Monday, July 28, 2014

Ready. Set. WRITE! (Week 8)

HOW I DID ON LAST WEEK'S GOAL
Great! My goal was to critique an MS, and I'll finish today!

MY GOAL FOR THIS WEEK
I'm going to my parents place with the kids this week so I'm keeping my goal light. READ. I want to finish To All The Boys I've Loved Before and then read Otherbound while I'm gone.

ONE PHRASE THAT SUMS UP WHAT I WROTE/REVISED CRITIQUED
Multiple POVs of awesome.

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE I FACED THIS WEEK
I got two requests from the New Agent contest and I've spent the week stressing over them. I haven't been in the query trenches since last year so I've forgotten how mind-consuming it can be. Augh!

SOMETHING I LOVE ABOUT MY WIP
That it's out of my hands now. At least for a little while.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

What's Up Wednesday: The Sam Smith Edition

What I'm Reading
I read We Were Liars by E. Lockhart which was really good. I loved the writing and the characters and I finished it in a day and a half. The only thing I didn't love were the fairy tales the MC kept "telling." Now I'm reading Hexed by Michelle Krys which is a fun witch book (I haven't read one of those in a long time).

What I'm Writing
Nothing this week. I'm critiquing a CPs manuscript and taking a break from my own stuff and trying to jump every time my email dings.

What Inspires Me Right Now
I've been listening to Sam Smith's CD on repeat. He's so awesome. There's a couple of songs which go great with my WIP. Here's a few lines from Not In That Way:

And I hate to say I love you
When it's so hard for me
And I hate to say I want you
When you make it so clear
You don't want me

I'd never ask you cause deep down
I'm certain I know what you'd say
You'd say I'm sorry believe me
I love you but not in that way

And from Like I Can:
 
Why are you looking down only one road
Mine is the heart, the soul for your soul
There may be lovers who hold out their hands but
He'll never love you like I can, can, can

We both have demons, that we can't stand
I love your demons, like devils can
 
What Else I've Been Up To
Not much this week. Finished watching season 3 of Being Erica and moved onto season 2 of Doctor Who. Went to lunch to celebrate getting a request from the New Agent contest. Got a 2nd request from the contest. Played Ticket to Ride and Mexican Train with the kids. Took the kids to Calaway Park which is an amusement park outside Calgary. They loved it of course, except we got caught in the rain for awhile and had to wait it out. They didn't love that so much!

What have you been up to?

Monday, July 21, 2014

Ready. Set. WRITE! (Week 7)

HOW I DID ON LAST WEEK'S GOAL
I blew it out of the water! I had one major problem and two minor ones to fix and I did it! I finished my revision in one week, and just in time for NewAgent which... I GOT INTO!!! WOOT!

MY GOAL FOR THIS WEEK
Beta a CPs manuscript.

ONE PHRASE THAT SUMS UP WHAT I WROTE/REVISED
DONE! And this time for real! BOO-YAH!

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE I FACED THIS WEEK
None! Okay, so there's life and it was busy. But I had a goal, I made myself a deadline, and I met it. Usually, I try to write/revise a bit each day, but I don't make crazy goals for myself, so it's nice to know that when I do, I can deliver.

SOMETHING I LOVE ABOUT MY WIP
EVERYTHING! (What a change from last week, eh?!)

Want to join in Ready. Set. WRITE!? (You should, it's been great for me.) Link up here.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

What's Up Wednesday: WIP it!

What I'm Reading
I read a couple of great books this week! First, Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae which was such a fun contemp romance that made me wish I was in Italy eating gelato and seeing the Colosseum. Then I read Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen which is the sequel to Scarlet. I didn't love it as much as the first, but still REALLY GOOD.


What I'm Writing Revising
I'm on a roll fixing these last issues with EPONINE which is good because I have a deadline: Monday- in case I make it into the New Agent contest. I'm still worried about this one major problem. Like, I think I'm fixing it but in the back of my mind I keep doubting myself. Stupid doubt, shut the heck up.

What Inspires Me Right Now
Not a what, but a who. My CP, RuthAnne, who had to practically beat me over the head so I could see that I was looking at this problem in my WIP all wrong. Thank youuuuuuuuuu.

What Else I've Been Up To
WHAT? I'm supposed to be doing other things besides revising and thinking about my WIP ALL THE TIME? Just kidding. I've had a couple of beach days and spray park days- basically trying to enjoy the nice weather with the kids while it lasts. I also helped mud my basement (we're finally developing it, thank goodness, since my three girls currently share one room). Anyway, the hubs regretting asking me to help because I suck and now he's got to sand and blah blah blah that's what you get for asking me to help when I suck at doing anything with my hands. Except typing.

What have you been up to this week?

Monday, July 14, 2014

Ready. Set. WRITE! (Week 6)

HOW I DID ON LAST WEEK'S GOAL
I finished going through all my CP's in-manuscript notes on EPONINE, which blew my goal out of the water. Yay for that. However, my work is not done...

MY GOAL FOR THIS WEEK
I have one major and two minor problems to work on. I'm not worried about the minor ones, but the major problem is BIG and it scares me. O.O

ONE PHRASE THAT SUMS UP WHAT I WROTE/REVISED
Done yet not done.

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE I FACED THIS WEEK
See below.

SOMETHING I LOVE ABOUT MY WIP
Right now? I HATE IT. Just kidding. I don't hate my WIP, I just hate that it's taken me so long to GET the problem. Even now, I'm worried that even though I finally SEE what's wrong, doesn't mean I'll be able to fix it properly. *tears out hair*

Want to join Ready. Set. WRITE!? Sign up here.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Guest Post: Cortney Pearson author of PHOBIC

Yesterday I revealed the cover for Cortney Pearson's PHOBIC. Today she's guest posting and talking about her inspirations for the book. Take it away Cortney!

As writers we are constantly gathering inspiration (whether we know it or not). An overheard conversation, watching people interact, teenagers laughing together, hearing others tell stories. I believe we subconsciously refer to our life experiences as we write and create stories. We have to. In order to generate realistic emotion and detail that readers can relate to, we have to have some kind of jumping-off-point to base them on. I'd like to share just a few things that sparked ideas for me as I created the world of PHOBIC, a world which is based on the ethereal aspect of seemingly ordinary places.

Inspiration #1

My great aunt lived alone in this fantastic old house built by her father, my great-great grandfather. And it felt like stepping back through time every time I walked through the door. BUT. Right off from her back door--the entrance we always used--was a staircase. It wasn't long. It wasn't even hidden like those in my story. But this staircase led to Aunt Vay's basement with its concrete floor and old cast iron stove and that pair of metal roller skates that always sat alone on a shelf. I hated going in that basement, especially by myself.
 


 

Looking back at these pictures now I wonder why I'd been so scared, but as a kid that basement was terrifying!


 
The basement in PHOBIC plays a huge part in the mystery of the house Piper lives in. It's a place she's been forbidden from entering, but this time she's determined to find out why.

Inspiration #2

Another instance happened at Aunt Vay's when my mom, sister, and I had pulled in late at night to sleep after traveling from California to Utah all day long. We were tired. It was cold and windy outside. And my mom couldn't find her key to the back door. We tried that knob several times and then as I went to reach for the knob again, the door opened. All on its own. OPENED. My mom, sister, and I all exchanged looks and when I checked the knob (on the now open door), it was still locked. True story! So it prompted the opening and this scene in PHOBIC:

My best friend Todd’s red pickup appears at the curb, spewing exhaust like the truck has a cigarette up its backside. I jerk up. My pulse kicks at the sight of him. That’s been happening a lot more lately, my insides flaring up and doing some sort of spastic dance whenever I catch sight of his alluring smile and dark curls.

Leaving the second Pop-Tart on the table, I stuff my phone in my pocket and snatch up my backpack and clarinet case. I dart past the round, velvet-topped table in the wide hallway to the front door.

I reach for the knob. It won’t turn.

Heart pounding, I try again. One way, then the other. Chick. Chick. The lock mechanism is vertical. The door isn’t locked.

“Not now,” I say under my breath. “Please not now.”

The hairs at my nape skulk up one by one until they all stand on end. My wrist flicks, and the obstinate knob makes the same chick chick sounds. The eerie feeling spreads down the length of my arm, making the knob cold under my touch. What is going on? I’m used to my house doing strange things, but why won’t it let me out?

Inspiration #3

The Winchester Mansion in California has also been intriguing to me, especially the staircase that leads to the ceiling. This whole house is completely creepy, but especially this:



 
Piper's house also has a hidden staircase similar to this one. Her discovery of it knocks her sense of reality way off course, and she begins seeing flashbacks of the original residents of house. Which leads to...
 
Inspiration #4

I LOVE romances, along with Victorian/Regency-era stories. So my final inspiration for the story--particularly the flashbacks that Piper has to the past--is:



 
Downton Abbey (I know it takes place after the two eras above-mentioned. But still, inspiration.) It was after watching the first few episodes that my two star-crossed servants in love sprang into my head.

There were many other sources of inspiration as well, but these are the main ones. What about for you? What inspires you when you write?

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Cover Reveal: PHOBIC

It's cover reveal day for PHOBIC by Cortney Pearson!!!
 
Series: The Forbidden Doors #1
Genre: YA Horror

Release date: September 2014
 
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Fifteen-year-old Piper Crenshaw knows her house is strange. It’s never needed repairs since it was built in the 1800s, and the lights flicker in response to things she says. As if those things aren’t creepy enough, it’s also the place where her mother committed murder.
 
To prove she’s not afraid of where she lives, Piper opens a forbidden door, which hides a staircase that leads to the ceiling. That’s when the flashbacks of the original residents from 1875 start, including a love affair between two young servants. Each vision pulls Piper deeper into not only their story, but also her house. Piper confides in her best friend, Todd, whom she's gradually falling for, but even he doesn't believe her. At least, not until her house gets axed during a prank, and the act injures Piper instead, cutting a gash the size of Texas into her stomach.
 
Piper realizes her house isn’t haunted—it’s alive. To sever her link to it, she must unravel the clues in the flashbacks and uncover the truth about her mother’s crime, before she becomes part of her house for good.
 

Now here's the cover for PHOBIC!!!


Oooh, creepy!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 
Cortney Pearson is a book nerd who studied literature at BYU-Idaho, a music nerd who plays clarinet in her local community orchestra, and a writing nerd who creates books for young adults. She lives with her husband and three sons in a small Idaho farm town.
 
 
 
 
Rafflecopter Giveaway Code:
 


Stay tuned tomorrow for a guest post by Cortney where she reveals her inspirations for PHOBIC!

What's Up Wednesday: Sleep and Stampede

What I'm Reading
I read Cruel Beauty by Rosamond Hodge and I really thought this book might annoy me but it didn't! I thought it combined maybe a few too many things (fantasy, retelling, Greek mythology, and even a slight dystopian feel), but overall I enjoyed the story. Then I read A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller and it was SO GOOD! Just my type of book with the historical setting, awesome characters, full plot, and perfect romance. LOVED.
What I'm Writing
Working on CP notes for EPONINE. It doesn't take long to go through the chapters, but finding the time in the day to do it is tough.
What Inspires Me Right Now
Suffragettes. After reading A Mad, Wicked Folly, I can't help but be inspired by strong women who pretty much gave us the freedoms we have today. Life still isn't perfect, but it's a lot better than it was then.
What Else I've Been Up To
Sleeping in! Now that the kids aren't in school anymore, and they're old enough to entertain themselves, I get to sleep in, and IT. IS. AWESOME. Except I lose like two hours of the day, which sucks, but you won't see me setting my alarm anytime soon.
Also, the beach, camping over the weekend, and the Calgary Stampede. Yeehaw!
The Stampede midway
 
What have you been up to? Link up here. And check out my cover reveal post for PHOBIC here. 

Monday, July 7, 2014

Ready. Set. WRITE!

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HOW I DID ON LAST WEEK'S GOALS
My goal was one chapter a day of revision on EPONINE. I did 9 chapters from Monday thru Thursday and then nothing on the weekend.

MY GOAL FOR THIS WEEK
Same. At least one chapter a week revision.

A FAVE LINE FROM MY STORY OR ONE WORD/PHRASE THAT SUMS UP WHAT I WROTE/REVISED
I just smile and nod and never tell him that I couldn’t care less how wonderful Eppie is because she’s not me and I’m not worth the shirt on my back that my mom had to steal to clothe me.

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE I FACED THIS WEEK
Warm weather+beach+camping=wanting to be outside instead of inside revising. So I'm keeping my goal small and reachable.

SOMETHING I LOVE ABOUT MY WIP
I think I've got some really great lines here and there. So there's that.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

What's Up Wednesday: Happy Canada Day!

What I'm Reading
I read Rebel Belle which I loved (aside from a couple of minor things). Rachel Hawkins always has such fun, sassy MCs. Next was Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd, a good sequel to The Madman's Daughter, although I wasn't blown away. Then I read Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma and... gah, I have so much to say about this book, most of it negative that I need to keep my mouth shut. Needless to say, I was not a fan. Boo. I've been reading so much that I'm starting to get cranky about the books I'm reading, or maybe I'm just impatient with them and noticing things I otherwise might not notice when I take things slower.

What I'm Writing
Starting my last revision on EPONINE. Hopefully I can nail this thing, or else I might just cry. ;)

What Inspires Me Right Now
I love Sam Smith so much that I've had his CD on repeat since I bought it. He's so good!
What Else I've Been Up To
Lots! We took the kids to How To Train Your Dragon 2 on Saturday. (We all loved it, although I wish they'd have given Hiccup's mom more to do. She was this awesome dragon rider but then she did NOTHING during the big end scenes.) Then on Monday, me and the hubs and friends went to the new Transformers. Minor issues with it (Kelsey Grammar's character was ridiculous, and there were a couple of girls in it who really did nothing and I didn't see the point of them), but I love the actual TRANSFORMING. I'm like a little kid watching it- it's so cool!!!

Tuesday was Canada Day. My son was in the Airdrie Canada Day Parade with his 'Lil Dragons kickboxing group and the rest of us had fun watching.

What have you been up to?