Writer Thursday: April Wrap Up & May Goals

Hey readers! This #WriterThursday I'm giving you updates on all my bookish projects...

Bloodstone Manor

April Progress:

- Project Named: BLOODSTONE MANOR

- Project Outlined (14 Chapters)

- Character Development

- 3 Chapters Written/Rewritten

- Cover Created

- (Working) Synopsis Written

Synopsis:

Inspired by classic novels Northanger Abbey and Rebecca, Bloodstone Manor follows naive heroine Edylynne as she spends the summer in the Hamptons with friends of her parents and meets an attractive, older man whose past is shrouded in the mysterious death of his Hollywood starlet mother nearly thirty years earlier. When their whirlwind romance takes a serious turn and family secrets unleash Edylynne's boundless imagination she will try to uncover the truth about the mysterious death of the mother of the man she loves... before history repeats itself.

Pinterest Idea Board

Goals For May 2020:

MONSTERS & MIST
- Keep editing Monsters & Mist
- Add to the mythology/history of the world sections

BLOODSTONE MANOR
- Write Chapters 4-8

Writer Thursday: March/April Book Update & Goals

Hey readers! This #WriterThursday I'm giving you updates on all my bookish projects...

Monsters & Mist

With the coronavirus pandemic (or is it epidemic now? which is worse?) I've pushed the release of Monsters & Mist off until late September / early October in the hopes that things will have gone back to normal by then. That will also give me ample time to really polish each draft and add more to the mythology of the world. 

Titania Project

I didn't make any progress on this project in March. With everything going to hell the way it has I really wasn't motivated but I'm hoping to get back on track. 

Untitled Retelling/Romance/Mystery

I've written two short chapters for this project and have been working on adding to the first chapter before I continue writing. The story is inspired by two classic novels but will have a murder mystery that the source material doesn't. This will be most likely a New Adult/Adult Fiction Thriller Retelling.

Goals For April 2020:

- Camp NaNoWriMo to work on Titania and the NA Retelling
- Keep editing Monsters & Mist
- Add to the mythology/history of the world sections

Writer Thursday: Q&A, Story Outline, and Vision Board - Monsters & Mist

Hey readers! This #WriterThursday I'm doing a little Q&A, sharing the process of developing Monsters & Mist and showing a bit more of the visuals inspired me while writing.
Q&A
Q: Is Monsters & Mist a retelling? A: No, originally it was meant to be but the story took off in a completely different, original direction.
Q: Will Monsters & Mist be a stand-alone or part of a series?A: At this time Monsters & Mist is a stand-alone, but I may revisit the world and the characters in the future.
Q: What was your favorite part of writing Monsters & Mist?A: Creating the mythology that the world of Monsters & Mist sprung from. I wanted a wholly original fantasy world so I didn’t want to base the mythology on any of our world mythology. 
Q: What inspired Monsters & Mist?A: Orignally I wanted to do a retelling of a folktale I was read as a child, The Fog’s Net. It’s a story about a  creeping fog that devours boats and people and a weaver girl  tasked with making a new net for the fog in exchange for keeping her family safe. The fog goes back on it’s promise and takes her younger brother and she goes on a quest to bring him back. That was the bones of where I wanted to develop the story but it soon became clear that the villain of the story was not who I would have expected it to be. 
Story Outlining / Development / Process
Monsters & Mist was written on this formation: 1 section divider on The History of Esternwhorl (the world in Monsters & Mist to every 2-3 chapters of story. 
The History of Esternwhorl covers the origin of the world, the mythology, and the origins of any organization or religion mentioned within. 
The first initial chapters follow Andromeda Mistsplitter the technical main character before fracturing off to the other main characters’ perspectives: Thane, Lyra, Daegan, Cygni, and Octavia.
In lieu of HoE sections, several chapters begin in 3rd person narrative of a newly introduced character to build a “meanwhile in...” omniscient feel to the story.  
Vision BoardFrom my Pinterest board...
The view from the coast when you live in a world cloaked in thick mist.

The poorest people live on the coast of Vacantia so I pictured them living in shacks thrown together from driftwood thrown up on the coast.

My initial vision of what the Mistborn people would look like, perhaps a depiction of what the Vacantian people think the Mistborn look like. 


While the world above is reminiscent of long ago times, the world below the sea is home to a highly tech advanced kingdom and a palace built on waterways like the city of Venice. 


Mythological creatures are a thing in Esternwhorl. Below the surface of the sea a legion of creatures that are part sea serpent and part dragon called Krayverns are bred to be mounts for the queen’s warrior riders. The Starborn kingdom boasts an all female army of stormriders who ride giant phoenix-inspired beasts borne of lightning, cloud, and storms.

The fifth and most well hidden kingdom in Esternwhorl, the Starborn kingdom resides in the Sky any only those born with the map inside them can find their way. 
🔹🔹🔹

Monsters & Mist releases July 2020! Stay tuned for preorder links! 

Writer Thursday: Meet the Cast Of Monsters & Mist

Hey readers! This #WriterThursday I'm giving you a peek at the visual inspiration of the character cast of Monsters & Mist...
Andromeda MistsplitterAndromeda is our heroine, an aspiring warrior about to uncover a monstrous secret about her origins.
General Thane Cruelseas

The youngest General the Watierai Warriors has ever seen Thane teeters between the duty he has trained for his whole life and the loss long ago he has never gotten over that drives everything he does and how he views the world.

Daegan Brykmaker

His family disgraced by their queen, Daegan captains a rag-tag crew of bounty hunters aboard his ship, The Internment. What will he have to do to regain favor from the royal family?

Octavia Starkova

Left on the steps of a temple honoring the Starborn goddess baring an unusual facial birthmark and trained as a Watierai Warrior from the moment she was old enough to walk, Octavia is nobody to underestimate. But could there be a hidden destiny within her waiting for the right moment to show itself?

Cygni of the House Vacant

Heir presumptive to the throne of Vacantia but not ready to give up nights of drowning himself in drink and women Cygni will find himself thrust into the role of the leader of a revolution. 

Queen Lyra of the House Vacant

Ruthless, cunning, and charming - Lyra could slit your throat and you’d thank her for it as you gasp for your final breaths. 

King Pavo of the House Vacant

Once a strong, unstoppable warrior Pavo has been cursed with a mysterious ailment that no healer in any of the kingdoms can identify. Is there an assassin in his home?

Queen Carina of the House of Faeta’s Blessed Chosen Ones

Once a young, innocent princess before something was stolen from her long ago Carina became a respected, yet feared queen of her people and the kind of ruler you’d hate to make an enemy of.

The Three

The Three are the eyes and hands of the Starborn Goddess, Adventrya. They see all and report all while under strict orders not to interfere in the quarrels of Landborn men.

Cutter Longbone

Right hand of General Cruelseas, Cutter holds no ill will toward the monsters they hunt. No more loyal a friend will you find in any of the five kingdoms.

Castor Windwhirl

Among General Cruelseas’s inner circle, Castor’s talent with a sword is as legendary as his temper.

Grus Mistsplitter

Just an honest man who made the mistake of loving the wrong woman, Grus’s past will set off a collision course of what is to come.
🔹🔹🔹Monsters & Mist releases July 2020! Stay tuned for preorder links! 

Writer Thursday: Monthly Book Update

Hey readers! This #WriterThursday I'm giving you updates on all my bookish projects...

Monsters & Mist

I'm about 1/3 of the way through my editing process for Monsters and Mist. I wrote most of the first draft on Scrivener which is a great tool for writers... but I have to admit, it wasn't the best tool for catching typos. Also because of the length of time it took me to write Monsters I'd forgotten some minor details the further I got into the writing. I'm hoping to have these first few sets of edits done by mid-month and a more polished copy on its way to beta readers by end of March, early April.

Titania Project

I started plotting the Titania Project, which is a sci-fi project inspired by Titanic, late last year. I can't tell you much yet but I can give you a peek at the visual inspiration for my main character Rozy from my secret Pinterest board...

Photo Credit: Art Ignition / Pinterest

Untitled Retelling/Romance/Mystery

As it always happens when I'm gearing up to really get into a new project a new idea pops into my head and demands to be written down, developed, probed until it becomes something. I don't have a title for this newly forming story and I can't really describe the genre because it's a mashup of two gothic classics with a dash of mystery and intrigue, and forbidden love.

Goals For March 2020:

- Monsters & Mist editing

- Add 5k words to the Titania Project

- Outline untitled project

Writing Thursday: A Peek At the Desk of Taylor Fenner

As a writer living in a small space, I make a desk out of whatever's handy. I recently purchased a puzzle table which is perfect for me to use since I do most of my writing while sitting on my bed. It's sturdy and big enough to keep the manuscript I'm editing and a few other items close at hand.

Let me give you the tour of my portable writing desk...

Here's a breakdown of what I keep on my desk...

- Succulents -

I love succulents but even though they are one of the most low maintenance plants out there I can't keep them alive for the life of me. So I picked up a few artificial ones on Amazon.

- Bookish Candles - 

Apartment living isn't the most conducive for lighting candles but luckily for me I've always been more into popping the cap and letting the fragrance fill the room over burning them. This Sleepy Hollow one from Get Fictional transported me to the setting for Headless...

- Funko Pops - 

I love collecting Funko Pops and I think it's really cool how diverse their selection of Pops are; from musicians to tv and movie characters, ad icons, and now even writers. I couldn't resist the Edgar Allan Poe and B&N exclusive Stephen King funko pops. They're a great motivator staring back at me when I feel like procrastinating and shopping online instead of writing.

- Bookish Signs - 

I was inspired by a Derry, Maine (the setting for IT by Stephen King) sign that I saw on Etsy recently. Not wanting to shell out for something I knew I could do myself and put my own spin on I bought some craft supplies and made my own. I love how it turned out, don't you?

- Pens, Sticky Notes, Notebooks - 

While I use Scrivener for my writing projects (which is a lifesaver, trust me!) it's always handy to keep paper and writing utensils at hand for those spur of the moment ideas that need to be put down on paper.

- Print Manuscripts & Finished Novels -

I've found that changing the format of a draft is easier to edit than just scrolling through it on a computer screen. For my upcoming release, Monsters & Mist, I had a bound manuscript printed so I can easily read, edit, and make notes in the margins. I also like to keep copies of my novels handy so if I need a quote for a Bookstagram post or a promo post I can flip to a random page and find something to use.

Headless

- Laptop - 

Since the onset of my carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis in my thumbs my laptop has replaced my handwritten WIPs and become my number one writing tool for working on my projects, blogging, and general everyday online stuff. 

✦✦✦

What do you keep on your desk? Dictionaries? Thesaurus? Knickknacks? Let me know in the comments!

Happy writing! 

November Wrap Up

It's December! How did that get here? Where did 2017 go? It's what some people (not me) call the 'most wonderful time of the year. December is the time of year when people are hurriedly searching for deals and maxing their credit cards out on gifts that their "loved ones" are most likely going to cash in for store credit anyway, but I digress. Let's just call me the Grinch reincarnate. November was a month that seemed to pass in the blink of an eye and I don't feel like I got much done at all. Here's what I got up to last month...

READING

Books I Reviewed In November:

- Haven by Mary Lindsey

- Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff

- Glitter by Aprilynne Pike (Reread)

- Begin Again by Mona Kasten

- Six Little Secrets by Katlyn Duncan

Books I Read In November: 

- Glitter by Aprilynne Pike (Reread)

- Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff

- CurseBreaker (by me!) - PROOFREAD

- Undone by Wendy Higgins

- Ever the Brave by Erin Summerill

Books to-be-read in December:

December is going to my ARC catch up month:

- Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones

- Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh

- The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

- By A Curse and A Charm by Jaime Questell 

- Furyborn by Claire Legrand

- Renegades by Marissa Meyer

eBooks I Want To Squeeze In:

- Unearthed After Sunset by Lauryn April

- Legacy by Jesikah Sundin

WRITING

November was a really bad writing month. I did some short story writing, but my main writing project for NaNoWriMo, Monsters & Mist finished the month almost where I started... at about 6700 words. 

BLOGGING

 In November participated in my usual cover reveals and release day blitzes (although there were more cover reveals than anything else), participated in a blog tour for Six Little Secrets, and read Undone by Wendy Higgins for an upcoming December blog tour.

PUBLISHING

In November, I got the Kindle Preorder up for CurseBreaker, did one last round of proofreading from my paperback ARC, and put up a sign-up for the CurseBreaker Blog Tour (Jan. 1-5, 2018) besides promoting my books and stories on social media.

NaNoWriMo Stress-free

It's November, and if you are a writer like me you know that it is NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month, a month where authors temporarily lose their minds in an attempt to write 50,000 words in thirty days. I've done this two previous years in a row and actually excelled. Then came this year...

What's different about this year you ask?

Well, this fall has not been going my way at all. I've had a sick relative that was in a hospital and then a physical therapy facility for a whole month who has now returned home, turmoil in my relationship that hopefully is calming down, a surprise book release, and another book coming out in less than two months. Who wouldn't be freaking out?!?

On top of that, the "perfectly constructed story idea" that sounded so good in my head is not going so well on paper. I can actually feel the psoriasis breaking out on my skin as I type this. So I'm not really feeling the spirit of NaNoWriMo this year. 

So to soldier on, I've decided to do NaNoWriMo my way to keep the stress at a minimum.

Here's how I'm switching things up...

1. I left my "Home Region" on the NaNoWriMo website.

Why did I even join that region anyway? Even though it's one of the two closest geographically to where I live (as in the middle of nowhere in Wisconsin) it isn't really accessible for me to get to write-ins 45 miles away when I have neither a car nor a license, nor, if I'm being perfectly honest, the spare time to sit around at a library working on the same thing I could be working on at home just for the sense of camaraderie. Besides that, there's one woman in my "home region" who is a total witch with a b. I mean on day one she claimed to have written over 13,000 words which I swear is an impossibility. I'm not competitive, but she gloats and rubs it in and is overall not a nice person - and this is the second year of having to put up with this. And I don't need the stress, so the group had to go.

Whew, I feel better already.

2. I'm taking on a "Que Sera, Sera" attitude. 

If I can figure out the kinks in this story then eventually I'll finish it, even if I don't hit 50,000 words in the month of November or finish the first draft in thirty days. I'm not going to freak out if I don't. I'm patting myself on the back because you know what? I've already written 92,000 words this year on two other writing projects. That's pretty damn good if I say so myself.

3. I'm not writing every day. 

Sure, I can tell you I'm sitting here on my laptop every day writing. But some days I'm just not feeling it. I'm not behind... I don't think? I'm at 12,000 words written since November 1st and I'm tired. So if I want to read, I'm going to read. If I have a book that pops up that I have to review or a blog post to type and schedule, that will come first. I can stress myself out by staring at a flashing cursor on the screen or I can relax and let the words flow out of me if and when they come. 

4. I'm not thinking about writing when I'm not writing.

Sure, if an idea pops up, I'll write it down. But I have other things on my mind so I'm not going to panic and think "oh no, I haven't written today," or "I'm so behind on my word count!" Like I said, if it's going to happen, it will happen in time. I think that's part of my anxiety issue, I'm so afraid of what's going to happen if I don't get what needs to be done, done now that I don't stop and think about what will really happen, which usually is nothing. Why did we let NaNoWriMo get to be such a big thing? Did it used to be fun before all the competition and pressure? Some of my friends talk about being supportive and encouraging and I want to get back to that, not surround myself with writers who act like jerks and pick on people if they don't have a certain word count on a certain day. 

***

Are you doing NaNoWriMo? What are you doing to keep your stress levels in check?

NaNoWriMo Prep

There are only 15 days until the start of NaNoWriMo 2017! Those of you that are writers might know what that is but if not NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, which runs during the month of November each year.

What is NaNoWriMo?

Each year writers around the world challenge themselves to write a novel, at least 50,000 words during the month of November. Is it really possible? Yes! My first year I wrote about 54,000 words and last year I wrote about 63,000 words if memory serves me right. This would be my third year participating.

Alas, the past two years I've participated were easier than this fall is shaping up to be. Even though I've had this year's idea festering in the back of my mind for a few months now I'm currently dealing with a relative that is about to come out of a physical therapy facility and will be arriving home around the end of October. It's been a stressful month dealing with everything - lots of paperwork and phone calls and incompetent people in the medical/insurance field, but I digress. Nonetheless, I'm going to at least try and see how much I can get done in the 30 days. Anything will be an accomplishment at this point because I don't want to push myself too hard. 

A Little About My 2017 NaNoWriMo Project

For the second year in a row, I'm turning to the YA Fantasy Genre for my NaNoWriMo project. 

Title: Monsters and Mist

Genre: YA Fantasy

Minimum Word Count for NaNoWriMo: 50,000 Words

Word Count I'd be happy with if I fail to meet 50,000: 30,000 Words

Estimated Chapter Count: 15-20

Main Characters:

Andromeda "Drom" Mistsplitter - Aged 18

Thane "Cutter" Cruelseas - Aged 20

How I'm Prepping For NaNoWriMo

- Outlining the chapters and what I want to happen in each chapter.

- Character building for my two main characters. I like to let the other characters develop as I go along.

- Worldbuilding and creation of the mythology of that world. 

- Pinning story ideas on Pinterest. 

- Building a playlist to write to for NaNoWriMo.

It would be great to be able to attend some of the write-ins for NaNoWriMo but the two regions closest to me are 30-40 miles away and I don't have transportation to get to them every weekend. I also don't really know any of the other local writers in the town I live in. On the bright side, I have a lot of writer friends I've met online so I'll have the support of some online friends at least. 

***

Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year? How are you prepping? Are you a planner or a pantser?

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! 

CurseBreaker Publishing Timeline

Now that Through the Fog and Eternal Fire have launched I can begin thinking ahead to my YA High Fantasy / Fairytale Retelling, CURSEBREAKER, which will be releasing in January 2018! CURSEBREAKER is a historical fantasy retelling of the Norwegian fairytale East O' The Sun and West O' The Moon set in Viking-era Scandinavia.

I've already done a few things toward the publishing process but I've never really detailed my publishing and marketing process... UNTIL NOW!

SEPTEMBER 2017:

- Create my marketing plan:

• Target audience is fans of Young Adult High Fantasy and Fairytale Retelling, especially fans of Sarah J. Maas, Erin Summerill, and Hunted by Meagan Spooner
• Decide which media channels I will promote CurseBreaker on
• Brainstorm a possible promo or preorder giveaway

- Go over final edits with my editor.

October 2017:

- Find beta readers and send copies out

- Submit CurseBreaker to Netgalley

- Cover Reveal 

- Add CurseBreaker to Goodreads, potentially do an ARC giveaway

- Brainstorm launch event - on Facebook?

-Reach out to bloggers for ARC reviews and blog tour

- Decide whether I want to do any local book signings

-Submit for pre-order in ebook format.

November 2017:

-  Select and post a teaser of CurseBreaker on my website and here on my blog.

- Make sure my website has up-to-date preorder links.

-Submit for reviews.

- Submit to book newsletters for promotion.

December 2017:

- Post the teaser from November (or maybe a different teaser) on Wattpad. 

- Promote CurseBreaker in Facebook groups and Google+ groups.

- Reach out to author and blogger friends to see if they'll help me promote CurseBreaker.

- Create graphics to promote CurseBreaker.

January 2018: 

Promotion and release day giveaway (potential exclusive copy of book)

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I know what you think it missing - editing and cover design. It's not missing. I've already created CurseBreaker's cover and the manuscript has already gone through three rounds of editing and proofreading. I have a few other things up my sleeve but I don't want to reveal them just yet. 

What do you think of my marketing plan? Is there anything you would add? Are you a blogger or reviewer that would be interested in reading and reviewing CurseBreaker when the time comes? Or would you be interested in having me do a guest post or author interview? Just let me know and we'll work something out!