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Saturday 31 October 2015

#WIPMarathon October Update

It's time for another #WIPMarathon update, hosted by Ifeoma Dennis!

Last report wordcount:

I was at 49K of the YA SF WIP. I'd also finished editing the Indestructible trilogy and Collision (Alliance, #3).

Current report wordcount: 

I finished my draft at 62K. Then I started a new urban fantasy manuscript featuring necromancy, dark magic and evil faeries. The past few weeks, I've been re-evaluating my writing career and what I want to publish next. I found some notes on the YA urban fantasy I wrote from January-March 2014 which needed a complete overhaul, so I just decided to take the worldbuilding and some of the characters and made a whole new series from scratch. I'm currently at 54K words of the first book.

First-round edits for Darkworld Book 5 came in, so I worked on those.

I also did the final proofread and formatting on Collision and Indestructible.

And Demon Heart was published on the 19th.

WIP issues this month: The last draft I finished was... awful. Barely-salvageable-first-draft awful. A little demotivating!

Four things I learned this month in writing:
  • I can't take a break from writing mid-draft. My last draft was interrupted three times by edits, and by the end, had veered so far off-outline that 90% of it was illogical. This happens so rarely, I was totally thrown off. (I normally have to fix a billion issues in edits, but not a total rewrite like I'll have to do with this one.) So I guess I'm always learning!
  • Related: sometimes it really is easier to start from scratch. Especially when the last version of a manuscript didn't have a focused plot...
  • Timers are an awesome motivator, probably because I'm really competitive. I can get 1000 words in 25 minutes, so it really helps when I'm having one of those days where I'm interrupted by some disaster or other every half-hour.
  • Urban/contemporary fantasy is my thing. I love writing other genres, especially high fantasy, but out of 24 manuscripts I've written, 20 have been some form of contemporary fantasy. (On the other hand, I think I need to branch out more...)
    What distracted me this month when writing:

    Ugh. Life. >_<

    I'm kind of amazed I managed to get all that writing done while my offline life imploded, but I guess writing's always been my escape when reality goes to hell...

    Other than general work stress, I spent most of the month in post-breakup land. Long story short, managing two busy careers has been incredibly tricky over the past few months, and has wreaked havoc on my offline life. It wasn't the only reason my ex-bf and I split up, but I ultimately ended up losing someone who's been there since the beginning of my publishing career (nearly five years), right before a book release. October can go away. >_<

    *sets calendar page on fire*

    On the other hand, the month ended on a positive note. I got tickets to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child with some of my friends next October, and I'm getting to do my first book signing in August next year! ^_^

    This month has given me emotional whiplash, I swear.

    Goal for next month:

    Collision comes out on the 17th. :)

    I'm hoping to finish this draft and work on a secret side project. So I'm kind of cheating at NaNoWriMo.

    Also: catch up on emails. Seriously. I've been behind since July. (In other words, since my schedule went crazy.)

    Meanwhile, figure out my life. That's... kind of over-dramatic. I love my job(s), and I've been really lucky with work this year, but I really need to find balance. It's just hard when everything falls on you at the same time and you have to choose which thing to mess up because it's impossible to give 100% to everything. In the end, deadlines won, and believe me, I'm paying for it. *insert dramatic be careful what you wish for voice here*

    On the plus side, at least I haven't had the mental capacity to stress about writing-related self-doubt this month...

    Last 200 words: 

    I'm in spoiler territory of my urban fantasy draft, but here's an unedited snippet from the first chapter:

    A moan came from near her converse-clad feet, and a smaller head rose, this one pointy-eared like a miniature version of a cartoon alien, but with feathery gossamer wings. A piskie. Seelie.
    “He stole from me,” said the imp. “I pursued him. Begging your pardon.” Its teeth stretched into a grin. “A trade I offer.”
    “Absolutely not,” said Ilsa. “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t throw you over the fence back into the winter estate.”
    The imp’s face paled and it shook its head. “No,” the imp whined. “Not there. Bad magic.”
    “Should have thought of that before.” And, imp in tow, she marched up the road. At the foot of the hill, her family’s house lay on was the boundary with Unseelie House, which belonged to the other branch of the Lynn family. Ilsa’s cousins. She hadn’t seen them in years, but she didn’t particularly care what they thought if she threw an unwanted faerie into their garden.
    The imp writhed and screamed bloody murder all the way back down the hill. Ilsa gave up and flung the creature headfirst over the fence at the first opportunity. Apparently she’d been more annoyed than she thought, because the imp flew several feet into the air before plunging into a bramble thicket. More screams followed her back up the hill. Serve him right.
    The piskie had disappeared by the time she got back. “That’s gratitude for you!”

    Friday 30 October 2015

    October Update: Books & goals update!

    It's time for my monthly update on all things happening in the Writer's Nest!

    What I've been reading


    The Iron Warrior (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten, #3)

    I've been waiting for the final book in Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series for what seems like forever, and I was thrilled to get an early copy! After that shocking ending to The Iron Traitor, I dived right into The Iron Warrior. The world of the Iron Fey is as compelling as ever, and the twists just kept coming. Ethan is once again dragged into the faery world after a near-brush with death, to face an enemy he never saw coming. I just love the world Kagawa has created, and the new characters as well as glimpses of old favourites. I'll always be a huge fan of this series, and I'm sad it's over!

    Amazon
    Amazon UK


    Cold Burn of Magic (Black Blade #1)

    I picked up Cold Burn of Magic when I saw the Kindle price had dropped, and I was curious to check out the series. It's a wonderfully engaging and entertaining YA urban fantasy -- right up my alley! I'll definitely be looking into more of Jennifer Estep's writing.

    Amazon
    Amazon UK

    Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes, #2)

    I loved Snow Like Ashes, so I was excited to read the sequel! Ice Like Fire is a little slower than its predecessor, but it's still an engrossing read. It was cool to see more of the various kingdoms, and the story ends with a jaw-dropping twist I never saw coming. I'd recommend this series to fans of YA fantasy!

    Amazon
    Amazon UK


    What I've been writing

    I drafted 52K words of an urban fantasy manuscript about necromancers and evil faeries. It's planned as the first in a trilogy, and it's a lot of fun. :)

    First-round edits on Darkworld Book 5 came in, so I dived back into the Darkworld series again. I also did the final check on Darkworld Book 4 before proofreading.

    Then I did the final proofreads on Collision (Alliance, #3) and Indestructible. I formatted Collision and put up the pre-order.

    Total words written in October: 70K.

    What else I've been up to

    Listening to really angry music and rage-tidying my office. Er, I mean, de-stressing. I'm re-watching Arrow and keeping up to date with Agents of SHIELD. I also managed to snag tickets for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child for October next year. :D

    Plans for November

    I need to finish this draft and re-outline books 2 and 3 in the trilogy. I won't officially be doing NaNoWriMo because I have more than one project on, but I'm hoping for at least 50-60K words for the month.

    Collision (Alliance, #3) releases on the 17th. :) I'll be making a start on the next round of revisions on Alliance Book 4. (Hoping for a March release!)

    In next month's newsletter: Collision releases, and sign ups open to promote Indestructible in January.

    Plans for the rest of the year


    I'm hoping to write at least one more full draft this year.

    Indestructible, the first in my YA post-apocalyptic fantasy series, will be published on the 12th January 2016, so I'll be getting e-ARCs ready for December :) I've set tentative dates for the sequels (April and June). I need to format all three books and do one last read through of the trilogy before the end of the year.

    Monday 26 October 2015

    Cover Reveal: Collision (Alliance, #3)

    It's finally time to reveal the cover for Collision (Alliance, #3)! 


    Oh, this cover. *heart eyes* I kind of want it as wallpaper. I've been so incredibly lucky with covers for this series!

    Blurb: When Earth suddenly gains inexplicably high levels of magic, all fingers point at the Alliance.

    On a distant world, where magic-fuelled forces of nature rule over humans, a disaster is sweeping the land, threatening to knock the Balance across the Multiverse out of sync. When Kay and Ada are sent there with the other Ambassadors, they’re thrown into the centre of chaos. Nature is alive, and angry.

    Ada embraces the magic she still half-fears, but learning to control it proves harder than she can imagine. Kay, meanwhile, becomes more reckless than ever when testing the boundaries of his own abilities. When faced with living magic, no one is safe from its influence. Ada and Kay must choose what they’re willing to risk for the sake of saving a world that might already be doomed. Can mortals overcome the gods?

    Pre-order on Amazon   Add on Goodreads

    Friday 23 October 2015

    What's coming next: release dates and more!

    As Demon Heart released on Monday, I thought I'd update on my current book release schedule! (For a quick reference, the "Release Schedule" tab above is usually the best option.)

    My next release is Collision (Alliance, #3). The cover reveal is on the 26th, and I'll be putting the pre-order up this weekend. It'll be published on the 17th November.

    Next... is when things get confusing. Because I have some books with a small press, and two series in various stages of edits, I'll be alternating releases between the three series throughout next year.

    My next release after Collision will be the first in my YA post-apocalyptic trilogy, Indestructible. I've set the 12th January for release day and the pre-order will go up at the beginning of January.

    My second release of 2016 is Darkworld Book 4, Souls Forsaken. You can already add it on Goodreads, and it's scheduled for the 7th March 2016.

    Afterwards, Alliance Book 4 will most likely follow in the last week of March or early April. The second book in the Indestructible trilogy will also be out in April. (I told you it was confusing. :P)

    Then the third and final book in the Indestructible trilogy will be out in June.

    Right now, I'm estimating July for Alliance Book 5. Then Darkworld Book 5, Darkness Falling, will be out on the 7th November 2016. Alliance Book 6 will either follow before or after, depending on scheduling and edits.

    *breathes*

    Five of the eight books scheduled for next year are already edited, so this is do-able! My YA fantasy is also in edits, but I'm waiting until I have a better idea when that'll be ready to decide when to fit it into the schedule. 2016 is going to be fun! :D

    Monday 19 October 2015

    Release Day: Demon Heart (Darkworld, #3) by Emma L. Adams

    It's here! At last! I'm so excited to share the third in the Darkworld series. I originally wrote this book in the university library in Lancaster between March and May 2013 as a break from my final-year dissertation. This is the turning-point in the series, where things really heat up and I get to share that plot twist. ;) I've had some of these scenes planned for over seven years! (I recycled some of the unused plot points from my first, unpublished series when I planned this one. Including a certain character...)

    Anyway, here it is! :D


    Can a demon’s heart of ice be thawed?

    Ash may have escaped death several times, but now things are finally looking up. The doppelganger is gone, she’s dating Leo, and the Venantium are staying away from her – for now. But a new threat rises from the Darkworld, and only the fortune-teller knows the true extent of the danger they’re in.

    Lucifer, a sorcerer who did the impossible and cheated death through escaping to the Darkworld, is on the move. Now his second-in-command, Mephistopheles the demon, is loose in our world – and will do anything to win Ash over to his side.

    The Venantium fear a repeat of the Demon Wars, the demonic invasion that wiped out the Blackstone family. But there’s more to those events than the records reveal. When Ash finds the lost diary of Melivia Blackstone, she starts to dig into the past to find the town’s forgotten history – leading to a revelation that shocks her to the core.

    Leo seems to be the only person Ash can rely on, yet can she truly open up to him, knowing what she is? Blackstone’s dark history is rising to the surface, and it seems even memory can lie. The worst betrayal waits around the corner, and Ash has to decide whether to trust Leo with her darkest secret, even when it has the potential to destroy them both…

    Amazon

    Add on Goodreads

    Excerpt

    Fire sprang up all around me, orange flames licking at my skin. I flinched away from the writhing wall of fire, which cut off any chance of escape.

    I stood in a large room, a bedroom. Through the haze of smoke I could see a four-poster bed, its feathery curtains ablaze. Flickering tendrils of fire ate away at the posh-looking furniture, smoke gushing out in clouds. On the wall opposite hung a magnificent, gilt-framed painting of a girl with long, curly black hair. As I watched, the paint peeled away from the background as the ever-spreading blaze devoured it. Underneath the roar of the fire I heard a whimper, and realised I wasn’t alone.

    A girl crouched in the corner of the room, arms wrapped around her knees, apparently oblivious to the fire raging around her. I tried to walk over to her but a wall of flames barred my way, flaring out of the lush carpet.

    "Stay... out."

     The girl raised her head, but she didn’t seem to see me standing there. She was older than I’d thought; her hunched position had made her look like a child, but she was probably around the same age as me. Her dark hair spilled from a bun, and her gown, similar to the one in the painting, was crumpled and stained, as though she’d fallen in the mud outside.

    “Stay… out.”

     Her eyes looked right through me, and I gasped. They shone violet. A demon’s eyes.

     She doubled over, coughing. I tried to call to her to get out of the burning room, but it was like something had stapled my mouth shut. Dreaming. I’m dreaming.

    “Stay… out!”

    Her eyes flashed again, turning grey-black, ordinary, human. I recognised it. She was fighting possession with everything she had.

    “Is this what you want?”

    The demon used her mouth to speak, but didn’t need to; its voice sounded in my mind, sliding through me like an ice-cold knife.

    “I’ll burn you,” she said, in a tremulous voice. “I’ll burn with you.”

    “Then burn.”


    Start with Darkness Watching, the first in the YA paranormal Darkworld series.

    Watched by demons no one else can see, eighteen-year-old Ash think she's losing her mind. But the truth is far more frightening: she can see into the Darkworld, the home of spirits, and the darkness is staring back. 

    All she wants at university is a second chance at a normal life, but her new home in the small town of Blackstone has secrets of its own. The Venantium, the sorcerers who maintain the barrier keeping demons from crossing from the Darkworld into our own world, have their eyes on Ash. And a group of rogue sorcerers might be the only ones who can offer the answers she's looking for. In a world where darkness lurks beneath the surface, not everyone is what they appear to be...

    #1 Bestseller in New Adult & College Fantasy

    Winner of the Blogger Book Fair 2014 Speculative Fiction Reader's Choice Award for Paranormal/Supernatural Fiction.

    Amazon   Barnes and Noble  Goodreads  Read Chapter One.


    When you have a connection to the Darkworld, nowhere is truly safe.

    Ashlyn has found a new home in Blackstone, but when a spate of grave robberies across the country spark fears that someone is practicing illegal sorcery, she comes under the radar of the Venantium, the protectors of the Barrier between her world and the Darkworld, who are suspicious of any sorcerer unaware of their origins.

    The trouble is, what Ash does know might just get her killed.

    Sufferers of the dangerous condition known as the vampire’s curse are being brutally killed, and the latest victim is Leo’s guardian, the ex-head of the Venantium. Ash determines to help Leo find out what’s really going on, but it isn’t long before events are spiralling out of control. The dead are rising from their graves, and the barriers around Blackstone are threatened by a demon which looks exactly like Ash herself…

    Amazon   Barnes & Noble  Add on Goodreads



    When university student Claudia's life takes a turn for the weird, she finds her new social life revolves around fighting sinister shadow-monsters and trying not to get arrested by the creepy organization which hunts them down. When a fellow magic-user comes to her for help, Claudia is pulled into a web of secrets -- secrets that might cost more than her life.

    Amazon     Add on Goodreads



    Emma spent her childhood creating imaginary worlds to compensate for a disappointingly average reality, so it was probably inevitable that she ended up writing speculative fiction with magic and monsters. She lives in the middle of England, but dreams of exploring the Multiverse. When she's not immersed in her own fictional worlds, Emma works as a freelance editor and proofreader and reads an improbable number of books.

    Emma is the author of various fantasy novels, including the universe-hopping urban fantasy Alliance series and the YA paranormal Darkworld series.

    Visit www.emmaladams.com to find out more about Emma's books, or subscribe to her newsletter (smarturl.it/ELAnewsletter) to get a free Alliance short story and monthly updates on upcoming releases.

    Website  Blog  Facebook  Twitter  Newsletter

    Friday 16 October 2015

    On habits and writing.

    Habits can be broken.

    I have OCD, so when I develop a habit, it sticks. This can be a bad thing (I've struggled against so many ridiculous and/or downright destructive habits in the past)... or a good one.

    I had intense social anxiety all through school. It took six years to tell anyone I wrote, let alone anything else about me. Me from ten years ago would freak out if she saw into the future, saw me talking about my writing publicly all over the internet.

    Habits can be broken.

    I didn't start consistently writing every day until my final year of university. Through school, I made excuses for why I couldn't write. I didn't have time. I didn't have my own computer. I was waiting to be inspired. When I did write consistently, I finished a draft in a month.

    It took me a while to be able to do this consistently. Juggling university work with writing inevitably meant there were some days where I just didn't have the time. But by the middle of my final year, when I was writing my sixth first draft (Demon Heart), something clicked. I made 1000 words my daily goal, and kept it up through that draft, then the next, then the next. It crept up to 2000 words a day, and more or less stuck there. Even with different projects.

    Then the negative thoughts and crushing doubts crept in. The feeling of being a fraud. Even through them, I pushed through. Because I'd developed the habit.

    I get asked a lot how I find time/get inspired. 90% of the time, I'm not inspired. It took years of jumping through mental hoops to be able to do what I do now. Write every day. Stick to goals. I have anxiety, OCD, and depression, so my brain is my number one enemy. Some days, it does everything in its power to put me down and stop me working.

    You know what? In two and a half years, since I developed the habit of writing every day except in extreme circumstances, it's never actually stopped me.

    I need to remember that more often.

    I'm probably talking to myself here, but right now, I'm trying to break a series of habits I didn't even know I'd picked up. That's why the topic of habits came to mind. When you know someone a long time, and come to rely on them, it's a shock when they disappear from your life and you realise you don't have that crutch any more. When you walk through familiar places which are suddenly unfamiliar, with the vague sense that something's missing. That a part of you is gone. (And you can only speak in cliches.)

    I need to remember habits can be broken.

    It just might take a while.

    Friday 9 October 2015

    Review: Link by Summer Wier!



    For seventeen-year-old Kira, there’s no better way to celebrate a birthday than being surrounded by friends and huddled beside a campfire deep in the woods. And with a birthday in the peak of summer, that includes late night swims under the stars.

    Or at least, it used to.

    Kira’s relaxing contemplation of the universe is interrupted when a piece of it falls, colliding with her and starting a chain of events that could unexpectedly lead to the one thing in her life that's missing—her father.

    Tossed into a pieced-together world of carnivals and gypsies, an old-fashioned farmhouse, and the alluring presence of a boy from another planet, Kira discovers she’s been transported to the center of a black hole, and there’s more to the story than science can explain. She’s now linked by starlight to the world inside the darkness. And her star is dying.

    If she doesn’t return home before the star’s light disappears and her link breaks, she’ll be trapped forever. But she’s not the only one ensnared, and with time running out, she’ll have to find a way to save a part of her past and a part of her future, or risk losing everything she loves.

    Dreamy, fluid, and beautiful, Link pairs the mystery of science fiction with the minor-key melody of a dark fantasy, creating a tale that is as human as it is out of this world.
    Available now from Amazon, and other retailers.

    My review


    A captivating YA sci-fi read!

    I knew I'd have to read this as soon as I saw the blurb. I love fantasy, sci-fi and alternative universes, and this book delivered on all the things I love in speculative fiction. I was thrilled to get a review copy!

    Kira is a relatable teen and her reactions are realistic throughout the story, even when dealing with the unknown. I really liked her close relationship with her mother, something you don't see often in YA. The characters and the world are so well-written, I was completely engrossed in the story. The sci-fi part is well done without becoming too overwhelmed in details, and I was fascinated by the captivating - and rather scary! - portrayal of alternative worlds. There are enough twists and secrets to keep you turning the pages to find out the next surprise. I was hooked from beginning to end!

    The story stands alone and has a satisfying ending, but it's the first in a trilogy. I'll definitely be signing up for more!

    5 stars.

    Summer Wier is an MBA toting accountant, undercover writer, and all around jack-of-all-trades.  Link is her debut novel and the first in The Shadow of Light series. She has three short stories appearing in Fairly Twisted Tales For A Horribly Ever After and co-authors the Splinter web serial. When she’s not digging through spreadsheets or playing mom, you can find her reading/writing, cooking, or dreaming of the mountains in Montana.






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    Thursday 8 October 2015

    Cover reveal: Hybrid by K. T. Hanna!

    Hybrid is finally almost ready for release. S.P. McConnell worked magic again here.

    Hybrid (The Domino Project #2) is the sequel to Chameleon. It's set in the wasteland of earth after a meteor shower causes ecological disaster, damages the atmosphere, and gives the gift of an alien parasite to the world. Book two furthers Sai, Bastian, and Dom's journey in their fight to live free from GNW imposed rules.

    The goodreads blurb is as follows:

    As Sai recovers from her life-threatening injuries, she struggles to piece together her damaged relationship with Dom. He fights the parasite within, suddenly freed from the interference of the other Dominos in his head.

    Inside Central, Bastian’s Shine dosing has become a dangerous dance. Enhanced security protocols and endless meetings have him on a tightrope, with little room to move without revealing himself. When the GNW release the Damascus to begin their systemic hunt of the Exiled, the noose closes around the rebels and their allies. If they can’t disable the threat, the Exiled won’t be the Damascus’ only agenda


    Without further ado - here's a teaser of the cover by the amazingly talented S.P. McConnell.

    Go see the full cover at YA Interrobang!

    Isn't it GORGEOUS!?!?!
    Sit back and bask in this for a moment.
    It's available for pre-order for $3.99 and will be available on November 10th, 2015!
    Amazon Link
    It will also be available in print via CreateSpace, Amazon, but best of all, the local indie store is being really supportive and already has it available for pre-order in print there!

    Watermark Books

     

    Haven't read Chameleon? There's still time to catch up!

    Get it HERE!

    About the Author
    Me

    KT Hanna has a love for words so extreme, a single word can spark entire worlds.
    Born in Australia, she met her husband in a computer game, moved to the U.S.A. and went into culture shock. Bonus? Not as many creatures specifically out to kill you.

    When she's not writing, she freelance edits for Chimera Editing, interns for a NYC Agency, and chases her daughter, husband, corgi, and cat. No, she doesn't sleep. She is entirely powered by the number 2, caffeine, and beef jerky.

    Note: Still searching for her Tardis

    Celebration!

    To celebrate, we're giving away a copy of books 1 & 2! With an Amazon e-card, and a SWAG pack!
    Winners will be announced on Monday October 19th!