NaNoWriMo 2012 - day ten update

Word count as of last night: 18453

I just managed to get in my minimum word count yesterday. The boy is sick and barely napped. I might have a touch of what he has. I feel drained, exhausted on every level. Though it could be from the week I had.

I'm still having fun with the story. I'm working more on the romantic plot and the big villain is about to make an appearance.

My favorite bit from yesterday: "Me and Jagger? No. No, no, no." Not enough nos in the world to make that point clear. "We're only friends. What he meant, geez, I shouldn't be telling you this, but Irca likes you. A lot. And Jagger has always had a thing for her. So catching you and I together makes him mad because it would upset her. God, this sounds like some bad high school drama."

I finished my revisions of 1301 and sent it off to my CPs and betas. I did some serious changes at the beginning and added more to the end. The meat of the middle remained solid, but I always worry about beginnings and endings the most because they usually leave the biggest impressions.

I have no plans for the weekend except to nurse my poor sick boy and catch up on sleep. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Announcing the Writers4Writers Group

I'm so excited to announce the Writers4Writers Group (W4WS). I've teamed up with three absolutely amazing writers to host this monthly event: Stephen Tremp, C.M. Brown, and M. Pax.

Our Mission:
1) Help writers bring awareness of their book(s) to tens of thousands new people.
2) Help writers reach Amazon's top 100 in at least one category (i.e. suspense, free, etc.)
3) Increase sales of their book(s) after the promo is over.
4) Drive new traffic to their blog and increase following.
5) Create verbal and viral buzz.

We'll choose one writer a month to promote to start off. As the group takes off, we can choose two or three. With enough people helping in this initiative, it will have an astounding effect. It will be fast and simple to do. Easy as a tweet.

Nancy Thompson, author of the recently released The Mistaken, will be our first recipient. We'll be starting on December 6th. Mark it on your calendars! We'll have more information later in the month. Please feel free to take the badge and display it on your site.

Sign up for W4WS on the linky list below.

Insecure Writer's Support Group - November 2012

The Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) is the brilliant idea of Alex J. Cavanaugh. The purpose of the group is to share doubts and insecurities and to encourage one another. Please visit the other participants and share your support. A kind word goes a long way.

I apologize this is a day late. It's been a hectic month. So much to do! It's also NaNoWriMo. Yay! For all those participating in it, good luck. I'm Kalligenia on the site if you want to add me as your buddy.

I've been dealing a lot of self doubt lately and tons of frustration due to everything I need to get done and lack of time. So I'm offering up some encouraging quotes to hopefully inspire both you and I.

"If you're going through hell, keep going." ~ Winston Churchill

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” ~ Maya Angelou

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”  ~ Confucius

"With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable." ~ Thomas Foxwell Buxton  

"Let perseverance be your engine and hope your fuel." ~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Wicked Wednesday - The Marquis

1301 - The Marquis

Life after Hell isn't more exciting than watching football and fixing a busted pipe. Once a powerful demon, Marc enjoys his quiet existence and a good cup of coffee. With big ambitions to gain his master's favor, a trickster demon named Vetis shatters Marc's peace and vows to deliver Marc's head to the fires of Hell. Not before he destroys everything Marc cares about, of course.

Marc's power has diminished over the years. Heaven will never grant him absolution, and he refuses to return to Hell. Running isn't an option. The city of Carmine is his territory. It's also home to his favorite cafe owner, Mae Hopkins. The dame has a lovely smile, but it's her heart and soul that shine bright.

While his city burns and his love is captured, Marc must decide to surrender or let hate and anger fuel him to become the fearsome beast he so loathes: The Marquis. If the Marquis rises, Vetis can be defeated and Mae saved, but Marc would be lost to his demon forever.

This is the story where I thought I was having trouble with the male point of view. It's Marc's story, and he's a male who doesn't use a lot of words. Usually my protagonists chatter away to me. Marc's more of a grunter. Yet my CP's and my critique group all liked it. None said there was any problems with the POV. Whew. One of my CP's likened it to Hellboy. Woot!

The Marquis has a strong noir flavor. More so than the other novellas. It also sets the background with what's happening in the city of Carmine which will affect all the other stories.

Another thing I liked about writing this story was the relationship between Marc and Mae. There's none of the fiery passion of youth. They're older (Marc by a few thousand years), and it's a slow burning romance. One where the two people know actions mean a lot more than pretty words.

If you haven't done so already and would like to take part in the cover reveal for this book, please send me an email with "1301 cover reveal" in the subject heading. I'll be unveiling the cover on November 13th. Email me at christinerains [dot] writer @ gmail [dot] com. Thank you!

Colonization Blog Tour Stop - My Review

Blurb:
Andromeda has spent all seventeen years of her life aboard a deep space transport vessel destined for a paradise planet. Her safe cocoon is about to break open as Paradise 21 looms only one month away, and she must take the aptitude tests to determine her role on the new world and her computer assigned lifemate. As a great-granddaughter of the Commander of the ship, she wants to live up to her family name. But, her forbidden love for her childhood friend, Sirius, distracts her and she fails the tests. The results place her in a menial role in the new colony and pair her with Corvus, “the oaf”.

But when Andromeda steps foot on Paradise 21, her predestined future is the least of her worries. Alien ghosts from a failed colonization warn her of a deadly threat to her colony. And when Sirius’s ship crashes on the far ridge in an attempt to investigate, she journeys to rescue him with Corvus.

Andromeda now must convince the authorities of the imminent danger to keep her protect her new home. What she didn’t expect was a battle of her own feelings for Sirius and Corvus.

Can she save the colony and discover her true love?

My review:
Andromeda likes her life just the way it is. Her comfortable world is changing, though. She's now the age where she'll be assigned her role amongst the crew and be matched with her life mate. Not only does that stress weigh down upon her, but the ship will be arriving at their destination, Paradise 21, at the same time. Her hopes crumble as she's assigned a job with her mother working with plants, and she isn't matched with her best friend and secret love, Sirius. Instead she's paired with a young man named Corvus who's nothing like Sirius at all. Paradise 21 turns out not to be so perfect. Something deadly is looming in the lush jungle, and only Andromeda has the clues to figure out what that might be. Caught in an emotional tug-of-war between Sirius and Corvus, can she focus on solving the mystery and save the colony?

Aubrie Dionne has created a science-fiction romance masterpiece. She takes us from the cozy confines of the ship into a world full of vivid colors and great wonder. Paradise 21 looks every bit the Eden the colony had hoped, but things aren't always as they seem. There're mysteries and ghosts lurking about, and Andromeda finds herself in the center of it all. Andromeda is a fabulous protagonist. All her emotional turmoil builds a strong character, and I found myself cheering out loud for her. Usually I'm not a fan of love triangles, but Dionne works in Andromeda's mixed feelings about Corvus and Sirius very well. Her relationships feel pure and natural. Corvus and Sirius are opposites, and both equally likable. I wasn't sure who I wanted to win Andromeda's heart.

This is my favorite book by Dionne to date. She never fails to wow me with the twists and turns in her plots, and her smooth flowing prose. The threat in Colonization is highly original and more frightening than even the biggest of space monsters. Of course, you're going to have to read it to find out for yourself!

You can buy Colonization at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Inkspell Publishing.

About the author: Aubrie Dionne writes science fiction fantasy with romantic elements. Her writings have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, Emerald Tales, Hazard Cat, Moon Drenched Fables, A Fly in Amber, and Aurora Wolf. Her books are published by Inkspell Publishing, Entangled Publishing, Lyrical Press, and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. She’s also a professional flutist in New England.

Please visit her website: http://www.authoraubrie.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2964057.Aubrie_Dionne
Blog: http://authoraubrie.blogspot.com
Twitter: @authoraubrie 

GIVEAWAY TIME!

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

I'm Thankful For My Readers Bloghop

This fantastic bloghop is hosted by two lovely ladies, Vikki and Tara Tyler. This is a thank you to your readers. Readers can be critique partners, beta readers, blog readers, etc. We can never thank our readers enough.

Here’s the rules:

1. Sign up on the Linky List on the hosts' sites.
2. Post thanks to your readers on your blog between Monday, November 5 and Wednesday, November 7 by 1700 UK/1200 noon EST US time.
3. And if you don’t have a CP and you would like to find one, go ahead and post a ‘personals’ ad. 
4. Be CREATIVE. Write a letter, a piece of flash fiction, a haiku, a poem, or a vlog. It can take whatever form you like. We’d like it if you kept it under 300 words but won’t be counting. 
5. Naming your reader(s) is up to you and feel free to link to them. 
6. Hop around and comment on other people’s!

Vikki and Tara will each pick a winner, and jointly choose another overall winner, to be announced on Thursday November 8 on our blogs. They win:

• Vikki’s Winner: A Reader’s Report style full MS Critique, chosen for Most Heartfelt Post
• Tara’s Winner: A Banner for their blog (or other graphic), chosen for Most Creative Post
• Overall Winner: Both of the above prizes, for Best Overall Post!

Lastly - for anyone on twitter, Vikki thought it would be fun if during the same period we tweeted thanks using the hashtag #thankstomyreaders for additional fun. She is vixatthemovies there.

I am thankful for so many wonderful and supportive people. I never feel like I can properly express my gratitude. I can say thank you a thousand times, and it never seems like enough for what all of you have done for me. You've cheered me up when I was down and encouraged me to get past the rough spots. You've danced with me when I was happy and stood with me when I attempted to be strong. I am humbled by your generosity and compassion.

I don't think I can be as eloquent as other people. So I offer up some quotes that have touched me, and I hope you feel the warmth of the message that I pass on too.

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." ~ G.K. Chesterton

"The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention." ~ Oscar Wilde

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” ~ John F. Kennedy 

“No one who achieves success does so without acknowledging the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.” ~ Author Unknown 

"Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart."  ~ Henry Clay 

"Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." ~ Melody Beattie 

Thank you so very much.

NaNoWriMo 2012 update - three days in

My current word count: 7142

I've had a good start. If my son naps for two hours, I can write about 2000 words in that time. I promised myself I wasn't going to pressure myself this time around. If I only make the minimum word count or not quite that much, it'll be okay. So far, so good. No NaNo stress.

I'm writing a superhero story called "Super Famous." A young superhero wants international fame, but when her desire for the spotlight clashes with doing what's right, she has to choose what sort of superhero she really wants to be. My protagonist is turning out to be a very strong character and sort of bossy. Okay, really, really bossy! Good thing she's about to be taken down several notches. BWUHAHAHAHA!

I'm also really happy that I've been able to write in the afternoons, because I've been revising at night. It's like I'm doing NaNoWriMo and NaNoRevMo at the same time! (Except I'm working with a novella instead of a full novel.) I'm revising 1301. I'm nearly halfway done. It's been rough. The first two pages took over an hour to edit. It's very different than the original. Hopefully in a good way. I think if I can get it done by the end of next week, I'll be able to make my tentative December 13th release date.

Busy, busy! The clocks turn back an hour tonight. I don't know if I'll get an extra hour for anything. If I'm real lucky, my son will sleep in and I can use that hour for sleeping!

All my fellow NaNomites, keep on going! So many of you have gotten great starts. And if you haven't, don't worry. There's still 27 more days to go!