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Some People Dream, Others Hunt Them Down- Meredith McCardle

Mar 1, 2014 | , | 3 Comments

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 Some People Dream, Others Hunt Them Down

Plus a giveaway of an autographed hardcover of THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN below

by Meredith McCardle

There’s a song that’s very special to me. A song that’s gotten me through some rough times in my writing career. Through form rejections to my query letter. Through scathing letters from editors who clearly only read a few pages of my manuscript. Through plot points that won’t work themselves out and through characters who won’t behave. And mostly through the crippling self-doubt that can plague anyone trying to pursue a dream.

 

That song is Head Full of Doubt by the Avett Brothers. It’s hauntingly beautiful (with a video to match), and whenever I need it, that song is always there to inspire me.

 

Or watch it here on YouTube.

 

There’s one line in particular that resonates with me:

 

There was a dream and one day I could see it

Like a bird in a cage I broke in and demanded that somebody free it

 

Because, for me, that’s what a dream is—a bird trapped in a cage. And some people are content to leave the bird there, to never let it spread its wings and soar. But there are other people who can’t listen to the bird rattling at the cage doors anymore, who know that birds are meant to be free…and they open the door.

I suppose it’s fine to live in a dream world, to imagine what if without having to take that terrifying first leap. But, as someone who swallowed the fear and took that leap, there’s no comparison between imagining a dream and living a dream.

Open the cage. Unlock your potential. And let your dreams soar.

Meredith McCardle headshot small

Website: http://meredithmccardle.com/

Twitter: @MeredithMcP

I grew up in South Florida dreaming up stories in my head and writing down the good ones. I attended the University of Florida and received degrees in both magazine journalism and theatre. In a moment of sheer practicality my senior year of college, I realized that journalism wasn’t my passion and that theatre was nothing more than a hobby, and I went to law school. After graduating from Boston University School of Law, I spent seven years working as a commercial litigator by day and toiling away as a writer by night. Following the birth of my first daughter in late 2009, I left the law behind to focus on my writing full-time.

 

 

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Fill the Quiver (with inspiration) + giveaway by Robin Constantine

Mar 1, 2014 | , , | 8 Comments

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Fill the Quiver (with inspiration)

Plus giveaway of THE PROMISE OF AMAZING below

by Robin Constantine

Last October I went on my first writing retreat.  Going in, I didn’t know what to expect.  I imagined a group of us with laptops, clicking away, occasionally taking breaks for meals or naps, but mostly writing.  I set the lofty goal to hit twenty thousand words by the end of the four-day weekend.  Prepped with some craft books, pens, my trusty laptop, some fuzzy socks and about fifty pages of a new WIP, I was all set for a productive weekend.

When I arrived home on Sunday, I returned with some new reading material, a box of the world’s most insanely rich chocolate truffles, and four thousand new words in my WIP.  You might look at that word count and think my retreat was a wash.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

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Photo curtsey of Fantasy Journal

So what was my quiver filled with by the end of the weekend?

New friends – Writing is not exactly a social activity.  I’ll admit all the time I spend alone made me slightly angst ridden about meeting new people.  Turns out I wasn’t only meeting people – but kindred spirits.   We talked about plotting, querying, books we loved and even had nightly readings.   One morning there was a discussion about interesting ways to kill people with household cleaning products and what someone would think if they read a writer’s Google search history.  Never a dull moment!

New tricks – To loosen up our creativity we did some story mapping.  You take a large sheet of paper, some colored pens and draw yourself a map of your story.  It could be bits on characters or plot or just general thoughts about where you want to go with the story.  I loved this exercise and still use it from time to time to help construct individual chapters.

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Comfort Food – I can’t believe I lived this long without knowing Trader Joe’s Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Pretzels existed!   Or something called Tortilla Espanola!  I loved this dish so much, I wrote it into my WIP.  Yes, really.

Fresh Air – The retreat house was nestled in the mountains of North Carolina.   Taking a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood pretty much meant taking a hike.   All that heart pumping activity and oxygen enriched blood definitely cleared the cobwebs and reminded me that exercise is a good tool to get your creativity flowing!

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An Amazing Place – On our last full day we took a field trip into Asheville.  If you haven’t been, then you need to change that, right away.  I think creative energy is pumped into the streets. It’s palpable.  And there’s Malaprops Bookstore!  Oh, and that box of insanely rich chocolate truffles – yep, from Asheville.  It’s a magical place.

Words – While I didn’t manage my lofty twenty thousand, I did write four thousand words over the course of the weekend.  Not only that, but I had a new direction and focus on my story. When I arrived home I couldn’t wait to attack it.

Jro, Kip, Patty, Jen, Mary Ann, Juliana and Lauren – Wait, isn’t this like my first point on the list?  Yes and no.  See, I didn’t really know these wonderful women and writers before I went on the retreat.  Now?  I like to think there’s a gossamer web that ties us together – or Twitter, take your pick.   Word of encouragement, a quick hello – I get to see them every day.   This is the most prized possession in my quiver!

I know there are probably retreats that focus on output, word wars, and rewards for meeting daily goals – I think that’s wonderful.  I’d love to go on a retreat like that some day.  But this retreat helped me fill a creative quiver I hadn’t even realized was empty.

Debuting is an incredible adventure, but it can also be terrifying.  Exuberant highs are sometimes met with crushing lows.  The retreat gave me a moment to step out of the insanity of my pre-debut and help me remember why I love to write in the first place.   Taking some much-needed time to re-energize and ‘fill the quiver’ was the best gift I could give myself and one I highly recommend to anyone in need of reboot.  I hope to do it again soon!

Happy Debut, Christy!

Enter to win an autographed copy of THE PROMISE OF AMAZING!

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Robin Constantine is a born and bred Jersey girl who moved down South so she could wear flip-flops year round.  She spends her days dreaming up stories where love conquers all, well, eventually but not without a lot of peril, angst and the occasional kissing scene. 

Her YA debut, THE PROMISE OF AMAZING, was released on December 31, 2013 by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Twitter: @RConstantine14

Website: http://www.robinconstantine.com/

Equipping Your Arsenal- Amy Christine Parker + Giveaway

Mar 1, 2014 | , , | 2 Comments

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Equipping Your Arsenal

Plus giveaway of a GATED pack (2 winners- audio and t-shirt and bookmarks)

by Amy Christine Parker

 

To watch it on YouTube go here.

And Amy is giving away to a GATED pack (2 winners- audio and t-shirt and bookmarks)! Enter here:

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AMY CHRISTINE PARKER , author of Gated, writes full-time from her home near Tampa, Florida, where she lives with her husband, their two daughters, and one ridiculously fat cat.

Visit her at amychristineparker.com and follow her on Twitter @amychristinepar.

Aim High- Debbie Ridpath Ohi + Giveaway

Mar 1, 2014 | , , , | 0 Comments

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AIM HIGH

Giveaway of GILDED audio below

by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

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Debbie Ridpath Ohi writes and illustrates books for young people. Based in Toronto, Debbie is represented by Ginger Knowlton of Curtis Brown Ltd. Her illustrations appear in I’M BORED, a picture book written by Michael Ian Black (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, 2012) and was selected by The New York Times for its list of Notable Children’s Books. You can read what the press has said about Debbie’s illustrations and view samples here.

Her upcoming books include NAKED! (by Michael Ian Black, illustrated by Debbie, coming out from S&S in Summer/2014) and WHERE ARE MY BOOKS?, which is written AND illustrated by Debbie (coming out from S&S in Spring/2015). She is currently working with Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, Harpercollins Children’s and Random House Children’s Books.

Coming Apr.29, 2014: NAKED!

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Locate Your Target, but Aim Beyond It- Beth Revis + Giveaway

Mar 1, 2014 | , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

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Locate Your Target, but Aim Beyond It

Giveaway of SHADES OF EARTH below

by Beth Revis

I have long been fascinating with archery–one of the many reasons why I love Christy Farley’s debut novel GILDED. There is nobility to archery that doesn’t necessarily exist in other forms of hunt. When you aim an arrow, you have to be grounded and centered, very aware of where you are in the world, in touch with your surroundings and your presence. And when you shoot the arrow, you are projecting a part of yourself away from the very world built around you. It is simultaneously an action that roots you and sets you free.

My fascination with archery in literature stretches back far as well. Many of my favorite characters are archers–Kaguya from Inuyasha, Robin Hood, Katniss from The Hunger Games, Odysseus, Legolas, and Artemis.

Archery has long been a noble and lauded element of heroes and literature.

But my own personal experience came from something far less lofty.

Okay, okay, so Duck Hunt isn’t exactly archery. For all you people born in the 90s or (omg I am old) in the 2000s, Duck Hunt was a really cheesy video game where you aimed a plastic gun at the television screen and tried to shoot pixelated ducks.

I was fascinated with it as a kid–I never had a video game console until I was an adult and could purchase my own, but my parents were friends with a family with a kid that had one. We’d go to his house and all my brother and I wanted to do was play Duck Hunt.

I have never been good at video games, and Duck Hunt was no exception. I always seemed to be hundreds of points behind the boys, and it frustrated me how often I’d aim carefully and yet…still miss. And that stupid electronic dog laughed at me every time.

But the more I played, the more I learned a few important things.

The first thing you have to do is locate the duck. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. That darn duck would come out at all different places, zig and zag across the screen, and then whizz away before you have a chance to blink.

But the same is true of life: the things that you want often come out of nowhere, and are far more elusive for you to grasp than you’d realize. But if you focus hard enough–and I mean focus so hard that you squint at the screen and give yourself a headache and cramp your hand around the plastic gun–if you do all that, you’ll find your target.

Of course, seeing the target is the easier part of the game. Far harder is actually hitting it. So many times in life, I will finally figure out something I want to do or accomplish, but succeeding at that goal isn’t as easy as deciding it’s something I want. I don’t lose my focus, but the more I aim, the more frustrated I became when I didn’t triumph. Good thing Duck Hunt taught me one more lesson in life:

If you want to hit the duck, you can’t aim at the duck. You have to aim in front of it.

I became a virtual sharpshooter. I’d line that flapping duck up in the plastic sights of the neon orange plastic gun, and then I’d tilt it, just a bit, and shoot not at the duck, but at a spot just before it, where it would be by the time my electronic beam of light hit the screen.

It was such a simple lesson, and once I learned the trick of the game, it became easy. But, as with all things in life, the simple lessons are often the most important ones.

When there’s something in life you want–whether it be to publish a book, or make a piece of art, or earn a degree, or get a job, or anything, really, don’t aim just for the thing you want.

Aim a little higher.

  beth

Beth Revis is the NY Times bestselling author of the Across the Universe series. The complete trilogy is now available in more than 20 languages. A native of North Carolina, Beth is currently working on a new science fiction trilogy for teens.

Twitter: @bethrevis

Website: www.bethrevis.com

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Keep FOCUS! – Vivi Barnes + Giveaway

Mar 1, 2014 | , , , , , | 5 Comments

Olivia Twisted COVER 3

Keep FOCUS!

Plus giveaway below of autographed copy of OLIVIA TWISTED

 by Vivi Barnes

In celebration of the launch of Gilded, I thought I’d share a post on managing the distractions in life and focusing on what’s important—much like an archer does as he focuses his arrow on the target when there’s commotion going on around him.

FOCUS—for many, the word may bring to mind the quiet determination of an Olympic athlete or a pleasant sunlit writing room with gentle classical music playing in the background.

But what if you can’t get away from distraction?

Welcome to my world: three young kids, a job, a writing career, and a frequently messy house. (Guess which one has to give—sorry, house.) Focusing is a bit of a challenge for me.

Don’t get me wrong—I love distraction and typically will distract myself if someone else doesn’t. It’s how I’m engineered, but it does make it hard to focus on anything fully. So I started tackling the parts of my life that needed focus one by one:

1)        Family: My husband has always been quick to take the kids places so I can write, offering up lots of support when I need it. Sometimes too much. I found myself coming home from work, eating dinner with the family then straight to my computer. Then came the day when my son wrote out the things that mom loves most, and he put my laptop above himself. Ugh. Time for a change.

FOCUS: I now close my laptop when the kids want to talk to me. I reserve my writing time for those times that the kids are in their rooms reading or in bed (yes, I don’t get a lot of sleep but there you go). I play games with my kids now, even if I’m on a deadline. Granted, the game ain’t Monopoly, but we still have fun.

2)        Job: Thankfully, I enjoy my job. When I’m working is one of the few times I’m not distracted by my books. It’s actually freeing in a way to not have my characters talking in my head as much as when I’m not working. So a win there. But I used to check my work email so often that I ended up getting stressed at this or that when I was at home.

FOCUS: My coworkers have my personal cell number if there’s anything urgent, and I check my email only once or twice when I’m not “on the clock.”

3)        Internet: GAH what a time suck! As in TIME. SUCK. I love chit-chatting on Twitter and interacting on Facebook, and reading this blog and that blog and playing those darn Buzzfeed quizzes to find out what dog I should be and…you get the picture. I’m sure I’m not the only one who finds the Internet the greatest distraction of them all. I close out of my browser just to accidentally reopen it out of habit.

FOCUS: FAIL. FAIL. FAIL. I’ve tried steering clear of the Internet. It’s just too hard, so I am going to have to break down and buy that Mac Freedom thingie. That program keeps you off the Internet so you aren’t tempted to check your numbers just one last time.

4)        Messy house: Heh heh. Anyone who knows me well knows that housecleaning is at the bottom of my priority totem pole. But it still drove me crazy that I could barely stay above laundry and dishes, not to mention anything else.

FOCUS: My mom was nice enough to gift me six months of housecleaning by Merry Maids. Yay! As for the rest…I’ll get to it when I get to it.

5)        Writing: Shiny object…shiny object…shiny object!

FOCUS: Here’s an interesting one—I have to have distraction to a point to be able to write, and that comes in the form of music. With lyrics. And electric guitar. Other writers might think I’m weird, but music helps me focus. A quiet house doesn’t do anything more than remind me I need to clean it!

How do you focus?

 Vivi author photo

Originally from East Texas (the accent comes out more often than not), Vivi now live in the magic and sunshine of Orlando, FL with her very understanding husband and three kids. She’s an extrovert with awkward blogging tendencies. Her debut novel, OLIVIA TWISTED, came out on November 5, 2013 from Entangled Teen. She’s represented by Pam van Hylckama Vlieg of Foreword Literary.

 

You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest. Or visit the official Olivia Twisted site at www.oliviatwisted.com.

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I WON’T GIVE UP – Kit Grindstaff + Giveaway

Mar 1, 2014 | , , | 0 Comments

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A SONG to CELEBRATE “GILDED”: I WON’T GIVE UP

Giveaway of audiobook of THE FLAME AND THE MIST, bookmarks, buttons

by Kit Grindstaff

My contribution to Christy’s GILDED launch-a-palooza was done. Blog post written. Ready for a last read-through before emailing it off. I emailed Christy to let her know to expect it. A song was the last thing on my mind.

 

But then, a song is exactly what barged into my head: “I…won’t give up!” One I’d written and recorded a few years ago. Insistent. Persistent. LOUD. About…well, exactly that. Not giving up. I’m more interesting than your blog post! it cajoled. Why not use me?

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Photo from Media Commons

A song for a determined protagonist…well, why not? “No matter what, never give up!” my heroine, Jemma, is urged by her beloved ally as she’s about to be abandoned to the evil ones’ clutches. Words that spur her on in dangerous times to come. Jemma may feel like giving up, but of course she doesn’t.

 

Surely GILDED’s MC, Jae, is no quitter, either.

 

I emailed Christy again, attaching an mp3 of the song and asking what she thought of the idea. The answer: a resounding Yes! “I got chills listening to it,” she replied, “because it really represents my book and Jae perfectly.”

 

I was thrilled that it tied in so well with GILDED, and to be able to share it in support of Christy’s debut. Here are links to it on Myspace and Soundcloud. Let the music play!

 

And let GILDED soar…

Kit

Listen to the song in one of these locations: 

I Won’t Give Up (myspace)

I Won’t Give Up (SoundCloud)

 kit

Kit is the author of THE FLAME IN THE MIST, a dark, magical middle grade for fantasy lovers ages 9-90. She is also a professional songwriter, writing under her maiden name, Hain.

 “I won’t give up” written and performed by Kit Hain Grindstaff © Kittus Music/Wild Pink Music

 Website

Amazon

Facebook

Kit’s music website

 

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Shot through the Heart- Elisa Nader + Giveaway

Mar 1, 2014 | , , , , , | 4 Comments

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Shot through the Heart: 7 Ways Following Your Dream is A Lot Like Falling in Love

Plus giveaway of ESCAPE FROM EDEN below

By Elisa Nader

A few years ago, I left my all-consuming corporate job to pursue my dream of writing novels. Somewhere, off in the distance, my dream hovered on the horizon like a beacon. There were days — weeks — when all I thought about was writing, plot, characters, setting. And other days I thought, “If this doesn’t happen for me, all is lost!” in the most dramatic fashion imaginable.

It made me think that pursuing a dream is a lot like falling in love.

1. At first, you get a little obsessed with your dream.

2. After a while, you become dependent on following your dream. Without your dream, you are nothing.

3. Jealousy takes over when other people achieve your dream.

4. Your dream becomes an addition. Without it, you’re nothing.

5. The horrific discovery that maybe your dream isn’t right for you.

6. But after hard work and dedication (and a little bit of groveling), your dream may just come true.

7. And when your dream is looking you in the eye, with all the promise of a beautiful future,  there’s no better feeling in the world.

 

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Hi. I’m Elisa. I like cheese and reading and TV show marathons. Writing is scary, but not as scary as, say, Civil War amputations. I’m an Aquarius. Uh… let’s see… I’m not very good at writing my own biography. Or autobiography. I guess this is reading more like a slightly incoherent personal ad.

Website: http://elisanader.tumblr.com/

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Proud to be a Sidekick- Casey McCormick + Giveaway

Mar 1, 2014 | , , , , , | 13 Comments

GILDED's Virtual Launch Invite- Facebook

Proud to Be a Sidekick

Giveaway below from Casey and Natalie- two winners will receive a copy of GILDED

by Casey McCormick

When I joined this community six years ago, I thought writing and publishing novels was my dream. I identified with strong characters like Jae Hwa who fought their demons (or demi-gods rather!) with gumption and who triumphed despite great odds.

But somewhere along the way, I began to realize that I wasn’t cut out to be a main character in the greater story of publishing, that I was much happier as a sidekick. So, to use a Gilded-like metaphor, I lay down my bow and focused on filling the quivers of other writers. Because if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that the world needs more great books.

Wherever you turn in publishing, you’ll find someone saying “don’t quit,” and I don’t think you should if writing novels is truly your passion, or if you’re on the brink and simply despairing at the odds. But if this pursuit is making you miserable or you’re coming to realize there’s another dream in your heart, I want to tell you it’s okay.

It’s okay to quit. 

It doesn’t make you less of a person, or without forethought or purpose. You can go back to being “just” a reader and help an industry you care about thrive. Sometimes it’s the sidekick who saves the day, and by supporting writers and their books, I know I’m playing a crucial role in the good fight, and that someday I’ll star in my own story.

Until I do, I’m proud to be a sidekick.

Casey

Twitter: @Casey_McCormick

Website:  http://www.literaryrambles.com/

Casey McCormick is a literary agent intern, blogger, wife, and mom (x2).
A member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and founding
member of WriteOnCon, she’s honored to be part of the extraordinary kidlit
community. Casey started the popular Agent Spotlight series in March of 2009
following the creation of Literary Rambles in 2008.


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Follow Your Dream At Your Own Pace – Natalie Aguirre + Giveaway

Mar 1, 2014 | , | 12 Comments

GILDED's Virtual Launch Invite- Facebook

FOLLOW YOUR DREAM AT YOUR OWN PACE

Giveaway below from Natalie and Casey- two winners will receive a copy of GILDED

By Natalie Aquirre

I’m an aspiring middle grade and YA fantasy writer. Like many, my dream is to write a book good enough to find an agent and get published. But mine is a LONG, SLOW journey. I started writing after reading the first Harry Potter book when my daughter was starting first grade. Now she’s a junior in high school. And I’ve only finished one story that I haven’t queried.

I wasn’t one of those kids who dreamed of writing. In fact, I couldn’t imagine wanting to do that when I was in school. So I started out making a lot of mistakes, like creating cardboard characters, being too nice to my main character, and having scenes that didn’t move the plot. I’ve spent years revising my first middle grade fantasy, learning from my mistakes and improving my writing.

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Photo from Commons Media

There have been times when I’ve gotten frustrated with how slow my progress is, especially as I watch my writer friends move on to getting published. But I work full-time and have a daughter who’s a swimmer. And my job and involvement in her schools and her swim activities have made my journey even slower. Sometimes I’ve wanted to cry or give up. But I always come back to the love of writing.

My first middle grade story is finished finally. And I could query it. But I’m not sure if it’s unique enough. And I realize that this year I have too much else going on to query—job training for a new career when I get laid off this year and hopefully starting a new job, helping my daughter with her college and scholarship search, and being swim mom for the high school swim team in the Fall when my daughter is captain of the team. That’s been her dream since 9th grade. I just can’t handle any more deadlines this year.

While I go through this year of change, I’m working on a new YA project, one that might be a fresher story to query. And I’m seeing how my writing has improved. I don’t think I’ll have to spend years revising this one. I don’t have as much time as I’d like to write, but I plug away at it when I can. And I’ve already finished one-third of the first draft.

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Photo from Commons Media

So I’m continuing on my slow journey. And that’s okay with me now. Because I realize we all have our own journeys. Some can move fast toward their dreams. Others take longer. And for me, once I get through 2014, I really will start having more time to devote to my writing. And if I fulfill my dream of finding an agent and signing a book contract, I’ll know that I achieved this while supporting my family by working and being the best mom I could be to my daughter.

Things have a way of working out for the best. And my slow, steady pace at reaching my writing goals is what’s right for me. Follow your own dreams and do it at the pace that’s right for you.

And a huge congrats to Christina on the release of GILDED. She did an amazing job weaving in Korean culture and mythology into her story. And Jae is a fantastic heroine I fell in love with. Hope you all read Christina’s book.

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Natalie Aguirre is an attorney by day and an aspiring middle grade and YA fantasy writer the rest of the time. She blogs at Literary Rambles where she helps promote debut middle grade, YA, and NA authors through interviews and book giveaways. You can also find her on Twitter @NatalieIAguirre and on Facebook.

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