Pinspiration!

For years I've had a Pinterest board for Onyx Moon. I kept it secret, mostly because I didn't want people asking me why I was pinning such weird stuff. Now that the book is out, I've decided to share it with all the world! If you follow me on Pinterest, you can now see the whole thing on my profile. Below are some of my favorites. Don't worry! There are NO SPOILERS :)

 Ora wasn't this dressed up when she was asleep in the Blessed Tree, but I like to think Isabella and Letty adorned her with flowers once in awhile. I couldn't help but think of Ora when I saw this picture. She's sleeping so peacefully and she even has that brassy blond hair.

There is no stream outside Isabella's cottage, but it could have looked like this. Quaint and hidden in the Forbidden Wood.

A beautiful lightning storm conjured by Isabella.

The wall leading up to the castle.

Ora's favorite gymnastics pose. I studied and learned a lot to be able to include gymnastics in the book.

Lady Grey

This is actually New York but it was such a great shot of the moon looming over everything. I can imagine Angels and Demons battling on the rooftops.

Yes, I know this is Hogwarts. But can't you imagine Xader sulking in these dark corridors at night?

Reminds me of Xader's mirrored garden. Some of the only sunlight he ever gets. 

One of Avery Academy uniforms looked something like this. Silly rich city kids.

A demonic face Ora sees when she looks at someone on the street. I absolutely love this picture. It freaked me out when I first saw it. No wonder she thinks she's crazy.

When I see this I think of the tree on the cliffs by the sea. Ora and Doeryan's special place.

Ora loves the soothing tones of lavender. Her bedroom was cozy and probably looked something like this.

I only see Doeryan when I look at this face. Its funny. It was actually really hard to find a serious picture of this actor, Torrance Combs. Most of them were either ones where he was making some goofy face at the camera or selfies with his cat. I think Doeryan would have liked cats. ;)

Seven's hair. Wish I could pull this off.

The colorful night sky in Alethia. 

A spot in the Forbidden Wood. This place feels like home. 

Whenever I was feeling stuck on something, or just couldn't get my mind in the book, I would look at these pictures to get the wheels turning. I have a similar board for Bloodstones, and the other fantasy series I am working on. Those two are secret, since they contain spoilers and I'm not ready to talk about my other series yet. When Bloodstones is out, check back and I'll post my favorite pics from that board too!

Author Spotlight: Megan Linski

MEGAN LINSKI

Author of Alora

Tell us about the Anmortals from your book Alora. 

Anmortals are immortal creatures who are humans during the summer and animals during the winter. They are extremely beautiful, very proud, and value freedom above all. Alora is the perfect Anmortal. She's gorgeous, over confident, and her winter form, a winged wolf, suits the magical air that surrounds all Anmortals. 

What was it about Northern Michigan that inspired you to make it the setting of your book?

I love Northern Michigan. Love it. It's the only place in the entire world I've ever been that looks like the setting of a fantasy novel. You can walk outside and it feels like you're in an enchanted, northern forest. The waterfalls, the aureola borealis, the sandy shores, and everything else just speaks to me as a writer. And the seclusion is absolutely wonderful. There's no one around for miles, and the people that do live there are kind and generous (and they make some fantastic food). I am completely at peace and happy there. If I had the option, that's where I would build my writing retreat. I feel as if it's my home. 

How did you get the idea for Alora?

I was visiting up north, and we were driving on a road that spiraled through a deep part of the wilds in the Upper Peninsula. I looked out the window among the trees and pines and saw a young white wolf with wings, chasing after us and looking at me proudly, refusing to cast away her eyes. Right then I knew I had to write about her and tell her story. I begged for some paper and a pen and got right to it. Most of the first draft was composed on that vacation on napkins and hotel paper. 

What made you decide to become a YA author?

I started writing YA when I was a teenager because, naturally, I wanted to write about people my own age. Now that I'm older I want to write about YA because I remember what it's like to be in a teenager's shoes. Many things that happened throughout my teenage years were painful and unforgettable to me. I've matured quite a bit since I became an adult, but I think a small part of me is always going to be that lost teenager who couldn't stop writing books. I want to keep connecting with teens today and years to come because I've been there, and whatever it is, I get where they're coming from. 

Your book, Alora, claimed the #4 spot on Amazon in the free YA Fantasy Swords and Sorcery category. How did you accomplish that?

I would suppose it had a lot to do with luck, really, but I also submitted my book to be featured for free on 30+ Kindle websites and around 20+ or so Facebook pages and Twitter outlets a month before the release date. I posted everywhere I could and asked everyone who liked the book to share it on their profile the day it was free. I have an amazing book blogger on my side, Hayley Guertin, who does a lot of promotion for me. I basically worked my butt off to try and get the book out there. I ended up getting over 1,000 downloads. But if people actually read the book after downloading a copy is an entirely different story. 

What do you do when you're not writing?

Promoting, haha. And that's basically the truth. If I'm not working on a new book I'm trying to sell the ones I already have out. But sometimes I have to force myself to take a break so I don't get burned out, and then I go outside to ride horses, go fishing or on a walk. Sometimes I sew or watch TV, or play a video game. On the rare occasions when I can afford it I'll go ice skating. I'm also attempting to go to college as well. But overall these books are my life. It's been that way ever since I was fourteen years old. 

What are your plans for the future?

I want to publish three more books this year. I'd like to get a couple thousand fans for my Facebook pages, and get more reviews for my books. Besides writing I'd like to finish up trade school, go back to earn my degree, and save up some money so I can travel abroad next year. But our plans for the future are rarely what comes to be, so we'll see. 

 

What advice to you offer aspiring writers?

This is hard. I'm not gonna lie, it's really, really hard. You have to love it with all your heart to keep doing it. If you aren't willing to sacrifice everything, reconsider publishing books. But if this is something you need to do, then don't let anything stand in your way. 

Gryfyn Publishing: https://www.facebook.com/gryfynpublishing

Megan Linski: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Megan-Linski/803537256358930

Gryfyn's Book Blog: http://gryfynsbookblog.blogspot.com

Thank you, Megan!

Megan Linski is also looking for Beta Readers and Reviewers. If interested, you can contact her on her blog or facebook page. 

 

Upcoming Events

 

 My street team and I have been busy lately with promotional hoohaa; getting Onyx Moon into a few solid stores and navigating the unforgiving sea that is the internet. Here are some things we have going so far. First, I have been invited to do a signing at the local library. This event special to me because I used to work there as a lowly page, restocking dusty books and dreaming of the day my own would grace their shelves. I learned a lot about writing the publishing market while working there and I wouldn't trade my countless hours in those tall stacks for anything. 

 But enough about the past. The next stop on my little book tour is a beautiful shoppe called Patti Anne's Exchange. They sell lots of decorative trinkets and elegant furniture, and is whimsical place to spend an afternoon perusing. I will be there signing copies of my book Sat-Sun February 7th and 8th 12-2. I hope I see you there!

***** Coming Soon *****

 Author Spotlight: Megan Linski

Tricks of the Trade: The importance of choosing the right title for your book

Book Review: The Bubble Prince by Christine Webber

  

Book Review: On My Way Home by Allie Walker

If I'm going to be completely honest, this isn't a book I would normally pick up. Although the cover is beautiful, with it's open inviting sky and alluring sunlit glow, there is no promise of magic or adventure. No evil wizards threatening the purity of a medieval land. No ancient queens or dashing rouges. No mysteries whispering from the past.

But despite all that, my hometown was all abuzz about this local author and I just had to swipe up my copy and see what all the fuss was about.

On My Way Home is about a young girl from a small town with big dreams. Just after graduating high school, her bright future is shattered when tragedy strikes and takes her on an incredible emotional journey in which no one could have ever been prepared.

Newcomer author Allie Walker beautifully illustrates the stages of grief in this heart-wrenching coming of age story. She makes the reader examine their own relationships with their mother, father, sisters, and boyfriend. I found myself wondering if I would have handled things as well as Gabriella, the main character, or differently, in some burdensome situations.

This book inspired me to write letters to my daughter; to hug her more, and to hold on a few moments longer. It inspired me to not take people for granted or judge them. Someone like me, who is not into super sappy love stories, will enjoy the subtle romance, but feel that the story moves a little slow - without a lot of excitement to move it along. I was disappointed when the author skipped over a scene I had been looking forward to.

Emotionally driven, the reader is encouraged to keep tissues close if they don't like tear stains on the pages. A friend of mine joked that you can flip to any random page and Gabriella would be sobbing. But as you go along with her on her journey home, I challenge you not to shed a few tears with her.

* * * * *

Where To Begin

A dream come true...

ten years in the making. 

Since I recently came out as a writer, I've had a few people approach me, confess their own dream of writing a novel and ask, "But where do I begin?" 

For me, the answer is simple. It all starts with an idea. I probably get at least three ideas for a novel a day, although only a fraction of a percent of those are good enough to scribble on a note pad. If you are having trouble getting the gears turning, just keep playing the "what if" game in your daily life. What if gifted children were recruited by the government to train for space battles? What if my school was actually an academy for wizards? What if my classmates and I were forced to fight in order to feed our families? Obviously this method works better for fantasy and sci-fi novels, but you get the idea. What if someone's mother died suddenly and a recovering drug addict was left to take care of his brother with down syndrome? What adventures would come to pass if a small town girl moved to L.A. to pursue her acting career? 

Susanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games, says she got the idea for the popular disutopian novels one day when she was channel surfing. All of the channels were either showing coverage of the war in the middle east or reality TV shows. She said that it all started to merge together in a very distributing way. Ideas can happen anywhere around us. Anytime. You just have to keep your mind open in order to let ideas flow in.

I'll admit, I'm lucky. I've had the idea for Onyx Moon ever since I can remember. I would stay up late at night telling myself stories before I fell asleep. Sometimes they would bleed into my dreams. I began to "go" to the same place every night, and on the long bus ride to school. Over the years, characters developed and a plot eventually followed. By the time I was in high school, the story was bursting out of my brain. I didn't do to well in my classes. I was too busy day dreaming for all that nonsense. I finally got a hold of a bulky desktop and managed to get out the first few chapters. I took a semester off from college, where I only paid attention to my writing courses anyway, to focus on the rest of it. Boys and a social life ultimately got in the way for a while, but I finally finished it about a year after I was married. During those years, I had changed a lot as a person. I tried to edit the manuscript to reflect those changes to morals and spiritual beliefs. Looking back at the "Book" file on that bulky desktop, it was just a skeleton of the story I am proud to call my own.

I still have a long way to go with Onyx Moon. Two more books - at least. But I've had a long time to flesh out the story and I know if I concentrate, the plot holes will fill themselves. I specifically chose a part-time job where I would have a lot of time to let my mind wander.

It wanders too much. I have an idea for another fantasy series that has been nagging me lately. A few months ago, I was scrolling through Pinterest when I stumbled on a subject that seemed to be getting a lot of attention on my pin feed. My husband was engrossed in a fantasy video game at the time and I imagined a world where my latest Pinterest fascination could be widely explored. The idea spread as I went to work that day. I found characters and conflict and began to map out the cities on the concrete floor I was forced to spend 8 hours on. For days after that I couldn't sleep. Scenes played out in my head instead of dreams. I overheard countless conversations of people that didn't exist. But the more time went on, I couldn't deny their existence any longer. I finally sat down and mapped out the story and started the first three chapters. Since then, other projects have called my attention, but I can confirm that these new books will happen. They will just have to wait their turn.

In short, coming up with ideas are hard. Don't force it. Just do what you do in your daily routine and always question how things could be different. Keep your mind open to possibilities and don't ignore those random thoughts that might seem ridiculous at first. And it helps to have an annoying brain that never shuts up. :)

~ Coming Soon ~

* Book Review : On My Way Home by Allie Walker

Top 10 Reasons You Should Read More Indie Authors

Independent Authors. The small businesses of the writing world. While I can't speak for every indie author, and every reader's opinion, here are some key points I've found while researching independently published books on Kindle. Like me, you'll probably be surprised by what you are missing. I encourage you to explore this rapidly growing sub-culture of books.

10. Hidden Gems

Make your hipster friends jealous by being the first among them to discover an amazing book! Bring something new to the conversation by reading something not everyone else has read. Not only will you be able to enjoy the book yourself but you will feel good knowing you introduced something fun to other people.

9. Indie Authors Are More Approachable

I believe it's safe to say it's much easier to get a response from an indie author than say, George R.R. Martin. Just about every author has a Facebook or Twitter account,  but so many of them are run by marketers or creative directors that you don't know who is actually reading or responding to your post. Since indie authors do everything themselves, they might actually respond! I've gone straight to Facebook and messaged several indie authors, letting them know I did a review of their book, or asking them a question. I've always gotten a reply within minutes, or at least that same day.

You may have to wait hours in line to get a quick scribble in your book at a J.K. Rowling signing. But since indie authors have a fraction of the turn out, they are happy chat with you and answer any questions, in person! (Not that all authors aren't ecstatic to have you there. Some just have less time for each individual fan.)

 

8. Indie Books Get In Your Hands Faster

Cutting out an agent, busy publishing supervisors, and a team of marketers also cuts out a lot of time. Typically, an indie author will finish the manuscript, wait for peer responses, revise, then send it to a copy editor. Since they don't have to wait for anyone to give them the green light, you most likely won't have to wait a year to find out what happens next in your new favorite series. 

7. They Do Everything Themselves

Since there is no big publisher to back them, all the work falls to the author. Especially marketing and sales. On top of editing, cover design, interior design, and formatting, they are constantly promoting and working to get their books on shelves. Word of mouth is the best kind of promotion, so your support is greatly appreciated. 

6. More Opportunities For Freelance Workers

Every author wants their book to be as polished as possible, inside and out. That's why a lot of indie authors will hire freelance copy editors, graphic designers, and reviewers to help. By purchasing an indie book, you are actually supporting several people.

5. Story Is Exactly As It Was Intended

Publishing companies are looking to fill very specific niches. When they buy the rights of a story, they can make whatever changes they want to plot or characters to fit the mold of a specific market. But when you read from an indie author, there are no unwanted influenced or puppet masters. Think of it as an organic reading experience. 

4. Just Because It Was Published Independently, Doesn't Mean It Wasn't Good Enough To Get Published Traditionally.

Do I think Onyx Moon is good enough to get published traditionally? Absolutely. So why isn't it? That's a whole other cup of cocoa. But the bottom line is, publishers have limited resources and time. A book has to float in a treacherous sea of analytical financial charts and graphs before it is even considered for publication. This is how thousands of amazing stories each year slip through the cracks. With indie authors, you can be the judge.

3. You Can't Argue With Free

It's common for Indie Authors to release the first Ebook in a series for free in hopes you will be snared in and buy the rest of the books. But watch out --- it works!

2. They Are Not In It For The Money

I can't speak for everyone. But I can say the best part of this is holding your book in your ands and seeing it on your shelf, or even better, someone else's. Some Indie Authors make a considerable amount if money. Most don't. But you can bet they love what they do, and that is the key ingredient in a good book.

1. They Need Your Support

Starting out --- No marketing team. No top rate expensive promo plans. No fan base. It's you that helps them get ahead of the game. It's you that makes their dreams come true. So don't just read an indie author, support them! Like their book? Review it on a blog. Post it on facebook. Rate it on Amazon. Reviews and rates on amazon are like tips for indie authors, and their business depends on it.

Onyx Moon Progress

Just a quick update on what's going on with the book...

Copy editing is almost finished and then the manuscript with be ready to upload. Onyx Moon will be available on Amazon, Kindle, Nook, and Barnes and Noble. In the next few days we will be designing the entire print cover. I have a mock up of what I would like and I'm really happy about it. Simple, yet striking. :)

Also, we only need 4 more people to pre-order the book to meet our goal! I set up the Kickstarter in order to raise a little money for some promotional copies. I'm stringing together a few signings and will have a complete schedule up soon. Once things calm down I can finally get back to the fun part; writing!

Get your copy of Onyx Moon HERE