Alternate Input Devices

One of the scariest things a writer can experience is having one or more hands restricted. Especially in this day and age of using keyboards. Writing is a very repetitive process whether you are using a keyboard or a pencil. This constant repetition can add up and before you know it, you have a disorder that limits your ability to write.

Panic ensues!!!!!

The reality is, you don't need to panic. There are solutions and they generally don't cost that much.

I've done some basic research and have come up with some solutions. The one you pick, is entirely up to you and your budget. There are a lot of options, so don't assume this is an all inclusive list.

If you are unable to use either hand 
The best option is to use voice input. There are some devices out there that use facial muscles and brain waves, but they are generally best for gaming and require a lot of setup/time to get useable. I guess it would be possible, but very labor intensive.

Dragon Naturally Speaking is probably one of the best programs out there. Not only does it allow you to type, it lets you control the entire computer via voice commands. It does take some training so the software recognizes your voice, but I've seen it in action and it is great. It is available for both Windows and Mac. The nice thing, for users of Scivener, is that it works really well (according to a writer that I follow on Twitter...wish I could remember their name!). It does have some issues with people who are not Native English speaking and using it to control/write in English. I expect this will improve as the technology improves.

Cost: $99 (for home edition)
Pros: Easy to use, Training is minimal, Cross Platform
Cons: Issues using in English if not a Native speaker

If you have one hand available
In addition to using dragon, there are several options available.

One handed keyboards
Their are a lot of one handed input devices out there. The one that is probably the most common is something called a Frog Pad. These devices allow you to type using only one hand. It does take some training to get used to the keys, but it keeps everything within a small area and gives you a full keyboard with only a handful keys. I've heard people can get some pretty high WPMs using it.

The biggest issue at the moment is that it is only available as software for the Mac/iPad. There used to be a physical device for the PC, but the new model won't be out until 2013. I can't tell if it will be PC compatible. Looks like it might just be for Mac. They do have software for the PC that costs $24.99 and they'll ship you the clings to put over the keys to convert it to one-hand.

Cost: $129 (includes software and Mac Magic Pad cover)
Pros: New Model will be USB and bluetooth compatible. Company has an app for iPad that will convert the iPad keyboard to a FrogPad
Cons: Seems to be only available for Mac users. Some mention of PC version, but I couldn't tell. New model won't be available until 2013.

As I said earlier, there are other one-handed keyboards out there and even some prototypes that have some interesting capabilities. If you are looking for a one handed keyboard, just do a Google search. They aren't necessarily that cheap.

Another solution is the Ergodex DX1 Input system. With this, you can literally put a key anywhere on the pad, configure it via the software on your computer and make yourself a truly unique keyboard layout.

Cost: $149
Pros: Can make a completely custom keyboard layout. Windows/Mac compatible.
Cons: Setup can be a bit time consuming as you have to configure each key.

Another solution, presented to me by Marieke Nijkamp, is the use of a tablet. In her case she bought an Asus EEE Transformer Prime. She indicated that she was able to use Swype and the normal keyboard layout one-handed. I'm guessing this would be true of any tablet device (Windows, Android or iPad). For an extra fee, you can get office production software and then import the text into a larger computer for later editing.

Cost: $499 (for the Asus)
Pros: Lightweight. Swype and alternate soft keyboards available for one handed use. Can copy files back and forth with DropBox or Google drive.
Cons: Most tablets don't have writing software on them out of the box. Windows based tablets can have Office installed, but cost more. iPad and Android tablets have apps available for a fee.

As you can see, there are options. All this data was pulled up with a simple search and a couple conversations on twitter.

Just remember, there are solutions. Don't panic. All is not lost.

Hope this helps. Remember, this is just a starting point for more research.

Do you know of any other solutions? Have you used any of the options I've suggested? If so, leave a comment. I would love to hear more.

'Till Next time.

Cover Reveal: Treason (The Grimoire Trilogy #2) by S.M. Boyce

The Cover

S. M. Boyce just released the new cover for the second book in her Grimoire Trilogy! Here it is:

Lichgates

The Grimoire turns its own pages and can answer any question asked of it...and Kara Magari is its next target. 

Kara has no idea what she's getting herself into when she stumbles across the old book while hiking along a hidden trail. Once she opens it, she's thrown into Ourea: a beautiful world full of terrifying beings that all want the Grimoire's secrets. Everyone in this new world is trying to find her, but most just want to control the new-found power the Grimoire bestows upon her. 

Braeden Drakonin grew up in Ourea, and all he’s ever known in life is lying. The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life. He has one question to ask the book—one question that can fix everything in his broken world—and he’s not letting Kara out of his sight until he gets an answer.

There’s no escaping Ourea.

Treason

Ourea has always been a deadly place. The lichgates tying the hidden world to Earth keep its creatures at bay—for now.

Kara Magari ignited a war when she stumbled into Ourea and found the Grimoire: a powerful artifact filled with secrets. To protect the one person she has left, she strikes a deal that goes against everything she believes in. But things don’t go as planned. 

Braeden Drakonin can no longer run from who—and what—he is. He has to face the facts. He’s a prince. He’s a murderer. He’s a wanted man. And after a betrayal that leaves him heartbroken, he’s out for blood.

To survive, both Kara and Braeden must become the evil each has grown to hate.

Lichgates

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) |  Goodreads

Read the 1^st Chapter FREE

Treason

VIP List | ARCs | Goodreads

Bonus Content

The Grimoire Trilogy Encyclopedia

Win a guest appearance in Heritage (The Grimoire Trilogy #3)

About the Author

S. M. Boyce writes fantasy and paranormal fiction. She is a sarcastic twit, but she still has friends because some people seem to like that. Her Creative Writing degree qualifies her to serve you french fries. 

She’s currently working on the YA epic fantasy series the Grimoire Trilogy. Lichgates, the first in the series, is already available. Treason (book 2) releases October 27. Feel free to connect with her online or check out her blog.

Connect with Boyce

Blog | Website | Store | Events

Google+ | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Youtube

Amazon Author Page | Goodreads Page

September #writemotivation update part 4!

There is only one week left in September! Wow, can't believe how fast this month is going. This is a short post today as I'm working on a couple bigger post ideas for later in the week.

One of the posts is a vlog as part of Victoria Schwab's history vlog series on histories. She's doing this on her blog as part of a lead up to the Archived release in four months. She posted a video talking about it here.

The other post I'm working on involves alternative computer input setups. This came to light when one of the people I followed was reduced to using only one hand for the next few months. Scary for a writer, and she was scared. She and I talked about various alternates to keyboard entry and I'm working on getting a post about it formulated. I will hopefully have that done before the end of the month.

Ok, now for the #writemotivation update:

1. Write 15K more on HJ I'm just under 26K total, which means that I have a little over 4K left to write this month to make my goal.
2. Blog once a week I'm up to 10 posts this month, so yeah, got it.
3. Try and squeeze in some fun reading in there (non-beta/crit stuff). Not sure how that will pan out though! I'm about half way done with Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. If you haven't read it, it's awesome.
4. Read slush pile for Niteblade (a little behind on this one) I've been doing this off and on all month. Need to read some more.
5. Cheer on my #writemotivation peeps! Always! :D

Random pic:

NINJA TURTLE POWER!!!!!!

How's your month been going?

One last thing. I entered a blog hop challenge (yes, I'm sure you're tired of hearing about it). Anyway, I wrote a flash fiction story and it needs votes! Click on the link and vote!

Sweet Evaline

'Till next time!

Why Pixies are Evil

I got tagged...again...and here are the culprits:

Exhibit A: Yes, they're evil and weird and no, I don't know which is which.

I'm not talking about the guy in the middle, Ryan. He's their whipping boy, web-monkey, and all around minion which they enjoy torturing on a regular basis. I'm talking about the rather bizarre creatures on either side of him. They have real names, but to protect the not so innocent, we'll call them Cat and Lynx Raven (I do know their real names and will find some way of using it against them in the future...revenge and all that). Despite being evil, they aren't really that bad. Just a little bent as you can see here in, what I call, Exhibit A. Anyway, they're awesome and funny and you should check them out. They've also written a couple books, Disenchanted and Gunning Down Romance. Both are a collection of twisted shorts stories.

So, here's what I have to do to appease this wicked little creatures. I have to answer some questions about my current work in progress. I'm also supposed to tag five unsuspecting innocents, but seeing as I was "stabbed" repeated (all virtual because blood is hard to wash out of fabrics) by some of my friends after I tagged them with the Beautiful Blogger Award, I'll refrain.

Questions and Answers:

What is the current working title of your book?
Hate Jacket. I don't plan on this changing...ever...

Where did the idea for this book come from?
This story has been floating around in my head for awhile now, I just didn't realize it. An early blog post titled, Sometimes You Can't Avoid a Story, has an early concept scene for it. At the time, I didn't realize it would grow into something as big as Hate Jacket. Fast forward a year later and I had just finished the first draft of Stone of Unity and needed something else to occupy my time while I was waiting for people to get back to me with comments, etc.

I was talking to the fabulous, Adrien-Luc Sanders about angsty teens. I can't remember the exact conversation but I remember him complaining about a teen he was dealing with at the time was being quite angsty. I made the comment that we were probably just as bad. We went back and forth talking about our angst ridden years when I mentioned that I had something called a "Hate Jacket" that I wore for a while in high school. It was my cry of anti-establishment that really annoyed people. As soon as he heard about it, his comment was "That would make an awesome story."

My brain went CLICK and suddenly I had my now main character screaming obscenities and demanding my attention. That day I wrote down 12 story ideas to see which one spoke loudest all the while hoping that Hate Jacket wasn't one of them. Julius, the MC of Hate Jacket refused to be ignored. That evening I wrote down half a dozen characters in my journal and I was off.

I still blame Adrien-Luc, but in a good way. If you are on twitter you should follow him, he works as the Ed. Director at Entangled Publishing. He has some great insights on dos and don'ts on writing. Oh, he's also a writer. :D

What genre does your book fall under?
YA Contemporary, which if you know me, is a bit odd as I almost never read those types of stories. My preferred genres are Science Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, and Horror. I've read a couple contemporary stories, but it doesn't happen very often.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
To be honest, I don't know. I'd have to do some research on that one as I generally don't think about those things. It's a pretty intense and emotional story, so the actors would have to be able to carry that intensity pretty well. I'm open to suggestions.

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
The story Julius Monroe's a struggle through a life of pain, love, loss, and one bad-ass jacket.

Will your book be self-published or represented through an agency?
I would prefer to go through an agency.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
I'm still working on the first draft right now. I have over 20K written of 60K words.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I don't like to compare, but I did have a couple mention that the concept reminded them of The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. The other book that it might be similar to is Pretty Amy by Lisa Burnstein (which I really want to read). I could be wrong though. From what I've heard and read of Pretty Amy, there are some similarities in concept...maybe...

Who or What inspired you to write this book?
Um...me...life...crap that you see happen every day? I tell people that Hate Jacket is NOT autobiographical. It isn't. None of the things that happen in that story happened in my life. However, I do have a lot of "source material" from which to draw, fictionalize (in some cases heavily), and include in the story. This is true for every story every written by any author. We draw the characters from what we know and feel and can extrapolate based on our experiences. This is the case with Hate Jacket.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
If you aren't interested by now, I'm not sure what else to do. Maybe a quote? A snippet of the rough first draft untouched by editor's hands?

If she’d just leave me alone, maybe her ape brained boyfriend wouldn’t want to use me as a punching bag. Greg’s sneering face invades my daydream. My pleasant walk turns darker and my mind boils at the memory of him shoving me up against the locker. In my mind, I imagine fighting back. Kicking his ass and spitting on him. My hands clench into tight fists as I imagine him lying broken on the ground.

Also, at some point, I need to recreate the Hate Jacket...for research and inspiration of course. :D

September #writemotivation update pt. 3

So, we're already at the halfway point for the month, just two full weeks and one day before October. This month is going well. I've made it past my brain block on HJ and am barreling ahead with writing. The story is really shaping up to be a gut-wrenching page turner (or at least, that's my hope!). If what I'm going through to write is any indication and the feedback from Beta's it could turn into something awesome. This is my hope. If it doesn't, I will cry and wail and fall weeping to the floor. Seriously, if it doesn't fly, I'll keep pounding at it until I get it right. This story MEANS something. I'm having feelings about this story that I've never felt before. Of course, I could just be going crazy(er).

So enough about me. Let's talk about me.

1. Write 15K more on HJ I've added 8K so far and am on track to make my goal.
2. Blog once a week Between cover reveals (which I love doing) and evil pixies (which are evil), I've been putting out a post every couple days. Doubt this will continue, but you never know.
3. Try and squeeze in some fun reading in there (non-beta/crit stuff). Not sure how that will pan out though! I haven't read anything new this week, but I've been focused on writing. I have a bunch of awesome books sitting in my pile and two more just ordered. I think I need an intervention.
4. Read slush pile for Niteblade (a little behind on this one) Read several on Sunday. Even found a couple that I liked. I could tell you about them, but then I would get in trouble. Needless to say, they were pretty cool.
5. Cheer on my #writemotivation peeps! Always! :D

Here's a random pic:

Nathan's first plane ride. Cessna Skylark. He loved it.

'Till Next Time.

Sweet Evaline (Ever Blog Hop Entry)

So, Jessa Russo, author the upcoming novel, Ever, is having a blog hop giveaway event...thing. A bunch (19 so far!) of us signed up here. The rules were pretty simple. Write a ghost story in 1000 words or less. It can be whatever we want as long as it has ghosts...and no super smutty stuff.

Now all you, my dear readers, must do is visit the blogs and vote in the comments of each story that you like. Seriously, all of us worked hard on these and if you like it you need to vote.

How to vote: Comment at the end of the end of each post. You must have the word "VOTE" in your comment for it to be considered valid.

VOTING IS OPEN UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30TH!!!!
VOTING IS CLOSED

Now, without further ado, I give you my ghost story of love, loss, and death...

Sweet Evaline

His lips are so soft and warm against mine. I could lose myself in this kiss. If only it were were that easy. I crush the rising guilt. Jeremy is the perfect boy, handsome, strong, and he adores me. He would do anything for me, would give me anything I wanted.

He’s not who I want him to be, but that is about to change. I sigh and pull back from him. Time is wasting and the moon is almost at its highest.

“What’s wrong, darlin’?” I love his southern drawl. It suits him. His brown hair hangs loose around his head. His dark soulful brown eyes swallow me up. I wonder for the hundredth time, what will change when the ritual will be complete and I’ll be united with my Nicholas.

“Nothin’,” I say as I trail a finger down his broad chest. “Jus’ thinkin’ about you, Sugah.” A giggle escapes my lips as I think about my hands exploring him. Nicholas will love this body. He’s been without for so long.

A playful smile dances across his perfect lips as he pulls me close. The heat of his body warms me on the cold October night. My pulse jumps at the feel of his body. It makes thinking difficult. I need to focus. Things have to be done precisely or all is lost, that is what Nicholas told me. Tonight, in the circle, at the moon’s apex. I close my eyes and lean my cheek against Jeremy’s chest and breathe in his sent, horses, sweat, and leather.

I remember the first time I met Nicholas. It was here in this graveyard, cliché I know, but it’s true. I like to wander the gravesites and look at the old stones. The markers for people loved and lost lined up in neat little rows. I love to see the ones where husband and wife are buried together, side by side, after a long happy marriage with children and grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.

I found Nicholas’ stone in an old unused part of the cemetery. There the stones were so warn their names were almost gone. Some were just rubble, destroyed by time and the elements. Nobody visits that part of the cemetery anymore.

Nicholas’ stone was the oldest one there. It was a simple flat stone, the name lost to time and covered with lichen. I ran my fingers over it, feeling the rough stone and the slight indentations from a name. He came to me then. A soft whisper, a voice on the wind. I didn’t believe it at first, but every time I came back, his voice became stronger.

Sometimes I felt his ghostly fingers caressing my face and leaving cold, tingling lines where he touched me. I fell in love with him and he with me. He had been so lonely there in the cemetery, so lost and alone. Nobody could hear him until I came. He told me about the ritual where we could be together. I just needed to find the right body, someone strong and simple. Someone I could convince to come with me to the cemetery on a chilly night in October.


I knew it wouldn’t be hard. Jeremy has always had a thing for me. Something, I’m ashamed to say, I’ve taken advantage of. I knew he would come with me to the cemetery. I told him I loved being out here in the dark where no one could see me. He jumped at the chance when I told him that I wanted him to be with me and kiss me in the moonlight.

“Do you love me?” I ask Nicholas.

Jeremy’s chest rumbles. “Darlin’, I’ve always loved you.”

His voice caresses my ears and my heartbeat quickens. Jeremy’s arms tighten around me and the guilt rises. I hope the ritual doesn’t hurt. Nicholas says it won’t, but Jeremy is so sweet and innocent. I push away. Jeremy looks hurt.

Have faith, my love. It will all be over soon and we’ll be together…Forever.

Nicholas voice calms my jumping nerves and I manage a week smile at Jeremy.

“I’m sorry, Sugah. I just didn’t expect you ta say anythin’.” My nerves settle as a big grin flashes across Jeremy’s beautiful face.

“That’s ok, darlin’. Now where’s this grave stone you wanted to show me?”

I take his large hand and lead him toward where Nicholas’ stone lies. The full moon lights our way, unnaturally bright. I draw him to a stop before the small simple stone.

Jeremy looks down at the stone, “It ain’t much to look at.”

I silently step out of the circle I drew with salt and goat’s blood and whisper the words that Nicholas taught me. I prick my finger with a small sharp knife and let the blood drop. I know I’ve done it right when the hair on my arms stands on end.

“What?” Jeremy swings around with a surprised look on his face. I feel tears streaming down my face as a ghostly form raises from the ground at his feet and envelopes him and then disappears into his mouth and nose. Jeremy stands perfectly still for a moment before giving me a wink. It’s the sign.

I quickly scuff the circle with my foot and rush into Nicholas arms, my heart singing with joy.

Nicholas smiles down from Jeremy’s face and takes the knife from my hand.

“Just one more thing before the ritual is complete, love.” His voice is different, sounds English. I gasp in pain as he swipes the knife across my throat. He carefully lowers me to the ground as blood pours down my chest.

I try to speak, but my voice doesn’t work. Nicholas smiles at me as he gently lays me down.

“I suppose I should properly introduce myself, now that I have a body. My name’s Jack." He holds the knife before my face and grinned as my vision started to fade.

Cover Reveal: Reaping Me Softly by Kate Evangelista

When I first met Kate Evangelista it was during the cover reveal for Taste. All I can say is, wow, that was an awesome cover. I read the blurb and then found her on twitter and started talking to her. It's not easy connecting with someone half-way around the world, but it can be done. Anyway, when I found out that she was doing a cover reveal for her next book Reaping me Softly, I naturally jumped at the chance.

Boy am I glad I did.

So, here's the teaser blurb...and you thought the cover would be first. Shame on you. :-p


Book Description:
Ever since a near-death-experience on the operating table, seventeen-year-old Arianne Wilson can see dead people. Just as she’s learned to accept her new-found talents, she discovers that the boy she’s had a crush on since freshman year, Niko Clark, is a Reaper.

At last they have something in common, but that doesn’t mean life is getting any easier. All while facing merciless bullying from the most powerful girl in school, Arianne’s world is turned upside down after Niko accidentally reaps the soul of someone she loves. This sends them both into a spiral that threatens to end Arianne’s life. But will Niko break his own Reaper’s code to save her? And what would the consequences be if he did?
----------

Interested?

Do you want to see the cover?

Are you suuuure?

Seriously?

Ok, fine. I'll be nice.

Did I mention the cover is AMAZING?

Love it

'Till next time.

Dyadic Echoes is Officially "Pretty"

My dubious award

So, my good "friend", Michelle Pierce, decided to give me an "award". Say all this in quotes because awards like this are like Friendship Bread, it sounds awesome at the start, but once you get into it you wonder if your "friend" is trying to tell you something. So big raspberries to Michelle on this one.

Don't they look yummy?

Now to mash the bag, so to speak.


The last 7 lines I wrote (in first draft glory)

A large engine purrs up behind us and revs. I cast a glance behind us and I see Greg glaring at me from behind the wheel of his truck. It fits his ego. It’s huge. The bright red paint is almost painful to look at. The truck is completely impractical, but I doubt Greg cares. The way he’s looking at me, I’m sure he’d like to introduce me to the dualies in back. The personalized plate tops the whole thing off. 55Crush. His number and nickname. Definite massive ego there.

“Don’t look at him,” Christina says as she pulls me back around. “He’s mad because I broke up with him.”

“Listen, about last night. I’m not…”

“This has nothing to do with that,” Christina interrupts me. “I was tired of him being a jerk all the time. I couldn’t even talk to someone without one of his goons looking over my shoulder.”

I don’t know what to say at this point, so I keep my mouth shut. The breakup couldn’t have been that long ago, but who knows. Greg is not a very smart individual. Greg revs his engine and peels out, choking us with a cloud of burnt rubber. My head feels like it’s about to split open. Thanks, Greg. Such a dick.

The last 7 songs listened to
This one is hard as I don't listen to just songs, I listen to entire albums. As such, the last seven songs are from my playlist for my current WIP and are all by the same band (I don't use shuffle). I'm not sure why I'm like that, I just am.
So, here are the Artists and Albums that I've listened to the most lately. The first 5 are part of my playlist for HJ.

1. New Medicine -- Race You to the Bottom
2. Emphatic -- Damage
3. Slash -- Apocalyptic Love
4. Art of Dying -- Vices and Virtues
5. Saving Abel -- Bringing Down the Giant
6. Kamelot (several albums on Spotify)
7. Breaking Benjamin (several albums on Spotify)

The last 7 books I read
I'm having to guess on these as I read so much. There may have been other books in there, but I can't remember.

1. "Sin Collector" by Jess Fortunato
2. "Taste" by Kate Evangelista
3. "Seventy" by Liana Brooks
4. "The Grimoire: Lichgates" by S.M. Boyce
5. "Try Me" by Diane Alberts
6. "Divinely Ruined" by Diane Alberts
7. "Frey" by Melissa Wright

Seven favorite movies
I could list 4,000 movies, but 7? Ack! These are just a few and in no particular order.

1. Star Wars Episode 4 "A New Hope"
2. The Last Unicorn
3. The Black Hole
4. The Hobbit (animated)
5. Labyrinth
6. The Dark Crystal
7. Highlander

Seven favorite authors
Once again, so many to choose from.

1. Raymond E. Feist
2. Jim Butcher
3. Simon R. Green
4. Terry Pratchet
5. Neil Gaiman
6. Issac Asmiov
7. Mark E. Rogers

Seven songs that are significant to my stories
Every story I write has a different set of songs, so this one is hard. Also, these are albums in some cases.

1. Mozart's Requiem (for SoU)
2. E.S. Posthumus Unearthed (for SoU)
3. New Medicine "Rich Kids" (for HJ)
4. New Medicine "Resolve to Fight" (for HJ)
5. Emphatic "Do I" (for HJ)
6. Emphatic "Put Down the Bottle" (for HJ)
7. Slash "You're a Lie" (for HJ)

And seven more people upon whom I will bestow this "award"!
In other words, the seven people who will now hate me. :-p

1. Diane Alberts
2. Abigail Kern
3. Sheryl Kee
4. Rachel Russell
5. Jaime Dement
6. James Crawford
7. Seleste DeLaney

September #writemotivation update part duex

Ok. Just a brief note for September updates. This month is going well. I'm making progress. Just finished a Word Race with several of my #writemotivation friends. It was 3 days (I think!) where we just tracked our writing counts (for those who count words). It was fun, but I didn't write as much as I planned. I did get about 1K written on Saturday when I did a #wordwar for an hour with some other twitter folks. For those who don't know, Word Race, Word War, and Word Sprints (#wordsprints) are all the same, except for duration and hashtag. :D Basically, they are just a way to challenge yourself (much like #writemotivation). You write, you tweet the totals, everybody cheers. :D

Update time!

1. Write 15K more on HJ I've written over 4K so far (will be more by the end of Sunday)
2. Blog once a week Yup! Doing well. I've actually done more than two a week, so that's all good.
3. Try and squeeze in some fun reading in there (non-beta/crit stuff). Not sure how that will pan out though! Last week I read "The Sin Collector" by Jessica Fortunato. It was a fun story and I plan on reading the second. It's a quick read, so it's great for a busy person.
4. Read slush pile for Niteblade (a little behind on this one)Went through about 5+ stories in the slush last week, so I'm making progress.
5. Cheer on my #writemotivation peeps! Always! :D

How is your month going so far?

Random pic of a bug and my very dead yard

'Till next time. :D

Immortal Eclipse by Sherry Soule Cover Reveal

I am thrilled to reveal the new cover for IMMORTAL ECLIPSE, a new Urban Fantasy Novel by Sherry Soule coming from Moonlight Publishing. It will be hitting bookshelves this Fall (November) 2012. So mark your calendars! Another reason you might want to mark a reminder for the release date is because a portion of the proceeds from book sales will benefit the Scleroderma Foundation: http://www.scleroderma.org

UPDATE: IMMORTAL ECLIPSE WILL BE HITTING SHELVES APRIL 30TH, 2013

Cover was designed by the creative talents of Parajunkee Designs: http://parajunkee.net

Book trailer by Parajunkee Productions coming soon!

Back Jacket Copy (blurb):

Eternal Struggle. Forbidden Passion. Timeless Envy.

As a headstrong and practical New Yorker, Skylar Thornton doesn’t believe in the supernatural until she moves into Summerwind Mansion. Her hope for serenity and a new home is soon eclipsed by haunting dreams of a young woman murdered in the house.

She suspects there’s something strange about this place and it’s not just the bad dreams—or her uncontrollable attraction to the former owner, Dorian Knight.

Dorian seems so achingly familiar and as close to Mr. Darcy as she’ll ever get. Expect Jane Austen never wrote a hero like him—someone who both excites and frightens her.

Determined to unlock secrets that have remained hidden for centuries, Skylar is plunged into an otherworldly mystery that not even she can explain away. But when the dark history of the Knight family begins to unravel, tensions heighten, and old resentments turn deadly.

Even though Dorian warns Skylar about a terrible curse—she still doesn’t know who or what to believe. But just as Dorian tries to tell Skylar the awful truth, his darkest secrets are finally revealed—putting all of their lives in danger.

Now Skylar starts to wonder which she would rather hold on to—her sanity…or her life?

For more information about Sherry or her books, you can visit her website, or follow her on Twitter, “Like” or friend her on Facebook and check out her awesome videos on Youtube!

So, what do you think of the cover?

Intellectualizing All the Feels

Originally this post was going to be titled "It's a Writer Thing, You Wouldn't Understand". As I didn't want to come off as sounding pretentious...at least not more pretentious than I usually sound anyway.

If you are a writer, you will get this. If you are not a writer, it may not make as much sense, but please bear with me. It might make sense at some point or you'll leave scratching your head and wondering why I'm not in a hospital somewhere wearing a very special jacket...and maybe a mask...you know...so I don't...well, you get the point.

What became of your lamb, Clarice?

Anyway, the long and short of it is, I'm going quietly crazy writing this story. This is not a unique thing to happen just to me. All writers hit that point somewhere in the process. The story gets so overwhelming, the emotions get so deep, the tension invades your dreams, your life, your every waking moment. There are times when I just want to cry for no reason. Other times I want to hit my head against the wall...again for no reason. Except there is a reason. The reason is the story. It's always the story.

You can put the phone down. I'm not that crazy, I'm a writer.

I imagine that a lot of insane people will probably say the same thing. Does that make me crazy? I guess this would be a bad time to tell you that the characters talk to me when I'm writing. Not actually talking to me, not in the sense that most people would assume, but they do. They whisper to my unconscious about what they are needing to do to propel the story forward. To build the tension toward the inevitable climax. To elicit the reader to feel, to dream, to cry, to scream. To feel every feeling that they, the characters feel. Which in turn, I as the writer, must feel and therefore express.

Make sense yet? Confused? Worried about my continued sanity?

Don't worry, I'm completely sane. Of course, Hannibal Lechter would tell you the same thing. Or maybe not. It would depend on what he was trying to get you to do and feel at the time.

The more I write this, the more I doubt my own sanity, but bear with me.

Anyway, I was talking to mom the other day. As awesome as she is, I couldn't explain it to her in any way that made sense. I told her what was happening. Her response was simple.

Mom: "Stop thinking about it when you aren't writing."

Me: "Um. Can't."

She didn't get it. As awesome as she is, she didn't get it. I didn't expect her to get it. I think she was a little worried about me. I would probably be worried about me too if I didn't understand.

So here's why I can't stop. Stopping the story in my head would be akin to not breathing. I won't stop because it can't stop. To stop is to cease to exist. This may sound dramatic, but trust me, everyone has that inside of them. That drive, that need, that to stop means to cease to exist. To curl up into a ball and just stop.

I've gotten to the point in my writing where it isn't just a want, it's a need. Even if the story is driving me crazy, I can't stop. I don't want to stop. I want to take this whole crazy train to the end so I can look back and say "Wow! What a ride!". So that when you, the reader, pick up the book you can't stop reading it. It won't let you because you will feel all the pain, love, happiness, and fear of every character. That you will dream about them and you'll be desperate to KNOW what happens even after the last page is read.

See? I'm not crazy or maybe I am. Ultimately, it doesn't matter. I have a story in my head that won't go away. I knew this was going to happen before I started it. I also knew that resisting it was like stopping the rising tide or the setting of the sun.

Resistance is Futile

So, crazy or not, I'm writing this damn story.

'Till next time.

September Gear Up and #writemotivation post

So, here it is. September. Still trying to figure out where time disappears to. I think it's a conspiracy. Of course, I haven't had coffee yet this morning, so that could also be the problem.

September is a goal month with #writemotivation, so you'll be seeing more posts about my progress.

Last month, I set some goals even though I didn't need to. My goal was simple. Write 15,000 words on my new WIP. I got close. Really close. I was within 100 words of it. This makes me happy. :D Of course, that could just be me going insane because of my new story. With writers, one can never be truly certain. :D

So, here are my goals for September. When I signed up I missed one goal, so I'll add it in.

1. Write 15K more on HJ
2. Blog once a week
3. Try and squeeze in some fun reading in there (non-beta/crit stuff). Not sure how that will pan out though!
4. Read slush pile for Niteblade (a little behind on this one)
5. Cheer on my #writemotivation peeps!

Totally doable.

I got this.

I might twitch in a corner when I'm done.

Have a random picture of a volcano. It's an awesome picture.

Chaitén Volcano in Chile

'Till next time.

One last thing. I made a fan page. Go ahead and like it. My ego needs the boost. :D