The Story That Wasn’t, by Leigh Talbert Moore

All of my stories come out with romance in them. That’s no surprise. In the case of The Truth About Faking, the comedy was the big surprise—to me at least. Originally, I had a completely different idea of how this story would go, and it started with the movie Signs by M. Night Shyamalan.

No, the book wasn’t going to be science fiction.

I saw Signs the first time in the theater with my husband and two friends about a week before my oldest daughter was born. At that viewing, the theater was packed, and the unknown girl sitting next to me kept screaming every time the aliens would appear. Naturally, I giggled every time she screamed, and basically I missed the subtext of the film.

Fast-forward seven years, and Signs comes on HBO one night. Hubs and I decide to watch it again, and upon second viewing, I was struck by the other story of the film: The minister who’s lost his faith, who no one will allow to stop being a minister, who tells his brother-in-law about the two kinds of people in the world—those who see miracles and are optimistic and those who believe we’re in this thing alone and are afraid. And the minister who says he’s never praying again.

I love that story! And I was determined to explore it in a book.

So the book that’s out now, which was originally titled Shadow Falls, was going to be more dramatic and serious, and I was going to explore these fascinating themes for myself.

The only problem was Harley. She kept coming out funny.

I’d write a scene where she’s leaving the gym, and wham-o! She’d get hit in the head with a basketball. I’d have her failing to make the cheerleading squad, and her best friend would get her on in spite of her one jump, “The Banana.”

When Jason appeared, things just got better. And it’s funny, because writing the book, I felt myself relating more to Jason than any other character. He loves Harley’s funny self and all her big ideas, which are really ridiculous. And he’s willing to wait for her (or help her) to get over herself and date him.

So for whatever reason, those two characters took over the story, and what was going to be very thoughtful and sad came out wrapped in pink tulle with a sparkly bow on the side.

I think that’s okay. It’s a matter of not forcing our characters to be what we want them to be when they’re really something else. And I think the end product, while it still deals with serious matters, leaves readers smiling.

That’s equally as good as frowning, contemplating heavy thoughts. All that frowning causes wrinkles anyway.

Thanks for having me, Jessica! I hope readers enjoy the story that is.

Book description:

Jason just wants a date with Harley.

Harley just wants a date with Trent.

Trent's still getting over Stephanie.

When Harley and Jason decide to fake date, they uncover a school of deceptions. Trent's got a secret, but so does Jason. And the more time Harley spends secretly kissing her fake boyfriend, the further she gets from her dreams with Trent.

Worst of all, Harley's mom is getting cozy with her hot massage therapy student, and even Harley's Reverend Dad can't fake not being bothered by it. But when the masks finally come off, can everyone handle the real truth?

Purchase Links:

Amazon 

Barnes & Noble 

Smashwords

Kobo

Author Links:

Blog

Facebook

Goodreads

The Artist Unleashed: COPING AS A BRIT WRITER IN CYPRUS. OR ... WHERE TWO LANGUAGES COLLIDE, by Glynis Smy (+ Giveaway)

The Artist Unleashed posts have moved to a new domain. Please click HERE to read the rest of this post and for the opportunity to comment. Just search for the title of the post in the search bar on the new site.

HOW I GOT MY AGENT, by Sheri Larsen (+ Giveaway)

This week is a very special week. We have celebrations going on all over the place, so today, Wednesday and Friday, will be taken over by some amazing blogging buddies who have news to share, and lots of goodness to spread! Today we have the amazingly talented, and generous, Sheri Larsen.

So, my awesomesaucesome friend Jessica has offered to help me celebrate a fantastic milestone in my writing career. For those of you who don't know me, I write young adult, middle grade, and picture books. My freelance and short story work can be found in anthologies, magazines, and numerous local publications.

This summer brought me some exciting news. I signed with a literary agent—the fabulous Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary. And yes, I'm still hearing pompom cheers when I close my eyes. But within my original announcement HERE, I mentioned that there was more to the story. I hadn't traditionally queried Paula. So Jess has asked me to share how I ended up signing with my agent.

To be fair, I can't go into specifics yet--names, titles, and such. Here's what I can share with you. A year and a half ago, I wrote the first draft of my YA paranormal fantasy MARKED BEAUTY. Not happy with it, I decided to rewrite the entire manuscript, converting from 3rd person past tense to 1st person present tense. Risky? Maybe. But it felt right.

After receiving some amazing insight on my first 50 pages from YA author Michelle Zink, I decided to edit yet again, rewriting the entire beginning. I sent out a small round of queries, which vetted me requests but no takers. I combed through the manuscript another umpteen times and sent out an even smaller number of queries, only twelve. Again, many requests but no takers. I began to consider Indie publishing, even chatted with other Indie authors. That route just didn’t feel right for me at that time. So, this past June, I decided to take my publishing journey into my own hands and began submitting the manuscript to smaller publishers.

And VOILA! I got a hit. And then another. And then another. For now, let's just leave it at I received multiple offers to publish the manuscript with a few already asking for a sequel. Yup. I was totally freaking!! Of course I contacted some of my closest writer friends like AE Rought, Jessie Harrell, JA Souders, LM Preston, and Ciara Knight, asking for advice. Collectively, said ladies felt that querying a few agents and letting them know about my offers wouldn’t hurt.

I received a response within an hour of sending my query letter to Paula. Two days later we spoke by phone. She offered me representation, and I accepted.

So today, I'm inviting you to celebrate with me!! Our amazing writing community has offered up over 40 prizes for you to win from signed books to critiques, to personal chats. Seriously. Won't you celebrate with me and enter? I'd love it if you would. There's only one mandatory entry. Everything else is up to you!!

I know Rafflecopters can sometimes be a pain, but it was the only way to organize such a huge giveaway. Thanks you so much for reading and to Jessica, who is my writing sister across the sea.

List of Rocking Participants: Lenny Lee, Colene Murphy, LM Preston, Darby Karchut, Joanne Brothwell, Patti Larsen, Christine Fonseca, Catherine Stine, Jessica Bell, Kelly Hashway, Leigh Moore, Christine Danek, Alex Cavanaugh, Katie Mills, Matthew MacNish, Beverly McClure, Marcy Hatch, Jennifer Million, Nicole Zoltack,Christina Lee, Kris Yankee, JL Spelbring, Sharon Mayhew, Candice Granger, Dianne Salerni, Lisa & Laura Roecker, Elana Johnson, Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi, Susan Kaye Quinn, Lydia Kang, Julie Musil, Natalie Agurrie, Talli Roland, Medeia Sharif, Kelly Polark, Angela Brown, Sarah Fine, Stina Lindenblatt, Lynda Young, Susan Fields, PK Hrezo, Shannon O'Donnell, Shelli Johannes-Wells, Theresa Brown Milstein.

Links to Rafflecopters:
Giveaway #1: a Rafflecopter giveaway 
Giveaway #2: a Rafflecopter giveaway 
Grand Giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway

How to Run a Writer's Retreat: Part Two

As I said in this post, I will be answering all your questions about the Homeric Writer's Retreat & Workshop, in a series of posts. Tune in every Thursday to get some answers. I'll be posting until I run out of questions.

Sarah Fine asked: What are the goals of a retreat? Seems like it would be to get away and get a lot of writing done, but judging by those pictures, I have to wonder how that was possible with such excellent surroundings and company!

The goal of a retreat differs depending on who is running it and what kinds of workshops are being held. As was explained in How to Run a Writer's Retreat: Part One, this retreat was very 'how to get published' oriented, rather than, 'let's relax in paradise and pen a masterpiece'.

Okay, it is paradise on Ithaca, there's no denying that fact, and there was free time to write, but that was not the main purpose of the Homeric Writer's Retreat & Workshop. It was basically like an educational vacation: lots of learning mixed with interesting and fun excursions and some time to relax.

I do know that many attendees got a lot of writing done when they returned home, so the retreat proved to be a motivator and the trip an inspiration.

So if you're looking for a retreat to attend, make sure you choose wisely. Personally, I'd prefer to attend one from which I'll leave with a whole bunch of new information and motivation to keep writing. If I wanted peace and quiet to write, I don't need to pay someone else to get that. I'd just book myself a holiday and become a recluse for a while.

How about you? What do you look for in a writer's retreat? Do you want to learn new things, or relax and write? Or how about a mixture of both? (If you want a mixture of both, the Homeric Writer's Retreat & Workshop is for you. To find out what's happening in 2013, check back at the website.

Got any more questions? Leave them in the comments, and I'll be sure to answer them in my future posts.

The Artist Unleashed: HOW TO GET INVITED TO SPEAK AT SCHOOLS, by Karen Bass

The Artist Unleashed posts have moved to a new domain. Please click HERE to read the rest of this post and for the opportunity to comment. Just search for the title of the post in the search bar on the new site.

I'm not a real writer because ...

• I do not hear voices. (not even when I'm being spoken to, I'm usually busy.)

• I don't get ideas when I'm about to fall asleep. (nor do I have a notebook on my bedside table)

• I do not 'zone out' when people are talking to me while I'm writing. (I just ignore them.)

• I always leave the house without a notepad and pen. (oops)

• I do not purposely eavesdrop in public. (I accidentally do it.)

• There aren't any 'plot bunnies' in my head. (that just makes me feel dusty)

• I do not write plot ideas on my hands and arms. (that's very bad for your health, you know, the ink goes into your blood stream, maybe that's why you're hearing voices.)

• I am not a loner. (okay, I am.)

• My first friend was not imaginary. (though I did like to imagine I had an imaginary friend. Problem was, it just seemed so unrealistic ...)

• I do not hold conversations between people that don't exist. (see previous point)

• I am not an alcoholic. (In fact, I barely drink at all. When I say I'm drinking wine, I'm actually looking at the bottle in the fridge and wishing I were drinking it. I don't do well with alcohol.)

• I do not mentally edit people's dialogue when they talk to me. (I just blatantly correct them.)

• I do not have a favourite line from every movie I've ever seen, nor can I remember quotes from classics off the top of my head! (I think I gave my memory to my imaginary imaginary friend.)

• I think writer's block is bollocks. It's called 'clearly needing a break'. (true)

There you have it. My confession. I'm not a writer. I am just a woman who writes (bollocks). 

Any of these things true for you? Come on ... time to dish. Got anything else to add?

PS: If you missed my post last Friday, String Bridge has been picked up by an Australian publisher, eMergent Publishing, and will be out in paperback again this Christmas. I would really love it if you could all 'like' this publisher's FB page. They stand for so much goodness in this industry, pushing for emerging writers to have their voices heard, read, appreciated. All it takes is one click, and perhaps another one if you're inclined to share! You may know a couple of bloggers who have been published in their anthologies: Theresa Milstein and Len Lambert.

I'm very excited to announce ...

... that I have just signed over the print rights for String Bridge to the magnificent Aussie publisher, eMergent Publishing.

I am seriously seriously blessed to have crossed paths with the amazingly talented founding partner of eMergent, Jodi Cleghorn. She is a breath of fresh air. Her passion, commitment, and enthusiasm for encouraging emerging writers is awe-inspiring and inspirational. In 2011, the Chair of Queensland named her the 2nd recipient of the Kris Hembury Encouragement Award for Emerging Artist at the Aurealis Awards in Sydney. You should check out her blog and follow!

I first crossed paths with Jodi, when a short story of mine was accepted into eMergent's anthology, 100 Stories for Queensland, which was published to help raise money for Queensland flood relief in May of 2011.

Since 2009, eMergent Publishing has produced "conceptual fiction anthologies which push the boundaries of form and structure. [They] seek to find new permutations and relevance for the short story in the rapidly changing digital landscape."

String Bridge will be their first single author mainstream novel. I am so so proud to be a part of their team, and to help establish them as a publisher of full-length fiction.

On another awesome note, I've changed my author website! Like?