It's Release Day for After the Storm by Marie Landry! Guest Post + #giveaway! #angelisland

Guess what???

It's release day for After the Storm by Marie Landry!

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After the Storm by Marie Landry

For most people, starting senior year at a new high school would be a nightmare, but for Ella O’Dell it’s the new beginning she desperately needs. Two months after her mother’s death, she’s ready to leave behind the rebellious, unhappy person she became when she found out her mom was dying.

When Ella meets River Maracle and Sadie Fitzgerald, she begins to learn it’s okay to be herself, even if that means being different. River and Sadie aren’t ashamed of their misfit status—River grew up on a reservation, and his mother is the school counselor; Sadie stands out with her funky homemade clothes, and is a master at ignoring the whispered rumors that have plagued her since the beginning of high school.

Ella finds a kindred spirit in Sadie, and something more in River. After almost a year of pretending to be someone she’s not, she finally embraces life and allows herself to have fun without constant guilt. But despite her budding happiness, something is off with her new life. She doesn’t want to dwell on the past, but Angel Island is a small place, and she soon realizes her demons are harder to outrun than she thought…

After the Storm is a standalone companion novel to Waiting for the Storm

Add it on Goodreads

Amazon | Barnes & Nobles | Smashwords

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About the author:

Marie has always been a daydreamer; since early childhood she's had a passion for words and a desire to create imaginary worlds, so it only seemed natural for her to become a writer. She resides in Ontario, Canada, and most days you can find her writing, reading, blogging about writing and reading, listening to U2, watching copious amounts of TV on DVD, or having grand adventures with her nephews and niece. She's a hopeless romantic, an unapologetic eavesdropper (occupational hazard), an equally unapologetic squeeing fangirl, and a lover of swoonworthy book and TV characters. For more on Marie and her books please visit http://sweetmarie-83.blogspot.ca. She also loves to chat with fellow book lovers, so feel free to tweet her @SweetMarie any time!

Blog: http://sweetmarie-83.blogspot.ca/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarieLandryAuthor?ref=hl 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SweetMarie83 

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5188180.Marie_Landry

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While you don't need to read Waiting for the Storm before reading After the Storm BUT I still highly suggest that you pick up a copy of it just because it's a GREAT story and you should read it too. ^_^

After the death of her mother, the last thing seventeen-year-old Charlotte O'Dell wants to do is spend the summer on Angel Island with her family. Her younger sister hates her, and her dad is in his own little world. It's a recipe for a disastrous summer on the island, until Ezra Rhodes walks into her life.

The boy next door makes Charlotte forget her almost paralyzing fear of really living her life. Stunted from taking care of her mother in her last months, Charlotte is drowning. With Ezra, she feels something again, and as he repairs her family's summer home, she dares to think he might actually be fixing her, too. Ezra challenges Charlotte to leave her comfort zone, and as their friendship slowly blossoms into more, Charlotte begins to come alive again.

But Ezra has secrets...secrets he isn't sharing with Charlotte. Despite her new-found happiness in Ezra's arms, Charlotte can't help but feel there's a storm on the horizon. And she isn't sure if she and Ezra can weather it unscathed.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

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Guest Post!

First, I’d like to thank Jessica for having me here at Thoughts at One in the Morning. Jess is one of my closest friends, and she’s been one of my biggest supporters from the very beginning, so it’s always a pleasure and an honour to be at her blog.

When most people ask me to do a guest post for them, they tell me to write about whatever I want, but Jessica wanted me to talk about something specific today. My second novel, The Game Changer, is women’s fiction/chick lit, and the rest of my books are either young adult, upper YA, or NA. Jessica wanted to know if I’d be writing any more books like The Game Changer.

The answer: Yes.

Before I wrote my debut novel, Blue Sky Days, if anyone had asked me what age-range I thought I’d write for, I would have said adults. I didn’t read much YA back then, so it never occurred to me that I could write for teens, young adults, or adults who enjoy reading about teens. This may sound ridiculous to non-writers, but I don’t choose my characters’ ages - the characters pop into my mind, and their story forms from there.

When I got the idea for The Game Changer, it wouldn’t have worked if Melody were a teenager. She was someone who had been on her own for a while, in a long-term relationship, and had a successful career, so I needed her to be in her late twenties. I had a blast writing Melody’s book; at the time I wrote it, she and I were the same age, and even though our lives weren’t all that similar, I found her easy to connect to.

As for future stories, as I said, I do plan to write books other than YA and NA. I love romance, and while The Game Changer has an element of romance, I don’t consider it a romance novel; there’s a heavy emphasis on friendship, and personal growth and change. The ideas I have for ‘adult’ books (three in total so far), are all romance rather than women’s fiction. When I turned 30 at the end of last year, I got an idea about a character turning 30 and the different ways she might react. I had a new idea the other night that would fit into that story, and I think it would be fun and light (which would be a change from the emotional books I’ve written so far). Now I just need more hours in the day (and less distractions and procrastination tendencies) to write those, plus all the other ideas floating around in my mind!

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Thank you so much for answering my burning question... I am SUPER EXCITED for this romance! WOOT!!

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Giveaway!

Marie was so kind as to provide some pretty awesome Angel Island Swag (click the link for a picture of it!!) for you lovely people, so you better enter if you want to win some. It's totally awesome!! ^_^

Official Rules:

1. You must be a follower.
2. You must be over 15 years old.
3. This is open to international followers.
4. This contest runs from April 8th through 14th.
5. Winner will be selected at 12:01 a.m. on April 14th via Rafflecopter random selection.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Top 5 Reasons to Read Waiting for the Storm This Summer + GIVEAWAY!

Now that summer is finally here, don't you just want to read a nice summery book? Look no further, I've got exactly what you're looking for... Waiting For The Storm by Marie Landry! And she's got five reasons WHY you should read it this summer...

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Top 5 Reasons to Read
Waiting for the Storm This Summer

by Marie Landry

1) Charlotte: In the beginning of Waiting for the Storm, Charlotte is broken. Her mother just died after a long illness, her sister hates her, and her dad is so buried in grief he can hardly function. Charlotte has to be strong and brave, and not only figure out how to take care of her crumbling family, but also remember how to really live since she’s been shut away taking care of her mother for the last year. I think Charlotte is a relatable character because even if you haven’t been through tragedy and heartache the way she has, we’ve all felt lost at some point in our lives, and we’ve all had to learn to carry on.

2) Ezra: Ezra’s pretty swoonworthy if I do say so myself! He’s got this quiet, understated way about him and he’s there for Charlotte in a time when she desperately needs someone. Plus he’s a good boy with just the tiniest edge of a bad boy to him, which is pretty sexy. Also, he has secrets…deep, dark secrets…

3) It’s set at the beach: I don’t know about you, but during the summer months, I love reading books that are set in summer, especially at the beach. There’s just something about the beach - the smell of it, the feel of sand under your feet, the sound of crashing waves. Angel Island is at once the last place and the only place Charlotte wants to be because her mother spent time there and loved it, and because it was her dying wish that the family spend the summer there. She’s torn because she feels close to her mother there and yet she feels haunted in a way.

4) A mini road trip: Who doesn’t love a road trip? This one’s not an epic cross-country one, but the journey is more than just a physical one. Plus there are a couple scenes during the road trip that are really special to me personally and I was excited to get to share one in particular in this book. But that’s all I’ll say! ;-)

5) Self-discovery, growth, heartache, romance, an emotional journey - ok those are five reasons but to me those are the things that make up great contemporary fiction, and I hope you’ll agree!

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Seventeen-year-old Charlotte O’Dell knows this summer is going to suck. Her mother just died, her sister hates her, and her dad has completely checked out. Fulfilling her mother’s final wish, the family heads to Angel Island for the summer to stay in a beach house her mother once loved.

After a year of being shut away taking care of her mother, Charlotte is numb and practically afraid of her own shadow; she hopes going to the island will give her the time and space she needs to begin healing, and an opportunity to bring her family back together. When she meets her mysterious neighbor, Ezra, it doesn’t take long for Charlotte to confess the issues she’s developed. Ezra begins giving Charlotte assignments to get over her fears, and although she accepts his tasks, all she really wants is to be with him. When she’s with Ezra, she’s able to forget the hollow ache in her heart and the fact that her family is falling apart. But Ezra has secrets…

Can Charlotte pull what’s left of her family together, mend her broken heart, and allow herself to fall for Ezra? Or is it all just a storm waiting to happen?

~*~Goodreads~ ~Amazon~ ~Barnes & Noble~ ~Smashwords~*~

Find & Follow Marie on:

~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ YouTube ~

~ Book Blog ~ Author Blog ~ Personal/Photography Blog ~

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GIVEAWAY!

Marie has generously provided THREE ebook copies of Waiting For The Storm for you!

Rules:
1. You must be a follower.
2. You must be over 15 years old.
3. This is open internationally.
4. You can earn extra entries by adding Waiting For The Storm to your Goodreads shelf, liking Marie Landry, Author on Facebook, following Marie on Twitter, and tweeting about the giveaway.
4. This contest runs from June 12th to 19th.
6. Winners will be selected on June 20th and notified via blog post announcement and email.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Fan Appreciation Event
on Ramblings Of A Daydreamer

To thank all of her fans for their support, Marie Landry is giving away a $25 gift card to Amazon and $25 USD PayPal Cash (or $25 from The Book Depository if you don't have PayPal). If she gets to 50 reviews for Waiting For The Storm on Amazon, she'll add another $25 Amazon gift card! So, if you win a copy from my giveaway, you can read the book, write a review, and enter Marie's giveaway too! Talk about awesome!

Enter The Fan Appreciation Giveaway HERE!

Also, another awesome thing is that she has marked her debut novel, Blue Sky Days, down to 99¢!

Buy Blue Sky Days:

~Amazon || Amazon Canada || Amazon UK || Smashwords || Barnes & Noble || Kobo~

Rapunzel Untangled Blog Tour: Guest Post by Cindy C. Bennett + Giveaway!

Welcome to my stop on the Rapunzel Untangled Blog Tour! I am so excited to be part of this tour because I loved Rapunzel Untangled. You can see my review HERE. Be sure to check out all the other fantastic stops on the tour for prizes and reviews of this fabulous book. ^_^

Here at Thoughts, the wonderful Cindy C. Bennett is here with a guest post.

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Rapunzel Really Untangled by Cindy C Bennett

When I decided to write a retelling of Rapunzel, the first thing I did was research her. I looked up and read many of the original fairytales, and either read or read about most of the subsequent retellings. I thought I knew Rapunzel’s story. I was wrong.

We all know about her long hair, about the famous line “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair”, and the Prince climbing up and helping her escape the evil Gothel who holds her in the tower. But I think between all of the retellings, and particularly Disney’s Tangled, much of the story has been forgotten.

The first well-known version of Rapunzel was told by the Grimm Brothers in 1812 with many of those recognizable elements. It’s an adaption of Persinette, published in 1698 by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force in France. There’s also a Persian tale from the 10th century about Rudaba who would let down her hair for her lover Zal to climb up to her, though that’s where any similarities end. It’s also believed that the Grimm Brothers were influenced by the bawdy 17th century collection of tales called The Pentamerone by Italian poet Giambattista Basile. It’s the Grimm version, though, that’s sort of considered the standard for the story.

In the Grimm version, Rapunzel is given as a baby to the witch Gothel because of her pregnant mother’s craving for rampion (an edible plant) that grows in the witch’s garden. (Really? The woman gives away her baby for a plant? Hmm . . . must be something funny in that plant.) The witch locks her up, and it’s Rapunzel’s singing that draws the Prince to her, who sees the witch climbing up Rapunzel’s hair to enter the tower. Soon Rapunzel is pregnant. (You won’t find that in the Disney movie.) When the witch discovers the deception, she cuts Rapunzel’s hair and throws her out into the wilderness. When the Prince comes and finds the witch but no Rapunzel, he jumps into the thorns below, blinded by them. For months he wanders the wilderness until he finds Rapunzel and her twin babies. Rapunzel’s tears then cure the Prince’s blindness and they live happily ever after.

As a girl I remember seeing a cartoon version of Rapunzel that followed the Grimm version sans the pregnancy and babies. I thought it was endlessly romantic that they would risk so much for their love, and that her tears would be the thing that would heal him. Rapunzel Untangled is a different version, though I tried to retain some of the more common, recognizable elements. It’s a much darker version, because to me her story is one of tragedy—being taken from her family and locked in a tower by a crazy witch. Where’s the light in that? I had a great time exploring the darker side of Rapunzel—and a great time discovering the origins and variations as well, untangling her story along the way.

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Thank you so much Cindy!!! <3

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About the author
Cindy C. Bennett

Cindy C Bennett was born and raised in beautiful Salt Lake City, growing up in the shadows of the majestic Rocky Mountains. She lives with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs. She also has two sons. She volunteers her time working with teen girls between the ages of 12-18, all of whom she finds to be beautiful, fascinating creatures. When she’s not writing, reading or answering emails she can often times be found riding her Harley through the beautiful canyons near her home (yes, I ride a Harley and no, you'd never know it to look at me!).

Find Cindy on
Her Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

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Rapunzel Untangled

Rapunzel is not your average teenager.

For one thing, she has a serious illness that keeps her inside the mysterious Gothel Mansion. And for another, her hair is 15 feet long. Not to mention that she’s also the key to ultimately saving the world from certain destruction. But then she meets a boy named Fane, who changes all she has ever known, and she decides to risk everything familiar to find out who she really is.

Filled with romance, adventure, and mystery, Rapunzel Untangled is one story you won’t want to put down. Discover the true meaning of love and friendship in this modern twist to the classic fairytale.

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble

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GIVEAWAY

Win a copy of Rapunzel Untangled!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Author Marie Landry on Genre Jumping and the Beauty of Self-Publishing + GIVEAWAY!

Today I am pleased to have as my guest poster the lovely Marie Landry. She is the author of the great YA novel, Blue Sky Days (see my review here). She has just released her first adult contemporary novel, The Game Changer (see my review from yesterday here), which I was privileged to get the opportunity to beta read. I am so glad to be such good friends with her because she was more than happy to write up a great guest post for you guys!

Without further adieu, join me in welcoming Marie to Thoughts At One In The Morning!

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Genre Jumping and the Beauty of Self-Publishing

by Marie Landry

I’ve always had very eclectic reading tastes, and my writing’s not much different. I like variety, I like the freedom to jump from world to world and to read and write about diverse characters.

When I originally wrote Blue Sky Days eight or so years ago, it was an adult novel. At the time, I figured I would eventually be an adult romance novelist - it was my favourite genre to read, and all my story adults fit within that genre. Skip ahead six or seven years to when I became a book blogger and discovered the world of young adult books. I was instantly hooked, and I wanted to write stories that appealed to that audience. I pulled Blue Sky Days out from hiding and rewrote it as a young adult novel. I was happy with my decision - it felt right - plus by doing so, I opened myself up to a wider audience since many adults read YA books.

I went from thinking I’d be an adult romance novelist to thinking I’d be a young adult contemporary novelist. But then just days after publishing Blue Sky Days, I got the idea for The Game Changer, which wasn’t young adult, but wasn’t technically romance either - it was chick lit.

So I decided I wouldn’t limit myself. If I wanted to write young adult contemporary, adult romance, chick lit, mystery, horror, fantasy, science fiction, or whatever, that was my prerogative as an indie author. A little over a year ago when I made the decision to self-publish, I heard several people say to pick a genre and stick with it or you’d lose readers. I thought No thanks. Why would I want to limit myself? Isn’t that part of the reason to self-publish in the first place - I’m the boss, I call the shots, I decide what I write? Plus how could I lose readers when I’d be opening myself up to different types of readers?

Now a lot of authors, both self-published and traditionally published, are jumping genres. Many well-known authors of adult fiction have crossed over into writing YA, and vice versa. It used to be that if an author wanted to write in a different genre or start a new series, they had to write under a pseudonym. Even though some authors still choose to do that, it’s becoming more common for them to just write what they want and publish books under one name, regardless of the genre.

Writing and publishing are changing and evolving. Self-publishing has its drawbacks, but I also think it’s revolutionizing the way books are written and published, and to me, that’s pretty thrilling. When you call the shots, the sky is the limit. I don’t think there’s ever been a more exciting time to be a writer.

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Find & Follow Marie on:

~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ YouTube ~

~ Book Blog ~ Author Blog ~ Personal/Photography Blog ~

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The Game Changer
by Marie Landry
Add it to your Goodreads shelf!
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Smashwords

Melody Cartwright has never had a problem with change, but for the first time in her life the changes are beyond her control—she suddenly has a niece she never knew, but has to prove herself to; her best friend is making huge life changes of her own; and she has to deal with her ex and his crazy new girlfriend who has stalker tendencies.

When Melody meets confident, sexy Julian, she’s not interested in a relationship. He tells her it’s possible for a man and a woman to just be friends, and despite his ultra-charming ways there’s something about him that makes Melody believe he could be right.

During a time of change and turmoil, it doesn’t take long for Julian to become everything Melody never knew she needed in her life. But is it possible for them to remain ‘just friends’ or will Melody be a game changer for Julian the playboy?

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Giveaway

You have the chance to win ONE of TWO awesome prize packs. What is included in these prize packs? You not only get an e-book copy of The Game Changer, but you will also receive a little gift from me:

Each winner will get ONE "Dream" hemp bracelet and some cute pink scrapbook punches of hearts, butterflies, and cupcakes! I make similar things like these and sell them in my Etsy shop, Impulsivities. The exact bracelet you get will be random.

Rules:
1. You must be a follower.
2. You must be over 15 years old.
3. This is open internationally.
4. You can earn extra entries by adding The Game Changer to your Goodreads shelf.
4. This contest runs from November 14th to 28th.
6. Winner will be selected on November 29th and notified via blog post announcement and email..

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for following and entering the giveaway!

I'm guest posting on Eastern Sunset Reads today...

... so check it out! My good friend Angie at Eastern Sunset Reads asked me to write a post for her month long blogoversary event (go check it out, there's a great giveaway). I jumped at the opportunity to write it!

My post is on The First Time I Read A Book. It's one of those things that is always right there on my mind. It was a nice memory. What happened? Well, you'll have to click the link and find out!

What was your first experience reading a book? Tell me about it!

~Jessica

Literature Websites You Can’t Live Without--Guest Post by Alex Morris

Today I'm welcoming Alex Morris to Thoughts At One In The Morning. Back when I was looking for some guest posts, he offered up this little bookish gem and I was intrigued. So, I am going to turn it over to Alex to tell us more about...

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Literature Websites You Can’t Live Without

We can’t read books all day, so this leaves a fair bit of spare time to think about them. One of the better ways to spend this period is to search across the sprawling internet for some innovative displays of literature on the World Wide Web. Here are some of the very best examples for your enjoyment and, hopefully, pursuit.

Use the Book Seer to Discover New Authors

If you’re in need of a new author, or in search of something similar to what you’ve just read, the Book Seer is an excellent way to come across new writers. Simply type in an author and let it do the work for you.

Get a Unique Poster

Literature posters are fairly hard to come by, so why not get a Postertext? This example of The Great Gatsby has the entire text of the book in the form of a picture! It would look fabulous on anyone’s wall.

Join an Interactive Virtual Book Community

With Book Glutton you can be interactive with other readers inside online novels. Invite your friends to the network and then you can debate certain chapters or paragraphs to your heart’s content.

Turn A Book Into a Big Brother Experience!

If you want to take George Orwell’s message of morality from 1984 subversively then you should transform a book into a secret hidden camera. All the details on how to construct this yourself are on the webpage.

Check out some Contemporary Art

For some of the most stylish book art take a look at this site and feel inspired!

Trade Books with People

Bored with your book collection? Want to branch out and trade with other literature fans? Then Bookmooch is a fine example of how the internet can bring the literary community together.

Buy a Personalized Library Kit

If you’ve ever lent a book to someone and never seen it again then this home library kit is for you. You can make out dated stamps to remind its borrower that they don’t own it and it needs returning. It’s up to you to decide if this will come across as cute or unnecessarily pedantic.

Use Online Book Gift Stores

You could always surprise a friend or relative with a unique gift from a store such as the Literary Gift Company. There’s a wide range of unusual items here, including recycled books that have been made into handbags.

Plan a Trip to a Beautiful Library

Some of the libraries around the world are simply stunning. Why not incorporate a visit to one on your next vacation?

Convince Your Husband/Boyfriend to Read

If your husband prefers sports to literary interests why not get him a distinctly masculine read? This list of manly reads by classic authors is a good start!

Got Writer’s Block?

If you do then use this site to bring a slice of calm into your routine. Guaranteed to lower stress levels and loosen your mind.

Send a Unique Letter

The art of letter writing appears to be a fading hobby. Countless authors from the past would regularly compose letters with friends, family, and peers in order to improve their style. Jack Kerouac was a famous practitioner of letter writing, as were Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone Beauvoir. So why not use this service to compose, and then send, a tiny letter to honour this tradition?

Stumble Upon

Stumble Upon is one of the best, and most addictive, tools on the internet. Register yourself (it’s free) and set your account favourites (literature, obviously) and stumble your way through the best book websites that have been saved by other users.

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Alex Morris is a writer and researcher for a discount office supplies store in Manchester. He is also an aspiring writer, and a literary addict. His favourite authors include; Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, George Orwell, Jack Kerouac and Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

I'm guest posting on Alison Can Read today...

...so check it out! I completely forgot to mark my calender for the day she told me it would go up. *facepalm* Oh well.

She had a post a little ways back asking for guest posters with "top three" lists. You could pick any topic you wanted for it. The one I chose: "3 Books That I Can't Stop Rereading the Kissing Scenes In." I'm all about great kissing scenes, and the three books I chose are the ones I'll always go back to when I want to read about a meltingly wonderful kiss. Which books did I choose? Click the link and find out! ;)

Which books would YOU choose? Tell me all about it!


XOXO!

~Jessica

Top 5 Distractions that Keep Writers from Finishing, a guest post by author Becca Puglisi + GIVEAWAY!

Last year as I was making my start in the world of blogging and writing, I discovered the blog The Bookshelf Muse. This blog featured all sorts of amazing goodies for writers, including various thesauruses to assist writers with character traits, setting, and more. The bloggers behind The Bookshelf Muse, Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman, decided to compile their emotion thesaurus into a book. The Emotion Thesaurus was released in May. Ever since I got a copy for my Nook, I can't stop using it! I have found it very useful when I struggle to find the right words to show what my character is going through emotionally.

It is my pleasure to welcome Becca Puglisi to Thoughts At One In The Morning. She is going to share with us some distractions we face as writers and how we can keep them from preventing us from finishing our novel.

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Distractions that Keep Writers from Finishing

We writers can be a bit like magpies. We sit down to write, but one little sparkly thing catches our eye, and pretty soon it’s two hours later and we haven’t written a word. Knowing what tends to distract you can keep you on your guard and increase your chances of finishing that novel you’ve been working on for way too long. Distractions come in all forms, but here are the ones I’ve found to be most common:

1.Social Media. Might as well get the obvious one out of the way. You sit down, fully intending to write, but then, Oh, I need to Retweet that post, or Let me just reply to that Facebook message. Unless you’ve got self-will like a chastity belt, you’re not going to be able to just anything on social media. It sucks you in and pretty soon you’ve frittered away a significant portion of your writing time. Solution: To prevent this, designate certain times for social media and other times for writing, and never the ‘twain shall meet. Twitter away during allotted time, but don’t even click on those sites when you’re supposed to be writing.

2. The “Little” Things. We all wear many hats, and sometimes our looming To Do lists make it hard to focus on writing. So come drafting time, to ease our guilt, we start by checking off a few of the “little” things on our list—items that won’t take much time: ordering new checks, scheduling an appointment, mailing a birthday card. But these little things tend to remind us of other little things, and soon enough—again—we’re appalled to see how late it is and how little has been written. Solution: Plan for the “little” things. I write during my kids’ quiet time, for two hours each afternoon. Every two weeks, I take one of those afternoon slots and use it to get that miscellaneous stuff done. When something else I’m supposed to do pops into my head while I’m writing, I add it to the list. Knowing that everything will be taken care of in the near future enables me to focus on my writing.

3. Research. If you’re not a planner, this may not apply so much to you. Personally, I LOVE planning (as you can see from my propensity to schedule everything). But there’s always a temptation to over-plan, to want to research every little thing for the story before drafting. Solution: Set a realistic goal for the planning stage, knowing that at the end of that time, you will begin actual writing. Research the most important topics first so if you don’t get all of the planning done, you can still write your story. When drafting, highlight areas that need more research and take care of those when the first draft is finished so as not to interrupt the drafting stage.

4. Editing. I’m pretty sure we’ve all fallen into this trap. We’re drafting away, the story’s coming along nicely when we realize that we’ve started in the wrong spot. So we go back and rewrite the first three chapters. Onward, once again, then we remember that awesome bit of plotting advice we read in Save The Cat. Back we go, to address that. Then our critique group brings up an issue with the main character that we never saw coming. So it’s back to the drawing board. Discouragement soon sets in because it’s taking you so dang long to finish this novel, and before long, you’ve got a really great first three chapters and nothing much at all after the midpoint. Solution: When drafting, don’t look back. When you finish writing one scene, move on to the next. If you realize you’ve got a problem to fix, write it down so you can address it when you’re done, and move on. Leave your edits for the editing stage and keep the drafting stage sacred to drafting.

5. Fun stuff. No matter how dedicated we are as writers, it’s easy to be distracted by the fun stuff. People call during writing time and want to chat; they invite you to lunch; Macy’s is having a one-day sale. Solution: The truth of the matter is, this is your job. If you’re serious about writing as a career, then call your writing time what it is: working. Turn off your phone while you’re working. Don’t take a three-hour lunch while you’re working. Reward yourself with a new pair of shoes after the first draft is finished. All of this is hard. Who wouldn’t want to be shopping or digging into a piece of Chili’s Molten Chocolate Cake? When temptations arise, remind yourself of why you’re doing this job to begin with. Keep the bigger goal in mind and discipline yourself to only work during writing time.

Whew! My gosh, there are dozens of distractions for us writers; this is definitely the short list. What keeps you from finishing?

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Thank you Becca! I know I've faced all of these distractions many times, especially with editing and excessive internet time. I am learning though, and plan on putting these solutions into practice next time I'm distracted. ^_^

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Becca Puglisi

Becca Puglisi is one half of The Bookshelf Muse blogging duo, and co-author of The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression. Listing the body language, visceral reactions and thoughts associated with 75 different emotions, this brainstorming guide is a valuable tool for showing, not telling, emotion. The Emotion Thesaurus is available for purchase through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Smashwords, and the PDF can be purchased directly from her blog.

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The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression

One of the biggest problem areas for writers is conveying a character's emotions to the reader in a unique, compelling way. This book comes to the rescue by highlighting 75 emotions and listing the possible body language cues, thoughts, and visceral responses for each.

Written in an easy-to-navigate list format, readers can draw inspiration from character cues that range in intensity to match any emotional moment. The Emotion Thesaurus also tackles common emotion-related writing problems and provides methods to overcome them.

This writing tool encourages authors to show, not tell emotion and is a creative brainstorming resource for any fiction project.

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GIVEAWAY!

Becca has kindly offered to give away a PDF copy of The Emotion Thesaurus. You want it? I know you do!

Rules:
1. You must be a follower.
2. You must be over 15 years old.
3. This is open internationally.
4. You can earn one extra entry by commenting on this blog post with an answer to Becca's question above.
4. This contest runs from August 10th to 17th.
6. Winner will be selected on August 18th and notified via blog post announcement and email.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much for reading, following, and entering!

Guest Who - Stand Alone Vs. Series with Molli from Once Upon A Prologue

Guest Who? is a feature that Molli at Once Upon A Prologue does monthly. It's a guest post swap between her and other bloggers. She has kindly allowed me to join in on the fun of this feature by having us both write on the topic of Stand Alone novels versus Series novels. If you would be interested in taking part in one of Molli's features, check out this link for details.

 

So, of course, my wonderful guest blogger for today is Molli at Once Upon A Prologue!


About Molli: Whimsical. Dreamer. Avid Reader. Coffee addict. Twitter-obsessed. Blogger. Romantic. I can be found with a book in my hand most anytime.

Find Molli: ~Twitter~ ~Goodreads~ ~Facebook~
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It’s no secret I’m a huge book geek; in fact, I’m THAT girl who squees when a package arrives in the mail and it’s a book or books I’ve been anxiously awaiting. I make these embarrassing little flap-y gestures and get ridiculously excited – yes, all over a new book. But in the last year, there’s something different I’ve been craving: more stand-alone books.

Now, that’s not to say that I don’t love a good series. If there’s an amazingly swoon-worthy hero or heroes (especially a tortured hero) and if the plot holds my attention and keeps me guessing, and if the author knows how to play up the suspense and heart-ache in a string of novels, there is (clearly) nothing better than not just one book, but several books about characters I love. If you want to make my fangirl heart pound, give me four or five books with a couple I truly love (think Jamie and Claire from Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, or Clay and Elena from Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld series, or the ultimate book pairing, Daemon and Janelle from Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels trilogy) and I am the happiest girl in the world. There’s nothing quite like the high of knowing the new book in the series is out, and that I get to read about the further adventures of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, or the Lords of the Underworld. (Mmmm, Rhage, Tohr, Gideon, and Kane! P.S. If you don’t know those names…you should!)

However, here’s where it all goes bad. Said author starts a series, and gets a few books in; suddenly, the novelty (hahaha) wears off and the author has all these loose ends to tie up before the series ends, or they realize they’ve painted themselves into the proverbial corner. Where my love for series gets a bit sour is when the author does a few things I can’t stand, such as killing off all the best characters (yes, I’ve seen it happen) in order to write a new trilogy, or ending the book sloppily (I’m looking at you, Stephenie Meyer…we still need to talk about Breaking Dawn) by trying to please everyone with a too-neat, too-shiny ending. I want authors who take chances, authors who aren’t afraid to leave an ending open, authors who laugh at the need to keep drawing out a story past its prime.

Hence, stand-alones.

Victoria Schwab did it in an incredibly spooky and clever way with The Near Witch. Jess Rothenberg gave us an emotional, heart-breaking, laugh-out-loud story of love and life after death with The Catastrophic History of You & Me. Hannah Harrington did it in a soul-healing way with Saving June. Lauren Oliver shattered my heart, and then painstakingly pieced it back together with Before I Fall. Jodi Picoult made me see red, made me cry, made me grieve, and made me FEEL with Mercy. Kate Morton did it in a family-secrets-to-tingle-your-spine way with The Forgotten Garden.

There is no rule that says your book has to have a sequel. However there should be a rule that says your book must have a need FOR a sequel. Authors who write a self-contained story don’t always need to draw out the ending. It’s okay – it can be brave, even – to end it with the end of a single book. It isn’t necessarily always kind or gutsy to write a sequel or sequels. Sometimes it’s just plain silly. A good question to ask yourself is, are you serving your readers by writing a sequel, or are you serving yourself? We all get attached to those characters, but sometimes…the time comes to bid them farewell. Charlaine Harris could spin her Sookie Stackhouse series out forever, yet she’s wisely ending it within the next few years, while there’s still a good level of interest in the series, and stories left to tell. That, to me, is the real test. If you’re reaching blindly to fill the pages, then it’s time to take a step back and re-evaluate.

It’s all up to the individual author, and again, I do love a fabulous series that throws in enough twists and turns to leave me a bit dizzy. I love it when I can’t figure out what an author is up to, and I love spending years reading about my beloved characters. But the saying goes “all good things must come to an end” for a reason, and I’d love to see a few more author try their hands at stand-alones. It gets to be a lot of pressure to finish reading this series and that, when there are new books coming out every month from a dozen new authors I’d love to try…and I think there’s something to be said for leaving something to the imagination, for closing a book and realizing: no, the author didn’t tell you EVERYTHING that happened…but he or she told a damn good story that it’s going to take you awhile to recover from, and they left off in a way that you get to imagine a bit of your own ending. That, to me, is better than any series.

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Thank you so much for this great post Molli! You really hit all the best points about the greatness of stand alone novels. What do you guys think? Stand alones versus series? What is your opinion of them?

Guest Post by Author Liz Reinhardt: What My Little Ponies Taught Me About Life

I would like my followers to welcome the wonderful Liz Reinhardt to Thoughts At One In The Morning today! She is the author of the awesome novel Double Clutch (and it's sequel Junk Miles, both available now). Liz wrote this brilliant post about My Little Ponies for me. Read and enjoy!

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What My Little Ponies Taught Me About Life

Back when I was a little sprite, My Little Ponies were the hottest toys on the market. My mother was a young mom, and I was, I imagine, a heinous brat, since I was the first child, grandchild, and great-grandchild in the family. What did that mean? Millions of ponies, ponies for me! Where most nice, practical little girls probably had a few ponies, I had an entire rainbow-haired herd, and they had to come with me everywhere I went. 

Every single one is a different beautiful soul...and I MUST OWN THEM ALL!!

I know it was bad because my uncle, who was in his early teens at the time and had absolutely zero interest in ponies in any form, can still make fun of me with specific pony name references. Every couple of holidays, he'll have a few Sam Adams, look over at me, and mock, "Where's AppleJack? I can't leave without AppleJack! Wahwahwah!". And the whole family will laugh and share tales of my spoiled childhood exploits.

C'mon! Isn't she the cutest little pony ever?! You wouldn't want to leave the house without her either. Admit it!

 But the ponies taught me about life. They taught me about group dynamics. They taught me how to be a kick ass little girl, and I think that made me a fairly kick ass adult. So, here are some pony lessons.

Lesson # 1 You Are Part of a Herd: You Need Your Pony Pals To Exist

This one may sound pretty harsh, but it's the truth. As much as any one pony might want to wander off, hide away, find some alone time, or get away from a cuter/funner/cooler/smarter pony and all her pony attention, there was no room for that for an expanded length of time. Ponies need other ponies. And while you could make human friends who might admire your strength, intelligence, and brightly colored manes, it was your peers, your pony peers, who would see you through all of your many ups and downs. Did it suck to always have to compete with Kimono for awesome mohawk stylings? Did it burn that Rainbow Dash naturally had that cool swagger you would never master? Did AppleJack's freckles and down home adorableness make you seethe? 

Maybe.

Get used to it. Ponies live and die as a herd. Period.

It's true. Just listen to the scary pony.

But that doesn't mean that you can't have your own something going on. Ponies are all ponies, but there is room for unique expression. 

Rule # 2: A Herd Is Made Lovelier Through Diversity (Even If It Is Only In The Form Of Nominally Diverse Buttocks Tattoos)

So you're part of a big herd and you want to stand out. How do you do it? If you're a My Little Pony, nature gives you a certain set of gifts (like magic if you're a unicorn, or the ability to fly if you're a Pegasus pony), and if your genetic gifts lack slightly, and you are a mere frolicking Earth Pony, it's all about the cutie mark.

I have a theory that the My Little Pony cutie mark heralded the fascination with tattoos that began with little girls roughly aged 5-10 in the early to mid 80s, and manifested itself in a culture that embraces and celebrates tattoos as a form of self expression now that those little girls are in their 30s and getting inked. 

A pony's cutie mark isn't quite like a tattoo. She has to find her truest self, and the pony mark appears. She can't fake it, force it, or escape it. The cutie mark is an emblem of individuality and self-expression, and every pony lives in agony during the Blank Flank years, waiting for that mark to come in.

So no matter how mature Pinkie Pie may have ever wanted to be, or how much Starlight wanted to let loose and party, each pony had her own role to fulfill, and there was no escaping the cutie mark destiny.

Evidence of my cutie mark >>> tattoo theory taken to the ultimate level!

Lesson # 3: Drama Is As Drama Does

What happens when you live in a herd of hormonal, competitive, gorgeous ponies? (Don't hate. You know you've asked yourself this exact question in the secret depth of the quietest night!)

DRAMA!

Ponies are awesome at reveling in conflict, angst, upset, and confusion...all of which is easily dealt with and resolved in 30 minutes or less. 

When you live in a herd of awesome-sauce, there's going to be a natural side effect; every aspect of life will get ratcheted up a notch or fifty. The number one problem I've noticed while watching the show My Little Ponies (with my kid! I swear, I watch it with my kid!) is that there's a lot of misunderstanding. 

For example, if you hear that a certain pony is throwing a party and you haven't been invited yet, don't leave Ponyville and cry over all of your lost friends. Consider that fact that it may be a surprise party just for you! Clues to look out for? Bonbon will rush you out of her cake shop so you don't see the enormous cake she's trying to hide. Applejack will not let you into the barn, which has many mysterious decorations hanging around it. And Pinkie Pie will shriek every time you come near like a party planner whose surprise is about to be blown up in her face.

Of course, if you didn't almost find out about your surprise part a thousand times and decide that every pony in town hated you, how would you be able to squeeze a half an hour of child (and adult) sedating drama into your cartoon. 

So, maybe a little drama is a good thing, as long as it resolves nicely!

If you're having a hard time imagining the potential for pony drama, imagine if it was a bunch of crazy girls all living together in glorious amazingness...or just look at this picture and you don't have to imagine anything!

A huge thanks to Jessica for letting me hang on her blog and share my Pony Life Lessons. And, remember, you can be any kind of My Little Pony you'd like...let your cutie mark guide you. And here are some awesome Pony Pics...

Ponies tend to live a heavily female dominated existence...what Pony wouldn't want to hang out in a village where she's the one and only girl?!

If the monotony of life in Ponyland starts to get to you, consider going Burton and Scissor-Hoofing it.

There are a ton of divas in Ponyland...one of them had to establish dominance!

Seriously? Does this need a caption? You know you want to!

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Thanks so much Liz! <3

Please check out my review of her novel Double Clutch and, if you've already read that, go check out the sequel Junk Miles. I know I'm going to!

 

Liz Reinhardt was born and raised in the idyllic beauty of northwest NJ. A move to the subtropics of coastal Georgia with her daughter and husband left her with a newly realized taste for the beach and a bloated sunscreen budget. Right alongside these new loves is her old, steadfast affection and longing for bagels and the fast-talking foul mouths of her youth.

She loves Raisinettes, even if they aren't really candy, the Oxford comma, movies that are hilarious or feature zombies, any and all books, but especially romance (the smarter and hotter, the better), the sound of her daughter's incessantly wise and entertaining chatter, and watching her husband work on cars in the driveway. ~from Goodreads

"Like" Liz Reinhardt on Facebook

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Add  Double Clutch to your Goodreads shelf 

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Buy  Junk Miles
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 ~Jessica