IWSG, A Dog, and A Time Traveler

FREEBIES BELOW!!! (Including an amazing one from Meradeth Houston. Read on...)

The first week of school is over. Those of us still breathing are wondering how we'll survive week 2. Then there's the day job. The laundry. The dishes. The never-ending list of doom that threatens to swallow you whole before you ever type a single word.

So WHEN do you get to your writing (or current project), and how to you manage to have enough energy/brain power to actually get something done?

I suggest one little word: routine.

We are creatures of habit and pattern. If something is important, it will fit into our schedule because it will be part of our schedule. Not saying it works out perfectly every day, but effort over time=accomplishment.

IWSG is a monthly hop for writers seeking support and an awesome community. Join our hosts this month: Heather Gardner, Christine Rains, Dolorah, Julie Flanders, & Murees Dupe.

AND NOW HOW ABOUT SOME FREEBIES?

My latest free short story:

Read the rest HERE. (And leave some comment love, eh?)

 

And how about if we give away some awesomeness?

Two weeks ago Melissa Maygrove shared with us Precious Atonement, along with two truths and a lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win her signed paperback or eBook!

Melissa's Game:

1. Melissa once met astronaut Alan Shepard.

2. She loves pan-fried cabbage.

3. She's been present at the birth of triplets, twice!

THE LIE: #3. Melissa has been present at the birth of triplets only once. Multiples greater than twins are rarely born in hospitals that don't have high level NICUs. It was a special occasion for her. :)

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Tyrean Martinsen!!!

Congrats, Tyrean! 

And now for this week's feature... 

Sienna Crenshaw knows the rules: 1) no time traveling beyond your natural lifetime, 2) no screwing with death, and 3) no changing the past. Ever. Sienna doesn’t love being stuck in the present, but she’s not the type to to break the rules. That is, she wasn’t the type until her best friend broke every one of those rules to keep Henry, her twin brother and Sienna’s ex-boyfriend, alive.

Suddenly, Sienna is caught in an unfamiliar reality. The upside? Henry is still alive. The downside? Sienna’s old life, including the people in it, has been erased. Now, Sienna and Henry must untangle the giant knot in time, or her parents and all the rest of the Travelers, will be lost forever. One problem: the only way to be successful is for Henry to die.

Get your copy HERE.

Ready to meet the author?

Meradeth's never been a big fan of talking about herself, but if you really want to know, here are some random tidbits about her:

>She's a Northern California girl who now braves the cold winters in Montana.
>When she's not writing, she's sequencing dead people's DNA.

>She’s also an anthropology professor and loves getting people interested in studying humans.
>If she could have a super-power, it would totally be flying. Which is a little strange, because she's terrified of heights.

Lately she has been obsessed with gorgonzola and gnocchi, with a little pesto. Perfection!

Meradeth gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win an eBook of ANY of her books.  

You have until Tuesday, September 8 at 1 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answers on September 9. 

TRUTH OR LIE

1. The only continent Meradeth has yet to make it to is Antarctica (and considering she hates the cold, that’s not high on her list! :).

2. She was fluent in Spanish long before English and actually didn’t learn to read in English until second grade.

3. Her family ran an animal rescue ranch while she was growing up and it was an odd week when there wasn’t something being raised or nursed back to health in their kitchen (everything from emu, to ferrets, to desert tortoises).

So sleuths, which is the lie?  How do you structure your project time? Did you check out the Dog Star story? Which one of Meradeth's books looks the most enticing to you? (I've read two of them and enjoyed both.)

Back to School with a Vengeance!

Are you ready for school season? I hear teachers groaning, parents cheering, and kids shrugging. (Wait, can you hear kids shrug? I guess if they're wearing noisy clothes...) Anyhow, I'm one of those people whose lives gets 500X more complicated during the school year (thank you home schooling!) so I thought maybe a few of us could use a laugh...like me. 

Source

Source

 

And now how about if we give away some awesomeness?

Last week Alexia Chamberlynn shared with us Black Magic and Mojitos, along with two truths and a lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win her eBook!  

Alexia's Game:

1. Alexia is an adept swordswoman and wishes she could carry her katana everywhere.
2. She is certified as an equine (horse) massage therapist.
3. She discovered she has a fear of heights while on the Eiffel Tower.

THE LIE: #1. Alexia doesn't own a sword, though she wishes she did. Owning and knowing how to use one is on her bucket list.

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Shannon Lawrence!!!

Congrats, Shannon! 

And now for this week's feature... 

Rachel Emerson is resigned to live as a spinster. Her parents keep her shameful secret, and her only brother, Seth, vanished mere days after witnessing her rape, taking her dishonor with him and giving them all an alibi for their grief. But none of that matters. Appearances are useless if she can’t bear the touch of a man.

Jacob Evans welcomes pain as much as he seeks to escape it. The graves of his wife and child remind him of his sins every day. When Lawrence Emerson offers him a job and a chance to move west, Jacob permits himself a fresh start. But letting go of his past is only an illusion. Lawrence’s sweet, shy daughter captures Jacob’s heart and provides him a perfect tool for self-torment. 

Despite painful lessons of the past, history soon threatens to repeat itself, and as Jacob’s love for Rachel grows, so does his agony. Giving his precious new wife the life she deserves might cost him the very thing he values most—her.

ON SALE, NOW THROUGH SEPTEMBER 17th for $0.99!

Get your copy HERE.

Ready to meet the author? 

Native Texan Melissa Maygrove is a wife, mother, nurse, freelance editor, and romance writer. When she's not busy caring for her tiny nursery patients or shuttling teenagers back and forth to after-school activities, she's hunched over her laptop, complicating the lives of her imaginary friends and playing matchmaker. Melissa loves books with unpretentious characters and unforgettable romance, and she strives to create those same kinds of stories for her readers.

You might run across Melissa eating warm mozzarella on pizza, or Brie on water crackers.

Melissa gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win a signed paperback copy of PRECIOUS ATONEMENT (US residents only), or an eBook (for international winners).  

You have until Tuesday, September 1 at 1 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answers on September 2.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. Melissa once met astronaut Alan Shepard.
2. She loves pan-fried cabbage.
3. She's been present at the birth of triplets, twice!

So sleuths, which is the lie?  Do you have a favorite back to school joke or meme? What does back to school mean for you? Freedom? Stress? Something else?

Awards for Me=Awards for You

Friendlies! As I am want to do, I've stored up a couple awards/whatevers and now it's time to unload.

#1 To the AMAZING and so personable Janie Junebug, thank you for the Versatile Blogger!

I'm supposed nominate 15 bloggers I've discovered recently or follow, and then tell seven random things about myself. (To come.) Nominations are hard when I've got so many AMAZING bloggy pals, but even if I didn't nominate you, I wanted to. Congrats to:

1. S.P. Bowers who relaxes me with her laid back background every time I visit. (And her great words too.)
2. Michelle! Who is easily one of the nicest, wittiest people I know. (Check out her A to Z Challenge!)
3. Meradeth Houston who not only inspires me with her amazing book reviews, but that woman is unstoppable. Seriously. She's a brain and a go-getter.
4. Liz Blocker, who must the be the most tolerant person in the world to let me butt heads with her, and still call me a friend.
5. River Fairchild. I totally die over her amazing book covers, and she's such a gracious blogger. 
6. H.R. Sinclair. Her posts are fascinating, bursting with great info, and always worth dropping in for. 
7. Keith, my optimistic buddy who muses about this strange world and always brings a smile to my face. 
8. Jennifer L. Hawes--one of my favorite newer blogging buddies. She admits a fear of technology, but she's doing awesome where blogging is concerned. 
9. Stephanie Faris, who writes to influence young minds for the best. She's amazing.  
10. Kristin Smith. *squeal* She's probably new newest blogging bestie, and not just because she raved about my book. (Although that might have some sway... Love you, Kristin!) From her sense of design to the words she types, this gal is epic.
11. Krystal Jane. I seriously want to high five this woman after every post. She's a writer after my own heart.
12. Jenni Enzor. I just love Jenni, and that's all there is to say. She's awesome. Like cheese.
13. Kathy Combs who must be THE most supportive blogger I've ever met. This woman shares EVERYTHING with the world. You rock, Kathy!
14. Juliette who has me busting a gut every time I stop by. Unless she's got me crying. I wonder why this woman isn't pursuing a career because she sure knows how to make you feel through the written word.
15. Sia Mckye who must be the MOST professional looking blogger I know, yet she always condescends to visit me.

I was also tagged in the My Writing Process hop thinger by S.A. Larsen (thank you, lady of awesomeness!) and so I'm going to mix the two up a bit by sharing 4 answers about my writing process, then adding 3 random things about me--to finish off the Versatile Blogger.

My Writing Process:

What am I working on now?
BELLEZZA: a serial story. TIMELESS: book 3 in the Maiden of Time trilogy.

How does my book differ from others within its genre?
You've never met the Soulless or Passionate before, and you've certainly never met them in the 1760's of England--not unless you've read Moonless. I wanted a modern feel or voice (for paranormal) mixed into a time period that oppressed women's rights, importance, and value. How else could a female protagonist truly shine?

Why do I write what I do?
Initially, I started writing because I was suffering. I'd torture my characters and make their lives ten times more miserable than mine--so I could count my blessings. My stories have always been about people in unfair circumstances, societies or plagued with tragedy, who eventually overcoming.

How does my writing process work? 
I start with a dream, pen what I dreamed, then leave it. While the story is sitting, my subconscious works through plot, character, etc, and when I come back to it, I plot loosely, followed by steady writing over the course of one to three months (to orchestral music), then months and months of editing, critique partners, beta readers, and finally my editor.

What's your writing process like?

NEXT UP ON THE WRITING PROCESS TOUR: Misha Gericke, Robyn Elana Engle, & Madeline Jane.

My 3 additional random facts...

1. I can quote Serenity almost as fluently as The Princess Bride.
2. We don't have pets, but we do have a pet ficus tree--that we've named Benjamin.
3. I got my first patch of white hair--stress induced--when I was 23 from coordinating Girl's Camp.

Ready to guess the lie and win a book? 

Last week, the fabulous Melissa Maygrove shared COME BACK with us, along with two truths and one lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win her either a signed print or ebook.

Melissa's game:

1. Melissa has touched a real piranha--even its sharp little teeth.

2. Somewhere out there in the world, there's an orchid named after her.

3. She absolutely, totally and completely hates broccoli.

And the lie is: 

#3. Melissa loves broccoli, especially lightly steamed. She likes brussel sprouts, too. She actually touched a piranha, but it was a stuffed one her dad brought back from one of his trips to South America, and her dad used to raise and crossbreed orchids. The name 'Melissa Ann' was taken, so he registered his prized hybrid as 'Phalaenopsis Prissy Missy.'

Way to guess those of you who got it right! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Carol Kilgore!

Congrats Carol! 

And now to today's feature:

Gabe is an average fifteen-year-old goblin. He’s in the marching band, breezes through calculus, and gets picked on daily by the other kids at school, especially the ogres. He's tired of being a goblin – he’d like to try other things. And he has his eye on the new ogress at school. It’s against all beastly rules, but there’s just something about her.

When a prank goes wrong, Gabe is forced to join the football team as punishment, but finds a way to make it work. Soon the whole school is getting in on the fad of mingling with other species. Too bad the adults decide to step in and ruin things, threatening to destroy the school and split up Broken Branch Falls. And Gabe is their scapegoat. With help from other outcast friends, Gabe sets out on a quest hoping to saving Broken Branch Falls. After all this trouble, it better work.

Get your copy HERE.

Tara Tyler has had a hand at everything from waitressing to rocket engineering. After living up and down the Eastern US, she now writes and teaches math in Ohio with her three active boys and Coach Husband. Currently, she has two series, The Cooper Chronicles (techno-thriller detective capers) and Beast World (MG fantasy) She's an adventure writer who believes every good story should have action, a moral, and a few laughs!

Her favorite cheese is baby swiss and I like to eat it rolled up with roast beef - a great low-carb/hi-protein snack!

Also by Tara Tyler, techno-thriller detective series:

The Cooper Chronicles, Book One: POP TRAVEL

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tara gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win an eBook of BROKEN BRANCH FALLS. 

You have until Tuesday, July 1, at 1 p.m. EDT to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on July 2.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. When Tara was young, she and her classmates would have recess in the snow and once made a dragon as long as the school.
2. When she was growing up, she and her family were the victims of burglars two times in two different houses.

3. When she was young, a huge St Bernard tackled her, causing her to be afraid of dogs.

Which is the lie? What's your writing process like? Have you ever dealt with bullies? 

Torturing Characters into Giving Away Books

Do you like tortured/torturing characters? 

As I wrap up final edits on my sequel, I'm struggling with all the horrible things I've put my characters through. I mean, their lives were difficult enough before, right? My editor cried--and it's not just because she's pregnant. (Although that may have had something to do with it...) But seriously, I wonder sometimes if tearing people down so far is just cruel and uncalled for. 

At the same time, it's all about extremes. Those who suffer the hardest blows and hit rock bottom have the possibility of soaring to amazing heights. And who can appreciate the perspective more than someone whose nose has been mashed into the grime?

I think that's one of the things I struggle with most in life--watching people suffer. My kids. My hubby. Friends. I just want them to be happy. But then, I know from personal experience that happiness springs from overcoming trials, and the greater the struggle, the greater the joy.    

Speaking of joy...

It's your last chance to get in on the 

cover reveal. (Book 2 in the Maiden of Time Trilogy July 14-19.)

Sign up HERE.

Ready to guess the lie and win a book? 

Last week, the fabulous Kimber Leigh Wheaton shared SHADOW FIRE with us, along with two truths and one lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win her eBook AND two different bookmarks.

Kimber Leigh's game:

1. When she was nine, Kimber Leigh made it through several call backs auditioning for the Broadway show Annie.

2. She won third place is a city-wide Super Mario Bros. video game contest when she was a teenager.

3. While in college, she spent a summer playing Ariel, the Little Mermaid, at Disneyland. 

And the lie is: 

#3. Kimber Leigh did audition and made it most of the way through the interview process before for Disneyland before she backed out. Those poor princesses don’t make enough money to justify wearing 20 lbs of makeup in 90 degree weather, while being manhandled by kids.

The upside of being Ariel: you get carried everywhere, 'cause she has a tail. The downside, the costume is rather skimpy up top.

Annoying fact: one interviewer worried she might be too pale (she's a natural redhead) and could appear sickly to some guests. They weren’t planning to cover her entire body in makeup, just her face. And she happens to like herself the way she is, sickly pale and all. (Jerkfaces!)

So ultimately she decided to do summer school at UCSB rather than the stint at Disneyland, and she thinks she made the right decision. It was one WILD summer!

Way to guess those of you who got it right! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Krystal Jane!

Congrats Krystal! 

And now to today's feature:

Sometimes a single choice alters the course of a person's life forever.

Left behind by everyone she loves...
Rebecca Garvey had the promise of a California future dreams are made of, until the wagon train her family was traveling with left her behind. Now she’s slowly dying in the wilderness, abandoned and stripped of her self-worth. Once the shock of her desertion turns to embittered despair, she doesn’t want to be found. Then a handsome stranger challenges her convictions and changes her mind. 

Headed for Texas, chased by the demons of his past...
Seth Emerson knows exactly what he wants. Working to save for a cattle ranch of his own keeps him busy and keeps his pain buried. Rescuing a stubborn woman from the hills of New Mexico Territory isn’t part of his plan—but she’s exactly what he needs.

Making greater sacrifices than either of them could foresee...
Seth and Rebecca set off on a risky journey and a quest for truth, each healing the other’s love-starved soul along the way. Will they give in to their growing attraction?  Or will they honor their commitments when Seth returns Rebecca to civilization... and her betrothed?

Pick up your copy HERE.

Now let me introduce you to the incredible author: 

Native Texan Melissa Maygrove is a wife, mother, nurse, freelance editor, and romance writer. When she's not busy caring for her tiny nursery patients or shuttling teenagers back and forth to after-school activities, she's hunched over her laptop, complicating the lives of her imaginary friends and playing matchmaker. Melissa loves books with unpretentious characters and unforgettable romance, and she strives to create those same kinds of stories for her readers.

She loves grated cheddar on top of homemade macaroni and cheese, all golden brown and bubbly.

Melissa gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win a signed paperback copy of COME BACK (US only) OR a signed eBook (for an international winner). 

You have until Tuesday, June 24, at 1 p.m. EDT to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on June 25.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. Melissa has touched a real piranha--even its sharp little teeth.

2. Somewhere out there in the world, there's an orchid named after her.

3. She absolutely, totally and completely hates broccoli.

Which is the lie? What are your feelings on people suffering? Wasn't that cool getting some insight into the whole Disneyland experience? Doesn't Melissa's book sound awesome? 

Follow Fest! With Cheese

It's been a while since I participated in any kind of blog hop. How about you? The magnanimous Melissa Maygrove has put together this wonderful little hop--to get to know new people AND win prizes! (Yay! We likes prizes!) It's not too late to sign up and play along. Check it out HERE. 

And now, on to the fest... 

Blog button designed by Carrie Butler

Name: Crystal Collier *waves a wedge of cheese* 

Fiction or nonfiction? FICTION

What genres do you write? Young Adult in sub genres of anything fantasy (historical, paranormal, speculative, urban, epic, romance, & horror), and light sci-fi. I periodically dabble in Middle Grade, and Adult.  

Are you published? Check out the sidebar, baby. Yah! (The countdown is on.)

Do you do anything in addition to writing? I'm an orchestral/vocal composer and performer. In a past life I worked for a video/audio production studio and now freelance--when I feel like it. On an unrelated note, I'm also an educator. (Home school all the way!)

Where can people connect with you?

Blog: You're lookin' at it! I post Mondays with uplifting/motivational thoughts, Writerly Wednesdays (check out the tab above) with the Truth or Lie game and BOOK GIVEAWAYS, and Funny Fridays.  

Sign up for my NEWSLETTER at the bottom of this post and receive freebies! 

Twitter: @crystalcollier1

Facebook: Author Crystal Collier

Google+ 

LinkedIn 

Pinterest

Tumblr

Author pages:

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes & Noble: Coming Soon

Smashwords

Is there anything else you’d like us to know?

Cheese makes the world go round, and here's a wedge for you. ; )