Writing 101

Thought I would share a few of the posts from my recent blog tour for The Making of Nebraska Brown. So, in case you missed them - here's one for you. This go-round we're talking about Writing 101. Just the basics. The facts. And a little backstory for what it's worth.

About six years ago, this girl I know, I’ll call her Naïve Girl – NG for short – decided to write a book. A dear friend of hers wished her well and handed her a dog-eared copy of The Writer’s Book of Hope by Ralph Keyes. NG smiled, sure that SHE wouldn’t need to refer to that at all. Surely SHE would have a blessed and easy journey. NOT. And, yes. I’ll admit it. I am NG. Correction: I was once. Now I am Writer Girl. WG’s goal is to shake the sense and reality into NG. As such, I’m here to divulge the straight dope. No hold-barred. It’s like that Band-Aid. Yank it off quickly. Here goes:

You will be rejected. Many times. It will hurt. You will quit writing. You will take up golf/knitting/floral arrangements/yoga. You will fight the urge to get back at it. Don’t bother. Which brings me to my second truth –

Writing OWNS you.  Any attempts to control or contain it will be met with failure.

Reading is mandatory. Do not think for half a second of writing more than a birthday card without reading at least ten novels first. By doing so you will recognize the rhythm every story must have to be properly constructed. Pay attention to this ebb and flow and learn from it.

Don’t quit your day job. Unless you happen to happen upon that ginormous advance, which is first cousin of that infamous needle in the haystack.

Practice patience. Time moves at the speed of sloth in the publishing world. Good things can and do occur, but if you don’t like waiting, you may not be fit for this game.

NG is far behind me now, and thankfully I’m none the worse for wear. I hope these tips don’t discourage the WGs out there. A healthy dose of fact among the fiction is all I’m after. Now carry on and keep the faith – and a couple bottles of aspirin might help, too.

Come the Dark - The Forever Girl Series - Volume Two #Review

I am super pleased to be sharing this fantastic book with my Hook peeps. If you haven't yet read The Forever Girl, (and WHY NOT??) I advise you to hurry and get at it. The amazing author Rebecca Hamilton now brings us the second installment in this compelling series. I had the chance to read and review Cordovae's Journey. Here goes:

"Rebecca Hamilton fans, take heart! Your thirst for paranormal adventure and suspense as only Hamilton can brew it can now be quenched. COME THE DARK is here and it was well worth the wait. As an ardent fan of The Forever Girl Series, I was admittedly anxious. I’d been following the progress of this book on Hamilton’s blog and Twitter feed and was thrilled to receive an ARC copy for review.
This is the story of Rose, a young woman suffering an illegitimate birth at the hand and deed of her own father. It’s 1961 and there aren’t many choices for girls like Rose, especially in the Georgia countryside. Escaping is the only way to freedom. Freedom from among other things – The Dark Ones who haunt her life. But after fleeing Rose finds herself living in Salem in another time period with memories that tickle the edges of her mind, and a brand new name – Cordovae. These fragmented memories are soon confirmed by those around her – including a strange man and woman – William and Tess – who she meets in the woods. The journey these three take together is fraught with battles against forces of evil determined to bring them down. There is adventure and intrigue and plenty of it. And as the saying goes where there’s smoke – there’s fire; a romance doomed to fail yet blooming all the same.
I was immediately immersed into this tale. Hamilton’s writing has a uniquely magnetic tone. As a reader you are compelled to turn the pages and keep turning. I found it hard NOT to continue reading. She feeds the pages with gorgeous scenes that are so grounded in rich detail that I felt as if I was walking in the fields and brush along with the stars of the story. I do not refer to them as characters. This is because Hamilton writes people with all the rounded-out traits of the flesh. You will know them intimately and want to continue knowing them for life. I felt such a deep connection to Rose/Cordovae (who is also Abigail) that I’m certain she will remain one of my literary faves for years to come.
I fell for this book. Hard and fast. I read it in just a couple days and then re-read it again. I’m limited to leaving only five stars but my affection for this book far supersedes those stars. In a large sea of paranormal fantasy, COME THE DARK shines like only a true gem can. ***** "

Please visit The Forever Girl site and sign up for the mailing list here: http://www.theforevergirl.com/#!mailing-list/cmi2

Bravo, Rebecca!