1) I finished revising Chapter 6 and am starting on Chapter 7!
2) I've decided revising is like creating a Bonsai tree. I snip some here and let it grow bigger there, and it takes a lot of time and patience. Hopefully, there'll be something beautiful at the end. (Though I sometimes feel I'll be older than Mr. Miyagi by the time I get to the end...)
3) It's always fun to promo a fellow author's new release, so I'm happy to feature Stuart West's Elspeth, The Living Dead Girl below.
Do you like Bonsai trees? Would you ever try to grow one?
If you’re dead already, can you die again? Elspeth’s been summoned from limbo. Her new assignment? Track down the culprit in the mysterious death of a student at Clearwell High. And incidentally, uncover the identity of the new drug dealer prowling the halls. Only one problem—the body she has to co-inhabit has a different agenda. Elizabeth just wants to be prom queen, marry Prince Charming, and graduate with perfect posture. Both girls, alive and dead, will have their separate worlds rocked before the killer is unveiled. Nothing is as it seems. No one can be trusted. Being dead has never been so dangerous.
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| Stuart R. West |
After working as a graphic and production artist for the last 23 years, the company for which I labored shuttered its doors in July of 2010, finally allowing me the time and mental energy to tackle something that I'm passionate about.
Elspeth, The Living Dead Girl is a spin-off from my YA series, Tex, The Witch Boy.
I'm married to a professor of pharmacy (who greatly appreciates that I now prepare dinner for her) and have a 21 year old daughter, who hasn’t yet decided what to do with her life. But that’s okay…it took me 25 years or longer.
Foxy's Friday Freebies!
Foxy has been nosing around the net.
When she finds great FREE STUFF, she'll feature it on Fridays Freebies posts -
When she finds great FREE STUFF, she'll feature it on Fridays Freebies posts -
- Free short stories, novellas, and novels
- Giveaways for books and swag
- Free services for authors
Here are Foxy's suggestions for Fri, July 11:
Free Kindle copy of SNIP, SNIP, REVENGE by Medeia Sharif via rafflecopter on Tome Tender (until July 20th), plus Medeia has a great guest post there!
Free Novels in a 21-eBook Giveaway by Untethered Realms via rafflecopter on Christine Rains Blog (ends July 31).
Free Paranormal Novels from Moonrise Bookblog via rafflecopter on T.F. Walsh's blog including her novel, Cloaked in Fur. (Ends July 14th)
Free Short Stories - LG Keltner’s 55-word story (the 2nd on the page) plus other 55-word stories at: New Times
Here are Foxy's suggestions for Fri, July 4:
Free Query Critiques by Kim Graff (editor, cover designer, & agent intern)
Free Kindle copy of SNIP, SNIP, REVENGE by Medeia Sharif via rafflecopter on Tome Tender (until July 20th), plus Medeia has a great guest post there!
Free Novels in a 21-eBook Giveaway by Untethered Realms via rafflecopter on Christine Rains Blog (ends July 31).
Free Paranormal Novels from Moonrise Bookblog via rafflecopter on T.F. Walsh's blog including her novel, Cloaked in Fur. (Ends July 14th)
Free Short Stories - LG Keltner’s 55-word story (the 2nd on the page) plus other 55-word stories at: New Times
Here are Foxy's suggestions for Fri, July 4:
Free Query Critiques by Kim Graff (editor, cover designer, & agent intern)
Free First Page Critiques by Dianne Salerni (author of The Eighth Day series, HarperCollins 2014) and Marcy Hatch (author of West of Paradise, WiDo 2014). Edit: Dianne says 3 spots are open for August!
Free Book Badges, Banners, and Countdowns at Ben Ellis Graphics
Free Book Giveaways from Toni Lesatz at My Book Addiction. (Contemp, Fantasy, and Horror book giveaways every week. See the current giveaway list on her sidebar.)
Free Copyright-Expired Books at Black Mask Free eBooks. (They're dated, but they're a fun change of pace and great if you're researching historical modes of speech and style.)
If anyone has a FREE short story (for download or online at a free ezine), novella, novel, special giveaway, or author service, please let Foxy know so she can plug you here! Write to: laura.6eg(at)gmail.com
This post is part of VikLit's blog hop, Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is follow the link and put your name on the Mr.Linky list, and then be sure to post every Friday about something you're grateful for that week. It can be about writing or family or school or general life. This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever!
47 comments:
I do like the sound of 'The Living Dead Girl'.
Congratulations on getting to chapter 7 'Danielson'.
I remember Bonsai trees being 'all the rage' after the first Karate Kid film was released. I've never owned one.
Have a brilliant weekend :)
Congratulations on making progress with the editing.
I'm looking forward to chapter 7 so don't spend too long waiting for it to grow... My grandmother used to grow bonsai trees and they were very beautiful. But hard work too.
Kinda like writing, really....
I love your analogy and couldn't have said it better myself, Lexa. I think when we cut out the "fluff" and work out the details, it helps to reshape the plot as a whole. And what you are left with is a beautiful masterpiece... or Bonzai tree. I have never cared for one but I have tons of plants inside and outside of my home. I love planting. I think it's almost as therapeutic as writing, especially when everything is finished and you can admire and sit with your creation.
The villain in my story is called Elspeth :)
'Living Dead Girl' makes me think of Rob Zombie and Halloween. I'm already beginning to long for autumn :)
Cutting most things, despite being necessary, is often painful.
I killed a lovely bonsai once, feel terrible about it. Congrats on the revisions, keep it rolling!
Congratulations to Stuart!
I can grow dandelions - does that count?
Thank you for sharing our UR giveaway, Lexa! You rock. And I love the Bonsai analogy. I'm buried in revising right now and this gives me hope that there will be something good at the end of the mess!
Congrats to Stuart!
Wax on, wax off...
I love the bonzai tree analogy. I think it is very fitting. I think the trees are very pretty, but never thought of growing one. I think I will stick to fictional bonzai trees. :)
Best of luck to Stuart. His new book does sound interesting!
~Jess
Go go go on that revision. I finally got through mine this week. Took four months. But that should be the hardest part. Just editing clean up stuff from now on. I hope.
And congrats to Stuart!
Your bonsai analogy is pretty apt!
The cover of Elspeth looks great. Congratulations, Stuart!
And thanks for plugging First Impressions again. I've had several submissions from people I don't know, and unless they saw it re-tweeted on Twitter, I'm thinking they must have heard about it here. Yay!
The only sad thing is all my regular blog readers seem to have vanished for the summer. I'm not getting many comments. :(
I had a bonsai tree once. It died. That isn't how it's suppose to go, but I'm not good at miniature trees, I guess.
Stuart's book sounds sufficiently scary to get my attention.
Those Bonsai trees look really cool when I see them in stores but I don't think I would have the discipline to prune them. Congrats on progress with your WIP.
Congrats to Stuart, The Living Dead Girl sounds very interesting! :)
Love the Bonsai tree analogy, I totally see it. Yay for revision progress, go Lexa!!!!
Congrats on the chapters! This story about the dead gal coming back to find the killer sounds like a great read and maybe even funny in parts. As for the bonsai tree-I have been known to kill a spider plant and an aloe vera plant so it would not be wise for me to even try to grow a bonsai:)
Stuart here (not to be confused with Lexa or Elspeth).
Thanks, gang, for the inspiring rah-rah words on my new release, Elspeth, the Living Dead Girl.
Yes, it's perfect reading for autumn, and yes, I always include lotsa humor. Give it a look.
In other news, GO LEXA!
And thanks for pimping the new book.
I was humiliated when my bonsai plant grew and grew until I had to plant it in the backyard. I'm sure the day is coming when the power company will chop it down for interfering with the power lines.
I thought Rob Zombie when I first read the title. Good luck with the book, Stuart! Thanks for the awesome list of freebies, Lexa.
Interesting title.
Congratulations, Stuart!
I can't wait to read chapter 7. But first, I have some freebies to sort through. What a great list!
Love your comparison of revising to being like creating a Bonsai tree. It never would have occurred to me, but I can totally see it. Hope your revisions continue to flourish where they should and shrink were they shouldn't. :-)
Thanks so much for sharing the UR giveaway. :) Lots of great freebies this week! Sounds like you're making good progress with revisions. Have a wonderful weekend.
I'd love to grow a bonsai tree but I'm afraid I might kill it unless it came with very specific instructions.
Good work on getting to chapter 7!
Since the only thing i can grow is crabgrass, and houseplants commit suicide when they know i am going to own them, there's no way i would torment a poor bonsai tree by trying to do anything except admire it in someone else's home or garden.
Bonsai trees are elegant. Thus, I'd never try to grow one.
Happy Friday and weekend, Lexa.
I would love to have a bonsai tree. But...I don't think I'd have the skills or patience to grow one. =) Elspeth, The Living Dead Girl is such a cool title. Sticks w/you!
Revision is like a Bonsai tree! That's the perfect way to describe it!
Oh you're doing great on your edits. And cheers for the Foxy freebies. :) X
http://shahwharton.com/
I like Bonsai trees. My son used to grow them, and they were fascinating. I grow weeds. :)
I know that feeling that you'll never reach the end. The tortoise did. So will you.
Elspeth is on my TBR.
Must check out the freebies. Teachers are always looking for free stuff. I can't break the habit.
Congratulations on your book! The Living Dead Girl sounds quite interesting.
No, I'd never have the patience to grow a Bonsai tree.
Thanks for sharing the Preview and the Freebies.
I love Bonsai Trees:)
Yes, revising definitely is like snipping a tree! I'm revising on a tight deadline right now, so I'm having to snip around the clock!
I've never had a bonsai tree. I think my cats would chew on it.
Stuart's book has an interesting premise.
Thank you for mentioning my giveaway.
Congrats to Stuart, and good job on making progress with your edits!
Hi Lexa,
Congrats on your revising. I thought a Bonsai tree was grown in the Munchkin forest.
Here's wishing Stuart the very best.
Hi Foxy and all those links. Keep on celebrating! :)
Gary
Really liking your Foxy's Friday Freebies... great finds...:) Thanks for including mine:)
You have so much awesome news packed into one blog post!
Greatness all around. Looks like I've got some work to do to see it all!
Heather
I'm loving that you referenced the Karate Kid in your post...well done :) And congrats with all the revisions...sounds like slow and steady will win the race.
~Katie
Keep going, you'll make it! My favorite line from Karate Kid, "Get him a body bag!" Ha. Just kidding, but not really:)
"The Living Dead Girl" sounds pretty interesting. Thanks for sharing. And congrats on moving forward with your book! Woot woot to you!!
Good luck on your edits, Lexa. If only I could find time to work on mine! Grrr. Summer is no time for mommy writers.
Congrats on the editing progress, and to Stuart for his book!
I do love bonsai trees, but I'm afraid I don't have enough patience to grow one. Congratulations on your book process.
I like the look of Bonsai Trees. They are so small and adorable.
Congratulations, Lexa. Wish I could say the same. Too hot here, but not worth buying an A/C. I tried growing a bonsai a few times. Still don't know what I'm doing wrong.
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