This week I'm celebrating:
1) A clean apartment! I even scrubbed the kitchen floor. Hubby said, "It looks great! Too bad it can't stay this way." (Yeah, too bad there's a 250 lb toddler wandering around who tracks in dirt, makes messes, and spills things...)
2) I cooked enough food to last a week.
3) I promo-ed my book sale, have done crits for my CPs, and wrote a newsletter for the writing site I use. (Writing.Com -- see all my newsletters on writing craft on my Writing Advice page).
4) Now that I'm finally ahead of the game, I'm hoping to work on Ch 2, which will be my 4th version. The darn thing is just not coming together. (Muse!! Where did you go??)
What do you do when a piece of writing isn't working and your muse has taken a vacation?
Walking Shadow
Urban Fantasy
Curiosity Quills Press (Nov 30, 2014)
Blurb:When you have a connection to the Darkworld, nowhere is truly safe.
Ashlyn has found a new home in Blackstone, but when a spate of grave robberies across the country spark fears that someone is practicing illegal sorcery, she comes under the radar of the Venantium, the protectors of the Barrier between her world and the Darkworld, who are suspicious of any sorcerer unaware of their origins.
The trouble is, what Ash does know might just get her killed.
Sufferers of the dangerous condition known as the vampire’s curse are being brutally killed, and the latest victim is Leo’s guardian, the ex-head of the Venantium. Ash determines to help Leo find out what’s really going on, but it isn’t long before events are spiralling out of control. The dead are rising from their graves, and the barriers around Blackstone are threatened by a demon which looks exactly like Ash herself…
Buy Links: Amazon Amazon UK
Add on Goodreads!
Darkness Watching
Note from Lexa: I read the first book in Emma's series, Darkness Watching. It was very exciting, had great characters, and was very well written -- I truly enjoyed it and have been looking forward to the next in the series!
Buy Links: Amazon Barnes & Noble
Add on Goodreads
Read Chapter One
Fear's Touch:
A Darkworld Novella is a standalone novella, intended as a prequel to the Darkworld series. As it takes place one year before the events of Darkness Watching, it doesn’t contain any spoilers (although it does hint at things which will come into play later in the series).Buy Link: Amazon
Add on: Goodreads
Author Bio:
Emma spent her
childhood creating imaginary worlds to compensate for a disappointingly average
reality, so it was probably inevitable that she ended up writing bizarre, fantastical
stories. She was born in Birmingham, UK, which she fled at the first
opportunity to study English Literature at Lancaster University. In her three
years at Lancaster, she hiked up mountains, skydived in Australia, and endured
a traumatic episode involving a swarm of bees in the Costa Rican jungle. She
also entertained her creative writing group and baffled her tutors by
submitting strange fantasy tales featuring dragons and supernatural monsters to
workshops. These included her first publication, a rather bleak dystopian
piece, and a disturbing story about a homicidal duck (which she hopes will
never see the light of day).
Now a reluctant graduate, Emma refuses to settle down and be normal. When not embarking on wild excursions, she edits and proofreads novels for various publishing houses and reads an insane number of books. At the age of 21, she signed a publishing contract with Curiosity Quills Press for the first book in her creepy urban fantasy Darkworld series. DARKNESS WATCHING was published in October 2013, the first in a five-book series. Emma’s books tend to contain monsters, magic, and wildly inappropriate humour.
Emma's Links:
Now Available!!!
And it's FREE!!!
Tapping into the expertise of over a hundred talented authors from around the globe, The IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond contains something for every writer. Whether you are starting out and need tips on the craft of writing, looking for encouragement as an already established author, taking the plunge into self-publishing, or seeking innovative ways to market and promote your work, this guide is a useful tool. Compiled into three key areas of writing, publishing, and marketing, this valuable resource offers inspirational articles, helpful anecdotes, and excellent advice on dos and don'ts that we all wish we knew when we first started out on this writing journey.
Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Kobo - Smashwords
Be a part of the IWSG:
Website - Facebook Group - Facebook Critique Circle Group
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!
41 comments:
A clean kitchen never stays that way. Hope your chapter comes together.
Thanks for mentioning the IWSG book!
Congrats on getting your house so nice and clean! Love that feeling. :) Also- all the cooking sounds like it will make the rest of the week easier! Awesome job getting so much done. Yeah Lexa!
~Jess
Ah, there's nothing like a clean house and meals all ready to go :)
Good luck with chapter 2!
super productive! best of luck plowing through ch. 2, and also big congrats to Emma! :)
Wow, you are so far ahead of me with your clean house and meals cooked. Maybe someday... Good luck with your chapter and congrats to Emma with her new release! I just downloaded Soul Cutter. Looking forward to some good reading!
I take a hike. Then, if that doesn't work, I set out muse traps. . .they're humane, but effective. Usually, a chocolate covered something that a muse can't resist.
Your 250 lb toddler made me laugh! I have a 160 lb one... Wouldn't it be awesome if that just cleaned feeling stuck around- and in cars, too? Good luck w/your Ch 2- it'll come!
Oh, and congrats to Emma on her most recent release. They're great covers!
Having a clean home is always a refreshing feeling. I just cleaned today because I'm leaving for work and will be gone for a week=( I knew I didn't want to return to a mess.
I hope you find your muse, Lexa. My muse left when I abandoned the edits to my WIP. I know, I feel horrible even typing this! I'm hoping to find her again once I reopen that file.
I did, however, start working on a new children's book which seems promising=)
What would it take to get you to come clean my house?
Ooh, those are really intriguing covers.
Congrats on the clean kitchen -- if you're still in the cleaning mood, want to come over here?
What a reminder that I need to clean up things. Do you make house calls?
You're so good, cleaning your kitchen. You make me feel lazy. If only it didn't get dirty again.
Congratulations on your books, Emma. Best of luck with them.
I clean a room everyday. It takes me 14 days to get through the house. But it stays clean. As for my muse, she keeps changing her mind.
Want to come clean my house for me now? It could definitely use a good scrub!
When my muse abandons me, I usually skip the bit that's giving me trouble and move on to another part of the book where I have a clearer idea what I'm doing. Usually the sticky bit comes clear eventually….
Want to come clean my house for me now? It could definitely use a good scrub!
When my muse abandons me, I usually skip the bit that's giving me trouble and move on to another part of the book where I have a clearer idea what I'm doing. Usually the sticky bit comes clear eventually….
LOL, regarding the 250 lb toddler!!!
For me, when it's not working -- especially that soon into the draft (Chapter 2) -- I consider that I may have started the story from the wrong point, or maybe I've got something wrong. Take a break, read some books, let your subconscious work.
I once started a manuscript over twice before realizing the MC needed a younger brother to protect -- then started a third time and finally took off running, having figured out my problem.
Force that chapter into submission, Lexa!!
Very intriguing story, Emma! Good luck!
Yay IWSG book!
I mostly just keep at it. And usually, when I've had enough, I'll be taking a walk or in the shower and...there it is--the solution.
When your Muse finally contacts you, ask her if she's seen mine. My creative Muse seems to be MIA lately.
All the best with your chapter! I wish I had a clean kitchen :) -- mine isn't dirty, but it sure is messy.
I totally know the feeling about those muses. However, I keep procrastinating on the first draft, because I'm insecure about the ending. Sigh. I need to write it so I can get some feedback from beta readers, and then move on. Of course, it's always easy to say it - harder to do it!
Congrats on the clean apartment. You are right that they never stay clean. Cleaning and laundry - they never go away. :(
I love having a nice clean house right before a holiday binge of decorating. Cleaning and cooking? And you want to know where your muse went? Probably hiding until you come to your senses!
When my leaves I go on a music listening and dancing spree.
Have a wonderful weekend. I hope to rejoin this blog hop soon. Needed some time away.
I follow my muse to the vacation location.
Me: Well, hello, hello, hello. Fancy meeting you here.
Muse: Holy Schmoly. What are YOU doing here? Don't you have work to do?
Me: Look who's talking. Nope. No work. Just gonna waste the time, basking in the sun and drinking cocktails. Then I'm gonna interview a few new muses.
Muse's eyes pop!
She gets up in a hurry, packs bags and heads for home.
Mission accomplished. LOL
Seriously? I have no idea.
Have fun with your second chapter ;-)
Often I get to a point where I'm not sure if I should stop working on a piece or just keep going and hope it all works out.
Thank you for sharing my book! ^_^
A 250 pound toddler? I weep for you.
If your muse takes a vacation, maybe you could, too. Work on something so totally different it gives your mind a rest from what isn't working out correctly. Maybe something silly and funny and totally not you, just to laugh over and reset your brain and your muse.
Of course the house doesn't stay clean. That's my job security!
Emma has amazing covers.
I keep working whether I want to or not. If I push myself, I get into the swing of things eventually.
I also have a 250 pound toddler, and that's in addition to my little boys. I can sympathize with the struggle to keep things clean. Enjoy the cleanliness while it lasts!
I hate to clean, but I love the results! Hope your muse comes back soon!
You sound like you're on top of things...now where is that muse?
I love the IWSG book - got it on my Kindle.
Wow, you accomplished so much last week! Wish I had been that productive, haha. Sorry to hear your muse has gone MIA on you. That's never fun, for sure!
I am always amazed by how quickly a clean apartment turns into a mess again. And we have a dog and a cat who don't help at all.
A clean house and a fully stocked fridge? I'm jealous!!! Enjoy your week Lexa!
Best of luck to Emma!!
I can't complain about my husband. He's seriously OCD and never makes a mess. But I do have four boys I can blame!
I have found when I am organized and knocking things off my to do list, my muse naps. I think he's bored by the mundane.
I'll have to check out the writing tip newsletter!
I have a white kitchen with stainless steel appliances. It only takes a matter of minutes before I see smudges, smears, crumbs, and stray hairs throughout. I could only imagine what it would be like if we had pets! Lexa, I'm sorry, because I know exactly what you're going through. Hope your muse comes equipped with a mop!
Julie
My toddler has shrunk down to 180 lbs, yet his mess is just as prolific. Haha, go figure.
I clean floors when my muse is on vacation too!
Honestly, Lexa, I love your stories about daily life where you live. In fact, I vote you write more about day-to-day life. You have no idea how fascinating it is for the rest of us.
Woohoo for a clean house! I know how that feels. It's like you get it all fixed up, and then the next moment, something spills on the floor.
Hope your muse returns!
You're ahead of the game? You're AHEAD OF THE GAME?!?
I'm sorry, I can't talk to you right now. Wallowing in envy.
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