Waiting on Wednesday: City of Fallen Angels

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I have mentioned before that I love the Mortal Instrument Series. In fact the last Waiting on Wednesday was for the prequel series The Infernal Devices book 2. But Cassandra Clare has continued her MI series which makes me grin pretty cheesy. The fourth book, City of Fallen Angels comes out on Tuesday and yes my copy is pre-ordered. I haven't been setting too much time aside to read these days since I'm in editing mode, but I'm telling you right now, I don't care what happens next Tuesday after 3 p.m. (when my mail is delivered) nothing is getting done because I will be sitting on the couch reading till my eyes bug out of my head. Or the book is finished. Whichever comes first.

Fun Fact Friday

I did very little research for Akasha because I wanted it to mainly be my world. There were a few things I looked in to. Like the dancing. I watched a few videos on youtube of gypsy dancing but none came close as to how this one got to me. I think it's just beautiful!

My husband laughs at the kid singing, but to tell you the truth I kinda like it. Anyway, here's the inspiration for Chapter 10.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCunGo798_c

What I've learned from watching Buffy....

In writing that is.

In the second season in one of the extra features, Joss Whedon (Buffy creator and writing mastermind) was shooting a scene that wasn't working. He said the characters just couldn't get it right, it didn't feel right to him, it just wasn't working. Then it clicked. "We're filming this in the wrong setting."

I had a similar epiphany the other day. See my beta (who also happens to be my sister) sent back a chapter and pretty much ripped it a part. I told her to of course, because I knew it wasn't working but I couldn't figure out why. She pointed out the why and a few more things along with it. But then it clicked.

"I'm writing it in the wrong setting!"

I love when things come to me like that rather than after I've re-written something a million times. (Yes I'm talking to you first three chapters of Akasha!)

Fun Fact Friday

I'm sure I'm not the only author to daydream about their book becoming a movie. And when you think like that sooner or later you're going to start coming up with actors to play your characters. I haven't done research or anything so I only know of two characters.

First, I would love, LOVE, for Dianna Agron to play Adala. She has that sweet, soft voice I imagine Adala having. Plus, she looks like her to me.

Second, I've always seen Anna Kendrick as Gretchen. I know she has a very small part in Akasha, but you'll see a lot more of her in the sequel.

Anyone out there have their own ideas of who should be Akasha the movie?

The e-book era

I'm happy to announce that I have officially sold 100 books! WooHoo!! 100 books in 20 days isn't bad and I hope the number continues to climb. And just so you know I'm totally serious about using this book mainly just to get my name out there I'm going to tell you that I've only earned about $25 out of that hundred. Good thing I went into this knowing I wasn't going to make much, huh?

Anyway, I do want to give a shout out to Karly Kirkpatrick. When I first decided to e-publish I started doing some research on the net and found her website. She talks all about her "Adventures in e-publishing" and it really helped me realize what I was getting myself into. She has a book out called Into the Shadows. I haven't read it yet, but I plan to. Her book is sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords for $2.99 per e-book. She also has a paperback for $11.

If you're into e-publishing I recommend her site. Thanks Karly!

Paivi Anderson has it all—friends, a spot on the varsity basketball team, wonderful parents, and quite possibly, her first boyfriend. It was everything a freshman in high school could ask for. Her perfect life begins to crumble when she discovers her name on a list distributed by a power-hungry presidential candidate. How could anyone think of Paivi as an Enemy of the State? Could it be because of her special powers? No one was supposed to know about them, but the mysterious messages in her tater tots say otherwise. In INTO THE SHADOWS, Paivi quickly learns who her friends are and is forced into a reality she didn’t see coming.

Fun Fact Friday

I've decided to start a new thing on this blog called fun fact friday. Friday mornings are always crazy here because I have to go grocery shopping. Not my favorite thing in the world and therefore it takes me forever to do it.

So I decided if I had something really quick I might be better at writing on here more often.

Every friday I'll give a little fact about either me, my book Akasha, or tiny bits of info on book number 2 (which I still haven't really figured out a name for).

Today's fun fact is on Bryshen. I originally had him as Brishen. For some reason I saw it with the long I and therefore called him Bryshen for several months before I heard someone else call him Brishen. He had become too real to me by then and there was no way I was going to change his name so I changed the spelling.

Character

I am a very character-driven reader. I don't know if that's actually a real term, but I'm using it. What it means to me is that if I don't care for the characters, if they aren't alive for me, then I usually don't enjoy the story. They have to be identifiable in some way, but that doesn't necessarily mean I have to be like them in some way.

Let's take Scarlett O'hara for instance. She's not sweet or nice. I've never lived on a cotton farm (though I am surrounded by them), and I've never had men fawning all over me. But she was a very real character and the main reason I loved Gone With the Wind so much.

I tell you this so you understand my dilemma. I introduce a few new characters in Akasha book 2. Two of which came to me like I already knew them. The third however is being very stubborn. I just can't get a handle on her. It's very frustrating.

I'm almost to the point where I just want to cut her out, but she's important to the story.

So what do I do at this point? Well, while writing Akasha I had to write several scenes from Bryshen's point of view so I could get a better handle on him and how he'd react to a certain situation. I suppose that's what I'm in for today. Because until I figure this girl out, this story isn't going anywhere.

(cue loud groan)

Moving onward

So now that Akasha is up and running I've been able to take a few deep breaths this week. In between freaking out because I had to actually ask people if they wanted to carry my book, that is. (BTW Akasha is now at the Safford public library and the Safford High School library.)

It's time for me to return to writing again, though. Or editing. I'm hoping to get some writing in on the side. If I ever learn how to manage my time properly. I've had a couple of people ask me about a sequel to Akasha, so I'll let you know now, yes there is. I have already written it, and am diving into the "funness" that is editing. It's tedious and time consuming, but in some ways my favorite part. You start with something that is all right at it's best. And then you play with it until it's something you smile to yourself about. I love watching a story transform.

Those who read both the second draft and the hundredth of Akasha should know what I mean.

My hope is to get book 2 (tentatively named Itara) on sale by the end of the year. So if you feel the need, send me a line to make sure I'm working on it. I'm easily distracted.

Pounding the Pavement

Two weeks ago I left a proof copy of my book with the only bookstore here in Safford. They are literally my only chance of getting my book into a physical store. So you can imagine how frustrating it has been for me to have to wait two weeks to hear back from them.

Unfortunately, I'll have to wait even longer. When I went in to check on it with them I was treated so rudely I almost wanted to yell back at them and leave, my book in hand, and never return. But I've come to know the owners somewhat over the last few years I've been here. As I said before, they are the only bookstore. They aren't rude people. At all. So I swallowed my first reaction and said I'd check back in a couple of weeks.

I wonder what happened to make them act the way they did? Was it a previous customer and I just had the pleasure of getting dumped on? Are they under so much stress that I was the straw that broke the camels back? It really doesn't matter at this point, I guess I'm just saying it sucks.

And if this is what it's always like pounding the pavement, I'm going to have to grow even tougher skin.

Hope I don't turn calloused.