This week my novel, Spirit World, was acquired by Entranced Publishing. Here is the description:
Riesa Adair knows that hearing voices is not a sign of sanity, so somewhere between her summer in a mental institution and her stepfather’s brutal attempt at an exorcism, she learned to keep quiet about it. But just because she denies the voices, it doesn’t mean they’ve gone away.
In fact, when a trio of Ghosts yank her into their world, Riesa realizes just how far they'll go to reach her. And they're the helpful ones. On the bad side, a megalomaniac Fire Spirit has taken an interest in her, because according to the Ghosts, Riesa's part of an ancient prophecy that's granted her special powers. Her ability to shift between worlds is exactly what the Fire Spirit needs to break through to the human world and gain control of it. Even worse, her abilities complement his. He's fire and she's ice. Combined, they would be unstoppable.
Unwilling to join him, but unable to resist the power which could end her stepfather’s “cures,” Riesa wavers. But when the Fire Spirit grows impatient and kidnaps her best friend, the one boy who loved her even when everyone else thought she was crazy, her choice becomes clear. It's time to see what happens when fire and ice collide.
I am very excited about this and will post the release date and cover as soon as I have them available.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
We Hear the Dead by Dianne K. Salerni
My crit partner's book, We Hear the Dead, is $1.99 on Kindle through June 24th. Here's the description from Amazon:
"It starts as a harmless prank...then one lie quickly grows into another. Soon Kate and Maggie Fox are swept into a dizzying flurry of national attention for their abilities to communicate with the dead. But living a lie is sometimes too much to handle, even if you have the best intentions. Based on a true story, We Hear the Dead reveals how secrets and lies can sometimes lead you to what's real and what's right. And how sometimes talking with the dead is easier than talking with the people around you."
Make sure to look for Dianne's second book, The Caged Graves, coming from Clarion in 2013.
Dianne's blog
"It starts as a harmless prank...then one lie quickly grows into another. Soon Kate and Maggie Fox are swept into a dizzying flurry of national attention for their abilities to communicate with the dead. But living a lie is sometimes too much to handle, even if you have the best intentions. Based on a true story, We Hear the Dead reveals how secrets and lies can sometimes lead you to what's real and what's right. And how sometimes talking with the dead is easier than talking with the people around you."
Dianne's blog
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Fiction Femme Fatale Contest
Over at Fiction Femme Fatale (the flash fiction site I run with three other authors) we are hosting our first ever contest. The prizes include:
An ARC of The Diviners by Libba Bray
An ARC of The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer (Kurt on Glee)
A query critique by Lucienne Diver (agent with The Knight Agency)
Critiques by our very own Amy and Stefanie
Head on over to http://fictionfemmefatale.blogspot.com/ to check it out!
An ARC of The Diviners by Libba Bray
An ARC of The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer (Kurt on Glee)
A query critique by Lucienne Diver (agent with The Knight Agency)
Critiques by our very own Amy and Stefanie
Head on over to http://fictionfemmefatale.blogspot.com/ to check it out!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Legasea
As part of The Writer's Voice competition, I am posting my query for Legasea, as well as the first 250 words of the manuscript.
Legasea
YA Mystery
67,000 words
Query:
When sixteen-year-old Aileen Shay sees a dead girl floating in the bay during a midnight yacht party, she never imagines her new boyfriend may be involved.
The only thing Aileen knows about Jamie Flannigan is that he personifies the one thing she has been drawn to her entire life – the ocean. But as she grows closer to him, she realizes he knows more about the murder than he's telling. He hides the fact that the girl in the bay was his cousin. And when the Flannigans refuse to cooperate with the police, then keep a vicious attack on Jamie's sister a secret, Aileen searches for answers with her childhood crush, Ian Glenn.
Aileen learns that Jamie's family belongs more to myths and legends than they do in the real world. They are selkies, and after they kidnap Aileen and threaten her family, Aileen suspects the Flannigans are responsible for all of the attacks.
But they aren't the only ones keeping secrets. Ian's father as well as Aileen's own grandmother have connections to the attacks. As Aileen uncovers the truth about the murder, the selkies, and her own family, she learns why her soul is bonded to the sea. But with that revelation comes a choice – to permanently sever her connection with the water, which comes at a painful cost, or embrace a legacy that just might get her killed.
First 250:
The moment I stepped onto the boat, I was breaking my mom's number one rule: Never go into the water without parental supervision. But that rule was old, ancient. Would one tiny crack even be noticed?
And more importantly, could a party on a 100 foot yacht be considered breaking the rule? It was more like a party on a private island. Safe as houses, my grandma would say.
Ian stood on the deck with his arm stretched out to me. Mae dug her sharp elbow into my ribs, nudging me toward him. “Come on, Aye. No one's gonna see you out there.”
It was true. The water was black and calm, no light for miles. No one was around to spot me. No one would tell my mom. Even the moon complied by sliding behind a dark cloud.
I still didn't move.
As if sensing my reluctance, the water decided to play devil's advocate. The gentle waves rocked the boat up and down, the motion beckoning me, pleading with me to step off the dock.
“Aileen?” Mae jiggled my arm.
“What? Oh.” While I stood there being the indecisive queen of the world, everyone else had climbed on board. Kids were plunking drinks into coolers, seeking out private places to...ya know, and untying the ropes so they could cast off.
Mae would never let the party leave without her. Thirty more seconds and she would get everyone to join in a rousing chorus of “Come on, Eileen,” a song she'd learned from my dad.
*To see more of my writing, check out the short story blog I share with two other authors: http://fictionfemmefatale.blogspot.com/ We take submissions.*
Legasea
YA Mystery
67,000 words
Query:
When sixteen-year-old Aileen Shay sees a dead girl floating in the bay during a midnight yacht party, she never imagines her new boyfriend may be involved.
The only thing Aileen knows about Jamie Flannigan is that he personifies the one thing she has been drawn to her entire life – the ocean. But as she grows closer to him, she realizes he knows more about the murder than he's telling. He hides the fact that the girl in the bay was his cousin. And when the Flannigans refuse to cooperate with the police, then keep a vicious attack on Jamie's sister a secret, Aileen searches for answers with her childhood crush, Ian Glenn.
Aileen learns that Jamie's family belongs more to myths and legends than they do in the real world. They are selkies, and after they kidnap Aileen and threaten her family, Aileen suspects the Flannigans are responsible for all of the attacks.
But they aren't the only ones keeping secrets. Ian's father as well as Aileen's own grandmother have connections to the attacks. As Aileen uncovers the truth about the murder, the selkies, and her own family, she learns why her soul is bonded to the sea. But with that revelation comes a choice – to permanently sever her connection with the water, which comes at a painful cost, or embrace a legacy that just might get her killed.
First 250:
The moment I stepped onto the boat, I was breaking my mom's number one rule: Never go into the water without parental supervision. But that rule was old, ancient. Would one tiny crack even be noticed?
And more importantly, could a party on a 100 foot yacht be considered breaking the rule? It was more like a party on a private island. Safe as houses, my grandma would say.
Ian stood on the deck with his arm stretched out to me. Mae dug her sharp elbow into my ribs, nudging me toward him. “Come on, Aye. No one's gonna see you out there.”
It was true. The water was black and calm, no light for miles. No one was around to spot me. No one would tell my mom. Even the moon complied by sliding behind a dark cloud.
I still didn't move.
As if sensing my reluctance, the water decided to play devil's advocate. The gentle waves rocked the boat up and down, the motion beckoning me, pleading with me to step off the dock.
“Aileen?” Mae jiggled my arm.
“What? Oh.” While I stood there being the indecisive queen of the world, everyone else had climbed on board. Kids were plunking drinks into coolers, seeking out private places to...ya know, and untying the ropes so they could cast off.
Mae would never let the party leave without her. Thirty more seconds and she would get everyone to join in a rousing chorus of “Come on, Eileen,” a song she'd learned from my dad.
*To see more of my writing, check out the short story blog I share with two other authors: http://fictionfemmefatale.blogspot.com/ We take submissions.*
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Lucky 7
I was recently tagged by two wonderful ladies, Amy Christine Parker and Stefanie Jones. The rules are as follows:
-- Go to page 77 of your current MS/WIP
-- Go to line 7
-- Copy down the next 7 lines -- sentences or paragraphs -- and post them as written. No cheating.
And here we are...page 77, lines 7-13 of Legasea
Mae leaned across the table and lowered her voice like she was in some reality show about spies. Then again, she probably thought she was. “I think the Flannigans are drug dealers. And oh! Maybe they're part of a mob, and if anyone in the family tries to get away, they're punished.”
Ignoring her, I turned to Steven. “What do you think it means?”
Now, the final rule is:
--Tag 7 authors
I am choosing not to tag anyone. However, if you would like to do this meme on your blog, by all means, consider yourself tagged. Maybe you and I will both have a little luck.
-- Go to page 77 of your current MS/WIP
-- Go to line 7
-- Copy down the next 7 lines -- sentences or paragraphs -- and post them as written. No cheating.
And here we are...page 77, lines 7-13 of Legasea
Mae leaned across the table and lowered her voice like she was in some reality show about spies. Then again, she probably thought she was. “I think the Flannigans are drug dealers. And oh! Maybe they're part of a mob, and if anyone in the family tries to get away, they're punished.”
Ignoring her, I turned to Steven. “What do you think it means?”
Now, the final rule is:
--Tag 7 authors
I am choosing not to tag anyone. However, if you would like to do this meme on your blog, by all means, consider yourself tagged. Maybe you and I will both have a little luck.
Friday, April 6, 2012
New Blog
Once upon a time…..
There were three young adult writers all at different points on the road to publication. They were dedicated to their craft and to writing novels, but sometimes they longed to write just for the sheer fun of it. They wanted to stretch themselves in new directions, to not take the process so seriously, to be inspired in new and different ways. They wanted a place to experiment, a place where roughish drafts were welcome and strange new ideas were cheered on. They dreamed of a place where other writers like themselves could send in their own stories and put them out there into the world for others to see. They wanted to feel empowered and empower others to tell stories boldly. And so they banded together and began a site that would hopefully do just that.
THIS IS THAT SITE!
Here’s how it works:
At the beginning of each month, one of the Fiction Femme Fatale will post a picture that speaks to them. Then all three of us will set about writing a thousand word story inspired by the picture. There are no rules or boundaries other than these:
It has to be rated PG
It has to be geared towards young adults or middle graders
On the first three Fridays of each month we will each post our stories for your reading pleasure. Krystalyn will post the first week, Stefanie will post the second, and Amy will post the third. Then the last week of the month, we will invite you to submit an original thousand word (or less) story of your own based on the same picture and we will pick one to post on this blog. If there happens to be a fifth week in any given month, we will hold some very exciting contests and giveaways.
Our hope is that this blog will be a source of growth and inspiration not just for us, but for other writers out there like us. We truly believe that in order to make our dreams come true we need to give ourselves the opportunity to get more work out there, to push ourselves in directions we wouldn’t normally have gone, and to rediscover what makes telling a story so much fun in the first place. We hope that you will join us on this journey and we look forward to seeing what we can all create together!
My first short story, Peace, went up today.
There were three young adult writers all at different points on the road to publication. They were dedicated to their craft and to writing novels, but sometimes they longed to write just for the sheer fun of it. They wanted to stretch themselves in new directions, to not take the process so seriously, to be inspired in new and different ways. They wanted a place to experiment, a place where roughish drafts were welcome and strange new ideas were cheered on. They dreamed of a place where other writers like themselves could send in their own stories and put them out there into the world for others to see. They wanted to feel empowered and empower others to tell stories boldly. And so they banded together and began a site that would hopefully do just that.
THIS IS THAT SITE!
Here’s how it works:
At the beginning of each month, one of the Fiction Femme Fatale will post a picture that speaks to them. Then all three of us will set about writing a thousand word story inspired by the picture. There are no rules or boundaries other than these:
It has to be rated PG
It has to be geared towards young adults or middle graders
On the first three Fridays of each month we will each post our stories for your reading pleasure. Krystalyn will post the first week, Stefanie will post the second, and Amy will post the third. Then the last week of the month, we will invite you to submit an original thousand word (or less) story of your own based on the same picture and we will pick one to post on this blog. If there happens to be a fifth week in any given month, we will hold some very exciting contests and giveaways.
Our hope is that this blog will be a source of growth and inspiration not just for us, but for other writers out there like us. We truly believe that in order to make our dreams come true we need to give ourselves the opportunity to get more work out there, to push ourselves in directions we wouldn’t normally have gone, and to rediscover what makes telling a story so much fun in the first place. We hope that you will join us on this journey and we look forward to seeing what we can all create together!
My first short story, Peace, went up today.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Fun with Birthday Cake!
This past weekend was Small Child's birthday, and if any of you know him, you know he is obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine. Not "fond of." Not "has a casual interest in." He is obsessed. And because of my newfound fascination with Pinterest (I blame my sister), I decided to make a cake for him. This isn't that outrageous to imagine, except for the fact that I don't get along well with the stove, or the microwave, or the kitchen in general. And in case you don't fully understand, let me reiterate with something my child has been saying a lot lately,
"This is a big deal!"
Surprisingly, the cake itself turned out fine. It wasn't until I got to the decorations that things went wrong. You see, the original post said to use melted chocolate for the cave and tree trunk. I figured I had chocolate chips at home. They would work.
So wrong.
On the first attempt, I used the microwave and burned the chips. On the second attempt, I added milk and came up with a fairly decent cave. Great! Now, on to the tree. On the third attempt, I added too much milk. And on the fourth attempt, I tried the oven instead of the microwave and once again burned the chips. At that point, I gave up and used icing for the tree.
Ah, the icing. Unfortunately, the icing tubes I bought were too big for the decorating tips I had. That's where the creativity and sticky tack came in. Use your imagination here as there is no photographic evidence. But as for the actual cake, here it is:
Despite a few setbacks, I think it turned out pretty decent. It only leans to the left a little, but hey, the Island of Sodor is full of mountains, and mountains are anything but level. Right?
"This is a big deal!"
Surprisingly, the cake itself turned out fine. It wasn't until I got to the decorations that things went wrong. You see, the original post said to use melted chocolate for the cave and tree trunk. I figured I had chocolate chips at home. They would work.
So wrong.
On the first attempt, I used the microwave and burned the chips. On the second attempt, I added milk and came up with a fairly decent cave. Great! Now, on to the tree. On the third attempt, I added too much milk. And on the fourth attempt, I tried the oven instead of the microwave and once again burned the chips. At that point, I gave up and used icing for the tree.
Ah, the icing. Unfortunately, the icing tubes I bought were too big for the decorating tips I had. That's where the creativity and sticky tack came in. Use your imagination here as there is no photographic evidence. But as for the actual cake, here it is:
Despite a few setbacks, I think it turned out pretty decent. It only leans to the left a little, but hey, the Island of Sodor is full of mountains, and mountains are anything but level. Right?
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