Friday, June 29, 2012

COVER REVEAL - FAE by Emily White


Spencer Hill Press has another amazing cover to show off this month - Fae by Emily White!
 
 
 
Fae
Not all fae'ri tales come with a happy ending.
     Ella thought taking care of the ego-bloated Mamood god would be a sure way to bring peace to the galaxy and satisfy her taste for revenge.
     But she was wrong.
     Despite the fact their god is gone, the Mamood refuse to abandon their attack on the planet Soltak and Ella's own so-called friends start to turn against her. And with Soltak dying--its oceans drying up and its plants withering in the ground--Ella and Cailen suspect there's a new enemy at work. As more people die and more water is leached from the planet, they both prepare for something straight from a nightmare.
     The fae are coming.

Title: Fae
Series: Auri #2
Author: Emily White
ISBN: 978-1-937053-26-0 
Release Date: December 10, 2013
Formats: paper, e-book
Cover Design: Vic Caswell of Sketcher Girl

If you'd like to request an ARC, please use the reviewer form on our website. ARCs should ship next summer.  

Thursday, June 28, 2012

QUERY CORNER – Successful Queries


A query letter is your first, and often only, chance to impress a potential agent or editor. Writing a good query letter is essential to getting your work in front these publishing professionals. There are many websites and blog posts already dedicated to this topic, and many suggestions on what way is the best way to write them. But one piece of advice is consistent—your letter must hook the agent or editor into wanting to read more of your book. Today I will post the letter that got me a full request for my manuscript from Spencer Hill Press, followed by an offer of publication for my debut YA novel, Triangles. As always, it’s very important to follow the agent’s or editor’s guidelines and send them exactly what they ask for. Some writers personalize their letters, others don’t. I usually do, but if you’ve been invited to submit or are submitting following a contest win or referral, always mention that in your opener. Here is my query:

Dear Ms. Kaynak, (The opening should always address a specific person)

I took part in "The Great Query Contest of October 2011" and received a request to submit my YA novel, TRIANGLES, to Spencer Hill Press when you reopened to queries. I hope you will consider TRIANGLES for your list. (Personalization, especially when you’ve been invited to submit or were referred, should be in this first paragraph)

The travel brochure promised an ‘escape from reality’. Her sister promised it would be the best family vacation ever. But when seventeen-year-old Autumn Taylor's ship glides into the Bermuda Triangle, her days become a blur of Twilight Zone episodes—and she's the star of the show. (This paragraph, and last sentence, should hook the agent/editor and make them want to read more)

During her time in the Triangle, she speaks to her dead father, fights with a stepbrother she doesn't have, and finds herself stuck in the middle of a heated love triangle with a coworker and his half-brother. Waking up with cancer pushes her to the edge of a mental breakdown, sending her to the ship's clinic for help. The doctor warns her that any of these alternate lives could become permanent—after all, it happened to her during her own trip through the Triangle. Autumn struggles to figure out what’s going on, but everyone on the ship, including her sister, accepts each day as if it were the norm. When Autumn returns to the clinic for more answers, she finds the doctor is not on the ship's registry and never has been. (This paragraph should read like the back cover of a book—it should sound enticing and interesting without giving too much away)

Now, with no one to help her, Autumn has a few things to figure out: a way out of the Triangle, why she's the only one who's been affected by the strange occurrences, and why this is happening to her. If she can’t get her real life back on track, she may end up spending the next sixty years trapped in a life she was never meant to live. (The body of the query can be two to three paragraphs, each meant to pique the interest of the agent or editor and leave them wanting more)

TRIANGLES is a 63,000 word young adult urban fantasy. This novel is a standalone with series potential. Per your guidelines the first ten pages are pasted below. (This paragraph includes the title, word count, genre, and lists any submission guidelines that were followed)

Thank you for taking the time to consider representing my work. I look forward to hearing from you. (It is always a good idea to thank them for their time and close the letter professionally)

Sincerely,

Kimberly Miller (Following my name would be my contact information—address, phone number, email address, and website, social media links)

Kimmy :)

TRIANGLES, Kimberly Ann Miller, Spencer Hill Press, June 2013


Monday, June 25, 2012

Why Doubt is OK


I’m a plotter. Writing mysteries means that I need to know how my character is going to cross obstacles, find clues and get to the bottom of things, alive, and in one piece by the end of the story. Many times, during revision, after I’ve read or re-written a scene a creeper of doubt will start to grow. ‘Does this sound plausible?’ doubt will ask me. ‘Is it believable?’ it will nag at me. My first reaction is to dig up that creeper and chuck it as far away from me as possible. ‘Think positive’ I tell myself. Don’t second guess yourself. Doubt isn’t going to help you finish the story.

My second reaction is different. I wait. For that creeper to re-grow. It usually does. This time I don’t run away from that feeling of doubt. I look at it. While it grows I examine it. After the examination, I pat myself on the back. ‘I’ve faced doubt,’ I tell myself. ‘Now, time to move on to the next scene.’

But it doesn’t end there. If there is every even a niggling thought in the corner of my mind ‘does my character stay true to herself?’ ‘does the scene ring true to the story arc?’ ‘would someone really use feng shui to increase luck in her life?’ that creeper of doubt will return and re-grow until I face it square in the face and do a re-write.

Doubt keeps our compass pointing true. It allows us to move from one point of view to another and view the facts with truth. It’s uncomfortable! It’s painful! Doubt isn’t an easy emotion to allow yourself to feel, especially, when you’re trying to keep positive through a revision. Doubt, I’m constantly afraid, can lead me to a dead standstill. I may get the ‘I’m no good! Why am I even trying to write this story!? Let me pick another story’ feelings. But when I do allow doubt to linger, when I look at it without negative connotations and allow it to swim steady in my head I start to pick apart the various pieces in my scene. I examine each bit like a true Nancy Drew –clearly and without judgment. It gets me energized to re-think the scene from a different angle, to ask the what-if questions and then think up answers to write a stronger, better scene.

What do you think? Do you say ‘hello’ to doubt or ask it to take a hike?

Friday, June 22, 2012

WINNER!!!

Yay! Our first giveaway was fun and easy. Thanks to all who participated and let us know what you love to read. We will email the winner for your address so we can send out Altered and you can get started reading just in time for summer!

THE WINNER IS: Kimberlee Turley!!!


CONGRATS! Check us out for more contests and giveaways to come!

COVER REVEAL - TRIANGLES!!!


Triangles
A cruise ship. A beautiful island. Two sexy guys. What could possibly go wrong? 

In the Bermuda Triangle--a lot.

Hoping to leave behind the reminders of her crappy life--her father's death years ago, her mother's medical problems, and the loser who's practically stalking her--seventeen-year-old Autumn Taylor hops on a ship with her sister for a little distraction. When she wakes up in the Bermuda Triangle, she fears she's gone nuts for more than one reason: that loser's suddenly claiming they're a happy couple... a hot guy is wrapping his arms around her and saying "Happy Anniversary"... and suddenly, she's full of bruises, losing her hair, and getting IV medication. Autumn visits the ship's doctor, hoping for a pill or a shot to make the craziness go away. Instead, she's warned that one of these "alternate realities" could become permanent.

She just has to ask herself one question--how the hell is she going to get out of this mess?

Title: Triangles
Author: Kimberly Ann Miller
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press (www.spencerhillpress.com)
ISBN: 978-1-937053-36-9
Release Date: June 18, 2013
Formats: Paper, e-book

I am so excited to share my cover with the world! My cover artist, Vic Caswell of Sketcher Girl Studios, did a fantastic job! What do you think?

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Raising The Stakes

Raise your hand if you have read Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass. *Raising my own hand* I may be alone here, but I am going to go out on a limb and be honest. As I read this book I asked myself how I could apply his teachings to my own WIPs as well as other books I've read.

Fast forward a few weeks and the reading of Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth and that Ah-ha moment slapped me in the face, hard. I'm not positive and haven't found anything yet stating that Roth specifically used Writing the Breakout Novel, but I have my strong suspicions she did. 

<p>Image courtesy of <a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net">FreeDigitalPhotos.net</a></p>
Which brings us face to face with today's post - Raising the Stakes. Maass gives two questions in his book which I have affixed to my editing folder. (Yes, I have a manila folder with editing notes scribbled all over it.) As I have been recently editing an older WIP I've been reminded to ask these questions with each chapter/scene.

  1. "How could things get worse?" 
  2. "When would be the worst moment for them to get worse?" 

At each and every turn of Insurgent something was happening, causing Tris to continually change her course of action. The stakes weren't always life threatening, but they all added emotional danger to Tris. That's why as readers we keep turning the pages. Just when you think things can't get worse, they do. We keep moving forward to make sure Tris is making the right choices. I will be honest, again, I had my doubts about Tris's choices a few times, but in the end I finally understood why she made the choices she did.

In addition to those two big questions are the type of stakes. You NEED both!

  1. Personal Stakes
  2. Public Stakes

And, no, the stakes don't all need to be huge. But, they do need to create emotional danger. They need to cause the main character to make choices which lead to their own suffering and sacrifice. There were so many points during Insurgent that my heart was breaking for Tris and what she was going through. Roth hit home with the emotional suffering and sacrifice she put Tris through.

So, now that we are armed with two very big questions and two types of stakes to raise, let's all take a little time to reassess our WIPs.

Good luck!

Monday, June 18, 2012

Authors and Books that Take You Places!





Avery Olive is the author of the Paranormal YA A Stiff Kiss published by Crescent Moon Press. Welcome Avery! We here at TheWritersbytheshore blog believe in BIC (butt in chair), but we also think that writing (and life) should take us and our readers to fun destinations. So here we go...
Tell us a little about your book. Will we need our passports?

A Stiff Kiss is a Young Adult Paranormal Romance. I think it's a reverse sleeping beauty tale with a twist. It's got a little bit of some darker themes but it's a romance through and through. Not everyone will need a passport to get to rainy Silversprings, Oregon but I sure do since I'm a Canadian ;)
Wow! Sounds great. So, if I was going to have dinner with your main character, what exotic locale would we be dining at?

If you were dining with Xylia I suspect you'd be in Transylvania. She loves historic castles, graveyards and the chance to maybe come across a ghost--if they exist--along with anything on the spooky side.
Landon would pick something romantic like Venice, for sure. He'd buy you a gondola ride through the canals, without a doubt.
Who is the character you would vote as "Most likely not to make it through customs" and why?
That would be Xylia. She'd try to get on a plane spur of the moment and forget her passport, or try to carry on some questionable items. Not to mention with her slightly goth, dark personality and clothes she's sure to draw attention even if she's done nothing wrong.
If your main character was stranded on a desert island, what would be an essential travel item for them to take along?
Xylia's up for any adventure. She'd want a book, or map, something to point her towards a creepy cemetery, or where to find the most trouble.
What advice would you offer to other writers embarking on their own writing adventure?
Do your research. Everyone has to start at the beginning and learn how to wade through the never ending learning curves that come with writing, querying, editing and publishing. I know that sometimes you may want to take the easy way out and have the answers given to you, but it's best to find a great support group, writing circle and allow yourself the chance to succeed by being prepared. Writing and getting published isn't as simple as completing a book and getting it published, there are many steps in between.

Thanks, Avery and Bon Voyage!

Toni De Palma
http://www.tonidepalma.com/




Friday, June 15, 2012

OUR FIRST GIVEAWAY!


Today is our first giveaway here at WritersByTheShore! What are we celebrating? How about everything! Summer is just about here, the weekend is upon us, and we've made it through our first month blogging with very few hitches!

We are giving away an ARC of Altered by Jennifer Rush. You can read about it here. The book isn't coming out until January 2013, but it sounds amazing! So - if you would like to be one of the very first to read this debut novel, just 1) be a follower of our blog and 2) leave a comment and tell us who your favorite YA author is or what YA book you love most. Be sure to leave your email address so we can contact the winner as well. This giveaway is limited to US residents, but be sure to check back for other events available to everyone around the globe!

Easy, right? Comment away, and we will pick a winner next week to give everyone time to join in on the fun!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

THE AWESOMENESS THAT IS BEA 2012!


I had the amazing opportunity to attend BEA in New York City this year. Words cannot describe the incredible energy that beats in that place! It is truly a booklover’s Heaven on Earth. If you ever have the chance to go, even for one day like I did, do it. It’s amazing. Tons of publishers set up booths where they showcase their titles and have author signings. A long, long row of tables is set up with timed signings for other authors. The place is loaded with agents, editors, authors, publishers, booksellers, buyers, bloggers, and other industry professionals checking the latest things out. And the best part? BOOKS ARE FREE!!!! I got my hands on forty books in just a few hours! Many are ARCs that aren’t published yet. It’s great spending the day with people that love books as much as we do.

And this year, I got to meet my wonderful publisher, Spencer Hill Press, along with many of their authors and editors. What an incredible group of people! We had author signings at our booth and gave out ARCs such as:



We chatted with people. We made friends. We got books:




We had FUN!

Next year, I will be signing my debut YA novel, Triangles, at the Spencer Hill Press booth. Even though it’s a year away, I’m already excited.

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, June 4 - Thursday, June 6, 2013. It’s sure to be awesome!

Kimmy :)

TRIANGLES, Kimberly Ann Miller, Spencer Hill Press, June 2013


Tuesday, June 12, 2012

What I learned at the NJSCBWI Annual Conference


This weekend the New Jersey chapter of the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators had its annual conference. It was a three day affair filled with workshops, critiques, inspirational keynote speakers and book fairs that took me from high highs (Love your character! She is so well developed.) to low lows (You overwrite! What does your character really want?) and gave me the super power to say no (more) to coffee.  Along the way, I learned a few things…

Say hello. Conferences, especially, those as big as the NJSCBWI one, can be intimidating. Everyone seems to be chatting with everyone else and it’s easy to become a wallflower or a chair warmer. Make friends. Attendees at the conference are writers following their dreams. Just like you. Simply say hello and you may meet your next critique partner or beta reader.


Critiques are opinions. Take them with a grain of salt. I know you’ve heard this many times but it bears repeating. You need to pick and choose what you are going to change about your manuscript. The temptation to accept every suggestion that a senior editor recommends can be too much. An unusually tough critique can bring you down. In the end, it comes down to how well you are practicing your craft. Are you committed to becoming a better writer? Do you have faith in yourself and your story? Whatever I write in my feedback comments as a critique or whatever an agent writes can only be validated by you.

Your work is not perfect. That’s OK! Is your ‘conceit’ original? Does your story make sense? Are your characters well developed? Do you have a voice? If yes, then throw yourself into the process of pitching, submitting, and of course, revising.

Finally, don’t forget to submit your work! Polish up your query and those first fifteen pages that the editor discussed with you, paste them in the body of your email and hit the send button as soon as you can!

Good luck at your conferences!


Thursday, June 7, 2012

The Use of Commas in Lists - The Serial Comma


The use of the comma eludes many people and I’m not immune to demise due to commas. I have a bone to pick with them. They caused me quite a stir when I returned to college and was forced to spend hours upon hours in the English help lab learning about those pesky creatures. Some things were practically beaten into my head as a result. Still, all these years later, I fight with commas.

I grew up with the understanding, and had it drilled into my brain in later years, that when writing a list you separate all items with a comma. Even during student teaching I taught fourth graders a lesson on commas in lists. I was taught that lists should look like the following.

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=303
“The colors of the American flag are red, white, and blue.”

Simple and straight forward.

Then my daughter came home not long ago and informed me that the comma after white is no longer necessary. What?!?! Are they trying to confuse me and drive me insane? Yes, I’m convinced that whoever it is in charge of comma rules is trying to make me loony.

So the sentence should read: “The colors of the American flag are red, white and blue.”

And, it’s not just my daughter saying this. I run across it all the time. I have several critique partners who insist on doing it this “new” way. Although, is it really new?

To make matters worse I asked my daughter if she’s still being taught this way and she replied, “Honestly, it depends on the teacher.” Then she added that her current English teacher says that technically it should read, “The colors of the American flag are red, white, blue.” Arrggghhhh! 
                                                                                                                         
So, I did some digging. Yup, I dusted off my Strunk & White and Eats Shoots & Leaves books, literally.  Both books agree on one thing and call this comma the “serial comma.” After that, they take different routes.

In Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style they conclude that indeed a list would read as, “The colors of the American flag are red, white, and blue.” That is unless it is in reference to a business firm, like say, “Bharathan, Miller & De Palma.” The comma would be left off after Miller.

In Lynne Truss’s Eats Shoots and Leaves book she says that it’s more common in American English to write, “The colors of the American flag are red, white, and blue.” Likewise, in British English it’s more likely to write it, “The colors of the American flag are red, white and blue.” And there are people in both countries that do it the opposite way of their respective language.

So, really are we talking new vs. old, or British vs. American?

Are you confused? Because, I’m still lost on this one.

Your Turn –> What are your thoughts on this serial comma?

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Sketcher Girl Studios Grand Opening



GRAND OPENING!!!!
Tomorrow is the day that Sketcher Girl Studios, LLC officially opens for business!

In celebration of this momentous event, Vic Caswell (owner/operator) is hosting a give-a-way.
Using the "Contact Us" form; on the site, send her the secret word from the end of this post and you'll be entered to win.

Sketcher Girl Studios is a freelance illustration company with a focus on book cover design.  Vic Caswell has produced the covers of Emily White's debut novel ELEMENTAL;, as well as it's sequel; FAE (release date not announced yet), and Kimberly Ann Miller's debut novel TRIANGLES; (releasing June 2013).

SGStudios is passionate about books and getting them out there and into the hands of the readers who will love them.  Vic will read your book.  She will work with you to ensure that the design you end up with is something you love.  She doesn't use stock photography, so you are guaranteed an image that is original and she offers full legal usage of her cover images.  So, if you want to print it on swag, and sell that, the money goes straight to you.

Her prices are competitive- affordable for small press publishers as well as self-publishers.

She also provides other services- such as: tattoo design, logo design, header design, artistic prints, children's book illustration, and pretty much anything illustration that you can think up.

Stop by and drop the secret word: Mischief, for your chance to win one of these nifty prizes...

such as:   postcard sized prints of  her work titled PERCHED CREATURE, one of two copies of ELEMENTAL by Emily White, a ten dollar Amazon gift card, an original painting, and  free labor on a book cover (costs may be incurred for props/ models/ wardrobe) and more!

Links:
Sketcher Girl Studios
SGS on Facebook

Testimonials:
Vic Caswell is brilliant! Not only is she super easy to work with, but the things she comes up with are so amazing. She was able to take the half-coherent ideas I was kind of able to articulate and come up with exactly what I was thinking of. I loved working with her on both my books' covers and I can't wait to work with her again!- Emily White (author of ELEMENTAL from Spencer Hill Press)

"I'm loving my new logo!!! Victoria Caswell did a MARVELOUS job and was such a joy to work with. She made the process effortless and I swear she could read my mind. So, if you need some work done, please send it her way! You won't be sorry!" ♥ Nancy  Fennell (owner of Scents of Adventure)




Monday, June 4, 2012

Authors and Books that Take You Places!





Kimberly Ann Miller is the author of the forthcoming Paranormal YA Triangles  published by Spencer Hill Press. Welcome Kimmy! We here at TheWritersbytheshore blog believe in BIC (butt in chair), but we also think that writing (and life) should take us and our readers to fun destinations. So here we go...
Tell us a little about your book. Will we need our passports?
Absolutely! Here is the blurb from Spencer Hill Press’s website:
A cruise ship. A beautiful island. Two sexy guys. What could possibly go wrong?

In the Bermuda Triangle—a lot.

Hoping to leave behind the reminders of her crappy life--her father's death years ago, her mother's medical problems, and the loser who’s practically stalking her--seventeen-year-old Autumn Taylor hops on a ship with her sister for a little distraction. When she wakes up in the Bermuda Triangle, she fears she's gone nuts for more than one reason: that loser’s suddenly claiming they're a happy couple... a hot guy is wrapping his arms around her and saying "Happy Anniversary"... and suddenly, she’s full of bruises, losing her hair, and getting IV medication. Autumn visits the ship's doctor, hoping for a pill or a shot to make the craziness go away. Instead, she's warned that these "alternate realities" could become permanent.

She just has to ask herself one question—how the hell is she going to get out of this mess? 
Wow! Sounds great. So, if I was going to have dinner with your main character, what exotic locale would we be dining at?
Either on the ship out in the beautiful open sea, or on the amazing island of Bermuda.
Who is the character you would vote as "Most likely not to make it through customs" and why?
Hmm…Probably Marcus, because he would be the one to try to smuggle some alcohol in his carry-on!
If your main character was stranded on a desert island, what would be an essential travel item for them to take along?
A satellite phone to call someone to pick her up!
What advice would you offer to other writers embarking on their own writing adventure?
Be persistent and never give up. Breaking into publishing takes time, effort, and desire. Hone your craft, get yourself some wonderful critique partners, and take criticism with grace. I learned early on to listen to the advice of other writers because we share the same goal—to make my manuscript the best it can be. Most of all, enjoy the journey! There are amazing people out there all over the internet ready, willing, and able to help out!
Thanks, Kimmy and Bon Voyage!

Toni De Palma
http://www.tonidepalma.com/


Friday, June 1, 2012

Goodbye to a Dear Friend

Ellen Levine passed away this week after a long, valiant fight with cancer. I first met Ellen when I was getting my MFA at Vermont College where she was a teacher and mentor. Ellen was a tried and true New Yorker. Whether it was the fact that we both had New York blood running through our veins or her hearty laugh, Ellen had a way of making an insecure writer like me feel as if what I had to say mattered.

This past Spring semester I taught a Childrens Lit class and I used Ellen's Henry's Freedom Box as an example of a nonfiction picture book. My students were enchanted by the story.As I read it, I thought of Ellen. Her voice and unique spirit came through on every page.

While Ellen is no longer with us in physical form, I know she is here in spirit. Her chutzpah was amazing and whenever I feel down about my own writing, I will think of her. To me she is what childrens literature can be.