Jessica McKendry's From the Ashes

The time has finally come to reveal the cover for Jessica McKendry's debut novel!  And it's a most excellent cover indeed.

About From the Ashes:

I'm not sure how it all went wrong.

The concept was simple.

The Trials were made to test us. They were made to challenge our strengths; our bravery.

We were supposed to come out better.

Winning the Trials would make us Superior citizens.

It would bring us honor and demonstrate our loyalty to the Imperial Alliance. I knew exactly what I wanted.

Until I met him.

There was something about him. Something dark. If only I had known the danger it would put us in.

I thought I knew the risks.

But I never imagined the price we'd pay.


An insightful look at the good and bad that exist within us, McKendry's debut is a high-octane adventure that pushes the imagination to the limit as it lays bare the nature of self-reliance, self-confidence, and teamwork. Playing with the concepts of dark and light and how they affect our lives in multiple forms, her novel is a complex coming of age story that encapsulates the heroine's journey from student to leader. A dark tale of love and revenge, From the Ashes is a powerful reminder to think for yourself instead of blindly following what you've been taught to believe.


About Jess:

Jessica McKendry was born in Michigan, yet has lived all over the Northeastern United States. She's been writing ever since she could hold a pen. From the Ashes is Jessica's debut novel, and the first in a trilogy she started writing in middle school. She loves any song by Evanescence, and currently lives in Ohio.

Be sure to visit Jess at her blog.

The Fire of Merlin - Cover Reveal!

Call me "Sir Jeff" today, for I've been inducted into knighthood.  Donna Hosie's sword rested upon my shoulders as she dubbed me a Knight of the Reveal!

The Reveal?

The Reveal of her forthcoming book's cover, of course!  Her eBook, The Fire of Merlin, second in the Return to Camelot trilogy, is scheduled for release on Amazon on the 30th of November!

The Return to Camelot trilogy continues in The Fire of Merlin.

The Fire of Merlin's Awesome Cover!

Seventeen-year-old Natasha Roth and her older brother, Arthur, are reunited once more with the Knights of the Round Table. Unfortunately their joy is not shared by Arthur’s girlfriend, “Slurpy” Samantha, whose hatred of Natasha has not been lessened by time or distance since the Roth family relocated to London.

But Natasha’s happiness is short-lived.

The knights come with ill news from Logres: a magical darkness has fallen over the land. The Lady of the Lake, Nimue, is battling against her former lover, Merlin, whom she imprisoned before the enchanted sleep. He has been freed and Natasha soon discovers that her own actions the previous year unlocked more than just a gateway between the past and the present. When “Slurpy” disappears, a frantic Arthur decides they must leave the 21st century once more and return to Camelot.

With her beloved Sir Bedivere at her side, Natasha follows the sound of the bells and leads Arthur and the knights back into Logres. But there are more than bells ringing in her head. Natasha starts to suffer from terrifying visions in which she sees the destruction of Logres.

As the darkness continues to infect the living, the people start turning on each other, accusing outsiders of witchcraft. Terrified that Natasha will be hurt, Sir Bedivere takes her, the dwarf Byron and Byron’s sister, Guinevere, into the safety of his father’s castle. Yet nowhere in Logres is free from fear and suspicion, and Sir Bedivere unwittingly leads Natasha into a terrifying chain of events in which time itself is manipulated.

Natasha must uncover the truth about the danger to Logres and those she loves. Who is the real threat to Arthur? Can myth and legend become fact? What is the secret that “Slurpy” is now hiding?

And for the love of all things holy, when will Logres invent saddles?

Searching For Arthur

I think you'll agree that the cover fits perfectly with the trilogy's first book, Searching for Arthur.

And there's more!

To celebrate the release of The Fire of Merlin, Donna will also be promoting Searching for Arthur as a free download on Amazon for four days starting November 1!

Do stop by Donna's Musings of a Penniless Writer blog and extend to her your congratulations.  Also be sure to pick up Searching for Arthur free from Amazon during the first four days of November.

And don't forget to grab a copy of The Fire of Merlin on November 30!  

Mark Steve Reviews Julius Caesar by Shakespeare

Julius Caesar by Shakespeare

(A Perfect Example of Renaissance Age)

Review by Mark Steve

Renaissance age was the period when people started taking interest in the old classics, and a lot of new literature was written. This was the period of artistic and cultural movement. The renaissance clothing, art and literature, are still popular among a number of people. The name of Williams Shakespeare is the most popular among the literary figures of that period. He provides us various wonderful dramas, which are played in various parts of the world.

He used a number of themes throughout his careers. He also paid attention towards some historical concepts. ‘Julius Caesar’ is one of his most popular treatises. The story of this play focuses on the famous Roman general Julius Caesar. The first part of the story is based on a conspiracy against the general. Caesar’s assassination is the most popular scene in the story.

Julius Caesar is cheated by his friends. Brutus is Caesar’s close friend, who is convinced by the conspirators that they are doing everything for Rome. Cassius writes letters to Brutus in different handwritings to join this conspiracy. Finally, Brutus agrees to be part of the conspiracy. Julius is killed finally, and the conspiracy is successful.

The conspirators convince the crowd that they have performed the assassination for Rome. Brutus addresses the crowd after the death of Caesar to justify his actions. But, after the speech of Brutus, Julius’s other close friend Mark Antony delivers the oration, which turns the public opinion against the killers. This speech has gained huge popularity and can be read through various online sources. The next part of the story talks about the alliance of Caesar’s adopted son Octavius and Mark Antony. In the end, they had a battle with Brutus and Cassius. Both Brutus and Cassius are killed in the end of the story.

The book perfectly reflects the creativity of the renaissance age. Shakespeare belonged to this era, but he described the era of the Roman republic brilliantly, which took place even before the Roman Empire. The influence of old classics can also be witnessed vividly on Shakespeare’s literature. On the other hand, he also used some new innovation in his time.

The play has a lot of things that strike the readers or audiences. Antony’s true friendship is an admirable thing. It adds an inspirational touch to the story. Besides, the ways in which he convinces the people is worth reading. His speech can really be a source of motivation for the orators.

Shakespeare’s plays also provide a glimpse of renaissance clothing styles; however, this drama takes us to the pre-medieval times. Moreover, this play is perfect for reading in the form of the book also, and it gives the novel-like joy to the readers. It has also played a prominent role in increasing the popularity of Julius Caesar.


About Mark Steve:

My name is Mark. I am a Historian, researcher and writer. I regularly write articles, reviews on books and novels on historical topics related to Medieval, Renaissance, Pirate, gothic & Steampunk themes. If you want to know more about me and my blog, then see my blogs Renaissance Outfits, The Goth Code and The middle ages.

Nine Ways to Shorten a Long Story by Rayne Hall

NINE WAYS TO SHORTEN A LONG STORY

by

Rayne Hall

If your story or novel is too long and you need to bring the wordcount down, try one or several of these techniques. Some are soft options, others require you to cut into the flesh.

1. Delete introspection. Whenever your PoV spends a lot of time thinking, pondering, wondering, assessing, evaluating, remembering, reminiscing, musing and emoting, cut the lot. Condense all the thoughts in that scene into two sentences. That's it. You may expect this to hurt, but it's surprisingly painless, and the result is tight and exciting.

2. Delete the journey. Whenever your PoV spends time getting to a place - whether he's walking, driving, riding or flying - cut it. The reader doesn't need the guided tour of the flora, fauna, history and politics of the region, nor all the introspecting he does along the way. Pick up the story when he arrives. These unnecessary journeys can often be found at the beginnings of chapters.

3. Delete backstory. Whenever the plot halts to give the reader a view of what happened in the past, cut that. The reader needs to know less backstory than you think. Replace the backstory scenes with single-sentence summaries of what had happened. Excessive backstory can often be found in the first few chapters.

4. If you've used the “Scene & Sequel” method of structuring, shrink the sequels. Most sequels need to be no longer than a paragraph. Often, a single sentence is enough.

5. Condense the timeframe. Instead of spanning a decade, make it happen in a single year. Instead of stretching it over one week, squeeze it into one afternoon. This is astonishingly effective, saving thousands of words. However, you need to watch out for continuity errors: Make sure the characters' ages are consistent, and Christmas doesn't happen three times in one year.

6. Condense the geography. Instead of sections taking place in five different locations, move them all to the same place. A novel needs fewer words if it takes place in one town than in six.

7. Reduce the characters. The fewer characters, the shorter the novel. Whenever there are several people of a kind (three children, two sisters, four colleagues) let there be just one (one child, one sister, one colleague). Combine several characters into a single person: perhaps the noisy neighbour is also the gym instructor, and the choir conductor is also the owner of that pesky cat.

8. Cut a subplot. By leaving out a subplot, you can slim your novel substantially. If it hurts to throw away those wonderful scenes, put them in the freezer and cook them up in another novel.

9. Delete superfluous words. Many words carry little or no meaning; you can shed them without loss. Here are the main candidates: could, start/started to, begin/began to, that, then, somewhat, somehow, really, completely, very, say, all, just. Rigorous deletion of unnecessary words can often slim a novel by several thousand words.

Online Class “The Word-Loss Diet” with Rayne Hall

Tighten and tone your writing style, and use simple revision tricks to slim your manuscript in four weeks. Shed thousands of words without changing the plot! This class will make your manuscript shorter, your pacing faster, and your individual author voice stronger.

Please note: this is a tough class for authors who are serious about improving their writing craft, great for self-editing a manuscript before submission to agents and editors, or before indie-publishing. It is not suitable for the faint-of-heart! Students must have a full or partial manuscript of at least 20,000 words to work with for this hands-on workshop.

One month, twelve lessons, twelve assignments. 5 November - 7 December 2012. Fee: $16.00. Organiser: Lowcountry RWA. http://lrwa.thinkflowdesign.com/all-online-workshops/#NOV

About Rayne Hall

Rayne Hall has published more than thirty books under different pen names with different publishers in different genres, mostly fantasy, horror and non-fiction. Recent books include Storm Dancer (dark epic fantasy novel), Six Historical Tales Vol 1, Six Scary Tales Vol 1, 2 and 3 (mild horror stories), Writing Fight Scenes and Writing Scary Scenes (instructions for authors).

She holds a college degree in publishing management and a masters degree in creative writing. Currently, she edits the Ten Tales series of multi-author short story anthologies: Bites: Ten Tales of Vampires, Haunted: Ten Tales of Ghosts, Scared: Ten Tales of Horror, Cutlass: Ten Tales of Pirates and more.

http://www.amazon.com/Rayne-Hall/e/B006BSJ5BK/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Her short online classes for writers are intense with plenty of personal feedback, suitable for intermediate, advanced and professional level authors only. https://sites.google.com/site/writingworkshopswithraynehall/

August is Awesome Because of Lauren Ritz

Today's awesome guest is one serious writer!  Not many of us would give up our day job and commit a full year to nothing but our writing.  Yet Lauren has!  And she's cranked out a boatload of work during that well-used time.

I've had the privilege of critiquing not one, but two of Lauren's books.  She has a talent for bringing characters to life and has a writer's voice that's a pleasure to read.  She gave me some amazing feedback on my book as well.

And she's provided two posts for you!  Both offer glimpses into who this awesome writer is.  Please welcome Lauren Ritz!

The Book Rescuer

I have this insatiable need to rescue books from thrift stores. There's just something about a book sitting on that shelf with a sticker on it that says it costs 50 cents. I get the same urge at the library book sales, where I have to clutch my wallet and walk by without looking.

Actually I don't. I browse the books, and then walk away because I left all my money in the car (or at home, as the case may be). Deliberately.

I have three bookshelves, and on most of those shelves the books are two deep. So the other day I went looking for something to read. I was in recharge mode, which means that I needed a break from writing, and I automatically headed for my paper friends. Old friends, many of them, and favorites.

I looked through three bookshelves, pulled out the front layers to check what was behind. Nothing looked right. So I sat there in front of one of the book-cases, pulling out books at random and then shoving them back in. Reading my favorite parts and replacing the books.

At that point my eye fell on the folder that holds my finished novels, and I spent the rest of the day reading them.

I don't know whether this is OCD or narcissistic. I want to read my own books. Not just for editing and rearranging the plot-lines. I want to read them for fun.

I've heard and read that if you still like your book you're not done editing it. I don't agree. Whether my books are ready for publication or not (which is another topic altogether) I like them. I can curl up in the corner of the couch and then look up at the clock and realize it's 3:AM, wake up at five with the imprint of pages visible on my cheek before I stagger off to bed.

Someday being the Book Rescuer may take on a new angle, when I have to leave my money in the car so I don't try to rescue my own stories from thrift-store shelves.

A Rainbow in Black and White

I was talking to my muse the other day and we got in an amiable argument over who writes better. I contend that she writes better, she insists that I write better.

I can write a short story in 2000 words. She takes the same simple idea and it becomes a novel. Maybe she's got a writing fairy godmother. I don't know. But my writing is spare. It was described once as "placeholders in a shadow world" because you never see the characters, or the setting. No colors, no movement, no emotion. Not until I'm done editing.

She's got this eye for seeing all the plot points necessary to get from A to Z in a straight line. I wander off to 7 and 22, find a detour into G and then take off into the stratosphere riding Q. At some point I get to Z, but that Z may not be on the same line as the A I started from. So it takes a lot more editing after the fact.

It also makes conversations between us really interesting.

She writes in all the little details that flesh out the characters; hair color, eye color, whether they know how to tat lace or like talking to garden fairies. I start with a sentence on the page and it stays a sentence on the page. Just ink. Or pixels, or whatever, until I start the editing process.

I give her the odd plot twists and ideas she would never have thought of. I also tone down her adjectives. She keeps me at least tentatively anchored to a single story, even if that story is in black and white. We work well together that way.

I asked her a few weeks ago if I could play in one of her worlds. I had a short story that I was working on that seemed to fit in perfectly with a novel she's writing. We started talking, and an hour or so later she started laughing. "You're writing a novel!"

No, I'm not. It's a short story.

It's a novel. 

It's a short story. 

For some reason she see's suggestions and possibilities that I just can't see. So we discussed it, and talked it over, and it's 13,000 words so far, on its way to becoming a--well, at least a novella.

That's why she's the better writer. Because she see's the colorful possibilities while I'm arguing with myself over whether the black marks on the page are DPI or pixels.

About Lauren Ritz:

Lauren Ritz is awesome!

Lauren Ritz was born in Utah and continues to reside there, somewhat to the chagrin of those who know her well. She lives halfway between her garden and chaos, taking out her frustration with both in her writing.  She graduated with a degree in English (the first language kind) and is currently a freelance writer, at least until the end of August.

She began writing at the age of six with a "journal entry" about aliens flying through her bedroom window and landing on her wall. She tried to start earlier, but was handicapped by the fact that she couldn’t draw well enough.

Writing is her lifelong obsession, taking up the majority of her time when she isn’t involved in other less compelling interests.  She has nine novels completed and four of the nine completely edited.  So far no luck with the agent route.

Find Lauren at:
Her Eclectic blog,
on Twitter at LaurenRitz1
Facebook Page at laurenritzthewriter

To see the first three pages of Lauren's finished novels, visit Halfworld

August is Awesome Because of Peggy Eddleman

Peggy Eddleman has been deep into edits that are due today!  Even with such important work on her plate (along with the cookies) she still took time to encourage others by providing this insightful and heartening message.  I call that awesome.

I've watched (on Brandon Sanderson's blog) this awesome soul speak to a group of his students.  Yes, she is just plain awesome, whether she charges you any cookies or not. 

A big welcome to an awesome cookie lover!

A few months ago, I was presenting at a school and one of the teachers (was also a writer) asked me how I kept strong in my desire to be published when the times got hard.

It was such a great question! I sputtered for a few minutes, trying to think how to answer. The answer is probably a little different for everyone, but I think I figured out what kept my desire strong.

Books (rudecactus.com) / CC BY 3.0

First, that I was 100% sure this was what I wanted to do. If I’d have only been half sure, and this writing thing was just something that I was trying out to see if it fit, I probably would’ve decided that maybe it didn’t fit when things got hard. At first I wasn’t at 100%, of course. I started simply because it was fun. And then I wondered if maybe I could get good enough to be published, and whether or not that’s what I actually wanted.

Once I made the decision that I would work as hard as I could and never give up, I let everyone know my goal.

Scary, I know!

But guess what? When the people you care about know what your goal is, it makes it a lot easier to stay 100% dedicated. I mean, who wants to tell anyone when they ask, “Oh, yeah. That? It um, got hard, so I decided to quit.” I’m pretty sure no one.

Second, I think most people would agree that one of the hardest parts of this business is that blasted querying! And that is when you REALLY need to keep your desire to be in this business strong, because it can be the easiest time to give up. So how do you stay strong then?

The most important thing is to KNOW that your book rocks. Because the thing about querying is, it will make you feel like your book stinks. You need to have solid knowledge that it doesn’t! (Not sure that it rocks? Think about spending time revising some more until you know that it does. If you’re not sure that it rocks, there’s a good chance that when those rejections roll in, you’ll give up on it much too quickly.)

So how can you keep that knowledge that your book is incredible beyond incredibleness when evidence starts piling up to the contrary?

Tell yourself whatever you need to about why an agent sent you a form rejection. The book wasn’t their style— writing is subjective, right? They loved it, but don’t have the contacts to sell it. They loved it, but have a client with a very similar book (which, fyi, will keep an agent from signing you, even if your book knocked their socks off). Whatever you need to tell yourself to not fall into the trap of thinking the reason they gave you a rejection is because your book stinks.

If you get feedback from an agent on your submissions, just remember— they wouldn’t have spent the time to send them IF THEY DIDN’T THINK YOUR BOOK HAD A CHANCE. Even if they didn’t request a revise and resubmit, view feedback as a shiny gold star on your forehead.

If that doesn’t work, re-read the praise your critique partners gave you on the book.

And if all else fails, re-read your book. It’ll remind you of its awesomeness all on its own.

What do you do to keep a strong desire to become published when things get really hard?
 

Peggy Eddleman is awesome!

About Peggy Eddleman:

Peggy Eddleman is the author of the middle grade post-apocalyptic adventure THROUGH THE BOMB'S BREATH, to be published by Random House in Fall 2013. She lives at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains with her three hilarious and fun kids (two sons and a daughter), and her incredibly supportive husband. Besides writing, Peggy loves playing games with her family, making dinner, reading to her kids, toilet papering friends’ houses, doing cartwheels in long hallways, trying new restaurants, and occasionally painting murals on walls.


  

Connect with Peggy at:
Her blog: Will Write for Cookies
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PeggyEddleman
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/peggy.eddleman
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13411048-through-the-bomb-s-breath

It Happened...

At work, standing in the cafeteria lunch line, it happened.  A server left his station, walked to the serving station in which line I was waiting and asked, "Are you the one writing the book?"

I nearly fell in the floor!  I made him repeat the question, certain I'd misunderstood it.  "Are you the one writing the book?" he asked again.

Hiding my grin was impossible.  "Yes.  How did you know?"

"Jenn told me."

Jenn is a coworker of mine in another department.  I'd let her read my prologue the previous week.  She told me she liked it, but you know how that goes.  All your friends like what you wrote when they're talking with you about it.  Perhaps she really did.  Or perhaps she was just impressed that I had actually completed my draft.  In any event, it made me feel like a...ahem...writer.

And it felt good!

I don't even need to tell you what the next question was, right?  Anyone who has finished a book (even the first draft) knows the next question.  "What's it about?"

So there it was.  The question I've pondered answering for months.  I've wondered what I'd say, how badly I would answer and whether I'd leave them shaking their heads acting like they understood what I was telling them.

"Well, it's an epic fantasy."  Quickly, I moved to dispel the blank look already forming.  "It's kind of like Lord of the Rings."  Whew.  The nod of comprehension.  I don't need approval, but understanding is crucial.  This way, they can walk away with an inner giggle muttering, "Ha!  The guy thinks he's Tolkien."  That much is acceptable.

So, what makes it even better?  The other server joining the conversation and asking, "Is it like Eragon?"

"A little," I answered.  "It's got dragons."

"I loved Eragon," he told me with a smile.  "When you get it published I'll have to buy a copy."

Then it was my turn to smile.  Yes, folks, it felt mighty good indeed.


Do you have similar stories you'd care to share?

New Ground

I broke a lot of new ground in April.  I came out of the closet and called myself a writer!  Of course, I qualified it with amateur, but I publicly declared that I write and intend to do something with it.  It's a profession of faith, a commitment, new ground.

No longer shall I write in the closet.  I'll write out in the open and not be ashamed.  No longer will I be Jeff, the guy who writes.  From this moment forward, I shall stand with my back straight, look people in the eye and say, "Hello, my name is Jeff, and I'm a writer."

And I've taken the first step by submitting my "Cathryn's Bay" short story to the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future competition.  Big step for me.  Definitely new ground.  But I figured, hey, why not?  It's just sitting around gathering pixel dust.  And that's what writers do.  They submit their writing.  To competitions, magazines, agents, editors.  They write.  And writers write to be read.

I'm also working on a short story called "Barnabas" that I plan to submit for a magic stories anthology.  I've been working on it for the past couple weeks.  I've never submitted anything for publication before.  So this too is new ground. 

And I'm even considering writing another short story to submit to John Hartness' Big Bad Anthology.  I have a few ideas, but haven't fleshed out the plot for that one yet.  It's worth a look if you're interested.

Of course, I also broke new ground in April by completing my very first book, The Bonding.  A few fine folks have offered to alpha read it for me.  I'm giddy with anticipation.  It's kind of like sending your newborn off to see a pediatrician and waiting for the prognosis.

I completed my first full-novel critique for another writer this month and am in the midst of a second one.  I work hard at giving critiques and feedback.  I take it seriously because the people who wrote the books take it seriously.  Fair is fair.

And I made a commitment.  A scary commitment.  Don't ask me why.  I'm a guy.  I'm supposed to be afraid of commitment.  Several members of the Yahoo Fantasy Writing Group are doing their own little private May NaNoWriMo challenge.  You know the deal, right?  50,000 (new and original) words written toward a novel within a month.  I agreed to participate.  My internal editor works overtime.  I want to learn how to send him on vacation while I draft.  This should help.  Again, new ground.

Wish me luck.  New ground is often soft.  I don't want to get stuck or sink or become mired in this new ground.  I want to cultivate it, fertilize it, and watch things grow from it.

So, are you that person who writes?  Or are you a writer?

Interview with "Daughter of Hauk" author, KateMarie Collins

Strands Of Pattern welcomes KateMarie Collins who is no doubt still happy dancing over her newly published debut novel.  She dropped by to tell us a little about her book, herself and more.  Please welcome KateMarie. 

The obvious first question: What's Daughter of Hauk about?

Redemption, accountability, forgiveness.  The main character, Arwenna, has been set up to help a demon lord gain a foothold in her world.  Only she doesn’t know it until she’s executed and memories that had been hidden from her for most of her life come through.  She’s able to return and tries to stop the very thing she helped let loose onto the world.

And for those of us who find this tantalizing, when and where can we get it?

It’s available for sale via my publisher’s (Solstice Publishing) website, and also on Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites.

• Solstice Publishing
• PDF Version
• Kindle Version
• Nook Version 

Is there a sequel in the future?

I’m still on the first draft of the sequel, but it is in the works.

What inspired you to write this story?

Many of the characters originated in a Dungeons and Dragons game that ended badly.  My character from that game, Arwenna, was resurrected in a different game.  There wasn’t any way to describe what happened in the game itself, so I wrote a short story about it and sent it off to my friends.  Everyone, including me, started wondering about what happened next.  Two and a half months later, the first draft was finished.

What about this book did you find most unsettling or difficult, and how did you come to terms with it?

Some of the things that happen to Arwenna that she can’t prevent weren’t easy to write.  Not necessarily because it was hard to describe, but because I’d been in similar situations in my life.  While therapeutic in some ways, it wasn’t easy to do to the character.

Considering everything you've endured working on this project, from idea germination to publishing, would you do it all again?

Absolutely.  The highs of getting a scene just right, having a contract offered to you, seeing your cover art for the first time, are all infinitely more satisfying than any of the lows were.  Sure, I got turned down by publishers before Solstice said yes.  But I’d rather keep working towards the yes than give up.

If Daughter of Hauk were made into a movie, who would you cast for the primary roles?

Arwenna – Ashley Green

Hauk – Liam Neeson

Senyan – Tom Felton

Joss – Taylor Kitsch

Barek – Jason Momoa

Lexi – Emma Watson

Bohrs – Johnny Depp

Y’Durkie – Jennifer Garner

Keep in mind, this is very much a dream cast.  Some of the characters have some quirks about them that may only be found during casting…and in unlikely people.

What other writing have you done and where can we find it?

I’ve had short stories in both issues of Winters Night magazine and in the first three issues of LQQK magazine.  I’d like to continue working with LQQK magazine as time allows, as the staff is wonderful.

Are you working on any other projects at the moment?

I’ve got three different novels in various stages of a first draft.  One is the sequel to ‘Daughter of Hauk’, the second is more of a YA fantasy novel, and the third is an expansion on a story that appeared in the first issue of Winters Night.

Is there a book you'd love to write, but know you never will?  If so, tell us about it.

I like a good mystery, but I doubt I’d ever write one.  You really need to have a clear idea of not only who did it, but why and where to put out a clue or a red herring for the detective (reader) to follow.  I’m simply not that well organized.

Are you a "discovery writer" or an "outliner" (or somewhere in the middle?)

I write by the seat of my pants.  I have a starting point and an ending in mind and have great fun finding out what’s going to happen in between.  I live for a ‘what if’ moment that can take the story into a completely new direction.  I had someone compliment me on being able to hide and reveal things to my reader at just the right time.  When you don’t know exactly what’s going to happen on the next page, it makes it easier for the reader to remain in the dark as well.
 

Which authors do you most admire and does it show in your writing?

I loved David Eddings and the way he inserted a sense of reality/normality into his characters.  They actually behaved and talked like most people, stressed over being in positions to do great things, and doubted they could.  Nick Pollotta is another of my favorite writers.  He injects a tremendous sense of humor into his writing.  He’s one of the few authors that will make me laugh aloud.

As an author, what is the legacy for which you'd most like to be remembered?

As an author who created stories you remember, characters that stay with you.

 

And as an individual?

That I faced my own fears and self doubt and didn’t give up after the first rejection.

Can you reveal a "secret" about yourself that almost no one else knows?

I’m a terrible critic of my writing and would stop every third word to correct something if I watched myself type.  To combat this, I type with my eyes closed and let my fingers find the words for the picture in my head.  I write about 90% of my stories this way.

Favorites:

•   Color:  Jewel tones, anything but pastels
•   Number:  112595 (no, I’m not explaining why)
•   Season:  I don’t think I have a favorite season, but I’m most comfortable on an overcast day, slight breeze, around 65 for a high.
•   Food and/or beverage:  Stuffed mushrooms, spiced cider
•   Song:  “Into the West” from LOTR: RotK by Annie Lennox
•   Movie:  LOTR trilogy.  Especially the last one. 
•   Book:  Anything by Nick Pollotta, David Eddings, Patricia Kennelly Morrison, or Stephen Boyett.

What advice do you have for writers who want to see their work published?

Don’t give up.  Polish left and right.  Find friends you know will actually tell you the truth (over saying “it’s great” when it’s not) to give you feedback.  Be patient.  The internet has made submissions easier, but it still takes time.  Be polite.  Yes, it may be 6 weeks past the initial ‘we’ll get back to you’ date, but you should still be nice when you inquire where your manuscript is in the queue.

Do you have a blog, website, twitter-feed, etc. where your fan base can learn all you're willing to share?

I’ve got a Facebook Fan Page that I keep updated with blog interviews, appearances, and such. 
On Twitter, I’m @DaughterHauk.  I just got started with it, though, so it’ll be a while before I update it as often as I do Facebook. 
I have a brand new Blog: KateMarieCollins 
You can also request a Kindlegraph from me!

So everyone, now that you have (hopefully) filed those dreaded tax forms and (hopefully) have a refund coming, consider taking a few bucks of it and adding KateMarie's Daughter of Hauk to your reading queue. And be sure to drop her a note in the comments!