Book Review - Queen in Exile . . . Plus Awards & Querying

I've got a guest blogger today. Her name is Bobbie Staley, and she's one of my clerks at my day job. She's not an author or an aspiring author. She's one of those people we're all hoping to bring into our camps

She's a Reader.

All right. So am I. So are you. But you know what I mean.

She's highlighting Queen in Exile by Donna Hatch.

Isn't this a great cover?

Book Description:
Rumors of War hang over Princess Jeniah's peaceful country of Arden, a land that shuns both magic and warfare. Following a lifelong dream, Jeniah forms a telepahtic bond with a revered creature called a chayim, who is prophesied to save her kingdom. But when a Darborian knight comes upon Jeniah with her chayim, he sees only a vicious monster about to devour a maiden, and he slays the beast.

Devastated by the loss of her chayim, and fearing that her own magic is evil, Jeniah doubts her destiny. When an enemy invades Arden City, they slaughter the people, storm the castle, and execute the entire royal family except the princess. Rescued by the knight who slew her chayim, Jeniah is now heir to the throne of Arden and the only hope for freeing her people from tyranny.

On the run and hunted by enemy soldiers, Jeniah must place her life and the fate of her kingdom in the hands of this trained killer. Torn between embracing her destiny as queen af Arden, and her love for a mere knight, she must ultimately rely on her magic to save herself and her people from death and tyranny. 

What does Bobbie think?

As I began to read yet another book about magic I was skeptical since I have read a few lately.  I was pleasantly surprised to find this one caught my  attention right away with the bond that Jeniah has with her Sacred animal.

I was taken with the tale of trials and love and anger and tears and oh-my-gosh moments that kept me wanting to read till the weee hours of the night.  I love this book, and I would recommend it to all ages.  I am going to have my 13-year-old read it because I know she would love this book.

Awards

I want to acknowledge the kind ladies who gave me a couple of awards this week:

• Robin Weeks granted me the Kreative Blogger Award.
• April Plumber over at If This Doesn't Scare You gave me a different Versatile Blogger Award. 

 You can check out the charmers here.

Querying

I hope you all had a great weekend. On Saturday I clicked the "send" button for the second time. It was harder in some ways because this one was unsolicited. I'm surprisingly calm about everything.

Hubby and I are going to go out to dinner every time I hit 10 rejections. I got my inspiration from author James Dashner as he mentioned in LTUE last year that that's what he did. The hard part will be those unofficial rejections because the agency has a "no reply" policy. You just tick off the time, and when you haven't heard anything just assume it's a "not interested".

*Rubs hands together*

Where shall we go out to eat?

Tip

Be cautious of using words like "begin" and "start". Just have your characters DO it.

Ernestly Seeking . . .

*takes a deep breath*

Okay. I put the last touches on the manuscript. It's time to send in that full.

My goal was to begin querying by February 1st. Looks like I'm a little ahead of schedule. I'm a member of Querytracker, and I've read tons of blog posts with suggestions about querying.

Everyone talks about researching agents to make sure you're aware of their individual submission requirements and getting to know their personalities--if something wonderful happens, you want to know you want work with this person. I've heard rumors of agent stalking on Twitter and Facebook to help glean some of that insight.

What do you look for in an agent?

Or, if you already have your dream agent, what is it about him/her that you think is the most important in your working relationship?

Release Day--Everneath by Brodi Ashton

After much waiting, Everneath by Brodi Ashton is finally out. And you guys have a chance to find out what I did (and posted about here) last July, when I had a chance to read the ARC.

Book Description:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. 

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen. 

As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen.

I loved the way the countdown of Nikki's six months and required return to the Everneath added to the tension, while other chapters flashed back to show us what led up to her decision to follow Cole. Because, you see, Nikki chose to go.

It got to where I almost had a love/hate relationship with chapter breaks. I wanted to know what was going to happen next, but at the same time I wanted to know what led up to her being in that situation--I wanted it all. NOW. Brodi does a wonderful job of feeding the information to the reader, letting out little bits of information to help us feel for Nikki and sympathize with her since you know exactly where it's leading her.

And Jack rocks!

If you follow Brodi's blog (she's hilarious--love her!), you will find the tone in this book very different from her blog. This book totally sucked me in. And made cry.


If you're looking for my Favorite Character Blogfest post (it goes through the 25th), you can find it here.

Favorite Character Blogfest

I signed up for the Favorite Character Blogfest hosted by the absolutely awesome Laura Josephsen.

So, let me tell you a little bit about the character I'm highlighting. His name is Jori Virtanen (that's pronounced Yo-ree). He's a 24-year-old model who hates his job and dreams of being an artist. He's been through some tough times in his adolescence--things that continue to haunt him into adulthood. His friendships with the main character and her love interest change his life.

He wasn't in the first draft of the book. I created him to help with a plotline I thought wasn't quite working. After input from my critique group, I realized he didn't fulfill his intended purpose. I considered writing him out again.

Essentially, killing him.

Refusing to allow him to exist.

I couldn't do it.

The little stinker had weaseled his way into my heart. In fact, he's going to be the main character in the sequel I'm planning for my NaNo project this year. My tale used to have an epilogue, but once I realized Jori needed to have his story told, too, I've since removed the epilogue. It gave away too much about what happens to him.

Here's my main character's first introduction to Jori. It begins on a ship, docked in Seattle, preparing to embark on a 28-day cruise to New Zealand.

... I sighed, standing in the warmth of the sunlight and imagining a run on the treadmill with nothing but the Pacific Ocean before me.

“Nice, yes?” asked a deep voice behind me.

I spun around and couldn’t help a soft gasp. Before me stood the most beautiful human being I’d ever seen. He was a little taller than me, probably close to my age, and must have been a direct descendent of some Scandinavian god with his pale blond hair and light gray eyes.

He raised his hands. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” His voice had just a hint of an accent I couldn’t place.

 I searched his shirt for a ship logo. “Do you work here?”

“Me?” His eyebrows rose. “No, I’m a passenger. My name is Jori. Jori Virtanen.”

“Nice to meet you, Jori.” I shook the hand he extended. “I’m Lyn North. Where are you from?”

“Seattle.”

I blinked. “Seattle? Your accent . . .”

“Ah, yes.” Jori’s smile made him even more beautiful, and I had to squeeze my jaw shut to keep it from falling open. “My family emigrated from Finland about nine years ago.” He glanced at the wall of windows and said, almost to himself, “It will be interesting to do some sketching in here.”

I followed his gaze to the view of the dock outside. “Are you an artist?”

He hesitated. “I hope to be someday.”

I eyed him, curious. In my experience, beautiful people tended to be self-absorbed. Yet he seemed . . . humble. “Are you going to sketch the scenery in New Zealand? Wouldn’t it be faster to fly?”

Jori chuckled. “I do plan to do some drawing there.” A group of people who’d gathered at the salon registration desk outside the gym drew his attention. “I like to sketch people.” He turned back to me. “What better place than a cruise ship for people?”

Remembering what I’d come to the gym for, I asked, “Have you seen any of the staff around?”

“I noticed someone here just before you came.” Jori’s eyes did a quick scan from my head to my feet, and I felt a surge of irritation. After the pain of the last year I wasn’t ready to enter the meat market in spite of what Elle thought. He asked, “Are you interested in some of the classes?”

“I want to see if it’s okay to use that open area by the door.” I nodded to indicate the location, taking a step toward the exit.

One of his eyebrows rose. “Are you a dancer?”

“No, I want it for karate practice.”

“Karate?”

At that moment a man entered the gym, and I pointed, “Is that the staff guy?”

Jori nodded.

“Well, it was nice meeting you.” I raised my hand in farewell. “I need to go talk with him and then meet my friend.”

Jori glanced at my left hand. “Your boyfriend?”

“No.” I edged away. “A girl friend, like a sister.”

“Are you going to the departure party?” he asked before I could get away.

“Uh, yes. For a little while.”

His pale eyes glittered. “Then I will look for you.” He did a little bow and left.

With a frown, I watched him leave. That incredible specimen of male perfection couldn’t have just been coming on to me. I rubbed my temple. No way was I telling Elle about the encounter.

Have you ever had a character take over a story?

Please check out the posts of these other blogs:

1.	Angie Lofthouse	5.	Gyran Gymble	9.	K. Writerly
2.	Tracey Joseph	6.	tara tyler	10.	Morgan Feldman
3.	Christine Rains	7.	Charity Bradford
4.	Donna K. Weaver	8.	Julie Daines

Coming Home and Awards . . . and Stress

I'm en route back to the mainland after a delightful trip. We had some beautiful days and some horribly rainy ones--I mean flash flood heavy rains on Tuesday. We watched as the lawns outside and across the street became little rivers. Reminded me of the monsoons when I lived in the Philippines as a girl--one year we had 29 inches of rain--in September alone.

But that's okay. We played a variety of board and video games. And the weather the day before (Monday)--when we went to a local luau--was very pleasant. The Smith Family Luau was so much fun. Beautiful grounds, great food, and a fun show. Just a few sprinkles--the lull before the storm.

This is us with the family of one of my son-in-law's coworkers.

Having received some awards lately, I figured it was time to acknowledge the wonderful givers.

I've received the Great Commenter Award twice, once each from Nancy Thompson, Leigh Covington, and J.A. Bennett.

 Earlier this week Kelley over at Between the Bookends gave me the two awards below, and Sara at Live to Write...Edit When Necessary gave me the Versatile Blogger. J.A. Bennett gave me the Versatile Blogger, too.

I'm supposed to provide trivia about myself, but I've bored everyone stupid with tidbits about myself in previous posts so I'll pass this time.

I wish I had the time to track down a list of some bodacious bloggers out there who deserve these. However, things are crazy right now, so I'm merely going to acknowledge the awesome ladies who were kind enough to think of me. I invite you to visit their blogs and encourage you to follow them if you aren't already.

Seriously, speaking of crazy. How the heck did I end up on the boards of three different writing associations? I have eight years before I can retire, so I work full-time (plus). 

Don't misunderstand. These really are wonderful networking opportunities, and I love the people I'm working with. But when am I going to have time to write?


Do you find yourself getting in deeper than you probably should, making commitments you worry you won't be able to fulfill? I hate doing things halfway.

At what point do you have to step back from some things?

Oh, My Freakin' Heck!

Check this out--my hands are still shaking!

I just barely got the manuscript back from Laura Josephsen, and haven't made the corrections/changes yet.

Define "Real"

Okay, first thing--I really love this video of an animated bookshop. The very last statement at the end, though, gave me pause. I'd like you to watch it if you can afford the time and then come back and comment on my question later in this post.

"There's nothing quite like a real book."

For me, this begs the question: what counts as a real book?

Is it only the beloved paper tomes we were raised with? How about the audiobook that includes all the words but with some interpretation provided by the narrator(s)? What about ebooks or even the new enhanced ebooks?

Is one format more real than another?

On an aside, someone once told one my children who is not a fast reader (and yet is an avid reader via audiobooks) that listening to a book doesn't count as having read the book.

Really? Try explaining that to someone who's visually impaired.

My day job includes working with municipal records, and all the time I deal with my state's sunshine laws (what we call GRAMA for government records access and management act). In fact, I'm my city's records officer. As such, I receive requests from residents and attorneys all the time wanting information/records that the city collects.

One thing that's a bit of an issue now is text messaging. Frequently, when people are angry at a decision the city council has made, they want to know what the city councilmembers are talking about relating to it. As I worked with our archivist at the state, he reminded me that the format is not relevant.

It's the content that determines if something meets the state's definition of a "record".

Velveteen Rabbit (source)

So, as I prepare to begin the querying process (and consider self-publishing if things don't work out), I suggest that regardless of the format, my ebook would be just as real as it would be in a paper or an audiobook format.

It will still be my story, my words, my hard work and sweat (figuratively) that went into its creation.

What about you? What does it take for a book to be real to you?

Kaua'i

One of my granddaughters tiptoeing on Shipwreck Beach.

Hubby, daughter, son-in-Law, and two granddaughters.

View of the beach.

Three generations build a sandcastle at Shipwreck Beach.

Spouting Horn

Mt. Kipu on Wednesday. It was stormy most of the day.

Here's another view of Mt. Kipu on Thursday when the weather was much nicer.

At the Fishing Pond with Mt. Kipu in the distance.

A friend recommended that we try Puka Dogs, so we did. Yum!

 

 

 

 

Winter Workshop - iWriteNetwork . . . And Books I've Read

iWriteNetwork is excited to announce their first Winter Workshop, being held on Saturday, January 21st, in Provo, Utah. The classes are:

Killer Hooks by author Greg Park
Head Hunting for POV by Canda Mortensen
I Have a Feeling - Writing Emotion and Making It Stick by author Tristi Pinkston
Taxes and You - Figuring it Out by author Rebecca Shelley
Savvy about Story Structure by author Cindy Hogan

The conference begins at 9:00 and goes until 2:00, with a break for lunch (provided). The cost for the day is $30. Register by clicking here.

Now here's something fun ... if you are one of the first 25 to register, you will be entered in a drawing for a free manuscript evaluation* by Tristi Pinkston Author Services (250 pages maximum). There are only a few slots left for the contest, so if you're in the area and would like to attend, you'll need to hurry and register.

Lunch is included in the cost of registration.

Books I've been reading

CassaStaR by Alex J. Cavanaugh

Book Description

To pilot the fleet’s finest ship… Few options remain for Byron. A talented but stubborn young man with a troubled past and rebellious attitude, his cockpit skills are his only hope. Slated to train as a Cosbolt fighter pilot, Byron is determined to prove his worth and begin a new life as he sets off for the moon base of Guaard. Much to Byron’s chagrin the toughest instructor in the fleet takes notice of the young pilot. Haunted by a past tragedy, Bassa eventually sees through Byron's tough exterior and insolence. When a secret talent is revealed during training, Bassa feels compelled to help Byron achieve his full potential. As war brews on the edge of space, time is running short. Byron requires a navigator of exceptional quality to survive, and Bassa must make a decision that could well decide the fate of both men. Will their skills be enough as they embark on a mission that may stretch their abilities to the limit? “…calls to mind the youthful focus of Robert Heinlein’s early military sf, as well as the excitement of space opera epitomized by the many Star Wars novels. Fast-paced military action and a youthful protagonist make this a good choice for both young adult and adult fans of space wars.” - Library Journal

Got this for hubby for Christmas, and we read it together. We very much enjoyed it and look forward to the release of CassaFirE next month.

 Bound by C.K. Bryant

Book Description

When a photo shoot ends in tragedy, Kira discovers her best friend, Lydia, has been keeping a secret. Knowing the truth, and accepting it, will change Kira’s life forever and thrust her into a world of ancient curses, magical objects, and savage enemies. What happens next will challenge everything Kira knows about her world, herself and the shape-shifting warrior she’s falling in love with. No longer the timid mouse her mother accused her of being, but a woman who finds the mental and physical strength to endure and survive.

BOUND is a heroic tale of true friendship, infinite sacrifice and untamed love. 

I've had this book on my to-read stack for a while now and was happy when I finally had a chance to start reading it. Really enjoyed it, though I was a bit dismayed when I found out it's a series . . . and we're left hanging. Grrr.  I'm glad the next book is due out in March.

Outer Edge of Heaven by Jaclyn M. Hawkes

Book Description

Montana truly is heavenly. Especially those handsome cowboys.

Filled with colorful characters of all shapes, sizes and species, including an orphaned baby pig, most of the Langston family put the fun in dysfunctional, give or take a couple of black sheep. There's one in every family, isn't there? Add to that glorious scenery, a horse of her own, and one extremely attractive cousin rancher, Luke Lanston, and it makes for a summer Charlie will never forget. Which might not be a good thing. She has the time of her life, but her heart may never recover.

I really enjoyed this book. It made me laugh out loud several times with the images Hawkes paints as Charlie works with the little children. Those baby pigs . . .

To say nothing of Luke.

Identity by Betsy Love

Book Description

While vacationing in Mexico, two similar-looking young women find themselves caught in a chain reaction of mistaken identities. Amelia is a wealthy heiress and business owner, and Savannah is a sweet Mormon girl deciding whether or not to serve a mission. When they end up on the same flight to Phoenix, Savannah and Amelia unravel the sequence of events that wreaked havoc on their trips, and they make plans to resolve the subsequent misunderstandings. But their flight is cut short when the plane crashes, killing one of the young women and plunging the other into a world of intrigue and deceit where identity means everything.

I read this on the plane while flying to Hawaii--so glad it was a long flight because I didn't want to put this book down. I was totally hooked and felt so bad as I realized what was going to happen.

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

Book Description

Not so very long ago, Eragon—Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider—was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders.

Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still, the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong enough to defeat him. And if they cannot, no one can. There will be no second chances.

The Rider and his dragon have come further than anyone dared to hope. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaësia? And if so, at what cost?

I generally enjoyed the first three books in this series, but I'm really having a hard time getting into this last book. I think I may have to put it aside and try listening to it again later. It discourages me that this final book that was supposed to wrap up the series is so dang long--four audible downloads.

Stealing Mercy by Kristy Tate

Book Description

After a night of terror, Mercy Faye flees New York. Disguised as a boy, she sets sail for a new life in Seattle, but her nightmare, Mr. Steele, follows close behind. Armed with only her chocolates, laced tarts and wits, Mercy sets out to destroy Mr. Steele and his Lucky Island brothel.

Trent Michaels is searching for his missing cousin. He can't afford complications - or romance - yet, at every turn he finds Mercy Faye. The night before the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, flames spark between Mercy and Trent leaving the life they know and the city they love in ashes.

Their story reaches forward through time to Bette Michaels, a genealogist, struggling with grief after the sudden death of her husband. Although generations apart, as Bette unravels Mercy's story, she learns that a life can be rebuilt - even after everything is lost.

Through Mercy, Bette discovers that sometimes the only way to find happiness is to steal it.

I just started reading this one a couple of nights, and I'm intrigued by the double stories. It reminds me a little of The Forgotten Garden that had multiple times and points of view.

Have you read anything good lately?

Vacation

Today, I'm heading to the lovely island of Kaua'i to visit my daughter and her family. I'll be popping in here once in a while with pictures and some other bloggerly business (like book reviews and blog award acknowledgements).

These are a few pictures from my trip in June of 2010 and February 2011.

Napali Coast 2010

My grandson said he still loves the Utah mountains, but he likes these better. Personally, I think it's the beach.

Don't you love the laid back atmosphere? This is from one of the most popular Shave Ice shacks. And it really isn't open all the time. If you drive by and it's open, you'd best grab some.

Book Review - The Ember Gods by Andrea Pearson

From the back of the book:
Jacob Clark has just returned from the world of Eklaron, where he frustrated the evil plans of the Lorkon and returned the magical Key of Kilenya to its rightful owners. His quest is far from over, though—Aloren is trapped in Maivoryl City by the Ember Gods, and Jacob can't return to save her until he receives the potion that will protect his team from the corrosive influence of the Lorkon.

Balancing between this new world and his own proves tricky. Not only has he started his first year of high school, but his magical abilities are bringing him too much attention. He feels pulled by both sides, hoping he'll figure out his special powers to save Aloren in time. 

Poor Jacob. He thought things were challenging in book 1, The Key of Kilenya.

There's only a break of a couple of weeks between the end of Key and The Ember Gods, but he's got even more to deal with. Still carrying the burden of the friend left behind at the end of the first book, he's got to juggle things he didn't in his last story, when he was able to focus all his attentions on his quest.

Now he must learn patience. He has to wait on others to put things in order for a rescue mission. Real-life obligations now that school has started must be balanced with his responsibilities in Eklaron being that he's the only one able to use the power of the Key. Amidst homework, self-defense training, trying to be noticed by the basketball coach, searching for potion ingredients, the unwanted attention of a girl at school, and staying out of the way of the creepy, power-seeking Lorkon, Jacob's getting less and less sleep. It's taking its toll.

And don't forget the secrets Jacob didn't know were being kept from him.

Grammar Friday . . . Commas

The issue of commas can be a bit Harry.

But siriusly, commas can save lives.

For example:

Let's eat, Grandma!

source

OR

Let's eat Grandma!

source

Have you ever had

an embarrassing experience

with a misplaced comma?

For a Laugh

Humor. It's all around us if we take the time to notice it.



Did you hear or see anything funny today?

Why I Write

I'm reprinting a post I did nearly a year ago because it talks about why I write (with some updated editorial comments in brackets). With the new year starting and 2012 being a year I'm actually going to put myself out there, I needed this reminder.

First off, I'm not looking for a new career. I have one that I like just fine, and I'll retire in ten years anyway. I'm learning to write because I want to learn to write. And not just business letters or minutes (booooring!).

I want to be published as a kind of validation for having reached a certain level, being good enough. Graduating, if you will.[However, I also realize I'm getting a pretty late start to this and traditional publishing may not work for me, so I'm preparing for the possibility of self-publishing.]

I'm getting older, and I love to learn new things. I don't want to be one of those senior citizens who sees the world through a very narrow filter, unwilling to consider new things. I want to always be teachable. I want to be creative and make something that brings me (and hopefully others) pleasure.

I've worried that as I've been spending hours and hours on it (not just on the writing itself, but on reading blogs about writing by authors or aspiring authors, listening to podcasts about writing, reading articles about things writers should and shouldn't do, attending writing conferences, etc.), that it's taking over my life.

And for what?

I'm very much a person who needs to have something to show for the time I've spent working on it. Even if it's just for me.

So it was interesting today to read a blog post by a guest writer for Natalie Whipple. Adam Heine talks here about a writer's education. He hits the nail on the head. I especially love this part:

... But what kind of job demands years of uncompensated service before giving you even a chance at wages?

All of them, it turns out. It's called college.

College is 4+ years of work that pays nothing and (these days) doesn't even guarantee a job at the end. That's exactly what we're doing when we sit at our computer, typing a story nobody may ever buy.

It's better than college, because it's free. Better because it's easier to hold a job while writing than studying. Better because if we don't get a job with our first degree (i.e. novel), we can write another and learn more...

So long as you live life, working to get published is as valid an education as any other.

Keep writing. It's your education.

Nice, Adam. Well said.

So, why do you write?