Good News

I have some good news.

I just won a ten page critique for Departed Innocence. And it is from an agent.

When I first found out I was one of people who won, I was like:

"UN...BE...FUCK..ING..LIEVABLE!"

I am really excited and so thrilled. Six people won and I was one of those six. The giveway was fantastic and it was really cool to see the other pitches. I would like to thank Sharon Johnston along with everyone else who was involved in making the giveway possible.

Until I get the feedback from the agent, I'll have to occupy myself with doing term papers, and sneaking in some snarking along with working on Departed Innocence and othe projects.

Are You Ready for Some Sweet Peril...?

 

I know I am! I have the lovely pleasure to introduce yet another book from the lovely Wendy Higgins. She has a new book  coming out, Sweet Peril, sequel to Sweet Evil. Isn't the cover so beautiful?

Book Blurb:

Anna Whitt, daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a claim. She’d been naive about a lot of things. Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

 

Sweet Peril is slated for April 30, 2013. And book 3 of The Sweet Trilogy, Sweet Reckoning, is slated for spring/summer 2014.

 

Isn't this exciting?  The talented author S.M. Johnston is offering a giveway with such sweet prizes of the preorder of Sweet Peril, a copy of Sweet Evil, a Sweet Evil bookmark, or for aspiring writers, a ten page critique. Be careful, such sweetness might give you a cavity.

 

What are you waiting for? Please check out Wendy on her website, on Facebook and on Twitter. You can also stalk the H.O.T.T. interest Kaidan Rowe on Twitter (character account). You can fan the Sweet Evil trilogy on Facebook too.

Interview with Angela Ackerman

There are many aspiring writers everywhere that wish for their work to be published but also to gain respect from fellow peers as well as having readers that enjoy their work. The journey to publication isn't easy. It takes years of dedication and determination along with crafting a perfect manuscript to send to potential publishers and agents. The tricky thing is to know where to turn or what to do in order to navagate the publishing process.

Yet the Bookshelf Muse, a blog created by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi is a valuable tool that all writers should use. Filled with tips and tricks of the trade, written in plain English and helpful-what's not to love? In fact,

That's why, today I have the pleasure of interviewing Angela Ackerman.

Q:  So you write for a YA and MG audience. What types of books do you like to write and which book (out of all of them) you have written so far, which one is your favorite?

A: I really love writing anything with a mystery element, and a lot of my books have a mythological tie in as well. My favorite book? Ack! This is like Sophie's choice! I guess I'd have to say it's Shear Fate, a Paranormal MG Mystery. Here's the tag line:

After the Fates miscut her life thread in the Destiny Loom, twelve-year-old Lexi beats death by drowning only to realize that those she cares about most are getting sick, and she is the cause. Unless Lexi can unravel the Fates' darkest secret and rebalance the Pattern in time, someone will die in her place, and that someone is her beloved younger  brother.

Q: Do you think satires (it can be dystopian, paranormal or sci-fi) can be published in this current market?

A: I think there is and always will be a market for satire, but the bar is high for this type of novel to succeed. The wit needs to crackle perfectly rather than come off hammy, you know? I personally love sarcastic characters!

Q: Seeing that the Bookshelf Muse is maintained and worked on by both you and Becca, which one of you came up with the idea to write the blog?

A: Well, technically I started the blog, put up one post, then totally chickened out and ask Becca to do it with me. LOL. I have often looked to Becca for courage, and she never disappoints! We talked about what the blog could look like, and how we could try and share what we were learning as writers on it, including the beginnings of what is now The Emotion Thesaurus.

Q:Usually, how long does it take, from when an writer is represented by an agent to when a book is published and is in bookstores?

A: I would love to give you a time limit here, I would. But the truth is that it completely varies. I know people who have gotten an agent, sold a book and within a year, it was on the shelf. I also know people who were with their agent for over 3 years before a sale happened, and then another year or two to see the book in the store. If I had to guess--and that's all it is, a <i>guess</i>--I would say an average is 3 years.Some imprints are acquiring books for immediate publication (within a year) but many are looking 1-2 years out. That can make a difference from the time between sale and shelf.

Q: Which author (either dead or alive) would you like to meet and why?

A: Stephen King. I love that man. So many dismiss him as a horror writer or a hack, but anyone who has read a significant amount of his books will see a pattern emerge. So many of his books are tied together, and you see the shape of it as you read more and more books. What he did takes...incredible scope. He is a master storyteller, and it would be brilliant to talk to him about writing.

Please check out The Emotion Thesaurus. This is a literary gem that you don't want to miss. What is the Emotional Thesaurus you ask? Well, it is a show-don't-tell brainstorming tool contains lists of body language, thoughts and visceral sensations for seventy-five emotions, ensuring writers will find the right description for any emotional moment.

Purchase it at:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

iTunes

Kobo

Smashwords

Add this book to my GOODREADS List

Thanks so much for letting me visit your blog, Raven! I loved your questions and now I have two for your readers: What author would you like to meet?  Is there an author who's book drew you to the writing path?

Random Act of Kindness BLITZ!

Random Act of Kindness BLITZ!

A smile. An encouraging word. A thoughtful gesture. Each day people interact with us, help, and make our day a bit brighter and full. This is especially true in the Writing Community.

Take a second to think about writers you know, like the critique partner who works with you to improve your manuscript. The writing friend who listens, supports and keeps you strong when times are tough. The author who generously offers council, advice and inspiration when asked.

So many people take the time to make us feel special, don't they? They comment on our blogs, re-tweet our posts, chat with us on forums and wish us Happy Birthday on Facebook.

Kindness ROCKS!

To commemorate the release of their book The Emotion Thesaurus, Becca and Angela at The Bookshelf Muse are hosting a TITANIC Random Act Of Kindness BLITZ. And because I think KINDNESS is contagious, I'm participating too!

**I am spreading the love today to Lindsey Lindsey Sablowski, who has supported me as a writer and gave me suggestions on how to make my writing much stronger. Lindsey Sablowski, for my RAOK, I will do an author interview to congradulate you on getting Cursed With Power published and signing a publishing with Old Line Publishing. Ashley Laster, thanks for the support and critiques in the past. Ashley, for my ROAK gift, I am going to critique the first three chapters of Shudder. Wendy Higgins, for being a good friend and for giving feedback back for  Land of Eden. (Now it is Departed Innocence. And trust me the old draft was cringe worthy). Wendy, for my ROAK gift, I will do an interview and a promotional posting on my blog for Sweet Evil. Ashley Maker spending the time to give feedback on Departed Innocence, taking the time and effort to do so. Ashley for my ROAK gift, I will critique the first three chapters of any novel.  Caitlin Elyse, thanks for the lovely conversations and for working on a book cover for Departed Innocence. I can't wait to finish reading Heaven Bound, Hell Hunted. And for those reading, please stop by and tell them how they awesome they are too--they deserve it!**

 

Lindsey Sablowski:

 

http://www.lrenees-fictionalwriter.blogspot.com/

http://themagiciansseries.blogspot.com/

 

Wendy Higgins:

 

http://www.wendyhigginswrites.com/

 

Ashley Maker

 

http://ashleymaker.blogspot.com/

 

Ashley Laster

http://ashleylaster.blogspot.com/

 

Caitlin Elyse

 

http://www.theimmortalwars.com/

Do you know someone special that you'd like to randomly acknowledge?

Don't be shy--come join us and celebrate! Send them an email, give them a shout out, or show your appreciation in another way. Kindness makes the world go round. :)

Becca and Angela have a special RAOK gift waiting for you as well, so hop on over to The Bookshelf Muse to pick it up.

Have you ever participated in or been the recipient of a Random Act Of Kindness? Let me know in the comments!

Sorry about being MIA...

Hello everyone! Sorry for not posting a new comment in a long time. Life's been kind of crazy so this blog and my writing has been on the back burner. But I have some new announcements:

-Epicenter Of Stupidity

A place where I snark about books that have long winded descriptions, Mary Sue and Gary Sue main characters, angst, and oh yeah crazy authors. It's in the development and I hope I can post the first snark shortly.

http://epicenterofstupidity.wikispaces.com

-Author Interview with Lindsey Sablowski

Who is she? You may ask? Well, she is an YA fantasy author of the series Cursed With Power. Originally an Inkie (a name given to anyone that was on the website called Inkpop), now she has posted some of it on Wattpad.

Here's the pitch for Cursed With Power

In the darkness they are flames. In daylight they are shadows. Celestria Hale is thrown into a world of betrayal and loss when she discovers there are only five Dark magicians alive. 

She is one of them, but after her sister's death and lover's departure her heart is blackened with grief. Questions arise throughout each town as Light magicians plot revenge. Survival becomes essential. Celestria leaves her hometown in search for answers, but danger lurks close behind her. When she meets Alaire, who reveals himself as another Dark magician, everything seems to fall into place again. 

However, he too has peculiar dreams and a dangerous past he chooses to hide. A good magician, an enemy of the Dark, plots to punish Alaire and Celestria for their sinful magic. If he isn't killed, he will destroy them. Yet if he dies, they also risk losing the information he has on their remaining allies. As a war approaches to determine the fate of magicians, Celestria fears for her and Alaire's existence. Destiny may find them, but will it be enough?

She has kindly agreed to an author interview. Right now, Lindsey is sending Cursed With Power to publishers. And if she is unable to get a contract, then Cursed With Power will be self published Further updates regarding author interview and of Cursed With Power will be posted.

-Author Interview With Caitlin Elyse 


She is the author of the Immortal War series. The first book is Heaven Bound Hell Hunted. It is a YA paranormal romance novel.

Here's the pitch:

When Katherine Ambrose became a Slayer, she had one goal in mind-kill the murderers that destoryed her family.

After a brief mission into the human world, Kitty finds herself caught between Kenric, her long-time protector; Darien, her lovesick best friend; and Storm, the silver-blooded immortal with an ego to match her own.

She never thought she'd attract the attention of Hell's cruel masters.

When Itzal, the demonic warlord of Hell, declares war on Heaven, Kitty must fight her desires and her thirst for revenge if she wishes to remain free. Not even Heaven's holy strength can deter Itzal from his target.

And his target is Kitty.

Heaven has bound her to their  moral will.

Hell is hunting her for their own dark desires.

And three men are vying for her affection.

It is available for purchase on Amazon.com in a paperback but also as a Kindle book.

Check out her website at:

http://www.theimmortalwars.com/books/heaven-bound-hell-hunted/

(It is a great website, love it to pieces. It looks very nice.)

Caitlin Elyse has agreed for me to interview her as soon as she finishes writing Heaven Prays, Hell Preys, the sequal for Heaven Bound, Hell Hunted.

-Author Interview with Wendy Higgins


I have the pleasure of interviewing Wendy Higgins. In case anyone doesn't know, she is the second person to be published by a website called Inkpop which was created by HarperCollins. Her debut novel is Sweet Evil. Initially, it was to be a standalone novel but was decided to be expanded into a trilogy. It is a paranormal romance involving children of fallen angels.

Here's the pitch:

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in SWEET EVIL.

Anna, a tender-hearted Southern girl, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

A cross-country trip forces Anna and Kai to face the reality that hope and love are not options for their kind. When it’s time for Anna to confront her demons, will she choose to embrace her halo or her horns?

The release date is May 1, 2012.

As of this moment, I am planning on getting Sweet Evil. Once I am done reading it, I will start jotting down the interview questions, moving the interview process forward.

All I can say is wow. I have lots to do in only a short period of time. But it is nothing I can handle.

-Raven Paramour

New Blog...What to Expect

Okay, some people might have joined: www.ravenparamour.webs.com

I am no longer going to be updating that website. Due to annoying spammers and seeing that other authors use blogger: I have to decided to make a blog using Blogger. So what can you expect? You may ask.

Home: Where I add my two cents to anything, making any general announcements.

My Work: Where I will post any novels, short stories, poetry that I have been working on.

Book Reviews: Where I critique novels: YA or adult fiction. I will occasionally read nonfiction by the way. (Textbooks, biographies, autobiographies, ect.)

Author Spotlight: If I am interviewed, live chats, ect. (Any questions involving me or my work)

Literary Longue: Author Interviews and recommendation I make for your reading pleasure.

Contact Me: Any questions, comments or concerns are appreciated. I will respond as soon as possible.

I might add new features as time goes on. I will officially release this site to the public once I am done making it.

Hello, Everyone!

Hello, everyone! I'm Raven Paramour, an aspiring writer. My writings are on Inkpop.com It might take some time to get this blog up and running. Here you'll be able to look at my writings, book reviews, author interviews, ect.

It will be fun to get to know you all.



- Raven Paramour