New Year's Eve

The family is gone, the halls are about to be undecked, and as we face the final evening of 2012, I find myself feeling very Charlie Brownish. October through December is always my favorite time of year, and with that behind us, the warm winter days will soon turn into the unbearable heat of summer. For me, the fall is all about potential. The disappointing Florida winters are not. I yearn for seasons, but at the moment, moving to my ideal place is just not possible.

Tomorrow, I will reflect on all of the wonderful things that 2012 brought me, and all of the excitement 2013 holds. But for tonight, I will allow myself to feel just a little bit sad as I relax and ring in the new year with my small but perfect family.

From my family to yours, Happy Holidays!

 

Gated by Amy Christine Parker

Now that the Gated cover has officially been revealed, I am free to post it here in case anyone missed it over at Iceybooks.

Coming August 27, 2013 from Random House. I can't wait to hold a copy of this book my hands. And there's still time to win an ARC!

Another Cover Reveal

This one belongs to my wonderful critique partner, Amy Christine Parker. Her novel, Gated, comes out August 27, 2013, and I can tell you, it's one you'll definitely want to read. Here's the description from Amazon.

"Welcome to Mandrodage Meadow, a typical middle-class, close-knit community. The families here are drawn together by shared values and a commitment to living a peaceful life in a beautiful, somewhat insular suburban development. But there's a problem: you're actually not welcome—at all.

The last thing anyone inside the compound wants is attention from the outside world. For over ten years, the members have lived happily under the direction of Pioneer, the charismatic leader who took them away from their sad, damaged lives. So when Pioneer pinpoints the end of the world and plots a very specific and drastic course for his cult (they must arm themselves and prepare to move into an underground silo to save their community) everyone falls in line; even seventeen-year-old Lyla. At least she's trying to. Lyla wants to paint instead of take target practice. And she'd rather think about the possibilities and people outside the compound (like Cody, the cute son of the local sheriff) than imagine married life in the silo with her intended, Will. As the end of days draws closer, Lyla will have to do more than daydream—it's time to pick up a gun, take a side, and let her family know exactly where she stands."

It may be a while before the book's release, but her cover is being revealed this Friday exclusively at IceyBooks. Make sure to check it out. You might even win something!

Legasea Cover

I'm here once again with some very exciting news. I have received my cover for Legasea, and I am very excited to share it with you. First off, let me say this cover is almost exactly how I imagined it. A few months ago, I was given a worksheet and asked how I envisioned the cover. Here is my version. Witness my mad drawing skillz.

Fast forward to a week or so ago when I received this in my inbox.

 

 

How incredible is that? Look for Legasea coming soon from Curiosity Quills.

The Best Christmas Gifts of All

I dedicate this post to all of the wondrous gifts out there this holiday season. My first find came this past weekend when we were searching for a tiny tree to put in Small Child's bedroom. We found the tree, but we also found these.

They were so stealthily hidden, it's a wonder I found them in the first place.

And for those of you deeply saddened by the whole Hostess kerfloffle, cry no more, for you can now make your own Twinkies at home.

 

Next up, we take a step back in time to the year 1975 where these were all the rage in every household.

Now, I understand there is a definite need for this item as some of us still have some treasured vinyl stored away. (Ahem, hand raised ever so slightly.) However, I found it odd to see so many at a book store that doesn't even sell music.

 

And finally, the pièce de résistance. This item is so spectacular, I have no words. But feel free to supply your own comments below.

Yep, that's right. Now you can have your very own Justin Bieber duck tape.

What magical gifts have you found this holiday season?

All I Want for Christmas...

I was digging through my grandmother's old cedar chest and found a letter I wrote to Santa in either kindergarten or first grade. (This is based on the fact that my name is listed as Krystalyn Thompson on the envelope. My last name was changed when I was six.)

 

Dear Santa claws claws How do you spell your name x______________

1. I want a Alarm clolck 2. and from Animal barn I want tweety bird and a kangeroo and elephant 3. I want a plush toy dog 4. all the sweet treets collection one cookie purse one Ice cream sunday and one spoon full and some furniture to go with the Ice cream sunday 5. dolly pops 6. Kelly and Elly

sign Krystalyn

whew I'm finhesh at last

contund on the other side (I guess I wasn't quite finished.)

write Yes for yes write n for no
x___________________
Y. N. (Clearly I expected him to write back.)

Kissy Kissy
Santa Claws! (Yes, I adored Santa. And check out my mad art skills.)

Most of the toys I discovered from TV commercials, but Kelly and Elly, I found in the Sears catalog. I remember pulling that thing out many, many times so I could stare longingly at Kelly and her little stuffed elephant.

And what did I find under my tree Christmas morning? (Click on picture for more detail.)

Yes, the only item on my list that Santa brought me was Kelly and Elly.

So, did Santa make the right decision all those years ago? I can tell you this: I had to Google most of the items on my list, and have no clue what I meant by Animal barn, but I knew exactly where to find Kelly and Elly.

I'm pretty sure I still have her pajamas too.

Wilde's Meadow by Krystal Wade

Earlier this month, Krystal Wade, one of my fellow authors over at Curiosity Quills, released the third and final book in her Darkness Falls trilogy.

Happy endings are hard to find, and even though Katriona is in the middle of a war with someone who’s already stolen more than she can replace, she aches for a positive future with her Draíochtans.

Armed with hope, confidence in her abilities, and a strange new gift from her mother, Kate ventures into the Darkness to defeat a fallen god.

Losses add up, and new obstacles rise to stand in the way. Is the one determined to bring Encardia light strong enough to keep fighting, or will all the sacrifices to stop those who seek domination be for nothing?

 

***

About the Author: Krystal Wade can be found in the sluglines outside Washington D.C. every morning, Monday through Friday. With coffee in hand, iPod plugged in, and strangers--who sometimes snore, smell, or have incredibly bad gas--sitting next to her, she zones out and thinks of fantastical worlds for you and me to read. How else can she cope with a fifty mile commute?
Good thing she has her husband and three kids to go home to. They keep her sane.

 

 

 

You can find Krystal here:

www.krystal-wade.com

www.facebook.com/author.krystalwade

Click here to go to Krystal's Amazon page and view the other titles in this series.

 

And make sure you check out Krystal's Wildest Moments blog fest. The prize is a Kindle Fire!

Operation Christmas Child

I consider us pretty lucky in that both my husband and I have work, we manage to pay our bills, put food on our table, and keep our child in nice clothes. Our child is lucky that we have a very generous family, and his Christmases are packed with toys and fun. As Small Child grows older, we're trying to teach him to be generous as well. This year, his day care is taking donations for Operation Christmas Child, and we decided to use that to show him how he can help others.

 

 

We went shopping yesterday and picked out some presents at the store.

 

 

Then we packed the box.

 

All done!

 

 

Rock Climbing

Our fun activity this past weekend!

 

Getting lessons

  

 

Look at me!

 

 

Even the little one got involved!

Exciting News: The Dianne K. Salerni Edition

My critique partner, Dianne K. Salerni, got some wondrous news this week.

Barbara Lalicki at HarperCollins has bought, in a pre-empt, three books in a new middle-grade series by Dianne Salerni, author of the YA historical novels We Hear the Dead and the forthcoming The Caged Graves (Clarion, spring 2013). The Eighth Day is about a mysteriously orphaned boy who discovers a secret day hidden between Wednesday and Thursday, and the beautiful girl he finds next door, who only exists on the eighth day. Sara Crowe at Harvery Klinger brokered the deal for world English rights.

And look where Dianne got to visit for research.

The Sun Pyramid at Teotihuacan

See where that arrow is pointing? Some exciting stuff takes place there in Book One. Any guesses as to what that might be?

For more pictures, see these posts on Dianne's blog:

http://diannesalerni.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-writer-looks-at-teotihuacan.html

http://diannesalerni.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-historical-look-at-teotihuacan.html

http://diannesalerni.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-tourist-in-mexico.html

***

Photo courtesy of Dianne K. Salerni

Harbor Seals!

Last week, I went on a trip to San Diego with my family. I had one thing that I desperately wanted to do: go to La Jolla Children's Pool and see seals. Of course, they feature prominantly in Legasea, but I also worked with them when I worked in zoology at Sea World.

On our first morning there, we got up early and headed out to La Jolla. But as soon as we got there, we saw something that sent my heart crashing into my stomach.

Yep, that's right. Fog. Tons and tons of fog. There are actually seals in this picture, but you'd never know it because of the fog.
But, we persevered and followed the sidewalk down to the children's pool, so named because it was created as a safe place for children to play in the ocean. Guess who else discovered it was a safe place?

It was still foggy, but I was able to get some decent pictures.

That's me, gazing gleefully down at the seals. I think I floated on air for the rest of the day.

5 K in 5 Days -- Update

I had this grand idea to jump start my WIP by getting some words down, even if they're tripe. Because I can't edit a blank page, but I can always edit tripe. So here's the update.

Mon - Wed -- I did just over 3,000 words. Yay! And I discovered something that will be very useful in my revisions. See what good comes from tripe?

Thu -- I got bitten by a were cat and spent the morning in the emergency room.  I got a tetanus shot, antibiotics, three swollen fingers, and a virtually useless right hand. Still, I was going to persevere. I can type with one hand. But then, the antibiotics made me sick and I went straight to bed after I got the kiddo in bed.

Fri -- I'm taking a day to whine, and to get work done for my day job since I leave tomorrow for California. And oh, there will be pictures.

Whine #11 -- I'm going to California while on antibiotics that say "Stay out of the sun or you will be incinerated!" Wish me luck.

5,000 Word Challenge

I have just come off of the busiest month in my work year. Because of that, I have produced no writing at all, aside from my short story, Raw. And next week, I head off on my Epic Vacation of Epicness, so I doubt much writing will be done then.

In order to make up for my lack of new words, I am going to challenge myself to do 5,000 words in the next 5 days. 1,000 words a day is quite doable for me, and it will ease some of the guilt from so much time spent not writing. To keep myself on task, I will post my progress here on Wednesday and again on Friday. Anyone else want to join me? Or cheerleaders? I can always use cheerleaders.

Thirteen Years of Disney

September 1st marked my thirteenth year working at Walt Disney World. Tonight, I work my last shift. In honor of this occasion, I'd like to share with you a little of what I did during my time there.

I was a puppeteer,

a harem girl,

an animator,

and a queen,

among many, many other things.



I spent some years as an entertainment coordinator, a Christmas season as a talent coordinator, and did a brief stint in animal programs.

During my time with Disney, I met my husband, I bought my house, I got my degree, and I had Small Child. It's been an eventful thirteen years, and while Disney will always be a part of me, it's time for me to move on.

So long, Disney. I knew you when.

The Caged Graves by Diane K. Salerni

Last week, my critique partner, Dianne K. Salerni, revealed her cover for her newest book, The Caged Graves.

I am in awe of this picture. They actually used a photo of the grave taken by Dianne's husband for the cover. And course, Verity Boone, the main character, is absolutely beautiful.

To celebrate her cover reveal, Dianne has granted me an interview.

The Caged Graves was inspired by two actual graves in Pennsylvania. When did you first learn about the graves and what made you want to write about them?

I was researching ghost stories on a site called Poconos/I-80 Haunts and History (https://sites.google.com/site/hauntsandhistory/poconosi-80east) for a completely different project when I came across mention of a caged grave in Catawissa. The brief paragraph referenced a “Ghastly Ghosts” online article from 2002 which I tracked down. That article has since disappeared from the web, but it had a photograph of the caged grave. Once I’d seen it, I knew I had to visit it in person. My husband tracked down the cemetery using clues in the article and Google Earth and then drove me out to see it. Imagine our shock when we pulled the car up to the cemetery and saw TWO caged graves instead of one! 

What type of research went into writing this book? (ie location, clothing, language)

My starting point was an online article written by the local historical society about the two graves. Little was known about them, although the historian posed several theories about why the graves were caged. Besides making two visits to the actual cemetery, most of my research was done online. I researched the history of the region and the town, purchased books on details of life in the nineteenth century, and used various print and online word references to find and eliminate anachronistic language and details from the story.

You write a lot of historical fiction. What draws you to period pieces?

Believe it or not, I love the freedom and responsibility historical settings give to YA characters. They don’t have to spend 8 hours of the day in high school. They aren’t “teenagers” so much as young adults in the truest sense of the phrase. Verity Boone, the main character of The Caged Graves, is facing an arranged marriage to her father’s neighbor as part of a deal to merge their lands. This isn’t just about a date to the prom – this is the rest of her life!

Recently, you've been working on a contemporary piece. How has that differed from writing historical?

Well, I don’t have to look up words and phrases to find out if they were in use in 1867! (Thank heavens!) However, I do have to make sure the vocabulary I use is realistic for contemporary teens, and I also had to learn more about semi-automatic pistols than I ever wanted to know. But it was a lot of fun to be able to spew out modern references, and I got a trip to the Sun Pyramid of Mexico out of it!

We've discussed what you like to write. What types of books do you like to read?

I like gothic horror and ghost stories, science fiction, and historical fiction – especially with a bit of mystery/steampunk/paranormal to it.

Thank you so much, Dianne! Congratulations on your upcoming release!

Make sure to visit Dianne on her blog at http://diannesalerni.blogspot.com/

Cover Reveal!

I had planned a post all about 90's Krystalyn for today. However, this came in last night.

Yes, that would be the cover for Spirit World, coming April 15, 2013!

Book Pushalooza

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Overview of Dark Isle

When evil begets evil, a choice is forced on Quinn, the one person who can see the danger. Does she save the ones she loves, or does she save the world from Chaos?

As the realms of Fae and human collide, Quinn's future has never looked so grim, or so damn impossible.

Genre- Urban Fantasy

Overview of Enemy in Blue

 The streets aren't safe when your enemy wears a blue uniform and a gold badge.
What if the good guys weren't good?
What if a cop went rogue and killed an innocent man?

What if it was all caught on video and the cop would do anything to cover it up?
Chase this lawless cop through the streets and to a scintillating series of showdowns with Cruz Marquez, a young attorney trying to nail down his enemy in blue.

Will justice be served?
Genre- Thriller



Overview of Land of the Noonday Sun

When two strangers have nothing left but their dreams, they must forge a relationship in Nantahala, North Carolina, a small town known as Land of the Noonday Sun.

A man with a traumatic past is able to turn his life around and is happy with his chosen career as a whitewater guide. Everything changes though when fate hurls a woman into his path. His carefree life is in turmoil, and his former weaknesses threaten to overtake him. Will he be strong enough when tragedy strikes and is once again in danger of losing everything he loves?

Genre- Contemporary Romance


Overview of This Time Forever

Delaney Brannigan and Blake Morrisson met at the Cedar Cove annual costume dance, known only to each other as the leopard and the cowboy--but, as Delaney soon discovers, the cowboy she'd thought had ridden off into the sunset never to tempt her again, is none other than the man she came from New York to find and discredit. Against her will, Delaney is drawn deeper and deeper into an overwhelming attraction to Blake--an attraction she can't give in to if she wants to keep the one thing she values more than anything else.

Genre- Contemporary Romance

Overview of Cassidy Jones and the Secret Formula

Fourteen-year-old Cassidy Jones wakes up the morning after a minor accident in the laboratory of a world-renowned geneticist to discover that her body has undergone some bizarre physical changes. Her senses, strength, and speed have been radically enhanced.

Lives are put at risk when they find themselves embroiled in a dangerous, action-packed adventure. Soon they are forced to confront a maniacal villain willing to do anything - including murder - to reach his own ambitious goals.

Genre- YA/MG Superhero

Overview of Gray Justice

Gray Justice is the fast-paced debut thriller from Alan McDermott. When a killer walks free from court, the victim's father sees just two options: accept the judge's decision; or take on the entire British justice system. Tom Gray chooses the latter and his crusade attracts instant worldwide media coverage. It was just what Tom was hoping for, but it brought him a lot more than he bargained for.

Gray Justice is much more than a simple tale of revenge: it's a rollercoaster ride with an ending you'll never forget!

Genre- Thriller

Overview of Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00

"Their lives are in the hands of two 18-year-olds..."
A Prominent P.I. is gunned down - killed by a sniper - and it’s broadcasted on live TV.
Now, her daughter, along with her childhood pal, are thrust into a complex and riveting thriller forced to take on a secret club whose members call themselves The Privileged Ones.
Murder. Teen abductions and illegal underground parties.
They’re chased by men in ski-masks, nearly gunned down by members of a cartel, and the only way to bring down this criminal enterprise; is to crash a Mardi Gras bash and stop their private cruise ship from sailing off into the sunset.

 

Overview of Allegiance

Who do YOU pledge allegiance to?

After exposing one of the most notorious rings of police corruption in history, lawyer Cruz Marquez planned on starting a new life south of the border. That plan unraveled when an extremist group of Minutemen captured and tortured him and his wife.

Will Cruz pledge allegiance to do right, or will he do anything to serve up revenge?

Genre- Thriller


Overview of Curbchek Reload

Curbchek-Reload is a dark account of the streets as they were worked by Zach Fortier, a dangerously deranged cop. Welcome back to the inner city and the twisted mentality of Zach Fortier. Patrolling the streets, broken and mentally damaged from years of urban violence, Zach fights a losing battle to maintain a hold on reality. Join him in the passenger seat of a police cruiser for more of the darker and meaner side of life: The inner city. In Curbchek-Reload you get a front row seat to an attempted murder of a cop, suicide attempts, rapes, and DARK cop humor. Curbchek-Reload - Fasten your bullet proof vest and buckle your seatbelt, it is gonna be a wild ride!

Genre- Police Procedural 

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All winners will be notified via email July 28th 2012. For a list of winners contact onedaybookpush@yahoo.ca

Ascendio 2012

This weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the Ascendio convention. Now, this is a convention for Harry Potter fans (which I am, and forever will be) but what actually drew me there was the "Quill Track," a schedule filled with author/agent panels, author readings/signings, and agent pitch sessions. It was truly an amazing experience.

 I attended with one of my critique partners, Amy Christine Parker. Er, Voldermort was there as well.

 This was one of the author panels I attended.

(l-r, Mark Oshiro, Carlie Webber, Lindsay Ribar, Libba Bray, Joanna Volpe)

I went to Libba Bray's reading where she read the beginning of The Diviners. Can. Not. Wait.

Then, she turned into a zombie.

Oh noes!

I also met Beth Revis, who was awesome and funny and really nice.

Of course, there was all sorts of fun merchandise. These were my favorites. They had Harry Potter too, but I'm posting the Doctor Who ponies because the middle one is just scary.

Don't blink.



And then there was karaoke.

And dancing.

Yep, that's Quirrell and Tonks swing dancing to Johnny B. Goode. Sadly, I did not get a picture of Snape and James polka dancing.

I did however get this picture.



And this one.

The later it got, the sillier everyone got, which was a beautiful, beautiful thing. Unfortunately, my phone died, along with my ability to take pictures, so you'll just have to trust me on that one.