Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Revise and Resubmit

Well, I sent it in last night. For good or ill. I'll be focusing on a new story for Camp NaNo, so I think my timing is perfect.

So, why does my stomach hurt?

This is my old Sensei breaking 4 bricks. Pretty cool, huh? If he can do that, I can do this.

Sunday, July 29, 2012


Click here for details.

 It starts on Wednesday. I'm doing another YA fantasy (second in the series).

Are you in?



Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Guest Post - Angela Ackerman - Favorite Characters


I've got a special guest today: Angela Ackerman. You should  know her from the awesome (and award winning) The Bookshelf Muse and as the coauthor of The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide To Character Expression. If you follow my blog you know how much I love this thesaurus! It's a fabulous resource for writers in general and this writer in particular. Angela is a Canadian who writes on the darker side of Middle Grade and Young Adult and is is represented by Jill Corcoran of The Herman Agency.

Donna, thank you so much for the invitation to visit your blog! I love this topic, because the characters we fall in love with is ultimately why a book becomes a ‘favorite.’ I really struggled with only picking five. But, after much hand-wringing, I narrowed it down, trying not to give too many story spoilers away in the process!

Doug Swieteck - Okay for Now (Gary D. Schmidt) YA Coming of Age
This is one of those books that I wish every person would read--adult and child alike. Doug is an amazing character, living in an abusive and impoverished environment where everyone judges him by his father and brother’s reputations instead of who he could become with some encouragement and support. This is a beautiful story of a boy who chooses to not follow in his thuggish brother’s footsteps, nor adopt the uncaring and entitled, ‘the world is against me so screw them’ attitude his father lays down. Instead Doug discovers who he really is by showing understanding and kindness, finds redemption and friendship, and in turn leads other characters into a redemption of their own, including his own family. Doug is a powerful, true underdog character. He represents the struggle in all of us to move past our baggage, and as a child who suffered terrible bullying, I connected with him on a deep level.

Mat Cauthon - The Wheel of Time Series (Robert Jordan) Adult Fantasy
I love, love, love Matrim Cauthon. He’s a total troublemaker, a rake, and incredibly loyal. Bull-headed, he does what he thinks is right no matter what the danger or cost. There is this constant war in him to put himself first, enjoy the fruits of his labor, but his conscience won’t let him. For me, this creates a delightful, complex and realistic character. Aren’t we all selfish on some level, and we’re torn between doing what’s best for us and what is right? This is Mat’s battle on each page.
And I have to pipe in that I also love Mat's character. It's fun to see his growth over the course of the books, especially when he fights against his destiny. If a scene needs a laugh, you can count on Mat to provide it.

Nya - The Healing Wars Trilogy (Janice Hardy) Middle Grade Fantasy
Nya is an orphan living by the skin of her teeth in a war-torn city. Born with the ability to pull pain out of people, she is viewed as magically useless as her gift doesn’t contain the secondary component needed--the ability to push it into a rare metal that is a great source of power and wealth. It turns out her gift is more complex and deadly however, as she is able to shift pain from person to person, making her attractive to those wanting to use her as a weapon. Nya is loyal and a risk taker, and has a strong sense of right and wrong. She becomes a leader through her actions, all the while trying to come to terms with her own self worth and the destructive power she possesses. A reluctant heroine, she’s feisty and her dealing with moral and ethical dilemmas are realistic.

Kestrel Hath - The Wind on Fire Trilogy (William Nicholson) YA Fantasy
Kess is one of those headstrong characters that makes you cheer. She always does what she thinks is right, and refuses to be dissuaded. She has unusual intuitive qualities for a ten year old (and she ages throughout the series) and places loyalty first, but her determined nature leads her into lots of trouble as she reacts rather than thinks it through. Her world is all about repression and control, so her character traits create explosive conflict as she fights against it. She sees the big picture of her world and is determined to change it for her family and her people, and sacrifices herself for the greater good. This series is one that will stay with you long after you finish it!

Lyra Belacqua, His Dark Materials (Phillip Pullman) YA Fantasy
Lyra is a complete tomboy, wild and untamed by the adults around her. Growing up without parents, she lies to get what she wants and avoids anything that holds her back. This is a delightful contrast to her growing up with scholars in Jordan College, Oxford, the seat of knowledge and science in Lyra’s world. Discovering her mother is a villain propels Lyra into a role of opposing her and all she stands for, and she embarks on a dangerous journey to bring down the organization her mother works for that is kidnapping and torturing children. Lyra’s independent nature and fierce loyalty to her friend Roger make her a heroine to cheer for and empathize with.

And...that’s my five! Reading through my list, I seem to be attracted to characters who are wild cards, underdogs, loyal and fiercely determined to do the right thing. How about you? Who are some of your favorite characters, and what is it about them that wins your heart? Please share some of your favorite books/characters so we all have a great reading list for our summer reading!

Who are some of your favorite characters?

Oh, and on a side note, my awesome friend, Donna Hosie, has an agent. You ought to drop by and congratulate her!

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Time to Vote

As you know if you read my blog post last Wednesday, my blog has been nominated for the Fascination Award in Creative Writing. If if weren't for the nature of the particular post and the reason my blog was nominated (because of the quality of the comments), I would have blown this off as ridiculous.

There are a bazillion blogs that have been nominated, and I know the voting will narrow the numbers down for further votes (there's a badge for the top 25). But I do have awesome followers and commenters, so I'm doing something I wouldn't normally do.

As I shift uncomfortably in my chair, I'm asking for your vote in behalf of my great commenters. I think they (you) deserve it.

There appears to be some difficulty finding the place
to vote in the link on the picture below.
I will post if that is ever cleared up.
Sorry for the inconvenience.


Fascination Awards

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Did the tragedy in Colorado have any impact on your desire to see the new Batman movie?

Where in the world . . .

I'm posting over at LDS Writers Blogck today about critiques. I'd love your input.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Most Fascinating Blog Nomination

Have you ever received one of those emails where you read it and then look back to the top to make sure it's really addressed to you? Or you go Google the information to make sure it's for real and not some nasty spam email trying to fool you into clicking a link to a malicious site?

Yeah, well, I got such an email yesterday. Not the nasty spam thingy but the "this can't be addressed to me" kind.

And yet, as I read the email, it referred to one of my blog posts from last year. So it had to be real. Right? And then it said I'd been nominated for the Most Fascinating Blog under the category of Creative Writing.


Have you picked yourself up off the floor yet?


Well, you shouldn't be surprised because the post was nothing special on my part. The thing that got the nomination (I believe and hinted at in the informing email) was the nature of the comments made about the post topicHow cool is that?

We've been nominated! Seriously, I think that's the best part of this because I have the most wicked awesome followers. And you deserve the recognition. Really. Read that post and see if I don't speak the truth.

The voting begins on Monday, July 23rd at 1:01 a.m. EST and runs to Monday, July 30th at 11:59 p.m. EST.

I'll post on Monday and provide a link, so you can vote for US.


Saturday, July 14, 2012

Popcorn and Camp NaNo


Last May at the Storymaker conference Kevin J. Anderson was the keynote speaker. He'd given us timeline of his writing history, stressing how many times he was working on multiple projects at the same time.

Then he introduced us to his popcorn theory. Back in the old days, before microwaves, we used to heat up a pot on the stove and put oil in it. We'd add popcorn to the bottom when it got hot enough, cover it, and slide the pot quickly back and forth over the stove.

Kevin said that writing is a lot of popping corn. It doesn't make sense to put a single kernel in the pan, pop it, and then do it again with another kernel. He said that if writers want to make a living at writing they need to have a lot of kernels in that pot, heating up and popping away.

Now, I'm a one-thing-at-a-time person. I do one thing to completion, and then I start something else.

Well, I used to be.

I used to read a book, and I wouldn't start another until I'd finished it. As you can tell to the right of this blog, I've learned to be a bit more flexible.

May, June, and the first half of July have been incredibly busy. So when I've seen people doing the June Camp NaNo, I never considered it for myself. I know what my November NaNo project is going to be, so I figured I was good.

But I've got a goal to get my R&R done and submitted by August 1st. I'm only halfway through the YA fantasy that stars my my granddaughter as the main characters. While she was visiting last month, she read what I have and offered me some great feedback. As a result, I realized there'd need to be a book after her book. The longer I've been thinking about it, the more I've wanted to write that story.

It's like that itch you can't scratch.

So, with Kevin's suggestion nagging at the back of my mind and these other projects in various stages of editing, I've decided to make the leap into lotsa popcorn.

I just signed up for Camp NaNo in August. I hope it works out okay since I've got family coming for vacation.

Eeek! I wonder how many words I'll have to come up with on the other days to make up for the days I can't write.

How about you? Do you juggle multiple projects?


Friday, July 13, 2012

Book Bomb: My Body Fell Off by BJ Rowley

My Body Fell Off!
by B.J. Rowley

Imagine going to bed one night and suddenly finding yourself floating around on the ceiling—looking down at your own sleeping body!

Imagine being able to leave your body anytime you want, and passing invisible through walls and doors—and even people!

Imagine transporting yourself to your friends' houses in the blink of an eye—without them even knowing! Or floating right into movies and concerts for free! Or enjoying the Super Bowl on the fifty yard line—right behind the quarterback!

Then, imagine finding yourself inadvertently and invisibly witnessing a secret meeting of some of the most dangerous criminals of our time as they plot a multimillion dollar conspiracy involving blackmail, kidnapping, and murder!

Bart Elderberry experiences all this and more after becoming the recipient of a very unique and special God-given ability. Bart is just beginning to enjoy the excitement of high school, driving, and dating, when his whole world is turned upside down by the bizarre events transpiring around him. And suddenly, his unusual ability is the only thing standing between life and death for himself and his friends.

Now . . . imagine trying to explain to ANYBODY about your rare skills and abilities without them thinking you're as crazy as a three-dollar bill and throwing you in the loony-bin for life.

My Body Fell Off! delivers a fast-paced, heart-pounding adventure that will leave you gasping at every turn. An adventure that, once begun, will be impossible to put aside until its final, dramatic conclusion.


READ SAMPLE CHAPTERS! 

GET IT FOR YOUR KINDLE! (FREE ON JULY 13TH) 

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR HERE! 
 


Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Take Care

You have to be careful what you read, you know. I've been reading a lot of Regency Romances.

*sigh*





But I'll have a fun post on Friday. You might want to check back. 

Okay, you WILL want to check back.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Asundry Items

For those of you in the general area, don't forget the Utah Valley Writers Workshop being held on July 27& 28. Because the Alpine School District is partnering with the iWriteNetwork (and teachers can get continuing education points), it's a killer deal--only $50 for two days and lunch is provided both days. If you can only come one day, that's fine, too. Single day registrations are available.

For details on the class schedule and registration, you can check the iWriteNetwork blog.

On a humorous note, you gotta love these editing marks.

I'd like to thank Nutschell over at  
The Writing Nut for the Sunshine Award.


Sunday, July 1, 2012

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