Friday, November 29, 2013

"SuperHERo Tales: A Collection of Female Superhero Stories" is available in print!



"SuperHERo Tales: A Collection of Female Superhero Stories," which has been available in kindle format for a little while now, is now available in print, just in time for holiday gift-giving! The really fun part about this is that you can buy the original anthology for a low price or pay a little bit more and get the Expanded Edition which includes three additional illustrations at the end of the book of three of the superheroines who are featured in the stories.

All of the proceeds from the books will go to Because I am a Girl, which helps girls in third world countries.

About the charity:
"Because she is a girl, she’s more likely to suffer from malnutrition, be forced into an early marriage, be subjected to violence, be sold into the sex trade, or become infected with HIV. Because she is a girl, she faces discrimination in her own home. Because she is a girl, she’ll have limited access to a doctor or even a primary education (if she’s able to go to school at all). But we’re here to change all that. Because being a girl should always be a positive, empowering experience."
From the blurb about the book:
"Girls are under-represented when it comes to superhero movies, toys and other merchandise. This wonderful group of authors decided to do something about it. Within these pages, you will find stories of female superheroes to enchant and delight. You will read all about their powers and their masked identities and then get to read a short story that gives you insight into who they are or who they will become. You’ll find action, adventure, magic and betrayal. You’ll find everyday female heroes, as well as super-powered heroines and devious villains. From friendly encounters to government conspiracies, 27 new superheroes, all FEMALE superheroes, can be found represented in these stories, written by 24 talented authors."
There are some amazing stories in this anthology, written by some very talented authors. Some of the stories are more suitable for children than others, and some of them are a little on the gory side, but there is no bad language or sex, so I would rate this collection as PG.

Prices are low. What little is made from the books goes to the charity, but the prices will remain low as the goal is to get this book into as many hands as possible and spread the word that girls make awesome superheroes!

In the US:

Kindle

Print

Expanded Edition (print)

In the UK:

Kindle

Print

Expanded Edition


Please share this everywhere you can!


Thursday, November 21, 2013

#NaNoWriMo - Week 3 + How to use a dream sequence correctly



We are through with the 3rd week of NaNoWriMo and entering the fourth week now. Our stories should be starting to take shape and the end should be becoming clearer to us.

One thing I have noticed a lot of people doing with their NaNoWriMo stories to add to their word count is adding a dream sequence to their story. Dream sequences are tricky things to do correctly, so I am going to give you a few tips on what you should do with a dream sequence and what you shouldn’t do with a dream sequence.

  1. Dream sequences have to have something to do with the overall plot of the story. You can’t just randomly stick a dream sequence in that has absolutely nothing to do with the story and expect it to work within the story.
  2. Dream sequences need to move the story forward. Your character should either learn something through the dream sequence or come to some sort of realization that may not have come any other way.
  3. Dream sequences should not trick your reader. You should not play the story out in a certain way and then tell your reader, “It was all just a dream; none of it really happened,” and then pick up the story from where you left it off before the dream. Trust me, your readers will not appreciate you doing this.
  4. Dream sequences should not be completely rational. Think about it. No one ever has completely rational dreams. Your dream sequence needs to make some sort of sense, but it should not all be perfectly clear and play out like an everyday event.
  5. Dream sequences should have some mystery to them. Do not use a dream sequence to info-dump on your reader. Dreams and visions are not meant to be completely rational, so dumping a bunch of information on your reader in this way is a quick way to bore your reader. A reader already has to suspend disbelief in order to read your fiction novel. Don’t make this become too difficult for them.
What things would you suggest a writer should do or avoid when writing a dream sequence?



Jingle Bells available in print and SuperHERo Tales available on kindle!

Jingle Bells: Tales of Holiday Spirit from Around the World” is now available in both print and kindle, and now “SuperHERo Tales: A Collection of Female Superhero Stories” is available in kindle!

Both are full of amazing stories from talented authors. Jingle Bells has some wonderful artwork and stories that are great for kids and adults alike. SuperHERo Tales has some stories great for older children  and adults throughout, along with stories for younger children towards the back.

Both of these books will make wonderful gifts for the loved ones on your Christmas list, and SuperHERo Tales will be available in print later this week!


About “Jingle Bells: Tales of Holiday Spirit from Around the World”:

Let these wonderful stories of holiday magic fill your heart with peace and love for the holiday season. From dragons at Christmas to dancing for Hanukkah, from fairy friends to a mermaid’s gift, you’ll find many stories within these pages to bring a smile to your face. With 33 wonderful short stories and 5 poems, written for children and adults alike, there is a variety of tales, written by authors from around the world, to help you find a bit of that holiday spirit to warm your heart.

Proceeds from the sale of Jingle Bells go towards the Chapter Book Challenge


About “SuperHERo Tales: A Collection of Female Superhero Stories”:

Girls are under-represented when it comes to superhero movies, toys and other merchandise. This wonderful group of authors decided to do something about it. Within these pages, you will find stories of female superheroes to enchant and delight. You will read all about their powers and their masked identities and then get to read a short story that gives you insight into who they are or who they will become. You’ll find action, adventure, magic and betrayal. You’ll find everyday female heroes, as well as super-powered heroines and devious villains. From friendly encounters to government conspiracies, 27 new superheroes, all FEMALE superheroes, can be found represented in these stories, written by 24 talented authors. 

From the foreword by Emmie Mears: 
"When I was growing up I was told superheroes weren't for me... that superheroes and comic books weren't for girls. They were for boys... This anthology is a tribute to superheroes who happen to have XX chromosomes. I want the next generation of girls to grow up in a world where they won't get told superheroes aren't for them."
Proceeds from sales of SuperHERo Tales go towards the charity Because I am a Girl


About the charity (from their pages on their website):
"Because she is a girl, she’s more likely to suffer from malnutrition, be forced into an early marriage, be subjected to violence, be sold into the sex trade, or become infected with HIV. Because she is a girl, she faces discrimination in her own home. Because she is a girl, she’ll have limited access to a doctor or even a primary education (if she’s able to go to school at all). But we’re here to change all that. Because being a girl should always be a positive, empowering experience." 

Get your kindle copy of “SuperHERo Tales: A Collection of Female Superhero Stories” here. 


Friday, November 15, 2013

#NaNoWriMo – Halfway there! + 7 tips to catch up with your writing



You are halfway through the challenge now. Are you still on target? Are you finding it a hard slog now?  I’m somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 words behind, but it’s because I had work to do on another writing-related project. That project is over now, so I am hoping to use this weekend to catch up.

Some tips that might help if you are falling behind right now:

1 – Turn your Internet connection OFF (just as soon as you have finished reading this post.) Facebook, Twitter and all the rest of social media can be a distraction and a time-suck. Checking your e-mail can turn into hours of on-line time-wasting, so spare yourself the temptation and unplug it!

2 – Meet up with friends who also write. (If you’re local NaNoWriMo region is doing some write-ins for their meet-ups, go to them!) Sometimes, another friend who knows what it’s like to get stuck on your story can help you talk it over and get fresh ideas to keep you going. And if they are sitting in the coffee shop next to you, typing up their story, you might feel pressured to do the same, instead of fiddling around with apps.

3 – Say no to outside obligations. I know it’s difficult to say “no” to people. (It’s harder for some of us than for others, as we are programmed to be nice.) But you need to demand this time for yourself, and dedicate the time to your writing. Tell you friends (the non-writing ones) that you won’t be able to meet with them for a while. Is your kids’ school asking you to help with a project of theirs? Say “no” (or, at least, “not until December.”) 

4 – Carry a notebook around (or a really portable device to type on) for when you can’t be at home. This will come in very handy for times when you are riding the bus, waiting in a doctor’s office, waiting at your kids’ school for them to come out for the day, on a train journey, or sitting at a cafe having your lunch break. Jot those ideas down or continue your story from where you left off. Not sure where you left off with your story at home? No problem! - Write a new scene that will be  coming up later in the story.

5 – Go for a walk and think about your story. You’ll be amazed at how many ideas come to you when you give your story a break and find some peace and solitude in the outdoors (even in colder climates).

6 – Listen to music. Find something that evokes the mood and atmosphere that you are trying to achieve in your current scene and let the words flow from you.

7 – Turn the TV, radio and anything noisy off. Get someone to take your kids out for a while. Sit at your computer, ready to type, with nothing but your own thoughts to distract you.

Some of these suggestions sounds contrary to one another, but every writer has different ways  of finding inspiration.  So if one method doesn’t work, try something else.

I’d love to have made this a list of ten things, but I’m in the middle of writing my NaNoWriMo novel and writing this post is a distraction, so I need to get back to my story!


Thursday, November 14, 2013

Integrity - Writer's Reveal - November 2013


For this November's Writer's Reveal Topic, I was given the topic of: "What does integrity mean to you as a writer?" My Writer's Reveal Topic was given to me by Emily Morgan.

Right now, my head is so full of my NaNoWriMo novel writing (which I am behind on) and creating the Jingle Bells anthology (which I'm nearly finished doing) that it is difficult for me to wrap my mind around another topic at the moment.

For a really quick covering of the topic:

- Writing integrity is about writing only what I feel the need to write when I write my fiction, not writing something that will work for the market, but writing something that calls to me and begs me to write it.

- Writing integrity is about being honest when writing reviews, even when I am friends with the author of the book I am reviewing.

- Writing integrity is about making my story the best I can make it, because I want the readers to love it, and I don't want to give them less than my best.

- Writing integrity is about spending time, long, sometimes tedious, TIME, sitting at the computer and WRITING - every day.

- Writing integrity is about meeting the deadlines I commit to.

- What would you add to this list?

*****


The the other writers in Writer's Reveal are:





Thursday, November 7, 2013

#NaNoWriMo Week One


The first week of NaNoWriMo is over now and we are all about to begin Week Two. How was your first week? Is this your first time joining in the National Novel Writing Month challenge or are you an old hand at it?

I’m told that the second week is when things start to get difficult for writers. We’ve begun with enthusiasm in the first week, but now we are heading toward the middle of our story and we have to figure out how to get from the beginning to the end in a plausible and still exciting way. If you are one of those people who plots out your whole story in advance, then maybe this week is not so difficult for you. Or if you are writing a novel with lots of twists and turns and oodles of subplots, then this might not be too difficult for you.

I’m one of the people who doesn’t plot in advance and keeps myself interested with many subplots and exciting twists and turns in the story. However, I find that I start to wain in enthusiasm, normally, when I am reaching the end of my novels. Often, I am undecided on exactly how I am going to end the story, which causes me problems. This year is different though. I feel as though the writing coming from me, ever since the first 3,000 or so words, is not very good. I feel as though I am having to forc the words out. I think it’s time for me to have something completely unexpected (and yet still plausible) happen to my main character. What do you think?


 

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Breathe - Insecure Writers Support Group for November 2013 #IWSG


This is my eighth monthly Insecure Writer's Support Group post. The IWSG is hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh. The purpose of the IWSG is: 

"to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!" 

This is my post for Insecure Writer's Support Group for November 2013. The topic I chose for this one 
is "breathe."

With the work I am doing writing my novel for NaNoWriMo, idea-generating for PiBoIdMo, writing for Write 
Write Non-Fiction in November and putting both the Jingle Bells anthology (almost done) and the SuperHERo 
Tales anthology together (not as done as Jingle Bells but also close), I feel like I haven't had time to just 
breathe, to relax and take a moment not to worry about how many projects I have completed today.

Now that the Jingle Bells anthology is almost finished and the SuperHERo Tales anthology is also close to being
done, I feel as though I am so close to being able to sit and take a breath. Yes, I still have a lot to do. And I still 
have NaNoWriMo and PiBoIdMo and Write Non-Fiction in November to complete, but the anthologies have a 
more urgent deadline if I want the authors to be able to buy print copies in time for Christmas, and once 
November is over, I will have The Talisman Chronicles to put together for all of those creative kids who wrote 
stories for it.

So right now, although I am still a little bit stressing about completing the anthologies, because the end is in 
sight, I can take a moment to rest. I can sit and breathe in the fresh air, blanking my mind of worries - just 
for a moment.


 

Monday, November 4, 2013

#NaNoWriMo, #PiBoIdMo & the #JBAP and #CAFSC anthologies


November is a very busy month for me this year. I am putting together two anthologies, “SuperHERo Tales: A Collection of Female Superhero Stories and “Jingle Bells: Tales of Holiday Spirit From Around the World.” The plan is to have them available before December 1st so that the authors and others can buy the books in print format in time for Christmas gift-giving.  Proceeds from SuperHERo Tales will be going to support the charity Because I Am A Girl, and proceeds from Jingle Bells will go towards the Chapter Book Challenge (ChaBooCha).

Here’s a sneak peak of the covers for both of the anthologies:
"SuperHERo Tales: A Collection of Female Superhero Stories"
cover art by Julia Lela Stilchen

"Jingle Bells: Tales of Holiday Spirit From Around the World"
cover art by Rebecca Fyfe


While putting together the Kindle and print versions of the anthologies, I am also participating in NaNoWriMo. The goal of NaNoWriMo is to write 50,000 words of the first draft of your novel in 30 days, from November 1st through November 30th. I have participated in NaNoWriMo four times now, succeeding in reaching my 50,000 word goal every time. Two years ago, I wrote over 75,000 words during National Novel Writing Month and last year I wrote over 100,000 words during the challenge. This year, I will try and attempt to reach at least the minimum 50,000 words, because I have too many other things going on this month at the same time.

One of those other things that I have going on this month is that I am also participating in PiBoIdMo. Picture Book Idea Month is a challenge to write an idea down for a new picture book every day in the month of November. It’s a great way for me to take a break from my NaNoWriMo writing and working on the anthologies.

I’m also making sure to write posts for at least some of my blogs every week during the month.
I’m also doing some research this month on two of my non-fiction books, and I plan on writing the first chapter of each one by November 30th, which will add at least another 2,000 words to the 50,000 I already need to write.  There’s a small part of me that would love to reach 100,000 words on my novel again this month like I did last year, but last year I didn’t have the anthologies ot put together so I am not going to add any more pressure to my workload right now. Maybe if I finish with the anthologies before the end of the month, as I am hoping to, then I will be able to focus even more time on my NaNoWriMo novel writing.

So in a nutshell, this is my to-do list for November:

1. Finish putting together the Jingle Bells anthology
2. Finish putting together the SuperHERo Tales anthology.
3. Write 50,000+ words of my novel
4. Research and write the first chapter of my Skinny Dreaming book and my other non-fiction book
5. Write down a new picture book idea every day
6. Post at least once a week on more than one of my blogs

It's a busy schedule, especially when taking into consideration school runs, cooking meals, daily exercise sessions, taking care of my children and walking the dog along with everything else from my day to day life. But I am capable of doing this, and I am looking forward to the challenge of it all.