Happy Halloween

Many of us celebrate this holiday by taking the little ones trick-or-treating, giving out the candy to them from our own homes, or dressing up and going to Halloween parties.

But did you know this was a Celtic Festival many years ago, where people would, (and probably still do) set out a plate for their loved ones who've passed on in a way of remembering them. It was also a time for them to take stock in their supplies and yes, slaughter the animals needed for food in the winter. Just thought that was interesting.

So maybe this year as you're dressing up, taking the little ones, out, or getting ready to hand out your treats, take a few moments to remember with the happy times of those who've passed on.

Hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween. Check back tomorrow for this week's winner.



WW's and PD's,
Vicki

Check Out Diana's Cover for Rampant and Carrie's Website and Excerpt...Wow for Both

Check out Diana Peterfreund’s blog. She has the cover up for Rampant and OMG, it’s amazing!

The girl is beautiful, but it goes beyond that. It’s like she knows something and you really want to know what it is.

This is a cover that if I was browsing in the bookstore, (and I always do after I’ve pick up whatever I’ve went for), the cover alone would draw me in and I’d have to pick it up to read the back.

Okay, now you’ve check out Diana’s blog, go over and check out Carrie Ryan’s new website. And while you’re there, read an excerpt of The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Amazing.

It’s not a long excerpt by any means and yet I was immediately drawn into her world.

These are two books I’m dying to read and can’t wait till they come out.

So, now you’ve check them out, what do you think?

WW’s and PD’s,
Vicki

Which Austen Heroine Are You?

I found this on violetcrush’s blog and thought it was pretty cool. It comes from Strangegirl on her Emma Adaptations Pages.

Take the Quiz here!

You are Marianne Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are impulsive, romantic, impatient, and perhaps a bit too brutally honest. You enjoy romantic poetry and novels, and play the pianoforte beautifully. To boot, your singing voice is captivating. You feel deeply, and love passionately.

Check it out and then come back and tell us which Austen Heroine you are.



Don’t forget this weeks contest is for Jessica Andersen’s, Knight Keepers. All comments all week go to the randomizer.

WW’s and PD’s,
Vicki

Golden Pen Contest and Knight Keeper's Giveaway

Before I do the contest for this week I must give props to the Golden Pen Network and their contest. In case you’re not sure who or what this is, they are a group of people who have all been Golden Heart winners, many of which are now published and alumni of the group.

They hold a contest each year called the Golden Pen and I can’t say enough good things about it. Although you don’t have to be entering the RWA Golden Heart to enter this contest, if you are it’s a fabulous thing to do. Think about it. Your entries are judged by former GH finalist. How cool is that.

Did I enter this year? Yep. Did I final? Nope. But I received amazing feedback from all my judges. There is one judge who went above and beyond and to that person I am here to say, WOW. The person opened my eyes to an area I needed to fix and to look for areas I could cut.

Did they like the story and my writing? Yep. What I did have (no more) was a few areas which could slow the pacing and I needed a stronger GMC for my heroine. She has an incredibly strong GMC after the moment where her world changes, but her GMC until that point wasn’t really strong enough. Now it is. :)

I would highly recommend this contest to anyone who truly wants feedback AND you’re ready to make those changes/cuts.

Now for this weeks contest:



Jessica Andersen’s Knight Keeper is an amazing story using the Mayan Calendar. Check out the blurb below.

As a Miami narcotics detective, Leah Daniels never knows how her day will turn out. But she certainly never expected to be strapped to a stone altar, the human sacrifice in an ancient Mayan ritual meant to coax up a demon from the underworld. Or that she'd be saved by a handsome warrior-priest king who claims to recognize her from his visions...

Jaguar Strike wishes he hadn't made the mistake of reuniting his fellow warrior priests, or broken the law by saving their chosen human sacrifice. Now, he has no choice but to join forces with Leah and invoke dangerous magic in a death-defying race against the end of time.
To read and excerpt, click here

Leave your comments this week and on Friday the randomizer will choose a winner.

Writing Wishes and Plotting Dreams,
Vicki

Check It Out

Over on Much Cheaper Than Therapy is a fabulous post by editors, Laura Kelly and Vicky Reed.

IMVHO, this is a must read for all writers, especially those of us who are aspiring to become published authors. Not only are they giving us ten of their top pet peeves, but they've provided examples of what their talking about.

Check it out and come back to leave a comment of your thoughts on the post.

WW's and PD's,
Vicki

Writing the Stand Alone Series

You’re writing a stand alone book and yet it’s a series. Sounds great, right? Well, it’s sort of this double edge sword thing. I’ve been using that word a lot lately, but with stand alone series, it’s true.

The first book is completed, shinning so bright, if it was a hotrod you’d seen yourself in it. And you’ve got it out there. People have requested it. Not quite to the point that it’s ‘your people call my people’ yet, but you feel it’s getting close.

You start the second book. Fingers tremble slightly as they pose over the keyboard. For the last month you’ve been dying to start this book. The first chapter flows and you smile. Of course it’s mostly POS, but not to worry, you’re writing forward and besides this is book two.

The screen is white, not a hint of black fills the page. You’ve now decided white is no longer one of your favorite colors. Shaking your head to clear out the proverbial cobwebs, you get another cup of coffee, grab a couple dove chocolates and head back to the laptop.

Maybe if you put on sunglasses it’ll stop the glare of what you are sure is now the brightest white on computer screen you’ve ever seen. And then it hits you. OMG, you’re going to need to plot this out. (Imagine hand slapping forehead here)

Two of your secondary characters from book one are the hero and heroine in book two. Shouldn’t be a problem, you’ve heard them in your head for months. They’ve been dying to get their story told.

Hero and Heroine decide to clam up. Oh yeah, they aren’t saying a word. You cajole them with promises of really listening to them and writing what they want you too. Nothing. What the heck is wrong with these two? Where have they gone? Don’t they know you’re ready now?

And that’s when you finally get it. You don’t know them at all. Sure you knew them in book one as secondary characters, but that’s all. You really didn’t care to much about their GMC’s and now all of sudden you think you can sit down and just spew it out.

You’ve got to plot, BUT more importantly you’ve got to LISTEN to them.

After pouring yourself a glass of wine, and taking the bottle with you, (hey this could be a long night), you settle down and begin. You talk about personal dreams, goals, and desires. Things no one else might know. During the course of the conversation you laugh and you cry and then you’re ready.

Electrical current charges through your fingers and mind, you’ve a real story to tell and it’s theirs. Not something left over from book one, but their lives, hopes, and dreams.
Book two, a stand alone series comes alive and you smile.

Writing Wishes and Plotting Dreams,
Vicki

Her One Desire - Winner

I'm so excited to give away a copy of Kim's debut book! The winner is....the anticipation gathers...fingers are crossed, heck, maybe even toes...


Carol!!!! Email me your snail mail addy at vickilanewrite @yahoo.com and I'll send the book along.

A little housekeeping, I never heard from Karin who won Susan Grants, Moonstruck. If I don't hear from her by Tuesday of next week, the randomizer will choose another winner.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

WW's and PD's,
Vicki