Bored.

It's been a good two years (oh gosh, nearly three) since I started Defiance, bored out of my mind and sitting on my bed. The two characters I thought of first were Vivian and Revin. Teris came next and Declan was an afterthought. They are the perfect dysfunctional bunch I think, or maybe that's just because I love them so much.

That book practically flew out of my fingertips. It was this mindless storm of words that were taking up way too much space in my head and the second they were written, I could think again.

I know that some authors have a preference to start the sequel immediately, and some don't. I am with the latter. The writing process - for me - should be deliberate; I have to be in the mood, with the right song on repeat, whether it's sitting in the woods somewhere or camped out on my bed. Everything is planned out. There's nothing worse than to start writing and, for instance, this glaring list of chores there to remind me the dishes weren't put away. So when I finished Defiance, I didn't touch my laptop for a while.

So the second one goes by. Like 124 pages of going by. Then I hit a block... and it's still there.

I'm most certainly going to loose my mind if it doesn't go away soon! Well, this is what I was feeling about Righteous. I said to myself, "this is boring. Let's do something different for a little bit." So I wrote two months about this random little story. Then that got boring and since transitioning back to Righteous, I've written... one page.

One measly page.

Like, really? I want my ideas back.

See You When I See You

Cover Musings

I'm thinking about the cover for Righteous, the next book in the Successor Series. I think this is one of the low points for a self-published author, being that we have to make our own contacts for such things. That being said, I can't help but wonder who should be on it. Vivian, Revin, and Teris or Vivian and Jonas? Because if I'm to shoot that, I'll need X amount of weeks to design it, then I need to find models... like now.

Defiance was so much easier. It was just me and Munchkin. Now I've gone and complicated things.

Photography

I can't write these posts to save my life! I've resorted to showing you my photography. That, at least, is a guarantee.

All my photography can be found at deviantART and Flickr.

Never forget.

"...for those of us who lived through these events, the only marker we’ll ever need is the tick of a clock at the 46th minute of the eighth hour of the 11th day."

DEFIANCE Teaser Trailer Releases!

Filming DEFIANCE

Right now, we're filming the book trailer for Defiance. I'm excited to be doing it - not to mention incredibly indebted to those assisting me - and it's been a real trial-by-fire project. I'm filling in the role of Vivian, my horse is Dalton (obviously), and someone else to be the anonymous bad guy that stands in as the entire enemy country Bulvan (clearly it was easier to use one symbolic role than hundreds). Filming has been hilarious. My acting talents are a bit of a joke but we work with what we've got. I'd like to get a teaser trailer out by Sunday night, so check back for that. Your reactions are what matter the most! (:

I'm writing the sequel to Defiance as well and it will be called Righteous, due out next year! The arrangements for the cover will be shot during the fall, preferably before the freezing winter sets in and we have to wander around in 18 degrees of blistering winds. (That's always fun.) More on that when we get closer to November and the cover is in the works.

That's it for now, but do me a favor and check back! Teaser trailer - Sunday night. You - come back and check it out!

Base of a Mountain

I saw Taylor Swift last night. Stood there, singing along with the music just like 13,000 thousand others were. Watching the incredible set changes. Amazed by the sparkles, bright colors, and passion. And I decided - once I heard Long Live - that I wanted that many people and more to be reading Defiance. I want to walk down the street one day and have someone go, "I reread Defiance all the time. I love it!" I want people out there, from anywhere, to be reading and loving the story, the characters, and the world in which they were created. I don't know how long that will take, but seeing Taylor and how she's created an empire for her music makes me believe that I can create fans for my story. I can do it. I want to. As Vivian said in Defiance - roughly in the same manner - this is a battle that started at the base of a mountain.

Defiance for Kindle

Defiance for Nook

Let's Make Some Magic

It really does feel magical. I can't say I've ever been this excited - or stressed - about something in a while. I've had this dream coming for some time and it's finally here, ready to be shared. And I can say I'm truly thrilled to be able to announce that. I can have people reading the very fictional world that I love. I can maybe - someday - have a conversation with someone about my characters. I can have a lot of things, but chief among them is the pleasure of having people enjoy Defiance.

I'll keep it short, but there are some people who deserve a greater thanks than I could give. My sister, my dad, Melinda - you all are wonderful. You all perservered through my neverending questions and seemingly one-track mind, no matter how annoying I was. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Starting at midnight, I hope someone will take a chance on Defiance. Read it. You might hate it or you might love it. Either way, you'll never know until you try.

The adventure starts here.

Me talking about... me?

I have been trying really hard to think of something to blog about, yet nothing comes to mind... and I feel obligated to display the writings of my life somewhere on the Internet, if only to get people aware of my book! My life isn't all that interesting, I can assure you. It's horribly boring.

I have a horse named Munchkin, three cats, and had to stop volunteering at the local shelther because I was adopting too many animals. I love dogs and used to own several, but every time I ask for another one, I get one of those cross-eyed looks from my parents. Besides my not-so-small obsession with animals, I am talented with a camera and Photoshop, baking, annoying my sister, running and soccer. I do a million things all the time because I can't stand being idle. I love the winter and fall but like the freedom that comes with summer (90 degree heat withstanding). Country music is my thing, but that doesn't mean I exclude everything else. Love is one of the most unique concepts around and I firmly believe in white knights - so do me a favor and keep your eyes peeled for one.

Enough of me talking about me. I said on my website that I would put an excerpt of Defiance online today and I'm not going to go back on my word... check out the website later to see a sneak peek ;)

June 30th

June 30th is the day. Remember that... Please?

This Whole Publishing Process

...Is that what they're calling it? I feel like it's a hiking trip gone bad - you've prepared, prepared and prepared, and something doesn't work like it should. So I'd like to talk about it because I'll be the first to admit, the publishing side of things doesn't have me concerned, it's the marketing.

I'm a writer but that doesn't make me anti-marketing. I'd love to learn about it, if I had the time. Except I'm doing everything else and it seems that doing everything makes me increasingly more frustrated as time goes on. Why? Because there's never been enough time.

My first novel doesn't debut until June 30th. That should seem like enough, you say. I feel like it could be plenty as well, but once I think about school, SATs, my horse, exercise, friends and maintaining some sort of social life, the fantastical number is immediately halved. Then I'm working on the marketing enigma in the time that I spend doing other things. I'm always brainstorming ideas, always trying to think of creative ways to get people involved. I worry, having not the experience I should, nor the following that other authors have. I need both and they only come with time.

Whether this attempt can be called humorous or not, I am trying. I want so many people to have the opportunity to read my story and love it like I do, that I'm willing to go to extreme limits to make it available. I'm trying to find the interested readers in this online world, but it's like finding a needle in a haystack. Maybe they will come because I've tried like an idiot in a million different, embarrassing ways. Maybe they won't. Either way, we'll know in time.

Everyone wants to be something. I want to be a published author.