied by Kinley Baker

Welcome Kinley Baker and her new book, DENIED from Crescent Moon Press.

DENIED – SHADOWED LOVE, BOOK TWO

When invaders brutally massacred the women and children of the Varner, Caleb witnessed loss and destruction on a scale few can comprehend. As the leader of a race on the brink of extinction, his only hope for survival is gaining acceptance into the Shadow Shifter Kingdom. Struggling with new customs, he meets Tabitha, a woman who challenges his limits.

Refused the right to join the king’s guard because of her gender, Tabitha must be stronger than the men to prove she deserves to be the first accepted female Warrior in the kingdom. She believes Caleb will help improve her abilities, until she learns her goals conflict with the foundation of his culture.

When the realm is attacked, Tabitha and Caleb must come together not only to fight, but to find the strength to win against an evil with the potential to destroy everything they revere most–including each other.

Add DENIED as To-Read on GoodReads!

Check out Kinley’s new novella, Freed, set in the world of The Shadowed Love series

After mortal invaders slay a Shadow Shifter woman, Queen Ella knows there is more blood on the horizon. As the most powerful Sensitive in the village, Ella has always known she’s destined to save the kingdom. But her task seems impossible. She must move the Well of Souls to a new realm to save her people or risk failing the Ancestor gods.

The woman King Falon loves will never love him back, despite a binding marriage built on regal decorum. Falon’s first duty is to his people, and he only wants to provide the Shadow Shifters with a safe future. He must assert his power to gain the respect of the warriors.

Harder still, King Falon must accept the salvation of his people lies with his own Queen Ella, a woman who speaks madness… a woman he’s always loved, but hardly knows.

BIO:

Kinley Baker is the author of the fantasy romance novel, Ruined. She read her first romance at the age of thirteen and immediately fell in love with the hero and the genre. She lives with her husband and her dog, Joker, in the Pacific Northwest. As a firm supporter of all supernatural lifestyles, she writes fantasy romance, paranormal romance, and urban fantasy. You can find Kinley at her website, blog, twitter, facebook, and goodreads.

Cheers,

Categories: Blog Hop, Entertainment, Music, RTW

RTW: Don’t stop the music!

Road Trip Wednesday is a “Blog Carnival,” where YA Highway‘s contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.

This week’s topic:

What music has been your summer soundtrack?

Honestly, it’s hard to pinpoint. I’m ecletic and it depends on my mood—or the scene I’m writing ;)

But, thanks to Donelle Lacy, another RTW Highwayer, I found out about these guys two or three (or four?) months ago and can’t get enough:

A sexy one:

And then, watching BigBang videos, I found this song. I love running on the gym with it blasting on my ears:

Hopefully, Donelle is getting ready to come visit me in November so we can go to NYC together and go to BIGBANG’s concert!!!

How about you guys? What’s you summer soundtrack?

Cheers,

***

Note: NA Alley is hosting a New Adult pitch contest with agent Lauren Hammond today!

Categories: Beatsheet, Craft, Movies

Planet 51 in 15 Beats

Blake Snyder’s beatsheet is my new blog feature. I’ll try to have posts like this every two weeks or so, Name of movie or book in 15 Beats, and I hope this helps you too.

Two things to keep in mind: I watch most of these with my kid and that means most of the movies will be kids’ movies and I’m not paying 100% attention to the movie. Second, I’m sorta new to the method and still struggle with the Theme, the All is Lost and Dark Night of the Soul beats. In case you have better suggestions, please do so on the comments. We can discuss the points and, if I end up agreeing with you, I’ll change my beats. Deal?

Planet 51 in 15 Beats

1. Opening Image: Movie of an “alien” invasion.

2. Theme Stated (4.5%): Universe (life) isn’t scary if you open up to it. It’s amazing.

3. Set-Up (1-9%): Lem shows his space presentation. Lem and his friend Skiff walk around the city (we see the setting). Skiff and Eckle drool over the next “alien” movie.

4. Catalyst (10%): The arrival of the alien (Chuck).

5. Debate (10-22.5%): Lem finds Chuck hidden–to help or not?

6. Break Into Two (22.5%): Lem helps Chuck.

7. B Story (27%): Lem and Chuck’s friendship.

8. Fun and Games (27-50%): Around the town with the “alien”. They find Rover. Make “zombies” out of two dumb soldiers.

9. Midpoint (50%): Chuck is discovered and shown on TV as the brain eating type.

10. Bad Guys Close In (50-68%): Soldiers their way to Chuck. Lem and Chuck run. They capture Rover–they want to study him. Neera (the girl Lem likes) is disappointed in him.

11. All Is Lost (68%): Chuck is captured.

12. Dark Night of the Soul (68-77%): Chuck is going to be tested on. Lem is without his friend, without the girl he wanted, without the job, and having to lie.

13. Break Into Three (77%): Lem goes after Chuck–with Skiff, Eckle and Neera.

14: Finale (77-100%): Rescuing Chuck.

15. Final Image (100%): Chuck leaves the planet as friend.

*Note that the percentages are approximate.

Cheers,

Categories: #ROW80, NTS

#ROW80 and NTS checkin 08/05

Source: flickr.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Hello all!

Welcome back for another ROW80 and NTS update.

My goals for the past week and how it went:

Writing: continue revising my manuscript. This wasn’t the best week for this. I don’t know why but I wasn’t feeling my story, but I pushed through. Again, I added at least 1500 words each day, and cut and polished a few things.
Reading: finish books #38 and #39 (goodreads challenge). I actually read books #38, #39, #40, #41, #42, #43, #44 (most of them were really short, like novelettes, though).
Social media: blog at least twice and hop on Twitter from time to time. Done
Exercise: 3x at least. Four times.

I don’t have anything new to tell other than the update. Hubby is still travelling for work, and I hate it. Daughter is doing well and making me laugh tons. And I’m working (aka writing/revising) when I can.

My goals for next week:

Writing: Monday and Tuesday, continue revising my manuscript (and finish it, then put it aside to get some distance from it). Wed, start outlining/writing something else (DG#2, maybe?).
Reading: read book #45 and I probably should update my goodreads challenge to a higher number.
Social media: blog at least twice and hop on Twitter from time to time.
Exercise: 3x at least.

Go support the other ROWers too! Have a great week!

Cheers,

Categories: Contests, NA Alley

Contests and more …

Source: flickr.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Hey guys,

I don’t know if you’ve been over to the NA Alley blog, but there is an upcoming pitch contest with agent Lauren Hammond (blog | twitter) of ADA Management Group (August 8th) and each month we have a Featured Book of the Month with a giveaway.

Also, my NA sister Victoria Smith wrote a nice blog post about using Goodreads to promote New Adult (or anything, really).

The awesome editor Adrien-Luc Sanders is having a contest on his blog. He’ll closed it at 50 entries, so I’m not sure if by the time this go live, it’ll be open or closed.

Lovely Dorothy Dreyer has a pitch contest coming up on her blog (August 20th and 21st).

Savvy Authors has tons of pitches contests coming up. Check often as they update this daily.

Also, you should follow these bloggers because besides great people, they have contests frequently: Brenda Drake, Authoress, Krista Van Dolzer, the ladies at Operation Awesome, and the writers at YAtopia.

Do you have any contest or interesting posts to share?

Cheers,

« Previous Page