Learning to Log Line (by lurking around the internet)

Is it just me, or are there tons of great contests going on this time of year? It seems like there are more now than a few months ago.

Luckily, I no longer have to sit still while the excitement passes me by. This year, I have a clean MS ready to submit. Woot woot! *does happy dance with Jake*

Even better than having a ready manuscript is being prepared. I spent time learning what works and what doesn't. Of course, like with everything else, what works and what doesn't is subjective. Still, if something works for others, it might just work for me. And you.

One element of many contests is the Log Line. What's that? Don't feel bad. I didn't know what it was either.

I learned about Log Lines from the wise, and wonderful @AuthoressAnon. She has two excellent blog posts about Log Lines here and here.

Essentially, it's a tight, concise, one sentence summary of your story. It should include your MC, their conflict, and the stakes.

Wait, you thought it was hard reducing your novel to a three paragraph query letter? Yeah, try reducing it to a single sentence - that's the Log Line.

Sound impossible? It's not. Check out the movie descriptions on Netflix or Hulu. (Can you tell I don't have cable? But I digress.) Those quick summaries you see when you hover over a movie are, you guessed it, Log Lines*.

*Most of the time what you see is a log line. Sometimes what you see if just a generic description of the show/movie. Not the same thing.

Here are some Log Line examples from my Netflix Instant Queue:

The Man in the Iron Mask:

In this star-studded swashbuckler, the fabled Musketeers hatch a scheme to replace callous King Louis XIV with his unjustly imprisoned twin brother.

Pretty good. We know the WHO (Musketeers), the CONFLICT (replace callous King Louis XIV) except we don't get a clear sense of what the Musketeers are risking/stakes - we assume their lives. Which is correct.

But assuming is bad. Assuming is boring. Let's see if we can find something better:

Days of Thunder:

A gifted but unproven stock-car racer['s] quick temper and rivalry with another driver threaten[s] to put the breaks on his career.

OOOO, this is a good one. We know WHO (gifted but unproven stock-car racer), we know the CONFLICT (temper (internal conflict) and rivalry (external conflict)) , and we know the STAKES (career is on the line). Excellent Log Line and a great film, I might add.

One for the Money:

A divorced, unemployed woman becomes a bounty hunter to make ends meet, with her first big case revolving around a former high school boyfriend.

This is a good one too, although not as obvious as Days of Thunder. We know WHO (divorced, unemployed woman turned bounty hunter) we know the CONFLICT (first big case) and we know the STAKES (make ends meet). Love this movie.


See, it can be done. But nothing good ever came easy, right?

For more details and examples check out these articles on @AuthoressAnon's blog, Miss Snark's First Victim, for more examples: here and here.

Specifically, check out the Baker's Dozen Auction posts. This is a contest she holds each year (and it's coming up!!), includes Log Lines and the first 250 words. Agents bid on the entries that they dig.

I dug through EVERY. SINGLE. FULL REQUEST from the last 3 contests. I read the log lines. Here are some common trends I observed:

1. The shorter, the better. 100 words or less is best. Try to keep it to just one sentence.

2. Dump names and extra details as they clog up the sentence. Often times, this can be accomplished by dumping qualifiers and clauses. A great example is the Log Line on Netflix for The Hunger Games:

In a dystopian future, teens Katniss and Peeta are drafted for a televised event pitting young competitors against each other in a fight to the death.

It's good. It has all the main elements: WHO, CONFLICT, and STAKES. But it's clunky with unnecessary details. A better Log Line would be:

Teens are drafted for a televised event pitting young competitors against each other in a fight to the death.

Boom. Short. Sweet. Detailed.

3. Don't use character names. You may have great character names or fun, invented words for things (you are, after all, a world-building, novel-writing-genius) but the Log Line is not the place to display that particular talent. Use simple language that any reader can understand.

Try using character roles or titles that most people can understand. Examples: "divorced, unemployed woman becomes bounty hunter", "teens...are drafted", "gifted but unproven stock-car racer".

These are just a few ideas I gleamed from the sidelines. Feel free to try this approach and let me know how it works for you.

Already write killer Log Lines? What works for you? How do you draft a kick arse Log Line?





Want more?
Check out examples of tight Log Lines in Natalie Whipple's recent contest requiring a pitch in 7 words or less.

Check out more examples of Log Lines in Lara Campbell McGehee's post on Contests, Critiques, and the Joys of Loglines.

Cover Reveal: WILD CARD by Jamie Wyman

I love a good Greek Mytho story. I think it goes all the way back to 6th grade when I won a school-wide, Jeopardy-style competition about the Greek gods. Since then, I've devoured all things mythology.

So, I'm thrilled to be a part of the WILD CARD cover reveal through Entangled. WILD CARD is Jamie Wyman's debut. Here's Jamie's author bio:

After a misspent adulthood pursuing a Music Education degree, JAMIE WYMAN fostered several interests before discovering that being an author means never having to get out of pajamas. (However, she can eat/spin fire, tell you a lot about auditioning to be a Blue Man, and read/write in Circular Gallifreyan.) As an author, Jamie’s favorite playgrounds are urban fantasy, horror and creepy carnival settings. When she’s not traipsing about with her imaginary friends, she lives in Phoenix with two hobbits and two cats. She is proud to say she has a deeply disturbed following at her blog.
Jamie’s debut novel, WILD CARD, will be coming to an e-reader near you November 2013 thanks to Entangled Publishing. You can also find her short story “The Clever One” in the anthology WHEN THE HERO COMES HOME 2 (Dragon Moon Press, August ’13).


So what about the story? Here's the blurb:

It was bad enough that gods gambled with human souls, but Catherine Sharp’s soul just had to be won by the Greek goddess of Discord, Eris. As if working a dead-end tech support job didn’t suck the life out of her as it was. Now, Cat finds herself performing random tasks for the goddess in her free time.

But when Coyote, the Native American trickster himself, claims to have won her own soul in Mayhem's weekly poker game, Cat wants in on the action. With five sneaky gods upping the ante, Cat needs to find a way to collect the winning chips that could save her soul.

Marius, a handsome yet irritating satyr with his own debt to Eris, might finally come in handy for something. If they play their cards right and work together, Cat and Marius may just get their freedom back. If they don't kill each other or fall in love first.


This just sounds so amazing to me. First, because of the Greek Mytho elements. Second, the Native American element. I adore the mythology and deep cultural impact that comes along with it. Third, romantic elements. Win. Win. Win.

But what about the cover?

So pretty! I love this cover. It's enticing and dripping with edgy darkness.

WILD CARD will release in November. Preorder it here: Amazon | B&N . And you can read an excerpt from WILD CARD on ENTANGLED's page, here.

Review: TAKEN by Erin Bowman

TAKEN is Erin Bowman’s debut. She’s an active blogger and you can follow her on twitter.

TAKEN is a YA dystopian novel that weaves a dark, thrilling, tale about a boy who’s life changes when is brother is taken on his eighteenth birthday.

Here’s the log line:

Gray Weathersby has grown up expecting to disappear at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. They call it the Heist—and it happens to every boy in Claysoot. His only chance at escape is to climb the Wall that surrounds Claysoot. A climb no one has ever survived . . .

And a blurb:

Fans of Incarceron by Catherine Fisher and Variant by Robison Wells won't want to miss this magnetic first book in a gripping dystopian sci-fi series. Marie Lu, New York Times bestselling author of the Legend trilogy, raves that Taken is "an action-packed thrill ride from beginning to end. More, please!"

I loved the pacing of this story. It was fast and persistent. The narrative pushed me forward. Now that I’ve finished the book I want more!! Luckily, the sequel is scheduled to release soon, April 2014, and there is a novella prequel releasing even sooner, February 2014.

Aside from the thrilling mystery built within the story there’s a bit of romance. Because TAKEN is told from the male MC’s POV I wasn’t expecting a romantic element. I guess I just don’t read a lot of male POV romance, especially in YA.

I thought the affection and romance was believable and sweet. I was rooting for the characters to get together by the end and I can’t wait to see how their relationships bloom in the future books.

Have you read Erin Bowman’s debut, TAKEN? What did you think?

Spotlight on Shari J Ryan's SCHASM and #Giveaway

Today I’m shinning my spotlight on SCHASM *points follow spot on SCHASM*, a new novel by Shari J Ryan. Here are the deets:

When reality utterly fails you, there is always the comfort of the land of dreams. Chloe Valcourt, a tormented nineteen-year-old young woman, has for twelve years hovered between a daily life dominated by an abusive mother and an imagined alternate world that exists only in her mind’s eye. Can she keep track of which is real—and whether or not she is real, too? Schasm is the mind-bending young adult romance by Shari J. Ryan that mines the heart of darkness, where one young woman seeks light in her own shimmering daydreams.

A psychological condition has captured the body, mind, and soul of Chloe, and thrust her into the hands of probing doctors at the continued mercy of her tyrannical mother. As she struggles to break free of the grim life into which she was born, she continues to suffer the daily assaults from her mother and the dispiriting weakness of her dejected father. When Chloe unexpectedly finds herself drawn into a new, warm life abundant in love and romance with a kindhearted man named Alex, the escape at last gives her a happiness that she's never been allowed to feel. However, when hidden truths reveal a life that she cannot remember, Chloe finds herself lost between what is real and what isn't.

Blending extreme daydreaming, alternating realities, and multiple personalities, Schasm is a gripping tale that treads the thin line between a harrowing reality and the captivating terrain of an imagined world. As Chloe plays too close to the edge of insanity, her multiple realities clash, leaving her to question everything, including her own existence. Anyone who relishes a flight of fancy with richly drawn characters and surprising twists of plot will be immersed in the strange new world of Schasm, where nothing is at it seems.

Sounds pretty dark and cool to me. Grab your copy here: Amazon | B&N | iBookstore | Kobo

I love the idea of exploring alternate realities. As writers and book lovers I think our imaginations can create fantastic alternate realities. I’m interested in how Chloe handles her reality(ies). For more insight into the book, check out the book trailer here:



Add SCHASM to your Goodreads shelf or like the Facebook page.


AUTHOR BIO

Shari J. Ryan has always dreamt of becoming an author and finally decided it was time to pursue her lifelong aspiration by writing her debut young adult novel, Schasm. She has long nurtured a passion for art, reading, and writing, and those hobbies have become a mental escape from her busy life. In the past year, she has put her heart and soul into the creation of her novel, which has taught her that it is never too late and nothing is too hard. The author graduated with a bachelors of science degree from Johnson & Wales University and has written hundreds of articles for various online publications. She is married with two sons.

Visit her here: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads


Can’t wait to read SCHASM? Enter this giveaway for your chance to win a signed copy.

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Review: FRIGID by J Lynn

I recently reviewed a NA Romance by J Lynn, check out the post here. I liked her style so much that I decided to check out another of her books.

I grabbed FRIGID and devoured it one day, on the beach. *considers oddity of reading a snow storm book while on the beach* It's a steamy, NA read with J Lynn's expert flair. Here is the blurb:

For twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn't anything new. They'd been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the 'man' in man-whore. He's never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn't want to risk their friendship by declaring her love.

Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she's perfect and she's everything. But the feelings he has for her, he's always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have.

But when they're stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor'easter, there's nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one.

Sounds swoon worthy, right? *Fans self* Grab your copy here on AMAZON.

I enjoyed this friends-to-lovers story. The romance is complicated by external factors like a blizzard and a long list of ex's. There are enough bumps along the path to happiness to keep this couple on their toes.

I give J Lynn's FRIGID four out of five kittens. It was a hot romp with sweet, believable characters.

Have you read anything by J Lynn? Have you read FRIGID? What did you think?

BLUE LOVE author interview and giveaway

I have the self pub'd author MJ Fields on the blog to discuss her newest NA release, BLUE LOVE. Check out the blurb:

In this Coming of Age story Tessa Ross tries to fight her attraction to bad boy Lucas Links. He is hot, arrogant, and has a sexual past that most boys his age could only dream of, (If they even knew they could dream of such things).

Lucas, the star quarterback seems to have it all, super star athletic abilities, expensive clothes, cars, and women who literally stop just to watch him walk by. On the outside he appears to have it all.

Tessa is a young woman who lives her life always doing what is right to make everyone else happy. She tries desperately to hold herself accountable to the demanding expectations of her family and everyone around her.

Is Tessa as innocent as she appears? Is Lucas just a spoiled young man who seems to have what every male, and female wants?

If you Love an emotional story that is full of spicy hot goodness. If you Love to follow a story from beginning until the bitter sweet end. If you are often left wondering what happened next... get your tissues and lip balm ready you are in for the read of your life.

As we all know, you should never judge a book by it's cover

Sounds fun right? I love a good NA Romance. You can buy BLUE LOVE here: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords | iTunes


Now MJ Fields I am a very new self published writer. Here is her bio in her own words:

I will tell you I have always had a very vivid imagination. Starting at age 3 (as it states in my Baby Book).

Sigma was my very first love (imaginary boyfriend). He lived about fifteen miles from my childhood home, (a farm). I took him chicken noodle soup every night on one of our families snowmobiles, (Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring). Apparently he was very ill and "Thank God" I was able to take care of him.

Next was my very first self publishing gig. At eight my cousins and I (and yes I was the president) wrote a newsletter and sold it to our family members.

Years later I decided to put it back into print to entertain my cousin as she was on an aircraft carrier on 9/11 (Kick ass cousin BTW) and very far away from home during a very scary time for our country, (protecting our butts).

Fast forward to 2012. I read 50 shades and thought, I can do that, (meaning writing). I have two complete series The Love Series, and Wrapped. I have two new series Burning Souls and Men of Steel. Ten books in 13 months. CrAzY and wonderful.

I love love! ( I would love to reference Pinks new song here, however I am not sure if that would cause copyright issues.)I also tend to enjoy watching people grow and change with self realization and moments of clarity that just sneak up behind you and smack you in the head. I love people and have always been able to see both sides of a story. Each person that comes into our life leaves us with something it is what we choose to do with it that helps us grow.

I live in central New York in the middle of nowhere and am surrounded by family and friend most the time. I run a small business out of my home and spend time reading and doing the typical Mommy things. Our house is full of pets and friends and noise ninety percent of the time, and I would have it no other way.
I love people,music, laughter, hugs, and books.

Now she's been kind enough to submit to an interview (aka torture). Let's peel back the layers and get down to it.

1. Hi MJ *waves* thanks for stopping by and congrats on the release of BLUE LOVE. *fires cupcake cannon*. You’ve self pub’d BLUE LOVE. What’s the hardes/scariest part of self pub’ing your novel?

MJ: Hi back *waves* thank you for taking the time to review Blue Love!!!! *virtual love and hugs* Self publishing has been an experience! The hardest part was figuring out how to actually do it. I didn’t have a clue, a mentor, or anyone except Google to help me in the first steps. The scariest part was hitting submit because it was now out there for the world to see. When you write a story you are so emotionally attached to the characters, they are part of you, part of your life experiences, and part of something you felt was important enough to share with the world.

2. Thanks for sharing the scary stuff. What’s the coolest part about being self pub’d?

MJ: The coolest part of self publishing to me is that I figured it out all by myself (the very first steps anyway) and that now I can help others in their journey.

3. Are there any awesome online resources you used to prepare for the self pup journey? If so, please share links as my blog readers will love to swing by:

MJ: Smashwords and Goodreads were huge resources. People who read and take the time to contact you and offer advice or just say “I loved your book” are the biggest resource. Facebook, Twitter, and the bloggers out there who like to get lost for a little bit are so helpful.

4. BLUE LOVE is not your first novel. A quick look at your website and I see you have several books currently out. I also know you have more books scheduled to release (10 in total, I think). How on earth do you find time? Please share any awesome time management tricks here:

MJ: The Love series actually was my first, I wrote book four True Love first and needed to give Tessa and Lucas a back-story. The Wrapped Series and Burning Souls series gives you a glimpse of Tessa and Lucas throughout their lives. I pulled Love after I realized how much I had changed as a writer. A great friend said, “Let me have them!” so that she could edit them for the mistakes I absolutely missed having read, re read, edited, and re edited. I was to close to them to see mistakes that may keep people from enjoying them fully. I am eternally grateful to her and the many others who believed in this series enough to offer help that I would never have asked for. My time management tip is don’t sleep, lol. I worked fifty hours, volunteered for everything my daughter was involved in, and after she was tucked away in dream land I got to lose myself in Tessa and Lucas’s love.

5. I noticed on Twitter that your ‘real’ job ended a few weeks back. Are you writing full time now? How has that transition been?

MJ: I took a leap of faith (with a huge push from a very close friend) to stop working at my “real job” and do this full time. Now I get to connect with what others call fans, I call them friends and write for six hours while my daughter is in school. I was writing full time before I closed the doors to my business and started writing, now it’s full time and a half!! My hope was I would be able to sleep more than three hours a night and I actually get about five now. I am most creative from nine at night and two in the morning so that hasn’t changed a lot. I am actually busier. No complaints though, I LOVE IT!

6. As bibliophiles and writers I think we all romanticize the way book ideas come to us. How did the idea of BLUE LOVE come to you?

MJ: The Love series started as a dream, crazy but true. Tessa is no different than a lot of women out there. She loved a boy, deeply, madly, passionately, and he was a train wreck. She wanted so badly to show him what true love and acceptance were and ends up losing who she is for awhile. Without giving away the entire series, so many of us know a Lucas and Tessa, for many of us this is our story. Girl meets boy and falls in love. She sees him for who she knows he can be and wants to be but life isn’t a fairytale it’s a walk, a lesson, a journey. People grow and change and not always at the same speed as the one they choose to take the journey with. It sucks, it hurts, it’s beautiful and wonderful, and it’s scary and exciting. When we find the one at such a young age, and let’s be realistic here our first love is one we will never forget, it changes us, molds us for who we are to become. Some people hold on so tightly because they hate to fail or because they love the other person more than they do themselves. I honestly believe it’s beautiful to be married to that person you grew with. But I also believe that just because we want that doesn’t mean it’s what’s right for us, or maybe just not right now when we want it. I can see both Tessa and Lucas’s sides (Thank God because I wrote them) and I love them both madly!!! I also have to tell you when reading 50 Shades I was devastated when it ended. Too many questions in my crazy head. That’s the main reason I couldn’t ignore the dream. I wanted to know about his past, his future, how he would be as a father, and how she would continue taking care of him and children. I read many other books at the time as well and there was always questions left unanswered. That may be why starting with Blue Love, there are nine…maybe ten that follow and still give you parts of Tessa and Lucas, as supporting characters of course.

7. I’m a sucker for romance in books, TV, and movies. What is your favorite romantic TV Show/Movie?

MJ: My favorite movie (s) I hope you don’t mind I can’t chose just one. I love “A Walk to Remember” I love “Twilight” and I love “The Notebook” they are “go to” movies for me. And yes I want more, a sequel for everything!!! For TV shows its harder thirty minutes does nothing for me. I do love True Blood, Scandal, Vampire Diaries, The Good Wife, Glee, and the Voice is a never miss. Okay I’ll stop there.

8. How did you celebrate BLUE LOVE’s release?

MJ: I didn’t really celebrate with anyone, I did the happy/ nervous/ holy S*#t I actually just hit accept and publish button. The re release this tour is what I’m celebrating. I cannot wait for you all to fall in Love with Love. Thank you so much!!!

Oh no, Thank you, MJ, for stopping by. *waves* And thanks to Stephanie and the fine folks at Romance Addict Book Blog for facilitating this interview.

No blog tour interview is complete without a giveaway! MJ has been kind enough to offer up these wonderful prizes:

GRAND PRIZE
Signed copy of Blue Love
$25 Amazon Gift Card

1st PLACE
Signed copy of Blue Love
$15 Amazon Gift Card

2nd PLACE
Signed copy of Blue Love
$10 Amazon Gift Card

3rd & 4th PLACE
Signed copy of Blue Love


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Preparing for NaNoWriMo

You may remember my posts last year about NaNoWriMo. I had only started toying with the idea of daily word counts and the challenge NaNoWriMo presented got me all hot and bothered. See, I love competitions. I'm happiest when I'm competing against myself. It's why I loved performing as a musician, why I love running, and why I love writing.

But, for all my love of the game, NaNo blindsided me last year. I assumed I'd win and you know what they say about folks who assume (ass = me). And, I didn't win.

But I didn't lose. Nov 2012 was my highest word count at the time (aka best. month. ever! To-date).

So, to prepare for NaNo 2013 I'm approaching this beast differently. I know 50k in 30 days is tough. I worked my arse off last month and only made 40k in 30 days.

Here are some things that helped make 2012 NaNo a success:

1. Know thy self: setting a realistic goal - November sucks (in the best way). November is full of holiday planning, visits, vacations, shopping, and obligations. Additionally, if you have perfectioninst tendancies, like I do, writing a first draft to completion is on par with donning a hand sewn dress with the pattern still pinned to it. *brushes off chalk lines* I hate drafting because I want to polish as I go. I'm gunning for a win this year just because I want to win. Which means I'll have to plan around my own desire to polish as I go. I know it will be hard. I plan to set weekly word count goals. If I can get a head of the daily word count requirements my schedule can flex to meet other obligations.

2. Tell people: building accountability - Telling people your goals, whether they are word count, running, weight loss, or underwater square dancing increases your accountability to yourself. In other words: This shit got real.

3. Make friends: building support - I hope to build my writerly network again this Nov. In preperation I'll be building my network in Oct. It helps to have as many people supporting you and rooting for you as possible.

Here are some things I'm doing differently to turn up the heat:

1. Blow my pantser out the window with a directional charge a la Fiona Glenanne: I'm a plotter now, baby~!

Well, not really. I'm trying. I learned the hard way that a vague idea does not 50k make. I needed more than a concept. I need an outline. I need a plot and ideas and details. I'm turning Oct into my own personal plotting month in hopes that I'll have structure enough to unleash the beast in Nov.

2. Targeted collection of inspiration like a master spy:

Once I get into the nitty gritty of drafting I tend to collect inspiration. I do image searches and save pictures that remind me a characters. I dig up movies with plot elements that I enjoy or find similar to my structure. I build play lists to capture the essence of a specific character or scene. This month I will pull these items down before I start so that I'll have the inspriation ready when I need it.

3. Writing the synopsis first like a professional!

OMG, I can't believe I said it. I'm going to write the synopsis first. You hear of these crazy writers who do this and my inner pantser would recoil in horror. But not anymore. This Oct I'm writing the synopsis first. The story may change. In fact, I am posiitive it will. But having the synopsis will be my map. The outline that I mentioed above is like the mapquest directions I need to get to my destination. I just hope my directions will be more accurate than mapquest. LOL

What are you doing to prepare for NaNoWriMo?

Want more ideas? Here are a few blogs that might help:

25 things you should know about NaNoWriMo from my favorite pen monkey, Chuck Wendig at Terrible Minds

NaNo Prep: planning your novel by Janice Hardy

The Siren Call of NaNoWriMo (general thoguhts and practical advice) by Raewyn Hewitt

Pitfalls and how to avoid them by Lisa Cron via Writer UnBoxed

Cover Reveal: BREAKABLE by Amiee Salter

I’m giddy today *hops with excitement* because I have the pleasure of participating in a cover reveal for the wise and talented Aimee Salter. Woot woot!

If you don’t know Aimee, you should. She has an awesome blog that I frequent for writerly advice.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aimee L. Salter is a Pacific North-Westerner who spent much of her young (and not-so-young) life in New Zealand. After picking up a Kiwi husband and son, she’s recently returned to Oregon.

She writes novels for teens and the occasional adult who, like herself, are still in touch with their inner-high schooler.

Aimee is the author behind Seeking the Write Life, a popular blog for writers at www.aimeelsalter.com. You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.

Aimee’s debut novel, Breakable, releases November 4th for Kindle, Nook and in paperback. You can add Breakable to your to-read list on Goodreads.


Now, I know what you’re thinking: show us the dern cover already. Right? Well alright.

But first, here’s the blurb for BREAKABLE:

When seventeen-year-old Stacy looks in the mirror she can see and talk to her future self. “Older Me” has been Stacy's secret support through the ongoing battle with their neurotic mother, relentless bullying at school, and dealing with her hopeless love for her best friend, Mark.

Then Stacy discovers Older Me is a liar.

Still reeling from that betrayal, Stacy buries herself in her art. But even that is taken from her when her most persistent tormentor uses her own work to humiliate her - and threaten her last chance with Mark.

Stacy’s reached breaking point.

Literally.


Sounds great right? It’s one of those why-didn’t-I-think-of-such-a-brilliant-idea sorta ideas! You want to add it to your Goodreads shelf now, don't you?

And here is the gorgeous cover!

*fires unicorn cannon*

*performs amazing ribbon dance*

*pauses to catch breath*

*finishes ribbon dance*

Isn’t it awesome? I love so many things about this cover: 1. it’s not a chick in a flowing dress. Gawd I’m sick of those covers. 2. It’s artsy. I used to be an art major so I dig it. 3. It’s not a chick in a flowing dress. Oh wait, did I mention that already?

What do you think about the cover?

I Can Haz Productivity: September 2013 Month In Review

As you know, I’ve been tracking my monthly word counts as part of my strategy to meet my writing goals. September is no different. I was a busy, busy girl this month: trips to the beach, the north GA mountains, and the state fair, in addition to a going away party and a birthday party. Woot Woot.

Love this shot from the Ice Machine in Savannah.

While in the mountains we happened upon Cleveland, GA, home of the Cabbage Patch Kid doll. I’d passed the town a million towns but never stopped. This time was different. We stopped at their ‘Baby Land General Hospital’ where the Cabbage Patch Kids are born. The entire staff dressed as doctors and nurses. It was too sweet. Here’s a cute pic.

And here's an action shot of the staff delivering a new Cabbage Patch Kid

Awww. Cute, right? And the cherry on top of all that activity was the words. Lots and lots of ‘em. I had two record breaking days in September: two back to back 4k-a-word days and a 5k word day. *0.0*

Happy Writer Shot

I wrapped up my second draft of my NA SCI FI and am currently seeking beta readers. I’m riding the writers-high wave into NaNoWriMo prep. If you’ve followed this blog long you know that I attempted, yes – attempted, NaNo last year. I didn’t win but I logged my highest monthly word count at the time.

So after trying – but failing- at NaNo I’m trying again. *chews nails in anticipation* Only this year, my guns are hot. I’ve got a lot of plans and ideas on how to make 2013 the year that I win! More on that soon.

September writing action shot

So what did my month yield? The productivity is as follows:

14 blog posts (including 2 cover reveals and 1 author interview)
3 novels read
2 daily word count records!
2 days at the beach *sigh*
And a boatload of words *does happy dance *

For a grand total of 40,018 words. That’s my BEST. MONTH. EVER! It just reinforces what I know to be true – you can do absolutely anything you put your mind to.

This brings my total ‘tracked’ word count for the year to 121,300! *blinks* *blinks some more* I just can’t believe it. I feel so legit because that’s a lota words. Check out how I did in Aug, July, and June.

How are your writing goals coming along? How do you determine you daily word goals?