"From the Ashes" Kindle Release Blogfest

I'm so happy today to share with and support my friend Jessica McKendry (16) on the release of her self published NOVEL, "From the Ashes" on Kindle. It's quite an achievement, getting through the publishing process. Jess, I salute you!

Most people probably lead with the novel cover and summary, but I'm going to lead with the author, because she's just so cool! So without further ado, here she is!

Jessica McKendry was born in Michigan, yet grew up all over the Northeastern United States. She has lived in 7 different states, moved 15 times, and loves to travel. Jessica has been writing since she could read, but didn't write much more than poetry until she was 14 when she accidentally began writing what would become her debut novel two years later. Check out her website (www.jessicamckendry.com) or follow her on Twitter (@JessicaMcKendry) for more information.

And now the novel, which is available on Amazon here. You can leave a review on Goodreads here.

Summary:

Jaina Indera has been preparing her entire life for the chance to prove herself a superior and loyal citizen of the Imperial Alliance. In order to do so, she believes she must win the galaxy-wide competition known as the Trials. With training at her Gifted School progressing swiftly, everything looks like it is on pace for her to achieve her dream…until a boy named Dragon enrolls in her class.

Suddenly doubting herself and everything she’s been taught to believe, Jaina and Dragon are teamed with six of their classmates for the chance to compete and achieve their dream: winning the Trials. Consisting of four different tests, the Trials are about to challenge these eight young adults to the limits of their abilities. But learning to work as a team is more difficult than they ever imagined and dark secrets from Dragon’s past emerge that put them in mortal danger. Now Jaina must discover what she’s really fighting for if she and her team have any hope of finishing the Trials…alive.

Exploring the nature of self-reliance and self-confidence, McKendry delivers a perceptive, nuanced portrait of the importance of teamwork and the strain it puts on individual desires and motivations. Playing with the concepts of dark and light, her novel is a complex coming of age story that encapsulates the complicated hero’s journey from student to leader. A dark tale of love and revenge, From the Ashes is a powerful reminder to think for yourself instead of blindly following what you’ve been taught to believe.

IWSG: Navel-gazing it is

Hi everyone! It's the first Wednesday in March. That means it's time for Insecure Writer's Support Group, hosted by Alex Cavanaugh. Anyone can join, so hop on over to the IWSG page for more information and sign up!

I've been having one of those weeks.... I have work to keep me busy and more editing inquiries coming in. My back doesn't hurt so I've been able to get the house cleaned (relatively) and spend time being active with the dog. It's been a week since I sent the NNK off to her new home.

And somehow I feel so far behind the bar that I wonder how I can even show my (dirty, animal hair covered) face in public.

Sigh... apparently I'm not allowed to be imperfect, says my internal editor. She's (I'm) so afraid of rejection that I've painted myself into a convenient corner that keeps me immobile. The problem is, there's no rejection to be afraid of! Everything is going well! Sigh...

Anyone have any creative writing exercises that can help shake off a serious funk? I feel like I need to write two characters, one who always succeeds and one who always fails, and then put them in each other's shoes for a week... and try to work out some of this hesitation on the page.

What do you do to get yourself over the weeks (or months, or years) of feeling utterly inadequate and insignificant and scared of rejections that don't exist?

The Slow Cooker: A Writer's Best Friend Blog Hop

\o/

Yay everyone! It's time for "The Slow Cooker: A Writer's Best Friend" Blog Hop!

I seriously love my Crock Pot.

I am an experimental cook in large part, not an expert by any stretch of the imagination. I also have no patience for fiddling... That makes the Crock Pot my dear friend! I can throw a bunch of ingredients in, turn it on, stir occasionally and at the end of the day have a warm and (hopefully) succulent meal to show for my "efforts."

I'm sharing a recipe I pulled from my newest cookbook acquisition:

The Indian Slow Cooker: 50 Healthy, Easy, Authentic Recipes

I've always wanted to try my hand at cooking Indian food... but most times the recipes are too... fiddly. Well, not now! Anyhow, here's my favorite so far.

Dry Spiced Dal (recipe by Anupy Singla)
Sooki Dal/Slow cooker size: 3 and a half quarts/Cooking time: 2 and a half hours on low (I cooked this on high, and for much longer than 2 and a half hours before the lentils were soft enough, though)/Yield: 7 cups

Ingredients:
3 cups dried, split, and skinned yellow moong dal or split and skinned urad dal, cleaned and washed thoroughly.
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 (1 inch) piece ginger, peeled and grated
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or grated
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon salt
3 cups water
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Chopped green chilies for garnish (optional)
Chopped onions for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Put the lentils, onion, ginger, garlic, cumin, turmeric, salt, and water in the slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 2 hours, stirring once or twice. (Again, I cooked on high and for 3+ hours before the moong dal softened... just be prepared). Check to see if the water has been absorbed. If not, cook for another 30 minutes until no liquid remains.
3. Garnish with the cilantro, chopped green chilies, and onions. Serve with rice, roti or naan and spicy achaar, or spread on a flour tortilla.

Yep... it's THAT easy! And the flavor was delicious. I highly recommend Singla's book if you're interested in trying more Indian style slow cooker recipes.

For other recipes from this blog hop, head over to the following blogs:

1. The Barenaked Critic
2. Rebekah Loper, Writer
3. The Merry Mennonite
4. Sue Ann Bowling
5. Thoughts of a Visual and Verbal Artist
6. Write Backwards - Jamie Dement (LadyJai)
7. Bonnie Rae, Just Words

A rung on the ladder of life (or NEWS!)**Updated**

I'm going to post this announcement today, even though I suppose it's slightly premature... in that I haven't received my paperwork yet... but...

I am a newly minted Assistant Editor for Entangled Publishing! Seriously excited about this, folks. It's a tiny, bottom-rung job and I'll probably be making beans and doing tons of work for it... but it's an editing position with a publishing company! I'll be putting actual hours toward experience, learning more about the craft in the process, and helping authors achieve their dreams of being published!

I'm on one of the category romance lines right now. It's as good a place as any to start, I figure. I don't get to acquire anything (too low on the ladder as yet), but I'm hoping that this position will lead to bigger things in the future! I'm looking forward to posting more of my deep, dark musings about the editorial process from this new perspective. I hope you'll make sure to drop in and comment occasionally.

I have been freelancing as a developmental editor for YA and sci-fi novels for around 6 months now, as well, and I hope to continue doing that work... A girl's gotta have her pet projects. So if you know anyone who needs their MS edited, make sure to send them to Writing Refinery.

Coming soon:
Photos from a Roller Derby excursion. It was my first time attending a bout. Super fun!

**UPDATED**
No, Leslie, this does not mean we're staying in CT. It's a remote position that I can do from wherever I happen to live. :)

The Slow Cooker: A writer's best friend Blog Hop!!!

I totally just signed up for this awesome blog hop that will take place on March 2nd! I'm so excited!!! I love cooking in my crock pot (hands free, low maintenance and all...) and I just yesterday bought a cook book of slow cooker Indian food recipes!

I can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with and to try some new dishes! If you want to join in, you can go to Rebekah Loper's blog and sign up!

In other news, I have now TWO exciting announcements that I'm on the cusp of being able to reveal to you. I know, I know, the wait is killing me, too! Just a few more things to finalize before I can spring my good news on you. I'm so excited!!! (Hints are in the post tags, if you want to take a guess or two.)

Blogging events in my future (and possibly yours, too!)

There are a couple of cool events coming up that you may have heard of, or you may not have heard of. Anyhow, I wanted to let you know about them!

FIRST!!! IndieReCon (February 19-21)

"A small group of indie writers has pulled together and is hosting this FREE online conference on everything INDIE in Feb 2013! The goal? To make indie publishing a mission possible.

Are you curious about Indie publishing, but don't know where to start?  Or are you already a published Indie author looking to boost your sales or expand your reach?  Then you'll want to attend this exciting online conference happening in 2013 - INDIE Revolution Conference.  Or as we like to call it, IndieReCon."

and SECOND!!! AtoZ Challenge (The month of April)

Can you post every day except Sundays during this month?  And to up the bar, can you blog thematically from A to Z?

Also, coming soon... I have an exciting announcement... but you'll have to wait for it! The next couple of months are going to be busy! Life is always on the move, though... and so I'm determined to make space for the creative. I know I'll need it. What about you?

Breakthroughs

You know that moment? The one where you suddenly come up with an idea that will solve a major plot problem in that manuscript that you shelved a year ago... yeah... it's like a great big bolt of lightning!

And then you realize how much actual work it's going to take to rewrite and fix the plot problem. Sigh...

BUT! Having a solution is better than not having a solution... especially for a story you care about.

It's one of those days where I'm looking up at the mountain I have to climb and wishing for a cable car ride to the top.

Time to go take the first step up the trail.

A creative distraction

Today's sketch

Knights of Microfiction!

It's time for a little flash fiction exercise. I'm excited to participate in Kathy and Jessica McKendry's monthly meme "Knights of Microfiction!"

For those of you who don't HATE flash fiction with a passion (you know who you are), anyone can join us to stretch your fingers and get the creative juices flowing. You can sign up on Kathy's page. Post your entry before 11:59pm on Wednesday Jan, 16th and then go around to read as many other entries as you can.

Here's this month's prompt:

In 400 words or less your character(could also be more than one) has a chance meeting with someone who will change their life.

And here's my entry, the intro from last year's NaNo project (hope that's not cheating):


Mermaids don’t just happen to exist, they’re made. No one knows exactly where the first one came from, she won’t tell. But after she arrived in Orkney waters, people began to "mysteriously" disappear.

Tides along that cursed coast are murderously swift and subtle, taking the unsuspecting wanderer off guard disturbingly often. No warning waves crash out the threat of violence that the water brings with it. Linger too long among the tidal pools, and before you realize it, water seeps in around your ankles and then, with a woosh, past your waist, up to your shoulders and carries you out to sea.

That's how it happened to Lilith in her 15th year of life. Despite her mother's warning, Lilith crept down one twilight to crawl amongst the tide pools, fascinated by the myriad creatures that made their home in that transient strip of land and sea. She laid herself down to get a better look at a giant anemone clinging to the porous rock. His swirling tentacles and pulsing colors, magenta, umber, canary, held her in a hypnotic spell while the waters crept in closer and closer until she was trapped with no way back to the shore. Dark water enveloped the jagged rocks as the tide rushed in, filling the empty spaces in the pock marked shore, and then it was too late.

If anyone had been watching, they would have seen a swirl of black water, green sea grass, and auburn hair as Lilith gasped and grasped at nothing and slipped away. But they would have missed what really happened.

'From the Ashes' Blogfest and Cover Reveal!

I'm so excited to take part in Jessica McKendry's 'From the Ashes' blogfest and cover reveal today!!! Jess is an amazing and dedicated teenage author. She's been tenacious. Over the past year-plus that I have known her, I don't know that anyone has inspired me more in the craft of writing than this girl. She just keeps at it!!

And now, without further ado, here's the cover for her upcoming release!

I'm not sure how it all went wrong.

The concept was simple.

The Trials were made to test us. They were made to challenge our strengths; our bravery.

We were supposed to come out better.

Winning the Trials would make us Superior citizens.

It would bring us honor and demonstrate our loyalty to the Imperial Alliance. I knew exactly what I wanted.

Until I met him.

There was something about him. Something dark. If only I had known the danger it would put us in.

I thought I knew the risks.

But I never imagined the price we'd pay.

***

An insightful look at the good and bad that exist within us, McKendry's debut is a high-octane adventure that pushes the imagination to the limit as it lays bare the nature of self-reliance, self-confidence, and teamwork. Playing with the concepts of dark and light and how they affect our lives in multiple forms, her novel is a complex coming of age story that encapsulates the heroine's journey from student to leader. A dark tale of love and revenge, From the Ashes is a powerful reminder to think for yourself instead of blindly following what you've been taught to believe.

Nightmares

image from
http://www.steampunklab.com/

Usually, any bad dreams I have melt away in the morning light, be it ever so dreary. But this one... this morning... still lingers like heartburn or a bad hangover. I haven't been able to shake the exquisitely painful melancholy it has left in its wake... like a shadow cast by a nuclear explosion, the memory of this dream refuses to fade.

And so I've written 600 words towards it... I can't tell if it's making it better or worse, extracting these characters, these horrible scenes, from my subconscious and giving them life on-screen. But that's all I can do for now.

That... and bake cupcakes.

A NaNo fiasco... and what I learned from failure

Ok, so... didn't even come close to hitting my word target for NaNo. I mean, yes I know there are still 4 days left and that I could probably write 6,000 words a day and reach the 50,000 word goal for the month... but I think that would be missing something.

I can think of a few REALLY good excuses for not meeting the goal this year (i.e., travel, company for the holidays...) but what it comes down to is, I got bored with my plot. I think I just hit a point around 25,000 words where all I wanted to do was end it, kill somebody off, or wrap it up nice and neatly... and so I stopped writing because I knew that attitude wasn't going to get me to 50,000 words. And even if I could have managed to pound out the word count, I would have been disappointed with the whole thing. That's not what I want!

I really like my plot/idea for this story, and I am taking this moment to acknowledge in front of my amazing writing community/followers that I want more for it than just the chance to say "I won NaNo 2012." So starting tomorrow I am going back to the drawing board and mapping out more and better scenes for my plot.

I hope you'll all hold me to finishing this project even though it'll be outside NaNo... especially BECAUSE it will be outside NaNo. I can use all the encouragement I can get!

Also, I'm jonesing for a developmental editing project. Anybody got anything they need worked on? I'll give you a deal you can't refuse! E-mail me at ekauffman (AT) writingrefinery (DOT) com.

A website and a lull in writing

First of all, I'm very excited to announce that my website is up and running! Please pop over to Writing Refinery and have a look. If anyone you know needs an editor, whether they're self-publishing or going the traditional route, I'm here to help. If you have any questions, please send me a message at ekauffman (AT) writingrefinery (DOT) com.

Next, I'd just like to put it out there that I'm stuck in the NaNo doldrums. I was doing so well writing while I was on vacation... I made sure to carve out time every day to chip away at my word count and stayed ahead of the game for the most part.

And then I came home... home is so much more distracting than vacation! It wouldn't seem that way. But it is. I have so many projects waiting to be completed, so many books to read, and cats and a dog that clamor for attention. Sigh... I really have got to get back on the bandwagon!

How is everyone else doing?

Preparing for the on-coming storm

First! Audible books and Neil Gaiman have partnered together to produce a free scary audio book. You should go download it for two reasons. #1) it's Neil Gaiman! He's amazing. #2) For every download of this FREE audio book, Audible will donate $1 to educational charities at Donorschoose.org. This whole event is in honor of All Hallow's Read... a new tradition NG started of giving scary (but not too scary) books to kids for Halloween. (Didn't I say he's amazing?)

Now... It seems to be a new tradition for this area of the country to get pounded by a huge storm on or around Halloween. When you add the frenzy of preparing for NaNo to the frenzy of preparing for an actual (possible) storm... life can feel a little more than hectic.

Last year, a crazy freak snowstorm hit on Halloween.

All the heavy wet snow on the trees last year

Our power was out for a week. I started my NaNo novel that year by hand in notebooks... and then I resolved to complete it that way, but I lost my resolve somewhere close to the end... I was already spending time re-writing/typing the handwritten stuff into the computer to help me visualize my word count... it was too much!

This year it looks like I may have to start out by hand again! I'm going to hope not. Good ol' hurricane Sandy is threatening, though... and it looks like whatever comes our way it's gonna be a whopper! **scrambles around for candles and that hand-crank radio**

I haven't prepared a whole lot in recent days for NaNo. I did some initial prep-work in August, mapping out scenes and briefly sketching characters. I'm afraid if I do too much I'll mess with the magic. Part of the fun for me is the not knowing. But, that said, I need to have a clear idea of where I'm going with it this year. The first half of November and a trip to California are threatening to provide some serious distraction.

How do you psych yourself up for NaNo?

Updates and rainy days

Today I'm cross posted over at CT Chapter - EFA, a blog run by the Connecticut chapter of the Editorial Freelancers Association. My recent post on beats in dialogue is the newest post up there, which you've probably all read. I encourage you to check out the blog, though! There are some great posts from some talented people.

In daily life, fall continues to soldier on here in the Northeast. The days are chillier and darker. The cygnets have all gone, but one. I'm not sure what he's waiting for. Soon the great white winter will be upon us.

NaNo 2012 is coming!

That count-down clock to the right is starting to make me nervous! And I'm the one that put it there :) NaNoWriMo is at hand! I am, I'd like to think, prepared this year. A first for me. I have a notebook of character sketches and scene summaries that I've been accumulating over the past month or so.

In the past I have just had a vague idea to carry me... even the first year when I was finishing a novel I had started in high school... You'd think I would have had enough time to sculpt that idea, but nope. I'd been hiding it under my bed for 15 years. Sigh.

Part of me is a little bit nervous that all this planning is going to steal the magic out of my experience... and part of me wonders if I'll stick to the plan at all. That's what I love about NaNo, though. Anything can happen, and does happen!

I don't know if you need motivational tools to keep you on track with your word count, but Write or Die is my very favorite one to keep me from procrastinating. I highly recommend!

What about you? Pantsing or Plotting? What are your secret weapons for pulling off your word count daily? Any special tips?

"In My Mind"

Today's theme song... I keep playing it over and over again. Sigh... love. Lyrics below:

"In My Mind"
(feat. Brian Viglione)

In my mind
In a future five years from now
I'm one hundred and twenty pounds
And I never get hung over
Because I will be the picture of discipline
Never minding what state I'm in
And I will be someone I admire
And it's funny how I imagined
That I would be that person now
But it does not seem to have happened
Maybe I've just forgotten how to see
That I am not exactly the person that I thought I'd be

And in my mind
In the faraway here and now
I've become in control somehow
And I never lose my wallet
Because I will be the picture of of discipline
Never fucking up anything
And I'll be a good defensive driver
And it's funny how I imagined
That I would be that person now
But it does not seem to have happened
Maybe I've just forgotten how to see
That I'll never be the person that I thought I'd be

And in my mind
When I'm old I am beautiful
Planting tulips and vegetables
Which I will mindfully watch over
Not like me now
I'm so busy with everything
That I don't look at anything
But I'm sure I'll look when I am older
And it's funny how I imagined
That I could be that person now
But that's not what I want
But that's what I wanted
And I'd be giving up somehow
How strange to see
That I don't wanna be the person that I want to be

And in my mind
I imagine so many things
Things that aren't really happening
And when they put me in the ground
I'll start pounding the lid
Saying I haven't finished yet
I still have a tattoo to get
That says I'm living in the moment
And it's funny how I imagined
That I could win this, win this fight
But maybe it isn't all that funny
That I've been fighting all my life
But maybe I have to think it's funny
If I wanna live before I die
And maybe it's funniest of all
To think I'll die before I actually see
That I am exactly the person that I want to be

Fuck yes
I am exactly the person that I want to be

Homophones

Here is a useful list of words that editors and writers need to know. This list comes directly from The Copyeditor's Handbook, the textbook for the copyediting certificate program I'm enrolled in on-line. (It makes me self-conscious, so many rules! But hopefully it will make me a better writer and editor).

Commonly confused homophones. (def: homophones are words that  are pronounced identically or quite similarly but that are spelled differently. e.g. to, two, too; there, their; etc.)
accept - except
adverse - averse
affect - effect
allusive - elusive - illusive
ascent - assent
baited - bated
bazaar - bizarre
canvas - canvass
capital - capitol
censure - censor - sensor
complement - compliment
disc - disk
discreet - discrete
eminent - immanent - imminent
ensure - insure
gorilla - guerrilla
grisly - grizzly
hoard - horde
incidence - incidents
mantle - mantel
palate - palette - pallet
rack - wrack
review - revue
troop - troupe
undo - undue

The differences between the definitions of these words are often as subtle as the difference in spelling or sound. Sometimes, though, the meanings are wildly different, and getting them mixed up can cause a lot of confusion!

What other homophones do you know? Take a few minutes and look up and learn the definitions of each of these words... the more you know, the better you'll be at your craft!

Good Morning, October! When did YOU get here?

It's OCTOBER! That means Halloween is coming! And so is NaNo! *scrambles around for that one notebook with all her novel notes for this year....*

To be perfectly honest, I'm a "pantser" when it comes to NaNo (that's National Novel Writing Month, in case you didn't know. The whole month of November is a creative party! 50,000 words in 30 days! Check it out!). By "panster" I mean I just hop in with no plan, just a vague idea and the motivation to create something. It's actually how I approach MOST of life, come to think of it. Ha... well, there you go... that explains a lot.

Anyhow! This year, I'm going to be visiting my super awesome friends in CA (and staying with amazing awesome Leslie) during the first 14 days of NaNo! Eeek! There's no way I can pants it this year if I want to make the goal. I'm going to have to be a PLANNER! *shudders in fear and chagrin at the thought*

Luckily, I have an idea already! Woot! Having an idea is half the battle right there. What's better is that I've already started note taking... dare I say it... outlining (!!) even. My goal is to have the whole story mapped out by October 31, to not forget my laptop when I get on the plane on November 2, and to get up and write every morning at Leslie's, just like I would if I'm at home... only with more dedication to knocking out words quickly because I wanna hang out with her, too, and not spend all day staring at the computer screen. Write or Die should help with that.

It's ambitious and I'm not sure if it will work out at all, but that's the plan so far... here's hoping! I can't NOT do it this year, though. I like the idea too much :)

Anyone else out there taking the NaNo challenge this year? To be honest, I can use all the support I can get, but I give support equally! Lemme know and sign up, sign up, sign up! Then make me your NaNo buddy! My handle is (of course) fairbetty!

Ok, now here's some random art that I've done in the past couple of weeks... just for fun :)

A new raven :)

Dream Girl with stars in her eyes

Doctor Who fan art

What Are You Waiting For? Blogfest!!!

**Does a little happy dance** Yay for blogfest day and yay for people participating! I can't wait to read your entries!

If you still want to join, it's not too late!

Here's the idea: I really love flash fiction, so in 300 words or less, tell me about a character you are writing (or make one up) who faces a choice... and have him/her flip a coin to make a decision.

Post your entry on your blog TODAY!!! Wednesday 9/26 and leave a message in the comments so that I don't overlook you and so that the others can see what you've done!

Also, If you don't already know, I'm starting an editing business called Writing Refinery (website coming soon). Two lucky entrants will receive a free critique of the first 30 pages of your manuscript! So write craftily, grasshoppers!