Inspiration changed Writers block to Character Block

One of my favorite words is Inspire.  I love inspiring others and I love being inspired.  So whenever I come up with any beautiful saying (well anything I think is beautiful) I try to share it in hopes that one day,  it will help inspire someone else.

"Writers block is simply your character telling you that you have their story wrong."

And so that is my saying! It is simple but it sums up what writers block is.  making it easy for you to understand what needs to be done to make the writers block go away.  So really in a way, it should be called Character block.  It is you character blocking you.  Stopping you.  Telling you to turn around and fix the story.

Great Deals and free gift cards!

I know that as you read this post you are going to be wondering what on earth it has to do with books! Well read clear until the bottom and you will see!

My wonderful sister Adrienne runs a daily deal blog where she finds places that are giving prizes away or just having a great sale!  She posts the top ten deals of the day on her blog everyday so that you can see where to get great deals on great items.
There are lot's of every day items that people need or just really want because it will make their lives so much easier while some things are great for Birthday or even Christmas presents!

So now I have told you about the great deals.  Now read on to find out about the free gift cards.

She is trying to get create a bigger fan base so she is offering you a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card just for liking her page.  And if you share her page, she is also offering the chance to win a $50 iTunes gift card.  Does that not sound AMAZING??

So go here
http://www.facebook.com/DailyDealWatch

Click 'Like' And then share the page.  Once you have shared the page

Go here (must be logged in)
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=153582728068424&notif_t=event_invite

And share this page as well.  Then comment on the event page and let Adrienne know that you have shared and like the page!

Now, if you are still wondering what this has to do with books I will tell you,  with the amount of money that my sisters blog will save you,  you will be able to afford more books! Not to mention that if you win the $50 Amazon gift card. . . well that's $50 in books!!! :D

p.s
Don't forget to check out the blog and follow it as well!
http://dailydealwatch.blogspot.com/

Racing to 100

This past Wednesday (9-21-11)  Lizzy Hughes and I were both having trouble getting into our books and just writing away.
I felt inclined to do something about it. So I challenged Lizzy. Told her that I could write faster and that I could beat her to page 100.  It became a full out race. And not an easy one.

My starting page was page 32.

Lizzy started on page 24.

Now not only did I Challenge Lizzy to race me to page 100 but I put a deadline on the race! Sunday at midnight.   (9-25-11)

This was super crazy of me! I work everyday and am rarely able to get in a lot of writing. But Lizzy took the challenge and it was competition.
It was hard. A true challenge but Lizzy and I took this challenge and we were going to finish it no matter what!  Every day we would give a page update every five minutes! We teased, taunted, made fun and supported each other throughout the whole thing.  And Sunday evening at midnight this is where we ended:

Me:  89 Pages & 28,157 words.

Lizzy:  92 pages & 26,388 words.

We called it a tie. Win, Win! And I have to say, WE ROCK! By the end of Sunday evening, my back hurt, my eyes hurt but more than anything, my fingers couldn't move! They ached so bad!  But in just three days we went from only a few pages, to almost halfway through our books! And that is huge!

So, where are we going from here?  We are racing til the end.  We are challenging each other every week until our books are finished.

Starting Monday (9-26-11) we have until the following Monday (10-3-11) to write another 100 pages (plus make up what we didn't finish on the last challenge)

So for now I am going to go work on my book. And to Lizzy: May the fastest writer win!

See you all at page 200!!

Shifting by Bethany Wiggins

After bouncing from foster home to foster home, Magdalene Mae is transferred  to what should be her last foster home in the tiny town of Silver City, New Mexico. Now that she's eighteen and has only a year left in high school, she's determined to stay out of trouble and just be normal. Agreeing to go to the prom with Bridger O'Connell is a good first step. Fitting in has never been her strong suit, but it's not for the reasons most people would expect-it all has to do with the deep secret that she is a shape shifter. But even in her new home danger lurks, waiting in the shadows to pounce. They are the Skinwalkers of Navajo legend, who have traded their souls to become the animal whose skin they wear-and Maggie is their next target.

Full of romance, mysticism, and intrigue, this dark take on Navajo legend will haunt readers to the final page.

About the Author:

Bethany Wiggins has always been an avid reader, but not an avid writer. Seriously!!! She failed ninth grade English because she read novels instead of doing her homework. In high school, she sat alone at lunch and read massive hardback fantasy novels (Tad Williams and Robert Jordan anyone?). It wasn't until the end of her senior year that the other students realized she was reading fiction--not the Bible

Several years ago Bethany's sister dared her to start writing an hour a day until she completed a novel.  Bethany wrote a seven-hundred page fantasy novel that she wisely let no one read--but it taught her how to write.  The fifth novel she wrote, SHIFTING, is being published by Walker Books September 27, 2011.

Blog: www.suzettesaxton.blogspot.com

web page: www.bethanywiggins.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10224627-shifting

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shifting-Bethany-Wiggins/dp/0802722806/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316660383&sr=1-1

Love Tigers?

Have you read Tigers Curse? 

Have you heard of Tigers Curse? 

Do you want to know more about Tigers Curse? 

Are you interested in Tigers?

Do you love great books?

Do you love stories about Tigers?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then keep on reading! Because the Author of the Tigers Curse saga is going to be on my blog! That's right! I am doing an interview with Colleen Houck! And that's not all! I am doing a HUGE giveaway! But. . . it's not until the last week of October. 

          (This piece of art is one of the many prizes I will be giving away during Tiger Week)

Now you might ask; "Why October?" And I will tell you "Because on November 1st Tigers Voyage- the third book in the series- is being released! And I am having a tiger party leading up to the release date! And that involves lot's of *Tiger giveaways and an interview with the amazing author!"

But now you might ask; "Why give us a heads up? Do we really need to know about this now? The last week in October is a month away!" And I will say "Because I need your help! And yes you need to know about it now so that you can look forward to it. Why? Because I need to know what you want to know! I know that sounds confusing but let me explain. I need to Know what you Want to know about Colleen and the Tigers Curse saga. So, what questions would you like me to ask her?? What sort of thing do you want to learn from this interview?"

So now you might be getting a little more excited about learning about this early. So, What do you want to know about Colleen and the Tigers Curse saga? Leave a comment and let me know! And don't forget to spread the word!

*I am not giving away an actual tiger but if you want to know what I will be giving away, check out my Giveaway page later today or tomorrow (Just depending on when I can get everything on there)

I am doing Book Reviews!

I am now doing reviews! But before you jump up and down and get all excited read all the details!

     

Details:

Because I read hundreds of books every year and I own hundreds of books, I do not have time to write full reviews for every single book. But I am going to do star and rating reviews. 

1. Stars representing how good the book is

and

 2. A rating telling you what age group the book is a good read for! 

On some books I will do *full reviews and I will be glad to do full reviews for certain projects, or needs. Also, when I do interviews with authors, I will post full reviews for their already published, or newly published books! If you would like me to review a book for you, feel free to e-mail me! 

* The books that get a full review will be books that I loved so much I thought they deserved more than a couple stars and a rating!

And don't forget to check out my current giveaway on the giveaway page!

nothought2small@gmail.com

I'm doing a giveaway. .. but it's not for a book this time!

Have you ever wanted to be a famous singer? Dancer? Maybe a movie star? Well have you ever thought about being a book star?


Yep you read that right. How would you feel about getting to be in a book? Getting to be a character in someone's published book! Well if that's something you are interested in then share this blog everywhere you can. Leave one comment every time you share my blog on Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Linkedin, e-mail. . .etc and for every comment you leave, you will get one point.

The person with the most points will get to be in Karen E Hoover's next book in the Wolfchild Saga!

And don't forget to check out all the deals for her upcoming book "The armor of light"

Award winning YA Fantasy author

Author of The Wolfchild Saga

Find online at 

http://www.karenehoover.com

http://www.karen-hoover.blogspot.com

or join in for sprint writing and writing challenges at

http://www.sprinterwriters.blogspot.com

And now. . . Please welcome. . .

   And now. . .  please welcome

Award winning YA Fantasy author

Author of The Wolfchild Saga

Karen Hoover!!

Please introduce yourself:
Hi. My name is Karen Hoover, and I’m a book addict. I just can’t get enough. I read them, write them, sleep with them, eat them—wait, not that last part. Blech. Anyway, I’m a reader turned writer and have been doing one or the other since I was four.

How did you get into writing?
Well, seriously, it started with reading. My father loved books and used to let me sit on his lap while he read to me for hours. He swore he’d have me reading by the time I was four, and pretty much succeeded. When I was twelve I read a book by Gordon Korman that he wrote when he was twelve and that was the first time I realized that writing wasn’t just a dream—it was something I could actually do. I think that’s when it first started on the writing end and I’ve been writing in some form or another ever since.

When did you start writing?
I started writing for fun in second grade, making little books for my mom, but didn’t get really serious about writing until I was about twenty-four. I had a dream when I was twenty-two that just wouldn’t leave. It was so vivid and real, and I just had to write it. I spent the next seventeen years writing and re-writing the book that eventually became The Sapphire Flute.

When you first started writing, who in your life was the most supportive and helpful?
My mother, hands down. She told me I could do anything if I wanted it bad enough, and I believed her. Second to her was a friend of hers by the name of Darla Isackson, who was once an editor for Covenant (I think), and now writes for Meridian Magazine and has her own book out. Anyway, after reading some of my poems and stories, she told me that the only way I wouldn’t get published was if I quit writing. That was a huge confidence booster.

What has inspired your stories?
Dreams. Watching people. Daydreaming. Wondering “what if?” Other stories. Movies. Specific pieces of Jewelry. Walking. Driving. A lot of things.

What Hidden Talents have you discovered through writing?
That I’m a poet at heart. Even my novels come out poetic. Also, that I’m good with dialogue. I have found that it is easy for me to understand people because I can imagine what it would be like to live in their shoes. That’s made it a lot easier to be empathetic and tolerant toward others.

What do you think makes a good story?
Interesting characters, first of all, and they need to have a purpose and get into lots of trouble. :D

What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?
Parking my rear in the chair and just getting started. Once I start the words flow and I can write five thousand or ten thousand words without batting an eye. It’s just getting into the chair, putting my hands on the keyboard, and starting that’s hard.

If you had to start over and write the first book again, what would you change?
Well, I did that about ten times with The Sapphire Flute, so I pretty much changed everything I felt needed changing.


Which came first, the character or the story line?
ALWAYS the characters. I’m a people person and consider myself a character writer. Once I know who the players are, it’s easy to know what they would do in given situations and they tend to find their own way in and out of trouble.

How do you deal with Writers Block?
Oh, that’s a hard one. Well, I pray. A lot. I go up the canyons and sit in nature for a while, especially around trees. They inspire me. Sometimes I’ll write up there. I read inspirational quotes. I write what I call “Ramblings” and just pour myself out on the page, writing by hand, until I figure out what has me stuck. Sometimes it only takes a couple of paragraphs and sometimes it takes ten pages, but eventually I figure it out.

Are any of your characters based on real people?
YES!!! I actually have based several characters in my second book (The Armor of Light) on real people and plan to continue doing so in the series. It’s just plain fun!

Are any of the places (buildings, towns, pieces of art of jewelry) based on something real?
One of my books (unpublished) called The Misadventures of a Teenage Wizard, is completely based on real places. He lives in my old house, his grandma lives in my grandma’s house, he goes to my old junior high, and the neighbor’s farm is described just like our neighbor’s was.

What advice can you give to amateur authors such as myself?
Don’t give up! Go to writing conferences, join writing clubs, read, and learn as much about writing as you can. And don’t be afraid to talk to other authors when you get the chance. Also, don’t be afraid to play tricks on yourself when you’re stuck. One of my favorites is to change the background color of my word document to black and write with a bright color. Why? Because no matter how hard I try, I can’t type enough letters to fill a white page with black letters, but when I type with a black background, the letters are like light shining from the darkness. It’s beautiful.

I’ll just end with one of my favorite inspirational quotes. “God has plans for your writing. And believe me, they’re better than any plans you have for yourself. Let Him be in charge, and let Him delight you with what He has in store.” –Virginia Smith, author of Just as I am


Thanks Karen, for visiting my blog!


And now a sneak peak into her second book in the Wolfchild saga "Armor of Light" releasing on September 6th!


                                   
                                    
                             THE ARMOR OF LIGHT

"The Armor of Light continues the stories of the three women whose stories began in The Sapphire Flute. Ember has been accepted into the mage academy, but not without cost. She has gained a new enemy, ancient and dark, and their entire purpose is to destroy her and all white magic with her. After nearly losing her life in a brutal attack, DeMunth is assigned her guardian and the keystone he wears, The Armor of Light, begins the transition that will make it a true power in protecting her from her enemies. As Ember struggles to understand the magic that no one can teach her, her greatest fear is that she will lose herself to the magic, or to the pull she feels toward her guardian.

                                    

Kayla has lost most everything of importance to her—the people, the prestige, and all that she has fought for the past ten years. As she journeys back to Dragonmeer, the home of her fiancee, she discovers the consequence of her choices, and begins a journey that will take her to strange, foreign, and often dangerous places, as she continues to search out the birthplace of The Sapphire Flute and the wolfchild she believes to be its player.

C'Tan continues her quest to recover the keystones that root magic to the land, both because her master, the guardian S'Kotos, demands it of her, but also to find a way to free herself from his power. The story is full of magic, betrayal, hope, and love—and finally the two girls meet in the midst of a battle of epic proportions. The elements of the universe are coming together and none can know who will stand in the end."

Hurry and check out these deals on Karen's blog!! And stay tuned for a giveaway!

Award winning YA Fantasy author

Author of The Wolfchild Saga

Find online at 

http://www.karenehoover.com

http://www.karen-hoover.blogspot.com

or join in for sprint writing and writing challenges at

http://www.sprinterwriters.blogspot.com

Inspirations, Words of wisdom and the creation of a future "Quote"

Ever since I have become an author I have always dreamed about the day that I would be known for all the wonderful wisdom filled messages I would give to others. I even tried to come up with a few at first but soon realized that it's not something that automatically comes to you once you know what you want to do for the rest of your life.

Wonderful quotes and words of great help and inspiration come through hard work, lessons learned the hard way, experience and most importantly, talking with your best friend!

Yesterday I was talking to the Wonderful Lizzy Hughes and she was telling me about how she was having a hard time writing scenes with one of her characters because he's so hard to work with. She said that as hard as she tried, he's one of those guys that Just. Won't. Fall. She also said something about finally putting another person (one this stubborn character loves very deeply) on a branch and cutting the branch off the tree.

Without even stopping to take a breath I replied

"When your characters won't fall, make them jump after somebody else."

Lizzy and I looked at each other. We both smiled and started laughing. I was so excited that without even meaning to I said something EPIC! So epic that one day other people will "quote" me on it and it will be known! It will help inspire other authors on their journey to finishing their novels and stories of all kinds!

Congratulations to the winners!!!!

to the McElwain Family and Elizabeth Mueller !! You have both won a copy of Peasant Queen by Cheri Chesley!!!!!