Fall into Fantasy Tour #8: The Heirs of War Series by Mara Valderran

Welcome to the Fall Into Fantasy Tour, where we are keeping your mind off any end-of-summer blues and welcoming the cooler weather by introducing you to some incredible fantasy reads to curl up with and giving you plenty of chances to win awesome prizes!

Week 8: The Heirs of War series
Book One: Heirs of War
Book Two: Heirs of War, Crown of Flames

Seventeen year-old Zelene has never believed in magic or been one to trust fate. Prophecies about princesses and long lost families were the stuff of fairy tales and had no place in her life. But then magic-wielding assassins attack claiming she is one of the five Duillaine Ainnir, the next generation of the most powerful women who rule over the worlds. Together, the five girls are prophesized to save the worlds from the war that has been raging for years.

As their enemies strike, the girls are taken back to their world and discover the ties binding them together. Rhaya has always had an uncanny knack for reading people, but can’t seem to unravel the mystery tying her to Isauria, the new friend she bonded with instantly. For years, Isauria has been dreaming of Terrena, a girl living her life on the run in a magical world ripped apart by the tragedies of war, but Isauria is completely unaware that she is psychically linked to the world she was born in.

Zelene views them all, especially the elders, with a distrustful eye, familial bonds or no. When she learns that her long-lost twin Ariana has been captured by the rebels, Zelene’s attitude changes. She doesn’t know what she can do when her own magic is still locked within her, but can she trust the elders to rescue Ariana when it seems their medieval politics are what brought about the war in the first place? With all that is at stake, the answer becomes clear to Zelene.

Screw the worlds. She’s getting her sister back.

Buy it from: Amazon  Amazon UK  Barnes & Noble  iTunes  Kobo  GooglePlay 

Or add it to Goodreads

Weeks have passed since Ariana and Alec escaped from Kellen's dungeon, but danger isn't far behind them. The guilt of his past weighs heavily on Alec’s shoulders, and his secrets only push Ariana further away. As they travel through unknown lands and encounter multiple threats, their biggest challenge might be trusting one another.

The world appears to be going on regardless of the risks Ariana faces. The Duillaine insist that they are doing everything they can to find Ariana, but their actions betray that claim. Despite the danger and the war closing in around them, all of Anscombe seems to be more interested in the upcoming Imbolc festival and Terrena’s betrothal than rescuing Ariana.

Well…not everyone.

Tired of waiting for the Duillaine to help her twin, Zelene starts plotting on her own and finds a surprising ally in Rhaya, even as the Cynewards prepare to make a move of their own. But Zelene’s plans go awry when she finds herself with a new ability, a mysterious new friend, and more enemies within the walls of Anscombe than she thought.

Buy it from: Amazon  Amazon UK  Barnes & Noble  iTunes  Kobo  

Or add it to Goodreads

ABOUT MARA VALDERRAN: 

Mara Valderran is an author of young adult and new adult books, but she's more than just a madwoman with a writing box. She is an avid reader and fan of all things sci-fi and fantasy. She loves roller skating and movies, though typically not together. She lives in Las Vegas with her husband and demanding cat. She hopes to one day meet Daniel Jackson from SG1, or at least the actor who played him. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, playing video games, or counting down the days until DragonCon.

Find Mara Online: 

Website  Twitter  Facebook  Google+  Goodreads  Wattpad  Amazon Author
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Want to get involved with the Fall Into Fantasy promotional tour?

• Don't forget to join us at the Facebook party here! 
• If you are interested in joining up as a blogger, you can always sign up here. We are happy to welcome more bloggers into the fold as the promotion continues. 
• If you are an author or blogger and want to sign up to help with the party, please fill out this form.

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Announcing the Heirs of War, Crown of Flames Blog Tour (And Giveaway!)

In just under two weeks (9 days as of this post), Heirs of War, Crown of Flames will be released at last. There have been a few setbacks with this book, but I'm happy for them all. Why? Because I am so freaking proud of the end result. My editor Kriscinda Everitt is, as always, awesome. She continues to push me to be better, and that means you get a better book. Win all around!

Since Crown of Flames will be released, that also means a Facebook party and a blog tour. Yay! You can come help celebrate the release of Crown of Flames and Ryan Hill's Dead New World at our joint Facebook party October 13th from 11am to 1am EST (8am to 10pm PST). We have quite a few guest hosts planned, and lots of ways to win awesome prizes! The blog tour for CoF kicks off October 13th with a release day blitz and runs until October 28th. I have some really fun posts planned for this tour. Lots of interviews, reviews, excerpts, a few guest posts on cool topics like writing romance in fantasy, writing strong female characters, and my writerly bucket list. I'm also hosting a giveaway for the entirety of the tour.

The week of October 13th is a really exciting week! Not only is Crown of Flames released and the blog tour kicking off, but I'll also be signing books at the Vegas Valley Book Festival on October 18th from 10-4pm with fellow Curiosity Quills authors Sharon Bayliss, Katie Hamstead, and Lisa Collicutt. And I'll also be revealing the cover for Altar of Reality at the festival and around the web on the 18th. Check back here on the 18th for the cover reveal if you can't come see it in person! 

I'm really excited to share all of this with you. October 13th can't get here quick enough for me! Don't forget to stop by during the tour and say hi! You can find the calendar below:

Heirs of War, Crown of Flames Blog Tour Calendar:

Monday 10/13
Krystal Wade	Margo Bond Collins	Here is What I Read Book Blog
Vicki Trask	Jessa Russo	Lorraine Harvey
Priya Kanaparti	Nerd Girl Official	Terry's Book Addiction
Ali Dean	Shooting Star Book Reviews
Tuesday 10/14	Wednesday 10/15	Thursday 10/16
Ali Dean (Review)	Jan Farnworth (Review)	James Wymore (Guest Post)
Terry's Book Addiction (Review)	Jamie Ayres (Promo)
Friday 10/17	Saturday 10/19	Monday 10/20
Emma Adams (Interview)	Laveda Kasch (Excerpt #1)	Eliza Tilton (Excerpt #2)
Elsie Elmore (Interview)		Jessa Russo (Excerpt #3)
Cait Spivey (Guest Post)		Shooting Star Book Reviews (Excerpt #4)
		Here is What I Read (Interview)
Tuesday 10/21	Wednesday 10/22	Thursday 10/23
Michael Panush (Review)	Book Lover Blog (Review)	Ayden Morgen (Guest Post)
Friday 10/24	Monday 10/27	Tuesday 10/28
K. L. Schwengel (Guest Post)	Katie Teller (Interview)	Priya Kanaparti (Guest Post)
Charity Bradford (Excerpt #5)	Sharon Bayliss (Review)
Vicki Trask (Review)
Sarah Anderson (Interview)

Introduce Your Main Character Blog-Hop

I was tagged back in June by Sharon Bayliss to introduce my main character, but I don't think I ever did it. I'm catching up on tagged stuff now, and with Heirs of War, Crown of Flames less than two months away from release and starting work on Heirs of War, Chaos to Reign, I think now is a GREAT time to do this one. Zelene really takes center stage in Crown of Flames, so that's who I'll be introducing today.

1. What is the name of your main character? Is he fictional or a historic person?

Zelene is a fictional person, even if my friends and family like to think she is me. ;)

2. When and where is the story set?

This story is set in modern times in different worlds. Zelene is in the capital of Estridia, Anscombe, which is the seat of power for the Duillaine.

3. What should we know about her?

Zelene is stubborn, rebellious, and impulsive. She grew up in a very rough situation, bouncing around from different foster families--some good, some apathetic, and some downright terrible. She never really had control in her life or the ability to truly stand up, and she is really taking those things for herself in this book. Zelene's tired of keeping her head down and staying out of trouble, which leads her to some pretty rash and impulsive decisions. 

4. What is the main conflict? What messes up her life?

The main conflict is that Zelene's twin sister, whom she still hasn't met because she was captured in book one before they were all reunited, is on the run from the Cahirans and trying to make her way to Anscombe with Alec's help. Zelene doesn't think that the Duillaine are doing everything they can to rescue Ariana, and she's tired of them using her as a political pawn. So she sets out to do it on her own. What messes her up is trusting the wrong people along the way, learning about a new and disturbing ability she has, and losing heart and faith in herself.

5. What is her personal goal?

Zelene's primary goal is to rescue Ariana before the Cahirans capture her again. 

6. Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?

Heirs of War, Crown of Flames, which you can read all about on my website. 

7. When can we expect the books to be published?

It will be out October 13th and is available for pre-order now!

I'm tagging Katie Hamstead, Lisa Collicutt, and Rachel Horwitz! 

Heirs of War, Crown of Flames Cover Reveal

Book two of the Heirs of War series is right around the corner! Heirs of War, Crown of Flames is set to be released this summer, and we have the first look at the cover for the book today! If you haven't already read Heirs of War, it is on sale this week for $0.99 cents from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and other retailers. Here's what you have to look forward to in book two:

Weeks have passed since Ariana and Alec escaped from Kellen's dungeon, but danger isn't far behind them. As they travel through unknown lands and encounter multiple threats, their biggest challenge might be trusting one another.

Despite the danger and the war closing in around them, all of Anscombe seems to be more interested in the upcoming Imbolc festival than rescuing Ariana. Well, not everyone. 

Tired of waiting for the Duillaine to help her twin, Zelene starts plotting on her own and finds a surprising ally in Rhaya, even as the Cynewards prepare to make a move of their own. But Zelene’s plans go awry when she finds herself with a new ability, a mysterious new friend, and more enemies within the walls of Anscombe than she thought.

Add it on Goodreads
Read the preview chapters on Wattpad

View the Book Trailer:

Don't forget to enter the Fan Favorites and Shipping Wars contests running on my website! By choosing your favorite character or you favorite relationship in the Heirs of War series, you can win a chance to star in a brand new scene with those characters or help bring them to life in a new scene. Just fill out the forms and you will be entered to win!   

Massive Update: Moving, Writing, and a Contract!

Wow, where to begin? I suppose I will start with the biggest change, which is that my husband and I are relocating to Las Vegas! He received a promotion and a new job all in the same month, and they are moving us across the country the first of April, which means...

That not a whole heck of a lot will really be changing since I am mostly a home body anyway. My friends will have to fly out to see me instead of drive a half an hour, but hey--there will be shiny lights and casinos to help ease that pain. ;) It's all very exciting, because I've never lived outside of South Carolina before. But that also makes it equally terrifying too. I have a gut feeling that it is going to be awesome, and I really couldn't be prouder of my hubby for landing this job. Yayy hubby!

And, on a writerly front, big changes are ahead! First and foremost, I have to say that I love my editor Kriscinda Everitt. Why? Because she keeps me from doing nonsensical things that only make sense in my head. That being the case, the release date for Heirs of War, Crown of Flames has been pushed back to this summer because A) it needs some adjustments, and B) um, moving to Vegas, so not a lot of time to make those adjustments until I get there. But it will be worth it in the end. I already feel better about the bits of work I've been able to do on it. Kriscinda is magic, guys. Magic.

Aaaannnd the other writerly change? I have officially signed on with Curiosity Quills to publish Altar of Reality! I am beyond excited! I've hosted tours and become friends with AND a fan of so many of their authors, so to me this sort of feels like coming home. I feel like I am coming full circle on my journey as a writer (or at least, the first leg of that journey since it is unending) by finally signing on with them. There are so many people to thank for getting me to this point, but I have to give major props to Kriscinda, Krystal Wade, and James Wymore for all they have taught me as a writer. These three wonderful people have believed in me, guided me, and continue to teach me today. I am one lucky gal. =D

I will keep you guys updated on Heirs of War and Altar of Reality, hopefully with some release dates soon for one (or both!). Thanks for taking this wild ride with me!

Why I Might Be Merging Heirs of War Books Two and Three Together

I've been banging my head against my keyboard for a month now as I've set to work on Heirs of War, Destiny of One. I haven't made much headway at all, to be honest. I'm only six chapters in. Granted, I already had a rough draft to work off of, but there's a whole lot of rewrites involved. Why? Well, because the first draft was complete crap, and now that I've learned so much and grown as a writer, I can recognize that. The story is mostly solid, though, so I'm not scrapping it entirely.

The thing is, when I first wrote the second book in the Heirs of War series, it was split into three parts. Part One followed Zelene, Rhaya, and Terrena in Anscombe, while Part Two followed Ariana and Isauria, with bits of the others thrown in. Part Three brings all their storylines together. The problem with this draft of the book? It's 200k in rough draft format and with big gaping holes in some of their stories.

So I decided I was going to split the book up. Heirs of War, Destiny of One would follow Ariana and Isauria, and Heirs of War, Crown of Flames would follow Zelene, Rhaya, and Terrena in Anscombe and bring their stories together with Ariana and Isauria. It seemed like the perfect plan, and I haven't completely given up on that idea yet. But I'm getting there.

Why? Because it would piss me off as a reader. Here's the thing: You still hear about things that happen with Zelene, Rhaya, and Terrena as Isauria hears about them and interacts with some of those characters (and others from Anscombe) during her part of the story. So you'd have an entire book following just Ariana and Isauria while getting hints as to what is happening to the rest of them, but never seeing it until book three (Crown of Flames) is released next summer. If I was just a reader for this series, this would seriously frustrate me.

And keeping them separate really doesn't change anything cost-wise. I'm still going to pay the same amount for an editor because it's the same amount of words. If you are buying paperback, the cost of one larger book (I don't think) is much more than the cost of two. And of course, if you are buying an e-book, then you'd only pay for the one book. Will the cost still be $2.99 if I have two books in one? I'm not sure yet. I don't want to go much higher than that. I'm not trying to say my books aren't worth it, but I know what it is like to be a broke book lover, so I try to keep that in mind with pricing.

I'm still not ruling it out entirely, but I'm fairly certain merging them together is the better plan. What do you guys think? Would you rather have one big book with all of the characters, or two separate books that follow separate story lines happening simultaneously? This is one of the perks to self-publishing. I can get input from you guys, my wonderful readers, and make my decision based on that.

And if you think I should just keep it all as one book, which title do you like best: Heirs of War, Destiny of One or Heirs of War, Crown of Flames?

Writerly Lesson: Success Comes in All Shapes and Sizes

We all know by now that I'm still a bit of a newb-sauce when it comes to the writerly world. Which is why I love sharing my little epiphanies with you guys. And lucky for you, I had one today.

I've been in a funk all day. I haven't wanted to write. I haven't wanted to read. All I've done is play Candy Crush Saga (I caved and joined the craze yesterday) and listen to music with the general attitude of blarg. But I haven't been able to figure out why.

At first I thought it was because I had just written a really really rough death scene yesterday. (Trust me, it's bad. Like, people might come after me with pitch forks kinda bad. Hell, I want to come after me with pitch forks after what I wrote. But I digress...) I don't think it was that, though. Yes, that sucked. But this wasn't my first death rodeo. Just my worst.

So what else could it be? Things are pretty awesome in my writerly world right now. Wattpad is going amazingly. I have over 1000 followers and votes now and close to 100,000 reads. And I was lucky enough this weekend to go meet two of my critique partners, Leigh Statham and Heather Raglin. Leigh is quite the social butterfly, enthusiastically going around to authors she might might not have even heard of and chatting them up. She would introduce me, and tell them that my book is coming out next month. And they would congratulate me, which left me turning beat red.

Why? Because I wanted to brush off the congratulations in the same way I do with my friends and family who are excited about my book being published. I want to tell them "Pfft...I'm doing it myself. It's not that big of a deal."

And that's what has hit me tonight. You see, it is that big of a deal. I want to downplay it because, in my mind, it's not like anyone has chosen to publish me. No one has picked my work out of the slushpile and said "Yes! This!!" No one chose me, so I don't deserve the congratulations.

But they did. The thing is, those Wattpad views, followers, and votes mean something. As I type this, around 1500 people have finished reading my book in the three weeks since it has been featured on the Wattpad site (only around 20 had finished up to chapter twenty-five before). Does that mean I am destined to become the next Amanda Hocking? No. But it's a pretty good start.

I suppose that is my point. Success comes in all shapes and sizes. It doesn't have to mean sales (especially if you aren't selling anything yet) or contracts. You don't have to become an overnight success. But those people that are reading your work and encouraging you? They matter more than I can say. That is how we as authors should measure our success. Because let me tell you, the highlight of my day is reading the comments people leave me and answering the messages they send. Sometimes I think my book can't possibly good enough to warrant this, but in the end, I'm not the judge of that. The readers are. And I have to say, my readers are pretty freaking awesome.

A Teaser! An E-Book Extravaganza! Another Heirs of War (and more!) Giveaway!

I swear, I just can't help myself. I finish one giveaway, and I can't help but think of how I want to do the next one. This time, I've decided to make the giveaway as special as can be in two different ways:

1.) I'm not just giving away my e-book. One of the most amazing things about this whole writerly experience has been the vast amount of support I've received from all around the web. So I am also giving away three purchased e-book copies from three incredible people that have supported Heirs of War (and me) along the way. So you can not only win an e-copy of Heirs of War, but the following titles from authors that continue to inspire me:

• Coldness of Marek by Rachel O'Laughlin
• First of Her Kind by K.L. Schwengel
• Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh by Katie Hamstead

2.) Heirs of War became a feature on Wattpad September 11th, and I have been overwhelmed by the amount of support and encouraging words people have given me. As I am writing this, I have 789 followers, 524 votes for Heirs of War, and over 46k reads. My jaw hits the floor every day when I look at it. So, as my way of showing how incredibly appreciative I am of all my new followers and readers, I decided to include a way to enter the giveaway with Wattpad. It isn't really intended to gain new followers so much as give the followers I already have a chance to enter their own way. In fact, if you've never used Wattpad before, I would encourage you to use the other ways to enter.

I'm also doing something else a little bit different. I'm not including an option to tweet about the giveaway. I know this is a great way to earn entries, but it is also kinda spammy, so I'm not a fan of it. If you want to continually comment on my blog to earn entries, that's cool. But I don't want to clog people's Twitter feeds. =)

And now, without further blabbering from me, here is the teaser for Heirs of War, and the Rafflecopter giveaway! If you want to enter the giveaway with a comment, here are the questions to answer:
What books are at the top of your TBR list? What is your preferred genre? Do you prefer e-books or physical copies? Why?
(Note, answer whichever ones you choose, let's just keep the conversation going!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Heirs of War Blog Tour Kick Off!

Today kicks of the Heirs of War blog tour! I am so excited! There are so many great stops along the way, and I am so thrilled by how many people signed up to host.

As some of you might already know, I decided to push back my release date from today to October 13. Before I share the blog tour calendar with you, I'd like to let you know why. Put simply: Kriscinda Everitt is an amazing editor who has a knack for knowing exactly how to get through this hard head of mine. One of the biggest problems with Heirs of War has been POV. At first, it was head jumping. After I fixed that, I still had too many POVs. Some people had issue with this, but others didn't. On my last rewrite, I narrowed it down to eleven POVs. Eleven.

That's still pretty crazy. Unless you are George RR Martin. (Hint: I'm not.) I didn't know what to do with this problem. Write it off as "to each his own"? Rewriting would ruin all the little suspenseful tidbits I feed the readers through POVs like the Cynewards and Kyle.

Only...those POVs might be ruining that suspense. There is such a thing as giving the readers too much information, as it turns out. And I am definitely guilty of this. Kriscinda explained it all very well, and she gave me the choice of keeping the book as is to meet my release date, or rewriting it to narrow down the POVs to just the five girls (Terrena, Isauria, Rhaya, Zelene, and Ariana). I chose the latter because I agree that this will make the book so much better.

So there you have it. I did my rewrites during Dragon Con (sometimes waiting in line for hours can be a good thing for productivity). I'm applying the previous edits now, and then Kriscinda will get another go at it. Come October 13, a much better book will be released.

Up until the release, I have some very cool tour stops planned. I would like to take this moment to thank each and every one of my hosts and reviewers for taking part. You guys are awesome, and I am overwhelmed by the amount of support I have behind me as I move forward.

Heirs of War is on Goodreads and available for preorder on Barnes & Noble and Smashwords. It will be available through Amazon and other retailers after the release date. You can still find the previous version, with all eleven POVs, on Wattpad.

And now, the tour calendar:

Heirs of War Cover Reveal!

ZOMG! BOOK COVER!! HUGE POSTER! ALL THE FEELS!!

It seemed appropriate that I should reveal the cover for my book by revealing my reaction to seeing the very real and very large version of it I ordered from VistaPrint. There are two reasons my eyes are so huge: 1) The cover is freaking amazing and I get giddy every time I look at it, and 2) I didn't realize just how large a "large" poster was from VistaPrint and failed to look at the measurements. This is one of the posters I will be giving away for the Pre-Release Giveaway ending September 14th. Don't forget to enter since there is more than one prize pack to win! And now, the actual cover accompanied by the final blurb. Big thanks to everyone who has been posting it today!

Seventeen-year-old Zelene doesn't believe in magic or prophecies. When she's told she is part of the prophecy foretelling five powerful girls bringing peace to the war-torn worlds, she scoffs. The idea of other dimensions layered on top of the world she lives in is almost as ludicrous as the idea that she might be able to save them. After she is attacked by magic-wielding assassins, she finds she can't argue with reality.

As their enemies strike, the girls are taken back to their world and discover the ties binding them together. Rhaya has always had an uncanny knack for reading people, but can’t seem to unravel the mystery tying her to Isauria, the new friend she bonded with instantly. For years, Isauria has been dreaming of Terrena, a girl living her life on the run in a magical world ripped apart by the tragedies of war, completely unaware that she is psychically linked to the world she was born in.

Zelene views them all with a distrustful eye, familial bonds or no, and can think of a place or two she’d like to shove the crown she supposedly inherited. When she learns that her long-lost twin Ariana has been captured by the rebels, Zelene’s attitude changes. She doesn’t know how she is supposed to go against an army of magic-wielding rebels when her own ability to manipulate the elements is still locked within her. But can she trust the elders to rescue Ariana when it seems their medieval politics are what brought about the war in the first place? With all that is at stake, the answer becomes clear to Zelene.

Screw the worlds. She’s getting her sister back.

Add it on Goodreads and be sure to like my Facebook page for updates. September 13th is right around the corner, and I cannot wait to share this book with you all!

Heirs of War Pre-Release Giveaway

Less than four more weeks until Heirs of War is officially released! To celebrate, I'm going to be posting one teaser each week leading up to the release, September 13. Oh, and I'm starting a giveaway that won't finish until September 14! Who doesn't like free stuff, right?

What can you win?

• One copy of Heirs of War in the format of your choice (print or ebook: Kindle, B&N, or PDF)*
• One large Heirs of War poster (24x36in)
• One $25 Amazon giftcard
• One character named after you in the next book

*If you would like an autographed copy, let me know. For those choosing e-books, a large postcard with the cover image can be signed and sent as well. 

How can you win? Easy. In fact, so easy you can earn more chances to win. Tweet about the giveaway, follow me on Twitter, like my Facebook page, or follow There&Draft Again on Twitter to earn more entries. Just follow the directions with Rafflecopter below.

And about that teaser image...

An Amazing Day in the Writerly Life of Mara

Today is definitely one of those days. It's one of those days where everything just lines up perfectly in my writerly world. Heirs of War is with my editor. I overcame the roadblock I was banging my head against for Altar of Reality and wrote around 5k today (there's hope, CampNaNo!). That puts me at around 25k for the book (15k for CampNaNo).

And best of all? I started planning my blog tour today. Thanks to the wonderful folks at The Blog Tour Exchange, I had about two dozen different contacts to email for my tour. Couple that with the already amazing writerly friends I have, and now my blog tour is halfway booked on the first day.

Even better yet? I already have five reviewers lined up. I am totally over the moon.

Why? Because here's the secret truth about a lot of writers: We might love our characters and the stories we are telling, but we aren't confident that you will. I am terrible at blurb/query writing, and I am iffy about my first page. I'm still contemplating rewriting that cursed first page one last time in the hopes of setting up the story better.

So what was my worry? That the tour wouldn't garner a lot of interest because people would read my blurb and say "Meh.". But instead I have people offering to read it. Maybe that shouldn't be such a big deal, but I see people begging for reviews online all the time (FYI: Asking once or twice is not begging, but asking every day is. IMO), so I figured I'd have a hard time getting reviews for the tour.

This day has taught me that the writing community really is one of the best communities out there. Without their support, I think I would be absolutely crazy. Instead, I am floating on cloud nine and looking forward to what is bound to be one of the most stressful times in my writerly life: the debut of my first book.

(Be sure to check back next month for a complete tour schedule, and for the cover reveal on August 30th.)

The Ups and Downs of My Writerly World

I'm sitting here, thinking I should take a nap before I set off for my evening plans. Why is a nap necessary? Well, in case you don't follow me on Facebook, here's the long and short of it:

My doctor tells me I have carpal tunnel AND tendonitis. Because, you know, I'm an overachiever like that.

So my meds make me really sleepy and it is seriously hard to type with this thing on. But I have to wear it for three weeks. And I still have the nerve conduction study to look forward to. *grumble*

That's pretty much the "down" part of my writerly world right now. The "up" part is what is keeping me awake right now. I set my release date for Heirs of War. September 13th! The cover reveal will be August 30th. I know, I know...that's cutting it closer than most. But I have a reason for that. A reason that involves even MORE good news and excitement.

Wattpad has agreed to feature Heirs of War starting September 11th! If I could dance a jig without threatening to break something or cause myself further injury, I would. As part of their promotion, they will be doing a "Cover-Off", which will help me decide which cover to use. Because, honestly, sometimes Gretchen is just too good. Since the cover-off is the deciding factor, I won't be revealing the cover until around a week after.

And, to keep the good news rolling, one of my nearest and dearest is also setting up another marketing promotion type thing for me, which she informed me of last night. More on that as it unfolds. :)

So where will I be in the weeks before my book launches? At DragonCon, of course, waving my fangirl flag high and proud. I just found out I'll have a bit more money than I expected to spend, which means my dream of being in the middle of one of the sexiest sandwiches ever for a fangirl (James Marsters + John Barrowman....Yup: Captain Jack and Spike!!) might be coming true.

Now...what was I saying about that nap? Oh, right. Not likely! =D

P.S. I redesigned the blog, too. Hope you guys like it!

Why I've Decided to Post on Wattpad

Now, I know this doesn't sound like a big deal. But it is, I swear.

The thing is, I have edited the crap out of Heirs of War. I've also queried the crap out of it. There are a few critique partners who still have it, and a few have offered their insights already. Of course, I know that you can't make everyone happy, so I've been working on incorporating some of those suggestions while I mull over a few others. I'm still working on that. I've also sent a sample to my editor friend to see what kind of editing she thinks it would need before self-publishing.

Where do I start??

Because that's what I've decided to do. Honestly, I think I decided it a while ago and was just querying out of habit. I mean, why else would I go ahead and hire a cover artist if I hadn't, somewhere in the back of my mind, decided self-publishing was the way to go? Gretchen is still working on the cover, but I'm using the last mockup she sent me in the meantime. Why? Because I can't help but show off all her awesome work.

I digress. You might be asking yourself why I would decide to post my MS on Wattpad since I am A) still editing, B) still waiting on my editor friend to get back to me along with CPs, and C) intending to self-publish anyway. The answer is simple, really.

To find out if it is worth it.

I know, I know. It sounds silly. I should have said something like "To help build an audience before I publish", which is part of the reason. But the real reason is simply validation. I've been trying to decide what to do with Heirs of War for months now, shying away from even looking at it because that question is so complicated. Do I self-publish and possibly shoot myself in the foot for future endeavors I might want to get published the traditional way? Do I rewrite the entire series to cater to the requests of the publishing world, telling the story of only one character instead of five? (Had multiple professionals advise this) Or do I shelve it completely, hoping something else I write works out better and opens the door for this to get published down the road?

Is your head spinning? I know mine has been. But then something funny happened when I watched the season finale of Doctor Who.

Who am I to argue with the Doctor?

I decided to write a one-shot fanfiction because this nagging little epilogue scene wouldn't leave me alone. I loved sharing that one moment of my fanfiction. I got reviews, the story gained followers, people favorited the story...And I was exhilarated. I wanted to write more. And believe it or not, that fanfiction helped me remember why I got into this gig to begin with.

I want to share my story, the story of these five girls embarking on five different epic journeys that will ultimately lead them all to the same path. Every trial, every romantic moment, every heartbreak, every loss--I am chomping at the bit to share these moments with all of you.

So I am going to do just that. And I am going to keep editing, keep incorporating my CPs' notes, chat with my editor friend, and gush over the new cover. When I get the finished product, I'll start the process of self-publishing. Or I'll just leave it there as I move on to book 2. Who knows? But for now, I'm just enjoying the ride.

You can find Heirs of War on Wattpad. Chapters will be posted as I finish editing them (this go round, anyway).

What the Heck Am I Doing?

Have you ever had one of those "Well, duh!" type epiphanies? The ones that come out of nowhere (usually in the wee hours of the morning when you have to be at work at 7am, of course), blindsiding you with how obvious this revelation should have been to you even though it has been hiding for months?

I had one of those last night. Complete with interrupted sleep (Which might explain the rambliness of at least this post. The others? I'll get back to you with an excuse later). I've been working on my YA Dystopian WIP for a couple of months now, letting Heirs of War sit on the backburner until I get done. I hate interrupting one story to work on another. It messes up my flow.

So I decided when I started the WIP that I would write it to finish with the first draft. After all, it's a YA book so it's not like it will be the 200k that HoW 2 is trying to be. Shouldn't take much time for someone used to 5-10k days like me. Right?

Wrong. Apparently there's this little thing called life that gets in the way. So months later, I am only 10k in. Not a big deal. I'll just push through. I had said that I would give HoW another edit this summer, but I can push it off. No problem.

Wrong again. Here's the epiphany I had: HoW is much closer to being publication-ready than my WIP. I am most likely going to end up self-publishing HoW, so basically it is waiting on me. I just received some AMAZING notes from a critique partner (ahemRachelahem), so I now have some solutions to problems I've been puzzling over for almost a year. So why wait? Why hold back in the hopes of finishing one story's rough draft when I might be close to the final draft of another?

So I've decided to shelve the WIP and finish HoW, getting it ready once and for all for publication. I shouldn't be so proud of this revelation since it really is the most obvious choice, but I am. I feel good about it. And one thing I have learned in this business so far is to hold on to that feeling. 

Where In The World Has Mara Been?

Wishing I had an awesome hat like Carmen Sandiego, actually.

No, not really. I wish life was that simple. I ended up taking an unintentional writerly break. We all need those now and again, I suppose. Vacation, sick time, or sometimes we just get stuck in our own heads for a bit.

But the bags are unpacked, the virus has run its course, and the fog of my mind has (somewhat) cleared. What does that mean? Well, I'm back of course!

Now, what am I up to? I'm sure there will be the inevitable blog tours to extend my "to read" list, but I'll also be posting about my new project and updates with Heirs of War as they come along. Right now I am 7k into my YA dystopian and using CampNaNo to finish it up this month. I'm really excited about this book because it is a much simpler story than Heirs of War, and much more marketable (I hope).

I've also got some exciting new developments ahead for Heirs of War as I move at a tortoise-like pace toward the goal of self-publishing. So, in short, I promise to keep this blog more up to date with actual information on my writerly exploits. I might even post an excerpt or two from the dystopian MS as they come.

For now, the night is young, I am a couple of paragraphs in, and jamming out to an excellent soundtrack list I made. Time to get to work!

Allons-y!

The Writerly Chopping Block (AKA: Editing)

For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you probably already know that I am doing some serious edits on Heirs of War right now. I have been lucky enough to get some great advice from a published author who has taken a bit of interest in the book. One of my biggest issues: POV switches. What does that mean? Well, I like to switch between different characters' perspectives.

In the same scene.

I was calling it third person omniscient, but you might have also heard it referred to as the head-bounce. This term is probably a bit more accurate. Omniscient is a breeze to write in for me. I, obviously, know what is going on in each of my characters' heads, whether major or minor characters. That's the beauty of being the god of this little fictional world I've created (and getting to smite people, but that's for a later blog).

As it turns out, writing in third person limited is much less confusing for the readers. Let that be Lesson Number One for you. Hopefully before you start writing your book because I will say that trying to fix that is a bitch and a half.

Another piece of advice I was given--and have been given frequently--was to cut back on how many characters' perspectives I write from. With five girls in the prophecy, I write from all five of their perspectives. And some other characters as well because they have important roles or because the scene just makes more sense when viewed from their eyes.

And this is where I am having the problem...I tried cutting two of the girls out tonight. Not even looking at the other scenes written from other characters' perspectives. Just focusing on the five main characters and how I can narrow that down for this book. And I can't.

You might be saying "Can't? Or Won't?" Well, to be honest, it's a little of both. Theoretically I could cut Terrena and Isauria's stories completely from this book and the book as a whole would make sense. But this is the trouble with writing a series. What I cut from this book messes up the next one. I know people say that you can fix that, but I honestly have no idea how. I would have to do flashbacks for Terrena. And for Isauria, there would just be no connection to her character whatsoever and she plays a much bigger role in book 2. So essentially I would be waiting to introduce one of my main characters until the second book.

Which leads me to this question: How much do you compromise your story when trying to make it marketable? I've said this before and I will say it again loudly: My goal is not to become a famous or successful published author. My goal has been and will always be to share the story of these five girls that have grown so close to my heart with other people. Why publish at all? Because I do have some business sense and this is actual work that I am doing.

That being said, I really don't want to be one of those authors that refuses to compromise anything because they think they already have the best thing since sliced bread. I like to think of myself as pretty open-minded and willing to accept criticisms. But what do I do if I feel like cutting those POVs entirely makes my book less-than? Do I compromise? Because I know the advice makes complete and absolute sense. One of the biggest complaints my beta-readers all had was that there were too many characters and it was hard to keep up with them all. Will ceasing the head-bouncing help this a little? Probably. Would limiting the story to only Zelene, Ariana, and Rhaya's perspectives help even more? Hell yes.

But would it be the same story? That, my friends, I am not so sure about.

I suppose that answer is for another day, though. Until then, I am going to keep the girls in and use a header for each POV change to see if that helps clear confusion. Wish me luck!

Potential Coverart

I'm supposed to be studying for an exam I have on Thursdays, but unfortunately I decided a coffee shop next to a bunch of chatty cathys is the best place to do this.

Word of the day? Fail.

So instead I am going to share with you guys the brilliant work of my potential cover artist, Gretchen Byers. I say potential cover artist because I can't very well guarantee that if I get published she will end up on the covers of my books. But damn, do I hope she will. Her work is absolutely brilliant and depicts Ariana and Zelene so well it makes me teary-eyed. So if I self-publish (or go with a small press willing to let me have input on the cover art), she will definitely represent the books.

The following are just my absolute favorites of the images she has sent me. They are not on her deviantart account and not for use by anyone else without mine or Gretchen's express permission. But feel free to ask her about her other work. In fact, I encourage it!

 I absolutely love this shot. I'm a big fan of all of the sword shots (which is why I've included them all) but this one gives me goosebumps! Read on to see the rest....

The Haunted Writing Clinic Battle Begins!

The battle for minions is about to begin! And I kneel before the evilness of the Super-Villains and offer up my plea to them!

Okay, not really since I am really, really sick and in bed. But the imagery was great in my head. Hands thrown up in the air and desperate cries for them to take me under their inky wings...

Did I mention I'm sick and might have a fever? That being said, I'm attempting to do this while not quite myself so if you guys see any typos or sentences that end up reading "Mara likey ice cream" then please, let me know so I can fix it before the Super Villains drop by.

The Unofficial GUTGAA Small Press Query Hop

Some of us intending to enter the Small Press Pitch Contest are partaking in another blog hop for the purposes of critiquing one another's queries. So here is mine! (By the way, it's also the one I am planning on sending out to an agent if I can cut it back a bit. With my personalized "Why I chose you" paragraph it runs at 416 words!)

Edit with completely brand spanking new version that puts Zelene--who is really the hero of the story so far--in the limelight a lot more. Trying to incorporate all of the critiques I have gotten so far. You guys are more amazing than I can say (and for a writer who loves her words that is something, isn't it?) and I would be completely lost at this without you guys! Thank you and keep the critiques coming!

New Version:

Dear Small Press Goddess,

Prophecies are no different from horoscopes in the back of Cosmo, as Zelene would say. She likes to remind people that Y2K came and went without the world ending, and, yes, the world will continue to spin after the Mayan calendar ends. She does not realize she is part of an ancient prophesy of five girls born into a powerful bloodline that would bring about the end of a generations-long power struggle among worlds. She is not even aware of worlds beyond this one.

Zelene learns of the destiny the prophecy demands of her and the family she was separated from as an infant when she is ripped from the world she has known her whole life and dragged back to the one of her birth. She is reunited one by one with the other three girls but she finds that the twin sister she has never met is notably absent. Ariana has been captured by enemies intent on sacrificing her in order to gain her powers and Zelene can’t help but shudder at how easily she could have ended up in Ariana’s shoes. When she questions the lack of rescue efforts, she receives what she refers to as a verbal pat on the head from the elders. They tell her to focus on learning the ways of their world and how to tap into her own magic, but Zelene has never been the best at doing what she is told.

Zelene realizes what is at stake. She knows that without Ariana as the fifth, the foretold peace and healing of the worlds cannot come to pass, and the war will spill over into the world she has known as home. She knows she has to find a way to ignite the power locked within herself to save Ariana, or she risks leaving the fates of millions to a vague prophecy and the arcane politics that brought about the war in the first place.

HEIRS OF WAR is an adult [or new adult depending who I am querying] fantasy novel complete at 146k that has elements of political intrigue, action, and romance comparable to the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind.


Old Version:

Dear Small Press Goddess,

Prophecies are overrated. Ariana thinks that they are no different than the horoscopes in the back of Cosmo. She doesn’t realize that the pentacle-shaped birthmark on her wrist marks her as the foretold fifth daughter of the most powerful bloodline in all the worlds and the key to an ancient prophecy.

Ariana leads a normal life for a girl on the cusp of adulthood; ignorant of the sisters she has been separated from since birth. She has never even crossed paths with her twin sister Zelene. Zelene is quite the opposite of Ariana with a life that sounds like the most tragic of Lifetime movies. The twins know nothing of Estridia, the world of their birth, or the war that has been raging on for generations that they are destined to end. But they are about to find out.

Ariana is captured by enemies that intend to sacrifice her in order to gain her power and destroy the caste system the worlds follow. Zelene returns to Estridia where a loving family welcomes her and she is reunited with the three other girls of her generation. Together they make up the prophesized five but without Ariana as the fifth they are doomed to fail, leaving the worlds to be ripped apart by war. Thrown into an unfamiliar world full of magical races of people and politics they don't understand, they must find a way to ignite the powers within them and decide whether or not to rescue their missing sister on their own or leave it all to fate and vague prophecies. But when they find that the good guys are proving to be not so good and the bad guys seem to have the wrong methods but the right ideas, where does that leave them?

HEIRS OF WAR is an adult fantasy novel at 146k that has elements of political intrigue, suspense, action, and romance comparable to the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind.