Hi all:
I must apologize for not being around yesterday and today. I’m not feeling all that well and just haven’t been able to get my posts together. I just wanted to let you know I’ll be back tomorrow with the continuation of my YA Genre posts. Tomorrow I’ll talk a little about the Gothic/Southern Gothic genre. For today, I’m presenting a short animated fantasy film I ran across. It had a very important meaning to me. The film is just over 12 minutes. Enjoy.
Hi everyone. It’s April which means it’s time for the A-Z challenge! This is my second year to participate and I’m really excited. Last year was fun, but I didn’t really have a theme. This year, I’m dedicating the A-Z challenge to my novel, temporarily titled, THE EYE OF KEDGE (formerly known as In the Shadow of the Dragon King). It is a YA fantasy that’s been in the works way too long. This year, I’ve decided to quit trying to make it perfect (because there is no such thing as a “perfect” novel), edit it the best I can, and move on to the second book in the trilogy. With that said, let the fun of the A-Z challenge begin!
A – Amethyst Dragon
We all have antagonists in our stories. Mine just happens to be a self-centered amethyst dragon by the name of Einar, and what a beast he is to behold:
“Dark purple and black scales covered his muscular body from snout to tail. Leathery wings twitched against his side. He measured no less than sixty feet in length, and stood half as tall. A stench of rotten eggs clung to him. The beast shifted. Shattered rock tumbled in clinks to the ground. His amber eyes, set wide in his horned head, blinked vertically.”
Steeped in black magic, Einar is impervious to death by humans and white magic. Most amethyst dragons are not confrontational, but Einar is not like most dragons. Over-confident and armed with a vendetta, he is determined to kill everyone who has caused him harm. He’s never been closer to fulfilling his lust for vengeance…until he comes face to face with the very thing that can take his life. Staring down his own mortality, Einar must make a choice and make it fast – fight or flight? His choice might just be his last.
In the last two weeks or so I’ve been tagged by two authors – Julie and Kathils – to participate in the new blog hop sensation: The Next Big Thing! The purpose: discuss my current Work in Progress. Seeing as I was tagged by not one, but two authors, I figured I should indulge all of you with some little tidbits about my novel.
What is the working title of your book? In the Shadow of the Dragon King.
Where did the idea come from for the book? The idea has been swirling in my head since I was young. I’m an army brat with a love for fantasy – the kind of fantasy that involves knights and dragons and sorcerers. My Army dad was always a hero to me, as are our servicemen and women. One Saturday morning while sitting in an IHOP, nine servicemen dressed in uniform, came in and took a table by the window. Watching them, listening to them, the idea for my novel began to play out in my head and it wouldn’t stop. I’ve been working on the trilogy ever since.
What genre does your book fall under? a cross between urban and high fantasy.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? Kidnapped for his own safety, a seventeen-year old boy is thrust into a magical world hovering on the brink of war, and forced into finding a hidden ally before his arc enemies – a sorcerer and a dragon – can kill him. (Still working on it but it’s what I have for now.)
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? Wow, my list is long (yes, I’ve thought about this a lot :-)) Are you ready? Nicholas Haut, Vanessa Hudgins, Megan Fox, Cameron Bright, Jeremy Sumpter, Craig Parker, Roselyn Sanchez, David Wenham and Paul Rudd to name a few.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? I would love to have my book repped by an agency, but I’ll probably end up going with a small press. There are several out there I’m looking at who have a great reputation and same publishing model I’m looking for. All options are open at this time.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? Years. I worked on it part-time to begin with only to realize I needed to do some research into medieval weapons, castles, locations, etc. This put the actual writing on hold for a while. Then I started writing again but I didn’t like the way it started, so I ditched it and started over. I was also working full-time and trying to raise four kids, so time was limited. Then I was laid off in 2010 from my job and, unable to find a job, dove into my manuscript with vigor. I completed it in 2011, sent it off to a publisher who liked it but needed changes. I’ve been working on those changes ever since, along with the other two novels in the trilogy.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? I’ve been told my story has elements of Tolkien, Rowling, C.S. Lewis, Cassandra Clare and Anne McCaffrey mixed with my own flare, but as far as actual books? I don’t think it’s been compared to any books.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? There are mysterious tattoos, fight scenes to appeal to the YA male reader, a hint of love interest for the gals, a bit of sarcastic wit for the adults and some bad a$$ characters to love and hate. There’s a good dragon as well as a very, very bad one, a couple of kick-butt fae, and an army of shape-shifting teens any kid would want on his/her side in an epic battle. It’s a story of love, sacrifice and believing in one’s self.
And now, for my nominations, in no particular order:
And anyone else who wants to play along.
Well, it’s not exactly my ideal website but it is pretty, it has some cool stuff, like a game (in the “Extras” section), and it was free. Would love to hear your thoughts so head on over and tell me what you think. You can find it here.
Also, I avoided a potential copyright issue last night. See, I found a picture of a dragon on Wiki and, after reading the Terms of Use, Licensing, and Privacy sections, it seemed as if I was okay to use the picture. Just to be sure, I contacted the artist to get his permission. This is something I usually do anyway, but didn’t in this case. Something gnawed at me while a friend and I were trying to ‘edit’ the pic, so I e-mailed the artist. I’m glad I did because he asked me to NOT use the pics as there is no way to keep people from copying and distributing what they want, when they want. As an artist, I accepted his request and chose not to use the photo. I also took it down off my blog (it was my green dragon picture) so as to avoid any future issues.
Lesson: always use your own pictures, pictures you’ve purchased, pictures licensed to you through sites like 123rf or get the artist’s permission. If you don’t have any of those in place…don’t use the picture on your website or blog. It could cost you tons of money in the end.
Enjoy your Sunday. 🙂
Hi guys!
I’m so glad you dropped in to see what’s up. I hate to inform you that this week will probably be another down week for me. You see, I’ve written 3 versions of the same novel…one for me, one for the publisher, one with the publisher’s comments and edits, and now I’m working on #4…a melding of the previous three.
I understood and agree with many points the publisher pointed out to me and I am gladly working on them. They were correct on many aspects of the novel and I respect and admire their keen eyes and editing sense. However, there are aspects about my novel that I must keep for my novel to remain mine. There are hints of things to come in books two and especially book three in the saga. If I take them out, then those events don’t hold as much weight. They don’t pack a punch, and it won’t be the story I want to tell.
I had a discussion with the publisher the other day and they are a little hesitant about my decision to leave in a certain aspect that I have to have in the trilogy. they are, however, still interested in seeing the final result.
The melding it, the bringing all 4 versions together has been more difficult that I thought. Scenes, once ‘acted’ out by other characters, have been relegated to only two points of view. Scenes that weren’t there at all in any of the versions have been written. Conflicts once suffered by others are now experienced by someone else. I have to admit, the writing is better, the story is better, but the outlining of 3 novels into one has been a chore to say the least. The first novel was outlined to a certain extent. I knew what I wanted to happen in each chapter and to whom, but now that many character POVs are gone, those scenes now have to go away all together or placed elsewhere with someone else.
That means this week will be another down week for me on my blog. I will try to pop in here and there to say hello. I’m definitely still popping in on all your blogs to say hi and keep informed of the latest news and developments.
Oh, just to let you know…in my down time I’ve been engrossed in Cassandra Clare’s Immortal Instruments series: City of Bone, City of Ash and City of Glass. If you haven’t picked these up, you must. A lot of folks think she’s a bit heavy on the description. To me, it’s just the right amount, and her characterizations are fantastic and well thought out. If you’re looking for faeries, werewolves, vampires, dead, silent, mind-speaking ghoulish things called the Silent Brothers, all wrapped up in an urban fantasy that takes place in NY, you’ve opened the right book. It’s sexy, fun and definitely an adventure.
Till next time,
Stay healthy, happy and keep sweet.
Me
I was recently “tagged” by Julie Catherine in a book interview of sorts. I am glad to have this opportunity to share information about my work in progress and send my thanks to Julie Catherine and to all those down the line who continue to pass this challenge along.
1. What is the title of your book/WIP?
I have many works in progress but my baby is In the Shadow of the Dragon King. It is the first in the Chronicles of Fallhollow saga trilogy.
2. Where did the idea for the WIP come from?
I’ve always had the story crawling around in my mind since I was young. My dad was in the army and like a silly child, I envisioned his work as romantic, like the knights of medieval times. Of course I always loved a fantastic fairy tale where knights and princes would come to the rescue of a fair damsel. I always knew I wanted to combine the two together and have a young person lead the way as the knights and their army fought dangerous beasts like dragons. The hero would always have magical folk to help (and hinder) along the way. In 2003, I revisited an old manuscript I started years ago and piddled around with it part-time. Then, in 2010 after I lost my job, I threw my entire being into finishing it, which I did in July 2011.
3. What genre would your WIP fall under?
Most definitely on the cusp of Young Adult/New Adult high fantasy.
4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Wow, you know, I’ve thought about this a lot and I keep coming back to the same folks.
David: Nicholas Hoult
Charlotte: Alexandra Daddario
Lily: Natalie Portman
Slavandria: Olivia Wilde
Eric: Cameron Bright
Sestian: Jeremy Sumpter
King Gildore: Craig Parker
Queen Mysterie: Roselyn Sanchez
Trog: David Wenham
Seyekrad: Paul Rudd
5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your WIP?
To keep him from being murdered, a passive seventeen-year old boy is kidnapped from his world and forced to fight a war steeped in sorcery. His price of failure: the annihilation of the girl he loves…and maybe a world or two.
6. Is your WIP published or represented?
Not yet. It’s been to a publisher who came back and said they would consider it if I made some changes. I’m making changes. 🙂
7. How long did it take you to write?
I’ve been at this off and on since 2003, but I seriously set my mind to finishing it in 2010. I put “The End” on it in July 2011.
8. What other WIPs within your genre would you compare it to?
If you mean what other novels are out there like mine, I don’t think there are any. I’ve read a lot of YA fantasy, but I don’t recall reading ones similar to this. I’ve been told there are elements of Iron Fey meets Narnia meets Lord of the Rings with a whole lot of me mixed in.
9. Which authors inspired you to write this WIP?
I don’t think any authors inspired me to write this particular novel. The story has always been in me. It just took a long time to come out. However, there are many authors who inspire me to write like: Raymond Feist, J.K. Rowling, Cassandra Claire, C.S. Lewis, Julie Kagawa, The Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, Lewis Carroll, and Charles Perrault.
10. Tell us anything else that might pique our interest in this project.
As an army brat, I was lucky enough to travel a lot when I was young. I actually lived in Germany for two years and during that time, I got to see a lot of castles and visit many medieval locations. The romanticism of the medieval times always stayed with me. It seemed all the stories I wrote while growing up were centered around castles, dragons, faeries and magic. The older I got, the more entrenched in Arthurian legend I became. I became obsessed with Merlin, Arthur, Gwynevere, and Morgana, and began reading anything that was similar. I knew when I finally wrote my novel, it would be steeped in the same sort of myths and legends, and take place in castles I envisioned and made up in my mind. Without a doubt, there would have to be dragons and sorcerers, mages and magic.
But I also spent many years in the south, making Georgia (United States) my home. While living in Georgia, I traveled all over the deep-south: Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama, and came to know and love many places and people I encountered. When it came time to write In the Shadow of the Dragon King, I knew I wanted the story to take place in two worlds existing side by side, sharing much of the same landscape, and I wanted my protagonist, David, to live in the mountains. Some of the most beautiful land in the world is located in the mountains of Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina, so I naturally picked a center spot of all three states. I created the town of Havendale which is a stone’s throw from Kingsport and Bristol, Tennessee, two very real cities. It’s a perfect backdrop for David’s story and it’s been a lot of fun creating two ‘worlds’ to accommodate his adventures.
One final thing …
Tag, You’re It:
As a final step of this Work In Progress blog post, I’m supposed to tag other writers who are then “it” to make a blog post of their own. I’ve chosen three blogging buddies I know who are working on something:
I hope they choose to participate in this challenge. You should really stop by their blogs to find out.
Remember this fantastic scene from the Princess Bride?
Swap the words for the title of this post and that’s me facing down NaNoWriMo which starts a week from today. Am I nuts?
Unlike Prince Humperdink, I am not a planner. I don’t outline, I don’t figure out my characters or what they’re doing. I just write. Now, I do have a plan in my head. I know where I want to start and how I want to end but that’s it. I guess you could say my writing style reflects my everyday look at life.
I don’t plan. In fact, I hate to plan because nothing ever goes right when I plan. The best vacations I’ve ever had were the ones where no plans were made except to say “We’re going on vacation to [fill in the blank]”. Once we got to wherever we were going, my family and I did whatever caught our interest. We’ve never had an itinerary to uphold.
One of our best vacations was the one we took two years ago to Key West over Labor Day weekend. It was literally a spur of the moment trip, completely unplanned. I told the boys we were going to the Keys the next day (you should have seen their faces! priceless!) and to go to bed early. I got online and made reservations for us and the pooches (they love traveling, too) at a fabulous Sheraton Hotel on Key West beach (at an AWESOME rate that I couldn’t even believe myself] and off we went. I even took 1 extra vacation day from work so we would have 4 fab days in the Florida Keys. I got to live out two of my dreams: to see Hemmingway’s house and stand at the southern most tip of the United States. Kewl!
Hopefully, NaNoWriMo will offer the same opportunity to fulfill one of my dreams: to write and finish the second installment in my 3-part saga. I have butterflies in my tummy, my nerves are starting to twitch, and my brain is gearing up to face the unknown. The trip is going to be a fantastic one and I’m going to learn a lot, especially about myself. Can I stay focused? Can I make and accomplish goals? I believe I can. What I am sure of as a writer, is if I can get through and succeed at NaNo, I can succeed at anything. Today – Little Town, Florida. Tomorrow, New York! Look out world! I’m coming for you!!!
and let me tell you, it was one of the hardest scenes I’ve ever written. However, thanks to three re-writes and coaching from my super duper beta reader, I have written a scene that grips me and my reader to the point of tears, which is what I was going for.
So what held me up on this scene? Basically, I forgot to be the storyteller. I failed to get inside my characters’ heads. The basics were there, the movements were there but it lacked depth, persuasion. It lacked emotion. I mean, it was so close, but you know how sometimes you’re thinking of something and it’s right there on the tip of your tongue but you just can’t blurt it out? That’s how this scene was with me. It was right there. Right on the brink, but I kept missing the mark.
Until I listened to my beta reader, made myself uncomfortable and visited the spot where grief lives. I had to reach down deep inside of me and relive what I felt when people I loved died. What did I feel? What did I say to myself? What sort of bargains did I make? And then I had to transpose them onto a seventeen year old boy without sounding cheesy or overdone.
I can’t believe how many hours this scene took to perfect. Again, a big tip of the hat to my beta reader and her harsh, strong comments that forced me to dig up painful memories so I could make this scene shine.
I wonder if anyone else has written a death scene and if they had as much trouble to get it right? If so, what did you pull from for inspiration?
As a side note: there are three novels that come to mind with great, gut-wrenching death scenes that just turned me into a bawling baby: The Order of the Phoenix when Sirius Black dies, The Hunger Games when Rue dies and an old classic, The Miracle of the Bells when Olga Treskovna dies.
What are some of your favorite death scenes in fiction and what emotion(s) did they stir in you?
Try remembering this little rule:
he = who
him = whom
If you aren’t sure which to use, insert he/him in the sentence. For example:
“Who/Whom should I call?”
Would the answer be:
“I will call he.” or “I will call him?” It would be the latter so the correct question would be “Whom do I call?”
“Who/Whom called you last night?”
Would the answer be:
“He called you last night.” or “Him called you last night?” Of course it is the first one, so the correct sentence would be “Who called you last night?”
I find this works every time. I hope it helps you, too.
YA Chit Chat 
