News . . . and The Secret by Taryn Taylor

A Change of Plans is on Goodreads!

Did I just scream? Well, maybe squeeee.

*takes a deep breath*

(If you didn't know, you can click the Goodreads above and add it to your to-read list. Just mentioning it. *grins*)

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The Secret

Seventeen-year-old Delanie Hart has a past she wants to keep hidden.  Moving to a new state and attending a new high school seems to be just the thing - until she accidentally sees a mark exactly like her own.  When the people she is running from come after her, Lanie is left with a choice - give up what she wants or save her friends.

About the author:

Taryn A. Taylor grew up moving from small town to small town every few years.  This helped her gain an appreciation for good books, loyal friends, and the fact that a home is a lot more than a house - it's the people that love you.  After receiving a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Communications, she finally began putting all of her stories down on paper, finding it most helpful to eat chocolate during this process. In between raising four amazing boys she loves to go on dates with her husband and watch movies late into the night.

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This has been an odd month for me. I'm still waiting on my copy edits. I managed to finish the edit of my companion novel to A Change of Plans and have it out to my betas and CPs. 

I've got two other books I'm editing (YA fantasy) but I don't want to get my head into those if I might have to stop for the copy edits. So I've been occupying myself with doing a lot of critiques (I think I've actually done three full-novel critiques this month--that's definitely a record) and reading a lot of books. I'm way ahead of my Goodreads reading goal for the year. 

But this has made me wonder. What do all you do when you're caught between projects?

Grammar - What the Heck is Past Perfect?

The rules of grammar can be hard to understand. English grammar especially. But, believe it or not, there is a reason for most of them.

I've noticed a writing trend that bugs me. Bugs me a lot. It's when the author is writing in past tense (you know, the story is being told in the past) and fails to use the past perfect tense when referring to events that happened before the current scene in the story.

Past perfect?  What is that?

In English grammar, "perfect" means past. Don't ask me why. That's just the way it is. So, past perfect means past past. And, believe it or not, it's important for clarification. I hate when I'm reading a book and the author jumps into a scene from an earlier time but fails to inform the reader of the time change by shifting tense.

Here are some examples of past tense:

"The captain’s limp body slid to the deck." (past tense)

"He opened his eyes and saw her watching him." (past tense) 

"He pushed the muzzle against the man's throat." (past tense)

But what if you need to tell about something that happened earlier, perhaps even before the book began? If you just remain in past tense style above, the reader won't realize you've shifted.

"The captain’s limp body had slid to the deck." (past perfect)

 "He'd opened his eyes and had seen her watching him." (past perfect)

"He'd pushed the muzzle against the man's throat." (past perfect)

We do this automatically when we speak to each other. Imagine being interviewed by the police about a break in at your next door neighbor's house.

The cop leaned in. "Your fingerprints are on the frame of the window the burglar entered through. Why were you in the house?"

If you'd been there earlier in the week for a game night, you wouldn't say: "Yeah. I went over there." You'd clarify: "Yeah, I'd gone over to play cards on Tuesday."

With your desire not to be considered a suspect in the break in, you'd make darn sure the officer knew that your visit to the house had happened before the burglary.

So, why are so many writers not using past perfect tense if it's so important for clarification? I've heard this can be explained because so many unedited books are being self-published. That might be some of it, but I've recently read some traditionally published books that were almost devoid of the past perfect tense. And whenever the story jumped to a past past event, it was confusing. And distracting.

So. Word of advice. Understand the past perfect tense. There's lots online to help you. Like here.

Use the past perfect tense. It can be your friend.

Reflections on Being an Author

This is actually a post worthy of Alex Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group. I've wondered a few times if I ought to join, and my recent experience kind of confirms that perhaps I should.

I caught myself (and it's not the first time) doing something I used to do a lot when I was a kid, especially a teen. You see, I never gave people a chance to say anything bad about me--because I made sure I beat them to it. There wasn't anything anyone could say bad about me that was worse than what I'd already said about myself.

The really sad thing is that, at my age, I dang well should be over that.

So what have I done? Lately, I've found myself warning my friends that they might not like my book. I keep imaging a friend or loved one picking it up, thinking they're going to love it . . . and finding that they hate it.

Awkward!

I know on an intellectual level there will be people who don't like my book. Author Beth Revis has a wonderful blog post on dealing with negative reviews here.

I guess my insecurities erupt full force in their adolescent power because some of the people who aren't going to like my book won't necessarily be strangers. Some of the people I care about may not like my baby.

My active imagination shows me in a social setting while I stare at their deer-in-the-headlights expressions as they scramble for tactful ways to give me a social white lie. Of course, I have to admit that I've got a couple of sons who would never give me a social white lie. They'd lay it out before me in untempered honesty:

"Your book sucked, Mom."

And, you know, that's okay. Really. Because I would be surprised if either of them liked my little adventure romance. Example--at least one of them thinks George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series is the epitome of great literature.

Um, I hate that series.

I've tried reading the first book twice and quit both times--finally checking out Wikipedia to see where it was headed. I knew I didn't want to read any further. Just not my kind of story.

Marketing myself--and my intellectual property--will probably be one of the toughest things I've ever done. Maybe even harder than it was to hand over that manuscript to be read for the first time.

And I'm surely not alone in this. Obviously, I need to do better with the positive self-talk. What do you do to either deal with your own doubts or to prepare yourself to deal with criticism?

Feudlings by Wendy Knight

WHAT IT'S ABOUT:
Nothing makes a new school suck worse than discovering the guy you’re in love with is your prophesied nemesis.

Ari is the most powerful flame-throwing sorceress ever, and her people’s last hope in an ancient war. But she’s also a seventeen-year-old girl, and in her free, not-hunting-nemesis times, she jumps from school to school, trying to figure out regular people her own age and pretending she’ll get the chance to graduate.

Shane lives a double life. He goes to school and masters the art of popularity, hiding the fact that he has a fate with a slim chance of his survival. He’s destined to end a 300-year-old war by killing or being killed. He knows he’s hunted by a powerful enemy who’s not afraid to die. Only problem? He has no idea who that enemy is.

When Ari shows up at Shane’s school, angry and sullen and determined to keep him at arm’s reach, neither of them realize they are supposed to be killing each other, not falling in love. Until Ari does realize it, and she almost dies – by Shane’s hand.

MY TAKE:
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Ari's loneliness was palpable and I loved how so many of the kids at the school--including the normal, human kids--welcomed her and made her a part of their group, even as she resisted their overtures of friendship. There are so many books about horrible, mean high school kids--and real life has plenty of them--but it's nice to get a taste of teens being kind and friendly as well. Because there are plenty of decent kids, too.

I liked how Knight slowly built up the relationship between Ari and Shane while letting the reader know (and agonize) over the inevitable showdown. I felt bad for them both, but Shane especially since Ari's trained as an assassin and been working at it since she was a child (can I just say there are seriously sick problems with her people's culture?) while Shane's been sheltered, protected, and kept from gaining important skills he'll need just to keep himself alive (I should note that his culture also has issues).

I won't spoil anything, but the showdown is awesome and there is resolution at the end--but it's obviously the beginning of a series (yay!) because there's a major plot line left hanging.

ABOUT WENDY KNIGHT

Wendy Knight was born and raised in Utah by a wonderful family who spoiled her rotten because she was the baby. Now she spends her time driving her husband crazy with her many eccentricities (no water after five, terror when faced with a live phone call, etc., etc.). She also enjoys chasing her three adorable kids, playing tennis, watching football, reading, and hiking. Camping is also big: her family is slowly working toward a goal of seeing all the National Parks in the U.S. You can usually find her with at least one Pepsi nearby, wearing ridiculously high heels for whatever the occasion may be. And if everything works out just right, she will also be writing.

AMAZON

A Change of Plans Sign Ups

Signs up? Sign ups. That just seems wrong. lol

You thought you were going to get this Wednesday off because I've got a book review scheduled for tomorrow. You're not so lucky.

But I am! My publisher Rhemalda has been working to get my cover reveal scheduled (as I announced here) and to get the blog tour sign up for June.

So below is the sign up list if you're interested in helping out.

Ninja Captain Alex's Top Ten Movie Countdown Blogfest

I didn't sign up earlier because my life's been a bit on hold. Since the edits haven't come in yet and I'm off work today, I decided to hop on board.

I don't think I could pick my favorites of all time, so I'm going to go with my favorites at this moment. Many of them would probably still be on the list, but there are others that could be nudged out (for the moment) by others.

These are in no particular order.

No comments necessary

I'm a Trekker (not a Trekkie) and have been since I first laid eyes on the classic series when it was still being broadcast. When this film came out, I saw it six times in the theater--and I grinned all the way through the film all six times.

I'm a huge Harry Potter fan, and I loved this movie. It was out the same time Star Trek was, and I was dismayed to find I'd seen ST six times and HBP only five. I immediately went to the dollar flicks and watched it again.

Any surprise that a spoof on Star Trek would catch my attention? LOVE this movie. So quotable and I still laugh.

I'd always meant to read the trilogy but didn't until Fellowship came out (saw that one in the theater six times, too--thank heavens for the dollar movies). And the extended edition is the only version worth your money.

I remember stopping by a neighbor's house while she was flipping through channels. They came to this and I ahhhed. They said it looked stupid and I said it was awesome. So they left it on, and I stayed, and they became huge fans. Sometimes I think it can depend upon who you're with when you watch a movie that can impact how you take it.

I'd never read Austen until my daughter introduced me to this one. Now I'm a fan, and I own three versions of this. I think I'll donate one to the local library.

I missed this when it was in the theaters and borrowed it from a neighbor. Watched it every night for a week. My family used to watch this series when I was a kid. The filmmakers did an incredible job of bringing in bits from the TV show (including using the same TV announcer) to the film.

My youngest son and I saw this movie eleven times in the theater (I saw it twelve times--went with a friend and her daughters).

A Change of Plans Cover Reveal Date

I'm so excited! For a few weeks I've been sitting on the cover for A Change of Plans, just waiting for the right time to reveal it. I've got a date now!

April 4th!

This is a date that has another special memory for me because my beloved mother-in-law was born on that date. She's gone now, but a kinder more loving woman you wouldn't find.

Yikes but that's so close. I've been feverishly working on an updated version of my book trailer, and it will be using music written (and mostly) performed by my youngest son.

Wow. If I've got a cover, it must be real.

LTUE Thought

I know I've been having a lot of blog posts lately what with cover reveals and book launches this month and I even skipped my conference recap last Wednesday.

But I wanted to share one little thought from the class Character, Conflict and Plot by Craig Nybo, author of Allied Zombies for Peace--he was hilarious and energetic, by the way.

If you find yourself writing "he said" take a knife and stab yourself in the hand and then delete it [not your hand] and find a better way to show it.

That just made me smile.

But it does beg the question: are you a fan of dialogue tags?

My Name is Frankie by Frankie Maio with Tristi Pinkston

And the winner of Gaze into Heaven is

Medeia Sharif

My Name is Frankie

I spent my childhood hiding from my father as much as possible. I learned early on that if I tried to save my mother from a beating, I’d get hit and then my mother would be beaten even more. It was best for both of us if I didn’t get involved. I’d leave the house and go far away, curling up under a tree where I could cry my “alone tears.” Then I’d creep into the house and into bed, grateful to have escaped, but then I’d get beaten in the morning.

It was the alcohol. It was always the alcohol.

Frankie Maio was never expected to amount to much. The oldest son of an alcoholic, it was no surprise when he turned to alcohol as well. Forty-seven years of heavy drinking and drug abuse should have been the end of him ... but Frankie's mother believed in miracles, and that's what Frankie got.

My Name is Frankie is the true story of a hard life, a long road, and the healing hand of a higher power that reached down and changed everything.

Rise of Keitus by Andrea Pearson

I know things have been really busy on my blog this month.

There are just a lot of books coming out, it seems. 

Don't forget that today is the last day to let me know if you want your name to be put in the drawing for Gaze into Heaven (see the blog post here).

Well, today I'm going to talk about the release of Rise of Keitus, the fourth book in Andrea Pearson's Kilenya series. I've gotten behind in my reading, but I read and reviewed the first two books: The Key of Kilenya and The Ember Gods. I thoroughly enjoyed both of these middle grade fantasies. The third book is August Fortress, and I have it and this new book on my to-read list.

Here's what Rise of Keitus is about:

Jacob Clark's fantasy adventure has reached its most dangerous phase yet. A swarm of blood-ridden insects overwhelms Taga Village--threatening the existence of the Makalos--and the secret regarding Akeno's strengths is about to be revealed. Not only that, but Jacob's newly honed abilities allow him to discover the origin of the evil Lorkon. But finding out may be his deadliest mission yet.

Join Jacob and his friends in this fourth installment in the Kilenya Series as they strive to prevent the Lorkon disease from destroying Eklaron and Earth.

To celebrate the release of Rise of Keitus, Andrea's got The Key of Kilenya on sale--today it's free. So, if you've been curious about this series or are just ready for a fun middle grade romp, now's your chance to give it a try.

Here's where you can get The Key of Kilenya:
Kindle
Nook
Smashwords (for other eReading formats)

Enjoy!

Gaze Into Heaven by Marlene Bateman Sullivan . . . Giveaway!

Gaze Into Heaven is a collection of true near-death experiences from the lives of early-day Latter-day Saints. These accounts date back to the early 1800s and relate what Saints experienced when they visited the Spirit World. These accounts have been carefully researched and are interspersed with scriptures, insights, and quotes from latter-day prophets and other Church leaders. After reading this book you will never be able to think of life or death in the same way.

I asked author Marlene Bateman Sullivan if she'd share some information about the kind of research she had to do for this nonfiction work:

Researching means spending a lot of time in libraries, so make sure that is something you enjoy before delving into nonfiction.  I did most of my research at the Church History Library, the Church Archives, BYU Library, and at Utah State University. I also checked out the University of Utah and local libraries. 

I was researching for my first book, Latter-day Saint Heroes and Heroines, (true stories about people who risked their life for the gospel) when I came across a few near-death experiences.  I was fascinated by these stories, as most people are. I jotted down the references and put them aside, thinking I would come back to them after I finished up my other projects. Many writers do the same thing—come across stories that give you ideas for future books. Be sure and write these down in a file some place!

I got sidetracked as I researched because I found amazing stories about angels coming to comfort, inspire, or direct early latter-day Saints.  I then decided to do a book (which expanded into three) on angels. So for the next few years, I did research and wrote about angelic visitations for my next three books; And There Were Angels Among them, Visits from Beyond the Veil, and By the Ministering of Angels. There were so many experiences that I had to limit the experiences in the book to people who had either seen or heard an angel. These experiences all came from the lives of early Latter-day Saints.

Finally, I thought I would be able to start researching near-death experiences, but once again, got sidetracked and decided to finish up a novel I’d been writing for some time: Light on Fire Island. 

After that, I started researching near-death experiences in earnest to see if I could find enough to fill a book. I found more than enough.  So many, in fact, that I’d like to write a sequel.

A person could spend years in the library, so aspiring writers need to decide on a topic before going to do research. 

Computer searches are wonderful, but they are limited.  Make sure that you choose a search that pulls up information from ALL sources, not just search one collection.

Another thing that helped me is to type in different words in my searches. Of course I typed in near-death experiences.  Watch out for hyphens, though.  I also typed in near death experiences and got a different list.  Go through your thesaurus if you need to and come up with different words to describe what you are looking for.  For example, I didn’t just type in “heaven” I also typed in “Spirit World” and “next life.”  Also “death.”  You never know what word might bring up information that you can use.

Be sure to check out related subjects—these usually appear either at the side of the computer screen or at the bottom. They may lead you to rich new sources of material.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. The people at libraries are happy to assist you. During your first visit, ask them to explain the layout of the library. They will give you great advice. It really helps to get their expertise on how to use the computer to navigate their particular system.  Asking for their help will save you a lot of time! 

Anyone who writes nonfiction must love to research, and I do. I especially loved researching near-death experiences and was amazed at how similar they were to modern-day experiences. There were a few differences. For instance, many early Latter-day Saints who visited the Spirit World saw LDS Church leaders.  A number also saw the gospel being preached.  But most elements seen in modern day experiences were the same; such as being met by a guide or family member who escorts the person to heaven, experiencing feelings of great love and joy, being reunited with deceased family members and friends, and also the incredible beauty of the Spirit World. Every experience I found while researching was a testimony to me that God lives and loves us, that the Church is true, that life continues on, and that mortality is a time of testing and a time for us to gain knowledge.

Good luck and happy researching!

I have a copy of this inspirational read to give away--U.S. only. All you have to do is comment below indicating that you're interested--please provide your email address. I'll do the drawing on Monday.

It's available online or in physical bookstores (yes, they still have a few of those, here and there).

Amazon     Deseret Book     Seagull Books

What do you think of near-death experiences? My hubby had one once. Fell 32-feet out of a tree (before we were married). Bounced his spirit right out of his body. He watched from above as everyone came running to where he was on the ground. *shivers*

Strength by Carrie Butler

What it's about:

When college student Rena Collins finds herself nose-to-chest with the campus outcast, she’s stunned. Wallace Blake is everything she’s ever wanted in a man—except he can’t touch her. His uncontrollable strength, a so-called gift from his bloodline, makes every interaction dangerous. And with a secret, supernatural war brewing among his kind, there’s no time to work it out. To keep Wallace in her life, Rena will have to risk a whole lot more than her heart.

Just a little warning here for my clean romance friends--this one's just a tad steamier.


About Carrie Butler:
Carrie daydreamed her way through college—until they thrust a marketing degree into her hands, slapped a summa cum laude seal on the corner, and booted her out into a less-than-stellar job market. Instead of panicking at the prospect of unemployment, she used her Midwestern logic to steer into the skid and point her life in the direction she really wanted to go: writing out those daydreams.

                                                Where to find Carrie:

WEBSITE  |  BLOG  |  PUBLISHER  |  TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK  |  GOODREADS  |  GOOGLE+

Where to find Strength:

AMAZON |  NOOK | BOOK PAGE  |  GOODREADS  |  PUBLISHER  |  FACEBOOK  |  PINTEREST  |  BOOK TRAILER

Cragbridge Hall, Book 1 by Chad Morris

Chad Morris is a writer friend of mine. I met him and his lovely wife Shelly online a couple of years ago, and we've had the opportunity to socialize at a number of writerly meet and greets. 

Well, Chad's got a book coming out this week called Cragbridge Hall, Book 1. It's a delightful middle grade story . . . but he's not going to any book launches.

Why, you wonder? 

Because his nine-year-old daughter had surgery last week to remove a brain tumor. As you can imagine, Chad and Shelly aren't worrying about the release of Chad's book. 

So, with Chad and Shelly so busy with real-life issues, I want to help   spread the word around. I had the opportunity to read Cragbridge Hall when I signed up to be part of a traveling ARC--I was even the first person on the list! 

What can I say about it? I LOVED this book. Here's the review I posted after I read it:

WHAT'S IT ABOUT?

Imagine a school in the year 2074 where students don't read history, but watch it happen around them; where running in gym class isn't around a track, but up a virtual mountain; and where learning about animals means becoming one through an avatar.

Welcome to Cragbridge Hall, the most advanced and prestigious school in the world. Twin siblings Abby and Derick Cragbridge are excited as new students to use their famed grandfather's inventions that make Cragbridge Hall so incredible. But when their grandfather and parents go missing, the twins begin following a trail of clues left by their grandfather. They must find out where their family is, learn who they can trust, and discover what secrets are hidden within Cragbridge Hall.

Abby and Derick soon realize they are caught in a race with a fierce adversary to discover their grandfather's greatest secret--a dangerous discovery that could alter both history and reality.

MY TAKE
This is the best middle grade book I've read in a while. I loved it.

This book has a flavor of Percy Jackson in that the storyline is an interesting (and exciting) way to tease the reader with snippets--but of history rather than mythology. And just like the Percy Jackson books, this made me want to find out more about the historical events and people. The thing that I really found charming was the clever way Morris wove historical events through the tale and then let what the characters learned from history be part of handling various things that happen to Abby and Derick. 

Imagine that. Learning from history!

You don't know who you can trust as you move through the story, and I found it easy to sympathize with the kids as they tried to figure out how to proceed.

And all I can say is Carol rocks.

I've already purchased a copy to give to my nine-year-old grandson. I have no doubt his older sister will be sneaking it from him as soon as she can. She's thirteen, and it's just the kind of book she'd enjoy, too.

Goodreads         Amazon

And if you want to help make a little girl smile, do up a picture of yourself with a mustache and post it on FB for Chad to share.

Cover Reveal - Descendant by Nichole Giles

What it's about:
Seventeen-year-old Abigail Johnson is Gifted.

Blessed—or cursed—with Sight and Healing, Abby lives an unsettled life, moving from place to place and staying one step ahead of the darkness that hunts her. When she arrives in Jackson, Wyoming, she is desperate to maintain the illusion of normalcy, but she is plagued with visions of past lives mixed with frightening glimpses of her future. Then she meets Kye, a mysterious boy who seems so achingly familiar that Abby is drawn to him like he’s a missing piece of her own soul.

Before Abby can discover the reason for her feelings toward Kye, the darkness catches up to her and she is forced to flee again. But this time she’s not just running. She is fighting back with Kye at her side, and it’s not just Abby’s life at stake.

Author Bio

Nichole Giles had early career plans of becoming an actress or a rock star, but she decided instead to have a family and then become a writer. Writing is her passion, but she also loves to spend time with her husband and children, travel to tropical and exotic destinations, drive in the rain with the convertible top down, and play music at full volume so she can sing along.

Author Links:

Website: http://www.nicholegiles.blogspot.ca/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3384651-nichole-giles

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/128455014233/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicholegiles

Isn't the cover awesome?

I can't wait for May and the book release.