To Lose a Friend: Tina Downey You Will Be Missed

A bit of an unconventional return from a fairly lengthy break, but I saw this news yesterday and nothing else seemed appropriate to post about. Tina is one of my long time blogger friends—very early in my list of blogger friends—and we have been friends on Facebook, including my personal profile, which indicates a personal, rather than only professional friendship. This is what her family member posted yesterday:

On behalf of the Downey family, we want to let Tina's friends and followers know that she went to be with the Lord Saturday night, August 23rd. As many of you know, Tina struggled each day with pulmonary hypertension and had been in and out of the hospital all year. She was admitted Tuesday and appeared to be getting better. Saturday evening she took a turn for the worse and doctors discovered she had sepsis. She fought valiantly but when they attempted dialysis, her body gave out. 

We know how much you all meant to her and filled her life with joy every day. We truly appreciate the special way each one of you brought significance and meaning to her life. No arrangements have been made at this time. We will provide updates as details are made known. 

Sincerely,
Friends and Family of the Downeys

I knew Tina had some health problems. She didn't make a secret of them. But I know I didn't really understand how serious they were. She was always so positive. (I loved her ability to put a humorous spin on things) She lived with pain and had run across a number of life obstacles, but she had such great details about her that made getting to know her so fun. Born in Sweden, she moved to the US in grade school, so she had a unique outlook that didn't quite fall into typical US patterns.

She was my age (far too young to be gone) and I always find those shared cohort things create a little extra bond (plus the math love, gymnastics history, bad habit of stacking...). It was just so shocking to learn she had passed—made me so sad.

Tina, you will be sorely missed—you always brightened my day and my heart goes out the The Engineer and your boys.

If any of you would like to celebrate Tina, I'd recommend exploring her blog--there is a ton there to get to know her better, especially about her big heart and her amazing ability to laugh at herself... Or you could watch Super 8—her favorite monster. Or if you'd like to do something more tangible, donate to the American Lung Association, a cause dear to her heart.

What's Ten Years?

So the past few weeks, in addition to working full time and theoretically writing full time, I also volunteered for a piece of planning my class reunion. I am confirming emails and finding people. Facebook makes this a little easier, but it is by no means the no-brainer I somehow thought it would be.

But it has gotten me to thinking about how different things were when we did this ten years ago... 2004... I was at a different job—one coming to an end because a grant was running out, so life was up in the air a bit. But you know what I was NOT doing in 2004? Writing.

I had NEVER finished a book. (I'd started several, though the last time I'd tried had been 1993—the summer between my first and second year of graduate school when I managed half a novel.

Since that time I've written fifteen novels (plus three novel length fan fiction works—they were my start). I have two more significantly started and an idea file so deep I may NEVER get them all written.

In 2004 I'd NEVER made a friend online.

All you amazing mind-meldy people that help make my life so rich were SCARY to me (con artists and dirty old men in basements trying to lure in innocents, though I suppose I had no worry in that realm).


I've not only written, I've published. A mystery series and a serial book (all but the very last one—coming next week, I hope). I've published traditionally and self-published...


While the writing life has been good—a whirlwind of crazy wonderfulness... there have been repercussions... I'm significantly heavier... My house is a DISASTER. We've lost some family... But overall I think the triumphs outweigh...

In Other News

My writing has stalled a bit... I am trying to revise What Ales Me and decided I needed to put in a little time READING some things that hit the tone I want. I've talked about this, yes? Not COZY, more SASSY? I want to keep the humor and quirk, but want darker plots and and boost in the spice. It is good timing, as vacation looms.

ALSO

I am LEAVING next Wednesday for a two week trip, so this is my last post until at least August 21. But by THEN I should have been rejuvenated and ready to dive back in...

Consumption: An Interview and review with Allison Dickson

Halo, fine friends! I have a special treat today... Allison Dickson is one of those authors I got to be friends with on Facebook, though common friends. We just kept finding ourselves in the same conversations, usually the non-writing sort, and I found myself agreeing with her often and entertained by her even more. It is ALSO fun to find out one of your writer friends you've made this way writes the dark twisty stuff that I like to read, so when she picked her publication day for her latest book and asked for interested readers, I about pulled a muscle throwing my arm I the air.

Consumption is actually a trilogy of related novellas, all about really distorted love (I will give a bit of a review after the interview). So after I read, I offered to interview Allison, and here we are!


Tart: So I just have to say, this is one twisted tale. Where did the seeds of this one sprout?

Allison: I’m fascinated by lovesickness, that giddy preoccupation with someone when you feel that unmistakable attraction and you wonder if they feel it for you, and that knife-in-the-pit-of-the-stomach feeling that happens when it doesn’t go as you’d hoped. It’s when the chemistry between two people feels most like an illicit drug of some sort, and it has an element of danger to it, like if I have too much more I may lose myself. I’ve been on that precipice a few times in my life, and I wanted to explore it. A lot of times, I like toying with the idea of strong emotions manifesting themselves in some physical way. The part where Marah talks about how her feelings were taking up actual space inside her was probably one of the truest expressions I’ve made as an author. It makes your chest hurt, like it quite literally is a matter of the heart.


Tart: So in spite of the R rating I would give this, there was something about it that reminded me very much of the X-Files. And I KNOW you have some pop culture LOVES. Do you have pop culture references you feel like have influenced your writing?

Allison: Interestingly enough, I didn’t really make myself part of many pop culture fandoms until only a few years ago, which was when such things really started taking off on the Internet. I was a Harry Potter freak back when it was most popular, but that was before Tumblr and memes in general ruled the day. It was my daughter who got me into Doctor Who, for instance. Now I’m a total Whovian and Sherlock fangirl, and it’s been fun exploring that side of myself and being a part of that cultural conversation. It’s made me feel like a kid again. Breaking Bad is also a more recent influence, but honestly there is SO much great material to draw from these days that I think just the fact of it being there at all is an inspiration, even if I don’t draw directly from it. But I guess if I could throw out two of my favorite cult hits I’ve loved quoting and referencing for most of my adult life, it would be Fight Club and The Big Lebowski. And the polarity of those two things pretty much demonstrates what I deal with inside my head on a daily basis, and what more or less gets splattered onto the page.


Tart: Follow-up—what about more traditional influences—authors or genre classics?

Allison: I know it’s probably cliché, but Stephen King is my biggest literary hero. He’s the reason I wanted to become a writer from a very early age, and reading The Dark Tower series as a teenager was particularly life changing. Before then, I read a lot of epic fantasy, but the Tower showed me that rules could be broken, that genres could be expertly bent and woven into something completely wondrous and original. Classics that rate very high with me include Orwell’s 1984, and a lot of things by Robert Heinlein that showed me how fiction can teach valuable lessons about people and societies. But I’m acquiring new heroes and influences every day. Cormac McCarthy, Margaret Atwood, and Gillian Flynn to name a few.


Tart: So this set I would classify as horror, and I know you write some thriller—tell me about the various genres you write in and why.

Allison: Yeah, these Consumption stories really call to my horror side. I’ve always dabbled in the darkness, whether that took the form of traditional horror, science fiction, or mainstream/commercial suspense stuff. I love speculating on future scenarios or presenting the reader with something fantastical when I can, (my upcoming novel THE LAST SUPPER deals heavily in those elements) but I don’t like limiting myself to that. What I’ve learned is that there is plenty of darkness and horror in the real world without really having to go there (though it’s often more fun when you do). Themes about secrets – whether in individuals, marriages, or families – really attract me. I feel like we all live behind a façade of some sort, and my goal as a writer is to get behind those facades and show the ugly along with the good, and force the reader to really question their sympathies and natural tendencies to side with a “white hat” style of hero. I think that kind of exploration tends to happen in darker stories, be they psychological horror tales like my novel STRINGS, or my darkly humorous short stories like “George’s Tonic” or “A Concealed Hand.” At the end of it all, I want to make you feel uncomfortable, like I changed one particular ingredient in your favorite dish, and you have to try and figure out what it is and whether or not you like it (I hope you do).


Tart: And I ALSO know you've recently acquired an agent... You blogged about the process, yes? So maybe share that link? But also tell us a little bit about the book that earned you the agent...

Allison: Oh absolutely! People can read all about the whole agent-getting experience here: http://www.allisonmdickson.com/2014/07/the-obligatory-how-i-got-agent-blog-post.html. KUDZU is a southern suspense novel that centers on the lives of three cousins from rural Georgia and what happened to their lives after the accidental murder of a little girl that they all covered up. Tonya committed the act, Amanda helped her hide the body, and Abel confessed and went away to prison. But there is so much more to it than that. We learn the circumstances behind the murder and really nasty secrets (again with the secrets) this family has been keeping for so long, and the detrimental effects they have had on all involved. The story turns the tables on the reader several times throughout as you jump from one POV to another. I received a lot of agent attention from this one, but Stephanie Kip Rostan at LGR Literary really loved it, and it worked out perfectly because she was the first agent I wanted to query, due to its similar feel to her client Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects. That it all worked out according to my deepest hopes and wishes is still unreal very to me right now. Anyone who works in publishing knows things almost never work out like you hope they will, and though I know we’re really just at the beginning of the process and that this book might not sell, I feel like I have good reason to hope now.

Tart: And finally... what would you say keeps you going as a writer—the dream or inspiration, or relief, or support... whatever it is... what keeps you working hard and striving?

Allison: About eight years ago, my husband and I were going through a trial separation while I worked out some personal demons, but after two years, I decided enough was enough, and I needed to get my head screwed back on straight. The demon I most struggled with was not having a creative passion to fuel me. I’d abandoned my writing, and I had no direction, but I knew if I started nurturing that talent again, I might have a real future. My husband has supported me all the way, and we’ve sacrificed a lot to make it work. I’ve taken jobs outside the house over the years and have also run a freelance editing business to help bring in money in addition to any meager writing income. After seven years, I could have earned a Master’s degree in a field that provides a steady paycheck, but I set out to make myself an expert of sorts in this craft and this business, because I love it so much. Every year has brought me closer and closer to where I want to be, and I’ve also done my best to help others along the way, which has made it especially rewarding. I go through periods of doubt and uncertainty, but I’m too damn stubborn to give up. There is no way I can quit now. It’s who I am. It’s in my DNA.


Review: I really enjoyed (in a twisted way) this story—one of the clever things about it is you get two versions of the same tale, and get a view of where people think they are being clever or tricky, but the other person knows what's going on. It's a nice study in human nature that way. The first part is told in mostly dialog—the MC telling her story to a friend, and I enjoyed it, but my entertainment really increased when I got the second version of the tale. The last third however, is the best—a true, chilling view of the wake of destruction set in motion. It reminded me (as I mentioned) of a rated-R version of an X-Files episode, so if that appeals to you, I think you'll like it.

SHE: Jessica Bell and a Chance to Give Back

Halo, fine friends!  Today I'm featuring someone you all know and love (or at least should). Jess has written a book in prose about abuse and is donating proceeds... but I should probably let HER tell you about it...

Did you know that in the U.S., 16,787 people have said that they were abused as children by priests between 1950 and 2012? (Read more about this here.) That’s a shocking statistic.

In light of this, author and poet, Jessica Bell, has written and published SHE (a short story in verse), and has decided to donate 100% of the profits made on SHE, until the end of 2014, to ISPCAN.org. SHE is only $0.99 cents on Kindle. The cost of a few sips of coffee.

If you don't have a Kindle, you can download the Kindle Reader App onto your computer or your Android phone, tablet, iPad, iPhone, Mac, Windows 8 PC or tablet, BlackBerry, or Windows Phone.

I hope you consider purchasing and spreading the word.
 

EASY TWEET:

SHE by @MsBessieBell—an exploration of religious institutions & #ChildAbuse—100% profits go 2 @ISPCAN. $0.99 #poetry http://ow.ly/z1YWz

About SHE:

Note: This short story is an experimental work of fiction written in verse. Page count: 30. Word count: 1500.
A girl’s brief encounter in limbo, following a suicide attempt, after being sexually abused by a priest. God in limbo is represented by She. She has been misinformed about how faith is advocated on Earth, and sends the girl back for another chance at life, in the belief that she must repent for her sin.

*Disclaimer: This story is not in any way a direct criticism of religion, or a representation of the author’s beliefs, but simply a creative exploration of the concept.

BIO:

Jessica Bell, a thirty-something Australian-native contemporary fiction author, poet and singer/songwriter/ guitarist, is a the Publishing Editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal and the director of the Homeric Writers’ Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca. She makes a living as a writer/editor for English Language Teaching Publishers worldwide, such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, MacMillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.

Connect with Jessica online:

Website | Retreat & workshop | Blog | Vine Leaves Literary Journal | Facebook | Twitter

So isn't a book for a good cause a good idea?

Ann Arbor Area Authors!!!

An opportunity for Ann Arbor Area authors!!! Want your first 20 pages critiqued by a published author?

This is for a face to face critique on Sunday, September 7, so you need to be able to be here and there are limited slots, so first come first serve (they are asking for a donation to the Kerrytown BookFest, but whatever amount you feel you can donate), but it's a great opportunity.

WRITER IN RESIDENCE

TIM O’MARA

Writer Tim O’Mara, author of two novels published by Minotaur books, with a
forthcoming title in 2015, will evaluate manuscripts the day of the bookfest, Sunday,
September 7.

Mr. O’Mara requests an advance submission of your first 20 pages, and he will offer a
twenty minute one-on-one critique. Contact Robin Agnew, 734-769-1114 or at
wengas@aol.com, to schedule an appointment and submit your pages.

This is a unique opportunity to talk with a published author and see what advice he has
to offer from the real world of publishing. The cost is sliding scale; free to those who
cannot afford to pay, or a donation in any amount to the Kerrytown BookFest.

Tim O'Mara, our writer in residence, has been teaching math and special education in New York City public schools since 1987. He has written several short stories and his second Raymond Donne mystery, Crooked Numbers (Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press), hit bookstores October 15, 2013. O'Mara's top-selling debut mystery, Sacrifice Fly (Minotaur, October 16, 2012), was nominated for the 2013 “Best First Novel: Barry Award. For the past 13 years, he has hosted and co-produced a bi-weekly reading series of poetry and prose in New York's East Village with We Three Productions. He lives with his family in Manhattan, where he currently teaches in a public middle school and is a proud member of Mystery Writers of America, Crime Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and several teacher unions. O'Mara's third Raymond Donne Mystery, Dead Red, will be released by St. Martin's/Minotaur Books in early 2015.

The Kerrytown BookFest takes place at the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market Sunday September 7, from 11 – 5. www.kerrytownbookfest.org

2nd Quarter Report Card

So we are into July, and while I'm wondering where the heck the year has gone, it is ALSO time to hold myself accountable. But first... a piece of current events news:

No Finals For Me

They announced finalists in the Amazon contest yesterday. I wasn't one of them. I knew, or at least was pretty sure, last week when no call came, but I kept mum, all in the spirit of the contest. The Mystery/Thriller finalist is called The Dead Key and is fabulous (the excerpt available for the contest, anyway, and I assume the whole thing, since it won the category and all.) The others are I'm sure excellent, as well. I encourage you to go read them all and vote: Amazon Finalists


And Now for the Stuff More in my Control

Only not.

I mean it is to the degree life doesn't throw me a wrench...

What I was MEANT to do 2nd Quarter (and whether I did it):

Finish Writing 10, 11, and 12 for A Shot int the Light, but keep in mind this REALLY was meant to happen 1st quarter.  DONE

Polish same, plus 9. DONE (though 12 needs a tiny bit more)

Publish all of the above. Mostly  (11 published 7/2 and 12 is coming)

Revise What Ales Me:  Yeahno...

Revise one of my YA books: Um. No.

Write something in June: HA! Yes!


My analysis is A Shot in the Light took a lot LONGER and MORE WORK than I expected. I will probably always be a person who overestimates what I can get done, but life really can get in the way with these huge projects, and it seems much more noticeable than with 'just a book'.

As for my PLANS for A Shot in the Light... When I am done, I am going to query Amazon's serial arm... I think they may be willing to take it. I have proved quality in their own arena and I think with their promotion, it might do well. We'll see.

I published 11 last week, by the way. Did I tell you that?  12 is with 2nd readers.


So what are my 3rd Quarter Plans?

1) Revise What Ales Me

2) Finish first Undoing Book

3) POLISH Kaholotus and Medium Wrong

4) QUERY Kahlotus OR Medium Wrong

5) Amazon Query Shot (publish in other venues if rejected)

6) Finish publishing Shot and format 3rd paperback portion

On Tenterhooks

First—it is the first Wednesday of July and Alex has dared to include me as one of this months Insecure Writer’s Support Group Hosts, so WELCOME to this fabulous supportive monthly event. Nothing makes us insecure like writing, sharing our writing with others or trying to sell our books, but it helps a lot to have this supportive group to remind us we aren’t alone.

My co-hosts this month are:

Our Fearless Ninja Warrior Leader Alex Cavanaugh
Krista McLaughlin
Kim Van Sickler
Heather Gardner 

(Go see them)

But FIRST!!!

We are also trying to get the IWSG on the Writers Digest Best 101 Websites list!

Please email them at writersdigest@fwmedia.com, subject line 101 Websites, and suggest the IWSG - http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/


And then, at the BOTTOM is the list of other IWSG participants, so be sure to go help a couple people feel less insecure!!!

You're saving me from this...

So for MY Insecure Topic Today: WAITING...

Becoming a writer involves a LOT of waiting. We share with beta readers. And we wait. We query agents. And we wait. Our agents query publishers. And we wait. We enter contests... And we wait.

And in that quiet space between submitting it to whomever is looking our imaginations become giant DEMONS that devour our confidence. We are SURE they must HATE IT or they would have gotten back to us sooner. Maybe we read a good book and think Holy PANTS, what was I thinking? (pants is a swearword if you are wondering—about the worst thing there is, so avoid pants) Or maybe you read a BAD book and think, “I'm going to humiliate myself like this, aren't I?”

And I'm here to say... Probably. Not because YOU in particular are so horrible but because we ALL send out something too soon at some point. It can take a while to be able to distance ourselves enough from our own work to be objective. But isn't the fact that WE ALL do this at some point a little reassuring? It is part of the growth curve.

It took me about five practice books before I sort of GOT IT. Now I may be slower than most, probably am. But the persistence has paid off pretty well.

But here I find myself WAITING again...

You see... next Monday they announce the finalists to the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest. And what's MORE... in the wee fine print there is a line that says they will be calling the FINALISTS toDAY... So my phone is leering at me doing NOTHING and there is NO WAY I will be concentrating any time soon, so thank HEAVENS I have YOU PEOPLE to keep me distracted!

Because otherwise (in fact maybe ANYWAY) I am sitting here, a puddle of insecurity. In any case, I am Schrodinger's cat... alive or dead, and by the end of today, I will know, and you won't. Sorry.


PS: If I hear, I'm not allowed to say. If I DON'T hear, I'm not allowed to say. It is my way of sharing the anxiety... You're welcome.

Now be sure to go visit my fellow hosts and several more insecure friends!


In side news for regulars:  I succeeded in BuNoWriMo, though for the trilogy, it is only 2 acts of 9. In July and August I intend to write act 3, edit What Ales Me, Polish (again) Kahlous, and Polish Mediums Wrong, so I can jump out STRONG in September with READY stuff.

Super Summer Reading Bargains!!!

HALO, fine friends!!! So it is well and truly summer, yeah? So a bunch of friends and I thought we'd put together a collection of BARGAINS to add to your summer reading pile!!! The idea originated with Thomas Knight, one of my ABNA buddies, and Lynnette joined in... then I remembered my friend Jade has HER stuff all on sale until her next one is released at the end of the week, so here I am to share BARGAINS with YOU!!! Load up your Kindle for the beaches!!!






From Thomas Knight—All 99 cents this week!

His author pages has links to all of them: Thomas A Knight


From Lynnette Ferreira (her Vampire books are 99 cents)

Her books are linked HERE: Lynette Ferreira


Jade Jamison has a full sexy COLLECTION for cheap leading up to her release of Finger Bang.

Jade's links are all here: Jade C Jamison


My buddy and birthday twin (mine today, hers tomorrow), Leigh T Moore has a release coming for Mosaic, so is offering the first in the series, Dragonfly, for FREE!!!

And then know how I've had A Shot in the Light I-IV offered at 99 cents for the Amazon contest? Well THIS WEEK ONLY, I am ALSO offering A Shot in the Light V-VIII for 99 cents. AND, to light a fire under it... on the off chance I am a finalist, I may have to PULL all these until Amazon releases them (July 8 at the earliest--maybe not at all, but the price goes back to $2.99 then). (If I am not done publishing, I will get the last one to anyone who has read—no fear there—I would never leave people who've been so supportive high and dry)--BUT just in case they disappear for a while... gotta get em now, yeah?

All my links are in the right sidebar, but you can also find them here: Hart Johnson


And in OTHER news... Fresh Fiction posted a nice review of Keeping Mum yesterday, if anyone is curious...


So what are you waiting for!?  Go get your summer reading in order!!!

The Gratitude Post

I had something AMAZING happen to me on Friday. I will confess I had some hint it might be coming, as there was some 'just I case' paperwork involved, but it still really sent me into orbit. I've been on a high all weekend.

You see... Friday they announced the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Semi-finalists.

People who have been around a few years know I made this list once before, but this stage is different from what it was then. In 2011 I was a semi-finalist with Kahlotus Disposal Site, and was one of 50 young adult novels to make my list (another 50 made the general fiction list—100 altogether).

Last year Amazon broke the contest into FIVE categories instead of two. Mostly it just meant a different split of people passed on—made it more competitive to keep going in YA, as they were 20% rather than 50... But the semi-finalist stage cut winners from 100 to 25—that means only 5 in each category.

Friday I learned A Shot in the Light was ONE of those FIVE for the Mystery/Thriller category—there are 25 total semi-finalists... 25 of 10,000. I am AMAZED, and proud and intimidated and all that good stuff...

(in celebration, the price stays 99 cents as long as I am in the contest)

But the real gratitude came after. On the ABNA boards I had a ton of congrats—me by name... I had a ton of support from my various Facebook groups and friends. It is one of those times you realize just the daily showing up and making friends has a HUGE impact. I have a dozen little groups I am a part of and it can feel a little schizophrenic. They all have their different quirks and personalities

When you get mad at yourself for screwing around online, be assured, screwing around online can pay off... erm... but seriously. I feel a commitment to playing much of the time when I'm online and I think it really does help people feel like they know me, so when good stuff happens, then I end up a teary, sniveling mess because everybody is so nice to me. But that's GOOD.

In Other News...

I was clearly distracted Friday, but managed to pass the halfway point on Mere Mortals this weekend, so I am on track with my WriMo.

I learned my friend Lisa Koosis landed an agent, so congrats to Lisa!

Game of Thrones Finale... as of this writing, I haven't seen it yet but it HAS TO have been AMAZING...

Watched season 2 of Orange is the New Black in three days because that is sort of how I roll...

And I hope all you dads out there had a GREAT Father's Day!


Finally, a QUESTION: On #NALitChat Thursday night people were talking about Wattpad. What is Wattpad?

A Wee Reminisce

So five years ago today was my first ever blog...

I thought I'd stroll down memory lane a bit... If you are curious, here is my first blog, Python and Princess Bride references in tact. I'm proud to not be embarrassed by the thing... Because MAN, did I not know what I was doing. I'd never even really READ any blogs. I know. That's embarrassing. It is sort of my way... jump first, research to see if I did it right after...


Where I was in my Writing Life (or why I started blogging)

I finished my first MS in October 2008. I was still writing a little fan fiction, but I jumped into revisions of that right away—it was a book that had pestered me for years. I actually tried to query it that May, only to be given a kindly reality check from a second degree friend “Um, I hate to tell you this, but at 204,000 words, agents aren't going to read that.” (confirmed by my first rejection sent fifteen minutes after submission...)

THAT—realizing there was a whole bunch I didn't know about this writing thing (because I am too cocky to have learned that without being told) spurred me into blogging and opening my Hart Johnson Facebook profile. I was in the midst of a second book (one I never finished—I had two ideas but started THAT one and then I got a prequel idea for the OTHER and wrote THAT (fast).

Since then I've finished 14 more first drafts, published (almost) 4 books, I'm writing in my 10th WriMo, I've entered ABNA 5 times... But blogging was sort of my first outing as a writer. It was also my first real outing to people I KNOW.


So I want to thank my first COMMENTERS.

We all crave these, yes? They keep us going, when we might just whither into the void otherwise.

First commenters were:

Pinecone Girl (a friend of mine from high school)
Chary—Part of the Burrow, which is my writing group
GA Endless, who seems to have been caught up in a fraudulent publisher scam. I feel very bad for her, and the fact that I didn't know until now...
Siv Maria, who I'm still friends with AND
Christopher Allen, who I am ALSO still friends with...

So two people who knew me previously, one blip on the radar, and two new lasting friendships. I will call that a success.


So I offer a HUGE thank you to those early friends and a toast to all who have joined since. Thank you!

Writing Lessons from Maleficent

So I went to a movie with my daughter yesterday. Sleeping Beauty was my FAVORITE Disney movie, so when my daughter was little, she got a giant dose of it, too. Now she is 19 and a few weeks ago when we went to Divergent they played a Maleficent preview. My son was unmoved, but Thing One and I thought it looked AWESOME.

And it was. But in addition to just being an excellent movie, is seems to me there are some excellent writing lessons in it. So here we go.


The Bad Guy is not the Bad Guy to the Bad Guy

Seems simple enough, right? But I think it is easy to draw them as just rotten. This movie did and excellent job of showing what BROUGHT the villain to that point—making that point of evil act not just understandable, but TRAGIC. Without getting too spoilery, Maleficent was a GOOD fairy... who was BADLY betrayed.

The Good Guy doesn't necessarily STAY the Good Guy

People can have more than one primary motivation and it can cause them to behave in ways that break our hearts. THAT is good story telling.


Where you Start the Story MATTERS

Sleeping Beauty, as we've all heard it told, begins when this story is maybe 40% DONE already... and HOLY HELL is that some excellent backstory.


Any tricks you know to help the reader really get your villains?

Also, FYI: Thursday is my 5-year Blogiversary, so I will be posting in spite of my slower pace this month.

Who's Your Best Friend?

No matter how many times I ask the dog this question, he never answers. I think he loves his daddy better and doesn't want to hurt my feelings.

Joel in his winter coat

What am I on about? Oh, right... It is Insecure Writer Support Groups 1st Wednesday!!!!
And you should visit LOTS of us. We are ALL insecure.


Now back to the question.

See... I'm not Joel's FAVORITE. And sometimes it can be hard to remember that doesn't mean he doesn't LOVE ME. He does.

As authors all of us crave love, but I think we can get lost in words like favorite... because if somebody ELSE is your favorite... I'm not. It is hard to keep focused on the idea that you can love LOTS of authors and it isn't cheating. We can let superstar success of our friends make us fear WE will never get there...

Or we can let it give us heart.


See, I don't actually believe people can only love one person (but accept I may be bendy that way). But I KNOW people can love LOTS of authors. And people who love ANY authors are more likely to love multiple authors. REJOICE in the success of your friends because it INCREASES the pool of those who may love YOU.

That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

No Free Will (Book 10 of A Shot in the Light) is UP!!!

Available here

To Book in June, or, Happy Birthday to ME!

It's my birthday month. Did you know? If you DID know, you might ALSO know no birthday should be celebrated for less than thirty days, so I am calling the whole month. It might not REALLY happen until the 23rd, but ALL MONTH we are having a bit of a party.

And by party, I mean I am FINALLY starting a BRAND NEW book that has been bugging me for a couple years now. The seeds of it, strangely enough, stem to a couple Veronica Mars episode. I don't get many ideas from TV shows, but every once in a while there is just a breeze of pollen from one that falls on some OTHER idea and makes it explode.

With Shot in the Light the the whole 'near apocalypse' obsession began with the book series Tomorrow When the War Began (to this day, 10 years later, my daughter's FAVORITE book series), but the TV show Jericho gave me a lot of good feed for how communities might cope when the world around them is falling apart. It gave me blocks to build from.

NOT the Castle episode: these are the Tritons. VM hit the theme twice.

So with Undoing... do you remember the Skull and Bones secret society that supposedly the Bushes are a big part of? Those rumors planted this seed. But it got a big dose of fertilizer from the VM epidsode where Wallace is tapped to join Castle. Simultaneously, Veronica is taped getting a little naked with Piz, totally unknown to her, and the tape goes viral so she starts to dig... and finds out some very interesting things about Castle. The kinds of advantages members get. The things the society does to keep its members in check... And Undoing began to take shape.


The teaser for Mere Mortals, first book in the Undoing Trilogy (first draft, forgive me)

 Just days after he graduates high school, Sebastian Childs, grandson to Rockwell Childs, learns his grandfather has chosen him as heir to his publishing empire. His grandfather asks only one thing. He is dying and would like his heir to spend his last summer living with him so he can get to know him. Sebastian's father, passed over in the line of succession is furious, and even Sebastian feels the inheritance should be spread over more people, but if Sebastian refuses, his grandfather threatens to donate the entire thing.

While with his grandfather, Sebastian learns of the secret society that had given his grandfather and so many others their huge advantage over other people. His grandfather has come to believe there is too much power and too little accountability in the system and he charges Bas with gaining admittance and then undoing the society from the inside.


So I have conceived of this story as three books of three acts each. It is possible I will release these serially (that would be nine distinct parts), but unlike last time, I am going to have an entirely solid first draft of all three before I begin making such decisions.

This is planned more than most of my past books because it's been bugging me for so long. I have choreography for when various important characters make an entrance and what the big point of all nine acts is.

My plan is to write book 1 in June... then I have major editing to do on four different projects in July an August for a query fest, so maybe I will write book 2 in September and book 3 in November.

Other News

THAT said, other than special days (IWSG and my 5-year blogiversary, etc) I am only going to blog Mondays this month.

And if YOU want to write a book in June, BuNoWriMo would WELCOME you to join us! We've lost our widget, but we are still an awesome system of writerly social support.

And finally... my learned wisdom... that free day thing? GREAT for two days, but I think that is the limit of increasing returns. Next time I will do two days and save the other three for a different promo...

The Virtue of the Three-Day Work Week

So I'm starting this campaign. I'd appreciate your endorsement, and would not say no if you would donate to the Naked World Domination Quest, because honestly, you'll all be happier when I'm in charge... but baby steps...

How have I blogged 5 years and this is my first paradise?

So I've been taking Fridays off this month—I had so much vacation accumulated I was losing it and said NO WAY. This is NOT the way to go, so there you have it... and THIS week, I also had MONDAY off because of the holiday (Memorial day, to any of you not in the states)

Well for STARTERS on my 4-day weekend, I got almost 16,000 words written, so THAT was a bonus, and I felt good—enough sleep, enough down time.

And then on Tuesday, low and behold... I got WORK done at work! Wednesday, too. See, I think Americans are expected to work so many hours that you just can't POSSIBLY be productive all of them. But if we had less time we had to be there, we could be productive for all of them. So employers should like this TOO.

Rested productive employees, reduced stress-related diseases, well-rounded people because they have time for a life (or second career, whatever)...

Who's with me!?


In Other News.

I spent much of yesterday twitterpated. I can't tell you why or I'd have to kill you, but I am really hoping it is good news. It's NEARLY good news in ANY case.


In Other OTHER News

BuNoWriMo: 3 days away!!!!

Anybody want to volunteer to clean my desk? After my MONTHS AND MONTHS on one project, it looks a bit like a typhoon.

if you look at the word 'sale' too long, it looks wrong, dunnit? 

And FINALLY: Best Idea EVER!!!

You know, I am really BAD at this whole wonky timing of sales and promo thing. When I do it right, it is totally a FLUKE, but timing that Good PW Review to lead into FREE and SALE? Seriously... I've not only given away more than 500 of the first book (as of last night—more than 250 a day for the free days), I have also SOLD about a third of my TOTAL sales ever in 2 days. Is it going to make me rich? Not even a little bit. For what I've made this month I can buy a seriously less cheap than normal but not good bottle of wine... But people are READING MY BOOK!!!

If you get a good prestigious review and have the authority to have a sale about it, I strongly recommend it—sharing the celebration by giving people a change to share what you are celebrating? Seriously.

Free and Cheap!!!

You know, I'd been a little worried with my review that PW reviews were a little easier on readers this year, but then I spent some time on the ABNA threads and I see that isn't so. I got really lucky to get a match for a reviewer who likes my sort of books, but I also feel like I get to feel pretty good about pulling it off for him or her.

To CELEBRATE, for the next 5 days (Tuesday through Saturday) A Flock of Ill Omens is FREE. This is the first in the serial and I think 12 chapters—the Amazon excerpt is only 2 chapters—so it is quite a bit more than was already available for free.

THEN

For the REAL PAHTAY... the whole book, A Shot in the Light, Parts I-IV, is only 99 cents. (normally it is $2.99). I am leaving it this price until Amazon cuts are posted June 13.

If you are confused about WHY I am celebrating, my review I'm so excited about is HERE.

I would LOVE LOVE LOVE some help spreading the word if peeps wouldn't mind giving a share or a mention.


In Other News

I had a KICKASS writing weekend. Friday-Sunday I wrote 15K and I should finish my LAST first draft for A Shot in the Light today. It will run about 20 pages longer than the others, but not enough longer to think I should split it into two books.

This is often how I am... The third quarter is hardest, but once I really get rolling into the ending, it flies. I know what I want to happen. I'm excited to make it happen. And I am a lunatic adrenaline rush until it's done.

Hopefully book 10 will be ready by NEXT Monday. Sooner if possible.


BuNoWriMo

And BuNoWriMo starts SUNDAY! Want to write book in June? Have your idea ready? I think it's time to get plotting!!!

A Shot in the Light: Publisher's Weekly Review

This review is for my Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Entry, which is books 1-4 for the serial, available HERE if anyone is interested.

ABNA Publishers Weekly Reviewer

This novel is a compelling look at how people survive when everything they know has changed. Chapters focus on a cast of alternating characters across the United States and their reactions to a massive flu outbreak that begins killing people all over the country. Journalists Sydney Knight, Tonya Simons, and Theo Jacobs, grad students Nathan Drake and Jules Ahler, nurse Sarah McGrath, mercenary Matt Jacobs, senator's daughter Dorene Radcliff, and CDC employee Pierre Van Wouten utilize their skill sets and knowledge as they try to investigate and survive the epidemic. As paths cross and groups form, a picture of what caused the epidemic begins to emerge. This novel engages readers from the first page and keeps them turning pages until the end. Characters' backgrounds and motivations are explored in depth, and relationships grow. The sense of dread grows along with the epidemic, and action scenes leave readers on the edge of their seats. The author's writing style is engaging and serves the plot well. This novel is a very strong look at the lengths to which people will go to survive.

The underlined bit is the thing I plan to use for my promo stuff... Definitely a nice perk!

Naked Thursday!!!

It has been WAY too long since we've had a Naked Thursday around here, but you know what? It is the LAST day I have to work before we ease on into the post-memorial day SUMMER feeling, so I think we just ought to be NAKED!

What do I MEAN by Naked?

You just thought I was taking my clothes off, didn't you? Well I AM, but that's just the START. See, NAKED is an ATTITUDE. It is shedding all those false fronts and just being YOU, no layers of deception, no purchased false fronts, no status symbols. Just YOU, out there loving the world and life. (or not—Naked can be vulnerable, too—scary and revealing the BAD)--Wherever you are, that's okay. Just embrace it. Own it. And put it out there.

Be NAKED.

The Benefits?

Well there is no itchy, course false front... No BINDING discomfort.
You know the people who love you, love YOU and not some false you they think you are.
No need for matching or sorting. No WORRY about accessorizing.

NAKED goes with EVERYTHING!


The RISKS?

Well when there is more of you exposed, there are more scrapes and bug bites.
Sometimes it can be awkward...


All in All I think you can SEE the way to go, but if you NEED to test it out... start with Thursdays...

Ebb and Flow

It's funny how things need to be aligned for the writing to flow. I am a person who doesn't actually believe in writer's block, but I DO believe a story can get stopped up... that sometimes you have to write something ELSE for a little while before you can get back to progress on that WiP.

One side of the mountain blew totally off

So IMAGES today are from Mt. St. Helen's... it blew 34 years ago yesterday, covering the little town I lived in (Moscow, Idaho) in ¾ inch of ash... school was canceled for the year... one of those once in a lifetime experiences... (which is probably good)


You know what helps the writing flo?

DAYS OFF!

I am SO IMPORTANT at my job that I can never take time off... erm... or rather, we are in our first real year as an office and I'm the only veteran besides my boss... it is possibly my own exaggerated sense of self importance, but it has just seemed for too long like I couldn't actually be GONE...

We had a bunch of hiring to do, then we had a grant, then I had a national meeting, and I had students with projects... (like I really COULDN'T be GONE)--but I also noticed I was losing vacation days... you can only accumulate so many, so this summer, as much as possible, I am taking three days weekends... now into the foreseeable future. And Friday was my first one.

Hubby worked part of it. Me home alone... and it was a GREAT writing day.

It left the forest below looking like this--those are TREES (not grass)

Know what DOESN'T help the writing?

A hangover.

I really am too old to be so stupid, but I got to drinking wine with my neighbor Friday night and Saturday I was really mostly worthless writing-wise. I got some other stuff done. Some shopping, some chores. But each time I'd think, “I should write” I would sit down and think... no, what I really want is to watch a episode of Deadwood... So don't do that.


Know what HELPS?

A good night SLEEP!

I do really good writing when I get up feeling refreshed. When I still feel tired, not so much.

Here it is 30 years later, recovering slowly

Know what DOESN'T HELP?

Needy people. Doesn't matter who they are, but mostly childings... childings who need rides. Childings who need jobs. Childings who need clean clothes. Childings who you are married to who are just generally needy. Childings with fur who need their dogfood made... Other childings with fur who need their litter boxes changed... But I love them, so I suppose that is just part of the deal.

I suppose if it flowed too fast, it would just bowl over everything in its wake.


Whatever the challenges, I managed to write almost 8000 words in my three days off and have reached the halfway point, if this book doesn't end up a bunch longer than the rest. The biggest deal is I really wound up about the first five chapters, all of which I'd started, but had [needs a scene that does this] at the end of all of them. I finally feel like I really AM half way, rather than having a whole bunch of started chapters, none of which had reached satisfactory conclusions. Hopefully a week from now I will be able to tell you the first draft is DONE.

So there. What helps and hurts your writing?

Seeking New Weather God

This man is an ASS HAT

So you know how here in Michigan was the worst winter EVER?

Well THIS week we had a real life, big deal 90 minutes in the basement Torado warning. Not ONE tornado, but THREE, and one of them touched down twice (so four touch downs, thankfully not where they did much damage) (and they got four inches of snow in Colorado and are having fires in California). I am declaring the CURRENT weather god incompetent and he needs REPLACING, preferable with one who is more mild tempered.

A little gender-bendy, too, which is good--impies balance.

Maybe Dionysus... He'd the god of wine and pleasure... Doesn't a weather god reminiscent of wine and pleasure seem like he'd be a really GOOD weather god... I LIKE wine. And I LIKE pleasure!

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Or maybe Demeter... At least she limits the misery to six months of the year...

Any suggestions for who ought to get the job? Surely nobody can be worse than the current guy...