Thursday, May 23, 2013

Writerly Stereotypes

You all know what I'm talking about. When you think of writers, you think of this.

Johnny Depp in Secret Window

Or this.

c/o http://www.coopernundrums.com/a-nerd-in-1950/

There are lots of writerly stereotypes out there. Allow me to bust a few. (Or not...)

We're all crazy.

At least, not all of the time.

We're not all crazy.

Aren't all artists a little bit crazy? We live in our heads most of the time. I think you have to be at least a little crazy to voluntarily spend your life living in fake worlds talking to fake people that you not-fake love.

Sitting on the couch staring into space isn't work.

Writing involves extreme aerobics of the mental kind. Which means that what you see as vegging out could really be cranial acrobatics. Give us the benefit of the doubt and don't interrupt. Even if it looks like we're sleeping. We're really working. Usually. I promise.

We're pretentious/stuck-up/conceited/self-aggrandizing/(insert negative adjective here).

Some of us are, but those of us who are usually get rejected by those of us who aren't. And then the dejected few fade into oblivion, never to be read again. Most of us are just shy or introverted. But we don't blame you; we're easy to misconstrue. 

We're socially awkward.

Depends on who you're asking. And what we're drinking. 

We're unhappy.

Still waters run deep. Which can sometimes look like unhappiness. Or can sometimes actually be unhappiness. But give a sistah a chance to show you.

We think we wrote the Great American Novel.

Hmm, not sure I can dispute this one. It's definitely a dream for most of us. Otherwise, why bother writing? But hopefully most of us aren't so dense that we think we're the next J.K. Rowling or Stephen King. The odds just aren't in our favor. It's good enough just to be good. We don't always have to be the best. Most of don't need the world to love us. If we can affect one person, just one single being, then we've succeeded.

We all want to be famous...

We're introverts. We don't want to be in the spotlight. We just want our characters there.

...but we love working for free.

Maybe we're not motivated by fame and fortune, but we still have to support our addictions to coffee and the internet and Apple.

We don't care about anything but writing.

For true writers, the kind that are born not just wanting to write but needing to write, writing is the most cathartic thing out there. It's something we simply have to do. We have no choice. Even if we suck at it. But it's not the only thing we care about. We have spouses. We have kids. We have friends. We have Twitter. Writing may even be at the top of the list, but it's not the only thing in life.

Rejections don't hurt.

Even the best of us spend 99% of our time getting rejected. So much time, in fact, that even the "good" rejections--the ones that don't rip out your heart and toss it in a blender--are worth celebrating. Writers are people too. We chip a little bit of our souls into everything that we write. It hurts when that soul isn't good enough.

Criticism doesn't hurt.

So what if the critiquer isn't a publishing professional? We want our readers and peers to like us too. But the simple fact is that not all of them will. Negative reviews are a necessary evil in the writing world. It's impossible to please everyone all the time, but even though we know that, the words can still hurt. After all, we live by our words.

You will be in our novel.

Please. Who's pretentious now? If you do something really awesome--or really crappy, for that matter--you might earn yourself a character or two. But don't hold your breath; it doesn't happen often. But do be nice to us, if you don't wanna be a verbal kewpie doll. 

What stereotypes have I missed?

TJ

Friday, May 17, 2013

Cover Reveal: Endre by ST Bende

I've got another exclusive cover reveal on the blog today! Endre is Book II of The Elsker Saga, which you can read about in my post here or at my review on Bookalicious (posting sometime today). I recently finished the first book and eagerly await Endre's release this September 23 by Entranced Publishing. Read on for a book blurb, then scroll down to check out the cover.

What's it About?

Sometimes, finding your destiny means doing the exact opposite of what The Fates have planned.

Winning the heart of an immortal assassin was a dream come true for Kristia Tostenson. Now she's knee deep in wedding plans, goddess lessons, and stolen kisses. But her decision to become immortal could end in heartbreak -- not only for Kristia, but for the god who loves her. Because while Ull would do anything to protect his bride, even the God of Winter is powerless against the Norse apocalypse. Ragnarok is coming. And the gods aren't even close to ready.

About the Author

Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, ST Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe… where she became overly fond of the musical Cats. Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired The Elsker Saga. She hopes her characters make you smile and that one day pastries will be considered a health food.

You can follow ST Bende by sending an e-mail to stbende(at)gmail(dot)com, or at any of her social media links listed below.  

Blog: http://stbende.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/stbende
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stbende or @stbende
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/stbende/

And now, for the cover!




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I LOVE the background image! So misty and ethereal and spooky. I'm curious what the snowflake-looking thing in the foreground means for the story. We'll find out this fall! 

What do you think of the cover?

TJ

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Another Yippee!

On my mom's side of the family, whenever something good happens for someone, they email the entire family with the subject YIPPEE!!! (or some similar variation). It all started when I got my first major job promotion and sent out the inaugural YIPPEE!!! email announcing my news to all my family, since at the time I lived in another state and didn't have an easier way to share it. At first they snickered at the word, but apparently they eventually found it more adorkable than dorky, because next thing I knew, they were all sharing good news and adding YIPPEE!!! at the end. To this day, joyous news still gets announced by sending out the traditional YIPPEE!!! email. Even in person, each bit of good news is preceded by the (usually squealed) phrase, "I have a YIPPEE!!!"

Today, I'm posting a YIPPEE!!! post. So much has happened for me this year, that I feel the blog has become less about sharing the news found by others, and more about sharing or creating my own news. And isn't that what it should be, anyway? I've been so blessed to have so many YIPPEE!!! moments this year, my favorites including the birth of my daughter, Charlotte, and signing with my agent, Annie Bomke, who has been diligently placing my first pub-ready book in the hands of top New York editors. So after all this yummy goodness, I can't even believe that I have the good fortune of yet another YIPPEE!!! to add to the list.

This week I was named a Senior Editor with Entranced Publishing!


I'll be working on books in the Blush imprint, the sector that covers their YA and NA novels, which y'all know is right up my alley. I'll get to take pitches, recommend books to the publisher for publication, work directly with authors to mold their manuscripts...and I'll be there when those authors see their words in print for the first time, which as a writer I know is such a special place to be. I am so honored to have been chosen for such a prestigious position, and I know there will be a lot of pressure on me to shine authors' precious babies into publication-ready gems. But I'm committed to making those manuscripts glitter and to developing the Blush brand into the best that it can be!

The list of duties behind my name just keeps getting longer and longer, and I am totally loving it. Deciding to pursue writing, editing, and parenting full-time has got to be one of the best decisions my husband and I have ever made. Just goes to show that following your pipe dream really can pay off!

TJ

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Cover Reveal: Once Upon a Darkness by Aria Kane

Zombies and experiments and captives, oh my! I'm excited to be a part of the cover reveal for Once Upon a Darkness by Aria Kane, available from Entranced Publishing on June 17. A healthy sprinkling of sci-fi twists the zombie genre on its head in this dynamic dystopian thriller. Read more about the book below, then check out the cover reveal and enter the giveaway below!

What's it About?


Gretchen and her twin brother, Hank, were abandoned to a zombie horde when they were five years old. Intended to be a sacrifice by their zealot parents, they were instead rescued by The Company. Raised to become soldiers in the war against zombies, they now provide safe passage through danger zones, one contract at a time.

Clint's only skill is war, but he's weary of killing other men. When his contract with the Marines runs out, he takes a job on Gretchen's team, hoping that the search-and-rescue life will suit him better.

On Clint's second day, their four-man team is attacked, drugged, and taken to a prison full of frightened civilians. The only way in or out is by helicopter and, here, their enemies are human. One by one, the captives are culled from the holding area.  Rumors say the facility director uses the prisoners as experimental subjects for the testing of a zombie cure.

When Hank is taken, Clint and Gretchen must put aside their personal feelings and find a way out of the prison, surrounded by thousands of starving zombies, before Hank becomes just one more disposable guinea pig in the hands of a twisted mad woman.

Add Once Upon a Darkness on Goodreads

About the Author


Aria Kane is a recovering mechanical engineer and romance writer. She lives in sunny Florida with a 60 lb mutt who thinks he's a Chihuahua. You can learn more about her at ariakane.com or on Twitter @aria_kane.


And now, for the cover!




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What do you think of the cover? The description sounds great and the cover looks good, but I wish there were a zombie on it somewhere! From the cover you'd think this was a demon-hunter novel. But I love the subtle spookiness of the prison in the background.

Giveaway!

To celebrate the Once Upon a Darkness cover reveal, Aria is giving away a $20 giftcard and an ecopy of an Entranced book of the winner’s choice. 

Good luck!

TJ