August Wrap-Up

It's September! Summer vacation is fully behind us and I honestly don't know where the time went but I can tell you that I feel like I spent the entire summer working! August was both a busier and lighter month for me and you'll see why...

READING

Books I Reviewed In August:

Walk the Edge by Katie McGarry

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (Audiobook Review)

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Unforgiven by Lauren Kate

After the Game by Abbi Glines

Unrest by Wendy Higgins

Fallen Heir by Erin Watt

The Dazzling Heights by Katharine McGee

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

Books I Read In August: 

Can't Hardly Breathe by Gena Showalter

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (Audiobook)

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Fallen Heir by Erin Watt

Unforgiven by Lauren Kate

Unrest by Wendy Higgins

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

Oblivion by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Books to-be-read in September:

Because You Love to Hate Me edited by Amerie

The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich (reread)

The Graces by Laura Eve

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Theresa Anne Fowler

Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray

WRITING

In August I worked on some ideas for my NaNoWriMo project, but mainly I began working on a short story I plan to post online for Halloween. It's a horror story and I'm hoping readers will be pleasantly frightened by it. 

BLOGGING

In August I participated in 2 Cover Reveals, 1 Release Day Blitz, Spotlighted 2 Bookish Retailers I love and did my usual "What I'm Reading" Wednesday, #BookMail Thursday, and #Booktag Saturday posts. I also reviewed 1 ARC.

PUBLISHING

In August I set up the cover reveal sign-up form for CurseBreaker and got it ready to submit for pre-orders (which should be up soon). To help reveal the cover of CurseBreaker on September 15, fill out this form! 

Why Writing 2 Books A Year Is Good for My Writing Process

Writers work at all different paces. I learned that recently at the Afternoon with the Authors event at the Shawano Library. 

Some writers can sit down on a Friday and have a fifty-thousand-word manuscript completed by Monday morning, others spend years working on the same project. 

Over the past ten years, it has taken less and less time for me to complete a writing project. The Haunting Love took me a little over a year to complete. Finding Elizabeth and Out of Darkness were on and off the back burner for 2 years, during which time Out of Darkness had three different versions before I reached what it finally became. 

But after that, I finished Into the Light in one month, during NaNoWriMo 2015 and Through the Fog was written in 3 months hard-writing time. Eternal Fire was shorter in length, only taking 6 weeks to write and then CurseBreaker poured out of me last NaNoWriMo.

Now I'm working on my seventh full-length novel (eighth major writing project), Headless, which I am on track to finish (hopefully) by the end of June. This will make it another 3-month project.

I've fallen into a pattern. I've learned that two major writing projects a year is what works best for me and for my writing project. In the spring I can commit more time to writing one project, then rest up over the end of summer and start planning that big push, the big NaNoWriMo project as fall begins. That way I don't push myself too hard, I keep up with my publishing deadlines, and I don't feel the burnout as much. 

Burnout is the one thing I, as a writer, fear. I admit it, I'm a workaholic. When I'm not writing, I'm blogging, when I'm not blogging I'm reading a book to review. I work on promotion, writing, and publishing during the day when able, then stay up, sometimes until 2 am or later writing again. But I figure, at this pace, I can give myself plenty of downtime throughout the year. 

It's all about finding what's comfortable for you. Don't feel the need to push yourself to compete with another writer who's working at a different pace. It's your story, and although it's occasionally fun to be competitive (like during NaNoWriMo), in the end, it's about writing something that can be shaped into a publishable product in the end. 

Are you a writer? What is your average time spent working on a project? Do you have more than one project going on at a time? Let me know in the comments! 

Syn's Ghostly Encounter ( A Paranormal Romance Short Story Blog)

      

        I never let myself believe in something so foolish, but this time something about it - I just couldn't quite shake the thought that it just might be real. Was my mind playing tricks on me or could there really be a ghost floating around my dorm room?

       "Pull yourself together Syn," I order myself as I close my eyes and hope when I reopen them the ghostly apparition hovering beside my window would be gone. I didn't even believe in ghosts for cripes sake. 

        I hoped against hope as I crack open my eyes. Nope, he was still there, his smoky gray eyes alight with amusement. "What do you want?" I demand, my quivering voice betraying my confident facade. 

        The ghost's smile widens as he shakes his head and comes closer, freezing me with the icy drop in temperature that accompanies him. 

         I scoot back toward my headboard and grip the blankets against my tank-top-covered chest. "My roommate will be back any second," I threaten, hoping I'm right. 

         I just hoped my new roommate Britta didn't bring yet another guy home from whatever frat party she'd been partying at tonight. Talk about awkward. I frown at the thought, momentarily forgetting the ghostly intruder, that is until he holds out his hand to me. 

        His sexy smoky gray eyes urge me to take his hand as I study him in the moonlight. His golden hair shimmers in the light and he looks to be in his early twenties. Had he been alive, and not a ghost, he might be considered attractive; sexy even. Definitely not the kind of guy that would ever notice boring, old me with my uncontrollable black hair and skin darkened from spending the entire summer working in my uncle's olive grove back in Greece. 

       Getting impatient with my perusal of him the ghost reaches over and yanks me out of bed. 

      I drag my feet indignantly as he pulls me toward the window. "Wait, hold up buddy, I can't walk through walls like you. Besides, we're on the third floor. I'd drop like a rock and I'm definitely not ready to join you in the spirit world."

      The ghost smirks at me irresistibly in a "watch me" sort of way as he continues through the thick wall, pulling me right along with him. 

      Before I can form an argument we're flying, or rather floating, through the night, invisible to the college students stumbling back to their dorm rooms after a long night of partying. 

      The ghost brings us to a halt in the courtyard of an upscale restaurant across town from the university. As we drift slowly to the ground I realize that the courtyard has been transformed from it's usual patio dining appearance into something... else. 

      A candlelit table set for two sits in the center of the courtyard as a low fog blankets the cobblestone deck. The ghost pulls out a chair and gestures for me to sit down. Above our heads a sky full of stars and a full moon shines down on us. Hadn't I just been wishing for a guy to sweep me off my feet just yesterday? 

     I reluctantly sit down and the ghost pushes me closer to the table before sitting down across from me. As soon as he sits down a feast appears on the table in front of us. 

       I stare at the ghost in surprise, "You did this all for me?"
  
       The ghost nods, but remains silent. 

        "Why?" I ask quietly. 

         The ghost shrugs as a gruff male voice with a hint of a southern accent pops into my head, "I've been watching you for a long time. It gets lonely wandering around campus by myself, unseen by anyone. You were a vibrant star among a sea of faces, I had to know you."
          
          "Were you a student here?" I ask as the ghost pours me a glass of red liquid, wine probably. "before you..."

           The ghost looks pained for a minute, "Yes, I was."

            I nod understandingly, not wanting to pry. "What's your name?"

            The ghost shakes his head, refusing to answer.

            I roll my eyes, "oh come on! I'm on an impromptu date with a ghost at three in the morning wearing nothing but a tank top and a tiny pair of sleep shorts and you're honestly refusing to tell me your name?" 

           The ghost smiles appreciatively as his eyes roam over my outfit before responding. "It will be easier this way. Trust me."

            I bite my lip but find myself nodding anyway. We begin digging into our meal, some kind of fancy Italian pasta dish with scallops in it, as the ghost begins peppering me with all sorts of questions. He asks me about my family and my major as he caresses my hand across the table. Every time I ask him a personal question he deflects with a question for me. If not for his translucent appearance I'd think he was just any other guy, albeit a secretive one, trying to impress on a first date. And despite the shroud of secrecy I reluctantly find myself becoming attracted to him. 

         After dinner he pulls me into his arms and insists that we dance. The moonlight shines down on us as we dance, my cheek pressed against his surprisingly solid chest as his hands rest gently on my hips. I draw back slowly and look at him as he angles his head towards mine. My eyes flutter closed in anticipation of the kiss. As his lips press firmly against mine my entire world explodes in a burst of color. 

       When I open my eyes I'm back in my bed in my dorm room. The early morning light peeks through the shades Britta forgot to close the night before. 

        "Was it all just a dream? A perfect, realistic dream?" I wonder aloud. 

       As I glance around the room for any trace of the ghost's visit the night before I find a single red rose laying on the table beside my bed. Beside the rose a small note card sits propped against the base of my college-issued lamp. 

           To answer your first question, the answer is you. 

You are what I want.

  I’ll see you soon.

                         Love,

                                    -M

To be continued...

Writing What You Know

     

        It's been said that you should "write what you know".  I think a lot of writers do that, myself included. 

       We write to explain the past, the things that made us who we are today, the choices and decisions that have helped shape our lives. 

        A person that grows up in a volatile home setting might write characters in the same situation because that's all they know, while a person who grew up on a lavish horse farm in Kentucky might choose to solely write about Kentucky horse country. It's easy to get lost in the familiar but it's also important for a writer to broaden their horizons and step out of their comfort zones, lest we become repetitive and boring. 

       I like to think of myself as an observant people-watcher. I'm constantly wondering what makes people tick. That includes a few of my favorite authors.   

       One of my favorite authors, who mainly writes young adult romance novels, always seems to write characters that have strained relationships with their parents. You can't help but wonder, is this what she (the author) knows? Does she herself have a broken relationship with her parents that cause her to write the way she does?

        Another author I like, who writes both young and new adult romance, always writes the same basic plot. I don't even have to open her latest novel to tell you that one of her main characters comes from money and privilege while that character's love interest comes from the 'wrong side of the tracks'; a child of either a drug addict or some other kind of lowlife. And the male character is always very possessive and clingy, which the author must find romantic. (I on the other hand see these as major red flags, but maybe that's just me). I can't help but wonder if this is the story of her life, with slight variations in each of her books. 

        I myself like to write female characters that are intelligent with a sharp sense of humor that aren't the stereotypical poster girl for beauty because that's how I see myself. I never saw myself as attractive in high school, and I still have bad days but now I see that there are all types of beautiful, not just the kind on the cover of Vogue. 

      I also have a tendency to set my novels in places that are familiar to me: Green Bay, Brookfield, Milwaukee, Marquette. I know these places like the back of my hand. But I've also reached out and expanded sub-settings to cities I've never been to. 

       Researching subjects and places for my writing is fun and I learn so much. If you would have asked me how I felt about doing research for a paper in high school I'd have sighed and groaned at how boring it was. I guess it's different when you can pick and choose what you wish to learn. 

      Someday I'd love to branch out beyond Paranormal Romance for Young Adults. I'd love to explore the Horror genre more and also branch out into New Adult Romance (either paranormal or regular). 

      It's kind of scare to deviate away from what you know but I think it's important to try new things. Not just in writing, but in all aspects of your life. 

      Let's say every morning you wake up and have two eggs, wheat toast, and a cup of coffee for breakfast. What's the worst that could happen if one day you wake up and decide to forgo your usual routine and have French toast and tea instead? Who knows, you just might like it better than the same old thing you've been eating (or writing as the case may be) everyday.  

     Just a little food for thought...
  

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Writing Young Adult

Hey everyone, I hope you are enjoying this beautiful Friday morning. I'm sitting on my bed staring out the open window anxious to get out into the day. 

As you might have seen on my Facebook page early this week it's "I Read YA Week", a week devoted to people that love reading and writing young adult novels. 

From my website http://www.taylorfenner.com:

        I love writing Young Adult novels as much as I love reading them; which is obviously a lot. Sometimes it feels like so many teens these days are too busy playing video games or texting to pick up a good book but lately I've been surprised by how many kids my sister's age have mentioned they like to read. It's a comforting thought that the written word isn't dead. 

To me it's important to have strong female leads in the novels I write. Girls need characters to look up to, to aspire to be like, someone they can relate to. And I think that's what a lot of good young adult novels give these days. 

I think we should all take a minute and appreciate all of the young adult authors out there that have paved the way for new, indie authors like me. Some of the authors I idolize and aspire to be like can be found on my "Things That Inspire Me" page on my website, so feel free to check it out and look into some of the authors I like. 

Today is also #ReadOrWriteAnywhere day.  Where do you like to read? Are you a writer? Where do you like to write? Is there a certain spot than inspires you? For me I can read almost anywhere; on the couch, on my bed, in a store, at the beach... anywhere really. My preferred writing spots are while sitting in bed or sitting at the kitchen table and occasionally on the couch. But inspiration can hit anywhere... I once was inspired to write a paragraph in my upcoming novel "Finding Elizabeth" while having dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. You just have to hope that you have something to write on; whether it's a napkin or the back of a receipt or a notebook you carry in your purse for such moments. You always have to be prepared. 

Well I'm just dying to get outside in the sun. Have a great Memorial Day weekend! Hopefully the weather will hold up and you'll be able to enjoy cookouts and time with your family if that's what you're into. Until next week! 

After The Book Signing... What I'm Doing Now

Hey everyone! I know this blog is outrageously late today but my website where I usually post my blog isn't letting me onto my blog app. I bet you didn't know that my blog also posts on Blogger (blogspot), did you? 

This week has been a mixture of incredibly slow and hyper fast. My book signing was last Saturday and I think it went pretty well for my first book signing. Thank you to everyone that came out; I hope that you are enjoying The Haunting Love!

Obviously Sunday was Mother's Day so my grandmother and I just hung out and watched movies. It was very relaxing. 

Q: What am I up to now that the book signing is over? 

A:        Well relaxing for the most part. I planned to get a lot of writing done in my current work-in-progress, Into the Light, this week but I got a little sidetracked. I did go over some cover options for my next novel, Finding Elizabeth though.

            I'm aiming to self-publish Finding Elizabeth this fall. It's currently being edited and I'm working on what I want to see as the cover art. To me, the cover art is the fun part. The editing part is sort of boring, but of course mandatory. Its more of a chore. 

Q: Will there be another book signing for The Haunting Love? 

A:        At this time I don't have one scheduled, but I might set one up in the next month or two. I haven't decided yet. Be sure to keep checking back for updates though. 

Q: I'm reading The Haunting Love and I love it! Will there be a sequel for Johnny, Iza, and the gang? 

A:         No. At least, there isn't one in the works right now. I felt that Johnny and Iza's story was finished at the end of The Haunting Love. Who knows though? Maybe Marco and Angie will someday get their own spinoff novel or novella? Or maybe even Aidan or Quinn... ideas, ideas...

I hope this gives you a better look at what I'm up to lately. I hope you have a great weekend! Despite next weekend being Memorial Day weekend my Friday blog will post as usual! 

Me at my book signing at The Living Room Coffee Shop in Clintonville, WI on May 9

One Week To Go + Author Interviews

From my Author Website http://www.taylorfenner.com:

Hey everyone! It's the first day of May; do you know what that means? We're that much closer to summer! Ah, I can taste the s'mores and smell the sunblock already. 

Also, as of today we are EIGHT days until my book signing at the Living Room Coffee Shop in Clintonville, WI on May 9th. I'm getting more excited by the day and I hope all of you are looking forward to it too! It should be a great event. 

In preparation for the book signing I've placed posters in local libraries (as mentioned previously) and I'm pretty sure they're still posted in 2 of the 3 libraries. You might also have seen the articles about the book signing in the Shawano Leader, Clintonville Tribune-Gazette, and Marion Advertiser. I'd like to thank them for putting the articles in for me, they all looked great! 

So now all there is to do is sit back and wait until next Saturday. The books are here anxiously waiting to be claimed, my hair is newly touched up, and my nerves haven't kicked in yet. 

In other updates I've done a couple interviews for a few different blogs over the past two weeks. Two of them have posted already with three or four more to be posted within the next three months. Here are the links if you'd like to take a look:

Awesomegang Blog: http://awesomegang.com/taylor-fenner/

Book Reader Magazine: http://bookreadermagazine.com/featured-author-taylor-fenner/

The interviews are great ways to learn a little bit more about me and how my mind works. The "Awesomegang" one is a bit more in depth, but I hope you take a minute and check them both out! 

That's all I've got for this week. I'm in the midst of working on a chapter in Into the Light, the sequel to my upcoming novel Out of Darkness, and I'm really immersed in the story. I hope you have a great weekend, and a good week next week. I hope to see you a week from tomorrow! 

Running Around

From my weekly blog on my website http://www.taylorfenner.com for the week of Saturday April 11- Friday April 17, 2015:

Morning everyone! As usual I hope that you all have had wonderful weeks! Mine has been crazy busy from the word go. Luckily I had taken a break last weekend to go book shopping and to spend some time at the library. I stocked up on a bunch of books by authors that I love. I'm finding that the Appleton Public Library has a good selection of books by indie authors. 

Monday brought the second shipment of copies of The Haunting Love. Not to diss UPS but I can't figure out why when I get something from FedEx I always get it early in the morning but UPS doesn't get here until almost (or after) 5 at night. This time the guy handed me the box (32lbs mind you) and says "It's a little heavy". Don't even get me started...

Tuesday luckily brought my posters and promotional items for my book signing from Vistaprint. I'm now fully ready for the book signing on May 9th! On the otherhand I spent a lot of Tuesday online answering mundane emails and not getting much writing done. Thankfully I got quite a bit of writing time in on Wednesday to make up for not getting much done on Tuesday.

If you saw me running around the area it was probably on Thursday. I got up early and spend the morning running to libraries in the area (Marion, Clintonville, and Shawano) to drop off posters for my book signing. Be sure to check them out if you need more info about the book signings. I also dropped a larger poster off at the coffee shop where my book signing will be held in so they can use it as the date gets closer. I had a few other errands to run considering book stuff before getting to everyday household errands. I swear by the time I got home yesterday I felt like a chicken running around with my head cut off. That combined with my phone ringing every two seconds made for a busy day. 

As for today and the rest of the weekend I'm just going to relax and enjoy the nice weather while it lasts. I'm reading a new book by an author I hadn't read anything by before (Torn by K.A. Robinson) and I'm really enjoying it. Maybe I'll grab a blizzard at Dairy Queen and take my book down to the lake for a little while once my laundry is finished. 

I hope you have a nice, safe weekend! Until next week!