YA Authors You've Never Heard Of

Re-reading and learning

2012-02-09T08:31:00.000-05:00

I'm a re-reader of books I've loved. Recently I have been reading and visiting old friends written by Andre Norton. I came across an essay she wrote in 1971. The essay was called "Writing Fantasy." Most of what was in the article I knew but she spoke of "Sword and Sorcery" fantasy, especially her story "Year of the Unicorn." For me this was a book that changed my ideas of writing fantasies. This is what struck me back then and still today. Andre Norton notes that while she had written books with female characters who interested her she had never written a book from the female point of view. While reading many of her earlir books I realized what she spoke was true. She also mentioned that the response to the book was mixed.What about your writing? I know here not all of us write fantasy. Some write more contemporary stories. Are your books told with the male point of view or the female point of view? For me, I've tried to find a balance. When I began the Jewels of Earda Series, the male characters were not the true main characters but neither were the females totally in control of the story, though they controlled the jewels. They were learning to work together. This kind of partnership has continued in The Henge Betrayed series.

Latest marketing news at Advice from a Caterpillar

2012-02-06T03:00:00.000-05:00

As you may – or may not know – I also have my own blog titled Advice from a Caterpillar where I post book reviews and interviews as well as contests, markets, and other industry news.

Here is just some of the latest news you may have missed – and an industry news nugget just for YAAYNO readers.

Sky Pony Press accepts unsolicited manuscripts and proposals via email

Nelligan Prize open to all writers

New agent open to MG and YA queries

Algonquin accepting MG and YA queries

Industry News Nugget

Technology company Demibooks has partnered with publisher Kane Miller to form a new children's book imprint called InkPad Press. InkPad Press will publish a wide range of children's content across all media, specializing in print and interactive book apps. Click here to sign up for submission info coming soon!

Peggy Tibbetts

Coming soon -- PFC Liberty Stryker

Letters to Juniper now available in ebook & paperback at Amazon.com

Become a Facebook fan

Injuries and other Infirmities

2012-02-03T01:00:00.011-05:00

As you can see from the picture, my body has let me down again. This is the second broken bone in four years. Last time it was my right ankle. This time my right wrist. The cause in both cases - icy sidewalks.

I survived my childhood without breaking any bones, despite falling out of trees, off tire swings and rope trapezes. There were the not-unexpected cuts, bruises, sprains and splinters removed from the soles of bare feet (not even gravel roads could force us to wear shoes during the summer months).

When you're young, you think you're invulnerable. No matter how many times I fell out of the apple tree in the backyard (one time, to my mother's horror, onto the driveway), I was always back up in the branches. My tree-climbing days, however, soon ended once I started wearing glasses. I guess once I could actually see the distance to the ground (turns out I'm near-sighted), fear of heights finally kicked in.

I also caught most of the childhood ailments of my generation: chicken pox, measles, German measles (twice, I think), mumps, and lots of colds.

One guaranteed way to keep a sick or injured child put is to let her read. Sometimes the reading material will take her mind off the injury or illness, but sometimes misery loves company and finding a book where the character survives or just copes with the problem helps.

I remember measles was in Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney. Louisa May Alcott's Little Women had scarlet fever as a threat (before werewolves). And there were various sprains and such in Eight Cousins and Rose in Bloom. I don't recall why Heidi's friend was in a wheelchair, but it was something cured by mountain air.

A search through my local library's catalog brings up several books about chicken pox as well as books with characters in the midst of itching and trying not to scratch. The only one I find about measles is Five Little Peppers for fiction. I'm hoping that means more parents are opting for vaccines nowadays.

Fantasies will sometimes use plague as a major fear. But what about the childhood diseases considered "normal"? On the YA side of fantasy, there are Tamora Pierce's Magic Circle series and Healer Hall stories by both Mercedes Lackey and Anne McCaffrey, so any young reader could choose to focus on the healing side.

When I was young, I read my older sisters' Cherry Ames books, which were about a young nurse trying different areas (Camp Nurse, Army Nurse, etc.). Then I moved into my father's collection of science fiction and found James White's Hospital Station series, with a space hospital and all sorts of aliens as doctors and patients - and all sorts of diseases and injuries. Murray Leinster had a traveling space doctor, as did Alan E. Nourse (Star Surgeon) and later Jody Lynn Nye with her Taylor's Ark stories.

Serious injuries will still turn up in series. Harry Potter was laid up briefly with a broken (and then deboned arm). But often the action in current books take place over a week or month rather than the months needed for recovery. Short stories are good sources then, such as "The Smallest Dragonboy" by Anne McCaffrey, when a concussion and a broken leg almost costs a boy a chance at Impressing a dragon (fortunately the dragon hatchling staggers off in search of him).

The depiction of disabilities in science fiction and fantasy is always an interesting panel at science fiction conventions. The first book I remember reading with a disabled character was Anne McCaffrey's The Ship Who Sang, which then developed into a series about brainships. Lois McMasters Bujold's stories about Miles Vorkosigan is another good series. But there needs to be more. And not just about how the character escapes his chair as in the recent film Avatar. Why shouldn't a child in a wheelchair find a positive reflection in what she or he reads?

Children with glasses were proud of their eyewear with the release of Harry Potter. Those with dyslexia had a role model in Percy Jackson. What books have you found?

Do Writers Need A Brand?

2012-02-02T04:00:00.000-05:00

I want you, dear Reader, to welcome a new guest to my blog. Fani Nicheva is in one of my writing groups and posted this article which I found insightful and wanted to share with you all. As you know, I have branded myself as the Yellow Hat Writer — hence the yellow hat in all of my author pictures. I have even attended writing conferences and been recognized because of my yellow hats. So I know branding works.

To brand or not to brand? That is the question.

If you are a writer, branding might seem to you like the most disturbing proposition.

After all, you are not a box of cereal residing on a shelf, fighting for consumer’s loyalty and attention.

Some time ago, when I was working in an ad agency, my creative director said to me “Products live on shelves; brands live in people’s minds.”

And this is where branding starts to get interesting for writers.

Brands live in people’s minds because they are nothing less than good stories.

Dear writers, it is time to for you to acknowledge that of all business professionals out there you possess the most rare and dangerous of talents – writing good stories.

Now, to go back to the “branding yourself” question – this is where branding starts to get challenging.

Yes, writers can design good brands (or write good stories) for other businesses, but can they do the same for themselves?

And most of all, do they need to?

The answer is it depends. It depends on how aware of yourself or rich and famous you want to be as a writer.

It is important to note here that branding can bring you more awareness of yourself without being rich and famous, but it won’t make you rich and famous without the awareness.

Personal branding has become quite the buzz word lately. Personal brands are similar to product brands in a sense that they undergo a process of simplification and systematization (which is why many authors abhor the “B” word as the antithesis to everything complex and meaningful).

However, personal brands differ from product brands on one fundamental level – spiritual alignment. Many large corporations suffer misalignment with their product brands for a variety of reasons – failed promises, poor management and customer service.

Solopreuners, on the other hand, have to be able to live the credo of their personal brands. You, as a writer, are not a product. But you can offer products. In fact, you get to define your products consciously, and carry out their messages with conviction and elegance on an everyday-basis.

Three years ago, the Financial Times published a study which showed that only 9% of professionals have a job in line with their personalities.

Personal branding will help you align your talents with your services.

Apart from elevating you to a place of high awareness, branding can work other wonders for you as well. It can make you more money. But remember, the order in which it works for personal brands is: awareness first, money next.

The reason why I stress personal awareness so much is because it will help you carry out the following commitments:

1/ Financial commitment:
In order for your brand to truly graduate to adulthood you will need to treat yourself as a business operation. If you as a writer are content to live from a project to project and take whatever job comes your way, then branding shouldn’t concern you as much. Many freelancers set up shop literally for free, in order to be flexible and “bail out” easily if needed. On the other hand, brands invest time and money into their operation and expect serious return on that investment. They also develop systems of marketing, bookkeeping, sales tracking, strategic planning and graphic design.

2/ Focus commitment:
If you want to be perceived as “THE ONE” in a certain area of writing style or expertise, then by all means, start thinking about a brand. That means one specific expertise, one audience. Do you want to be known as the ghost writing specialist, the “underdog” writer, the “high-brow intellectual” writer, the fresh opinion writer, the journalist? Yes, I am talking about a niche.

Because the modern marketplace is such a crowded room where nobody can hear each other, the simpler and focused you are, the easier for clients and audiences to find you and trust you.

Authors with a particular focus of work are Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, Dan Brown, Elizabeth Gilbert, Jodi Picoult, Malcolm Gladwell, Joan Didion, Seth Godin just to name a few.

These commitments could be very trying and stringent for creative people like writers indeed. Some of you simply won’t have the upfront capital to invest in business and personal branding. Some of you may have already started to invest, but have stopped because of depleted resources. Or you might think that applying the principle of one niche kills the creative instinct. Whatever you’re thinking, you’re right. Branding is a reductive, and therefore quite limiting in its choices endeavor.

But most businesses fail not because they didn’t undergo the rigorous schooling of branding, or because they didn’t hire an accountant, or an expensive graphic designer for that matter. They fail because they lack the awareness seed, the alignment with the product or services they offer.

So don’t sweat about the technicalities of branding. But do sweat about that story which you will center your brand and services around. If you have an idea about the story of your personal brand, then everything else will fall into place.

Ignite your passion of storytelling, your intimacy with the journey of the archetypal heroes that have been populating the human mind for centuries. Pick an archetype for yourself, try it on, and see if it fits. The Hero maybe, or the Sage, the Trickster, the Mentor, the Sapeshifter, the Threshold Guardian.

Switch them around. You can evolve as a personal brand just as often as any hero of the writer’s journey.

Recently a famed journalist writer with a distinguished brand, Gene Weingarten, wrote an article “How branding is ruining journalism.” In a curmudgeonly manner, which has become his signature, he denounces personal branding and likens it to marketing Cheez Doodles.

“Newspapers used to give readers what we thought they needed. Now, in desperation, we give readers what we think they want. And what we seem to think they want is happy, glitzy, ditzy stuff.”, he says.

As a graphic designer and a writer I had to disagree with him, until I read the last line:

“When I was a hungry young reporter in the 1970s, I thought of myself as a superman, an invincible crusader for truth and justice… My goals, however, were unambiguous, and heroic: 1) Get great stories that improve the world. 2) Get famous. Note the order. First came the work.”

I realized that what he fusses and wails about is not the creative act of brand-making. He revolts against the insidious results branding has on society when performed without spiritual alignment.

It also makes sense that Gene Weingarten didn’t have to fight for the spotlight of his brand back then. Back then the marketplace was a different beast.

But I dare to imagine that who he is today has to do less with any external circumstances, and more with that “superman” journey he adopted in the first place.

Fani Nicheva is a graphic designer and a writer, who serves creative professionals in their quest for a meanigful and long-lasting identity.
Visit her website at www.bfsp.net or read her blog www.aproposdezign.com She co-founded Bigfish Smallpond Design studio with her partner in Santa Cruz, CA. Creative branding, typography, book design, comparative literature, mythology, storytelling, logos, websites, introspection and lollygagging are her favorite activities.

Your Hub

2012-02-01T06:00:00.001-05:00

From 2007 to 2009 our local newspaper hosted a site called Your Hub. Perhaps you’ve heard of it or even participated. It was a community board where anyone who registered could post stories, photos, events, and just about anything that was happening locally. And the neat thing about it, at least to me, was the fact that once a week the Wichita Falls Times Record News printed some of the stories and photographs in the newspaper on a page titled “What’s Happening in Your Neighborhood.” Now there’s something about seeing your article and pictures in the newspaper that’s pretty cool. So I was a major contributor.

And, to my good fortune, the editor in charge of Your Hub called me one evening and asked for an interview. I, of course, posted about my books a lot, mentioned signings and showed the book covers. He wrote a very nice article about me: “Former teacher finds success writing.” Some nice publicity for an unknown author.

Over the short time Your Hub was available in our town, many of my articles were published in the newspaper. Sometimes, nice replies were posted on the site. Othertimes, I received personal email. Once I posted a picture of my aunt standing in front of the Pavillion that was at the lake many years ago. There also was an old-timey motorcycle that I asked if anyone knew what kind it was. A few days later a reply was in the newspaper. A man recognized it as a 1920 j-model Harley.

I talked about my cats and birds and asked how to keep ants off the hummingbird feeders. Several people replied with their solutions. I tried to find the owner of a stray dog that kept hanging around our house by putting his picture on the site. It appeared in the newspaper too.

Unfortunately, other people weren’t as excited about Your Hub as I was. A handful of contributors were faithful and posted regularly. I read some funny stories, some serious stories, and posts that told beautiful stories. But without enough participation, the paper finally closed the site. Other towns still have Your Hub. I know because I receive regular emails from Denver. If you’re interested in whether your local newspaper sponsors Your Hub, try http://yourhub.com. I can’t guarantee where it will take you. Mine goes to Denver. But it is cool getting your name in the newspaper.

Happy writing.

###

Buying light bulbs

2012-01-31T05:00:00.000-05:00

I have a friend, and once in awhile he posts on his Facebook or Twitter that he's 'off to buy some light bulbs'.

I know he's not heading to Home Depot.

It means that he's out of inspiration and he needs to find something to kick his muse in her pretty little rear end. How often does this happen to me? All the time. Sometimes I'll be on a roll and I can just feel the words itching to break free, I'll see the scene and know what has to happen and I can just write. Which usually happens at the worst possible moments, when I have no time to write. Like now, of course, when school is back in and I have to concentrate on my research project proposal and no real writing gets done at all. Sigh.

But then there are those times when I know I need to work on a project or at least come up with a plan or a plot, and...nothing. Mind goes completely blank. It's insanely frustrating. And that's when I head out to buy light bulbs.

What do I do to get those creative juices flowing? Sometimes I can read, especially if I can find a particularly interesting book that makes me want to write. I look for books like the kind I'm writing, but not always. Right now I'm reading Maureen Johnson's THE NAME OF THE STAR, and it's got me wanting to work on the last Library of Athena book - thank goodness, because that thing is giving me fits and I haven't even started writing it. But sometimes I'll watch a movie, or some Netflix TV (Firefly is good for the creativity, as is Doctor Who), or just take a walk, away from the Facebook and computer and work. Sometimes I just take the computer and go somewhere else-- a change of venue is all a mind needs to see something in a different way.

Your mileage with these tricks may vary, of course, but once you find your light bulb store, hang on to it, because unfortunately you can't store the darn things up for a rainy day.

And now, back to special project proposal writing... *trudge*

A Thousand Words

2012-01-27T01:10:00.000-05:00

There is a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. If that is the case, then over the last year I have written over 15,000 words. Not quite a novel, but respectable. You see, I started a challenge on the first day of 2011 - a picture a day. Most days I took far more than one picture, although I usually only posted up one on my own blog. (there is a link to my blog on my homepage at www.jennakayfrancis.com)

I have also joined a photo group at Live Journal and sometimes certain pictures just leap out at me. They demand a story be written. One such had a small boy, walking near a fence. There was a shadow of a huge deciduous tree on the fence, while other trees peered over the fence from an adjoining yard. It looked, to me, like the tree was reaching out to shelter and protect this wee warrior, encouraging him to begin his long journey into adulthood, but always there to protect against evil.

Another photo was of an elderly man watching a ball drop on New Years Eve. It was only a side view of the man, but so much emotion was in that view! He eyed that distant ball, somewhere off camera, his gaze holding hope, resignation, relief, disbelief...all of that. Was he happy that he had made it thus far? Was he saddened that he was alone, having lost most of friends and family to old age? Was he reflecting how much the world had changed since his youth? What were his thoughts?

There was a beautiful shot of a sunset in Hawaii. Some of the comments mentioned how lucky the person was to call Hawaii home. And then a short discussion ensued about how we sometimes overlook our own surroundings because we yearn to see what is in the distance. I was envious of a co-blogger planning her summer vacation in the south of France, while she was envious of me living in the USA. For her, France was a done deal. For me, it was exotic.

When I write, I try to transport my readers to another place, another time. I try to allow them to escape their own surroundings for a brief period of time, knowing that they can return to the safety of their own home at any given moment. Such is photography. We can experience another world through the eye of the lens, or through the pages of a book.

As I head into my second year of Photo A Day, I need to keep in mind the beauty that surrounds me right here, in my own world. I need to use my lens to create a world, just as I use my pen to do so. Either way, I hope it's exciting.

Introducing Ali

2012-01-25T06:00:00.002-05:00

In a couple of months my second book, Reality Ali will be available. I'm in edits with it now, and I thought I'd take a couple of minutes to introduce you to Ali, the main character.

Ali Caldwell is fourteen years old and is starting boarding school. She doesn't mind going away to school at all. Her older brother, Mark, is a junior there, and her dad, who has custody of her and Mark, just left for an extended business trip in Japan. She might as well be at school instead of home with only the staff for company.

But Ali has dreams. Don't most people? And Ali's dreams involve her mother-her movie-star mother, who left when Ali was two to pursue her acting career. Now Margo Schaefer is a household name, starring in a reality show with the precocious triplets from her second marriage. What Ali wants is to be on that show. She wants people to know that Margo Schaefer is her mother. She wants the fame and recognition the triplets get.

That's what Ali wants.

Getting what you want isn't always a good thing.

This spring you'll be able to read Ali's story. I can't wait to share her with the world.

Motivation Time

2012-01-22T02:58:00.001-05:00

I admit I've been kind of down on my writing these past few weeks. It's been hard to motivate myself to sit down and write. I've been at this for almost a decade and so far I still haven't received that call from an agent(though to be fair I've been very close more than a few times to signing) or received an offer to be with traditional publisher. I know, it's always easy to look at others and feel they are doing better. It has seemed like almost everyone has either signed with an agent or got that book deal.

Apparently I haven't been the only one with the writer blues. Must be in the air. One great thing about this social community is blogging. I thought I'd share some posts that helped give me a kick in the pants:

Saundra Mitchell posted a great post on walking away:

http://distraction99.com/2012/01/20/turning-points-you-can-always-walk-away-by-saundra-mitchell-giveaway/

Dawn Metcalf, author of LUMINOUS shared her revisions and shows it's not all easy:

http://dawn-metcalf.livejournal.com/125065.html

Love this vlog:

http://vimeo.com/24302498

Music helps too. Skip the ad on this video that says it all:

If all else fails, I've been immersing self in another older YA TV series ROSWELL.

Yes, some of the dialogue is cheesy but I love the forbidden love between a human and alien. I know I need to dig deeper in my own writing and the romance between Liz and Max is right on.

Writers and Writing

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Writing a story or book sounds easy. Something you can do without a lot of effort, like walking or sitting. It's just a bunch of words strung one after the other, right? Yet the longer I write and the more I learn about writing (we never stop, not really), the more I've come to realize how HARD (yet fun!) it really is and how difficult it is for new writers to become conscious of that fact.

(image from Salon.com)

I've been doing this gig for a long time and I still turn in the occasional story to my critique group which then gets slashed to pieces. Usually happens to those I feel the most confident about too! I've also helped them with theirs and done some judging and am at times astounded at the mistakes I see. Yet the person who wrote it probably never saw them.

And it is a big stumbling block - being able to see what is wrong with our own work. It's one of the hardest parts of this gig, in my opinion. Worse though is our own lack of knowledge, especially at the beginning. If we don't understand how something works, how can we know it's wrong in the first place? But it's gotten any number of people into trouble and they never had a clue.

Easy stuff are grammar and spelling (easy as in knowing we need it, not necessarily in the doing of it. Just saying! :P). Most people know these things are somehow involved in the process. But there is so much MORE that is a part of writing. Some tangible, some intangible. All of it making for hard work.

What am I talking about? Here's a list:
(This list is not comprehensive by any means - so feel free to add some in the comments!)

1) Flow - What this is (and it may have a better technical term out there), is the ease, or flow of words as written on the page. When read out loud do the sentences move smoothly or do they sound choppy or make you feel like you've tripped over something? This one took me a long time to realize. When I did, it was an epiphany! I equate this to music, how the notes flows and merge into a cohesive whole.

2) Hook - a sentence or paragraph (which can be a little longer for novels - though that's changing too!) to grab the reader by the throat and make them read. Some say to start in the middle of action for your hook but this can be a pitfall if you push the beginning of the story too far in.

3) Speech Tags - the proper ways to set up dialogue and the tags that go with them. 'Said' is the auto default; most others are frowned upon. But even 'said' can be used too much (I know some say 'said' is invisible to readers, but I disagree with that. Bugs the heck out of me when I see it too often). There are other ways to let the reader know who is talking - by movements, expressions, and action.

4) Who? - a lot of beginners clump actions or speech together without letting the reader know who is actually doing these things or mix several people in the same paragraph. On the same vein though, you can tell us who too often, which will also disrupt the flow. 'He' and 'she' are great ways to not use the characters' names too much, but if used too liberally (especially when more than two people are involved) can be just as confusing to the reader. So you have to have balance. See how this is work? lol.

5) Talking Heads - Dialogue followed by more dialogue and even more dialogue. Action will break these up and not necessarily action as in fighting. Hand gestures, facial expressions, feelings, all these can break apart chunks of dialogue into easier, more digestible bits. It will also help with not making too many speech tags and even give insights into the characters' habits and quirks.

6) Location (of people and things) - If Mary is at the front door, but she's suddenly seeing something that's happening in the bathroom that's in the back of the house, this is a problem with location. Or reaching for a cup in the cupboard when you're in the living room. (Yes, these are exaggerated examples, but you get what I mean.) Kate slapping Mary though earlier it was mentioned that John was between Mary and Kate. If you're in a small wooden ship's cabin, five or six people and their luggage and pets won't all actually fit in and be able to move around comfortably in there. Ways around this are to make a map in your mind or even on paper. See where people are and where things are in relation to them to get the actions to make sense. But don't fall into the trap of explaining every little movement or placement either. Authors must often walk a fine line between too much and too little!

7) Info Dump - Giant blocks of information all dumped at once on the reader. Whether the information is needed or not isn't normally the trouble. The problem stems on how it's dumped out in giant buckets disrupting flow and pacing. Info should be seeded in small doses. Broken up by other things so it is integrated with the whole without seemingly being there. Dialogue can help here too, but beware of 'As You Know, Bob' syndrome, where you regurgitate info for the reader in a conversation when it is actually something already known to the other party and would never actually need to be said - not good.

8) Beginning/Middle/End - The most basic of rules for a story or novel, yet you'd be surprised how many miss the mark on this one. One main road for the story. In novels you can have some side roads tie to the whole, but the final structure must still have the three stages to make sense.

9) Conflict - Conflict is tenuous and can take many forms, but it is an integral part of any tale. Without conflict (internal, external, or both) there's no room for the characters to grow or change. There must be stakes, things which can be lost or goals that won't be achieved if conflict is not overcome.

10) Theme - This one is hard to explain. It's like a uniting thread or melody within the novel or story. A message behind the words. Sometimes we know what we want it to be before we ever start the work, at others we discover it during the writing itself then make sure to weave it throughout. Themes can give extra depth to the work, even a unique flavor. Not good to force it, but good to have.

Hopefully this illustrates what I am talking about. Never underestimate the work that goes into writing! lol. This stuff is hard! (One of the main reasons I am a BIG backer of beta readers, critique groups, edits, and editors!)

Any other bits on what makes writing hard that you've come across or wondered about? Do you think I'm full of it? What mistakes do you see being made out there? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Ghosts and New Adult Fiction: A Match Made in Ectoplasm

2012-01-18T00:05:00.001-05:00

Recently, I was quoted in Barbara Binn's blog about YA and New Adult fiction. (Here's the link if you're curious http://romancingthegenres.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-year-new-adult.html ) The article was fascinating to me, and not just because she used my name! It was because she raised the idea of a "New Adult" sub-genre within the YA genre. I'd never heard of the category before, although I sure know about the stories. New Adult, as defined in her article, features young people who are older than the traditional YA protagonists: NA stories are concerned with kids in college or even just after college, and their transition into adult society. I had no idea I was writing New Adult: I thought I was just writing stories of the paranormal.

But it made me stop and think. Yes, my stories tend to involve ghosts and other unexplained phenomena. And yes, my characters tend to be older than the high-school ages of most YA books. And wow, suddenly I find that I am not alone.

I thought about the sort of television show I am likely to watch on TV: Celebrity Ghost Stories, Paranormal Kids, My Ghostly Encounter, and when I can, Ghost Hunters International. And I wondered who their target audience is. People like me, who can't get enough ghosts into their lives? Or kids? From listing what I like to watch, I then went to listing what's being offered out there for the YA audience. Sure, there are things like Gossip Girl, but there are also The Vampire Diaries, Being Human, Lost Girl (new), Supernatural (my fave!), and Fringe. In almost all of these shows, the characters are in college, or just graduated. Aha! New Adult.

Remember back in the '80's when stories about that age group were things like Less Than Zero, St. Elmo's Fire, and Bright Lights, Big City? Lots of older young adult angst, very little paranormal. Apparently, the target audience in this day and age cut their teeth on Harry Potter, was offered Twilight, and we've all progressed from there. Paranormal is on the collective brain.

And the kid in me says, AWESOME! All of my life I've looked for the paranormal in fiction. A true ghost story aficionado, I went through some hard times as a writer trying to get published when ghost stories went slasher (i.e., Freddie Kruger) and every possible spirit was not only malevolent, but violently murderous. I blessed the day M. Night Shyamalan's Sixth Sense started breaking box office records because his was a true ghost story and a good one. After that, I found people (read: editors) were more open to ghost stories that did not involve severing someone's carotid artery or ripping out another's intestines.

I guess the bottom line in this is a celebration, on my part, of all this fun ghostly material available across the board. I love a good ghost story, and the current popularity of the ghost story as New Adult fiction is like frosting on my supernatural cake.

Making decisions about what to write

2012-01-12T09:56:00.000-05:00

Every time I sit down to write A YA Story, I usually have some kind of an idea about what I'd like to write. Years and I do mean years ago, I wrote several stories for young children. One of these was nearly published. After working iwth an editor for nearly a year, she was leaving the company and asked to take my book with her. I made that decision and the book was almost instantly rejected. I can still remember that story and I still wonder if I made the right decision. Maybe someday I'll go back and try to recreat that story called Waiting For The Wind and another about a rooster who had laryingitis.

Writers often have to make decisions when they're immersed in a story. But one thing I've figured is that when writing YA stories I tend to write ones for the ages of my grandchildren. When the oldest was in her late teens I wrote the Jewels of Earda series where there were love interests. Intereste were there and maybe a kiss or two. Then my younger grandchildren started to head for becoming teenagers and I wrote about them and their struggles in the Henge Betrayed stories.

One reason I think I may be able to go back to the picture book stories is that now I've been given two new grandchildren ages 3 and 5. Perfect ages for picture books. So I'll sit down and attempt to recreate those stories. Why recreate is that the carbons I have of them are so old the words have nearly vanished from the pages.

Decisions about what to write. How about you do you write with specific young people in mind? How do you determine what kind of story you want to write.

The XYZ Files. UFOS.

2012-01-11T08:34:00.001-05:00

The brilliant Terrence Mckenna once said "It's great to have an open mind but not so open that the wind whistles through your ears."

I like to live by a variation of this philosophy. You see, I do enjoy the feel of the wind tickling my brain. It is one of the ways I get great ideas. Ever since I was a kid (and probably before that) I have been made joyful by UFOs, ghosts, Atlantis, ancient astronauts, fairies, cryptozoology, spirits, ESP, aliens, conspiracies, and anything that the "boring beige materialist" label trippy, out there or wackadoo. I love Coast to Coast - THE most listened to overnight radio show in the world where the above mentioned topics are fodder for speculation (which is the long forgotten basis of science- NOT logic). I do have to laugh, however, when some very very wild statements are made ("I channeled the leadership of the Riva Duga Kanesh star system and they gave me a holographic blueprint to peace on earth but I forgot where I put it") with little or no subsequent questioning by some of the hosts (some are better than others. Ian Punnet and George Knapp are great and do ask deep and thoughtful questions).

I eat this stuff up and it fuels my writing. So I thought it would be fun to examine some of the topics to see where I stand on them- based on my own ACUAL experience. This week I will tackle UFOs.

UFOs/UWOs. UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS or UNIDENTIFIED WATER OBJECTS

I think 85% of UFOs are easily explainable. Planes, clouds, blimps, satellites, birds, etc. 10% are secret government craft that are being tested (such as the Stealth Bomber. A few years before it was revealed many many people saw triangular craft that looked strikingly familiar to the obscenely priced explosive delivery system). The rest? Maybe, like Carl Yung wrote, they are projections of our minds- a mass need for the mysterious that is being robbed by the waves of "rational" thinkers that are dominating research of late (see his book "Flying Saucers : A Modern Myth of Things Seen in the Skies").

I have seen a legit UFO (it was unidentified, it was flying and it was an object). It happened on a camping trip and my buddy Russell and I sat there and went through a checklist of possibilities. It looked like a bright star as it slowly and silently crossed the sky than suddenly shot upward and out into space where it vanished. Plane? No. Helicopter. No. Satellite? No. Meteor? No. None fit so it remains a UFO.

Another time on a cruise ship, late at night while sitting on our veranda (my wife was asleep beside me) the ship past a weird, dark craft that seemed to be floating over the water. I did not get a great look at it but I was left with an odd feeling. A UWO? Yes- it was an Unidentified Water Object.

I find it interesting that mass UFO sightings began after the detonation of the first atomic bomb. Carl Sagan felt that if we are to find alien artifacts in Earth's neighborhood we need to explore the Moon. So perhaps, ages ago there were ET visitors (a future topic) who saw the early Earthlings and decided to monitor us with equipment left on the moon. A sure sign of an emerging intelligence would be the splitting of the atom. So when that first mushroom cloud poisoned the skies on Earth the monitors noticed and sent waves of bio-engineered creatures in flying craft to take a closer look at us. To take notes. To drive farmers and small town folk nuts.

I, do, however, remain skeptical on this subject. I ABSOLUTELY believe the Universe is teeming with intelligent life - but I think the form of travel will be via consciousness when it comes to long journeys. I suggest reading Rick Strassman's DMT: The Spirit Molecule for a fascinating look at how a naturally occurring psychedelic substance can trigger abduction experiences in humans. REAL ET contact. I actually made a feature film that dealt with this called TRIPTOSANE.

Are any of the things seen in the skies actual craft being piloted by alien life forms? Who am I to say? If my moon theory is correct then we are still being watched. If so, I can only imagine the notes and sarcastic comments being recorded as they watch the leadership being chosen on this planet! It must be like a big cosmic Mystery Science Theatre 3000 as they can chuckle at our sometimes ridiculous behavior. Yet- they must also be impressed with us for humans are capable of some damned amazing things.

They say we are either alone in the Universe or part of a HUGE family. In either case - it is incredibly fascinating.

Up next: Ghosts.

Mike DiCerto is a filmmaker and author of books including his latest: THE DOOR TO FAR-MYST: The Adventures of Rupert Starbright. www.mikedicerto.com

New book trailer!

2012-01-09T03:00:00.004-05:00

Happy Twenty Twelve!

It’s a brand new year, and for me another book release. My next book, PFC Liberty Stryker is coming soon from Sisterhood Publications. I can hardly wait.

Read more about PFC Liberty Stryker

Check out the book trailer –

An amazing amount of time and effort goes into the making of a book trailer. My thanks to Brian Thornton and Ema Tibbetts for doing a brilliant job of bringing my vision to life.

Peggy Tibbetts

Letters to Juniper now available in ebook & paperback at Amazon.com

Become a Facebook fan

Young Writers Conferences

2012-01-06T01:00:00.005-05:00

I've mentioned the sessions on writing nonhumans and aliens I present at young writers conferences before (here), but, since I'm writing this while preparing for one on Thursday, I thought I'd blog about this kind of conference.

I would have loved to have had access to something like this when I was young. I was fourteen when I started writing and, to a young girl living in the Chicago suburbs, writers lived in far-off places like New York City. My schools didn't even have author visits.

The young writers conferences I'm familiar with are organized by school districts and are available for homeschooled students as well as those attending public or private schools. I'm presenting at three this year in Minnesota: SW/WC Conference for Young Writers, SCSC Young Writers & Artists Conference, and SSC Young Authors, Young Artists Conference.

The best thing about these conferences for the young writers is that they get to meet many different kinds of writers. Journalists and sports writers, picture book authors, storytellers, writers of historical fiction, cook books, comics, mysteries, fantasy and science fiction - and with three sessions offered during the day, students can pick and chose. Also, the sessions usually give the students a chance to do their own writing. In my session, they design their own character - human, nonhuman or monster. In other sessions, they write sports stories, a humor column, a scary story, or the start of a daily journal. Or they can do some world-building as well as create believable villains.

For the presenters, it's a chance to talk with authors in other fields. I meet many other science fiction and fantasy authors at science fiction conventions. But I don't often run into a storyteller or a sports writer except here. But best of all is the chance to meet young people enthusiastic about writing. I've been impressed with the amount of talent I've seen in my sessions. I'm hoping that many will continue to write and that I'll see their work published in the future.

If you are a student attending such a conference/workshop, don't forget to ASK QUESTIONS. Here is your chance to hear actual experiences from published authors and to compare tips and techniques from many areas.

If this sounds like something that might be of interest, check with your school district and see if they offer one.

2012 Writing and Marketing eBook Extravaganza

2012-01-05T00:53:00.001-05:00

2012 Writing and Marketing eBook Extravaganza

To start the New Year with a BANG, from January 1^st through February 28, 2012, Karen Cioffi is offering all her writing and marketing e-books (purchased directly from her site/s using the Paypal SHOPPING CART) for a $1.19 each. And, this will include new titles added within that time period.

Yep, that’s right, only $1.19 for each of these titles:

How to Write Books for Children: Writing, Publishing, and Marketing Children’s Books (nominated in the 2011 Global eBooks Awards – over 100 pages)

http://www.karencioffi.com/how-to-write-books-for-children/

Editing Books Like a Pro: Self-Editing for Books and Articles

http://www.karencioffi.com/editing-books-like-a-pro/

How to Create an eBook and Its Many Uses

http://www.karencioffi.com/create-and-sell-your-own-ebooks/

Writing, Publishing, and Marketing – You Can Do It!

http://www.karencioffi.com/writing-publishing-and-marketing/

How to Start a Freelance Writing Business

http://www.karencioffi.com/how-to-start-a-freelance-writing-business/

How to Attract Customers With Informational Marketing

http://www.karencioffi.com/how-to-attract-customers-with-informational-marketing/

Learn How to Create and Sell Information Products From Your Own Site

http://www.karencioffi.com/create-and-sell-information-products-from-your-own-site/

New titles to be coming some time in 2012 include:

Webinar Marketing: Create and Present Your Own Webinars

Book Marketing: DIY Virtual Book Tours From Start to Finish

Book Marketing: Soup to Nuts

Marketing Information Products

If you’re reading this you’re probably an author or writer, and it’s no doubt you how important it is to stay on top of your writing and marketing game, the above e-books will help you do just that.

For only a $1.19 each, get all seven titles for under $10.

Click on the links above to review what each book has to offer – each landing page will have a shopping cart on January 1^st, for your convenience. Be sure to use the Shopping Cart Paypal Buy Button, otherwise you’ll pay full price.

For a complete list (with brief descriptions of each ebook) go to:

http://www.karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com/p/karens-books.html

AND

Want to create your own press releases? Join us for a Free webinar Jan18

http://tinyurl.com/79nh7qv

Lost in Technology

2012-01-04T06:30:00.001-05:00

You’ve heard the saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” right? Well, I’m beginning to think it’s true. Young people today, from the time they can walk and talk, are masters of computers, cell phones, and so many inventions that I don’t even know what seventy-five percent of them are. As for me, this mema is lost in a world of technology.

Take the phone, for instance. Going back to my childhood, and that’s quite a ways back mind you, our first phone was this black thing that sometimes when you picked up the receiver, another person would be talking and you had to wait your turn, if you were polite. Or if you were in a hurry, you might ask them to hang up. Hahahaha. Good luck with that. I’m not positive, but I believe we had three families on our “party” line. Of course, if you were sneaky, you might listen in to their conversation and learn some juicy gossip. I’m still undecided about cell phones. Mine’s always signing me up for something I don’t even know what it is simply because I touch the wrong thing on the screen and before I know it I have all the apps I’ll never use. A call to the company fixed that I hope. Now I’m blocked from signing up to anything. Is that good?

Then there was the wringer washing machine. Mom’s had two tubs, the best I remember. One was for the soapy wash water, the other the rinse water. The dryer was the clothesline. Now I prefer the modern day version of washer and dryer and have even managed to learn how to use them. But oh the towels and sheets hanging on the line were soft and fluffy, when there was a breeze, and smelled so fresh. Of course it wasn’t fun when the dog pulled the clothes off the line and it had rained the day before. Muddy mess. Yep.

When I was in high school, I learned to type on a manual typewriter. The best thing about the typewriter was it made your fingers strong because sometimes the keys were hard to press and you had to really push. When I got my first electric typewriter, I thought it couldn’t be any better. So easy to use. Then along came the computer. No more carbon paper turning my fingers purple. No more Wite Out to correct misspelled words. Most of the time I love mine. Sometimes it gets contrary and does its own thing; then we have a few words. I’d hate to have to go back to typewriters, however.

Once upon a time, washing dishes was an afternoon affair. After the meal, the women would gather in the kitchen. One would wash the dishes with soapy water in the sink. One would dry with a cup towel. Another would put the dishes in the cabinet. We talked. We giggled. We caught up on the latest gossip. The men in the meantime sat in the living room and talked about whatever men talked about. The kids were shooed outside to throw China berries at each other, play baseball, and do the things that kids do. Give me my good old dishwasher, even with the broken tray that wobbles when I slide it back and forth, over dishpan hands any day.

Transportation has greatly improved. I don’t go as far back as the horse and buggy, but I do remember the 1950 something Studebaker my family had. It was green. Today, cars are smaller, and my Santa Fe is just right.

Life is easier for us today, if not simpler. Once, we had an ice box and the ice man would bring us a huge chunk of ice to keep our food cool. After I married we had a milk man that delivered milk. We stopped by the corner grocery store on the way home from school for a soda and candy bar. If we didn’t have money, the grocer would give us credit and we’d pay the next time we stopped by. Every Saturday afternoon we’d go to the picture show (what we called it then) and spend the afternoon watching Roy Rogers or Gene Autry. What? You never heard of them? So sorry. We had no TV so the Saturday movies were quite a treat. Popcorn for a dime.

I may be lost in technology, but I’m not complaining. I’ll take my central heat and air over the gas heater and fan any day. Perhaps you can teach an old dog new tricks. Thanks for traveling back in time with me. I hope you enjoyed the journey.

###

New Year, New You

2012-01-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

Isn't that the most awful slogan you've ever heard? I don't know why it annoys me so much, but it just irks me. Like I need a new me? I kind of like the me I am - I've spent years cultivating it, after all. I've put a lot of work into me.

But, like most people, I guess I spend the early days of the new year contemplating what was and what could be. So I went back to my LJ and took a peek at last year's NY post, to see what I managed to accomplish.

I don't really have any resolutions this year, but a lot of hopes. I hope to find a new job (I'm still hopeful I can regain the job I almost had locked up). I hope to finish at least one new book. I hope to find an agent. I hope we remain healthy and happy and if not wealthy then comfortable.

One at a time, then:
1.I never did get that part-time job back. I still don't know what happened with that school or if they ever hired anyone for this year. Which is fine, because I found a really great FULL time job that I love. It's not my dream job, or it wasn't when I started, but it only proves that sometimes we don't really know if our dreams will really make us happy. I have taken the words of the Great Sages, The Rolling Stones, to heart, and use it as a way of life:

You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes you just might find, you get what you need.

2.I DID finish a new book - The Sword of Danu, which as of today I will begin editing, hopefully for a Spring release. I also rewrote the Historical Fantasy/Fairy-Tale Retelling-with bits of Steampunk novel. Twice.

3.And let's see, last on the list...oh, I finally found an agent. I love her, and she should start submitting soon. 2012 will hopefully bring a contract.

Other highlights of 2011

- I turned 40. Yeah, okay, so I'm old. But I don't FEEL old. At all. I am around little kids all day long, I read YA and write YA and I think it keeps me from feeling washed up.

-bought another new car. So we have two working vehicles and it's not breaking the bank. I like that very much.

- Overall, we're pretty happy. The health isn't as great as we'd like - I had a trip to the ER for my stomach and hubby has had a year full of not feeling well, doctors, tests, and a hospital stay. It could have been worse.

Plans for 2012:

At least two trips, one in Feb. to NYC with Hubby and one in May to Balticon. The schedule for Spring is looking pretty full later in the season, but that's okay. There's also the Maryland Faerie Festival, and the NJSCBWI conference, and maybe a professional day at the NJ Librarian's convention in AC. Busy week, that.

Hopefully Beautiful, Marvelous Agent Lady will sell Smoke & Mirrors to a great house and for a great deal. I have faith in her.

Finish the Library of Athena series. One book left.

Finish another Steampunk novel.

Write, write, write

Finish Grad School. By this time next year, I'll be done. Just two semesters to go.

Take the family camping at least once. We have a car that will make it, and Boy's never been camping. Which I find a terrible shame, since he's nine years old already.

Be happy

Happy New Year!

It's That Time of Year

2011-12-28T06:48:00.001-05:00

It's the time when people stop and take stock of their life and what they want to do or not do anymore. It is the time of New Year's Resolutions.

There are of course the typical resolutions: Lose weight, eat less, exercise more. At this point, those things kind of go without saying, and are rather continuous resolutions. There are other things which are more goals and dreams rather than resolutions: get a huge book deal with my next book. But that isn't something I can resolve to do and magically have it happen. So what kind of resolutions am I going to make for the next year?

1) Hug my children more. They will be 15 and 12 in the coming weeks and are past the age of spontaneous cuddles. But that doesn't mean we can't all benefit from a few more hugs.

2) Laugh more. It's not that I don't think I laugh enough, but it seems like the kind of thing that I could benefit from doing a bit more of.

3) Get outside more. I need to remember that as fascinating as the world inside my computer is, there is a whole wonderful world out there that needs to be entered into as well. And that could help with the getting more exercise thing too.

4) Accept the fact that I am basically an introvert - and therefore not beat myself up about not being as active in social media as other people are.

5) Write every day. I write most days, it's true. But even a little bit, every day, will go a long way.

So that's my list. What's yours?

Happy New Year!

Top YA Picks of 2011

2011-12-25T20:55:00.002-05:00

Besides being a YA author, I'm also a reviewer at YA Books Central.

http://www.yabookscentral.com

I've also been a panelist for the Cybils:
www.cybils.com

I've read close to 100 books so far this year. Most of them have been YA. For the past few years I've shared some of my favorite books on my LJ blog site. Remember this is all subjective. There's been tons of great books out there this year.

So far here's my picks:

10. Chained Reaction by Simone Elkeles

9. Hourglass by Myra McEntire

8. Compulsion by Heidi Ayarbe

7. I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler

6. Unleashed by Nancy Holder

5. Amplified by Tara Kelly

And tomorrow at #4

Solstice by P.J. Hoover

I'll be counting down until I reveal my top YA pick of the year. I'll also list some honorable mentions plus 2012 books to look out for!

Check my LJ blog for more!
http://kbaccellia.livejournal.com

A Weird Epiphany About Bram Stoker's Dracula

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

Once a year or so I grab an old classic and read it. This is quite a lot of fun as not only does it force me outside of my usual reading circles, but it can teach me about how novelists wrote during other eras and even give cool insights on the time periods and the people themselves.

Several years ago, I decided to read Bram Stoker's Dracula. It was a lot of fun comparing the book to all the Dracula movies I'd seen over the years, looking at what the films kept from the book and what they didn't.

But what amazed me most of all when I read it was how strong Mina was. She wasn't anywhere near the helpless female needing rescue that is normally her role in the movies. Even while slowly being subverted by Dracula, she was the one giving the men ideas and information and trying to figure out how to bring him down.

Earlier this week I had an epiphany about that. One that actually flows somewhat contrary to the articles I found online about the novel's themes and what Stoker tried to convey through the work.

Figured I'd go ahead and try to throw it out here for anyone else who's read Bram Stoker's Dracula novel. (This is somewhat visible in most of the movies too, but since they normally use Mina as window dressing, it won't be as noticeable. Definitely obvious (at least to me!) in the novel.) Hopefully you can chime in and share your thoughts or just tell me if I'm nuts or not. :P (It has been a while.)

Some stuff I saw stated that Bram Stoker was using the novel as a warning to people not to lose the old ways to the technological revolution going on at the time the novel was written, and they cited Dr. Van Helsing and many of the things he says as proof of it. The argument went so far as to say the novel was showing that modern women were a bad thing and that the promiscuous fantasies of the male readers was where it was at.

But when you look at Mina and her HUGE role in the novel, both in making the men aware of what was going on and several times pushing them to action or figuring out solutions for them, I can't quite buy that.

Instead, I would suggest that Mr. Stoker actually looked down on many of the old social expectations for women, especially all the antiquated ones. That the old and possibly even current Victorian values thrust on women were sucking the life out of them, turning them into soulless automatons who lived purely to satisfy their masters or their raging appetites. That education and intelligence should be fostered in women, as they too had much of value to impart.

Mina, an educated and strong minded woman, was actually able to fight against Dracula's manipulations, struggling against the role he would assign to her as a subservient plaything. Using her intelligence and strength of will to save those around her from the male chauvinist vampire pig! (Was that too much? lol)

What do you all think? Was Dracula a warning of the encroaching modern world and the powers it was giving to women, or actually a celebration of the freedom and benefits of letting them be more than the weaker gender?

Holiday Musings

2011-12-21T00:05:00.000-05:00

I have been reading other posts, although I don't always leave a comment. I know I should. I love it when people comment on my posts. That aside, I am surprised to be the first to write about Christmas. This should have been easy for me, but somehow it isn't.

When I was a kid, writing my stories and little books, I loved Christmas so much that I would find a way to put it into everything I wrote. I listened to Christmas music in July. I joined the chorus in high school and delighted in the Christmas concert. And cookies? Well, this foodie writer doesn't even need to go there.

As a grownup, however, Christmas has become somehow sadder and I am trying to find a way to get past that. The past few Decembers, and now this one, have been pretty rocky: a brother diagnosed with aggressive cancer, a daughter with a mental/physical health issue that slowly drained our energies and left a sort of numb depression in its wake, and this year, the unexpected death of an "adopted daughter," the best friend to my younger child since they were both in high school. With all of that going on, it's tougher to see the brightness of the lights, tougher to hear the magic in the carols, toughest of all to find that fierce holiday joy within.

Shortly after Christmas, one year comes to an end and the next one slides neatly into place so that we all can carry on into the new year. As a kid, one year to the next never made much difference, since I felt like I was in grade school for about 50 years, and high school for another 10. Or so it seemed. I didn't realize the way I do now how quickly those years flow away and how time is always nipping at our heels, even if we don't pay attention.

I know that I am not alone in loss. I also know that there are folks out there who have it twenty times rougher than I'll ever know. But somehow they still manage to find the magic in the season. And I wonder, how do they do it? How do they rekindle that flame of hope, of laughter, of down-to-the-bone happiness in the face of everything they have suffered? I don't know yet but I sure plan on finding out.

Life is very short. This December in particular has underscored that lesson for me. And I don't want to go through the rest of my life being sad and depressed and defeated. Wow! That sounds like a New Year's resolution. I never usually made New Year's resolutions because I figured, why wait until January to make a change? On the other hand, January is coming up fast, so what the heck. I am going to do my best to find a way to seek the joy and the happiness and all the sweetness I can find in this upcoming year because, well, why not?

Lauren, honey, in your short time on this planet, you taught your best friend's mom one helluva lesson and I'll try my best to get it down pat. This one's for you.

Looking at Quests

2011-12-15T08:34:00.001-05:00

Lately I've been thinking about the kinds of plots. Quest plots are I believe one of the most used ones in YA literature. I've used this in both of my YA series. The Henge Betrayed and The Jewels of Earda. The characters are looking for something be it a person, place or thing. So the following speaks about Quests.

Both of these series started as single books and at the end of each the characters found there was something else they needed. Sort of like the process of growing up. Something some of us may never do and this is a good thing.

Quests are one of my favorite plot devices. This can be used in many genres. Simply put a quest plot involves a search for a person, place or thing. There also has to be a parallel between the person's motivation and intent to the object being sought. In The Henge Betrayed Flight- the characters are sent away from their home to find a teacher.

During the quest the character or characters must cover a lot of terriroty for the search will lead them to various settings but this can't just be a random wandering. While it may seem to be casual, the questor must have a plan. While writing The Henge Betrayed - Flight, my four characters wander from their home to a large town to find this teacher who will show them how to use their affinities for the elements.

Generally the character starts out from home and ends up where they started. In the case of Flight, since this was a four book adventure they don't return home but finding no teacher decide to fins a Refuge.

During the quest the character must change. By the time the four book series ends in Confrontation the characters are older and have learned how to use their affinities.

What the character or characters in a quest story find during the search learn knowledge or wisdom. This is a maturing process. In the Henge Betrayed series the young people learn about themselves and about the world around them. They are able to face and defeat evil.

Quest stories always start with an incident that sends the haracter on the search. There will be other characters they meet. Some will be traveling companions and others chance meets. Make sure your character and reader understand why they have set off to find this person, place or thing. In the end the character will either succeed or fail to complete the quest. What the chaaracter or characters discover may be different or not from what sent them on the quest.

Elements of the quest story may find their way into other kind of plots or the quest story may contain bits of other kind of plots.

Defending the Boob Tube

2011-12-14T08:23:00.001-05:00

I am not shy about my disdain for much of modern TV. I do not like reality TV shows that promote mean-spiritedness, ignorance and just plain idiotic behavior (insert show name here:______). I am tired of witless sitcoms that rely on joke telling rather than letting the humor come from intelligent and well developed characters like past shows such as Barney Miller, All in the Family, Seinfeld and MASH.

But I had a thought recently on a very positive aspect of TV, even modern TV. Often I will see people posting on comments on Facebook accusing TV of being a mind control device and the programmer of people and our society. Might be true on the negative side but for this blog I want to defend that power as positive tool for social change.

The entertainment that a nation embraces does more to effect the zeitgeist than does politics or religion. Music, movies and TV is what shapes our values and culture much more than Obama, the Pope or the republican party. If you go back to the 70s there was a slew of TV shows with all African- American casts. At first some seem to embrace stereotypes but as you watched the shows (like Good Times, The Jeffersons, etc) you saw how they looked deeper into personalities. Into the everyday fears, wants, needs and loves of these people that white American began to see were not that different from their own. Unlike the parents generations at the time, kid's minds were open to people different from themselves and discovered there was nothing to fear. By the time a show like The Cosby Show aired, suddenly America was watching a black family that did not live in poverty but were upper middle class. They were just fellow Americans. This combined with music ranging from blues to rap to hip hop, white American youth embraced African American culture and the result as been a huge improvement in race-relations. The fears and bigotries of the older generations is often mocked and laughed at by people who grew up in the 60s and since. So TV did, in fact, play a sort of mind control role but one that made us better as a nation.

Since the late 90s or so I have seen this same process being done with gay Americans. Shows like Will and Grace throughGlee, etc. has exposed straight America with examples of both stereotypical gay people to more nuanced, three dimensional aspects of gay life. More and more the youth of America are embracing gay friends and the I believe, little by little, the fear and ignorance that has labeled homosexuals as deviants and perverts or diseased, will fade away.

So once again, TV is serving the betterment of the nation.

What is next? I think Muslim Americans will be next to benefit. Just like African Americans and gay Americans, Muslim Americans have suffered from negative stereotyping in movies and TV but this will change. Much of the fear is driven by government and news media. But I have already seen the start of incorporating Muslim characters that are NOT terrorists into commercials, movies and TV. I think this will become a trend.

So maybe TV, the boob tube, is not as booby as I thought? Maybe it is a mind control device? Maybe it does mold our culture? Maybe this is a good thing?

In ten years no one will know who Snookie was. But in less than ten years, I can definitely see a Jimmy Mohammed Showabout an Islamic research scientist and his typical American family dealing with typical family problems. And it will be a hit in middle America. And we will be better for it.

Mike DiCerto is a filmmaker and author of books including his latest: THE DOOR TO FAR-MYST: The Adventures of Rupert Starbright. www.mikedicerto.com

New series explores the power of imagination

2011-12-12T03:00:00.009-05:00

My last post, “This year in reviews” looked back at the books I reviewed in 2011. I have one more to add to the list. Mike DiCerto is one of our YAAYNHO authors, the lone guy among fifteen “pretty heads” (see masthead). Recently I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing his book, The Door to Far-Myst, the first book in the Adventures of Rupert Starbright. In the process I got to know Mike a little better. Did you know he’s an award-winning novelist, filmmaker and MST3K fanatic? It’s true. And he has a real winner with The Door to Far-Myst. I loved it and I’m really excited about this intriguing new series where young Rupert explores the power of his imagination.

Check it out --

The Do or to Far-Myst
By Mike DiCerto
Zumaya Publications
August 2011
192 pages

Graysland is a dull, colorless place where the adults force the kids to rake leaves to burn for fuel which makes steam for heat and power for lights. It doesn’t get any duller than that for Rupert Dullz. Until Pie O’Sky shows up with his colorful “bagoon”. Pie, a talented and colorful chap himself, tells Rupert and his friends about the land of Far-Myst, where imagination drips “off the trees like sweet sap”. He shows them a magical wooden door and says the first one to use his imagination to unlock it will go with him on a fabulous journey to Far-Myst. But the adults don’t want the kids to have anything to do with Mr. O’Sky, or imagination. Rupert’s dad forbids him to try and unlock the magical door. But Rupert believes he can find the cure for his grandma’s “coffus” in Far-Myst. So before Rupert can use his imagination to unlock the door, he has to use his imagination to sneak out of the house.

Eventually Rupert succeeds and sails away in the bagoon with high hopes. But when they arrive at Everstood Castle and meet Queen Chroma, all is not what it seems. Rupert learns the future of Far-Myst is threatened by the evil Murkus, who is stealing the children and spreading darkness. When Murkus’s nightwingers attack, Dream Weaver escapes with Rupert and they embark on a perilous journey through a mysterious land of imagination.

There is clearly more to this story than meets the eye. The Door to Far-Myst, Book 1 in the Adventures of Rupert Starbright, is the start of a promising new fantasy series from a very talented author. DiCerto has created a brilliant fantasy world full of unique landscapes inhabited by quirky characters and creatures. Young readers will easily identify with Rupert’s struggle to understand the power of his own imagination and still find plenty of adventure and unanswered questions to keep them eager for more. -- Copyright (c) 2011 by Peggy Tibbetts

Visit Mike DiCerto’s website

View the awesome book trailer here.

Peggy Tibbetts
Coming soon: PFC Liberty Stryker

Letters to Juniper now available in ebook & paperback at Amazon.com

Become a Facebook fan

Collecting

2011-12-09T01:40:00.001-05:00

The collecting impulse strikes some of us early. Leaves, bugs, buttons, rocks, dinosaur names, birds observed, shells, stamps - we organize our collections, making lists of what we have and what we need. The things collected change over time - action figures, all the works of an author, the music of a particular singer or band, shoes, the memorabilia of a sports team, the episodes of a television show, ornaments - and the drive to collect may vary in intensity, but the urge to collect is not limited to any one personality type. And although whatever is collected may not make sense to outsiders, chances are good that there are other like-minded collectors.

Adding the collecting side to a character creates all sorts of possibilities to a story. Isabella's need to collect Fireside Girl patches often is the main drive of a Phineas and Ferb episode. A child who likes to collect bugs may grow up to become a biologist or entomologist. A budding rock collector might become a geologist or a jeweler. Or just stay someone who likes rocks. For a story set in the far future, I'm confident that space ship spotting will be just as popular as train spotting or aircraft spotting nowadays.

Everyone knows that dragons collect gold. The fun part of Jessica Day George's Dragon Slippers was discovering that dragons collect other things as well. Like shoes. And dogs.

Firefly fans remember that the pilot, Wash, had a collection of small plastic dinosaurs. It wasn't a major plot point, but it added a certain something to the character.

Collections can be used as an expression of current status, or they can be a remembrance - of friends, of childhood, or just a happy time that the character revisits when sad.

I have small horse statues still from my childhood, dragon statues and artwork from when I was a big fan of the Dragonriders of Pern series and a collection of geodes (yes, I like rocks). Those were things I choose to collect. I also have some bird statues and artwork that friends gave me because I have a bird.

Perhaps a character has a collection of the teddy bears that her boyfriend gave her. If the relationship breaks up, whether she keeps or disposes of the collection would be an part of the story. And does she just throw out those teddy bears or give them to charity?

Are two characters in a story friends because they collect the same things? Or do they become rivals?

Do you have any favorite stories with collecting as an element?

Book Fun and Games at fReado

2011-12-08T00:00:00.001-05:00

fReado is the world’s biggest book-winning site for book lovers. To win books, you play a simple game, accumulate points and use those points to bid for prizes (including Kindles and iPads).

One of the fun games is called Covermatcher where you match book covers and can win books. This game is great for authors because it gets exposure for your cover and good for readers because you can find new covers to investigate.

Another game is Hangman. Based on a wide variety of topics, you answer several items to acquire points. And authors can create games in order to display their cover art.

&lt;p&gt;This message is displayed if your browser does not support iframes. &amp;lt;a href="http://www.freado.com/hangman/1012/living-in-florida" target="_blank"&amp;gt;Click here to continue.&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

And recently the website added Quick Quizzes. For an author you create a five-question quiz on any topic. At the bottom of each answer page your book appears! Ten times! For readers, it’s just a game and a way to accumulate points which allows the player to choose prizes.

&lt;p&gt;Sorry, your browser does not support iframes. &amp;lt;a href="http://www.freado.com/QuickQuiz/game/121/5-questions-about-supernatural" target="_blank"&amp;gt;Click here to continue&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

It’s win-win and fun-fun.

As an author, I pay $9 a month to showcase my Odessa cover, but I have created quizzes advertising all of my books as well as Facebook pages. This site is worth every penny for the exposure I receive. I also receive weekly emails listing how many times my cover was shown and how many clicks it received.

Whether you are an author or a reader, you should check out this fun and free website: fReado

Virtual Book Tour

2011-12-07T09:11:00.000-05:00

I know. I know. This is a group of writers for YA and MG stories. But some of us also write for younger children, and since this is the holiday season and many of you are looking for gifts for your children, grandchildren, and friends, I want to share my tour from Pump Up Your Books with you. I'm also giving away a $10.00 gift certificate to Amazon and an Angel tree decoration. If you have a chance, stop by one of the blogs hosting me and leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you and enter you in the contest. Thanks.

Monday, December 5^th

Book reviewed at 4 the Love of Books

Tuesday, December 6^th

Book reviewed at The Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection

Wednesday, December 7^th

Guest blogging at Literal Exposure

Thursday, December 8^th

Book reviewed at Taking Time for Mommy

Book reviewed at One Day at a Time

Book reviewed at The True Book Addict

Guest blogging at The Christmas Spirit

Friday, December 9^th

Book reviewed at Booksnatchers

Monday, December 12^th

Interviewed at The Hot Author Report

Book spotlighted at The Plot

Tuesday, December 13^th

Character interviewed at The Plot

Wednesday, December 14^th

Guest blogging at Café of Dreams

Thursday, December 15^th

Book reviewed at Reading Frenzy

Friday, December 16^th

Podcast interview at Stories from Unknown Authors 2 PM EST

Book reviewed at The Crypto-Capers Review

Video book review at YA Books All the Way!

Writing Time-out... OVER!

2011-12-05T05:43:00.000-05:00

November is OVER.
Football is OVER.
The semester is OVER.

Which means that my writing time-out is also...OVER.

I started working on a new project on Dec. 1. I have no aspirations of trying to get 50K done before New Year's Eve, but since Thursday I do have nearly 2,000 words. The good part about it is that I have most of this book figured out in my head and on a plotting chart.

I have to admit that it was difficult, getting back into writing. The first two days, I wrote and then realized that it was all absolute rubbish. But with a little practice, and a few lightbulbs (courtesy of a re-read of Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel. I hope someone gives me Clockwork Prince for Christmas!), and a bit of on the fly editing, I am feeling better about what's down now and where the chapter is headed.

It feels really good to come home and night and have no other obligation than to sit down and write words. Nighttime seems to be when my creative juices flow the best anyway.

Basketball does start soon, but at least it's inside. And hubby can split the practices with me, and I have the Netbook for travel-writing.

In other news, the next Library of Athena book will begin editing in January, and I hope to have a release estimate by my next scheduled post. I have been considering how I'm going to plot the final book. I know what it will be about, in general, and I know how it will end. I've known since probably book two how the series will close, and so far it hasn't changed. I have the destination, just have to make the journey.

And for those that play along at home, I have moved my personal blog. I like the LJ community, and I still have my LJ to comment on other blogs, but the DDOS and spam was killing me. So I've picked up and moved to Wordpress. Please feel free to follow, comment, throw rotten produce, whatever.

If I don't see you all again, have a wonderful and happy holiday season!!!

Bah Humbug

2011-12-02T12:22:00.000-05:00

Well, it's December and that means celebrations and such. Not everyone celebrates Christmas, of course, but that is the holiday I want to discuss.

It seems that lately much of the spirit has gone out of Christmas. Now, I, personally, don't celebrate it as a religious occasion, because I'm not religious. But I do celebrate it as a time of love, family, peace and goodwill towards others. It just doesn't seem that the feeling is shared that much anymore.

It seems that the holidays have given way to stress, frustration and anger. Tempers, which are supposed to be longer, are far shorter, much like the days. At least in the northern hemisphere. I suppose those in the Southern hemi are doing just fine, going to the beach, taking in the sun, enjoying warm temps and blue skies.

Me? I'm sitting in front of my fake sunshine lamp to get the dose of light I crave at this time of the year. Ah, to be wealthy and able to have a home in the happy temperatures at all times of the year. But I digress.

My own family has finally fallen prey to the "stress" and "frustration" of the holidays. No presents, they claim. No tree. No lights. It's just another day, another week. Move on. Let's get the crowds over with and back to normal. I don't feel that way.

I love shopping for gifts, love giving them, although to be truthful I would rather give than receive. I love the lights, the glow, the peace of the season. I like going to watch festivities, to light displays, to concerts and the ballet. I like having parties, having family here to enjoy. In short, I like the season. I've often wished that the feeling of goodwill would last all year long.

But what has happened to the goodwill? The sense of peace? It seems that it's almost disappeared. Now, it's all about sales, about getting a good deal on some item. It's about being the first in line, about getting as much as you're giving, of tit for tat. If I spend $50 on you, you'd better spend that or more on me, by golly.

I just don't buy into that craziness. I pick up items all year long. They aren't expensive. They don't have to be. Gifts come from the heart, not from the wallet. People need to listen, to hear. Comments are dropped all year long from those we love. A wistful "I wish I had one of those" to something simple like "that would nice to have" or "that's cute!". I buy a lot of things at the second hand stores. Why? Well, besides the price, I find unusual things. And I feel that my money spent there is helping an organization that helps others. I'm not just putting money into the pocket of some CEO somewhere who can indeed have those nice homes in all of the sunny locations, while his workers struggle just to make ends meet. So, I shop in local second hand shops, where I know exactly where my money goes. Or I shop at craft fairs. Yeah, they can be a trifle more expensive than stuff imported from overseas, but, again, I know where my money is going. And, most often, it's unique.

So, I will decorate my tree, I will put out the toy soldiers and the santa figures in the yard, I will set up the little village with the snow and the glowing homes and the happy people in their happy little world. And I will sit at night, with the lights from the tree sparkling, and I will know peace.

It's Time to Make the Cookies... I mean Write the Story

2011-11-30T06:35:00.002-05:00

This weekend was our annual cookie baking get together. Three families have been getting together for about 15 years now, and baking cookies with the kids. Over time we (the mothers) have learned that the best way to make this productive is to make it easy. Store-bought dough, ready made icing, and lots of decorations to go with it. It's the getting together that's the fun part. And eating the cookies.

And I bet, if I try, I can relate this to writing. The fun part often is the writing - and even better, having written and getting others to read your story. But it takes a lot of work to get to that point.

We can't write a story with store-bought ingredients. We have to make it from scratch. But, if we do a bunch of the work ahead of time, it makes the story-writing go much smoother. This can mean writing an outline or doing character sketches.

Decorating your story comes during revisions. And while doing revisions are generally not as fun as putting icing and sprinkles on cookies, revisions can yield amazing results. A story without revisions is like a cookie without sprinkles.

And in the end, if you put the work in, you can end up with a scrumptious product - whether it be cookie or story.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Recent YA/Children books come to the big screen

2011-11-27T22:39:00.002-05:00

This Thanksgiving I was able to see not one but two movies based on popular children/YA books.

BREAKING DAWN
First off I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. I wasn't a big fan of the book but the producers and directors did a great job adapting the book to the screen.

What worked for me?

First, this is mostly a movie that explores Bella and Edward's relationship. I really enjoyed the set-up to the wedding(Bella's expressions and conflict of emotions were so real), the honeymoon, and yes, even the imprinting. I hated the whole premise of imprinting in the book but it really works in the movie.

Some are saying they think Breaking Dawn could have been done in only movie. I disagree. I think showing us the relationship of Bella and Edward before her change will help when the second part comes out.

Now what didn't work?

Oh, Jacob. Poor, poor Jacob. Why the stiff acting? I really love Jacob in all the Twilight books but in the movie? He wasn't very convincing until the imprinting and then wowza. They do a great job giving the audience a 'hint' of what will be in the next movie.

Some of the dialogue during the honeymoon was almost cheesy bad. The teens behind me must have agreed as they giggled throughout it.

I do have one question. What happened with the sparkly vampires? I don't remember seeing Edward sparkle even once. And sorry but it does it sunny in Brazil, where they honeymooned.

**Also do check out the very ending. That image was burned into my mind.

HUGO

Where do I even begin? My ten-year-old's verdict of the movie? He loved it. He was excited to see if the movie followed the book, which he did read. He said it did.

Me? I loved the images and the story of a young boy that feels his dead father is trying to communicate to him through an old automobot.

The movie is filled with colorful, rich images and even has a steampunk feel to it though it takes place in Paris, France around 1925.

I usually don't think it's worth the extra cost to see a movie in 3D but this one I feel is worth it. It's an amazing experience. I'd highly recommend watching.

In the Service of Samurai - revamp!

2011-11-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

First off - hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving!

Hopefully you're not out there killing yourself on Black Friday but are instead taking life at a leisurely pace as Thursday's culinary indulgences continue to make their way through your system. I know I am! lol. :)

Anyway... NEWS!

In the Service of Samurai was the first book I ever published. It was accepted by Zumaya Publications back in 2000 and finally saw print in 2002. In the last several years, Zumaya has been broadening their stable of cover authors and some books have gotten a revamp.

I was lucky enough to be one of those chosen for this. I've never been so in love with one of my covers as this new incarnation for samurai. Not only did Charles Bernard do a super beyond fantastic job, he actually did like six covers for me and the publisher to choose from. He even took some of the colors from the original cover and similar font and used them here. I am in love love love with this cover. (Oooo my precious!)

Then Liz did me one better - she actually used a re-edited file I'd done a few years ago when I thought the publisher might do a re-edited volume and then she added her expertise and growth as an editor to the manuscript as well (she was my original editor back in 2002 so re-vamped for us both! lol). So in this new edition, we both get to flex and show off the muscles we've developed over time which have hopefully made us both better at the craft.

And now I get to share it with you! The new release was official on 10/31/11. (Which with the book having undead ninja and samurai was a perfect fit! Huzzah!)

So here's a little info on the book itself and links to the revamped sample chapters. There's even a prequel story on my website as well. Oh yeah and an updated book trailer. Bwahahahahaha!

I definitely had many things to be thankful for this year! Yay! Hope you did too.

The choice: Serve the undead or become one of them.

Toshi never expected the strange visitor who one evening stepped foot inside his master's shop. A samurai smelling of the sea, dripping on the ground, algae strung from his armor. For the first time in his life, he discovers that monsters do roam the earth. And this one has been specifically looking for him.

Dragged from his home and all he has ever known, Toshi must now use his acquired skills in foreign maps to help the creatures who have taken him. Yet at every turn there are problems. There are even those seeking to terminate his very life, not wanting his new master to succeed in his assigned task. And when they do find it, Toshi discovers his new master's enemies have prepared for their eventual arrival, leaving him the only one capable of recovering what has been lost. Can he do what even the undead cannot? Or will he fail and be forced to wander the world as one of them?

Sample Chapters

Prequel Story - Appeasement

Available at:

Amazon - Trade Paperback

Amazon - Kindle

Barnes and Noble - Nook

Happy Reading!

Gloria Oliver
Unveiling the Fantastic
www.gloriaoliver.com

No Gobbling, Just Thanks

2011-11-23T00:05:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so writing a blog related to the holiday seemed like a no-brainer. Until I tried to think of a topic. Turkey recipes? Not so much. Pilgrims and the first feast? Done so many times and better than I could manage. The craziness of prep for a family get-together? ...Yawn.... Since everyone has too much to do and not enough time, I figured I would make this short and very short-winded. Here are my top reasons for being thankful I am a writer, and other related blessings.

I am thankful ...

...to have been published. That way when I say I write and that snarky new person I just met asks in THAT tone of voice "But have you ever been published?" I can say Yes.

... that so many things: music, smells, sounds, tastes, cute guys, can trigger a story in my head faster than I can blink.

...that I am inherently curious/nosy about everyone and everything. I've learned a lot of weird things due to that.

...that my hearing is still good enough to eavesdrop in restaurants and elevators.

...that I can make friends up in my head and have entire conversations.

...that characters sometimes come to me in dreams. Well, maybe not. That tends to happen when the writing is going badly, actually.

...that my chosen genre is YA because I have good reason not to grow up entirely.

...that a lot of my memories get preserved in my stories.

...that I have a good time playing with words and when I get it right, others like reading the result of my playtime.

...that I get to meet so many great people, a lot of them writers themselves, who are so fascinating.

Writers are a quirky, sometimes neurotic, wonderfully sensitive, always entertaining bunch of people and I am so glad I get to count myself in that number.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

The need for Conflict in stories

2011-11-17T08:37:00.000-05:00

During a session of the critique group that I belong to, one of the members was reading her ten pages and what struck me was her book for me had ended whenshe was only 30 pages into the story. The writing was wonderful, and really drew you in because she is a mistress of putting words together. The senses were there. I could see the setting. Her characters were believeable -- almost. That night while trying to find sleep I kept puzzling over what was wrong with the story.

One of those flashes hit me. There was no real conflict in the story. I'm not talking about there being physical confrontations but as soon as the problem in her story arose and there was a great potential for conflict. The heroine was from a different background from the hero. The heroine and the hero both had secrets. But they were hiding the secrets not from each other but from themselves.

I called her the next morning and gave her my take on the story. Her response was "I don't like conflict." I shook my head. "Without conflict there can be no story." Just because a person avoids it in life doesn't meant the characters in their stories should avoid conflict. Solving the problems of the characters too easily makes the book fall flat. If the characters in a story don't have to fight either something inside themselves or something from the outside the story falls flat.

While you and I may not need conflict in our lives, the characters in our stories do. Without this element what you have may be brilliantly written but will leave the reader wondering what the story was about.

"The Day in the Life of a Not-Yet-Best-Selling Author" by Mike DiCerto

2011-11-16T00:30:00.000-05:00

It begins before I awaken. I'm drifting in a hypnogogic state and I decide to see if I can tap into the akashic records for the holy grail of author info. I set my intention and send out query: In my next dream please provide a sure fire promotional method to ensure major league book sales.

I drift into deeper sleep and somewhere in my nocturnal altered state a Samurai Warrior approaches me and offers small, round black box. Surely the answer lies within the ebony container. I try to open it but the world shimmies in a cliche manner and I awaken and cannot find the box anywhere in my sheets. Cosmo, our cat, plops on my chest and kisses me with a wet kitty kiss. I hear coffee beans being ground in the kitchen. As usual my wife, Suzy, is up first. I really need to get up an hour earlier I think to myself. I get up.

I turn on my Mac and go to the kitchen to get a glass of juice and a cup of coffee. I mumble to Suzy and kiss her and plop back down at my desk which sits beside a window overlooking a nice upper east side street. A breeze blows in through the screen and I can feel the autumn chill in the air. Cosmo races by me to watch a black bird perched on the fire escape and comes inches from a coffee disaster.

I open Facebook. I used to to go to the Daily News first but I got so fed up with depressing news I decided getting a few free chickens from Farmville farmers was a nicer way to start the day. I am in the middle of my Virtual Tour with my middle grade fantasy THE DOOR TO FAR-MYST so I check the schedule to remind myself where on tour I am today. If its Tuesday it must be review day. I check the review and beam. Yes! They loved it. I post the link to my Facebook personal and book pages. Then I run over (relatively speaking) to Amazon to see if any sales came from this early morning good news.

Nope. Ranking is lower. Crapola. Back to Facebook. WHAT? No congratulatory comments yet! It's been a whole forty seconds what is wrong with people? "Friends" my butt. The black bird tweets and so do I. Frugal prose and tiny urls later my few hundred followers are privy to my amazing review. Back to Facebook. Back to Amazon. HEY - my ranking moved from 767,900 to 55,546! That must mean I sold at least a zillion books. Reality check. Nah - probably one or two. Sigh. Oh well at least a five digit number looks better.

Maybe I should write? Cosmo jumps on my lap and nuzzles my neck. I reach around his feline form and I open the file for book three of the Rupert Starbright series. I am six chapters in and feel good this is going to be a nice change of adventures after the first two books in Far-Myst.

I can't resist. I go back and re-read the review. A thought hits me: BLURBS! I scan the review and grab a tasty fragment Engaging and fun. Mike DiCerto weaves a fun and... I add it to my web page. I make it my Facebook status. I tweet it. I send the link to the review to everyone I know via old school email.

I go back to Amazon. Back to six digits. I go back to the review. No comments or "likes". IS ANYONE READING THIS BUT ME??? Cosmo races off to an emergency meeting in the kitchen then plops on Suzy's lap. I go back to Facebook where I get into a brief political debate with a filmmaker friend then watch a cute kitten meets Louis CK video and go get a second cup of coffee. Imagine if Hemingway had internet access...

I go back to my manuscript and write a sentence. Ok, someone must have commented on my review. Nope. Check Facebook. Sure enough my good buddy Joel has shared the review link. So has Suzy. My actor friend Paul has liked it. As do my sisters. I go back to Amazon. Maybe the site is down? Hell- I know my ranking is.

Blog. I have to do my blog for this week. I have an hour before I have to leave for work so I figure I can get it done. I juggle some blog ideas in my head and get to work on that.

I get a sneaking suspicion that all this preaching to the same audience - Facebook and twitter - is growing pointless and my mind wanders to come up with a new effective promotional idea. I ponder getting up to go search the sheets of the Samurai black box but decide against it.

I get a nice chunk of my blog done while a tiny devil in the back of my mind taunts me with his ditty Only five people will read it and they are all re-lated! Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah! I ignore that damned devil. He has taunted me for years so I am used to him.

I go back to my manuscript. Poor Rupert Starbright is sitting on a log waiting for me to make him and his world of Graysland move. I am his god. I have to act! I look at the clock. I have to take a shower and get dressed and leave for work in fifteen minutes. Oy. I check FB, Twitter and Amazon again. I close down the manuscript and promise Rupert I will get his adventure moving next session.

And I will. Book Three will get done. After all, I am a disciplined author.

I have to go check Amazon.