 The awesome co-hosts for the December 4 posting of the IWSG are Ronel, Deniz, Pat Garcia,Olga Godim, and Cathrina Constantine!
December 4 question - Do you write cliffhangers at the end of your stories? Are they a turn-off to you as a writer and/or a reader? I don’t usually like cliffhangers, whether as a reader or as a writer. I feel betrayed, as if I were cheated out of half the story. The same goes for television and movies. If I know there will be a part two, I refuse to watch part one by itself. (Does anyone know if the new movie Wicked ends on a cliffhanger?) For books in a series, I expect loose ends, but the story needs to reach a satisfying stopping point, even if it’s not complete. It’s a difficult tightrope to walk, but I hope I accomplished this in my series! I just published the third installment of my trilogy, and it was satisfying to tie things off. Although, now I’m considering a re-edit of book one to bring it up to the standards of two and three. I’m torn between wanting to move on and feeling embarrassed that my first book was rough around the edges. What does everyone else think about cliffhangers? Are they frustrating or do you like that edge-of-your-seat feeling?
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 The Out of the Blue ebook is available for preorder on Amazon! The print book and ebook will be released on Monday, December 2.
The trilogy is nearly complete. Out of the Blue will be available for preorder soon. That means it’s time for one last cover reveal!  It’s hard to believe Blue Nova’s story is nearly over, but I hope everyone will be as satisfied with the ending as I am. I’ll announce when preorder is available, which should be within the week! Until then, here is the synopsis:
DON’T EXPECT TO SAVE THE WORLD… WITHOUT SACRIFICING EVERYTHING. In the months since Ultimid supers emerged, Aubree has infiltrated the League of Villains to forge alliances against Omni. Convinced that Clash’s quest for temporal powers is the more immediate threat, Dr. Vile investigates the commander’s secrets. At the Citadel, Jess trains relentlessly but struggles with control, hurting anyone who gets close and forcing her to question her purpose. All their plans seem in vain when Omni returns with a vengeance. His insatiable thirst for blood and pain leaves the world in tatters, and even the return of old friends can’t outweigh the climbing casualties. As the death toll mounts, will there be anyone left to save the world? And how much—and who—is Aubree willing to sacrifice for victory? The awesome co-hosts for the November 6 posting of the IWSG are Diedre Knight, Lisa Buie Collard , Kim Lajevardi, and JQ Rose! November 6 question - What creative activity do you engage in when you're not writing? This is a tough one because I use all my free time for writing. I have to delve WAY back into the past to come up with any other hobbies, but… I used to knit! I wasn’t great at it, but I had fun. Here are a couple of hats I made a few years ago:  A more recent creation was this party favor I made for a Harry Potter themed birthday party. The wands are made from disposable wooden chopsticks, hot glue, and paint.  Now that I think about it, I’ve gotten creative for several birthday parties…   Well, look at that! I came up with lots of answers. I guess I’ve had time for more creativity than I thought!
It’s time to announce the synopsis for book three in the Blue Nova Saga! Without further ado, here it is:
DON’T EXPECT TO SAVE THE WORLD… WITHOUT SACRIFICING EVERYTHING. In the months since Ultimid supers emerged, Aubree has infiltrated the League of Villains to forge alliances against Omni. Convinced that Clash’s quest for temporal powers is the more immediate threat, Dr. Vile investigates the commander’s secrets. At the Citadel, Jess trains relentlessly but struggles with control, hurting anyone who gets close and forcing her to question her purpose. All their plans seem in vain when Omni returns with a vengeance. His insatiable thirst for blood and pain leaves the world in tatters, and even the return of old friends can’t outweigh the climbing casualties. As the death toll mounts, will there be anyone left to save the world? And how much—and who—is Aubree willing to sacrifice for victory? When the cover is finished, I’ll share it here. The book is with my beta readers now, so I’m on track to release before the end of the year. Thanks for taking this journey with me, and I am so excited for this trilogy to be officially completed! As I already announced on Facebook, the title for the third—and final—book in the Blue Nova Saga will be…
Out of the Blue The synopsis will be released in the coming weeks, and I can’t wait to share it with you! To celebrate, Falling for the Villain and Heart of a Hero are on sale on Amazon US and UK for 99 cents. The sale is on for one more day, so act quickly! The awesome co-hosts for the October 2 posting of the IWSG are Nancy Gideon, Jennifer Lane,Jacqui Murray, and Natalie Aguirre!
Remember, the question is optional! October 2 question - Ghost stories fit right in during this month. What's your favorite classic ghostly tale? Tell us about it and why it sends chills up your spine. I’m glad the question is optional, because I don’t care for ghost stories. What I do love at this time of year is a story with cozy autumn vibes. I want to see the golden leaves. I want to smell the pumpkin spice. I want to taste the apple cinnamon. I want to feel the warmth by my fireplace while I swaddle myself in the fluffiest blanket on my sofa. There are books that could convey this mood, but I always find myself craving the TV show Gilmore Girls. It makes me want to dress in warm earth tones and leather boots so I can grab a coffee while I stroll through a town square or college campus. They consistently delivered the seasonal vibes for this fall-loving girl! In writing news… I am still making good progress with my first round of edits! As I write this, I have five chapters to go, and I should be even closer by the time this post goes up. I’ll do one more editing pass, then it’s off to beta readers! I’m so excited to be on schedule for once. Which reminds me, I need to check in with my beta readers soon to make sure they’re still willing… :)  The awesome co-hosts for the September 4 posting of the IWSG are Beth Camp, Jean Davis, Yvonne Ventresca, and PJ Colando!
Back to School (aka the most wonderful time of the year) By the time this post goes up, it will be the second day of school for us! I’m always blown away when my Facebook friends post back to school pics throughout August when we’re right in the middle of summer break here in BC. It’s okay though, my kids will be in school throughout June, so it evens out. September 4 question - Since it's back to school time, let's talk English class. What's a writing rule you learned in school that messed you up as a writer? I wouldn’t say it messed me up, but I struggled to ignore grammar rules when I first started writing dialogue. Realistic dialogue means ending sentences in prepositions and using fragments, unless your character is a robot…or an English teacher. I was lucky to have a laid back creative writing prof in college who helped me get past my rule-following habits. He encouraged us to experiment, break rules, and see where the story took us. I loved the feeling of freedom in that class! I wish I could retake it today with the same professor. I have so much more to write about now!  The awesome co-hosts for the August 7 posting of the IWSG are Feather Stone, Kim Lajevardi, Diedre Knight, C. Lee McKenzie, and Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen!
August 7 question - Do you use AI in your writing and if so how? Do you use it for your posts? Incorporate it into your stories? Use it for research? Audio? I have used AI for research but nothing else. It is useful as a tool, but I hate seeing it used for “art.” That’s all I have to say about AI, so on to my update… Writing Progress Update Good news! At the start of July, I finished the first draft of my book. That alone was cause for celebration. I put the manuscript aside and didn’t look at it for two weeks so I’d have a fresh perspective. While my kids were in summer camps, I began editing. This is where the even better news comes in… The first draft is pretty decent! This will be much smoother than editing book two. I’m so glad I took my time. It was totally worth it. I think the third book of the trilogy will be published before the end of the year, as planned. But, before I get ahead of myself, there is the matter of the tagline and synopsis. Those are the hardest parts, but I can’t get the cover design started until I nail those down! Sorry I’m late posting today! I completely forgot until this morning.
The awesome co-hosts for the July 3 posting of the IWSG are JS Pailly, Rebecca Douglass, Pat Garcia, Louise-Fundy Blue, and Natalie Aguirre! July 3 question - What are your favorite writing processing (e.g. Word, Scrivener, yWriter, Dabble), writing apps, software, and tools? Why do you recommend them? And which one is your all time favorite that you cannot live without and use daily or at least whenever you write? I have always used MS Word. It’s not that I recommend it or prefer it. It’s just comfortable, like broken-in fuzzy slippers. I know where to find every setting, feature, and formatting option. My ancient computer still has the old Word, from before subscriptions were required. When my beloved dinosaur someday crashes, I will have to find a new word processor, because I am NOT paying a monthly fee. My husband wants to get a Mac, so Pages is likely in my future. I’ve used Pages on an iPad, and it’s okay. Not as comfy as slippers, but perhaps a running shoe I could get used to. |
Falling ForeverNothing fancy, just my thoughts on the writing journey, creativity, and life in general. CategoriesFalling for the VillainLike superheroes? Love romance? This novel is for you!
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