GUYS, I couldn't be more excited to share about this incredible book that is going to be available for you to get your hands on in just a few days!!
COMING NOVEMBER 15TH, 2018
~ Summary ~
An international writing community.
61 authors
11 countries
6 continents
Are you looking for advice on how to create the perfect villain? Do you need the courage to put your story down on paper? Find this and more in Project Canvas, a writing resource written completely by teen and young adult writers and compiled by Caroline Meek and Olivia Rogers. Project Canvas includes: 71 short chapters, each written by a different author bonus interviews with authors such as Tessa Emily Hall and Q. Gibson world building and character development worksheets and other helpful resources! “This is a writing teacher’s dream – not a how-to book, but more of a literary testimony and homage to the process of writing. A sweet balance between the practical and the spiritual, Project Canvas is concise enough for daily meditation, yet robust enough to move the writer’s soul beyond the temporary.” –Brian Dolezal, professional development and spoken word coach at Sumner Academy of Arts and Science Project Canvas will be available for purchase through Amazon on November 15.
~ About the Founders ~
Caroline and Olivia have been friends ever since kindergarten, when they met in a homeschooling group. Their writing journey was a slow evolution over the course of many sleepovers, games of pretend, writing stories together, and finally publishing some of them. Caroline Meek is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Project Canvas. She’s originally from Kansas City, Kansas, where she co-authored The Drawing in of Breath and attended Sumner Academy of Arts and Sciences. Caroline has a passion for bringing writers together and is currently studying English & Creative Writing on the Publishing track at the University of Iowa. She’s been published in The Kansas City Star, Ink Lit Mag, Wordsmith, and blogs at Of Stars and Ink-Stained Things. Olivia Rogers is the co-founder of Project Canvas. She’s originally from the great state of Kansas, where she showed sheep, competitively debated, and also became involved in politics. Olivia believes that writing is the gateway to change. She’s currently studying Political Science and Philosophy at Kansas State University, with the goal of becoming a lawyer and continuing to advocate for others.
~ Links ~
Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42446616-project-canvas
Website:
https://projectcanvasbook.weebly.com
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/projectcanvas_
Blog:
https://projectcanvasblog.blogspot.com/
~ My Review ~
* * * * *
I was incredibly blessed to be not only a contributor to this amazing collection of helpful writing tips, but also a receiver of an ARC copy a couple weeks ago. Guys, I might be a little bias, but this book is getting five stars from me.
The timing worked out so that I finished my copy right before NaNoWriMo in November, and y'all...it was so inspiring. I've gone back and reread a couple of the sections during the first couple days of this month too because I was feeling discouraged...and well, that discouragement didn't last long. There's just something about knowing that somewhere in the world other young authors are also struggling, but not surrendering, to the trials of a writer's life that is invigorating. I came away from finishing the book refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to write a book! Project Canvas is one of those books a writer NEEDS to have on their bookshelf...not just on their bookshelf, but beside their bed, in their car, on their desk, anywhere close so they can be ready for anything life throws at them. So, my friends, if you are an author, or want a sneak peek into what makes our lives possible, get this book!
Points for what I think is probably my longest blog title EVER. But I am not here to talk about that. I am here to apologize.
Last you heard from me, I finished my biggest giveaway of all times...announced the winners...and then promptly dropped off the face of the earth. I PROMISE I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN YOU!!! I especially want to apologize to the giveaway winners...because *insert the blush emoticon and face palm here* I STILL haven't mailed out your books yet. I know, I know, I'm a horrible person and trust me, I'm VERY embarrassed about this. Normally it wouldn't take me this long (like, what? THREE MONTHS or something like that now? Guys, I'm MORTIFIED) but I do have several excuses. Let me get you all up to date on how my life has been the last couple months.
~ June ~
1) My friend that's been away at college since spring break came up for the summer and our family tried to prioritize our time so we could all hang out more. A lot of spontaneous ice cream and ping pong. :) It was super awesome. 2) Penial Ranch. SO MUCH FUN. But exhausting, and time consuming. Not that I'd trade that week for ANYTHING. 3) Our house was being roofed this whole time, which meant a lot of extra chores for those NOT up on the roof all day. 4) I was still trying to do college studying throughout this time, not to mention read and write some...I mean, a girl needs to have some free time, right? 5) I also hosted a book signing at my house, which was amazing and fun, and even though it was during a busy time of year, I actually had a pretty good turnout? (The cookies were DEFINITELY not the reason why so many people showed up. :P)
~ July ~
1) Our church had its VBS program and I had a fairly important part in it including being a leader of a group of kids, leading songs, and being a character in a play that we did at the end of each day. (You can watch that play now on Youtube in its entirety. Here's a link if you're interested: TIME LAB PLAY) 2) I also went to visit my brother in Eastern Washington where he works as a missionary with another family there that our church supports. 3) I have this job, right? BABYSITTING. Yeah, I've been doing that all this time too. Four hours a day, four days of the week. Plus, I've also had to take care of their animals a couple weekends as well due to an unfortunate family tragedy which I won't go in to detail here. 4) I'm still plugging away at a couple books (I READ FAWKES AND IT'S SO GOOD) as well as trying to get in some of my own writing. I did actually manage to write about 5k in "A New Name", which, with everything else going on in my life, WAS A HUGE AMOUNT.
~ August ~
1) Throughout the end of July and beginning of this month, our family enjoyed a delightful three weeks with a couple very amazing Japanese students. Riko and Junya were so much fun to hang out with. They became a part of our family, and we all miss them terribly now that they headed home. A visit to their homes in Japan is officially on my bucket list. 2) With the roofs of our property FINALLY done, (including a couple extras that the poor guys hadn't bargained for) we could now focus on some other property issues including a washing machine that stopped working AND one of two water pumps breaking down on us. In a family of ten...this is no joke. 3) I'm almost caught up now with the life I'm living right now (since August isn't over yet, thank goodness!) I have a CLEP test this Friday, and at the end of the month, an Accuplacer test which I have to take in order to get into the college I want to get into. Needing to take a deep breath yet? Yeah, me too. Obviously, I've been a little stressed over the last couple months. Still, I know its unforgivable the amount of waiting I made you all do. Excuses aside, I should have sent out those book packages MONTHS ago. To all of you who have been waiting patiently, in growing confusion as to why your book hasn't showed up yet, hopefully this post will clear that up. Again, I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN. Your books are signed, in a bag, in my car. I just need finish writing you each a letter and take them down to the postal office in order to send them off. Due to financial reasons, I'll probably only be able to send off a couple at a time...but have no fear, I am planning on getting them to you (ALL OF YOU) before the end of September. Thanks again for your patience. I don't deserve it. <3
As I sit here, consuming too much coffee ice cream and enjoying the gentle breezes of summer (which has FINALLY decided to show up) I feel like I should wax poetic on this introduction. I should contemplate the many mysteries of life, like why do birds sing and how fast do stars die and why does my friend think a gorilla is a sasquatch...but I won't. Why?
BECAUSE I'M HERE WITH SO MANY EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENTS!!!!
A special thanks to the five girls who sent in questions for my Q&A video, it was fun to answer them, and MAN did you give me some hard ones! (But no math equations so thank you so much for that.) I hope you all enjoy my answers and find them helpful and informative. I'm hoping to do another one soon, closer to my birthday, so keep an eye out for that link. ;)
I know that this monthly wrap-up post will be different than most, but I thought I should acknowledge a couple very important things going on in my life:
1: I'M AN AUNTIE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!!!!
That's right, my friends. My older sister told us last Saturday that she was expecting. I don't know if the baby is a boy or girl yet, since Sarah is only like one month in to this new adventure...BUT...*deep breath* I've been freaking out in a good way ever since I heard the news! I think I'm more excited about this little human than my sister is. XD
2: I'm having another book-signing at the end of June!!!
A little less world-shattering after becoming an auntie, but exciting news none-the-less. I'm hosting a book-signing for "Sleeping Handsome" and "Thoughts in Verse" on June 30th, 2018. If any of you are local (or even up to a couple hours away) you should TOTALLY try to make it to my house for that! I wish all of you could come and hang out with me, but I know due to location that most of you won't. :( If you CAN make it, let me know and I'll give you directions. (Psssst, there will be free cookies... B-)
NOW. Since all of you have probably skipped to this section already, here are the winners of my giveaway!
Grand Prize Winner:
ABIGAIL MCKENNA
*confetti shower*
You get a signed copy of "The Princess and I" AND a cute set of silver earrings. :)
1st place winners:
Abigail Harder,
Kaitlyn Krispense,
Ashley Nicole, and
Becca Wall
You girls get a signed copy of "The Princess and I"!!!!! *happy dance*
2nd place winners:
Ashley (of precious moments fame),
Bethany R., and
Rebekah Ashleigh
You girls all get a signed copy of "Sleeping Handsome"!!! Congrats!
3rd place winner:
Deborah C.
You win a copy of "Alice and Alyssa" WHOOP, WHOOP!
4th place:
Faith Potts
You win a copy of "The Silver Flower" *hugs*
A HUUUUUUGE congratulations to all of you! Thanks so much for the amazing group of followers you are! As I've said before, and will say again, I wish I could give all of you free copies of all my books...but I can't. :(
To those of you who won, please email me with your address and I will get those signed books out to you ASAP! :D
If this post seemed short to you...that's because it was. :) I'm hoping to get into a better blogging rhythm during summer, but we'll have to see how that works out.
Until next time, let everything you do be done for the glory of God!
Yes, you read that correctly, my friends...my poetry book releases TODAY!!! This is a new experience for me in several ways:
1) Because it's the first time I've ever released a poetry collection
2) Because it's also the first time I've done a book in this style (namely: spiral bound) and
3) Because this is the first book I've done with not two but THREE different cover styles. O.o
So, that said, there are a couple things you all should know about this unique release. First, because of the style I chose to do, it can ONLY be purchased through Lulu...which kind of sucks because that makes it a little more complicated for you guys to buy it. ALSO, it means I really need your help in spreading the word about it's release. If any of you are interested in sharing the links (I'll leave them at the bottom of the post) on ANY social media of ANY kind, I am willing to give you a couple really cool things. (Yes, I have resorted to bribery. XD) You will get: 2 "The Princess and I" bookmarks 1 poem of your choice from the collection FOR FREE (and signed if you want) 1 card from me telling you what a nice person you were for helping me out ;P 1 shout out in a future blog post (if enough of you are willing to help) Sound interesting? PLEASE let me know via e-mail or comment if you want to help spread the word. Again, I don't care which program you use to share (think: Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, blog post, Facebook, Goodreads...WHATEVER WORKS BEST FOR YOU)! Here's a little bit more about the book to peak your interest. ;)
~ The Summery ~
And MAN did I have a tough time writing this.
APPRECIATE THE EFFORT. XD
This first collection of poetry by the author of "The Princess and I" and
"Sleeping Handsome" was written over a period of thirteen years. Rebekah Eddy's
first poem she ever wrote, "The Duck Pond", was penned when she was only six
years old. The other poems were written between her fifteenth and nineteenth
years of life. The poems within this small volume cover a wide variety of
topics that include Christmas and Easter traditions, everyday thoughts on life,
and even some more humorous and fun poems at the end. She created this book
in a style with the hopes that you, as the reader, can fill in the spaces with
your own illustrations and have fun doodling your own creative ideas into the
spaces between her poems.
GUYS I HAVE NOT DIED. Left you hanging two months ago with no further word from me for all this time, yes...died, no. Life in general forced me to put my blogging on the back burner for a couple months, much as I disliked doing so. However, I'll hopefully be posting on here more regularly after this surprise hiatus. Did y'all miss me? ;) (Only answer if you did. Otherwise just ignore that question and let me enjoy my innocence.)
Want to know WHY I've been strangely absent the last couple months? By all means, read on. :)
~ Life ~
Basically, the craziness all started the two weeks before Easter. I place full blame of my hectic life during the last two months at that holiday's feet. What with cantata practice, church decorating (and un-decorating), Easter itself, and that holiday being shortly followed by our church's mission's conference, our family was kept on our toes. Throw in some babysitting, housecleaning, college, and housesitting and you might get a little picture of my life during that time.
We had a brief week of rest (where, coincidentally, ALL my writing for Camp NaNo took place...in other words, I did not get to my writing goal for that month) before Margaret and I headed out to Georgia to visit our older sister Sarah and her husband Jesse. For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you probably got pictures and updates at least during that time. For those of you who didn't, here's a brief run-down of the week we spent there:
Day One: ALL THE TRAVELLING (added Colorado and Georgia to my very short list of states I've gone to in my lifetime)
Day Two: Visited some outlet stores and bought some clothes that were more suited to the hotter, more humid weather, and caught up on sleep (that blessed thing we were very short on for most of our trip). Also, went to a jazz concert put on for free by a local college.
Day Three: We went to a cool park that had all sorts of animals in cages along the path like cougars, bald eagles, gophers, and my personal favorite, the lake with turtles in it. We also went to the biggest Western store in the South (sounds contradictory when I say it like that) and had a hilarious time trying on all sorts of hats and boots. The day finished with my first visit to Sarah and Jesse's church where I got to meet the pastor and his lovely wife.
Day Four: We drove to a fair and stood in line to get into the biggest book sale I have ever gone to. I bought a grand total of 27 books for only $34.25! Needless to say, this was probably my favorite day of our stay there. We also toured a historic house and I tried fried pickles for the first time. (They were weird, but not necessarily bad tasting??) That night we went to another free college concert, this one a flute choir, which was super cool to watch.
Day Five: We hiked stone mountain, and walked half-way around it to see the engraving of the three most famous confederate figures (Lee, Jackson, and Davis) in the mountain's side. We walked a total of 6.3 miles that day...and promptly wasted all our efforts by eating dinner at Chick-fil-a (my first time though...so TOTALLY WORTH IT). Fun story, I almost lost my phone there, which gave me a minor heart-attack...but we recovered it after I figured out it was missing half-an-hour down the highway and drove back to the restaurant to collect it.
Day Six: We went to Zoo Atlanta. Highlights of that trip: coming within two feet of a very hungry looking lion and tiger, and seeing live pandas for the first time EVER. After the zoo, we walked around Atlanta for a little bit and bought raspberry geranium popsicles at a snooty "organic" store. They taste better than they sound, believe me.
Day Seven: We went to Sarah and Jesse's church again and got to see what church feels like for normal people. (a.k.a NOT pastor's kids) It was weird. Interesting, but weird. The people there were really sweet and made us feel very welcome, and the pastor was even preaching from the same book Dad does on Sunday morning!
That afternoon while Jesse barbecued some ribs for a very tasty Sunday dinner, us girls cooled off in the pool, pretending we actually knew how to swim. It was very entertaining. :P
Day Eight: For the last day we had to spend together, we drove to some more outlet stores and enjoyed just looking around at the fancy clothes and accessories. We got some coffee at the local Barnes & Noble bookstore and chilled (as much as we could in the heat of the day). That evening when Jesse came home from work we walked around a college campus that had beautiful grounds and enjoyed dodging bugs and talking.
Day Nine: We flew home. Georgia was lovely for the time we got to spend with Sarah and Jesse, as well as the many new experiences I had...but I was awfully glad to get home. I love my state. I love my friends and family I have here. And I wouldn't trade this life for anything else you might offer me. :)
After getting home, I've spent the rest of the time getting back on Washington time, unpacking and handing out souvenirs, and catching up on everything I had to catch up on.
~ Writing ~
The last couple months, as I have just finished explaining, have not been the best for getting any writing done. However, I did do some writing, and I have hopes of getting more done as time goes on. For Camp NaNo, I got a grand total of 5,045 words written. All of that in one week of April between our mission's conference and our trip to Georgia. *face palm*
I started a new book (I know, I know, groan with me) called "The Assassin's Child" and I hope to have it end around 30k words long.
Good news, I got over the writing block that was keeping me from continuing writing in "A New Name" and I'm hoping to have at least another 20k written in it by the end of this month. Wish me luck!
With the impending release of my poetry collection, I put most of my time into polishing that, which included writing a six-page introduction. More on that project later, I promise.
~ Social Media ~
I currently have been more active on my Instagram than here, and for that, I apologize. It's just so much easier to post a picture and a couple quick sentences during the midst of a crazy busy day, or like a post while scrolling through a feed rather than read an entire blog post and leave a creative comment at the end.
However, I know how much it means to me when someone takes the time to wade through my posts and leave a comment, so I'm going to try very hard to do better at this. If I have to set aside a scheduled time in my day to read blog posts and comment...SO BE IT.
That said, please don't feel left out if I somehow miss your posts in my feed or run out of time to read yours in particular. I only wish there were enough hours in the day to allow for that to never happen, but I'm afraid it's inevitable. I love all the blogs I follow (which is why I follow them :) and just because I'm unable to comment on yours, that doesn't mean I don't care. Quite the contrary, I assure you. <3
~ Music ~
Living Hope (Phil Wickham)
The Power of a Prayer (Matthew West)
Evermore (Josh Groban)
~ Announcement Section ~
Ok, first thing I'm kind of freaking out excited about is the fact that my first poetry collection EVER is releasing THIS UPCOMING SUNDAY!!!!!!!!! Like, WHAAAAAAAAAAT?? Feel free to freak out with me...it'll make me feel better. (maybe)
Yeah, you read that right: "Thoughts in Verse" is releasing in SIX DAYS. Due to the style I'm publishing it in, my book will only be available on Lulu, so any help you can give in spreading the word would be GREATLY appreciated. In fact, if you're interested in publishing the announcement on Sunday anywhere, just drop a comment below or contact me via email if you're willing to commit to sharing about the publication. If you can and do, I will send you these:
1: a "The Princess and I" bookmark (signed if you want)
2: one of the poems in my collection of your choice (I'll send you the list to pick from)
3: a note with me gushing about how nice of you it was to help a poor author out
Sound interesting? Cool. I'll hear from you soon. ;)
Second thing I need to announce...
Turns out I totally missed the first birthday for "The Princess and I"! Which is very sad, because I wanted to have a huge giveaway to celebrate my baby's first year of being published. So, instead of celebrating on the release date, I'm going to celebrate when my blog turns 5 (in a couple weeks) and we'll host a huge party for the both of them on the same day. Sound good? Think, LOTS of books being given away as well as a bunch of extra goodies, questions about the book being answered and even a sneak peek into "The Princess and I"s sequel "The King's Cousin". The best part? I'm going to allow you guys to ask me ANYTHING you want in the comments, and I will write them all down, put them in a hat, and video myself answering them.
To end a VERY long blog post before you are bored out of your mind, here's the ending period.
Well, almost. ;)
Until next time, let everything you do be done for the glory of God!
Well, folks. This is it. This is the post you have all been looking for. *waves Jedi hand persuasively*
This is my 300th post. Like, WHAAAAAAT? I know, I'm shocked too. With almost five years of blogging under my belt, it shouldn't come as a surprise...but it does. And so here I am.
*cue confetti*
*and fireworks*
*and fanfare*
*hands out virtual ice cream cones with chocolate syrup and sprinkles*
NOW. Onto part TWO of this post. I know I should elaborate (I like that word) on my celebration of having authored 300 posts, but honestly I'm too excited about this next part to put it off any longer. ;)
I'm getting ready to host a blog tour for the release of "Sleeping Handsome" from February 13th through February 15th. (The release date being sandwiched in the middle...as it should be.) Any and all of you are welcome to sign-up for that >> HERE << *points aggressively at link*. Not only will you have the chance to get a free PDF copy if you want to do a review, but also you'll get a chance to host awesome stuff on your own blogs like fun quotes, a cool giveaway, and interrogate me about my book. B-)
For any of you unable to participate, that's ok. I'll be linking to all the blogs on my own blog each of the days, so you can visit all of them for a better perspective on what my book is like and some exclusive interviews with Yours Truly.
Each day of the tour, I'll be supplying you guys with some fun facts about each main human character I mentioned briefly in my cover reveal post, and some fun snippets as well as a link at the bottom for a giveaway which includes a signed, paperback copy of "Sleeping Handsome" (what? Yep, you read that right a PAPERBACK COPY) and some beautiful "The Princess and I" bookmarks designed by none other than our own dear Kaitlyn Krispense and signed by Yours Truly.
I think that's all for now. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below and I'll answer them ASAP. And again, if you're interested in being a part of the blog tour PLEASE fill out the form by clicking on the link above!
To those of you who do end up entering, here's an early THANK YOU. I can't wait to read all your posts and see what you guys think of my book! :)
I'm stalling so that my next post (my 300th post) will be on the same day I post about blog tour sign-ups for "Sleeping Handsome". :) And since I haven't done a 21 Answers post in awhile, I thought I'd give you one. As an author, I can't tell you how many times I've gotten this question after someone finds out I wrote a book. And I NEVER know how to respond. No matter how many times I practice in a mirror at home, I always fail to come up with something intelligent. Below are a few of the responses I often end up giving, a couple that I've thought about giving, and more that I threw in there as possible choices and to get the number of answers up to 21. ;) Enjoy!
#1: "Oh, you know...stuff."
#2: "There's this person, who does this thing. And it's cool."
#3: "Instead of me explaining it to you, you should probably just read it yourself." (Insert link to website where they can access you book. Marketing, guys, MARKETING.)
#4: *long explanation that makes no sense because you keep trying to cover up spoilers and tend to ramble*
#5: "I'm not ready for the world to know yet...or ever."
#6: "Man, even I don't know what my book is about!"
#7: "You'd better sit down."
#8: *blank expression*
#9: Drag over a friend that's read your book and say, "Here, ask them about it."
#10: Shudder and whisper hoarsely, "You don't want to know."
#11: Pick a word at random, have it be something different every time...just for fun. (Ex: "cauliflower", "lawn mowers", "cheese", "snowflakes", etc.) Don't forget to say the word with confidence so that the asker believes you. ;)
#12: "Beats me!" *shrug*
#13: "Somethin'."
#14: *groan* "Where do I even start?"
#15: The cheater's answer: read the synopsis off the back of your book. (If you have one, that is...if you don't, try reading the synopsis off someone else's book and test the asker's reading knowledge.)
#16: "Dost thou know what thou asketh, fiend?"
#17: *blushes* *stutters* *changes subject*
#18: "Tea anyone?"
#19: FAINT. Everyone will freak out, and hopefully forget about the question in the meantime. If it comes up again, faint again. Eventually the asker will stop asking that question. Trust me on that one.
#20: "Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies."
#21: If all else fails, you COULD come up with an actual, good response. Like, maybe work up a clever five sentence sell-out paragraph that makes whoever asks you about your book want to buy it...but who has time for that?
Which was/were your favorite response/s? Which response/s have you used before, if any? If you're a fellow author, which responses do you find yourself using a lot? (HELP ME)
Hope y'all enjoyed this post! I'll be back next time with a celebration post and blog tour sign-ups! :D
This is the day that I'll be giving you guys THE announcement and cover reveal for my newest ebook (to be published soon) "Sleeping Handsome". Before I give you the long awaited cover image, I have to thank the girl who made this all possible: Jessica Greyson. She did such a beautiful job on this cover. Not only did she do all of the work behind it, but she even made promo materiel and designed some of my quotes into gorgeous pictures. Guys, if you're in need of a good cover designer, I HIGHLY recommend her work. Definitely want to use her help again at some point, because I fell in love with what she did. ^_^ Check out her blog (link in her name) and help this talented young lady's business grow! :)
But now, since you probably skipped all of this the first time anyways, and have already seen the cover at this point, HERE is the cover for my upcoming ebook "Sleeping Handsome" to be released on, or as near as possible to, Valentine's Day: February 14th, 2018!
*dramatic pause*
I know, I know, it's awfully perfect, huh? ;) *sighs happily* The aesthetic appeal, the simplicity, yet complexity, the hint of mystery with a touch of romance...PERFECTION. I told you.
Here is the book's summery (as written by me, so don't get too excited):
Minnie's goal was to have a fun, worry free vacation with her best friend Amy. A
few weeks spent in their favorite far away place before they both went back to
their respective colleges. A visit to the many famous sights across the British
Isles has been on both their bucket lists for a very long time, after
all. However, when a mysterious taxi driver mentions a legend that somehow
concerns her ancestral heritage, she decides to dig deeper. After being accused
of stealing the famous statue and tourist attraction known as Sleeping Handsome,
Minnie and Amy are plunged into a world they would never have imagined
existed. Prince Gregory, after being awakened from being frozen in stone for
hundreds of years, finds himself searching for his true love in order to reverse
the stone spell on his kingdom and awaken the rest of his people. With his
faithful horse Brutis by his side, he sets out to destroy his greatest enemy,
release his kingdom from the stone spell, and win the heart of his princess.
Now, for some beautifully designed quotes! (Feel free to share these on Pinterest, Instagram, Google+, or whatever your favorite social media site is. I would appreciate all the marketing you give my book. Seriously, its YOU GUYS who sell my books, not me. I'm not even kidding.)
For our cast of characters, I have the three main HUMAN characters, Minnie, Amy, and Prince Gregory. There's another important main character, (my personal favorite, actually) but you'll have to READ MY BOOK to find out about him. *evil author chuckle*
The main character in my book is Minnie. She's one of those quiet, stable minded types that like to over-plan and over-think EVERYTHING. She is naturally bent toward being "the responsible one" and dislikes being coddled. Minnie enjoys the quiet things in life like being out in nature and the early morning hours before anyone else is awake.
Minnie's best friend, Amy, is in a way her complete opposite. This girl is a bubbly, effervescent extrovert who obsesses over old castles and is addicted to social media. A strange combination of hopeless romantic of all things medieval and electronic geek who owns all the newest gadgets, she puzzles most people with her mix of quick thinking and absentminded daydreaming.
Prince Gregory makes the third of our main cast. The ever steady, ever strong, ever faithful and gentle face he shows on the outside hide a mischievous sense of humor and tendency to create a whirlwind of excitement wherever he goes. With his cheerful nature and optimistic outlook on life, its impossible to NOT like him. And for a certain someone, it was impossible not to fall in love. ;) Ok, I promise I won't get all mushy-gushy on you. :P
*pictures of characters from my board on Pinterest: Story <> Sleeping Handsome
So, what do you think about the book? Excited to read it yet? (I hope so!) Which character looks like it will probably end up being your favorite? Which one was most similar in personality to you? Would any of you be interested in me making a quiz type thing where you can figure out which character you "are"? (I put that in parenthesis because the tests usually just tell you which one you're closest too. Obviously none of my characters are an exact copy of your personality...maybe B-)
Be sure to check out the other blogs who are taking part in the cover reveal! :D Thanks so much for all your excitement! THIS is why cover reveals and blog tours are some of my favorite posts to write. THIS is why I keep trying to complete stories. YOU GUYS ROCK. :D
Until next time, let everything you do be done for the glory of God!
Yes, I know I'm late. But I knew you guys would all be terribly disappointed if I didn't post this, SO HERE YOU GO, OK?
2017 is over...man, where do I start? There have been so many ups and downs...so many tragedies and joys... I other words, I have a lot of mixed feelings about 2017. And HOW DID IT GO BY SO FAST!!?!?!? Like, whaaaaaat? Tbh, no other year has gone by this fast. I'm not kidding. SOMETHING made this year go by faster than previous years and whatever it was I want it to STOP. Seriously. 2017 held a lot of challenges for me, but most of them were positive. I'm going to give you some of the things that happened to me during 2017, followed by what I plan/hope to achieve this year because of those things. We'll see if this actually works or not. Bear with me please. ;)
~ 2017 College Reflections ~
I finished my first year of college during last year. Lots of nail-biting moments, late night stress dreams, exhausted mind and body while cramming for upcoming tests...but I completed that milestone and it felt great. :)
~ 2018 College Goals ~
I want to be able to finish my second year of college and wrap up my Associates degree with the hope that I can then go on to get a Bachelor's degree in English at some point in the future.
~ 2017 Job Reflections ~
Last year I got my first actual job (cleaning grandparents houses hardly counts as a job after all) as a nanny for one baby girl. When that job fell through, God immediately gave me a follow-up opportunity with another family. Now I watch two little girls, four hours a day, three days a week (sometimes more, sometimes less).
~ 2018 Job Goals ~
This next year, with my nanny job still going full steam ahead with no end in sight, I'm excited to watch the two girls grow in their education and personality as well as hopefully gain a relationship with Christ. As for me, I will probably become a master Mac and Cheese chef and learn how to come up with even more creative ways to keep their active hands busy in a good way. ;)
~ 2017 Author Reflections ~
I published my first novel-length book in the spring of 2017. "The Princess and I" has been my greatest creation yet and I was so blessed to see it welcomed by my community of author friends and loved to pieces by family members and church members. My favorite compliment I received from our church's assistant pastor's wife. She said she forgot she was reading a book by me because she was so caught up in the story. Though I didn't officially "do" National Novel Writing Month in November, I completed a novella within Thanksgiving break. The outlining, plotting, research and writing...all of it...within a week. It was one of those story ideas that latched on and didn't let go until I had it all out. Not only that, but I sent it off to an editor and had a cover artist make a cover and promotional material for me too. (If you don't know which book I'm talking about, it's "Sleeping Handsome", a retelling of Sleeping Beauty...sort of.) To top my writing of last year off, I wrote a total of 42,537 words in "A New Name" and am beginning to realize that this might be one of those books that have 100,000+ words and take up a third of your shelf space. O.o I keep deepening the plot and realizing I'm going to have quite the challenge climbing back out again.
~ 2018 Author Goals~
I'm hoping to publish my first exclusive e-book edition of "Sleeping Handsome" on Valentine's Day of this year. So far, I haven't heard back from my editor so plans may have to change a bit. But we'll hope for the best in the meantime. Also, I'm having to do a chunk of re-writing in "Ocean Mist", but I'm hoping to have it ready for publication by this summer. Though "Alice and Alyssa" has been finished for over two years now, I have ye to actually get it published...so that is something I'm hoping to accomplish within this year. The sooner the better. And finally, as if three books isn't enough, I'm planning on having the first completed draft of "A New Name" written by the end of this year. (Maybe actually PARTICIPATING in NaNoWriMo this year for the first time?) Yeah. I'm crazy. I know. Wish me luck! XD
~ 2017 Reader Reflections ~
I was sadly unable to read 100 books this year (at least I failed to record them if I did). But I did discover several new authors I now love, and had the privilege of beta-reading for a couple dear author friends. Beyond that, I also discovered I'm not a huge fan of college textbooks *cough* and WHY DO I NOT GO TO BARNES & NOBLE MORE OFTEN?? However, I was able to finish reading through my Bible in a year, although I started a bit late and finished a bit late. STILL. My bookshelf has four shelves stuffed full of books...and I have officially run out of room. At this rate I will have to start laying books on my books that are lined up in height order. Not the prettiest sight, but sometimes extreme measures must be taken. Ignore the fact that I could just stop buying books. (Who does that anyways?)
~ 2018 Reader Goals ~
Yes, I signed up to try to read 100 books again. *shrugs* Might as well, right? With a pile of books on my dresser as we speak just WAITING to be read, a virtual TBR list that is miles high and teetering dangerously on the brink of toppling over, and more on my shelves that need tender loving care, I've got my work cut out for me...all I need now is time. *laughs* Sounds so easy. NOT.
~ 2017 Blogger Reflections ~
Instead of the record breaking 100 posts I wrote during 2016, I only posted 47 times last year. However, I'm about four posts away from having a 300th blog post, which is pretty mind-boggling. I gained over twenty amazing followers this last year, and can I take a moment to say how much I appreciate both you who have been following me from the start and you who have joined recently or sort of recently. Every new face I see pop up brings a smile to my face and brightens my day. You have no idea how much your comments mean to me and how much I love watching you react to my posts. Blogger's don't post for themselves, they post for the enjoyment of others, and we love watching our audience interact within themselves and with us! :) It's been incredible to be a part of the teen writer community, and I'm beyond thrilled to call many of you my friends. Some of you I've been able to actually meet face to face, and I look forward to maybe meeting more of you someday. :) I have to admit, I've been very scattered on here recently. You never know WHAT I'm going to post about next. It's been a roller coaster of a year and that impacted my blogging. Having a lot of you faithfully checking my blog and leaving comments gives me a bad case of "the warm fuzzies". ;)
~ 2018 Blogger Goals ~
You may have noticed the new theme if you're a slightly observant person. Guys, my dear friend Savannah Grace from Scattered Scribblings has cheerfully offered her services when I asked for someone's help in designing a new blog template. Personally, I LOVE how it turned out, and I'm sure you guys will too... Once the actual theme has been put into the system, that is. Yes, I'm leaving you with a construction theme right now, but this is only temporary, I assure you. Patience, guys. ;) Thanks to a certain post from a certain fellow blogger *coughs* I'm hoping to get this blog more professional and streamlined with a bigger focus on writing. However, since I don't have a newsletter email yet, I'll still be doing my monthly overview posts more or less on a regular basis. ;) Just so you guys know what's up in Western Washington. I'm hoping to also keep up better on my other blog, Simply Stories, with regular posts on behind-the-scenes stuff about my books. So if you are interested in character interviews, pictures, sketches, or backstory details, that will be the place to go. In short, I'm going to TRY to get more organized. We'll see how that goes.
~ A Couple Exciting Announcements ~
~ (as promised) ~
First, "The Princess and I" is OFFICIALLY out as a paperback and e-book on Amazon/kindle as well as being found at Barnes & Nobles, the iBook store, nook, and of course Lulu. So to those of you who have been waiting patiently for my slow release of the ebook form of my book IT'S AVAILABLE NOW! Second, I'll be announcing a cover reveal sign-up for "Sleeping Handsome" in a week, so stay tuned for that post coming up! Third, I'm going to begin my search for a group of FIVE core alpha readers for "A New Name" sometime in the next couple months, so if you're interested in that, keep an eye out for that post coming up. Fourth, I'm hoping to have a group of betas read through "Alice and Alyssa" and finally get that book published for good. I have it sort of published, but I have yet to go through the whole system yet. Finally, to wrap this post up, I'll give you the list of goals I made for myself at the end of 2016 and make a new list of goals for this year. (To be completely frank, I don't think I even glanced at this list since maybe spring? *sheepish laugh*) Here they are, my official list of goals for 2017!
~ Goals of 2017 ~
-Read through the Bible (I actually did do this one, barely.) -Read 100 books (*cough* better luck this year, eh?) -Make new friends who help me grow closer to God (I did make a couple new freinds. Looking forward to getting to know them even better this year! ^_^) -Have stronger relationships with siblings (In all honesty, I did get closer to my siblings. Some more than others, but in general too.) -Finish writing "A New Name", "Alone", and "Beyond the Galaxy" (Nope. Though I made significant progress in at least two of those stories.) -Publish "The Princess & I" and "Alice & Alyssa" (One down, one to go. I can do this!) -Complete a year of college (*sings hallelujah chorus while checking this off with a florish*) -Have a closer relationship with God (I feel like I could have done better with this goal. I'm not saying I think my walk with Him has grown more distant, but I feel like I could definitely be a lot closer. However crazy my life gets, God still needs to be at the center.) And now, the moment you have all been waiting for, a list of 2018 goals!
~ Goals for 2018 ~
-Memorize the book of Daniel -Read 100 books -Attend a writing conference -Have a consistent prayer life -Grow closer to my family members -Finish writing "A New Name" -Publish "Sleeping Handsome", "Ocean Mist", and "Alice and Alyssa" -Complete my second year of college and get my Associate's Degree -Have a closer relationship with God Think I can do it? Well I guess time will tell. ;) What were some of your goals for the new year? Do any of you guys have major writing milestones planned this year? How about reading goals? Until next time, let everything you do be done for the glory of God! :)
Heeeeey, guys. Long time no see, right? Heh, yeah my life (as described in the title) has been CRAZY. There's been a LOT going on. I'll try to clue you in a little bit, but this list may be a bit scattered. Count yourself warned. No, this is not a normal wrap up post. Yes, I actually have a life. *gasp*
1: College School alone could probably be to blame for my absence on social media in general lately. I'm currently studying psychology, which has been...interesting...to say the least. I've had a lot of story ideas pop into my head while working away at the different things that go on inside people's minds. However, there's a lot of things I don't agree with going on in this branch of science, and so MUCH for me to remember. Sheesh. It's like I'm expected to be SMART or something! :P
2: Family My Eddy grandparents have been dealing with a lot of health issues over the last couple months, and that means us grandkids have been spending a lot of time working on various household and landscaping stuff over at their house. Sometimes we go over up to five times a week to get all the this done that they need done. Then of course, there's all the regular chores I'm expected to do at home that keeps our boat afloat, AND time I want to actually spend with my parents and siblings. Like going out to eat with a couple sisters or watching a football game with my brothers.
3: Church/Social So basically my church is my social life right now. XD Which is kind of nice, because every service is killing two birds with one stone. But, it does take time...not that I would trade that time for anything else. I love my church and the stuff I do there. A lot of musical things are coming up with the approach of Christmas, and that's been fun. :) My siblings and I are working on a song to perform during the Christmas Eve service which I wil try to have someone video so I can share it with you all. :)
4: Reading You would think with all the other stuff I have going on that I wouldn't be finding time to read...BUT YOU WOULD BE WRONG. Strangely, I've read more fiction the last couple of months than like, ALL of summer. The irony. (Actually, it's probably due to my procrastination on certain college tests. *cough* But we won't go there.) I've discovered several new authors and even wrote a few reviews on Goodreads, which you may have read if you follow me on there.
Special thanks to Chloe W. for sending in this picture. If you remember, this sweet girl was the winner of my book "The Princess and I" in the giveaway I hosted. :)
5: Writing As you may have noticed my lack of NaNo-ey posts and correctly assumed that I'm not participating this year. This is due to several exciting (as well as frustrating) things that are going on in my life as an author. Ready? (You MAY want t be sitting down for this...;) Guys. I have some amazing news. I HAVE A PUBLISHER WILLING TO PUBLISH MY FUTURE BOOKS. Due to my typical lack of funds as a college student, I'm waiting until next year to actually take them up on their offer to market my book and everything, but they graciously said that they would still take my books even if I had to wait until I felt more financially stable. So that has been a pretty huge step in my life that I've only dreamed about happening. Never, in my wildest dreams, did I think that a publishing company would take me up so willingly and quickly! Thanks so much for all of you who promised to pray for me when I first announced that they had called me. It means more than words can express to see you guys give so much support to me while I'm freaking out over something like this. :D You are seriously the BEST people an author could ask for. <3 Also, in other news, my current WIP, "A New Name", is almost 40,000 words long and going strong. By far the hardest project I've ever tackled, I've gotten an immense amount of brainstorming in, and can't wait to show you guys some more snippets! At the same time, I've been sloooooooowly editing "Ocean Mist"...*sigh* It's needed a LOT of help, but I'm really hoping to get out the rest of the first round of editing in before Christmas. Please pray that I can find time to finish this up because I HAVE a final proof-reader/editor...I just need to get the suggestions worked in. One more thing that probably belongs in this category is some more random fun stuff. I'M WORKING ON SOME BOOKISH MERCH. Yep, you read that right. I'm getting some shirts, mugs, bookmarks, etc. with quotes and stuff from various books of mine. You'll see a shirt sample shortly, because I ordered one already with MY favorite quote from "A New Name" and I'll post pictures when I finally get it. BUT GUYS I NEED YOUR HELP. I need those of you who have already read my books to give me some of your favorite quotes to put on this stuff. Any quotes from "The Silver Flower", "Ocean Mist", "Alice & Alyssa" or "The Princess and I" would be greatly appreciated. :) If you're interested in helping me out, click THIS LINK and it'll take you to a google form where you can sign up as a quote searcher (yes, that's absolutely a real job...do not question this fact.)
6: Blogging Besides it being painfully obvious that this has fallen behind in the list of priorities, I do have a couple posts in working progress, including a call for beta readers for "Alice & Alyssa" (I know, FINALLY). A post on the incredible impact a "boring" testimony can have, several tags I'm waaaaay behind in, and the next 21 Answers post are just a few. Also, a friend of mine made me a GORGEOUS new blog template that I just fell in love with...but you don't get to see it until next year. B-) All in due time, my minions....all in due time.
7: Some goals Yeah, apparently I have those still? XD I guess I'll never learn. I'm hoping to have 45 college credits by the end of January, finish publishing "Ocean Mist" by February, write the complete first draft of "A New Name" by March, and start outlining the sequel to "The Princes and I". And all that is only AFTER I make sure I'm still keeping my family and God as the first priority in all the hectic life that happens. Hmm...maybe I should write a post on the importance of priorities? ;)
So yeah, those are a few things that have kept me from haunting the blogosphere as much as I wanted too. I've tried to keep up with most of the posts you all have written, but I wasn't able to comment as much as I wanted to. I'm sorry I haven't been on here as much as want to be. Please know that if each day had about 36 hours, I'd get way more of this in, but I simply don't have the time to have a job, study for college, live life as a pastor's daughter and author and still get eight hours of sleep every night PLUS write blog posts twice a week and comment whenever I want to. But I wish I could. I'll try to be more consistent, but I make no promises. B-) You'll just have to check back occasionally to see if the shadowy form has left a post recently. :P
Until then, let everything you do be done for the good of God! :D
