Friday, April 29, 2011

FRIDAY FREESTYLE: Book Review ~ Abandon

"Anything can happen in the blink of an eye. Anything at all. One. Two. Three. Blink." Those were the first words I encountered at the onset of reading my next book for review.

Title: Abandon
Author: Meg Cabot
Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy
Publisher: Scholastic Point
Release Date: April 26, 2011
Pages: 304

I'd like to thank Scholastic Point for supplying me with an ARC of this book to review.

Favorite Line/Passage: He looked down at my pajamas and frowned a little. "Wear that dress you had on last night, the ones with all the buttons." *But there were so any passages I loved.*

Description:

The Myth of Persephone, Darkly Reimagined
— Book One: Abandon —

She didn't fall into his world. She was taken.
Seventeen-year-old Pierce knows what happens to us when we die.
That's how she met John Hayden, the mysterious stranger who's made returning to normal life—or at least life as Pierce knew it before the accident—next to impossible.
Though she thought she escaped him—starting a new school in a whole new place—it turns out she was wrong. He finds her.
What does John want from her? Pierce thinks she knows... just like she knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven. But she can't stay away from him, either, especially since he's always there when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.
But if she lets herself fall any further, she might find herself back in the place she fears the most.
And when Pierce discovers the shocking truth, that’s exactly where John sweeps her:
The Underworld.

A MUST READ!!

My Splats: ~ A timeless Greek myth brought to modern times with a unique slant that titillates the heart. Cabot has masterfully cast Death as one of many (thought of) death deities, who's been hardened by his circumstances. The reader slowly watches his heart open wide as he, like Hades, finds what he's lacking in a human girl. And in this case, she's just a little tweaked-side of normal. ~

On the outside, the story itself has typical teen nuances as well as struggles: the girl who doesn't quite fit it, a family that is all but normal, a move of location, and a secret--the girl has a near-death experience only she's not just near Death; she chats with Him. What's even more unique is that Death is a main character--and he's hot. Eventually, the reader even discovers that he's sensitive and has a conscious.  

There's a bit of a historical twist threaded within the plot, giving it depth and a natural verve. The story simply isn't a modern remake of Hades (the reigning king of the underworld) and Persephone (his love interest). It's so much more.

Cabot does a wonderful job of taking that story from Greek mythology and implanting it in today's teen society. The MC, Pierce, is authentic, as she's not only trying to normal--with a death deity longing for your loins, that's not all that easy--but fit into a new school with the typical high school cliques and head games.

The initial element I always notices about a book is its cover. The first words are so important in a story, but in reality the initial impression is in the dressing--the cover. Abandon's artwork is beautiful, simple, and elegant. I usually make a mental note of the cover while I'm reading, trying to find the relation between the coating of the book and the story itself. And within this cover...here lies a message.

After I'd finished reading, I realized that the title does have a more symbolic meaning them anything else. Many people have felt Abandoned in some for or another and at some point in their life. Many of Cabot's characters in ABANDON have experienced the lost of being abandoned or at least the feeling of such emotion.

I would recommend this book to any paranormal and/or romance enthusiast, as well as those interested in Greek mythology. 
Enjoy your weekend, Oasis Seekers!!

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Thankful Thursday Meme: Book series'


Join the Oasis thankful-fest once a week - sending out good energy and get some back in return!


 This meme was created to help our Oasis Seekers connect with one another. We know most of you are on your journey to publication and there's every reason to be a team and support each other. When you participate in the Thankful for Thursday meme, hopefully other Oasis Seekers will seek you out and you can do the same. See someone who's thankful for the same things you are? Follow them! You never know what friendship may come of it.


Topic this week: What book series are you most thankful for and why?

When I saw this prompt, I was like, “Oh boy! How do I choose?!”  There wasn’t a way, so I used the ol’ stand-by…eenie, meenie, Minie, Mo. :D  Of course, that didn’t work either. LOL. So, I picked two.  Yes, I’m cheating. Kinda.  ; ) The second will be posted at my blog.


The first one is the one I’m MOST grateful for and that would be the Hunger Games series.  Not only was it an exceptional story, but it was beautifully written and had me running through the gambit of my emotions. 

The reason I’m grateful for it is it made me realize that the story I had simmering in the back of my mind COULD be told.  That there was a market for it.  It also made me realize that first person, present tense is a viable option—if it’s done right.

Here are the rules to participate each week:

1. Grab next week's Thankful prompt from below and write a post about it. It doesn't have to be book or publishing related (but it can be!)

2. Be sure to grab our badge and include it in your post next Thursday.

3. Post a link to your blog in the comments here so that others can find you.

4. Go forth and share your gratitude! (And when friending new blogs, be sure to let them know you found them because of their participation in the meme.)



Next Week's Prompt: Website. What writing/reading website are you most grateful for and why?

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Alternative Publishing Routes: Self-Publishing Realty Check

A couple of Fridays ago, I posted an interview with Heather Howland, one of the editors at Entangled Publishing.  She told us all about her small press and it's big plans.  (See interview here.)  But for those of you who are for some reason leery of the small presses, I thought you'd like to hear about self-publishing from a pair who has just journeyed that route.  Meet Renee and Harrell (Hal) Turner.  This husband & wife team writes under the super-secret (yeah, not-so-much) pen name: Renee Harrell.  (And they are no relation to me, I might add.)  If you've ever been curious what it's like to self-publish, read on. You may or may not be surprised.  (And let me just say, I am surprised to hear stories like this!  I apologize in advance that this is a bit longer than usual, but it's all interesting IMHO.)
(They use these oils in place of pictures - I'm already amused.)


Tell us a bit about your publishing history.

Can we share a little about our writing history, instead? For years, we did very little writing for the commercial market. Then, Harrell discovered a book packager looking for writers for the company’s ongoing YA mystery series and asked Renée if she’d like to work with him on a novel. We wrote an outline, sent it in, and received our first book contract. A few months later, we collected our fee, the book was published, and we learned that work-for-hire writers are frequently rewritten by their editors. The storyline remained intact but there was a plot twist in the novel that just didn’t make any sense....

[Interjection here -- I naively would think that once you've been picked up to write a story by a book packager, you're basically "in." Not so, apparently.] 

Since we’d already written one YA mystery novel, we decided to write another but, this time, we wanted to create our own characters. Our heroine wouldn’t be super smart (because we can’t relate to people who are super smart), she’d have some body issues (because we can relate to body issues), she’d only have a couple of close friends and she’d have a close and loving relationship with her one surviving parent. Ann Lippens wouldn’t be edgy or dark, she’ be a more like normal person: Not anti-Miss Popularity but not really Miss Unpopular, either. In other words, a lot like we were in high school.

As the book grew, we added some paranormal elements, some horror elements, a twist of Jack the Ripper (although, really, we think most of our audience will miss it) and a touch of romance to the book, because we like those things. When we finished the novel, we contacted a handful of agents. Happily, we timed the market well and three of the five agents quickly asked to see the full manuscript. By the end of a week, we were signed with a solid and respected agency. Four months later, the book was submitted to all of the big publishing houses and we signed a huge contract and now we’re famous.

It would have been exactly like that except that all of the big houses passed on the opportunity to give us a basket of money. (The folks at Penguin said nice things about our work but they didn’t offer a contract. We still feel kindly toward the people at Penguin.) A few weeks later, our agent disappeared – or, at least, we think that must be what happened, since she no longer answered our emails and never called us again. Several months after that, we formally ended our relationship with her. We’ve since met two other writers who had a nearly identical experience with this agent. 

Meanwhile, our YA novel, whis•pers, was back in our hands. We spoke with an agent who told us the manuscript was “cooked” and we should “forget about it” but we liked our story. So we looked around for an electronic publisher of Young Adult novels. There’s more interest these days but, in 2009, not so much. We found someone we liked, signed a contract...and things went badly. 

A year later, we asked for our rights back, they were given to us, and we changed the name of the book to Something Wicked. We decided, then, to publish the novel ourselves. 

What fueled that decision?

It wasn’t our first preference, not at all. If Something Wicked had a Scholastic sticker on it, we’d be delighted. When traditional publishing didn’t work out, and our agent decided we weren’t part of the in-crowd, we were stuck. Even then, we didn’t want to publish the thing ourselves. It’s too much work! So we went with an electronic publisher, someone who could pay for an editor, a cover artist, a tech guy or girl, a team of publicists....but, as we said, things went badly. Here’s that story:

The Acquisitions Editor loved our book, said delightful things, and – left the company before a new editor could be assigned. A few months passed and we drifted about, editor-less, wondering what would happen next. (So we continued writing other novels.) Finally, we were assigned our first, official editor. Before the book would really be edited, we were asked to remove redundant words and words the editor herself did not like to read in books. We did this. Then our editor left the company for personal reasons.

A few more weeks drifted away. We wrote and sold a spicy romance novella (just to see if we could) and a new editor came on board. She didn’t like our prologue – prologues aren’t popular these days, not with anyone, but our opening is vital to the story – but we fought and kept our beginning, worked on eliminating more “bad” words...and then this editor abruptly left the company. 

Our publication date drew closer. Our publisher sent us a jpeg of the novel’s cover and a friend asked why we were using someone else’s image on our novel. Turns out, the design was so similar to the cover of a best-selling Dean Koontz novel that it made us cringe. We notified the publisher and she agreed to make some changes. Weeks away from our publication date, we were assigned a new editor. This gentleman had never been an editor but, ever willing, decided to rewrite the beginning of the novel. Without telling us. And surprised us further by chopping out some important bits. This was not okay with us. 

We protested, things grew a little heated, and we asked to be released from our contract. The publisher agreed and returned all of our rights. She didn’t have to do this and we appreciate it greatly – and that’s why we would prefer not to mention the publisher by name. We think she tries hard and this period of time was a rough stretch for her company. We’ve talked to another of her writers and his experience was much more satisfying.

It was after all of this that we decided to publish the book ourselves.
  
For anyone considering self-publishing, what should they know going in?

We wondered ourselves so, a few months ago, we did an experiment. We put together a three story collection of science fiction stories (called After Things Went Bad), Renée grabbed a stock photo and designed a cover, and we had it on Amazon in a couple of days. 

We learned, it’s not that hard to publish your own book. Which is a shame, really, because you don’t have to be very committed to do it poorly but you have to be really committed to do it right. There are all kinds of resources out there to help you. Dean Wesley Smith, for example, has a whole series on being your own publisher. 

Know, too, that there’s absolutely no caché in being self-published, your family and friends really don’t want to buy your book, no matter what they say, and you’ll probably be disappointed by the royalties you receive. After Things Went Bad has yet to collect enough money to pay for the stock photo we used.  

Was this a lot of work? For example, did you have to hire your own editor, find your own cover designer, learn how to do digital typesetting, etc.?
  
It isn’t that hard to make your book available on-line but it was a lot of work to get Something Wicked ready for publication. 
There’s dozens of how-to-format your book blogsites and plenty of tech-savvy people willing to do it for you (usually for under $100) if you can’t or don’t want to make the effort. It’s a little tougher to prepare a print version, Createspace or Lulu, but still very doable. That’s how it seemed to us, anyway, and we are not computer masters by any stretch of the imagination.

An experienced editor runs $1500 and up, for a typical YA novel. We know because we checked. Because we couldn’t afford either of the people we wanted, we turned to fellow writers and beta readers for help. Of course, our novel had already been semi-edited by then but we still trimmed nearly ten percent of the word count to tighten and improve the story.

For a cover, there are cheaper people available but the designers we like start at $300 - $350 for a basic layout. (We approached an artist to do the cover for After Things Went Bad but he wanted $2000!!!)  (Let us say that again: !!!) Our son, Matthew, is a graphic designer so we asked him to build the Something Wicked cover for us. He did a great job and the paperback is lovely. 
 How are you planning on marketing SW?

We’re going to rely on the kindness of strangers. Really.

When we signed our contract with the e-publisher, she told us we should anticipate selling thousands of digital downloads. To help us do this, she wanted us to be on every social networking site available. We did as she asked but we also contacted several of the writers she’d published. They were quite open with us, telling us the sales for most of their novels were in the two digits. Not always the high two digits, either. It was discouraging. 

So we thought we’d try a different approach: We’d write a story we’d like to read, make it complete in itself but open to a sequel – Something Evil – because a series builds a readership and because we want to know what happens next, give our novel a good cover and try to build some sort of awareness of the book’s existence. If we can get a few reviews (from kind strangers, see above), we’ll be happy because somebody, somewhere, may be interested enough in what we’ve written to download the story or buy the book. If they like it enough, they may swing back for the next one...and the one after that. 

It’s very much a “tortoise” philosophy. We don’t have to win the royalties race with this novel but, over time, we hope to do well enough to continue the line of mysteries.

Would you do it over again? Why or why not?

Absolutely and here’s why: At the end of the day, we’ve created and produced a book we like. Unlike our work-for-hire assignment, we won’t find “surprise” additions to the story. Unlike our experience with the e-publisher, we get to use a cover we like and we can keep the words we want to use in our mystery. It’s wonderful to be able to tell your own story your own way.
  
Still, things may change in the future. Our science fiction novel comes out in September from Proxima Books (UK). Five months before publication, they’re discussing ways to raise awareness about our book. We’re impressed. We’re not five-months-in-advance kind of people. We can barely keep the weekend in sight.

Bonus question: You’re stranded on a desert oasis and you can only bring one novel (that someone else has written!) – what do you pick?

Renée: Irving Stone’s Lust for Life. Vincent Van Gogh fascinates me and I’ve been meaning to read the book for months. I keep getting distracted. But put me on a desert oasis….
Harrell: I’d grab Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Because the book is one of my favorites, and it’s fairly long (might need the paper!), and it’s written by a guy with a pseudonym.

To learn more about Renee and Hal, visit their website (which is quite humorous) and you can read my review of Something Wicked here.  And there you have it folks.  The low down on why one couple decided to self-publish and the unfortunate events in the publishing world that led up to their decision.  Did you learn anything new or surprising? What are your thoughts on self-publishing?  

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

TBR TUESDAY: HOURGLASS by Myra McEntire

So, today is TBR Tuesday, where we share the books we have in our To Be Read piles and think some of you might like them too. This one, I've been blessed with the ARC to read and it's AWESOME!

I'll give you the legal bits, then my own spin, so first up...
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut.


Next, the blurb from author Beth Revis, author of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE:

"Pulls your heart in every direction. A brand new twist on time travel with an explosively delicious romance."


And let me tell you, all of it's true!

I'm a picky, picky reader and Myra McEntire's HOURGLASS delivers on pacing, tone and tension. In fact, it never lets up. From the heroine who sees time ripples and kicks ass karate style to the enigmatic love interest who holds the answers but just cannot give them, HOURGLASS had me flipping pages and stirring spaghetti sauce while reading! (dangerous, btw, I do not recommend trying in your own kitchen) With the chemistry that McEntire creates, you can't help rooting for Emerson and Michael to just kiss already!

But, Like Myra said in a tweet to me, maybe her tagline should've been, "It's not chemistry. It's physics." I agree. Not just in the quantum physics she deftly uses, but the physics of attraction. Yowza! Very few fictional pairings have I ever yearned to get together as badly as these two.

And the time travel... Genetics plays a part in it all. Emerson sees the ripples of the past. He sees ripples of the future. Together, they can travel back in time to right a very big wrong. Only thing is, they aren't the only ones traveling... The twists in the end still have me pondering the possibilities.

When HOURGLASS is available in June, you have to get a copy!

Monday, April 25, 2011

MONDAY SANCTUARY: Research

I'm a research addict. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've sat down to write, popped over to Google to research one tiny tidbit, and then became completely side-tracked for an hour! It's gotten to the point that I will shut off all Internet access, putting it placeholders where needed, just to write.

While research can be daunting, and sometimes a time-suck, it is also my sanctuary. I can get lost in a world of mythology and history. Stunning photos and haunting images can further develop my characters. I can become a stalker with Google Maps, drilling down to view the streets of a town. I mean, you can now view The Colosseum at Rome. Spin around inside. Seriously amazing!!



No matter how much time I spend, research always always, provides me with details and depth. Whether it's for a current project or something I file away for the future.

Is research a necessary evil or a sanctuary for you?

Friday, April 22, 2011

Freestyle Friday: Book Review - Entwined


This week I'm reviewing Entwined by Heather Dixon.

OVERVIEW FROM GOODREADS:
Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.


REVIEW:
Who doesn't love a fairy tale? Based on the Twelve Dancing Princesses, I absolutely adored all the elements of this book. It's so romantic - the setting, the characters, the descriptions. So of course I gave it five palm trees.



I admit that I'm not a huge fan of dance, but I loved how it was a constant theme and the metaphors all encompassed dance and movement. Azalea is always curling her toes against her shoes, which is an endearing movement and speaks volumes.

As the main character, I thought Azalea had great character development as she takes charge of her sisters and works toward becoming the next Queen. She stands up to the King but is extremely protective of her family.

CHARACTERS:
The characters were very defined (which was tough considering there are so many girls!) I love how they were named in alphabetical order - it helped me keep them straight from the beginning. You can definitely tell that the author comes from a large family, as she's able to accurately describe all the love and angst between siblings!

COVER:

The cover fits every aspect of the novel. Can someone tell me where I can pick up that dress? Because I would certainly kill to wear it to the next ball I'm invited to attend :)

Thursday, April 21, 2011

THANKFUL THURSDAY MEME ~ Quotes

Join the Oasis thankful-fest once a week - sending out good energy and get some back in return!

This meme was created to help our Oasis Seekers connect with one another. We know most of you are on your journey to publication and there's every reason to be a team and support each other. When you participate in the Thankful for Thursday meme, hopefully other Oasis Seekers will seek you out and you can do the same. See someone who's thankful for the same things you are? Follow them! You never know what friendship may come of it.


Topic this week: Quotes. Do you have a favorite quote? Something that inspires you each time you read it or instill a sense of calm, peace, and assurance?


Here's one of my new favorites: "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!" Audrey Hepburn


For this week, just post in the comments!!


Here are the rules to participate each week:

1. Grab next week's Thankful prompt from below and write a post about it. It doesn't have to be book or publishing related (but it can be!)

2. Be sure to grab our badge and include it in your post next Thursday.

3. Post a link to your blog in the comments here so that others can find you.

4. Go forth and share your gratitude! (And when friending new blogs, be sure to let them know you found them because of their participation in the meme.)



Next Week's Prompt: Series. What book series are you most thankful for and why?

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza

Welcome to the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop!



We're so excited to participate in our very first giveaway hop!  So excited, in fact, that we have 2 great giveaways for you today. Meaning, there will be
2 winners.  

Books will be purchased through Book Depository, so as long as they ship to your country, this contest is open internationally.


Giveaway #1


Description from Amazon:

The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.
But nothing comes without a price.
Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. Clary's best friend, Simon, can't help her. His mother just found out that he's a vampire and now he's homeless.
Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side—along with the power of the curse that's wrecking his life. And they're willing to do anything to get what they want. Not to mention that he's dating two beautiful, dangerous girls—neither of whom knows about the other one.
When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.
Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.


Giveaway #2

Will be a book of your choice!




Giveaway Details:

To enter giveaway you must follow this blog, then fill out the form below.
Last Day to Enter is 4/25/11
Winners will be chosen by random.org
Books will be purchased through Book Depository, so as long as they ship to your country this contest is open internationally.

Optional Extra Entries:

+1 Follow us on Twitter
+3 Grab our button and post it on your blog

To Enter Giveaway Please Fill Out This Form:

And don't forget to go here to check out all the other blogs participating in this hop. Or see below.

 


Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Tuesday Trailer: ABANDON by Meg Cabot

Love the cover.  Love the premise.  Love the trailer.

She didn't fall into his world. She was taken.

Seventeen-year-old Pierce knows what happens to us when we die.

That's how she met John Hayden, the mysterious stranger who's made returning to normal life—or at least life as Pierce knew it before the accident—next to impossible.

Though she thought she escaped him—starting a new school in a whole new place—it turns out she was wrong. He finds her.

What does John want from her? Pierce thinks she knows... just like she knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven. But she can't stay away from him, either, especially since he's always there when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she might find herself back in the place she fears the most.
And when Pierce discovers the shocking truth, that’s exactly where John sweeps her:

The Underworld.

It's all good stuff, and I'm anxiously looking forward to release day on April 26th!  For more info, check out Meg Cabot's website.

Monday, April 18, 2011

MONDAY SANCTUARY and Haven winner

My teen daughter picked C. Lee McKenzie to win the copy of Haven and signed bookmark!! Congratulations, C. Lee! Once I have a shipping address, I'll send it out.

MONDAY'S SANCTUARY
FIGHTING THE MUSE

Found this on Acidlullaby's DeviantArt page. Go check her out!

Let me preface this by saying for the longest time I didn't buy into the talk, the hype, the fuss of Muses and Writing. I felt damn certain I could write what I wanted when I wanted. Then, I felt that soul deep calling and I've been a firm believer ever since. Maybe not in the Muse as a mythical creature, one guiding you to work on a certain project... But at least that sense of inspiration, that inner voice guiding you.

Since I finished RESONANCE and went through my CPs' revision recommendations, I've ignored the one muse who wouldn't stop singing. Instead of going with that gentle voice inside, I listened to betas who wanted me to finish this story, or writing friends who wanted me to finish that story. I listened when my agent said, "I love this! Give me more." Hell, I listened to non-writing world people who just wanted me to finish something.

I became a writing radio set on SCAN. I couldn't settle into any project. A few pages here, a chapter there. Oh, look! A new story idea!! (read last words as dripping with sarcasm) All the while, my Muse sang, pulling me back to one story.

The more chaotic and far flung my writing mind became between the stories, the louder the Muse became, until I was seeing snippets of scenes in my head, feeling what the MC felt, smelling what she smelled. The picture up there is beautiful, calm. My Muse picked up a weapon and started attacking.

This weekend, I caved. The cap was kicked off the fountain. The floodgates were opened. And the angels might as well have sung arias behind me.

The lesson here? Despite how well meaning some people are in their guidance of your writing, or what kind of plans they might have, you shouldn't force it if IT just isn't there. What's the IT? The love. The fervor. The song of your Muse. Go with your gut, listen to your instincts, listen to your Muse. You and your story will be happier for it.

Friday, April 15, 2011

FREE STYLE FRIDAY

The book gods have smiled upon me lately so...I'm sharing the bounty. Granted, my copy of Haven is an ARC so it's not hardcover, but it does come with signed bookmark!

From the author Kristi Cook's website:

A chilling destiny she can’t escape.

A devastating love she can’t resist.

Violet McKenna isn’t a normal girl with normal teenage issues; she has more to contend with than most people could handle. Violet thought she was just crazy when she had a vivid vision of her dad’s murder. Her life started falling apart when her premonition came true. She’s had flashes of other events too–the problem was nobody believed her until she found a new school: Winterhaven.

At Winterhaven, Violet finally feels like she belongs. She quickly finds a close group friends and discovers that they too have psychic ‘gifts’—as do all the students at Winterhaven. But as soon as she feels settled she discovers the most intriguing and alluring boy she has ever met, and things quickly go awry. As the attraction between them grows, intense visions of the boy’s death start to haunt her. In her premonitions, the secret he is unwilling to share begins to reveal itself. And to Violet’s horror, she learns that their destinies are intertwined in a critical–and deadly–way.

“You won’t lose me,” I said, taking a tentative step toward him. “No matter what your secrets are, no matter how terrible you think they are, you won’t lose me.”

He reached for my shoulders and drew me against his chest. “I’ll make sure to remind you that you said that, okay? When you’re running away from me as fast as you can.”

So you want HAVEN?? Tell me why!
I'll pick a winner and announce it Monday!


Thursday, April 14, 2011

Thankful for Thursday Meme: Spring Break

Join the Oasis thankful-fest once a week - sending out good energy and get some back in return!

This meme was created to help our Oasis Seekers connect with one another. We know most of you are each on your journey to publication and there's every reason to be a team and support each other. When you participate in the Thankful for Thursday meme, hopefully other Oasis Seekers will seek you out and you can do the same. See someone who's thankful for the same things you are? Follow them! You never know what friendship may come of it.

This Week's Topic: Spring Break. What are you thankful about for Spring Break this year, or any year? Or maybe Spring in general?

Here are the rules to participate:
1. Do your own blog post on what you're thankful for today. It doesn't have to be book or publishing related (but it can be!)

2. Be sure to grab our badge and include it in your post.

3. Post a link to your blog in the comments here so that others can find you.

4. Go forth and share your gratitude! (And when friending new blogs, be sure to let them know you found them because of their participation in the meme.)

And there you have it -- come on out and tell us what you're thankful for today!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

LITERARY TERMS IV: Passive Voice



Passive voice is where the true subject of a sentence trails towards the end and is acted upon. It does NOT do the action. It's the bystander at a game or a patron waiting for a server to take their order. Or in the case below, it's the dog letting the water act upon him.


(noun) (verb clause) by (noun) ~ subject starting the thought but allowing the following verb to stimulate or move a noun (possible subject) instead.

Passive ~ Oasis for YA was asked by the passive subject (noun) to study the topic of further.
Active ~ The passive subject (noun) asked Oasis for YA to study the topic of further.

The easiest way to switch from passive to active voice is to keep the (noun) (verb) construction intact and negate the ending by (noun).

Passive ~ "The speaker is interrupted by the students."
Active ~ "The students interrupt the speaker."

Passive ~ The title, approximate word count, and a one paragraph description of your manuscript are expected in a query letter by most agents.
Active ~ "Most agents expect the title, approximate word count, and a one paragraph description in a query letter."

Passive ~ "The conversation was soured by the crass remarks of the gossip queens."
Active ~ "The gossip queens soured the conversation with their crass remarks."

In each of these examples, I've italicized where the structure went passive and bold where to move it, making the sentence active. Another word to watch out for is the word was. Using was does not necessarily make a sentence passive (I was skating on the ice...) ACTIVE, where (Jake's hockey stick was being used by Tom.) PASSIVE. It's just a word to make note of when checking and editing your writing.

Cleaning up passive construction can breath new life and 'voice' into your writing. This isn't saying that all passive construction should be avoid. Just used in moderation.

Next time I'm up for Wednesday, we'll delve a little deeper and look at Active Voice itself.

Take a portion of your current manuscript, short story, or article and check it for passive voice. See how many times you use it and try changing a few to active voice. Can you spot passive voice with ease?

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

TBR Tuesday: Sirenz

Today I'm pleased to say the book I'm most looking forward to reading is by my agent sisters, coauthors Charlotte Bennardo & Natalie Zaman.  They're both awesome writers and hilarious, so I can't wait to see what they've put together.


So without further adieu, I present, SIRENZ.



Title: Sirenz
Author: Charlotte Bennardo & Natalie Zaman
Genre: YA
Publisher: FLUX (June 8, 2011)
Pages: 288 pages


Description:  Bickering frenemies Meg and Shar are doing some serious damage at a midnight sample sale when they find themselves arguing over a pair of shoes—with fatal consequences. One innocent bystander later, the girls are suddenly at the mercy of Hades—the god of the underworld—himself. To make them atone for what they’ve done, Hades forces the teens to become special-assignment Sirens, luring to the Underworld any individual whose unholy contract is up.

But just because they have an otherworldly part-time job now doesn’t mean Meg and Shar can ignore life’s drudgeries (work) or pleasures (fashion!). Finding that delicate balance between their old and new responsibilities turns out to be harder than they expected, especially when an entire pantheon of Greek deities decides to get involved. Then there’s the matter of the fine print in their contracts . . .

You can pre-order SIRENZ from the following retailers.

AmazonBarnes and Noble / Book Depository / Local bookstore

Monday, April 11, 2011

Monday Sanctuary: Look Up!

***Image snatched from trocker at DeviantArt***

Look up. Literally.

Have you ever noticed how changing the perspective you normally use to view the world can change your whole attitude?  The other day, while my daughter was on the playground, I leaned back on the park bench and gazed up through the tree leaves toward the sky.
The change in perspective was serene and peaceful.  Why don't I stop and look up more often?  The world above our heads is amazing.  And inspiring.  Especially for writers.

Aren't we always hearing we need fresh metaphors? To avoid cliches and find a new way to describe what's around us?  Maybe all it takes to think of a different way to describe something is to look at it from a different perspective.

If you have a little sanctuary time today, I challenge you to look up and see if you aren't inspired.

Friday, April 08, 2011

Entangled Publishing: Ready for a New Business Model Among Smaller Presses?

Hello Oasis Seekers! There's been a lot of buzz on the internet lately about contemporary publishing versus self-publishing. For many of us, the road of finding an agent, and then securing a contract from a large publishing house, is proving to be a daunting prospect that may or may not be worth it. But what about a middle ground? Small presses, with a new business model, that accept unagented submissions? Frankly, I'm totally fascinated by this model for a number of reasons, so it gives me great pleasure to welcome Heather Howland, managing editor, graphic artist and webmistress at Entangled Publishing, to talk about Entangled's business model.

First off, let's start with the information on Entangled's website.

At Entangled Publishing, we believe authors who write great books should receive a majority of the profits. We also believe authors interested in the lucrative indie publishing model shouldn’t have to sacrifice quality editing, commercial covers, or the power of a New York-style marketing machine.


That’s where we come in. Founded by industry-savvy authors and backed by a successful media corporation, Entangled Publishing utilizes a bold new business model to bridge the gap between traditional and indie publishing, giving our authors the best of both worlds. We implement the agency model across all departments at Entangled, which means everyone from the copy editor to the marketing director has a financial stake in your book.


In other words, we don’t make money unless you make money. Lots of it.


So what makes Entangled different? We’re glad you asked!


Every author we contract receives:


• Royalties that begin at 40% of digital cover price and increase with sales, which is well above the royalty rates an author can expect from a NY house or an epublisher.


• An in-house marketing machine, complete with a dedicated promo budget and publicist assigned to every book. We don’t just point you toward promotion opportunities, we create them.


• Advertising that targets readers via organized blog tours, magazine ads, review sites, and book clubs. All organized and paid for by us, of course.


• High-quality, NY-style covers. Did a fabulous author offer to blurb your book? You better believe it’s going on the cover. We’ll even help you get that great cover quote!


• Top-notch editing performed by award-winning content and line editors.


• Simultaneous electronic and print releases available everywhere books are sold online, as well as in stores on a case by case basis. Our goal is to shelve all our books.


In return, we expect:


• Great stories with fresh voices


• A professional web presence


• Participation in the blog tours, interviews, and contests we organize

I'm drooling already, Heather. This sounds too good to be true. How did you guys conceive this business model? Do you find it's something that other small presses are also working toward?

Too good to be true, but true nonetheless! All the credit goes to Liz Pelletier, founder of Savvy Authors, Savvy Readers, and now Entangled Publishing. She's the most brilliant person I know. Her motto has always been Writers Helping Writers, so I see Entangled as an extension of that.


The stronger small presses are moving in the direction of higher royalties (yay!), but we haven't seen any presses incorporate the "exclusivity" aspect of our model yet. We cater primarily to established, NY published authors looking for an alternative to self-publishing and smaller e-publishers, whereas small presses offer homes to new authors who might not have found homes elsewhere. That's a good thing—just not what we're about.


I also see a major digital push coming from other presses, as opposed to making print books available on release day for buyers reluctant to brave the electronic page. I also see marketing support dwindling. We aim to keep both a priority, while also capitalizing on the growing popularity of ebooks.

When did Entangled open its doors and when will its first novels be hitting the shelves?

We began taking submissions in early March. Our Marketing Director will have our blog live soon, and the website itself will officially launch on July 22nd. Books will be available for purchase August 22nd. Be on the lookout for pre-release parties and giveaways for a sneak peek!

Can you tell us about the folks (yourself included) who run Entangled and what the dynamic is like for all of you?

We're all extremely ambitious, forward-thinking, and dedicated to helping fellow authors find their publishing Happily Ever Afters. It takes a certain kind of person to fit into our authorcentric model, and I'm so glad we've put together the team we have. Everyone is so knowledgeable and eager to share that knowledge. The buzz surrounding Entangled has been crazy. So many people want to be a part of this, and I credit everyone involved for that excitement.

Is Entangled's business model different from that of other small presses? If so, how?

VERY different. With the exception of the management, everyone freelances. And all of us, including management, are paid a percentage of sales. Naysayers have torn this model to shreds, citing too-low pay for the team, but this is where forward thinking comes in. Will team members make a ton of money the first year? Probably not, but we know this. We also know all the percentages we accrue as we work on books add up, even for the freelancers who work part-time. Annuitization is a beautiful thing.

I know you're looking for upper YA (17-22 age range). (Submission details can be found here.) What type of work will catch an editor's eye at Entangled?

Voice is HUGE. I know you're all sick of hearing it, but fresh voices are so hard to come by. I want to see an author express themselves in unique ways, be it a twist on an old cliché that makes me giggle or a brand new description that makes me gasp.

We're also on the lookout for premises that haven't been done to death.


As for upper YA, the book has to have crossover appeal. Period. I've read some fantastic YA submissions over the last month I'd have taken in a heartbeat if we were a straight up YA press, but we're not. It's all about stakes and the universality of your protagonist's plight.


I wrote a blog about crossover appeal a couple months ago you might want to check out if you're curious whether your book has what it takes. See it here: http://www.heatherhowland.com/2011/01/ya-vs-adult-crossover-appeal/

If an author signs a contract with Entangled, can you describe the process that happens from there?

The process is pretty standard across the industry, but every author we sign has a publicist, which is a nifty little twist. Once we receive the contract in house, the author is sent a welcome packet from me which contains their editor's information, the deadline for edits, and release date. There is also a cover art questionnaire and a bio form. The Marketing Director sends her own welcome packet with the author's publicist information, a detailed promotion plan, and a slew of questions they need answered to maximize your promotion plan. The publicist and editor contact their author shortly thereafter, and the fun begins!
Have you signed any YA authors yet? If so, can you give us a peek into the titles that you'll be releasing this fall?

We have two series, both written by the incredibly talented Melanie Card, which have crossover potential in spades. I wouldn't call them YA, per se, but I think they'll appeal to teens and adults equally.


We will launch with an epic fantasy series that begins with SWORDMAIDEN, the story of a teenager who overhears a plot to kill the queen, is enspelled by a wizard, and finds herself on a quest that grows well beyond her desire to remember who she is. There are two yummy young men in this series—the love of her past and the love of her future—and I still can't decide which one I want her to end up with!


Melanie's second fantasy series begins with WARD AGAINST DEATH, which is quite possibly my favorite book ever. I'm head over heels in love with Ward, the bumbling young necromancer who wants to be a surgeon (which is illegal in his medieval-flavored world). Poor Ward gets in WAY over his head when he wakes a beautiful young woman who insists she was murdered. Oh, and she needs him to tag along to keep her alive so she can avenge her own death. Did I mention she's an assassin and his spells only last fifteen minutes?

For me, hearing that an author will have a professional-looking cover is huge! Call me shallow, but I definitely tend to judge a book by its cover. Have any of the covers been designed yet? Can you give us a sneak peak? Even if not, can you tell us about the design process.

We've just started designing our launch covers, so unfortunately, I can't sneak peak anything today. Only one author has seen their mockup, and judging by her squeals, it rocks! As I mentioned before, every author gets a cover art questionnaire. We want to know which NY covers you love, what you've always wanted on your cover, and what you DON'T want on your cover. Our style is very much Big Six traditional publishing. No collage-style ebook covers for Entangled authors!
(Judging by the Entangled logos you've got, I'd expect nothing but brilliance out of your covers!)
Let's talk brass tacks for a minute. Will an author get ARCs to distribute? How will prices be set? Does the author have any input into prices or offering discounts?

Yes. Each author will receive several ARCs to distribute themselves, and if they're agented, that number doubles. In addition, every publicist has an unlimited number of ARCs to distribute to all the review sites and contests on their marketing list.


Prices are set by the publisher and are entirely dependent on the market, the author's fan base, and how well a title is selling. Our initial price points which fit nicely between often-overpriced NY books and the lowball self-publishing prices.

Bonus Question: creative writing prompt - create a sentence using the words "oasis" and "entangled" that describes a plot you all would hypothetically publish. Double bonus points if you can do it "twitter style" in 140 characters or less. :)

Sea god Poseidon is banished to Hades' desert oasis where his life—and heart—become entangled with the beautiful Phoenix sent to kill him.


I'm sensing a whole lot of steam in this one… LOL

Thank you so much, Heather, for sharing your knowledge with us! You've really provided us with some great insights into what I hope turns out to be a fast-growing business model in publishing!

Thanks for having me, Jessie!

Want to know more about Entangled Publishing? Check out their website. In the meantime, tell us, does this publishing model interest you as an author?

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