A Doorway Back to Forever by Nanette O'Neal

I'm coming up for air during my blog break to share a review and spotlight for a dear friend of mine, Nanette O'Neal. She, James Duckett, and I sprint write/edit/whatever each weekday morning in the iWriteNetwork chat room. Nanette is also in my critique group, so I got to read an early version of this book. So, on with it!

Every great warrior begins by taking a stand.

Best friends share everything, right? Unless it’s a secret that could cost them their lives. Robyn and Kit are born with forbidden magic-sense, the power to see and hear beyond Earthly sight and sound. It’s a curse that haunts them, but the girls are strangely drawn to it—could there be more to this power than they’ve been told?

When they spill their secret, it opens a doorway back to Forever—a beautiful realm where magic-sense began. They learn the truth: they have been given a noble gift. It connects them to the Skyborn royalty of this new world. They’ve been summoned back by the forces for good to preserve the kingdom and revive the power where it once flourished—on Earth. It can thrive again, if Robyn and Kit are brave enough to follow.

However, the doorway awakens more than magical fairy-tales. A dark force is unleashed—one that has battled the Skyborn since time began, and it wants the girls dead, the Earth destroyed.

Beyond the doorway is where the adventure begins—trickery, kidnapping, a prison break, rescue teams, sword fights, magical gold-dust, holographic medallions, and singing orbs—but only for those who have the courage to believe.

My Take

From the very beginning I found these two girls engaging, and I really felt for them. That time of life--twelve and thirteen--can be such a formative one as we're starting to step away from our parents and trying to find ourselves and our own view of the world. And then to find that there's more to that world than you'd had any reason to dream of?

Awesome! And scary.

This tale is very much a story of good versus evil--and trying to decide which is which. It's full of action and creative worldbuilding and standing for something, of taking risks for what you believe. Even facing your fears.

And there's nothing like having to save the world while you're at it.

The main characters are on the younger side of YA, but the story doesn't read like a kid's book. There're plenty of endearing characters, touching scenes, and breathtaking action. I'm looking forward to the next book!

AMAZON

About the Author

Nanette O’Neal has had a long-time passion for the idea behind the Doorway series, stemming from her faith and her love of story. Her interests have always been strong in various creative endeavors, such as music, martial arts, science fiction and fantasy. Having studied music in college, she made a career of teaching and directing various ensembles in the public and private fields for years. When she decided to tackle writing, she began an intense process of study and research in the craft, through the use of text books, online tutorials, chat and critique groups, as well as various workshops, conferences and retreats.

The Doorway series consists of seven novels about faith, courage, and the power within the human soul. She contributes regularly to an inspirational column for a religious website, Ldsblogs.com, and maintains her blog, Nanette O’Neal’s Doorway, found at NanetteONeal.blogspot.com. Feel free to subscribe to her blog posts and to like her author page, Nanette O’Neal, Author, on Facebook. She also created a Facebook Group called Friends of A Doorway Back to Forever: Believe, where people can learn more about the book, the symbolism, and the progress of the series. Nanette loves her husband and family, her faith, the mountains, aviation museums, Star Trek, and dogs.

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Monday Meandering - January 12th

First Meander ...

I'm sitting in a hotel room in Anaheim early in the morning. Behind me two of my sweet grandkids sleep in one bed, and hubby is in the other. In the adjoining room, my daughter and her hubby and two other kids sleep.

Heading to California Adventure today. I'm only sad that Soarin' Over California is closed for renovations. It's my favorite ride in that entire park.

The weather back home is cold and yucky. The weather here is about 40 degrees higher. Nice.

Second Meander ... 

I'm working through the final edits for A Season of Change. The cover is nearly finalized and gorgeous, and the wonderful narrator who's doing the audiobook for Torn Canvas has agreed to do the audiobook for A Season of Change too. All I need is to write the cover copy. Dang but I hate writing that stuff. Why is it harder to write a couple hundred words than it is to write a full novel?

Once I'm done with that, I can get back to editing Swing Vote.

Third Meander ...

Genres can be a pain. Really.

Plus, writing retreats can be very informational, sometimes not in way we expect them to be. Last September, I was talking with some other attendees at the iWriteNetwork retreat about Torn Canvas. I realized then I'd been thinking the whole time it was an adventure romance, like A Change of Plans. Nope. Even though TC is a parallel novel with ACoP, it's underlying question isn't "will the love interests get together."

How could all of us--me, my beta readers, my editor, and my cover designer--miss this?

That got me to thinking about the other books in the Safe Harbors series. Seems Swing Vote could be more a romantic political thriller (though I'm choking a little at "thriller"). And the untitled Kate's story will be romantic suspense.

*blinks*

Looks like almost every book/novelette in the Safe Harbors series is a different genre. Leave it up to me--lover of reading all kinds of genres--to manage to do that without meaning to.

Tonight, I'm looking to have tired feet and lots more fun memories with half my grandkids. What are your plans?

Reality vs Fiction ... And Some Fun

This whole thing is beyond enough. I'm firmly convinced that if I tried to write this as fiction, few would believe it.

I've posted several times about this plagiarism issue. Having been kind of behind the scenes as the story has unfolded, it's been a sad and fascinating journey.

As a further update to the drama, Rachel Nunes (the author who was plagiarized) reported that she had been in contact by Army veteran Chase Weston about the article he wrote that Rushton also plagiarized (you can see details in John Dopp's post here).

The Westons were appalled to discover what had happened. Mrs. Weston wrote an open letter to Tiffanie Rushton and asked Rachel to post it (you can see it here). It's heartbreaking to read.

And if that wasn't bad enough ...

Last week I posted an update that included a list of plagiarist Tiffanie Rushton's sock puppet names. You can find the post here. Someone who appeared to be a parent of one of Rushton's students posted in the comments that the names of the sock puppets were children from Rushton's class!

I notified Rachel, and they were able to check the school's yearbook and, sure enough, they were. At the request of that parent in a subsequent post, I redacted the surnames of the students. John Dopp, when he found out about it, did the same on his post.

I understand that Rushton--finally--has been put on administrative leave by her school district. Once again, a plea to everyone not to attack the woman. It's in the hands of the court now. Others could be taking action against her too.

I hope this raises some discussions at family dinner tables about plagiarism and identity theft.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

On a happier note, I spent the weekend at the iWriteNetwork writing retreat. Something fun that we did was do the "beats" from Blake Snyder's Save the Cat while we watched the movie Iron Man.

View from the front

Kitchen and One Gathering Area

Hot Tub and Grill - Yum!

Gathering on First Night

Almost the entire group.

What did you do this weekend?

Wiped Out

I went to the iWriteNetwork writing retreat this weekend. It was a wonderful experience. Great people, informative classes, and scrumptious food. And the digs weren't too bad either.

This is where we held the classes. Rough life, I know.

One of the open areas.

Nice large kitchen for meal preparation.

There were several common areas where people could gather to write. We had sprints, classes, a brainstorming session, prizes and even watched a movie where everyone got to figure out the beats from Blake Snyder's Save the Cat.

Good luck to everyone who starts A to Z tomorrow. I'm taking a pass. Maybe next year.

Critiques, Movies, and Writing

Kind of all over today--the last movie I discuss will relate to writing.

Managing Your Critiques
Over at the iWriteNetwork blog, I wrote a post about a handy technique that will make it easier to manage all the critiques you get back for a WiP. You can check it out here.

Movies
Hubby and I finally got to see a couple of movies that were on our to-watch list. The first was The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

I don't know yet if I liked it. I'm going to hold my judgement until the third movie comes out because I had some plot issues that might be resolved there. It was definitely slower paced, and I kept having feelings of 'been there, done that'.

And good grief but Tolkien sure had a lot of "men who should be king" running around Middle Earth, didn't he?

I knew that the Martin Freeman who plays Dr. Watson on the BBC series Sherlock Holmes (love it!) was Bilbo, but I didn't realize they'd enlisted the aid of Benedict Cumberbatch who plays Holmes to be the voice of the dragon Smaug. Cumberbatch's voice is so deliciously deep that it's perfect--as you can see in this clip:





The second movie was Saving Mr. Banks. Wonderful story and the acting is exceptional. I've watched the movie Mary Poppins many times over the years, but now I want to see it again. I'm sure I'll view it differently.



This story totally supports one of my favorite saying:

You are who you are because of where you were when ...  

What happens to us and around us shapes who we are, how we view the world. Ask Baby Boomers where they were when John Kennedy was assassinated. Few won't be able to tell you--in great detail. It was the same way for people when Pearl Harbor was bombed and when the Twin Towers fell.

One of the (only) advantages to getting older is living enough years to be able to put things in perspective, to have lived through the changing times so you saw the transition.

What does this have to do with writing? 
Writers should be thinking about that statement--we are who we are because of where we were when...--as we craft our characters' backstories. If we're writing contemporary or even historical fiction, we need to consider what major events might have shaped our characters. If we're writing fantasy, we have more latitude since we're making it up anyway, but we should still be asking ourselves what happened to our characters to make them so passionate about whatever it is that drives them.

But, as so deftly shown in Saving Mr. Banks, we must also consider what personal or family tragedy might have made the characters the way they are in the book. This can be so much fun with antagonists, finding what happened to make them believe a certain way.

What about you?

What do you do to manage your critiques?

Have you seen either of those films? Did you like them?
Have you lived through an historical event you'll never forget?

A Writing Workshop ... And the Winner Is:

Don't forget to register!

You can sign up at the iWriteNetwork blog here.

Some details on a few of the presenters here.

More information about the rest to follow.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Random.org chose the Winner

of Rising Book 2: Rebellion

Far Away Eyes.

Help the Elf

The time has come to Help the  Elf. Poor Pete lost Santa's Naughty and Nice list and was only able to find the Naughty one. What a disaster!

The awesome Angela and Becca over at The Bookshelf Muse (and authors of the fabulous Emotion Thesaurus) have solicited the aid of the blogosphere to help find people who belong on Santa's Nice list. They're hoping that we'll be able to add to the list without Santa being any the wiser.

I found this lady:

Tristi Pinkston

I first saw Tristi (from a distance) at the 2011 Storymakers conference I attended. What a fun, witty lady she was as she helped with the conference. I have since gotten to know Tristi better by reading her books (delightful) and serving with her on the iWriteNetwork board.

What can I say about her? Did I mention that she's funny? Besides that she's kind, generous, friendly, giving, compassionate, and intelligent? Trisit's helpful. SO helpful. She's a wonderful support to fledgling writers, with both encouragement and advice. She's traditionally published and self-published, so she's has had a lot of experience. Tristi is also a freelance editor (you better schedule her soon because her schedule fills early), so she knows her stuff.

Thank you, Tristi, for being you. You're an inspiration to me. I want to be like you when I grow up.

The following I submit in tribute to Tristi: 

Thank you very much!

This is the reprise at the end of my favorite version of A Christmas Carol, Scrooge, starring Albert Finney. When I first saw the movie, this scene made me tear up because it was so poignant after this version of the song. Tristi doesn't need the first rendition.

How about you, Readers? Is there someone you'd like to say Happy Holidays to, or tell them how much they mean to you? JOIN US! There's plenty of days left until Christmas, and sometimes a kind word can lift people up in a way that they really need. It's as easy as sending a free ecard or email note, posting on a Facebook wall or sending out a tweet. So go ahead and spread some kindness and cheer!

You can also check the following for other people on Santa's Nice list:

1.	Angela & Becca	10.	Juli Page Morgan	19.	Yvette Carol	28.	Lynn Kelley
2.	Sheri Larsen	11.	Zena Parks	20.	Robin	29.	R.w.Foster
3.	Linda	12.	Chantel Rhondeau	21.	Robyn Campbell	30.	Kate (themagicviolinist.blogspot.com)
4.	Donna K. Weaver	13.	Marcia Kuma	22.	PK HREZO	31.	Father Dragon Writes
5.	Laura Pauling	14.	Susanne Drazic	23.	Lori Freeland	32.	Monique Bucheger
6.	Ross Lampert	15.	Donna Galanti	24.	Deb A. Marshall	33.	Claire
7.	Natalie Aguirre	16.	Mart Ramirez	25.	Sharon K Mayhew	34.	Rachna's Scriptorium
8.	Not the Library of Alexandria	17.	Jeanelaine	26.	Erin, Creative Soul in Motion	35.	febe moss
9.	Teresa Robeson	18.	KittyB78	27.	stina Lindenblatt	36.	tara tyler

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.

Got Stories Writing Conference

Last Saturday, I attended a conference put on by Rhemalda Publishing. There were a number of presenters who are published with Rhemalda, some were local while others were from other parts of the world. Here are a few of some of my notes.

J.S. Chancellor
Character Development

She recommended a book by Jessica Morrell called Between the Lines

J.S. said to be subtle and not put exaggerated traits on characters. It's easy to show a jerk of a husband being overtly insensitive to his wife, for example, when she's going through a difficult time. It's more subtle if, while she's crying, what he notices is how tacky her shoes are.

She suggested that we writers should know things about our characters that we'd never put in the book, especially our villains. "Even Hitler opened the door for someone." So the color of a childhood bedroom or a favorite song as a teen can provide a dimension we could miss as we're crafting that character's behavior. J.S. said it's more than knowing who the characters are now but who they were in the past are now but what they were in their past. We are the sum total of a million little things in our life.

Don't underestimate the power of what a character doesn't say.

T.J. Robinson
Five Keys to Getting Started

1.  T.J. started out by reminding everyone that no two authors are the same and all must find what works fro them. He suggested that the best way to pick your target audience is to try some short, sample pieces.

2.  He uses something he calls the Query Letter Master. He write his query before he writes the book, using it as a kind of outline for the story.

3. Push through when you want to quit. You may need to take a break from your writing, brainstorm with people, or try writing something completely different.

4. It's hard work to turn a great idea into a great book. Start simple and build on it.

5. Enjoy the ride. Don't let the inevitable rejection get you down.

Cas Peace
Designing a Fantasy World
(Sidenote: Cas and I met on Facebook when I did a giveaway last year of her book King's Envoy. She's from the U.K., so it was really fun to get to meet her in person.)

Cas noted that we are immersed in place. The physical properties in your world impact everything. Example: Is your world going to be round or flat? If it's flat, is it flat horizontally or vertically? How would the geography of your world impact the peoples and societies in it. The geography of your world can be a character, too. 

She posed a number of questions you ought to ask yourself as you create your world. Will it be similar to ours? If not, how will it be different? Are there continents? Are they static or move around? Is here plenty of water or is water rare? How are the seasons different? What is the weather like? How many seasons are there?When it rains, is it liquid that falls? Is there a single sun? Single moon? How do those impact the seasons and the weather? The tides?

If you can create a vivid and fascinating world, readers may ignore inconsistencies.

Cas raised an interesting question about religion on your world, noting religion is not always about "gods". People worship many different things. She gave an example of soccer, saying that many people in the U.K. worship soccer. Then she noted that all  societies curse. If there's no religion, what do they curse?

In world building, we need to consider things like technology and how it relates to travel, war. This made me think of the U.S. space program and how we have all kinds of everyday things that were originally created for astronauts: freeze dried foods and CT scans are just two examples that come into mind.

If your world has magic, it must be essential to your world and your people so neither can function without it. Magic must have limits or flaws--there must be a price for using it.

The small things make all the difference. Make it real, at least in reference (like potty breaks, though you don't have to belabor them). This made me remember a Star Trek book written about the classic series by they guy that did the Trouble With Tribbles episode. He suggested that since bathrooms are never shown on Klingon ships, that explains why they're so cranky.

Michelle Davidson Argyle

Writers Etiquette

Michelle reminded us to be positive--even when dealing with things like negative reviews. When you put your work out there it's no longer yours.

People remember a smiling face, good attitude, and positive words. Remember that people are very busy and may inadvertently come across as brusque. People pick up on insincerity. So be sincere but don't bring other people down.

When introducing yourself (in email or in person), mention how you know the person (read their book, met at a conference, etc.) Pay attention to body posture and be sensitive to what it tells you (arms crossed over chest can be a sign that the person isn't feeling particularly approachable).

Once you're published, you are tied to a publisher, so you need to be professional.

Those are a few of the speakers at the conference. It was fun to see some familiar faces in the audience, too.

And speaking of conferences, for anybody in my area, don't forget that next month iWriteNetwork is hosting a two-day conference with the Alpine School District.

The District's sponsorship makes it a very affordable conference. We'll have access to two computer labs. You even have the option of signing up for just one of the two days. You can register here.

You can check the iWriteNetwork blog for details on the schedule, if you're able to attend.

Do you have a writing conference in your summer plans?

If so, which one(s)?

That Other Other Blog

Today I'm blogging over at iWriteNetwork. 

Wonder what my topic is?

That OTHER Other Blog . . .

This posting on three different blogs is getting interesting.

Anyway, I'm blogging today at the iWriteNetwork blog where I talk about where we get ideas.

And on that same topic, you might want to see what James Duckett posted here. Great stuff there. (I'd written my post before I read his.)

That Other Blog ...

If you're interested, you can check out my post on That Other Blog I post at on occasion.

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?

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?

Reflections on NaNoWriMo 2011

After my epic fail attempt at NaNo last year I wrote this post. At that time I did not expect to try NaNo again.

Um, I so did NaNo this year and whupped its sorry arse. Can't tell I'm proud of myself, can you?

So, what was the difference between last year and this?

1. I joined an online critique group full of some pretty amazing people with lots of insight. They've taught me a lot.
2. I've attended writing conferences and critique bootcamps (LTUE, Storymaker, UVU Book Academy).
3. I've joined associations for writers (iWriteNetwork, ANWA, Authors Incognito, LUW)
4. Through blogging and conference attendance, I've met and become friends with lots of other writers, many of whom I've met in real life.
5. After attending my second critique bootcamp, some of us formed a local in-person critique group. We range in age from a 15-year-old boy (he's amazing, btw) to grandmothers older even than I am.
6. I learned how to use sprint writing and the pomodoro technique to help me focus and really crank out the words. I love using their timer and will continue to do so when writing and editing.
7. I forced myself to keep writing even when I wasn't sure where to take the story, knowing it was going to change some in the editing process anyway.

When I did NaNo last year, I was very much alone. I had no cheerleader or people with whom to bounce ideas off (except for my sons, who are wonderful but not writers). This year, if I ran into a snag I had three different sprint writing locations  and social groups via Facebook and Yahoo Groups I could go and there'd be writers I could bounce ideas off or get ideas from.

I hear often that writing is a solitary business. It can be, as it was for my first year. But methinks times they are achangin'. I know that not all writers/authors are made of sweetness and light, and I realize many find themselves on different sides of the debate about where the future of publishing will end.

Overall, however, I've found this community to be full of helpful, giving people who are happy to share from their experience. Rather than feeling threatened by potential rivals they are out there cheering us on and more than willing to give us a helping hand.

I think that's why NaNo was such a different experience for me this year. Next year? Real life will determine that but I'm hopeful. I had a tight schedule what with putting on a municipal election that I won't have to worry about next year (I'll be able to attend the writing retreat--squeee!).

What about you? Have you found the writing community to be as friendly as I have? Did you attempt NaNo this year? If so, how are you doing?

And a humorous note, I stole this from Stina Lindenblatt over at Seeing Creative. It made me laugh.

The Other Blog

I've got a post about perseverance on the iWriteNetwork blog here if you feel like taking a peek.

Oh, and I broke 19,000 words last night.