Monday, January 2, 2012

CYCLES!



My good friend, Lois, just published her first young adult thriller, CYCLES. I highly recommend this book for your new kindle or e-reader.

Here is Lois to tell us about her book!

Just this week I e-published my debut novel CYCLES. I like to call it a Young Adult Thriller without the gore or bad language. (In other words, you shouldn’t worry about your teen reading it.)The e-book is available on Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble PubIt. The hard copy will be available first of February 2012.

A little about the book. I started CYCLES in 2008. Crazy to think it has been that long. How did it start? I’m hesitant to admit it, but it was a dream. (I know, I know. That’s how Stephanie Myer and a bunch of other authors have gotten their ideas too. Nothing too original there.)

At the time, I had just been diagnosed with having Simple Partial Seizures. These kinds of seizures don’t affect motor skills, but they can affect all of your five senses (hence their other name: sensory seizures.) Mine created an odd mesh of symptoms, the most disconcerting of which was MASSIVE déjà vu. For those who are saying to themselves, “huh?” take a minute to read this article about
the different types of seizures.

Now, when I say déjà vu, I don’t just mean a fleeting, “Oh, that was cool. It just felt like I’ve been here before.” No, when I had déjà vu as part of my seizures, time slowed to a crawl and everything around me faded in and out. It was like I had lived that moment a thousand times before in a different life.

Needless to say, it was weird. Period. Like nothing I’ve ever felt before.

Back to CYCLES. I went to bed one night thinking about my recent trip to the neurologist. In my sleep, I had a vivid dream where there was a girl who had frightening feelings of having already experienced things before but in another lifetime. It wasn’t like reincarnation—the same soul come back to earth to live as someone or something else. Instead, it was like her life just kept repeating itself and she had moments where these “other-life” memories were intensely strong.

I woke up and knew I was going to write a book about it, so I did. Three years later, it’s done. Voila. (That makes it sound much easier than it was, but I won’t go into the blood, sweat, and tears.)

I have to admit, I’m nervous to “put it out there.” Like anything in life, some people are going to like it and some will hate it. Part of being an author is learning to just keep at it (and to grow a thick skin).

CYCLES if the first book in a series. SPACES, its sequel, will be released in 2012.


Huge congrats, Lois, on your book! Watch this woman, people. She's headed for great things.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

"Losing His Grip"



I just published my first short story. A new experience for me as I spend 99% of my writing energy into novel-length fiction. I have to say it was a fun change that forced me to write about something completely different than what I'm used to.

Here's a little synopsis:

Grayson Banks is retired from life. After chronic arthritis forced him to leave a successful dental practice, Grayson resents everything and everyone, including his healthy wife. The hands that once provided for his family and gave him recognition now struggle to open a simple jar of jam. When a fluke snow storm strikes San Francisco, Grayson has one final chance to find meaning in life and repair the rift in his marriage. The question is: Can he hold on that long?

You can find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.

Check it out!

Monday, May 30, 2011

In Memory....

"Let no one weep for me, or celebrate my funeral with mourning; for I still live, as I pass to and fro through the mouths of men."
Quintus Ennius


Today I went to the cemetery to pay tribute to loved ones lost. We scrubbed the weathered head stone with a brush and lime-away until it was free of dirt and debris.

Walking around the cemetery I saw so many people bringing flowers and staking pin-wheels to the ground. Entire families relaxed in camping chairs eating picnic food around a grave. Some wore smiles and received family with hugs and joy, while others wept, giving reverent attention to that space in their hearts that still hadn't quite healed. Tears of joy. Tears of pain.

So many stories...

Walking around the cemetery I found myself looking at the graves without mums and balloons. What was there story? Did they love? Did they have children? Did they make a difference in the world? Did they leave someone behind? In a hundred years, will my grave look as abandoned as theirs?

I don't mean to be morbid, but today really got me thinking about my own mortality. A keen reminder that we have only a short time to live. I mean REALLY live. A reminder that goals can't collect cob webs and relationships need extra fostering.

How will people remember you?

Saturday, May 7, 2011

If you've ever had a dream....

Have you ever had a dream? Something you've wanted and worked toward your whole life?

Clark Schaffer is a brilliant artist and friend. He's been helping Hollywood bigwigs make their movies for years. (yep, that's the Iron Man helmet he designed for the movie Iron Man 2. I wasn't lying, people. He's the real deal. )




His lifelong dream is to make his own films, and thanks to Kickstarter, he has about two months to make his dreams a reality. Check out this video about Clark and his movie CLEVERER. He's giving away some great prizes to those who help out with a donation. Even a few bucks will get my him closer to his dream of making his own film.

Please donate and pass it on!


If you want to learn how to get you're hands on that mask, Clark is actually giving it away. Find out about it here.



Tuesday, May 3, 2011

What? I'm not crying!


I was watching [sorry, passive voice] this new show on NBC called Voice. Without spending too much time on the show premise, I'll just say this: It's a show about a group of talented artists trying to get their big break in the music industry.

A few people on the show who had been working for years to catch a break finally found it. I'm embarrassed to say that I actually found myself getting a little emotional when I saw the look of redemption on their faces. In one moment all of their hard work, all of their pining, all of their dreams that many people probably rolled their eyes at became reality.

What a beautiful moment! I absolutely LOVE when people who work and work and work toward a goal achieve it. When dreams are realized.

Elana Johnson, blogging superstar, friend, and author of Possession coming out June 7th with Simon & Schuster, is a perfect example of this.

Elana sent out over 180 query letters before signing with her literary agent. Speaking as someone who knows the easy depression that comes from even one person passing on your work, the fact that she kept believing in herself is really remarkable. This chick is busting into the literary world in a BIG way. I LOVE when people like Elana find success.

Check out her blog HERE. Pre-order her book HERE.


Keep working people. Don't give up until you get that sweet VINDICATION you deserve!

Monday, April 25, 2011

In Good Company


What a crazy weekend! The Teen Author Boot Camp was Saturday. I had A BLAST hanging out with over 130 teens interested in writing.

Writers Cubed and UVU put the conference on with the help of eight brilliant authors. There were classes on Character Development (J. Scott Savage), Voice (Matthew Kirby), Dialog (Kristen Chandler), Imagination (Frank Cole), Plot (Kiersten White), Anti-Plotting (Elana Johnson), Heros and Villains (Sydney Salter), and the Publishing Process (Emily Wing Smith). We had such amazing feedback from teens that there is an extremely good chance this will become an annual event.

Thanks to everyone who made it possible. Especially the teens. You were all amazing!


Friday, April 15, 2011

BUZZZZZZZZZZZ!


I had a reporter from the Daily Herald contact me wanting to know more about the Teen Author Boot Camp. If you don't already know, Writers Cubed (my writers group) is putting on a conference at UVU just for teens. Nine incredible authors are donating their valuable time to enlighten and inspire teens with ambitions to write novel length fiction. Very Cool.

With the Teen Author Boot Camp just over a week away, I thought I’d add to the buzz by throwing up the article. Check it out.

http://www.heraldextra.com/momclick/kids/article_1a71fe2e-5d5d-11e0-85cc-001cc4c03286.html

If you haven’t already registered for the conference it’s not too late. See registration details on the Writers Cubed events page. I can’t wait to meet all of you talented young authors! We' going to have a blast on April 23rd!


BUZZZZZZ!