Friday, July 8, 2016

WEP = GARDENS

 It's time again for a new WEP challenge! And the subject is 'Gardens'!


Our next
challenge is a great opportunity for photographers, but also for writers attempting to describe the most beautiful gardens ever seen. Like the Spectacular Settings challenge, you'll get to use words to take your readers to a unique place.


For example nonfiction on 'The Best Gardens in the World', or historical--'The Hanging Gardens of Babylon', travel- 'The Lingering Garden at Suzhou' or something similar for travelers.





Also, as always our fictional pieces with a romantic/unromantic garden scene, or photographs of mind-blowing gardens to motivate people, etc.

These are examples of great gardens, but some of us have personal gardens that are just as beautiful. 




What will you choose as your inspiration? The garden you planted or a great garden from an exotic place.




Since the southern hemisphere is experiencing the winter months, why not a garden covered in snow.







Winter creates a new landscape, sometimes a beautiful fairyland, at times a mysterious one, and on other occasions a frightening one. 




Remember a garden is a garden is a garden no matter what month or season it is!


Happy writing!






Thanks to the creativity of Olga Godim, here are two badges for the Gardens Challenge.










Make your choice but please help us advertise the challenge. We've been silent for too long. Maybe folks have forgotten us. Help us remind them!
 Help us Celebrate February's Challenge!
We'd love if you'd Tweet one of these:

Does a lush garden inspire your creativity? A new writing challenge. @DeniseCCovey & @YolandaRenee join us http://yolandarenee.blogspot.com/2016/07/wep-gardens.html  #WEPFF

A Flash Fiction that inspires the gardener in you. Coming in August. Join us. @DeniseCCovey & @YolandaRenee  http://yolandarenee.blogspot.com/2016/07/wep-gardens.html  #WEPFF

A garden can inspire beauty, horror, or love. What does it inspire in you? @DeniseCCovey & @YolandaRenee  http://yolandarenee.blogspot.com/2016/07/wep-gardens.html   #WEPFF


Will you join us for a new challenge?
You choose the medium!
You choose the genre!
You choose the word count (1000 word maximum)!
You choose how the prompt inspires you!

We look forward to seeing your contribution!

If you could change anything about the WEP what would it be?







Also
is in need of some help
Please check out his blog for more information or
email him direct at
fatherdragon1@gmail.com



Wednesday, July 6, 2016

IWSG - QUESTIONS?

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group
 



Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. Be sure to link to this page and display the badge in your post.

As Alex say's, let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Twitter is @TheIWSG and hashtag #IWSG

And the crew is revving up IWSG Day to make it more fun and interactive! Every month, they'll announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

Today's Question:

What's the best thing someone has ever said about your writing?

My answer:

When they compared my writing to that of Stephen King, an author I've always respected. Although, it was also the reason given by a few readers for why they would not finish my book, Memories of Murder. 
Still, I'll take it as a compliment!





The IWSG is also gearing up to announce the next anthology topic
and you get a vote on what that topic will be.
Just go HERE!




Today I have a question regarding reviews: 

When someone posts a review on their blog should you respond with a comment - a thank you? I've always tried to hit the 'like' button on Goodreads, and thank a blogger that I know with an email message, but will leaving a comment 'thank you' mean that the Amazon police will see it and delete the review? 



How do you respond to a great review from someone you know 
vs. someone you don't. 

Is there a certain etiquette to be followed?


Friday, July 1, 2016

MAKING THE WEATHER A CHARACTER

Bet you'll never guess who's here today!

You've got it! Chrys Fey!

She's sharing her secrets to success 
and her latest 
Seismic Crimes!

1.             Welcome to Defending the Pen, Chrys, can you tell your readers something about why you chose this particular topic to write about? What appealed to you about it? Why do you think it is different, and your approach is unique?

The disaster theme was an easy one for me to get into as a writer. Being a Floridian, I’ve gone through my share of disasters from hurricanes to wildfires.

Years ago, I had just finished reading a book set during a blizzard when I realized I’ve read so many like it, but it was hard to find stories set during weather I knew…hurricanes. So, I set off to write that story. And I did: Hurricane Crimes. After readers asked for more, I jumped on the chance to write a disaster series. Each book would follow the same couple as they experienced a new disaster. Aside from the children’s I Survived series, I had never heard of a concept like this for adults, so I really do feel like I am doing something different. On top of the disaster theme, each story is full of crimes.

2.             How long does it take to research a topic before you write? And for this book?

I took about 2-4 weeks to research earthquakes and San Francisco before I wrote the seismic parts in Seismic Crimes. See what I did there? ;) I researched a lot more than that, though. I also researched monster trucks, monster truck driving, and self-defence techniques.

3.             How do you handle the marketing required to succeed? Any tips or tricks that you can share here?

Handle marketing? I think marketing handles me. Haha. I make a marketing plan as soon as I get an acceptance for my new book, which could be 6-12 months in advance. I always jot down blog tour ideas, giveaway ideas, where I can try to purchase ads, awards to submit to, and how to make the marketing for this release bigger for than the marketing for my last release.

My only tip is to TRY. Don’t know if a blog tour/hop will bring you sales? Try it! Don’t know if a $25 ad in a newsletter will make a difference? Try it! Never done a Facebook party? Try it! There’s no harm in trying. If it doesn’t work, then you know. If it does, then you have something you can do again.

4.             Does writing provide you a sufficient income to live on? If so, how long did it take before this happened? Is it your goal to be financially successful, or do
you write and publish solely for the 'satisfaction of sharing your stories'?

Income? What income? No, I don’t get income I can live on from my writing. I get a tip. Yup. That’s how I look it. The royalties I get for my sales are like a tip. One tip from a reader (like one tip for a waiter/waitress). I hope to reach financial success with my writing, but right now I am just happy to be published and to be sharing my stories with others.

5.             What's the next step for you? Television, movies, a new genre? Tell us what the future holds - what can your fans expect?

My future holds movie deals, TV deals, awards, and great success. Okay, so not really. But a girl can dream, can’t she? My readers can expect more from the Disaster Crimes series. Book 3 is currently with my publisher for consideration—Tsunami Crimes. Also, later this year I expect to publish 30 Seconds Before, the prequel to 30 Seconds (a romantic-suspense novella).



Blurb:

An Internal Affairs Investigator was murdered and his brother, Donovan Goldwyn, was framed. Now Donovan is desperate to prove his innocence. And the one person who can do that is the woman who saved him from a deadly hurricane—Beth Kennedy. From the moment their fates intertwined, passion consumed him. He wants her in his arms. More, he wants her by his side in his darkest moments.

Beth Kennedy may not know everything about Donovan, but she can’t deny what she feels for him. It’s her love for him that pushes her to do whatever she has to do to help him get justice, including putting herself in a criminal’s crosshairs.

When a tip reveals the killer's location, they travel to California, but then an earthquake of catastrophic proportions separates them. As aftershocks roll the land, Beth and Donovan have to endure dangerous conditions while trying to find their way back to one another. Will they reunite and find the killer, or will they lose everything?




Excerpt:

The moment she realized Buck was shooting under the cars to hit her, the tire she hid behind blew. She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to make herself smaller by pressing her body into the SUV. The Morse code of bullets hitting metal started up again. She could've sworn she felt the SUV shaking with the continuous beat of bullets slamming into it, except the shaking was below her feet. It started gentle but as soon as she noticed, it became violent.

Earthquake!

She fell backward and struggled to get back up. Her body bounced up and down and rolled from side to side simultaneously, which told her the quake's epicenter was close. The origin could've been beneath the hotel for all she knew. A light came crashing down from the ceiling and slammed into the concrete floor with such power it exploded into a trillion stars. Glass shot out in all directions like the Big Bang. Beth screamed and covered her face with her hands as tiny pieces of glass bit the skin on her arms.

She fought onto her hands and knees and hugged the tire to keep from falling over again. The intensity of the tremors grew. The concrete below her feet didn't feel solid anymore. It felt alive, as if two gigantic gophers burrowed through the earth. The truck behind her slid with the vicious shock waves and bumped into her, pushing her roughly into the tire. She let out a cry of panic.


Digital:

Print:
The Wild Rose Press:

Chrys Fey is the author of Hurricane Crimes, Book One in the Disaster Crimes series, as well as these releases from The Wild Rose Press: 30 Seconds, Ghost of Death, and Witch of Death. She is an administrator for the Insecure Writer's Support Group and has participated in the Blogging from April A to Z Challenge.
When Fey was six years old, she realized she wanted to be a writer by watching her mother pursue publication. At the age of twelve, she started writing her first novel, which flourished into a series she later rewrote at seventeen.
Fey lives in Florida and is always on the lookout for hurricanes. She has four adopted cats who keep her entertained with their antics, and three nephews who keep her entertained with their antics. You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and through her blog, Write with Fey. She loves to get to know her readers!

AUTHOR LINKS:



Well readers, what do you think? Can the weather or a natural disaster work as a character?

Do you make a living on your royalties?

Or is Chrys right, it's just a tip for a job well done?




Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Maiden of Time

Today Crystal Collier is here to discuss her latest release


and her Maiden of Time Series.

While Crystal is answering my questions here
I'm visiting her blog for




Welcome, Crystal!



*DISCLAIMER: Due to a sugar-prohibiting diet, Crystal may be slightly more obsessed with cookies than cheese. Beware flying crumbs.*

     1.   Can you tell your readers something about why you chose this particular topic to write about? What appealed to you about it? Why do you think it is different, and your approach is unique?

Jane Eyre meets Supernatural. Do you like history? I love history. (If you feel differently, don’t let that turn you off.) I feel we have the most to learn from people who’ve come before us. We’re the same mortal creatures having the same mortal experiences, even if society’s rules change periodically. The Maiden of Time series (Moonless, Soulless, Timeless) is basically a modern story told in historical eras. It’s a genre mash up that many reviewers call completely unique. Take some history, mix in some fantasy, throw in a bit of horror, some romance, a touch of time travel, and voila! These are not your grandmother’s cookies. And I mean, who doesn’t want elegant dresses, secret societies, and the hint of something sinister below society’s pompous façade? It’s loaded.

     2.   How long do you think about a topic before deciding to write about it? Do you have a set of notes or a notebook where you write down topics that appeal before making a decision as to which topic this time?

Time is a funny thing, don’t you think? (Especially time manipulation. *peeks at the time machine locked in the basement*) Some story ideas have been brewing for 20+ years (say hello to the Maiden of Time series!). Others see the light of day on a whim. (Or deadline.) Currently, there are 35 books waiting to be written/rewritten/finished, and a potential MG series that would add another 50 novels to the stack. I fully expect to kick the bucket before getting to all of them. But who knows? Fate might surprise us all. (*glances again at the time machine*) So how to pick which one to work on? It’s all about the love. If, as a writer, you love a story, the love shines through. You’ll do whatever it takes to get that shiny beauty into people’s hands. If you don’t love a story, you have no business writing it. Or rather, torturing yourself through it. (Trust me, I’ve done both.) Go eat cookies instead.

     3.   How long does it take to research a topic before you write? And for this book? Did you learn something unusual during your research that you can share here?

I like to research while I write. I’ll research/fact check between writing sentences and read articles/books on a subject in the evenings or mornings around writing. For the Moonless, I spent a solid 5 years becoming familiar with the late 1700’s. The hardest part about a time period isn’t necessarily the foods they eat or clothes they wear. It’s the attitudes. What subjects were taboo? What were the social norms and why? Which words hadn’t been invented? (*gasp*) One particular difficulty I stumbled across was (and this is ironic,) time. Before clocks, how did people measure the passage of hours, days, years? The truth: they used the position of the sun and seasons. (“Astronomy,” say what?!) Everything didn’t depend on ticking seconds. Life was slightly less regulated and little more laid back. (Yeah, I know we’re ALL wishing we could go back to that.) *hands out cookies*

     4.   What resources do you use? In general and for this book?

LIBRARY! Can I tell you how much I LOVE my library? (It’s half the reason I moved into this county.) For little known facts, I’m always turning to JSTOR or unique blog posts. A few of my stories are placed in specific cities, and I try to keep contacts in those locations so I can track down local consultants when the time comes. For writing improvement, I have a whole shelf of writing books that I periodically revisit to keep on track. Or I’ll attend online conferences.

     5.   What's the next step for you? Television, movies, a new genre? Tell us what the future holds - what can your fans expect?

Timeless (3rd book in the series) is slated to release this fall. Yay! It’s the stunning conclusion to the Maiden of Time series, and then I’m free! ...Of that series. I’ve got a contemporary thriller in the works and an urban fantasy vying for attention. (*gets out the boxing gloves* *and mop*) Don’t mind the noise over here. Hey, is that a box of cookies? *munches while ignoring the flying ink*




Jane Eyre meets Supernatural.

Alexia’s nightmares become reality: a dead baron, red-eyed wraiths, and forbidden love with a man hunted by these creatures. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with her beloved and risk becoming one of the Soulless.



Author bio: Crystal Collier is an eclectic author who pens clean fantasy, sci-fi, historical, and romance stories with the occasional touch of humor, horror, or inspiration. She practices her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and calls Florida home with her creative husband, four littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese. You can find her on her blog, Facebook, Goodreads, or follow her on Twitter.


Readers which do you prefer cheese or cookies? 




Monday, June 20, 2016

YOU. I. US.

Annalisa Crawford is here to discuss her latest release. 
Don't you just love that cover?

you. i. us.



you. i. us. is a collection of vignettes, small scenes which hint at the story beneath.


Annalisa has taken that idea to another level, because she asked 15 bloggers to ask her one question each, creating small insights into her life and writing.

To that end: I asked Annalisa, 

What scene in your writing has made you laugh the hardest or cry the most?

Thanks for inviting me over, Yolanda.

There will be no names in this answer, because it’s a huge spoiler, but a great example. If you’ve read my books, you’ll know the story I’m referencing…

I killed a character. I loved him. He was a combination of two huge crushes I had when I was growing up, plus a little bit of extra awesome. I could see he was going to die from a mile off, and tried so hard to veer the story a different way.

I kept writing, hoping the story would come to a happy conclusion, but each time I was thwarted. I thought I’d finally done it, but another character snuck up and did the deed. And, so, yes I shed a tear or two as I wrote it, and as I read it a couple of years later too.

Incidentally, Omelette—a story from That Sadie Thing—is the story that has made the most readers cry.

    Thanks, Annalisa, I look forward to reading You. I. Us.




you. i. us.

In you. i. us., Annalisa Crawford captures everyday people during  poignant defining moments in their lives: An artist puts his heart into his latest sketch, an elderly couple endures scrutiny by a fellow diner, an ex-student attempts to make amends with a girl she bullied at school, a teenager holds vigil at his friend’s hospital bedside, long distance lovers promise complete devotion, a broken-hearted widow stares into the sea from the edge of a cliff where her husband died, a grieving son contacts the only person he can rely on in a moment of crisis, a group of middle-aged friends inspire each other to live remarkable lives.

Day after day, we make the same choices. But after reading you. i. us., you’ll ask yourself, “What if we didn’t?”

Publication date: June 10, 2016
Genre: Short Stories (Single Author)



~~~~~

Annalisa Crawford lives in Cornwall UK, with a good supply of moorland and beaches to keep her inspired. She lives with her husband, two sons, a dog and a cat. Annalisa writes dark contemporary, character-driven stories. She has been winning competitions and publishing short stories in small press journals for many years, and is the author of Cat & The Dreamer and Our Beautiful Child.




Reader's is there a question you'd like to ask or be asked?

Pretend you've just met Annalisa, 
what would you like to know?