Friday, July 4, 2014

I have been tagged. Shocker, right?

What am I working on?
This is a very loaded question, so here goes….

WRITING:
After I killed my third laptop, (I bring this up because my tech guy has me standing in the corner for the way I work.  I do not like the restrictions but so far my current laptop is still functioning.=0)  I am working on the print editions of No Harm to Charm, Test of Faith and She Becomes You; which are currently available in eBook formats.  Loss of the five books that were ready to publish last summer means I am doing re-writes on: See the Light, Yes Dear, She Loves You to Death and two from a new series of spookies and shorts: Tales from the Tomes.  I have been blessed to be a co-author on another project with a dear lady friend, Paula Trujillo.  The working title is: The Last Road Trip.  It’s a story that is sure to touch the reader’s heart and is filled with real life hilarity.  If we can stop laughing long enough to get some work done, we will be sure to publish this one.

COVERS:
I do a lot of the conceptual work and plan to use some of my own creations but my favorites are the ones by other graphic artists.  Having a connection with another creative that produces a work of art that I have envisioned, simply inspires me!

Wicked Book Cover Designs by Char, who is also an Indie author, did an amazing job for my Sanctuary Saga covers.  Her ability to put my choice of elements together proves she has a unique vision into the mind of ‘the OG’.






See the Light: Book 3 of the Sanctuary Saga (And yes, that is Jimmy Thomas on the Harley)

You can see Char’s diverse talent as she switched it up for my foray into writing a psych thriller


Gloria Thompson did the cover for my ‘psych thriller’ sequel and she literally left me speechless with this one.   (definitely video worthy)  


And bless if Gloria didn’t turn my nightmare into a cover with this spooky for Tales from the Tomes.

Candace Bowser, author and artist, offers a well of inspiration when the kindred spirit hits.  You can find her at Dark Water Arts.  She also writes under her pseudonym, Hardgrove Perth.

Kristen Faith ~ Youth Warrior ~ Sanctuary Saga 

Erin Aurora ~ Youth Warrior ~ Sanctuary Saga 

Her latest inspirational graphic had a book file and some 7000+ words shortly after I received it!

EDITING/FORMATTING:
I have been graced with the task of helping another author in preparing to take the plunge into the swirl of self-publishing.  I am really, excited about this project as the first book gets closer to being published, (book 2, ROGUE is already in the works) and the fun of promoting it will begin.  Go and offer up some Indie support for Darcee VanMullekom and because we all know the ‘stage fright’ experienced when you are down to hovering over the ‘publish’ button, go like her page on FB: Myth of the Raven, RAVENOUS, book one  which has a tentative release date for this Fall.  Candace Bowser did a magnificent job on the cover!
“Considered to be the harbinger of both good and evil this infamous creature has a plethora of lore surrounding it.  Playing a prominent role in many myths and legends, the raven has captured the imaginations of many.  Yet, its greatest myth has yet to be told.”
~Hanna

RESEARCH
I am always doing research.  My search history is probably illegal at best and there is no doubt I am on watch list somewhere.  Bwahahahaha ‘undetectable poisons to the strength of human skin’ and a boat load of in-betweens.

VIDEOS, REVEALS AND TRAILERS:
I love them.  I am constantly gathering content.  I can get lost for hours playing with them.  Currently, I have added a new member to my team and his custom sounds are the best. He has some really cool professional programs for video editing!  Charlie Carroll is a student at Full Sail University, and is working toward his Bachelor of Science degree in Music Production.  He is a gifted composer and his music inspires me to reach further and higher.  You can find his works on SoundCloud.  Here is a video we made last year with his custom sound: FEEL GOOD FRIDAY 5.O music: Flowing ~ Charlie Carroll

How does my work differ from others in my genre? 
Even though my writing has been compared to that of other authors who write in a specific genre, and admittedly it makes me smile, I believe my works differ because I may or may not start out within the confines of a genre.  I tend to cross the traditional lines that separate in search of a character, a situation or a twist.  I have refused to color inside the lines since  I was a child and honestly, why should I start that now?  Just like when I mix mediums in my visual art: pencil and watercolor; charcoal and pastels… these mixtures give a depth to my work, a unique texture AND I strive to have that in my writing also.

Why do I write what I do?
I live to write and write to live.  My children’s stories were for my children and now my grandchildren.  Everything after that is for me and of course the readers.  I love to create and entertain.  I spent many years locking my muse away to accommodate caring for others and now that I have the freedom to let her run free, well, you get the idea.  I no longer do the ‘40 hour day’ gig, but all in all, I LOVE BEING A WRITER.  The one true dream of this writer can be defined by this: "I want my works to be famous, not myself, so that it may survive me."
Imagining, years after I am gone, that someone’s heart is touched; a reader is brought to tears, rolls with laughter or stops reading because I have scared them with a story…. Just the thought gives me purpose, keeps the coffee brewing, and fuels my muse.

How does my writing process work?  
1 part muse/ 2 parts determination/ shake gently
Anything can set my muse off.  A look in a person’s eye, a smell, a sound, a conversation overheard, a tone of voice, music, even a printed fabric; a curtain billowing in the breeze from an open window, the tinkle of ice cubes being dropped in a glass.  So, it all begins with the observations of life going on around me.  I use story boards, timelines to avoid plot glitches and listening to music to set the mood for whatever I am working on.  I have written the ending first and I have started with building a single character then let the plot unfold.  I use cover art as inspiration as well.  Sometimes it is just various scenes flashing through my imagination that I make notes of and go back to later.  I keep a notepad on the nightstand for those middle of the night epiphanies and ALWAYS WRITE IT DOWN when it hits, otherwise it might take months for it to return.  The foundation of my process would be making notes.  I am the proverbial absent-minded professor when it comes to this.  If ever I find myself without a notebook and the muse strikes, I have been known to use the back of receipts, napkins and even the edge of a newspaper.  I file these snippets away for later reference and woe be unto the person who might try to toss away these precious items.

Just last week I pitched a fit when my daughter tried to toss out a torn apart drink cup while I pumped fuel.  It had notes of a torture scene re-write, complete with dialogue, WRITTEN while I waited in the parking lot of a local grocery store with a van full of grandchildren.  Somehow, that doesn’t seem right but I am sure there are odder things I could have been doing.  ‘Mom’ got a lecture from the ‘wee one triad’ ‘bout not touching Grandy’s notes.  I drove away with a smile knowing I had added something to their being raised right. 
As the two year old said:
"You gotta 'spect da crwatif'....."

Hmmmmmm, now who to tag?
Tagging:  Marilyn Dieckmann .....Paul Wade.....Jake Drake.....Mitt Winstead.... and, and Candace Bowser!