Virtual Tour -Updated today!

Well, it's underway.

Virtual Tour -updated

Well, it's underway.

My Virtual book tour...the beginning

Well, it's underway.

Hangin' with the teen readers group 

Learning From Your Mistakes

Another wonderful Guest post by Carlie M. A. Cullen

I recently had this quirky idea for my blog for my followers to ask me anything they wanted so they could get to know me better. The post, “Interview the Writer. Who Me? Yes You!”, brought out some great questions. One of them was: “What are some grammatical errors you still find yourself using/doing even though you know you shouldn’t?” and this really got me thinking.
As writers, we all have our little weak spots and I’ve identified some of my worst ones from first drafts:
- Exclamation marks – I use way too many when trying to emphasize a point and don’t realize until my wonderful editor raps my knuckles. What I’m actually doing is slowing down the dialogue instead of keeping it flowing.

- The word ‘that’ – this is probably my biggest sin of all. Put it this way, if I had a pound or dollar for each ‘that’ removed from my first draft, I’d probably have enough money for some retail therapy!

- Using too many similes beginning with ‘like’ – I’ve learnt the hard way about this. On the up side, I’ve found ways of expressing these in terms that make the story much stronger, and I’m still experimenting with it. Some similes work extremely well, especially if you can be really inventive, but too many weakens the writing.

- Starting a new paragraph for dialogue when it should be a continuation of the previous line – this is another sin my editor nags me about.

- Using hard line returns to start a new page at the end of a chapter – it doesn’t always work and using page breaks is a much cleaner way of doing it. This I learned from my beta reader. On my copy of the manuscript it all looked fine, but when I sent it to her she pointed out that several chapters ran into each other (oops). I’m glad I found out before an agent or publisher requested my full manuscript!

I know there are others, but they are minor compared with those listed above. The important thing is that I know what to look for and as I write the second book in my trilogy (I’m now well into chapter 4), I’m correcting myself as I write. I do try to switch off my inner editor particularly when the writing is flowing well, but I’m finding I’m automatically correcting myself.
This, I think, is a good thing. It means I’m learning from my mistakes which, I hope, will make me a better writer in the long run. It also means less nagging from my editor (a real plus) and a stronger base for the finished product.
I will continue to learn from my mistakes; I want my writing to be the very best it can be for my readers, they deserve nothing less!

--------------

To visit Carlie's AMAZING blog, click HERE







---------------------

As always, find interviews, writing samples, videos, contests and more on my re-vamped website.

www.TheNeverChronicles.com

In bookstores 6-5-2012

Humanising the Heinous-Guest post by Carlie Cullen

Humanising The Heinous by Carlie Cullen

Nearly every Fantasy book I’ve ever read has at least one villain intent on causing as much harm or mischief as possible and while this makes for an exciting story, not every author treads the path to explore why the villain is the way he/she is. I have to wonder why this is; maybe it’s because the writer is wrapped up in the emotions and back story of the protagonists, maybe they are so busy making their villain evil and plotting the next dastardly trick that they forget to look at the true character behind the evil, and maybe they just didn’t think about it.

Guest post: Tyra Heinrichs: Why my teens read and your's don't.

Why my teens read and yours don’t.

By Tyra Heinrichs

I have two teenage boys (17 & 16). Yes, they read. They read fiction for the same reasons almost everyone else does. To be entertained. Sounds simple doesn’t it?

I’m about to offend the literary types out there, but us masses tend to read for the fun of it. We’re not into the sound of the words, their underlying meanings or even elegant prose. We want thrills, chills and to connect with characters who live and breathe in our mind’s eye. We’re escaping our day-to-day lives. This is no different with teens.


When we connect to a character in a great story, they become part of us and their story becomes our adventure. I believe that well crafted stories teach us about the human condition and what we’re capable of. What teen do you know (or anybody else for that matter) who isn’t looking to understand the world around them?


We all read to experience something outside our everyday lives. Both my sons loved, Life of Pi, by Yann Martel. That’s a story and a half. It’s adventure and discovery. How would you survive months on the ocean, in a lifeboat, your only companion a tiger?

Fiction is like music. Sometimes you need a piece that will lift your spirits and sometimes you just want to dance or sing along. Jazz is to literary, just like rock is to popular fiction. Ballads, classical and pop fiction can all be covered by genre fiction, especially fantasy and science fiction. Don’t believe me? Listen to the scores for any of the Lord of the Rings movies.

If you’re over thirty and you don’t think science fiction is not real literature, then think of it as social commentary. The first interracial kiss on television happened on a science fiction show (Star Trek). The concept of the end of economic growth was first explored in science fiction. The real consequences of nuclear war were first understood through science fiction stories. Look around you, do you use a computer, cell phone, have you ever driven in a car? Thank science fiction for that.


The thing to remember is that reading for fun isn’t about being safe. It’s about danger. So forget books that only move your thoughts in one direction. Forget safe. Your heart should race or at the very least ache for the characters on the page. You want Romance? Why not add an element of nightmare and read a Romantic Thriller? You want a coming of age story? Why not add wolves, a quest or a lost map to untold riches?


Oh, and forget most of the stories you read as a kid. The majority of it was written for the culture of the time. You didn’t grow up with cell phones or cyber bullying. Let your kids escape their lives, just like you do, with characters dealing with today’s issues. It’s a bit scary, but the average teen I’ve met is intelligent, aware of the dangers in the world around them and quite honestly, a lot more willing to take chances then those of us tied down by mortgages.


A current fantasy favourite of both my boys is Grunts, by Mary Gentle, about Orcs with P-90s (the guns used on Stargate) and US Marine training. Why should anyone read this book? Answer: Orc Marines! 

Of course, what real home doesn’t have some sci-fi? My youngest picked up a Star Wars book called Death Troopers, by Joe Schreiber. We’re talking Star Wars and Zombies...this will keep you up at night—reading or not! 

My oldest has finished the Fire and Ice series by George R. R. Martin (there’s at least one more book coming). I’m still on the first book, but my husband has also finished, A Dance with Dragons. There’s not as much sex as on the TV version on HBO. Its plots and characters are more subtle, a lot of intrigue and yes, dragons! Battles! Danger! And characters you love actually die! 

Guest Post by Terri Morgan: Writing from the teen's perspective

Writing from the teen's perspective

by Terri Morgan 

In mid-November, a couple of days after I self-published my novel, Playing the Genetic Lottery, I was lucky enough to be interviewed on the radio in Honolulu by Carroll Cox for his talk show. I had sent him the first six chapters of my book, which is a memoir-style novel of a 32-year-old wife and mother who grew up with two schizophrenic parents, to read before we talked on the air. Noting that a good half of the book covers my protagonist's teenage years, Carroll asked me if it was challenging to write from a teen's point of view. I just smiled and said "that was the easy part."

Guest post: Immortality by Mara Nelms

Immortality

by Mara Nelms

It’s interesting, right? I mean, living forever, that’d be pretty cool. You’d probably get to see those hovercars that we keep hearing about but which nobody has bothered to invent yet.

You could do absolutely nothing day after day after day, and not be wasting time because you’re going to live forever!

Or you could horde information. That’s what I would do. Just horde knowledge, invent some cool stuff, cure cancer, you know, the usual. Jetpacks, here we come.

Or you could surf the internet forever; that’s a worth-while use of time!

Of course, there are a few downsides, namely that everyone you know and love would eventually shrivel up and die, but whatever, right? Just think of all the stuff you could accomplish!

Like… going to high school over and over again. And seducing a seventeen-year-old. And living with a whole bunch of other immortal people in a boring town in the middle of absolutely-*effing-nowhere, in some place where the sun can’t be bothered to shine.

Sounds fun, right?

Because we all loved high school, right? Like, if you were immortal, you would totally want to just keep enrolling yourself in different high schools, again and again, see the same type of two-faced girls and the same *d-bag guys who haven’t emotionally matured since second grade—and let’s not forget those kids who are always getting high, we all missed them!

Okay. I’ve exhausted my ability to be sarcastic.

Guest Post: The proper uses of 'Literally' by Mara Nelms

On The Proper and Improper Uses of the Word Literally

 By Mara Nelms

            The word “literally” has, for some reason, become popular in the local Southern vernacular of the English language. I don’t know why for certain, but I theorize that to certain people the use of the word gives off an air of intelligence. However, to someone who actually knows the proper use of the word “literally”, the sentence “I was literally really terrified,” just sounds stupid. “Literally” is not a substitute for the word “really.” It does not mean “extremely” or “very” and it should not be used to express vehemence. “Literally,” when used properly, is used only in the company of metaphors, similes, or hyperboles to express that the statement accompanying actually is not a metaphor, simile, or hyperbole.

            For instance, “literally” should not be present in this sentence: “I was literally so, so happy!” That sentence does not contain a hyperbole, metaphor, or simile. It can, however, be used here: “I was literally so happy I could burst, because when I was five and three months old my parents had a bomb implanted in my stomach that would be triggered by extreme emotions.” Usually when people say that they are so happy they could burst, it is an exaggeration based on the excited, swelling feeling they had. Here, however, the unfortunate speaker was so happy that the bomb in her stomach could have exploded, making her literally burst. She was clarifying that she was not in fact exaggerating for effect, but being deadly serious. Thus, the correct use of the word “literally.”

            See again an example with a metaphor: “Even by math teacher standards, she was an evil little imp.” Here the speaker is merely comparing her math teacher to an imp (the teacher probably assigns a lot of homework and doesn’t bother reviewing the material.) However, consider this statement: “My math teacher is literally an evil little imp!” To the educated observer, this sentence means either one of two things: one; that the math teacher is a horned creature from the depths of hell (or an extremely mischievous child), or two; that the speaker is an *effing idiot.

            If you’ve done this before, don’t worry. Your sins against the English language are forgiven, mostly; by me, anyway, provided that you repent and don’t do it ever ever again or else I will throw you into Grammar Hell. Are we understood?

Mara Nelms is the author of the blog:  My Purse bit my Best Friend, which is extremely entertaining as you may have guessed.  We look forward to more guest posts from Mara.

*in an effort to keep this blog PG13, I changed one word.  I'm not a fan of censorship but my readers range in age from thirteen on up and generally don't see that type of language from me or my posts.  Thank you for understanding. (not that they can't figure out what the word is supposed to be anyway)

----------------

Don't forget to visit my website for additional writing samples, free stuff, writing contests, videos, illustrations, and, of course, updates on Exiled -releasing June 5

www.theneverchronicles.com

The evolution of YA: Guest post by J. Roger Greer

The Evolution of YA

by guest poster extraordinaire, J. Roger Greer

I am going to go out on a limb and guess that many of the new followers to this blog are here for the YA connection. If that is so, great, wonderful, absolutely awesome! There is nothing better than a young adult who spends time with a book, no matter how that book is delivered. Books force a person to think, to create, to interact with characters, characters that may not be like the reader. And today’s YA stuff might just lead a reader to yesterday’s YA stuff.

That would be Robinson Caruso, Little Women, The Catcher in the Rye. Yes, all of those are well written classics perfect for a young adult reader. For those who are jumping on the Vampire craze, remember that Bram Stoker became famous borrowing the vampire idea from earlier poets and novelists. As much as I hate Wikipedia, one can use it as a jumping off point for research such as this. The Vampyre is one of those earlier stories, give it a read, it is the basis for so many of the popular stuff today, and written better, in my opinion.

Vampires fuel a need within us, the need to live forever, to cheat death, keeping our youthful appearance, as well as developing superhuman powers. The perfect protagonist or antagonist for any story. One can hate the vampire for its need for blood, or be jealous of its strength and longevity. One can love the vampire for that same longevity or for its looks, as many vampires are depicted as gorgeous. But-you knew there was a but coming, didn’t you?-The vampire stories still fall back on to the tried and true literary devices that have served story tellers forever.

This is not an indictment of the new vampire stories (such as those written by Willow Cross), rather it is an act of applause, a ‘shout-out’ to those who make the old stories new again, drawing in new readers who may dig deeper and keep some of the older version alive; isn’t that what we authors want? For our words to live forever, even if we can’t?

J. Roger Greer writes for his blog Stones and words and words and stones

          

As always, 

Visit my website www.TheNeverChronicles.com for updates on my forthpublishing novel, Exiled, writing contests and other cool stuff.

Guest Post by me, age 11

I thought I'd share another gem of a writing sample from my youth.  This masterpiece is a sample from the sequel to Return of the Jedi. (what else would it be?)

Written by Josh Wagner and Nick Bausch (hope you don't mind, Nick)
     

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away..............

Episode VII Return of the Empire

     The rebels have begun construction on a new base on the planet of Endor.  now that the Empire is destroyed, the rebels are not in a hurry to complete there (yes there) base and there (yes, once again, there) worries are few.

     Little do they know on the far side of the galaxy the empire is reforming.  There (ugh) leader a dark lord from the planet Donateo, Lord Opi who is determined to crush the rebellion. He has many allies, his most powerful is the force.
   

The empire is finishing the last stage on a new base twice as big and three times as powerful as the Death Star.  This space station is located inside an asteroid within in impassable asteroid field. (Kind of makes you wonder how effective an offensive strategy one would launch from such a location) This space station will spell certain doom to the small band of rebels trying to restore freedom to the galaxy.....(I was nice enough to correct the spelling of galaxy -from gallexy)

Luke "It sure is a clear night outside, isn't it." (I guess this isn't a question)
Liea "You can see for miles!"
Han "What's going on out here?"
Liea  " We are just admiring the sky isn't it beautiful?"
Han "Yeah great, has anyone seen Chewie, he has a part to the power generator I'm working on for the Falcon."
Luke "Oh where are you going?" (Wow, shouldn't Liea be the one asking these questions?)
Han "No where (ugh) just fixing her up for the hell of it. (George lucas managed to go three entire movies without a single curse and we made it to the middle of the second page.)

     Han was about to turn around to leave when he saw a bright red glow shoot across the sky into the forest many miles away.

Han" Did you see that!" (more of a statement than a question, I suppose)
Liea "Yes what was it."
Han "Probably just a meteor."
Luke "I don't think so." under his breath
Liea "We better check in it is getting late and we have a busy day tomorrow."
Han "Yeah, but I think we should check it out in the morning anyway.

     They all turned around and went back into the base.

The dialogue is arguably as good, if not better than George Lucas' -especially when compared to the three most recent films. Lets just hope Lucas doesn't steal this priceless idea....

Check out my website, which is now live!

www.TheNeverChronicles.com

Guest Post: By me, age 9.

I've included copies of the journal I found so everyone doesn't think I'm totally making this up.

I stumbled upon this gem the other night along with some other samples of my writing prowess. (God, help us all)


So, here goes.

From Josh Wagner, age 9

Jaws 5 (because Jaws 4 was so good)

1
The waters were silent a great fish was moveing twards the shore, Matt hooper an oceanographer was night diving off the coast of the bahamas.  The fish moved closer.  The water was cold and Mat was very numb.  Matt felt a gerk on his left leg he turned around to sea what it was nothing was there.  He reached down fore his left leg nothing was there.  He started up he felt a tug he turned around and the last thing he saw was his own blood and the eye of a great fish.  It was July 27 Mike Brody awoke.  It was around 6:25 he was going to try out his minie sub today with his friend Jake Vanpebles.  he went to the dock.  Jake was there boarding the minie sub on the boat. "comeon man we don't want to be late fore the morning fish.  Mike got on the boat. 25 degriese south south west now you hear.  They were driving fore a hour.  Ok stop the engine.  Jake lowered the minie sub in the water they climed in detached the cables and submerged.

Not too shabby, right?  I mean, sure, it is riddled with spelling and grammatical errors and the Jaws franchise should have ended with the original but you got to give the kid credit for being creative! It turns out, the entire journal is full! Cover to cover!


I scanned the journal for the non-believers. (I think I highlighted the dialogue.)