Saying Goodbye: ROW80 Update

First, I want to thank everyone who helped me with the Chasing Memories cover reveal. I will do a more official, link-filled post later, but I wanted everyone to know how grateful I am. 

Plus, I wanted to share that the paperback is available NOW at Amazon -- earlier than expected. I didn't even know until a friend told me. I thought I'd at least get an email from Amazon saying it went live. Oh well. Kindle will be available soon! (the Amazon buy link)

This past week has been emotional. Our move to San Francisco is only three weeks away, and it's getting harder and harder to control the sadness that threatens to take me over every day. 

It's like finishing a book, one that has characters you've come to care about.

Have you ever loved a book so much that it was hard to say goodbye to the characters?

I think that's why series are so popular--the reader has an instant connection to the characters. There's no waiting period, no wondering if you'll like them or be able to connect.

I have no doubt that San Francisco will hold many new adventures and new friends, but I just opened the first page of a book by an author I haven't read before.

For now, all my energy is going into promoting Chasing Memories and preparing for the movers to come on Monday, June 10. But I did buy a notebook so I can easily jot down notes for Book 2 no matter where I am--or how many days I'm without Internet service. Eek!

That's it for my A Round of Words in 80 Days update. I hope everyone else is rocking their goals!

My Own Crystal Ball: Virtual Launch Party for Jessica Therrien's Uprising

Today is the Virtual Launch party for Jessica Therrien's newest book, Uprising. 

In addition to sharing information about her new release, participants could write a post about their favorite supernatural power.

My thoughts...

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All supernatural powers have their own draw. After all, who wouldn't want to be invisible or fly or heal quickly or run fast? So many choices. 

Thanks to my upcoming cross-country move, there is only one supernatural power I would wish for right now... the ability to see into the future. I just want to know my kids will be okay and everything will work out. A crystal ball, if you will.

But, I'd want the extra power of controlling what I see and how far into the future I had to go. I don't want to know the date of my death (or anyone else's)... just what I want to know. How's that for a request!

What supernatural power would you wish for?

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Before I share more about Uprising, I wanted to mention my 5-star review for Oppression. Check it out. I'm so excited to read book two!

And now the details about Uprising...

Title: Uprising (Children of the Gods #2)

Publisher: ZOVA Books

Release Date: May 28, 2013

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Pages: 384

Synopsis:

Jessica Therrien follows up her bestselling novel OPPRESSION with UPRISING, the second book in the Children of the Gods series.

OPPRESSION, translated and sold around the world, was one of the best selling YA novels of 2012. UPRISING continues the story of Elyse, William and the Descendants.

Elyse has been in hiding for most of her life. Only now she’s hiding with William, and she knows who she’s hiding from. The Council wants a child Elyse and William have yet to conceive, a child who will be the next oracle, and who will provide the final piece to a plan Christoph has been organizing for years. Charged with leading the rebellion against Christoph and his Council, Elyse feels well out of her depth. But she has good friends and strong allies who are willing to fight with her to the end, regardless of how far they have to go, and how many lives will be lost in the process. They have one goal: to live freely and openly with the rest of humanity, out from under The Council’s oppressive rule. The stakes could not be higher for Elyse and the Descendants longing for freedom. They'll have to learn to fight if they want to stand up against The Council, and to find allies in a world ruled by their enemies. The hardest part of waging a war is knowing who to trust. Elyse knows their uprising will change the world. She doesn’t realize it will change her, too.

About Jessica Therrien

Jessica Therrien is the author of the young adult paranormal fiction series Children of the Gods. Book one in the series, Oppression, was published by ZOVA Books in February of 2012 and became a Barnes & Noble best-seller shortly after its release. The second book in the series, Uprising, will be available in May of 2013.              

Aside from her Children of the Gods series, Jessica’s work can also be found in a published collection of flash fiction stories called Campaigner Challenges 2011. Out of over 350 submissions her story, The Soulless, won first place for people’s choice and fourth place in the judging round of Rachael Harrie’s Writing Campaign Challenge. Her story, Saved, is also available as part of the anthology.

Jessica currently lives in Chula Vista with her husband and is working on book three in her Children of the Gods series.

Author Links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Links to Oppression (Children of the Gods #1):

Amazon | B&N | GoodReads | Facebook

Links to Uprising (Children of the Gods #2):

Amazon | B&N | GoodReads | Facebook

Cover Reveal Tour for Chasing Memories

Today kicks off my official cover reveal for my upcoming YA novel, Chasing Memories.

About Chasing Memories (Tala Prophecy, Book 1)

There isn’t another way; not now. The others are coming. I can’t let them have you…

Seventeen-year-old Reagan has a problem: She can’t remember what happened the night her brother was taken. Now, the dreams haunting her from the incident are becoming more intense by the day. All the while, the lines between what’s real and what’s a product of her paranormal-obsessed mind are becoming blurred.

Is she losing her mind or has she just stepped into a world she thought only existed in books? 

Caught in a web of worried parents, competing boys, Wiccan relatives, protective amulets, and psychiatrist babble, Reagan must determine the truth before it’s too late.

Expected Publication Date: June 10, 2013

Add Chasing Memories on GoodReads.

About the Author

Tia Silverthorne Bach is an avid reader, sometimes runner, involved wife and mother, and rabid grammar hound in addition to being a multi-genre writer. Her three daughters were born in Chicago, San Diego, and Baltimore; and she feels fortunate to have called many places home. She's the award-winning co-author of Depression Cookies, a coming of age story written with her mother. Tia's office is wherever her laptop takes her and any place that's conducive to allowing a wild imagination like hers to flourish.

Please visit her at her blog, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.

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If you would like to share a cover reveal of Chasing Memories, I would appreciate it! Please click here to go to the Google form sign-up. Thanks! Dates are available through 5/30.

Radio Shows, Destiny & Moving Vans: ROW80 Update

Today, I'm excited to be on my friend Sandi Tuttle's BlogTalkRadio show: An Average Woman in a Superwoman World. Check out the interview here at 11:00am EST. I'll be talking about mothers and daughters as well as the novel I co-wrote with my mom, Depression Cookies. Oh, and I'll mention my upcoming release, Chasing Memories.

Normally, doing live radio makes me a wreck. But Sandi is amazing. She makes you feel like you are sitting in her lovely home having a conversation.

It's a great way to kick off my week, especially since my Chasing Memories cover reveal tour starts this Thursday, 5/23 and runs through Thursday, 5/30. If you can help spread the world, please visit my sign up form.

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Writers helping each other is such an important component of A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80). Fellow participant, Juliana Haygert, recently released Destiny Gift and it's on sale for two weeks (began 5/18/13) for $0.99.

A little information...

DESTINY GIFT

Genre: NA paranormal romance
Word Count: 73,000
Release date: April 1st, 2013

Thirty years in the future, a sinister New York City exists in permanent darkness.

A student at the secured NYU, nineteen-year-old Nadine has visions of Victor Gianni, an imaginary guy she has real feelings for. Afraid of being truly insane, she explains the visions away as simple daydreams, but she can no longer deny them when she bumps into Victor in real life. But this Victor doesn’t know her, and turns her away. After the encounter, Nadine’s visions change to those of eerie fates, gods she’s never heard of, demons with sharp claws they are not too timid to use … and instructions.

To discover if she’s losing her mind, Nadine follows the vague directions—with the real, rude and reluctant Victor—leading to a man who knows it all: Nadine can restore an ancient creed by unveiling the clues on her visions, and bring sunlight and peace to the world again. But that’s only if the demons and the other evil forces behind the darkness don’t stop her first.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords |  Apple | Createspace | Goodreads | Pinterest Board

Get it while it's $0.99!

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My writing and personal life are colliding right now. Chasing Memories is set to release on 6/10/13, the same day the moving van pulls up to my house. Isn't that just the way it works? 

So, I will be using all my energy this summer breathing life into two new experiences... a newly published book and a new place to live. Wish me luck!

I have been a bit absent on social media lately, but I plan to catch up on my blog reading early this week. I look forward to seeing what everyone's been up to!

Finishing School for Books

Editing... consider it finishing school. You've taken the time to nurture your idea into a full-blown story. But without an editor, it's a rough draft. No matter how many times you read it through.

I have always appreciated the rules of grammar. My two favorite subjects in school were Math and English. At first glance, these don't go together. One seems ruled by the right brain (creativity) and the other by the left (analytical).

Unless, that is, you crave structure and rules.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think we have to write in completely proper, Shakespearean English. You can be informal, but it's the glaring misuse of the language that will rip me out of a story. And who wants that?

This week, I published an article about apostrophes on Indie Books Gone Wild: Small But Important -- the Apostrophe. Long story short, it pointed out the significance of the small, but mighty, apostrophe. This graphic does the same thing...

If you haven't visited IBGW, please do. I am an editor there, but it is the brainchild of the lovely Jo Michaels (the editor, cover designer, and formatter of my YA novel, Chasing Memories). There are many services provided there outside of editing.

As much as I pride myself on being particular, I still had plenty for my editor to find. Plus, an editor--a good one, anyway--looks for holes in your story, inconsistency, and overall structure. At the very least, hire a proofreader. Trust me, mistakes will be found!

A traditionally published book would never make its way to a bookshelf without a professional editor. If we want people to consider purchasing our indie books, we need to play by the same rules.

How off-putting do you find poor grammar?

Fickle Muse: ROW80 Update

Years ago when writing a book was an unfulfilled dream, I thought I would sit down one day and a flurry of words would rush out. Then, the next day and the next until a book was done. 

After all, if the idea was there, what would stop me from writing?

Many of my writer friends have other full-time jobs, plus kids, plus spouses. I would read their ROW80 updates and cringe. They were doing all of that AND staying on top of their wordcount goals.

I could have cleared a whole day, managed to get all my kids to school, be healthy... and still no words. *sigh*

The older I get, the more I'm trying to accept who I am. And I am someone who needs a deadline. The worst thing someone can do is give me an assignment and say, "Just get to it whenever you can." Whenever quickly turns to never when faced with a pile of commitment. At least for me. I have too many fires to put out on any given day.

As soon as I get through the June 10, 2013 publication date for Chasing Memories and my summer move to California, I'm going to set some deadlines for Book 2. Then, I'll get it to my editor. Once I do that, she'll keep me on task. 

How do you motivate yourself to just keep writing?

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A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80) Update

* Totally focused on the upcoming publication of Chasing Memories

* Working on marketing materials

* Planning promotions

I could still use some help with my cover reveal tour for Chasing Memories. Dates are available 5/23-30, and I will send you all the details. 

If you can help, please visit the sign up form here.

Cover Reveal for Chasing Memories

I'm so excited to share the cover for my upcoming YA release, Chasing Memories.

Isn't it gorgeous? *squeals*

A huge shout-out to Jo Michaels for the cover design! 

From the back cover: 

There isn’t another way; not now. The others are coming. I can’t let them have you…

Seventeen-year-old Reagan has a problem: She can’t remember what happened the night her brother was taken. Now, the dreams haunting her from the incident are becoming more intense by the day. All the while, the lines between what’s real and what’s a product of her paranormal-obsessed mind are becoming blurred. 

Is she losing her mind or has she just stepped into a world she thought only existed in books?  

Caught in a web of worried parents, competing boys, Wiccan relatives, protective amulets, and psychiatrist babble, Reagan must determine the truth before it’s too late.

Expected Release Date: Early June 2013

*****

If you can help me spread the word by sharing the cover, I would greatly appreciate it. Please fill out the google form below if you can help.

Thanks in advance!

From Idea to Publication: ROW80 Update

When I wrote my first novel, I wasn't sure if I was a one-and-done writer. After publishing, my mind seemed void of ideas. Then about a year later, an idea emerged.

But Life kept the idea in my head until last November. For the first time, I decided to take on National Novel Writing Month. I had no clue what I was really getting myself into, but I knew one thing about myself--if I took on the challenge, I wouldn't quit.

I survived NaNo. Taking the advice of those with NaNo experience, I put the manuscript aside until mid-January or so. When I re-read it, I was surprised how much I liked it. Still unsure what to do with it, I let it sit again.

Then, my mom (and my Depression Cookies co-author) called to let me know about a short story contest at a writing conference. They had a YA category. I wanted to see how the idea behind Chasing Memories would fare, so I entered a revamped 2,500 word sampling from the Prologue and early chapters into the contest.

Crazy thing happened... it won.

Armed with an increased self-confidence about the piece, I decided to send it to my amazing blogger friend, Jo Michaels, who happens to be an editor at Indie Books Gone Wild (where I am also an editor). When she was also encouraging, I threw caution to the wind and began the editing process. Six weeks later, I had a finished copy. Now, I'm hovering over the Publish button. Why is hitting Publish so scary?

None of this would have been possible without my writing community, a huge part of which is ROW80. Without the encouragement of my fellow writers, this manuscript would be collecting dust in a corner. I am truly grateful.

Please stop back by on Friday. I will have sign ups for the cover reveal for Chasing Memories. 

I hope all my writer friends are 

making progress and believing in their work!

Reflections on the A to Z Challenge

First of all, congratulations to all the participants who completed this year's Blogging from A to Z Challenge. 

This was my second year, and my first year with a theme--the A to Z of literary devices. I found the theme to be both a plus and a minus. Plus: readers interested in literary devices came back time and time again. Minus: others popped in one day and disappeared. Last year, I did random posts and seemed to get more comments. Next year, I'll either go sans theme or have a more general theme.

Unlike last year, I stayed on top of posts. I wrote a week ahead. In a perfect world, all my posts would have been done by April 1. But my life skews to crazy, so I was happy with staying a week ahead.

I love this challenge, and I plan on doing it again next year. However, I did find the participant list (1,656 at last count) to be overwhelming. I'd love to see people sign up under headings--food bloggers in one list, writers in another, and so on. That doesn't mean I wouldn't try out non-writer blogs, but I would spend the majority of my time getting to know other readers/writers.

All in all, it's an amazing challenge. I'm grateful for everyone who stopped by in April and shared some comment love. I hope all of you will stick around!

To check out other Reflections posts, visit here.

What was your favorite part of A to Z this year? If you didn't do it, would you consider it for next year?

Hawking My Wares: IWSG & ROW80

It's the first Wednesday of the month and time for my Insecure Writer's Support Group post. A huge thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for putting together this group. I appreciate the opportunity to share my insecurities on the #IWSG therapy couch and to read how others are doing. 

Wednesdays are also A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80) update days. 

Being a writer is a lifelong dream fulfilled. Being a salesperson is not.

I am the girl who put off Public Speaking 101 until my senior year of college, last semester. I am also the girl who turned a Finance degree into technical writing because I didn't want to sell financial products.

Now, I have to take something I love and feel very proud of and sell it to people. Eek!

When I had my first daughter, I tried selling Pampered Chef. I convinced myself I could sell it because I loved their products. Then I had to start booking parties and standing in front of people. I lasted two months.

Today, I received the proof of my second book, Chasing Memories. I am excited to get the word out there, but I am apprehensive. Now the selling begins. 

There is a fine line between eagerly sharing about my new accomplishment and being that person who does nothing but hawk my wares. I don't want people avoiding my phone calls: "Don't answer it! It's that book lady!"

Fear of stepping over the line tends to make me too conservative, resulting in less sales. But... again, I don't want people running the other way every time I walk to the mailbox.

I would love some of your thoughts on this. 

What marketing techniques take things just a bit too far? What marketing techniques have you found the most productive without being pushy?

All of that being said, I do have to share this picture of my proofs out of pure excitement. I'm looking forward to organizing the cover reveal and release day blitz. Wish me luck!