tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57200826234640945352024-03-21T18:09:54.208+00:00From the Writer's NestOfficial blog of Emma L. Adams, author of fantasy novels.ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.comBlogger482125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-12151758946372100862016-04-24T17:04:00.000+01:002018-10-02T01:27:27.206+01:00I'm moving!I'm leaving the nest! As I've been blogging less frequently lately, I've decided to move the main part of my blog over to my author website. It's a change I've been meaning to make for a while, but my overloaded schedule's made it tricky to find the time, and I was reluctant to lose my audience over here. However, I think it's time for a change. It's tough to manage both an author website and blog and keep everything up to date, so this is my attempt to make things more streamlined.<br />
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This blog was a wonderful way to build relationships with other writers within the community, but at this stage, I want to focus on reaching readers. You'll still be able to find me on social media and I might post the occasional update over here if I go travelling again or I think something might be useful to share.<br />
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For readers and fans interested in keeping up with my new releases, you can <a href="http://smarturl.it/ELAnewsletter">subscribe to my newsletter</a> to get early updates on my latest books.<br />
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If you're interested in writing advice, I'll leave up some of my old blog posts here on the Writer's Nest. It's important to note that some of these posts are quite old, so the advice might be slightly outdated (especially when it comes to self-publishing).<br />
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Thank you to my readers for sticking with me over the years. Happy reading/writing!ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-39862445669564984222016-04-21T09:00:00.000+01:002016-04-21T09:00:11.010+01:00Out now: Faerie Blood (The Changeling Chronicles, #1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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I’m Ivy Lane, and if I never see another faerie again, it’ll be too soon.<br />
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Twenty years after the faeries came and destroyed the world as we knew it, I use my specialist skills to keep rogue faeries in line and ensure humans and their magically gifted neighbours can coexist (relatively) peacefully.<br />
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Nobody knows those skills came from the darkest corner of Faerie itself.<br />
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When a human child disappears, replaced with a faerie changeling, I have to choose between taking the safe road or exposing my own history with the faeries to the seductively dangerous head of the Mage Lords. He’s the exact kind of distraction I don’t need, but it’s work with him or lose my chance to save the victims.<br />
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It’ll take all my skills to catch the kidnappers and stop Faerie’s dark denizens overrunning the city — but if the faerie lords find out about the magic I stole last time I went into their realm, running won’t save me this time…</div>
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<a href="http://smarturl.it/FaerieBloodAmz">Buy on Amazon </a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29628927-faerie-blood">Add on Goodreads</a></div>
ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-90578375762448924342016-04-18T11:00:00.000+01:002016-04-18T11:00:08.947+01:00Top 10 faerie urban fantasy books!Since the first book in my new urban fantasy series releases this week, I thought I'd recommend some other awesome urban fantasy series which feature faeries -- evil or otherwise!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01D92IM78/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01D92IM78&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=QE7M35PX7J5XYTI7"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51oJl-eAcjL._SX329_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01D92IM78/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01D92IM78&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=QE7M35PX7J5XYTI7">Between Two Thorns (Split Worlds series)</a></div>
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This amazing series has recently been re-released, and it's a must-read! (Side note: I have a soft spot for modern fantasy set here in the UK.) <span style="text-align: center;">This is a very British urban fantasy series with tons of colourful characters and inventive fantastical world.</span><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MAH7SQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000MAH7SQ&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=HYQQGZWVQ4UEWL6A"><img alt="Darkfever (Fever, #1)" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1295991189l/1451694.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MAH7SQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000MAH7SQ&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=HYQQGZWVQ4UEWL6A">Darkfever (Fever series)</a></div>
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I haven't reread this series for a while, but I vividly remember blitzing through it on my Kindle a few years ago. It's seriously dark, intense adult urban fantasy which lures you in slowly then grabs you by the throat.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O99U15C/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00O99U15C&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=ESYHBCBEQQ7ZH7E3"><img alt="Dog with a Bone (Black Dog, #1)" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1410914716l/23211040.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O99U15C/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00O99U15C&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=ESYHBCBEQQ7ZH7E3">Dog With a Bone (Black Dog series)</a></div>
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A fantastic new find in new adult urban fantasy. Thierry is half-mortal, half-fae, working as a marshal to keep humans safe from faeries -- at least until her estranged fae father goes missing, and she's dragged back into Faerie.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006IBU9PQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B006IBU9PQ&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=JAT7ROZMQV3PSVZS"><img alt="The Dark Realm (Feyland, #1)" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334136949l/13597203.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006IBU9PQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B006IBU9PQ&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=JAT7ROZMQV3PSVZS">Feyland: The Dark Realm</a></div>
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A high-tech computer game turns out to be a portal into Faerie. I think that says it all! Fabulous read. Better yet, it's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006IBU9PQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B006IBU9PQ&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=JAT7ROZMQV3PSVZS">FREE to download!</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0373210086/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0373210086&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=5ZGTVJ7L5S76QY4L"><img alt="The Iron King (The Iron Fey, #1)" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327877670l/6644117.jpg" width="201" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0373210086/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0373210086&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=5ZGTVJ7L5S76QY4L">The Iron King (Iron Fey series)</a></div>
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I <a href="http://throughthegateway.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/review-iron-king-by-julie-kagawa.html">reviewed the Iron Fey series here</a> forever ago, and it remains one of my favourite YA urban fantasy series.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009S9DV9G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B009S9DV9G&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=ZEWDP3I4MIQJUY6C"><img alt="The Faerie Guardian (Creepy Hollow, #1)" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424804366l/16047078.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009S9DV9G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B009S9DV9G&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=ZEWDP3I4MIQJUY6C">The Faerie Guardian (Creepy Hollow)</a></div>
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I really, really liked this series, too! A faerie guardian-in-training, Violet gets into trouble when she accidentally lets herself be seen by the human she's meant to be guarding. Added bonus; the first book is<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009S9DV9G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B009S9DV9G&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=ZEWDP3I4MIQJUY6C"> FREE to download.</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00HPYMQJM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00HPYMQJM&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-21"><img alt="Banished (The Blackhart Legacy, #1)" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1382528123l/17617648.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00HPYMQJM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00HPYMQJM&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-21">Banished (The Blackhart Legacy)</a></div>
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I thoroughly enjoyed the first instalment of this series. Kit and the other characters are fantastic and I loved the action-packed storyline.</div>
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<img alt="The Falconer (The Falconer, #1)" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359884831l/16046550.jpg" width="209" /></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00C2UUIX0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00C2UUIX0&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-21">The Falconer</a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Okay, <i>The Falconer </i>is actually historical fantasy, but it's an awesome read set in the UK, so I had to include it. Aileana has the rare ability to sense and kill evil faeries, and she's out for revenge on the creatures that murdered her mother. The evil faerie creatures and steampunk-esque technology make this a winner!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0738713708/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0738713708&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=6DEKRJ6YOVCAJRU7"><img alt="Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception (Books of Faerie, #1)" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1265410418l/3112850.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0738713708/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0738713708&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=6DEKRJ6YOVCAJRU7"><br /></a></span>
<span style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0738713708/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0738713708&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=6DEKRJ6YOVCAJRU7">Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception.</a></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">It's been a while since I reread Maggie Stiefvater's first book, but you can't go wrong with faerie assassins! </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1472120078/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1472120078&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=XKJWGKVWW3F5ISVA"><img alt="Rosemary and Rue (October Daye, #1)" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1406866868l/6294549.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1472120078/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1472120078&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=XKJWGKVWW3F5ISVA">Rosemary and Rue (October Daye)</a></div>
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I've actually just started reading this one, but I've had Seanan McGuire's books on my list for ages!<br />
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Which is your favourite fantasy novel with faeries?ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-87414647132848985462016-04-15T10:30:00.000+01:002018-10-02T01:29:57.515+01:00Random Authorly Updates!<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's been a while since I did a general update on where I am with all my series, and since I have another book out next week (EEEK), I decided now's a good time!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Firstly, it's less than a week until <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29628927-faerie-blood">Faerie Blood </a></i>hits the virtual shelves! I also finished writing the sequel, <i>Faerie Magic, </i>and I’m working on edits.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Speaking of edits, I finally finished the last round of edits on <i>Divided (Alliance, #4), </i>and now I'm proofreading and formatting it. I set a release date: 7th June. My cover artist is just starting work on the covers for the other Alliance books, so hopefully I'll be able to share the fourth book cover soon!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As for the Darkworld series, I finished the final check of the PDF file for Souls Forsaken (Darkworld Book 4)! Hopefully that means cover art’s on the way</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Updated publishing schedule:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>April 21st - Faerie Blood (Changeling Chronicles Book 1)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">May 2nd - Souls Forsaken (Darkworld Book 4)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Late May - Faerie Magic (Changeling Chronicles Book 2)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">June 7th - Divided (Alliance Book 4)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">June 28th - Transcendent (Indestructible Trilogy Book 3)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Other miscellaneous updates: you might have noticed my blog header and website have changed. That's thanks to the wonderful Rebecca Frank, who designed my Changeling Chronicles series covers! I decided to <a href="http://www.emmaladams.com/">update my website</a> to make it more streamlined.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm also working on some new cool things for<a href="http://smarturl.it/ELAnewsletter"> newsletter subscribers</a> including a Changeling Chronicles prequel short story.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And I made<a href="https://uk.pinterest.com/eladams12/the-changeling-chronicles/"> a Pinterest board </a>for the Changeling Chronicles series. :)</span>ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-29000703590632407492016-04-05T10:00:00.000+01:002016-04-05T15:57:22.363+01:00Author Interview: Jadah McCoy, author of Artificial!<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img height="148" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=ae17d07211&view=fimg&th=153b916bf2d833f8&attid=0.1.3&disp=emb&attbid=ANGjdJ-hn3Tb5Rlh6kpsY2WpHRnRok_4OWCc3x8-BsAlXmG0J6dwK5CQNVJIUuVDpiRtEOZ5aKI01sJYqv4y2rY795_H-eEjRZ5R1-CAS8i9EHjQKQFnr1oRQmkvt30&sz=w562-h208&ats=1459101378270&rm=153b916bf2d833f8&zw&atsh=1" width="400" /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Today I'm interviewing Jadah McCoy, fellow CQ author!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tell me three interesting facts about yourself!</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Three interesting things about me! Hmm… I like to pole dance, I’ve been to seven countries so far, and I do drunk book reviews on my YouTube channel, The Tipsy Reader!</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Summarize your book in one line.</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A girl goes on a quest to an android city to reverse the genetic splicing done to her and stop the person doing the splicing.</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tell me something cool/crazy/quirky about the book – it can be anything!</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Because one of my main characters is an android in the sex industry, I did a bit of research on how an android’s sex organs would work. Interesting stuff! The things I do for my books...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Why did you decide to write this particular book?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I wanted to write something post-apocalyptic. I had this world in my head that was desperate to get out, and that made the whole world-building process easier. The characters and plot came after!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Best part of the writing process?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Writing ‘the end!’ Nothing feels better than finishing a book!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Share one thing you learned writing this book.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I learned to not take writing so seriously. What you’ve written can always be changed. It’s best not to judge yourself on a first draft, so just get the story out first and worry about polishing it later!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tell me about one strange experience you’ve had. Again, it can be anything!</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I’ll tell you a strange and wondrous experience. I was in Indonesia last December, getting my certification to teach yoga. I was sleeping, and not fitfully due to the storm raging outside. The retreat was a few minutes walk from the beach, and it was normally windy. But that night felt different. The storm was loud, like it was right on top of us. I lay in bed in some dream-haze when the loudest sound I’d ever heard woke me up. I knew something terrible had happened, but was too sleep-laden to get up.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">When I awoke the next morning, it was to a giant tree resting where our pool used to be—only ten feet from my room. If the wind had pushed the tree even a few feet to the right, it would have landed in my second story room, probably killing—or at least badly injuring—me and my roommate. I think things happen for a reason, and I was fascinated with how close I came to serious injury, yet it didn’t happen. Perhaps some Indonesian spirit saw fit to spare me that night. Either way, it was a strange occurrence.</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Name one fictional place you’d love to visit.</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I’d love to visit the underground goblin city in The Hollow Kingdom. Or, heck, just take me to Jareth’s Labyrinth!!</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Name one real place you’d love to visit.</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Japan! It’s next on my travel list! I’ll be doing some research for my next book series. >:]</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Share one sentence/mini-excerpt from the book!</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sure! Here’s the opening of Artificial!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is a sign, dingy and broken, half buried in the water and moss in front of me. Faded brown handprints streak across the large board, staining it with dried blood. It reads: If you died today, where would you spend eternity?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I’ve heard stories of places called heaven and hell—children’s tales meant to keep you in line, make you act right.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is no “act right” on this planet anymore. The only line I follow is the edge of my blade plunging into the throat of one of those goddamn Cull. And if there’s anything I know, it’s that hell can’t be any worse than this place.</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">About Artificial</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">She struggles to feel human.</span></span><br />
<a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=ae17d07211&view=fimg&th=153b916bf2d833f8&attid=0.1.1&disp=emb&attbid=ANGjdJ9Y5UZ-ysjlWgbBUEUYidqrrUNBF_IZqVM0LvBYg-z515ANqy1hdQaK3u3lQJkD6z-ZAwYMEJVofD-KeXjKLPthcKKV_isZa0lBy3NdNe-gao-rR9_2J_H3Cjc&sz=w426-h640&ats=1459101378269&rm=153b916bf2d833f8&zw&atsh=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=ae17d07211&view=fimg&th=153b916bf2d833f8&attid=0.1.1&disp=emb&attbid=ANGjdJ9Y5UZ-ysjlWgbBUEUYidqrrUNBF_IZqVM0LvBYg-z515ANqy1hdQaK3u3lQJkD6z-ZAwYMEJVofD-KeXjKLPthcKKV_isZa0lBy3NdNe-gao-rR9_2J_H3Cjc&sz=w426-h640&ats=1459101378269&rm=153b916bf2d833f8&zw&atsh=1" width="266" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In 2256, the only remnants of civilization on Earth’s first colonized planet, Kepler, are the plant-covered buildings and the nocturnal, genetically spliced bug-people nesting within them: the Cull. During the day, Syl leaves her home in the sewers beneath Elite City to scavenge for food, but at night the Cull come looking for a meal of their own. Syl thought gene splicing died with the Android War a century ago. She thought the bugs could be exterminated, Elite city rebuilt, and the population replenished. She’s wrong.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Whoever engineered the Cull isn’t done playing God. Syl is abducted and tortured in horrific experiments which result in her own DNA being spliced, slowly turning her into one of the bugs. Now she must find a cure and stop the person responsible before every remaining man, woman, and child on Kepler is transformed into the abomination they fear.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">He struggles not to.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">For Bastion, being an android in the sex industry isn’t so bad. Clubbing beneath the streets of New Elite by day and seducing the rich by night isn’t an altogether undesirable occupation. But every day a new android cadaver appears in the slum gutters, and each caved in metal skull and heap of mangled wires whittles away at him.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Glitches—androids with empathy—are being murdered, their models discontinued and strung up as a warning. Show emotion, you die. Good thing Bastion can keep a secret, or he would be the next body lining the street.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">He can almost live with hiding his emotions. That is, until a girl shows up in the slums—a human girl, who claims she was an experiment. And in New Elite, being a human is even worse than being a Glitch. Now Bastion must help the girl escape before he becomes victim to his too-human emotions, one way or another. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Goodreads link: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28682101-artificial%C2%A0">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28682101-artificial </a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Amazon link: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Artificial-Jadah-McCoy-ebook/dp/B01CDAA1IA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459098442&sr=8-1&keywords=artificial+jadah+mccoy">http://www.amazon.com/Artificial-Jadah-McCoy-ebook/dp/B01CDAA1IA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459098442&sr=8-1&keywords=artificial+jadah+mccoy</a></span></span><br />
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</span><a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=ae17d07211&view=fimg&th=153b916bf2d833f8&attid=0.1.4&disp=emb&attbid=ANGjdJ_jeH9--sI3VgVRSP11h6U-_NAcbX8qp8iV99fL8OEMBnZ6APSZmFqNVMh9awDhd9MaV4Z2PiTmAz5RyPL1mUwewn4vzI_1-q0sCr9HXKzKepvf7i7dDw0_0xQ&sz=w450-h600&ats=1459101378271&rm=153b916bf2d833f8&zw&atsh=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=ae17d07211&view=fimg&th=153b916bf2d833f8&attid=0.1.4&disp=emb&attbid=ANGjdJ_jeH9--sI3VgVRSP11h6U-_NAcbX8qp8iV99fL8OEMBnZ6APSZmFqNVMh9awDhd9MaV4Z2PiTmAz5RyPL1mUwewn4vzI_1-q0sCr9HXKzKepvf7i7dDw0_0xQ&sz=w450-h600&ats=1459101378271&rm=153b916bf2d833f8&zw&atsh=1" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://m.facebook.com/Jadah-McCoy-Author-1570450153179469/">Author Facebook page</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/thequeryfaerie">Twitter</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Jadah currently lives in Nashville, TN and works as a legal coordinator. When not babysitting attorneys, she can be found juicing her brain for creative ideas or fantasizing about her next trip out of the country (or about Tom Hiddleston as Loki - it’s always a toss up when she fantasizes).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She grew up in rural Arkansas, yet can still write good and sometimes even wears shoes! She did date her first cousin for a while but they decided against marriage for the sake of the gene pool.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Her true loves are elephants, cursing, and sangria - in that order. If you find an elephant that curses like a sailor whilst drinking sangria, you’re dangerously close to becoming her next romantic victim - er, partner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She cut her writing teeth on badly written, hormone-driven fanfiction (be glad that’s out of her system), and her one true dream is to have wildly erotic fanfiction with dubious grammar written about her own novels. Please make her dreams come true.</span></div>
ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-54004735975369820662016-04-04T10:00:00.000+01:002016-04-04T10:00:08.862+01:00New Release: Ablaze (Indestructible Trilogy: Book 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's release day for <i>Ablaze, </i>the second book in the dystopian fantasy <i>Indestructible</i> trilogy!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_B7rJ6O7sq0ChMyIlNFJsCzT7-kZJWK3YVTayRVKeQWXk93hWwF5BF2oIWOMkA9Lbs3X6vV6RQD707-BY3B3gngNrMDDf_Y-T18ofztEzcG1rHtU0hLFgInTrXa8DIULtXvuK7aWubXk/s1600/Ablaze+Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_B7rJ6O7sq0ChMyIlNFJsCzT7-kZJWK3YVTayRVKeQWXk93hWwF5BF2oIWOMkA9Lbs3X6vV6RQD707-BY3B3gngNrMDDf_Y-T18ofztEzcG1rHtU0hLFgInTrXa8DIULtXvuK7aWubXk/s400/Ablaze+Final.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Two years ago, the fiends invaded Earth. Two months ago, I joined the Pyros, a group of warriors with astonishing powers, to fight the monsters that destroyed our world.</div>
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But then I found out they were keeping secrets from me. Jared, the sadistic scientist who betrayed them, has captured my ally, who’s linked to me through a blood-connection that’s slowly killing us both. To get him back, I have to leave my new friends and face the wilderness alone. But Jared’s not the only threat out there. The fiends are moving, forces stir on the other side of the divide, and if Jared’s plan succeeds, it’ll spell disaster for our world.</div>
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And that’s if the dark transformation in my blood doesn’t kill me first.</div>
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<a href="http://smarturl.it/AblazeAmzn">Amazon</a> <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28487241-ablaze" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28487241-ablaze" style="color: rgb(36, 103, 141) !important; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Add on Goodreads</span></a></div>
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For a limited time, you can also<a href="http://smarturl.it/AIndestructible"> grab the first book in the Indestructible trilogy for $0.99!</a></div>
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<a href="http://smarturl.it/AIndestructible"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZWL8y341JKV4ppidwqVDki06WVY9hrdDStoeaBJ4Pg4o0l1-n-fnMbYp-KtPcKSp4SUKG93KhE7g9ScuFHOUQoT0hQtVb8O7MUeFn1xBE13ychRRiI3Ymou_YPi6UtOs0vLJQvy78LtQ/s400/Indestructible+Final.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Two years ago, the fiends invaded, with a devastating explosion that split the world in two. Even now, energy blasts strike without warning, destroying everything in their paths. The fiends hunt anyone unlucky enough to escape.<br />
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My name is Leah. An energy blast killed my group. It should have killed me, too. Instead, I woke up alone in the wilderness, stalked by the fiends. Until a deadly, ruthless warrior appeared from the ashes and saved my life.<br />
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Swept into the world of the Pyros -- flame-conjuring warriors born to kill the fiends -- I learn to unlock the fire buried inside me. But I swiftly learn my allies aren't what they seem. The literal skeletons buried underneath their base are my first clue. The darkness stirring in my blood, showing me memories that don't belong to me, is another. And the man whose memories I see hides dangerous secrets behind his eyes.<br />
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If I don't uncover the truth about why the world ended the first time, my new safe haven might go up in smoke...<br />
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<a href="http://smarturl.it/AIndestructible">Amazon</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28188847-indestructible">Add on Goodreads</a> <a href="http://throughthegateway.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/new-release-indestructible-by-emma-l.html">Read the first chapter</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYAL0HnU6sdUCV8hiNNc2i-Wqox6EhDBaiITctF9VKKD76NwND1sQEtnq2Mh-aMqPnLFStY4mIsMlbdcGIPZfBPs9EoLAn0lZIy0v743Y_5Q19-cGf4RZ3vtVNMS1IoA142IroRYDLrRY/s1600/Transcendent+Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYAL0HnU6sdUCV8hiNNc2i-Wqox6EhDBaiITctF9VKKD76NwND1sQEtnq2Mh-aMqPnLFStY4mIsMlbdcGIPZfBPs9EoLAn0lZIy0v743Y_5Q19-cGf4RZ3vtVNMS1IoA142IroRYDLrRY/s320/Transcendent+Final.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And the third book, Transcendent, is now available to pre-order. It’ll be out on June 28th!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 600;"><a href="http://smarturl.it/TranscendentAmzn">Amazon</a> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29562259-transcendent" style="color: rgb(36, 103, 141) !important; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none;">Add on Goodreads</a></span><br />
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ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-52042035672741468742016-03-30T09:00:00.000+01:002016-04-18T17:08:21.568+01:00Previously...<div style="text-align: center;">
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"Previously" is a blog hop run by the awesome <a href="http://colewritingblog.blogspot.co.uk/p/blog-page.html">Cole Burke </a>and <a href="http://traceyjoseph.blogspot.co.uk/">Tracey Joseph</a>.<br />
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<b>Previously in Writing</b><br />
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I've spent this month working on the newly announced <a href="http://throughthegateway.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/new-series-announcement-changeling.html">Changeling Chronicles</a>, an adult urban fantasy series. :) I'm almost halfway through drafting the second book, and the first's ready to publish (21st April!).<br />
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<b>Previously in Reading</b><br />
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Another great month for reading! This year, I'm not setting any challenges. I'm reading for two reasons. 1) Research for what's currently selling in the genres I like, and 2) Books I <i>want</i> to read. I haven't even set a Goodreads challenge goal.<br />
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Some of the highlights of the month:<br />
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<i>The Dead House </i>- a great horror story featuring a protagonist with a split personality. Recommended if you want to be thoroughly creeped out!<br />
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<i>The Silver Tide - </i>a fantastic ending to the trilogy. Adventure, pirates, dragons, evil gods and magic - what more do you want?<br />
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<i>A Gathering of Shadows - </i>the hype is real. It feels like sacrilege to say I found the first 70% of the book slow and packed with filler, but the worldbuilding and characters are great.<br />
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<i>Their Fractured Light - </i>excellent ending to this YA sci-fi trilogy.<br />
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<b>Next Time in Goals</b><br />
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I want to have the second book in the Changeling Chronicles drafted and through the first round of edits by the end of April.<br />
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<b>A Word of Advice</b><br />
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Writing sprints are awesome. The problem with having so many ongoing series is that there's always something important that needs doing, and actual writing can fall by the wayside. I had to rediscover my focus after spending so long travelling, and writing sprints really helped with that.<br />
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Also: Yayyyy, book signing. :D<br />
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<br />ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-79088512975462332932016-03-26T11:00:00.000+00:002020-04-06T01:56:28.830+01:00#WIPMarathon March Update!<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's time for another #WIPMarathon update, hosted by <a href="http://ifeomadennis.wordpress.com/">Ifeoma Dennis!</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Last report wordcount: </b>Last month, I finished drafting <i>Faerie Blood </i>(the first in the urban fantasy series <a href="http://throughthegateway.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/new-series-announcement-changeling.html">I just announced!)</a>, then did a major edit and fleshed the draft out from 53K to 70K words.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Current report wordcount:</b> All the edits! Beta feedback and more edits! I'm now working on the final proofread of <i>Faerie Blood.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;">I also drafted the second book in the series and got 17,000 words written.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>WIP issues this month:</b> I will never not go through a phase in edits where I think the whole book is broken. Also, starting a draft is always hard.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Four things I learned this month in writing:</b></span></span><br />
<ul>
<li>Writing sprints. They're the one way to ensure I actually stay focused. My old routine: write 1000 words, get distracted by other work and emails for six hours, write another thousand, repeat. This got me 2000-3000 words a day, max. New routine: writing sprint, ten minute break, repeat. Four half-hour sprints gets me 5000 words without reducing the hours I have to do other work throughout the day. I call that a win.</li>
<li>There are lots of ways to do writing sprints. I use the 5KWPH (5000 words per hour) app, which accompanies <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XIQKBT8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00XIQKBT8&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=MPDCZHQX3OYDOOQD"><i>5000 Words Per Hour </i>by Chris Fox</a>. I prefer this to Write or Die, because the idea of losing my words freaks me out too much!</li>
<li>Don't brag online about your productivity or you'll get knocked out by the plague and lose all momentum. Lol. *cries* (My amazing writing streak lasted four whole days before the plague came along and wrecked everything. Le sigh.)</li>
<li>I learn best through actually writing, even if I don't intend to publish everything. I think I've mentioned this before, but the reason I've written so many books is because generally, the only way to see if something will work is to try it out on the page. And yes, this does mean I have a lot of shelved and stockpiled manuscripts that I'll probably never publish. But each one of them was a learning experience. I have to be really dedicated to a story to push past the messy first draft stage and revise it into something readable, and to be honest, this new series is the first time I've felt that since I finished the Alliance and Indestructible series.</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>What distracted me this month when writing:</b> I did my first book signing! :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;">Then I came down with the plague and lost a week I really couldn't afford to lose. I had to actually stop writing so I could meet my freelance deadlines because I could only spend a few minutes at a time in front of a computer, and the bill-paying job won out. But I'm back to drafting now. :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Goal for next month:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;">I have two book releases, <i>Ablaze (Indestructible Book 2) </i>and <i>Faerie Blood.</i> I need to finish writing the second book in the Changeling Chronicles and put it through the first round of edits.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Last 200 words: </b>It's a sequel, so... spoilers.</span>ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-74663246136042777542016-03-25T11:50:00.000+00:002016-03-25T18:03:22.567+00:00New Series Announcement: The Changeling ChroniclesI've been keeping a secret. Actually, if you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, I haven't exactly been subtle about the new series I've been working on over the last few months. But so far I've only shared that it's adult urban fantasy, and that I'll be publishing the first book in April.<br />
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So here's the official announcement: <i>Faerie Blood, </i>Book 1 in the Changeling Chronicles, will be published on April 21st 2016. It'll be a series, with three books planned. If sales look promising, I'll extend the series. :)<br />
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Here's the fabulous cover!<br />
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Here's the blurb:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>I’m Ivy Lane, and if I never see another faerie again, it’ll be too soon.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Twenty years after the faeries came and destroyed the world as we knew it, I use my specialist skills to keep rogue faeries in line and ensure humans and their magically gifted neighbours can coexist (relatively) peacefully.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Nobody knows those skills came from the darkest corner of Faerie itself.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>When a human child disappears, replaced with a faerie changeling, I have to choose between taking the safe road or exposing my own history with the faeries to the seductively dangerous head of the Mage Lords. He’s the exact kind of distraction I don’t need, but if I don’t work with him, I’ll lose my chance to save the victims. It’ll take all my skills to catch the kidnappers and stop Faerie’s dark denizens overrunning the city — but if the faerie lords find out about the magic I stole last time I went into their realm, running won’t save me this time…</b><br />
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The book will be out on April 21st 2016. I'm currently drafting the sequel, which I'm hoping to publish between May and July.<br />
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Meanwhile, my next release will be <i>Ablaze, </i>the second book in the Indestructible trilogy, out on April 4 2016. Those of you who've been reeling over that cliffhanger: you don't have long to wait now! :)<br />
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So April's set to be a busy month. I'll be publishing two books, working on a sequel, finishing up revisions on <i>Divided (Alliance, #4) </i>and working on cover art for that and the fourth Darkworld book. It's a truth universally acknowledged in publishing that you get radio silence for months, then everything happens at the same time!<br />
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*runs around in circles*ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-68132376880186497282016-03-11T11:00:00.000+00:002016-03-11T11:00:05.158+00:00One year indie-versary: how to balance writing and publishing!<div>
It's exactly a year since I first published <i><a href="http://smarturl.it/ADAMANTonAmazon">Adamant,</a> </i>and I can't believe time's flown by so fast!<br />
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I've already shared a fair few posts on my indie publishing experience:<br />
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<a href="http://throughthegateway.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/marketing-what-ive-learned.html" style="color: #306b31; text-decoration: none;">Marketing: What I've learned.</a><br />
<a href="http://throughthegateway.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/thoughts-from-six-months-of-self.html" style="color: #306b31; text-decoration: none;">Thoughts from six months of self-publishing.</a><br />
<a href="http://throughthegateway.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/indie-publishing-what-i-did-right-what.html" style="color: #306b31; text-decoration: none;">Indie publishing: What I did wrong, what I did right, and future plans.</a><br />
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Today, I'm blogging about how I balance writing with the million and one other things that need doing. Planning, writing, editing, proofreading, formatting, writing blurbs, uploading and updating files, pre-orders, series planning, scheduling, websites, blogging, social media accounts, advertising, newsletters, other platforms... and juggling multiple books at once. At any given time, I'm working on a draft, have at least two projects in edits, and others to proofread, format and publish. Plus marketing my backlist and evaluating promotional techniques, while researching and planning future series. It's the best job I've had, but it isn't easy, and has challenged me in ways I never anticipated.</div>
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<br />
So, how do I do it all without going insane?</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Plan ahead. In self-publishing, this doesn't just mean outlining -- it means writing my whole publishing plan months in advance. I do keep things flexible, firstly due to the fickle nature of story ideas, and secondly, I need room to re-evaluate if something doesn't work. (And I'm definitely no stranger to that!)</li>
<li>Have a minimum daily word count goal. I work freelance, but I had the same goals when I worked in an office. 2000 words per day is my bare minimum. It's easy to get distracted by the other parts of being an author, but if I'm not writing a new book, I won't have anything new to publish or promote.</li>
<li>Related: schedule activities to reduce stress. Most of my stress comes from my inbox, so I only check it at intervals a few times a day. That way, I can spend the rest of the time focusing on working, be it writing or freelancing. I'm gradually moving social media to certain times as well.</li>
<li>Cut back on non-essential tasks. This means I've had to be ruthless over the past year as my workload climbed. If I feel like something isn't providing returns, I cut it down. (For instance, blogging -- I enjoy it, but it's something I do for free that doesn't sell books.)</li>
<li>Be careful who you work with, and make sure other people's schedules don't compromise your own. I'd always advise authors to work with cover artists and editors, but make sure you aren't constantly rearranging your schedule and adapting based on other people's deadlines rather than your own. (This is one reason I prefer publishing independently to working with a publisher -- no matter their intentions, you are <i>never </i>going to come first. It's just the way it is.) Your work is important, and so are your deadlines. If you find yourself constantly having to chase up and send emails to make sure the work gets done as it should, it might be time to find someone else to work with.</li>
<li>Watch out about letting marketing and promotion take over. It can be a time-suck, and in my experience, it relies on trial and error. I've designated one day a week to marketing tasks such as social media scheduling, blogging, advertising, newsletters, research, admin-related tasks and other miscellaneous things that eat up more time than I expect. (Ever tried updating the covers on four books on all retailers? Yeah...)</li>
<li>Be strategic. I worked twice as hard in December and January so I could take most of February off to go travelling and not end up behind. I'm still trying to find balance, but I'm a lot less stressed when I can incorporate breaks into my day.</li>
<li>Work out how much you can realistically do, and don't be afraid to say no. This is tricky. I still struggle, because I want to do <i>all </i>the things. In reality, though, I have <i>less </i>time after each book release, not more. I'm happy to cross-promote and help out my fellow authors, but there are some things I used to do -- like book reviews and Facebook events -- that I rarely have time for any more. I'm never going to be the organiser of a huge multi-author book event, because I just can't foresee being able to work it into my schedule.</li>
</ul>
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I usually try to write first thing in the morning, then devote the rest of the work day to client work. I check emails at intervals, and in the evening, I deal with admin tasks and ongoing marketing (if I have a book release, for instance). Then I can go back to writing (either my draft, or planning future books, or working on a fun side project). I also read for at least an hour a day. I take weekends off freelance work (after last year, I know it wears me out to work two jobs seven days a week). Saturdays are writing sprint days, and Sundays are devoted to marketing and admin.</div>
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How do I manage this? Well, I rarely watch TV, and I'm trying to cut down on the number of hours I waste on the internet. During busy times, I cut everything out except my 2000-word-a-day minimum and a certain amount of freelance work (this varies depending on the project). Obviously, I don't have a husband or kids, so I'm able to put work before everything else. Having said that, I also set boundaries. When you work freelance, you'll <i>always </i>run into people who expect you to be online to answer questions 24/7, and if you say "yes" to everything, at some point, you'll burn out. By "boundaries", I mean I won't answer emails after a certain time of day. Because of time zone differences, that means catching up to night emails/messages in the morning. Alas, most of us aren't superhuman enough to stay coherent on social media at all hours of the night...<br />
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Everyone finds different ways to motivate themselves. I'm probably not a healthy example, because I find fear pretty motivating. I tend to work under the assumption that if I don't get the work done now, it'll come back to haunt me later. On the plus side, I do give myself leeway if I fall behind, and so far, I've managed to stick to all my deadlines. Speaking of which, I have to write 100K in a month, so I'd better run back into the cave...</div>
ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-35488295667686304972016-02-27T07:30:00.000+00:002020-04-06T01:56:14.819+01:00#WIPMarathon February Update<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's time for another #WIPMarathon update, hosted by <a href="http://ifeomadennis.wordpress.com/">Ifeoma Dennis!</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Last report wordcount: </b>Last month, I was editing <i>Divided </i>and starting to write a new urban fantasy manuscript. (17K total.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Current report wordcount:</b> I fast-drafted a hot mess of a first draft which came out at only 53K (I wrote 30K of it before I left for New Zealand, but it's surprisingly difficult to write on my phone while on the road!). I then fleshed the story out to 70K total.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;">I also did the final proofread of <i>Darkness Falling, </i>the last Darkworld book.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>WIP issues this month:</b> Writing on my phone is difficult, though I'm glad I did it just to have the draft finished! Autocorrect is a nuisance, though, and I shortcut a lot when I'm distracted.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Four things I learned this month in writing:</b></span></span><br />
<ul>
<li>I can officially write anywhere. ;)</li>
<li>I really like fast-drafting then fleshing out the story later. I try to get the plot right the first time, because I write complicated storylines which are a headache to sort out in edits if anything goes wrong. If I get the story right, then I can spend edits working on characters and detail/description, and anything else I've neglected.</li>
<li>Travel helps my writing. Partly because I'm away from social media, partly because it's crazy-making to be immersed in publishing all the time, and partly because the open sense of freedom and possibility sets my creative side sparking.</li>
<li>Some things do get easier with time. I'm creeping up on my 30th novel, and by this point, I know I'll go through at least three stages when drafting where I think everything's broken. And it's never as bad as I think it is.</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>What distracted me this month when writing:</b> Well, being in New Zealand was a tiny bit distracting. :P <a href="http://throughthegateway.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/my-new-zealand-adventure.html">(I blogged about this!)</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Goal for next month:</b> Finish editing the urban fantasy draft and start writing the sequel. I also have my first signing next Saturday, which is exciting! :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Last 200 words: </b>Spoilers... but I'll have a teaser from this book soon. :) </span>ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-42412835992782243442016-02-26T12:13:00.000+00:002016-02-27T01:26:36.994+00:00My New Zealand Adventure!It's the post you've all been waiting for... what did I get up to in New Zealand? Well, I can honestly say it's been the best trip of my life -- tied with Australia (2011). Here are some of the highlights:<br />
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- Skydiving in Franz Josef<br />
- Abel Tasman National Park<br />
- Swimming with dolphins in Kaikoura<br />
- The Lord of the Rings horseback tour<br />
- Jet boating in Queenstown<br />
- Weta Workshop in Wellington<br />
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...and too many more to count!<br />
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So without further ado: here's the journal of my epic adventure.<br />
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I left the country on Tuesday 2nd February for a thirty-one hour long haul flight. The first eight-hour part gave me plenty of time to work on my draft, and I wrote two chapters of my urban fantasy novel on my phone and watched some movies. Then I landed in Dubai on the Wednesday, where I ended up being randomly upgraded to business class for the second part of the flight. Since it was thirteen and a half hours to Melbourne, this was more than welcome! I got my own mini-booth, complete with a USB port and a fancy TV screen, and an amazing view of take-off from my window. And I managed to actually get some sleep.<br />
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I landed in Melbourne, very confused about the day of the week. As I was now 11 hours ahead of UK time, it was Thursday morning, and I watched the sun rise as I landed. I whiled away the three hour wait at the airport by using the free Wi-Fi, before boarding my final flight. I had a window seat this time, and the views were absolutely stunning.<br />
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My first sight of New Zealand. <3</div>
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I landed in Wellington around 4pm and caught the shuttle bus to the hostel in a state of dazed tiredness. Then it was time to meet my fellow travellers. I'd booked the trip with G Adventures and joined a diverse group of seventeen travellers of ten different nationalities. We all got on well from the start, which eased my nerves a bit! (I'd never met anyone from the group before.) I crashed early from jet lag, but the trip was off to a great start!<br />
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Friday 5th February 2016<br />
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The trip started properly on Friday morning with an early morning to catch the ferry to South Island. I managed to get free Wi-Fi as well as working on my draft and chatting to the others in the group. After arriving in Picton, we drove for a few hours into one of New Zealand's most beautifully isolated areas: Abel Tasman National Park.<br />
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We had to catch a water taxi to properly reach the park and our accommodation for the night: a floating boat hostel. We stayed in tiny bunks down rickety ladders, which was an interesting experience, and the sunset from the deck was a glorious sight.<br />
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Saturday 6th February 2016<br />
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To start our second day, we returned to the mainland and the gorgeous beaches of the national park to begin a 12km hike. I'd forgotten how exhausting hiking through the rainforest is, with high humidity and the sun beating down on us, but the stunning scenery made it all worthwhile. We climbed steep slopes through pristine forest and walked across beautiful golden beaches.<br />
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Once at our accommodation, we went swimming in a nearby river. Paddling into the cool water was a relief! I couldn't believe the heat -- at home, it's absolutely freezing, so being thrown into the middle of a heatwave in the southern hemisphere took some adjusting to. In the evening, we sat out looking at the stars, and I knew I'd made the best decision possible in coming here.<br />
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Sunday 7th February 2016<br />
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Another driving day began with some more gorgeous scenery -- dense forests, gleaming rivers, and mountains. The sun was relentless, and in no time at all, I'd managed to burn across the back of my neck. I definitely didn't pack for the weather! Or the sand flies. The evil little creatures managed to get into my shoes and gnaw at my feet, even with insect repellent on. Apparently, nothing deters them...<br />
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We stopped en route to Punakaiki to visit a seal colony (or a colony of "gang members in sleeping bags", as our tour guide put it -- on account of seals being aggressive but slow-moving. :P). We walked around the Pancake Rocks and explored forested paths.<br />
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Our accommodation for the night was also in the middle of the rainforest, near a beautiful beach. We stayed up and watched the sun sink into the ocean.<br />
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Monday 8th February 2016<br />
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We packed up early and drove through more rainforest to our next destination: Franz Josef. I also signed up to do a skydive the following morning, being in the odd position of skydiving veteran seeing as I was the only person who'd done it before. We did some souvenir shopping in the pretty town of Franz Josef, which is near New Zealand's highest mountains. Obviously, I planned to jump out of a plane above them. :P<br />
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Tuesday 9th February 2016<br />
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So I dragged myself out of bed early to get to Fox Glacier, where we'd be skydiving. Luckily the skies were clear enough to jump, so we set off in the minibus. Once we were suited up and ready to board the plane, my second skydiving adventure began. The plane carried us up to the mountains -- New Zealand's highest peaks, Mt Tasman and Mt Cook -- above stunning hills and valleys. And then the plane stopped, on a level with the snow-capped mountains, at 13,000 feet.<br />
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The next thing I knew, the plane door was opening. I'd done this before, in 2011, but I had a brief moment of panic before the breath stopped in my lungs and we were falling. Then I remembered how awesome freefalling is -- like flying, not falling, suspended in a breathless bubble as the mountains and sky rushed past and the ground sped up towards us. For sixty long, yet fast, seconds, the freefall held me. Then the parachute came out, and everything stilled.<br />
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There's nothing as surreal as floating, watching the activity below on the ground like part of a separate, tiny world. The parachute spun us, showing the patchwork fields of the surrounding countryside and the rivers carving paths beneath the glacier-topped mountains. I even had the chance to steer the parachute for a bit and walk through a cloud split by a stunning rainbow. But all too soon, we dropped through the air, gently bumping to a halt in a nearby field.<br />
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Second skydiving experience = awesome.<br />
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High on adrenaline, we went to explore Franz Josef from ground level and walked to the glacier. This took a little longer than anticipated, firstly because there were no buses, and secondly because we managed to get spectacularly lost in the rainforest. :P Still, we found a hidden lake, and once we were on the right track, things sped up. We hiked past forested hills and waterfalls to the point where we could see the blue-white glacier glowing under the sunlight. Another corner of beautiful New Zealand explored. On days like this, I wonder why I ever stopped travelling. <3<br />
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Wednesday 10th February 2016<br />
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We left Franz Josef early in the morning for a long drive down to Queenstown. Firstly, we stopped for a walk around Lake Mathesen, New Zealand's most photographed lake.<br />
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We drove through rainforest and mountains, through rolling hills and winding roads. I can't get enough of the scenery!<br />
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We then stopped in the more touristy area of Lake Wanaka to explore and take pictures. And in the evening, we rolled into Queenstown.<br />
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Thursday 11th February 2016<br />
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Had my first lie-in for a while! I wandered around Queenstown for a bit, then returned to the hostel to get ready for today's activity: jet boating. It was so much fun, zooming around canyons and hanging on tight for 360 degree turns and twists.<br />
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Jet boating canyon!</div>
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Afterwards, I wrote some of my book. By now, I was nearing the climax of the story, and things were heating up!<br />
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Friday 12th February 2016<br />
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An early start in the morning for one of the activities I'd looking forward to the most: the Ride of the Rings, a horseback tour of the settings from <i>The Lord of the Rings. </i>This was one of the reasons New Zealand was top of my destination list, so to say I was excited is an understatement! Firstly, we drove out of Queenstown to see scene locations from the movies like the Misty Mountains, Minas Tirith, Lothlorien, and various fields and forests that played a part in the films.<br />
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Then we returned to the stables for the horse riding part of the tour, which was considerably less hair-raising than my first experience riding a horse in Costa Rica. It was a fairly leisurely walk through gorgeous scenery, with the guides giving us all the cool information about the locations as they were used in<i> The Lord of the Rings. </i>Some of the horses were actually extras in the movies!<br />
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On returning to Queenstown, I went souvenir shopping and ended up buying a One Ring, because why not. :P<br />
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I love this country. <3<br />
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Saturday 13th February 2016<br />
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Another early start to leave Queenstown for a long drive south. We caught a ferry deep into the heart of Doubtful Sound -- a secluded area of forested islands and clear waters. Once we'd arrived at our jungle accommodation -- and evaded another swarm of sand flies -- we embarked on an intrepid walk up to Helena Falls. I climbed up some cliffs to get right up close to the waterfall, and wandered through the jungle and over rickety bridges. And stepping stones. I'm not a fan of stepping stones, but I'm also really stubborn, and I wanted a photo at the top. :P<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">I chilled out back at the lodge in the evening, writing the climactic chapters of my book. :)</span></div>
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Sunday 14th February 2016<br />
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As our kayaking trip started early, we were dragged from bed before the sun had fully risen. Typically, it chose to rain on the one day we actually went into the water. But the kayaking trip was fantastic. We paddled through the clear waters, exploring the beautiful forested islands and bays, and even saw a seal!<br />
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Then we returned to pack for another long drive. After getting the ferry back to the mainland again, we drove through the Otago Valley to Wedderburn. This time, green fields, hills and rivers surrounded us. If I love anything about New Zealand, it's that you can pass through vastly different scenery on the same day. I feel like I've only scratched the surface of this beautiful country!<br />
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Monday 15th February 2016<br />
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The Otago Rail Trail is New Zealand's longest bike path. I'm <i>not </i>an experienced cyclist, at all, so I did an abbreviated version of the trail.<br />
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I'd hit 6km before I fell off the bike while braking and sliced open my knee. A I was stuck in the middle of the trail, the only way out was to cycle. With an open wound. I felt like a badass urban fantasy heroine, cycling away with blood dripping down my knee. Our tour guide said, "You're a very determined individual, aren't you?" I said, "I work in publishing." Well, it's true. ;)<br />
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*Warning: gore alert. Muahaha.*<br />
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Luckily, it didn't hurt too much,,, until it was time to clean all the gravel out. With tweezers. Ouch. I managed not to pass out from the pain this time, at least! It's going to leave a scar, but at least it didn't stop me from continuing with my adventure. I spent the rest of the day reading <i>Rebel of the Sands, </i>which is crazily addictive! An awesome read.<br />
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Tuesday 16th February 2016<br />
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Up early again to drive up to our next stop, Christchurch, narrowly avoiding a minor earthquake which happened there only two days beforehand! We stopped on the way at the Moeraki Boulders, and Oamaru, a town with some really cool steampunk attractions.<br />
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I also finished my draft! Well, it's a hot mess, but hey, it's done. I've had an amazing amount of fun with this one.<br />
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In the afternoon, we arrived in Christchurch and went exploring and souvenir shopping. We also played a public and hilarious game of Twister. (Well, I watched, seeing as my knee was still in a fragile state.) And we spent the night in a converted jail. :P<br />
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Wednesday 17th February 2016<br />
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Today, we drove to Kaikoura, the second-last stop of the tour, stopping at some cool lookout spots along the way. We saw seals up close, sleeping near the car park! Er, that's not a great place for a nap, Mr Seal. :P<br />
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Then we went on a walk. This is the closest I've come to experiencing something like home -- the crazy winds were just like walks in the Lake District! Ah, memories.<br />
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Thursday 18th February 2016<br />
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Up at 4 am (!!!) for our final activity -- swimming with dolphins! At first, it was rainy and miserable, and the sun was barely up when we set off at 5.30. But once we were on the boat, clad in wet suits, the sun came out, and we reached a spot where hundreds of dolphins immediately swam up to the boat. It was surreal, sliding into the icy water and seeing dolphins leaping and somersaulting around us. <3<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">We had about half an hour to swim with the dolphins, then returned the boat to take pictures. The dolphins didn't want us to leave! This is possibly my favourite experience of the trip, certainly not one I'll forget in a hurry.</span></div>
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After a very bumpy ride back to shore, we began the final part of our journey. The bus took us back to Picton to get the ferry to Wellington, making a stop at a seal colony along the way. We even got to see baby seals! :)<br />
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One final night out in Wellington, and then... our trip had come to an end.<br />
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Friday 19th February 2016<br />
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Almost the end, but not quite. As most of us weren't flying home until the evening, we booked ourselves onto the Weta Workshop tour, in which we learned from the people who did the special effects in loads of movies, including <i>The Lord of the Rings </i>and <i>The Hobbit. </i>Though we couldn't take any photos inside the actual room, they had the genuine armour, weapons, props and miniature models from the movies. It was a fascinating and incredible experience!<br />
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Afterwards, we picked up our luggage from the hostel and caught the bus to the airport. Then... it was time to say goodbye.<br />
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One very long flight later and I was safely back in England, jetlagged but happy. I've come to realise I <i>need </i>to travel, and not just because I spend too much time introverting in my room. ;) I need to explore, to wander new paths, to feel like the world's an open place of possibility rather than a stifling cage. It's like being able to breathe again after the epic hellfest that was 2015. I know publishing will try to slip a noose around my neck again, because that's what it does. But to me, travel represents freedom and possibility, as well as experiences I'll never forget.<br />
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Now... where shall I go next? ;)ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-72565537355058025032016-02-24T14:00:00.001+00:002016-04-18T17:07:57.614+01:00Previously...<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjPzMt8kVd15DU6w3Z6iGHLqiBqxJ17lSvrCnzQhDCd7pzm0n_W_FeYEYxVmWb7JcYwSwLOezlOcLMRquKXii2fMG4FyGLNQJaMspvBmdcQl9zTyn8WsEXa5a8ucIvzKgbIXgzO79GY0/s320/PreviouslyTeapotCupTableBook.png" width="320" /></div>
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"Previously" is a blog hop run by the awesome <a href="http://colewritingblog.blogspot.co.uk/p/blog-page.html">Cole Burke </a>and <a href="http://traceyjoseph.blogspot.co.uk/">Tracey Joseph</a>. I wanted to get back into the habit of updating the blog regularly again, even if I have to be vague about my writing projects sometimes. :)<br />
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<b>Previously in Writing</b><br />
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Over the past month, I've been working on the first draft of my newest urban fantasy novel, which I hope to have news on soon! I wrote half before I left then wrote the rest while travelling around New Zealand. Now I'm editing the rough parts. I wrote on my phone and backed the file up on OneNote which worked really well, except it's kind of tricky to type on a phone while trying not to fall out of your seat on New Zealand's winding roads. Autocorrect is a massive pain, too. But I'm loving this story. ^_^<br />
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<b>Previously in Reading</b><br />
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I've read some awesome books this month! Here are a few:<br />
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<i>Rebel of the Sands - </i>very, very well-written and gripping YA fantasy. I read it in virtually one sitting!<br />
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<img alt="Rebel of the Sands (Rebel of the Sands, #1)" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1446829335l/24934065.jpg" width="212" /><br />
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<i>Truthwitch - </i>now this was a book that lived up to the hype. Rich, immersive YA fantasy. Highly recommended!<br />
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<img alt="Truthwitch (The Witchlands, #1)" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1428675822l/21414439.jpg" width="213" /><br />
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<i><br /></i>
<i>The Bands of Mourning </i> - another great instalment in Sanderson's inventive Mistborn series.<br />
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<img alt="The Bands of Mourning (Mistborn, #6)" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1443888648l/24734047.jpg" width="225" /><br />
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<i>Calamity - </i>the action-packed conclusion to Sanderson's dark twist on the superhero genre.<br />
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<img alt="Calamity (Reckoners, #3)" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1445252441l/25387362.jpg" width="204" /><br />
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<i>Glass Sword </i>- my current read, which I've been waiting for a long time. I'm expecting another epic book hangover from this one!<br />
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<img alt="Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2)" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1436460934l/23174274.jpg" width="213" /><br />
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<b>Next Time in Goals</b><br />
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In the next month, I'm aiming to finish cleaning up this draft and send it out for feedback. I'd also like to make some progress on drafting the second book.<br />
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<b>A Word of Advice</b><br />
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Not really writing-related, but my trip this month was the final proof that I can live without checking the internet all the time. I really need to think hard about how I spend time on social media, because I had absolutely zero anxiety while travelling until I made the mistake of checking my notifications. It's always worth thinking about whether how you spend your time makes you happy, or whether it's just a habit.ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-65304333702669984362016-02-22T02:13:00.000+00:002016-02-22T02:13:14.932+00:00I'm back!I'm back in the UK! It's been an absolutely amazing two weeks, and I'm now catching up on emails, messages, and other loose ends I left behind. New Zealand is a fantastic country and this certainly won't be my last adventure, but for now... it's back to reality.<br />
<br />
Okay, so what's coming up next?<br />
<ul>
<li>I'll be blogging about my adventures later this week.</li>
<li>I'm signing books at the Leeds Author Event on March 5 2016! <a href="http://throughthegateway.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/an-announcement-book-signings.html">(Details here)</a></li>
<li>Unfortunately, my publishers have decided to move the release date for Darkworld Book 4, <i>Souls Forsaken</i>, to May 2 2016. But my next release will still be <i>Ablaze (Indestructible, 2)</i> on April 4. <a href="http://smarturl.it/AblazeAmzn">(Pre-order here.)</a></li>
<li><i>Adamant</i> is going to be featured in a group fantasy box set that will go on pre-order in May and will be released in July! This is a fabulous opportunity and I'm working with some truly brilliant authors.</li>
<li>The fourth Alliance book,<i> Divided</i>, is in edits and I'll be contacting my cover artist about the rest of the Alliance covers soon. The cover for the fourth Darkworld book is also in the works.</li>
<li>And I'm writing a new urban fantasy series featuring evil faeries and necromancy. I'm excited about this one. One of my resolutions this year is to only talk about projects that are definitely on the publishing plan, and this one was a winner from the moment the concept slammed into my head in December. I can't wait to share it when it's ready!</li>
</ul>
ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-87151957459273375632016-02-02T11:00:00.000+00:002016-02-02T11:00:09.215+00:00I'm going on an adventure!It's time... I'm going to New Zealand!<br />
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I'm going to be away from my computer from the 2nd-20th February, and won't have any internet access at all the majority of the time (maybe the whole trip, because I'll be on the road a lot). I might post on social media from the airport if there's Wi-Fi, but my inbox will remain untouched until I get back.<br />
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This is a head's up to anyone who wants to contact me for anything -- I have an autoresponder set up until the 20th. I'll do my absolute best to respond to emails as soon as I can, but it might be the beginning of March before I'm entirely caught up. I haven't left my computer for longer than a few days since 2012, and I get 30-50 emails per day (and let's not talk about Facebook/Twitter notifications. o.O). Client emails will get priority!<br />
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I'll be back in a few weeks, hopefully with some great pictures! :)<br />
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<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/pxcPmi6BBsaiI/giphy-facebook_s.jpg" />ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-45738852606000071492016-02-01T11:24:00.000+00:002016-02-01T11:24:05.670+00:00Release Day: Gyre by Jessica Gunn<div style="text-align: left;">
It's release day for GYRE by Jessica Gunn, the first book in the Atlas Link Series! Jessica Gunn's debut novel is a new adult fantasy from <a href="https://curiosityquills.com/">Curiosity Quills Press</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://www.jessicagunn.com/?attachment_id=1514" rel="attachment wp-att-1514"><img alt="vortex in a column of water" class="wp-image-1514 aligncenter" src="http://www.jessicagunn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Gyre-Cover_2000.jpg" height="461" width="307" /></a></div>
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<strong>Purchase GYRE: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gyre-Atlas-Link-Series-Book-ebook/dp/B018WW8RLQ">Amazon</a></strong><br />
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<strong><u>Synopsis:</u></strong>
Chelsea didn’t try to teleport. All she wanted was to play the Battle of the Bands show. But after accidentally teleporting onto classified Navy vessel SeaSatellite5, all she’s rocking is the boat. Once it’s sorted out that Chelsea’s not a threat, SeaSat5’s top scientist offers Chelsea a position on the crew as an archaeology intern. Dr. Saint studies people with powers, believing them to be descendants of Atlantean refugees, except Chelsea’s powers are beyond anything on previous record.
While great for everyone else onboard, the miracle of Chelsea is Trevor’s worst nightmare. The same girl who’d given him a brief lifeline to sanity three months ago literally fell from the sky, under a mile of ocean, and onto the very station where he’s employed. Making matters worse, Trevor’s family are Lemurians, Atlantis’s enemy, and Chelsea’s presence is unpredicted—a wrench in an already unstable situation. But Trevor wants no part of his family’s war. The only thing he wants is Chelsea, Atlantean or not.
Days into Chelsea’s sudden appearance, SeaSatellite5 uncovers Atlantean ruins and a massive artifact cache, placing its entire, hundred-man crew in the crosshairs of an ancient war. There are those who want the Atlantean relics inside the ruins destroyed, and only Trevor knows the treasures for what they really are: Link Pieces, tools used by the ancient civilizations for their time-travel war.
With lies and shifting alliances abound, Chelsea and Trevor will have to think fast in order to save the station. If they don’t, the Lemurians will seize the artifacts and Atlantis will be destroyed forever.
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<a href="http://www.jessicagunn.com/?attachment_id=1524" rel="attachment wp-att-1524">
</a><strong><u>About the Author:</u></strong></div>
<strong><u><a href="http://www.jessicagunn.com/?attachment_id=1515" rel="attachment wp-att-1515"><img alt="Jessica Gunn" class="size-full wp-image-1515 alignleft" src="http://www.jessicagunn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Jessica-Gunn.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></u></strong>
Jessica Gunn is a New Adult author and avid science-fiction and fantasy fan. Her favorite stories are those that transport the reader to other, more exciting worlds. When not working or writing, she can be found binge-watching Firefly and Stargate, or feeding her fascination of the ancient world’s many mysteries. Jessica also holds a degree in Anthropology.
To catch up with Jessica, follow her on Twitter (@JessGunnAuthor) or on her website, <a href="http://www.jessicagunn.com/">www.jessicagunn.com</a>.
<strong>Author Links: </strong><a href="https://twitter.com/jessgunnauthor"><strong>Twitter</strong></a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JessicaGunnAuthor"><strong>Facebook</strong></a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jessicagunn248/"><strong>Instagram</strong></a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25651058-gyre"><strong>Goodreads</strong></a> |<a href="http://www.jessicagunn.com/"><strong>Website</strong></a> | <a href="http://www.jessicagunn.com/blog-3/"><strong>Blog</strong></a> | <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/jessicagunn248/"><strong>Pinterest</strong></a><br />
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<b>My review</b><br />
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<table border="0" cellspacing="1" id="myReview" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Lato, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; width: 100%px;"><tbody>
<tr><td colspan="1" style="font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="readable reviewText" style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;">I was lucky enough to read an earlier version of this book, and I can honestly say I've never read anything quite like it - and I mean that in the best way possible! GYRE has a really unique premise I haven't read before, featuring Atlantis folklore, superpowers, time travel, action and romance.<br /><br />The POV alternates between Chelsea, an archaeology student with no idea she's descended from ancient Atlanteans until she teleports herself onto a top-secret vessel where scientists study people with powers like hers, and Trevor, who works aboard the submarine while secretly trying to stop his family destroying Atlantis.<br /><br />The romance between the lead characters is sweet and develops naturally without taking over the plot, which is refreshing in New Adult. The plot is an exciting page-turner with high stakes and some great twists. If, like me, you're on the lookout for SFF in the New Adult category, GYRE is a must read!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="065f89676" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/065f89676/" id="rcwidget_a6ljkqkh" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-23248211682157232972016-01-30T11:47:00.001+00:002020-04-06T01:56:13.647+01:00#WIPMarathon January Update<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's time for another #WIPMarathon update, hosted by <a href="http://ifeomadennis.wordpress.com/">Ifeoma Dennis!</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Last report wordcount: </b>Last month, I was plotting shiny new side projects. (Urban fantasy!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Current report wordcount:</b> I edited <i>Divided (Alliance, #4) ,</i> and<i> </i></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;">did the final proofread of </span><i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; line-height: 18.2px;">Souls Forsaken </i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;">(Darkworld 4) and the second-round edit of </span><i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; line-height: 18.2px;">Darkness Falling </i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;">(Darkworld 5).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;">I published <i>Indestructible </i>and proofread <i>Ablaze </i>(Book 2). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;">I also outlined a new urban fantasy series because the idea wouldn't leave me alone. I rewrote the first chapter around 20 times before starting the draft. I got about 17,000 words written in total, including an absolutely insane 8K-word writing day yesterday. (Why do these things only happen when I'm about to leave the country? Why?!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>WIP issues this month:</b> Having too many projects on at the same time, and publishing-related mental blocks. Once I switched to a project I was excited about, the words started flowing!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Four things I learned this month in writing:</b></span></span><br />
<ul>
<li>The #1 reason I can write a draft fast (and one I always forget) -- I spend FOREVER writing the first chapter. It takes me longer to figure out how to start a draft than it does to actually write it. Seriously. In the middle of every project, I get sidelined by at least one shiny new idea and have to explore it in a hundred different ways before I settle on a clear focus. At any one time, I'm fiddling with the first chapter of at least two future projects, sometimes for months or even years, and I always seem to forget this when I actually start a draft! (I have three in progress right now. Oops.)</li>
<li>Related: I think it's because I need to know what the story's <i>about </i>before I start. I do get to know the characters better on the page, but I need to know the main story's goal and arc before I start writing. But once I've fixed it in place, I rarely have to make changes. (This is why I don't mind doing heavy revisions, because I'm only changing surface things. The actual story never changes.)</li>
<li>I always need to be working on a draft. I've probably mentioned this before, but it's not just because my ability to jump into a writing flow state totally stops if I take days off. I have a moth-to-flame-like tendency to get emotionally attached to ideas, and I'm still working on reconciling my sensitive artist tendencies with the reality that the ideas I like the most aren't the ones readers want to read the most. Quickly moving from one project to another is a defence mechanism I wish I didn't need, but this is one of the reasons I let myself play around with new first chapters, so I always have potential projects to dive into after finishing a WIP.</li>
<li>Sometimes it really does take a long time to realise which book I <i>should </i>be writing.</li>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>What distracted me this month when writing:</b> Everything, as usual. :P Book releases, another book signing in March (yay!), emails, freelancing, preparing for New Zealand (next week. AHHH!)...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Goal for next month:</b> I'm not setting firm goals next month because I'm travelling. I'm taking a notebook with a story outline written down, but it depends on whether I have any free time while I'm over there. On my first long trip (Australia), I didn't have any free time at all, whereas when I spent five weeks in Costa Rica in 2012, I ended up finishing the draft of <i>Darkness Watching</i> by hand while volunteering in the rainforest. So anything can happen. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;">I'd like to get part of a rough draft down, if just because I have two 31-hour flights and a lot of time on the road... but I'm not committing to anything.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Last 200 words: ...</b>are a secret, because edits. ;)</span>ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-90319648071578903922016-01-22T17:00:00.000+00:002016-01-22T17:46:44.726+00:00Announcement: Alliance Series Rebranding!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">*deep breath*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've decided to revamp the covers for the Alliance series.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I know everyone loves the covers. I do, too. But the fact is, the covers might be pretty, but they aren't connecting with readers. I had to make a decision about the future of the series and ultimately, this was my last option. I've had to delay the release of the fourth book, but the rest of the series will be published, even if there are longer gaps between releases than I anticipated.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Anyway, I like the new designs. :)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgthE2q757NRsydeZVp5cwZEPvAwFNgIzUWyq05wEzUAmCXdMfNV-1QvzF_XQ_na3rOZoKd0PGo8imegOWy4AtwzcZN8QSpQbOOuvtrUtp6dxv0qBNEwerrQHPMSr7YF1085Tk9ggYMUOU/s1600/ADAMANT-final-front-cover-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgthE2q757NRsydeZVp5cwZEPvAwFNgIzUWyq05wEzUAmCXdMfNV-1QvzF_XQ_na3rOZoKd0PGo8imegOWy4AtwzcZN8QSpQbOOuvtrUtp6dxv0qBNEwerrQHPMSr7YF1085Tk9ggYMUOU/s320/ADAMANT-final-front-cover-2.jpg" width="211" /></span></a><a href="http://smarturl.it/ADAMANTonAmazon" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://smarturl.it/NemesisonAmazon" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjayXxJae8MBXyLYrCPCBnCaGGdTkMqBjOvHW20A62cBsLI8UsIUxbsI4CdTeAMY6XGbElI7xrDjAp7hmwBDY3J31oi2EUs7YCGiu18IwX3Kyj6J3SRrcxiLE0lgQAo_8J-w0wlxc52M4/s320/NEMESIS-final-front-cover-2.jpg" width="208" /></span></a></div>
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<b>What's coming next</b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'll be signing books at the Leeds Author Event on March 5 2016!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My next release will be Darkworld Book 4, Souls Forsaken, on March 7 2016.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Afterwards, Ablaze (Indestructible Book 2) will be out on April 4. <a href="http://smarturl.it/AblazeAmzn">(Pre-order here.)</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm going to be travelling around New Zealand for the next two weeks (2nd-20th February. :) I'll update the blog with photos when I come back!</span></li>
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ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-17004849945811645782016-01-19T10:00:00.000+00:002016-01-19T10:00:12.617+00:00Author Interview with Deek Rhew!Today I'm interviewing Deek Rhew, author of<i> Birth of an American Gigolo </i><br />
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Thanks for hosting me today, Emma! I'm really excited to be here today. :-)<br />
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Let the interview begin!<br />
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<b>Tell me three interesting facts about yourself!</b><br />
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* My wife, <a href="http://www.erinrhewbooks.com/" target="_blank">Erin Rhew</a>, and I met on Twitter! She is a grammar nerd, and my stories are nothing more than long rambling emails in desperate need of her mad ninja abilities. We were part of the same critique group, so I sent her "Birth." She worked it over with her wha-cha-cha comma-placing, passive voice crushing skillz. We started talking in the comments section of that manuscript and have never stopped. Even if my writing career never goes anywhere, I'm a smashing success because it led me to her. <br />
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<b> </b>* I'm colorblind. In ordinary day-to-day life, it doesn't make much difference, but it did have a profound effect on my career choice. In high school, I'd begun the process to enroll in ROTC and become a pilot for the Air Force, following in the footsteps of my father, who is a veteran. But, it turns out, the military does not accept the colorblind to fly their $15,000,000 fighter jets, so I changed course and went to school instead.<br />
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* I had a rock band in high school and college! After choosing to not join the military, I planned to tour the world sharing music with the masses! But, well, things like that don't usually work out. So, I became a geek to, ya know, eat. #RockNRoll<br />
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<b>Summarize your book in one line.</b><br />
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A party girl turned domestic diva drops her wrath upon her prissy, cheating husband and begins a unique business venture that will elevate her to queen of <a href="http://www.alabastercove.net/" target="_blank">Alabaster Cove</a>. <br />
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<b>Tell me something cool/crazy/quirky about the book – it can be anything!</b><br />
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Angel, a drifting twenty-something with plans to have plans, works at a grocery store after she drops out of college. She's feisty and smart, but completely directionless, and is dating Dios, the gigolo. One morning, after Dios dropped a life-changing bomb on Angel, she gets a call from her friend Monica, who needs help. So Angel beats feet, off to save her friend.<br />
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We see the other side of this conversation in my novel, <i>122 Rules</i>, from Monica's perspective. Angel and Monica are a bit like Thelma and Louise in <i>122</i> and truck all over the country being chased by a mad man, the FBI, and other unsavories. I love story-overlap. Angel appears in <i>122</i>'s sequel too, so be on the lookout for more and more Angel!<br />
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<b>Why did you decide to write this particular book?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I didn't actually decide to write it per se; I more or less stumbled upon it. This books is actually a section I pulled out of <i>122 Rules</i> that didn't fit the overall storyline. I remember writing this part thinking <i>this doesn't help the story</i>, but I understood that Lindsey, Dios, Angel, Cindie, and Stewart had their story that needed to be told. I plowed on and, after I finished it, pulled it out and tucked it away for future release. That was about six years ago, and now they're getting their moment in the spotlight!<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Best part of the writing process?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I LOVE being surprised by the story. I don't plan or plot, and usually I feel like I'm just a transcriptionist. Like I'm reporting the story as it unfolds with absolutely no idea what will happen.<br />
<br />
<b>Share one thing you learned writing this book.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
That I still have a ton of bad writing habits! After going through the editing wringer of <i>122</i>, I thought I knew my weaknesses and what I needed to work on, so I looked through "Birth" for those things. Yeah, still missed a lot of 'em. Sigh. Maybe the next book?<br />
<br />
<b>Tell me about one strange experience you’ve had. Again, it can be anything!</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
When I was three or four, my family and I lived in a mobile home in Great Falls, Montana. In the winter, the winds can really kick up the dickens. I was pestering my mom to go outside and play. I vaguely recall her telling me that the weather was too bad, but being omnipotent--like most kids--I opened the front door and then the screen and was flung across the yard. To this day, I remember sailing over the lawn thinking, <i>Well that was stupid</i>.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Name one fictional place you’d love to visit.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<a href="http://www.alabastercove.net/" target="_blank">Alabaster Cove</a>! This is the SoCal surfing town where I base my books!<br />
<br />
<b>Name one real place you’d love to visit.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Italy! I've always dreamed of living there. Erin and I are planning to become professional vagabonds in a few years, and this is one of the places we're going to stay.<br />
<br />
<b>Share one sentence/mini-excerpt from the book!</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="p1">
Breaking about every road law created since 1945, Lindsey flew back to town. She didn’t slow as she crossed the bridge and directed the beast to Stewart’s office. Cindie’s little Vespa scooter sat parked on the sidewalk in front of the building. When Lindsey’s large vehicle bumped up onto the curb with</div>
<div class="p1">
nary a complaint, she floored the accelerator and aimed down the walkway. With a satisfying crunch, the SUV hit the Vespa, smashing it under large, all-terrain tires.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
Lindsey slammed on the brakes, dropped the hulking beast into reverse, and drove over the efficient little mode of transportation again. She smiled as one little scooter wheel rolled pathetically out into the street, pirouetted a couple of times, and then came to rest on its side.</div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
She put the SUV into drive and drove the beast home.</div>
<div class="p1">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>Birth of an American Gigolo, the deets from Deek!</b><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
Okay, so what the heck is "Birth of an American Gigolo" about?<br />
<br />
Here's the blurb from the back of the book:<br />
<br />
<i>An old party girl shoehorned into domestic divaship, infuriated by her husband's cheating and his holier-than-thou, tree-hugging, no-tits and no-hips girlfriend, inflicts her wrath by training a local boy in the fine art of seduction. She and her new boy toy turned love god start a gigolo business as a distraction for the neglected and mistreated housewives of <a href="http://www.alabastercove.net/">Alabaster Cove</a>.</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4g_i1J8xU47k6hvr_YokjK0kwEzd6A3l5suHPQhJ46HRha_yE1aKnCqobgXuBJ0yjn23gL8WCUA6FleF14WVk2otcueh5y6T1v8-eA-HCez0XZQRT1K-G9MlTuTSMSiK6B5n42LX-H8/s1600/blog-Women+on+the+throne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4g_i1J8xU47k6hvr_YokjK0kwEzd6A3l5suHPQhJ46HRha_yE1aKnCqobgXuBJ0yjn23gL8WCUA6FleF14WVk2otcueh5y6T1v8-eA-HCez0XZQRT1K-G9MlTuTSMSiK6B5n42LX-H8/s200/blog-Women+on+the+throne.jpg" width="188" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Lindsey, the queen of Alabaster Cove</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In a nutshell, it's about screwing up. Lindsey compromised her principles and force herself into being something she's not. In college, she had a scare and crammed herself into a life of domestication. Years later, she's stuck in a smelly armpit of a marriage and a life that's foreign and dismal. But when she finds out her husband is a cheater and liar, she and her inner, long-dormant party animal load the cannons and battens down the hatches. Together, they concoct a plan to revenge themselves out of the cesspool of their existence and create a new throne from which to plant her royal tush and rule the town.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhyphenhyphen_yjZNr142xbRURXPF7oNOB0Z9vsMdadlrqOQeRofY61fZA7WLhLzOpw1jhftFQcU-e-dpVjEHEhe0lzllExvaig_x82MoEa4uBVgDZFi_lvzQiS3Okk11i7cICeTRoESU4B909jmw/s1600/blog-George.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhyphenhyphen_yjZNr142xbRURXPF7oNOB0Z9vsMdadlrqOQeRofY61fZA7WLhLzOpw1jhftFQcU-e-dpVjEHEhe0lzllExvaig_x82MoEa4uBVgDZFi_lvzQiS3Okk11i7cICeTRoESU4B909jmw/s200/blog-George.jpg" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">George is nowhere in sight!</td></tr>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
What isn't it about? Sex! There is a little of course, because, well, it's about an angry and betrayed party girl and her boy toy. But if you're looking for long descriptions of people's kibbles and bits and how they sizzle and sauté them into a goulash of passion and uninhibited fornication, then you'd better look for a different blend of Chex Mix, cause, brother, this ain't it.<br />
<br />
Okay, domestic diva...check. No George Michael in sight...check. Humorous situations where an angry party girls runs over a scooter with a Hummer...check.<br />
<br />
<br />
Alright, my friends, first, check out the amazeballs cover by Anita from <a href="http://race-point.com/">Race-Point.com</a>:<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0bCYA6iNp-YWPKCoSB8S7zSVRzq2fQ2Eg0yS4I65aEFtBuZuWa79D3mbxbNSD-5fcNLzQBWpBITVzOb3HVWClho2dopw9hcOYlce4rmUIx7UfBqUEyufYtbc-UmW99WPKWGGtbJp5lLw/s1600/Gigolo+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0bCYA6iNp-YWPKCoSB8S7zSVRzq2fQ2Eg0yS4I65aEFtBuZuWa79D3mbxbNSD-5fcNLzQBWpBITVzOb3HVWClho2dopw9hcOYlce4rmUIx7UfBqUEyufYtbc-UmW99WPKWGGtbJp5lLw/s640/Gigolo+-+2.jpg" width="422" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Birth of an American Gigolo by Deek Rhew<br />
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Bask in the glory that is awesome, spellbinding art. <cue Hallelujah Chorus></div>
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<br /></div>
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Visit the "Birth of an American Gigolo" home page.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://www.deekrhewbooks.com/birth-of-an-american-gigolo.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWW14Dg4bC3NAYPSBYIan8IPEEdMf7Njek2oc4x561im1Hr_HtAgv0AkB9aL9iQymdF2cSPsBM01c2rdPNxVaeu2pVR4piQZgRTIGwKip9EP_KW5MSlw-hhpJ3Ti1d8fOipbCdyvoYGhE/s200/G.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Birth of an American Gigolo</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
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Take a gander at Goodreads! </div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27825249-birth-of-an-american-gigolo" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.deekrhewbooks.com/uploads/5/7/6/2/5762130/9670873_orig.png" /></a></div>
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Cruise on over to Amazon. "Birth" is available January 19, 2016!</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Birth-American-Gigolo-Deek-Rhew-ebook/dp/B01ADYEEFE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452392217&sr=8-1&keywords=Deek+Rhew" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.deekrhewbooks.com/uploads/5/7/6/2/5762130/4233992.png?57" /></a></div>
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<b>About the Author</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Deek Rhew</td></tr>
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<div style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Deek lives in a rainy pocket in the Pacific Northwest with the stunning YA author bride, </span><a href="http://www.erinrhewbooks.com/" style="color: #279781; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Erin Rhew</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">, and their writing assistant, a fat tabby named Trinity. They enjoy lingering in the mornings, and often late into the night, caught up Erin’s fantastic fantasy worlds of noble princes and knights and entwined in Deek’s dark underworld of the FBI and drug lords.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">He and Erin love to share books by reading aloud to one another. In addition, they enjoy spending time with friends, running, boxing, lifting weights, and exploring the little town--with antique shops and bakeries--they call home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Connect with Deek!</span></h3>
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ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-54804100732016228042016-01-15T10:30:00.000+00:002016-01-15T10:30:18.668+00:00Pre-order: Ablaze (Indestructible, #2)!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The second book in the Indestructible trilogy will be out on the 4th April 2016, and it's already available to pre-order!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_B7rJ6O7sq0ChMyIlNFJsCzT7-kZJWK3YVTayRVKeQWXk93hWwF5BF2oIWOMkA9Lbs3X6vV6RQD707-BY3B3gngNrMDDf_Y-T18ofztEzcG1rHtU0hLFgInTrXa8DIULtXvuK7aWubXk/s1600/Ablaze+Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_B7rJ6O7sq0ChMyIlNFJsCzT7-kZJWK3YVTayRVKeQWXk93hWwF5BF2oIWOMkA9Lbs3X6vV6RQD707-BY3B3gngNrMDDf_Y-T18ofztEzcG1rHtU0hLFgInTrXa8DIULtXvuK7aWubXk/s400/Ablaze+Final.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Two years ago, the fiends invaded Earth. Two months ago, I joined the Pyros, a group of warriors with astonishing powers, to fight the monsters that destroyed our world.</div>
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But then I found out they were keeping secrets from me. Jared, the sadistic scientist who betrayed them, has captured my ally, who’s linked to me through a blood-connection that’s slowly killing us both. To get him back, I have to leave my new friends and face the wilderness alone. But Jared’s not the only threat out there. The fiends are moving, forces stir on the other side of the divide, and if Jared’s plan succeeds, it’ll spell disaster for our world.</div>
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And that’s if the dark transformation in my blood doesn’t kill me first.</div>
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Pre-order on <a href="http://smarturl.it/AblazeAmzn">Amazon</a></div>
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<b>There's only a few days left to grab <i>Indestructible </i>at a bargain price of $0.99! </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZWL8y341JKV4ppidwqVDki06WVY9hrdDStoeaBJ4Pg4o0l1-n-fnMbYp-KtPcKSp4SUKG93KhE7g9ScuFHOUQoT0hQtVb8O7MUeFn1xBE13ychRRiI3Ymou_YPi6UtOs0vLJQvy78LtQ/s1600/Indestructible+Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZWL8y341JKV4ppidwqVDki06WVY9hrdDStoeaBJ4Pg4o0l1-n-fnMbYp-KtPcKSp4SUKG93KhE7g9ScuFHOUQoT0hQtVb8O7MUeFn1xBE13ychRRiI3Ymou_YPi6UtOs0vLJQvy78LtQ/s400/Indestructible+Final.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Two years ago, the fiends invaded, with a devastating explosion that split the world in two. Even now, energy blasts strike without warning, destroying everything in their paths. The fiends hunt anyone unlucky enough to escape.<br />
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My name is Leah. An energy blast killed my group. It should have killed me, too. Instead, I woke up alone in the wilderness, stalked by the fiends.<br />
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My only hope is the red-cloaked strangers who call themselves the Pyros. They can do the impossible and make flames shoot from their hands. Right now, my one chance for safety -- and revenge -- is with them.<br />
<br />
But they’re keeping secrets from me. Like those skeletons hidden under their base. And the reasons I developed a psychic link with someone who can’t stand the sight of me -- after he saved my life.<br />
<br />
If I don’t uncover the truth about why the world ended the first time, my new safe haven might go up in smoke…<br />
<br />
<i>Indestructible </i>is the first in a YA post-apocalyptic superhero-fantasy trilogy.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://smarturl.it/AIndestructible">Amazon</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28188847-indestructible">Add on Goodreads</a><br />
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ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-11827555261683037972016-01-12T12:00:00.000+00:002016-10-06T19:06:06.809+01:00New Release: Indestructible by Emma L. Adams<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZWL8y341JKV4ppidwqVDki06WVY9hrdDStoeaBJ4Pg4o0l1-n-fnMbYp-KtPcKSp4SUKG93KhE7g9ScuFHOUQoT0hQtVb8O7MUeFn1xBE13ychRRiI3Ymou_YPi6UtOs0vLJQvy78LtQ/s1600/Indestructible+Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZWL8y341JKV4ppidwqVDki06WVY9hrdDStoeaBJ4Pg4o0l1-n-fnMbYp-KtPcKSp4SUKG93KhE7g9ScuFHOUQoT0hQtVb8O7MUeFn1xBE13ychRRiI3Ymou_YPi6UtOs0vLJQvy78LtQ/s400/Indestructible+Final.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<br /></div>
Two years ago, the fiends invaded, with a devastating explosion that split the world in two. Even now, energy blasts strike without warning, destroying everything in their paths. The fiends hunt anyone unlucky enough to escape.<br />
<br />
My name is Leah. An energy blast killed my group. It should have killed me, too. Instead, I woke up alone in the wilderness, stalked by the fiends.<br />
<br />
My only hope is the red-cloaked strangers who call themselves the Pyros. They can do the impossible and make flames shoot from their hands. Right now, my one chance for safety -- and revenge -- is with them.<br />
<br />
But they’re keeping secrets from me. Like those skeletons hidden under their base. And the reasons I developed a psychic link with someone who can’t stand the sight of me -- after he saved my life.<br />
<br />
If I don’t uncover the truth about why the world ended the first time, my new safe haven might go up in smoke…<br />
<br />
<i>Indestructible </i>is the first in a YA post-apocalyptic superhero-fantasy trilogy.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://smarturl.it/AIndestructible">Amazon</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28188847-indestructible">Add on Goodreads</a><br />
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ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-34939770486878672232016-01-08T11:00:00.000+00:002016-03-07T22:03:52.752+00:00An announcement... book signings!<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I have some awesome news today. I've just been accepted to do my first signing in March. <b>I'll be signing books at the Leeds Author Event on the 5th March 2016!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here are the details!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Location: Leeds Marriott Hotel </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.marriott.co.uk/hotel-search/leeds.hotels.united-kingdom.travel/%C2%A0"><span style="font-size: large;">http://www.marriott.co.uk/hotel-search/leeds.hotels.united-kingdom.travel/ </span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4 Trevelyan Square, Boar Lane</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">LS1 6ET Leeds</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">United Kingdom</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Saturday 5th March 2016, 10am-5pm</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Here’s the event page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1603040653278552/">https://www.facebook.com/events/1603040653278552/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">And the Facebook page: </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Leeds-Author-Event-2016-640824189355594/?ref=hl">https://www.facebook.com/Leeds-Author-Event-2016-640824189355594/?ref=hl</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">And the Facebook group: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1541707772746487/1659986204251976/?ref=notif&notif_t=group_activity">https://www.facebook.com/groups/1541707772746487/1659986204251976/?ref=notif&notif_t=group_activity</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Tickets are available here: <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/leeds-author-event-2016-tickets-15537433883">https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/leeds-author-event-2016-tickets-15537433883</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I'll be bringing copies of the first two Darkworld books and the first three Alliance books (the paperback of Demon Heart isn't available yet, but I'm checking with the publishers to see if it'll be up before March). I'm so excited for this event!</span></div>
ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-70961778596085113832016-01-01T10:00:00.000+00:002016-04-18T17:17:59.034+01:002015 in review and 2016 planAt the beginning of the year, I posted about my <a href="http://throughthegateway.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/2015-new-year-plan-and-some-promises.html">goals for 2015.</a><br />
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So, how did I do?<br />
<ul>
<li>Self-publish at least three titles - <b>I published <i>Adamant, Nemesis, Delinquent: An Alliance Novella </i>and <i>Collision. </i></b><b><i>Demon Heart (Darkworld, #3) </i>was also published.</b></li>
<li>Draft at least 3 books - <b>I definitely did this!</b></li>
<li>Fully edit at least 3 books - <b> Yep!</b></li>
<li>Be flexible, and listen to the shiny new ideas! -<b> Yes!</b></li>
<li>Write what I love. Be crazy about it, be madly, passionately in love with my own story. Make magic happen. - <b>Oh, hell, yes.</b></li>
<li>Read 300 books -<b> Definitely surpassed this, but I did a lot of rereading.</b></li>
<li>Travel! - Didn't end up happening... yet!</li>
<li>Go on a writing retreat - Didn't end up happening, but I did go to YALC for book-related awesomeness!</li>
<li>Actually get a tattoo this time! - Er... no. I will do this at some point!</li>
<li>Kick fear, self-doubt and adversity in the face. - Ongoing!</li>
</ul>
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As for my non-writing life, I had a great year freelance-work-wise -- one goal I didn't write on my plan was to build my freelance editing income to sustainable levels, which I managed to do earlier this year. I'm not working for any publishers and I'm no longer interning, so I wanted to focus on building my client list. I also took part in the Pitch to Publication contest as an editor-mentor.<br />
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One thing I epically failed at was finding a work-life balance. I went through a bunch of shifts in my personal life and had to adjust to losing a major part of my support network as well as dealing with the emotional fallout of self-publishing. I'm trying to work on finding a better balance between my writing/editing and non-writing life.</div>
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The first quarter of the year was all about finishing the Alliance series and preparing to publish <i>Adamant. </i>Once I'd finished drafting the series, I decided to revamp some 2013 projects (<i>Beneath the Waves </i>and the <i>Indestructible </i>trilogy) and added them to the self-publishing plan. The second half of the year was mostly about revisions and promotion, but I did find time to do some drafting and outline some potential future projects. The problem is, I write faster than I can afford to publish, and I've had to stop taking risks on projects that aren't going to make back the initial costs. So one of the things I'm doing next year is switching my focus to "publishable" projects and working on side-projects when I have time to spare.<br />
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It also means cutting back on social media and blogging, and other non-essential things. I have more work than there are hours in the day, and I've really struggled this past year. So if I'm online less, it's for my sanity's sake, and will hopefully make for a more productive year.</div>
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So, here are my aims for 2016!<br />
<ul>
<li>Publish the <i>Indestructible </i>trilogy (scheduled for January, April and June).</li>
<li>Finalise schedule for Alliance Books 4-6 -- exact release dates tbc.</li>
<li>Darkworld Books 4 and 5 are scheduled to be published in 2016, too.</li>
<li>Write and publish at least two books in another series.</li>
<li>Read 300 books.</li>
<li>Travel. I'm going to New Zealand in February! :)</li>
<li>Book signing! :D </li>
<li>Watch Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. (Woo!)</li>
<li>Try to reduce stress, if possible.</li>
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I think this is achievable. :) Normally, I'll aim to publish 3-4 books per year, but I spent a lot of last year revising my backlist (especially from 2013). I'll also be rearranging my release schedule this year based on reader responses and anticipated sales. So it's likely the first in my next urban fantasy series will be out later this year.<br />
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Goals for January:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Publish <i>Indestructible.</i></li>
<li>Edit <i>Divided (Alliance #4).</i></li>
<li>Prepare for New Zealand trip. (2nd-20th February!!!!!!)</li>
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ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-32316135539285980592015-12-26T16:07:00.000+00:002015-12-26T18:07:21.426+00:00#WIPMarathon December Update<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">It's time for our last #WIPMarathon check-in of the year... seriously, where has 2015 gone?!?!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><b>Things I'm glad I did in 2015:</b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Self-published. I don't think I could have emotionally handled another year of rejections, especially considering all the other things that went wrong...</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Had a backup plan. You'd think I'd have learned my lesson about not getting too emotionally attached to one story, but it took me over a month to be able to write anything new after finishing the Alliance series. >_< Eventually, I ended up project-hopping no fewer than five times, but it's probably for the best that I didn't get too attached to any of the shelved manuscripts...</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Concentrated on building my freelance editing business, aka the sane, comparatively stable job I can actually control. :P This is the first year I haven't worked for any publishers, so all my clients are independent, but I doubled my workload this year. I also helped judge the Pitch to Publication contest.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Kept writing. With five books out in a year, I underestimated how exhausting the constant marketing and promotion and shouting into the void would be. I went through more than one phase when I questioned my future in publishing, especially when it became clear that I had to choose between making the sensible business decision and publishing the story I love. Realistically, this is the last year I can get away with making the choice I did, which means I have to make some sacrifices next year.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Didn't quit publishing and move to a shed in the Arctic Circle. Ha. Ha. Ha.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><b>In 2016, I'd love to:</b></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Live. Seriously. This year's been productive, but at no small cost in my non-writing life. I've been running on panic mode all year and I'm trying to slow down on the insanity and actually enjoy it. Easier said than done...</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Do exciting things. I have a trip to New Zealand planned in February, I'm doing my first book signing in Manchester in August, and I have tickets to watch Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in October with some of my friends from university. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Publish... a <i>few </i>books. :P Two are Darkworld 4 and 5, which have been under contract since June 2014. o.O (Oh, publishing...) Then the Indestructible trilogy will be out in January, April and June, with the fourth Alliance book somewhere in between.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Figure out which series to write next. Right now, it's looking like it'll be my urba</span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">n fantasy trilogy. </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;">I've created a world for the story where I have a bunch of different characters and scenarios to explore, so I can write multiple series set in the same world. (I really ought to have done this before!) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;">Related: rather than jumping between six different series in a year, I'm focusing on writing one or two and giving them 100% attention. That does mean temporarily shelving my YA SF, my epic fantasy and some of the other series I plotted last year, but I can always go back to them later. 2016 will be urban fantasy year. :)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;">Write a book a lot of people want to read. That's all I ask, and all I can hope for.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><b>Last report wordcount: </b>Last month, I was working on a couple of side-projects and I'd finished drafting the first in my urban fantasy series.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><b>Current report wordcount:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">This month, I worked on *mutters something about secret projects* I finished a manuscript, and </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;">I also wrote part of a short story prequel to my newest urban fantasy series and plotted some other potential spinoffs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><b>WIP issues this month:</b> More juggling and distractions.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><b>Four things I learned this month in writing:</b></span></span><br />
<ul>
<li>Freedom is awesome, and I need to remember I have it. I don't have to stick with a draft that isn't working or that I'm not enjoying. I'm indie, so I can mess around with my schedule, even rebrand (that may be a hint!) or leap into a new genre. I keep forgetting I've only been self-publishing for less than a year. I'm just getting started. Rather than being tied to the schedule I originally set out, I can change things. (On the other hand, this means keeping quiet about my works-in-progress!)</li>
<li>I'm a hundred times more inspired when I can imagine the story I'm writing as a finished, published book. I noticed my productivity shot up after I decided I wanted to indie publish, and it's been pretty consistent all year, even through all the disasters in my non-writing life.</li>
<li>Having said that, I don't have to publish everything I write. I've been struggling for the last few months because I genre-hopped four times and ended up temporarily shelving two projects, to add to the two manuscripts I shelved last year. I was beating myself up and comparing myself to the people who publish a book every couple of months, because, well, I <i>can </i>write a book every couple of months. But that doesn't mean I <i>need </i>to publish all of them (and not just because my first drafts are often disastrous). I can write a draft fairly fast, but if a project's on my schedule, I'm making a commitment to invest at least six months in redrafting, editing, beta editing, proofreading, finding cover art, marketing plans, promotion... and repeating all those steps for other books in the series. That's a LOT of hours, without even getting into the financial implications. o.O I have to really be sure I want to put that much time into a project before I start -- and that's one of the things I'll be working on next year.</li>
<li>I read <i>Big Magic </i>by Elizabeth Gilbert. Trust me, it's an absolute must-read for any writer!</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><b>What distracted me this month when writing:</b> Plot bunnies. In fairness, these were related to spinoffs for my urban fantasy series, so at least they're relevant!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Also, brain fog. Stupid SAD and winter, aggravated by the terrible weather. My motivation went walkabout at the beginning of November and I'm still waiting for it to come back...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><b>Goal for next month:</b> Edit Alliance Book 4 and <i>Beneath the Waves </i>(My 2013 WIPMarathon manuscript! No idea when I'm going to fit that one into the schedule, though.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><i>Indestructible </i>comes out on the 12th January, too, so I'll be spending a lot of time on promotion... again...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><b>Last 200 words: </b>I've got superstitious about sharing my works-in-progress after shelving so many books this year. :(</span>ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720082623464094535.post-12981079701565899282015-12-18T12:30:00.000+00:002015-12-18T12:30:00.314+00:00Emma's Top 2015 Reads: Urban Fantasy and Paranormal<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0575097582/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0575097582&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=CG7VUKR5BRB2LDJX"><img alt="Rivers of London (Peter Grant, #1)" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1401385034l/9317452.jpg" width="123" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0575097582/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0575097582&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=CG7VUKR5BRB2LDJX">Rivers of London</a> </i>is a really enjoyable urban fantasy/mystery set in London. I loved the British feel of it (I love UK-set urban fantasy in general!) and the narrative voice was witty and fun.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0575097582/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0575097582&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=CG7VUKR5BRB2LDJX">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0575097582/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0575097582&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-21">Amazon UK</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1500506338/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1500506338&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=WI2OXQ4KR5XRSEAH"><img alt="Nice Dragons Finish Last (Heartstrikers, #1)" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389049309l/20426102.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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I picked up this book on the title alone - anything with dragons automatically grabs my attention! This is an urban fantasy set in an alternative modern-day world with magic and supernatural creatures, and follows a dragon banished to the human world by his ruthless clan. An engaging story with great characters!<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1500506338/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1500506338&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=WI2OXQ4KR5XRSEAH">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1500506338/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1500506338&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-21">Amazon UK</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/038574417X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=038574417X&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=X6ZOVAQL6FM3WVZX"><img alt="The Stars Never Rise (Untitled Series, #1)" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1420315185l/17788681.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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Wow, this was different! Finally, a YA paranormal that lives up to its awesome premise. <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/038574417X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=038574417X&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=X6ZOVAQL6FM3WVZX">The Stars Never Rise</a></i> is set in an alternative world where soul-eating demons have reduced humanity to hiding in walled towns, obeying the commands of the Church, whose exorcists won the war against the demons. Nina finds herself in a predicament when her sister reveals a shocking secret, and ends up on the run from both the Church and the zombie-like demons, joining up with a group of rogue exorcists to save her sister. </div>
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The worldbuilding is clever and chilling, and the plot is action-packed. I was riveted from the first page to the last and there was a refreshing lack of cliches in the setting, plot, and demon mythology. The characters are three-dimensional and there are some fantastic twists I admit I didn't see coming. This is an absolute must-read for anyone looking for a YA paranormal or dystopia that stands out from the crowd!<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/038574417X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=038574417X&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=X6ZOVAQL6FM3WVZX">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/038574417X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=038574417X&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-2">Amazon UK</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423159330/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1423159330&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=K7US5ZGER3LAOWXE"><img alt="Never Fade (The Darkest Minds, #2)" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1368460550l/16150830.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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As I'd already read (and loved) <i>The Darkest Minds, </i>I couldn't wait to get my hands on the sequels. Heartbreaking and gripping, they held me captivated from beginning to end and left me with a hell of a book hangover. I can't even write a coherent review, but this has to be one of the best YA dystopian/paranormal series I've read.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423159330/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1423159330&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=K7US5ZGER3LAOWXE">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1423159330/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1423159330&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-21">Amazon UK</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1406342408/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1406342408&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=MJQ77MEY5DBQPOSX"><img alt="Frail Human Heart (The Name of the Blade, #3)" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1435184705l/15723559.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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I've loved this series since the first book, so I just had to find out how it ended! Frail Human Heart is the riveting conclusion to the Japanese mythology-inspired YA urban fantasy Name of the Blade trilogy. The third book was the best of all three, and one of the best modern YA fantasy series I've read!<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1406342408/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1406342408&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-20&linkId=MJQ77MEY5DBQPOSX">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00X5HR418/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00X5HR418&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-21">Amazon UK</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Demon-Road-Derek-Landy/dp/0008140812/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8"><img alt="Demon Road by Derek Landy" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437508069l/23253921.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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I'm a huge fan of Derek Landy's<i> Skulduggery Pleasant </i>series, so I knew I'd love <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Demon-Road-Derek-Landy/dp/0008140812/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8"><i>Demon Road</i>. </a>Amber thinks she's an ordinary teen, until she turns into a demon. This could have been cliche and predictable, but as it's Derek Landy, the story is anything but. This is a fast-paced page-turner with snappy dialogue, dark humour and creepy monsters. I'd thoroughly recommend this fun, dark paranormal adventure.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Demon-Road-Derek-Landy/dp/0008140812/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8">Amazon </a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00UF812T0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00UF812T0&linkCode=as2&tag=frothewrisnes-21">Amazon UK</a></div>
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ELAdamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11390894357209056149noreply@blogger.com1