The Big Dreams Blogfest

The Big Dreams Blogfest is hosted by Misha Gericke and myself. Update day is the day for everyone to check in and share the progress they've made on their goals.

For me, this has been a horrid year for writing and many other reasons too. I can't say I'm sorry to see 2014 go. However, I did accomplish my December goal of finding a teaching job. I'm thankful for that. And I'm trying to work through the writing slump I've been in lately to find my way back to the write path.

How was your 2014? What are your goals?

Monday Mishmash

1. Teaching - Okay. I've been keeping my mouth shut because you never know who may stumble across your blog and I didn't want to come across as negative to potential employers, but I believe for the first time ever I'm finding that a day job search can be as maddening as the query process. I've been subbing all semester and most of the schools I've been in have asked me back. Yet I cannot seem to get my own classroom! I want to teach English and I'm published, what else am I going to have to do?
2. Sick- On top of the madness, I'm sick this week. Cruddy chest congestion, runny nose bad cough the works. I'm asthmatic, so it's a little bit of a concern. But I have a doctor appointment today, so hopefully we can nip it before it gets worse.
3. House- We are in the process of buying a house. Again. We have an inspection in a couple of days and hopefully it goes well, because I love this house. It looks a lot like our old house, with more space!
4. Writing Woes- Next week on Unicorn Bell, I'm doing a theme on writerly woes. Things you wouldn't usually say in the blogosphere, but we all struggle with. It would be super helpful if you left some of your woes in comments.
5. Success- As a writer, how do you judge it? I really want to know. Are you looking for a certain sales number or Amazon ranking? Some days I feel like I'm getting somewhere and other days I feel like I need a map to find somewhere. 

So that's me this week. What's up with you?

The Big Dreams Blogfest

The Big Dreams Blogfest is hosted by Misha Gericke and myself. Update day is the day we all come together to discuss what we've done to meet our goals.

Theoretically, I have two goals. 1. Write a million words. 2. Make a million dollars. And I feel like most of this year, I've done nothing to accomplish those dreams. In fairness, for my family and I this has been a really hard year. If I'm being objective, I can understand why I can't write. Lately, another goal has been more pressing: find a job. I'm looking for a teaching job. I actually started working on my teaching license before 2010, but about the time I got really serious about it, we moved across the country. The requirements were totally different and after two days of Wisconsin, I knew I was coming home. It seemed unlogical to try and complete the requirements there, when I would have to come back to Texas and start all over. So we're back in Texas, and I've completed the requirements. Mostly. To get a license I need to work on a probationary certificate for a year. The problem is to do that, I need a job. To get a job, I need a license, so you see the conflict...

But my family could use the extra income, and teaching gives me a similar schedule to my duaghter's. Not to mention, I have an English degree, and I'm a writer. There is no other job that utilizes these skills. After three months of searching for a job to no avail, I decided I needed to come at this the way I come at writing. With a business plan. Last night, I started writing out a 30 day action plan. My goal is to have a job teaching middle school English by January 28th. I currently work as a sub which allows me to keep my daughter in the preschool she loves. Subbing, I've got to see a lot of schools, and I love working with middle school students and upper elementary kids. But middle school libraries are completely YA. Umm. Can you say heaven???

I know what you're thinking. A 30 day action plan should yield results in like 30 days. But there are some things to take into consideration here. I'm going to be in India for 15 days of December. I may or may not have internet connection and I'll be working with a 12 hour time difference. Schools will also be closed for two weeks. (I'm leaving a week before schools close, so I'm actually losing 3 weeks here). It's unlikely new jobs will be posted during this time, and entirely possible I'll miss them if they are. So I've built extra time into the plan. Any days I'm unable to conquer from abroad, I'll come home and work on.
I haven't written anything in months. It's sad. It makes me feel like a has been. Or a never was. I think I'm going to blog this process, which means I'm writing, right? I realize these blog posts will have nothing to do with writing and I may lose some traffic, but I haven't blogged since September, so no more traffic loss than staying silent. And many of you just drop by for moral support, which I can tell you I have never needed more than right now.

How are your goals coming along?

Big Dreams Blogfest

The Big Dreams Blogfest is hosted by myself and Misha Gericke. My long term goals are to write a million words and make a million dollars. My goal for this month was not writing related but to finish the pre-internship classes for my teaching certificate, because this would free up time and finding a stable day job will free up mental space. I accomplished this! Yay! This is the first time in forever I can say I accomplished something. I haven't decied if October's goal should be to find a job or finish rewrites on this manuscript I've been working on FOREVER. But I do know I will need to pass the special education exam in October because that will help with finding a job. As for writing, I will have more thoughts on my long term writing goals next month's update. I'm trying to think through some things right now and there is a small humanoid hanging on my arm screaming "Mommy, mommy are you ready?"

What are your goals? Are you making progress?

Romance Roundup

Here's what I'm looking forward to this week. And these are actually both out! 

 Sometimes you just have to believe...
A single crystal slipper. It was probably the weirdest gift librarian Celinda Branham ever received during a Christmas gift exchange. Who would even wear these in the real world? Not Celinda, wearer of sensible shoes and fairy tale naysayer. That said, she certainly has the requisite wicked stepmother, irritating stepsister, and empty bank account. Of course, if she actually believed in all that fantastical junk, she could wait for her Prince Charming... Only Prince Charming doesn't exist. But Preston Chandler believes in fairy tales. Oh, does he ever. All he did was spurn the advances of a certain witch, and now his sister is under a sleeping spell. And the only way to break it? Find the other glass slipper and give someone "Love's First Kiss." But when Preston finally tracks down Celinda, he's dismayed to discover that the shy librarian who owns the other shoe has no interest in anything remotely resembling magic—including love. Now he must find a way into his Cinderella's cynical heart, or lose his sister... and his only chance for true love.

Katia jumps at the chance to go to England with her best friend after Rose ditches her deadbeat boyfriend. While walking through the market, she spies a large mansion and recognizes the guy out front as her high school friend Tony. Just as they start to reconnect, Katia passes through times and lands in the arms of Lord Landon, who looks like Tony but certainly doesn’t act like him.
Soon, Katia learns that this 1815 is different from the one in history books. Trapped in a parallel world, Katia struggles to not fall for Landon but his charm proves too much for her. Just when she is about to confess her love for him, Katia travels through time yet again.
The course of love never did run smooth and if Katia can’t figure out and master the test of time, she’ll never see or friends again, or worse, never be reunited with Landon.

What are you looking forward to? What are you reading? 

Monday Mishmash

1. Kiss of Death- You can read Kelly Hashway's Kiss of Death for free here! Kiss of Death is the prequel to the Touch o Death series.
   
2. Teaching Certification- So I finished all my classes. Again. Which means, I'm re-eligible to teach as long as I find a job. (You have to teach for one year to get certified). Let's hope this happens.
3. Portfolio- I'm putting together a portfolio for interviews now that I'm done with the classes. It's been a really interesting process and some things I learned during these classes will help my fiction.
4. Fiction Workbook- Some of you know I'm creating a fiction workbook for my MFA project this semester. That is starting to come along. The certification classes gave me some really good ideas for this.
5. Educational Writing- My MFA requires a practical genre, and my practical genre is educational writing, which I think I'm going to be pursuing under another name, because it sounds fun and has a quicker response time than fiction.

So that's me this week.. What's up with you?

Monday Mishmash

1. Fiction Workbook- I'm turning in the outline for the fiction workbook I'm writing for my MFA today. Let's hope it gets accepted, and I make an A. Yeah. That would be good.
2. Dance Class- The ELF hid her ballet shoes but I eventually found them, which is a good thing because we have dance bright and early this morning.
3. Teaching Classes- I have 12 units left for my teaching certification before I'm re-eligible for the internship. I'm hoping to knock these out before September is over which should free October up for this book I've been perpetually delaying edits on.
4. Subbing- Not in the sense you think! I have orientations for two school districts this week, so hopefully I'm getting regular sub work by next week! 

It's amazing! Looking at this it doesn't seem like I have as much going on as usual, and yet I still feel completely overwhelmed. But that's me this week. What are you up to?

The Monster Within Review

The moment seventeen-year-old Samantha Thompson crawls out of her grave, her second chance at life begins. She died of cancer with her long-time boyfriend, Ethan, by her side--a completely unfair shot at life.
But Ethan found a way to bring her back, like he promised he would. Only Sam came back wrong.
She's now a monster that drains others' lives to survive. And after she kills, she’s tortured by visions—glimpses into her victims would-have-been futures had she not killed them. Barely able to live with herself and trying to make things right, Sam ends up a pawn in a vicious game of payback within the local coven of witches.
But when the game reveals what Ethan had to do to save Sam, she must make a choice that will change all their lives forever.

This book grabs your attention right from the start. It opens up with a girl crawling out of her grave. If nothing else, you're intrigued. And it becomes obvious pretty quickly that Samantha didn't come back right. She's killing people around her (accidentally) but she never asks for help. I can understand why. Her boyfriend who brought her back is the only person she can count on, and she's worried about what he would think if he knew she came back a monster. But wow does she let it get out of control before she finally asks for help. When she does get help, it's not from someone she should trust. And while the person she trusts seems nice enough, the way she helped should have told Sam that something wasn't right with this. But again, Sam says nothing. The ending ties things up nicely, but there were some things that I thought could have been explained more fully. This is a paranormal romance different from the others I've seen. In fact, in some places it's very scary. This was a quick read, and I enjoyed it.

Nobody's Perfect

Ashelyn Drake is here today to talk about her new book.

The title of my new YA contemporary romance is Perfect For You, but let’s face it. Nobody is perfect. Honestly, that’s why I love my characters in this book so much. They’re all flawed. And really it’s the flaws that make them lovable.

Let’s start with the MC, Meg. She had her heart broken in the worst way imaginable. Her sophomore-year boyfriend made out with another girl in front of Meg’s locker. Nothing says “dumped” quite like that. Meg’s now with a great guy, but she still feels like she’s not quite good enough and fears having her heart broken again. Ash might be loyal, but Meg is constantly worried about being cheated on. Her insecurities sometimes get in the way of her decisions, but at other times, she exudes confidence. She’s really struggling to find herself.

Ash is Meg’s boyfriend of five months. He’s the quarterback of the football team, totally gorgeous, and loves Meg. He’s seemingly perfect. Notice I said “seemingly”. Ash has a temper at times and his emotions can get the better of him and cloud his judgment.

Then there’s Noah. He’s Meg’s crush of the past two years and he’s totally irresistible. But why did he have to wait until Meg was happy and in a relationship before he took an interest in her? The fact that Meg has a boyfriend doesn’t stop Noah. He exudes confidence and goes after what he wants. That makes him one of the most desired guys in school, but it also puts Meg in a really bad spot since she’s the one he’s after.

I love all three characters. Sure, they have their faults, but at the heart of it, they’re truly amazing people. Watching them discover themselves throughout the story only made me love them more. So maybe they aren’t perfect, but I think that’s sort of what makes them perfect in my mind. ;)

Book blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Meg Flannigan isn’t very self-confident, but what girl would be after her sophomore-year boyfriend dumped her by making out with another girl in front of her locker? 

Now a senior, Meg catches the eye of not one, but two gorgeous guys at school. Sounds good, right? What girl wouldn't want to be in Meg's shoes? One cute boy happens to be her boyfriend, and the other? Well, he wants to be. And Meg? She's torn between Ash, the boy she's been with for nearly five months, and Noah who is pretty irresistible. 

But Meg is playing with fire. Pitting two boys against one another, even if she doesn't intend to, could end badly if she isn't careful. PERFECT FOR YOU is a teen romance from bestselling author Ashelyn Drake, where one girl will risk everything to find her perfect match.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-You-Ashelyn-Drake-ebook/dp/B00MS6M30O

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20706715-perfect-for-you

About Ashelyn Drake:

Ashelyn Drake is a New Adult and Young Adult romance author. While it’s rare for her not to have either a book in hand or her fingers flying across a laptop, she also enjoys spending time with her family. She believes you are never too old to enjoy a good swing set and there’s never a bad time for some dark chocolate. She is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency. Ashelyn also writes fantasy novels as Kelly Hashway.

Find Ashelyn Online:

Blog: http://ashelyndrake.wordpress.com

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AshelynDrake

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7075461.Ashelyn_Drake

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AshelynDrake

Romance Roundup

Here's what I'm looking forward to this week!

He left home to escape. She made a new life out of guilt. Neither one expected to find love—but not even the Arctic can cool this steamy romance.
Maya knows she’s doing the right thing by moving to Alaska with her parents, but that doesn’t mean she has to be happy about it. Forced to give up a scholarship to a prestigious art school, she relocates to a Podunk town with one college the size of her high school cafeteria, all to help hold her family together after the death of her little sister. But a fresh start can only do so much.
Jake doesn’t like handouts and he certainly doesn’t need any distractions. Working on a salmon boat in Kodiak, Alaska is the only way to pay for his mother’s surgery back in the lower forty-eight. Juggling college courses and constant worry about his mother’s health, Jake couldn’t imagine anything else fitting into his life. That is, until he meets Maya, the sexy Californian artist who tints his world in technicolor.

Millions of people witnessed Emma Taylor’s first kiss—a kiss that needed twelve takes and four camera angles to get right. After spending nearly all of her teen years performing on cue, Emma wonders if any part of her life is real anymore . . . particularly her relationships.
Jake Elliott’s face is on magazine ads around the world, but his lucrative modeling deals were a poor substitute for what he had to leave behind. Now acting is offering Jake everything he wants: close proximity to home; an opportunity to finally start school; and plenty of time with the smart and irresistible Emma Taylor . . . if she would just give him a chance.
When Jake takes Emma behind the scenes of his real life, she begins to see how genuine he is, but on-set relationships always end badly. Don’t they? Toss in Hollywood’s most notorious heartthrob and a resident diva who may or may not be as evil as she seems, and the production of Coyote Hills heats up in unexpected—and romantic—ways.
This novel in the deliciously fun If Only romance line proves that the best kinds of love stories don’t follow a script.

What are you looking forward to this week?

Monday Mishmash

1.  Fining Hope is out!!!! You can find it here.

When insecure eighteen-year-old Kailee Hill gets caught tagging Iraq war refugee, Abrahem Yohanna's garage, she's not expecting him to act as her designated driver, hold her hair back when she pukes, or offer to be a shoulder to cry on. But she's failing chemistry and her life is falling apart, so she uses the number Abe leaves her and finds herself with a new tutor. 

The two quickly find themselves falling hard for each other. Kailee attacks a local grunt when he calls Abe a "sand nigger" and fights with her veteran brother to be with him. When she learns Abe hasn't told his family about her, she's heartbroken and the couple risks losing everything they've worked to build. To make matters worse, Kailee's previous acts make her the prime suspect in a serious crime. With Kailee behind bars and doubting his feelings for her, Abe must find a way to rescue the girl he loves and win back her affection . And to do that, he’ll have to catch a crook… 

   2. Theme- I really need some thoughts on theme. If you happen to be a teacher, what do you think would be most helpful in teaching theme to 8-12th grade students?

   3. Teaching Certificate- I bit the bullet and changed programs, so now I'm re-taking classes to be intern eligible again. But I shall survive.

   4. Insane Semester!- This semester has already been insane and really hasn't even started. I'm currently reading a textbook to learn HTML/CSS. This semester I will write five essays, read five textbooks, build a website by hand, and write the fiction workbook I previously mentioned. In addition to this I have a 5 page prospectus due very soon. I don't even know what that is. Yay. Talk about being set up for failure. LOL. 

  5. Substitute Teaching- I'm on four sub lists this semester. Hopefully, this leads to a full time job somewhere.

  

Big Dreams Blogfest: Getting Back to the Basics

The Big Dreams Blogfest is hosted by Misha Gericke and myself.

My goals are to write a million words and make a million dollars. And I feel like every Friday of this year, I've said the same thing. No progress. 2014 has been a chaotic year for me. I sold a house I was in less than six months moved across state (and TX is a big state), and worked a horrid temp job until the house was sold. I'm also trying to finish my teaching certification while going to grad school. (The two programs are not related).
Recently, I feel like I have a burn out. And I probably do. I think it's important to pay less attention to my goals, and focus more on getting back to the basics. For writing and blogging to be fun again. I did nothing for rewrites this month, nor did I write anything new. I got my mentor and program director to accept my MFA syllabus after something like five tries. I'm writing a workbook on narrative fiction for my major project this semester. And that's where I am. Hopefully, next month I have more to share. I kind of doubt it though. I changed teaching certification schools this week and while I was intern eligible earlier this week I have to retake several classes to get there again. The good news is I can do so at my own pace, and we all know I'm fast paced.

Did you accomplish your goal this month?

Romance Roundup

Here's what I'm looking forward to this week!

Beautiful cover! Can't wait for this one.

Desperate to prevent an abusive arranged marriage, Princess Araya flees to a neighboring kingdom, only to land at the mercy of the impulsive Crown Prince Thoredmund, who provides refuge in a secluded forest and teaches her survival skills. Her surprise at the unexpected hold the price has on her heart mirrors his shock at falling for the one girl he can’t have.
As the young couple’s feelings for each other grow, the fragile alliance between the two kingdoms threatens to break apart. With a vengeful duke and an enraged king fast on their trail, Thor and Araya must decide how much they’re willing to risk for love.
Even if staying together means starting a war.

This one is pitched as The Fault In Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park!!!

The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this compelling, exhilarating, and beautiful story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.
Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.
Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister's recent death.
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it's unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the "natural wonders" of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It's only with Violet that Finch can be himself-a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who's not such a freak after all. And it's only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet's world grows, Finch's begins to shrink.

Monday Mishmash

Monday Mishmash is hosted  by Kelly Hashway.

1. Finding Hope- It's hard to believe it but this book will be out next week. If you're interested in reviewing please let me know!
2. Craft Book- So it seems this semester I'm writing a workbook appropriate for 8-12th grade students on the basics of fiction. If you've ever read my YA, you know I don't believe in dumbing things down for teens, so this will be useful for writers as well. I hope.
3. Teaching Certification- I've been working on obtaining a teaching certification along with my masters recently. That's partly why the blog has been neglected. I've been spending 8 hours/day at schools for free and subbing when I get the chance. All I need to do at this point is find a job to get the certification but this is harder said than done, so I'm thinking of changing certification programs and starting all over! Yikes.
4. Youtube Week- It's my week on Unicorn Bell and I'm talking about YouTube for authors. 
5. Rewrites- I need a challenge, or a cheerleader. I can not seem to get motivated on my rewrites. Someone threaten me, please.

So that's my life right now. What do you have going on?

International Potluck Blogfest Win $10

Today is the International Potluck Blogfest hosted by Lexa Cain, Medeia Sharif and I. The goal of the International Potluck Blogfest is to promote diverse books, and we are all sharing a diverse book and a recipe. I'm promoting my new book Finding Hope which will be available September 1. The blurb is below.


When insecure eighteen-year-old Kailee Hill gets caught tagging Iraq war refugee, Abrahem Yohanna's garage, she's not expecting him to act as her designated driver, hold her hair back when she pukes, or offer to be a shoulder to cry on. But she's failing chemistry and her life is falling apart, so she uses the number Abe leaves her and finds herself with a new tutor.
The two quickly find themselves falling hard for each other. Kailee attacks a local grunt when he calls Abe a "sand nigger" and fights with her veteran brother to be with him. When she learns Abe hasn't told his family about her, she's heartbroken and the couple risks losing everything they've worked to build. To make matters worse, Kailee's previous acts make her the prime suspect in a serious crime. With Kailee behind bars and doubting his feelings for her, Abe must find a way to rescue the girl he loves and win back her affection . And to do that he’ll have to catch a crook…

And Abe and I are sharing Samoon and honey.

Samoon and honey is a flat bread served warm with honey. While Iraq doesn't have distinct breakfast food the way the U.S. does, this is a dish many people eat for breakfast. And it's something Abe loves.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday Mishmash

Monday Mishmash is hosted by Kelly Hashway.

1. Blogfest- Medeia Sharif, Lexa Cain and I are hosting the International Potluck Blogfest which you can sign up for here.
2. Rewrites- For the life of me, I can't get motivated to do this. And it's not really even motivation. I'm just so stressed about other things, I can't concentrate.
3. Stress- I'm so stressed I can't do anything, not even simple things like blog or read. I'm trying to finish my teaching job which I started six years ago and a lot of moves ago. That seems to be my focus right now.
4. Sick ELF- The Elf has a bad cough. Trying to get into a doctor soon. I hope my baby is okay.

What's up with you this week?

Internatinoal Potluck Blogfest

You're Invited to The International Potluck Blogfest

The International Potluck Blogfest is to celebrate diverse books and is hosted by Lexa Cain, Medeia Sharif, and myself.

The Rules are simple!

1. Post the lovely graphic in the corner.
2. Post a cover to a book you love with a food and/or recipe from the book, a food from the MC's region, or a food you just like! If you have a book, by all means talk about it. If you talk about my book, I will kiss you.
3. Link back to Lexa, Medeia, and me. All three of us.
4. Each book on the graphic and a $10 Amazon gift card will be up for grabs, and there will be lots of ways to enter!!!!!!!!!!!

Romance Roundup

There are two really good books coming out in September. I've read both. Usually, I wait until closer to a release date, but I'm excited about these. 

When insecure eighteen-year-old Kailee Hill gets caught tagging Iraq war refugee, Abrahem Yohanna's garage, she's not expecting him to act as her designated driver, hold her hair back when she pukes, or offer to be a shoulder to cry on. But she's failing chemistry and her life is falling apart, so she uses the number Abe leaves her and finds herself with a new tutor.

The two quickly find themselves falling hard for each other. Kailee attacks a local grunt when he calls Abe a "sand nigger" and fights with her veteran brother to be with him. When she learns Abe hasn't told his family about her, she's heartbroken and the couple risks losing everything they've worked to build. To make matters worse, Kailee's previous acts make her the prime suspect in a serious crime. With Kailee behind bars and doubting his feelings for her, Abe must find a way to rescue the girl he loves and win back her affection . And to do that he’ll have to catch a crook…

Sophomore year in high school comes with its own set of problems. You're no longer a freshmen, but you're still two years away from ruling the school. So, you sit and languish in a kind of purgatory until junior year, when things start to get interesting. 

That is, unless during your sophomore year, you find your boyfriend making out with another girl in front of your locker. Then, interesting takes on a whole new meaning, and that's what happened to seventeen-year-old Meg Flannigan. It's no wonder her self-esteem suffered a major hit. 

Now a senior, Meg catches the eye of not one, but two guys at school (I know, right?). They happen to both be gorgeous, and each vies for her attention in the most flattering of ways. Sounds good, right? Not if one of the guys is her boyfriend, and the other one wants to be. 

Meg doesn’t want to lose Ash. They’ve been together for almost five months, and she’s falling in love with him. But Noah. Ah, Noah. He’s the irresistible guy Meg has been crushing on for two years, and she isn’t ready to send him away either. But stringing both along could have disastrous results, leaving Meg in the cold once again. 

One thing's certain. Meg needs to decide between Ash and Noah soon, or she'll lose her perfect match forever. 

Monday Mishmash

Monday Mishmash is hosted by Kelly Hashway.

1. For the price of a lunch out, you can learn the process I used to query with a 50% full request rate. I still use this method to pitch my agent who only tweaks my pitch to sub, and I use this method for my self pubbed books. Sign up here.
2. International Potluck Blogfest- To celebrate our books, Lexa Cain, Medeia Sharif, and I are co-hosting the International Potluck Blogfest on 8/12/14. Save the date! We want to see you there.
3. Freelance Work- I got my first freelance client last week. I'm writing for a sports ezine which is very different from anything I've done in the past.And if you're looking for an editor I still have some openings. 
4. Rewrites- I've been rewriting Perfect Harmony. I'm hoping to be done by Friday, but for some reason I'm not confident. Still, I'd like to have it to my agent by 8/15/14. So I'm really hoping to push this baby out and send it to my cp.
5. New Blog- I know you people have books to promote. I'm giving away a press release at my new blog and so far have 0 entries. Please stop by. 
6. Finding Hope- Some people have been waiting for this book for a long time. It will be out in September. Special thanks to Ashelyn Drake who both blurbed the book and is the first person to share the cover.
   

Win a $10 Amazon Gift Card

Before we get started, you can sign up to learn the process I used to query with a 50% full request rate and snag an editor and agent here. And I'm giving away a free press release at my new blog.


The companion to A Missing Peace will be released in September. This is Mirriam's brother's story, and you can see the cover and blurb below. My Peace Battalion was tremendously helpful with the release of Peace and I love my street team. But I'm looking to have a street team for all my books, so I'd like to change the name to something that fits for all my books and future books. I'm giving away a $10 gift card to the person who offers the best name for my street team. Keep in mind I write romance with a sweet heat level.

When insecure eighteen-year-old Kailee Hill gets caught tagging Iraq war refugee, Abrahem Yohanna's garage, she's not expecting him to act as her designated driver, hold her hair back when she pukes, or offer to be a shoulder to cry on. But she's failing chemistry and her life is falling apart, so she uses the number Abe leaves her and finds herself with a new tutor.

The two quickly find themselves falling hard for each other. Kailee attacks a local grunt when he calls Abe a "sand nigger" and fights with her veteran brother to be with him. When she learns Abe hasn't told his family about her, she's heartbroken and the couple risks losing everything they've worked to build. To make matters worse, Kailee's previous acts make her the prime suspect in a serious crime. With Kailee behind bars and doubting his feelings for her, Abe must find a way to rescue the girl he loves and win back her affection . And to do that he’ll have to catch a crook…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Novel Engagement Problematic

Before we get started, you can sign up to learn the process I used to query with a 50% full request rate and snag an editor and agent here. And I'm giving away a free press release at my new blog.

A little over a month ago, I did a post on RWA's new mobile app Novel Engagement (NE). I said I was waiting and watching and needed to do research. The truth is NE is still new, so I'm still watching, but at least for now this is not where I recommend you put your marketing dollars. Because, at least, in it's early stages NE has some problems.
You all know Tuesday is Romance Roundup here at Romance World. I collect titles that have either yet to be released or have only very recently released, and I post the most interesting among them. I rely on ARC sites to do this. I like Net Galley. I'm a moderator at IndieArcs.com so I've been using that one too. They have one thing in common: I can find books by category. I downloaded NE and had A LOT of books to sort through--some with scandalous covers and lucked out that my baby wasn't around. So I played with the app looking for ways to sort. I could sort by author. And there was this nifty little feature called "lists," that I just knew was going to help me. The problem is there were no lists. I would have had to create them. So I must sort through books, and I'm not going to do that when I'm not looking for something specific. So as a book blogger, this tool is inconvenient. It does not help me quickly connect with the next big thing which is what I want. As a reader, this is a problem, because with no good way to sort I have to see lots of things I don't want in hopes of finding something I do want.
And being able to search by author? Yeah. That's not helpful if you're the author. Why? Part of giving a book away is about discoverability. Readers don't take chances with an author they don't know. Part of an ARC is not just marketing one book, but marketing your brand, all of your books. If the only way for someone to quickly find your books is by knowing your name, the ARC isn't working. You're reaching already fans. Already fans are awesome. They support us in lots of ways. They should get a free book from time to time. The problem is to move your career along you need to be gaining new fans. And at some point, already fans will buy the book. So you're giving away a book to someone who probably would have bought it, and you're missing new readers too. This is not where you want to put your marketing dollars.

What's your take on novel engagement?

p.s.Karla Soulie won the Amazon Give Away.

Romance Roundup

Here's what I'm looking forward to this week:

Okay, so I haven't read the first in the series yet, but this is my kinda thing!

The happily-ever-after of Holly Goldberg Sloan's acclaimed debut, I'll Be There, is turned on its head in this riveting, emotional sequel about friends, enemies, and how those roles can shift in a matter of moments.
Emily Bell has it all. She's in love with a boy named Sam Border, and his little brother has become part of her family. This summer is destined to be the best time of their lives--until a charismatic new girl in town sets her sights on Sam. Now Emily finds herself questioning the loyalty of the person she thought she could trust most.
But the biggest threat to her happiness is someone she never saw coming. Sam's criminally insane father, whom everyone thought they'd finally left behind, is planning a jailbreak. And he knows exactly where to find Emily and his sons when he escapes...and takes his revenge

Delilah Simms is an attractive high school senior who is being bullied by a cruel group of girls she calls the Imitators. As if the emotional harassment isn’t enough, she is also trying to heal from the sudden, tragic loss of her younger sister, Darcy—whom her mother believes is sending messages from beyond the grave.
On the verge of a breakdown, Delilah meets River Spencer—a handsome young man who she’s instantly attracted to. Although River seems perfect, Delilah can’t ignore the gnawing feeling that River is hiding something and that he may just be the biggest imitator of all.

Jared Strickland has been living with loss ever since his father died in a tragic farming accident.

Meg escapes from her grief by changing everything about her life; moving away from home to spend her summer living on an island in the St. Lawrence River, scrubbing toilets and waiting on guests at a B&B.
Once there, she meets Jared; doing his best to keep anything else in his life from changing.
When Jared offers Meg a scruffy appaloosa mare out of a friend’s back field, it’s the beginning of a journey that will change both of them by the end of the summer.

Which one of these do you like the best? What are you looking forward to this week?

Monday Mishmash

Monday Mishmash is hosted by the always awesome Kelly Hashway. Plus, she's my bff so if you don't know her, stop by her blog.

1. Editing- If you haven't heard yet, I'm freelancing! I can offer low prices plus a quick turn around, and a vast amount of experience and knowledge. And your first chapter is free!
2. The 'Real' Beth Fred- I've started a new blog to talk about my adventures in parenting, real estate and freelance writing. Check it out! Rumor has it there will be a give away Wed.
3. I'm giving away a $10 Amazon gift card here!
4. Finding Hope- Finding Hope the companion to A Missing Peace will be out this fall! I should have a cover soon. Can't wait!
5. Street Team- A Missing Peace had a phenomenal street team. But I'm looking to build a street team for all my books. Any suggestions for a name?
6. Query Class- I'm teaching my last query class for a while next month. Sign up now!

So that's what I have going on! What about you?

$10 Amazon Gift Card Give Away!

I stayed at home with my baby until she was almost two. I was home with my daughter and I wrote several books during that time. Two hit the the inspirational bestseller's list on Amazon and the third was picked up by Harlequin. I knew it would take me a decade to make a living writing, and I was okay with that. Then a change of circumstance forced me to find a day job. But having been out of the workforce for a while, the job I found paid okay but in all other regards was  horrible. It was sucking the life out of me and my family. Then I realized, I'm working on a terminal degree in Creative and Professional Writing. I've hit the bestseller's list twice and queried with a 50% full request rate, snagging an agent and editor. I have skills people can use and working for myself allows me to be home with my daughter and continue my love affair with fiction. To kick this off I'm giving away a one chapter critique to the first two people who comment that they would like one and there is a rafflecopter below for a $10 Amazon Gift Card.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Newbie Vlogger's Tips for Video Blogging From Ashley Maker

Hi and thanks for having me! Beth invited me to talk about vlogging via YouTube, and so I thought I’d tell readers out there about my (somewhat limited) experience so far.

When I first thought about getting into vlogging, I thought it would be easy. They’re short videos, right? How hard can that be? Well, it’s definitely harder than it looks. The videos can be short, but there’s still a lot of time and effort that has to go in to making them as effortless as they appear.

Here are some a few tips I’ve learned along the way.

1.       Find a decent camera. I’ve recorded myself on a phone video camera and a real video camera. In comparison, the phone video camera was very much lacking in light and audio quality.

2.       Download or purchase video editing software, and spend time getting familiar with it. I confess to being in way over my head when it comes to editing software. I usually do the best I can, then call for help from my much more tech-savvy husband. He helps trim my videos down and make them more polished.

3.       Be sure to check out YouTube’s terms of service. Know what you’re getting into. Also learn about monetized videos. If you choose to go that route (to make money off your videos by ads being placed in them), you need to understand what is and isn’t allowed.

4.       Check out and support other vloggers. Like many other social media avenues, there is a fantastic online community of vloggers. Go subscribe, watch, like, and comment on videos. It’s a great way to get to know people, study different vlogging techniques, and get your name out there. You also might make some new friends, and connections are invaluable in any industry.

5.       Find a style you are comfortable with. As a good friend and vlogger told me, this might take a while, and that’s okay. Just getting comfortable talking to a camera can take a while. Try different approaches until you find one that works for you.

I’m still really new to vlogging, but I’ve found making videos both enjoyable and challenging. Utilized correctly and consistently, vlogs can be a powerful marketing tool. Good luck in all your vlogging endeavors!

If anyone would like to come chat with me on social media, you can find me in these places:

YouTube: youtube.com/ashleydmaker

Facebook: facebook.com/authorashley

Twitter: twitter.com/ashleymaker

Author Bio:

Armed with a keyboard, microphone, and an energetic imagination, Ashley Maker is a combination author/songwriter from Oklahoma with a passion for all things creative. UNDER THE TREES, a Young Adult blended historical romance, is her debut novel, releasing from Cliffhanger Press, LLC in the fall of 2014. Songs inspired by the book can be heard from Seeking Never, the recording band she sings in with her guitar-playing husband Corey. A newbie vlogger and former editor, Ashley spends much of her time writing, procrastinating on social media, and waging a revision war against pronouns. The rest of her time is spent doting on her daughter and cuddling with a myriad of family pets, most notably Johnny Cash, cat writing buddy extraordinaire.

Big Dreams Bloghop

The Big Dreams Blogfest is hosted by Misha Gericke and me. And I'm still partially drugged from double oral surgery today, so hopefully this is coherent. LOL.

My goal for this month was to finish rewriting Perfect Harmony and get it to a CP. Before I did this I needed to finish writing character studies. I got through several character studies but didn't finish them and never started on rewrites. But a couple of stressful situations in my life are quickly dissolving so this month I should have more time. And next week the ELF is going to preschool all day, all week! So I'm hoping to get through the character studies and some rewrites.

But I havea question for you. I never count rewrites in my word deposit. (A million words is one of my goals). Should I be? Should I be counting words of character studies and rewrites?

Also, I'm teaching a blurb writing class in August and space is limited. Sign up here.

Wishing for Washington Cover Reveal

So this is MG not romance, but my friend and CP Shelley Sly wrote it and I can't wait to read it! She's an awesome writer. And without her I'd still be unpublished.

As punishment for playing doorbell ditch, twelve-year-old Tallia Thompson and her goofball brother Isaiah are shipped off to their grandparents’ house for half the summer. There’s nothing fun about being stuck in Maryland, a.k.a. Snore-a-land, except for one thing: the close proximity to Washington, D.C.

Tallia would do anything for Isaiah, and what he wants most is to meet the President of the United States. So together, they formulate a plan to get to the White House—-a plan that involves spending a bit of money and concocting a bunch of lies. And, ultimately, a plan that ends up changing Tallia’s perception of her family forever.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1kYrba9

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1jMd8Px

Thank you so much!!

When Not to Self Publish

"Should I self publish this?" is a question I hear a lot from other writers, from students. My usual response is "Without having read it, I can't tell you much." This is true. But what I'm about to say is, I think, also true.

If you're asking this question, you shouldn't self publish.
I know. Mouths just dropped. Everyone and their brother self publishes. Why shouldn't I? Well, you should, maybe. Just not now. If you're not confident enough in your book to self publish without seeking input from others, somewhere in the back of your mind a voice is telling you this could be better. Listen.
In 2010, I wrote this book I loved. My betas loved it. My teen beta said she would cry if it didn't get published. (It was YA). It garnered 100+ rejections. Screw it. I was going to self publish it. Who needs an agent, anyway?  My husband and cp were both encouraging me to self publish. But I was hesitant. Self publishing was new at the time and everyone said if you put out a bad book you'd never write again. I couldn't afford a freelance editor and even as a newer writer I understood no good could come from publishing without an editor. And one thing I hoped an editor would be able to tell me was if I should self publish. By situation, I was forced to shelve it. Thank God! My writing has improved so much since then.
Flash forward a year later and I queried a novella to a handful of small presses with an overwhelmingly positive response. When I decided to publish The Fate of A Marlowe Girl, I never doubted it. There was nothing wrong with the writing because others were interested. An editor wanted a second round "revise and resubmit" and I felt like this could go on forever without a contract ever being offered. So I self published. As an MFA student now, I can see how going back and forth with that editor years ago would have shaved lots of time off my journey, and if I had it to do over I might well do a few more rounds before one of us called it quits. Still, the story and language were solid.

P.S. You can sign up for my August plot and blurb class here.

Romance Roundup

I'm more excited than normal about this week's books! Why? Because there is a YA romantic suspense (a subgenre that really only started popping up a couple of years ago about the time I sold A Missing Peace) and a clean NA! (Another rare breed). So this is a #cleanromance triumph week!

YA

They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and that's great . . . as long as you don't die.
Sixteen-year-old Haley Tremaine had it all: top-notch school, fantastic family, and a bright future, but all of that changed when an accident tore her family apart. Now, an alcoholic father, a bitter younger sister, and a cold headstone bearing her mother’s name are all she has left.
Chris Charming has it all: a powerful CEO for a father, a prestigious school, and a fortune at his fingertips, but none of that matters when he lands a reputation as a troublemaker. Struggling to follow in his father’s footsteps, he reaches out to the one person he believes truly sees him, the one person he wants: Haley.
Little do they know someone's determined to bring the two together, even if it means murder.

To seventeen-year-old Aiden Ortiz, letting the dead walk through his body to reach the other side comes with the territory. Being a Gateway isn’t an easy job, but someone’s gotta send Bleeders where they belong. Heaven. Salvation. Call it whatever you want. Dead is dead. But when his search for Koren Banks––the girl who went mysteriously missing seven months ago––leaves him with more questions than answers, he finds himself involved in something far more sinister and beyond his control. 

With the threat of the Dark Priest's resurrection, and his plan to summon his demon brothers from hell, Aiden is left to discover his identity before the Dark Priest's curse infecting his blood consumes him, and before the world as he knows it succumbs to the darkness of hell on earth.

NA

Quiet college sophomore Emma Roberts remembers her mother’s sage advice: “don’t sleep around, don’t burp in public, and don’t tell anyone you see ghosts”. But when cute Mike Carlson drowns in the campus river under her watch, Emma’s sheltered life shatters. 
Blamed for Mike’s death and haunted by nightmares, Emma turns to witchcraft and a mysterious Book of Shadows to bring him back. Under a Blood Moon, she lights candles, draws a pentacle on the campus bridge, and casts a spell. The invoked river rages up against her, but she escapes its fury. As she stumbles back to the dorm, a stranger drags himself from the water and follows her home. 
Instead of raising Mike, Emma assists the others she stole back from the dead—a pre-med student who jumped off the bridge, a young father determined to solve his own murder, and a frat boy Emma can’t stand…at first. More comfortable with the dead than the living, Emma delves deeper into the seductive Book of Shadows. Her powers grow, but witchcraft may not be enough to protect her against the vengeful river and the killers that feed it their victims.

Net Galley Gone Wrong

Net Galley is awesome tool that allows writers and publishers to upload ARCs for bloggers to download at no cost and review. It's win, win. It's an easy way for book promoters to get their books into the hands of reviewers and a great way for bloggers to find free books they're looking for. You can even search by genre, to avoid weeding through a thousand things you're not going to read. (If you're indie, indie arcs might be a good choice for you. It's the same concept, much cheaper, and I'm a moderator)! 

If Net galley is so great what's the problem? Well, there are some wrong ways to use net galley and if you're doing this you're hurting yourself or your authors or both. I've been using this handy dandy little site A LOT  lately because it seems to be the easiest way to find romance books yet to be released for my weekly roundup. I've found Landline by Rainbow Rowell in YA, I guess to appeal to her YA fanbase. Then I found another adult romance in YA. No idea why on that one. Maybe because it was relatively clean for adult romance? Yeah. If someone goes through requesting YA romances without reading the blurb you're going to annoy them with an adult book.

Then there is the whole rejection email thing. I get it. You can't give a free book to every person who asks, or you'd make no money. And bloggers with large platforms are to be desired. But how you handle that rejection email is all important and too many well respected publishers are doing it wrong. Getting a rejection that says my profile is not "strong" enough for you (read: not good enough) annoys me. It makes me not want to pay for the book and many times I won't. If it's something I really really want that I didn't think I would get approved for anyhow, I might. More importantly, it makes bloggers less willing to do free promotion for you. After all, why should they? Their profile is lacking anyway.

The e-arc world is awesome. Use these tools. Just use them right.

Romance Roundup

Here's what I'm looking forward to this week:

Congrats to my CP, Kelly Hashway on this one!

The moment seventeen-year-old Samantha Thompson crawls out of her grave, her second chance at life begins. She died of cancer with her long-time boyfriend, Ethan, by her side--a completely unfair shot at life.
But Ethan found a way to bring her back, like he promised he would. Only Sam came back wrong.
She's now a monster that drains others' lives to survive. And after she kills, she’s tortured by visions—glimpses into her victims would-have-been futures had she not killed them. Barely able to live with herself and trying to make things right, Sam ends up a pawn in a vicious game of payback within the local coven of witches.
But when the game reveals what Ethan had to do to save Sam, she must make a choice that will change all their lives forever.

Pretty and popular track star Marijke Monti is confident about almost everything – she’s got great friends, a great family, and she’s on her way to the State Track Championship. In fact, the only thing Marijke isn’t confident about is her relationship with Tommy Lawson.
Lily Spencer has spent her entire high school career preparing for the future – she’s participated in every extracurricular activity and volunteer committee she could. But, at home, she watches her mother go on date after date with dud-dudes, still searching for “the one.” Lily realizes that she’s about to graduate and still hasn’t even had a boyfriend.
While they live on each other’s periphery at school, Lily and Marijke never seemed to have much in common; but, after a coincidental meeting at the movie theater, Lily gets an idea – why can’t life be like a movie? Why can’t they set up their perfect romantic situations, just in time for their senior prom, using movie techniques?
Once the girls come up with the perfect plans, they commit themselves to being secret cohorts and, just like in the movies, drama ensues.

What are you looking forward to?

Romance Round-Up

Here's what I'm looking forward to this week.

YA

Jane Austin is like the godmother of romance, so how could you not want this?
Emma has it all - looks, money, and luck. It's not like she keeps it all to herself - she's totally committed to helping those less fortunate. AKA, everyone. She invites her heartbroken friend to help with a weekend charity event with an eye to matchmake, but when that friend turns her eye toward the guy Emma wants for herself, how will she choose between friendship and her own feelings?
* * *
Dive into the fabulous, fun lives of six Academy girls as their friendships are tested, torn and ultimately triumph...
The last thing that the girls at the elite Jane Austen Academy need is hot guys to flirt with. But over the summer the school has been sold, and like it or not, the guys are coming. And it's about to turn the Academy--and the lives of its students--totally upside down...
Available now!

Adult

Discover beautiful South Africa in this sweet, heart-warming Cinderella story about a blogger, a billionaire, and one chance meeting.
When it comes to men, if physiotherapist Caitlin Sutherland didn't have bad luck, she would have no luck at all. To help cope, Caitlin starts blogging in her spare time, about the types of men she meets and the bad dates she goes on.
While on duty during the annual Wines to Whales bicycle race, a gorgeous, sweaty cyclist walks in and sets her hormones dancing. But he is Don Cavallo; one of the four Cavallo brothers — hotel tycoons, famous as much for their business skills as for the number of beauties regularly seen on their arms.
Don Cavallo has his own issues with the other sex. He has yet to find one who is interested in him and not in his money or hotels. But when this sexy physio puts her hands on his back she not only touches his body, but also his heart.
They've both been burned before, but neither of them can stop themselves from playing with fire.(less)

ebook

Expected publication: July 1st 2014 by Escape Publishing

What are you looking forward to this week?

Big Dreams Blogfest

The Big Dreams Blogfest is hosted by Misha Gericke and myself. Misha's goal is to ear $7500/month in royalties. My goals are to write a million words and make a million dollars (on words).

And it's another depressing update day. This whole year I've added 3000 words and 70 unusable pages to my word count. Impressive right? *hits self in head* And the thing is, I only make deposits to my word count bank once first draft is completed, so those words aren't even in my bank! No closer to the goal.
I got thirty pages of REALLY harsh feedback from my prof at the end of the semester, but I did learn from it. I've stopped editing to write character shorts and I'll continue rewriting later. To get out of this slump I seem to be in, I asked a friend to schedule a girl's night months in advance for the purpose of celebrating subbing Perfect Harmony (a book that has been drafted since October) to my agent. I figured motivation might help.

What about you? How are your goals coming?