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.
Introducing NestPitch
Posted: March 20, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: agents, contests, NestPitch, pitches, queries, writing 2 CommentsThere’s a special Easter tradition throughout central and northern Croatia – making Easter nests. On the afternoon or eve of Easter Saturday children go out into the garden and collect leaves, grass, twigs, flowers and then make a “nest” for the Easter Bunny – that’s where he places his Easter egg presents. The children go to bed that eve wondering if the Easter Bunny will like or love their nest, because the best nest gets the best and biggest eggs!
NestPitch is based on this idea where an author’s ‘pitch’ is the nest and the Easter Treats are the Agents requests.
The submission window opens on 1st April.
Once Submissions are closed, firstly the SLUSH BILBIES will go through the submissions and pick the top 100-120. Then the NEST BLOGGERS will each pick eight of their best and brightest NESTS and post on their blogs.
After that, the SECRECT AGENT BUNNIES will jump from blog site to blog site and leave their Easter treats.
Why am I telling you all this? Because I AM A SLUSH BILBY! (A bilby is an adorable, long-eared, endangered Australian marsupial. You can of course see the resemblance…right?) You think I’d have learned from the madness that was Pitcharama how hard it is to choose between a whole bunch of awesome pitches. But no, apparently not.
In just over 24 hours, the Pre-Pitch Post clinic starts, for those of you that want to have someone look at your pitch. The details are here. And the rules for NestPitch are here.
If you’re wondering why the mix of Croatian and Australian, that’s because the host of the contest, Nikola Vukoja, is exactly that. Running these sorts of contests is hard, so show her the Twitter love here, mkay?
And if anyone wants to send me masses of chocolate on 1st April, I’d appreciate it. 🙂
Book launch, giveaway and excerpt: ‘Forget Me Not’ by Stacey Nash
Posted: February 21, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: aussie-owned, book launch, contests, small presses, young adult Leave a comment
So, continuing with the Forget Me Not love — yay, book launch! The book was supposed to launch on 17 February, but it has just gone live RIGHT NOW. I’m assuming this has to do with a chain of events involving a stolen USB, a car chase and a gun fight involving Amazon blackops and a chimpanzee disguised as a mailman. Is that just me?
Also, I feel kinda weird launching a book today that I reviewed already. But weird in a smug sort of way, you understand. 😉 Anyway, here it is. With an excerpt to get you hooked like I was hooked.
Title: Forget Me Not (Book I in the Collective series)
Author: Stacey Nash
Release Date: February 17, 2014 February 21, 2014
Publisher: Entranced Publishing, Rush
Genre: YA speculative fiction
Since her mother vanished nine years ago, Anamae and her father have shared a quiet life. But when Anamae discovers a brooch identical to her mother’s favorite pendant, she unknowingly invites a slew of trouble into their world. When the brooch and the pendant are worn together they’re no longer pretty pieces of jewelry — they’re part of a highly developed technology capable of cloaking the human form. Triggering the jewelry’s power attracts the attention of a secret society determined to confiscate the device — and silence everyone who is aware of its existence. Anamae knows too much, and now she’s Enemy Number One.
She’s forced to leave her father behind when she’s taken in by a group determined to keep her safe. Here Anamae searches for answers about this hidden world. With her father kidnapped and her own life on the line, Anamae must decide if saving her dad is worth risking her new friends’ lives. No matter what she does, somebody is going to get hurt.
Buy Forget Me Not on Amazon or Barnes & Noble!
Add Forget Me Not on Goodreads!
Enter the book launch giveaway!
“I certainly won’t be forgetting Nash’s debut, FORGET ME NOT! A vividly fast-paced tale with adventure, secrets, and kissing!” — Kimberly P. Chase, Author of THE APOLLO ACADEMY.
“I highly recommend “Forget Me Not” for people who love story-driven YA. Five stars!” — Me 🙂
Excerpt:
Easing the door closed, I climb out of the attic and head to the bathroom to clean my dust-covered hands. Water rushes from the spout and splashes against the sides as the basin fills. A reflection of me stares back from the mirror, my dirty hand clutching my aching chest. Today everything feels so raw, open, and fresh, like it only just happened. Why isn’t she still here?
Rubbing my hands clean, I delve into my pocket for the jewelry. Bringing it to my collar, I pin it into my blouse and the hard edges of the brooch prick my skin. My thumb brushes over the smooth, round sides of the pendant and when I pull it over my head, the chain catches on my hair. After I twist it through the tangle so it finally falls cool against my skin, it nestles in the hollow of my throat. I pick it up between my fingers and with reverent slow strokes, rub my thumb over the shiny yellow center—the pendant Mom never took off.
A shiver shoots up my spine and out through my limbs like an electric current, zapping every cell, every fiber, every part of my being. Walking on graves, that’s what Mom would have said. Maybe it’s an omen about her.
I plant my palms on either side of the full basin and peer into the still water taking a moment to collect my thoughts. The water reflects only the cream ceiling. That can’t be right. I do a double take and look again.
My chest tightens. I hold my hand up, but I can’t see it—not my arm, not my chewed fingernails, not my leather watch on my wrist. Where am I? Mouth gaping, I look into the mirror again, but I see nothing.
Not even my face.
I dip my finger into the warm, reflection-free water. Circles ripple in ever growing rings, but there’s no image. My gaze flits to the mirror, but I see only the open door. I have no reflection.
Stacey grew up in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. It is an area nestled between mountains and vineyards. Full of history and culture, it provides wonderful writing inspiration. After dabbling with poetry during her teen years, Stacey stopped writing until after university when she was married with young children. Now she loves nothing more than spending her days with her children and writing when inspiration strikes.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads
Book launch and giveaway: ‘Immagica’ by K. A. Last
Posted: February 1, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: aussie-owned, book launch, contests, self-publishing, young adult 3 Comments
Title: Immagica
Author: K. A. Last
Genre: YA Fantasy/Adventure
Word Count: Approximately 68,000
Cover Illustration: Lawrence Mann
Cover Designer: KILA Designs
Map Illustration: Lawrence Mann
Available from Amazon (eBook) | Amazon (paperback) | Smashwords | iBooks | Barnes & Noble
Immagica…
Where anything is possible.
Enter at your own risk.The night before her fifteenth birthday, Rosaline Clayton uncovers a deep family secret. She receives an amulet from her deranged father, and he tells her she must find the book in order to save him. Rosaline is used to her dad not making any sense, so she dismisses their conversation as another of his crazy rants.
When Rosaline’s brother, Elliot, drags her to their nana’s attic to explore, they find the old leather-bound book tucked away in a chest. It sucks them into its pages, transporting them to a magical world. Along the way, Rosaline and Elliot are separated, and the only thing she wants is to find her brother and go home.
The creatures of Immagica have other ideas. After years of war, their land lies in ruin. Using the amulet’s power, they want Rosaline to defeat the dragon and restore Immagica to its former glory. But Rosaline is bound to Immagica in ways she doesn’t understand, and when she discovers the truth about her family, she must follow her heart to save them all.
You can win some signed Immagica swag here!
And to win an eBook of Immagica, leave a comment telling me which fantasy creature you’d most like to meet.
Excerpt:
The machine was close enough for me to reach out and touch. It wasn’t actually hanging like I’d first thought; it was supported by a pole that went down the centre of the Eye. In the distance, at the very bottom, there was something red—a light, pulsing softly in the darkness.
All the parts of the machine were shiny, and it was well looked after. I reached out a hesitant hand to touch one of the cogs.
“Please, don’t do that,” a nervous voice said from the other side. “You shouldn’t touch the pupil, it’s very fragile.”
Through the gaps in the mass of parts, I caught a glimpse of a boy. “Pupil?” I asked.
“Yes.” He moved to where I could see him, and scratched his head. “Fragile. It’s fragile.”
The boy looked around seventeen. His white-blond hair fell across his forehead. Behind his thick-rimmed glasses were the most unusual eyes. They looked hazel, but a second later they were green, or hazel with green flecks. As quickly as I decided what colour they were, they changed again. He was tall and lanky, and wore a faded red T-shirt, jeans and rubber thongs. I thought he was cute, in a geeky kind of way.
“Who are you?” I asked, tentatively.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” the boy said, eyeing me sceptically. “How did you get in?”
I held up the amulet. “Key?” I said.
His eyes widened. “Oh. Oh!”
“Hi, Lex.” Brynn gave a small wave.
“Brynn. Um … hi,” Lex said. He turned back to me. “You’re—”
“Here to save you. Yes, I know.” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “So, your name is Lex?”
“Um … yes. I’m keeper and protector of the Eye. I get to oil the cogs and stuff.” He waved his hand towards the machine.
“What does it do?”
“What does it do …?” He scratched his head again, clearly flustered. He reminded me of my dad when he got excited. Lex darted back behind the big contraption and stared at me through the gaps. “What does it do?” he repeated. “It’s the pupil, the life of the Eye, the heart of Immagica. It counts time, and records memories.” His arms flapped, and he stepped back to where I could see him. “If the rose dies, the pendulum stops and … what did you say your name was?”
“I didn’t. I’m Rosaline.” I tried to smile, but this guy was seriously weird. Cute, I reminded myself, but weird.
About the author:
K. A. Last was born in Subiaco, Western Australia, and moved to Sydney with her parents and older brother when she was eight. Artistic and creative by nature, she studied Graphic Design and graduated with an Advanced Diploma. After marrying her high school sweetheart, she concentrated on her career before settling into family life. Blessed with a vivid imagination, she began writing to let off creative steam, and fell in love with it. She now resides in a peaceful, leafy suburb north of Sydney with her husband, their two children, and a rabbit named Twitch.
You can find her at her website, or on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads or on Amazon.
Memory in Fiction
Posted: January 30, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: aussie-owned, contests, guest post, small presses, writing, young adult 5 Comments
Today’s guest post is part of the From Australia With Love blog tour, and is by the FANTABULOUS YA sci-fi author, Stacey Nash! There’s also a giveaway as part of the tour, which you can enter HERE!
Memory is an important part of life. It shapes who were are, where we came from, and even where we are headed in life. Losing one’s memory is probably one of the most horrifying things that can happen to a person as it strips them of all sense of identity. Actually it’s probably more horrifying for their loved ones than the actual person in question.
My upcoming YA release FORGET ME NOT centers around memory loss. The theme of memory is one that runs through the whole four-book series; it’s even featured in all of the titles. For me as a writer, memory was a tricky thing to deal with, but I made use of a few writing techniques.
Flashbacks
A flashback is a memory. You know when you’re sitting in class / at work chewing on you pen and staring not at what’s in front of you but at the image in your mind of that cute guy you had a date with last night, while you play over all the details. That’s a flashback.
Flashbacks are a useful tool for writers, whether there are memory loss issues in the story or not. It’s something that can be used to show an event that happened in the past. (Read: backstory.) I think it’s important to be careful though, because flashbacks can turn into info dumps if not written well and, hence, slow the story down. My general rule is keep it short. A 200 word excerpt is enough; otherwise the reader will get bored and the flashback loses its impact. Some flashbacks are written like the character is watching them happen, and other are written as if the character is remembering them.
Here’s an example of a flashback.
The sight of it brings back so many memories. The only time I ever saw my parents fight… Mom shouted so loud I covered my ears, and Dad responded in a low emotionless voice. Young and scared, I hid in the curtains while she screamed. Her last words were punctuated by her yanking the pendant off and tossing it across the room. Dad scooped it up, crossed the room in long strides and pulled her to him. His fingers traced the edge of her face before he kissed her. He lowered the pendant over her head, and the angry lines on her face melted into a smile. It’s not exactly a good memory, but it was her.
(©2014, Stacey Nash, Forget Me Not)
Dreams
I think we all know what dreams are, so I’m just going to jump right in. I used dream sequences on several occasions throughout the books, with the character either having a flashback through a dream or having a dream that had an obvious meaning of something that did happen in the past. They’re a little trickier to use than flashbacks, but boy they read well when they’re done right. I think the big thing to remember is the dream needs to fit the character and the story. If you plop a dream in that is too abstract you’ll wind up confusing readers. It needs to be simple, short, and reflect what’s already happened in the story. Basically, the dream needs to feel like a dream.
Here’s an example of a dream combined with a flashback, so that the dream was like a memory but it wasn’t quite right. That’s because there’s some foreshadowing there too. 😉
A soft rap sounds on my door, but I ignore it. I need to finish Mom’s letter. My gaze burns into the last sheet of paper, but for the life of me I can’t remember what’s happened this past year to tell her.
The rap sounds again, only this time it’s louder, more insistent.
“Not now, Dad.”
He doesn’t stop, just knocks and knocks and knocks.
Dear Mom
My concentration pounds, then shatters. Argh. I can’t do this.
I can’t even think.
My pen, poised over the paper, refuses to move. I push against it, trying to guide the nib into an M, but it’s like the nib is glued to the page.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Heart pounding, ears ringing, the dampness of sweat cakes my whole body.
Knock.
My eyes spring open. It’s dark.
Knock, knock.
My heart beats in time with the knocks, a rapid, thudding beat.
Knock, knock, knock.
(©2014, Stacey Nash, Forget Me Not)
Other ways of dealing with memory
There are lots of other ways to deal with memory in fiction. Déjàvu is probably the method I used the most. It’s also the most subtle. Then there’s inner dialogue; almost like flashbacks but shorter, just a sentence here, a thought there. Reminiscing through dialogue is another method; multiple characters having a conversation about the past.
No matter which writing technique is used for dealing with memory, I think the trick is not to overuse any one. For me, that was really tricky when there were multiple characters…ah, no. I won’t spoil it – read the book and you’ll see. 😉
About Forget Me Not
Since her mother vanished nine years ago, Anamae and her father have shared a quiet life. But when Anamae discovers a brooch identical to her mother’s favorite pendant, she unknowingly invites a slew of trouble into their world. When the brooch and the pendant are worn together they’re no longer pretty pieces of jewelry — they’re part of a highly developed technology capable of cloaking the human form. Triggering the jewelry’s power attracts the attention of a secret society determined to confiscate the device — and silence everyone who is aware of its existence. Anamae knows too much, and now she’s Enemy Number One.
She’s forced to leave her father behind when she’s taken in by a group determined to keep her safe. Here Anamae searches for answers about this hidden world. With her father kidnapped and her own life on the line, Anamae must decide if saving her dad is worth risking her new friends’ lives. No matter what she does, somebody is going to get hurt.
Releasing February 17th from Entranced Publishing. Add it to your Goodreads TBR now!
About Stacey
Stacey Nash writes adventure filled stories for Young Adults in the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres. When her head isn’t stuck in a fictional world, she calls the Hunter Valley of New South Wales home. It is an area nestled between mountains and vineyards, full of history and culture that all comes together to create an abundance of writing inspiration. Stacey loves nothing more than spending her days writing when inspiration strikes.
Her debut novel, Forget Me Not releases 17 February 2014 from Entranced Publishing and its sequel Remember Me releases in August 2014.
Website || Twitter || Facebook Page || Pinterest
From Australia With Love
Posted: January 27, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: blog hop, contests 3 Comments
Australian writers rock. We know it, and we love them. But it’s not always easy to discover the Australian talent that is right under our noses.
The From Australia With LoveBlog Hop introduces you to 18 Aussie authors across a variety of categories and genres. Each author is hosting three of their fellow blog hop participants between now and Valentine’s Day to let you find out more about them. So follow them on Twitter, like their Facebook page and visit their blogs during the blog hop period to discover more great Australian writers.
And to show how much these Aussie authors love their readers, they’ve donated some great prizes for you to win!
*Also visit YAtopia for additional MG posts.
Enter to win HERE!
If you want to do something right…
Posted: January 26, 2014 Filed under: On the Isla's Inheritance trilogy, On the Lucid Dreaming duology, On writing | Tags: aussie-owned, Australia, blog hop, contests 6 Comments
(Okay, that may not be the most inspirational title for an Australia Day blog post, but I think it sums up what I am about to say pretty well.)
I love urban fantasy. Love it! I’ve felt that way since I didn’t know what the genre was called—back when Interview With the Vampire was filed in the sci-fi and fantasy section of the bookstore and the paranormal shelves didn’t exist. (Say what you will about it, we have Twilight to thank for their creation.) I thoroughly enjoyed Anita Blake’s early adventures, and loved Sookie Stackhouse when she came along too.
When I started thinking about the sort of novel I might write, I toyed with fantasy, but urban fantasy drew me back like a lodestone.
Then I’d think about where to set the book, and come unstuck. Because all the urban fantasy novels I read were set in America or, less usually, England. Wouldn’t Americans (who, lets be honest, are the biggest market of English-speaking readers in the world) prefer to read books set in their own country? The streets of New Orleans, Chicago, New York—those were the places haunted and hunted by the supernatural. Not sunny Australia.
I could’ve tried to write a book set in the States—I did think about it—but I felt like a fraud. I knew my Australian slang would reveal the lie. I’ve never even been to America. How could I pull that off?
So I didn’t write the book. Because “write what you know”, right?
Over the past few years, urban fantasies—and their kissing cousin, the paranormal romance—have started to appear, set in Australia. Maybe they’ve been around for longer and I only just began to notice them through the blanket coverage of foreign authors in Australian chain bookstores.
Okay, I thought, I can do this. Only… those books were all set in Sydney or Melbourne. Could Canberra, with its population of 360,000, be a viable setting for an urban fantasy? It may be the nation’s capital, but almost no one outside Australia has heard of it. Two out of three tourists think Sydney is the capital. (I just made that stat up, but I’d bet it’s true!)
And then it hit me like a boomerang in the face: if someone needs to do it to test the water, to see whether it’s a viable location for an urban fantasy, why shouldn’t that be me? I’ve lived here all my life so it definitely ticks the “write what you know” box. I love this city, with its wide open spaces, bush corridors, national monuments and occasionally dubious public art*.
Of course my books are set here.
*If you want to see what I’m talking about, do a Google image search for “Belconnen owl” and tell me what you think it looks like from behind. Then search for “Skywhale”, because LOL.
This post is part of Aussie Owned and Read’s Australia Day/Blogaversary blog hop. You can find other participating blogs or register your own here. And there is a GIANT GIVEAWAY too, which you can enter here.
Cover reveal and excerpt: ‘The Problem With Crazy’ by Lauren K. McKellar
Posted: January 17, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: aussie-owned, book covers, contests, self-publishing 1 CommentA week ago I reviewed Lauren K. McKellar’s debut novel Finding Home. Today I’m excited to be a part of the cover reveal for her next book, The Problem With Crazy. I’m really looking forward to this release. Like, REALLY!
The problem with crazy is that crazy, by itself, has no context. It can be good crazy, bad crazy . . . or crazy crazy—like it was when my ex-boyfriend sung about me on the radio.
Eighteen-year-old Kate couldn’t be more excited about finishing high school and spending the summer on tour with her boyfriend’s band. Her dad showing up drunk at graduation, however, is not exactly kicking things off on the right foot—and that’s before she finds out about his mystery illness, certain to end in death.
A mystery illness she is likely to inherit.
When your whole life goes from adventure and ecstasy to sad and suicidal, what’s the point? Not knowing who to love, and who to trust . . . where does it end?
The Problem With Crazy is a story about love and life; about overcoming obstacles, choosing to trust, and learning how to make the choices that will change your life forever.
A portion of sales from this book will be donated to a Huntington’s disease-related charity (details to be confirmed).
Excerpt
Gypsy Rose placed a series of cards on the table, one after the other. They were brightly coloured, garish-looking things, full of shapes and objects, some of which I recognised and some of which I didn’t.
“Is there anything specific you want to know?”
The words stuck in my head.
Yes, when is my dad going to die?
Sure, will he remember me at all?
Okay, let’s start with am I going to have a mental illness and lose control of my words and movements?
“Oh you know, just general stuff.” I smiled vaguely and bit my lip.
Click here to enter Lauren’s The Problem With Crazy giveaway!
Join in the release day blitz, complete with prizes, fun, games, and a partridge in a pear tree on February 13 2014. Sign up today.
Lauren K. McKellar is a writer and editor of fact and fiction. She has worked in publishing for more than eight years, and recently returned to her first love: writing books that make you feel.
Lauren loves to write for the Young and New Adult markets, and blogs with Aussie Owned and Read, as well as vlogging with the YA Rebels.
In her free time, Lauren enjoys long walks on the beach with her two super-cute dogs and her partner-in-crime/fiancé.
Find Lauren McKellar at her website, or on Twitter, Facebook or Amazon.
So, whassup? I’m glad you asked…
Posted: December 24, 2013 Filed under: On me, On the Isla's Inheritance trilogy, On the Lucid Dreaming duology, Short stories | Tags: contests, Isla's Inheritance, Lucid Dreaming, short story, writing Leave a commentI know I haven’t posted a huge amount lately. What with work being busy–that last-minute “HALP I NEED TO GET THIS DONE BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR!” rush–as well as various non-work edits that needed finishing, I haven’t had much time for blogging.
Here’s a brief rundown on the things that have been happening lately.
PitchWars
If you read this post, you’d know I entered Lucid Dreaming into PitchWars, one of the festive season pitching contests. I didn’t get chosen as a mentee, obviously, or you’d have heard me yelling all around the globe, without the aid of technology.
What I did get, once again, was some fantastic feedback. The mentors didn’t have to, and frankly I’m not sure how they found the time given some of them had close to 100 entries, but three of the four I pitched to gave me personalised feedback. They were also very encouraging, and said things like “I have every confidence I will see your words in the bookstore some day in the not so distant future.” Aww. Also, squee!
And Dannie, one of the mentors I pitched to, also gave me an honourable mention on her blog:
Most creative use of technology in mentor stalking: Cassandra Page
I stalk like a BOSS.
Anyway, following some edits to my manuscript, I then entered it in…
PitchMAS
PitchMAS is a bi-annual three-day pitchfest and workshop, held in July and December. It has two phases. The first is where 75 pitches are selected to be posted to the blog, where they can be requested by agents and acquisition editors for various presses.
My pitch for Lucid Dreaming was selected to go on the blog, and, as you can see, I got some interest. I got even more from the Twitter pitches. I’m not going into details because a lady doesn’t, er, pitch and tell, but if you want to know badly enough, the information is out there the Twitterverse. You just need to stalk like a BOSS too.
Santa Clash
The premise of Santa Clash was that a bunch of writers would produce Christmas-themed short stories. They didn’t have to continue on from one another like the Zombie Project did. No, this time the catch was much more diabolical. Each writer was challenged to write in a genre they didn’t usually delve into. I was given “adult”. Those of you who know me will realise how HARD THIS WAS FOR ME!
My short story, Letting Go, went up yesterday. I’ve had two people tell me they cried when they read it, so, you know. There’s that.
Meanwhile, over at Aussie Owned and Read
Today my December post went up over at Aussie Owned and Read. It’s called Stop, Revive, Survive, after the NSW road safety message. Don’t drive when tired this Christmas, mkay? Or write, actually.
Also, the post has some of my holiday snaps on it. Ok, one holiday snap. It’s a pretty one, though. Promise.
Isla 3
Finally, edits complete, last weekend I was able to get started on the third book in Isla’s trilogy. I only started yesterday but I’m pleased to say drafting is JUST like falling off a bike. You skin your knees, and maybe your teeth are kinda wobbly afterwards (or is that just me?), but you don’t actually forget how to ride.
My TMP editor will be pleased to know I’ve only bled on the manuscript a little bit so far. I will try and clean it up before I send it to her. I promise.
PS. Don’t forget to enter my blogaversary giveaway if you haven’t already. 🙂
Happy blogaversary to me!
Posted: December 20, 2013 Filed under: On me | Tags: contests, delilah s. dawson 12 CommentsA year ago, I undertook my first venture into the scary world of blogging.
A lot has changed since then. Back then, Isla’s Inheritance was still being queried and I hadn’t finished Isla’s Oath, the sequel. Now both books and the third in the series have been contracted to Turquoise Morning Press.
My muse had yet to mug me like the street thug she is with the idea for Lucid Dreaming. Now I’ve entered it in the same pitching contest that taught me the ropes a year ago, Brenda Drake’s amazing PitchWars.
My charming, adorable and bright three-year-old boy is now a charming, adorable and bright four-year-old boy. We’ve moved house and bought two dogs. AND I’M STILL SANE!
To celebrate all of these things, and just because it’s nearly Christmas and I’m dizzy from heatstroke, I’m having a giveaway. The winner can choose a paperback (made of PAPER) from one of my favourite reads of 2013. The giveaway is open to people anywhere The Book Depository delivers. Enter my blogaversary giveaway HERE!
THE BOOKS
“Pivot Point” by Kasie West
Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.
In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.
“Shadows” by Paula Weston
It’s been almost a year since Gaby Winters was in the car crash that killed her twin brother, Jude. Her body has healed in the sunshine of Pandanus Beach, but her grief is raw and constant.
It doesn’t help that every night in her dreams she kills demons and other hell-spawn. And then Rafa comes to town. Not only does he look exactly like the guy who’s been appearing in Gaby’s dreams, he claims a history with her brother that makes no sense.
Gaby is forced to accept that what she thought she knew about herself and her life is only a shadow of the truth – and that the truth is more likely to be found in the shadows of her nightmares.
Who is Rafa? Who are the Rephaim? And most importantly – who can she trust?
“Wicked as they Come” by Delilah S. Dawson
When nurse Tish Everett forced open the pesky but lovely locket she found at an estate sale, she had no idea she was answering the call of Criminy Stain, from the far off land of Sang. He’d cast a spell for her, but when she’s transported right to him, she’s not so sure she’s ready to be under the spell of another man. (It didn’t go so well last time with controlling, abusive, domineering Jeff.) If only Criminy wasn’t so deliciously rakish….
Half the inhabitants of Sang are Pinkies—human—and the other half are Bludmen, who in Tish’s world would be called vampires. But they don’t mess with any of the bat/coffin/no sunlight nonsense. They’re rather like you and me, just more fabulous, long living, and mostly indestructible. (They’re also very good kissers.) But when the evil Mayor of Manchester (formerly Bludchester) redoubles his efforts to rid Sang of the Bludmen once and for all, stealing Tish’s locket in hopes of traveling back to her world himself for reinforcements, Criminy and Tish must battle ghosts, sea monsters, wayward submarines, a secret cabal, and thundering Bludmares to get the locket back and allow Tish to return home…but has she found love with Criminy? Could she stay in Sang forever?
“Tomorrow, When the War Began” by John Marsden
When Ellie and her friends return from a camping trip in the Australian bush, they find things hideously wrong — their families are gone. Gradually they begin to comprehend that their country has been invaded and everyone in their town has been taken prisoner. As the reality of the situation hits them, they must make a decision — run and hide, give themselves up and be with their families, or fight back.
Cassandra Page 