Finally, Sequel.

After a long time distracted, I have finally gotten back to my website, and to writing a sequel to Pazuzu’s Girl. For those struggling with their ‘sophomore book’, here is a helpful and succinct web-post I found from a writer in Suffolk:

5 Things you learn when writing your second book

It was very reassuring to know other people have encountered the same difficulty, and likely for the same reasons.

Another link had a very entertaining title:

https://litreactor.com/columns/the-curse-of-the-second-novel-four-ways-not-to-fuck-up-book-number-two

For writers working on a second book, I hope you get the same comfort from these as I did.

 

YA Indie Carnival–What About Author Pages

Hi Indie Lovers,

I have a list of questions from the YA Indie Blog so that those of you who have never visited the site before can get to know me. However, I’m experiencing techical difficulties. I’d like to say that’s because I’m a wizard and my magial moon rays are disrupting the network. But really, I’m just a mess when it comes to computers of any kind. So for now, I’m going to catch up on last week’s post about creating author pages.

Wow, I could maybe give a dissertation now on what not to do. Well, the first thing every author should know about author pages is: Have one.

This sounds obvious, but for a long time

, I didn’t, partly because I didn’t think of it, partly because the task of designing anything on a computer was as far away as climbing Mount Everest. If you don’t want to spend money on a website, WordPress, what I’m using now was actually simple enough that even I could figure it out. Another alternative is Facebook product pages, or you can do both. The Facebook took me a little more time figure out, and mine is really simple. But it’s one more avenue for people to see you. Goodreads also has an author club for you to create a page, as does Amazon. So there are multiple avenues to put your name out there as an author. You should take advantage of all of them if you can. It’s a numbers game.When we were trying to sell our house, that’s what our realtor told us when we got depressed during the housing bubble burst, it’s how many people see your house, and after that, it’s statistics. Yeah, math actually is useful for something.

Another tidbit that I’ve learned about author pages is link, link, link. I am a linking maniac now that I’ve figured out the nifty function of hyperlinking, just by underlining something that can transport me anywhere. Finally, the last bit of advice about author pages, is keep up. I know ‘Doctor Heal Thyself.’ I find that I fall into communication black holes frequentlyy, with work and other things. Unless, I’m on for work, sometimes I forget that there’s an internet that doesn’t involve looking up some random nugget on Wikipedia, or downloading another time and mind-sucking game like Minecraft for my tech-savvy daughter. Hey, it’s way more inventive than the games we were glued to, creating your own worlds instead of getting chased by bug-eyed ghosts around a maze.

Now, since my technical difficulties seem to be multiplying, I’m going to sign off. But tune in on Monday,, when I’ll post the author questionnaire! Cheers, from Jacksonville! I’m going to fill my lost internet sorrow with biscuits and Carolina BBQ!

YA Indie Carnival: Blockbusters! How Do You Get Out of Writer’s Block?

Today on the YA Indie Carnival is about the dreaded specter feared more by writers everywhere, than the monsters they write about: Writers Block! What are some of the things you do to get out of writers block?

In my limited experience, since writers block is basically where everything grinds to a halt, the only thing to do is get it moving again, to write. That sounds like a ‘Duh, well that’s the whole problem!’ right? Except that I think that mostly what causes writers block is a paralysis caused by the obsessive need for everything to come out the way we want in the story. That’d be great if everything plopped out nice and neat and organized, but if you’re anything like me, people who keep the spaces around them organized are a complete mystery to me. And my house or workspace is a reflection of my brain: a total mess. So most of the time, my stories don’t come out the way I want the first, second, or even several times. I still want them to, but I think writer’s block is at least part of that frustration. So when I run up against that wall, I start spitting stuff out about the story on paper, or make up something completely wacky, anything to get the story moving. If it comes out crap, well  can change it later.

Another thing I do is talk things out with my husband or another writer friend. I tell them what I have as far as the plot, and then they can ask me questions that make me work out details that maybe I was getting stuck on, causing the block.

Other times, I ask myself ‘Am I having fun with this story?’ If the answer is no, and I’ve done everything I could to make it fun and it still isn’t, then it might be time to work on a different story for a little while. Nothing paralyzes a story more than feeling like every time you sit down, it’s work. Terry Pratchett said that writing is the most fun you can have by yourself. And I think that’s a great idea.

Get some other blockbusting tips today at our other author sites:

1.	Laura A. H. Elliott author of Winnemucca & 13 on Halloween, Book 1 in the Teen Halloween Series	2.	Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3.	Heather Self	4.	T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series
5.	Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga	6.	Cheri Schmidt, author of the Fateful Trilogy
7.	Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog	8.	K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed
9.	Patti Larsen, The Hunted series and The Hayle Coven series	10.	Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy
11.	Dani Snell’s Refracted Light Reviews	12.	Fisher Amelie, author of The Understorey
13.	M. Leighton, Blood Like Poison Series, Madly, The Reaping	14.	Kimberly Kinrade, Bits of You & Pieces of Me, Forbidden Mind
15.	Madeline Smoot, Missing, Summer Shorts, and The Girls	16.	Cidney Swanson, author of Rippler
17.	Gwenn Wright, author of Filter	18.	TG Ayer
19.	Melissa Pearl, Author of The Time Spirit Trilogy	20.	Heather M. White, author of The Destiny Saga
21.	Roots in Myth, PJ Hoover	22.	Courtney Cole Writes

What’s new this week: Giveaways/New Releases/Cover Reveals/Events

NEW RELEASES!

DEAD RADIANCE – Book 1 in the Valkyrie Novels

For as long as she can recall Bryn Halbrook has seen a golden aura around certain people, and it is only when her new best friend Joshua dies that she understands the glow means death. Bryn struggles to adapt to a new town and a new foster home while trying to deal with the guilt of being unable to save her friend. Until mysterious biker-boy, Aidan Lee arrives.

When Aidan unexpectedly takes off he leaves behind a shattered heart, a tonne of unanswered questions and a mysterious book that suggests Bryn is a Valkyrie. Bryn is faced with questions about Aidan’s real identity, the real reason he came to Craven, and that Odin, Freya and Valhalla just might be real.

As if accepting her new wings, new life and new home in Asgard isn’t difficult enough, Bryn is forced to find and return the precious necklace of the Goddess Freya. The only problem is – if she fails, Aidan will die.
The mystery of a Mythology is easy to enjoy. The reality is much harder to accept.

A child born of sun and moon will impart a human gift to bring forth the fall of the house of Gammen. – Hayes Prophecies

So you read the prophecy. It’s all mystical, but pretty vague. Am I right? Those three, short lines are absolutely frustrating. Lucky me, I’m the one who’s supposed to figure it out. I’m the child born of sun and moon.

Join Keira Ryan as she chases her destiny in this exciting third installment in the Midnight Guardian Series. While Keira searches, her enemies draw closer. A history of trust is tested. A promise of passion turns deadly. A surviving evil creates doubt and there’s only one way to stop it…Find the Gift.Just what do you get the spoiled gremlin queen that has everything?

Ready for a new kind of teen paranormal romance?
Also look for:
Of Sun & Moon, Book 1
Whispering Evil, Book 2
Book 4, Shadows Rising, coming Fall 2012

Love is irresistible.  Gravity is undeniable.

Morpho Wilson thought her life was difficult enough. Her father is Pazuzu, the Mesopotamian demon of plague and the Southwest wind. As a teenager Morpho struggles against her father, while trying to adjust to high school in a new neighborhood. The family is constantly moving in an attempt to elude Pazuzu’s murderous ex-wife, a demoness known for killing children.Then something unique happens. A socially-impaired classmate becomes so intrigued by Morpho that he pursues her, despite the mystery surrounding her family and the danger that accompanies it.But before their romance can grow the demoness tracks Morpho down, and now only needs an ancient artifact called the Tablet of Destiny to complete the destruction of the world. The tablet confers on its owner the ability to control the fate of everything and everyone on earth.

Once the tablet is discovered in the Middle East, the oldest and most powerful gods begin a battle for its possession, with the human population caught in the middle. Morpho, her family, and her new friend must decide, do they escape from the horrifying demoness or fight for their own destiny. How far will Pazuzu go to save his daughter from a hellish fate? Will his banishment from Heaven so many millennia ago end up being a curse…or a blessing?

Banished to Victorian London

“Auburdeen Perneila Hayle,” Sassafras hissed, the amber glow from his cat eyes growing until the front of the wicker cage shone with it, “you will do whatever you can to behave yourself, to not embarrass me or your mother and to absolutely under every circumstance maintain a firm hand on your horrid temper.”

My anger simmered. Yes, I had a temper. And yes, it had taken me into situations in the past that perhaps I shouldn’t have been part of, situations that usually devolved into fistfights and incoherent yelling at the offender. He should be grateful I always kept control of myself enough my magic never came into play. Except that one time. But it wasn’t my fault. Not really. And the offender recovered. Eventually.

Auburdeen Hayle is the sixteen-year-old daughter of the next leader of her coven. When the transition of power becomes tense, Burdie is sent from her home in America to stay with old friends in London to keep her safe. But a handsome young man chooses to hide from the police in her hansom, drawing Burdie into an underground world of magic that challenges even her sense of adventure and puts her at odds with the very people who are meant to protect her.

If you love Smoke and Magic, don’t forget to check out the Hayle Coven series–and the adventures of Auburdeen’s great great great granddaughter, Sydlynn, in Book One: Family Magic http://tinyurl.com/7wkoswt

Seeking Jack Bishop“Are we sure we have the right place?” I didn’t want to doubt Josephine, but all we had was the coin and her sorcery. Even she admitted in the beginning there was a chance it wouldn’t work.She simply pointed at the large sign hanging on the fence. “Brindle Holdings.” But which Brindle? Samuel, or his sister, Georgina? The woman who my mother trusted me with, her own very best friend? Could the woman be playing us all false?

Not that it mattered, really. I was a fugitive. Whether Georgina was in league with her brother or not, the coven was convinced of my guilt. And that was all she needed to burn me at the stake, innocent of Samuel’s actions or not.

Auburdeen Hayle is supposed to be in London for her own protection. But since she chose to help and befriend Jack Bishop, everything she knows and understands has fallen to pieces around her. Worse, her friend is lost and in the hands of those who want to use him as a weapon, being slowly devoured by the living metal that infects him. Hunted by the coven meant to protect her and the constabulary being controlled by the very man who holds Jack captive, Burdie is forced to ally herself with those to whom truth and honesty are a convenience.

17 year old Jadyn and her dad are vampire hunters. That is until her dad decides it’s time for Jadyn to have a “normal” life. When he moved them to Miami, Florida the last thing Jadyn expected to find was vampires.

Jadyn doesn’t want to have a normal life, but then she starts to make new friends. She starts to think that maybe a normal life might not be so bad after all. But soon she realizes that maybe her friends aren’t “human” as she once thought they were. On top of everything else a very powerful vampire, Tabatha, seeks revenge on Jadyn. People from her school start disappearing, and people start dying. She wants to stop the deaths, but Tabatha has other plans for her. Can Jadyn stop the one vampire that is impossible to kill before its too late?

Forever, Book 3 in the Fateful Trilogy

Danielle and Ethan may have solved their problem with vampires, but other magical beings have taken interest in the ones who discovered the cure.On the run trying to escape a gaggle of evil pixies, a clan of creepy werewolves, a coven or two of wicked witches, and a school of lovely but malicious mermaids, they fight to have a normal life. But that isn’t so easy when the only aid they have is from slightly dishonest fairies and flirtatious vampire bodyguards.This is Danielle and Ethan’s happily forever after….

Question: When your mother is a powerful witch and your father is a soul-sucking vampire, what does that make you? Answer: Cursed. With all the beauty and charm of a Siren, but cursed as a blood-sucking succubus, Empusa longs for love and a normal life. Neither of these can ever be hers, because the only thing she brings to anyone she loves is death. Em lingers in the mortal world, hiding from her father and existing in a lonely life. Until she meets Brennan. With golden hair and a radiant smile, he captures her heart and awakens it from slumber. But Brennan is more than he seems. And in a relationship where life itself hangs in the balance, is love ever really enough?

Against all expectations, Samantha Ruiz has survived attacks by two of Helmann’s deadliest assassins. She’s alive, but she’s far from safe. Helmann is planning a second Holocaust and wants Sam to play a starring role. Will, meanwhile, separated from Sam by an ocean, seeks a way to prevent Helmann’s apocalypse. Along with Sir Walter and Mickie, Will plays a deadly game sneaking into Geneses’ facilities, discovering unsettling clues as to Helmann’s plans. The clock ticks down as Will and Sam discover just how much they must be willing to sacrifice to stop Helmann. UNFURL, the powerful conclusion to The Ripple Series, will leave fans breathless.

COVER REVEAL!

Two Worlds––Two Teens––One Wish

Rhoe and Ashley would never be friends.
Even if they lived on the same planet.
But, they’ll become so much more.
They’ll transfer.

BLOG TOURS!

A GREAT CAUSE!

Science Fiction Writers Association member Rocky Wood was diagnosed with ALS. As many of you know, this is the same disease Stephen Hawking has, and it is incurable and progressive. He will eventually lose all ability to move on his own. All of the proceeds of this anthology will go to purchasing medical equipment for Rocky Wood. 90 Minutes to Live can be purchased on Amazon or at Journalstone 

YA Indie Carnival: What Reading Teaches Me As a Writer

A writer seriously can’t talk enough about the importance of reading. Just like an artist learns by studying the styles of the classical masters, a writer learns style and device from the timeless works of others. They do not have to be the classics many of us with more outlandish tastes chunked through in high school amidst much whining and groaning. Many of those were great, but a writer can gain knowledge from reading science fiction or fantasy classics too. Really any book you enjoy reading: ‘classic’, popular, or unheard of gems that you think are awesome.

We all enjoy reading just purely as an imagination ride, for escape, or amusement, or catharsis. But in addition, reading other people’s works provides me, as a writer, with three things: 1. Ideas in device and style that I can mimic, absorb, and then transform into my own unique voice. I love Ray Bradbury, his prose poetry, and it affected the way I used words. 2. An idea of what doesn’t work. We all learn what not to do from things we didn’t like, as much as from what we do, when we analyze why we didn’t like it. 3. An opening of paradigms and ideas to explore new worlds of thought and perspective. Reading books like the Dune series, Lord of the Rings, or the Hyperion series changed the way that I looked at things forever. They affected me as a human being, and therefore affected what I wrote about and how I thought of the stories I wanted to tell.

The most stark example of the effect of reading and reviewing is the Torah. Whenever it was written, or by whom, it has been argued over by countless rabbis, over countless bottles of wine, grape juice, and vodka for thousands of years. And many Jewish people, in the course of our studies, do not just read the Torah. We read the enormous body of commentary that has risen up around it, ‘reviews’ if you will, interpretations in different ages by thousands of scholars, both Jewish and otherwise. Reading this one document inspired and formed an entire culture, and from that culture stories re-told by numerous authors from their own experience. Although this is not to say that this is enough. It drives me insane when people say things like, “All I need’s ‘the Good Book’.” That particular perspective, Jewish or otherwise, inspires me to write about multiple gods, demons, and as much sex as I can pack into a story, preferably nasty, kinky demon sex.

In any case, my experience is that the importance of reading is for a writer what the experience of listening to music is for a musician. Without it, I would lose sight of structure and form. I would be limited to my own personal experience, which in the busy days of trying to earn a living and raise a family, would not make an action packed read. That’s a good thing. Books extend our experiences vicariously. I’m totally okay with not actually battling dragons or orcs at this point in my life. I’m too busy battling the economy.

See how other writers and reviewers use reading to enrich their experiences and writing.

http://www.refractedlightreviews.com Danny Snell’s Refracted Light Reviews

http://pattilarsen.blogspot.com Patti Larsen, Author of The Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House, the Hunted series, and the Hayle Coven novels.

http://courtneycolewrites.wordpress.com Courtney Cole, Author of Every Last Kiss, Fated, Princess, and Guardian. Also a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://wrenemerson.wordpress.com Wren Emerson, Author of I Wish and a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.

http://laurasmagicday.wordpress.com Laura Elliott, Author of Winnemucca.

http://nicoleawilliams.blogspot.com Nichole A. Williams, Author of Eternal Eden, and the upcoming Fallen Eden. She is also participating in the Glassheart Chronicles.
http://fisheramelie.com/blog/ Fisher Amelie, Author of The Understorey, as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://amyjonesyaff.blogspot.com Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://thewarriorseries.blogspot.com T. R. Graves, Author of Warriors of the Cross.
http://ctefft.blogspot.com Cyndi Tefft, Author of Between
http://pjhoover.blogspot.com P.J. Hoover, Author of Solstice, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, The Necropolis.
http://www.aliciamccalla.com Alicia McCalla, Author of the upcoming science-fiction novel Breaking Free.

http://heathercashman.com/better_off_read Heather Cashman, Author of Perception.

http://www.abbiglines.com Abbi Glines, Author of Breathe, and the upcoming Existence and Vincent Boys.

http://cidneyswanson.blogspot.com/ Cidney Swanson, Author of Rippler.

http://cherischmidt.blogspot.com, Cheri Schmidt, Author of Fateful, Fractured, and Fair Maiden, Fire Dancer

http://www.lexusluke.com/, Lexus Luke, Author of Manitou, The Sky People Saga, Fire Breather

http://www.suzyturner.com/, Suzy Turner, Author of December Moon and Raven, Dragonslayer

http://kasi-kcblake.blogspot.com/, K. C. Blake, Author of Vampire Rules, Elephant Trainer

http://hereventuality.blogspot.com/, Gwenn Wright, Author of Filter, Ring-Leader

http://kimberlykinrade.com/, Kimberly Kinrade, Author of Bits of You, Pieces of Me and Forbidden Mind, Prestidigitator

http://jlbryanbooks.blogspot.com/, J.L. Bryan, Author of Paranormals series- Jenny Pox. Tommy Nightmare & Alexander Death

http://darbykarchut.com/ Darby Karchut, Author of Griffin Rising, and soon Griffin Fire

http://puttingpentopage.com/ Heather Self

http://brynabutler.wordpress.com/ Bryna Butler, author of the Midnight Guardian series

What’s new this week?

GIVEAWAY!

Morpho Wilson thought her life was difficult enough. Her father is Pazuzu, the Mesopotamian demon of plague and the Southwest wind. As a teenager Morpho struggles against her father, while trying to adjust to high school in a new neighborhood. The family is constantly moving in an attempt to elude Pazuzu’s murderous ex-wife, a demoness known for killing children.Then something unique happens. A socially-impaired classmate becomes so intrigued by Morpho that he pursues her, despite the mystery surrounding her family and the danger that accompanies it.

But before their romance can grow the demoness tracks Morpho down, and now only needs an ancient artifact called the Tablet of Destiny to complete the destruction of the world. The tablet confers on its owner the ability to control the fate of everything and everyone on earth.

Once the tablet is discovered in the Middle East, the oldest and most powerful gods begin a battle for its possession, with the human population caught in the middle. Morpho, her family, and her new friend must decide, do they escape from the horrifying demoness or fight for their own destiny. How far will Pazuzu go to save his daughter from a hellish fate? Will his banishment from Heaven so many millennia ago end up being a curse…or a blessing?

Journalstone is doing a giveaway of Pazuzu’s Girl on their site through Goodreads, ending February 22, 2012. They’re giving away 10 copies! Pazuzu’s Girl by Rachel Coles will be released February 10!

NEW RELEASES!

Question: When your mother is a powerful witch and your father is a soul-sucking vampire, what does that make you? Answer: Cursed. With all the beauty and charm of a Siren, but cursed as a blood-sucking succubus, Empusa longs for love and a normal life. Neither of these can ever be hers, because the only thing she brings to anyone she loves is death. Em lingers in the mortal world, hiding from her father and existing in a lonely life. Until she meets Brennan. With golden hair and a radiant smile, he captures her heart and awakens it from slumber. But Brennan is more than he seems. And in a relationship where life itself hangs in the balance, is love ever really enough?

Against all expectations, Samantha Ruiz has survived attacks by two of Helmann’s deadliest assassins. She’s alive, but she’s far from safe. Helmann is planning a second Holocaust and wants Sam to play a starring role. Will, meanwhile, separated from Sam by an ocean, seeks a way to prevent Helmann’s apocalypse. Along with Sir Walter and Mickie, Will plays a deadly game sneaking into Geneses’ facilities, discovering unsettling clues as to Helmann’s plans. The clock ticks down as Will and Sam discover just how much they must be willing to sacrifice to stop Helmann. UNFURL, the powerful conclusion to The Ripple Series, will leave fans breathless.

Gemma’s parents have put enough rules around her relationship with Harrison that she feels like she’s living on parole. But she wins one battle—a summer job working for Harrison’s step-father. It is the perfect chance to spend the steamy, hot Florida days with her boyfriend. It’s also a great distraction from the cellphone hiding in her underwear drawer—her only contact with Gabe, the mystery man who’s stalking her.When she confronts Gabe, he tells her that her parents are not who she thinks they are, and Harrison has the gall to believe him. Surrounded by conflict, Gemma doesn’t know what to believe, and it takes a trip back in time for her to glimpse the sickening truth.

Thanks to her parents, she returns to the present to find the love of her life no longer exists. His family line was broken and now, so is she.

This betrayal forces her to seek out Gabe. Setting aside her fear of the truth, she must trust this man and learn what he can teach her… otherwise, she’ll never get her boyfriend back.

Syd has what she’s always wanted. Thanks to her demon’s sacrifice, she is finally normal. Why then does she want her magic back so badly? It really sucks to find out Brad was only into her because of her power. And even Quaid is keeping his distance. Her loss couldn’t have come at a worse time. A storm is brewing, one that could devour the entire world. Syd refuses to accept she will never be a witch again, doing everything she can to track down the Chosen of the Light and rescue her demon. If only the ordinary life she’s been building didn’t interfere.

16 year old Karlie has had a pretty normal life… But when her Mom dies she is force to move over 1,000 miles away to live with her Dad. That’s when things start getting weird. She can’t explain the earthquakes that nobody else feels, or why she no longer sleeps. But most of all she doesn’t know why she trusts Shane so much, even though his Dad wants her dead. Suddenly, Karlie’s normal life is turned upside down and she enters a world she never dreamed could really exist.

BLOG TOURS!

FREEBIES!

Nothing says Happy New Year like Halloween! For the first 12 days of 2012, free chapters of 13 on Halloween’s AUDIOBOOK available! Click here to gather around a fire and hear how Roxie’s birthday wish comes true when she receives a birthday gift that’s literally out of this world! http://www.authorlaura.com/#!books

YA Indie Carnival: Cover Love

Today’s post is about covers. I have to admit that this is a fairly new area for me. I used to paint leather and denim jackets for extra money when I was in high school. But that was as far as I got, and I am way too lazy for that much effort now. And I still have to say that my favorite moment was showing Clive Barker my leather jacket at his signing of Imajica in NYC when I was in college. I had painted Peloquin, one of his characters from Nightbreed on the back. He was very encouraging, possibly one of the coolest nicest authors I had ever met. He signed it. I wore it for years after, and still have it.

As for covers now, I’m still working through the miracle of computer graphics. I haven’t ever hired anyone to do a cover for my self-published books, but if I did, it would be my friend Erika, a very talented art student here in Denver, or my husband, also very talented, but insanely busy with his day job as a medical resident. So, I have been exploring the world of Picnik. It’s a free photo-editing software or database. I start off with an idea for the cover, find a public domain photo that can serve as a base, and then find more public domain images that I can alter or play with to overlay for really interesting effects that end up together as a totally different image than the two originals. It’s been a fun exploration so far, and kind of fills the creative graphic urge that I abandoned a long time ago.

As for my novel coming out from Journalstone Publishing soon, Pazuzu’s Girl, they have artists to do the cover. I saw a first concept and it looks good, far more advanced than anything I’ve learned to do so far.

It will be interesting to visit other sites and get their tips and tricks.

http://www.refractedlightreviews.com Danny Snell’s Refracted Light Reviews

http://pattilarsen.blogspot.com Patti Larsen, Author of The Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House, the Hunted series, and the Hayle Coven novels.

http://courtneycolewrites.wordpress.com Courtney Cole, Author of Every Last Kiss, Fated, Princess, and Guardian. Also a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://wrenemerson.wordpress.com Wren Emerson, Author of I Wish and a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.

http://laurasmagicday.wordpress.com Laura Elliott, Author of Winnemucca.

http://nicoleawilliams.blogspot.com Nichole A. Williams, Author of Eternal Eden, and the upcoming Fallen Eden. She is also participating in the Glassheart Chronicles.
http://fisheramelie.com/blog/ Fisher Amelie, Author of The Understorey, as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://amyjonesyaff.blogspot.com Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://thewarriorseries.blogspot.com T. R. Graves, Author of Warriors of the Cross.
http://ctefft.blogspot.com Cyndi Tefft, Author of Between
http://pjhoover.blogspot.com P.J. Hoover, Author of Solstice, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, The Necropolis.
http://www.aliciamccalla.com Alicia McCalla, Author of the upcoming science-fiction novel Breaking Free.

http://heathercashman.com/better_off_read Heather Cashman, Author of Perception.

http://www.abbiglines.com Abbi Glines, Author of Breathe, and the upcoming Existence and Vincent Boys.

http://cidneyswanson.blogspot.com/ Cidney Swanson, Author of Rippler.

http://cherischmidt.blogspot.com, Cheri Schmidt, Author of Fateful, Fractured, and Fair Maiden, Fire Dancer

http://www.lexusluke.com/, Lexus Luke, Author of Manitou, The Sky People Saga, Fire Breather

http://www.suzyturner.com/, Suzy Turner, Author of December Moon and Raven, Dragonslayer

http://kasi-kcblake.blogspot.com/, K. C. Blake, Author of Vampire Rules, Elephant Trainer

http://hereventuality.blogspot.com/, Gwenn Wright, Author of Filter, Ring-Leader

http://kimberlykinrade.com/, Kimberly Kinrade, Author of Bits of You, Pieces of Me and Forbidden Mind, Prestidigitator

http://jlbryanbooks.blogspot.com/, J.L. Bryan, Author of Paranormals series- Jenny Pox. Tommy Nightmare & Alexander Death

http://darbykarchut.com/ Darby Karchut, Author of Griffin Rising, and soon Griffin Fire

http://puttingpentopage.com/ Heather Self

http://brynabutler.wordpress.com/ Bryna Butler, author of the Midnight Guardian series

What’s new this week?

What’s new this week

Coming December 16! You let us know why you’ve been naughty or nice and enter to win books at each carni’s booth all week, from 12/16 to 12/23. On Dec. 23, find out what books you’ve won!

‘Tis the Season of the Squeee!

In honor of our Cover Love theme, Bryna Butler unveils the cover art for Midnight Child, book 3 in my Midnight Guardian series which releases in Feb!

In preparation for December’s release of Guardians of the Cross, author T. R. Graves is sending out a coupon which will allow the most-recent edition Warriors of the Cross Click here to downloaded for FREE. Enter coupon LY87N good through 12/20/11. Guardians of the Cross will be released 12/24!

Callum & Harper by Fisher Amelie Releases December 24th! Join her blog tour NOW!

Friend of the Carnival Tiffany King’s Blog tour for book 3 in The Saving Angels series on NOW!

Check out the new trailer for The Midnight Guardian series by Bryna Butler!

Melissa Pearl, YA author of Golden Blood has just started a new blog called YAlicious. It’s a blog to celebrate YA fiction and aimed at teens and readers of YA. Swing on by and check it out!

Books I and II in The Raven Saga (Raven & December Moon) by Suzy Turner, are now available in paperback! Get your copy from Amazon now.

The Valkyrie Novels, a series of 3 novels- Dead Radiance, Dead Embers and Dead Chaos, by T.G. Ayer will be published in 2012 by the amazing team at Evolved Publishing. See T.G. Ayer’s announcement here!

YA Indie Carnival Featured Author: Sean Hayden

Today on the YA Indie Carnival we have Sean Hayden, author of Origins, a Demonkin novel. He has had a lot of success with this novel, and is here to share some points about the book, and some points on writing and publishing.

1. Origins is a very entertaining book in its treatment of demons and humanizing of traditional monsters. Where did your idea come from?

Sean: The idea came from watching every movie and television show imaginable about vampires with my nine year old daughter. It seemed like every time a new one came out, the first question out of her mouth was, “Daddy, how do these vampires die?” or “Daddy, how come these vampires don’t burn in sunlight?” Origins was born from these questions and  I used the fact that there could be several different breeds of vampire to answer it.

2. Many authors have a favorite character in their novels who seems to write him/herself onto the pages. Which was your favorite character in Origins, and why?

Sean: Mine? Definitely Thompson. I had  Michael Clarke Duncan in mind when I wrote his part and he was sort of born. I love that he’s a werelion and I love he’s there to stick up for Ashlyn.

3. What is your favorite portrayal of a demonic character in stories you’ve read or grown up with?

Sean: Unfortunately, growing up demons were always portrayed as these horrific nightmarish creatures. I wanted to make mine a little cooler. While Ashlyn’s father is of the giant, eat your face off, winged variety, In the subsequent novels, the readers will be introduced to a variety of them. Some will be cool suave, and debonair…others not so much. Rarely are such demonic characters portrayed and I had never come across any until Buffy and Angel came around.

4. What is next for the Demonkin novels? Do you have a specific arc that you are going to work through, like Dan Simmon’s Hyperion series, or do new developments keep unfolding to build the series? I guess what I’m asking is, in this series, are you a planner, or pantser?

Sean: The sequel, Deceptions is undergoing final edits right now and should be out within the next few months. As for planning and unfolding. I am a TOTAL Pantser. I don’t even take grocery lists to the store when I’m shopping.

5. What is the most difficult thing for you to do in writing and publishing, and how did you solve that problem?

Sean: Editing my own works. I edit part time for other people and publishers, but when it comes to my own works…I’m sort of blind. I KNOW what i was trying to say. I KNOW what I meant. Doesn’t mean it’s always correct though! ~insert huge blush here~

6. What is the most key piece of advice for new writers/authors in general, something that you see that authors can address to make them more successful?

Sean: If you’re going to go with a small independent publisher, start early building up friends on social networks. I can’t stress this enough. Having a close knit group of author friends will do more for your writing career and marketing than you could EVER hope to do on your own. I have sold ten times as many books from my awesome support group tweeting and facebooking about them than I have tweeting and facebooking about them.

That is great advice! Relationship-building is critical in so many professions. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. Thank you so much for sharing your both insight into your very well-written novel, and your advice for other writers to become successful authors.

Sean Hayden’s novel Origins can be purchased on Kindle, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble. In addition to Origins, he has also published Third Time, Lady Dorn, First Flight, and Second Chance, on both Kindle and Smashwords.

If you wish to contact Sean Hayden, you can reach him via Twitter at @shaydenFL, or on his website at http://www.seanhayden.org/. His books are also available there. Visit his blog for some great writing commentary!

In addition to checking out Origins, visit Laura Elliot’s new work 13 on Halloween at  http://laurasmagicday.wordpress.com/13-on-halloween-trailer/, and browse through other featured authors on the following YA Carnival links!

http://www.refractedlightreviews.com Danny Snell’s Refracted Light Reviews

http://pattilarsen.blogspot.com Patti Larsen, Author of The Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House, the Hunted series, and the Hayle Coven novels.

http://courtneycolewrites.wordpress.com Courtney Cole, Author of Every Last Kiss, Fated, Princess, and Guardian. Also a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://wrenemerson.wordpress.com Wren Emerson, Author of I Wish and a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.

http://laurasmagicday.wordpress.com Laura Elliott, Author of Winnemucca.

http://nicoleawilliams.blogspot.com Nichole A. Williams, Author of Eternal Eden, and the upcoming Fallen Eden. She is also participating in the Glassheart Chronicles.
http://fisheramelie.com/blog/ Fisher Amelie, Author of The Understorey, as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://amyjonesyaff.blogspot.com Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://thewarriorseries.blogspot.com T. R. Graves, Author of Warriors of the Cross.
http://ctefft.blogspot.com Cyndi Tefft, Author of Between
http://pjhoover.blogspot.com P.J. Hoover, Author of Solstice, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, The Necropolis.
http://www.aliciamccalla.com Alicia McCalla, Author of the upcoming science-fiction novel Breaking Free.

http://heathercashman.com/better_off_read Heather Cashman, Author of Perception.

http://www.abbiglines.com Abbi Glines, Author of Breathe, and the upcoming Existence and Vincent Boys.

http://cidneyswanson.blogspot.com/ Cidney Swanson, Author of Rippler.

http://cherischmidt.blogspot.com, Cheri Schmidt, Author of Fateful, Fractured, and Fair Maiden, Fire Dancer

http://www.lexusluke.com/, Lexus Luke, Author of Manitou, The Sky People Saga, Fire Breather

http://www.suzyturner.com/, Suzy Turner, Author of December Moon and Raven, Dragonslayer

http://kasi-kcblake.blogspot.com/, K. C. Blake, Author of Vampire Rules, Elephant Trainer

http://hereventuality.blogspot.com/, Gwenn Wright, Author of Filter, Ring-Leader

http://kimberlykinrade.com/, Kimberly Kinrade, Author of Bits of You, Pieces of Me and Forbidden Mind, Prestidigitator

http://jlbryanbooks.blogspot.com/, J.L. Bryan, Author of Paranormals series- Jenny Pox. Tommy Nightmare & Alexander Death

http://darbykarchut.com/ Darby Karchut, Author of Griffin Rising, and soon Griffin Fire

YA Indie Carnival Topic: Where do we find inspiration for writing?

I think that I find inspiration for writing in the experiences of every day life around me. I write to share life, the wonderful bits, the funny bits, the weird bits, and the irritating bits, and the horror of my nightmares. The human tendency as a primate is to share experience. I often wondered while studying primates, like the Far Side cartoon what the chimps were talking about when they groomed each other.

I think that for us, the branch of primates with advanced language skills, we use pen and paper and now computer and the internet to bond with our global collective troop.

Everyone has a story, a complex story, and everything that each of us does and sees, is experienced through our culture, surrounding and ever-fluid personality. I love learning people’s stories and perspectives. And I also find my own desire to meld my own emotions with the world around me. It’s a relief valve. Catharsis.

Around all of this mish-mash of the stories swirling around me, and throughout my own experiences, I find after studying mythology and folklore, that people’s expression of experience often gravitates toward the familiar, toward certain structures we all share, archetypes as Jung said, Dreamtime images as Aborigine beliefs call them.

It is between all of these experiences, my own and others, and how they are framed by the archetypes we share and which are constantly re-invented, that I find my passion for writing.

Check out these other weavers of stories:

http://www.refractedlightreviews.com Danny Snell’s Refracted Light Reviews
http://pattilarsen.blogspot.com Patti Larsen, Author of The Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House, the Hunted series, and the Hayle Coven novels.

http://courtneycolewrites.wordpress.com Courtney Cole, Author of Every Last Kiss, Fated, Princess, and Guardian. Also a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://wrenemerson.wordpress.com Wren Emerson, Author of I Wish and a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.

http://laurasmagicday.wordpress.com Laura Elliott, Author of Winnemucca.

http://nicoleawilliams.blogspot.com Nichole A. Williams, Author of Eternal Eden, and the upcoming Fallen Eden. She is also participating in the Glassheart Chronicles.
http://fisheramelie.com/blog/ Fisher Amelie, Author of The Understorey, as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://amyjonesyaff.blogspot.com Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://thewarriorseries.blogspot.com T. R. Graves, Author of Warriors of the Cross.
http://ctefft.blogspot.com Cyndi Tefft, Author of Between
http://pjhoover.blogspot.com P.J. Hoover, Author of Solstice, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, The Necropolis.
http://www.aliciamccalla.com Alicia McCalla, Author of the upcoming science-fiction novel Breaking Free.

http://heathercashman.com/better_off_read Heather Cashman, Author of Perception.

The Genius of Dr. Seuss

Rosa and I read Sneetches last night, and a few of his other stories recently. Ever since Rosa was born we, like most other parents, have been collecting Dr. Seuss books. We read them to her often, less for a little while while she was learning to read very simple books all by herelf. More now that she is reading more complicated books. But in re-reading them again, and again, and again, I am struck by how entertaining they are, and/or powerful. He appears to have been a keen observer of human behavior, especially of the more infantile of human behaviors in adults. So without being preachy and irritating, he’s found a great way to pass on his morality stories to kids.

Rosa noted how some of the kids in her camp were like the Star-belly Sneetches, and unless you had a certain kind of dress or looked a certain way, they wouldn’t let other kids play. ‘But’, she pointed out, ‘they don’t make friends at the end at camp, like in the book.’ My husband and I explained that, well, the Sneetches are just a story so Dr. Seuss can make them all friends by the end. In reality, it can take years for the ‘meanie-heads’ to change. In the meantime, I told her, ‘you can be smarter than the snubbed Sneetches, and go and make up your own games with your own non-star-belly friends. You don’t have to sit on the beach with the Sneetches at all. They should have had their own weenie-roasts.’ Or in our cases, sci-fi conventions, in place of weenie-roasts.

I thought it was interesting that she also understood what McMonkey McBean was doing, robbing all the Sneetches of their money because they were wasting it on something that didn’t matter. She said, ‘He’s mean. He’s taking their money because they’re unhappy, and pretending to make them happy.’ That made me feel a tad better when I thought about all the beauty product placements on television, designed to make young, or older women feel insecure about their appearance only to remedy their ‘problem’ with crap they don’t need that costs a fortune. Now when it comes on television, I can point to it with Rosa and yell ‘McMonkey McBean’, and she understands.

Now as for the ‘Pale Green Pants with nobody inside them’… I’m sorry, but I consider that one of the first horror stories I ever read. I remember reading about the Pale Green Pants that followed the main character all over town, riding bikes and in deserted meadows in the dark, basically stalking him. I understand what Dr. Seuss was getting at, that the bad thing you think is going on might not be as bad as you think, and that you are scary from someone else’s perspective. However, I don’t care. Independently animated pants that show up in unlikely places cannot be anything but a recipe for terror. And I found, after I read that story again as an adult that it had somehow grown even more creepy, because I didn’t know what a stalker was when I was five. Now the story features an invisible stalker. Eek! But since I sometimes write horror, I have to say that it is one of my favorite Dr. Seuss stories, even though it was probably not intended to be scary.

Do Over by Jeff Kirvin: Review

Do Over begins with whiffs of ‘Back to the Future’, with the nostalgia, frustration, and regret of a young man in a rut, asking the eternal question, ‘Where did I go wrong?’ And then it takes a wonky turn off the tracks. Going much farther than to ask what things would be like if one could do everything over, the choices Rick Preston makes ask more complicated questions about the nature of fate, and the role of his own will in defining the kind of person he wants to be. It is a sober tale told in a colorful humorous voice that defies traditionally scripted Disnified endings. A fun and thoughtful read.

Community Preparedness

So, we recently had a great emergency exercise with five different communities: Vietnamese, Korean, Denver Indian intertribal, Hispanic, and multi-ethnic Muslim communities with different community organizations leading. I can’t go into the details here, but I have to comment about the amazing efforts everyone involved put forward. Folks had practiced and studied courses online at FEMA, had taken Citizen’s Emergency Response Team training, which is not a short training, and even explored Ham radio.

I have to say that this was the culmination of years of work they’ve done previously. I’ve been working with all of them for five years now at least. And it is the best thing about my job. Everywhere I went, people graciously put up with my ignorance of their cultures and took the time to educate me and work with me on everything from incident command to complicated and ever-changing  administrative paperwork.

And sometimes I went with Rosa, if my husband couldn’t watch her, and people bent over backwards entertaining her, and asked after her when she wasn’t with me. In fact, ‘How is Rosa doing?” was usually followed up with, “So when are you going to have more?” Which goes to show that however different our cultures, they are not so different, since that is also a  frequent question from my family. I think she got a lot out of coming with me too. She knows that the way we do things at home or in Adam or my families’ cultures are only one of many ways we might be doing them.

My husband is Ojibway among a couple other things, and we got Rosa her tribal registration card last year, when we visited Grandma on the reservation. She is also Catholic. So when we got her blessed in the Church, she had a million questions about Jesus I couldn’t answer.

I am Jewish, though I am a pathetically horrible at being a Jew. I eat pork ribs with enthusiasm, and my mom has to remind me when the holidays are. Even my non-Jewish friends are usually more aware than I am of impending High Holy Days. But nevertheless, however rule-impaired and calendar-impaired I am, I am aware of the traditions, and Rosa got her Hebrew name, with a lot of assistance from my parents.

But her trips with me to the community organizations, to the Spanish-speaking Catholic church, to the mosque, to the Vietnamese or Korean churchs or temples, to the Indian community center are really instructive for both of us.

We’ve had a chance to talk about the hijab worn by Muslim women, about Jesus, which I needed help explaining since I’m not as familiar, and about different countries’ versions of those. And since she’s five, she doesn’t really think twice about any of the political nonsense that binds adults and makes us cranky and nuts.

We picked a school for her with an emphasis on multiple ethnicities in the student body. And I really believe that Rosa will grow up not ‘color-blind’, (I hate that expression, because you have to have lots of differences to make a painting), but appreciative of living in a global society.

I love working with different communities. It makes me pay more attention to my own culture. I’m actually better about knowing Jewish things than I was before I started working with non-Jewish communities, and it makes life more interesting. It puts a check on my cynicism when I go to a meeting with folks in any of the communities and they are welcoming and excited to work on preparedness and helping not just their own community members, but other communities. In fact, working with folks, especially with Rosa around, has made both of us acutely aware that however different we are, we all have more in common. Especially when family, and love of food are brought up, particularly dessert.

I get really cynical, especially when I read superlative but dreadfully depressing works like The Road. I wind up crying my eyes out for a whole day because I know that if we took a wrong turn, some version of that story would be possible. But then I go to a community meeting for work, and I know that as long as there are folks like that around, we’ll be okay.