A.J. Maguire

Author: ajmaguire

  • Official Release – Tapped

    I’m starting off the New Year with a bang!

    ScornedOr … well … a mistaken “bang” on the 1st because in my NyQuil induced haze I accidentally “leaked” the novel online but we’re moving past that now. This is my first self-published novel and I’m equal parts terrified and pleased by it.

    Tapped is a space-traveling adventure that follows the Barlow family as they unwittingly begin an underground railroad for refugees in Consulate space. It’s a story about what makes a family. It’s a story about the consequences of standing up for your convictions and a brothers-in-arms story all wrapped up together.

    The original concept for this novel was that I wanted a mother-son story. We have a lot of mother-daughter, father-son novels out there but I haven’t seen as many dealing with the relationship between a mother and her son. And since I happen to be the mother of one incredible little boy it was important to me that the Greeks not get the final word here.

    (No, really. The Greeks had the whole Oedipus thing that was really gross and weird. Just … yuck.)

    In any case, I’m throwing confetti and will enjoy some wine and a comfortable evening celebrating my first self-published release. It has been an adventure learning how to format and prepare a book for publication and, to be honest, kind of fun.

    Tapped Blurb:

    Jorry thought winning a galactic war would be enough to buy a peaceful life. She was wrong. Running from the government she fought so hard for, she carves a simple life out for herself and her family. When her family is dragged into a black market deal Jorry finds herself directly in the sights of those she’s been hiding from and must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect the people she loves.

  • Breathable Text

    Every book teaches me something. Even the books I hate teach me what I want to avoid in my personal writing.

    I might rage about certain aspects of the story or throw the book across the room when I’m done with it (if I have it on hard copy instead of Kindle, of course) but in the end I always learn something.

    Perhaps the most humbling moment is when I pick up a novel that I wrote years ago and see, quite clearly, everything I did wrong. There’s nothing more heartening or heartbreaking than that moment.

    Heartening because it means I’m growing as an author and my craft has improved. Heartbreaking because the text I loved so much back then … I kinda loathe now.

    I’ve come to expect this moment in the writing process so when I picked up Persona to begin editing I had myself braced for impact, you know? But sometimes the “impact” is really a “click” in the brain that recognizes a broader problem and I sit back and go … “Oh, I get it now!”

    The proverbial light coming on in the brain.

    The moment in school when algebra suddenly made sense.

    Or, in this particular case, the realization that my text isn’t breathable. It isn’t livable. The character might be sympathetic, a woman I admire and want to emulate in my real life sometimes because she is so kind and she does overcome her own fear while facing down terrible circumstances, but the narrative itself doesn’t breathe.

    I’ve identified this as a “lens” problem.

    A “lens” problem in the writing world is a matter of distance between the character and the narrative. In this case, my lens was too tight on Megan and I wasn’t taking into account the setting, tone, or secondary characters.

    On the one hand, this makes Megan very clear as a character but it also makes the world feel flat.

    So!

    I’m adding to my writing toolbox today and throwing the “narrative lens” in there as a means of bringing the world and setting to life. Don’t get tunnel-vision with the character because the character is informed and influenced by the world around them.

  • Poetry Challenge 2015 – Entry #1

    As a reminder, part of my goals for this year is to read a poem a week. After much deliberation I’ve decided to share this journey here. So every Friday I will post the poem that I read for this week. Maybe I’ll react to it, maybe I won’t. Mostly I’m just going to share the poems and their authors to anyone interested.

    Poem – I know why the caged bird sings by Maya Angelou

    A free bird leaps on the back
    Of the wind and floats downstream
    Till the current ends and dips his wing
    In the orange suns rays
    And dares to claim the sky.

    But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage
    Can seldom see through his bars of rage
    His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
    So he opens his throat to sing.

    The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
    Of things unknown but longed for still
    And his tune is heard on the distant hill for
    The caged bird sings of freedom.

    The free bird thinks of another breeze
    And the trade winds soft through
    The sighing trees
    And the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright
    Lawn and he names the sky his own.

    But a caged BIRD stands on the grave of dreams
    His shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
    His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
    So he opens his throat to sing.

    The caged bird sings with
    A fearful trill of things unknown
    But longed for still and his
    Tune is heard on the distant hill
    For the caged bird sings of freedom.

  • Creation Phase

    In answer to everyone who has ever looked at me and said; “I just don’t see how you do it.”

    It never starts with a blank page so let’s go ahead and toss that myth out the window. The blank page comes later, and it never stays blank for long because the moment pen meets paper or fingers meet keyboard things start to happen.

    There is a second as the writer’s brain gropes for the correct words where the undisturbed white of pen or screen is daunting, but eventually that right word, phrase, character or situation snaps into being and the story begins. Unless, of course, said writer gives up and walks away.

    Maybe they walk away for a day, maybe forever.

    It seems important to note that the one who comes back, the one who braves the glaring white of the unmarred page, is the real writer. The one who never comes back … well … Enough said there.

    But none of that really matters because this isn’t where the story starts.

    The story started ages ago with a flicker of an idea, a foggy dream barely remembered, or the name of a character who simply will not go away. That’s the beginning of the creation process, the start of a new, grand tale. It could be months or years before the story is physically written, but it is constantly being cultivated in the back of the mind.

    Notebooks or 3×5 cards or little documents are made with character thoughts, plot suggestions, and mental images that capture the mood of the story. These are all compiled, stored away for the moment when we finally find ourselves ready to take the plunge and begin writing.

    Maybe there’s an outline. Maybe there’s just a character with a problem.

    The creation phase for any book is beautiful and fragile and unpredictable. Most of us bemoan the drafts that come after, the editing and the synopsis and the querying and everything that has become synonymous with novel-writing, but the beginnings of a new story …

    That we seem to treasure.

  • Publishing Debates

    In January of 2011 my first book was published by Wings ePress, a small independent publishing house run by some very kind people. They put out a nice, professional book and I was over the moon about it. I liked the size, font, color, formatting, and everything.

    I was new to the whole publishing scene and didn’t really know the difference between Traditional and Independents/Small Presses/Whatever. I just knew my book was out there and people were liking it.

    Four years later and I am officially a self-published author.

    I know the stigma related to self-publishing. I’ve read article upon article upon article about Indie authors versus Traditional authors and the coveted-but-somehow-hated Big 5 and I’ve come to a major decision.

    I’m tired of reading about this.

    I’m tired of everyone saying that their way to the publishing business is the right way, that the old regime is coming to an end, that self-published novels are nowhere near the quality that traditional novels are, that the Big 5 have the monopoly on shelf-space in the major bookstores, or that people don’t really visit those bookstores anymore …

    The list goes on.

    And because I have decided that I am tired of reading these debates (the most recent one being how self-publishing is no longer a viable means to “hybrid author status”) I will politely pass them by.

    Knowing these things will not make me a better writer. Partaking of the debate might obliquely influence my sales, but it will not make my storytelling any better than it is today. And honestly, I don’t have the time or the energy for anything that does not add to my “writer’s toolbox” and help me master my craft.

    Harsh?

    Maybe.

    And I’m not saying all this as a condemnation to those who are actively engaged in the debate. If focusing on things in that light is what helps them put pen to paper at the end of the day then more power to them.

    I’m saying it doesn’t help me. It makes me indecisive. It makes me second-guess the risks I might otherwise take in my fiction. And fiction without risks is dull.

    Tapped is risky.

    I know it is.

    It’s the underground railroad in space. There are religious refugees and political issues and a mess ofScorned family secrets to wade through and if I had listened to certain blog sites and articles about what not to write or what to avoid I would never have finished the book.

    So this is me drawing a line in the sand.

    Maybe my books won’t sell as much as a traditional author. That’s fine. I’ll read their work and see if I can improve my own craft because in the end, that’s the only thing that really matters.

  • Self-Publishing Journal Entry #4 (I think?) — AKA, “DANGIT, HYDRA!”

    Dear Diary,

    I spent New Years Eve sick on my couch. I did not have the joy of watching the infamous “potato drop” in my home town. I could not smell the glorious turkey breast as it was cooking in my crockpot (Thank you to my Grandmother and to my Aunt Debbie for passing along that recipe, it was good even though I couldn’t taste everything.) And in my NyQuil induced haze I decided it would be a perfect moment to get some final tweaks done to Tapped before my January 13th deadline …

    The Big Orange Beast warned me not to do this. He meowed and jumped onto the back of my chair andIMG_0238 bopped my head a few times and I, still in a medicated stupor, did not pay him any mind. I imagine he would be snickering at me but he’s too annoyed that the child has a friend over and is currently hiding under my desk.

    I know because he keeps chewing on my toes.

    After many a night pondering and working and trying things out I opted to use CreateSpace to help launch Tapped into the world. It was very easy to use.

    Too easy to use.

    I went through the Proof Copy, understanding that this was the phase my publishers would have called the “Galley Proof” but not understanding that once I approved said copy it would be IMMEDIATELY published to the CreateSpace store and … several hours later … to Amazon.

    I was 99% certain I had given a publication date of January 13th earlier in the process but it seems I missed something. I’m blaming the NyQuil on that one.

    After much scrambling and panicking and trying to figure out how to take down the novels suddenly out for sale I finally decided to roll with it.

    So this is me mimicking Marvel after the Avenger’s trailer was released … “Dangit, Hydra!”

    Tapped is on Amazon. You can find it in two different paperback sizes, the 6×9 (which is cheaper and Scornedlarger) or the 5.2×8 (which is two bucks more and smaller because I wanted something purse-size because I am totally the book-in-the-purse type … when I carry a purse.)

    And, of course, you can find it for Kindle.

    I recognize that this has the potential to hurt sales. Everything I’ve read about publishing and such says that the week before the book goes up (which should have been next week) I’m supposed to be running about cheerfully telling people about the upcoming release and building all the happy-vibes so that people will buy it and stuff.

    “Dangit, Hydra!”

    Now I’m on to Battle Plan Bravo.

    Why no, I did not have a plan B in place for this. But I’m like MacGyver and can figure a way through almost anything if I have a paperclip and a gum wrapper. (I really don’t care if I just dated myself either. MacGyver was totally my hero growing up and I maintain that he’s swoon-able.)

    Excuse me while I go make Battle Plan Bravo for next week. In the meantime, my very first ever self-published novel is up for sale. I’m sure I made every mistake known to the publishing world in it and apologize in advance.

  • Bring it on 2015!

    I am dubbing 2014 as a success in spite of the avocado fiasco and am seriously excited to see what I can accomplish in 2015. I’ve already got a couple of things planned but today we’re filling out the writing schedule for the whole year … which I’ll admit is like my favorite part of the holiday season.

    This is mostly for me but if you’re brave enough to peek into my writer’s brain then … welcome to the mayhem!

    This is like my personal pep-talk and I’ll reference it throughout the year just to keep myself revved up and ready to write and … well, attack life with fervor. Because really, if we’re not deliberately living then we’re missing out.

    So! Here’s what I want to do in 2015 …

    1) Publish Tapped (Scheduled: January 13, 2015)

    As I’ve mentioned on this blog before, I’ve decided to try my hand at the self-published market. I’ve learned quite a bit from the two small presses that have published me over the last couple years and while I adore them both, the Tapped series requires just a little more freedom.

    2) Edit Persona (Scheduled: January – March)

    Starting January 2nd I will begin implementing edits from my editor(s) for Persona. (Thank you Michael Keenan.) This edit requires a major overhaul of the ending. As soon as it is done it will go back in to said editor so I have a hard deadline of April 1st.

    3) Residual Haunting Wrap-Up (Scheduled: January – March)

    Back in October I started serializing Residual Haunting at Wattpad and its own Story Blog. We’re currently on chapter 12 and there are 13 more to go. Needless to say, the serialization will continue after the New Year. I chose not to post anything over the holiday break due to people being away with their families and such.

    4) Edit Usurper (Scheduled: April – June)

    Trenna fans can stop hounding me. As soon as this edit is complete it will go in to the publisher (Wings ePress) who has first rights to all things Dyngannon.

    5) NEW CONTENT WRITING (Scheduled: April – June)

    My brain is funny sometimes. I can work on 2 projects at a time so long as one is being edited and one is being created. That’s why you see the first three months of 2015 I am editing Persona and finishing Residual Haunting. I have several novels on the back burner that are just waiting to be written so I get to pick from the following;

    Dead Weight (sequel to Tapped) / Alex Huntley (Civil War) / Warpath (4th Trenna book) / Primal (Dragons)

    6) Query Goals (Scheduled: August – December)

    Given the professionalism of my editor I know that by July 2015 I will have Persona back in my hot little hands. I’ve carved out the months of July and August to go through those edits again. It’s a shorter time frame because there should be less work involved (meaning no major over-hauls and such) but once it’s done I will begin querying the book out.

    7) NEW CONTENT WRITING (Scheduled: July – September)

    Obviously whichever one I manage to do in April-June is off the list here, but the choices are the same. Dead Weight (sequel to Tapped) / Alex Huntley (Civil War) / Warpath (4th Trenna book) / Primal (Dragons)

    8) Edit Residual Haunting (Scheduled: October – December)

    By the time October rolls around I should be ready to pick up Residual Haunting again and start editing the crap out of it.

    9) Participate in National Novel Writing Month (Scheduled: November … and probably December)

    Because I just can’t seem to get enough of this program I’ll be trying my hand at this competition again. Depending on what I’ve managed to get finished earlier in the year I will likely pick from my list of 4 back-burner novels. If I’ve written Dead Weight then I know there’s a third Tapped novel (Inmate) that should be added to this list as well. And I have an Aliens vs. Vampires novel buzzing in the back of my brain too.

    10) Poetry Reading and All Things Not Writing

    I want to read a poem a week. I like poetry, I just really suck at writing it. So! I’ll read it instead. One a week through 2015.

    Also in 2015 I want to learn at least 6 new martial art forms/kata (trust me, I have the means to do this.)

    I want to read 12 new books from authors I haven’t read before. If you know a book you think I should try please let me know. This is a book a month and I know I read tons more than that so this should be easy.

    I want to climb mountains with my kid and generally enjoy the adventure that is being a parent. (AKA – we’re going to go find some fun.)

    And that’s it. That’s my 10(+) for the year of 2015. I can do this. I know I can do this. Bring it on!

  • Happy Holidays – Round Robin

    The assignment for this month’s Round Robin Blog Hop was to give something special to our readers writing-wise. And after much deliberation I opted to take a piece of Usurper and post it up here. I’ve given snippets and such before, but nothing of this length and it is designed for all the Trenna fans out there.

    Fans of the Sedition series have been stuck waiting for Usurper’s release (which will definitely be in 2015 once I’ve gotten the edits complete) so I decided this was the best gift I could give.

    Thank you to everyone who has braved the inner workings of my rather fantastical mind and read my books. You’re all awesome. Happy Holidays, however you celebrate them.

    Usurper 

    “I kissed Evaliana.” Troy let the statement fall between them and tried not to cringe.

    The memory of the heated kiss intruded on him, his body suddenly torn between an aching desire to go find the woman again and the anticipation of violence from the man before him. He fully expected Kaden Dyngannon to fight him over the infraction; one did not kiss Evaliana without her brother taking offense, so Troy had prepared himself for this moment.

    Under normal circumstances Troy would have argued that who Liana decided to kiss was her own business, the young woman was far too independent to appreciate the protective nature of her older brother. But because Kaden was his closest and dearest friend, Troy had felt the need to confess.

    That and he wanted to do it again.

    His fingers could still feel the slight curve of her waist and his mind was suddenly overwhelmed with the taste of her.

    “Oh?” Kaden tossed an empty net onto the deck of the ship. “Did she kiss you back?”

    The question brought Troy back to the moment. “I beg pardon?”

    Kaden chuckled and started spreading the net out, inspecting for holes and the like without looking up at him. “I asked if she kissed you back.”

    “You’re not going to hit me?”

    “Not unless you want me to.” Kaden laughed, brighter this time and Troy started to relax.

    Cautiously, still puzzled at the lack of violence, Troy began to help with tending the net. Their little fishing boat swayed under the light rock of ocean waves, but both men were accustomed to the constant movement. Metallic silver streaks meshed into the otherwise black hair prominent in his friend, a trait that might have looked abnormal were it not for Kaden’s long, pointed ears. Troy kept Kaden in his peripheral vision as his fingers started searching the net for weak spots, but Kaden’s lean, tall form was relaxed, his thin mouth quirked up into a half-smile.

    “You’ve throttled every other man who’s gotten close to Liana before.” Troy found a thin bit of rope and reached for the mending kit beside them.

    “Bah. They were all dogs. And most of them wanted far more than a kiss.”

    “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want more.”

    Kaden stopped what he was doing to look at him, “Just how much more?”

    And there was the violence he’d been expecting, sudden and fierce, held under tight control. Troy met his friend’s deep green eyes and fought down his momentary terror. He wasn’t afraid to fight Kaden – he might even win if he tried hard enough – but the repercussions could be devastating. Boyhood friends, damn close to brothers were it not for the difference in races; Kaden was undeniably Eldur and Troy was Human. Regardless, they had a bond. A bond that went deep and could never be replaced.

    “Gods honest truth, Kaden, I’d marry the woman if she’d let me.”

    All at once Kaden relaxed and gave him a charismatic grin. “I thought so.”

    “You’ve been expecting this?”

    Kaden nodded and continued his inspection. The man couldn’t simply hold a conversation, he had to keep moving, to divide his focus, which normally didn’t bother Troy but today they were talking about Liana and hopefully a long courtship leading to a possible marriage. Now that he thought about it, this particular conversation probably shouldn’t have been done on the deck of the Bitter Croften with a bucket full of fish guts an arm’s length away.

    “The two of you have been dancing around this romance for years now,” Kaden stood and stretched. “A little advice, though?”

    Troy finished with the net and followed his friend to his feet, “Of course.”

    “Mother won’t mind the kissing but don’t mention it to Da.” Kaden smirked and squinted up at a low-flying gull. “Liana’s his gem and all, you know? He won’t like it.”

    Troy glanced out at the harbor where Nelek Dyngannon was headed their direction. “Do you think he’ll hit me?”

    With a laugh and a wink, Kaden scooped up the mended net and tossed it onto the growing pile near the center mast. “He might.”

    The older Eldur man paused his progression over the harbor to make some laughing conversation with a fellow fisherman. For a moment Troy was transfixed by the blatant differences between Eldur and Human. Nelek Dyngannon was over twice Troy’s age – a ripe twenty-three years – but the blessing of Eldur longevity seemed to tease around Nelek’s person. He was a well-formed man, trimmed with the daily sword practices he demanded of his children; which on most days included Troy.

    More often than not, Nelek wore some form of hat or bandana to cover his long, pointed ears. Troy had come to understand it as a matter of safety rather than shame. Many of the Humans on Vakeshmeer Island were friendly with the Dyngannon family in spite of the fact that they were Eldur, but there were a select few who were not. Hiding their ears put the Humans at ease, which lessened the chance of confrontation. At present, Troy noted the beige swatch of cloth tied around Nelek’s head and frowned.

    It seemed unfair that the Eldur would need to hide at all.

    Evaliana rarely did so. Troy had to fight back another memory as the girl’s father approached. There was something distinctly wrong in thinking about her mouth; sweet and warm and supple under his own, when Nelek was so close. Troy had lived among the Eldur long enough to know that they couldn’t read minds, but both Kaden and Nelek were all too keen on interpreting facial expressions.

    “Hello, boys,” Nelek stopped just short of the boat and inspected the deck. “Are we ready for tomorrow?”

    “Ready and clear, Pops,” Kaden made a limber jump from the boat to the harbor.

    “Excellent.” Nelek paused to consider Troy, one dark eyebrow quirking upward. “You look like I just caught you with your hand in the honey pot, Troy’vest Mavon.”

    Kaden’s laugh bellowed over the harbor, which made Troy squirm all the more. Nelek glanced between them and Troy could see further suspicion climbing into the man’s face. Before another question could be raised, Troy leapt from the boat and to the harbor. A hard knot of fear clenched in Troy’s gut for a disconcerting moment, but another form jogged up to them and Nelek was distracted.

    “Oy, glad I caught ye.” The familiar, grungy presence of Sessmess Kuhl, Harbormaster, managed to help Troy relax, “Thought as ye might like to know that some newcomer’s asking about yer boy.”

    “Newcomer?” Nelek frowned.

    “Cesper Villant brought in a boat load of visitors from the mainland.” Sessmess nodded his balding head toward the Big Hearth Tavern and Inn. The building commanded the western side of Harbor Street, its girth expanding out in a massive circle. “Rumor has it there’s just one asking. Male. One of those sorts as you wouldn’t let near your daughter at midday in public, ye know?”

    “Human?”

    “Aye, but I cannot be sure on his companion. She’s a pretty one but her hood’s stayed up since her arrival.” Sessmess shuddered and wiped the sweat off the back of his neck, “Wouldn’t be surprised if she were Eldur, though. There’s something queer about her.”

    “Thank you, Master Kuhl.” Nelek slipped a few coins to the Harbormaster, who grinned his semi-toothless appreciation before moving off.

    Troy ran his tongue over his teeth, involuntarily checking to make sure they were still in place. It was rude to think it but, good gods; he prayed he kept his teeth longer than that poor soul. Watching Sessmess’s retreating back, Troy suppressed a shiver and tried to wrap his mind around the information. When he looked back to Nelek and Kaden, the father and son had identical, grim expressions and Troy caught on to the trouble.

    “You don’t think this could be that Blood Mage, do you?”

    Kaden looked to his father and shrugged.

    Nelek squinted at the Inn, his mouth making a firm, straight line across his face. “No, this couldn’t be Noffi.”

    “How do you know?”

    “Because Noffi was gods-awful ugly,” Nelek smirked at him. “Not a soul alive would have called her pretty. Her teeth alone could frighten children.”

    “What is wrong with her teeth?” Kaden perked with interest.

    Nelek motioned to his mouth, “They’re pointed.”

    “What? All of them?” Troy wrinkled his nose in distaste.

    “Hurt like hell when she bit you, too.”

    “Ugh. Why did she bite you?” Troy gave the Inn a furtive glance.

    “Blood Magic,” Nelek gripped Kaden’s shoulder. “Eldur have to bleed in order for a mage to be useful.”

    “That’s disgusting.”

    “Shall we go see who they are?” Nelek grinned and waggled his eyebrows. “Hate to have them come all this way for nothing.”

    —-

    The Blog Hop Continues!

    Ginger Simpson http://mizging.blogspot.com/
    Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
    Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/
    Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
    Rachael Kosnski http://the-doodling-booktease.tumblr.com/
    Margaret Fieland http://www.margaretfieland.com/blog1/
    Helena Fairfax  http://helenafairfax.com/
    Anne Stenhouse  http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/
    Marci Baun  http://www.marcibaun.com/
    A.J. Maguire  https://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/ (YOU ARE HERE)
    Victoria Chatham http://victoriachatham.webs.com/
    Kay Sisk http://kaysisk.blogspot.com
    Skye Taylor  http://www.skye-writer.com/
    Lynn Crain  http://www.awriterinvienna.blogspot.com
    Rhobin Courtright http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com/

    Connie Vines connievines.blogspot.com

  • Book Cover Reveal – Tapped

    So the artist that I normally bat my eyelashes at for cover art is currently closed to commissions. Which is fine, he’s super talented and has a lot of his own stuff to do. (That’s Chris Howard, author and artist for the Saltwater Witch stuff, which if you haven’t read you really should read because the art is gorgeous and the story is compelling and … yeah … you can find him here.)

    Of course, this left me hunting frantically for a cover for Tapped since I put the release date at January 13, 2015. Hard to release a book without a cover. I mean, I could do it, but nobody would buy it and … well, I would hate myself forever.

    (FYI – a smart, sassy agent lady let me know that speculative fiction is best sold around the August/September mark but I’ve already made this deadline public so I’m sticking to it. I figure by the time August rolls around I can put the book on a cheap sale or something.)

    Now then …

    I searched and searched and searched for a cover for this book. Given my tight budget (single parent, working full-time, avocado-induced emergency room bills) I knew I had to go for a pre-made cover if I could. And let me tell you, there are LOTS of sites out there.

    Furthermore, there are some sites out there that recycle covers or something like that, so it’s important to research the artist too. So if you’re self-publishing or thinking about self-publishing, try to keep that in mind and make sure you’re paying attention.

    I found Rocking Book Covers and really liked the style and feel of the art so I hunted through its pages and found my cover! It’s simple and eye-catching and the artist had the work done very, very quickly.

    And so … here is the official cover for Tapped …

    Scorned

  • The Close of 2014 …

    Yep, it’s that time of year again. The moment when I look back and take stock of what I did or didn’t manage to accomplish during the last 365 days. (It’s less than that, I know, but with Christmas and Residual Haunting posts I need to toss this post up sooner rather than later. Because my all-time favorite post is the one where I decide what I’m going to get done in 2015 and stuff.)

    So … here are the things I said I wanted to get done in 2014 …

    #1) Graduate.

    Big check-mark there! Back in May I graduated from Northwest Nazarene University with my BA in Christian Ministry.

    #2) Submit Persona to the ABNA contest in January.

    Another big check-mark. I didn’t win, but they did send me an invitation to Kindle Scout, which I haven’t decided on yet.

    #3) Implement edits from developmental editor (Yay, Gabriel Fitzpatrick!) on Tapped.

    In spite of an epic failure coring an avocado that left me one-handed for several months I did manage to implement not only the edits from Gabriel Fitzpatrick, but suggestions from my Beta readers as well. Check, check, and check!

    #4) Finish Residual Haunting.

    Residual Haunting is almost finished. It is currently being posted as a serial novel on Wattpad and is updated every Wednesday morning. I’m going to put this one down as half a check-mark. (PSST. Wattpad means you can read the current chapters for free! Go check out my creepy sci-fi/horror thing!)

    #5) Revamp the synopsis and query letters for the revised Tapped novel. And then Send. Out. Those. Queries.

    Check. I did this. And then I decided I wanted to self-publish Tapped (and its entire series) because it gives me more creative freedom.

    #6) Revise Persona and start formatting it for publication.

    …. Um … nope. Due to the unforeseen incident with the avocado from Hades I spent most of my working time focused on revising Tapped. It was excruciatingly slow work given that I had two fingers I could not feel during the months of May through October.

    #7) Participate in NaNoWriMo again.

    I totally participated. And I totally lost. Again. I should give myself a negative check-mark for losing.

    Is there such a thing as a negative check-mark?

    #8) On December 2, 2014 Persona will be released as my first self-published novel.

    ………… Needless to say, this did not happen. Production on Persona was pushed back. It’s new publication date is set for April 2015. However, I will be sending this in to agents and traditional publishing houses first (as per my arbitrary agreement with myself for all my work) so that date might be pushed back again depending on what sort of response I get.

    #9) I would really, really, really like it if I could climb a mountain.

    I climbed through a canyon. It wasn’t a mountain, but it was climbing. Half a check-mark.

    #10) If I can swing it, I would love to be a Secret Santa for someone next year. I’ve had one this year and it has been wonderful fun.

    Check-mark.

    So! I did relatively well in 2014. Bring on 2015!