NaNoWriMo 2018 and Writing Update

Due to various reasons, I haven't done much in the way of writing the last few months. 

I did add a bit more to Choosing Sides, and I now have about 12, 000 words/ eight chapters left until completion.

Additionally, I decided to serialize it on Wattpad. You can check it out here: ​www.wattpad.com/633473780-choosing-sides-author%27s-notes

Kyra and I resumed work on our co-novel, and decided to make some changes. 

The story we wrote in part last year, is now going to be book two in a series focused on a UK wrestling company. Book one will introduce the male lead for book two, but also follow two best friends, who're debuting in the company. 

It's a story Kyra and I have drafted a couple of times over the years, and we now feel it's the right time to really work on it and get it out there. 

It was going well, but we've had to put it on hiatus for a few weeks, so Kyra can work on her solo novel, Say What You Feel (Chaos and Consent #2), as she's on a tight deadline for it, because of it being due for release on November 6. 

Once her book is out, and she's had a break, we'll get back to it.

I spoke about re-writing my 2012 novel, Cupid, and I did start work on that, getting about 5k down, before illness hit. Then I lost my motivation to write ... until NaNoWriMo was approaching.

I've been conflicted on what to write in November, as I recently had an excellent idea for a young-adult, high fantasy book/ possible series. 

But, after much deliberation, I feel Cupid is the best choice to go with. It's more developed that the high fantasy, which I'm still working out the details of, and with less fantasy world-building needed. 

I think both could be excellent stories, but the high-fantasy probably isn't the right thing to write during NaNoWriMo, and I need to give myself more time to iron out the plot, and nail down all the world building aspects.

So I will be sticking with Cupid, and after re-reading the 5000 words I wrote in September, I'm certain it's the right choice. Damn it, I love that story, even if I do say so myself and what I've written so far is excellent. I'm so excited to work on it again once NaNoWriMo starts. 

If you're interested in following my NaNWriMo progress, or learning more about Cupid, please check out my profile here.

That's it in the way of writing updates, but if you want a more personal update, please check out my recent blog post over on my website. http://www.claredugmore.com/blog/october-update

Until next time. T.T.F.N ...

Writing Plans for September

One of my main goals for the month is to write 10k per week/ 40k per month, and I plan on doing this over three projects! Yes, three. I am insane. 

I plan on continuing to write Choosing Sides, which I estimate has 20k left before the story is complete. Kyra Lennon and I have also discussed re-writing our co-written novel to change some aspects, and I want to start re-writing a new version of my 2012 novel Cupid.

The basic premise is the same, and the main changes are that I'm making it firmly YA (it was NA previously, and I've aged down the characters a couple of years) and turning it into an origin story. I've also renamed and changed the dynamics of the characters somewhat, mostly to include a best-friends to lovers romance, which I think works really well in the story. My aim is to start by serialising on Wattpad once I've gotten enough lead.

Be sure to follow me on social media for updates on both Choosing Sides and Cupid, as well as my co-written novel with Kyra.

And if you want to know how my vacation was, and what I've been up to in August, please feel free to check out my main blog on claredugmore.com! 

Magic At Midnight Release

Magic at Midnight: A Collection of YA Fairytale Retellings, by the authors of Snowy Wings Publishing, is out today. 

Grab your copy to read my 

Nutcracker Prince retelling "Solstice Spell," 

and all the other fantastic stories in the anthology! 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B5L38G8

Magic at Midnight ARC Sign Up and Writing Update

Happy weekend, everyone!

Spring/ summer looks like it's finally here, as the weather in the UK is warming up. We have plans to go to the park a little later, but first I wanted to write a quick update.

I know I have a blog over on my website, but I think I might use this blog to update about my writing only, and then the one on my site to update about my writing AND personal life.

We'll see how it works out...

The rest of this entry is under a read more cut, so please click on the link to find out more about the Snowy Wings Publishing Magic at Midnight: YA Fairytale Anthology, and how I got on doing CampNaNoWriMo in April.

COVER REVEAL: AER (Book Three of The Elements series), by Tracy Korn.

AHHHH! The cover reveal of Tracy Korn’s YA Sci-Fi / Action Adventure story: AER (Book Three of The Elements series) is here! Are you ready to find out what happened to Liddick at the end of TERRA, Book Two? Are you ready to hear the whole ordeal in his own words? This exciting third in the series is told from two perspectives! Follow some of the crew to a topside world that isn’t the way they left it, and the rest into the virtuo-cine network where truth is blurred, and time is running out! What do you do when reality is the biggest lie of all? Find out in AER: Book Three!

TITLE: AER 

SERIES: Book Three of The Elements series

AUTHOR: Tracy Korn

GENRE: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Action Adventure

RELEASE DATE: May 22

PREORDER: mybook.to/AER

COVER DESIGN: JKorn Photographics (www.jkornphoto.com)
PUBLISHER: Snowy Wings Publishing (snowywingspublishing.com)

BLURB:

THEY WANTED A CHANCE; THEY WERE GIVEN A CHOICE...
... follow the scripted path at Gaia Sur, or face the unknown to find their families. In AQUA and TERRA, Jazz and her friends took the risk, then battled the seven biomes of the "Rush." Now, from high above the earth in Admin City, it's clear their fight has only just begun. Told from two perspectives, the third book in The Elements series sends part of the crew to a topside world that isn't the way they left it and the rest into the virtuo-cine network, where truth is blurred, and time is running out.

FIND TRACY KRON ONLINE:

Author Website: www.tracykorn.com

Series Website: www.theelementsseries.com

Twitter: @tracybonics

Instagram: @tracy_korn

How to Date a Nerd Release and Bloghop!

Huge congratulations to the awesome Cassie Mae, on the release of, what I'm sure will be, another huge success - young-adult contemporary-romance How to Date a Nerd! 

Zoe has a great pair of legs, perky boobs, and wears exactly what she needs to show it all off. She works hard for the easy sleazy ‘you only wish you were me’ reputation, burying who she really is—an all-out nerd. 

The only time Zoe gets to be herself is when she hides under her comforter to read X-Men comics, sending jealousy stabs at everyone who attends Comic-Con. Keeping up her popular rep is too important, and she’s so damn insecure to care about the consequences. But when Zoe’s sister takes her car for a ‘crash and burn into a tree’ joyride, her parents get her a replacement. A manual. Something she doesn’t know how to operate, but her next door neighbor Zak sure as heck does. 

Zak’s a geek to the core, shunned by everyone in school for playing Dungeons and Dragons at lunch and wearing “Use the Force” t-shirts. And Zoe’s got it bad for the boy. Only Zak doesn’t want Popular Zoe. He wants Geek Zoe. 

She has to shove her insecurities and the fear of dropping a few rungs on the social ladder aside to prove to Zak who she really is and who she wants to be… if she can figure it out herself. 

Purchase How to Date a Nerd: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes and Noble

To celebrate the release of How to Date a Nerd, Cassie Mae is hosting a bloghop. 

Rules: 

1. Post an answer to this question: What is the nerdiest thing about you? 
2. Post the blog hop picture on your post and on your sidebar. 
3. Post the Goodreads link to How to Date a Nerd (oh look, here it is! I'll make it easy :)) http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17976672-how-to-date-a-nerd 

That's it! 

To join, put your blog right there in the linky list at the bottom of this post. 

And the prize for one of the participants! A Nerd swag pack! Including NERDS candy, Nerdy t-shirts, a signed copy of How to Date a Nerd, How to Date a Nerd keychains and buttons, and Spiderman 3 on DVD, because for some reason, I have two copies of that movie, haha! 

Onto my own nerdy confession ... 

I'm actually quite a nerd, thought I wouldn't consider myself to be. I just like the things I like, and don't really care if people consider that lame/ nerdy/ whatever. 

I love Harry Potter; it's what got me back into both reading and writing, and I can spout random facts. My oldest was quite alarmed when I randomly told him Draco Malfoy's date of birth. It's June 5th, 1980, in case you're wondering! 

I'm also an Elder Scrolls nerd. I only got into the series with TES IV: Oblivion, but I can spout random knowledge about that too ... like naming all the Daedric Princes, their planes of Oblivion and their artefacts. My favourites being Lord Sheogorath, of the Shivering Isles and his Wabbajack, and Hermaeus Mora, of the Apocrypha, and his Oghma Infinium. 

My nerdiness expresses itself in weird ways, too. Like having to make online dolls of ALL my favourite characters. I'm not lying, either. I especially love this one of A Song of Ice and Fire's Shiera Seastar and Brynden Rivers. 

I went to great pains to make their appearance as canon as possible, including Photoshopping Shiera's eyes so one is blue and one is green, and putting Brynden's sigil on his breastplate. 

I think I'm at my most nerdy when talking about Pokemon though. ZOMG! Only two-and-a-half week until X and Y are released!! 

 Who wants to hear me do the Pokerap? 

 *sings* Charmeleon, Wartortle, Mewtwo, Tentacruel, Aerodactyl. Omanyte, Slowpoke, Pidgeot, Arbok, that's all folks! Catch 'em, catch 'em, gotta catch 'em all. POKEMON! *sings* 

 This year, to be especially nerdy, I'm planning on naming my Pokemon after comic book characters. I'm hoping to get a shiny Charmander and call it Slade (as in Wilson, aka Deathstroke). My first ever Charmander was called Remy (as in LeBeau, aka Gambit.) ^_~ 

Yeah, and people wonder why I never get any work done ... 

I'm going to stop now, before I lose any more street cred! Ha! Like I had any to begin with. 

I hope you enjoyed my nerdy confession, and I hope you all enjoy Cassie Mae's How to Date a Nerd!

Cover Reveal: Sacrifice HER

Today I'm excited to be helping the brilliant Sheena-kay Graham reveal the cover of her début novel, Sacrifice HER. Doesn't it look amazing ...

Title: Sacrifice HER by Sheena-kay Graham 
Goodreads: Sacrifice HER 
Release Date: December 2013 
Summary: When a city is at stake is the life of one sixteen-year old girl worth risking thousands? Deidra Moore goes on the run after escaping from a group of human sacrifices for Bane: God of War. She doesn't believe he exists and sees uncertainty in the scorching desert as a better alternative. But Faux City isn't finished with her and their leader Lord Brinn is ordered by Bane - through one of his maiden worshipers- to bring her back or face dire consequences. In the desert Deidra meets a wanderer named Kane and as feelings spark can they find a safe place to lead a new life before Lord Brinn and his soldiers catch up with them? Yet the question remains. Does Bane really exist and if he does what will happen if either side succeeds or fails? Told in alternating perspectives of both the runaway servant girl and the blonde strong willed leader. 

Author Bio: Sheena-kay Graham was never meant for a traditional job behind a desk. Her childhood career plans included becoming a ballerina, actress or someone who helped people. So naturally she decided to be a writer who writes from her bed. Yes, no desk for this Jamaican book lover. No matter if it’s reading, writing or using the computer....you get the gist. The love of the written word has always been with her leading to stories, novels, poetry and way too much fan fiction. This Christian woman can be found trolling Amazon online, in local bookstores, watching movies on the big screen, or in her bed, or reading/writing/on the laptop...again in her bed. Mainly writes YA fiction and is ready to unleash her creativity to wow the masses.

Links

Website: http://queendsheena.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5448863.Sheena_kay_Graham

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SheenakayGrahamAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/queendsheena

Cover Design: 

Image of woman with flowing hair (purchased): © Transfuchsian | Dreamstime.com

Cover Designer:  Langao @ http://fiverr.com/langao

And for a final bit of wow factor. Look at what I got for free without asking.

Thanks for reading, I hope you love Sheena-kay's striking cover as much as I do. Remember to add Sacrifice HER to your Goodreads TBR list! And please check back later, for this week's regularly scheduled Working Wednesday post, where I'll be sharing another snippet from my WiP paranormal-romance!

The Official Release of THE FAERIE PRINCE, the Favorite Fairytale Prince Blog Fest, and a Giveaway!

Last week, I told you about the awesome new author service Rachel Morgan had started up called Morgan Media. 

Well, Rachel is having a busy time recently, as she's also releasing a new book, the second in the Creepy Hollow series, The Faerie Prince. It features one of my favorite paranormal creatures - fae! I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Before I hand you over to Rachel to tell us all about  The Faerie Prince and the giveaway she's hosting in honor of it's release, I'm also taking part in Rachel's Favorite Fairytale Prince Blog Fest

Tell everyone who your fave fairy tale prince/hero is and why (any day between May 30th and June 2nd, although May 30th would be best).

Everyone who knows me knows I'm not one for following the rules, so instead of picking a fairy tale prince, I've picked a video game prince, because video games are like fairy tales, right? And this video game series has produced some spin-off novels and comics, so that counts, right?!

Besides, who can resist the bastard prince from Bioware's Dragon Age: Origins - Alistair Theirin? I mean, look at this face:

Alistair is one of the companions and romanceable characters in Dragon Age: Origins. 

The bastard child of former King Maric Theirin, who was hidden away by the King's advisers to save the honor of Queen Rowan, Alistair is one of the new Grey Warden recruits - an ancient organization of warriors of exceptional ability dedicated to fighting darkspawn throughout the land - that your character encounters and eventually travels with. 

When most of the army fighting the darkspawn are killed, your character and Alistair find themselves as the two remaining Wardens, and the only hope of ending the Blight.

Alistair takes his responsibility to end the Blight seriously and will stand by your character to see this done, even if your character acts in a way he disapproves of. 

As the game progresses, it's revealed who Alistair's real parents were, and that now his half-brother King Cailan is dead, he is next in line for the throne. 

Why did I choose Alistair as my favorite fairy tale prince?

Well, aside from the fact Alistair

loves cheese, he is so utterly adorable and innocent. Raised away from the royal court, until his conscription into the Grey Wardens, Alistair was trained to be a Templar (the organisation that polices mages), and has little experience of the real world or romance. That doesn't stop him from being a loyal, playful, compassionate companion to your character. He is able to overlook their differences - if you've picked a different race or mage as your player character - and comes to value them as a friend (and eventual lover if you're female and wish to pursue a romance with him). 

Even when life is against him, like seeing the man who raised him - Arl Amon - fall sick or having his long-lost half-sister Goldanna turn her back on him because she's bitter about the life she was given, Alistair doesn't give up, and continues to fight by your characters side, even taking on the role of King if that's the path you choose for him.

As a romantic partner, Alistair is sweet and innocent, explaining his sexual experience by saying "Have you ever licked a lamp post in winter?"and later on after presenting your character with a rose says, "I thought maybe I could say something. Tell you what a rare and wonderful thing you are to find amidst all this … darkness."

Cute, right? That's why Alistair is my favorite 'fairy tale' prince. 

Now that I've finished fangirling,I'll hand you over to Rachel, to fill us in on her latest release ...

It's release day for The Faerie Prince, the second novel in the Creepy Hollow series! Woohoo! If you're keen to read it, you cans find it at the following places online:

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Apple iBookstore

CreateSpace (print)

Guardian trainee Violet Fairdale is just weeks away from one of the most important occasions of her life: graduation. After messing up big time by bringing a human into the fae realm, Vi needs to step up her game and forget about Nate if she hopes to graduate as the top guardian of her year. Everything would be fine if she wasn’t forced to partner with Ryn, her ex-friend, ex-enemy, current ‘sort of friend’. They might be trying to patch up their relationship, but does she really want to spend a week undercover with him for their final assignment? On top of that, the possibly insane Unseelie Prince is still on the loose, free to ‘collect’ as many specially talented faeries as he can find—and Vi is still at the top of his list. Add in faerie queens, enchanted storms, complicated not-just-friends feelings, and a murder within the Guild itself, and graduation is about to become the least of Vi’s problems.

In celebration, The Faerie Guardian is on sale for a limited time!

**GIVEAWAY**

There will be a giveaway running from now until the end of the blog tour (Sun 9 June). A giveaway where FOUR people could win something! The prizes are a signed copy of The Faerie Prince (or The Faerie Guardian, should the winner prefer that), an Amazon gift card, a mini book pendant and necklace, and a Creepy Hollow pin badge. Check out the pic below!
Giveaway is open internationally

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Buccaneer Blogfest: Week Three, Day Nine

 

I'm back again with day nine of the month long Buccaneer Blogfest hosted by Sharon Bayliss and Courtney Young.

Before I get started, first I'd like to thank everyone who commented on Wednesday's post. The continued support and words of encouragement are greatly appreciated.

   

Reading: July 27 - Recommend or review a book of choice. Tell the interwebz why you love it!

 

  

I've been waiting for this, because I've so excited to talk about Kiersten White's Paranormalcy series, the third instalment of which was released on July 24th in the US and will be out on August 2nd in the UK.

Before I read the Paranormalcy series I, wrongly, assumed that all paranormal romances were like Twilight, and lacked compelling characters or substance. Kiersten White proved me wrong. The Paranormalcy series is what paranormal romances should be like.

Evie, the protagonist, is compelling. She's independent, while still vulnerable. Sassy, while still caring, and full of life. Her teen voice, which could have become annoying, is actually hilarious and one of the aspects that really drew me in to the series. I love how she says "bleep" instead of swearing.

The boys … oh the boys are something else. While there is a triangle, of sorts, it isn't contrived. Evie isn't flip-flopping between the two in an annoying manner. Her love interest, Lend, is an exceptional typical guy. I won't reveal what his deal is, but he manages to couple the paranormal with the normal. He goes to college, he has lab work to do, they talk about prom. While her ex, Reth, is the bad boy you love to hate, and you know if you just scratch the surface there's a lot of depth and mystery there.

Coupling the normal with paranormal is actually a huge part of the series, and while Evie slays vamps, she still has to go to class and do her homework. Along with the fantastical elements, there's something really releatable about a story of a girl who just wants to fit in, find her place in the world and have a normal life. I think we've all been in that position.

The "monsters" are thrilling, and it's clear Kiersten White knows her stuff. My particular favourites are the vampires, who aren't glamorous, dazzling creatures of the night, but in fact walking corpses under their Glamours. 

Each book is full of twists and turns, and the endings were never obvious, while still been successfully set up for. They left you guessing what happened next, and wanting more, while still offering a sense of completion.

All these reasons, a many more – fantastic supporting characters, a fully realized thought out world (including the concept of the International Paranormal Containment Agency) – are why the Paranormalcy series is one of my favourite young adult urban fantasy series.
 

You can buy the books here: Paranormalcy | Supernaturally | Endlessly