Giveaway Winner!

Only two people played, and neither guessed the date or the race.  So I picked one at random.  The winner is…[drum roll please]…..CHRISSY50!  Chris, I know your email so unless you’ve changed it, I’ll send the book to the one I have.

As for the date I started Fey Touched, you both made a guess of November 15.  Very close.  The correct date is OCTOBER 31st.  One day before NaNoWriMo.

As for the race…JKP guessed demon.  It’s actually vampires.  This was back in 2003 when I was obsessed with them.

So, there it is.  If you haven’t checked out Fey Touched yet, what are you waiting for?  http://www.turtleduckpress.com .

Thanks JKP and Chrissy50 for playing!

 

Fey Touched is now available!

Fey Touched is now available for Kindle.  Print edition is forthcoming.  Here’s the blurb:

Two sisters.

Asha is the Queen of the Fey, genetically engineered immortal humans who feed on human souls to survive.  But she’s running from her people.  When she is found by her enemy, one of the Hunters of the Fey, she expects to die.  Yet he’s oddly intrigued by her, and Asha finds herself falling in love with him, hoping she can find safety and the home she’s been seeking.  Then she’s kidnapped, and everything changes.

Fallon is a Hunter. She’s looking for her long-lost sister, using an addictive drug to search through the stream of time.  Her addiction leaves her dangerously exposed to her enemies but, consumed by her search, she doesn’t care…until her fellow Hunters start dying from a mysterious illness.  She is torn between duty and desire, and must find an answer before they all die.

What Fallon doesn’t know is that Asha might just be the key to saving them all, if only she can find her.

And time is running out.

PLEASE NOTE that this book contains explicit language, explicit sex, and graphic violence and is not suitable for those under 18.

I feel really good about this book.  I worked hard on it and I absolutely love some of the twists I came up with.  Why yes, I am quite brilliant.  But seriously, it feels right, you know?  Like I was meant to do this and everything I’ve done ever has been leading up to this day.

Wanna hear a freaking secret?

One day I was lamenting my lack of submittable novels (this is for an agent, which has been the goal since 2008), and I was in the shower, feeling pretty depressed about it.  Pirouette just wasn’t there yet, and I had more work ahead of me, and it felt so daunting.

But I had a moment of foresight.  This is WAY before I even thought of self-publishing, so there’s NO way I’d ever know that I’d do this in the future.  In fact, I was dead set against the idea at the time.  So this thought hit me — no, more like slammed into me, I was stunned:

I will be published by the time I’m 37.

This was 3 years ago, folks.  Remember, self-pubbing was not in the equation.

Well, guess what?  I’m fucking 36 now.  Almost 36 and a half, if you wanna get technical and split hairs.

I was RIGHT.  And with all my little psychic moments (the women in my family are really psychic, no joke), it happened, all right.  Just not in the way I’d planned.

But I don’t regret this at all.  It’s actually the best thing for me right now.  I’ve got the freedom to set my own deadlines, make everything just the way I want it, have a hand in my own cover art….and technically, self-publishing royalties are higher than with traditional publishing.  Except you don’t get the advance.  But that’s a fair trade-off for what I get in return.  I’m very happy with this, and plan to self-publish a lot more.  Possibly even Pirouette, if I can whip it into some type of shape I can live with.

Oh, book of my heart, you wound me.

I’ve kept my first proof on my desk since I received it, a constant reminder that, hey, I did this.  I made that book — every word in it is mine, and I was brave enough and proud enough to put it out there.  Like it or not, it’s in the wild.  I hope people will enjoy it.  And to date, it’s one of the funnest stories I’ve ever had the pleasure of writing.

Tomorrow, it’s Grave Touched.

I’ll leave you with a little quote I heard years ago, spoke by a deaf contestant at the Miss America pageant: (and she signed it, too):

Never give up your dreams,
Find them and make them yours,
And all through your life,
Never let them go.

Sometimes it’s not the dream itself — although that’s very important too — but the strength of a dream.  The sheer determination that you will make it reality.  Despite difficulties, people naysaying, despite ridicule, despite disrespect, despite the bone-crushing fatigue, despite feeling like you’re slowly moving uphill forever with no end in sight….despite harsh critiques and jealousy, despite people who just don’t get it, despite people who think you can just give it up like a bad habit, despite repeated failure.  Despite losing the confidence, despite losing your way.  Despite losing your muse.  Despite poor health.

Despite the world seemingly out to keep you from your fragile dream.  But you hold this dream in your heart, and you nourish it, keep it breathing.  And you love it, and care for it, and when it’s time…you fly on the wings of that perfect dream.

And then you know it was all worth it in the end.

(Except there’s no end, because hello, more books!)

(More wings to fly with.)

And that, my friends, is victory.

TWO DAYS. .. and a giveaway

Fey Touched releases in TWO DAYS.  I’m excited, I’m scared, I’m ecstatic, and I’m terrified all at once.  I’ve lived this book for 9 months and now it’s time to release it into the wild.  No matter what happens, I love and believe in this book with all my heart.

Seeing the first proof was an amazing feeling.  Here it was: my book in actual book form with its beautiful cover.  My words in there.  It was tangible.  It was more than words on a computer monitor.  This thing was mine.  Unbelievable!

Soon, I’ll be starting (or rather, restarting) the sequel, Grave Touched.  I also have ideas for a third and fourth book, and who knows after that?  Maybe more.

I also have an idea that I’ve been tossing around.  It has a loooong past.  It’s actually part of Fey Touched’s first draft (at least officially), The Sacrifice, which I wrote in 2003 for NaNoWriMo.  I separated it into two books, and a small part of it into another, which became Fey Touched.  With some tweaking, it’s turning out to be an interesting idea.  It’s called Surrender.  It’s about a demon (who feeds on pain)  who must possess a woman’s body to survive in our world and the woman having to either surrender to her or find a way to drive her out.  Among other things.  I’m leaning toward horror this time around.

Yeah, so that’s what’s going on.

I’m on vacation from work this week.  So far, it’s been nice.  Naturally, I’ve been working on release stuff, but not being at the office is nice.  Less stress and all that jazz.

I want to give away a Kindle edition of Fey Touched today.  Comment to this post to enter.  I’m going to ask a question, and you’ll guess the answer.  The first person to guess correctly — or near to it, if no one guesses the correct answer — will win a Kindle edition.

Here’s the question:

I started the first draft of Fey Touched late last year, in the fall.  What day did I start it?

And, for a bonus chance, answer this: What type of paranormal creature was in The Sacrifice that I switched to Fey for Fey Touched?  (Hint: the answer is somewhere on this blog, or possibly online somewhere.  Or just take a wild guess!).

So, potentially 2 Kindle editions up for grabs.  Ready, set, GO!

Fey Touched Cover Reveal

My plan was to wait a bit longer to draw out the suspense.  But I just can’t keep it to myself.  I want to share it with the world, so here goes.  Huge thanks to SM Reine.  She is the amazing, talented person who put this beautiful cover together.   I love it madly.

And here is the blurb:

Fallon is one of the Fey Touched, a Hunter of the immortal Fey–their enemy. After having mysterious dreams about a woman who seems eerily familiar, Fallon tracks the history of her bloodline, using an addictive drug to search the stream of time. In the process, she discovers she’s adopted and the woman from her dreams may be her sister.

Her whole world turned upside down, Fallon races to unravel the puzzle of her life before the withdrawals — or her enemies — kill her.

She must also find a cure for the mysterious illness that has struck her fellow Hunters down before any more of them die. Torn between duty and desire, Fallon struggles to find an answer, never suspecting that her long-lost kin may be the key to saving the Hunters… and time is running out.

Fey Touched releases August 1st through Turtleduck Press.  It is the first in a series.

Almost there.

I’ve been hard at work on Fey Touched, revising and editing and getting things ready for its release on August 1st.  So much to do!  And there’s more coming!  But it’ll all be worth it to bring Fey Touched out of my little world into the real world.  I can’t wait for people to read it!  I’m very, very excited.

(Also, if anyone reading this is interested in getting a pre-publication copy for review, let me know!  I’m looking for people to give honest reviews.  The pre-publication copy will be available sometime in July).

I’ve also been working on Grave Touched, the sequel to Fey Touched.  I actually started it earlier this week but have since realized that I started in the wrong place.  Normally this wouldn’t be such a big deal (yet), but for me, I need to start strong or I get distracted.  It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it needs to excite me.  And I’ve been bombarded by my precious muse with all these ideas for Darklight, and well…I need to work on Grave Touched.  But Darklight keeps pulling me back.  It’s been a struggle.  But I will persevere.  Even if I have to write a few hundred words a week on Darklight just to keep my muse happy.

What’s really funny is that this time last year, and into October, I worked feverishly on the original version of Darklight.  And then I just…stopped.  I think I lost interest with it.  And then the idea for Fey Touched hit me hard and fast, and I was a goner.  But this new premise has me excited, so hopefully it will work better.  (Also, it’s now dark fantasy vs. horror.  Yeah, I don’t even know…)  All I can say is this: I blame Adam Lambert’s video for “Better Than I Know Myself.”  Glamberts, I’m sure you know what exactly inspired me.

I’m also on vacation next week from the day job, so I plan on doing some serious writing then.  It’s been a yearly tradition for the past few years to see how much I can write during that week.  So far, my record is 17,000 on Flamebound in 2008 with severe burstitis of the shoulder.  Yes, I am insane.

I’m technically participating in Camp NanoWriMo for June and August.  It’s been fun so far, even though I’ve only written 1,150 words.  *shify look*

I’m also working on a big life change, which I discussed a bit on the Turtleduck Press blog.  It’s a big step, and I’m not sure I’ll succeed, but I’m giving this a shot.

What else?  My third wedding anniversary is on the 27th, and it seems like forever since hubby and I said our I dos.  We’re stronger than ever, happy, and so much in love.  *sighs happily*  I wish everything else in life was this easy.

I’ll have a new feature on the blog soon called Spooky Sunday.  Since I’m a huge fan of all things creepy and scary, I thought it would be fun to talk about them.  Get ready to hear about ghosts, conspiracy theories, scary movies, myths, ESP…and anything else my twisted mind can come up with.  We’ll start with two Sundays a month and see how it goes.  It should be fun and maybe even a bit…scary.  *cackles and rubs hands together in glee*

So that’s what’s been happening in my crazy life.  Keep your eyeballs peeled for a giveaway or two of Fey Touched closer to release.

Working hard.

I’ve been hard at work on revisions for Fey Touched.  It’s been interesting and a bit crazy.

After I sent in Fey Touched to my editor April 1st, I had a bit of time to putz.  So, I worked on a loose plot for the sequel, Grave Touched.  I also worked on lesson 12 of HTRYN with Flamebound.

I’m very happy with what I got done.

Now I’m about 3 weeks away from my next deadline, June 5th.  I’m not even halfway through.  I’ve run into a few problems and it took a bit longer than I thought.  But, as of yesterday, I started moving forward again.  \ 0 /

I’m also trying to nail down what I want to do with Darklight.  I have ideas for a second and third book, so stayed tuned for that.

I also got a beautiful review for Without Wings which made my whole week.  Check it out here:

http://www.soulvomit.com/9/post/2012/05/review-without-wings-by-erin-zarro.html .

In which you learn more about me than you ever wanted to know…

Internet memes.  I’ve been tagged in one, and I tagged myself in another.  To make things so much more interesting, I’ve decided to combine them together to create one big Q&A where hopefully you’ll learn something new about me.

Or not.

So, let’s get this shindig started, shall we?

1. Of your characters, who would you most like to have as a real-life friend?

Alisia Duvall from Pirouette.  She is passionate, stubborn, strong, and brave.  She’s loyal and she’ll do anything for those she loves.  And she can communicate with ghosts, which is really interesting.

2. Which would you not want to be around anywhere but in the pages of a book?

There are quite a lot of characters too scary to be anywhere but in the pages of one of my books, but if I were to pick just one, I’d have to go with Raelan, the antagonist from Pirouette.  Spending any length of time in his twisted mind gives me the creeps.  And how he justifies his twisted actions?  Yeah, scary.

3. When a song bowls you over and you have to hear it again and again, what is probably the reason? (Great voice, real emotion, clever lyrics, et cetera)

All of the above!  Seriously.  I’ve fallen in love with songs for the voice (Geoff Tate of Queensryche and Adam Lambert come to mind), lyrics, emotion.  Sometimes a song will hit me so hard it gives me shivers.  One that does that all the time, even though I’ve listened to it at least a thousand times, is Queensryche’s Eyes of a Stranger, which happened to be the first song of theirs I ever heard.  And that was it.  I was a goner.  The main reason is the lyrics and situation behind the song (it’s part of a concept album) and Geoff Tate’s incredible voice.

Another one is Crestfallen by Avantasia.  It stuck in my mind for a least 3 days afterward.  It was a combination of lyrics, feeling, and the song construction itself.  Just…shiver-inducing.

4.Of everywhere you’ve been, where was your favorite place to be? (Home is a perfectly acceptable answer!)

New Orleans.  I seriously considered moving there at one point.  This was pre-Katrina, so I have no idea what it’s like now.  Then, it was a place of magic and wonder and art.  It was amazing, and I desperately want to go back someday.

5. Where do you want most to go?

Ireland.  Because I’m Irish, and I’d like to see where my ancestors came from.  (And I hear it’s amazing).

6.What is the meaning of life? (okay, okay–YOUR life.) What do you think your life is about?

Um…well, I think life is a big mystery.  A journey, not a destination.  Constant evolution, becoming the person you are meant to be.  Everything that happens helps shape you, helps you evolve. (I’ve given this a great deal of thought over the years).

7. What’s the best thing about what you do for a living?

Well, I work a soul-sucking day job, so there’s not much that’s good except the paycheck (and that it exists!).  But one of the effects of working a day job is the structure.  I need structure, and without it (like on weekends), it’s very difficult to be productive because hey, I have so much time!  Holy crap!  I’ll do that…tomorrow.  Nah.  Tonight.  Nah.  And nothing gets done.  Since I have limits on my time during the week, I have to work to fit it all together and thus it helps me stay on task.

8. What do you do when you need inspiration?

I listen to music.  Sometimes it’s music that fits the mood.  Sometimes it’s the actual soundtrack I put together for the project in question.  Sometimes I let my mind wander.  It depends on the situation.

9. When you need some time for you, where do you go?

I hide out in my basement office (my “woman cave”).

10. Plotter or pantser?

It depends on the story in question.  Some I’ve written using a loose outline.  Others I’ve written using a monstrous detailed outline of doom (which worked quite well).  And there are some that I’ve completely pantsed.  I actually prefer to pants it the whole way, but that could be the fried brain talking. (I just finished an intense, unspeakably brutal revision on Fey Touched and my brain is now fried.  And quite possibly dead).

11. To close with a (fairly) easy one–talk about a book. Any book.

Oh, god.  Let’s see…if I mention my own, will you think I’m a narcissist?  Oh, fuck it. Fey Touched rocks, guys.  It’s a blend of sci-fi, fantasy, and romance.  It has swearing and battles and sex.  It’s got some awesome twists and turns in it.  Buy it, buy it, buy it in August (oops.  Got carried away there).

In the interest of fairness, I will mention The Hunger Games, which I just finished reading.  It was a great book.  Kept me totally riveted.  Very unusual premise.  I’m reading book 2, Chasing Fire (talk about appropriate titles!) right now.

12. What was the first story you ever wrote? Spare no embarrassing details.

Oh, boy.  Can I skip this question?  No?  All right, fine.  When I was a kid, I was obcessed with unicorns and wrote a story about a girl who gets transported to a place called Unicorn Valley where she meets these uh, unicorns and she ends up saving them from an evil …something or another.  I don’t actually remember.  It’s scary but I still have it somewhere.  I’m sentimental like that.

13. What’s your favorite nonfiction topic to read about?

Well, as of late, it’s been the Holocust.  It started with a book called Rena’s Promise that’s a true account of a Holocust survivor’s time in Auchwitz.  But my go-to topic is science news and/or brainwashing.  For stories, of course!  I’m intrigued by the brain and the human mind.  And the human spirit.

14. How much research do you feel like you need to do before you start a new story?

Depends on the story.  Some require a lot, some don’t.  I try not to get bogged down in it (but it’s so much fun!)

15. Writing challenges (ala Nanowrimo) – useful, or merely stress-inducing?

Useful to the point of obcession.  I can’t formally participate anymore because my wrists are the suck, but I try to do something at my own pace, using the Nano (or challenge) spirit to keep me moving.  I do well with challenges.

16. Why do you write your main genre?

Well, once upon a time, a romance reader got hounded by her mother to read a fantasy novel called Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind.  “But I’m not a fantasy person,” she complained.  “I’m not into this.”  “But you’ll love it!  Just give it a try!” Her mother said, pushing the book into her hands. The reader put it off, dreading it, but finally decided to pick it up.

And she was fucking hooked.  Everything — the people, the magic, the world, the story itself.  The main characters, who were brave and noble and amazing.  The struggles they went through.  The love they had for each other that survived through hell and back.

The reader said, “Wow, I never knew it could be this cool!  Or riveting! Or amazing!  I must read more!”

And the result of that reading frenzy, which continues to this day (going on 8 years), is this romance only reader decided to write fantasy.  Because she wanted to write something this amazing, with noble and brave characters and love that survives anything in a world of magic.  Thanks, Mom!  Best thing you ever did.

17. What genre/author/book do you secretly love but would never admit to in polite conversation?

*blushes* Adam Lambert fanfiction.  Don’t look at me like that!  There are some really good fics out there, and it’s interesting to see the different authors’ spin on things, real or imagined.  And anything Adam is happy-inducing.

18. What’s your favorite movie-adaptation of a book?

Well, it’s not a movie, it’s a TV series called Legend of the Seeker, based on Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth books (Wizard’s First Rule is book 1).  They made a lot of changes and although a lot of fans were upset, I think they did a decent job.  Unfortunately, it was cancelled after the second season, so we may never know what comes next (no, I’m not bitter.  Oh all right, I’ve had a sad since finding that out.  A sad that won’t ever go away, sniffles).

19. What is your favorite type of cephalopod?

Octopi, although I’d never eat one (can you say suction cups?  Ewwww.)

20. What is your writing tool of choice?

Computer.  Can’t live without it.

21. What are your feelings about the proper usage of whom?

My feelings are quite intense.  Because I pride myself on good grammar and spelling and all that shit, I think people should be more aware of their usage of it.  Sometimes, I go into convulsions over bad usage.  Makes quite the spectacle at work.

22. What are you doing to bring yourself closer to your writing goals?

A couple of things.  Currently, I’m gearing up to self-publish Fey Touched as an experiment.   I will at some point be looking at Pirouette again for agent submission.  Also, I continue to learn as much as I can.  I’m taking Holly Lisle’s How to Revise Your Novel class, and hope to come out of that with a saleable novel.

23. Where do you get your ideas from?

The hamsters in my head, of course.  Seriously, anything and everything.  My brain likes to sift through things and make connections.  It’s kind of scary at times.

24. If you have some terrible old stories that will never see the light of day, which one do you still have a soft spot for?

That would be what is technically the first draft of Fey Touched.  It’s called The Sacrifice and it was my first  finished novel that I completed in 30 days for my first NaNoWriMo in 2003.  Although not much of that draft remains except the main characters’ names and the whole paranormal creature/hunter thing, although now they’re science-based and…never mind.

25. Where in the world would you live if you could live anywhere?

New Orleans.

26. Where would you love to visit, but not live?

Colorado.  Mostly because I can’t breathe there but love, love the mountains.

27. What’s the most awe-inspiring moment you’ve had (that you’re willing to share)?

That would have to be atop Pike’s Peak in Colorado.  It was as if I were on the top of the world.  Amazing.  Also amazing were the American Indians that did dances for us (I knew one personally and we were close and it made me feel closer to him even though he’s deceased).

28. Who’s your captain — Kirk, Picard, Captain Jack from Torchwood, Jack Sparrow, Malcolm Reynolds, other?

Captain Janeway of Voyager, of course!

29. Which author’s universe would you love to write in if you could?

Oh man, tough question.  Okay, I’ve narrowed it down to two.  Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth world and Karen Marie Moning’s Fever world.  Both are amazing.

30.What was your gateway drug into your genre of choice?

Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series.

31. What’s your favourite hobby, creative or otherwise, when you’re not writing?

Photography and reading, hands down.

32. Are you a morning person or an evening person?

Sooooo not a morning person even though I work a day job.

33. What was the most memorable meal you’ve ever had?

I’ve had a lot of memorable meals so that’s hard to say.  Every holiday I’m bowled over by the amazing cooking skills of my mother and mother-in-law.

34. To plot, or not to plot?

Yes and no.  Depends on the book.

35. If you could have one super-power, what would it be?

Gonna sound like a twisted maniac for this, but it’s pretend so…what the hell…mind control.

36. Of all the stories you’ve created, which one’s your favorite, and why?

This is tough.  Really, really tough.  Six months ago I would have said Pirouette, but Fey Touched is also dear to my heart.  It’s a tie.  I refuse to choose.

They both have the coolest protagonists and they both have amazing twists and difficult decisions to make.  Both have romances, both have an intriguing world.  Both have scary antagonists with scary magic/technology/personalities.

See?  Can’t do it.

37. What’s your genre of choice, and why?

Already answered that, but basically fantasy because there are so many different possibilities. And there’s magic.

38. If you were given one “free” year (no responsibilities, a year’s worth of disposable income) what would you do with it?

Write like a madwoman.  Natch.

39. What’s your strategy for beating Writer’s Block?

Well, usually that involves a wrong turn taken somewhere so I first try to pin down where I went wrong.  And then I analyze it to death.  Ad analyze it some more.  Then I brainstorm ways to fix it.  And then, I just write.  And keep writing.  That’s the best way to work through writer’s block in my opinion.

40. Do you tend to stay in one particular genre, or do you write all over the map?

I stay more or less within the speculative fiction genre (sci-fi, fantasy) but occasionally I veer into horror.  It’s that twisted, dark mind of mine.

41. What’s your “universal” theme?

This is a really tough question, as I don’t really set out to write to a theme, but if I were to guess, I’d say redemption.  That comes up a lot in my books.

42. Dogs or cats?

Team Feline for the win.

43. What’s the last thing you read that you couldn’t put down?

Rena’s Promise (about the Holocust survivor) and The Hunger Games.

44. If you weren’t a writer, what would you want to be when you grow up?

This is assuming I could be anything I want regardless of ability (or math skill, as it were): a neurologist. Are we surprised?

 

Okay!  Now it’s your turn.  Pick 10 questions from the above and also answer the following:

1) Do you have a specific writing ritual that puts you into the proper mindset?

2) Have you based any characters on real people?

3) Who’s your favorite author of all time?  Why?

4) When did you know you were a writer?

5) What’s the craziest novel idea you’ve ever had?

6) What book of yours gave you shivers?  Why? (Doesn’t need to be horror, either).

7) Do you have specific songs associated with your current work-in-progress?

8) How long have you been writing?

9) What’s the secret project you wish you could write but haven’t yet?

10) Who is your coolest character ever?  Why?

 

I tag the following: whoever’s reading this and wants to play, SM Reine, Ana Ramsey, and Kendall Grey.

 

68k on Fey Touched

I just hit 68k on Fey Touched.  I can hardly believe it because I started in on October 31st, writing roughly 30k a month.  I haven’t stopped to plot ahead (just what’s in front of me currently – the “headlight method”) and I haven’t really stopped to analyze much of anything.

Normally — or what’s been normal — for the past few years, I’d work myself up into a frenzy about how awful my writing was, and naturally the muse would disappear.  I’d get depressed, and I wouldn’t make my words for the day.  I’d get more depressed, and on and on.  Yeah, there are flaws in Fey Touched.  There is an entire thread that might need to be reworked.  There are some worldbuilding things that need to be tweaked.  There’s a telepathic dog named Pixie that needs to play a larger role in the first third.

But, I also had a few surprises: a potential romance between the MC and someone I didn’t expect, the plague angle which I believe rocks, and the telepathic dog thing.  Oddly enough, I’m not a dog person at all, but I have a soft spot for my sister’s boyfriend’s German Shepard/Ridgeback mix.  And so Pixie was born.

Writing this way takes me back to the old days, when I felt free.  When I wasn’t so worried about getting published.  I just wrote.

So Fey Touched has brought the joy back.  It wasn’t even planned — it was a stray thought I had while filing one day at work and it grabbed me by the throat and wouldn’t let go.  I had to write this book.  And while the revision might be intensive, as I suspect it will be, I’m very happy with it overall.

I also have not a single thing written down in the way of plot, not even for memory purposes.  I do have a great memory, but since I hit 30, it’s been slipping a bit.  Normally I would write things down.  But having it in my head playing like a movie works.  Writing this quickly (and for me, this is very fast) keeps the story in my head and it’s flowing, changing, mutating.  I have ideas all the time, but one or two will stand out.  And that’s my next direction.  That’s how I’ve managed to write so much in going on 3 months.  It’s just there.  I don’t have to even think much.  It’s pretty amazing.  And exhilarating.  This is what I meant by writing with joy.  It’s amazing.  I feel better.

I have gotten stuck a couple of times, but each and every time (with the exception of the 11k start that needed to be trashed in the beginning), it’s been only for about a day.  I’d get into my writing headspace and brainstorm and poof!  It’s there.  It’s always there.  Pretty damn amazing.

I’ve got ideas for books 2 and 3.  Book 2 deals with the fallout of book 1, and book 3 introduces a new character who switches sides.  It’ll be cool.

Still on track to be done around February.

And I need an ending.  Currently it’s nebulous, but I trust my muse to figure it out and hopefully share.  Soon.

Winter’s Night, a Giveaway, and an update

Winter’s Night is Turtleduck Press’s latest offering that released on December 1st.  It is a winter-themed anthology with some awesome stories and some awesome poems.  Proceeds are going to UNICEF.  Check it out here: http://www.turtleduckpress.com . It’s really cool.

I’d like to give away an e-copy to a lucky person.  All you gotta do is comment to this post.  Please include your email address.  I’ll draw one name at random on Dec. 10th, so please check back!

I have been very busy with Fey Touched.  I ended my unofficial NaNoWriMo with 31k, which was fantastic.  My plan is to continue writing this month as if it were Nano.  Goal is 30k.  As of today, it is 33k.

It’s going very well.  I have some things I need to tweak, but per my new rules, nothing is being rewritten.  I also got hit with an idea for book 2.  I was actually going to use it for Fey Touched but decided against it.  It would totally change everything and it could be given the attention it deserves in book 2. Book 2 is tentatively called Sun Touched, but that might change.

Finally, I’ve been writing more poetry for Turtleduck Press, and I’m enjoying it a lot.  I’d like to start writing poetry on a more regular basis.  Also, I started working on the Flamebound revision again.  I can’t seem to let that one go, even though it’s been sitting for over a year. I think my muse is floundering a bit.  But that’s not a bad thing — it keeps me working.

Soon I’ll be making my goals for 2012.  Seems like the year just flew by!

 

 

 

Update

Things are finally rolling along with writing.  I floundered and flailed a lot, and got hit with an idea that grabbed me by the throat and wouldn’t let go.  It’s actually the project formally known as Surrender, which was originally The Sacrifice, my first finished novel evah written in November for NanoWriMo.  My first time.  Ah, the memories.

So now it’s a science fantasy that basically has the Fey rooted in science, not myth.  Sound interesting?  It’s a million shades of cool, and I’ve been majorly jazzed.  I am beginning to enjoy writing again.  I still feel the need to rewrite stuff, but so far, I’m winning the argument.  First draft, baby.  Rewrites will come.

I’m hoping — if my wrists hold — to get a good chunk of this done by the end of the year.  I’m most likely going to publish it with Turtleduck Press, and my deadline is April 1st.  Kind of scary, but good practice, too.  So, this is my unoffical NanoWriMo novel.  It’s called Fey Touched.  The name Surrender didn’t fit as well as Fey Touched did.  I’m hoping to make this into a series.

Darklight has been put aside.  I thought I could do both, but I really work better with one project.  I need to get immersed into the story, and I can’t do that if I’m thinking about another story.

I’m still going to try to work on the Alpha Female revision as planned, after my words are done for the day.  I still believe in it and think I could make it so much better. I’d love to be able to submit it soon.

As for Pirouette, it’s with critiquers.  Until I get more feedback, I can’t make any decisions on whether or not to work on it more.  I’m guessing yes, but we will see.

I’m also writing more poetry for Turtleduck Press.  It’s been eye-opening so far.  I seem to have changed a bit, and I hope for the best.

What else?  Something huge recently happened that shook things up at home.  For awhile I couldn’t write, but now I’m finding it a comfort.  And that’s a good thing.

Oh yeah — I guest blogged on my friend Ana Ramsey’s blog.  I talked about my crazy muse and I.  Go read it.  It’s cool.  Linky: http://anaquana.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/guest-post-5-erin-kendall-surviving-my-muse/ .