Monthly Archives: February 2013

How sad is it not to have a home THREE MONTHS after Hurricane Sandy?

Posted on February 28, 2013 | 17 comments

My sister sent me this heart wrenching slide show a few days ago.  Again, The devastation of this hurricane is out of our minds when we don’t live with it, but people who were hit by this storm are still suffering.  What makes this sideshow sad is ALL THESE PEOPLE HAVE INSURANCE, but none of them can get the money to fix their homes.

It’s so unfair, really.  My heart goes out to all these people, and the countless others also faced with such loss.

When you look at these pictures you may think “Where’s all their stuff, in storage?”  The answer is “no”  The sad truth is… there is no more “stuff”  What’s missing in these now empty homes in gone.  These people, three months later, still have nothing.

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Write a Story With Me #32 – Janelle’s Choice with Shannon Christensen

Posted on February 25, 2013 | 3 comments

Last week the baby finally arrived, but it looks like Mommy is in big trouble!  Will she be okay?  Let’s find out!

Take it away Shannon!

32- Shannon Christensen

Janelle hesitated.

If she followed Morana’s instructions to get help, Natalia might live and the boy might grow up healthy, wealthy, and destructive. This baby could destroy them all – fairies and humans, regardless of Janelle’s help.

She considered this. The boy could turn out to be like Marci, and could be helpful to Janelle’s people. Then again, maybe not. If he were more like Bethany, then all the risks and sacrifices made by Marci, by Sian, by Janosc, by herself and so many others would be futile.

She did not have to help. She should not have helped earlier by bringing Morana. Certainly, the humans would not have helped a fairy mother. She could simply leave Natalia and the boy in Morana’s care and let luck or fate have her way.

Natalia moaned again and Morana pleaded.

Janelle watched.
As a mother, Janelle sympathized with the compulsion to care for an infant. As Marci’s friend, Janelle sympathized with the potential loss of a family member. As the new queen of the fairies, however, she understood that her own feelings were nothing compared to her peoples’ needs. She had accepted this when she ate the leaf. She had not expected to have to act so quickly on this new prioritization.

Janelle sighed. She would do what was best for the many, and not only the few.

“No.”

“But, you must!”

“No. I must not.” Janelle turned and flew away from the house for the last time.

Write a Story with Me is a group endeavor just for the fun of it.  A different writer adds a new 250 words each week.  It is the ultimate Flash Fiction Challenge!

If you’d like to sign up, come on over.  There’s always room for more!

Part One – Jennifer M. Eaton

Part Two – J. Keller Ford

Part Three – Susan Roebuck

Part Four – Elin Gregory

Part Five – Eileen Snyder

Part Six – Mikaela Wire

Part Seven — Vanessa Chapman

Part Eight — Ravena Guron

Part Nine – Vikki Thompson

Part Ten — Susan Rocan mywithershins

Part Eleven — Kate Johnston  AKA 4AMWriter

Part Twelve — Julie Catherine

Part Thirteen — Kai Damian

Part Fourteen — Richard Leonard

Part Fifteen — Sharon Manship

Part Sixteen – Shannon Blue Christensen

Part Seventeen — Bryn Jones

Part Eighteen — Jennifer M. Eaton

Part Nineteen — Shannon Burton

Part Twenty — J.Keller Ford

Part Twenty-One — Susan Roebuck

Part Twenty-Two — Elin Gregory

Part Twenty-Three — Aparnauteur

Part Twenty-Four — Vanessa Chapman

Part Twenty-Five — Ravena Guron

Part Twenty Six — Susan Rocan

Part Twenty Seven — Kate Johnson AKA 4AMWriter

Part Twenty Eight – Julie Catherine

Part Twenty Nine — Kai Damian

Part Thirty — Richard Leonard

Part Thirty-One — Sharon Manship

Part Thirty-Two — Shannon Christensen

Don’t forget to stop by next week to see what happens next.

Danielle Ackley McPhail — TAG!  You are “It”

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Sunday Snippets Critique Blog Hop #5

Posted on February 24, 2013 | 9 comments

Sunday_Snippets

Oh Yeah!  It’s the  Sunday Snippets Critique Blog Hop!

In this hop, participants post 250 words of their work in progress to be critiqued.  Then everyone hops around to critique others.  Don’t have a post of your own?  We’d love a critique anyway!  And next time you can sign up yourself (see below)

swish swivel squiggle 2

Okay… Here’s mine.  This is 250 words of my YA Urban Fantasy: “Fire in the Woods”.  Jess and David are running for their lives, so why not jump onto a speeding train?

This is an awesome exercise, because reading this back, I just noticed I used “onslaught” twice in this segment.  Yeas, I will change that.swish swivel squiggle 2

“Hold on,” David screamed into my ear.  He turned toward the train, bracing himself.

Terror inched into my soul. “Oh God. David, please don’t…”

His feet left the ground and my stomach lurched as we rocketed through the air.  My world became an onslaught of sound and throttling wind.  I gritted my teeth against a scream building inside me, praying with all my might as we slammed against the side of the speeding train.

I buried my head in David’s neck.  Tears streamed from my eyes and flew through the air—never having the chance to dampen my cheeks as they ripped into the wake of the speeding train.  David’s knuckles wrapped around a metal bar on the side of the door. We swung manically, bobbing up and down across the cold metal.  My bones slammed against steel, skin and muscle unable to protect them from the tremulous onslaught of bodies banging against metal.

“Hang on!” David growled as we jolted and swung, our bodies flailing away from the train before barreling back towards the rigid steel.  I lifted my face, my skin burning and tearing from the wind’s merciless bite.

I struggled to open my eyes against the wind pressure.  David hung to the side of the locomotive with one hand while the other clutched my back. Another jolt sent us smashing back into the metal frame, David taking most of the blow.

“Oh God!” I could do nothing but pray as my tear filled eyes struggled to focus.

[Note:  Wow — I see so much wrong with this taking it out of the novel.  I’m so glad I did this.  This definitely needs re-writing, but hack away!  What do you see?]

swish swivel squiggle 2

The Sunday Snippets Critique Blog Hop is on!

Want to join up? Click here for the rules, and leave a comment to have your name added to the list.  The more the merrier!swish swivel squiggle 2

Click on over to these great writers to check out and critique what they’ve posted!

Note:  Those who have not been participating have been removed.

http://mermaidssinging.wordpress.com/

http://caitlinsternwrites.wordpress.com/

http://ileandrayoung.com

http://jennykellerford.wordpress.com

https://jennifermeaton.com/

http://richardleonard.wordpress.com

http://jordannaeast.com

http://itsjennythewren.wordpress.com/

http://wehrismypen.wordpress.com

http://jlroeder.wordpress.com

http://letscutthecrap.wordpress.com/

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Have you ever lost interest in something you were writing?

Posted on February 23, 2013 | 44 comments

I’m in a little bit of a rut.  I know I can easily write 1000 words a day (I only have about an hour a day to write) but for the past few days, I just can’t seem to do it.

For some of the time, it is because my thoughts keep straying to a different story that I want to write.  I KNOW that if I followed my muse I’d be spitting out 1000+ words an hour.  But if I did that, I know I probably would never get back to what I’m writing.

Is there anything wrong with what I’m writing?  No.  It’s just not “calling to me”—You know what I mean?

The funny thing is, I am around the bend of the “rising action” and I am staring my climax in the face.  Just two more scenes until I start blowing things up. Oh, Yes! This one will make the Little Blue Lady from Mars very happy!  It will make me happy… but I’m just “bored” in the process of getting there.

Is my story boring?  I don’t think so (of course no one has read more than the first 500 words during Sunday Snippets.)

I know, I know… set it aside for a while and follow my muse… but I can’t.  I’m writing to a deadline again.  I have only a few more weeks to finish, go to beta, revise and submit… and I’d like to give myself a little extra time in case they ask for a re-write before the deadline.

Ugh.

I think part of it is that I can’t motivate myself to start, and once I get the motivation, I only have about 25 minutes of writing time left… so I dump about 450 words on the page and then have to stop.  If I had more time in a sitting, I would probably be able to keep going.  I guess that’s the sob story of everyone with a full time job, and a part time job plus a family to take care of.

So what about you guys?  Have you ever tired of something you were writing when you were so close to the “good part?”

_JenniFer____EatoN

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#FreeFriday Win a #Free Ebook “A Heart Broken ” by Sara Barnard

Posted on February 22, 2013 | 6 comments

Free_Fridays!

Yay!  It’s Freebee Fridays time!

First of all, Congrats to last week’s winner: Maddy

You’ve received a free copy of “Mona Lisa’s Room” by Vonnie Davis, and the bonus winner of “A Taste of Chocolate” is: Charissa

If you’d like to find out more about Vonnie Davis and her books, hop on over to http://vonniedavis.com/Home_Page.html

.

Alien SmileI’m starting to enjoy this.  I’m really looking forward to this week’s interview!

Yes, you are doing great. 

You were almost nice to Vonnie Davis.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387Nice!  This cannot happen!

No one can this I’m nice!

Shoot! 

Please forget I said that and at lest try to be nice to this author.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387We’ll see.

Why am I worried about this?

Okay, let her in.

Alien SmileHello. authory-looking person, please come in.

Yes, yes…

Come on in and have a seat.

Hello. 

Hey! 

My shirt matches you hair! 

Alien SmileWell, yes, it is nearly the same shade.

How wonderful.

Who are you, my dear?

My name is Sara Barnard and I want to take readers back in time to the 19th century so they can share in the adventures of Confederate Captain Sanderson Redding and his damsel, Charlotte Adamsland.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387Huh? What’s all this confederate stuff.

I don’t understand.  What the heck is this a book about?

.

That’s the thing.

It’s only disguised as a book.

It’s really a time travel device. (Shhh.)

.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387Well that’s just crazy.  That’s just not possible.  Why would anyone want to read something like that!

So they can travel back in time.

Duh. (Whoops! Excuse me!)

.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387This one’s a little nutty

Give her a chance. 

She’s fun

PKO_Alien 3 0003387Okay.  Geeze. Alright Miss Time Travel.

Are there at least explosions?

There are some explosions,

all in a 19th century way of exploding.

.
PKO_Alien 3 0003387She actually thinks she’s time traveling.

Just go with it.

.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387Erghh…

Okay, what’s the story about?

The war (Civil, that is) is over, Sanderson is home, and life is good. Until the Army comes knocking. They’ve charged Sanderson with murder and unless he can track down the notorious outlaw William “Bloody Bill” Quantrill, he’ll face the hangman’s noose. Meanwhile, Charlotte is left in Minerva’s capable hands to endure a complicated pregnancy before battling a rash of hydrophobee that threatens the countryside; Cotton, Achilles, and Sanderson included.

Alien Huh CloseHydrophobee?  This is about being afraid of water?

You are one weird chic.

 It’s not about… Huh? 

PKO_Alien 3 0003387You said there was an explosion, right?

.

Yes.

All Civil-War like

PKO_Alien 3 0003387I don’t believe you.

Have you ever actually exploded anything?

Yes once, but I’m not allowed to talk about it. We are still under a gag order. As to why, in true Texas fashion, it just needed explodin’.

Alien SmileYes!

Someone else who realizes the wonder of a grand explosion!

How about taking over the world?

Wait, who told you about that? Have you been talking to Althea the Green?

My success in world domination remains to be seen. Ask me again in 2015.

Alien SmileYes!  I will!

Maybe we can take over the world together?  What’s your plan?

Well the trick to taking over the world  is inventing a time travel device … hey, wait. Is this a trick question? I know nothing about it and I will deny it if it comes up again.

.

Alien SmileSo what should we explode first?

Well that is simple. I would explode what needed explodin’! And that can be anything from, wait, I’m not allowed to talk about it, remember?

Alien SmileHa Ha!  Yes!

I love Sara Barnard!

Quickly!  We must give away her book!

Let’s get rocking!

If anyone would like to win a free copy of

.

A Heart Broken (An Everlasting Heart #2) leave a comment below.

We will choose a winner on Monday.

Thanks Sara, and great job winning over the Little Blue Lady from Mars!

One day we will

rule the world together!

.

Alien SmileWell

YYYYeeeeeeee

Haaaaawwwwww! 

Thanks for lett’n me hang!

.

If you’d like to find out more about Sara Barnard and her books, hop on over to www.sarabarnardbooks.com

JenniFer_EatonF

The Little Blue Lady From Mars © Jennifer M. Eaton.

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I need some help with something. Got a minute?

Posted on February 21, 2013 | 62 comments

I’ve run into a conundrum.  It’s kind of a good conundrum – betas are loving Fire in the Woods… until they get to one point.

I partly expected the responses:

“This is confusing, but if no one else says anything, ignore me.” And “This is distracting.  Is there another way to do this?”

So, this is my problem.  Fire in the Woods is told in “First Person” (the “I” Point of view)

There is a large sequence where people around my main character are speaking another language, and she can’t understand them.  To keep the continuity of the story, I wrote the whole sequence in English.  Then I went back and translated it.

I figured there would be some people who wanted to know what they were saying, so I subtitled it.  I also figured people who wanted to stay in Jess’s confused POV would not even glance at the subtitles.  So far, this seems to be backfiring.

So, this is my question:  How should I handle this scene? I don’t want to keep saying over and over “they spoke in their weird language” or something like that, but I obviously can’t leave in all the foreign dialect.

Have you ever seen something like this done well in a published work?  Have you read a passage where characters are speaking another language, and the POV character doesn’t understand them?

I have an idea what to do, but before I do a lot of work and screw things up, I’d like to see an example of someone doing it WELL.

Any suggestions?

_JenniFer____EatoN

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Are you in the Central Jersey Area? Author’ Panel Saturday

Posted on February 20, 2013 | 8 comments

‘I’VE FINISHED MY FIRST DRAFT, NOW WHAT?’
Local authors share tips and information on getting published in today’s market (organized by the New Jersey Authors Network: http://www.njauthorsnetwork.com).

So you’ve finished the writing your book/story, or have you?

What (if any) revision work needs doing?


Where can you go for feedback?

How will you know when it’s ready to send out, and where should you try first?

Join New Jersey Authors, Jon Gibbs (moderator); Kristin Battestella; Karen Bostrom; Jennifer Eaton; Jim ‘JJ’ Lair, and Nicole Zoltack, for a fun, informative discussion on getting published in today’s market, and find out why typing ‘THE END’ is really just the beginning.

See you there for a great discussion!

JenniFer_Eaton Sparkle__F

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Write a Story with Me #31 – “The Baby’s Here!” with Sharon Manship

Posted on February 18, 2013 | 6 comments

Last week Richard Leonard left us hanging mid-sentance.  How’d Sharon finish his rather cliff-hanger-like cut off?  Let’s find out!

Last week’s ending:

On the way back she would arrive with relief to find that Morana had made significant progress walking up the street. This continued for several shortening laps until, to Janelle’s horror,

Take it away Sharon!

31 – Sharon Manship

Natalia’s moaning and writhing ceased.  She went still.

Janelle darted back to Morana, who was now entering the house.

“Morana, you must try to hurry, something is terribly wrong!”

Morana stumbled up the stairs as fast as her frail body would allow her to.  Janelle was by now frantic.

“Please help her!”

Morana entered the bedroom and rushed to the limp body of Natalia.

“She’s alive.” she said, checking her pulse, “But something is wrong.  You need to get more help.”

Janelle hesitated…it was one thing to make herself known to a before-timer, but she knew that the Doctor would not respond well to even the sight of her, let alone listen to her.

“Hurry, the baby is here!” Morana interrupted Janelle’s thoughts.

Janelle returned her attention to the scene.  The baby had delivered quite suddenly and there appeared to be a lot of blood.  She had no choice, she must do all she can to persuade the Doctor to listen to her.  She flew swiftly in the direction of the Doctor’s house, ruminating over how she was going to achieve the seemingly impossible.

Morana meanwhile had her own, more immediate, matters to contend with.  Not less Natalia’s condition, who although alive had lost a lot of blood and was unconscious.  But also the baby.  It was a boy.  This did not bode well for Natalia or Protector Sumner.  This did not bode well at all.

Write a Story with Me is a group endeavor just for the fun of it.  A different writer adds a new 250 words each week.  It is the ultimate Flash Fiction Challenge!

If you’d like to sign up, come on over.  There’s always room for more!

Part One – Jennifer M. Eaton

Part Two – J. Keller Ford

Part Three – Susan Roebuck

Part Four – Elin Gregory

Part Five – Eileen Snyder

Part Six – Mikaela Wire

Part Seven — Vanessa Chapman

Part Eight — Ravena Guron

Part Nine – Vikki Thompson

Part Ten — Susan Rocan mywithershins

Part Eleven — Kate Johnston  AKA 4AMWriter

Part Twelve — Julie Catherine

Part Thirteen — Kai Damian

Part Fourteen — Richard Leonard

Part Fifteen — Sharon Manship

Part Sixteen – Shannon Blue Christensen

Part Seventeen — Bryn Jones

Part Eighteen — Jennifer M. Eaton

Part Nineteen — Shannon Burton

Part Twenty — J.Keller Ford

Part Twenty-One — Susan Roebuck

Part Twenty-Two — Elin Gregory

Part Twenty-Three — Aparnauteur

Part Twenty-Four — Vanessa Chapman

Part Twenty-Five — Ravena Guron

Part Twenty Six — Susan Rocan

Part Twenty Seven — Kate Johnson AKA 4AMWriter

Part Twenty Eight – Julie Catherine

Part Twenty Nine — Kai Damian

Part Thirty — Richard Leonard

Part Thirty-One — Sharon Manship

Don’t forget to stop by next week to see what happens next.

Shannon Christensen — TAG!  You are “It”

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Sunday Snippets Critique Blog Hop #4

Posted on February 17, 2013 | 17 comments

Sunday_Snippets

Oh Yeah!  It’s the  Sunday Snippets Critique Blog Hop!

In this hop, participants post 250 words of their work in progress to be critiqued.  Then everyone hops around to critique others.  Don’t have a post of your own?  We’d love a critique anyway!  And next time you can sign up yourself (see below)

swish swivel squiggle 2

Okay… Here’s mine.  This is 250 words of my YA Urban Fantasy: “Fire in the Woods”.  Right before this scene, our MC Jess runs into the woods chasing a deer. (That is the”buck” mentioned in the last line) Then all of the sudden…

swish swivel squiggle 2

A screeching noise filled the forest, swirling like a smoke alarm gone haywire.  A hollow hum developed behind the squawking invasion as a jolt of stabbing pain tore into my brain.  I slammed my hands against my ears, but I couldn’t fight the drills boring inside me. Head pounding, I cried out in agony, but I my own voice fell victim to the onslaught of vibrations exploding through my cranium.

I dropped to my knees.  “Please stop!  Make it stop!”

The squalling reverberated, encompassing everything.  Tears pooled in my eyes, blurring my vision before trailing down my cheeks. I cried out in misery, until it stopped abruptly.

I shook, reeling from the sudden silence.  A faint hum lingered, a frightening reminder of the noise’s intensity.  Hands still covering my ears, I sucked in a careful, short breath and slowly dared another.  Holding as still as possible, I braced for another auditory attack, and thanked the Lord when it didn’t come. I scanned the trees, at a loss as to what could have made such a noise.

Sobbing, I blinked back fresh tears, and wiped my cheek clean.  A leaf fell to the ground at my feet, but the rest of the forest remained motionless.  The chirping birds had vanished. Nothing stirred to disrupt the eerie quiet—not even a gentle rustle of the wind.

I spun, startled by a thrash behind a large fallen tree.  Ignoring the instinct to flee like the buck, I inched forward and peeked over the log.

swish swivel squiggle 2

The Sunday Snippets Critique Blog Hop is on!

Want to join up? Click here for the rules, and leave a comment to have your name added to the list.  The more the merrier!swish swivel squiggle 2

Click on over to these great writers to check out and critique what they’ve posted!

Note:  Those who have not been participating have been removed.

http://mermaidssinging.wordpress.com/

http://caitlinsternwrites.wordpress.com/

http://ileandrayoung.com

http://jennykellerford.wordpress.com

https://jennifermeaton.com/

http://richardleonard.wordpress.com

http://jordannaeast.com

http://itsjennythewren.wordpress.com/

http://wehrismypen.wordpress.com

http://jlroeder.wordpress.com

http://letscutthecrap.wordpress.com/

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The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest: Did you make the first cut?

Posted on February 16, 2013 | 29 comments

The top 400 pitches in each category have been listed.  Did you make the cut?

I didn’t recognize anyone on the YA list, but congrats to everyone who made it.  I wish you the best of luck.

And, yes, that means that my name was NOT on the list.

Am I upset?  Honestly, not really.

The only thing I could really be upset about is that I stopped doing what I SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING and spent two weeks polishing my manuscript, rewriting the beginning, and writing an (unsuccessful) pitch.  I am now behind on a writing project that I should have finished and sent to beta yesterday. (I haven’t even written the climax yet)

***However***

My Fire in the Woods manuscript now has a KICK BUTT beginning that I believe fixes everything that was wrong with my first draft, and I also have a pitch that I know needs some tweaking, because there were 400 out there that were better than mine.

So, yes, I am behind on my current Work in Progress, but my “Big Tamale” Fire in the Woods is now quite a bit closer to being ready for query land.

So, am I mad I didn’t make the first cut?  Nope, not at all.  It was no reflection on my novel.  They didn’t even look at it.  My pitch didn’t grab them.  No harm, no foul.

Thanks, Amazon, for giving me that extra pressure to fix the overall problems.

What about you guys?  Did anyone make the first cut? Are you in the same boat as me? What do you think about all this?

JenniFer_EatonF

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