October Submission Blitz – Book Release News
I took a little blog break this holiday weekend, but I did submit three flash fiction pieces so I’m up to 15 submissions for 15 days. I hope to have Laying on Hands ready to go tomorrow. It came in just under 5,000 words, so it won’t require major surgery, but I hope to trim it down somewhat during the editing process as the publisher specified shorter works are preferred. Then I plan on writing something I’ll be submitting under my pseudonym – as a break from the serious before I tackle my next attempt at a pro-pay acceptance.
No horror trope today. Instead, here’s an excerpt from my recently released Prisoners of Fate novel from May December Publications, the third in my Masters and Renegades series now available on Amazon and Smashwords:
When Ebon began casting his first spell, a minor transmutation spell, through Shetland and into a magical buffer that Anna had set up earlier, the dwarf began to glow. His coarse grey hair also started to stand on end. This was the most common reaction Shetland had to any spell not cast directly on him, but, rather, through him. That spell would have no other effect on its own, but introduce an energy-enhancing spell on top of it and infuse it with a dimensional pocket enchantment, and Ebon was convinced that the final effects would be spectacular. It would turn Shetland into a complex magical vacuum, drawing Ebon out of the other dimension in which he was partially suspended, and pulling him fully back into this one. The enchantment-imbued metal, which had mingled with Shetland’s dwarven flesh when he had tumbled into the melting vat as a child, would be drawn to the surface and evaporate, forming a magical cloud of sorts. This cloud would then solidify, sealing the dimensional pocket that would be penetrating both dimensions and allowing Ebon to transfer completely back to this one.
It would have seemed overly complicated to anyone but Ebon, but he had lived this process for years, existing to see it through to fruition. If he had been capable of eating, sleeping and breathing, he would have eaten, slept and breathed this moment since the day he succeeded at the University Admission Trials.
As Ebon initiated the second spell, not only did Shetland now glow with a slightly golden hue, he also began to vibrate in a very subtle way.
“I’m startin’ to feel the pull!” he hollered at Ebon, the noise from the combined spells almost deafening.
Ebon knew exactly what the dwarf meant. The first time he had tried this combination of spells, he had felt the pull as well, just as he was feeling it now. He had stopped the experiment prematurely that time, unsure how to proceed and uncomfortable with the strong tugging sensation within him. The tugging had come from two directions at once, like he was in danger of being split down the middle. Ebon had acknowledged after further studies, that he would not be able to undergo this change without pain. There would be an agonizing tearing sensation, and he would have to endure it if he wanted to succeed. Shetland would likely undergo similar agony, but he was not averse to the idea of pain, if it meant he would finally be a normal dwarf again. The two cohorts steeled themselves as Ebon prepared the third and last spell.
“Yesssssss. Finish it!”
Ebon hesitated. He was unsure where the whispery voice had come from, or how he could possibly hear it above the roar of the other two spells. It was soft, seductive and somehow familiar.
“Whatchya waitin’ for!” yelled Shetland, unable to see Ebon’s look of surprise. Very little could be distinguished on his face, due to his shadowy form.
“One moment!” Ebon called back. “I’m almost ready!”
“Go on…finish it! You know you want to. It’s time. We’ve been waiting for so long…” That voice again. It disturbed Ebon greatly, especially because he felt as though he knew who and where it was coming from, but he could not put that knowledge into coherent concepts. This confusion made it difficult to concentrate, and a lack of concentration made spell-casting a dangerous affair.
“Quit stallin’, ghost!” Shetland bellowed, his vibrating intensifying to the point that flecks of froth were forming on his lips. “Do it already!”
“Shut up! Both of you!” Ebon screeched, his voice becoming a high-pitched whine, intermingled with the rest of the noise. He centred himself, ignoring the chaos and focusing on the buffer beyond Shetland. He started the third spell. A maniacal laugh of triumph reverberated around them. Then it began.
Pain was a very simple way of describing what Ebon felt, and while agony was a more apt description, it was still insufficient. The hurt was greater than any Ebon had ever recalled experiencing, as if he were being torn inside and out, ripping right down his centre. Ebon tried to hold it back, but all of his discipline was not enough to keep a blood-curdling scream from escaping his lips. As he fought the throbbing ache that dug deep into his core, he saw a shape before him, a vague silhouette approaching him with increasing speed. It would reach him in a few seconds, right about the time the spells, the pain, and the process would all come to an end. He braced himself.
Suddenly, there was an abrupt pressure on his back and he was falling forward, tumbling into Shetland. The dwarf had not been expecting the collision and while he normally could have resisted such an impact, he was knocked off his feet as well. They fell together in a heap, at the far end of the room. Everything went quiet.
Ebon lay groaning on the floor, his head muddled and everything sore. He heard Shetland moving, shifting slightly from side to side. Ebon sat up, looking around. What had just happened? He brought his hand to his forehead, rubbing at his temples. There was something odd about the feeling. Both his hand and his forehead seemed slightly “squishy,” not quite right. Then it struck him like a bolt of lightning. He stared down at his hand. His hand.
Ebon blinked, rubbed at his eyes, and then blinked again. Once more, he felt that “squishy” sensation, but the hand was still there. It did not look exactly the way it should. It had a slightly golden sheen to it, and it seemed almost blurred around the edges, but it was there. The hand before him, obviously visible, was his hand.
October Submission Blitz – Evil Eye
Two submissions today to make up for yesterday’s miss. Sometimes family trumps things writing associated and I spent the day on an outing with my daughter followed by housework, so the submission got skipped. But I made up for it today, sending out “The Storyteller’s Affliction” to one pro-rate anthology and “Come into her Garden,” my second rejection so far from this blitz, off to another anthology. We’ll see if anything comes from either of these two.
I did more work on “Laying on Hands” and did a head count of available stories I have on my plate. After sending out those two today, I have ten that haven’t been published or submitted. That means I have to supplement that with fourteen more new stories or reprints if no other rejections come back before month’s end. That or I have to edit The Trading of Skin for submission somewhere – perhaps RoC. We’ll see what I can manage before the 31st.
I hope to have release news for Prisoners of Fate very soon – my publisher tells me its close.
My horror trope for today is the evil eye. You see this in many a horror story or movie, often belonging to some gypsy, medium or witch who curses a major character. Sometimes they can see things that others cannot, be it demonic creatures roaming mostly invisible in our world or bad things to come in the future. When thinking of evil eyes, I often think of the gypsy who curses the protagonist in Stephen King’s “Thinner.” It’s a great horror scene which the hateful man brings upon himself through his selfish, loathsome actions.
Anyway, back to “Laying on Hands” – more later.
A Current Endeavor – Revving Up
You would think with not one but three books soon to be released (one just out – Providence, one waiting on cover art and a few final touches, and one in final edits also waiting on cover art) I would focus all my efforts on that, but the short stories I have out in submission land don’t just go away while I’m busy. So while I rev up for releases, I have to juggle everything else that comes my way. Sometimes I drop the ball. I allowed myself to be tempted into starting a second book when halfway through reading a first one for review purposes. I ended up with two half finished books yesterday, which meant no review.
Nevertheless, even though it can be overwhelming, when I have so many things coming at me, I seem to get much more done. I’ve been tackling illustrations, a short story by request, a short story rewrite based on publisher feedback, blog posts in advance, work on a teaser tale for Prisoners of Fate and promo work. I can keep up this pace for a couple of months, but by August I’ll be needing a break – good thing I have vacation time then.
For promotion, May December Publications has a few things on the go. They have dropped the prices for print copies of books 1-3 in the Fervor series (Fervor, Elevation, Transcendence) and reduced price for Kindle version of Magic University, the intro novel of my Masters & Renegades series, to $0.99. I have my fingers crossed that folks will give my work a go. My fantasy novels have managed to win over some non-fantasy fans. I consider that a solid accomplishment.
Submission blitz update – While I did not get an official letter, I did get another rejection. The ToC was posted for one of the anthologies before all letters had been sent, and my story didn’t make the cut. “The Storyteller’s Affliction” goes back on the shelf for now.
Blitz Bonus #1
“Relief” went out today to a pro-rate venue who stipulates that you can submit a second story if they reject the first before submission deadline. I might try this if the first one comes back a “no” – it has worked for me before.
One last submission to go and then I’ll start edits on Traders of Skin, unless the galley for one of my novels with my publisher comes back for final review. That’ll take priority. They’ve been a tad backlogged for a few reasons, but since they are a family run small press and life happens, I always give them leeway. I would expect similar latitude if I suddenly hit a major roadblock that delayed me. I know that now that their schedules have cleared, they are catching up, so I should see something soon.
The nice thing about editing is I don’t stick to a strict schedule because it’s one of those things that can easily be overdone. If I spend too much time on it, my efforts get less effective, so when I need a break, I take a break. Maybe I’ll sneak some work in on Sifting the Ashes.
No word back on any other submissions, but no news could be good news. We’ll see.
Submission Blitz – Day 8
I can’t believe I actually managed to bring “The Maw” in under 500 words, but I did – 486 to be exact. That meant I could submit it to the anthology I had in mind, which was a happy thing for me. I’ve gotten the impression that folks think I’m not bad at writing flash fiction. I regularly get compliments on it (I got one just yesterday for my piece in Slices of Flesh) and my “Little Sister” made it into the finals of Fangoria’s Weird Words contest – they said they had received over a thousand entries. I find what works best is if I limit the story to one moment, with a minimum of background and as little description as I figure I can get away with. Normally, I find this is easiest done if the story is written in first person narrative, even though I find writing in first particularly difficult, but I did end up writing “The Maw” in third. “Flash!,” “Little Sister,” “What I’ve Gots in my Pocketses,” “Thanksgiving Special,” and “On a Wing and a Prayer” were all written in first person.
Good news – I received two more receipt confirmations. It’s always nice to know that the publisher actually received your submissions.
Since I haven’t had any takers on offering me a challenge for the next story, I’m going to take a shot writing to a request for submissions for an anthology with a Japanese mythology theme. There’s still plenty of time to offer up a challenge (paid or charity venues – I don’t do “exposure only”) by the end of the month.
Submission Blitz – Day 5
I did finish “Stitches in Time” but it still needs tweaking, so I won’t be submitting it until tomorrow. Instead I submitted a zombie short story, “Dead to Write” to Source Point Press for an anthology. There were scant details in the submission request so I’m hoping it comes together properly. This poor story sat with a publisher for a year – one who had actually asked me to submit it for a charity anthology. There was no follow through on the anthology and I eventually chose to retract my submission.
Sometimes things work that way. I look at my list of submissions awaiting decision and some are closing in on nine months without a response. That’s disappointing for a publisher with a reputation for being professional. I give them a year, though, before sending a retraction of my submission. I know of established authors who won’t wait longer than 6 months on a short story submission. Since I don’t have a recognizable name, I give them more leeway.
Anyway – I’m off to work on those tweaks – more tomorrow.
Genre for the Holidays – Counting Down
You don’t get to berate me just yet. I did manage to get the first item on my list from yesterday out of the way. I now have “Riot!” complete, but I have no idea where the story came from. It is nothing like anything else I’ve written and I have no clue if Ren will like it, but at least I got that task out of the way.
So now I get to reminisce about what I have managed to finish in my writing last year. I published two novels small press and successfully completed and released the first in the trilogy for my self-publishing experiment. I had several acceptances for anthologies (six acceptances, six different publishers, two UK, two US, two Canadian.) I had my second pro-rate “maybe”…and I’m hoping I can actually turn this one into a “yes”. I wrote a selection of short stories and three novels: “Intangible,” “Providence,” and “The Trading of Skin.” Not bad, but not any better than the year before and I’m running out of steam. So what to do in 2013?
As I mentioned, I’m having trouble settling on what I should work on for my next project. I’ve tossed around a few ideas. I have “Dagramar’s Zoo,” book nine in Masters & Renegades, but I told the hubby I’d wait until book five came out before I’d tackle that one and I’m waiting on book three at the moment (it’s with the publisher.) I haven’t flushed out the full plot for the next in my Fervor series. I could make a go at my planned YA book, but I’m not feeling terribly excited about that. I could do the follow-up to “When You Whisper” or take a stab at something else completely new on my to-do list. It’s a case of too many ideas and not enough direction.
So I guess I’ll wait until something prompts me – a nudge from my publisher, a shove from a test-reader or (do they really exist?) a fan, or maybe some prompting from my muse. In the meantime, I have my hands full with other things.
…Oh, and the other thing I’m counting down are the final two weeks before I can definitely say I have officially lost the Harper Voyager lottery. If I haven’t heard from them by then, I won’t be, which means “Elements of Genocide,” “Sleep Escapes Us,” and “Intangible” are free for re-submission. I wonder how many years I’ll be kicking them around before I figure out what to do with them.
Enjoy the last of 2012. J
Adventures in NaNo-land – The Next Big Thing
As much as I would like the world to stop in November so I can get off of it and focus on NaNo, the fact is, it doesn’t. The next in my Fervor series, Transcendence, will be released very soon, and I can’t drop the ball with my publisher. So I agreed to participate in a promotional blog hop called The Next Big Thing, to help put the word out.
It was the dynamic Autumn Birt who invited me to participate. Autumn is one of those creative free spirits who seems to have more energy and ingenuity than any three other people combined. That, and she’s one of my fabulous cohorts at the Guild of Dreams. She did the Next Big Thing last week, so make sure you go check out what’s happening with Autumn at Weifarer’s Writing and Wanderings.
So this leads to this interruption in NaNo-land. Or, in other words, “and now a word from our sponsors…”
And now The Next Big Thing! (at least as far as I’m concerned.)
1. What is the working title of your book?
Transcendence (Fervor #3 – it’s pretty well set in stone at this point)
2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
It’s the third book in a dystopian science fantasy series I started because an agent had a wish-list of certain themes he wanted to see. I was inspired by a book on genetics I had been reading and used that as the basis for the story, while following his theme. Apparently, the agent didn’t want to see those themes that badly unless they were coming from an established author (I’m pretty sure he didn’t even look at my query.) Nevertheless, I wrote Fervor, my debut novel, because of him because of him, so I guess I should be grateful.
3. What genre does your book fall under?
Dystopian science fantasy with a hint of horror
4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie version?
Logan Lerman would be a good Sam, but he would have to grow his hair and dye it blonde. Steven Strait would make a great Royce (clean-shaven with longer hair), and I think Natalya Rudakova (as a short-cropped redhead) fits Angela to a T (the three characters depicted on the cover.)
5. What is the one sentence synopsis for your book
Free from Fervor, but not really free at all, Sam and the other refugees face the intolerance of Windlea while trying to figure out how they will rescue their friends from the Scholars.
6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
It is being published by May December Publications
7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Two months.
8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Several people have compared the Fervor series to Golding’s Lord of the Flies or the Maze-Runner trilogy
9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
My real-life muse, Barb McQueen (and my publishers, who asked for it.)
10. What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
It has a futuristic feel with elements of fantasy that seems to appeal to readers of all ages. There’s political intrigue, romance, action-adventure and mystery all mixed into the story as well.
And now that you’ve seen what I have coming up, here’s the hndful of folk up next on the Next Big Thing Blog Hop, fabulous writers you might not already know. Remember, their answers to these questions will be up next week, so make sure you check them out to see what they have to show you.
And now back to our regular programming…
More tomorrow J
Word Blurb 