Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Insurgent Feeds My Soul
I was so excited to see Insurgent in 3D this last weekend! The movie was totally amazing and I was surprised because it was even better than Divergent. It seems like the first movie had a lot of setting up to do and there was like this secret romance going on between Tris and Four. But... in Insurgent the cat was out of the bag and the romance was full on baby! They fought some too and that was cool, but their love shines through all the way. I think Tris and Four are my favorite fictional couple, which is why I am so not looking forward to the next movie Allegiant. I am sorry I won't give anything away, but it is going to be a super cry fest for me for sure. Here is one of my favorite pictures I've seen around on the net that shows the awesome dynamic duo Tris and Four!!! 
Monday, March 16, 2015
Lois D. Brown talks about what it's like to write a book
This week Mrs. Librarian Lady will feature author a blog piece by Lois D. Brown. Lois' new book "Robbed of Soul" will be releasing this week and she has some great advice on How to write a book in two months!
So you want to write a
book. I have a little advice. (Writers always do.)
Two years ago it took me
almost twelve months to write a middle grade book that was 30,000 words long.
This past fall I wrote an 85,000 word adult mystery called Robbed of Soul in two months. What made the
difference?
Point #1: Like
your book
First off, let me say
that to write a book, and to write it fast, you need to like your idea. I
wasn't so jazzed about writing the middle grade book. I thought it had a good
premise and was marketable.
However, I was completely
passionate about Robbed of
Soul. It’s set in a real town, Kanab, Utah, which I love to visit. It included
legends about Montezuma’s gold and historical tales from treasure hunters
in the 1920s. And the protagonist is a woman who survived eight months in
solitary confinement in Tehran. All of these are things that fascinate me. So much
so that I've actually appeared on a television show about
Montezuma's treasure.
Point #2: Make it a competition.
I contacted a friend
of mine who was about to start to write her second book. (If you don’t know someone
personally, there are tons of online author support site that would work too.)
My friend and I made
writing our books into a competition. It made all the difference. Every few
days we would check up with each other. We’d send a quick text
asking how many words the other had written that day. It was fun. First she was
ahead. Then I was ahead. Then she was ahead. Yes, she finished the book
before me, but it didn't matter. We both finished writing rather large novels in
less than ten weeks.
Point 3: Get rid of distractions
I
created an atmosphere that was conducive to writing. Our
family’s main computer is in the kitchen. I like it there because I can see
what my kids are doing on it. But, it really makes it difficult to focus. The fridge is about six feet
from my computer chair. It whispers to me all the time. I knew I had to change where I
wrote Robbed of
Soul. I set up a desk in the corner of my house the furthest away from my
kitchen as possible. I also put my cell
phone in a different spot than where I wrote.
Point 4: Write while you do chores
There is a free app for an iphone called Dragon Diction. It's easy to download and it's simple use. While it's not
perfect, it does a good job of transcribing everything I say. I use it for
outlining. I write dialog with it. I'm even using it to write this blog. I
speak into my cell phone while I'm riding in the car, when my hands are tired of typing, even
while I walk around the house picking up messes.
Point 5: Stay awake!
Caffeine does a number on me. I really
don't like consuming large quantities of it. However, I found Crio
Bru to drink. It has a great natural stimulant in
it, it tastes good, and I feel like legit writer with my steaming mug of brown
liquid at my side. Another natural stimulant I use is an orange essential
oil. I like the brand doTerra. I keep a small bottle of this essential oil
right next to my computer. When I started to feel drowsy, I open the lid, pour
a drop on my hands, and rub them together. I then breathe in deeply and have an
immediate pick me up. And it makes my keyboard smell good. (No, I don't own stock in either of the
companies)
So you want to write abook. I have a little advice. (Writers always do.)
Two years ago it took me
almost twelve months to write a middle grade book that was 30,000 words long.
This past fall I wrote an 85,000 word adult mystery called Robbed of Soul in two months. What made the
difference?
Point #1: Like
your book
First off, let me say
that to write a book, and to write it fast, you need to like your idea. I
wasn't so jazzed about writing the middle grade book. I thought it had a good
premise and was marketable.
However, I was completely
passionate about Robbed of
Soul. It’s set in a real town, Kanab, Utah, which I love to visit. It included
legends about Montezuma’s gold and historical tales from treasure hunters
in the 1920s. And the protagonist is a woman who survived eight months in
solitary confinement in Tehran. All of these are things that fascinate me. So much
so that I've actually appeared on a television show about
Montezuma's treasure.
Point #2: Make it a competition.
I contacted a friend
of mine who was about to start to write her second book. (If you don’t know someone
personally, there are tons of online author support site that would work too.)
My friend and I made
writing our books into a competition. It made all the difference. Every few
days we would check up with each other. We’d send a quick text
asking how many words the other had written that day. It was fun. First she was
ahead. Then I was ahead. Then she was ahead. Yes, she finished the book
before me, but it didn't matter. We both finished writing rather large novels in
less than ten weeks.
Point 3: Get rid of distractions
I
created an atmosphere that was conducive to writing. Our
family’s main computer is in the kitchen. I like it there because I can see
what my kids are doing on it. But, it really makes it difficult to focus. The fridge is about six feet
from my computer chair. It whispers to me all the time. I knew I had to change where I
wrote Robbed of
Soul. I set up a desk in the corner of my house the furthest away from my
kitchen as possible. I also put my cell
phone in a different spot than where I wrote.
Point 4: Write while you do chores
There is a free app for an iphone called Dragon Diction. It's easy to download and it's simple use. While it's not
perfect, it does a good job of transcribing everything I say. I use it for
outlining. I write dialog with it. I'm even using it to write this blog. I
speak into my cell phone while I'm riding in the car, when my hands are tired of typing, even
while I walk around the house picking up messes.
Point 5: Stay awake!
Caffeine does a number on me. I really
don't like consuming large quantities of it. However, I found Crio
Bru to drink. It has a great natural stimulant in
it, it tastes good, and I feel like legit writer with my steaming mug of brown
liquid at my side. Another natural stimulant I use is an orange essential
oil. I like the brand doTerra. I keep a small bottle of this essential oil
right next to my computer. When I started to feel drowsy, I open the lid, pour
a drop on my hands, and rub them together. I then breathe in deeply and have an
immediate pick me up. And it makes my keyboard smell good. (No, I don't own stock in either of the
companies)
Do you
like books? Do you like Zions National Park? Join the ROBBED OF SOUL book launch giveaway and you may win
3 nights in a vacation townhome in Kanab, Utah.
(Thirty minutes from Zions.) A $450 value! (Or a $100 Amazon gift card
if preferred.)
a
Rafflecopter giveaway
Do you
like books? Do you like Zions National Park? Join the ROBBED OF SOUL book launch giveaway and you may win
3 nights in a vacation townhome in Kanab, Utah.
(Thirty minutes from Zions.) A $450 value! (Or a $100 Amazon gift card
if preferred.)
Rescued but psychologically damaged from a failed mission, ex-CIA officer Maria Branson takes
the job of police chief in the quiet town of Kanab, Utah. Rest and relaxation are the doctor’s orders. She
gets neither. Instead, a missing mayor, the spirit of a dead Aztec warrior, and the over-confident-yet-
attractive head of Search and Rescue await her in a town whose past has almost as many secrets as her
own. As Maria investigates a modern-day murder, she disturbs a world of ancient legends and deadly
curses. Yet most lethal of all is Maria’s fear someone will discover just how empty her soul really
is.
Available at Amazon, Smashwords, and Google Play.
Rescued but psychologically damaged from a failed mission, ex-CIA officer Maria Branson takes
the job of police chief in the quiet town of Kanab, Utah. Rest and relaxation are the doctor’s orders. She
gets neither. Instead, a missing mayor, the spirit of a dead Aztec warrior, and the over-confident-yet-
attractive head of Search and Rescue await her in a town whose past has almost as many secrets as her
own. As Maria investigates a modern-day murder, she disturbs a world of ancient legends and deadly
curses. Yet most lethal of all is Maria’s fear someone will discover just how empty her soul really
is.
Available at Amazon, Smashwords, and Google Play.
Monday, March 09, 2015
Look Out All You Fairy Tale Drop Outs!
This week Mrs. Librarian Lady is featuring the new release of Flunked: Fairy Tale Reform School by Jen Calonita!
WOULD YOU SEND A VILLAIN TO DO A HERO'S JOB?
Gilly wouldn't call herself wicked, exactly... but when you have five little brothers and sisters and live in a run-down boot, you have to get creative to make ends meet. Gilly's a pretty good thief(if she does say so herself).
Until she gets caught.
Gilly is sentenced to three months at Fairy Tale Reform School - where all of the teachers are former (super-scary) villains like the Big Bad Wolf, the Evil Queen, and Cinderella's Wicked Stepmother. Harsh. But when she meets fellow students Jax and Kayla, she learns there's more to this school than its heroic mission.
There's a battle brewing and Gilly has to wonder just how good these bad guys are.
Ok, so I bet you are pumped up now to find out about how this awesome twisted mash up of fairy tales plays out. I can tell you that Flunked is clever, cute and adventurous all in one! When Gilly gets busted for stealing a fancy hair clip her whole life goes haywire. She is sent to the Fairy Tale Reform School(FTRS, which seems to have a good mission, but as we get further into the story we find that maybe this reform school might have some major flaws. "Our mission: To turn wicked delinquents and former villains into future heroes." And then we meet Flora, the infamous and so called "formerly wicked stepmother" of Cinderella. Calonita's description of Flora is hilarious. She calls her "stepmonster" which sounds pretty scary to me! Although she does admit that she doesn't have "devil's horns poking out of her head," but rather that she is thin, pointy nosed, with two-tone colored hair.
You'll also love the Happily Ever After Scrolls that frequent the pages of this book. One of my favorites is "Why We Fear Apples: Meet FRTRS's Psychologist, Professor Harlow" which features Harlow the (formerly) evil queen from Snow White and how she has changed and oh yes how she loves fashion and "doesn't terrorize people" anymore. You might also like to know that she like being pretty and extremely dislikes rudeness. And LOL she doesn't have a love life because she is too busy looking at herself in the mirror. Seriously, this is some funny stuff!
I love Gilly because she is such a spirited character and it's so much fun to follow her on her journey in a school of fairy tale misfits. FTRS shows how strong bonds can become when friendships are made, and how sometimes a band of misfits can result in a team working together for the greater good. Enough said, I don't want to give away the ending, which you will never guess who ends up being the most notorious delinquent of all.
Happy reading! I hope you enjoy Flunked by Jen Calonita!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)