Hey, everyone! This is a quick placeholder post to let you all know that my site was hacked (key dramatic music) and was thus out of operation for some time. It is now up and running once again, but it’s a zombie version of its former self, complete with misplaced pieces, questionable stitching jobs, and oozing blood. Just in time for Halloween! It may look a little messy for a while because, let’s face it, I suck at these kinds of tasks. More on all this later…
Music and Writing
Warning: This post contains spoilers (The E Series). Please be especially careful if you are reading this on social media, as the accordion formatting that will protect the spoiler content on my blog most likely will not transfer through to social media channels.
Most of the time when I’m writing, I prefer to have it quiet. I am not one of those authors who constantly has music going during work time. But every once in a while I do like to listen to music while I’m working, and sometimes that music can be incredibly inspiring and helpful to the creative process.
I was on Youtube the other day and happened to come across a music compilation that I listened to when I was writing Elegy and Endgame. It’s called “World’s Most Emotional Music: 2 Hours Epic Music Mix: Volume 2” by Epic Music World. The whole thing is great, and has definitely provided me with a lot of inspiration. I thought you guys might enjoy having a listen, too. Click here to go to the Youtube compilation. (As an aside, that gorgeous thumbnail art on the compilation is by an artist that goes by the tag WLOP and writes graphic novels. I am so drooling over this art. WLOP, if you’re reading this, will you make The E Series into a graphic novel for me?)
There are two particular tracks on this compilation that I ended up really connecting to, and they are coincidentally back to back, right at the beginning. In my head, they will forever be the “Oscar tracks”. I’ll just point you at tracks two and three, which I can no longer listen to without seeing certain scenes in my head. And… spoilers…
Track two: “Tears of War” by Collosal Trailer Music/Sup Pub music
This piece of music is so intense, it’s like having your soul pulled out slowly. I connected to it immediately. It had such a huge part in inspiring Oscar’s final appearance in DaMoynz. Those deep, vibrating tones made me see this scene from Chapter 31: Shatter in slow motion:
Oscar…. One hand clutches his side. Fresh blood rolls down his arm. A drop gathers on his fingertips, releases, falls. Cascading to the ground, it lands in a puddle of red that splashes his bare feet
Track three: “Fix Me” by Asith Perera
This is not the kind of music I normally find myself drawn to, but something about the lighthearted/heavyhearted feel of this track really got to me. It was this track that inspired Oscar’s other scene in Elegy: the goodbye. (Chapter 33: Brief) When I listen to this track, I feel this undercurrent of grief and acceptance, but on top of all that there is joy and hope. Also, I love the playfulness that mingles into this piece of music, which made me think of Oscar, and also inspired the leaves.
The wind swirls up, we let the leaves fly, and they spiral into the blue sky, lifting, lifting. Our hearts go with them.
And one more…
Track Ten: “Civilization is Over” by Danny Rayel
This track was more of a thematic inspiration, rather than specifically attached to a scene. For me, this music is tied into Eden and Apollon’s final stand somewhat (Endgame), but it is more about the overarching ideas of the inspiration behind that… specifically the impact that both Jonas and Oscar (and obviously their loss) had in shaping that future victory. It’s about determination, grit, and meaning. The following is from Chapter 37: For Them
I look up at Apollon, strength and emotion surging over me. “For Jonas,” I say.
He nods. “And for Oscar.”
What do you guys think? Do these tracks fit with the scenes for you as a reader? I’d love to hear your comments. And if you want to point me toward any inspiring music that you just love, feel free to do that as well.
Quiz! Fairytale Evolution: Flipped – Which character are you?
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Giveaway: A handmade book
Hey everyone! Many of you may remember the handmade book I gave away to celebrate the release of Jason and Lily. Well, I guess I just couldn’t get enough of the handmade book thing, because I’m doing it again! I’m making a hand bound edition of Flipped to give away to one lucky winner. This time, it gets even better….
A while back, I saw some gorgeous handmade journals from Latvian artist Aniko Kolesnikova. She makes decorative polymer clay panels and affixes them to writing journals. Well, when I was thinking of how to make this release special, and my thoughts turned to another handmade book, I ended up wondering if I could incorporate this same sort of decorative element. So I did some research, and turns out… it’s a perfect fit! As a matter of fact, rather than attaching a piece to the cover, my decorative piece is the cover.
Check out this video of the beginning of the process. (And yeah, I know I sound like a little kid.) :p
Like I said in the video, this is only the beginning of the process! I’ll be posting more videos soon to show you the journal as it comes together. The giveaway will be open to everyone, and it will also be up soon… so make sure you stay tuned for your chance to win this one-of-a-kind art book.
Fairytale Evolution News
“What’s that?” you say…
Why, yes, it is the makings of another handmade book. This one is extra special, and it will be given away to celebrate the release of Fairytale Evolution: Flipped. I think it’s going to be amazing!!! I’ll be releasing more info about the book soon, including how you can win it!
And as of two minutes ago…
…I hit *submit* on the preorder of Flipped. That means that the book should be available for preorder on Amazon within the next 72 hours, though in my experience, it happens a lot faster. I will post links as soon as I see it go live. Remember, release day is November 3rd! Not too long, now!
Hope you are all well! 🙂
Evolution and Jason and Lily on sale…
I’m running a small promotion on Evolution and Jason and Lily through this weekend only (Sept 9-11, 2016). These books will be 99 cents each on Amazon, so it’s a great time to pick up a copy if you haven’t read them yet. Also, Jason and Lily has a new cover that’s more in line with the rest of the series.
Meanwhile, I’ve been working on the rollout of my new series, Fairytale Evolution. The first book is still going through the editing process, but we’re closing in now. So far, my editor assures me there are only minor changes to be made, which is a great thing as far as getting the book out to you sooner. I should be setting a release date soon.
Also, I’ve started writing the spinoff to The E Series, but I’ll be honest and say that the writing is not going as quickly as I’d hoped. We’ve had a lot on our plates lately— health issues, back-to-school, etc— and it has been very difficult to carve out the writing time. I’m crossing my fingers for things to improve soon so that I can get things done a little faster.
I’ll be posting some Fairytale Evolution teasers before long, along with the official cover reveal (for those of you who haven’t gotten a sneak peek through the newsletter, etc.).
Have a great day!!!
Endgame is LIVE!
It’s release day for Endgame!
Woooohoooo! I can’t believe we’ve finally come to the end of the series. It’s been an awesome experience for me as an author and I am truly thankful for having had the opportunity to write it. Now it’s on to the spinoff series for me, as well as a few other things. I’ll be writing about those soon, so check out the blog to learn more.
Release party tonight on Facebook:
You’re invited! 8-12 pm Eastern. Come hang out and celebrate! Click here.
Links:
Endgame on Amazon (Not sure why they don’t have the cover picture up. Come on, Amazon!)
Endgame on Smashwords (epub)
Kobo (epub)
…Nook is still in the process of publishing it… so it should be available there… any… time….
Endgame!!!
It’s here! I know it took way longer than it was supposed to, and I apologize wholeheartedly. On the plus side, the crisis with my dad gave me a chance to see just how amazing my fans are! I am so incredibly grateful for all the kindness and understanding you all sent my way. Awesomest. Fans. Ever.
So… release day is Friday, August 12th. Endgame is on preorder right now on Amazon for $2.99. After it goes live, the price will raise to $3.99. I will be adding it to other retailers ASAP, so it will be available in different formats as well.
Here it is:
BOOK FIVE IN THE E SERIES.
Humanity’s future is at stake. Ready to take on the Sentries, Eden prepares for the ultimate battle. She’s willing to give up everything to finally put an end to the tyranny. As alliances shift and enemies rise, she’ll need to get everything exactly right to avoid a future that’s more horrific than the one she already has.
And yep, that’s it for The E Series. This book wraps up everything.
However…
Yes, there’s a ‘however’.
However… I will be starting work on a spinoff series (that I’ve mentioned in other blog posts) soon. So it’s not entirely the end. There will still be glimpses of your fav characters, so if, say, you have questions about what happens to them down the road… you might just find out. As everything looks right now, I’d say you can expect the first book (or two) in 2017.
Meanwhile, I’m working on the release of the first two books in a fantasy series, and they should be ready fairly soon. My editor has them right now, so it kind of depends on how much red ink I get back. If you subscribe to my newsletter, you’ve got the first look at those books in your inbox. If not, stay tuned for a post about them in the near future.
And, for fun, I’ll be posting some teasers leading up to the release! I’m excited! I hope Endgame answers all your questions and meets your expectations for the last book in the series!
Endgame: Cover Reveal
And… check out the cover for Endgame, coming up this spring! Writing progress: I’ve written approximately 70K words, and still going. 🙂
Elegy Release Date + Rambles
Hey everyone! I know you’ve all been waiting for the release date for Elegy, and I’ve been putting it off. Well, the good news is, now that I’ve set it, it’s really not that far away!
Elegy is coming to Kindle on Monday, November 23rd, 2015!
Less than one second: how long it takes for everything to change. The story rewritten. The answers lost. The world turned upside down.
Eden’s life is in tatters. Too many questions. Too many answers she never would have chosen. With no time to think or mourn, she struggles to take control of her fate once again. There’s one thing that Eden has always wanted— find Oscar. One solution— ask for Matt’s help. So begins a frantic journey with high stakes and savage battles. Buoyed by friendship, hardened by experience, Eden fights her way through endless obstacles with the single goal of reuniting her little family.
But does Outpost Three still exist, or have the Sentries destroyed it, along with the last of Eden’s hopes?
Rambles
Look for some teasers coming soon. In the meantime, I’ve been working like crazy.
Thanks to a nudge from one of my fans (*waves at Karen*) I’ve finally gotten around to working on the print formatting for the last two books. In the process, I’ve made some changes to the back covers of E and Evolution in order to have a cohesive look for the whole series. The print editions of all the books (except Elegy, which I will get to shortly) should be available in the next few weeks.
I’ve also started writing Book Five. As a matter of fact, I’ve been making quite a lot of progress. Unless this one gets incredibly long and I have to split it into two, it will be the final book in The E Series. The idea of finishing up the series is bittersweet. Quite a milestone and yet… sad. But I suppose all stories have an end.
So what’s after that? I’ve been toying with a couple of ideas. One is a spin-off series set in the world of E, a few years after the end of the main series. I’m really leaning toward this one. There would be a whole new cast of characters, some big changes, and a very different story line. I’ve got a lot of ideas that I want to play with.
Another possibility is a kind of prequel (I know I’ve technically already done that). This one would be more a history of the world of E, telling the story of how the world came to be the way it is. Some of those answers will come to surface by the end of the series, but I think that answers and stories are very different. Answers are based on information– mostly “how” and “what”. Stories focus on deeper meanings– more “why”. So I am definitely tempted to tell that story.
…And then there are other things. Different things. I still have two books (and part of a third) in a fantasy series just sitting on the shelf, waiting for me to get to them. These books are incredibly different from The E Series, but I love them, none the less. I really want to get back to them, get them ready, and send them out into the universe. But again, we’re talking about a series, so I think that once I commit to publishing them I’m going to need to focus on seeing them through to the end, which will mean putting other projects on hold for a while.
Just to throw in a few more options, I have at least three more stand-alone novels with series potential just banging around in my head, trying to get out. And that’s really only the tip of the iceberg, because I see stories everywhere, in everything. There is no way I’ll ever write it all before I die. Someone really needs to develop some sort of direct brain interface, or something!
So, yeah! Lots of choices coming up, and I’m really not sure which path I’ll choose. But I’m definitely going to keep writing, because that’s my thing.