Sunday, June 30, 2013

Guestpost: I’ll Write This Tomorrow by Erica Crouch (Author of Ignite)


“I’ll Write This Tomorrow”

Erica Crouch

I was supposed to write this blog post a few days ago. But some of my favorite summer shows are starting their new season, and it’s really nice outside, and I have about twenty books I’ve been wanting to read and OH I can’t stop listening to the Mumford & Sons album. I have emails to do, my room is really quite filthy, and I honestly can’t remember the last time I did laundry. But no, I should just sit down and write this before something else comes up.

But I’m hungry. Well, there’s no food in the house... I guess I’ll have to go grocery shopping. And didn’t I need to pick up a new pair of shoes for that wedding? Have I finished filling out my financial aid form for the next semester of college? Did my advisor ever get back to me? I should check on that... And maybe take my dog for a walk.

Procrastination is a petulant child. It will kick and scream and tear you away from the things you need to get done until you satisfy its infinite want and pointless need. It stomps its foot and flings itself on the floor of that Target aisle and ball it’s eyes out, making every person who passes you think you don’t have control. Because, well, you don’t. The procrastination rules you.

This is especially true when it comes to writing. Do you know how hard it is to actually start writing? I mean, sure, writing the middle parts of the books, or coming up with the actual idea for the book, or ending a story, is incredibly tough. But there is no obstacle quite so cumbersome to overcome than procrastination.

When you’re staring at that wide, blank Word, Scrivener, or Pages document, the cursor blinking obscenities at you, it’s terrifying. How the heck am I going to write 80,000+ words? I have zero. Well, two if we count my name. So how do you push past that fear -- that obnoxious voice of procrastination distracting you from your writing -- to actually get something done?

I’ll give you the same advice my high school drama teacher gave us when tasked with memorizing monologues: RIP IT APART. You won’t accomplish anything if you look at the big picture. That mountain is too high to climb, that river is much to wide (and deep) to swim across. That five-page dramatic monologue will never be memorized and your twenty-page sociology report will never be written. Until you rip it apart.

Separate it into manageable, bite-sized chunks. It’s a trick I learned late in high school when I had to write a huge English paper. I start out slow: Date the document, write your name, center the title and double space the paragraphs. Outline your talking points, collect your quotes, and then fill in the blanks.

The same is nearly true with writing. I’ve never been a fan of outlines -- academic or otherwise. I don’t know why but they bothered me on a very basic level. I hated having to plan things out, but when a research paper in tenth grade forced me into writing a three-page outline, I found my paper much easier to write when the time came!

Plot outlines, character motives, major scene ideas are all things that can inspire you to want to write. I mean, just look at that great twist ending you’ve planned for the conclusion of your book! Don’t you want to write that right now?! Well, you gotta get there!

Start slow. Don’t force yourself to write 5,000 words a day if you can only manage 1,000. Don’t tie yourself down to a chair for six hours of writing if your brain is only clear and creative for two. Writing is not a 9-5 job. It’s a middle of the night, early in the morning, random intervals in public type of job. When you are ready to write -- WRITE!

Making yourself comfortable will also help you not procrastinate. Get the necessary “extra non-writing” stuff out of the way. Okay, so yes, I have to do laundry, but I probably don’t need to watch the entire season of House of Cards today. So, do the laundry, tidy up, and get down to business.

For me, it also helps to sit at an actual desk to put my mind in “productive mode.” It’s tempting to just sit on the couch and write while I’m watching some television. But I’ve noticed when I sit at a desk, I get much more done. But find what works for you. Whether it’s at a desk in a quiet room, a table in a busy cafe, or even in a dark cave with no wifi to tempt you into refreshing your social media pages over and over again, find your “productive mode” space.

It’s incredibly easy to procrastinate, but really, you’re just delaying the inevitable. And hey, you like to write, remember? It’s not a chore. It’s fun -- difficult, but fun. So don’t write this tomorrow, write it today. Write it right now!

 BOOK SYNOPSIS:






 Penemuel (Pen) fell from grace over a millennium ago, yet there are still times she questions her decision to follow her twin brother, Azael, to Hell. Now that the archangel Michael has returned, threatening Lucifer’s vie for the throne, she begins questioning everything she has always believed.

As Hell prepares for war - spreading a demonic virus and pilfering innocent souls to build an army - the lines separating the worlds blur.  Fates erase and the future is left unwritten. Azael is determined that he and his sister will continue to serve as demons together, but for the first time in her life, Pen is not ruled by destiny. She has the freedom of choice.

With choice comes sacrifice, and Pen must decide which side she’s willing to risk everything fighting for: the light, or the dark.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Erica Crouch is a twenty-year-old living on the outskirts of Baltimore, Maryland. She is currently working towards a degree in English and Creative Writing with a specialization in Fiction at Southern New Hampshire University. She spends all of her time writing and reading an overwhelming stack of books. Ignite is her debut novel and she is currently writing its sequel - in addition to two other series!
 
Ignite on GoodreadsAmazonKoboBarnes & Noble - Her Website





Friday, June 28, 2013

Release Day Blitz: Resisting Fate by Heather Van Fleet



Resisting Fate
Young Adult Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Sunshine Press
Release Date: June 28th


Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Emmy O’Connell is the epitome of a hot mess.

Her boyfriend’s been shipped out of town to some boarding school four states away. Her step-douche is constantly drunk and badgering her. And then there’s her good-ole-mom… The lady is nothing more than a miserable shell of a woman. She’s turned off all of her feelings and her ability to be a good mother as well, leaving poor Emmy and her four year old brother Jamie to suffer. Life couldn’t get much worse, right?

Enter the elusive, cocky, and oh-so-broody Jack Hartman…

The jerk cousin of her boyfriend becomes Emmy’s worst nightmare…times ten. He’s cruel. He’s insensitive. But he also has this strange little ability over her – he makes her weak in the knees with thea single touch. No matter how miserable or amazing Jack makes her feel, Emmy can’t seem to deny him, especially when he takes on the role of her protector –her pseudo-knight in a black leather coat.

A knight who also happens to ride in on his black Harley, instead of a white horse…

And to make a bad situation worse…

Werewolves and teens shouldn’t mix! But what can Emmy do when she finds herself thrown head first into the center of it all. Can she handle the supernatural mess her life rapidly becomes or will she fight against the inevitable fate her heart desires?


Excerpt:

“That smart mouth doesn’t sit well with me,” he licked his lips. His eyes never wavered from mine.

I nibbled on my lower lip, just as a small smile graced the edges of my mouth. Oh yeah, my bravado was about ready to kick some ass. I think I kind of liked being a smart ass.

“What are you going to do about it Jack?” I inhaled a breath, taking in his warm, delicious scent. My throat went even drier than before. I practically stared holes into his face as I studied every tiny mark, every single scar on his perfectly flawed skin. He was gorgeous, with a little scar here, a little white patch there. His hotness could have left me breathless for days if I kept up my perusal any longer.

And then I blinked, Christ. I knew exactly what had to be done. I had to kiss him. I had to get this itch scratched and then I had to move on. His eyes darkened, his breath was warm and heavy over my face, and he licked his lips. I blinked. Holy-balls… He wanted to kiss me too.

That ever-present electricity running between us wouldn’t stop. If anything, it only increased our pull. I moved in; his lips touching my lips was all I wanted. I needed to feel again, feel it all with a boy who hated me, but apparently wanted to kiss me as badly.

Dryness on dryness soon changed to warmth on warmth, and when I pressed my mouth fully to his, his hands left my neck, and went to my waist. His fingernails dug into my sides and the son of a bitch pushed me away from him.

So there I was, my head tilted to the side, ready, willing, and able to do whatever the hell this moment led us too, and all he could do was chuckle. Yes. Chuckle. He was the biggest rat bastard.

Ever.


Giveaway:

Heather Van Fleet

Heather Van Fleet currently resides in northern Illinois, with her three little ladies, Kelsey, Emma, and Isabella, and her fabulous hubby (and high school sweetheart) Chris, with whom she’s been blissfully married to now for ten years. She’s a stay at home mom by day, and an avid and completely obsessive writer and reader by night.

Heather always had a soft spot in her heart for books, and she’s been creating her own little stories since she was a seven year old. But she never really had the confidence or the time to actually sit down and really do something about it, until her youngest daughter was born just two years ago.

Resisting Fate, book one in her Predetermined series, is her young adult, paranormal baby! It’s packed full of wolves…witches…and one sassy little red-headed teenage girl! She had an absolute blast writing it, and can’t wait to share it with the world!

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads


Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Cover Reveal: The Sugar Ticket by Susan Jean Ricci


 



GLITERARY GIRL MEDIA PRESENTS
COVER REVEAL:  SUGAR TICKET BY SUSAN JEAN RICCI

JUNE 25TH

$20 AMAZON GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY!
OPEN TO READERS AND BLOGGERS


ABOUTSugar Ticket

Only a few months into their marriage and everything seems grand.  Learning to survive her marriage to Jay without the snarkiness Cindy has come to rely on is daunting to say the least.

The Sugar Ticket chronicles the marital journey of two twice-divorced adults learning to accept and embrace the sweetness of their present. When the inevitable complications arise, will the DeMatteo’s gently overcome their obstacles by alleviating the sour taste of the past? Will their third attempt at matrimony flourish? Or will they sweep their issues under the proverbial taboo-topic carpet?

Find out how these two mid-life adolescents meet their daily tribulations head on, as they conquer their fears, retirement woes, secrets revealed, and the most fundamental challenge of all: remaining in love forever.

ABOUTSusan Jean Riccci


I've been writing since I was a wee child and discovered crayons weren't part of a food   group. My sometimes controversial rants have appeared in my local newspaper, the Asbury Park Press, and I've won several awards via the Writer's Digest 78th Annual Writer's Contest and the Philadelphia Writer's Conference.

Over the years, I've been fortunate enough to publish in Parenting Teens Magazine, Good Dog Magazine, and Aim Intercultural Magazine. I'm currently concluding the sequel to Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems, The Sugar Ticket. Then I will move on to revising a contemporary novel called, Slick Trespass

My current release, Dinosaurs & Cherry Stems, is a humorous, contemporary romance about achieving mid-life adolescence, in spite of the baggage incurred with one's history. My eBook, Heart Marks the Spot: Three Short Stories can also be found on Amazon for Kindle as well.

My husband, Joseph, and I live in a lovely town in New Jersey near the sea. Together we have seven children and nine grandchildren.















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Monday, June 24, 2013

Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern


The Night Circus by Erin  Morgenstern
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction
Format: Paperback

Synopsis: 
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

Review:


Now, this is one book everyone should read! If you’re old, young, really young, a boy or a girl, a man or a woman, a father, mother, grandfather, whatever it is. You should read this. It’s a universal book that created so much buzz in the book community online that it was really hard to miss it and when it came to bookstores in Bahrain immediately after the hype. I was excited to get it but only managed to find a really awesome copy from the thrift store. It was a limited edition copy and that was one of the many reasons why I wanted to pick it up.

When I started reading the book, the setting the author wrote for us was the grey, and gloom of the late 1800’s. It was set everywhere around Europe from France to Frankfurt. And then, sometimes the characters were in New York, or Boston and even Australia.

The whole book corresponded with Le Cirque des Rêves, the circus that is only open at night. It starts with being in the circus then how the circus came to be and then how the circus carried out throughout the years. And believe it or not, the entire book didn’t really have a centerpiece. By that I mean that it didn’t really have one protagonist but many. It wasn’t just about the circus but everyone else in it.

The book did get really confusing because there were so many characters and Erin kept on bringing in more and more until perhaps near the end of the book. What made it even worse was when some chapters were dated in the early 1900’s it then switches back to the 1800’s. I got some characters and events mixed up that it was all too much for me. The book was most of the time overwhelming. Then comes the end of the book, I was a hundred pages away from the ending that only then did I get the whole story right. It’s like the author knew the right moment to glue everything together. I’m incredibly impressed by magical world of the Night Circus. I really thought I wouldn’t like it and I ended up loving it!

It doesn’t matter what age or what genres you like to read, just pick this book up and you won’t be disappointed! This is a book that will become a classic!


4.5/5 stars

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Sunday, June 23, 2013

Book Blitz: All In by Marta Brown


All In by Marta Brown
Publication date: May 28th 2013
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:
On the picturesque island of Martha's Vineyard, there are two kinds of residents. Locals and Stays.

Local boy, Lane McCarthy, plans on spending his summer working at the country club to save money for college in the fall, while summer stay, Ashley Whitmore, and her elite group of friends are only there to play.

As the summer heat goes up on the island, so does the ante, when both Lane and Ashley must decide what they’re willing to wager in order to follow their dreams… and their hearts.

With stakes as high as the surf, and hopes as high as the midday sun, will they risk everything and go all in?


Purchase:

Excerpt:

Ashley
“So…you work here?”
He looks around at our surroundings then runs his hand through his already messy hair.
“Uh, yeah…I actually took over for my grandpa a few months ago.” He glances up the stairs and then back down to me. “You wanna see the top?”
I nod and follow behind him as we climb the rest of the way up. I glimpse off the side of the railing and down the middle of the spiraling staircase when we reach the top and regret it immediately.
“Whoa there,” Lane says as he reaches out and grips my waist when I sway slightly. His hands graze the small sliver of exposed skin between my jean shorts and tank top and it makes me even more lightheaded than the height.
“I uh… didn’t realize how high up we are.”
“It took a little getting used to for me too. Just give yourself a few minutes, and try not to look down.” Lane smiles but keeps his hands wrapped around my hips.
“I think I’m good,” I say after a minute, then chastise myself because he lets go of me.
I continue to hold the railing tight as we take the final few steps to the top of the lighthouse. “What do you mean you took over for your grandpa?” I ask, trying to busy my mind, so I don’t focus on the height, or the way his hands felt on my skin.
“Oh yeah,” he says, like he’s completely forgotten what we were talking about before my little dizzy spell.


AUTHOR BIO
Marta Brown grew up in the Pacific Northwest and was a teenager when Doc Martens, Pearl Jam and flannel were the norm and Dylan loved Kelly forever (Beverly Hills, 90210 shout out).

She still lives just outside Seattle, now with her husband and cat, and loves the rain.

When she’s not writing about cute boys, first kisses and the magic and wonder of being seventeen, she’s watching The CW. And she sleeps in. Late.

LINKS:


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