Cloud Nine Girl

Ever had a friend with the best laugh?

Or looked into the face of someone who means so much and smiled just because of the sparkle in their eyes?

My good writing friend Marty once drew me a picture of a path of rocks in a stream of water. Black ink. Yellow Paper. And giant swirly lines. She has this great cursive, almost calligraphic writing style where art and writing become one. The way her hand moves when she draws and writes, is really swirly too.

Marty is one of my oldest and dearest writing friends. Poetic, loyal, she knows how to push in all the right ways. She’d also said something along these lines to me not so long ago: we all have dreams and wishes, but not all of us have the guts to pursue them.

I’m writing about her today, because not only has she organized my favorite writers group I’ve belonged to for years and years and years, but she has always seen success in me, telling me that I have guts, gusto, whatever you want to call it.

I’ve been working on this plot for a YA idea novel for what seems like forever. Six years to be exact. It’s funny looking back, because you think you write a book and wham! It’s great! Then you face the hard realization after rejection and rejection, that oh boy, there is still so much to learn.

Yes, I was given a great imagination. Yes, story telling is another important skill for me too. But the craft is something I’ve had to learn and study, like a science formula, you face a problem devised in your very own head, and there are so many ways to create the solution.

I am still learning the craft, my next stepping stone. My voice is stronger. I take criticism well, but the important thing? Marty is right. Writing is my happiness. Its more me than any other skill I have. Of course I’ve been frustrated. Heck, I have taken off half a year to get through some personal struggles. But quitting? What’s that?

So thank you Marty for starting up our writers group again. Thank you for always reminding me of that path of rocks you drew for me so long ago. I’m still jumping across. I haven’t quite reached the mud on the other side, but I can see it. I can feel the sunshine.

And the purpose for the rock above, you might wonder? It’s my daughter’s sweet little rock. She cherishes them and shares her little bits of sunshine with me.

So if nothing I’ve said up to this point has meant a hill of beans, I’m hoping this great quote will (the graphic came from Writers Write):

Happy Wednesday, all. May you move somewhere and in someway toward the direction of your dreams. 🙂

Today, I have a lovely treat! Not only do I have Young Adult Author Michelle K. Pickett talking about the important elements in creating characters who matter to the audience for writers, but she also applies her advice in her new book Unspeakable. So welcome to her book tour. You can visit the tour’s full information at Juniper Grove Book Solutions by clicking this link.

Let’s take a look at her amazing new book!

Title: Unspeakable

Series: The Freedom Series, Book 1

Author: Michelle K. Pickett

Published: February 10th, 2015

Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing

Genre: YA Mature Contemporary Romance

Content Warning: Abuse, adult language, non-explicit sexual situations, and mild drug use

Recommended Age: 14+

Check out the back of this book.

“Breathe. No one will break me. I’m strong. Breathe. Just breathe.”

On the outside, Willow appears to have it all. She’s beautiful, smart, from an influential family, and she dates the most popular guy in school—Jaden. But she would walk away from it all in a second. Willow is tormented by lies and suffocating guilt, not the hearts and flowers people believe her life is full of.

She carries a dark secret. Plagued by nightmares and pain, the secret dominates her life. If she hadn’t walked away. If she had just…but she didn’t. And now she has to live with her choice. But when someone uncovers her family’s past, they use it against her, crushing her spirit little by little. She tells herself she just has to make it to graduation. Then she can leave Middleton, and her secret, far behind.

When Brody transfers to Cassidy High, he turns Willow’s life upside down. He shows her what it feels like to live again, really live. And suddenly, she isn’t satisfied with just surviving until graduation. She wants a normal life—with Brody—and he wants her. But the closer they become, the more it threatens to unravel the secret she’s worked so hard to hide.

Willow finds true love with Brody. Will she let his love save her, or walk away from him to keep her secret safe?

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | GoodReads

A bit about Michelle.

Michelle is the bestselling author of the young adult novel “PODs.” She was born and raised in Flint, Michigan, but now lives in a sleepy suburb outside Houston with her extremely supportive husband, three school-aged children, a 125 pound “lap dog,” and a very snooty cat.

Red Bull or Monster Khaos are her coffee of choice, and she can’t write without peanut butter M&Ms and a hoodie. A hopeful romantic; she loves a swoon-worthy ending that will give her butterflies for days. She writes across genres in the young adult and new adult age groups. She loves to hear from her readers.

Michelle signed her new young adult contemporary novel— Unspeakable, with Clean Teen Publishing in 2014.

Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Blog

Clean Teen Publishing Links:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

And here she is on Writing Characters Who Matter to the Audience…

..Glad to have you here today Michelle!

Topic: What advice would you give young writers on how to write characters who matter to the audience?

Hi, Erika! Thank you so much for letting me take over your blog today! I’m so excited to be here.

You asked about how I write characters who matter to the readers and if I could give any advice to young authors. Well, I am definitely not an expert on the subject, so I’ll just give you a few thoughts on how I develop my characters.

Writing characters that resonate with readers is a very hard task for authors. There is a fine line between making the character too perfect and making them “real.” Readers need to relate to, root for, and care about the characters in a book. Even the villain—yeah, that’s a toughie.

Personally, I think an author’s characters need to be flawed. All humans are flawed or have some type of secret. Writing a character who is too perfect makes them unbelievable and difficult, if not impossible, to relate to. Even when an author is writing about a zillionaire s/he has to make that person relatable… kind of hard when most readers don’t know what it’s like to have a zillion dollars (or maybe that’s just me. Ha!), but it can be done by giving that character everyday problems, both emotional and through outside forces.

This also relates to the antagonist in the story. S/he needs to have some part of their character that is ultimately good, or at least not all bad. A reason for their actions, is it revenge for a lost love? A vigilante whose childhood was filled with pain and death? A mental illness? Something, even if it’s not a “good” trait, there has to be something in their make-up that a reader can identify with on some level, or at least sympathize with. Yeah, like I mentioned above, this is a very difficult task.

Another way an author can make characters real to the readers is giving them quirks. We all have personality quirks. I can’t write if I don’t have my hoodie. Why? I have absolutely no clue. But there it is. In “Unspeakable” Willow has a panache for wearing T-shirts that have sarcastic sayings on them, and things like sequined Converse sneakers. A new adult contemporary romance I’m working on has a main character who has an interest in different types of phobias people have (no, he isn’t a psychologist or in that field). When a character in the book doesn’t want to do something, or makes excuses to avoid certain situations, he points out what phobia they may suffer from. This sounds like a serious part of the book, but it’s actually a silly quirk designed to give the character a likeable, humorous demeanor.

These flaws and quirks will hopefully make an author’s characters memorable, and that’s what we strive for. Without characters that readers like, the book is a failure regardless if the story is outstanding.

Perhaps the most important part of developing a character who is memorable, is giving them a profound life situation, a social, emotional, or physical situation to work through. Something they have to fight. Readers want a character who has an obstacle to overcome. They want to see the “real” problems in the character’s life so they can root for them.

These are the things I try to remember while developing my characters. But if you really want to know, I have very little to do with the process. It sounds a little crazy (or a lot), but my characters usually come to me. When a story idea presents itself, it’s usually the characters who direct me. They take me where they want to go, they show me their personalities, and I fall in love with them. And hope readers do as well.

Thank you again for having me. I enjoyed sharing my thoughts on characters. I hope everyone will take a peek at “Unspeakable” and my upcoming paranormal romance, “Milayna,” and see if I was successful in making the characters likeable and memorable.

Drop me an email. I’d love to chat with you!

Michelle J

Thank you Michelle J. Pickett! I appreciate your thoughtful words of advice. And now for the giveaway…

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Gifts include: A bookmark swag pack, winner’s choice of any Clean Teen Publishing eBook, and a $15 Amazon gift card.

The Giveaway is International. Use this imbedded link to enter the raffle.

Lastly, happy Friday, all! May your every wish and dream come true. 🙂

Happy Monday, all!

I’m proud today, to be a host for a Young Adult Sci-Fi Fantasy called Maia and the Secrets of Zagran, by S. G. Basu. The second book in the Lightbound Saga series, you won’t be disappointed if you like adventure transporting you to another vivid world. Take a peek below and find out where to get the book. To find out more about the book blitz event, visit Juniper Grove Book Solutions.

Title: Maia and the Secrets of Zagran

Series: The Lightbound Saga #2

Author: S. G. Basu

Published: December 15th, 2014

Publisher: Vinayaka Publishing

Word Count: 100,400

Genre: YA Sci-Fi Fantasy

Synopsis.

Thirteen year old Maia thinks she has seen it all.

She has survived an assassination attempt, she has been threatened by a chancellor, and she has faced off with saboteurs trying to bring down a nation. She lets nothing get to her anymore-not the ominous nightmares she has been having lately, not the fear of being targeted for another soul extraction, not even the memories of her dead mother’s terrifying communique.

More than ever, Maia wants the Initiative to resume. She longs to visit Zagran-the undersea capital of the Jjord. She wants to ride the underwater transport lines, learn about the Jjordic energy farms and most of all-she wants to goof off with her friends. But, around the charming city of Zagran, evil is gathering. Maia and her friends do not know it yet, this is just the beginning of a terrifying end.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | GoodReads

About the Author.

G. Basu is a telecommunications engineer by profession, but she likes to call herself a dreamer. Imagination, fueled by a voracious appetite for books, has been her steady friend since childhood. She discovered her passion for writing quite by chance and there has been no stopping her since then.

Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Blog

Giveaway Details:

There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:

• One signed copy of Maia and the Secrets of Zagran

The Giveaway is open to the US, UK, and Canada.

Visit the giveaway link  to enter to win your copy of Maia and the Secrets of Zagran, and have a lovely rest of your day. 🙂

I woke up this morning with a stir of thoughts whirling through my head …
… What do I make for dinner for my babies …
… How many loads of laundry do I have left to do to catch up from the awesome holiday break …
… And then with my last day off before work started up again this week, I knew I needed inspiration. Not just inspiration, but I realized it was high time I gave my dream of publishing my big giant novel another go. My first step? I made an afternoon trip to Barnes and Noble. Below, you’ll find a few pictures of my first attempt to get moving again, to feel motivated, and to get my head in my story where it belongs.

Exibit A. My stack.

Exibit B. My kiddos’ stacks. (This photo was the second of two since my funny kitty Maverick photo bombed the first one. LOL)

What can I say, when I buy books for me, I always buy books for my kiddos as well. I’m hoping one day they will love reading as much as I do, and I’m also hoping that by spreading a little creative thinking around, I’ll get my old manuscript dusted off and give it my best shot.

This year my mantra is, “I will do this.” Not dream it. Not wish it. I will.
So with all this being said about my fun filled day and wildly pesky thoughts about igniting the fire in my dreams, what’s your fire? What do you do to get up and make happen the one thing you really want to have happen in your life?
I’m all ears. ☺