tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64507127062746358272024-03-19T04:39:21.091-04:00Emily CaseyThe official blog of author Emily CaseyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.comBlogger418125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-24073330281967012942017-04-07T18:38:00.000-04:002017-04-07T18:38:41.781-04:00Writing After Life Kicks You in the TeethI always thought that writer's block wasn't a real thing. That you could just sit down and start writing, and eventually you would figure out what should happen next. I wrote for over seven years and hadn't ever experienced a block that I couldn't work free of in an hour. Free writing, brain maps, and character interviews are all useful for that sort of thing. I've even written ridiculously impossible scenes before and then edited them into coherency.<br />
<br />
Then my life blew up.<br />
<br />
It's not that I didn't have time to write. Everyone has time to write, if they make it a priority. (Or so I've been told.) But my life was falling apart, and I felt like I couldn't talk to anybody about it for over a year. And the emotional stress, or depression, or whatever you want to call it (neither of those terms seem quite right) whatever it was, it sucked the creativity out of me. I can't really explain it any other way. I had no desire to be creative or think about stories or even read. Which is kind of a big deal, for me. I didn't read a single book for a year.<br />
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Like I said, it's not that I didn't have the time. It's not that I didn't have ideas or something to be working on. (I've been in the middle of Lost Princesses for an embarrassingly long time.) I just didn't. Or couldn't. I'm not sure which.<br />
<br />
During that time, I moved twice and took care of my kids, took a few college classes, and prepared to build my life back from the ground up. And I'm still in the middle of that process. But recently, I had a story idea.<br />
<br />
Not just any idea. The first idea I've had in a very, very long time. The first inkling that I would ever be able to write again. (The guilt of not finishing my other books had been the only motivation I'd had during that time, and it wasn't enough motivation, obviously.)<br />
<br />
I wrote down my idea, sketching out a short story from beginning to end. And I've been kinda excited about it.<br />
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And then today, I had an idea on six other related short stories that could become something very cool. Something I've never seen before in fiction. And I got so excited about it that I felt an almost panicky feeling. The feeling that I needed to write. Now.<br />
<br />
So I did. I wrote a thousand words today.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure what will happen with my writing. I don't know when the next book will come out. But what I can tell you is that I am writing. And it feels awesome.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-47109584114236446942015-04-03T12:25:00.002-04:002015-04-03T12:25:25.821-04:00Get 10 YA Fantasy Ebooks, at a Price You LikeIf you haven't heard, The Fairy Tale Trap is part of a name-your-price <a href="http://storybundle.com/ya">ebook bundle</a> on <a href="http://storybundle.com/ya">storybundle.com</a>. Ten ebooks, all of them Young Adult Fantasy stories about crossing worlds.<br />
<br />
The covers alone for this bundle make me want to do a happy dance. Aren't they gorgeous?<br />
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<a href="http://storybundle.com/ya" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRpDqkbLzYiJEgDLrf05U0rBcYmqeA_7tT3-BvJE3OwauwwKa9ivS5L5Nu4IiGWsVbEqq8SoFbhLnb-R9cF5PsFmqttswMr_bHhJRHCpFJfKUxxrP-_W71glk19TWN0kQf-ZeSSf7X0C0/s1600/storbundlefinalizing.png" height="269" width="320" /></a></div>
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And, if that's not enough, the authors of these books have come together to offer a contest. By helping to spread the word about this bundle, you increase your chances of winning.</div>
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What's the prize?</div>
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You get to choose. $100 Amazon gift card, or a Kindle Fire. (I'm imagining a nice stack of new books. $100 could buy a lot of ebooks.)</div>
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Click the image to go to <a href="http://susankayequinn.blogspot.com/2015/03/crossing-worlds-ya-fantasy-story-bundle.html">the contest</a>: </div>
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<a href="http://susankayequinn.blogspot.com/2015/03/crossing-worlds-ya-fantasy-story-bundle.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUC-1IhxI_FKh-BxGF-6bxkCosusFyDTxB0899Oq4r8TfivCBFoyAAPMY28X4gvXz99sXZHcyZnfvEYEwEnHY8g8yw5XMv3PsEfO_BzA-xHaUeq2CJJbwN9guhnqylVyhr2Pe8-gczLfM/s1600/kindlegiveawayfinalizing.png" height="203" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-52788727239382130012015-03-03T11:34:00.000-05:002015-03-03T11:34:00.550-05:00Adventures in Genre-Hopping: The Short Story Plunge<span id="goog_796262726"></span><span id="goog_796262727"></span>Okay. I did it. I finished a time travel story. It's short, but it's time travel and it's mine.<br />
<br />
My first published short story is out!<br />
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Time Killer<br />
by Emily Casey<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Detective Dominic is trying to solve a dozen murders--all with the same MO. The catch is, the murders have happened so close together, it would be impossible for one person to commit them all. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">At least, that's what she thought. But everything changes when Dominic finds a time machine in the desk of one of the victims. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Now, Detective Dominic has to chase down a time-hopping serial killer before he commits one more murder, one much closer to home.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Available at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Time-Killer-Short-Emily-Casey-ebook/dp/B00U1UK6GM/">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/523157">Smashwords</a>, and other retailers.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-9179366663807321002015-02-27T15:29:00.001-05:002015-02-27T15:29:08.535-05:00Adventures in Genre-Hopping: Getting the Story DownSo, I had a premise. I had a character. I had an opening. Now it was just time to sit down and write the darn thing. Right?<br />
<br />
My first time travel novel. It was supposed to be great. I was going to write the best dad-gum YA time travel book ever written. I'd done the research. I'd thought long and hard. I had everything. This was it.<br />
<br />
I sat down to write. And I typed. The words came slowly at first, then faster. I build a few new settings, I had new characters walk onto the page. My character learned the ins and outs of being a time traveler working for The Agency. (Clever name, right? I was just trying to get the words down. "Names can be changed" was my mantra.)<br />
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And as Kass (my main character) learned how time travel worked in this world, I learned how time travel worked. I had to invent a lot of it as I wrote. I didn't want to slow down and figure out every little detail before writing the first chapter. People have died of old age doing it that way.<br />
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So I got 50,000 words of this story written. There were some unexpected developments. There was a nice, fat plot twist I hadn't seen coming. There was some witty banter.<br />
<br />
But the book was destined for the recycle bin.<br />
<br />
The plot was cliche. The plot was slow.<br />
<br />
The character was flat. A puppet, doing what I needed her to do because I needed to figure things out.<br />
<br />
I looked back at what I'd written. The majority of a mediocre (at best) story.<br />
<br />
You know what would be better? If Kass broke that rule, without understanding it, and then had to suffer the consequences. That's much more interesting than getting lectured on every possible thing that could go wrong, and then being afraid of breaking said rule.<br />
<br />
Also, I should probably try to figure out this character who keeps popping up. His motivations are confusing to me because all he does is taunt my main character. WHY is he doing this?!<br />
<br />
And... the whole having-to-do-schoolwork thing? It's really cramping my style. If I made her six months older, she could go to college. Maybe I should treat her like an adult.<br />
<br />
Can I do that? Wouldn't it not be YA anymore?<br />
<br />
These thoughts, and more, are what brought me to the conclusion that I need to rethink this book. I've played around with the world and met a ton of characters. But now, it's time to get serious. I need to KNOW this world, its laws, and its characters. And I need a main character who makes mistakes.<br />
<br />
Let's try this again.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-38745142929575187592014-08-30T09:25:00.001-04:002014-08-30T09:25:34.045-04:00Adventures in Genre-Hopping: The Chapter that Didn't Make It<div align="center" style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trajan Pro'; font-size: 18pt;">Chapter 1</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">My braids flopped against my back, collecting the snow that fell thick around me. The icy air moved in gusts, chilling my cheeks and the inside of my nose as I breathed. Montana winters were brutal, and I missed Florida. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I thought about turning around and calling for a ride home, but I was pretty sure I was already past the halfway point. The long dirt road stretched ahead of me, lost in the blanket of white. The grassy fields to my right had already been swallowed by the storm. I couldn’t even see the barbed wire fence that ran alongside the road. Things were getting bad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">To my left, the outlines of pine trees, bending in the wind, slapped against each other. I pulled my winter coat tighter around me, imagining that the sunny-colored outer layer would somehow summon the Florida heat. No luck. I picked up the pace. Jogging home would keep me warm and get me there faster, even if the snow clung to my jeans like sand from the beach. Cold, numbing sand.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I sniffed twice, between breaths. My nose ached from the cold and wouldn’t stop running. Meg had offered me a ride, and I hadn’t taken it. Why? Because I’m an idiot. “No thanks,” I’d said. “I’ll be fine.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’m stubborn, and admitting that I needed a ride would have made me look silly, because I’d left my car at home. And why hadn’t I driven myself to school? Because apparently, I like to stretch my legs, even when blizzards blot out the sun like it’s Armageddon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I reached into my coat pockets to pull out the thick, yellow and white mittens my grandma had made for me. “Because, come winter, you’ll want them.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’d liked the colors. I’d liked how soft they were. But in my mind, the only time you wore mittens was when you were seven years old, building snowmen in your backyard. But as my red, numb fingers dug around in the gaping pockets, I only found one. One mitten. The other must have fallen out of my pocket in the last twenty minutes. I stared at the left mitten and sighed. No sense in searching for a white and yellow mitten when I couldn’t even see five yards in front of me. I shoved my left hand into the mitten and tucked my right hand under my left armpit. Both my hands were still cold. The wind howled in my ears, laughing at me because I was lost. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Was it time for a do-over?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">When I lifted my gaze, I had to squint against the hard pellets that stung my face. I couldn’t see a thing. Everything in front of me was just an empty, white void. I pushed forward, but I didn’t even know if I was still on the road anymore.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The storm blinded me, wrapping me in that wool fleece and pulling it tighter and tighter. The wind sucked the breath from my lungs. The edge of panic pressed against me and I inhaled, filling my lungs, to remind myself that I could. Several hard pellets of ice flew into my mouth, making me choke. I coughed and sputtered, wetting my chapped lips with spit that evaporated quickly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">My coat wasn’t warm anymore. The fluffy white lining didn’t stand a chance as another blast of wind pushed through, chilling my skin. I reached out with one cold hand in the mitten, the other numb and bare. The swirling white threatened to devour the tips of my fingers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Yeah, I needed a do-over. I’d have to be careful not to go too far back, so I didn’t just suddenly disappear from campus. But I’d been alone on this road for a while. And sure, I’d still be halfway between school and my house, but at least the storm wouldn’t be as bad. I could get home before the blizzard blotted everything out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Out of habit, I turned around, searching the blankness around me for anyone who might be watching. Not that they would remember seeing me after the do-over. It’s just that, when you’re about to do something that’s supposed to be a secret, you want to feel like you’re not being watched.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">But that’s when I saw them. Up ahead, two cirlcles of bluish light appeared. Still hazy in the thick air, they grew larger and floated farther apart from each other. Realizing they were headlights, I stumbled toward them, my pant legs dragging through more fresh snow. My toes, nose, and the tips of my ears throbbed with cold. I sniffed once and kept moving. The lights were closer now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Do-overs were to be used sparingly. Maybe I wouldn’t have to use one after all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">A fuzzy gray rectangle materialized around the balls of light—a slow-moving, black sedan. As I got closer, the car stopped, the engine barely rumbling over the whining storm. Somehow, the driver had seen me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I ran to the passenger’s side of the sleek, luxury sedan and tapped on the window with my bare knuckle. It hurt more than I’d expected. As the window lowered, I shook the pain out of my hand. Inside the car, a woman with neat, blond hair and red lipstick smiled at me. “Need a lift?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I nodded eagerly and tugged on the door handle. As I climbed in, the window hummed back up, shutting out the flurries behind me. I closed the door and hoped the woman wouldn’t ask why I’d been outside during a blizzard.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The leather seat was already warm and the snow that clung to my clothes immediately started to melt. A huge clump of soggy snow dripped onto the car’s expensive-looking interior. I wiped at it with my sleeve and hoped the woman hadn’t noticed. She wore a navy blue women’s business suit, with a white, pressed collar jutting out at a sharp angle. Her nails were perfectly manicured and she drove easily through the storm. Even her smile looked expensive. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Thanks for the ride,” I said, not sure if I should say something else. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Not a problem,” said a voice from the back seat. I turned and saw another woman, also in fashionable business attire, smiling at me. Her eyes were chocolatey brown and her black hair hung around her shoulders in perfect waves. I touched my own hair and felt a frizzy puffball of curls that had escaped from my braids.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“I’m Agent Walsh,” said the blond. She pointed a long finger toward the back seat. “That’s Agent Tamarin.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The car hummed along. I had no idea how Agent Walsh was able to drive when she couldn’t see. A solid sheet of white blotted out the view from the windshield, even with the wipers going full-speed. Judging from the gadgets on the dash, though, it looked like the car could pretty much drive itself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“You’re agents?” I asked. This part of town didn’t seem big enough for more than a few cops. The university was where the rowdy crowd went on weekends. But the rural homes kept pretty quiet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Agent Walsh laughed in a few, short bursts. “No, Kassidy. We work for a government agency. The DOST.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I was about to ask what DOST stood for, but I realized something she’d said was off. Another clump of melting snow slid off the bottom of my jeans and plopped in the puddle I was making. But I’d stopped caring about the car. “I’m sure there’s a good explanation for how you know my name.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Agent Walsh’s eyes flicked up to the rear-view mirror and she gave a slight nod. Behind me, Agent Tamarin leaned forward and smiled. She wore very little makeup and had a pretty face. Her eyes wrinkled at the corners when she smiled, but she couldn’t have been more than thirty-five years old. “We didn’t meet by accident, Kassidy. Actually, we were hoping to meet you soon.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I tried to think about all the things I’d done wrong in the last few years—making laxative brownies for an insane Spanish teacher, painting my German Shepherd pink for Halloween, sneaking into the culinary arts classroom with Meg to make afternoon snacks after detention (that we’d gotten for the brownies). None of it seemed like enough to send two agents after me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The screen below the car’s satellite radio showed a pulsing red dot, typical for GPS. But in the center of that red pulse, an even smaller, green dot blinked in time with my racing heart. Was that me?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> I tore my eyes from the screen, trying to remember to make eye contact. I didn’t want to look guilty or anything. “Am I in trouble?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Maybe I would need that do-over after all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Agent Walsh tilted her chin and gave me a sideways glance. “How would like to get out of going to high school?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I frowned and tried to let my genuine confusion show. “School’s already out. I don’t have to be back until Monday.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Agent Tamarin’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “No, Kassidy. What if you never went back?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Agent Walsh pressed her ruby red lips together, then smiled at me like a well-fed cat. “We could get you all the paperwork that you need to be able to say that you’re a high school student. We’ve set up a sort of ‘private school’ that doesn’t exist. If anyone asks, you got a scholarship and you’re having a great time attending a school on the opposite end of town.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">She winked at me, like this was everyday mischief for girls my age.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“You mean, I don’t have to go to a real school, you would just tell people I was going to your fake school?”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Agent Walsh nodded as she clicked the heat dial up another notch. The warmth was just beginning to get through my boots, brushing against my toes.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">It was every kid’s dream to ditch school with no consequences. But I was a good student. Sure, I was bad at math, but I really liked my history class. “What would I do instead? And why would you want to do that for me?”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The wind whooshed outside, rocking the car slightly in the wind as the engine barely vibrated. The rubbery squeak of the wipers kept their rhythm, but I still couldn’t see anything through the windows. Agent Walsh opened her mouth, as if to say something, but stopped herself. Agent Tamarin spoke instead. </span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“We’d like to train you to work in our department, Kassidy, starting as soon as you’re ready. You would work for us, but you wouldn’t be able to tell anyone what you were really doing. You’d have to lie, Kassidy. Are you alright with that?”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I stared at the one mitten I still had, the chevron stripes pointing both at me and the front windshield. “Why me?” I asked. “I mean, you said you’ve been looking for me. Why? There are hundreds of kids at my school.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Agent Tamarin nodded. “We thought you might ask that. We’ve been gathering data on a lot of teens in the area. The agency wants younger recruits, so we’ve been looking for youth that have an affinity for history and books. And someone who does have some interests outside of school. We understand that you’ve been taking karate classes on weekends.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I nodded and tried not to be bothered by the amount of information they knew about me. “So you want me to be a secret agent?”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Agent Walsh turned her head, nodding eagerly at me. “Exactly! That’s exactly what you’d be doing. Working for the United States government, but pretending to be a high school student.” </span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Her blue eyes sparkled under high-arching eyebrows. She seemed really passionate about her work. But she kept watching me, and I could feel her measuring my reaction.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I cleared my throat and pointed out at the swirling flurries ahead. “Shouldn’t you be watching the road?”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The blond woman blinked twice, then shook her head like she was explaining something obvious. “We’re already at your house, Kassidy.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Agent Tamarin leaned in, touching my arm lightly. “You should think it over, but you need to understand something before you go inside.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Her eyes flicked to Agent Walsh before she continued. “You mustn’t speak to your dad about this conversation. He can’t know you’ve met us.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Wait. What?” I shook my head. “Are you joking?”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">That meant I couldn’t tell Meg anything, either. Lying to strangers on the street was one thing. Making up a phony story to my other friends and then meeting up with them after school would be tough, but I might be able to pull it off. But between Dad and Meg, I didn’t have any secrets. I told Dad almost everything, and Meg knew the rest. Dad and I had moved here to be close to my grandma, but I’d left a life behind in Florida. Not a perfect life, but I’d gone to elementary school and middle school, and then my first year of high school with the same people. The only person I took with me to Montana was Dad. Meg had been that instant friend, where everything clicked. She was the kind of friend who read my mind, who knew what I was thinking without me saying it. We did everything together. We were practically sisters, even though we’d only met a few months ago.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Agent Tamarin handed a business card to me. I took it without reading the words, still trying to work my mind through a scenario where I could do this. How could I lie to both Dad and Meg every day about what I was doing? Was it even worth it?</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Give it some thought, and call us when you’re ready.” Agent Tamarin smiled again, pushing silky black hair behind her ear. “We could really use a young, bright mind like yours, working for the good guys.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I shoved the business card into my coat pocket. Not wanting to be impolite, I nodded, then hoped they wouldn’t take that as me agreeing to call them. “Thanks for the ride.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Then I looked at Agent Walsh. She was smiling, reminding me of the mom I couldn’t quite remember. She’d been blond, too. “Take care, Kassidy.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 28.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I opened the car door and stepped out into the chaos that pelted my cheeks with sharp wind. I pulled my coat closer around me and looked fibmmjor the front step of our house. I closed the car door behind me, saying a wistful goodbye to the heated seats and lovely climate control. I marched toward the house-like shape ahead of me, wondering how on earth Agent Walsh had been able to drive me so close to my front door, when I could barely see it from here.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 28.8px;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-3586148920332855712014-08-30T09:11:00.001-04:002014-08-30T09:11:12.779-04:00Adventures in Genre-Hopping: Getting StuckAs many of you know, I still have a book or two left in the Ivy Thorn series. One of them is close to being done! (The Ten Lost Princesses is in draft.)<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, I've hit a road block with the plot (my ending sucks) and Life has kept me away from my writing.<br />
<br />
A quick side note: I have the time to write. There are enough hours in the day to squeeze in some writing, so that's not an excuse. But when I have a bunch of new stuff heaped on me at once, and the ending of my book sucks, and I don't know how on earth I'm going to fix it, then it can be really difficult to find the motivation to sit down and work on my writing. It's MUCH easier (and I look forward to it!) when I'm moving along on a story and I have an idea where it's headed.<br />
<br />
Also, I've been taking online writing workshops, which are helping my writing. (It also takes up that writing time that I just admitted to having. Oops.) The workshops are super helpful. My craft is improving. But at the end of each week, after I've turned in my assignment, I feel like I have nothing left for my fiction.<br />
<br />
So that's why you haven't heard from me in a while.<br />
<br />
That said, I've got some new ideas for my main character. A time traveler needs to be quite a character, right?<br />
<br />
I'm going to rewrite my beginning, from a different angle. This means that I have a couple chapters of material that's not necessarily bad, but that will never see the light of day.<br />
<br />
Just kidding. The Power of Blog is going to help out.<br />
<br />
I thought it might be fun to post what I have, so you can see where I was heading with the story. I'm changing course, so the end product will be different. But I promised you a play-by-play on this story.<br />
<br />
So while I get Ivy's stories fixed, you can read some early chapters of my first time travel novel. Stay tuned.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-84861494940053417002014-06-23T12:43:00.000-04:002014-06-23T12:43:00.030-04:00Adventures in Genre-Hopping: The First SceneThe research and study is going well. I've already learned a lot and I've noticed that my style is changing. I'm still taking classes online when I get the chance, but in the meantime...<br />
<br />
It's time to start.<br />
<br />
Yeah. The first scene. The big one.<br />
<br />
Okay, so it's not quite so dramatic because I can (and probably will) change it a thousand times and then delete it before the final draft. It's part of the job description. I must kill my darlings.<br />
<br />
But the first draft is a big step. It's intimidating. I'm staring at a blank page on my computer screen. How am I going to start this? Who is my main character? Where is she?<br />
<br />
I want to do this as a Young Adult story, so my main character should probably in high school. And when I write books from solely a male point of view, things go badly. (I haven't finished a single one yet. They just fall apart like a bad batch of brownies.) So she's a teenage girl.<br />
<br />
My first idea is that my character needs to be dealing with mundane things until her grandmother shows up and tells her that she's special. She can travel through time and she's needed so the balance of time can be restored.<br />
<br />
But that's been done a few times in speculative fiction. Just a few.<br />
<br />
So maybe I could change it up a bit. Maybe she could be approached by someone else. Maybe they help her out of a nasty situation and they give her a wonderful opportunity.<br />
<br />
Yeah. I like that better.<br />
<br />
And it might be a little more fun if my character has some idea of her abilities before the story starts.<br />
<br />
And she needs a name. Time to hit the baby names websites...<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-4901732221814333112014-06-09T22:30:00.000-04:002014-06-13T12:43:22.487-04:00Adventures in Genre-Hopping: CraftBefore I dive into another series of books, I want to work on my writing craft. I'm a writer, and there's an endless amount of STUFF to learn. I spent years working on craft before I wrote The Fairy Tale Trap, and have dabbled since. Now, I want to dig deep again.<br />
<br />
So I listened to a lecture on Science Fiction and how to write it more effectively. I'm also taking an online workshop on writing more in depth. This will take up a big chunk of my writing time, but it'll be worth it. Quality over quantity at this point.<br />
<br />
I'd also like to go over some STUFF that I've read before, but need to review. I plan to go through Holly Lisle's massive online class: How to Think Sideways, as well as re-read some books on craft. (Dwight Swain comes to mind.)<br />
<br />
That ought to do it for now. Let's see if I survive before moving on.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-89686644634218723532014-05-26T15:00:00.000-04:002014-05-26T15:00:01.171-04:00Adventures in Genre-Hopping: Dissection"Mediocre writers borrow, great writers steal."<br />
<br />
--T.S. Elliot<br />
<br />
I think Pablo Picasso said something similar: "The bad artists imitate, the great artists steal."<br />
<br />
I don't plan to plagiarize, here, just for the record. Writers steal all the time, and it's perfectly legal, if you know how to do it right. I'm not stealing other people's works or words and passing them off as my own.This is research of the market and of the genre. To be able to write a time travel novel, I need to understand a time travel novel.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2009/11/17/why-do-great-writers-steal/" target="_blank">Joanna Penn wrote on her blog: </a><br />
<br />
<ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; line-height: 29.25px; margin: 0px 0px 26px 40px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style-type: disc;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Steal ideas. </span>Read other people’s works, or look at other people’s art work. If you like an idea, ruminate on it, muddle it around in your brain and see where it ends up. <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Write the same idea in your own words</span> and you can bet it will be a different story or a new angle on it. Steal other people’s experiences and write about them for plot. <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Steal their words as they speak to help your dialogue</span>. How many books about the end of the world are there? How many unrequited love stories? How many quest adventures?</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
So I want to take some of my favorite time travel stories that I've read so far, and find out what makes them tick. Have you ever taken something apart and put it back together, just to see how it works? (Neither have I. I'm not mechanically inclined, but I hear some people do this.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This involves the following steps:</div>
<div>
1) Read books</div>
<div>
2) Choose a few that are excellent</div>
<div>
3) Read them again, looking for structural elements</div>
<div>
4) Write those elements down</div>
<div>
5) Analyze them. Do you see any patterns? Have these structures been used by more than one author? What works? What would you change?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So I'm mapping out a few stories. The notes I'm making (the parts that I'm "stealing") are things like: </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Mentor is in conflict with main character's Norm</div>
<div>
Call to Action</div>
<div>
Main character tries to return to Norm, but encounters disaster</div>
<div>
etc...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, for Back to the Future, I might start off my notes with:</div>
<div>
Main Character in the Norm (good things and bad things) and receives object that will help later</div>
<div>
Main Character is introduced to time travel</div>
<div>
Main Character inadvertently time travels (without being fully prepared)</div>
<div>
Main Character changes the future, which would destroy the Norm</div>
<div>
Main Character seeks out Mentor</div>
<div>
MC and Mentor use object to formulate plan</div>
<div>
etc...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
**Spoiler for Back to the Future I (you know, from 1985...)**</div>
<div>
The Mentor is Doc Brown in this particular story, but it could be any knowledgeable character. The "object" is something I didn't even notice until I started paying attention to the structure of the story: it's the flyer that Marty gets from the crazed lady in front of the clock tower. That flyer has information on the lightning strike that will help get him home near the end of the movie. Marty only keeps the flyer because his girlfriend wrote a phone number on it (because why else would a teenage boy carry around a flyer to "save the clock tower"?)</div>
<div>
****</div>
<div>
Hopefully, I'll figure out a plot structure that is totally awesome and works for my characters and my ideas. Once I have my basic time travel ideas and characters created, I'll see if I can plug their particulars into these structures. It might work, it might not, but I'll be able to see my story in a new light.<br />
<br />
Part of me thinks I should map out some good stories from other genres...maybe mystery or thriller. Thoughts?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For now, I'm going to let these ideas simmer on the back burner.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Do you ever think about the structure of a story? Besides structure and basic plot, what does a story need?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-58952630858281811682014-05-12T14:30:00.000-04:002014-05-12T14:30:02.033-04:00Adventures in Genre-Hopping: PracticeI'm still researching time travel and part of that involves practice. I wanted to play around with time travel on the page. (It's kind of like, I can study basketball and the game and the rules and even physics all I want, but if I never touch a basketball, I'll never be any good at it.)<br />
<br />
So I've decided to write a short story anthology. My goal in 5 short stories.<br />
<br />
So far, I've got two stories written, with basic revisions done. I have a beta reading them now. Hopefully, I'll get some good feedback and make some changes before writing my next short story.<br />
<br />
These shorts won't hit the shelves right away. Once they're written and revised, I plan to submit each story to some scifi/fantasy magazines to see if they can get published. Hopefully, I can get some good feedback from the editors and maybe even readers of these publications, and of course, I'd love to make a sale if possible.<br />
<br />
My first story (I'm calling it PROXY for the time being) is pretty short. It just explores a paradox of time travel: If you go back in time and kill someone vital to your existence, what happens? Why would you do that?<br />
<br />
You see this all the time in time travel fiction: Marty McFly nearly un-makes himself by coming between his parents in the 50s.<br />
<br />
Going back in time and killing your grandfather is a classic paradox of time travel theory. Some believe it can't be done. Others believe you'll create an alternate universe. I found a video of a physicist who explained the paradox using mathematics (which I thought was fascinating). His theory was that if you go back in time and kill yourself, you would cease to exist--as in, you were never born. (The nerd in me thought this was so freakin' cool.)<br />
<br />
Whenever this paradox comes up, I always wonder: Well, why would you want to kill your grandfather, anyway? Or kill yourself?<br />
<br />
So Proxy sort of explores that a bit. It's not exactly upbeat, but it was interesting for my little nerd brain to write.<br />
<br />
The second story I wrote (which I'm calling TIME KILLER because I'm super-inventive like that) is about a serial killer with a time machine. The story follows a female homicide detective as she chases down a killer with a time machine. It's short. I mean, 6-8,000 words just wasn't enough to fully explore this situation. I may have to expand it into a novella or write other stories to really dig into this thing. It was SO much fun to write!<br />
<br />
What short stories would you like to see in my time travel anthology?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-68881936444233680672014-04-28T13:45:00.000-04:002014-04-28T13:45:00.016-04:00Adventures in Genre-Hopping: TheoryOh, man. I am such a nerd. I seriously love this stuff.<br />
<br />
I figured, if I'm going to write science fiction, I should probably understand the science behind these stories, right?<br />
<br />
I took a physics class in college: ONE class: Astronomy. It was a great class. My professor knew so much and he covered several topics within physics, including the theory of relativity. I understood a lot of the basics that Einstein explored, but the overall concept of time travel eluded me.<br />
<br />
So I turned to wikipedia.<br />
<br />
This information was familiar, but more in-depth. I took a lot of notes and tried to put this stuff into layman's terms for myself later. I think I get the theories, and I see where I'm going to have to fictionalize a lot of this stuff for the sake of fiction. But wow. It's just <i>interesting</i>!<br />
<br />
I also found a cool website called <a href="http://www.worldscienceu.com/" target="_blank">World Science U</a>, where you can watch college-level lectures on a variety of sciency subjects. They have time travel! Or at least the theory of time travel. I'm learning a lot from this guy, and he explains it in a way that makes sense, which is pretty helpful.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure if this experience makes me feel smarter or completely out of my depth.<br />
<br />
Do you have any questions about time travel and how it works? What should I know before I dive in?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-64327065420086852292014-04-14T14:17:00.000-04:002014-04-14T14:17:00.116-04:00Adventures in Genre-Hopping: ResearchI want to dive into the genre of Time Travel. I love Doctor Who and Back to the Future, so this genre is exciting to me. Nothing is off-limits! I can travel back to ancient times, or I can go back to the 1990s. I'm not sure which would be scarier to write about, to be honest.<br />
<br />
So, I'm thinking the first step would be research. I've gathered a bunch of different books and movies. Here are the titles I've gone through so far:<br />
<br />
Movies:<br />
Back to the Future movies (my all-time favorite movie trilogy ever!)<br />
Somewhere in Time (an older time travel romance with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour)<br />
The Time Traveler's Wife<br />
Groundhog Day (If you haven't seen this comedy, it's one of my favorites)<br />
Terminator series (which I had never seen before, but my sister was kind enough to get special versions of the entire series for me!)<br />
<br />
Books:<br />
Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card (very science heavy)<br />
Timebound by Rysa Walker (young adult)<br />
Remembrance by Michelle Madow (this was more of a reincarnation story)<br />
Tempest by Julie Cross (YA with multiple time streams--this plot could get messy in the sequels, but I'm intrigued!)<br />
Nick of Time by Ted Bell (AWESOME middle grade adventure story with pirates and nazis!)<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm open to suggestions. What are your favorites?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So there are different theories about time travel... difference approaches. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In Back to the Future, Marty changes the past and immediately starts to notice changes in items he brought with him from the present/future. This is an open loop--anything he does can change history</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In The Time Traveler's Wife, no matter what anyone does, the future is the future. There's nothing they can do to prevent things from happening. This is a closed loop.</div>
<div>
<br />
Terminator did a mix of both, which I thought was really creative. It's closed loop at first, and everything Sarah Connor does eventually leads to the future she's familiar with.... until she changes things. Sarah deliberately changes the future and I LOVE that she was able to do that. A great alternative.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
But I really (really, really) loved the way Pathfinder kind of took these two approaches and just tore them apart. The characters would receive a message from the future and change what they were going to do to prevent, say, a bar fight. The bar fight never happens. Then they sit and discuss whether or not they need to go back in time and warn themselves not to get in the bar fight. </div>
<div>
Well.... the fight never actually happened, so there's nothing to warn us about. Right?</div>
<div>
They get into these deep philosophical conversations about reality and destiny, but it's all completely hilarious because the characters are just as confused as the reader. I'd just like to say that Orson Scott Card is a master of science fiction.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm not sure I can pull that off. Card has been doing scifi forEVER and he knows this stuff inside and out. The thought of tackling this level of time travel theory is really intimidating. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But when it comes to open loop or closed loop, I'm DEFINITELY for open loop. What's the point in time travel if you can't change anything? I believe that people have the ability to do things for themselves, to change their destiny, and make their own paths. So, I think I'll write something closer to Back to the Future, rather than Time Traveler's Wife. (I just <i>hated</i> the sense of helplessness.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I also liked Timebound. Not only did Walker explore one of the creepiest men in history, she made her character give up <i>everything</i> when she went back in time. As in: If I go back in time, my boyfriend won't know who I am when I come back home. I loved this! If you're going to time travel, that's a huge amount of power and responsibility. There needs to be a lot of risk and sacrifice.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So that's where I am right now. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What should I read next?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-79306657143902783162014-04-06T14:17:00.001-04:002014-04-06T14:17:02.955-04:00Writing a New Novel (in a New Genre)Have you ever wondered what goes into publishing a book?<br />
<br />
Right now, I'm in the middle of the revision process for The Ten Lost Princesses (Ivy Thorn #2.5). But I'm already collecting ideas and inspiration for my next big series. I thought it might be fun to share the journey on the blog.<br />
<br />
Time Travel, anyone?<br />
<br />
That's right. If you haven't heard yet, my next series of novels will be time travel!<br />
<br />
So how does a writer start writing in a new genre?<br />
<br />
That's what this blog series is going to be about. I don't know where this is going to lead me. Hopefully I'll learn a lot, but you'll hear about everything--successes and failures.<br />
<br />
Wish me luck!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-28410879842808328272013-12-15T01:30:00.000-05:002013-12-15T01:30:01.229-05:005 Things YA Parents Say (But My Parents Never Did)You've probably noticed an on-going trend in Young Adult fiction. YA (especially anything that's paranormal/scifi/fantasy, etc) has an odd tendency to have absent or complacent parents. (And, kinda like Disney movies, you frequently see single parents in YA.) As I writer, I get it. You need the parents to not get in the way of the story. (We can't be bothered by petty things like good parenting!)<br />
<br />
So here are 5 Things YA Parents Say (But MY Parents Never Did)<br />
<br />
1) "<b>I'm okay with anything, sweetheart. Be back home by... oh, whenever you feel like it."</b><br />
<br />
Um. Yeah. My parents set a curfew. And sometimes they forgot how late that curfew was (because I was a good girl and came home early) and so my parents made my curfew even earlier than it was before! And breaking curfew meant not leaving the house again for a very long time.<br />
<br />
2)<b> "You've been acting out. I'm going to punish you by leaving you home by yourself (like I always do) and you'd BETTER NOT leave."</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Seeing as my parents were pretty protective, I was rarely left at home without one of them there, even when I was a teenager. But you'd better believe that if I was being punished, my parents were right there, making sure I was wallowing in my misery.<br />
<br />
3) <b>"You mean you're dating that perfectly-chiseled heartthrob? Are you being safe?"</b><br />
<br />
First of all, ew. No, mom. You can't date my boyfriend.<br />
<br />
I kept my parents out of my dating life as much as possible, but when that couldn't be avoided, they NEVER commented on how hot the guy was. (Thankfully.)<br />
<br />
Also, my parents never assumed I was having sex (especially not RIGHT after finding out that I was dating someone). So I got to avoid that lovely little question.<br />
<br />
4) <b>"I'm going to be at work for a few (hours, days, months). You can take care of yourself, right?"</b><br />
<br />
No. More like: "I have to go to the post office. If you're hungry, there's leftover chicken, sandwich meat, granola bars, and cereal. Please don't use the stove; I don't want the house to burn down. But hang in there and I'll come home and make dinner. I have my cell phone. Call me if you have any problems. The number for the doctor is on the fridge. Do you know what to do if there's an earthquake?" and on and on.<br />
<br />
5) <b>"Your grades are slipping. You're grounded!" (see #2)</b><br />
Yes. Well done, parents. Your daughter is going through some major life events (possibly with an immortal or alien or something) and, of all things, you notice her grades. And instead of finding out WHY, you just ground her. *applause*<br />
<br />
Of course, my grades NEVER slipped, so I have no idea what my parents would have said. But I did hear, "We don't care if you make an "A" or a "D", just as long as you're doing the best you can."<br />
<br />
I had awesome parents.<br />
<br />
It's just a shame they'd make boring fiction.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-63300394986505969092013-11-19T15:10:00.000-05:002013-11-19T18:05:43.763-05:00The Woman Who Must Be EverythingI'm a mother. I'm a writer, a homemaker, a Christian, and a homeschooler. I'm expected to keep the house clean and the kids alive. (And I need to look gorgeous while doing it. This includes all the hygiene and grooming and exercising.) I cook meals, change diapers, write novels, teach Sunday school, take my kids on field trips...but not all at once.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55P-Zbz5t17Er1vq3794NaznU8CzplzemYMPbuXLZk1aCsoiPEukBIG_cxece1yguK-rE9dGKVQIFi5NjfbGKNwNYWtJ9XsiZyYQxsuIAZvFLd6TB4m4lfIuXB0Arcp8abqRwDYTFyEY/s1600/Fall2013.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="57" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55P-Zbz5t17Er1vq3794NaznU8CzplzemYMPbuXLZk1aCsoiPEukBIG_cxece1yguK-rE9dGKVQIFi5NjfbGKNwNYWtJ9XsiZyYQxsuIAZvFLd6TB4m4lfIuXB0Arcp8abqRwDYTFyEY/s320/Fall2013.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">I WANTED to plant a garden this Fall.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There are a lot of expectations for me, not just as a mother, but also because I've taken on a number of other roles. I put most of these expectations on myself. I choose to be a mother and a Christian. These things are important to me and I would never give these roles up for anything. The writing and homemaking: also important. I feel homeschool is good for my family right now. All of this is time-consuming, but I CHOSE this. And I can DO this.<br />
<br />
But not all at once.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLy7Z-KK0GdYCwXtDTf6hyphenhyphenq1PcXngm5nZ6f-inTiHAAM4VhWHKMrGsu6fSSeUg9iTEFonP4zgVfvzREma2mpnky_wUaXl7WzLsiAwJFx_ySMCtdhExoMsN1rTZf8rmHVAfOpi0frRTXrk/s1600/Chore+list+for+kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLy7Z-KK0GdYCwXtDTf6hyphenhyphenq1PcXngm5nZ6f-inTiHAAM4VhWHKMrGsu6fSSeUg9iTEFonP4zgVfvzREma2mpnky_wUaXl7WzLsiAwJFx_ySMCtdhExoMsN1rTZf8rmHVAfOpi0frRTXrk/s320/Chore+list+for+kids.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah.<br />
Right.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It seems like there's always someone with a cleaner house. There's always someone who teaches these awesome lessons with visuals and related activities and crafts. And then I look at the woman who can cook healthy, delicious meals on a budget.<br />
<br />
I can do those things. Honest. Just not at the same time.<br />
<br />
See, I've realized that I work in phases. I'll be a good homemaker for a few <strike>months</strike> days, and then the house falls to pot while I focus on my writing. When I run 5 days a week, my writing stalls out. When I'm focused on buying lots of fruits & veggies and working them into meals (that my kids will actually eat), the running takes a back seat. I see where I'm lacking and jump in, head-first, to fix it.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXKiLc8u_3-nIDcah7XdzWTr6icKoN8sNDJ3LSjUPSJL4IY8oRFbr3vXFMVOUpLnYoe0bThuv2CZ5ekywounhNgMf7Lu2hBL5iKR1ZDubeMpBDDgdFbkqqTNDhWwMD-Rsp4oFdveX0CE/s1600/christmasbox.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXKiLc8u_3-nIDcah7XdzWTr6icKoN8sNDJ3LSjUPSJL4IY8oRFbr3vXFMVOUpLnYoe0bThuv2CZ5ekywounhNgMf7Lu2hBL5iKR1ZDubeMpBDDgdFbkqqTNDhWwMD-Rsp4oFdveX0CE/s320/christmasbox.JPG" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the "Homemade Gifts" Christmas project<br />
Huge time suck, but a creative outlet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And this is SO frustrating.<br />
<br />
Seriously. It'll be late at night and the kids are in bed. There's too much on my to-do list and I'm exhausted. And I find myself asking why I can't have a clean home and cook healthy meals and homeschool my kindergartner, take care of my other two kids and serve in church, be a good mom, exercise every day and write novels.<br />
<br />
And then I laugh at myself. Because that's not realistic. AT ALL. I mean, just reading over that list, it's crazy, right?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtStVHdKsCCmcH03fXiCFtq8WX0DWexs75x-w9VVgscRPmCLTHZTLlzQ4EmPSDxBUEUUQoIG3cKEey0sx75ulYWALO76hbK-ZS6RVhNP7XmVyuz4SvWor65U0oBxeHsaA1n0PzLx44jU/s1600/septschedule.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtStVHdKsCCmcH03fXiCFtq8WX0DWexs75x-w9VVgscRPmCLTHZTLlzQ4EmPSDxBUEUUQoIG3cKEey0sx75ulYWALO76hbK-ZS6RVhNP7XmVyuz4SvWor65U0oBxeHsaA1n0PzLx44jU/s200/septschedule.PNG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homeschool schedule<br />
(that was tweaked a few times after this was taken)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Why would anyone expect one person to do all that? (And I'm the only person who puts this pressure on me. It's not coming from anyone else.) What kind of world do we live in where a person feels guilty about not being superhuman?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2mNIuDVlIU1WKvDwVXNv-CC83LXYj-lO19zbk1uJbId30LAhD-Jn-OamKCmpVnzG9pZ53cSct_-pS-QjcezUXxcpNukr3LQkjQIa1uO7mfAh8GYaOOyTBnMsdKkHsMP-DlWTUVhHlC_g/s1600/booksarehere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2mNIuDVlIU1WKvDwVXNv-CC83LXYj-lO19zbk1uJbId30LAhD-Jn-OamKCmpVnzG9pZ53cSct_-pS-QjcezUXxcpNukr3LQkjQIa1uO7mfAh8GYaOOyTBnMsdKkHsMP-DlWTUVhHlC_g/s200/booksarehere.jpg" width="147" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, yeah. I have books.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So I've decided to do the best I can. I mean, that's what I've BEEN doing, technically. But now it'll be okay to not be great at everything. There needs to be a balance. There needs to be moderation in all these things. (What a concept!)<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyjExKA0NO-C5bQS8nlZvoU6P8zB-K4zcJALk0MvTySQof-yjz88jlW3HfF14wPdw7WK4VJ8NeZx2XPCNQfNBiW-MSxEtcCFi5h4bV60Fhef65lACVgZ16xyXhyphenhyphenA3qYl1QzYDKfF7DL0/s1600/batmancolored.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyjExKA0NO-C5bQS8nlZvoU6P8zB-K4zcJALk0MvTySQof-yjz88jlW3HfF14wPdw7WK4VJ8NeZx2XPCNQfNBiW-MSxEtcCFi5h4bV60Fhef65lACVgZ16xyXhyphenhyphenA3qYl1QzYDKfF7DL0/s200/batmancolored.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My potty training techniques<br />
are highly sophisticated.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So, whatever you're struggling with, you should know that you're not alone. (Because I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person who feels like this.) There has to be a better way. And I'm going to find it.<br />
<br />
Here's to moderation.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-16814752403482315252013-08-11T05:42:00.000-04:002013-08-11T05:42:00.260-04:00The Fairy Tale Twist (The Ivy Thorn Series #2)<h3>
<br /></h3>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Tale-Twist-Thorn-ebook/dp/B00ED70H9A/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZefjX44EMWAO9ANuOSRjuRiozc26G1N0yytFoFnul2FpkE0vWTFyg3XlvlbDYyUvTiNPNO4SgwWLQmlYrAtA-WVpoZ1ihkWbhqM1usCMvErSg69dxUOr6S7aBSDamoaNH1lnef43JjN0/s400/fairytaletwist2.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>Progress: </em>Now Available</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Tale-Twist-Thorn-ebook/dp/B00ED70H9A/">Amazon</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fairy-tale-twist-emily-casey/1116358629?ean=2940148393931">Barnes and Noble</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/344707">Smashwords</a></div>
<br />
<br />
Ivy has figured out how to keep the pixies away. She's safe! But now there are other things to worry about.<br />
<br />
In an effort to protect her unborn brother, Ivy strikes a deal with the creepy little pixie who trapped her before. But when she finds herself in a family of disappearing princesses, Ivy throws the fairy tale on its ear to save the kingdom from a destructive love spell.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-42636909106801560832013-08-01T11:25:00.000-04:002013-08-01T11:25:00.450-04:00You can hold it in your hands now! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Guess what came in the mail?</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Tale-Trap-Thorn-Volume/dp/146819769X/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMu7Jv2JTwioiD5DvksVIBFYQzMSjkRxBn3I3hgR8qgQbaOxjInxc-ioqI-oLPyq93XO8jBw-BLBFSM0NYY3AinayV3HKsokg4-RO7bAtp-zcQ67ds3FZVGvIPSu0z4W2gP5AzDVZ480/s320/booksarehere.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Yeah, it's a little early, but I can't wait any more. The Fairy Tale Trap (Ivy Thorn book 1) is now available in paperback! And just before The Fairy Tale Twist comes out, too. :)</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Tale-Trap-Thorn-Volume/dp/146819769X/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfbhRnwCs0GEp4zOnkDdaQhZ7M4XP6ZvWOohsbmw-xtG1hh8Pu9HobpmBeDMNrcMbi6Kp2YKsVb-5xXauCqt9jBOaL77rdu6z03YrY-q6edY2g5ZeQaX1ARHOjpTXjs9oh7UHTU47D6A/s320/fairytaletrapfront.png" width="197" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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I've been completely immersed in Ivy's fairy tale world as I get The Fairy Tale Twist done. Book 2 will be out in less that 2 weeks and there's other fun stuff that I'm excited about.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
By beta readers mentioned a story line or two that were left unresolved at the end of The Fairy Tale Twist. They got me thinking, because 1) they were right, but 2) that's not part of Ivy's story. It doesn't make sense to include it in The Fairy Tale Twist because Ivy isn't all that involved.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
But the story needs to be told. And it should be a good one. (I don't know for sure, since I haven't written it yet. Funny how that works.) </div>
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<br /></div>
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I'd like for Ivy to make an appearance in this companion story, but that depends on how she handles herself in the third book of the series: The Fairy Tale Duel. Cause, you know, she might die or get stuck forever in that new fairy tale or something else really horrible. You never know. ;)</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
So, yeah. Fairy Tale Trap is out in paperback.<br />
Fairy Tale Twist (ebook) out in a couple weeks.<br />
Fairy Tale Duel will come next year.<br />
Companion book, with characters from book 2, is also in the works.<br />
<br />
I've also been asked if the whole series will be out in paperback. I'd love that. It takes a lot of time and banging my head on the desk to get a novel formatted for paperback and get a cover ready and all that. I don't mind doing it (there is some fun involved) but I don't want to give up that much of my writing time if people aren't actually going to read it. So, the answer is: Yes. I'll release the whole series in paperback, as long as the first book sells. I hope you understand it's just a matter of priorities and how I spend my time. There's only so much of it. :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-60986237307370001552013-07-30T11:02:00.000-04:002013-07-30T11:02:00.514-04:00Writing a Story is Like Learning to CookYou know that moment, when you taste something amazing? Maybe you're at a restaurant, or it's one of your grandmother's famous recipes. When you finish eating, you look down at your empty plate and you think, <b>"I have to eat this again."</b><br />
<br />
There are ways to make this happen. You can keep coming to the restaurant, you can beg your grandma to make more, or maybe... just maybe... <b>you can make it at home. </b><br />
<br />
When that thought enters your mind, you have to assess your time, your talent in the kitchen, and how difficult the recipe will be. Do you have the patience? Can you figure out the ingredients? <b>Will you ever be able to make something that tastes this great</b>?<br />
<br />
When you have complete control over what goes into the dish, maybe your creative side goes a little crazy. <b>"You know, it could be really good with fresh mint... Ooh! Or basil!"</b><br />
<br />
But you need to be careful. <b>Too much creativity can get in the way</b> of what you're really trying to achieve: <b>yummy culinary goodness</b>.<br />
<br />
<b>Weaving a good story is like nailing the recipe that has haunted you ever since you tasted it.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Like cooking, writing a story can be dangerous if you don't balance<b> knowledge and creativity. </b>You don't want to wind up with<b> cheesy-banana trout</b>. You want your readers to get joy from your book. <b>You want make a book that's magical</b>, the way other authors have done for you.<br />
<br />
But if it's not fun, you're probably doing it wrong. When I stress out about a book, or do <b>so much research my brain hurts</b>, it comes out in my story. The characters get boring. The tension <b>falls flat like an under-cooked souffle</b>.<br />
<br />
I'm still fairly new at this writing thing. Cognitive psychologists tell us it takes <b>ten years before a writer reaches excellence</b>. I've been going strong for about 6 now. And like my cooking skills, my writing is inconsistent. Sometimes I write something that would make my readers turn green. So I go back, I chop out the rough parts of the story, rearrange some key elements, and beef-up the personality of my characters. I find the weak spots and figure out what I can add to balance the story or make it richer.<br />
<br />
The beauty of writing is: <b>the reader doesn't see every draft.</b><br />
<br />
My early draft work is a pile of failed attempts. Eventually, I get something I think is publishable, but <b>there's always work involved that isn't seen by the rest of the world</b>.<br />
<br />
No matter what you want to get good at, there's work that goes on behind the curtain.<br />
<br />
But if it's something you really want, and if you put in enough effort (and patience and sacrifice), you can make something worthwhile.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-50358816141367444712013-07-23T15:47:00.001-04:002013-07-23T15:47:11.704-04:00Chasing The Dream: Being a Write-at-home MomSome people fantasize about living in a mansion, owning several cars, and having a hired waitstaff to do all those menial household tasks for them. Clothes, restaurants, vacations...<br />
<br />
Yeah. All those would be nice, but my professional goals are a little different.<br />
<br />
I'm currently a stay-at-home mom. That's what I do all day. Also, sometimes, I write books.<br />
(Recently, I became comfortable with telling people I "work from home" or even that I'm a writer. I think my <a href="http://emilycaseysmusings.blogspot.com/2013/05/young-adult-fantasy-is-not-what-it.html">last post</a> helped me overcome that fear. A bit.)<br />
<br />
But, you know what I <i>really</i> want?<br />
<br />
A babysitter.<br />
<br />
Not a full-time nanny or a daycare, because I love my job. I love being with my kids and watching them play, learn, sleep, even point out trucks on our way to the store--things only a mother could love, probably. I don't want to give up my stay-at-home status.<br />
<br />
But it would be pretty sweet if I could hire someone to watch the kids for two hours a day, five days a week. So I could be guaranteed the time to write and focus on something else. Just a couple hours.<br />
<br />
*sigh*<br />
<br />
Maybe someday...<br />
<br />
If you're a writer, what's your dream? What is success?<br />
<br />
If you're not a writer, what's your idea of success? Also, how do you picture a "successful author" living their life?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-19603623715977598312013-05-20T14:14:00.002-04:002013-05-20T14:14:25.667-04:00Young Adult Fantasy is NOT What It Sounds Like<br />
Years ago, back before publishing was even on my mind, I decided to take a risk. I was going to tell people about the book I was working on in my spare time. (This was an early version of The Fairy Tale Trap. The working title was Roses and Mirrors.)<br />
<br />
I had told another writer in my town about my book. She was so excited for me, she said she would introduce me to her group of friends and then I could tell them about it. They were a slightly older demographic, but I was determined to connect with them and be brave and talk about my book, darn it!<br />
<br />
So I sit down with this group and I'm nervous as anything. They welcome me and those polite, awkward phrases are exchanged. My friend brings up the fact that I'm a writer. I take a deep breath. Okay, so here it goes.<br />
<br />
This lady to my left smiles like the polite southern woman she is. "Oh, what do you write, Emily?"<br />
<br />
I know this! I can answer this question. "Young adult fantasy."<br />
<br />
Silence falls.<br />
<br />
This woman looks at me with both eyebrows raised. Her mouth is open slightly, like she's about to say something, but she can't quite put the words together. I wait.<br />
<br />
"You mean, like... pornography?"<br />
<br />
Um. No.<br />
<br />
My friend and I try to explain (quickly) that it's more like The Chronicles of Narmia or The Hobbit or any other safe, wholesome literature.<br />
<br />
After the woman was put at ease, I made my getaway as quickly as possible. Never again, I said.<br />
<br />
Obviously, I gathered the courage to do it again, but guys? It's hard to talk about my books to other people. It's so much easier for me to rave about some other book I picked up at the bookstore or the library. Mine? Well, I can tell you it's not porn. You may like it. But, you know, it's not for everyone...<br />
<br />
Sometimes I'm forced to talk about my books. I do the best I can in those situations, but after those conversations are over, I look back and cringe. Why did I talk about my own work like that? She said she actually liked it, so why would I put it down? What does she think now?<br />
<br />
Because when it comes to my books, I'm a bumbling, socially awkward mess.<br />
<br />
That's why I rely on you. Seriously, folks. When word gets back to me that someone liked my book and told a friend, sometimes I get teary-eyed. Every time a new review goes up on Amazon or Goodreads, there's this wave of gratitude. Even if the review isn't five stars, someone not only took the time to <i>read</i> my book, but they liked it enough to tell someone else about it. Because telling someone about a book the best compliment an author could hope for.<br />
<br />
And trust me, you'll do a lot better job than I ever could.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-53764603466990352832013-03-31T05:21:00.000-04:002013-03-31T05:21:00.924-04:00Snow White and Zombies is out!<div style="text-align: center;">
HAPPY RELEASE DAY!</div>
<br />
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<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/299761" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYAGtXtyiyuPSlZdHx7ht1T0UO7fqcNRqKN2hy5NX72VooZkPm9tPJF9W15tjObHbm7S-49usxkHGMlwigyr1LyxL54FbB_j8YlvneeSxmJVEynIr_sj5zvkbeawt4b-QvTjBfVogccM/s320/Snowy1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
It's available at <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/299761">Smashwords</a> now! And you can talk about it on <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17344076-snow-white-and-zombies">Goodreads</a>.<br />
<br />
I know some people like to buy directly from Amazon or Barnes & Noble or iTunes, etc... If Snow White and Zombies isn't already available at your preferred site, rest assured it will be there soon. Smashwords says it usually takes a week to show up. With The Fairy Tale Trap it took a couple of days. With Cinderella and Zombies, it took two weeks. I know--I'm frustrated, too.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-57413799382912477372013-03-30T17:16:00.004-04:002013-03-30T17:16:53.879-04:00Hint, hintSnow White and Zombies comes out tomorrow! Please make sure you're signed up for the<a href="http://blogspot.us2.list-manage2.com/subscribe?u=49e9faa84576c9609b91b209a&id=54ea5daa82"> Insiders mailing list</a> (hint, hint) so you can have access to, oh I don't know, discounts on future books...stuff like that...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-81489412373238712832013-03-05T13:36:00.000-05:002013-03-05T13:36:00.561-05:00Are you an Insider?<br />
I'm nothing without my readers.<br />
<br />
If I don't have an audience, then I'm just typing words on a screen that no one else will ever see. So when I write a book, I have you, gentle reader, in mind.<br />
<br />
<b>My job is to make you happy.</b><br />
<br />
Well, I was sitting there, thinking about the most awesome way to release <b>Snow White and Zombies</b> on the 31st. Then I thought: why not ask you?<br />
<br />
So, naturally, I turn to my Insiders.<br />
<br />
This is a group of readers that want to be a part of the next book, the next promotion, or the next contest. These are my go-to people when I need input. In return, I try to give them first dibs on coupons. Also, I actually use their ideas in books.<br />
<br />
Lately, my Insiders have been on facebook. They helped me design the cover for Snow White and Zombies and they came up with one of my main characters' names. (I was stuck, and they really pulled through.) I also have great readers here, on the blog.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/emilycaseysmusings" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY61NlCohdWADeuDW3Jww0pLgUZsW3rq98oQLqfSySOR-HJof8oCZU3D7x9lBtJ3VdSrXCAXkyNl7w9hIIhKqx8z4vwkoBYsi5G3s45P6DwkiiJ1I3gi3OyKCdHHW7TLzTiK86oZR5jng/s200/Snowy1.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesome facebook followers make <br />
awesome book covers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
But what happens if my blog crashes? Or, heaven forbid, what if something happens to facebook? Facebook can take my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/emilycaseysmusings">author page</a> down any time they want, without notice, and without a good reason. That's crazy!<br />
<br />
So I want to make sure all my best supporters, those readers that want to know everything, are all in one place.<br />
<br />
That's why I have an <a href="http://blogspot.us2.list-manage2.com/subscribe?u=49e9faa84576c9609b91b209a&id=54ea5daa82">Insiders</a> email list.<br />
<br />
This is where I send discount coupons FIRST. It's also where I'd like to go for advice and input on my books as I write them. I have amazing readers and it would be pretty cool to get a little community of fairy tale-lovin' enthusiasts in one place.<br />
<br />
At the moment, we're trying to figure out something special to do for the release of Snow White and Zombies. <a href="http://blogspot.us2.list-manage2.com/subscribe?u=49e9faa84576c9609b91b209a&id=54ea5daa82">Come join the discussion!</a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-638735971599932822013-02-20T13:10:00.000-05:002013-02-20T13:10:02.099-05:00Cinderella and Zombies : Book Cover Makeover!Cinders is looking a little tired, I think. So to celebrate the upcoming release of Snow White and Zombies, we have a brand new cover for both books!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27f1qeOeaM0ALEnwO27-bAqLo-Z7HYSYmFBlHFRnSkJS837cJsNmKuoHbvOwE1MGSSwtCdY9Vyx3kspQG6QuqjjW68H_7RReCrMCNa7_Ln-U6gIPRkf7KRdRbsv0Y3tlA3hEIXBQh5lk/s1600/CindySlippers1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27f1qeOeaM0ALEnwO27-bAqLo-Z7HYSYmFBlHFRnSkJS837cJsNmKuoHbvOwE1MGSSwtCdY9Vyx3kspQG6QuqjjW68H_7RReCrMCNa7_Ln-U6gIPRkf7KRdRbsv0Y3tlA3hEIXBQh5lk/s320/CindySlippers1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9OZI6h4Xh0_-4lDnsc06z3QBTJ3PCHjMFa-d8d_-l-GqAyrVD5WTFv5cBe9VSWj-uRALELDDO09nrN3uUT3rzUgJL7bjLKNCBXfb1K5wzPANlYZA5bd2qhqMmWfyEprc6iZKpjGBelQ/s1600/Snowy1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9OZI6h4Xh0_-4lDnsc06z3QBTJ3PCHjMFa-d8d_-l-GqAyrVD5WTFv5cBe9VSWj-uRALELDDO09nrN3uUT3rzUgJL7bjLKNCBXfb1K5wzPANlYZA5bd2qhqMmWfyEprc6iZKpjGBelQ/s320/Snowy1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Snow White and Zombies should be coming out March 31st. I can't wait!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450712706274635827.post-4236089087388729732013-01-22T07:25:00.000-05:002013-01-22T07:25:00.950-05:00The Next Big Thing Meme<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Oh, dear. I've been tagged for a meme. This has been a long time coming, seeing as I've been tagged for it twice by <a href="http://www.expectedaberrations.blogspot.com/">Thea van Diepen</a> and <a href="http://www.katharinagerlach.com/posts/the-next-big-thing-blog-hop/">Kat Gerlach</a>. There's no avoiding it any longer, so here we go. :) (Thanks, ladies!)</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="" name="more" style="line-height: 18px;"></a><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /></span></span><h3 style="margin: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Next Big Thing</span></span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">This meme lets me talk about books, which is always fun. (Remind me to thank Kat and Thea...)</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><b style="line-height: 18px;">What is the title of your next book?</b><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">I suppose it's time for me to commit to one book now, huh?</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br /><span style="line-height: 18px;">I did some math and planned out my schedule and it looks like<i> Snow White and Zombies</i> should be available March 31. A little later than I'd planned, but these things do take time.</span></span></span><div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">(To be honest, I'm scared out of my wits that I'm going to publish a sub-par book. I want to make sure this story doesn't disappoint those who liked Cinderella and Zombies.)</span><br /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><b style="line-height: 18px;">Where did the idea for your book come from?</b><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">It seemed like a sensible thing to do, after wonderful, amazing readers told me they liked Cinderella and Zombies.</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><b style="line-height: 18px;">What genre does your book fall under?</b><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">Fantasy, with some horror thrown in for good measure. This one is less thriller-ish than Cinders, but has some unexpected emotion tied into it. (And by unexpected, I mean that<i> I</i> wasn't expecting it. Sometimes the book goes where it wants to go.)</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><b style="line-height: 18px;">What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Felicia Day is quirky and pretty and I think she'd be perfect for Snow White's character.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><b style="line-height: 18px;">What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?</b><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">When a failed suicide attempt leads to the zombie apocalypse, an ugly queen struggles to put things right in her kingdom.</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><b style="line-height: 18px;">Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?</b><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">Self.</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br /><b style="line-height: 18px;">How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?</b><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">About 2 weeks. I did it during Nanowrimo, since my planned book fell short (WAY short) of the 30 days. </span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><b style="line-height: 18px;">What other books of the same genre would you compare yours with?</b><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">...</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">*blinks*</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">Er.... Cinderella and Zombies? Sorry, that's a tough one. When I describe it to people, I give them the title--Snow White and Zombies--and I tell them it's exactly what it sounds like.</span><br /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><b style="line-height: 18px;">Who or what inspired you to write this book?</b><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Readers who liked Cinderella and Zombies. Cinders was an experiment. It was something that I wrote because I thought it would be fun. (It was!) But I wasn't expecting people to write me and tell me that they liked it so much. (You guys are the greatest!)</span><br /><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><b style="line-height: 18px;">What else about your book might pique the reader's attention?</b><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">There's something in the works right now. Nothing official. But I'm working with other authors on making zombie fairy tales a thing.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Also, I'm still undecided about the cover for Snow White and Zombies. If you follow me on facebook, you've probably seen several of my drafts. I'm seriously considering releasing the same book twice, with different covers. (sigh)</span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Tag! You're it!*</span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">*And my you, I mean you. Yes, you. If you're reading this, if you write, and if you haven't done the Next Big Thing yet, then consider yourself tagged. Sorry, that's how I roll.</span></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673008115756142503noreply@blogger.com2