INSECURE WRITER'S SUPPORT GROUP

FIRST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH 

IT IS TIME FOR 

INSECURE WRITER'S SUPPORT GROUP

To find out more about this group,

visit:

Alex J. Cavanaugh 

(The Ninja Captain)
at

http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com.au

Sometimes I feel as though the writing world is something I really know nothing about and I wonder to myself, if I should be participating within it.  Yes, I have written a book and it is published, thanks to the modernization of the publishing industry and the invention of the eBook! But does that really mean that I am a part of this mystifying world?

Today, I have been contacted by the lovely Ali Cross, as I have been the lucky winner of a Personal Branding Consultation, by entering her Hundred Followers Giveaway, at the Writer’s Dojo! 

My first question to Ali was, "What is a Personal Branding Consultation?"  I certainly have no idea and this lead me to wonder about my non-existent understanding of this writing world. Of course Ali was very understanding and told me that she would help me to discover my 'brand' and advise me how to promote it. She also made me feel a little better about my ignorance when she told me that a lot of writer's don't really know what their brand is and stand around scratching their heads contemplating it! (To be honest, I hadn't even thought about how I promote myself or what image to present)!


Being honest, I only found out what a 'WIP' stood for in March, when I entered Rachel Harrie's Platform Building Campaign! It doesn't really take much to guess what it means, but when you are new on the block, all these terms are quite baffling!

Then  of course, there is Critique groups / partners etc, and Beta readers. Trying to define what the difference was between the two, was also a challenge and wondering why I needed either, also took some time to reflect upon and consider! Now I am glad that I have taken the plunge and considered this option as I think all writer's need some help to tighten up loose ends, catch spelling mistakes and grammar issues.

So my question is, 'Are there others out there who have felt this way, or are feeling this way now? And if so how did you overcome your ignorance, did you just plod along like myself learning as you go, or did you learn through some other means?'

Carolyn

TEASER TUESDAYS

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by

http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/

of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along!

Just do the following

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE ANY SPOILERS!
Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away!

You don't want to ruin the book for others!

 

City of Lost Souls

Book 5 

in

The Mortal Instruments Series

by

Cassandra Clare

 

BLURB: 

 The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?

Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

 MY TEASER FOR THIS WEEK:
 It was dark in the alcove, so dark that Jace was only an outline of shadows and gold.  His body pinned Clary's to the wall. His hands slid down along her body and reached the end of her dress, drawing it up along her legs.

ARE YOU WRITING NOW?

Are you writing now? Accountability Group Sign Up

1.	Patricia Lynne	9.	C.M. Brown
2.	Marie Landry	10.	M.J. Fifield
3.	Lor Rose	11.	Mark Koopmans
4.	Gwen Tolios	12.	Sydney Aaliyah
5.	Hywelalyn	13.	Tammy J Rizzo
6.	Traci Kenworth	14.	L.M. Murphy
7.	Travis Cottreau	15.	Erica Cresswell
8.	Kathy Coleman

HOSTED BY Patricia Lynne AT http://plbjourney.blogspot.com.au/

SO, HOW DID I GO WITH MY GOALS FOR MAY? YOU CAN FIND THE ANSWER BELOW:

1. Continue writing my WIP.

Yes, well I mean no, I seem to have a lot more to write than what I previously thought and I am still plodding along! Oh well!

     

 2. Finish the first draft.

Well as I seem to have a lot more to write, I haven't accomplished this point as yet. But, having a longer story is always good, so I don't really mind not completing this point.  

 3. Complete editing of the first draft.

As I am still writing now, this has also been made redundant! Not to worry!

 4.  Finish the critique of partner's work.

Yes, I did complete this task and sent her work back. Big claps!

5. Write to five review blogs to ask for a book review of first book.

I wrote to four, which is not too bad an effort.  

 6. Contact all followers of my Blog.

Out of 255 Followers, I contacted 130, so I suppose this wasn't too bad. I will catch up with the rest during this next month, hopefully!

MY GOALS FOR JUNE ARE:

1. Of course number one priority is to complete my WIP
2. Complete editing of first draft
3. Contact the rest of my Blog followers, who I did not get to visit in May
4. Participate in the Indie Blog Hop running 13th to 19th June
5. Write to blogs to request reviews of first book 

TEASER TUESDAY!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by

http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/

of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along!

Just do the following

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE ANY SPOILERS!
Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away!

You don't want to ruin the book for others!

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Rex Rising  (Blurb)   

In a world where parasites create new human races, Elei leads a peaceful life as an aircar driver — until a mysterious attack on his boss sends him fleeing with a bullet in his side and the fleet at his heels. Pursued for a secret he does not possess, he has but one thought: to stay alive. Yet his pursuers aren’t inclined to sit down and talk, and that’s not the end of Elei’s troubles. The two powerful parasites inhabiting his body, at a balance until now, choose this moment to bring him down, leaving Elei with no choice but to trust in people he barely knows in a mad race against time. It won’t be long before he realizes he must find out this deadly secret — a secret that might change the fate of his world and everything he has ever known — or die trying.

Rex Rising by Chrystalla Thoma

Book One of Elei's Chronicles 

My Teaser for this week:

Biting back a retort, Elei took a deep breath and twisted from the knees, turning against the blade, cursing as pain exploded in his wounded side. The knife screeched against the hard skin covering his shoulder blade and upper back.

Thoma, Chrystalla (2011-08-11).
Rex Rising (Kindle Locations 288-290). Amazon.com. Kindle Edition.

Wilde's Fire Editor-Judged Contest - Blog Hop

Sharon Baylis, (Sci-fi and fantasy author) and Krystal Wade, (Curiosity Quills Acquisition Editor for Young Adult) have teamed up to host a Blog Hop where there is a prize or prizes, depending on quality of submissions, for a chance at a publishing contract with Curiosity Quills.

 

All of this is to celebrate

 Krytal Wade's book release 

"Wilde's Fire"!

Under the YA and NA umbrella, Curiosity Quills is most interested in the following genres:

Fantasy
Speculative Fiction / Dark Sci-Fi / Traditional Sci-Fi
Paranormal and Urban Fantasy
Steampunk / NeoVictorian
Mystery / Crime Thrillers
Quirky/Humorous Fiction (in any of the above genres)

1) Sign up at the linky on Sharon Baylis site.

2) By 5/25, post your query and first 500 words on your blog. I recommend that you refer to Curiosity Quill's submission guidelines when crafting your query. They don't need the bio section, they like to judge a work by its merits only. You can go slightly more or less than 500 words so you're not stopping in the middle of a sentence.

3) From 5/25-5/28, pop over to the other blogs and comment on entries. Contests like this are a great way to get useful feedback from a lot of people. So let's make it useful! Please post meaningful and helpful feedback that we can use to improve our work. Constructive criticism is encouraged but of course, unhelpful meanness will not be tolerated. If you're lucky, you may even find comments from Curiosity Quills editors themselves.

4) On 5/28 I will post again asking you to email me your revised, final entries for consideration by Krystal. From these entries, she will choose winners (assuming entries are strong enough, she will choose more than one winner!). These winners will get a full request from Curiosity Quills.

On the very last day of submissions, I have decided to submit an entry. Click here to find out the details of the Blog Hop and visit the other participants!

MY QUERY:

Dear  Krystal,

Courtney has just finished university and has landed a job in Melbourne, as an advertising editor for a new fashion magazine called 'TINT'.  

She leaves her country life, family and friends to move to Melbourne, engulfing herself in her new city lifestyle. But, this fashion mag isn't all it seems to be....

Courtney finds herself attracted to one of the many gorgeous models on staff, Slater and discovers a very different world beneath the surface of the fashion magazine and big city life.

She is changed forever as she sinks deeper into a relationship with the very sexy, attractive Slater. 

'TINT' is a New Adult Paranormal Romance, set in modern day Melbourne, Australia. As it stands it is an incomplete story which may have possibilities to become a series.

Sincerely,

Carolyn Brown

Here is my first 500 words of 'TINT'

Shadows crept across the wall as the room swam and the figures in front of me merged and swirled into one.  I felt as if I would not be able to stand up straight for long.  The orange tablet they had made me swallow was taking effect and my mind was beginning to become foggy and unfocused.  I knew I was in trouble when I felt my heart beat faster and droplets of sweat formed upon my skin!

Slater walked into the room, I knew it was him even though my senses had begun to wane.  The others in the room parted as he strode past them, giving him a wide berth to move towards me.  I did not expect him to hit me, but he did, with the full force of his giant fist smashing into my cheekbone, sending me down towards the floor. 

Droplets of blood escaped from my mouth, dripping down my chin, but I was unable to wipe them off as my hands were bound behind my back.  I tried to gain some composure as I struggled to stand again, defiantly looking my once vampire lover in the eyes!  He hit me again and everything faded….

Chapter One

“Hey you! What are you doing lying around here?” Came the familiar voice.

I was lying amongst a field of clover, listening to the bees buzzing around me, collecting nectar to make honey, the birds singing to each other amongst the trees and the trickling sound of the nearby stream as it meandered past the field I was resting in.

Ali had been my friend since primary school and we had never spent much time apart.  She lived nearby on one of the neighbouring properties that adjoined this one.Together we had learned to ride our bikes, played with our dolls and chased the local boys.  When we were a lot younger we had spent almost every waking hour together exploring our neighbourhood.

Feeling the warm sun on my skin, I shielded my eyes as I moved to greet her, a smile spreading across my face when I saw the pack she carried in her arms.  Knowing Ali, she would have packed my favourite olives, pate´s and cheeses.  I could feel my mouth begin to water.

“I was just enjoying the sunshine!  Can never get too much of just laying around, you know!" I paused before continuing, "Actually, I just wanted to reinforce my memories of this place, just once more before I leave for the big city in the morning.”

“Yeah!  I’m going to miss you, ya know.”

“Me, you as well!” I answered and walked over to give her a huge hug.

We sat down together, she opened up her bag, and I was right, she had packed it full of my favourite delights.  Even those special chocolate balls her grandmother used to make us when we were kids.

We spent a couple of hours together just enjoying each others  company before we separated and headed back to our respective homes.

 ****

I hope you enjoyed it. Feel welcome to comment or make critiques below, (be nice though). Please be aware as I am Australian, some words may not be spelled the way you are accustomed. I was inspired to continue writing this story after entering a challenge earlier this year.

Carolyn

WEIGHTED - COVER DESIGN RELEASE FOR CIARA KNIGHT

MY FRIEND CIARA KNIGHT HAS JUST RELEASED HER COVER DESIGN FOR HER NEXT BOOK,

 ‘WEIGHTED’

Weighted is a young adult post-apocalyptic with paranormal elements. It is a prequel novelette to The Neumarian Chronicles, and will be released August 2012. Book I, Escapement, will be released in 2013.

ADD 'WEIGHTED' TO YOUR GOODREADS SHELF

BLURB: 

The Great War of 2185 is over, but my nightmare has just begun. I am being held captive in the Queen’s ship awaiting interrogation. My only possible ally is the princess, but I’m unsure if she is really my friend or a trap set by the Queen to fool me into sharing the secret of my gift. A gift I keep hidden even from myself.  It swirls inside my body begging for release, but it is the one thing the Queen can never discover. Will I have the strength to keep the secret? I’ll know the answer soon. If the stories are true about the interrogators, I’ll either be dead or a traitor to my people by morning.

 "I wish Ciara great success with this novel and I must say, I really do love the cover design!" 

 

Carolyn

TEASER TUESDAY

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by

http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/

of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along!

Just do the following

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE ANY SPOILERS!
Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away!

You don't want to ruin the book for others!

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Balthazar (Evernight)

by Claudia Gray

 Haunted by memories from his first days as a vampire, Balthazar has spent hundreds of years alone—without allies, without love. When he emerges from his isolation to help Skye Tierney, a human girl who once attended Evernight Academy, Balthazar has no idea how dangerous it will be. Skye’s psychic powers have caught the attention of Redgrave, the cruel master vampire responsible for murdering Balthazar and his family four centuries ago. Having learned of Skye’s powers and the remarkable effect her blood has on vampires, he plans to use her for his own evil purposes. As they stand together to fight the evil vampire, Balthazar realizes his lonely world could finally be changed by Skye...just as Redgrave realizes that he can destroy Balthazar once and for all by taking her for his own.

In a story filled with forbidden love and dark suspense, one of the most beloved characters in Claudia Gray’s New York Times bestselling Evernight series will captivate readers with his battle to overcome his past and follow his heart.

MY TEASER: 

Redgrave smiled. "Don't worry. You haven't hurt my feelings by failing to know my face." His accent was odd, not exactly British, not exactly American, hints of something else, too. Hard to place. "You saw me only in the dark, and only with human eyes. My question was sincere." He tapped his finger on the board, just beneath remember me.