NaNoWriMo Feature: Dianna Muircast

NaNoWriMo is coming to a close. For some, it's time to validate those 50k (or more!). For others...it's frantic scribble scrabble time to reach that humongous goal!

This week's NaNoWriMo feature is author Dianna Muircast, who you can see in the photo accompanied by an adorable ball of floof. :-)

You can follow Dianna on Twitter @DiannaMuircast and check our her NaNoWriMo profile.

You take it from here, Dianna!

Is this your first time participating in NaNoWriMo? What's your project?

I attempted this last year, because I had an image of a baby unicorn standing at a pool of water after a storm, but it all went flat, and I gave up after a few paragraphs. This year, I wanted to try again. I still had the picture of the unicorn, but it walked away as I wrote, getting replaced with a vision of a kind of scary world I hadn't foreseen, a world that supposedly has no religion, and is very controlled.

Basically many people in the world are blind, or they are very good at faking it. No one uses their eyes obviously, except, possibly for what I call the weather-people, but even that is not known for certain. Weather-people can predict the weather, and they claim to speak to Nature or to other gods. Their predictions, however, are not as accurate as people could wish, and so they are often mocked. My character has gotten exiled--her term--to go care for them. (Except I haven't gotten her there yet! She is on a moving train, an hour away from there. Wherever there is. I still haven't worked that out, either!)

How are you approaching NaNo? Are you in the midst of a writing frenzy, or do you have a carefully thought-out plan?

I just decided to write, write, write. I didn't think I would need an outline, so I didn't bother making one.

Have you learned anything from this experience so far? Is there any advice you would like to share with other NaNoWriMoers?

Next time, I am going to write out some ideas, at least, or notes that I can refer to if I need to. It might help. As for advice, the process of crafting is fun, but don't let the word count or lack of words in a given day depress you. As I often say to people on twitter, if you wrote some words that day, even if you did not meet your goal, you're that many number of words ahead. So don't beat yourself up over it! The trick is remembering my own advice! :) Also, remember that whatever we write this month is likely not going to be perfect. I am not entirely pleased with what I wrote, because I added more descriptions in some places and short-shrifted descriptions in others. Also, I have some run-ons. And all for word count. But the good thing is, that if it's a good enough story you'll want to look at it again in December, take a few deep breaths, and revise. And if you decide you don't want to do that, it's OK! :)

Finally, here's an excerpt from Dianna's current NaNo project. Go, Dianna!

It started with a storm. Not a dark and stormy night, but a sunlight-filled thunder-and-lightning day storm. Of course, there wasn't much warning, unless you paid attention to the weather-people.

Weather-people are ... special. They come in all ages and sizes, and they claim they can predict when storms will happen. The trouble is that not many of us believe them. Some people say they aren't entirely sane, you see, and can't be trusted to care for themselves, let alone predict the weather. But their carers believe in them and take good care to keep them alive and comfortable. Weather-people can use their eyes, too. Fully. The rest of us can't. Or don't. I'm not sure which it is. Well I know I don't use my eyes, but they say the weather-people do.

Myself, I'm not sure what to believe. Yes, I have to admit they've been accurate. They've even predicted stuff that the meteoroligists totally discounted. what I don't understand or trust is how they do what they do.

If you talk to one of them--and I have managed it with great difficulty!--they speak of hearing from Nature herself. Some even say they have seen her. Which is not supposed to happen. Ever. Gods, if there ever were any, were banned from this world a loooong time ago. You can't even talk about them now without risking ... Well, we don't know what we are risking, but gods? Religion of any sort? Dead. Non-existen. That’s the law.

But no one believes what weather-people say, or no one takes them seriously, except for their carers, and the few who do pay attention and listen. Reporters will ask a Carer for a statement on what a certain weather-person has said about upcoming weather, and if it sounds good, they'll put it under a large headline. You know what I mean. ON a clear day: WEATHER-PERSON SAMANTHA PREDICTS LARGE TIDAL WAVE THIS AFTERNOON AT 3:00.

It happens, but not in our area, somewhere else, and no one hears of any disasterous consequences, so she's laughed at. Mocked. Ridiculed. Used to prove that once again such people, while they should be allowed to live in the hopes of producing more sane offspring, should not be taken seriously. Which I find to be problematic. It's not like Samantha, or any of them, can help being the way they ar.

The paper was on my screen as soon as I woke up the morning of the storm. It always is on my screen when I wake up, because I always glance there first thing to get the time, weather, and a look at the headlines. I understand "glance" used to mean you used your eyes to "see" stuff. These days I reach out with my fingers and the screen is there, with Braille on it and I read it. Or I have it spoken aloud and listen at a fast speed. That morning, I was feeling especially irritable and didn't want to work with Braille, so I ordered the thing to speak to me, and quickly.

"Good morning, Tina," the voice said. "Today's weather is sunny with a high of ninety degrees, but it will be snowing by nightfall ..."

I only half-listened. Such radical temperature change was no news to me anymore. I was used to the extremes by then and didn't really care, because I knew there would be enough fuel to keep me going for the rest of the week. And beyond. I was over my ration, but who was to know or care in this bleak city?

Yes, I said bleak. Sure, the sun was shining, but it was very hot outdoors, and the air felt heavy. No one wanted to talk as I made my way to my office. And for all that the place was bleak, I felt oddly cheerful. I *wanted* to talk to people, but no one else was talking beyond the bare "Morning" and "Where to?" so I kept my thoughts to myself. It's dangerous to say too much, or to not conform to what's going on around you. It's been like that for as long as I can remember.

I got to my office. The building was air-conditioned today. I was surprised. Normally, the computers have their own air-conditioning units, but we humans aren't so lucky.

My, my! I would certainly keep working on these ominous "weather-people" because they sound very interesting! Don't worry about working out the details because you have all the time in the world to get that straight. ;-)

Thank you so very much for participating in the NaNoWriMo features, Dianna! It was great having you here and good luck in these (hectic) final days!

NaNoWriMo Feature: Beth Overmeyer

Today I'm happy to have as a guest Critique Circle's own Bethywoo! She is the author of In a Pickle, the one and only Beth Overmeyer. It's great to have you here!

You can find out more about Beth on her blog: http://bethovermyer.blogspot.com

She's also on Twitter: @Bethyo

You can take it from here, girl!

Is this your first time participating in NaNoWriMo?

This is my fifth (or is it my sixth?) attempt at NaNo. What made me decide to participate this year? It's a good time with great support...and I get to write without the worries of perfection/editing as I go--huzzah! As for tackling yet another year, the excitement never really wears off--for me, at least. I am stoked...probably because it's still week one. Week two = Writing blues.

What's your project?

This year, my main project is called Things Heard in a Graveyard. It's a mainstream novel about a man who inherits several family journals, which he tries to transcribe into readable/saleable prose, whilst his evil great aunt sues for said tomes. The old witch has never shown an interest in her family's grave-digging history. Why now?

My second project is for in case I get stuck. It's called Murder in the Afternoon: A Sweets and Sours Mystery (working title. Very, very WORKING title.) It's a paranormal cozy set in a bar. That's all I'm saying for now.

How are you approaching NaNo? Are you in the midst of a writing frenzy, or do you have a carefully thought-out plan?

For the first project, I have a scene-to-scene outline. For the second project, I'm mostly pantsing it. So I'm a plantser!

Have you learned anything from this experience so far? Is there any advice you would like to share with other NaNoWriMoers?

My advice to all you new WriMos out there: Do NOT edit as you go. In fact, don't read back any farther than one paragraph, and only then if you've lost where you are in the story. And even then, you should probably improvise.

Finally, here's an excerpt from Beth's NaNo project. Enjoy!

Here's a very rough (unedited, unpolished) piece of tripe--I mean prose, all extracted from the mainstream novel:

Chapter One

We take in the breath of mourners,

Shelter it in our chests,

Then release it with a heavy sough.

Their air is alien to us,

So we don’t hold it in long.

Once upon a time, some people died…But before that, they lived, and here is a few of their stories.

My dad grew up in a household of gravediggers. He wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Some suggest and jest that he was born with a bronze shovel in his hands. But, as the proverbial collective of random strangers say: “You can’t take it with you.”

Pop grew out of the business before he grew out of bowl cuts and really bad bellbottoms. He traded in his shovel and calluses for a suit and a family, of which I am a byproduct. As he lay on his deathbed, I wondered if Pops felt he made the right decision. Of course he made the correct one: The boneyard wouldn’t feed three mouths like it once had, if ever it did.

Speaking of tools…

I’m a writer, and I have my own tools of the trade. Like a gravedigger—a nobody suit that my pop always preached agaisnt—I work primarilty with my hands. And like a digger, my hands can get callused. And, we have nothing else in common except maybe a few stories. I never thought I had a thing in common with this other world, to which my dad once belonged, and to which most of my extended family tree still clung to. And I was okay with that.

But death is a funny thing.

When Pops lay on his deathbed, rasping some curses as I took one of his vein-riddled hands in my own, he stared at me with not too-unfriendly eyes and murmured something that I didn’t catch.

It sounded like, “Rasputin.” And I looked around the room, wondering if Pops was seeing his escort to the other world. It would be appropriately poetic if it were Rasputin. I was certain at that moment that the pair would get on well.

“Who—” Argyle Augustus Bohn cleared his throat and licked his papery lips. “Who are you?”

I’d been warned of this. The last stages of any old timer’s illness can result in a form of dementia, I am told. At this moment, I thought the old man was just looking to spite his only son.

“Who are you?” he repeated, patient as a puppy for a belly rub.

It would’ve been easy to say “Arys. I’m your son. Arys. You know, the kid you raised with Mom? You remember Betty Bohn? She was okay when I wanted to change my name. She didn’t threaten to disinherit me. That angel left me with the devil.”

Excellent, Beth! I can't wait to read more! When are you posting on CC?

Thank you so very much for being a guest on my blog. Stay tuned next week for our final NaNoWriMo guest!

NaNoWriMo Feature: Richard Davnall

Well, it's the second week of NaNoWriMo and I bet everyone is feeling it in their fingers. How's that writing going?

Today's feature is author R.J. Davnall, who you can see in the photo on the right. What? You don't recognize him? He's the author of The Second Realm, an ongoing fantasy serial which you can actually download for FREE at Smashwords! Head on over to his blog and check it out!

You can contact Richard at:

@eatthepen

Blog: itsthefuturestupid.blogspot.com

Richard is also doing something I never saw before: he's live-streaming his NaNoWriMo writing on his own online channel twitch.tv/rjdavnall! That's a NaNo first for me! Now, let's move on to the questions.

Is this your first time participating in NaNoWriMo?

This is my fifth NaNo. I was actually planning to sit this one out and just edit, because I'm in very much the same situation you reported (lots of editing to do, plus more teaching responsibilities than in previous years), but then I ended up with the first week of November off from both my jobs, and a new idea emerged on Thursday morning to make sure I really had no excuse to slack off.

What's your project?

My project is 'The Air Itself'. It started life as a horror story, but it's also a sort of cyberpunk/speculative fiction superhero story. My pitch so far is this:

Jane thought they'd escaped. She didn't know what had happened in that derelict neighbourhood, but it had stopped. They'd survived.

But Amanda lost her phone in the process, and now someone's found it. The messages he sends Jane are strange, as if he thinks he knows her but has the wrong person. And they're getting more insistent, too...

How are you approaching NaNo? Are you in the midst of a writing frenzy, or do you have a carefully thought-out plan?

My approach to NaNo can best be summarised by the friend who once shouted at me 'You need to go and look up the definition of 'month'!' I love the pile-it-all-on-right-now headlong rush of NaNo, and it gives me an excuse, once a year, to devote my every waking moment to a story. The result is that I tend to hit 50k pretty quickly (my record is six days and fourteen hours), then slow down to regular NaNo pace after about a week to wrap the project up. This year I've gone even more mad; I'd love to hit 50k in five days. I think that's about the fastest I can ever hope to work.

Have you learned anything from this experience so far? Is there any advice you would like to share with other NaNoWriMoers?

What I've learned so far is that I think next year I'll take it a bit easier (he said, for the third year in a row). If I can make my 5-day target, I think I can finally take the chip off my shoulder.

As for advice to other WriMos, I'd say that 'week 2' (roughly 12-25k) is the hard part. It's the part where it can really pay dividends to pause, if time allows, and jot a few ideas down, whether it's for characters or events. This is the stage where you're developing from and expanding on your introduction, and planting good seeds at this point will mean never getting stuck for material in the later stages.

The other big piece of advice is that you're only in competition with yourself. Set goals based on what you know of your own ability, not what anyone else is doing.

Finally, here's an excerpt from Richard's current project. Enjoy!

Amanda finished her latest round of photos, looked up, and let out a pleased 'Ooh!' Jane followed her gaze to another narrow side street, barely visible from this angle. She set off, trying to match Amanda's stride and catch up to her at the corner, but the other woman, longer-legged, got there first by a good ten seconds.

She'd found the street she wanted. Arbour Lane, it was called, at least if Jane was making the right head or tail of the battered sign. Its paint was completely gone, leaving only sculpted, mottled rust. Not a long street, but longer than some of the linking alleys they'd walked down this afternoon. The terraces huddled close enough to the road that perspective pinched them together at the far end anyway.

And every one was boarded. Most had the gridded tin, but more than one had bits of corrugated sheet metal instead. There were loose and cracked gutters, trees growing out of chimneys, crumbling paint, crumbling brickwork. Someone had fly-tipped a pile of bin bags on one doorstep.

Halfway along, the steel door-board of one house stood ajar, its mangled catch gaping like a manta ray's mouth.

Thank you for appearing, Richard! Drop me a line and tell me if you completed your five day goal!

If you are also participating in NaNoWriMo 2014 and would like to be featured, follow the instructions on this post.

NaNoWriMo Feature: Kathleen Sawisky

Happy first NaNoWriMo Monday, fellow bloggers and readers! Today I'm happy to present to you Kathleen "Swat" Sawisky, Esq. She's an incredible writer and beloved member of Critique Circle (go progress reporters!).

Website: http://www.Kathleensawisky.com

Twitter: @KathleenSawisky

Is this your first time participating in NaNoWriMo?

This will be my 8th year (oh good lord) of doing NaNo. Normally I'd be raring to go and have everything worked out, but this is my last year of university and I'm swamped under school work. This is going to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants sort of NaNo.

What's your project?

This year, as with every year since 2008, I'm doing a new draft for my series, The Code. This last year has seen the first book go through some serious changes, including my own style and abilities, so I'm excited to apply all I've learned to Book 2. My biggest joy is the multifaceted layers that grew in the first book - a lot of them come back in the second. Who was Angelo? Why did he disappear? What has he got to do with our heroine's father? It's all very thriller-suspense, with a dash of 'ermagerd deeerth' thrown in. I like killing characters. Maybe a bit too much. But above all else, I'm thrilled that I'm approaching this draft with a solid understanding of how Natalia (my protagonist) develops throughout the story. The first book ended with her in a very dark place. She's suffering from some serious PTSD that needs to be addressed, and over the course of Book 2 I get to play around with how she deals with it, as well as how the people she interacts with deal with it. Also there is a ghost and he is spooky. WooOoOooooo.

How are you approaching NaNo? Are you in the midst of a writing frenzy, or do you have a carefully thought-out plan?

Urgh, approaching NaNo? I have a pretty solid outline written, but there is a section early on that needs to be changed and I have no idea how to go about it yet, so there will be a little bit of pantsing probably around day five. That will be when I apply my own Swat's School of Writing and utilize an explosion or two. You laugh, but it's worked for a few people now. Swat's School of Writing. It'll be a thing, trust me.

Have you learned anything from this experience so far? Is there any advice you would like to share with other NaNoWriMoers?

My biggest advice definitely stems from my own general philosophy about writing. I think as writer's we get too caught up in our way of doing things. We think that it has worked before, so why shouldn't it continue to work? It's a fair point, but there is a lot to be said about challenging yourself and going outside of your comfort zone. Some studies on creativity suggest that when the creator (the writer, in this case) makes themselves uncomfortable, they are often able to push their creativity to new heights. We love being made to feel uncomfortable in art, so if you get stuck in your writing do something shocking and unexpected. For example, book 3 I kill a dog. With a machete. Yeah, it's awful. Like, brutal, awful. I shared that with some writing buddies and they were horrified, but guess what? We still talk about it. Shock and awe has staying power, so make yourselves uncomfortable! Either that or make something explode.

Finally, here's an excerpt from Kathleen's current project. Enjoy!

It had taken time for her to discern the difference between the dead that couldn’t find their way off of this plane of existence, and the man who whispered to her. Ghosts, Natalia had learned from her previous guardian, sometimes had a habit of sticking around where they weren’t always wanted. That was what she was facing now. An unwanted, unwashed. Sometimes his voice caught in the wind, and his shadow would reach out to her, urging her to come with him, to run away. She had wondered for some time if it was some remnant her guardian, pissed off that she had taken his jacket, but no. No, the Steven Delarno she knew would have been happy to lend it to her. This astral presence, corporeal and vindictive, was not the shadow of her old guardian, but someone else. Someone who wanted her to follow him to the edge of the black world he occupied.

She turned away from the Whispering Man, down the road and began the long walk towards town.

Thank you so, so much for appearing on my blog, Kathleen! I hope you keep having tons of fun with NaNoWriMo!

If you are also participating in NaNoWriMo 2014 and would like to be featured, follow the instructions on this post.

Call for NaNoWriMo 2014 Participants!

The leaves are changing colors... It seems no matter where you go, you'll encounter pumpkins and haystacks and dismembered limbs. Ah, yes. Halloween is upon us! However... Something else is lurking just around the corner. Yup. You guessed it. It's that time of the year again...

Yay!

Isn't it lovely? This year's poster is so beautiful! It really makes me want to participate--but I don't have anything new to write about! *sniffle* Now, you're probably wagging your finger at me and tsk-tsking. Since when has not knowing what to write been a reason to not do NaNoWriMo? The thing is, I just have too many open projects right now (Making Time, Out of Time, The Soul Distillery, Seven Sins...), plus tons of work at the university (50+ students) so I've decided to watch this one from the sidelines.

That puts YOU in the spotlight! I'd love to have you as a guest on my blog to talk about your NaNoWriMo project and progress!

If you'd like to be featured as a NaNoWriMo author, please send an email to this address with the following information:

nadinucca (at) hotmail (dot) com

1) Name or nickname + your photo (optional)

2) Blog and/or Twitter handle

3) Is this your first time participating in NaNoWriMo? If so, what made you take the plunge? If you're a vet, how do you feel about tackling it yet again this year?

4) What's your project? Include name (if any), genre, brief synopsis... whatever you'd like to share!

5) How are you approaching NaNo? Are you in the midst of a writing frenzy, or do you have a carefully thought-out plan?

6) Have you learned anything from this experience so far? Is there any advice you would like to share with other NaNoWriMoers?

7) Send a short excerpt from your project! I'd love to share what you're working on!

And the dog jumped over the moon... Wait. Dog?

NaNoWriMo Feature - Nicole Smith

Today's NaNoWriMo participant is Nicole Smith. She's the author of several books, and is taking on NaNo for the first time this year (you can check out her collection of novels on her website below).

You can contact Nicole on Twitter or her blog;

Twitter: @nicolesmith5102

Blog: http://nicolesmithbooks.com


Welcome, Nicole! Is this your first time participating in NaNoWriMo? If so, what made you take the plunge? If you're a vet, how do you feel about tackling it yet again this year?

Even though I've written a number of books (the Sully Point series), this is my first time to really do Nanowrimo.


What's your project? Include name (if any), genre, brief synopsis... whatever you'd like to share!

Love Answers is the title of my novel. It is a romance, a love story, and will be book 8 of the Sully Point series. I hope to publish it in January if the editing goes well.

How are you approaching NaNo? Are you in the midst of a writing frenzy, or do you have a carefully thought-out plan?

I don't do outlines. Although, I wish I did! I had a basic idea for the book and then just sat down and started writing. I think that means I'm a 'pantser' - flying by the seat of my pants writer. Some days it flows and some days the words seem to be hiding in dark corners from me.

Have you learned anything from this experience so far? Is there any advice you would like to share with other NaNoWriMoers?

Probably the most important thing I've learned is that you must write every day, even when you don't feel like it. If you miss a day, it is that much easier to brush it off the next day, and then the next. Catching up is no fun at all. I'm at 43,732 words as of today, 11/23/13. I should finish in a couple of days, but I'll keep writing until the end of the month since the book will be longer than 50,000 words.

Send a short excerpt from your project! I'd love to share what you're working on!

She was struck by how full his lips were and wondering if they were soft, until he said hesitantly, “Caitlin?”

“You can really cook,” Caitlin said. “I’ve been wanting to learn more about cooking.”

“For you, lessons could be arranged.”

They were both quiet for a minute after that statement, and then they both tried to speak at once.

“I really can’t--”

“There’s someone--”

“I mean, I like you--”

“Yes, me too, but--”

They stopped talking over each other and stared into each other’s eyes. After an intense moment, they both looked away.

“So, we’ll be friends, right?” Aidan said.

“Yes, I’d like that,” Caitlin said and smiled at him.

That smile was going to do him in, he thought.

Thanks for participating, Nicole! I'm sure you're far past the 50k mark by now!

NaNoWriMo Feature - Kristen S. Walker

Hi everyone!

I haven't been able to update the blog recently due to my total immersion in NaNoWriMo! On top of that, I had (as usual) tons of work to do, and... my wisdom tooth started giving me serious (painful) troubles. So I apologize for my tardiness.

Without further ado, I would like to present Kristen S. Walker, also known as sarasvati.river on the NaNo website.

Welcome, Kristen! Is this your first time participating in NaNoWriMo? If so, what made you take the plunge? If you're a vet, how do you feel about tackling it yet again this year?


This is my seventh time doing NaNo, and I'm excited to be participating again. Even if I don't make my word goal for the month, I always enjoy the community support, and I'm happy to have more words than when I started!


What's your project? Include name (if any), genre, brief synopsis... whatever you'd like to share!


I'm writing WITCH HUNT, the sequel to the YA Urban Fantasy novel, Small Town Witch, that I wrote for NaNo 2011 (and subsequently self-published). In the first book, the teen witch Rosa found out her mother was using magic to control her whole family, and when she broke the spell, Mom ran away and kidnapped her younger sister. So now Rosa is hunting for her mom to finally confront her about the spell and to save her sister. It's complicated by Mom being hidden by Unseelie Faeries, and Rosa will have to gain their trust to find out where Mom is.


How are you approaching NaNo? Are you in the midst of a writing frenzy, or do you have a carefully thought-out plan?


I had a head start on planning because I am doing a sequel, and I also spent the month of October planning my outline, so I have a pretty good idea of where I'm going. However, I often end up changing course partway through NaNo, so I'm sure I'll surprise myself before November is through. That said, I am also trying something scary and new by sharing my story with others while I'm writing it!


Have you learned anything from this experience so far? Is there any advice you would like to share with other NaNoWriMoers?


I've learned that I have to look at each day as a fresh chance to write. If I get too caught up in the numbers, especially if I start to fall behind, then I tend to guilt-trip myself and I've ended up quitting before because I was frustrated by my lack of progress. Instead of falling into that downward spiral, I am trying to stay excited about my story and be positive. The only thing that's standing between me and a completed first draft is my own self-doubt, so I just have to turn off that part of my brain for the month.


Send a short excerpt from your project! I'd love to share what you're working on!


The following excerpt is from a scene where the main character, Rosa, has an uncomfortable conversation with her boyfriend's mother:

Yumi ran water over the bowls in the sink, then turned and gestured to the small table on one side. “Please, sit down, and do not be frightened. What I have to say is for your benefit. I only want you to understand my son’s . . . idiosyncrasies.”

I sat down, but I stiffened defensively. “You know that Kai and I have been in the same class since we were twelve. I know him pretty well by now.”

She sat down across from me and folded her hands neatly in her lap. “Yes, I am aware that you’ve been acquainted for several years, and at your age this must seem like a long time to you. But I don’t think you can appreciate what that means in the scale of a kitsune’s lifetime.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at her lecturing tone. She came from a completely different time and culture, and she still managed to sound just like my mom. “I know he’s going to outlive me, but that doesn’t matter right now. I’m not expecting him to swear to love only me until the end of time. And we’re the same age, so I think four years is still a long time in his mind, too.” I bit back a remark about how a woman in her third century might not remember what it was like to be sixteen.

“That is actually the problem,” Yumi said with a little shake of her head. “Kitsune do not mature at the same rate as humans. It used to be tradition that we would raise our young as foxes, and they were not permitted to transform and enter human society until they were fifty or even a hundred years old. Because I found a human partner, I chose to raise Kai this way, but now I wonder if I made the right choice.”

Her tails swished along the floor behind her in agitation. “You see, Kai may seem like a teen your age to you, but his mind is more like a child. And he will have the immaturity of a child for many decades to come.” Her ears folded back, then swiveled forward to point straight at me. “You will probably get tired of his antics before long.”


Thank you, Kristen! I hope your NaNoWriMo went well!


You can connect with Kristen here:


Website: http://www.kristenwalker.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKristenSWalker
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KristenSWalker
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/kristenswalker/boards/

New Call for NaNoWriMo Participants!

Bring out the coffee! Uncap the eye drops! It's that time of the year again!

Are you new to NaNoWriMo? Are you a veteran? This is the place for you to share your experience! I'd like to create a series of guest blog posts showcasing NaNoWriMo participants and their experiences with this year's challenge.

If you'd like to be featured as a NaNoWriMo author, please send an email to this address with the following information:

nadinucca (at) hotmail (dot) com

1) Name or nickname + your photo (optional)

2) Blog and/or Twitter handle

3) Is this your first time participating in NaNoWriMo? If so, what made you take the plunge? If you're a vet, how do you feel about tackling it yet again this year?

4) What's your project? Include name (if any), genre, brief synopsis... whatever you'd like to share!

5) How are you approaching NaNo? Are you in the midst of a writing frenzy, or do you have a carefully thought-out plan?

6) Have you learned anything from this experience so far? Is there any advice you would like to share with other NaNoWriMoers?

7) Send a short excerpt from your project! I'd love to share what you're working on!

Demons in the Big Easy - Sneak Peek

Yesterday, we had a special author interview with Jamie Marchant, who wrote "The Goddess's Choice" and "Demons in the Big Easy."

As a special treat, today I have for you a sneak peek into "Demons in the Big Easy." Enjoy!

Cassandra felt eyes watching her and turned. On the other side of the fence, just off sacred ground, stood a demon. It smiled at her revealing nasty, yellow teeth and a forked tongue, its cat-like eyes glowing with satisfaction. “Good e’vn, powerful one.” The demon was short, but bloated, as if it had just consumed someone’s essence, but it was too small to have gotten past the wards she had guarding the village.

            Cassandra’s lips tightened as she wondered who had been caught outside the wards. She hoped it wasn’t one of those who relied upon her for protection. She’d warned them not to be without the village boundaries after sunset. She readied her staff to perform the ritual of banishment, but the demon’s behavior was odd. “Why have you sought me out? You know I’ll simply send you back where you belong.”

            The demon laughed. “Today, yes,” it hissed. “But soon there will be enough of us to overwhelm your wards and devour your village.”

            Impossible. The veil might be thinner, but not thin enough for demons to cross in multitude. It would take far too much energy. “Your idle threats don’t scare me.” Cassandra took her staff and began to draw a pentangle in the snow, the first step of the banishment ritual.

            The demon smiled wider as the pentangle took shape; it should have cowered in fear. “I will feast on you yet, powerful one, and the meal will be delectable.” It licked its thin lips with its forked tongue and made no effort to thwart the banishment. Any effort it made would have been futile, but still, she usually had to do the ritual while fighting them off, a lapse of concentration on her part usually fatal. This demon just watched as if rather amused by the spectacle.

            Cassandra finished drawing the pentangle and stood in the center. She planted her staff and began to chant in the old tongue. Directing her will and her energy into the staff, she pointed it toward the demon. The demon began to fade as she pushed it back beyond the veil. Usually, at this point, the demon would scream and curse her name. This one just laughed again and spoke a single word, “Soon.”

If you enjoyed this sneak peek, you can get your copy of "Demons in the Big Easy" at any of the following links:

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/The-Goddesss-Choice-Jamie-Marchant/dp/1936519127/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1351963793&sr=8-2

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-goddesss-choice-jamie-marchant/1110185060?ean=9781936519125

Reliquary Press: http://www.reliquarypress.com/Reliquary_Press/Welcome.html

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Demons-Big-Easy-A-novella/dp/1481906984/

For more information about Jamie, check out these links:

Email: jamie-marchant@jamie-marchant.com
Website: http://jamie-marchant.com
Blog:  http://jamie-marchant.blogspot.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jamie-Marchant-Author/164706710298768?ref=hl
Twitter: @RobrekSamantha
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5258855.Jamie_Marchant

Author Interview - Jamie Marchant

Today I'm happy to present to you Jamie Marchant, author of "The Goddess's Choice" and "Demons in the Big Easy."

On to you, Jamie!

What do you do aside from writing?

I teach writing and literature at Auburn University. I’m the mother of a seventeen-year-old son, and I have four cats. Some have called me a cat lady.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’m a more fly-by-the-seat-my-pants kind of writer. I never made a written outline or plotted a story arc. I had a basic idea of where I wanted to end up, although I didn’t know exactly how Demons in the Big Easy was going to end until I was nearly there. A lot of where the story goes depends on the characters. They tend to take on a life of their own.

Where did you get the inspiration for "The Goddess's Choice"? And for "Demons in the Big Easy?"

My first book, The Goddess's Choice, originates deep within my childhood. My sister Jalane--she is ten years older than me--told me stories, fairy tales mostly:  "Midas and His Golden Touch," "Little Red Riding Hood," "Hansel and Gretel." But my favorite was always "The Princess and the Glass Hill" or "The Glass Mountain" as my sister titled it. I had her tell that story over and over again. I was captivated by the bold hero on his magical horses of bronze, silver, and gold.

When I had a child of my own, I wanted to pass that fairy tale on. My son, Jesse, loved it every bit as much as I had. One day after telling it to him, it came to me that the story could be so much more than five pages and sparse details. However, I didn’t want to write a children’s story but the type of epic fantasy I enjoy as an adult. I upped the dramatic tension, villainy, and sexuality of the piece to create something far different than the original fairy tale. The Goddess’s Choice is intended for an adult audience.

Demons in the Big Easy was inspired by a prompt for an anthology about older women heroes. As I thought about the anthology, Cassandra came to life. Her world and the rest of the story followed. My novella didn’t make it into the anthology, but it got a positive enough response that I decided to publish it.

Do your stories have a message? What are you trying to tell your readers?

The Goddess’s Choice has a fairly overt lesson about forgiveness, how holding on to anger hurts ourselves more in the end than anyone else. Demons in the Big Easy is about the power of older women, who tend to be discounted in our society that celebrates youth.

Cassandra, the main character of "Demons in the Big Easy", is a loving old witch (no insult there; she's really a witch!). Do you have any plans for incorporating her into future stories?

I hadn’t, but people keep asking me this, so maybe I should consider another Cassandra story.

In tone with the previous question: what are your future writing plans?

I’m almost finished with the sequel to The Goddess’s Choice, titled The Soul Stone, in which Samantha struggles to solidify her rule, and Robrek must confront a bigger threat to the safety of the joined kingdoms. I’m also working on an urban fantasy novel, The Bull Riding Witch, which has a princess from a parallel realm switching bodies with a rodeo bull rider.

Finally, is there any advice you would give aspiring authors?

Read a lot, and find yourself a critique group or partner. It’s nearly impossible to see all the weaknesses in your own work.

Thank you for the interview, Jamie! I appreciate you taking the time to stop by!

Dear readers, don't forget to come back tomorrow for a sneak peek into "Demons in the Big Easy"!

If you would like to keep in touch with her, or learn more about her work, check out the following links:

Email: jamie-marchant@jamie-marchant.com
Website: http://jamie-marchant.com
Blog:  http://jamie-marchant.blogspot.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jamie-Marchant-Author/164706710298768?ref=hl
Twitter: @RobrekSamantha
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5258855.Jamie_Marchant

Author Interview: Ryan Sullivan, author of Aundes Aura

Today I'm happy to interview friend and author Ryan Sullivan. His debut fantasy novel Aundes Aura came out just last week!

Want to know what's really cool? You can hop on over to Amazon and grab a FREE copy today!

Saera is afflicted. Seven years ago, while venturing into a cave behind a waterfall with her brother Eoin, she unwittingly absorbed the Aura of Aundes, the Goddess of Light, who cultivates war by making men blind to one another.

Their father, the village blacksmith, languishes in the dungeons for refusing to fight in the Duthonian army, so the siblings must fend for themselves, begging for coin by day and stealing into houses for food by night. Meanwhile, the power-hungry Church Regency prepares an army for an all-out attack on neighbouring kingdom, Meira.

When the Aura reveals itself within Saera, the Regency pursues her relentlessly. She and Eoin take flight and with the help of Faine, a mysterious traveller they happen upon, they elude their pursuers. Making alliances they would never have dreamt of, they find themselves swept up into a struggle against the kingdom they once called their own.

Hello Ryan! Tell us a bit about yourself. What do you do apart from writing?

I’m currently studying an Advanced Diploma of Music, in hopes of being a piano teacher to supplement my writing income. This year I started teaching piano at a primary school on Wednesdays. When I have spare time, I record covers of film and game themes on my Youtube channel, “Acrozius”. I also sometimes record original songs, and covers of more mainstream music for my other Youtube channel, “Ryan Lee Sullivan”.

Aundes Aura was released last week. Where did you find the inspiration to write it?

The initial inspiration came one morning when I woke up. In my mind was an image of a girl in a cave, an explosion of white light, and the title, Aundes Aura. It nestled in my thoughts for the next couple of days, and then I started writing.

Plotter or pantser?

Of course, it’s really a spectrum. When I started writing Aundes Aura I’d say I was about 50/50, maybe with a slight lean towards pantser. These days I’d say I’m 3 parts plotter, 1 part pantser. I used a variation of the Snowflake Method to plan out my current work-in-progress (Three Bridges) from start to finish. Also, before every session, I write a brief outline of the events I’ll be covering, and then expand on those in the actual writing.

How would you define your writing? Do you have a special message for readers?

It’s a blend of action and character development that doesn’t get too bogged down in details, but provides a good amount to give a sense of the world. I like to use all three at a time – the characters progress towards their goal, and meanwhile we learn something new about one of them, and discover the world through the eyes of the main character. In Aundes Aura I explore the themes of corruption and loyalty in many ways.

As an author, what is the most difficult task you’ve had to tackle? And the easiest?

The most difficult task for me was taking a book all the way to the end of the first draft. The following drafts were much easier, and much less time-consuming. Now that I’ve done that, it will definitely come more easily in the future. The easiest task was, in fact, getting the initial idea. I mean, I woke up and it was there. All I had to was go with it.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Finish things. Be a finisher, not just a starter. If novels take you a while, write a couple of short stories as side-projects. Learn to finish. It doesn’t matter how many great ideas you’ve started, you can’t publish an unfinished book. If you get a great idea in the middle of a project, jot it down and move on. You can come back to it later.


Thank you for the interview, Ryan, and congratulations on your new release! I wish you the best of luck.

As for you, dear readers, don't forget to check out Aundes Aura on Amazon, and download your free copy while the promotion lasts (June 12, 13 & 14)!

You can also...

Follow Ryan Sullivan on Twitter

Like Ryan's Facebook page
Add Aundes Aura to your Goodreads shelf

Sign up for Ryan's newsletter

Author Interview: Carrie Lange

Today I have an amazing guest author: Carrie Lange. Carrie's novel is a heart-wrenching tale of overcoming grief and guilt--a story I will never forget.

She also runs the Little Blog of Letting Go, a site dedicated to suicide prevention, support for depression and grief, and encouragement for everyone.

1.   Tell us a bit about yourself. What do you do apart from writing?

I am a wife, insurance agent, and mother to two children, three dogs, one tortoise, four rats, and one ant colony. I live near Seattle, Washington and apart from caring for my family, taking care of my insurance customers, writing and blogging, my interests are suicide prevention, reading, camping, anything to do with Star Trek, white water rafting, playing Dungeons & Dragons, and archery.

2.   You published your debut novel last April. Letting Go is a touching story of regrets and redemption, with the added bonus of having a paranormal twist. In a few more words, how would you describe it?

Letting Go is based on my experience as a suicide survivor, after my fiancée, Dan, killed himself several years ago. It’s like The Five People You Meet In Heaven told from both sides of heaven, The Lovely Bones meets A Grief Observed. It’s a character-driven narrative exploration of grief, mental illness, suicide, regret, and letting go of things that cannot be changed.

In my efforts to prevent suicide, all proceeds will be donated to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. 1-800-273-8255 www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org. Help is available 24/7 for those in crisis.


3.   Would you mind telling us why and how you wrote the novel? I imagine it must have been a very difficult emotional experience for you. What message do you have for readers?

The book was originally written for my teenage daughter, who began struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide the past few years. In her struggle to understand her own depression, she kept asking me about Dan’s death. Although very young when he died, she loved him very much and had a difficult time understanding his sudden loss. As she grew older, and began to realize what happened, her questions became more pointed. Letting Go first began as my way of explaining to her an unexplainable act.

One of the main characters, and the one readers seem to love the most, Tar, was not a figment of my imagination. My daughter told me about talking to Dan’s friend. She told me Dan wasn’t up in heaven with God, but with his friend, Tar, who was dead too. That night – after watching Galaxy Quest about five times in a row – I had a dream about Tar, which probably explains why he looked like Alan Rickman to me!

My goal with Letting Go is to both prevent suicide and help survivors understand why people become suicidal. I also want to help all people gain a better understanding of the grieving process.

After Dan died, the people in my life were, for the most part, uncomfortable around me due to the circumstances of his death. They also did not understand my grief, nor did I. The grief and isolation I experienced was so profound that it almost led me to commit suicide myself. I want others to be able to recognize and anticipate the intricacies of depression, grief, and suicidal behavior.

I wanted to show a real portrayal of profound grief, because I think many of us have never really seen it. The grief-stricken often hide it away from their loved ones, as I did.

4.   Are you working on any new writing projects?

I have started writing a Fantasy book, and must admit, it’s been much more enjoyable writing it than Letting Go. Writing Letting Go took an emotional toll on me, and I’m having fun with my new venture. But, it’s a long way from being finished, I better get something new up on Critique Circle soon!

5.   Do you have any advice on how to tackle loss and guilt?

It’s a strange irony, but the people who love you the most, often are incapable of providing you with the support you need. If you are struggling with grief of any kind, my main advice to you is to find a support group. A suicide survivor group, grief support group, or any kind of group that focuses on the kind of loss you are experiencing. People grieve over more than just the death of a loved one. Divorce, loss of a job, growing elderly, the list goes on. Try Meetup.com, check the resources page of my blog, or just google what you’re in need of.

If you are feeling suicidal – get help, reach out, realize that treatment is available. Depression is not a weakness, it’s a disease like any other. Please get the help you need!

6. Do you have any advice for new authors? Is there anything you would have done differently?

My main piece of advice is to stop dreaming about it and start doing it! I put it off for years because it just seemed like a pipe dream. If you want to write a book, then start doing it - right this very minute. You don’t have to know a damn thing about writing, that’s a myth. I knew absolutely nothing about it when I started. I just pulled out a piece of paper and began, “Once upon a time…”

My second piece of advice is join a writer’s group and an online critique group. You can find a local writer’s group through Meetup.com, and I highly suggest Critique Circle for the online group. Along that vein, when a critiquer gives you advice – take it! Especially if you keep hearing the same advice from multiple sources.I learned everything I know about writing from the wonderful groups and fellow authors, like you! You truly helped me become what I am proud to now call myself – an author. Thank you, Nadine!

Thank you very much for the interview, Carrie! Good luck with Letting Go!