Garden of the Lost Souls by Erik Olsen--Book Review & Blog Tour

GARDEN OF THE LOST SOULS by Erik Olsen.

Welcome to this stop on the Blog Tour for Erik Olsen's GARDEN OF THE LOST SOULS, hosted by Cedar Fort. Like this first book in this series, it has so much potential. I loved the idea and the characters. The setting is incredible. It's a great, fun read that anyone who likes adventures will love. I would have liked a little bit more conflict, but Erik has a great series on his hands. Take a look an interview he gave us earlier, here.

:):):)

Flin climbed to the top of the Cathedral and was now pinned against the anemone’s ceiling while dozens of enraged Snazzards scaled up after him.
I can’t climb any higher he thought, desperately looking around for any last options. There’s no place left to go! They’re going to get me! Panicked, he jumped and fell hundreds of feet through the air as the ground raced toward him.
“NOOooo…!” he screamed.

After all he’s been through, it seems Flin’s life is finally getting back to normal—well, as normal as you can get when you’re stuck hundreds of miles under the earth’s surface. But in Cobble Cavern, nothing stays normal for long. 

And when Flin and the rest of his classmates are sucked into another adventure, they’ll need more than a little magic to make it out alive. Especially since this time Flin will have to choose between saving an entire village from destruction or rescuing his own best friend! (taken from Goodreads.)

The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox--Book Buzzin'

THE MAGIC WARBLE by Victoria Simcox. Take a look at this one. Sounds fun. Stay tuned for a giveaway beginning on June 15th. They'll be 3 winners. You'll want to stop by.

Dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and an evil queen all these and more can be found in The Magic Warble, an enchanting tale of adventure and friendship.

Twelve-year-old Kristina Kingsly feels like the most unpopular girl in her school. The kids all tease her, and she never seems to fit in. But when Kristina receives an unusual Christmas gift, she suddenly finds herself magically transported to the land of Bernovem, home of dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals and the evil Queen Sentiz.

In Bernovem, Kristina not only fits in, she's honored as ''the chosen one'', the only one who can release the land from Queen Sentiz's control. But it s not as simple as it seems. To save Bernovem, she must place the gift she was given, the famous ''Magic Warble,'' in its final resting place. And she must travel through the deep forest, climb a treacherous mountain, and risk capture by the queen s ''zelbocks'' before she reaches her destination. Guided by her new fairy friends, Clover and Looper and by Prince Werrien, a teenage boy, as well as an assortment of other characters, Kristina sets off on a perilous journey that not only tests her strength but her heart.

Have you ever gotten an idea for a book or part of one of your novels from something or somewhere unexpected? 

I would have to say that most of my ideas are unexpected. I rarely plan too far in advance what I'm going to write. My ideas come to me as I write.

Did you always know you would write a novel? Why did you finally decide to write one and when? 

Though I've always been creative, mostly in painting watercolors, I didn't think I would be a writer. It was actually a vision I had while sitting in a movie theater watching a flick the inspired me to start. I only saw the first scene of my story, probably half a page of writing.  Then when I started writing the story, it just started flowing to me.

Is there anything you’d like to go back one year to tell yourself? 

I don't think so. Part of life is to learn from my past mistakes, also I challenge myself to walk by faith and trust that what is to come is meant to be. I believe there is purpose to all I go through whether good or bad, and in the long run it will be to my benefit and make me a stronger person.

Who are the writers who've inspired you the most?

 C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling, Lemony Snicket. There are more but these are the first that come to mind.

Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? Why didn't you? 

Sure. There are times when fear tries to creep into my mind and tell me that all I have written and will write in the future is in vain, but the joy of writing, inner inspiration, and fan letters letting me know that they love my story, out weigh the fear.

Who is one person in the past or present who you felt was truly visionary? 

J.K. Rowling: Her mind is labyrinth of creative ideas.

When you were growing up, what did you want to be? 

A zoo keeper; I actually took one of those aptitude tests as an adolescent and zoo keeper is what it suggested I become.  I was like "YES!" this is a sign from God, lol. I've always been a big animal lover. But then when I became a teenager, my passionate love for animals some how mellowed and like most teenybopper girls of the 80s, boys became the main focus.

And the winners are . . .

Thank you so much for all of you that stopped by for the My Favorite Reads Giveaway Hop. One of these times I'll have something for everyone. Random.org has chosen the following two winners. Both have been notified. Thanks again and I hope to see you all again soon!

Amber Garcia--TANGLED TIDES
Shauna Buck--GRASPING AT ETERNITY

Another Way To Look At World Building

What is world building?

This may show my naiveté with literary terms, but if I had the misconception, then maybe others have too. What the first thing you think of when I say (or write) the word world building?

Now, let’s see if we’re thinking along the same lines. To me, world building is something that’s done in a fantasy or science fiction novel. The writer gets to create a world where they make the rules. Pigs really could fly, people have magical powers, aliens run the government, you know things like that.

Well . . .

In my writing group, one of the gals commented on my world building. That stopped me, and I had to think about it. World building? Really? I’m writing a YA mystery. That doesn’t have world building in it? Does it?

My ‘aha’ moment came one day while walking with the dog and my son. I guess you could say I had a “world building” moment, because what I was doing that very second could be considered world building. The things our characters do on a daily basis creates the world they live in. Not everyone goes on walks with their dog and baby. Then again if they do, maybe they have two dogs and three kids. That creates a whole different image for me than one dog and one kid. It makes me wonder, what kind of dogs are they? How old are the kids? Are the dogs crazy wild or calm on the leash? Do the kids tease the dogs or chase them?

Anyway, it got my mind whirling with several different books and figuring out how the authors created the world for their characters. After going through those books, I returned to mine, and looked at it from a readers perspective. I created a world where a teenager has to reset a tripwire before closing the fridge and sits on a couch with a weapon hidden in the cushions. I guess that’s not a normal, everyday thing for most people, and in that sense, I just created a different world. It was an amazing moment for me and I appreciate the guidance to the insight.

So, have fun with building your world this week, whether in real life or with your WIP. Either way, Happy Writing!

The List by Melanie Jacobson--Book Review

THE LIST by Melanie Jacobson.

I am not a huge fan of LDS chick lit. Melanie converted me. She is one of my new favorite authors. THE LIST had such wonderful characters, humor, twists, highs, and lows that I couldn't read it fast enough. It had me smiling from the first page to the last. I loved it and can recommend it to any and everyone who loves a good laugh with some romance and fun in the mix. It should definitely be on everyone's "To Read" list.

:) :) :) :) :)

Ashley Barrett doesn’t want to get married. At least, not anytime soon. She doesn’t care how many of her friends and family members and fellow churchgoers had weddings before they finished college — the last thing she needs in her fun-loving twenties is the dead-weight of some guy. And that’s why she created The List. By the time she completes all twenty-five goals — from learning a language to skydiving to perfecting the art of making sushi — she’ll be more ready to settle down. Maybe.

This summer in California is a prime time for Ashley to cross two items off the list: learn to surf (#13) and have a summer romance (#17). And Matt Gibson, the best surf instructor in Huntington Beach and the most wanted guy in the singles ward, is the perfect man for the job. Ashley hatches a plan to love him and leave him before heading off to grad school in the fall (#4, get a master’s degree). But when Matt decides he doesn’t like the “leaving” part, Ashley’s carefully laid plans are turned sideways. Now Ashley faces an unexpected dilemma: should she stick to the safety of The List, or risk everything for a love that may tie her down — or might set her free?

What made you decide to become a writer?

I didn't really decide to become a writer. I've just always been one. Even before I knew how to write, I would stand by my dad's typewriter and dictate stories for him to type up for me. I still have a file of that stuff.

Who inspires you?

I'm inspired by a range of writers. I'd love to emulate Janette Rallison's career.

What would you like your readers to get out of your writing?

I'd love for readers to get some good old-fashioned escapism out of my writing, and I hope a lot of laughs.

Where did this idea come from?

The idea for The List came from my husband. He said, "You know what would be funny? A bucket list, only for someone who wants to do a bunch of stuff before they get married." So I turned it into a book.

Who was your favorite character to develop?

My favorite character in this story to develop was Lauren because she's based on my mom.

Any advice for aspiring authors?

My advice to aspiring writers is to read in your genre and to go to as many workshops and conferences as you can get to. Also, find great critique partners. You aren't limited by geographic. 

What can we expect next from you?

My next book comes out in the fall. It's called SMART MOVE and picks up everyone's favorite character from my third book, TWITTERPATED. 

Where can we purchase your book?

My books are available on Kindle for $9.99 at Amazon or at all Deseret and Seagull bookstores.

Grasping at Eternity by Karen Amanda Hooper--Book Buzzin

GRASPING AT ETERNITY by Karen Amanda Hooper. Take a look at this one.

Before entering this life, Maryah did the unthinkable—she erased. Now, at seventeen years old, she’s clueless that her new adoptive family has known her for centuries, that they are perpetually reincarnated souls, and that they have supernatural abilities. Oh, and she’s supposed to love (not despise) Nathan, the green-eyed daredevil who saved her life.

X-MEN meets MY NAME IS MEMORY in Karen’s latest young adult release.

How To Outline Your Novel Part 4

So, this will be the catchall post. To start at the beginning, here are the links--intro, Part 1 (The Hero's Journey), Part 2 (How To Beat Out Your Novel), Part 3 (Snowflake Method). 

There really aren't any more big methods with names. I know people who outline with index cards or post-it notes and stick it up on a wall or whiteboard. That way they can move things around more easily. 

There are software programs out there to help with outlining. Who would have thought? :)

Here are some other great links to give you an idea of other ways to outline.

How To Write A Novel by Glen Strathy

Writer's Digest Novel Idea Summary Sheet--Blank Novel Outline

Outlining Your Novel by the Creative Penn

Writing A Book: 5 Step Method by Mythic Scribs

Novel Outlining 101 by Paperback Writer

Plotting With A Purpose by Paperback Writer

Plot Outline in 8 Steps by Glen Strathy

And here's an interesting article from the New York Times for the discovery writer side.

Joe R Lansdale--A Fresh Discovery, Three Decades In the Making

Frantically, when you look at everything, it can be a bit overwhelming. I began this journey with an idea of what I might use to outline my novels. The more I've learned, the more I realize that I really am not an outliner. There's too much of the discovery in me. So, for those of you who can outline your entire novel before you even write it, (I can think of a few authors off the top of my head) more power to you.

For me, I can't process things that far ahead. Here's my comprimise. I'm about 3,000 words into a new WIP. I know where I'm starting, and I have an idea of where I'll end. The middle is up in the air. However, it's been helpful for me to have the Beat Sheet in front of me to keep me on track, or rather to remind me of what needs to be in the story for sure.

Annette Lyon and Elana Johnson said they write their first drafts, and then fill in the outline to make sure they aren't missing anything. They are able to spot holes pretty quickly. I think this is how I'm going to do it. It makes sense to me. I have my roadmap, but I don't have to decide right away how I'm going to get to the end. For me, this is a really exciting new journey. We'll see how it goes and adjust on the way.

Ultimately, you have to find what works for you. Don't be afraid to take something and make it yours, afterall, isn't that what we do on a daily basis? I'd love to hear about what is and what is not working for you. I'll keep you posted on my progress as well. In the meantime . . .

HAPPY WRITING!