Instagram for Authors

How many of you are on Instagram? Did you know that it can be a very successful way to reach readers?

I recently joined Instagram and after posting a few measly pictures, I decided I needed to learn more about how this form of social media really works and whether or not it would be beneficial to me. I heard about an Instagram for Authors Facebook page and decided to join. That's where I learned that just like bloggers have blog hops to help them connect with other bloggers, Instagramers (is that even a word?) have something similar. They call it challenges.

For example, for the months of June and July, I semi-participated in two different month-long challenges through the VERY popular Instagram account: sammyreadsbooks. Every day I posted (or tried to post) a picture that corresponds with the assignment. The first day was my June TBR books, the second day was book and a beverage, and the third day was yellow/orange books.

My June TBR that I posted on Instagram using the hashtag #sammyreadsJune16

I enjoy doing book related posts because I know that my audience is readers, and what better way to find readers for my own books than to find those who love to read.

By using popular hashtags like #bookstagram or #books or #yabooks (if you write YA), you are putting your post in front of those who LOVE to read and LOVE books.

The biggest difference between Twitter and Instagram (other than the fact that Instagram is all about pictures) is that to have a successful account, and therefore lots of followers, you need to have a theme. Perhaps you love to take pictures of your cat, or reading with your cat—that would be your theme. Perhaps you love to take pictures with books in a variety of settings—that would make a great theme. Or perhaps you like to take pictures of books with props on a white background. Believe it or not, that is a theme.

It's okay to intermix your pictures, or group them in threes (one lifestyle photo, one book with props photo, and then one quote, including quotes from your own books.) Check out some of my favorite Instagram accounts to get a feel for what I mean.

1) https://www.instagram.com/sammyreadsbooks/

2) https://www.instagram.com/taylorreads/

3) https://www.instagram.com/booksugar/

And if you want to have a little fun on Instagram, you can participate in things like #sockSunday where everyone posts pics of their socks and a book they're reading. It's pretty cute!

And if you want to follow me on Instagram, you can find me at kristinsmithwrites. Stop by and say hi!

Does anyone else have tips for building your platform on Instagram?

Genesis of a Writer

Genesis. The beginning of everything. In Genesis 1 in the bible, the creation of the universe began when God said “let there be light.”

So what does genesis have to do with writing? For writers, there is  a specific pinpoint that contributes to the creation of stories. Whole worlds, although imagined, made alive with pen and paper. And made the more beautiful and intriguing as not all creation stories behind the story are the same.

The genesis of a book is something that always interested me. It’s a question I love asking authors when I take part in their blog tours. For many, the story came from a muse whispering in their ear or a suggestion made by others. I find it fascinating to learn more about the story behind the story.

JK Rowling created the Harry Potter because of a delayed train. And wrote out the idea for the series on a napkin. The Hunger Games creation story was influenced by reality TV shows. Roman gladiator games and the Greek myth of the Minotaur.

The genesis of my own WIP supernatural novel Nadia the Fire Witch (tentative title) came from a dream. Where a girl risks her identity as a witch to save a friend. Just thought she was too bada** to let her stay inside a dream. My urban fantasy novella The Soul Traveler is also based on a dream. And the genesis of my epic fantasy Harbinger of El Tinor (in hiatus) happened while waiting for a delayed train. Hmm, isn’t that a similar situation to someone?

Anyways, there’s a story behind every story. And I’d like to know more about your story(s) ‘let there be light’ moment. Care to share the where, when, how, etc?

O is for (The) Other Boleyn Girl

The book I've chosen for the letter O is one I really want to read. I found a copy of The Other Boleyn Girl at a consignment store a couple of years ago, and while I added it to the gigantic basket of TBR books I keep in my closet, I still haven't read it yet. But I hope to soon! If anyone has read it, let me know what you thought! :)

Book Synopsis (Taken from Amazon):

When Mary Boleyn comes to court as an innocent girl of fourteen, she catches the eye of the handsome and charming Henry VIII. Dazzled by the king, Mary falls in love with both her golden prince and her growing role as unofficial queen. However, she soon realizes just how much she is a pawn in her family’s ambitious plots as the king’s interest begins to wane, and soon she is forced to step aside for her best friend and rival: her sister, Anne. With her own destiny suddenly unknown, Mary realizes that she must defy her family and take fate into her own hands.

With more than one million copies in print and adapted for the big screen, The Other Boleyn Girl is a riveting historical drama. It brings to light a woman of extraordinary determination and desire who lived at the heart of the most exciting and glamorous court in Europe, and survived a treacherous political landscape by following her heart.

Would you buy this best-seller?

As previously mentioned, one of my favorite writing sites, Writer Unboxed has this fun feature that asks whether you the reader would shell out money to read more than the first page of some bestseller and if not, why not? I thought it might be fun to do something similar here this week since plan A & B fell through.

So, here's the beginning of a novel that popped up on amazon as "new for you." It isn't a best-seller, but I thought I'd mix things up:


"Prologue

The meeting of the Royal Society of Unnatural Philosophers was well under way, and the entrance hall was almost empty. Only the occasional tardy magician passed through, scarcely sparing a glance for the child waiting there.

   Boy children of his type were not an uncommon sight in the Society's rooms. The child was unusual less for his complexion than for his apparent idleness. Unlike the Society's splendidly liveried pages, he was
soberly dressed, and he was young for a page boy, having just attained his six summer.

   In fact, Zacharias held no particular employment, and he had never seen the Society before that morning, when he had been conducted there by the Sorcerer Royal himself. Sir Stephen had adjured him to wait, then vanished into the mysterious depths of the Great Hall."

***

I'd be surprised if you recognized this author, but perhaps you've heard of this debut book?

The red cover drew me in, and it occurred to me that it would be nice to feature an author who wasn't a best-seller. What did you think of the opening? Intrigued? Enough to buy?

I admit this is one extra tempting. It's fantasy/alternate history, which is right up my alley, and unless I miss my guess, we have our orphan in Zacharias, a bunch of wizards who are meeting (about what?), which means there's going to be some sort of adventure involving magic.


Out of the three books featured here this week did any appeal?

I'm torn between this one and The Good Neighbor...

Would you buy this best-seller?

As I mentioned yesterday, one of my favorite writing sites, Writer Unboxed has this feature which asks whether you the reader would shell out money to read more than the first page of some bestseller and if not, why not? I thought it might be fun to do something similar here this week since plan A & B fell through.

So, here's the beginning of a best-selling novel:



Prologue

I'm drowning. The river's current is tearing me apart. I've kicked off my boots, but my heavy jeans cling to my legs. My chest burns with the need for air. Where is she? I've lost sight of her - no, there she is, too close to the falls. Her head bobs to the surface, her pale face upturned. Her lips are blue.

   I strike out after her, but the current yanks me under; I swallow mouthfuls of water. I fight my way upward, break the surface, spitting out mud and silt. The rumble of the waterfall rises to an earsplitting roar.

   "I'm coming," I shout. "Grab on to something!" Is she conscious? Is she even alive? I scream for help, my shrill cries lost in the storm. Right arm, left, reach, pull. My fingers are numb. I can't feel my feet. The sky flashes with lightning, then the crack of thunder, and a familiar voice calls from high on the cliff, a dark figure moving along the embankment.

   "Bon voyage," the voice yells in triumph. "Good riddance to both of you."

***

Do you recognize the author? Have you heard of this book?

Knowing the title makes the beginning a lot more intriguing, makes me wonder if the good neighbor has anything to do with the two people in the water...I admit, I'm tempted to buy this. I like a good psychological thriller. What about you? Was this beginning enough to make you consider buying? If not, why? 

ps I now have two entries to the contest mentioned on Monday, if I get eight more first pages I can hold the contest next time I'm up so send them to me (marcy@tidewater.net) if you've got them!

How compelling is this beginning?

I was going to call this 'Flog a Pro' but that felt too much like stealing from one of my favorite writing sites: Writer Unboxed. Every so often they do this post called Flog a Pro which asks whether you the reader would shell out money to read more than the first page of some bestseller. Is that beginning compelling enough?

So, here is the beginning to one of kindles best-selling books:

"Moving a guy as big as Keever wasn't easy. It was like trying to wrestle a king-size mattress off a waterbed. So they buried him close to the house. Which made sense anyway. The harvest was still a month away, and a disturbance in a field would show up from the air. And they would use the air, for a guy like Keever. They would use search planes, and helicopters, and maybe even drones."

Do you recognize the author? Is this beginning compelling enough to warrant shelling out cash to read more?

I'm not sure if I'm compelled, but I'm definitely interested in finding out who killed Keever, why they killed Keever, and who's going to come looking for Keever?

What did you think? Did you recognize Lee Child and the beginning of Make Me, which came out this month?

 ps I only received one submission for the contest I mentioned yesterday which isn't enough to hold the contest, hence the postponement. I need at least six submissions, but preferably ten which means ten brave people need to throw their first page into the ring. I would love to do this contest next time my turn comes around as moderator so if you're interested let me know. I'm happy to contact you and remind you to submit for next time. Have an awesome hump day!

TOOT YOUR OWN HORN: THE EIGHTH DAY

Our final toot for the week comes from Dianne Salerni for her book The Eighth Day which has come out in paperback:

About the book:

Recently orphaned Jax Aubrey discovers an eighth day of the week hidden between Wednesday and Thursday and a reclusive teenage girl living next door who exists only on that secret day. Evangeline is the key to a 2000 year-old spell with its roots in Arthurian legend, and Jax’s teenage guardian, Riley, is her reluctant jailor. When Jax accidentally leads a pack of human bloodhounds to Evangeline’s door, he incites a catastrophe that could destroy the regular seven days of the week.

Why would people like it:

What’s not to like?! There’s a secret day hidden in the split second between 11:59 pm Wednesday and 12:00 am Thursday, during which descendants of heroes out of Arthurian legends vie for power. Meanwhile an entire race of people is imprisoned in that single day, their lives skipping over the other seven days of the week like stones skimming across a pond. Throw in a bank robbery, mysterious tattoos, normal middle school angst, and a human sacrifice ritual atop a Mexican pyramid, and I hope I’ve given readers an adventure to remember!

TOOT YOUR OWN HORN: EFFIGY

MJ Fifield has accepted the challenge to toot her own horn about her book, EFFIGY.

I wrote a fantasy novel called EFFIGY, which was released last summer.

It's about: Here's a limerick I wrote about the novel back when I was procrastinating on writing a serious blurb:

There once was a queen named Haleine

Who found battling evil a pain

But when she found support in a lover

And a small pegasus who hovered

She soon became evil's bane

Why You Might Like It: The paperback edition is heavy and could be used as a weapon. Also, there's a love story and an unhealthy amount of sarcasm coming from a tiny, talking pegasus.

Click the pic to buy it. And if you want to toot your own horn, send me your cover pic along with 100 words each telling what your book is about and why someone might like it to: unicornbellsubmissions@gmail.com  

TOOT YOUR OWN HORN: FADE INTO ME

Our own Charity Bradford has accepted the challenge to toot her own horn about her upcoming release, FADE INTO ME. It will be released January 31st, 2015, but you can enter to win a free signed copy on Goodreads now.

It's about a guy named Caedan Frey who needs to marry a human before his 125th birthday to fulfill an ancient promise. He's ready to do just that when his soul mate stumbles into and right out of his arms. Now he has to convince Ryanne Killian that love does exist and it's worth fighting for. Even though she feels the attraction, she's promised to never let another man hurt her. Caedan's got his work cut out for him. 

Why you might like it: Even though there's a little magic, this is really a story about letting go of past mistakes, learning to forgive ourselves and recognizing we are worthy of love. 

Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23657404-fade-into-me

Read the first 2 chapters (unedited):http://www.charitywrites.com/#!fade-into-me/cppd

Interested in tooting your own horn for your book? All I need is a pic and 100 words each telling me what it's about and why folks might like it: unicornbellsubmissions@gmail.com

It's time to toot your own horn!

So..last Sunday I came up with something completely different to start this year off. Instead of promoting someone else's book, which is often what we prefer to do, I want everyone to toot their own horn. Like this:

I wrote a book called West of Paradise:

It's about this guy named Jack McCabe who gets the opportunity to go back in time. He jumps at it; it’s the adventure he always dreamed of - until he meets a beautiful but deadly train robber. It’s also about Katherine Kennedy who hopes a trip to the past will cure her ennui. She can't believe an ignorant bounty hunter has mistaken her for a criminal – until she sees the WANTED poster, which looks exactly like her. Neither of them can imagine how the past has a way of catching up with the present.

Set in the old west, this is a tale of mistaken identity, romance, and murder.

Why you might like it: You might like it if you like history, adventure, and a little romance.Oh, and it's not as racy as the cover might suggest...But there is kissing!


Now it's your turn. I'll take the first five people who email me (unicornbellsubmissions@gmail.com) with the above info about their book, including a cover pic and link to buy, and I'll help you toot your own horn.
Please limit 'what it's about' and 'why you might like it' to 100 words max.

It's time to toot your own horn

So. I thought I'd do something completely different to end this year. Instead of promoting someone else's book, which is often what we prefer to do, I want everyone to toot their own horn. Like this:

I wrote a book called West of Paradise:

It's about this guy named Jack McCabe who gets the opportunity to go back in time. He jumps at it; it’s the adventure he always dreamed of - until he meets a beautiful but deadly train robber. It’s also about Katherine Kennedy who hopes a trip to the past will cure her ennui. She can't believe an ignorant bounty hunter has mistaken her for a criminal – until she sees the WANTED poster, which looks exactly like her. Neither of them can imagine how the past has a way of catching up with the present.

Set in the old west, this is a tale of mistaken identity, romance, and murder.

Why you might like it: You might like it if you like history, adventure, and a little romance.Oh, and it's not as racy as the cover might suggest...But there is kissing!



Now it's your turn. I'll take the first six people who email me (unicornbellsubmissions@gmail.com) with the above info about their book, including a cover pic and link to buy, and I'll help you toot your own horn. Please limit 'what it's about' and 'why you might like it' to 100 words max. Your toot will appear next week, January 5-10.

bloopers

 This week I’ve been sharing some of the fun and interesting lessons on punctuation I’m learning from Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss, who’s wickedly funny. That made me think to end on a humorous note which I will do by displaying a few punctuation ‘horror stories’ Truss discovered:

“Next week: nouns and apostrophe’s! (BBC website advertising a grammar course for children)

Pupil’s entrance (on a very selective school, presumably)

Adult Learner’s Week (lucky him)

Pansy’s ready (is she?)

Cyclist’s only (his only what?)”

Do you notice grammar gaffs? Are you confident about your skills? I feel pretty good about mine in relation to everything I’ve mentioned here this week, but I’ve yet to read the chapter on the colon and semicolon, the one on dashes, or the one on the hyphen, which Truss calls ‘a little used punctuation mark.’ We’ll see how good I feel after reading those chapters…

Anyway. I hope you enjoyed my ramblings about this book, and the quizzes, and have a fabulous weekend!

Its vs it's

This week I’m talking about Eats, Shoots & Leaves, by Lynne Truss…today I thought I’d bring up its vs it’s which seems to give a lot of people trouble but it’s (it is) really quite simple. “The rule is: the word ‘it’s’ (with apostrophe) stands for ‘it is’ or ‘it has.” Otherwise, ‘its’ is required. For example:

Contractive ‘it’s’

It’s going to rain (it is going to rain)

It’s gotten very wet (it has gotten very wet)

Possessive ‘its’

Luxury at its finest (because you wouldn’t say luxury at it is finest)

Time is nearing its end (again, you wouldn’t say time is nearing it is end)

Whose vs who’s and they’re vs their are follow a similar rule.

“If you can replace the word with ‘who is’ or ‘who has’ then the word is who’s:

Who’s that knocking on my door?

If you can replace the word with ‘they are’, then the word is they’re:

They’re not going to get away with this.”

Same with there’s – there is – and you’re – you are.

Got it? Good.

Now for your challenge. Try to come up with as many phrases using ‘its’ as you can.


*Yesterday's Punctuation Riddle:  Why did all the people stay away from the Giant Kid’s Playground?
Answer: Because they were scared of the giant kid!

The apostrophe and how to make it look daft

In 2001 the British show Popstars created the singing group Hear’Say, which according to Lynne Truss, author of Eats, Shoots & Leaves, essentially imprisoned the apostrophe in ‘eternal meaningless.’

It might not seem like much of a transgression at first glance, but the fact is, there is absolutely no justification for that apostrophe. Whoever came up with the name must’ve been…well, maybe a product of the grammatical apathy we talked about yesterday.

Prior to this debacle, the apostrophe first turned up in the English language in the 16^th century when it was used to indicate dropped letters, like this: “’Tis a consummation devoutly to be wish’d.” (from Hamlet)

Then in the 17^th century printers began using the apostrophe before the ‘s’ in singular possessive cases (the cat’s tail), and in the 18^th century they decided to put it after the plural possessives as well (the cats’ tails). Which brings us to possessive determiners and possessive pronouns.

Now, I’ve heard of possessive pronouns (mine, ours, yours, his, hers, theirs, its), but I'll admit I hadn’t heard the term possessive determiners, which are apparently: my, our, your, his, her, their, and its. The nice thing is none of them require an apostrophe. Ever. And that’s a pretty easy rule to remember.

Your quiz for today (should you choose to accept it) is a punctuation riddle: Why did all the people stay away from the Giant Kid’s Playground?

See you tomorrow with the answer and another installment of my thoughts on Eats, Shoots & Leaves, a wickedly fun book on punctuation.   

What IS punctuation?

Today I’ve got more from Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynn Truss, the lovely and witty book about punctuation I’m reading…

In the introduction, Truss gives a few definitions of what punctuation is. My favorite is this one: “Punctuation is the basting that holds the fabric of language in shape.”

But I also like her favorite which she quotes from a style book by a national (UK) newspaper: “Punctuation is a courtesy designed to help readers understand a story without stumbling.”

Truss comments, “Isn’t the analogy with good manners perfect? Truly good manners are invisible: they ease the way for others, without drawing attention to themselves.” Which is exactly what punctuation does when used properly; it makes us feel as though we're living inside the book, sailing smoothly along.

She also bemoans the state of punctuation in her country and the fact that “…for over a quarter of a century, punctuation and English grammar were simply not taught in the majority of schools…” Unfortunately, this ‘grammatical apathy’ occurred immediately before the explosion of the internet and personal devices. Now everyone and anyone can be a writer, post reviews, like this one:

‘I watched this film [About a Boy] a few days ago expecting the usual High Grant bumbling…character Ive come to loath/expect over the years. I was thoroughly surprised. This film was great, one of the best films I have seen in a long time. The film focuses around one man who starts going to a single parents meeting, to meet women, one problem He doesn’t have a child.’ 

Your quiz today is a little different. Take that review and make it shine. Polish it up with proper punctuation and no more than say…ten extra words (there’s 68 as it stands). I'll post my revised review in the comments. Anyone else game?

Tomorrow, I’ll be back with more from Eats, Shoots & Leaves :)

Can we eat Grandma? A few more words about punctuation…and a quiz!

This week I thought I’d tell you about a fabulous book I’m reading, Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss, throw in a few lesson on punctuation I found helpful, and maybe a quiz or two because now that we’re older, quizzes are way more fun than they used to be, right?

Anyway. I’ll start with the Preface, written by the author, which explains her obsession with proper punctuation.

“I don’t know how bad things are in America, “ she says (she's British, btw), “but in the UK I cannot emphasise it enough: standards of punctuation are abysmal.”

She goes on to give examples, among them her favorite, a roadside warning that says: CHILDREN DRIVE SLOWLY. “Evidently, this sign – inadvertently descriptive of the disappointing road speeds attainable by infants at the wheel – was eventually altered (but sadly not improved) by the addition of a comma, becoming CHILDREN, DRIVE SLOWLY – a kindly exhortation, perhaps, which might even save lives among those self-same reckless juvenile road-users; but still not quite what the writer really had in mind.”

At which point I’m snickering and in complete admiration of Truss’ wit and style, because the truth is, I can totally relate. I may not be the Princess of Punctuation but whenever I see a public display of bad grammar or punctuation, it grates on my nerves, irritates me like a pea beneath my mattresses.

If you feel the same way or want to improve your punctuation usage, I highly recommend this book.

And now for the promised quiz!

Identify the punctuation problems in the following:

1. Two weeks notice

2. Can you spare any more records.

3. Readers Outlet.

4. The judges decision is final.

5. Childrens Home

6. One months notice

7. Please do not lock this door between the hour’s of 9am and 6:30pm.

Tomorrow I’ll be back with more thoughts on Eats, Shoots & Leaves and maybe another quiz :)

Putting the Movie in Your Head Onto the Page

In September I was privileged to attend a class by this title at the Midwest LDStorymakers Writers Conference. The presenter was super cool--Adam Glendon Sidwell.

Okay, I'll be honest. I didn't know who he was at first, and you probably don't either. BUT trust me. He's very cool. Before becoming an author of MG fiction he worked in the movies. His title was something along the lines of Creature Technical Director. Yep, he used computers to create some very memorable characters. Here's a list of some of the movies he's worked on. Bet you've never heard of ANY of them.

• Thor
• Ender's Game
• Pacific Rim
• Tron, Legacy
• Transformers, Revenge of the Fallen
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Speed Racer
• I Am Legend
• Pirates of the Caribbean, At World's End
• King Kong
• I, Robot

No, none of them? I didn't think so.

Anyway, Adam talked about the things he learned about timing, pacing and staging scenes from working on successful movies. Things that can help our writing tremendously.

He covered several things that movies don't do as well as books such as Viewpoint, Structure and Story. Why? Because when $150 million is on the line, directors stick to formulas that work. AKA sell movie tickets.

Movies can't delve into the inner workings of the mind as well as books. My personal example of this is The Host. Don't shoot me, but I loved the book, HATED the movie. The only thing they had in common were title and the characters had the same names. What made the book good for me was the inner struggle between Wanda and Melanie, but more importantly between Wanda and herself. All that internal dialogue was really lost in the movie. Among other things.

But, moving forward!

Movies do a great job grabbing your attention and keeping it. They use the setting and music to help set tone and mood. We need to do the same. Minus the music. :)

The part that stuck with me the most was this--

The Walking Down the Hall Scene

You know what I'm talking about, right? Sometimes as writers we feel the need to show every step from A to Z. Instead of cutting the scene where the main character leaves his office, walks down the hall, waits for the elevator, rides down, walks through the parking garage, gets in his car and drives to the restaurant (breathe)--in movies the MC is in his office, then he's at the restaurant.

See how much time we saved by not watching all the boring parts?

That's what I'm working on now. Cutting out all the stuff I wouldn't want to watch in a movie.

What do you think movies do well?

How can you translate that to your writing?

Adam with his wife.

In between books, Adam Glendon Sidwell uses the power of computers to make monsters, robots and zombies come to life for blockbuster movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean, King Kong, Pacific Rim, Transformers and Tron. After spending countless hours in front of a keyboard meticulously adjusting tentacles, calibrating hydraulics, and brushing monkey fur, he is delighted at the prospect of modifying his creations with the flick of a few deftly placed adjectives. He’s been eating food since age 7, so feels very qualified to write the Evertaster series. He once showed a famous movie star where the bathroom was.

Adam wrote every single word in the EVERTASTER series, the picture book FETCH, and the upcoming CHUM.

Book I can't forget

Do you ever think about certain books long after you've read them? I'm sure you do; I think everyone who loves books has a few they continue to admire. Here are few of books I continue to think about:

The Hunger Games; specifically, the way Collins had me thinking I knew who Katniss was going to choose in the end (when really, I should've guessed) and the end when the cat shows up again. That about did me in. I wasn't expecting to love this series after all the hype, but I did.

The Night Circus; this is one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read and I am so envious of the magical way the author managed to convey the extraordinary. If I could write like this...*sigh*

White Cat; What a fabulous concept: Curse Workers! I grabbed it on a whim out of my library, expecting to maybe like the book, and I ended up adoring it to pieces. Cassel is one of my most favorite characters (reminds me a little of Artemis Fowl grown up) and I loved his plan to con the conmen ;)

The Graveyard Book; God, I loved this book and I hated that it ended. I wanted another chapter or ten, or better yet, a whole new book about Bod and his graveyard friends.

The Commonwealth Saga: Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained; because I love scifi and this is one I've read more than a few times. It's almost like LOTR. Every so often I need to go on a grand adventure and sometimes the far flung future is exactly where I want to go.
 


What books do you keep thinking about?

Scavenger

Yeah, a little slow this week what with A-Z hogging up the blogosphere (which I can say since I'm fully participating in said hogfest on my personal blog, mainewords), so, no first page crit  for today. However, if you're interested in submitting for next month, I'd love to hear from you. Really! Meanwhile, I do have a little something for you...

 In a world shattered by war, pollution, and disease, a lone scavenger discovers a priceless relic from the Old Times.
The problem is, it's stuck in the middle of the worst wasteland he knows--a contaminated city inhabited by insane chem addicts and vengeful villagers. Only his wits, his gun, and an unlikely ally can get him out alive.
Set in the Toxic World series introduced in the novel Radio Hope, this 10,000-word story explores more of the dangers and personalities that make up a post-apocalyptic world that's all too possible.

Liz alerted me to this little treasure which I'll be downloading onto my kindle shortly. The premise reminds me of Fallout3, my other favorite game.*

 

What are you reading? Liking it? 

Oh, and last time I checked Scavenger was only .99cents.

*the first being Skyrim

The Eighth Day author Dianne Salerni

So there Dianne was, in a pretty good position as a new author, two books under her belt with the second one garnering some very favorable reviews. And then she got this idea about an eighth day...

In this riveting fantasy adventure, thirteen-year-old Jax Aubrey discovers a secret eighth day with roots tracing back to Arthurian legend. Fans of Percy Jackson will devour this first book in a new series that combines exciting magic and pulse-pounding suspense.
When Jax wakes up to a world without any people in it, he assumes it's the zombie apocalypse. But when he runs into his eighteen-year-old guardian, Riley Pendare, he learns that he's really in the eighth day—an extra day sandwiched between Wednesday and Thursday. Some people—like Jax and Riley—are Transitioners, able to live in all eight days, while others, including Evangeline, the elusive teenage girl who's been hiding in the house next door, exist only on this special day.
And there's a reason Evangeline's hiding. She is a descendant of the powerful wizard Merlin, and there is a group of people who wish to use her in order to destroy the normal seven-day world and all who live in it. Torn between protecting his new friend and saving the entire human race from complete destruction, Jax is faced with an impossible choice. Even with an eighth day, time is running out.
Stay tuned for The Inquisitor's Mark, the spellbinding second novel in the Eighth Day series.

***

Tell us how you got the idea for The Eighth Day.

Well, the order of events is slightly different than you describe. I wrote The Eighth Day (originally titled Grunsday) in 2012, around the same time I was working on editorial revisions for The Caged Graves – so over a year before that book came out.

But I had the idea of the premise at least 18 months before that. It came out of a common household joke in my house. My daughters would ask when we were going to do something, and my husband would teasingly reply, “Grunsday. We’ll do it on Grunsday.” One night at dinner, I asked my family, “What if there really was a Grunsday in the middle of the week, but most people didn’t know about it?”

My husband and daughters enthusiastically said I should write a story about that, but it took months and months before I came up with a plot to go with the premise.

What did your agent think about it when she read it? Did she love it as much as I did?

When I sent Sara the pitch (a little self-consciously, because I’d only ever given her historical fiction before this), I got an enthusiastic response. Something along the lines of “Wow! Send it right away!” It only took her a few days to read it, and then she wanted to talk. She loved the idea and told me she’d already pitched it around the office and to an editor over a lunch meeting. Everybody was thrilled by the idea, but they all had the same comment: I’d written it as YA, but they thought it should be MG. And as soon as Sara said it, I knew she was right.

Tell us about the deal and how it came about.

First, I reduced the age of the protagonist and removed some YA elements. Then Sara put the manuscript on submission. Within a few days, Sara called me with two questions from HarperCollins. 1) Would I be willing to take out another element they considered unacceptable for MG? 2) Would I be willing to write more books in a series?

Uh … YES and YES, of course!

Then there was about a week of nail biting before the offer came in for a 3-book deal with an option for other books in the series. It was late on a Friday afternoon, and Sara warned me she might not be able to close the deal until the following week.

Half an hour later, while my husband and I were celebrating the “almost deal” with Prosecco, Sara called back to tell me she’d closed the deal in a pre-empt.  I screamed in her ear and probably deafened her, I think.

Most people would say you're in an enviable place but no matter where we are in our journey as writers and authors, there's always a hard part. What's the hardest part of where you are right now? What about something unexpected? 

The hardest part is worrying about meeting deadlines for contracted books – and worrying if my editor will like the next book I write for the series, or if it will disappoint her. I also have to juggle this writing with a full time teaching job that has gotten more stressful this year thanks to changes outside my control.

And the place I’m in might be enviable, but there’s no guarantee that this series will be a hit, that HarperCollins will pick up the option for additional books, or that I’ll ever have another deal like this again. I enjoy what I have right now, but I know there will probably be uncertainties in the future.

Something unexpected? The HarperCollins team. I worried that working with a big six publisher would mean a less responsive editor, unreturned emails, and feeling left in the dark all the time. That is NOT the case! I am very lucky to have landed where I am.

Finally, what advice would you offer those who would like to follow in your footsteps?

I know the standard advice is Don’t Give Up and Keep Writing.  Those two things are the biggies. But along with that, I’ll add Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket.

Write multiple manuscripts. Try more than one genre – and more than one audience. Don’t expect things to happen when you want them, or in the order you want them. My agent has sold two books for me – the second and fourth books I gave her. Numbers one and three have not found their home yet, but that doesn’t mean they never will. It just means their time hasn’t come. All writers need to have a diverse body of work, because they never know which one will be THE ONE.

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A huge thank you to Dianne for coming by this week to inspire us all :)