Saturday, January 18, 2014

Sixteen Blog Tour Kick-Off + Giveaway!


Sixteen days. Sixteen stops. One giveaway.

Let the fun begin!


Nicole "Nikki" Johnson has never gotten along with her mother, so when she meets a great new guy, it's no surprise that Matt's age is all her mom sees. Just because he's twenty-four and she's sixteen doesn't mean he's a creeper! Thankfully, Nikki's dad allows Nikki and Matt to be together and see how things work out. Their relationship is fantastic and Nikki is on cloud nine...

Until the Fourth of July picnic, when things go too far. Now a very changed Nikki has to make choices that will affect her every relationship - with Matt, her parents, her best friend, and most importantly, God.


Or, if you have a different ereader device... buy the book on Smashwords! https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/398239

But wait!
Before we get to the tour schedule, I have an announcement to make...
Sixteen will be available in paperback!
That's right, you heard me. After all that talk of ebook-only, I was convinced by readers and writer-friends alike to go paperback. So on March 29 -- an important date in the book -- Sixteen will release on Amazon in paperback. Woot woot! Now back to today's festivities.

Zara Hoffman - Why I Chose Self-Publishing - January 19
Covers and Ink - The Story Behind Sixteen - January 20
Literary and Lace - Interview - January 21
Iola's Christian Reads - Sixteen Facts About Sixteen - January 22
 Writings of Rosie- The Theme of Sixteen - January 23
Tales of Goldstone Wood - Interview - January 24
Blooming With Books - Name Meanings - January 25
Na's Not So Newsworthy Thoughts - Excerpt - January 26
Musings of a Creative Mind - It Takes a Village - January 27
The Ramblings of a Young Author - Finding Me in Sixteen - January 28
United in His Love - Interview - January 29
Author Mariella Hunt - Mother-daughter quotes - January 30
Realm of Hearts - Interview - January 31
Zerina Blossom - Dream Casting - February 1
Appasionata - Playlist - February 2
Summer Snowflakes - Interview - February 3

And just for fun... I wanted to find the actual scene, but I don't like the new, live version of Rolf, and this was all I could find from the 1963 movie.



Giveaway!

Monday, January 13, 2014

Keep Moving Forward

Today, it's just me, lovely readers. I'd like to discuss several upcoming changes in 2014. I couldn't for the life of me come up with a unique title, so I figured movie quotes are always a safe bet! (To those of you wondering, it's the tag line from Meet the Robinsons.)

My shiny new Facebook cover banner!

First order of business: Sixteen's big day is rapidly approaching! Woohoo! I can't wait to get this book out into the world. I know most books undergo severe change before release to the world, but honestly, it feels like this final version of Sixteen isn't even the same book I still have saved from first-draft-days. Even beta readers will be surprised to find no less than three whole new scenes. I love this book-baby of mine, and I can't wait to introduce you all!


Second matter to discuss: To celebrate my debut, sixteen wonderful blogger-friends will be hosting me on a tour! I've hosted plenty of tours, interviews, and guest posts. This will be my first time in the spotlight. To be honest, it's a bizarre feeling. But the tour shall be grand! And glorious! And include one mega giveaway right here! Details to come :) Other than the kick-off and giveaway, there will be no posts here on my blog during the tour - instead, come with me to check out my lovely writer-friends' homes in cyberspace.

Third: I will be a proper adult in two days. Excuse me while I hyperventilate.

Yes. I really did just use my first GIF. The Notebook Sisters are rubbing off on me.

Fourth: Because we're wrapping up our third annual blog party this week, and because I really want to enjoy my big adult birthday, and because I have a mega first-time tour coming up on Saturday, there will be no more posts between this and the tour kick-off. Sorry to disappoint anyone hoping for the two more expected posts. I'm a human being who's already behind in blog matters. I need time for tour/book prep. And, of course, sleep. Sleep's important.

Last but not least and quite lugubrious: This blog party was the least organized and most hectic yet. Without boring you with all the details, I'm sad to say, this will be our final annual blog party. I hope to continue participating in tours for future books, and of course we'll have guest posts, interviews, and giveaways at other times. But I'd like to have my blogging fun a bit more spread out, and have time to focus (my 2014 word) on other things - such as work, my books, school studies, and other non-cyber demands.

So until tour kick-off, bye guys!


This might become a thing... seriously, GIFS are awesome. What took me so long?
P.S. This girl is totally Nikki. No joke. I feel like I'm staring at a ghost.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Author Interview: Marie Herman

Who or what has had the most influence on you as a writer?
Well, that's a hard one. I guess I'd have to say my values and the love that I have for a good story greatly influenced the way that the first trilogy of mine, The Bandit Trilogy, came/is coming out. Though, for my entire writing career, poetry included, my family has been the major factor of how I am as a writer.

Do you base events or people in your books off of your life, or your friends' and family's lives?
Well, there is the huge antagonist that ends up murdering -- I mean, haha, no. In all reality, I use quirks of people, or tiny fragments of events to incorporate in my novel, but not enough to see, and especially not enough to point the finger at for "tarnishing someone's reputation." That had always been a huge fear of mine, so, I rather not.

What was the biggest obstacle to getting published for the first time, and how did you overcome it?
Now that question right there brings back painful memories of having to re-edit my book after going on sale. Never again, only make that mistake once.

What inspired your book? How did it all start?
A necklace (or was it a bracelet?) that my dad owned started The Bandit Trilogy, which is about a vengeful crime-fighting teenage girl who is trying to find justice for her parents in the middle of the city (more grounded than it sounds, trust me). Yeah, my imagination is a thing of its own.


What is your book about? Target age range?
They are young adult action/adventure novels with a tinge of mystery, and even though the whole concept of of crime-fighting teenage girl is kind of out there, it is actually a very well-grounded book trilogy that has been given good reviews from a multitude of ages groups (from parents to teenagers, the audience does indeed range.)

What is your goal in writing and publishing this book?
My goal? I have multiple goals. One, to make lots of money -- haha, I'm joking, really! What I believe in is this: if I can get just one person's mind change on even one of the topics that is embedded into the novel, then I've accomplished something really special.

Is there anything that you learned during the process of writing and publishing?
To edit. A lot. Ten times more than when you thought you'd finished, because the real editing process has yet to start. It would be a shame for someone to make the same mistake (that I'm still trying to clean up to this day) as I did.

Which are you - panster or plotter?
I plot in my head, but never really write it down. So, plaster?

Are you planning any other books?
YES, once I'm done with The Bandit Trilogy (last book will be out in 2014), I am going to write a more realistic stand-alone novel. It will be a change-up from the style that I've written before, in the sense that if all goes as planned, then it will be following several people instead of one. I can't wait to crack into it!

Who is your favorite character in your book? Why?
It's a tie between Scott and Sam. They are such mysterious characters, one being obviously mysterious to Zoey (the main character), and the other, not so much. Let's just say to watch these characters actions, not so much what Zoey thinks of them, throughout the book. It really foreshadows what's to come.

When you read, what is your favorite genre?
I'm pretty sure it's not considered a genre, but more so a writing technique than anything. I can't get enough of allegories. It's just so interesting how the writing is able to bring forth the brain power to come up with these things, it blows my mind!

Where can readers find you online?
You can find me at:
Twitter: @Marieherman7
 Blog: http://thebanditseries.blogspot.com/
Author page on Facebook and GoodReads: Marie Herman

Thank you so much for being my guest today!

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Author Interview: Heather Manning

Tell us a little about yourself first.
I am a young lady who loves to read -- and write. I have won multiple competitions for my writing with "Nextgen Writers" and placed first in some writing contests with the "Go Teen Writers" blog and am a proud member of ACFW. I live in Missouri where I attend high school, act in community theatre, eat donuts, and read every Inspirational Historical Romance I can get my hands on.

I am proud to say that my first novel was professionally published while I was only sixteen years old.

What do you do when you're not writing?
When I’m not writing, you can usually catch me reading, cross stitching, or working on memorizing the lines for the next play I’m in.



What is your writing process? Do you write regularly at certain times or just when inspiration hits?
I really, really try to write at regular times, like at least thirty minutes a day, but sometimes that doesn’t work and I go for a few days where I only write when the inspiration hits. I usually take part in an event that a writer’s group I’m a member of runs called “100 for 100” where the participants write one hundred words a day for one hundred days. It really helps me bump my word count up and keep an even speed.

What inspired your book?  How did it all start?
Well, I got an idea in the middle of eighth grade to write a story about three best friends, and to base a trilogy on them. I loved the setting of a pirate ship, and everything kind of fell into place around that idea.

What was your favorite book or author as a teen? What's your favorite now?
Since I am still a teen, I will just tell you some of my favorite authors. I absolutely love Mary Connealy, Deeanne Gist, and MayLu Tyndall. I could re-read their books over and over and over again.

If you could only share one piece of advice with aspiring authors, what would it be?
I would advise aspiring authors to read in their genre, write daily (even if it’s only a sentence), and attend writer’s conferences. The connections made and amount of information there are priceless.

Is there anything that you learned during the process of writing and publishing?
I learned that when I write I tend to add a large amount of needless words called “weasel words” like “that”. I have a whole list of these words, and getting rid of them tightens up writing.

Emmy Rossum as Eden in Swept to Sea
Can you tell us about the publishing process? Was there anything in particular that surprised you or that was easier (or harder) than you expected?
I absolutely loved the publishing process, and I hope I get to go through it again soon. I was surprised by how painless the editing process was. I expected to receive thousands of edits that would take months to complete, but it was nothing like that. I enjoyed it.

Are you planning any other books?
Why, yes, I am! First, I am hoping to complete the trilogy that started with Swept to Sea. Then, I plan to continue on with my writing career. I already have a lot of new book ideas up my sleeves.

What genres have you written?
Henry Cavill as Caspian
I mainly write inspirational historical fiction. However, I have gotten some ideas for a contemporary stories and I’ve even dabbled at some scarier plots. I also write nonfiction for my school’s yearbook.

What’s your outlook on fan fiction?
If it’s something a writer enjoys, then they should go ahead and do it. I personally don’t read it—it’s a waste of time for me personally, since I don’t think it helps further many writing careers. However, if that is what
someone enjoys doing as a hobby, I’m not going to stop them from writing it.

And finally, some extras: where can I find you online?
You can find me on my website: http://heathermauthor.blogspot.com/
My Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Heather-Manning-Author/140994172751360
Twitter: @HeatherM_Author
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2807352.Heather_Manning

Thank you so much for being my guest today!

Friday, January 10, 2014

Guest Post: Happy Blogiversary! + Giveaway!

Happy Blogiversary! from Cidney Swanson

Upon the anniversary of a blog, it seems appropriate to consider mile-markers, so today I thought I’d take give you a tour of some Marsian mile markers for people in my Saving Mars Series.

For those of us in late twentieth and early twenty-first century Earth growing up in America, a few early milestones might include losing your first tooth, learning to read, and, if your family celebrates Christmas, figuring out Santa Claus isn’t the one filling your stockings. Kids on Mars have these same experiences, although on Mars, Santa is understood to travel by planet hopper as the atmo would pretty much kill any flying reindeer.

A kid growing up in the USA would add middle school graduation and getting a learner’s permit to operate a car to their tween/early teen experiences. Kids on Mars have it a little different. They don’t observe eighth grade graduation as the school system only includes six annums of school. Now, before everyone on Earth starts shouting, “No Fair!”, keep in mind a Marsian year or annum lasts 688 days. (That’s how long it takes Mars to make a trip around the sun.) So, instead of eight years of elementary, Mars-raised kids complete their first three annums of school and then move on to “Upper School” for their last three annums. 

Another significant milestone for kids on Mars is getting licensed to drive a family vehicle. A kid who has passed their seventh annum can take a test to qualify to drive a ground-only vehicle such as a Get-about or Sand-crawler. For flying vehicles, you need to additionally take courses offered through Mars Colonial Academy Base. Most kids can only fit this in during their school holidays, so practically speaking, you could be anywhere from thirteen Earth years to sixteen Earth years before your seventh annum AND your summer break correspond. And some parents don’t want their kids flying until they are adults and won’t send their kids to flight school at any age.

So when do you reach adulthood on Mars? Well, technically this comes when you reach ten annums of age. Terran birthdays, coming almost twice a year on Mars, are a bit confusing to count, so most Marsian families only count the annual “Annum” as a marker of age, even though there is likely to be a present or two, balloons and maybe candles for a birthday each 365 days. (The original Mars colonists didn’t want to give up celebrating every 365 days, and so the custom stuck around even after the break in Earth-Mars relations.)

But really, there is another much more important marker that identifies you as an adult on Mars. And it has little to do with your true age, whether measured in Terran years or Marsian annums.

The climate on Mars is very, very dry. Some effort is given to humidify air within dwellings, but the regulations for this (as per the Mars Mandate) keep things desert-dry year round. This has consequences for skin—the less melanin you have, the greater the consequences. Because of this, the acquiring of a first wrinkle is seen as a marker of entrance into adulthood. Facial wrinkles are the only ones that really count, and most Marsians, around their eleventh or twelfth annum, will get a wrinkle somewhere on their forehead. So, while wrinkles are scorned on Earth, they lend you some automatic status on Mars as a sort of visual proof of adulthood. Celebrations vary around Mars, but you can count on a party, possibly with a live band and settlement-wide dancing, and you’ll be expected to stay up all night in honor of your new status as a true Marsian adult.

Giveaway Time! Enter to win either book one, Saving Mars, or book five, Striking Mars. US addresses only, please.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Book Review: Striking Mars

Striking Mars by Cidney Swanson
Book Five in the Savings Mars series

Amazon Page
GoodReads Page
Author Website

My Review of Saving Mars (book one)
My Review of Mars Burning (book four)

Amazon Summary:
Fleeing for their lives, Jess and Pavel make it to the Moon, narrowly avoiding the attack on Space Station 92-AE. They should be safe and happy, but they discover they are not alone on Tranquility Base. The stranger they encounter seems uniquely qualified to leak their presence to Chancellor Lucca Brezhnaya, especially when the Marsians contemplate airing Lucca's political dirty laundry. But Lucca has already shown she would destroy worlds rather than see her secrets exposed.
My Thoughts:

Many of my blog and review readers are well aware by now that Cidney Swanson is my favorite author. Once again, she does not disappoint.



Striking Mars didn't feel like its own book - it felt like part of the series, like an example of the shining art that is the Mars books. Character development was realistic and strong. There's only one new cast member in this book, and I loved him. The secrets and surprises in store for readers here are perfect, stunning, just brilliant. The writing is exactly the level we've come to expect from our marvelous Ms. Swanson.

Pavel and Jess continue to be my favorite aspect of the series. The serious nature of fugitives, a corrupt world government, and all the other craziness that is life for our favorite Marsian are balanced against quite a few hilarious one-liners. For example: "Why is there a leather couch on the Moon, anyway?" And, of course, Cidney continues to take swearing and give it her own unique, unoffensive, and often very funny twist. For the love of mittens, this book is amazing!

Of course, after all that's gone down between the chancellor of Earth, our group of Marsian fugitives, and a certain charming nephew of hers, this book certainly has its low points emotionally. Tempers flare, plans go awry, and not everyone gets their happy ending. But I can tell you this: Cidney has herself one happy reader!

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Guest Post: How to Care for Your Writer, by Natalie

How to Care for Your Writer for Dummies
by Natalie Noel Truitt

Have a writer in your life? No idea how to understand them? Looking for ways to bond with your writer? Well, here are seven ways to make your writer's -- and consequently your -- life easier. Seven easy steps to caring for one of the most confusing organisms on earth: writers.

Step one: Give your writer time to write. This point is crucial. If your writer doesn’t ever get to write, your writer will shut down (see step number five on how to deal with your writer if they shut down). For most writers, working with their characters is equally -- if not more -- important than social interaction.

Step two: Realize that if your writer talks about their character (or to their character) as if they are real, they are not crazy -- well, not very crazy. Your writer is fully away that this is a figment of their imagination. But at the same time, the writer may develop strong feelings for this character and may talk about it/to it as if it were their own child (this may also happen if they are reading a book with a really cute guy in it, but this applies to approximately 90% of female readers).



Step three: Don't be offended if your writer doesn’t want to go somewhere or, well, even see you for a few hours. The writer may even tell a white lie to get out of social interaction. This does not mean that your writer hates you; it means that your writer is overwhelmed and needs a break, or that what you're asking them to do stresses them out. This should be greeted by understanding and telling them that it's okay. If you can make your writer actually believe that you won't hate them if they say no, the writer will become much more open in your relationship.

Step four: Ask your writer about current projects or how characters are doing. This will make your writer very happy. But don’t press for information or say any of the following things: Are you published yet? I might write a book if I find the time. You're good for your age. I didn’t know you had enough money to publish your book! How much are you getting paid? Are you sure it's worth it?

Step five: If your writer shuts down, give them space. And time to write or sleep or whatever they're lacking. (Chocolate, fluffy blankets, and cool music might help also). Symptoms of a writer shutting down may include: odd murmuring, an obsession with a fictional character, crying whenever you mention said character, refusal to get out of bed, hugging a book as if their life depends on it.

Step Six: Don’t ask your writer if you can read their book (until they are totally finished) and NEVER, ever, under any circumstances (during the first draft) try to tell them that they're doing something wrong or need advice on how to fix it. This will make your writer very mad (which may result in death of your favorite character, or using you in their latest torture experiment for that scene they have to write at the end of the book).

Step Seven: Remember that writers sometimes do need a break from their lifestyle, so when they are ready for something new and exciting, try not to hold grudges over any canceled plans, killed characters, or tears over fictional boyfriends (or girlfriends). And remember: you do have feelings too, so if you writer is getting on your nerves or offending you, tell them, because most likely they don’t mean to and will try hard to fix what they have done wrong.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Guest Post: A Word from Victoria on Dumping

Curing the Tendency to Dump

by Victoria Grace Howell

Every writer of fiction and maybe even some non-fiction have had the problem with dumping. It’s a very common beginning writer problem.

So what exactly is dumping? 

Dumping is when you over-explain and over-describe in your writing to the point it stops your story. This happens often in the beginning of your story -- especially with fantasy writers. You created this big world, so now you want to describe your amazing scenery and tell about that background of the royal family that dates back two thousand years. Well, the thing is, this gets really annoying when you’re reading. Let me give you an example.


The book opens with this intense opening. A man rides on horseback with a toddler away from ancient robots from the Sky City. But wait. The author starts explaining about the magical Sky City and why the ancient robots are there and who invented them and how awesomely epic they are because the author has spent years planning out their intricate design. After three or four massive paragraphs then you finally get back to the man on horseback with the toddler. 

Doesn’t that sound annoying?

It makes you want to skip the whole background bit, doesn’t it? This is the same when the reader reads about yours -- however awesome and interesting the backstory is. We want the current action; what’s going on right now in the story. We definitely don’t want the reader to want to skip parts of our book. 

Some older authors have done this. J.R.R. Tolkien is one. He was a great writer, but he did dump horribly and, frankly, I skip a lot of those parts, and I love his works. 

But don’t feel bad. That doesn’t mean you can’t use the backstory at all, or that an occasional longer description is bad, but we don’t want it near the beginning of the book. The best way to use backstory is through the Popcorn Method I learned from author Bryan Davis.

What propels your readers to keep reading is mystery, what they don’t know. Even your world can be part of that. Think of your reader like a duck and your bits of mystery like popcorn. Drop in little bits about the backstory of your world (popcorn) through description, interior monologue, songs, et cetera. If you dump the whole bucket of the popcorn, the reader will just gobble it up or may not even eat all of it, then stop reading. So use what your reader doesn’t know to your advantage. If the backstory is directly important to your story’s plot, then you may want to expand on it. But if it isn’t relevant, you’ll want to take the spotlight off.

Sometimes you can’t use every detail you thought up. That hurts a bit, especially when you loved them, but it’s just not necessary sometimes. Use your backstory and description carefully and it can enhance the story, but don’t let it weigh it down and stop it. 

So do you have trouble with dumping? Have you conquered the tendency to dump? Do you have any tricks to help you stay away from it?

I hope this post helped your writing! Thank you Emily Rachelle for letting me participate in the tour! Happy writing and let the ideas always be in your favor! :)

Victoria Grace Howell is an aspiring writer of the weird and strange. She’s currently working on a science fiction and fantasy series with her white cat as her companion. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, watching anime, and drawing her characters.

Blog: http://storitorigrace.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorVictoriaGHT
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VictoriaGHowell
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/storitori/boards/

Monday, January 6, 2014

A Walk Down Memory Lane: Authors of Interviews Past

Good morning, my lovely readers! How's life after Christmas break? I'm struggling to get back into schedule, too. Anyway, we've had so many wonderful guests for interviews this year - from indie authors to traditional authors to a future Olympist. I thought perhaps some of you who missed the last two parties might enjoy going back in time today and seeing guests of parties past.

Our first year of partying, 2011, focused more on guest posts. We did, however, host three interviews:


Marc Franco, author of indie bestseller Catching Santa
Cidney Swanson, now my favorite author and an Amazon bestseller of YA speculative fiction
And the really big deal: Robin Jones Gunn, arguably the best writer of Christian YA ever (although Melody Carlson comes really close)



2012 saw a return of Cidney Swanson, as she was transitioning her focus from contemporary sci-fi Ripple trilogy to futuristic sci-fi series, Saving Mars. (That series is nearing an end now, and I must say, it blows the fantastic Ripple books out of the water. I'm almost scared to see what Cidney does next!) If 2011 was the year of guest posts, then 2012 was the year of giveaways! However, there were still several prestigious guests.


Rachel Coker, teen author of beautiful Christian historical fiction
Gail Carson Levine, most definitely the master of YA and MG fantasy
Stephanie Morrill, founder of my stellar writers' group, Go Teen Writers
Jill Williamson, now co-host of Go Teen Writers, and a really awesome YA speculative novelist


This year has seen more interview guests than both 2011 and 2012 combined. It's quite clear that this has been the year of interviews!

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Author Interview: S. Alex Martin

Tell us a little about yourself first.
I am 21 years old and I have written four novels over the last ten years. I attended college in Pittsburgh, PA, and I am a coffee-holic. My latest YA science-fiction novel, Embassy, is being released on January 14, 2014, through Amazon and other major retailers.

Who or what has had the most influence on you as a writer?
I’d have to say Christopher Paolini, who wrote the Inheritance Cycle, had the most influence on me. He’s the reason I started writing when I was eleven years old, and his personal story really shows that you can create your dream as long as you work hard and stay active with it.

Do you base events or people in your books off of your life, or your friends' and family's lives?
Embassy didn’t start out as the emotional story that it is today. It was much more plot-driven rather than character-driven, but it changed as I realized the story I wanted to tell. In some ways, it reflects the change I’ve undergone between January 2013 and December 2013, and truly is a story about taking control of your life after you’ve hit rock bottom. I definitely would not be the person I am today had I not written Embassy.



What is your writing process? Do you write regularly at certain times or just when inspiration hits?
When I’m in the writing and editing stages, I write every single day, no questions asked. I like to say I wrote the first draft of Embassy in ten days. That’s only partially true. I already had three chapters written, but I hadn’t touched them in months. Then, January 5-14, 2013, I sat down and wrote the rest. It took ten days to write a little more than 100,000 words (and it’s not something I’d do again). I would wake up at 7 a.m., be to Starbucks by 8 a.m., and write until 11 p.m. with minimal breaks.

As for editing, that schedule varied. While editing the second draft, I sat down in Starbucks for seven hours a day, 70 days in a row. The third draft I did on a computer in the span of a month, just cleaning some things up. The fourth draft took the longest, May-September 2013, and had the most random schedule. The fifth draft took 2.5 months of consecutive five-hour revising days, and the sixth draft took three weeks of eight-hour days.

I kept a running total of the hours and days I wrote. Between January 5, 2013, and December 21, 2013, I logged 3,016 hours, missing only 22 days. That’s more than I slept in that same timespan. So yeah, my writing schedule is pretty strict.

What is your book about? Target age range?
Embassy tells the story of Arman Lance, a twenty-year-old guy who falls in love with Ladia Purnell, a girl from a different planet. After spending one summer together, Arman promises he’ll join the Embassy Program so that he can travel across the galaxy to find her again. But over the next four years, Arman sinks
into mental isolation and depression. He finally joins the Embassy, and his journey begins. He explores the inner-workings of the program, competes in a sport called Hologis, and flies military vehicles called Molters. Then he embarks on the expedition to Ladia’s planet. Along the way, and with the help of a fellow Recruit named Glacia Haverns, Arman realizes how his love of Ladia is nothing more than an obsession. From that point on, he works to come to terms with his life and find happiness in himself again.

This story is for the older YA audience, because it follows a character who’s dealing with the years associated with darker internal conflict.

Are you planning any other books?
Embassy is Book One of four in the Recovery Cycle. No pun intended!

Who is your favorite character in your book? Why?
Glacia Haverns. She’s an adrenaline junkie and loves making the most out of life. She has her flaws and backstories that she suppresses on purpose because she doesn’t like thinking about the negative things. She’d probably be fun to hang out with, but could get overwhelming at points.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
Tell a story. Don’t line up events and hope they’ll fall into place. Revising means knowing when to switch parts around, delete parts, and add parts. Do this effectively and the story will take its own shape.

Where can I find you online?
Website and blog: www.salexmartin.webs.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SAlexMartinAuthor
Twitter: @SalexM23
Also find me on Goodreads!

Thank you so much for being my guest today!

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Guest Post: Elizabeth Liberty's Treasures

Treasures
by Elizabeth Liberty


I hate winter. I love winter.

I've hated winter for a long time. And ever since I've had a camera, I have watched for the little glow above the shade in my bedroom that means it snowed last night. And then I would vault up, rush through my chores, gulp a little breakfast, loop my camera round my wrist or neck, and stared out the back door at the lovely, hateful snow.


I don't remember when I stopped playing in the snow. I just know that one year it became very cold, and nastily wet, and not worth the trouble. I suppose that was the year I grew up. I can't pinpoint the first moment I lifted my numb foot out of the snow, shook the ice out of my sock, and thought this is not worth it. I just...did.

That is, until the camera.


Suddenly, cold of all kinds became a necessary evil - as long as I could get to the icicles. Or the drifts. Or the hoarfrost. As soon as I woke on the morning of a snow day I would sternly caution my siblings not to walk on the snow before I could photograph it. They listened. After all, I was a madwoman with a camera. You listened or you suffered the consequences.


Winter was full of treasures. From clothespins to water pumps, chicken wire to windchimes, anything could become precious when coated with crystals.



I suppose that's what the mindset of childhood is mostly about. The idea that anything can be special. Anything can be magical. The mundane setting of our rural Midwestern property could be enchanted, worth photographing again.


I think, for a while, I lost the childlike quality that all artists need once in a while. I stopped looking at winter as something magical and looked at it as a hindrance. And it stopped being worthwhile to me.

Whatever kind of artist you may be, don't do that. Whether you write or sing or pound out tunes on a hundred instruments, don't stop seeing the magic.


I still hate winter. But I have three hundred pictures of it. So I guess things turned out all right.

Visit Elizabeth's blog at http://exhortationsbyelizabeth.blogspot.com/

Friday, January 3, 2014

Author Interview: Kat Zhang

I'm Kat Zhang, author of the Hybrid Chronicles! Currently, Books One and Two (What's Left of Me and Once We Were) are out. Book Three, Echoes of Us, will release this fall. I like thunderstorms (when I'm not in them!) and hate the cold, which is probably why I live in the South ;)

How long have you been writing?

I started fiddling around with writing poetry when I was really young, like seven or so. I'd gotten this book of children's poetry and got really enamored with it. I used to sit and read them aloud to myself constantly. I was about eleven when I started getting into writing stories, and twelve, I think, when I started my first novel ("started" being the imperative word--never finished it!).

I began What's Left of Me during my senior year of high school, and wrote the series all through college. So writing has always been a big part of growing up, for me.



What is your writing process? Do you write regularly at certain times or just when inspiration hits?

I like to write regularly and set a goal for myself every day of a certain number of chapters, or a certain number of words. Some days, I'll get really inspired, but other days it takes a while to get going. Inspiration is a slippery thing. I've learnt to not rely on it too much!

What keeps you motivated?

Sometimes, it's hard to tell, haha. Of course, once you have a contract and everything, and people counting on you to get something done, that's pretty motivating. But even outside of that, once I start a story, I just have this urge to finish it. If I don't finish it, it's going to just live inside my head forever, and while that's okay for smaller story ideas -- still unformed and baking -- when they get to be a certain "size," so to say, they have to get out onto the page.

What inspired your book?  How did it all start?

Don't really have a super cool story for how I first got inspired to write The Hybrid Chronicles, sadly! Just started wondering -- what would it be like if someone else shared your body? Or if you were trapped in someone else's body, unable to speak or move? It seemed at once terrifying and awfully interesting.

Which are you - panster or plotter?

I used to be a complete panster, but the past couple years has turned me into more and more of a plotter. I'm still definitely nowhere near the outlining that my truly plotter friends do, but I like to have things figured out now to a degree that I didn't before.

Are you planning any other books?

I've actually already finished Echoes of Us, so for the past few months, I've been working on a YA fantasy I'm really excited about. I can't say too much about it now, but hopefully sometime soon, I'll have news :)

What's the weirdest thing you've Googled?

Hahaha, I don't even know. I've googled everything from "What happens to fish during extreme flooding" to "how to start an electrical fire" to "Forging birth certificates" and "how to hand-make a gun and bullets." My search history is probably pretty scary.

Thanks for having me, Emily! You can find me at katzhangwriter.com, @KatZhang, and https://www.facebook.com/katzhangwriter.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Special Interview: Hannah Miller, Future Olympist

Once upon a time, preteen Emily found out her good friend from her homeschool group had discovered a cool winter sport. Despite her friend's disbelief, Emily was firmly convinced the girl would be in the Olympics one day. Fast-forward several years, and Hannah Miller, slider extraordinaire, is raising money to train internationally - and, yes, be in future winter Olympics! Commence the insane squealing! I totally called this.

Anyway, to help Hannah get the word out about her unique sport and her fundraising needs, I invited her to hang out with us today. I just know you're going to love her, my lovely readers.

For starters, tell us a little about yourself.  

Well, I suppose I'll start out with saying that my name is Hannah Miller. I'm sixteen years old and have been homeschooled since first grade. Besides luge, I like to spend my time reading and staying fit while spending time with my family.

As you'll read on through this, you'll learn that I've dedicated the last five years of my life to something that I love and the only way I've been able to do so is through the love and support of my family and friends.

What is luge, exactly?

Luge is an odd yet unique sport. Technically, the noun form is "sliding." We slide down an iced-over track on a small sled that's fitted to our bodies at vast speeds of 65-80 mph, racing to the thousandth of a second. Luge is actually known as the fastest sport on ice.

Because we race to the thousandth of a second, all of our equipment is based off of aerodynamics. We wear skin-tight spandex suits and special shoes made to point our feet. The edges of our sleds are smooth and rounded. The whole point is to go as fast as possible.

Have you always been interested in luge?

Actually, before I tried out, I had no clue as to what luge was. My parents saw the luge recruitment program in the local newspaper and thought it'd be a fun thing for me to try out. Little did they know that four years later, I'd end up competing around the world!


How'd you get started in luge - and how old were you?

I was only twelve years old when I got started. The USLA (United States Luge Association) has a recruitment program called a "slider search" where they travel all over the country looking for raw talent. In August of 2009, they held one of these two-three hour sessions in the next town over. Seeing it in the paper,
I assumed that the program was to familiarize you with the sport, not a program that was looking for their next team athletes. Needless to say, as soon as I gave it a try, I fell in love with it.

What is your favorite part of sliding?

My favorite part is definitely the adrenaline rush and the sense of accomplishment after you've had a great run. Especially after having problems in a certain area, once you finally nail it and fully understand what to do, it's just such a great feeling.

Describe a typical day in the life of a slider.

A typical day in the life of a slider can be rather hectic. On a daily basis, we take runs on the luge track, which is the most important part of our training. We do some sort of physical training, whether it be weight lifting, cardio/agility, or core movements. Also, we have an indoor start facility. The most crucial part of luge is having a fast start time; because of this, the indoor start facility enables us to focus solely on improving our start times. All of this takes about six hours of the day. The rest of our time is spent on sled maintenance, meals in between activities, catching up on schoolwork, and recuperating from the day.

What places have you traveled to for training/competition?

I've traveled to various places in Germany, Austria, Latvia and Canada; not including the US.


Where was your favorite?

My favorite location would be in Igls, Austria. The scenery is utterly breathtaking. Though, my favorite track would be in Konigssee, Germany. It's one of the only tracks in the world that was built for luge. So, because of that, the curves and pressures have a very unique feeling that's unlike any other track.

Have you won any awards? Tell us about them!

I have! I've won a number of medals through small competitions, but a few of them have been from the National Championships held in Lake Placid, New York throughout the years.

I know you're homeschooled - always have been, correct? With all the traveling involved, I was wondering - are all the sliders you know homeschooled?

Yes, I've always been homeschooled, which has come to a great advantage. Most athletes either attend online schooling, are homeschooled, or continue working through their school districts. Some schools are very good about keeping in contact with students, while some schools aren't so diligent.

How has sliding changed your life?

Luge has drastically changed my life for the better. There are only two luge/bobsled/skeleton tracks in the United States, and because of that, we have to start living away from home at the Olympic Training Center at very young ages in order to train. Like I mentioned earlier, I was twelve when I got into luge. I started living away from home at such a young age that I had no choice but to gain independence and mature. I think that this situation really has come to a great advantage in every aspect of my life. Also, traveling to all of these places and experiencing the different cultures and atmospheres of different countries is far more effective than reading and learning about it through a text book.


There are, for example, baseball teams for fun, baseball teams at school or clubs, and then there's professional on-television baseball. Are there different levels like that for luge?

There are actually four teams in the system. The first team is what we call the Development Team. This is where every athlete starts. The sole purpose for this team is to help define and develop the raw talent that the young athletes have. Second, we have the Candidate Team. This group of athletes are those who have advanced themselves and who have worked hard at bettering their skills through the Development Team. Third, we have the Junior National Team. This is the team that travels all over the world competing in our Youth/Junior World Cup races throughout the season. Usually, by the time an athlete has reached this level, they will have spent about three years working their way from the Development Team to where they are now. Fourth, last but not least, we have the Senior National Team. This group of athletes are those who compete in the World Cup races all over the world and who are also candidates for our Olympic Team. It takes eight-ten years of experience to get to this level.

Can you go to school for luge? Are there scholarships, like with other sports?

Luge is such a small sport that not many colleges or schools know of it. Therefore, there are no academies or scholarships like there would be for basketball or swimming.

What are your future plans for sliding? Is there a certain team or place you plan to train with/at? Do you have a timeline in mind?

My ultimate goal is the represent the United States in the 2018 Olympic Games. I plan to eventually make my way up to the Senior National Team and race all over the world.

For readers interested in sliding: How can they learn more/get involved?

A great way to get involved is through the Adirondack Luge Club. With obtaining a membership through the Adirondack Luge Club, you will gain access to equipment and sliding participation during the designated club sliding sessions. To learn more, visit www.adirondacklugeclub.com!

I want to help you get to the Olympics! How can I help?

All athletes are mainly self-funded. We depend on friends, family and the community due to the lack of government subsidies. The most effective way to help would be through your contributions. Any form would be greatly appreciated. If you're interested, you can visit my website for more information on how to do so!

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Guest Post: In Stephanie's Kitchen

Because a dreamy chocolate cake recipe is exactly what we need to complement all those lose-weight resolutions...

Deep Dark Chocolate Cake 
by Stephanie Kehr

- Ingredients - 

2 cups of sugar
1 3/4 cups of flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
buttercream frosting (see recipe below)

- Instructions -

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.

2. In large mixer bowl, stir together sugar, flour , cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes.

3. Remove from mixer; stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

5. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. (Cake may be left in rectangular pan, if desired.) Frost with homemade buttercream frosting.

Buttercream Frosting 

- Ingredients - 

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened.
2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup of cocoa
1/3 cup of milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- Instructions -

In small mixer bowl, beat butter. Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk; beat to spreading consistency (additional milk may be needed). Blend in vanilla.