It's a Brand New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone!

Sorry I've been silent for so long, but as you can see by the progress bar on the right side of the screen, I've been hard at work on Two Worlds (The Soul of Arial #2)!  It's coming along beautifully and I hope to have the full manuscript written by the end of this month.

So, speaking of the new year, what's in store?  Definitely the publication of Two Worlds, which I hope will take place by March.  *crosses fingers and toes*  Then it's on to book 3 in the Galactic Dynasty series that I'm co-authoring with my Muse.  If all goes well, I should have that book ready to publish between October-December.

On top of getting two new books out this year, I'll also be putting my editor/cover creator/formatter/publisher hats on and helping the other authors in the Cressen Books publishing family get their books out there to the masses.  I also have two trips planned this year, one to Norfolk, VA and one to Indianapolis, IN as well as a possible third trip but that one's still in the works, so not sure yet if it will happen or not.

2015 looks as though it's already shaping up to be a busy, exciting year!  On a personal note, I've challenged myself to read 50 books this year as part of my Goodreads Challenge for 2015.  And I'll always be working on other writing projects that may or may not see the light of publishing.  Never know!  If any of the books I read this year turn out to be review-worthy, I'll be sure to post the review on the site here and share my thoughts with everyone as well as posting the review over on Goodreads.  And if you're not a member of Goodreads, head on over and check the site out, maybe even send me a friend request while you're at it!

Okay, so I'm off of here for now.  I'll try to be a more consistent blogger this year... one of my goals for 2015.  I hope everyone's new year has gotten off to an awesome start and I look forward to sharing this year with all of you awesome peeps!

Happy Release Day!!!

It's October 1 and you know what that means... Vagar is here!!!!  This second installment to the Galactic Dynasty series can be found electronically on Kindle and Nook, and in paperback on CreateSpace and Amazon.  I'm beyond stoked to finally get this next piece of Rosa's adventure out to my awesome readers, so go forth and get your copies and let me know what you guys think about the latest addition to this sci-fi series!

Synopsis:

An alien outpost, an evolving computer, and a secret DNA-imbedded message. A combination that spells intergalactic intrigue and deadly consequences for Rosa, the reluctant space trekker, and the Earth delegation to the stars. Follow Rosa’s ever-twisting fate as the Earth team meets the Metrusians and navigates the novel realm of galactic politics and the entangled web of treasonous schemes.

Release Date Announcement!!

Hi peeps!  Vagar has entered the final stages of publication and we now have a release date.  Woot!!  Mark your calendars for October 1, 2014 and get ready to continue Rosa's story as she encounters new aliens and more intrigue!

Not only do I have a release date, but I can now share the cover and synopsis with you lovely readers.  So, here it is!  Be sure to leave me comments below and tell me what you think!

SYNOPSIS:

An alien outpost, an evolving computer, and a secret DNA-imbedded message.  A combination that spells intergalactic intrigue and deadly consequences for Rosa, the reluctant space trekker, and the Earth delegation to the stars.  Follow Rosa’s ever-twisting fate as the Earth team meets the Metrusians and navigates the novel realm of galactic politics and the entangled web of treasonous schemes.

Let The Final Edits Begin!

Vagar is a complete and whole manuscript!!!  *throws confetti*

This manuscript has been a long work in progress but it is now in the final edit stage.  That means, my lovely readers, you will be able to get your hands on a copy of this novel soon!  I've not been given a release date yet, but as soon as I have one, I'll be sure to pass that along to you.

Now that Vagar is being edited, I'll be turning my attention once more to Two Worlds (The Soul of Arial #2).  I've got about 7 chapters written so far, but because I've been away from it for so long, I'll have to go back over what I've already written before I can move forward with the story.  I'm really looking forward to getting back into this particular world and seeing where my characters take me.  And I'm excited to share that there will be more than two perspectives this time... Arial and Rayner will still be the main POV's, but I've decided to add in some other insights from secondary characters as well (not telling who just yet).  So, in the coming weeks, I'll be talking more about this particular novel and the series as a whole.

As soon as I have a release date, a cover design, and a synopsis for Vagar, I'll be sure to share on here.  I'm so ecstatic that this novel is in its final stages before publication and look forward to sharing it with all of you.  Until then, happy reading and if you haven't checked out Starward, Vagar's predecessor, then check out the web page on my publisher's site to read the first chapter and find purchase links for the book.  You can also find the first book in the Soul of Arial series, Prophecy Revealed on their site.

What Aspect Keeps You Turning the Pages?

As I'm nearing the end of Vagar, I find myself in a curious mood.  I love to read and wish I had more time to escape into books.  So, when I do get the chance to escape, I want the story to draw me in and keep me turning the pages.  That got me thinking about what it is I look for in a novel to keep me hooked to the very end and I was wondering the same for all you readers out there.

For me, it's the characters first.  I've always been fascinated by characters, main and supporting and even the brief mention of the craggy old man down the lane.  Any and all characters intrigue me and the more an author can bring those characters to life on the page, the more immersed I am in the story.  I want to connect with the characters, especially the MC and if I do connect, then I'm more likely to enjoy the book.  If I can't connect for whatever reason, then I don't really care what happens to the character which causes me to not care what happens as the plot progresses.  Not a good thing.  So, give me characters with depth and I'm a truly happy reader.

Of course, a novel can't exist on characters alone.  They have to inhabit some sort of world whether it's based on reality or fantasy or whatever.  Under the sea, in outer space, on top of the Swiss Alps... doesn't matter.  The characters have to live somewhere; they have to occupy some sort of space.  So, world-building is the second thing that keeps me turning the pages.  I like worlds that are unique but still have tinges of reality.  Physics still applies, for the most part. (Magic obviously can negate the need for physics, but even magic has its basis in reality.)  So give me characters with depth inhabiting a world that I can actually see myself stepping into and I've gone from a truly happy reader to an extremely ecstatic reader.

But what novel out there doesn't have a plot?  They all do, but here's the kicker for me.  If you take the plot of most any book in a specific genre and break it down to its bare bones core, you will find that the majority of the plots that exist have been done... many of them more than once.  The only difference from one plot to the next might be a slight twist or angle that the author has created in order to make an ordinary plot extraordinary.  It's getting more and more difficult to find an original plot these days which is why I find myself more drawn to characters and world-building than plots.  Maybe some will consider those two aspects to be window-dressing, but not me.

For a novel to exist, though, all of these elements must be present.  I understand that and would never suggest otherwise.  But, for me as a reader, there's something that draws me to the characters specifically.  How they develop throughout the story, the types of interactions they have with other characters, and their actions and thought processes as they deal with each situation intrigue me.  I love reading how an author portrays their characters and each author has their own unique flare, probably because each author is a unique individual and those characters only reside in the head of that particular author.

Anyway, just a little bit of curiosity as I wrap up the manuscript for Vagar.  Now I'm going to get off of here because I have my own characters who are eager to finish getting their story out.  Wishing all of you a wonderful upcoming weekend full of awesome worlds to escape into!

Two Chapters To Go!

Why is it that the last couple of chapters always seem to take the longest to write?

I'm literally twenty pages (give or take) away from being finished with the manuscript for Vagar and yet the last two chapters don't want to spill out of my brain.  If I could get my brain to cooperate, I could have these last words written in a day, two max.  And yet, the synapses are not firing and words are not pouring out like I want them to.  Sigh.

The really sad part is that I actually know most of what I need to have happen in these last two chapters.  But I can't seem to put the thoughts together in coherent sentences.  I'm determined to get this done, though.  I purposefully took a break from all writing this weekend to let my mind rest and get ready for this last stretch and I will get the last two chapters written by the end of this week, even if I have to glue myself to this keyboard! lol

So, this is going to be a short post, but wish me luck!  Hopefully I will be entering the final edit stages by the beginning of next week. *crosses fingers and toes*

Word Creativity

Morning all!

So, I was scrolling through Pinterest this morning and stumbled across a couple of images that got me thinking 'hey, I can write a post about that!'  So, here it is, with the images.

Words are an author's lifeline.  We use them to create amazing worlds and characters, plots and subplots, descriptions, interactions, and overall awesomeness.  Without words, novels would not exist.

Unfortunately, some words get overused.  'Says' and 'looks' are two of them and for any die hard reader out there, these two seemingly innocent words can drive a person crazy when used over and over and over again. 

Luckily, there was a genius out there somewhere that created these lists giving us words to replace 'says' and 'looks' and I'm sure there are a ton of other lists out there of amazing words that can replace other words that are overused.  'Says' and 'looks' are my two pet peeves, though, so these are the two that are getting highlighted here.

So, here are the lists that I would highly recommend any author/writer/journalist/whatever keep close at hand to refer to when the urge to simply write 'says' or 'looks' attempts to overpower you:

 

I love that these lists exist out there and strongly urge anyone that is writing to use them, whether you're writing fiction or non-fiction, doesn't matter.  Get creative with your words and give the overused ones a much needed vacation!

Now, back to my writing cave.  Have a great rest of the week and Happy Reading or Writing or whatever interest makes you happy!