Top Ten Tuesday: Unique Books
Posted: April 8, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: Chuck Wendig, top ten tuesday 8 Comments
Before I start, I just wanted to send a shout out to the lovely Amber A. Baradan, who tagged me for the writing process blog hop. Sadly, I already did it already, but you all should go visit her and shower her with love.
This week’s theme at The Broke and the Bookish is the ten most unique books I’ve read. This is hard, because there are so many books out there. Just because a book is unique to me, that doesn’t mean there aren’t dozens out there similar to it. I even considered skipping Top Ten Tuesday and posting something else. But I figured this is my blog and this is my list. These books are unique to me, and that will have to do. :p
Pivot Point by Kasie West. This book’s main plot device is a girl whose talent is to see two alternate futures, based on a decision she is about to make. The ending took my breath away.
Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff. I know I mentioned this book last week, but it’s Steampunk in feudal Japan, with fantasy creatures. It doesn’t get much more unique than that!
Dragoncharm by Graham Edwards. Set in a world with no humans, this book is the first in a trilogy where all the characters are dragons. I’m due to re-read it, now that I think about it!
Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey. Alternate Earth fantasy with a BDSM twist (a little bit of kink!) and politics that would do Machiavelli proud.
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. This is the first book in the series on which the TV show Dexter is based. Although Hannibal Lecter was the first serial killer I read about, he wasn’t the protagonist. Dexter, on the other hand, I could cheer for.
Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh by Katie Hamstead. Intrigue and romance in Ancient Egypt. I’ve read Egypt-like fantasy before (such as Joust by Mercedes Lackey) but not historical fiction.
Magic’s Pawn by Mercedes Lackey. This is the first book in a trilogy about Vanyel, the first and only homosexual fantasy protagonist I’ve come across. I love him to pieces.
Mockingbird by Chuck Wendig. Miriam Black, the protagonist in this book, has a filthy mouth and robs the dead. But at least she doesn’t kill them first. This book’s not for the fainthearted.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling. I’m sure there are dozens — or hundreds — of immatators out there now, but Rowling’s rich world of magic and mystery in a wizard’s school is still the best.
The Memory Game by Sharon Sant. The protagonist in this book, David, dies just before the opening scene. The book deals with his experience as a ghost, haunting the weird girl from school. Heartbreaking stuff.
What would you say is the most unique book you’ve ever read?
Excerpt and giveaway: ‘Goddess Wars’ by Trisha Wolfe
Posted: April 7, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: contests, fantasy novel, new adult Leave a comment
Of Silver and Beasts (Goddess Wars #1)
by Trisha Wolfe
Release Date: April 19th 2013
In the sand-covered queendom of Cavan, the goddess once saved a young Kaliope’s life, preventing the mercury her father attempted to hide in her blood from reaching her heart. Now, a cybernetic clamp filters it, but the silver streaks swirling faintly beneath her skin are a constant reminder that she’s different.
When nineteen-year-old Kaliope is chosen as head of the Nactue Guard, she becomes the sworn protector to her empress. In the midst of an invasion on a neighboring land, Kaliope is placed in charge of guarding Prince Caben, the last heir to his kingdom. But when they’re attacked by the feared Otherworlders, Caben and Kaliope are abducted and taken below to a realm where they must fight for their life in a caged arena.
Kaliope struggles to protect her princely charge, keeping him and herself alive while battling inhumanly opponents, and trying to save the stolen, sacred relic that will restore her empress’s life force and all of Cavan. And if she can somehow awaken the goddess within her, she may save what’s most important.
New Adult Dark Fantasy: Intended for readers 17 years of age and older.
Of Darkness and Crowns (Goddess Wars #2)
by Trisha Wolfe
Release Date: September 1, 2013
The moon goddess has taken up residency within Prince Caben, darkening his mind and soul. Now he hunts the very women he sacrificed his life to save, his conflicting desires for love and power raging a battle within him. Kaliope possesses the key to setting Bale free, and Caben will stop at nothing to see his goddess restored. Even if that means destroying the kingdom he’s sworn to protect, and the infuriating woman who torments his thoughts.Kaliope, now the leader to the newly formed Nactue Guard, has vowed to save Caben. But with a traitor lurking among her people, and powers she’s unable to fully control, Kaliope’s mission becomes shrouded with doubt. Her new role as watcher over Caben’s kingdom brings a burden she’s unable to bear alone, and appointing the right person in charge of the prince’s affairs has turned a kingdom against the Nactue leader. Saving her stubborn, willful prince from the darkness overtaking him will be the battle of her life, and she needs people she can trust by her side. But bad blood between members of the Nactue obscure Kaliope’s journey, while her feelings for Caben cloud her judgment.
When the time comes to do what she must to destroy the goddess of chaos, will she be able to if it means losing Caben forever?
Book two of the Goddess Wars is told in dual point of view from Kaliope and Caben. New Adult Dark Fantasy, intended for readers 17 years of age and older.
Excerpt
I block her blow and come at her from above, forcing her to deflect my attacks at an awkward angle for her petite stature. My smile spreads. “We can dance like this all night, but I’d rather our time be spent more usefully.” I lunge and slash, making it tiring for her to defend herself. “Take me to the goddess relic, and I’ll let you and your empress live…for the time being.” I grunt as she snakes a cheap shot to my wrist.
She’s not amused by the slight damage she’s inflicted. Rather, as her gaze traps my broken skin, she looks mortified. Everything I’ve waited for is falling apart. I can’t have her die at the end of my sword while mourning the loss of her prince. She needs anger. Wrath. Disgust.
Those are the emotions that will drive her to face me full-on and not hold back.
I could end this now—slice her open and turn my back on her forever. Find the relic easily for myself and what else I came here for and then be gone. But something inside me refuses to accept a simple defeat. Not from the woman who has tormented my thoughts with weakness and regret.
She’s the last thing in this world that threatens my power. And I refuse to destroy her in this state, only to have her haunt me from the grave. I need a worthy foe—a vicious opponent—to defeat.
Not a heartbroken girl.
“This won’t do.” I growl as I back her against the wall, my swings becoming sloppy with my rage. As if she knows what she’s doing to me, she smiles. The first one I’ve seen in so long…and she’s beautiful. Heart stopping. It infuriates me.
I shout and thrust my sword, knocking hers aside as I move into her personal space. Realization washes over her face, and she quickly brings up her arm to guard against my fist. I stop short, my balled hand an inch from her cheek.
My breaths are hot and quick as they leave my mouth in heavy puffs. My gaze flicks over Kal’s shocked face, her trembling lips. And my fingers uncurl. I press closer and trace my fingertips along her soft skin…
Kill her.
With a jerk of my head, I hush the dark goddess’s voice. Then I seize Kal’s wrist and slam the back of her hand against the stone wall. She’s as stubborn as ever, keeping a tight grip on her weapon. I knock her arm against the wall again. And again, until she releases a cry and her sword clatters to the floor.
I drop my own and grab the arm still held up as a shield, then pin both her wrists to the wall. “Look at me,” I order, my tone giving away my frustration. Impatience grips my nerves, and I drop one hand to grasp her face, forcing her eyes to meet mine.
As she drinks me in hungrily, like she’s only just now truly seeing me, something stirs beneath my skin. The white power crackles over my hands, healing the wound on my wrist, and Kal’s eyes widen.
The last time she encountered my power, when she was trapped by the glowing tentacles, she suffered tremendous pain, I’m sure. And though something inside me is screaming to unleash that power on her now, I rein it in. I don’t want our dance to end so soon.
As the power recedes, leaving my skin unblemished, I caress her face. Run my palm and fingers along her soft flesh. Down her jawline. All the while, her eyes hold me, ensnaring me. This is her power—her spell over me. It’s the reason why she must die.
I have to be free of her.
Yet, I can’t help wanting to inhale her, taste her, quench my thirst of her one last time. And maybe that will even spark the fury within her to fight. Bring the old Kal back, the one who would rather put a blade through a man’s heart than be victim to his charms.
Pushing my body against hers, I revel in the feel of her curves, and know that I’m lying to myself. It’s completely selfish what I’m craving, but the lie is all too tempting. Just like her.
I lower my head and place my lips to her neck, breathe her in. Then, trailing them along her slick skin, my tongue flicking out to taste the mix of sweetness and salt, I move next to her ear. Her breaths deepen, pressing her sultry chest to mine.
“Let me in, Kal,” I whisper, loving how my words cause her to shiver. “It’s what you want.”
Pulling back, I lock gazes with her. The desire in her eyes urges my lips to trap hers, and I move in. Wanting to caress them as much as the yearning demands to hurt them.
“Caben,” she says, low and breathy. I halt my descent. She bites down on her lip, and my arousal hardens painfully against my pants.
“What, love?”
A slow smile curls her lips. “Fuck off.” Then she spits in my face.
About the Author
From an early age, Trisha Wolfe dreamed up fantasy worlds and characters and was accused of talking to herself. Today, she lives in South Carolina with her family and writes full time, using her fantasy worlds as an excuse to continue talking to herself. For more information on Trisha Wolfe and her works, please visit: http://www.TrishaWolfe.com
Excerpt and giveaway: ‘Uncovering Cobbogoth’ by Hannah L. Clark
Posted: April 6, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: contests, small presses, young adult Leave a comment
Uncovering Cobbogoth (Cobbogoth #1)
by Hannah L. Clark
Release Date: 13 May 2014
Norah Lukens needs to uncover the truth about the fabled lost city of Cobbogoth. After her archaeologist uncle’s murder, Norah is asked to translate his old research journal for evidence and discovers that his murder was a cover-up for something far more sinister.
When she turns to neighbor and only friend James Riley for help, she realizes that not only is their bitter-sweet past haunting her every step, but James is keeping dangerous secrets. Can Norah discover what they are before its too late to share her own.
Excerpt
“Nor? ” James rubbed the sleep from his eyes with the heel of his hand. One look at me, however, and he was wide awake. “What is it? Is it Gram?”
“No. No, not that,” I croaked, guilt rushing through me for causing him more worry.
The panic left his eyes, and he squinted at me.
I shuffled self-consciously. I knew I looked terrible. I’d been up crying half the night after my argument with Uncle Jack about James breaking my heart. Finally, I snuck out my window, climbed down my cherry tree, and headed to the fire station to see James.
“Hey, Riley! Cut the lights, man!”
James glanced back into the dark, communal bedroom where the rest of the night shift firefighters slept.
“Come here.” He took my hand, closed the bedroom door and, in stockinged feet, led me down the hall. A moment later, we were sitting side by side on the stairs. James still held my hand, and I hoped he’d never let go. I watched as he reached into his shirt pocket, fishing around until he found a piece of peppermint gum.
He offered me half. I shook my head, so he stuffed the whole thing in his mouth. Then he turned those kind, piercing eyes on me.
Growing warm under his gaze, I cleared my throat. “I-I’m so sorry to wake you up,” I started. “I hoped you’d still be awake. It’s just . . .”
James mindlessly ran his thumb in circles over my knuckles. I lost my train of thought. Blinking, I took a deep breath and plunged on. “My uncle . . . he wants me to stop spending time with you. I mean, I can still help with Gram and everything, he just doesn’t want us hanging out any other time.” I sucked in another unsteady breath. “But I—I can’t let that happen, James. You’re my only friend.”
James was quiet for what seemed like forever. I prayed he wouldn’t just shrug his broad shoulders and shuffle back to bed.
To my relief, he reached up, rumpling his chocolate curls with his free hand. “Did he give you a reason why?” he asked, avoiding my eyes. I shook my head. “I think he’s afraid you’ll end up hurting me—that you’ll break my heart. You know how protective he is.”
He was silent again, this time longer.
Stupid, Norah! Why had I come here? Why did I think James would even care about this—that it would upset him at all?
Finally, James let out his breath. And the next moment, he was pressing the back of my hand to his lips.
I swallowed my shock. I’d never imagined that his lips could be so warm and soft. The contact sent a shock straight to my heart.
“What do you think?” James mumbled a moment later, still contemplating my hand. “Do you think I could hurt you?”
I wanted to burst into tears all over again. “I don’t think, James, I know. But it would be worth it.”
James chuckled this time, resting his forehead against my temple. “Now that’s a compliment.”
I smiled. Having him so close—smelling the fresh peppermint on his breath—was a fierce mixture of agony and ecstasy. They were feelings I’d never imagined I could feel.
“I’d never hurt you, Nor,” James whispered at last, and his breath tickled my neck. “Not really.”
About the Author
Hannah L. Clark is the author of the YA fantasy-adventure “Uncovering Cobbogoth.” It is the first book in a planned 7 book series. It will be released by Cedar Fort Publishing on May 13, 2014.
Hannah lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with her husband and son.
Author Links:
Cover reveal: ‘One Lucky Night’ anthology
Posted: April 5, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: book covers, self-publishing 9 CommentsYOU GUYS! I’m so happy today to share the cover and official blurb of One Lucky Night with you!
One night can change everything…
The crew at Boston’s Brazen Head Pub hasn’t been very lucky in love. Can a mysterious visitor inspire them to look past old hurts and misconceptions and give romance a chance? One Lucky Night is a collection of five sexy interwoven novelettes by Aria Kane, Grace Teague, Ana Blaze, Constance Phillips and Melinda Dozier.
Lucky Break by Aria Kane
Four years ago, chef Derek Chase walked out of Andrea Rivera’s life after a tragedy neither of them were prepared to deal with. When she’s called to the Brazen Head to repair a dishwasher, old sparks ignite buried feelings.
Lucky Star by Grace Teague
When her life is threatened by a mugger, Charlotte Price realizes she’s in love with her best friend, Tommy Leung. The Brazen Head seems like the perfect neutral place to confess her feelings, but nothing goes according to plan.
A New Tune by Ana Blaze
When it comes to dating, Holly Hall has one unbreakable rule: no musicians. Not even gorgeous ones. Especially not gorgeous ones. Dating them only leads to heartbreak. So why did she let singer-songwriter Cian O’Neill kiss her? And why is she thinking about doing it again?
Lexi’s Chance by Constance Phillips
As a bartender, Sean Whalen meets all kinds of women every night, but none turn his head the way that Lexi has. She’s been playing cat and mouse with him for weeks. Tonight, Sean’s determined to get Lexi to quit teasing and take a real chance on him.
Drink or Dare by Melinda Dozier
A bachelorette party Drink or Dare game pairs paramedic students, Rachel Robertson and Killian Whelan, in a flirting match. Soon, the dares threaten to turn their academic rivalry into something much more.
One Lucky Night will be available in print and at all major ebook retailers on May 7th. For now, you can add it to Goodreads!
About the Authors
Aria Kane is a recovering mechanical engineer and romance writer. As a military brat, she grew up all over the country, but now lives in sunny Florida with a 60 lb mutt who thinks he’s a chihuahua.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads
Grace Teague lives in Pittsburgh with her spouse, children and a cat named Mr. Sushi.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Ana Blaze lives near Washington DC with her charming husband and three cats who firmly believe they are royalty. Ana is a member of Romance Writers of America.
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Constance Phillips lives in Ohio with her husband, two ready-to-leave-the-nest children, and four canine kids. Her perfect fantasy vacation would involve hunting Dracula across Europe with her daughter, who also digs that kind of stuff.
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Melinda Dozier teaches English to middle schoolers by day and writes at night. She lives in Guatemala, Central America with her college sweetheart and three sons.
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Giveaway
The authors are giving away four print copies of One Lucky Night before you can buy it!
Review: ‘Twelve Steps’ by Veronica Bartles
Posted: April 4, 2014 Filed under: Reviews | Tags: aussie-owned, reviews, small presses 2 Comments
Twelve Steps
by Veronica Bartles
Release Date: 25 March 2014
Sixteen-year-old Andi is tired of being a second-class sibling to perfect sister Laina. The only thing Andi’s sure she has going for her is her awesome hair. And even that is eclipsed by Laina’s perfect everything else.
When Andi’s crush asks her to fix him up with Laina, Andi decides enough is enough, and devises a twelve-step program to wrangle the spotlight away from Laina and get the guy.
Step 1: Admit she’s powerless to change her perfect sister, and accept that her life really, really sucks.
Step 4: Make a list of her good qualities. She MUST have more than just great hair, right?
Step 7: Demand attention for more than just the way she screws things up.
When a stolen kiss from her crush ends in disaster, Andi realizes that her twelve-step program isn’t working. Her prince isn’t as charming as she’d hoped, and the spotlight she’s been trying to steal isn’t the one she wants.
As Laina’s flawless façade begins to crumble, the sisters work together to find a spotlight big enough for both to shine.
Last year, Aussie Owned and Read hosted a pitching contest called Pitcharama. Each of us shortlisted our three favourite pitches, and these were then requested by various press editors. Twelve Steps was one of our entries. I originally had it as one of my three, but Sharon guilted me into giving it to her because it was contemp and that’s not my usual genre. (When Lauren said “there were tears, tantrums, stealing, and a little name calling“, this was the book she was referring to.)
Next time I will be hardened to Sharon’s big-eyed Puss in Boots routine. :p
Anyway, needless to say, I’m thrilled beyond measure that Twelve Steps was picked up, and — even though it’s not my usual genre — I leapt at the opportunity to receive a review copy as part of this blog tour.
Twelve Steps tells the story of Andi and Laina, sisters who attend the same high school. Laina’s best friend, Jarod, has had a crush on Laina for about as long as Andi has had a crush on Jarod. And so the sibling rivalry ensues.
This is the sort of story that, if it hadn’t been handled deftly and with humour, could have gone horribly wrong. Both girls are gorgeous and popular, but neither of them fully appreciates how lucky they are. Both, it becomes apparent fairly quickly, view the other sister as the more popular one. And Andi, our leading lady, can be quite sly and manipulative to get what she wants. Only one person sees through her act, and that’s Dave.
Fortunately, Andi has a good heart and instead of turning into the wicked sister she could have become, she (mostly) uses her powers for good rather than evil — especially once she realises there’s more going on than the usual teenage drama. She genuinely wants what’s best for Laina, which completely redeems her and the story.
Also, she has a great sense of humour (once of her defence mechanisms when she’s upset), which I appreciated. 🙂
Twelve Steps is a great story of sibling rivalry, unrequited love and growing to be comfortable with who you are. I give it five stars.
Twelve Steps giveaway
Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks | Amazon
About Veronica
As the second of eight children and the mother of four, Veronica Bartles is no stranger to the ups and downs of sibling relationships. (She was sandwiched between the gorgeous-and-insanely-popular older sister and the too-adorable-for-words younger sister.) She uses this insight to write stories about siblings who mostly love each other, even while they’re driving one another crazy. When she isn’t writing or getting lost in the pages of her newest favorite book, Veronica enjoys knitting fabulous bags and jewelry out of recycled plastic bags and old VHS tapes, sky diving (though she hasn’t actually tried that yet), and inventing the world’s most delectable cookie recipes. TWELVE STEPS is Veronica Bartles’s first novel.
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Cover reveal: ‘Love and Other Unknown Variables’ by Shannon Alexander
Posted: April 3, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: book covers Leave a commentLove and Other Unknown Variables
by Shannon Alexander
Release Date: 7 October 2014
Entangled Teen
(Note from Cass: This pack didn’t come with an official blurb, but I stole the one from Goodreads, because I think the idea for this book is cute as anything. Please note the blurb may change between now and release day.)
Charlie Hanson has a clear vision of his future. A senior at Brighton School of Mathematics and Science, he knows he’ll graduate, go to MIT, and inevitably discover the solutions to the universe’s greatest unanswerable problems. He’s that smart.
The future has never seemed very kind to Charlotte Finch, so she’s counting on the present. She would rather sketch with charcoal pencils, sing in her pitch-perfect voice, or read her favorite book than fill out a college application.
Charlie’s future blurs the moment he meets Charlotte. She’s not impressed by the strange boy until she learns he’s a student at Brighton where her sister has just taken a job. At Charlotte’s request, Charlie orchestrates the biggest prank campaign in Brighton history. But by the time Charlie learns Charlotte is ill and that the pranks were a way to distract her sister from Charlotte’s illness, Charlotte’s gravitational pull on him is too great to overcome. Soon he must choose between the familiar formulas he’s always relied on or the girl he’s falling for (at far more than 32 feet per second).
About the Author
This Writer’s Space: Rhiann Wynn-Nolet
Posted: April 2, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: inspiration, this writer's space, writing 9 Comments
First of all, thank you Cassandra for having me on your blog! I remember our Thursday’s Children blog hops very fondly and am so happy we’ve stayed in touch.
Where I Write
Last summer we moved from the northeast corner of the US (Maine) to North Carolina, about a thousand miles south. The sights, sounds, and smells of northern New England permeate my writing and probably always will. Not only was I born and raised there, but my ancestors first settled in the Salem area around 1630. No matter where I go, that will always be my spiritual home.
Knowing I’d miss coastal Maine, I planned to recreate it in my new writing space. My husband painted the walls a grayish blue*, we hung up seascapes, etc., but in the words of Thomas Wolfe, “You can’t go home again.” If anything, being surrounded by pictures of beaches made me dwell on what I’d lost.
On to Plan B, in which I gave free rein to my love of things weird and sparkly, flowers, quirky art, shabby velvet, and rich (non-beachy) colors. Here’s my Pinterest Reinventing the Office board for a closer look at some of my actual choices. Shells, seaglass, and sand dollars share space in my “cabinet of curiosities” with an animal skull I found by the side of the road, my crystal ball, lichen-covered twigs and so on. The room isn’t quite finished, but I’m very pleased with the Boho/Bloomsbury vibe. A writer reinvents herself with each book she writes, so why shouldn’t she reinvent her writing space once in a while?
*p.s. My patient, thoughtful, and creative husband was actively involved in bringing my decorative vision to life, as well as painting the room (twice) and installing my new light fixture. It’s not that I can’t paint walls. He’s a Virgo, so…yeah. I should probably give him a backrub.
Where I’m Inspired
I get my best ideas from Nature and all things gothic. Since our move, the Neuse River and abandoned farmhouses have replaced the beach and old cemeteries as my favorite haunts.
To Be Read
At the moment I’m reading SPLINTERED by A.G. Howard. For Christmas I got my first e-reader and currently in the queue are RAVEN BOYS (Maggie Stiefvater), UNTEACHABLE (Leah Raeder), and THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE (Neil Gaiman). I also spend quite a lot of time reading things my CPs send me.
About Rhiann
Rhiann Wynn-Nolet is a YA/NA Fiction writer. Her book TENDRIL is represented by Stefanie Lieberman of Janklow & Nesbit.
As a reader, she longs for unforgettable characters whose stories are filled with family dysfunction, true love, and complex emotion. She adores symbolism and beautiful prose. By “beautiful” she doesn’t mean “purple”, even though she’s in love with her purple office walls. She tries to write the kind of books she wants to read.
Rhiann co-hosts the annual Like A Virgin Writing Contest (#LV14) and #CriTiki Lounge (a pitch feedback forum). When she’s not writing, reading, walking her Jack Russell Terriers, or struggling with her sixth grader’s math homework, she can be found here: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest
NestPitch submissions NOW OPEN!
Posted: April 2, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: contests, NestPitch, pitches Leave a commentThe submission window for NestPitch is NOW OPEN!
It will remain open for 24 hours, from noon on 1st April to 11.59am 2nd April (USA EST). That’s 24 hours from this post going live, folks.
There’s no cut off number for entries. Everyone who submits during the window will make it into the contest. All entries will receive an email receipt. If you don’t, check with Nik Vukoja on Twitter @nestpitch and/or @nik_vukoja
Send your entries to nestpitch @ outlook .com (no spaces)
For formatting instructions and rules check this post out (although an excerpt is contained below).
NestPitch is a contest where participants email their 35-word pitches together with the first 300 words of their finished manuscript (or 100 words for picture books).
The selected pitches will be featured on these blogs (show them all some follow love — you know, if you want to):
Brooke Powell | Kimberly P. Chase | Jeffe Kennedy | Tina Moss | Amanda Foody | Dannie Morin | Sharon M Johnston | Sharon Bayliss | Stacey Nash
Then agents, identities hidden, will leave a request for pages, partials or fulls of the featured pitches.
Entries must be embedded within email (no attachments) with following:
Name: YOUR NAME
Title: TITLE OF MANUSCRIPT
Genre: Category/Genre of Manuscript (i.e. NA Romance)
Word Count: (round to the nearest 1000)
PITCH: 35-word (maximum) logline
Answer to this question in one sentence of no more than 15 words: If my Main Character were an Easter Egg, what flavour would he or she be and why?
First 300-words of your manuscript. If the 300th word falls in the middle of a sentence, go to the end of the sentence. For picture book submissions please only submit 100-words. If the 100th word falls in the middle of a sentence, go to the end of the sentence.
Please ensure:
(i) your manuscript has not been featured (you can have entered but can’t have been a finalist) in another pitch competition in the past 12 months – that’s ANY pitch competition (excluding Twitter pitches) from the period April 1st 2013 to 31st March 2014
(ii) your manuscript IS NOT published. This INCLUDES self-published.
Our Slush Bilbies (Cass: that’s me!) and Nest Bloggers will read through the pitches and pick the top 72 pitches for the agent round: April 17th – 18th
We’ll try to get a good mix of various genres, but the writing comes first. Basically, if the submissions aren’t ready, it’s in your best interests that we pass. The last thing anyone wants is your manuscript to be old and tired from “doing the rounds” before it’s ready.
Top Ten Tuesday: gateway books
Posted: April 1, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: top ten tuesday 3 Comments
Inspired by my fellow Aussie Owned and Read blogger Emily Mead, I thought it might be fun to do the Top Ten Tuesday meme from over at The Broke and the Bookish. (I may not do it every week; I’ll see how I go.)
Today’s theme is gateway books—books that got you into reading, an author that got you into reading a genre you never thought you’d read, a book that brought you BACK into reading. That sort of thing.
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. This was the first high fantasy I ever read (which I read obsessively in my pre-teens), and the first one that made me realise make-believe stories could be for older kids too.
The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey. I picked this up thinking it was high fantasy (and after The Hobbit, dragons were a thing for me). But, as anyone who has read the entire series will know, the Pern books are actually light science fiction with a draconic twist. I then went on to read pretty much everything McCaffrey ever wrote, which included a lot of other light, character-driven sci-fi—and everything I could find by anyone she ever collaborated with too.
Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling. I remember hearing news stories about teenagers queuing outside bookstores for a Harry Potter release—I think it was The Goblet of Fire. I was so impressed I grabbed a copy of the first book to see what all the fuss was about. Thus began my love of YA. (The same thing happened with Twilight later but, although I read the first two books in that series, I didn’t like either Bella or Edward very much, which made it hard to get into.)
Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff. Jay is an acquaintance of mine (we used to be part of the same club) so I was curious to see what his debut novel was all about. I was familiar with the idea of Steampunk but hadn’t read any. AND I LOVED IT. I’ve since gone on to read other Steampunk—Dehlilah S. Dawson is particularly awesome—because of Stormdancer.
The Witches of Eileanan series by Kate Forsyth. I’ve blogged about the revelation that was Kate Forsyth’s high fantasy series before. In short, it was a revelation to me: Australians could publish high fantasy! And do very well at it, thank you very much.
The Problem With Crazy by Lauren K. McKellar. I hardly ever read contemporary fiction. But this latest release by McKellar—which, again, I read because I know her personally—blew me clean out of the water. I think I’ll look a little harder at new adult contemporary, especially the issue-driven stuff, because it was ah-MAY-zing.
The Stone Cage by Nicholas Stuart Grey. This was the first fairytale spinoff or retelling I ever read. It’s a Rapunzel retelling from the perspective of the witch’s cat.
Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series by Laurel K. Hamilton. This is one of the early urban fantasy series I read. I loved Anita and her world of vampires and werewolves. Anita’s a little different from your average urban fantasy heroine in that she raises the dead with sacrifices for a living, between slaying rogue vampires on behalf of the police. (As an aside, once you get past about book eight in the series it transitions to erotica, pretty much. That’s not really my genre so I lost interest. Others may appreciate it, though.)
The Very Cranky Bear by Nick Bland. As I’ve said before recently, I read a lot of picture books nowadays. Like all other genres there are good ones and very, very bad ones. This is one of those picture books that shows you how beautifully illustrated, funny and thoughtful they can be.
Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. I went through a phase where I read a lot of what I’d kindly call nerd novels: those based on or in worlds from roleplaying or computer games. There’s a definite appeal to reading a book, knowing you can actually create your own story in that world (something fanfic writers can appreciate, I’m sure). Other than Dragonlance, I’ve also dabbled in World of Darkness and World of Warcraft fiction. The WoD stuff in particular has some pretty epic backstory, even though the game is as addictive as many illicit drugs.
What books would you say were your “gateways” into new genres or experiences?
Writing loglines
Posted: March 31, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: loglines, Lucid Dreaming, NestPitch, pitches 2 CommentsIn just over 24 hours, NestPitch submissions open. Submitting writers will provide details about their manuscript includuding their logline and the first 300 words, which will then go through slush readers (or slush bilbies) for shortlisting before being chosen by the nest bloggers.
Finally, the chosen pitches will be posted to hopefully get scadloads of agent requests. We’ve got ten agents participating from nine agencies. It’s exciting stuff.
I’m one of the slush bilbies for NestPitch. (I like to imagine a shy marsupial drinking an iced treat through a straw. Who’s with me? Anyone? Anyone?)
I’ve blogged before about how hard shortlisting for these sorts of contests is. But I know from experience that as hard as it is to judge them, it’s just as hard to muster the courage to enter in the first place. I’ve been there. Believe me.
So if, like me at this point before a submission window opens, you’re in a last-minute agony of indecision about whether you’re ready to go, here are my tips for writing an awesome logline.
What’s a logline?
It’s the answer you give when someone says, “So, what’s your book about?”
In 35 words or less. Easy, no?
No.
Tips for writing a logline
There are three things you need your logline to do:
- describe the main character (you don’t need to name them)
- describe the antagonist (or main challenge)
- describe the stakes
What you don’t want to do is describe the ending. You want to hook the reader, make them want to offer you representation/a contract/money/booze.
If you’re struggling, one thing I’ve found really handy when writing loglines and query letters is to use the when/then structure. When X, then Y.
For example, here’s my logline for Lucid Dreaming, the new adult urban fantasy I’m currently querying:
When half-Oneiroi dream therapist Melaina banishes a nightmare spirit from a client, she unleashes the wrath of an enemy who targets her job, her best friend, her family and her life.
I’ve had a few different versions of this, where I’ve toyed with how to describe the Oneiroi (dream spirits) — because, unlike vampires and werewolves, they aren’t a particularly well-known supernatural beastie. In this version I’ve tried to make sure the dream context is clear from the rest of the pitch.
You’ll note I didn’t reveal who the antagonist is, because one of the story’s elements is the mystery of who is actually behind the attacks. If that weren’t the case, I’d add it in there: jealous ex-boyfriend or demon-spawn shopkeeper or cheerleading cyborg. You get the idea.
I saw an awesome quote about loglines that I’m going to claim as though it were my own:
Don’t tell the story, sell the story.
Good luck, folks. See you in the slush pile!
Cassandra Page 