A Writer's Ramblings

Book Review: Heir to Power by Michele Poague

2011-12-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Heir to Power was an interesting read. Stylistically, it reminded me of Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson with its strong world building and multiple character viewpoints.

It is a fascinating world, there is no doubting that, with a lot of thought having gone into creating the religious system, the different mythologies, and the societies that are vastly varied in beliefs, language, and even things as simple as the weapons and technology.

Now, anyone who knows me, knows I am a character writer. That also makes me a character reader. That's what I love most about reading. It always has been and I imagine it always will be, and it was probably my favorite part of Heir to Power. The characters voices were strong and I really found myself sympathizing with so many of them in their plight to live up to the expectations of their society and yet long for something different.

The only problem I really had with the book was there were so many characters I occasionally got them confused, and then as Michele continued in that character's head, I fell in love with them all. Every time.

Overall, if you are interested in traditional fantasy with strong world building elements and intriguing characters, Heir to Power is just the book for you. I certainly enjoyed it.

2011-12-28T20:14:00.004-07:00

Awesome review today. Totally made me laugh!

http://www.shesgotthewritestuff.blogspot.com/

Book Review: Faithful, Fit, & Fabulous by Connie Sokol

2011-12-22T12:33:00.001-07:00

I was really excited to have the chance to review this book, for multiple reasons. I've got some issues that make me want to work on the 'fit' part of the book, and I definitely want to feel fabulous, but it was the faithful part that really intrigued me.

I try very hard to incorporate the spirit of the Lord into everything I do, especially my writing. I'm a big believer in the Father wanting to help us succeed in those things that are important to us, and when we make Him a partner in our efforts, we can't help but succeed.

It's what I've done with my writing all these years. I know that I cannot write my best without reading His word and praying first, and thus, incorporating that element in the success of our lives really intrigued me in Connie's book.

I was not disappointed.

This book was hard to read straight through--not because it didn't make sense or wasn't interesting, because it was both. No, it was hard because I wanted to stop and savor each chapter the way the book was meant to be used. I wanted to do the exercises and really apply the things I was learning, but that's hard to do when I'm just doing a book review.

So, here's what I'm going to do. I'm posting my two thumbs up review here, right now, in that I love this book and think it can make a big change in my own life, but I'm also going to spend the next eight weeks applying these things into my life.

Starting January 1st, I'll update regularly here on what I learned with each chapter and let you guys experience it through me, and hopefully you'll go out and buy the book and try it yourselves. I truly believe this is a book that should be in every household. It's one of those that can change your life.

I certainly hope it changes mine.

You can purchase it at the following places:
Deseret Book
Amazon
Amazon e-book

Best. Review. Ever!!!

2011-12-17T22:45:00.006-07:00

Review of the Author, not the books!

Blog: I Am a Pistachio

Expanded Christmas Specials

2011-12-16T09:57:00.000-07:00

I got to thinking there might be a few of you out there who would still prefer a paper copy of my books to the e-books, so I set up some discount codes. It's my Christmas present to all of you, since I make no money off of this kind of discount, but since I can't afford to pay off K-Mart Layaways, like some kind souls are doing, I can at least do this.

So, to get your discounts, you have to purchase from my createspace pages. Here are the addresses and the codes.

The Sapphire Flute: https://www.createspace.com/3633037 and on check out enter code J4JNFLC9 for a $5 discount.

The Armor of Light: https://www.createspace.com/3642582 and on check out enter code RGEM5WRP for a $5 discount.

The Misadventures of a Teenage Wizard: Two Souls Are Better Than One: https://www.createspace.com/3715613 and on check out enter code BTL9AWX8 for a $4 discount.

Use the codes fast, because they only last until December 31st.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, my friends!

Change in Christmas Specials

2011-12-14T01:13:00.004-07:00

Sooooo, nobody seems to like my Christmas specials, so I'm going to make it much more simple and hopefully appealing. Having recently purchased a kindle for my bookaholic son, I know there are a lot of parents doing the same thing for Christmas--especially with the recent drop in price of the kindle and other e-book readers. So, here's my special:

Through December 31st you can get any of my YA fantasies for 99 cents, and as an added bonus, you can download my book of poetry for FREE! All you have to do is go to Smashwords.com and purchase it from there, as that's the only place getting the changed pricing.

I am also lowering the price of my "write someone you love into my books," but just for the month of December. These normally go for $25 apiece, but for December I am going to lower it to $15 and I'll even e-mail you a PDF certificate with my signature you can print out and give to them for Christmas.

So, to summarize, writing a person in as a character, you purchase from the sidebar of my blog. Yeah, look to your right. See the paypal button? The second one down? That's the one. Get it from there. :)

To get books for 99 cents, go here:

For "The Sapphire Flute" go HERE

For "The Armor of Light" go HERE

For "The Misadventures Of A Teenage Wizard: Two Souls Are Better Than One" go HERE

And for your FREE copy of "And The Mountain Burns" go HERE

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, my dear friends. I hope the season brings you peace and joy and lots of books!

Book Review: Bound by C.K. Bryant

2011-12-13T08:00:00.003-07:00

Okay, I'm going to admit first thing that I've read this book before in its early stages. C.K. Bryant and I have been great friends for several years and I adore the woman to no end.

That being said, I will also admit that I loved this book back then and I love it even more now. Not because she is my friend, but because it's a great story and she's a dang fine writer! Every once in a while--well, more than that--I would find a phrase that was so beautiful and visual that I will admit to being a tad jealous that I hadn't written it myself! Yeah, she's that good.

C.K. is not afraid to hurt her characters, which I love. My heart broke so often throughout this story, and then other times thrilled for the characters success. The love story aspect was well done, though I will also admit that, though I think Octavion is a hottie, if he treated me the way he treats the main character, I'd smack him with a frying pan. Now, having said that, I will add that he is not entirely human and is fighting his animal nature. I get it. I totally get it, but still. He could be a little nicer. But warped as I am, I even like THAT aspect of the story.

But mostly what I love is seeing our beautiful main character turn from a mousy girl who's afraid of her own shadow, to a strong woman who stands up for right, doesn't feel sorry for herself when things go horrendously wrong, and hangs on to those she loves, even if she doesn't entirely understand them.

This was one of those books I read, and even knowing most of the story ahead of time because of my previous reading, I didn't want to put it down. I read until my vision blurred and I couldn't see anymore. I stayed up late. I read during dinner, while waiting for my kids, and read instead of watching TV or taking a much needed break. The book WAS my break!

Needless to say, I love Bound and would heartily recommend it to any and all. It was a clean, fun read, with lots of twists and turns, which, much like my last review, is at its heart, a love story. Very well done, C.K.!!!

Book Review: Exiled by RaShelle Workman

2011-12-08T07:52:00.003-07:00

The very first thing I have to say about this book is how much I absolutely adore the cover! It is one I noticed and was interested in long before I asked to be included in the Dark CARMA Blog tour. I wanted to read it! With a cover like that, how could it not be good?

I wasn't disappointed, though it was a book that surprised me.

Let me explain: In the opening scenes we come upon Princess Venus. Now, with a name like that, I expected the story to be mythological in nature, and thus was confused by all the high tech involved. Beds that conform themselves to one's body and such. At first I thought, "Okay, she's meshed high tech with mythology," but then Venus finds herself on earth, where even the air she breathes is toxic to her. Her family has disappeared, her precious irrihunter (which it took me a while to figure out what the heck that was. lol) has been murdered, and she's been accused of sacrilege and treason by the Gods.

It was interesting, and I enjoyed it, but I was still thinking high tech mythology--and then space ships got involved.

Huh???

I suddenly had to adjust my thinking. This book was science fiction with some mythological undertones, yes, but it was Sci-Fi! Once I figured that out (I should have watched the book trailer before hand. Dead giveaway there! DOH!), the reading went much easier and was fascinating. But truly, at its heart, this is a romance, and a well written and enjoyable one at that. For me, that says something. I'm not a huge romance fan, but this story sucked me in so much that I found myself looking for a spare moment ANYWHERE to read. I ended up staying up until the wee hours of the morning to finish last night because I just couldn't stop, even when the words were blurry because I was so tired. I couldn't put it down! And now I am to be tortured, waiting for book two.

I'm beginning to understand how my own readers feel when they bug me for the next book. lol

So, congratulations, RaShelle, for writing such a fascinating story that sucked me into its world and wouldn't let go. I'm still thinking about it, all these hours later, and I would definitely recommend it to any and all readers. Its clean, exciting, and I couldn't help but root for the heroes. Very well done!

You can purchase Exiled at Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and Smashwords.com.

You can also find out more about the author at her website, http://www.rashelleworkman.com/

Christmas Specials!!!

2011-12-05T22:58:00.009-07:00

This year, I decided that my Christmas specials were going to be postage-less, with one exception. I think it's a better deal for you guys, and is a heck of a lot less work for me!

So, here are the deals:

1)Purchase: a paper copy of my newest book, Two Souls Are Better Than One.

Receive: Digital copies of the first two books in The Wolfchild Saga, The Sapphire Flute and The Armor of Light, for FREE!

2)Purchase: Digital copies of The Wolfchild Saga (The Sapphire Flute and The Armor of Light)

Receive: Pre-Ordered digital copy of book 3 in The Wolfchild Saga, The Emerald Wolf for FREE!

3)Purchase: All three digital copies of my fiction, (Two Souls Are Better Than One, The Sapphire Flute, The Armor of Light)

Receive: Pre-ordered digital copy of book 3 in The Wolfchild Saga, The Emerald Wolf AND a copy of my poetry book, And the Mountain Burns, for FREE!

4) Now, for those of you who prefer paper copies, the same deal applies, with one change. If you purchase Books 1 and 2, you may pre-order Book 3 (paper copy) and get it for free, paying only postage. I will also include autographed bookplates for those books you purchased elsewhere, and will sign and number The Emerald Wolf.

5) If you buy all three paper copies (The Sapphire Flute, The Armor of Light, Two Souls Are Better Than One) You will get Book 3 (Pre-ordered paper copy), The Emerald Wolf for Free, as well as ALL of the books I have written in e-book format for free. And as mentioned before, I will also include autographed bookplates for those books you purchased elsewhere, and will sign and number The Emerald Wolf. In addition, I will add any and all swag I have on hand--bookmarks, magnets, posters (if I have them), and such.

Now, the catch is, in order for me to know you purchased these books at the links below, I need a copy of your receipt proving purchase. You can e-mail it to me with just the pertinent information showing by using cut and paste, if you so desire.

My e-mail is karen (AT) karenEhoover (DOT) com

And here are the links for your purchases!

E-Books:

Amazon.com: The Sapphire Flute, The Armor of Light, Two Souls Are Better Than One

Smashwords.com: The Sapphire Flute, The Armor of Light, Two Souls Are Better Than One

Barnesandnoble.com: The Sapphire Flute, The Armor of Light, Two Souls Are Better Than One

Paper:

My Createspace Sales Page: The Sapphire Flute, The Armor of Light, Two Souls Are Better Than One

Amazon.com: The Sapphire Flute, The Armor of Light, Two Souls Are Better Than One

Barnesandnoble.com: The Sapphire Flute, The Armor of Light

Thanks, everyone! And Merry Christmas!!!

It's Launch Day!

2011-12-05T01:28:00.003-07:00

I know I've hinted at my new book coming out around the twelfth, but thanks to several people working hard, it is available TODAY!!! It's called "Two Souls Are Better Than One" and is book one of The Misadventures of a Teenage Wizard. What is most fun about this book for me is all of the places are REAL. The main character, JJ, lives in my old house, and I used to follow a path through creepy trees to get to my grandmother's house. The incident with the milk really happened, but it was my brother scaring the crap out of me. The Grammy is based on my very own grandmother as well. It has been awesome reliving memories of the wonderful state of Oklahoma.

So, if you're looking for a great Christmas present for yourself, a loved one, a kid, this is a fun option. It's available for e-book through Smashwords.com, Amazon.com, and Barnesandnoble.com. Print copies are also available through Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. If you want to order a copy from one of them and still want an autograph, you can let me know and I'll mail you an autographed bookplate sticker you can put right inside.

I've got some Christmas specials coming up within the next couple of days, so be sure to watch for those!

And here is the book trailer once again, for those who missed it!

New book trailer for new book!

2011-12-03T15:10:00.003-07:00

I know I've been posting a lot of videos lately, but I can't help myself. They're just so fun!!! So, this is for my new book to be released next week. It's book one of The Misadventures of a Teenage Wizard titled Two Souls Are Better Than One.

Enjoy!

Hilarious!

2011-11-27T19:18:00.002-07:00

So, one day my kids were trying to get my attention while writing during NaNoWriMo and they recorded it. This was the result. (Pardon the mess. It WAS during NaNoWriMo. I wrote almost 80,000 words in 9 days of writing.)

Updated version of book trailer

2011-11-22T21:50:00.002-07:00

So, evidently some of the text wasn't on the screen long enough to get it all read, so I made a few tweaks, added a picture I forgot, tightened a few things up, and re-released my book trailer. Here's the updated version! Pretty much the same, except for the timing and the extra picture.

The Sapphire Flute Book Trailer

2011-11-21T01:12:00.004-07:00

I just created my first ever book trailer and just had to share! :) Too much fun!!!

Book Review: Deep Blue Secret by Christie Anderson

2011-10-14T13:22:00.005-06:00

Every once in a while I come across a writer that is such a great storyteller, I can't put the book down, I forget where I am, what time it is, and if there's anyone around me. I don't notice typos (if there are any), and I am oblivious to any flaws in the work (unless they are blatant), and I desperately hope there is another book coming with these same characters.

Christie Anderson is such a writer.

I was lost in the world of Deep Blue Secret and fascinated by the way she intertwined nature with magic. I desperately want to see more of this world! And I can't help but mention, the cover is absolutely stunning. I could put that poster on my wall any day.

Now to be absolutely fair, which I'm trying to do more often, there was one teensy little thing that bugged me, something that most people probably wouldn't even notice and may just be one of my "things." Transitions were a little too quick. For instance, she sat down to the table for breakfast, her plate mounded with food, and then suddenly she rubbed her stomach saying she was stuffed. I wanted to at least see her take that first bite.

But honestly, to me, that was such a small thing when I enjoyed the story so very much. I'm not sure what else to say. This book rocked my socks. It was a fun read, the characters felt authentic to me, and like I said before, I was left desperately wanting a book two so I can find out more about this world. Please say there will be a book two, Christie. Please? Please???

If you wish to purchase Deep Blue Secrets, it would be money well spent (and it's only .99 cents for kindle!) You can find the book HERE.

And thank you, Ms. Christie Anderson, for giving me some wonderful hours in your make-believe world. They were awesome!

Book summary:

California teen, Sadie James, thinks her life couldn’t get any better. She has great friends, an energetic mother she adores, and the beach practically in her own backyard. But her carefree life is turned upside down when she’s rescued by a mysterious and strangely familiar boy who won’t even tell her his name.

Each time the boy appears, Sadie’s unexplainable attraction to him deepens along with her need to unravel his secrets. The boy is there to protect her. But as wonderful and exciting as it might be to have an irresistible boy with crystal green eyes protecting her every move, every minute of the day...why does Sadie need one?

As Sadie finds answers, she realizes her life isn’t as perfect as she thought. Not only is she caught in a world of dangerous secret agents she never knew existed, but it turns out her true identity may be the greatest secret of all.

Book Review: The Key of Kilenya

2011-10-03T15:27:00.004-06:00

When I first met Andrea, she had just signed on with my publisher. We were at a writing conference together and I looked at her and went, "now that is what an author is supposed to look like." She was stunning. Beautiful.

I was immediately intimidated.

Now, it's not that I'm ugly. At least I don't think I am. But I'm short and wide and . . . well, you get the picture. She was tall and slender with curly brown hair and I immediately thought she would make an awesome character in one of my books.

What I didn't know, was that she was as kind and non-judgmental as she was beautiful. I love people like that. Once Andrea and I got to know each other we immediately hit it off. Now, I tell you this, so that you know the truth. Andrea is awesome. She is as beautiful inside as out. And that makes what I'm about to admit that much more awful.

I really wanted to hate her book. I did! When I found out that my publisher had signed another YA fantasy author who had wolves in her book, I wanted to hate it. How dare she! How dare my publisher! That's how I felt then.

Boy, was I ever wrong.

Though the wolves in her story are integral to the plot, they are not primary characters. Her wolves are black and an apparent enemy to the protagonist. Mine are white and in one case IS the protagonist. Our books are nothing alike, and to top it off, Andrea is an incredible writer, with a depth of detail that is lacking in so many books. She balances excitement with thought, external conflict with inner, and adds just the right mix of mystery and realism. It is a very well written and enjoyable book, and I can hardly wait to share it with my sons.

It's one I know will become a favorite.

To purchase The Key of Kilenya for yourself go HERE. Believe me, you won't regret it.

About Andrea

Andrea is an avid reader and outdoor-er, who loves traveling. She and her husband (AKA Mr. Darcy) were married only a few months ago, and have settled near a river that someday will probably overflow and flood their house.

It took her nearly a lifetime to do so (nine years), but she graduated with a bachelor of science degree in Communications Disorders from Brigham Young University. She plans to open a flying bicycle shop eventually, but for the time being, she is happy teaching orchestra to elementary students.

Recent Reviews

2011-09-27T15:36:00.005-06:00

I did this last year with The Sapphire Flute, and it was so cool, I thought I'd do it again with The Armor of Light. I'm going to post links to recent blog reviews and an excerpt from the review that was particularly meaningful to me. I would totally recommend following the links and reading the whole review though.

Happy Reading!

Words and Works Blog: "Karen writes with passion and a talent for description that puts the reader inside the mind and skin of the characters she so colorfully details on the page. While reading her stories I get a 3-D panoramic vision as if I were in an IMAX theater. There were heartrending scenes of loss, humorous scenes with uncontrolled new skills, fantastic underwater and cave scenes, mind-boggling shape-shifters, and terrifying evil-doers."

Melissa's Bookshelf: "Hoover has made fantasy and adventure new again for me. I am completely captivated by the quest of the Chosen Ones (of whom we've only met a few) to unite the magical keystones and save their world. There is a wide array of characters on both the side of good and that of evil who are wonderfully developed. Relationships between many of the characters are molded, deepened, and in some heartbreaking cases, torn apart. With this second book the pieces of the puzzle really begin to come together, as we follow Ember's and Kayla's separate adventures that are destined to join as one. I truly cannot wait to see what Hoover's next book in the series brings to the story as we discover the next keystone and Chosen One."

Notes from the Writing Chair: "The Armor of Light is a wonderful continuation of the exciting story in that began in The Sapphire Flute. I love both of the main characters, Ember and Kayla. They each have unique strengths and weaknesses and I could relate to both of them. The book is full of action, danger and just the right amount of romance. The exciting ending took my breath away! Now I can't wait to read the third book!"

Upcoming Release--Looks Interesting

2011-09-21T23:04:00.002-06:00

After bouncing from foster home to foster home, Magdalene Mae is transferred to what should be her last foster home in the tiny town of Silver City, New Mexico. Now that she's eighteen and has only a year left in high school, she's determined to stay out of trouble and just be normal. Agreeing to go to the prom with Bridger O'Connell is a good first step. Fitting in has never been her strong suit, but it's not for the reasons most people would expect-it all has to do with the deep secret that she is a shape shifter. But even in her new home danger lurks, waiting in the shadows to pounce. They are the Skinwalkers of Navajo legend, who have traded their souls to become the animal whose skin they wear-and Maggie is their next target.

Full of romance, mysticism, and intrigue, this dark take on Navajo legend will haunt readers to the final page.

About the Author:

Bethany Wiggins has always been an avid reader, but not an avid writer. Seriously!!! She failed ninth grade English because she read novels instead of doing her homework. In high school, she sat alone at lunch and read massive hardback fantasy novels (Tad Williams and Robert Jordan anyone?). It wasn't until the end of her senior year that the other students realized she was reading fiction--not the Bible

Several years ago Bethany's sister dared her to start writing an hour a day until she completed a novel. Bethany wrote a seven-hundred page fantasy novel that she wisely let no one read--but it taught her how to write. The fifth novel she write, SHIFTING, is being published by Walker Books September 27, 2011.

Blog: www.suzettesaxton.blogspot.com

web page: www.bethanywiggins.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10224627-shifting

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shifting-Bethany-Wiggins/dp/0802722806/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316660383&sr=1-1

A BIG Goof!

2011-09-08T01:37:00.003-06:00

So, I was double checking some typesetting stuff tonight in the digital book because of a comment by a fellow writer. I got about half way through and I realized . . . chapters 23 and 24 were exactly the same!

It was one of those palm to the forehead moments.

Thankfully, it is now fixed, and if you've already downloaded The Armor of Light, I apologize profusely, but if you want to read chapter 24, you'll need to download it again. With Smashwords, I know there is no additional cost. If you downloaded it through Amazon or Barnes and Noble and need a coupon code, please let me know. I am so sorry. I have no idea how this got past me.

Thank heavens the paper versions are correct!

It's Launch Day!

2011-09-06T08:14:00.005-06:00

It's finally here! The Armor of Light is now available lots of places! Oh, you want to know where? Well, let me give you some links!

The E-Book is available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and Smashwords.com. And if you're bemoaning the fact that you can't get an autograph with an e-book, there's this awesome new thing called a kindlegraph that will send me a request, and I'll personalize a page for you to upload onto your kindle. You still get your autograph! It's so awesome!

Now, for paper copies, you'll need to go to either my personal createspace sales page (my preference), Amazon.com, or my local bookstore, The Purple Cow. They ship. If you choose that option, just click on books and do a search for The Armor of Light. And of course if you want autographed copies, or posters, magnets, bookmarks, etc., go to my blog.

This has been quite the journey, let me tell you! I had no idea how much work went into creating a book until I started up on this Indie route, but crazy as it sounds, I love it! I find that I really enjoy typesetting and polishing it up so it shines. I love working with my editor, Tristi Pinkston, and my artist, Deirdre Eden Coppel. They have been fantastic and this book wouldn't be the same without them.

And guess what? I've already got my first review on Amazon, and what a whopper it is! Wow, I almost cried when I read it. So awesome. I'm just going to steal it and re-post it here. I don't think the author would mind. :D

"The Armor of Light, by Karen Hoover book 2 in the Wolfchild Saga fantasy series is a fantastic novel that draws the reader into the world of Rasann - a place of magic full of battles between good and evil. Once you start reading you can't put it down. If you fell in like with Ember and Kayla in the Sapphire Flute, you will love them in the Armor of Light where all the same characters are back, and new ones have been stirred into the mix.

"Karen Hoover has a talent for description that puts the reader inside the mind and skin of the characters she so colorfully details on the page. While reading her stories I get a 3-D panoramic vision as if I were in an IMAX theater. There were heartrending scenes of loss, humorous scenes with uncontrolled new skills, fantastic underwater and cave scenes, mind-boggling shape-shifters, and terrifying evil-doers, and dragons.

"Issues we face in the real world are mirrored and expertly explored in this young adult novel such as self-esteem, class systems, environment, the meaning of love, choosing between right and wrong and taking responsibility for your actions. In my opinion her fantasy writing skill is near that of Anne McCaffrey, Orson Scott Card and Terry Brooks."

Margaret L. Turley
administrator of Writers Unite to Fight Cancer

How cool is that??? I have now been compared to two of my favorite authors of all time--Madeleine L'Engle with The Sapphire Flute and now Anne McCaffrey with The Armor of Light. I think I've died and gone to heaven.

To celebrate the day, I'm doing a giveaway. I'll do a drawing for six people (Because it's September 6th) who do all of the following things:

6) Follow my blog

5) Link to this blog on Facebook

4) Like The Armor of Light on Goodreads

3) Like my book somewhere else (you tell me where)

2) Purchase a digital or paper copy of The Armor of Light (I know, I know, I'm shameless)

1) Post a comment back here telling me you did all of this.

In return, you shall receive a poster of The Armor of Light, Bookmarks, A bookplate for the paper copies of the book or a personalized kindlegraph for the e-books, and two random books in the genre of your choosing (one of my favorites--I hope you like fantasy or mysteries. lol).

You might be wondering why I chose today of all days to release this book. Well, those of you who know me or have followed my blog for a while know how much my mom influenced my writing over the years. She's the one who told me I could do anything if I wanted to do it bad enough. She was my biggest cheerleader and fan, and the person who heard the first draft of everything I wrote.

Today would have been her 80th birthday. So, Happy Birthday, Mom! I'm celebrating this day in honor of you!

Winner of the Awesome August Blog Hop

2011-09-03T11:58:00.002-06:00

I apologize for being a bit late with this, but I did use Rand.org and we have a winner from the blog hop. And that winner is . . .

Chelsea Rafferty!

Congratulations, Chelsea! You'll be hearing from me shortly. And thanks everyone for entering!

Awesome August Blog Hop!

2011-08-29T11:45:00.006-06:00

So, my good friend Tristi Pinkston started this blog hop and it sounded like a lot of fun, so I decided to join her!

Welcome to the Awesome August Blog Hop, where bloggers from all over the Internet have come together to throw a summertime party!

Every blog on this hop is offering a fun prize, and entering is quick and easy. Simply follow the instructions on each blog, leave a comment, and bop right along to the next blog. You can win multiple times, so be sure to check out all the participating blogs!

To enter here, you need to follow my blog for an entry, then go to Barnes and Noble.com, Goodreads.com, and/or Smashwords.com and either like/rate (star) my book, The Sapphire Flute, for one entry each, or write a review, for two entries each. (For Amazon, see NOTE below.)

Once you've done all that, leave a comment telling me what you've done and I'll add up your points.

Now, do you want to know what you'll get for doing all of that? Well of course you do!

You shall get a few things:

1) A $10 Amazon or iTunes gift certificate--your choice.

2) A hand-bound collection of my favorite quotes, some about writing, some not.

3) A copy of Mella Reese's book "Nia."

Now, surely that worth a little of your time? :D Good! See y'all on the other side!

NOTE: I have been informed that soliciting reviews for my book on Amazon is against their policy, so I have to withdraw that as being part of the contest, though if you have read the book and feel it genuinely deserving of your vote or comment, that is always appreciated.

Thank you!

Awesome August Blog Hop Participants

1. Tristi Pinkston, LDS Author
2. Karen Hoover
3. Michael Young
4. Kristy Tate
5. cindy Hogan
6. Julie Bellon
7. Margot Hovley
8. Laurie Lewis
9. Mandi Slack
10. Melanie Jacobson
11. Joyce DiPastena
12. Renae Mackley

13. Debbi Weitzell
14. Donna Hatch
15. Carolyn Frank
16. Marsha Ward
17. Stacy Coles
18. Bonnie Harris
19. Danyelle Ferguson aka Queen of the Clan
20. Diony George
21. Lisa Asanuma
22. Susan Dayley
23. Christine Bryant @ Day Dreamer
24. Stephanie Humphreys

25. Ranee` Clark
26. Tamera Westhoff
27. I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
28. Heather Justesen
29. Rebecca Talley
30. Jennifer Hurst
31. Aimee Brown
32. Cheryl Christensen
33. Rachelle Christensen
34. Imaginary Reads
35. Andrea Pearson

Learn more about Awesome August Blog Hop here.
View More Awesome August Blog Hop Participants
Get The Code

CHANGES

2011-08-26T12:34:00.003-06:00

If you're wondering where all the challenge tabs went, don't be concerned. I haven't stopped doing them. Because they were taking over my blog, I moved them to a more writer friendly space that I'm already running--Sprint Writers Central. Challenges will start back up again on September 5th with the Poetry Challenge, so be prepared and go HERE to find it! :)

Thanks for your patience and understanding!

Oh, and just ten more days to pre-order The Armor of Light and get all the extra goodies. Don't forget to order it while you still can!

Announcements

2011-08-14T13:33:00.002-06:00

Hi guys. I am extending the Flash Fiction Challenge until Wednesday to see if we can get some more submissions, so if you still want to play there is still time.

I am temporarily suspending the Poetry and Flash Fiction Challenges until September. I've got too much on my plate at the moment and about to go more insane than I already am, so unless someone is willing to step up and take on the challenges for me for a few weeks, I have to set them aside for the moment. I hope everyone understands. This is only temporarily. We will be back online once I get The Armor of Light out there and follow up on a few projects I promised to do for people.

Thanks for understanding! If you want to take over, e-mail me, or leave a comment below and I'll get back with you.

Winner! Poetry Challenge #7

2011-08-13T00:58:00.005-06:00

Wow, what a week Rebecca Blevins is having! First she won the Flash Fiction Challenge, and now today she wins the Poetry Challenge for her poem "Adventures in Baking a Cheesecake!"

Congratulations Rebecca! We're so proud of you!

Second place was "The Wind," by Bethany Ricks

And now their poems for your viewing pleasure:

Adventures in Baking a Cheesecake(Rebecca Blevins)

Stir!

Beat!

Scrape, scrape,

I’m going to make a cake!

Crunch!

Smash!

Crumbs, please,

Pour lots of sweetened cream cheese!

Simmer!

Wet!

Set, set,

It’ll be the best one yet!

Oh!

No!

Fall down,

Sagging, unappealing brown.

Twist!

Turn!

Drop, plop,

Cherry filling fixes top.

Chill!

Slice!

Bite, bite,

This will be a tasty night!

The Wind (Bethany Ricks)

The Wind
The Rush
The Rush of breath
That brought me my life
My life of reason
My life of flight

Everything moving
Moving to a beat
A beat of a heart
The heart of the rush

Before the wind
Before the rush
The life that I knew
The life that was crushed

This rush that found me
Found and held me
Held me up and saved me

Now we walk
Hand in hand
Against the world
With the wind

Flash Fiction Challenge #8

2011-08-11T23:38:00.003-06:00

And here I am, late again. I apologize, people. My nephew got married today and it's just been a long and crazy day.

The prompts are finally up for Flash Fiction. You have until Saturday night at 10:00 PM Mountain time to get your stories to me. Remember you have one hour to write 1,000 words or less. When finished, send them to:

flashfictionchallenge@hotmail.com

Good luck!

Poetry Challenge #7 Voting open!

2011-08-11T01:37:00.002-06:00

Voting for the Poetry Challenge is now open!

Flash Fiction Challenge #7 Winner!

2011-08-10T01:09:00.003-06:00

And we have a winner!

Congratulations once again to Rebecca Blevins for "Totally Gnarly"! She's becoming the master of Flash Fiction. :D

And here it is in its entirety for your enjoyment.

“PHONE!” Donna yelled. “It’s Jimmy! Hey, when are you going to make me a flower garden like his?”

I stopped hoeing the corn and dusted off my hands. “Never! It’s too much work!” I took the phone. My wife glared at me, then left for the store.

When I answered, the voice on the other end made an attempt at being cheery. “Hey, Buddy, get over here, quick!”

“Jimmy, I’m not coming over.”

“But DUDE!” he protested, “This guy is wacko! Crazy! Psychedelic! I talked to him this time and he won’t leave! He’s some alien scientist and he’s taking Gramma’s flowers!”

Dude, you’re the one who’s psychedelic. Wait— “You actually talked to him?” I set my drink on the counter and grabbed my keys.

“Yeah, dude. He’s okay, not a murder, I don’t think, but he won’t go.”

“Hang on Jimmy, I’ll be right there.” I put the phone down and hurried to my truck.

Jimmy’d been complaining of aliens—okay, one alien—in his backyard for the past week and each time, I’d seen nothing. Poor guy, I kept hoping he’d keep his promise to swear off grass, but it looked like he’d fallen back into the old pattern. And his Gramma thought she was doing him a favor, leaving him everything. The old gal hadn’t had a lot, but it was enough to enable Jimmy to make nothing of himself for a while.

When I pulled up, the first thing I noticed was that everything looked exactly the same. I’d really hoped to see a flying saucer hovering above the house, but nada.

My shoes crunched the sparse gravel as I headed up the walk. Jimmy’s face peered from the window by the dingy curtain, and the door opened a man-sized crack. “C’mere!” Jimmy waved frantically at me to come inside. Before I could step through the opening, he yanked me through, shut and deadbolted the door. “He’s there, man!”

“Who?” By the looks of him, Jimmy hadn’t slept for a week—or showered either, by the smell that threatened to knock me down.

He put his finger against my lips, I shoved it away, then whispered, “Who?”

Eyes bloodshot and crazy, he pointed at the kitchen, said, “Shhh,” and motioned me to follow.

Yep, has to be on something.

We went into the kitchen and Jimmy sneaked a peek through the ruffly curtains at the window, then he stepped aside. I couldn’t figure out how to get him to come with me if he thought I was taking him to rehab, so to humor him, for the fourth time this week I peeked through the window.

And saw an alien.

He glittered in the sun, green sparkly skin that shimmered colors like a holographic card. Countless waving ears stood out like trumpets on both sides of his three-eyed head. Decked out in a white, Elvis-inspired lab coat, the alien, or whatever it was, pranced around Jimmy’s yard, studying the flowers.

Jimmy must have noticed my eyes had gone huge because he shook me until my teeth rattled. “You see it, right Bob? Right? I’m not crazy!”

“Uh, yeah, I see it.” Then I opened the door and marched outside, Jimmy following and pleading with me not to go.

“Hey, you!” I called. “This is private property! No trespassing!”

“Groovy, dude!” the alien said. “Your friend doesn’t mind. This is research for the gnarly good of our Eustachian society! I’m doing no harm to these plant-creatures. See, they like it!” He held a Black-eyed Susan and blew gently. The yellow flower moved as if it were wriggling with pleasure, and deepened in color to rich gold.

“H-how did you get here?” I stuttered.

“Why, take a gander at my sweet love ship! I call her Willow, after my favorite Earth tree.” The green guy smiled, and I realized that besides his ears, third eye and green, color-shimmering skin, he looked a lot like us. Sounded more like Jimmy, but I was used to that.

The ship hid well among the huge flower garden. Willow had green moss trailing off her gleaming sides, which poked through here and there under all the flowers that grew on her. “Most impressive ship! Now, when will you be going?”

“Dude, I will leave your garden of flowers and love, man, when I get enough for the Head Mum’s wedding. Nothing but the best for her. See, we’ve been coming here from Eustachia for many years now, and we bring back stuff that we find totally groovy. Well, the Mum loves your green cabbage sprouts and beans, and wants to serve them at her wedding. Problem is, they do a number on our totally bogus digestive systems. So Mum needs some pretty radical flowers to help make her wedding dinner smell nice as a gnarly gardenia.”

“Makes sense, I guess.” I folded my arms while Jimmy quaked behind me. “But you can’t just steal things. Pick a third of the blossoms and pay my friend for them.”

The alien sighed. “Okay, dude. If we have to.”

“You have to,” I said.

He went back into the ship and came out with a sack, which he handed to Jimmy. “Will that be radical enough, dude?”

Jimmy opened the sack, which was full of gold coins. His mouth dropped open.

“Yeah,” I answered for him. “That’ll be fine.”

Jimmy and I went into the house and watched through the window as the alien carried piles of blossoms into his ship, then ship and alien disappeared in a flash of light.

“So,” I motioned to the pile of money, “are you going to party?”

He shook his head. “Nah. I think I’m gonna get me some gardener training. I don’t wanna sit here day after day and wonder if the aliens are coming back. But if they do,” he patted the sack, “I’ll be ready for ‘em.”

I left Jimmy burning with excitement. On the way home, I began planning my own flower garden.

Flash Fiction Challenge #7 Voting Begins!

2011-08-08T02:35:00.003-06:00

Voting has begun for Flash Fiction #7! Go and cast your vote!

Poetry Challenge #6 Winner!

2011-08-05T22:27:00.004-06:00

Well, it was a close run down to the wire, but we have a winner for Poetry Challenge #6. Now, what made this particular challenge so special, was that both of our lead poems were written by kids and they were neck and neck until the end. Thus, for the first time, I am awarding a first and second place widget to our winners and posting both of their poems. These are some special kids, guys. They beat out all the adults!

And so our first place win goes to Noah Blevins for World of Words! Congratulations, Noah!

Our Second Place win goes to Abby Finch for Aliens! Congrats to you as well, Abby. I'm so proud of the both of you!

And now here are their poems!

World of Words (Noah Blevins)

Opening a world

Swirling, twirling thoughts

Words dancing across the many pages

Feel the words stealing you away to a new dimension

See things that you have not seen

Hear sounds unknown to all

Smell forests, mountains, valleys

Taste foreign fruits

Living the lives of others

Feeling their emotions

Close the world

Wondering about what was just explored,

Hungry for more words

Aliens (Abby Finch)

Connect the stars

Way past Mars

As far as the eye can see

I can see you

But can you see me

The Armor of Light Book Launch!

2011-08-05T17:59:00.008-06:00

Here's the news you've all been anxiously waiting for! Thanks to a lovely friend who shall be justly acknowledged in the book, The Armor of Light is currently undergoing professional edits--thus delaying the release date just a teensy bit. But my friends, this editor is brilliant, and she will make the extra wait well worth it.

"But when?" you ask. "When can we read the next book?" Well, let me tell you!

The Armor of Light, book 2 of The Wolfchild Saga, will be available on:

September 6, 2011 (in honor of my mother's birthday)

Now, I'm going to be doing a few things between now and then. I'm going to have some contests. There will be some blog reviews. And I will have special deals available if you order through me.

"Deals? Deals? What deals?" I'm sure you are asking. That is a question easily answered.

All deals are for pre-paid orders only (Before September 6th). The first 100 orders will receive a numbered, personalized, and autographed copy of The Armor of Light: Book 2 of The Wolfchild Saga. After the first 100 orders, the books will be autographed and personalized, but not numbered. You will also receive bookmarks for both The Armor of Light and The Sapphire Flute.

The Additions to the above and prices are outlined below:

Deal #1: $15

1) Your choice of an Armor of Light Keychain or Poster

Deal #2: $20

1) A DIGITAL version of The Armor of Light (Your choice of format)

2) Your choice of an Armor of Light Keychain or Poster

Deal #3: $25

1) An Armor of Light Keychain or Poster

2) The person of your choice written into one of the books as a character

Deal #4: $27

1) The softcover version (with new, matching cover art!) of The Sapphire Flute in addition to The Armor of Light

2) A Keychain

3) A Poster

4) A 10% Discount (Price above reflects discount)

Deal #5: $40

1) The softcover matching version of The Sapphire Flute (with its new cover!) in addition to The Armor of Light

2) A Keychain

3) A Poster

4) The person of your choice written into one of the books in the series as a character.

GREAT CHRISTMAS OR BIRTHDAY PRESENT!

Okay, you've got five choices here. Just look to the sidebar on your right for ordering information. If you order from me you'll always get an autographed copy. If you want to buy keychains or posters separately, e-mail me to let me know, or just comment here.

Thank you for your patience, everyone. I know it's been a long wait, but it's been a long journey to get here. I can hardly wait for you guys to read it! Thank you for all your support!

Flash Fiction Challenge #7 Begins

2011-08-05T15:50:00.002-06:00

The new Flash Fiction Challenge is open with a few changes, namely the dates. I had to move things up a day so I'm not trying to juggle so much at once, so Flash Fiction Fridays are now Flash Fiction Thursdays, so we're a day behind. That means, since this is a transition week, I'm giving you until Sunday night at 10:00 pm to turn in your stories, rather than Saturday. Just ignore the schedule on the sidebar this week.

Can't wait to see what y'all come up with this time! I know I say that every week, but I mean it every week. I love reading these stories! Prompts are posted, so click on the Flash Fiction Challenge tab, make sure you read the rules, and go have fun!

Flash Fiction Challenge #6 Winners!

2011-08-05T13:47:00.002-06:00

Would you believe we have another tie??? I am thrilled to announce our winners this week, both worthy of the win, though all entries were very good.

And the winners are:

Rebecca Blevins for Love and Lost

and

James Duckett for Sebastian

Congratulations to the both of you! And here are their stories for your reading pleasure.

Love and Lost by Rebecca Blevins

Virginia ripped open the red envelope with trembling fingers. At last, a new one! Only two days ago, she’d sat at her brand new computer chair and shakily moved the arrow over to what movie she’d wanted and put it her queue. Queue. What a fancy name. The label on the sleeve said “Lost: Season 1.” Mabel told her about the show at bridge club last week and Virginia’d been dying to see it ever since.

She tottered over to her DVD player, the one her son Robert got her a few years ago, and slipped in the silver disc. DVDs weren’t as rugged as VHS cassettes, but she liked them more. Her living room cabinet was full of movies from every era, but her favorites were the ones with strong, handsome, leading men.

While the DVD was loading, Virginia went to her room and put on a red, beaded necklace that went beautifully with her cobalt blue blouse. Powder on each cheek and a swipe of crimson lipstick completed her outfit. She didn’t go to the movies much anymore, but she figured she might as well dress the part if she was going to fantasize about going to dinner with George Clooney or Brad Pitt. Another handsome face surfaced in her memory.

She put on her best glasses, the ones with golden frames. Vernon had loved her in gold—he used to say, “Gold makes the sun rise and set on you, Ginny.”

Virginia picked up a photograph of their wedding day. She gently rubbed her finger over Vernon’s face, then again as a tear splashed on the glass. Setting the frame down, she cleared her throat. “Now, none of that.” After getting a glass of iced tea, Virginia settled in and turned on the show.

Virginia giggled. Jack was certainly handsome. There was something about that roguish Sawyer, too. “Ah, Mabel,” she said to the empty room, “you were right! I’m very much going to enjoy this one.”

“What’s that?” a voice asked.

Virginia’s heart nearly stopped. “W-who’s there?” she replied weakly, reaching for something, anything to defend herself, but finding only her remote. After looking around the room, she saw a man sitting in Vernon’s old leather recliner.

She peered into the twilight. “V-Vernon?”

The silver-haired man nodded. As Virginia stared in awe, Vernon faded away. She noticed the smell of honeysuckle, her favorite flower. Something was on the chair where Vernon had been sitting.

Virginia went over to the chair. Lying there, was a single, perfect honeysuckle.

“Oh, Vernon,” she whispered. “Thank you.”

By this point, Virginia had missed much of the Lost episode, but she really didn’t want to watch any more TV. Instead, she put the flower into a glass of water and brought it to her bedside, then lay down and dreamed—not of Jack or Sawyer, but of Vernon, her Vernon.

The next day, Virginia went to her knitting club. She told them about her story. “Well,” Mabel said, “That’s a sure sign you’re losing it, Ginny. You need to get back to reality, keep watching and doing stuff that makes you feel young and vibrant. Did you get to the episode where—”

Virginia pointed a knitting needle at Mabel. “Stop right there. I haven’t finished the first one, but I will tonight. Don’t say a single word! You’d better not spoil this one like you spoiled the second season of Friends!”

Mabel winked and the women went back to knitting and gossiping. Ann went on about Peggy’s new hip. Usually Virginia would have been very interested, but her thoughts kept slipping to Vernon.

That night, missing Vernon so much, Virginia didn’t even wait to finish her dinner before turning on the TV. She skipped the makeup and beads, and brought her plate into the living room instead of eating at the kitchen table.

She still thought that kid Jack was adorable. He kind of reminded her of Vernon at that age. Why now? Everything reminds me of Vernon. Oh, how I miss you, dear.

Virginia’d realized she’d been staring at her plate for half an hour when there was silence. The show was over, and she’d missed most of it again.

A noise came from Vernon’s old chair, like something creaking. It reminded her of the sound his knee made before he had surgery when he was forty. She looked over and there he was, not silver-haired like the night before, but blond with a touch of gray at his temples, like when their children were at home. “Oh, Vernon, I’ve missed you.”

His dear, lightly lined face showed every emotion. “I missed . . .” he began, but before he could say anything else, he was gone.

Tears dripped freely down Virginia’s face, dropping into her peas. The scent of honeysuckle was stronger than the night before, so she went to the chair and found several perfect blossoms. She placed them by her bedside as well.

The next night, Virginia didn’t try to watch TV. She dressed her very best, and placed a single honeysuckle blossom in her hair. She went to her chair and waited.

Just as she was about to doze off, a soft, deep voice woke her. “Virginia.”

She opened her eyes and saw Vernon young and vibrant, just as he was when they began their life together. “Is it really you?” she asked.

“Of course!” His green eyes twinkled as he laughed and reached for her hand. “I couldn’t have you pining over film stars any longer, could I?”

Virginia took his hand and rose from her chair, surprised at how light she felt, how young. “Of course not, dear. I’ve missed you terribly.”

Vernon wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear, “So have I, darling. So have I.”

The next day when Virginia’s son Robert came to see her, he found his mother had passed on in her chair, smiling, and a large bouquet of honeysuckle in his father’s old recliner.

Sebastian by James Duckett

Sebastian lamented over his death. For three thousand years he walked the vast desert that had appeared before him after being stampeded to death at the special screening for the last episode of Lost. For three thousand years he had wandered and wondered: how did the series end.

Sebastian remembered it like it had happened only moments before. He stood in line holding tight to his Jack bobble-head only half an hour before the last episode was to air.

“Hey, kid! You squeeze that doll any harder you are going to choke it to death,” one large, old man in a flannel shirt had said to him. Sebastian might have ignored him except the fact that nearly everybody had dressed up in expensive suits and tuxes he normally saw at the opera.

“It’s a bobble-head, not a doll,” Sebastian explained. He held it out for the stranger to see.

The flannel shirt seemed to grow in size as the old man shifted to get a better look. “Oh, it’s Matthew Fox!” he exclaimed. Sadly, this would be the last thing ever said to Sebastian.

Somebody overheard what the old man had said and shouted, “What, Matthew Fox is here?!” for everybody to hear. Mayhem broke loose and everybody scrambled, trying to get the autograph of one of the main characters of the show. Before Sebastian knew it, a riot had broken out and two minutes later he lay in his own blood gasping for air.

He did not specifically remember death. It was nothing like he had imagined, full of pain and sorrow. Instead, it seemed peaceful, as the movie theater setting slowly dissolved and turned into the desert that he roamed ever since.

Death didn’t bother him too much. His life had only produced one passion. His parents tried to get him into music, first with voice lessons, then piano, and finally the drums. No passion. They tried getting him into sports. His heart was just not into it. School? No. Girls? No. Well, one girl. Evangeline Lilly, the woman who played Kate Austen on Lost.

Sebastian knew and loved Lost, but he did not know how it ended. For three thousand years, lost himself on this desert with no food (which he didn’t need), no company (which he didn’t desire), and only the haunting realization that he would not see the final episode, he wandered in search of some sort of meaning in it all.

And then Sebastian tripped.

Sebastian had never tripped for three thousand years. He looked around to see what he could possibly have tripped over. He had never seen anything for millennia but sand and sun and had never found anything he could trip over.

He dug around where he saw his footprints turn from steps into a small ditch. Sebastian almost gave up his search but then he found something solid, much unlike the sand that he only knew since his death. He continued to dig, surprise and anticipation welling up in his throat. When he finally found something to hold on to, he gave it a pull and it easily came out of the sand.

It was a picture frame. No picture, not even glass in the middle. It was only an empty picture frame, apparently made of gold. Trying to get a better look, Sebastian wiped the edge of the picture frame.

Suddenly, where a picture and glass should have been, fog had appeared. Sebastian looked on in wonderment when a face dissolved out of the fog. Sebastian stared, realizing he had seen that face before.

“Hello, young man!” the man inside the picture frame spoke to him.

“Sco—Scott--- Scott Baio?” He had grown up watching Happy Days and Charles in Charge and now Scott Baio appeared before him in a picture frame.

“Yes, it is me. I have been waiting for three thousand years for you to find me. Finally! Together, we can leave this place.”

If Sebastian had a heart, it would have leapt out of his chest. “Leave? This place? Where are we? Is this hell?”

“No, Sebastian. It is Limbo. Something is holding you here and for some unknown reason only I can release us. My frame has special powers. Ask it to show anything and it will show you what you desire. It is simple, just ask it how to get us out of this place so we can both go on to our fates of eternity.”

“I can see anything?”

“Yes,” Scott said. “But I can only show you one thing. So ask carefully.”

Sebastian thought, wanting to make sure he had the right question in mind. He played it over and over in his head. Only one request? Only one chance? “I want to see the last episode of Lost!”

The jaw of Scott Baio dropped, dipping below the peripheral of the Golden Frame. “Lost?!?!? The TV show? No, you have to wi—,” before his statement was over the fog had returned and after a few seconds he heard the familiar words, “Previously, on Lost.”

For the next 104 minutes he watched how the show had concluded.

After the credits rolled, Sebastian started to dig out the hole he had made previously to bring up the picture frame. While digging Scott Baio’s face reappeared. “Sebastian. Are you happy now? You wasted our one ticket out of here to watch a stupid show that ended a long, long time ago. Was it worth it?”

Sebastian stopped digging and lifted up the golden frame. “I waited three thousand years for this ending. I made guesses. I think I came up with a hundred endings that were plausible and satisfactory. And ABC decides to end it like this? This was the best they could do?”

Sebastian then lifted the frame and threw it in the hole. “You were wrong Scott. This is hell!”

After smoothing out the sand covering the hole Sebastian stood, sobbed one last time, gave a sigh, and continued to walk.

Poetry challenge #6 Voting is up!

2011-08-04T13:07:00.001-06:00

Come, my pretties, and vote your heart away! The Poetry challenge is up!

Flash Fiction #6 Voting is up!

2011-08-02T11:48:00.003-06:00

Voting has started for this week's Flash Fiction Challenge! You have until Thursday night at 10:00 pm to vote and the winner will be announced immediately after.

Thanks once again for your support and for participating!

Poetry Challenge #6

2011-08-01T22:22:00.003-06:00

Sorry, guys! I'm late again! I need to set these up to post automatically. Regardless of the time, I think y'all will be happy with this week's prompt, suggested by my good friend Ted Finch. :)

Now go have fun!

Poetry Challenge #5 Winner

2011-07-31T01:35:00.003-06:00

Well, another challenge is done and gone. It was a tie for quite a while there, but today one poem pulled into the lead. Some very interesting poems this time around, some that I very much loved though a few were heartbreaking.

But enough with that. I'm sure you're dying to know who the winners are and who wrote which poem, so here you go!

Our first place winner was for Emotional Amnesia written by your very own challenge sponsor, me! Karen Hoover! :D Thanks for the votes, everyone. It was fun, as always.

And now, here is a listing of our poems and we'll finally reveal who wrote what. The poems will stay posted until Monday, so you've got a day or so to read them still if you missed it.

POEMS:

Emotional Amnesia by Karen E. Hoover (4 votes)

Freedom Bound by Nisa Swineford (3 Votes)

Unforgiveness by anonymous (the author chooses to remain unknown) (2 Votes)

Freedom for the Forgotten by Logan Adams (1 Vote)

Bound by Karen E. Hoover (1 Vote)

Thanks for playing, everyone!

Flash Fiction Challenge #6

2011-07-29T21:00:00.003-06:00

I just realized it is Friday and I haven't posted the flash fiction prompts. Shame on me! I'm taking care of that right now. My apologies to all!

Flash Fiction Challenge #5 Winners!

2011-07-29T01:06:00.003-06:00

Well, folks, it turns out we have a tie! And not only do we have a tie, but the man and woman whose flash fiction stories tied are actually husband and wife! How random is that?

Congratulations to James Blevins (The Organ Grinder) and Rebecca Blevins (A Brother's Love)!!! Your trophy widgets are on their way!

Now, I'm going to start doing something a little different because people have asked me to. Everyone seems to want to know who wrote what, so I'm going to list it out here. I also attached names to the stories for those of you who haven't read them yet. They'll stay up for a few more days. :)

And here's the list!

Untitled #1: Melissa J.Cunningham

Weather, Fear, and Music: Laura Hales

Vassil: Lizzy Hughes

Alisa's Orchestra: Emlee M

Untitled #2: Donna Weaver

Untitled #3: Julie Alverson

Unforgettable: John Ferguson

The Organ Grinder: James Blevins (WINNER!)

A Brother's Love: Rebecca Blevins (WINNER!)

Thank you, Everyone, for participating. You are ALL winners in my book!

The Poetry Challenge #5 Voting is open!

2011-07-28T01:01:00.003-06:00

Voting is now open for the Poetry Challenge, and also a reminder, there is only one day left to vote for the Flash Fiction Challenge. The boxes sit next to one another, so make sure you're voting in the right box! :)

Thank you!

Flash Fiction Challenge #5 Voting is Open

2011-07-26T01:56:00.002-06:00

It's time to vote! Wow, lots of last minute entries this time around. You guys had me worried, but you came through in the end. I should have known you would. Somehow you always do. Please read all the entries before you vote, and those of you who entered, remember the rules: Don't tell anyone which story is yours until after you vote and please don't vote for yourself. That's it. Now go have fun reading!

Poetry Challenge #5

2011-07-25T13:12:00.003-06:00

Poetry Challenge #5 begins today! Go check out the prompts under the poetry challenge tab. Poems are due by Wednesday at midnight. Can't wait to see what you've got for me this time!

Flash Fiction Challenge #4

2011-07-22T09:04:00.005-06:00

It's the start of a new Flash Fiction Challenge! The prompts are up in the Flash Fiction Tab. Remember to time yourself. Flash Fiction needs to be 1,000 words or less written in no more than one hour using all the prompts.

And please check out the two rules in the sidebar. They are very important.

I can't wait to see what you guys come up with this time! Now go have fun!

Running out of Time!

2011-07-21T10:34:00.005-06:00

Only ten days left to get The Sapphire Flute with it's beautiful new cover as a free e-book. Take advantage of it while you can!

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/66328

Now, everyone keeps asking when book 2 will be released and I finally have an answer! I'm shooting for August 6th in memory of my mother's Angel Day, but if I can't quite make that, I promise you it will be released in August no matter what, in both e-book and print form, and by September both books will be available as a downloadable audiobook. I'll let you know more specifics as soon as I have them, but in the meantime, go get your free e-book and spread the word!

Quote of the Day: " Words done right are better than chocolate. They feed something deep within."

--Rebecca Blevins

Poetry Challenge #4 Winner

2011-07-19T01:09:00.007-06:00

And we have a winner! Things were neck and neck there for a while, but the voters finally chose a definite winner. And that is . . .

Raine Gillespie for "The Day I Wanted to Die."

I'm guessing that one came from the Most Embarrassing Moment category. lol

Second place was "A Special Night" by Kaitlyn Binns

Third place went to "Mexican Mouth Dance" by, yours truly, Karen Hoover.

And for those of you who didn't get to vote, here's a second chance to read the winning poem.

The Day I wanted to Die by Raine Gillespie

Always a tomboy

A woman's body, so young

I played football

with the guys

and tried to ignore the changes

that made me grow up

One day I played in a shirt too tight

I thrust my arms into the air

waiting for the ball to sail my way

and as the ball flew

I felt my buttons go

pop, pop, pop

until my shirt hung open

exposing my womanly fo

rm to any who looked

The ball hit the ground and bounced

a pass failed but I no longer cared

Panicked, I turned away and buttoned up

But never again

did I play football

with the guys

Need a Path

2011-07-18T00:24:00.004-06:00

I've been coming across this theme that really speaks to me lately. One that I've considered many times before but haven't really known how to implement. It's the theme of forgetting ones self and serving others.

For a really long time now I've had this draw to help teens, in particular, learn how to write. I have been astounded by how many teenagers write and want to do it well. When I was a kid it was just my little brother and I who did any kind of writing for fun, and now teen writers are everywhere. I know of at least seven kids within a few blocks of me who write.

The problem has been, how do I reach them? Do I have workshops in my little community? Do I set up online critique groups? How do I do it?

So here I am coming to all of you for words of advice. What would you do? If you felt you had a calling to do something like this, how would you approach it--make it personal, but reach as many people as possible? I am completely open to suggestions, and if you are a teen looking for help, I'm especially interested in knowing what your needs are.

It's time to take this need to serve the youth and do something about it. I'm ready. I just need a path.

Blog Hop Flash Fiction Story

2011-07-15T18:11:00.004-06:00

I'm a little late in the day getting this up. I apologize. One of those days, you know? Hope it's not too late! Anyway, here's my blog hop flash fiction for the challenge.

Fourth of July Surprise

Every year, ever since I can remember, we lay out on the roof of the garage to watch the fireworks on the fourth of July. The reds and greens merging with the purples and whistling whites are but a stocatto to the chest thumping booms that set off the car alarms throughout the neighborhood.

None of us could hardly wait to see what they came up with for the finale. Every year it was something new. We watched with baited breath as the show commenced, getting ever more complex and loud until the final series of non-stop explosions hammered at us until we felt flattened to the garage.

And that was when I heard it. A high pitched scream that at first sounded like a whistler rocket, but it didn't stop. The scream just went on and on. I looked at my brother and he looked at me, then we looked back at the sky just in time to see a man falling toward us, a huge parachute billowing behind him. The guy was dressed like he came from World War II, and when he thumped onto the roof and started to skid we grabbed him and held on tight. He squatted down and pulled a gun around to the front of him, looking at the sky with absolute terror. "Where are they? Where's my troop? Oh, my, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die!"

Time travel in the midst of a fireworks show. Who would have thought? Best. Show. Ever!

Blog Hop Flash Fiction

2011-07-12T21:57:00.002-06:00

Ali Cross is hosting a blog hop over at her blog and I signed up, partially because I absolutely adore Ali and it sounded like a fun idea, and partially because she asked us to write flash fiction. Now, most people don't know this about me, but I adore flash fiction. I was first introduced to it by a group of online writers called "Liberty Hall," of which Mary Robinette Kowall was a member of long before she became a famous author. (I probably spelled her name wrong. Sorry Mary!)

Anyway, what I love about flash fiction is that it forced me to stop thinking my way through a story and feel my way through it instead. It made me stop trying to fix the words and instead to slap as many on the page as possible. I think it's an excellent exercise for all writers, and it's a heck of a lot of fun! So, I signed up for the blog hop and will post my story on the 15th in hopes of winning Possession by Elayna Johnson. :D I already have Hazzardous Universe. lol But if not, at least I've had a chance to write again and participate with some lovely people. I hope you'll be one of them.

If you want to join us, go to Ali's blog above and sign up!

Poetry Challenge Extension

2011-07-12T21:47:00.003-06:00

Hello my friends. I apologize for not addressing this sooner, but with the holidays and all, we had a distinct lack of submissions this time around, so I'm extending the Poetry Challenge for one more week. We'd love to have more participation and you've got some great choices for prompts. So, if you plan to participate, have your poems to me by Friday at midnight at poetrychallenge@hotmail.com. And remember, it's all in fun! Hope to have you join us!

Poetry Challenge #4

2011-07-07T01:14:00.004-06:00

And it's time for another poetry challenge! I'm sorry I'm a day late getting this posted, but better late than not at all, right?

Just a quick reminder of the rules. Please don't share your poem with anyone until AFTER they vote, and that includes on your blogs. We want this to remain anonymous so it is fair for all involved.

Thank you so much to all of you who are participating. The more people we have, the more fun the challenge is. Now go read the prompt so you can get started! Poems are due to me no later than Friday night, midnight. Please e-mail them as an attachment to

poetrychallenge@hotmail.com

Flash Fiction Challenge #3 Winner!

2011-07-07T01:05:00.003-06:00

I must admit I am late in posting our winner this week. Things kind of got ahead of me and I didn't just have a mental health day, I've had a mental health week! Craziness!

Anyway, we have a winner of the Flash Fiction Challenge and that would be . . .

Emlee M. for the story "GLOW!"

Congratulations, Emlee! So glad you were able to join us this round and hope you'll do so again!

Flash Fiction Challenge #3 Voting!

2011-07-02T02:14:00.002-06:00

And the voting begins! As always, if you submitted a story, don't tell anyone which one is yours to keep it fair. Just click on the button next to the name of the story you like, and your vote is cast! Have fun!

Flash Fiction Challenge #3

2011-06-28T00:35:00.002-06:00

It's time for Flash Fiction again! I always miss it those weeks we don't do it, but then again, I miss poetry the weeks we don't do that too. I'm hopeless either way. lol I'm hoping you'll enjoy this week's prompts. As usual, I'm trying to do something a little different and keep things interesting, so go check it out and join us!

You have one hour to write and edit your story from the moment your pen hits the page or your fingers hit the keyboard, and you need to submit them to me no later than Friday night at midnight, though I'm hoping for sooner rather than later. Good luck everyone! Now go have fun!!!

Results for Poetry Challenge #3

2011-06-28T00:14:00.003-06:00

Well, this has been a rather interesting challenge. I was a bit inspired with the beautiful music that was our writing prompt and wrote four poems this time around and entered them all. Now, you may have noticed there were only five entrants this time. Yes, the deck was stacked in my favor, I will admit, and have felt a bit bad about it, but my co-entree held his own for most of the past few days. We went back and forth, pulling ahead and falling behind, but in the end, I am happy (and a little embarrassed) to admit, that the poem, AWAKENING, pulled ahead and barely won. And yes, it was one of mine.

Thank you, all of you, for your votes and support. None of this could happen without your help and participation. :)

And here's the winning poem, inspired by the song Awakening by Secret Garden!

Awakening

Deep in the earth she is buried

Asleep. Silent, but for the gentle creak

Of boughs in the breeze

And the occasional stir

Of a rabbit passing through—

And then the awakening begins.

Darkened trees in a monochrome world,

Soil and grass covered with snow

That now begins to melt

And the water that has been frozen

In endless sleep

Frees itself to soak into the soil.

The sun arises high in a clear,

Blue sky, its rays shining down,

And the sleeping earth stirs.

The trees, so dark and sparse,

Sprout leaves of green

That wave and whisper in the breeze.

The grass, yellow and brown, transforms

And grows into tall stalks of life.

The underbrush moves as squirrels

And rabbits, deer and mice,

Come out to see the sun

And high overhead the birds flit

From branch to branch

As they sing their songs.

Mother Earth came to life today

And brought my heart back home.

Poetry Challenge #3

2011-06-25T00:02:00.002-06:00

The voting polls are open! Please read the poems (there are only 5 this time around) and vote for your favorite one. If you are one of the poem authors, please don't tell your friends and family to vote for you and show them which poem is yours. Let them choose for themselves. Also, if you entered a poem and want to vote, please do not vote for yourself. Either refrain from voting altogether, or vote for someone else. Let's keep it fair for all of us.

Now go and cast some votes! We want to hear from everyone!

Book Review: "Sleight of Hand" by Deanne Blackhurst

2011-06-24T14:25:00.004-06:00

I saw Deanne co-teach a class with her brother, Jeff Savage, at the LDStorymakers Writing Conference and was rather impressed with her knowledge. She was right up there with her brother in sharing information, unlike so many other team-teaching presentations I've seen where one person dominates the discussion. She held her own with her multi-published brother, and I loved seeing the two of them interact.

That made reading and reviewing this book that much more fun, as I had already seen that she knew her stuff, I was not surprised to discover that she knew how to write as well.

Sleight of Hand is the story of a con-man who dies just before he is about to get out of the con business, and once in the afterlife, discovers that he has to pay for the pain he inflicted on others. It's all about progression, understanding, change, and forgiveness, both of self and from a loving Heavenly Father.

When I first started reading, I wasn't sure I was going to like the book. I mean, I knew Deanne knew how to write, she was excellent at it, in fact, but the main character was a con-man? How was I supposed to identify with him? Fortunately, Deanne's writing style and attention to detail kept me reading, and as I saw the growth in the main character as he faced the actions of his past, I came to love him as a person, imperfect as he was, and by the end of the book I was in tears. It was fantastic. Some of the best Christian Fiction I've read. Ever.

Deanne, I salute you. You have created a believable world that enchanted me and made me want to believe in your version of an afterlife. It was beautifully written and masterfully carried out. I would recommend this book to any Christian reader.

Deanne has thoughtfully made the digital version of this book available to readers at a remarkable price through August 31st. Go HERE and enter the code MX73D on checkout to get the book for $1.99. It's worth the price, believe me. Actually, it is worth much, much more. I can't stop thinking about this story, and was actually sad to see it end.

Take a chance, guys. READ. THIS. BOOK! It is amazing to see a master at work.

The Poetry Challenge #3

2011-06-21T01:38:00.002-06:00

We're doing something a little different for the poetry challenge this time around--something I think you will like, so if you've been tempted to jump in and join us, now is the time to do it.

A quick reminder of the rules. There are only two, really.

1-Keep it clean.

2-Don't tell anyone which poem is yours until AFTER they have voted in order to keep it fair for all. Thank you!

Now go check out this week's prompts. You are going to love it!

Flash Fiction Challenge #2 Winner!

2011-06-21T01:33:00.006-06:00

And I am proud to announce that our most recent winner of the Flash Fiction Challenge is . . .

SYDNEY SQUIRES for TRACTON!

What makes this an even happier and more spectacular moment for me, is that Sydney is one of my teenage students in the after school writing program I co-teach for one of our local junior high schools. I'm so proud of her!

And without further ado, here is her story. Enjoy! (And I apologize for the formatting. I can't fix it no matter what I try!)

Tracton

Fretchen pulled at the gears. The tracton bucked and violently shuddered as it plowed through the field. The tracton’s gray and green scales glistened dully in the hot sunlight. The powerful breeze smacked at her silky brown hair and sent it flying. It got in her eyes quite frequently.

I can’t believe it, Fretchen thought sourly. Grellem gets magic lessons and what do I get? A stupid tracton.

She kicked at the machine angrily. It made a slight snorting noise. It was half tractor, half dragon, raised from the dead to plow through fields and kill bugs. And it made quite a lot of fertilizer.

The tracton slowly smoothed out the terrain and killed the weeds, yet somehow left the wheat stubs unharmed. However, if she let it sway at all, she had to reset the system.

“Hey, Fretchen!”

Her younger sister Grellem ran down the sloping hills of the fields, donned in her wizard’s cloak. “You won’t believe what I’ve learned today!”

The tracton shuddered and sniffed the air until it found Grellem. It snorted steaming ashes onto the budding crops. Fretchen winced, but Grellem hopped up and down eagerly.

“It’s a separation spell!” she chirped in her high pitched voice. We made spaghetti and meatballs spaghetti, meatballs, and sauce and we turned boiled eggs into boiling water and raw eggs! You have to see it!”

“I can’t do magic,” Fretchen said dully. “Remember?”

Grellem stopped jumping. “Oh, yeah. Can I show you?”

“I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea,” Fretchen began, but Grellem ignored her.

She pointed her finger at the tracton and shouted, “SEPERATION SPELL!”

The air bent, and Fretchen was roughly thrown sideways. When her vision cleared, she saw a dull gray dragon right beside a simple green tractor. Grellem was trying to talk to the dragon, but the dragon simply roared and took off in a dead sprint through the fields.

“We have to catch it!” Grellem shouted in distress. “Oh please, Fretchen. You have to help me!”

Why do I always end up fixing some the problems she causes? Fretchen thought sourly. She climbed onto the tractor. It was a lot simpler now, but that as probably good. She pulled the levers and pushed the buttons, and the tractor rumbled off.

It wasn’t very fast. It destroyed the wheat and the weeds, and the dragon was growing further and further away. However, Fretchen was certain they’d be even slower on foot. All the same, she peppered Grellem with questions.

“Do you have any joining spells?”

“No, that’s tomorrow’s lesson.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Fretchen grumbled as she steered the wheel. The tractors machinery cut through the fields and left a clear path to show where they’d come from. “Why not teach you tomorrow’s lesson today?”

Grellem cocked her head in confusion. “Wouldn’t that ruin the point of tomorrow?”

“No,” Fretchen snapped. “It would save us a lot of trouble.” They cut through the tiny wheat clumps. “And I hope you have a repair spell, because we’re ruining all the crops.”

“Oh,” Grellem said. “Well you can fix that, can’t you?”

“No.”

The dragon was getting further away, a mere ashen speck in the endless fields that Fretchen had spent so much time tending. The hot sun continued to beat down, but Grellem didn’t complain despite her heavy wizard’s cloak. She probably had a cooling spell or something.

“Why are we going so slowly?” Grellem asked.

“This is as fast as we can go,” Fretchen snapped.

“What about a speeding spell?”

“I. Don’t. Have. Magic. However, if you have something, that would be useful.”

“SPEEDING SPELL!”

The tractor sped up and raced through the hills. Fretchen just managed to steer the wheel. She tried not to destroy the crops, but the beastly machinery swayed like crazy. Grellem clapped her hands.

“Look, the dragon stopped!”

Sure enough, the bulky beast had halted on top of the hill. Even from the distance, she could see his opaque gray scales and coruscating yellow eyes. It was crouched like a cat about to pounce.

When they reached the top of the hill, the dragon stared at them silently. It growled.

“Uh… nice dragon?” Fretchen tried.

The monster snorted and raised its head angrily. It roared.

“Any joining spells, Grellem?” Fretchen asked as the dragon began to approach.

“Nope,” she answered with naïve joy.

“How about since the rest of your spells are things like ‘Separation Spell,’ why don’t you try ‘joining spell’?”

“That’s stupid,” Grellem snorted, but she tried it all the same. “JOINING SPELL!”

For a moment, Fretchen couldn’t see. Then, when her vision cleared, Grellem was standing above her and giggling. “Hey, look Fretchen, your hair is the color of wheat!”

“What?” Fretchen groggily grabbed her hair. It was no longer silky brown, but it was now blunt yellow and straw straight. “What did you do?”

“I joined you with wheat!” Grellem giggled. “You’re lucky you didn’t get wheat eyes or something.”

“You wait, Fretchen growled. “I’m going to get you!” She stood, and then stopped. “Where’s the dragon?” The shiny tractor was still right there, but where was the dragon?

“It ran off while your hair was turning yellow,” Grellem said simply. “Really, Fretchen I thought you would’ve been able to catch it.”

“Next time, how about your hair turns yellow and I do all the fancy spells?” Fretchen suggested.

When they got home, all Fretchen got was a scolding about the state of the fields and the disappearing half of the tracton. When her parents turned to Grellem, however, she said simply, “I was only showing her my education. She said it was fine.”

Fretchen spent the next few weeks fixing the damage to the crops. Grellem was always a step behind her, chattering about how well she’d done in magic lessons.

Grellem’s favorite subject was how well she was doing in joining spells.

Voting for Flash Fiction Challenge #2 has begun!

2011-06-18T02:41:00.003-06:00

It's time to vote on your favorite stories! Please take the time to read them. They're lots of fun this go round and we appreciate all the votes we can get. Just remember that, YES, you CAN vote if you entered the contest, just please don't vote for yourself. Also, if you could read all five of the entries before you cast your vote, that would also be appreciated. It won't take you long, and you're helping out your fellow writers by taking the time. You can cast your votes through Monday at midnight.

Thanks everyone!!!

Flash Fiction Challenge #2

2011-06-14T09:57:00.004-06:00

I talked it over with some of my regular participants, and we decided that holding both a flash fiction challenge and a poetry challenge every week in the same week is a little too much, so I've decided instead to alternate them every other week. I was supposed to post this yesterday, but I was a little busy launching my book, The Sapphire Flute, as an e-book (only $1.99 from Smashwords.com) and forgot to get things moving.

So, here we are now. Every Tuesday, I'll post a new prompt and we'll take submissions until Friday night, then vote Saturday through Monday, with winners announced on Tuesday, then start the next week with the poetry, alternating back and forth.

Hope that made sense, because I'm out of time and have to run out the door. I just need to say one thing though. Thank you, everyone, for the support, both for me as an author, and in these challenges. I have loved doing this with you and hope we can continue for many years to come.

Now, go to the Flash Fiction Challenge tab and find your writing prompt! I can't wait to see what you come up with this week!

A New Cover and a New Direction

2011-06-13T12:07:00.007-06:00

Well, hello there my wonderful friends. I've been getting some questions, specifically on Facebook, about the direction I am going to be taking in the future, and now that my new book cover is showing up, It's probably well past time to clue everybody in.

To begin, I should probably back up a bit. I'm not sure how many people know at this point, but despite great effort and desire to make it successful, my publisher has gone out of business. I hold no bitter feelings. Some disappointment--well, a lot of disappointment--but I feel that they did all they could and it is time for me to move on.

I've done a lot of thinking and praying over the past few months, trying to decide what to do. I know how challenging it is to find a publisher for a series that has already started, but I didn't want this one to sit on a shelf for ten years while I try to build up a reputation with my other work so I could reprint and finish out The Woldchild Saga. So many of you have asked repeatedly when the next book is coming out, and I've hated to tell you that I didn't know.

So, I've taken things into my own hands. As of today, I printed The Sapphire Flute as an e-book at Smashwords.com and you will eventually be able to find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble as well as other places, all downloadable for only $1.99. You may be blinking your eyes right now in astonishment that the cost of the book is 1/10th of its hardback price, but you saw right. It is $1.99.

When I began writing, I did it for the sheer joy of it and only wanted to share my stories with others. Publishing this way allows me to do that. You can have the book, cover and all, for less than it would cost you to make a quick drive-thru for lunch. About 1/3 of the cost. All I want to do is share this story with others and let them find some joy in it as I have.

Now, I know some of you may feel you can't download an e-book because you don't have a nook or a kindle or other e-book reader. But guess what? You don't need one. My brother reads books on his phone all the time, and if that is too small a screen for you, you can read on your computer. Amazon has a Kindle version for PC, and I know there are many others types out there.

If you don't have an e-book reader yet, may I just put in a word about them? They are amazing. My eyes tire easily and I have a hard time reading from a computer screen for long periods of time, but reading from my kindle is just like reading a newspaper because of the new technology called electronic ink. It literally looks like it is printed on the screen, and then you push a button and voila! The next page is there. I love my kindle more than almost anything in my house--aside from people, of course--though there are days with my kids I wonder . . .

Just kidding! Wow, I've gone way off from where I meant to go with this.

Going back now. In leaving my publisher, I received my rights back, but they, understandably, kept the rights to things like the artwork, cover art, typesetting, etcetera, so I've had to redo that myself or have it done. Now, since I am NOT an artist, no matter how much I might wish to be, I hired a friend of mine who is also a writer by the name of Deirdre Eden Coppel to do my cover art. She did a fantastic job, well beyond my expectations.

Here, let me show you. The original cover, in case you need reminding, was this:

Now, I love this cover. I really do. It is a bit juvenile looking for the story inside, but it is stunning to look at. I have a poster of it on my wall, and with it being the first book I ever published, it will always have a place in my heart. It's bright. It's colorful. I love the way the flute is twined with the title. I love the wolf. And though you can't see it, I love the dark tree line on the back.

But obviously I couldn't keep it, so Deirdre and I talked about what I wanted and what she envisioned, and we came up with something that I think we both love. I know that the first time I saw the finished draft I stopped breathing, I was in such awe, and I literally had tears in my eyes. It is beautiful and exactly what I wanted.

And finally I have a cover that represents my book. It is a true reflection of what is inside. Want to see it? Well here you go!

So, it's been a journey--sometimes hard, and other times wonderful. I plan to publish the entire series as e-books and also as audio books, all for download. I'll be doing the reading myself as I have a small studio I built here in my office. That will be coming soon. And if there are enough people asking, I may even have some actual books printed, though I'm not sure when at the moment.

I'm sure many of you are still asking, "Karen, when can we expect the NEXT book? I've already read this one!" Well, let me tell you. Deirdre has agreed to do the covers for the entire series for me, so as soon as I have a cover for The Armor of Light, I will make it available through Smashwords, also at a really good price, then will have the audiobook follow shortly. I'll finish the series as quickly as I can. I just have one other book to write first.

Anyway, that is what has been going on. I'll keep you updated on when things change or I have a new version or book or audiobook available for upload. For now, if you want The Sapphire Flute you can get it HERE. And let me know what you think. I always love to hear back from my readers.

The Poetry Challenge #2

2011-06-13T00:20:00.002-06:00

We have a winner! I must admit, as soon as I read this author's two entries, I knew that all three of mine were going to be skunked. This is a well deserved win, and without any further ado, I shall announce that our winner for Poetry Challenge #2 is . . .

Rebecca Blevins for The Reading Tree!

Congratulations, Rebecca! You've just been granted bragging rights, and to prove that you won, I'm sending you a widget/button to go on the sidebar of your blog announcing your win to the world.

Any of you that didn't get the chance to read the poems this week, I'm leaving them posted until this week's challenge begins, so you still have time to go and read them. It's worth the time, believe me. And just to wet your appetite for more poetry, I'm posting Rebecca's poem right here.

The Reading Tree

Book bangs at my side suspended,

Wrinkly plastic crinkles as I

Jump, hug the rough branch, swing my

Bare legs around, bark does bite, but

Worth a scrape or three

Shift around, slightly shaky then

Become concrete, steady, steady

Stand and climb, four, five, the story

Thumps with golden promise, it is

Nearly free

Reach, pull, sit and rest and

Dangle legs, lean back on another

Branch, quiet, sacred, no one else

Comes here, but ants—I share, birds all

Ignore me

Slide the plastic off my arm and

Hold my world close to me, sunlight

Splashes, dots the pages, I am

Smiling by myself—but I am not

Alone.

Poetry Challenge #2 Voting

2011-06-10T01:27:00.003-06:00

The poems are posted and voting has begun!

The poetry challenge voting runs through Saturday at midnight and anyone can vote. Just read through the poems under the poetry challenge heading, then go to the sidebar and click the button of the one you liked best.

A few new rules:

1) If you entered a poem, please don't vote for yourself.

2) If you entered a poem and want your friends and family to vote, please don't tell them which poem is yours. Let them choose their favorites just like everyone else does. It's only fair, right? Let the poems speak for themselves.

That's all! Now go and enjoy these beautiful entries, all memories from childhood by the authors.

Flash Fiction Challenge Winner!

2011-06-10T00:01:00.003-06:00

Well, our first Flash Fiction Challenge is done, and boy did we have a blast with this one. The prompts for the challenge were a wolf, purple, and murder. Things were neck and neck for quite a while there, with a four way tie that was finally broken near the end.

And without further ado, I will announce our top three winners. You might want to take the time to go and read the stories if you haven't had a chance yet. All of the entries were entertaining and very good. But the one who took the cake, triumphing over all other entries, was--

"NIGHT DANCE" written by James Blevins with 6 out of 23 votes

Coming in a close second was "MURDER IN THE PINES" by Karen Hoover (ME!) with 5 votes

And a very close third was "THE PRANK" by Betsy Love with 4 votes

Thanks to everyone for entering, voting, and reading. I hope you'll return next Monday for Flash Fiction challenge #2 with all new prompts and a heck of a lot of fun! Way to go, James!!!

Poetry Challenge #2

2011-06-08T11:06:00.004-06:00

Hello, my friends! A new poetry challenge begins today. Visit the Poetry Challenge tab to find out what this week's prompt is.

You have until Midnight Thursday to submit your poems to me for posting, and then voting will begin,

Can't wait to see what you come up with this time around!

The Flash Fiction Voting Begins!

2011-06-08T00:32:00.004-06:00

The stories are posted and ready to be voted upon! Now, here are the rules if you wish to vote.

You must read all the stories all the way through, not just vote on a story because your friend wrote it. You may still vote for your friend, but please take the time to read the rest of the stories first.

You may pick only one to receive your vote

You must go to the sidebar and press the button of your favorite story.

Check back on Friday to find out who won.

Read away, dear friends, and don't forget to vote! (gee, I sound like a commercial . . .)

Celebrate Life

2011-06-07T21:12:00.003-06:00

A friend of mine posted this on Facebook today and it just hit me particularly hard. I had to share.

First EVER Flash Fiction Challenge

2011-06-06T10:17:00.005-06:00

Hi guys! Today begins the first flash fiction challenge I've ever had the privilege of hosting. You might be wondering what the heck is flash fiction? Will it explode? The answer to that is, heavens, NO! Flash fiction is a 1,000 word short story or scene that is written in no more than an hour. And yes, it can be less than 1,000 words. Just not more. I've laid out all the rules for you under the challenge instructions tab, and the prompt and further instructions are on the flash fiction challenge tab.

Now, before you start freaking out and run away screaming from my blog, you need to know this isn't as hard as it seems. I used to say I could never write short fiction. All my short stories turn into novels, and my novels into series. And they still do! But I've gotten some great story idea starts from flash fiction. It's a great exercise because it shuts down the editor. You don't have time to listen to that pessimistic critic because you've only got an hour to write. It lets your creative brain just fly and teaches you how to let her.

Now, the biggest challenge for all you perfectionists out there is the no editing rule. That's right, I said no editing-unless you type super, super fast and can get your thousand words done and have time left over to edit within the hour. When the hour is up, you're done. Kaput, Finished. You're on your honor with this, but please be honest so it will be fair to all the other players.

Again, don't be scared. Try it. Life is all about trying new things and seeing what fits, right? Give this one a chance and you might have just found a new way to spark your creativity.

I can't wait to see what you come up with!

The Poetry Challenge Results Are In!

2011-06-05T00:14:00.007-06:00

I know I said I'd post the results on Monday, but the contest is now officially over, and our winner won by such overwhelming odds, I just couldn't wait.

We had seven poetry submissions that were all inspired by the picture of a celtic butterfly. Yes, this one here. Each and every poem was beautiful in its own right, but there was one that stood out above the rest, receiving nine out of the seventeen votes cast.

And our winner is . . . TAMARA PASSEY! And for those of you who haven't had the pleasure of reading her words, I'm posting the poem here for all to see.

The Masterpiece

Who drew us this way?

Me here and you there

where we fit so seamlessly

If I look close and follow aline

I think I see where I end and

You begin

But then I don't

Curves are hard to follow

And I'm sure the artist

Planned it

So we wouldn't spend our time

Trying to see how separate we are

But notice, instead, the

masterpiece

We are together

Delicate and strong enough

To take flight.

Isn't that beautiful? I'm going to leave all of this week's entries up on The Poetry Challenge Page, until I post the next prompt on Wednesday. Take the time to read them, if you will. Poetry brings such a joy in language and I'm so thrilled to have so many joining me in this challenge. Thanks to you all for your hard work and beautiful words.

Until next week! Adios!

Sprinting Friday

2011-06-03T08:46:00.004-06:00

Just a reminder that the poetry challenge voting runs through Saturday at midnight and anyone can vote. Just read through the poems under the poetry challenge heading, then go to the sidebar and click the button of the one you liked best. It's that simple! And be prepared. Monday is my first ever flash fiction challenge. Don't worry, I'll explain more about how you can participate Monday.

Now on to other things. :)

Today I'd like to introduce you to a few friends of mine. Some of them are new,some of them are old, but all of them are freakin AWESOME! To begin, I need to tell you the story of how this all got started. You see, my good friend (and brilliant editor) Tristi Pinkston held a marathon writing sprint a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday. We started around noon and went to midnight. Some people could only write for a portion of the day, but there were a lucky few of us who wrote all day long, taking breaks every hour for about ten minutes, and a longer break about mid-way.

I wrote 10,000 words that day. Now for those of you who don't realize how many words that is, YA Fantasy comes in around 60,000 to 80,000 words, unless you're J.K. Rowling. That is a HUGE chunk of a book written in a single day. Well, I had so much fun with that, I didn't want to stop, so I created this awesome place where writers can go. It's called Sprint Writers Central and you can find it at sprintwriters.blogspot.com. There is a chat room that is just for visiting with other authors, talking over writing problems, brainstorming, begging for help, or just hanging out. It's called The Chatterbox. There is also a separate chat room that is for our writing sprints called The Splatterbox, as we tend to splatter our words across the page when we are sprint writing.

Now, you may be asking yourself at this point, "What the heck is sprint writing???" Well, let me tell you. Sprint Writing is writing without thought as fast as you can. We set a timer. There is one beneath The Splatterbox, if we choose to use it. When the timer begins, we start writing on whatever we are working on, be it poetry, essays, blogs, novels, or even edits. We work for a set period of time that could be anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour, depending on who is there. When the timer stops, we stop and take a break, then come back to it later. Sometimes we do several hours of sprint writing at a time. Other times we put in fifteen minutes before folding our laundry. Whatever time is available, we use it.

The most awesome part of Sprint Writers Central, are the friends I have made, first, and second, that I actually write. I'm no longer alone! It doesn't matter that some of our sprinters live in Canada and others in Missouri or Kansas or Utah. We are able to come together as a community of writers and work together as if we were sitting in the same room.

IT. IS. AWESOME!!!

So, if you're looking for someone to write with, or a community of writers to help inspire you, come and join us anytime. There is a schedule posted on the site of when some of us will be there. Starting today, every Friday I am hosting a write-in, at Sprint Writers Central from 8:00 pm until Midnight. I'll be there writing.

Will you?

Quote of the Day: "Metaphors have a way of holding the most truth in the least space."

~Orson Scott Card

TODAY!

2011-06-01T11:02:00.004-06:00

The Poetry challenge begins today! It seriously is lots of fun and I hope you guys will take advantage of this opportunity and join in the fun. Otherwise I'll be playing all by myself, and where's the fun in that???

So, if you're interested in joining, read the challenge instructions, then go look at the Poetry Challenge Prompt and see what you can come up with by tomorrow night. It doesn't have to be perfect. Just have fun and we'll see you on the other side! It's so much fun, I just said FUN five--no--SIX times in this short post! How fun--I mean--AWESOME is that??? (subliminal message here. Poetry=fun. Poetry=fun. Poetry=fun . . .)

Photo credited to JJPacros on Flickr.com

TAG!

2011-05-31T01:41:00.004-06:00

My awesome best friend who happens to be my next door neighbor tagged me. I haven't been tagged for AGES, so though I'm a bit late in following up with this, I am finally doing so and excited to do it, despite the lateness of the hour. So, here goes!

Do you think you're hot?
Only when the temperature is over eighty, then I'm super, sweaty hot.

Upload a picture or wall paper you are using at the moment
It's my wallpaper today

When was the last time you ate chicken meat?
Is there another kind of chicken that isn't meat? I guess there's the living, walking around, kind, but I wouldn't eat those. Too many feathers. I think I ate chicken last week. I lose track of days.

The Song(s) you listened to recently?
"I Will Show You Love" by Kendall Payne

"Still Here" by Natasha Beddingfield

"Chinese" by Lily Allen

"Address in the Stars" by Caitlyn and Will

"I Miss You" by Miley Cyrus

"Daughters" by John Mayer

"I Miss You" by Austin Kyle

What were you thinking as you were doing this?
That it's nice to have friends who are sweet enough to include me in these things. :)

Do you have nicknames?

My little brother called me Stubs or Stubby, seeing as I'm short.

My kids call me Mom.

My friends call me Kay.

Tag eight Blogger friends
(You are it!)

Lara Taggart

Jessica Foster

Cheri Chesley

Who's listed as number one?
Lara Taggart, my soul sister. Love that gal more than I can say.

Say something about number 5.
She is inspiring. She works harder at most things, including being a writer, than most people I know, and she never gives up, no matter how hard things get. I admire the heck out of her.

How did you get to know number 3?
Through Sprint Writers Central. We once stayed up until five a.m. just talking online.

How about number 4?
I saw her at the LDStorymakers Conference a few years ago, and have followed her online for years, and we've talked online and through e-mail, but didn't meet in person until this year at the LDStorymakers Conference. She is AWESOME. Amazing writer, and a sweetheart of a gal.

Leave a message for number 6.
Hey, Paulette. I know things have been a bit tough as of late, but I know you'll make it through. You inspire me, and you are an amazing harpist! I love what you can do. :)

Leave a lovey-dovey message for number 2.
Oh, that could get bad, seeing as we shared a bed for the LDStorymaker Conference. lol All right, I'll give it a go. "Hi Jess! You are amazingly talented and I'm so grateful to call you friend. Love your guts! (and the rest of you too!)"

Do number 7 and number 8 have any similarities?
Yes. They are both published authors whom I love dearly.

Catch Up and My New Project

2011-05-20T09:24:00.003-06:00

I've really got to start blogging more often. There should be some big changes in the future, as I'm going back to the scheduled type of writing. Themes for each day. One day for flash fiction, another for poetry (and you guys get to participate if you want), Book reviews, and more-and even some weekly prizes! It should make it more interesting for all of us, and then I don't have to think quite so hard about what to write.

The LDStorymakers Writing Conference was AMAZING! One of the best I've been to yet, which is saying a lot, since this is my favorite conference to attend and I've had a lot of awesome things happen there. Before I was published I placed in their first chapter contest four times in three years, the last year winning me the grand prize. It's a happy place for me, full of wonderful friends who have taught me how to write and I admire the heck out of. These are the people who taught me how to write and made me the writer I like to hope I am. It is always a joy to see them, but this year was different, in that I got to join them. Since the conference, I have become an official member of the LDStorymaker guild, but while there, I got to teach a class on How to Become an Idea Factory, and be a leader for an awesome table at Boot Camp. It's an intense, day long experience of reading each member of a small group's first fifteen pages and giving feedback on what works and what doesn't. It's where I learned the most when I was attending before I was published, and I still learned this year, even being the leader. There was not a single person at my table whose book I wouldn't have read. They were all absolutely fantastic and I would not be surprised if every one of them is published someday.

While at the conference we had a little party for the sister group to LDStorymakers, called Authors Incognito. We had a TON of people there--more than I've ever seen at a mix and mingle before. One of my friends had told me to bring a nerf gun because we were going to get one of the guys all at once. Well, it turned out he couldn't come to the conference and I was the only one who brought a gun, so I had a blast for the next two hours shooting my friends in the backside. It was the most fun I've had in years!

I am always sad to leave the conference. I said to somebody, I wished we could all just move in together. They feel like family and I miss them when it's over, but thus is life. We must go on.

On another front, I'm writing again, working on that grand prize winning chapter, and turning it into something more. I'm not sure where it's going yet, but I'm having a ball getting there. About a week ago, Tristi Pinkston had a twelve hour sprint writing thingamajig. She timed us for like fifty minutes, then we got a ten minute break to get up and stretch, before we were on to the next fifty minutes. It was amazing. I wrote a grand total of 10,424 words that day. More than I've written in ages. It was total free writing, what my friends call "pantsing" it, (because you're writing by the seat of your pants), but I found it to be a very successful method for me and could hardly wait to do it again, so I took matters into my own hands and created a place for writers to go and do sprint writing any time they want. It's called Sprint Writers Central. We have a moderator in place, most of the time, but there is a timer on the site, so even if it's three o'clock in the morning and a couple of people want to sprint, they can use the timer and go it alone.

One of my favorite aspects of Sprint Writers Central is what I call The Chatterbox. It's a chat box that has multiple purposes. One, to just visit with other writers. So many of us feel alone in this writing world and it's nice to connect and know that we aren't all by our lonesome. The other, and primary purpose, is while doing these sprint runs, if anyone has a question, be it about character names, or needing an alternate word for something, or a list of swear words (yes, these have all come across The Chatterbox), we can ask one another for help. It makes it a brainstorming tool for writers as well as a way to connect. It makes me feel like I'm in a cabin surrounded by writers such as myself and we're all pounding away at our own works, when somebody shouts out a question. I love it. Running this site, with the help of Miss Tristi Pinkston and a few others, has made me happier than I've been in I don't know how long, and believe me, I was in serious need of a dose of happiness. It feels awesome.

So, if you don't have a critique group, or don't want a critique group, but want the benefit of having other writers to write (or edit) with, come check out Sprint Writers Central and join us in the fun! You won't regret it. That I can promise.

Quote of the Day: "The most important thing for a Christian writer to do, in my opinion, is to keep the Lord their primary focus. Pray about your writing. Pray with an attitude of absolute surrender . . . no strings attached. Hard as it is, I still try not to focus on the publishing. The goal of life is to complete the work God gave me to do, whatever that may be, and of pleasing Him. We cannot know until it happens if we will ever see our books in print, just as we cannot know anything about our futures. Life isn’t about being published. It’s about obeying Jesus Christ."

~Unknown~

Conference Time and Updates

2011-05-04T00:29:00.008-06:00

Well, it's that time of year again. Tomorrow morning I'll be heading off to the LDStorymakers conference. The last two years have been very different than the previous four or five, in that I get to present as well as attend. This is the conference that taught me how to write, particularly their Boot Camp portion. Boot Camp is very intense. It's several hours of small group sessions sitting with a published author workshopping your writing and learning how to deal with critiques. It's challenging, I won't lie, but wow is it worth it!

I am very blessed in this year, for the first time ever, I get to be one of the instructors for Boot Camp. I get to give back some of what I've learned over the years and I can hardly wait! I won't know who is in my group until I get there Thursday, but I am sure it will be awesome. Friday and Saturday are the actual conference, where I get to teach a class on How to Become an Idea Factory. My friend Ted is going to record it for me and hopefully we can take portions of that and portions of my power point and put them on my new website in the near future.

Yes, that's right, I have a new website and it is FABULOUS! It's not live yet, but will be soon enough at karenehoover.com. Check out my web designers at thedesignauthor.com. If you're looking for someone to design your website, I would highly recommend them. They do very professional and beautiful work. They are easy to work with, and affordable. Check them out, and if you decide to use their services, tell them I sent you!

Now, for those of you waiting for book two of The Wolfchild Saga, The Armor of Light, I've got some bad news. Due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, my publisher is closing its doors and will not be able to publish the rest of the series. Yes, it's disappointing and frustrating, but I'm not going to let it stop me. There is another publisher who took on the series of a friend of mine mid-series, and they are currently looking at The Armor of Light. I am keeping my fingers crossed and praying my heart out that they will finish the series for me. I've heard very, very good things about them, so keep your fingers crossed with me, will you? One way or another, I'll get the book out, I will promise you that, and hopefully you won't have to wait beyond summer.

As a result copies of The Sapphire Flute in hardback are going for pretty cheap, so get your autographed copy with the original cover while you can. They make great gifts, for old and young, and in-between.

So I'm hoping to see many of you at LDStorymakers, and if I haven't had the pleasure of making your acquaintance in the past, please come and introduce yourself and visit with me for a while. I promise I dont' bite, and you never know--you might just make a new friend.

Quote of the Day: Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go.

- Hermann Hesse

Book Review: Depth of Deceit by Betty Briggs

2011-04-15T09:56:00.003-06:00

"Blonde and beautiful, fledging attorney Stephanie Saunders vows to protect the innocent even though as indigent defense attorney her clients rarely are. Does that include Josh Durrant who seems to be following her? Stephanie is dismayed when her peers begin calling her “Prom Queen” as her boyfriend, Todd Saxton, often does. Desperately trying to prove her worth, she falls prey to those who steal her innocence. Although she plans to forgive Todd for his ultimate betrayal, she is never given the chance. Her boss, Attorney Charles Connelly, offers solace, but is Stephanie’s welfare, or his own, top priority? The only thing that keeps Stephanie sane in her insane world are the horses she loves but does not own, especially the abused mare, Riskie Business, whose example helps Stephanie make the most difficult decision of her life. Relying on wit and courage, Stephanie must save herself and another during the final showdown where she proves a loyalty of which she never knew herself capable."

2010 Winner of the Silver Quill for second place in the Fiction category for the League of Utah Writers Publication Awards.

This book intrigued me from the moment I read the backliner, and I found myself very drawn to the characters. As most of you know, I am a character writer. That's why I write series'. I get attached to people and don't want to let go. The interplay between these characters was interesting, though I found myself frustrated with Stephanie's passivity at moments, by the end of the book I had come to truly love her as a character.

I think it was her relationship with the horses that did it. You see, I'm a farm girl at heart. My grandfather owned 100 acres in Kennewick, Washington, and farmed it well. We lived there for four years and then moved to Noble, Oklahoma where we had 45 acres and had everything from chickens to pigs, to horses. I'm an animal lover and though I didn't compete like Stephanie did in the book, I know that love for these big animals. Add to that her relationship to the pregnant mare, Riskie Business, and how she related to that horse and cared for its foal, and my heart connected with this character.

I must admit the ending was my favorite bit though. I love surprise endings, so I won't ruin it for any of you, but believe me, it's worth reading the book just for the ending alone.

Betty Briggs definitely gets a thumb's up from me!

If you wish to purchase the book, follow the link here: PURCHASE

And for more information about the author and her books, please visit her website.

Bees in My Butt Blogfest

2011-04-04T10:30:00.002-06:00

I'm excited to announced the first ever Smartboys Club Blog Fest to celebrate the release of Bees in My Butt in paperback. Everyone who participates will get the first 4 Smartboys Club books for free as ebooks and a coupon code to buy the paperback Bees in My Butt for only $3 instead of the list price of $6.99. In addition, for every hundred people that join us in the blog fest we'll have a drawing to give away a Kindle.
For details on how to participate, visit the Wonder Realms Books website. I look forward to seeing you there.

I've got a son who's a reluctant reader, and by reluctant, I mean he will sit for an hour and stare at the pictures in a book rather than read the words. He hates reading with a passion. I know, funny with me for a mom, but that's the way he is.

Well, this week I got a hold of a kindle version of Rebecca Shelley's Bees in My Butt and asked him if he wanted to try reading it for his reading time. He reluctantly agreed, (though he did seem excited to be able to mess around with my kindle) and after about an hour I went downstairs to check on him, assuming he'd tried reading a chapter book and given up. Lo and behold, he was still reading! He loved it!

If Rebecca Shelley can get my son to love reading, I'll buy every book she ever publishes. All I can say is, Thanks Rebecca!

Quote of the Day: "Fear departs when faith endures . . . I try to remember that."

~Valerie Ipson~

Purchase Bees in My Butt

Take Monkey, a literary genius with flatulence; Bean, a science and math guru; Vinny, a computer whiz who can't keep her mouth shut; and Art, an artist who can shoot a basketball like a pro, confront them with a mess of fourth grade trouble, and watch the fun explode.
In Bees in My Butt, the first book of the Smartboys Club series, the members of the Smartboys Club use their skills to battle a group of crazed Ninjas that take over the school. And it happens on a day when Monkey has the worst case of flatulence imaginable.

When You Fall Off the Horse, Just Climb Back On

2011-03-18T11:47:00.002-06:00

Well, hello, my faithful followers and friends. I apologize for my lengthy absence. The last few months have been full of many changes and abundant challenges, and I'm afraid I've let a lot of things slide, including my blog. I've got some good stuff coming up in the near future--things I will be sure to announce here first. A new website. A new book. And various other surprises that will hopefully make up for the lack of my status updates.

I guess the first thing I should talk about are some of the splatters that have been happening. The falling off the horse things. About two months ago I went to the emergency room with a severe pain in my side. I thought I was having a gall bladder attack or kidney stones or some such thing, but after various tests and several hours in the hospital, it turns out that it was pleurisy. Now, for those of you who don't know what pleurisy is, it is an inflammation of the lining of the lung, and let me tell you, it hurts like heck! Well, the last step in making sure it was not a serious problem was to get a blood test done to be sure there were no clots, especially in my lungs. When the doctor came back with the blood results, he said, "well, I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that there were no clots found in your blood." Of course I was relieved to hear that, but my stomach clenched with his next question. He met my eye and in a quiet voice asked, "Have you ever been tested for diabetes?" My mouth went dry and my heart sank to my stomach. "I was tested about 3 years ago," I told him, "and was prediabetic."

He shook his head and with some compassion lining his features, said, "well, it's not 'pre' any longer. Your blood sugar is 424." Now, I knew from talking to the doctor three years before that my blood sugar needed to be close to 100 to be normal and it was four times that. My stomach dropped to my feet. "We're going to give you an insulin shot now, and I want you to get in with your doctor tomorrow. Do NOT take no for answer," he said. Thankfully, my kids already had appoints for well child check ups for the next day, so I stole their appointments and went in.

Since then, I've gotten my blood sugar down to close to 100. It varies from day to day. This week's average is about 125. I'm doing everything I can to lose weight and eat healthy and exercise so that I can put this thing into remission. I am determined to make it happen.

Now, if only the rest of my life would get out of the way. Too much stress and too many decisions hit me hour by hour, and I'm afraid it makes it hard to keep on track the way I would like, though my quality of life and my eating and exercise habits are tremendously better than they have ever been.

I feel like the last year, since my book was published, I've been riding along on this lovely horse, my hair flowing behind me in the wind, and the last few months, the saddle has slipped and sent me tumbling into the mud--cut, scraped, bruised, and dirty. It's been a challenge climbing back on the horse, especially when the horse keeps running away from me, but I'm trying.

I'm trying.

Last month I had the opportunity to go to Arizona not once, but twice. Once to the Changing Hands Bookstore for their Authorpallooza event. I was able to sit with wonderful authors like Janette Rallison, Lisa Mangum, Bree Despain, and Angela Morrison. Obert Skye was there, as well as Jessica Day George, and a ton of others. I had dinner with a lovely lady who told us amazing stories about Stephenie Meyer and when she was first published and her events at the same bookstore. It was fabulous. And I got to room with the amazing Lisa Mangum, who is not only a wonderful writer, but is also an editor for Shadow Mountain and was the first and only editor to give me a phone call rejection, which is not as bad as it sounds. It was the first rejection I ever got that said, "We like you and we love your work, we just don't have room in our publishing schedule for you." There have never been hard feelings, and I had a fantastic few days with her tootling around Phoenix and Mesa. I took my GPS,which is voiced by Darth Vader, and we had many a laugh as the told us to "Take the Highway" and "Stay in Formation."

After that, Lisa went home and I stayed another day so that I could go and visit with the wonderful kids at The American Leadership Academy. My friend Theresa put me up for a couple of nights in her home, her lovely daughter having sacrificed her room for me. I was so very grateful! Theresa works at the school and made arrangements for me to come, and what a thrill it was! Those kids are fantastic and I wish I'd had more time to visit with them and not just rush from class to class and do my presentation. I hope I will have the chance to go and visit with them again.

A few weeks later, I went back for the ANWA writing conference, where for once I did not present, but was there only as an attendee. I rode down with my best friend Shari and my new wonderful friend the "Other" Karen. It was a long drive, but tons of fun and I loved spending it with these ladies. I met editors and agents and many, many fellow writers. I think my favorite class was Elana Johnson's. The woman is brilliant and hilarious and I love her to pieces. Kirk Shaw kept picking on me in classes so people kept coming up to me after and asking if I was a Covent author. I had to tell them, no, we're just friends and have been to a ton of the same conferences. I met an agent who is interested in the first book in another series I've written. That was cool.

And life goes on. I'll be attending Writer's Fest at Clarke Johnson Jr. High in Tooele next Friday, the 25th of March, and will be attending an author event in Ephraim on April 9th.

And for those of you waiting for book 2, I know it was supposed to be out like three days ago--but it isn't, and I honestly have no idea when the release date will be. As soon as I know, you will, I promise.

And that's about it for now. Hopefully my next post will be happier. I could use some happy posts, and I'm sure you could as well. The one thing I've learned through all of this, is that it's important to just keep chasing the dream. Get back on the horse when it kicks you off. Keep doing the work that will get you there and I have no doubt, that someday, we'll all catch the ring and win the prize.

When You Can't Say Something Nice . . . .

2010-12-08T23:53:00.004-07:00

My mom raised me with the saying, "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Well, how long has it been since I've written a heartfelt post? Ages, it feels, but the reason is that exact phrase. Despite all the interesting things happening with signings and being published and all, life has been very, very difficult and I've felt like if I couldn't talk about the good stuff going on, then I should just go into hermit mode and write nothing for a while.

The problem is, when I go into hermit mode, it makes things worse, not better. I'm going to go out on a limb here and share some of the challenges I've been having for two reasons--one, in the hope it will help somebody out there know they are not alone, and two, because if I don't share all this garbage with somebody I am going to explode--quite literally, it feels. I'm going to end up with one of those lovely white shirts with the extra long sleeves and spend my days in a padded room.

When my mom died three years ago, I lost my best friend and greatest confidante. She was my cheerleader, my writing buddy, and my greatest support, and in a matter of three days, she went from being strong and healthy to being gone. Forever. You can't tell me that kind of pain goes away with time. The intensity might ease, but the deep, empty, aching spot inside of me is like a black hole that gets bigger with time until it consumes all that I am.

A little over a year ago I had a total breakdown. I was outside, bawling my head off, arguing with my husband over something stupid, and I just snapped and started banging my head on the wooden stairs, and would have done it on the concrete if he hadn't stopped me. The next day I alternately laughed hysterically and cried as I had some energy work done. I couldn't help myself. For a week after that I wore earplugs because any sound was like nails on a chalk board.

You might wonder why I'm telling you all of this. Well, after my breakdown, I started doing some research about what might have caused it aside from the grief, and after going to see a psychologist and getting some testing done, it was discovered that I was bi-polar and losing my mom just set things off in a big kind of way. Now, unbeknownst to me, there are many kinds of bi-polar. I'm the manic type, but I still get depressed. More likely though I will stay up all night working on a project and have a hard time making myself sleep. I talk a lot when I'm excited. I am not suicidal, nor am I the type to stay in bed for weeks on end.

But once the sun goes down for the winter and fall, I get depressed in a big sort of way. I lose hope in everything. I wonder why I bother to write when nobody will like it or it will never see the light of day. I want to spend my days playing World of Warcraft and reading books or watching movies to escape the pain of just being alive. I feel like nobody likes me. I get paranoid about whether my friends still want me around. Life just gets HARD. I know it's not logical, but depression has nothing to do with logic.

For some reason this year in particular has been really hard. I think it's because my mom, who always KNEW I would get published, wasn't here to see it all happen. It was a shared dream for us, and now it's here and she doesn't get to see it, not in her earthly form. And I miss her so much I have no words.

So, there you have it, guys. The innards of Karen E. Hoover splattered all over her blog. It's a big bloody mess, isn't it? Thanks for reading anyway. Hopefully I can find some different help soon and find a way to be happy again, but in the meantime, I'll just keep climbing out of bed every day and make the best of the time I have. I'm trying to make a difference in what ways I can. School visits. I'd like to do some writing workshops. When I talk about writing is the only time I really feel alive, so if any of you out there would like me to come talk to your classes, writing groups, youth groups, church groups, anything, please give me the opportunity. I desperately need to feel alive.

Oh, and I can sing and play the flute too. :) Thanks for listening, all my bloggy friends. Hugs to you all.

Karen

Quote of the Day: "Write your first draft with your heart. Re-write with your head."

~ From the movie Finding Forrester

Costco signing cancelled

2010-10-26T17:02:00.003-06:00

Tonight's signing (Tuesday, October 26th) is cancelled, due to my stupidity. I locked my keys in my bedroom and it's a keyed knob, then realized I had left my spare in my car . . . which is also locked. Oh, and my phone is in the car too. Yeah, not one of my brightest moments. *sigh*

Eeek!

2010-10-17T14:09:00.004-06:00

Holy crap, I'm on Youtube . . . TWICE!!!

Doesn't Ali just rock? I loved when she did this Vlog for me for my blog tour, but love her even more for putting it on Youtube. Love you, Ali!!!

This was at LDSBA (LDS Booksellers Association) and was my first time in front of a camera. It was nerve wracking and totally fun! And now that I actually got to see it, am rather pleased with how it turned out. I don't sound as stupid as I thought! :D Always a good thing.

Anyway, just had to share. So totally cool.

Nominations

2010-10-10T13:39:00.007-06:00

I'm not usually one to toot my own horn or beg for nominations, so I won't--but I would like to ask that any of you who have read The Sapphire Flute and enjoyed it and feel it worthy of a nomation for the 2010 Whitney Awards that you go to http://whitneyawards.com and submit a nomination for me? This particular contest is very meaningful to me, as I feel I am a product of the LDStorymakers conference. It is the place where I learned to write and write well, and it is the place I won my first contests, and met both my editor and publisher, so to be nominated for a Whitney, a contest for LDS writers and their books that was started just a few years ago, would be the greatest compliment I could receive.

So please, if you liked the book, take a few minutes and send in a nomination. It would mean so much to me, whether I ever win or not, just to know that people find this book worthy of a nod in that direction.

Thank you!

Quote of the Day: "There is creative reading as well as creative writing"

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson~

DONE!!!

2010-10-07T02:32:00.002-06:00

I finished The Armor of Light!!! 112,553 words, some of which will go, and more of which will come as I edit, but the book is done! Hooray, hooray! I have not finished a book in about 5 years, so this was a bit scary for me. Now I know I can still do it, even with my mom gone and being busier than I've been in my entire life.

I can write. It feels amazingly good!

Signing Schedule for October

2010-09-29T01:42:00.004-06:00

I know several of you have asked when I'll be signing in your area, so I thought I'd post my upcoming schedule. It changes every month, so if I don't get to a Costco near you this month, just wait until November or December. I'm pretty sure I'll hit them all by them, even St. George, if I can get it arranged. Sorry I'm still so absent from blogging. Juggling a family, book signings, and finishing The Armor of Light has proven to be slightly overwhelming. Hopefully I'll be back soon and will tell you all about the wonderful trip I took to Denver for the Mountains and Plains Booksellers Convention. In the meantime, here's my schedule! (And just in case you don't know, you can always check my schedule in the sidebar.)

Friday, October 1st

4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Salt Lake City Costco

1818 South 300 West

Salt Lake City, Utah

Cancelled (Sorry! Can't be helped!)

Saturday, October 2nd

12:00 pm to 4:00 pm

West Valley City Costco

3747 South 2700 West

West Valley City, Utah

Monday, October 4th

4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Lehi Costco

198 North 1200 East

Lehi, Utah

Tuesday, October 5th

4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Bountiful Costco

573 West 100 North

Bountiful, Utah

Thursday, October 7th

4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Orem Costco

648 East 800 South

Orem, Utah

Friday, October 8th

4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Murray Costco

5201 South Intermountain Drive

Murray, Utah

Monday, October 11th

4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Sandy Costco

11100 South Auto Mall Drive

Sandy, Utah

Tuesday, October 12th

4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Ogden Costco

3656 Wall Avenue

Ogden, Utah

Thursday, October 14th

4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Salt Lake City Costco

1818 South 300 West

Salt Lake City, Utah

Saturday, October 16th

12:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Murray Costco

5201 South Intermountain Drive

Murray, Utah

Monday, October 18th

4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Orem Costco

648 East 800 South

Orem, Utah

Tuesday, October 19th

4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Sandy Costco

11100 South Auto Mall Drive

Sandy, Utah

Thursday, October 21st

4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Ogden Costco

3656 Wall Avenue

Ogden, Utah

Monday, October 25th

4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Orem Costco

648 East 800 South

Orem, Utah

Tuesday, October 26th

4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Salt Lake City Costco

1818 South 300 West

Salt Lake City, Utah

Friday, October 29th

4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Sandy Costco

11100 South Auto Mall Drive

Sandy, Utah

Talk About Busy!

2010-09-04T22:09:00.004-06:00

*Hanging head sheepishly* Hi guys. So much for writing all those memories about my mom, eh? It turns out life has gotten slightly insane. One of the wonderful ladies who is part of my distribution team got a bunch of signings set up for me throughout September. I imagine they will continue in more locations throughout the rest of the year, but in the meantime, I'm doing three signings a week, for four hours each time. Plus yesterday I got to go to Swiss Days in Midway and meet people, sell books, and hand out cards. It was awesome fun, even if it was a little hot for me.

I can't say how thrilled I am to have my books at Costco and even more thrilled to meet all these wonderful people and share my story with them. It's been awesome fun! I keep saying that, but it is! lol Anyway, With yesterdays signings going through the end of the month it means I'll have had 13 signings, a tv interview (coming up on the 18th for The Candace Salima Show), a 5 day trip to Denver for a Booksellers Convention, OH-and I need to finish The Armor of Light and turn it in. All within 27 days!!! Can we say slightly overwhelmed? lol I'm afraid everything else has gone on the back burner until I can get the book done. Even my family is feeling the effect. My poor kids. *shaking head* I am sure glad they support me, because I hate having to neglect them.

To those of you I owe book reviews, I am so very sorry I fell down on the job. I promise to do them as soon as possible. To the rest of you who read my blog and have seen the same things up week after week, I'm sorry. I hope The Armor of Light will be worth having to wait for my blogs. ;) And if any of you out there would be willing to offer up a few prayers for a poor, frazzled author, I would certainly be grateful! I'll return to blogging just as soon as I can.

Quote of the Day: Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.

~William Wordsworth

Songs About Mom

2010-08-14T22:34:00.002-06:00

I've been missing Mom a lot the last few weeks, but today for some reason I keep listening to a very short playlist of songs that remind me of her, so I thought I'd share them with you guys. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Special Offer Extended Indefinitely

2010-08-13T11:27:00.003-06:00

I've still got books left after my special sale, so I am going to extend it until all 28 books are gone. I'll put a widget on my sidebar so you know if they are still available and will update their status on Facebook as well.

To sweeten the pot a little more, I'm removing the drawing. Instead, if you purchase one of these numbered copies, your name will automatically become a character in one of the books of The Wolfchild Saga. If that's something you've always wanted--to be named in a book--now is your chance, but there are only 26 copies left. 26 chances to be in a book. If you want further details or want to know how to purchase a copy, click HERE and scroll down to the BUY NOW button. It will take you where you need to be.

Thanks for the support, everyone. It comes at a much needed time.

Quote of the Day: (One I haven't used for a while) "God has plans for your writing. And believe me, they're better than any plans you have for yourself. Let HIM be in charge and let HIM delight you with what HE has in store."

~Virginia Smith

A Little Help, Please?

2010-08-11T19:58:00.015-06:00

Hello my dear blogosphere friends. I'm taking a brief moment to announce a 12 hour special I've got going for The Sapphire Flute. If you haven't purchased your copy yet, or want a special gift, now is the time to do it. I've got it set up so you can make your payment directly through paypal and the price includes shipping, so no worries there.

For 12 hours you have the opportunity to purchase not only The Sapphire Flute, but I will number them. ONLY 28 BOOKS WILL BE NUMBERED. EVER! So, your book will be personalized however you want it, it will be numbered, and I will also include a signed picture of the author (moi), and even let you choose your picture from those below.

What else? You might ask.

Well, let me tell you. I will also call the first person to purchase a copy and speak to them personally for at least five minutes. For a child in particular, that can be a rather empowering conversation. Man, I would have done anything to get thirty seconds with a favorite author as a child. Even as an adult I long to visit with such influential authors as Anne McCaffrey. She was always my hero. Not that I'm comparing myself to one of the greatest science fiction authors of all time, just that . . . well, you know . . . *ahem* Okay, well, back to what you get for ordering your book now. I'm stealing a page from Brandon Sanderson's books (Why not? He's one of my heroes too) and if you purchase a book now, I will enter your name into a drawing.

A drawing for what?

I will draw three names from the pool, and those three people will be forever immortalized in one of my books. Yes, that is right--I will name a character after you. But only if you purchase one of these extremely limited, numbered copies of The Sapphire Flute. Note: The drawing has been eliminated. If you buy a book, you automatically get your name (or the name of someone you choose) in one of the books of The Wolfchild Saga.

Okay, to sum it all up, here's what you need to do:
ORDER THE SAPPHIRE FLUTE BETWEEN 8:30 PM TODAY AND 8:30 AM TOMORROW MORNING. NOTE: Offer has been extended indefinitely. It will be done with the books are gone. 14 left!

And what will you receive:
1. A NUMBERED COPY OF THE SAPPHIRE FLUTE
2. YOUR COPY PERSONALIZED HOWEVER YOU WISH
3. A SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH OF THE AUTHOR
4. THE FIRST PERSON TO ORDER GETS A 5 MINUTE PHONE CALL FROM THE AUTHOR (Already won!)
5. YOUR NAME IMMORTALIZED IN ONE OF MY BOOKS

So what say you? Is it worth it?

That is entirely up to you to decide. ;)

If you've come this far and chosen to order, e-mail me at karen AT karen-e-hoover DOT com and let me know which picture you want. You can also tell me how you want your book and picture signed, and your address so I know where to send it.

Happy Reading!

Trying Something New

2010-08-03T13:31:00.004-06:00

Well, I said I was going to blog more and it's been over a month once again.

This time of year is difficult for me. Two years ago today I took my mom to the hospital for the last time and I keep playing out in my mind those things she did in the final days leading to her last trip to the hospital. This friday, August 6th, will be her second Angel Day Anniversary. Two years since she passed into the next life. And to make things harder, her birthday is September 6th.

So . . . I decided to try something different. I've done similar things for Mothers Day or Valentines Day, but I want to celebrate my mom for a month and hope that you will bear with me as I share my memories of her each day. It can be anything. Some happy, some sad. I just want to share with you the woman that she was and some few of the things she taught me over the years. It's the only way I can think to celebrate her and find joy in the memories rather than ache with her loss.

I probably won't wait until Friday, because these days are so full of memories of her last days in the hospital, I'll probably share some of those memories too. If this is the kind of thing that bores you, you might want to avoid my blog until September 6th. If you want writing related blogs, I'm posting at Valor Publishing Group's website every Tuesday, including today. You can find that HERE. Or for those who can't get the link it's valorpublishinggroup.blogspot.com. Hopefully with both available to you, you'll be able to find something that is of interest. And for the most morose of you, or those who want to see the most deeply into my heart, there is also my letters to mom blog at http://karensletters2mom.blogspot.com. So, there you go. A selection of different layers of me and my heart set on display.

I promise, there will be more tomorrow.

Quote of the Day: "We must not lose hope. Hope is an anchor to the souls of man. Satan would have us cast away that anchor. In this way he can bring discouragement and surrender. But we must not lose hope. The Lord is pleased with every effort, even the tiny, daily ones in which we strive to be more like Him. Though we may see that we have far to go on the road to perfection, we must never give up hope."

~Ezra Taft Benson

Sharing With the World

2010-07-02T08:52:00.007-06:00

It used to be I could post anything I wanted on my blog here and nobody cared. I didn't care, because I was a nobody. Just an aspiring author who was sharing a glimpse into my life with a few readers around the world. For some reason since I've been published I found it difficult to share those glimpses into my life anymore. It's weird. I haven't changed. I'm still not anybody important. I'm still the same imperfect me I've always been, but now I'm suddenly afraid to let people see inside.

How weird is that?

I'm pretty sure that's why I've been avoiding blogging much since March, but I've found I really miss it. I miss sharing myself with the world, or whoever out there wants to read the ramblings of this odd writer.

Well, no more! Blogging has and probably always will be therapeutic for me, so I apologize now if I ever say things that seem strange or make you wonder why in the world you'd ever want to be a writer. I've told people a lot over the last few years that I have learned to embrace my weirdness. I think it's finally time to do it out in the open. That accomplishes two things. 1-If you have the chance to meet me in person you won't be surprised that I wasn't what you were expecting. 2-It is very freeing for me to be able to be myself anywhere, including online.

My biggest problem is usually knowing what to write about, so I'm asking you, my wonderful reader, what types of things would you like to see on this blog? In the past I've shared snippets of stories, my ramblings on random topics, poetry I've written, experiences with my family and friends, memories throughout my life and especially about my mother, music I love, and updates on writing and signings. Do any of these particularly appeal? Are there things you'd like to see more of? Please respond in the comments section and save a brain-dead writer!

On another note, yesterday was my 16th anniversary. We went to the drive-in with the kids. We'll do something alone tonight. Probably dinner and a show, which is nice, but I've spent the past two days remembering last year's anniversary in Sunset Beach California and my first experience with the ocean. I can't help but wish I was back there again for a week this year and could get some writing done and feel the wonderful ocean breeze. There's nothing like it in this world.

Anyway, it's good to be back! And thanks for sticking with me through my long lapses. That is changing today.

You have my word.

Quote of the Day: "Writing is an act of self-cherishing. We often write most deeply and happily on those areas closest to our hearts. Valuing our experience is not narcissism. It is not endless self-involvement. It is, rather, the act of paying active witness to ourselves and to our world. Such witness is an act of dignity, an act that recognizes that life is essentially a sacred transaction of which we know only the shadow, not the shape."

~ Julia Cameron, The Right to Write

Picture: Deep Peace by Shastadaisy~ on Flickr.com

COMING SOON!!!

2010-06-07T16:08:00.001-06:00

I apologize profusely for not being more consistent with my blogging. I WILL change that . . . just not right now. (Can you tell I'm really good at procrastination?) I've been running like a madwoman. Or I should say "crutching" or "wheeling" as I'm still on crutches and sometimes they are literally a pain so I ride around in the borrowed wheelchair.

But that is beside the point. Tonight I go to the in-laws for dinner and family time. Which is where I should be going right now, but I had to let everyone know I really DO have updates coming soon. I promise!

Until then, have fun!

FINALLY!

2010-05-13T23:20:00.002-06:00

Well, I'm going in for surgery in the morning. They're finally going to fix my ankle. We delayed my book tour in order to get this taken care of and I couldn't be happier. I must admit, I'm a little nervous about the surgery, but am looking forward to being able to walk again. I miss walking. I'll post an update as soon as I'm no longer delirious.

The Light Will Come

2010-05-02T22:54:00.004-06:00