The only historical event I can remember with any accuracy is good old 1066 and The Battle of Hastings. At school I was hopeless at dates, in fact anything to do with numbers, but I used to love history because sooner or later it usually involved writing a lot of essays. Now though, I suspect there may be more to it. The longer I live and the more places I visit in the world, the more connected I feel to my roots, or more specifically my spiritual home, Snowdonia.
Seventeen years ago we moved from Cheshire to North Wales. Although Cheshire has its history and pretty rural surroundings aplenty, Wales is far more extreme in both aspects. The castles and the rugged hillsides scattered with stone settlements, druid’s circles and ...
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Today, I'm really excited. Why? Because an incredible friend of mine (and partner in crime at Vine Leaves Literary Journal), Dawn Ius, is revealing the cover of her debut YA novel, Anne & Henry!
This has been in the making for a long time and I'm so thrilled for Dawn that the day has finally arrived so she can flaunt her astounding storytelling talent. She is an AMAZING writer, and I can't wait for everyone to experience what I have been experiencing for the last (almost) five years when beta-reading her work ... extremely severe writing envy!!! Oh, and of course, a bloody excellent ride in a world outside our reality. :-)
Without further ado ... here it is! (And please scroll down to the bottom to enter to be in the running to win an ARC which will be available in January, 2015.)
ANNE &
HENRY
A love worth losing your head
over
ANNE
Wild,
brazen, mischievous, bewitching
HENRY
Driven,
haunted, charming, magnetic
ANNE
& HENRY
Apart
they are bound to destroy themselves. Together, they are bound to destroy each
other.
HENRY
TUDOR’S LIFE HAS BEEN mapped out since the day he was born: student president,
valedictorian, Harvard Law School, and a stunning political career just like
his father’s.
But
ever since the death of Henry’s brother—perfect, high-achieving Arthur—his
family has been twice as demanding. And now Henry’s trapped: forbidden from
pursuing a life as an artist or dating any girl who’s not Tudor-approved.
Then
Anne Boleyn crashes into his life.
Anne
is wild, brash, and outspoken. She is everything Henry is not allowed to be—or
to want. But soon Anne is all he can think about. His mother, his friends, and
even his girlfriend warn him away, yet his desire for Anne consumes him. Henry
is willing to do anything to be with her. But once he has her, their romance
could destroy them both.
Inspired
by the true story of Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, ANNE & HENRY
reimagines the intensity, love, and betrayal between one of the most infamous
couples of all time.
DAWN
IUS is a short-story author, novelist, screenwriter, professional editor, and
communications specialist. She is an active member of the International
Thriller Writers association, co-founder and senior editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, and the
author of nine educational graphic novels published by the Alberta Canola
Producers Commission. When she’s not slaying fictional monsters, she’s geeking
out over fairy tales, Jack Bauer, Halloween, sports cars, and all things that
go bump in the night. Dawn lives in Alberta, Canada, with her husband, Jeff,
and their giant English Mastiff, Roarke.
That fine line between art and product is difficult to draw, but it’s essential to protect your sanity. It’s not news that artists are highly creative people, typically with a teensy bit of mental instability (it comes with the territory). I mean, doesn’t everyone have a bit of the crazy when our imagination comes into play? When you were a child, those shadows wouldn’t have turned into monsters without your brain being on the fritz. And that’s exactly why when we create something we are inherently attached to it. We love it. We hate it. But overall, it is a piece of us.
In order to get your writing out in the world though, you need to separate yourself from the art and view it as product. Your book is ...
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In case you haven’t noticed, Facebook has built a neat little widget called “Trending” that now appears on the right hand side of your news feed. This widget is supposed to act like Google Trends, informing you of the news that is popular around the world (or at least around the internet) at that moment.
Why am I telling you this?
Because, as a writer, there is going to come a time when you (the writer) will have the opportunity to be a part of a trending news topic. During this moment in time, assuming that reporters can find you and that your network is set up properly, you (and your work) will be ...
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The video below is of me miming to "Mr. Lee" by The Bobbettes, and was recorded as a special way to wish Lenny Lee a happy 15th birthday today, and to tell him how much we miss reading his blog! Where are you Mr. Lenny Lee?!
It's hard to believe that I met Lenny five years ago, when he was only TEN. He has been a part of so many bloggers' lives; loved and cherished dearly. These five years have meant a lot, as he's been through many battles with his leukemia. But he's a strong young man, and will forever be my indoor sunshine.
Lenny, I hope this video makes you smile. We miss you! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
First, I’d like to thank Jessica for
reading (and supporting) my memoir, SEVEN LETTERS FROM PARIS. I’ve known
Jessica “virtually” for almost five years now. (I can’t wait to meet her in
person one day!)
Not only is Jessica a remarkably talented author and a great
friend, she is the go-to gal for writerly advice. So, today, in keeping with
theme of my memoir, and Jessica’s amazing blog, I thought I’d post my top SEVEN
tips regarding the crazy world of publishing and writing. Some of this advice
you’ve heard before. And some of it applies to how I actually sold SEVEN LETTERS FROM PARIS.
1) EARN YOUR RACING STRIPES!
Work on your craft. Connect with other
writers. Learn the business, albeit traditional or self-publishing. Read in
your genre. Build up your platform, your social connections. No matter how
supportive she is – your mother is NOT a critique partner or a beta reader! And
neither is your sister, spouse, or best friend. Put your work out there. Yes,
with strangers. One of the best resources on the web to learn the business AND
connect with other writers is http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums.
Also, if you write middle grade or YA, check out Verla Kay’s “blueboards,” now
located on The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators site: http://www.scbwi.org/boards/
2) REVISE. EDIT. REPEAT.
Unless you are extremely rare (or an alien
from the planet Wordsmith), your first draft will most likely be a steaming
pile of cr@p. But you haven’t wasted your time. The great thing about writing
is you can always dust yourself off and turn the page. Revise. Edit. Repeat. It
took me four drafts and many revisions before SEVEN LETTERS turned into a
saleable manuscript.
3) DON’T LET CRITIQUES or REJECTION or BAD
REVIEWS GET YOU DOWN.
Take critiques with an open mind and never get
angry. Let advice simmer for a day or two before sending off a scathing email. Your
writing partners want the best for your story. When critiquing others, I always
apply the sugar, salt, super-sugar method. (What’s good about the story, what
needs work, and what totally rocks). Separate yourself from the story,
especially if you’re writing a memoir. We’ve heard this time and time again:
publishing is subjective. It’s true. And I think we can apply the same
principals to bad reviews. Remember, people aren’t critiquing you. (If you ever
receive reviews attacking you personally,
these people have severe emotional problems. And we can’t fix them.)
Note: A friend of mine recently offered
this advice: don’t focus on reviews or book stats; write your next book. (I’m
about to cross this bridge. I’ll let you know how it goes.)
As for rejection, the first ones buzzing
around in your inbox sting like an attack of malicious killer bees. Just
remember, although there is pain, you’re not going to die. You’ll know you’ve
become a seasoned writer when you can actually
laugh at rejection. In fact, I received a rejection from an agent I’d queried one
year earlier...the day I sold my memoir to Sourcebooks. Ha-ha-ha! Instead of
responding, I opened up a bottle of wine. Cheers!
4) HIRE AN EDITOR.
Whether you want to self-publish or ease (ha!)
on down the traditional publishing road, I really can’t stress how important it
is for you to hire a well-seasoned editor. I did. And it was the best decision
I’ve ever made. My editor didn't change my voice, or fix grammar issues, or
re-write my story. He asked me the hard-hitting questions. He suggested cuts.
And additions. Things my alpha readers didn’t catch. I told him to “bring it
on,” that I had thick skin, and could handle whatever he threw at me. We revised
the manuscript again. We polished the book proposal up. Then, I enlisted an
army of beta readers. Once I could no longer stand to look at my manuscript, I
sent it off in the world, trying to land a new agent.
This didn’t happen.
It
was then I decided to take my book into my own hands and I pitched SEVEN
LETTERS to Sourcebooks. I figured if I didn’t sell the manuscript, I’d be in a
much better position to self-publish. A few weeks later, the unexpected
happened. Sourcebooks offered me a publishing contract, which I signed once I
stopped doing a happy dance. A year later, they sold foreign rights to Random
House Australia and, so far, translation rights to Lithuania and Bulgaria. So,
yes, hiring an editor to fine-tune SEVEN LETTERS was worth every damn penny. But
the work didn’t end there. My editor at Sourcebooks, Anna, and I revised my
manuscript two more times before it was sent on to copy edits. Which brings me
to my next point...
5) PREPARE TO WORK HARD! BE PATIENT!
It took me five books and seven (there’s my
number) years to land a publishing deal. Now, I have two books coming out
within two weeks of one another. (Tangent: I’m probably the only author with a
romantic memoir and a middle grade about mutant kids coming out at the same
time. Who needs a pen name? The truth? It always comes out!) Once an
agent/editor picks you up or you make the decision to self-publish, the work
doesn’t stop. If you thought writing a book was time-consuming, just wait until
you enter the marketing phase. There are endorsements to snag, events to plan, guest
posts and interviews, and more. Look at what our friend, Jessica, has
accomplished with her White Lady
tour! (She’s on my blog today, which brings me to point six...)
6) SUPPORT OTHER WRITERS!
Honestly, I’ve been in the midst of
launching two books, so I haven’t been on the blog scene much. But I am here behind
the scenes, offering my support to my network. I do what I can when I can. I
buy books (when I have the money). I leave reviews. I sign up for blog tours. I
critique my writing group’s manuscripts. There are about twenty-or-so people who
I can call on when I need them, and, likewise, they can always call on me.
We’re all in this together.
7) NEVER GIVE UP!
In sum, my publishing journey wasn’t easy and there were no short cuts. (Some people get lucky! We will lynch them later.) Along the way, I made many, many mistakes, and I broke a lot of rules. Alas, if you really want to be a writer, the most important advice I can give is: Never give up! Sometimes I call myself Seabiscuit. Thankfully, I found the right people who believed in me and pushed me forward. Now that I’ve earned my racing stripes, it’s off to the races. And, if I fall down, I’ll just dust off my knees and get back up. Giddy-up.
__________________
SEVEN LETTERS FROM PARIS: A MEMOIR:
Twenty years, seven letters, and one long-lost love of a lifetime
At
age 40, Samantha Verant's life is falling apart-she's jobless, in debt,
and feeling stuck... until she stumbles upon seven old love letters
from Jean-Luc, the sexy Frenchman she'd met in Paris when she was 19.
With a quick Google search, she finds him, and both are quick to realize
that the passion they felt 20 years prior hasn't faded with time and
distance.
Samantha knows that jetting off to France to reconnect
with a man that she only knew for one sun-drenched, passion-filled day
is crazy-but it's the kind of crazy she's been waiting for her whole
life.
Watch the book trailer:
Jean-Luc and Samantha in Paris 1989.
Praise for SEVEN LETTERS FROM PARIS
“A
charming story, and a delightful tribute to the power of a good
old-fashioned love letter.” ~ Peter Mayle, bestselling author of A Year in Provence
“Seven Letters
from Paris is a real-life fairytale. You’ll be rooting for this bubbly
American heroine and her prince charmant.” ~ Elizabeth Bard, author of Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes
“Enchanting. A
captivating real-life fairytale romance that will have you reading
slowly so you can savor every delicious word. Castles included!” ~ Janice
MacLeod, author of Paris Letters
“Seven
Letters from Paris is a celebration of l’amour across cultures and
across decades…Samantha Vérant embraces France, and her French love,
with an all-American enthusiasm that is nothing if not infectious.”~ Hilary Reyl, author of Lessons in French
Samantha Vérant is a travel addict, a self-professed oenophile, and a determined, if occasionally unconventional, French chef. She lives in southwestern France, where she's able to explore all of her passions, and where she's married to a sexy French rocket scientist she met in 1989, but ignored for twenty years.
Three-quarters through a critically-acclaimed young adult novel, a book that had completely taken over the spare minutes of my life for two days, I stopped reading. I not only stopped reading, I chucked the book to the other end of the couch. I even stuffed it back onto the shelf for a while. Suddenly, I hated that great book.
Why?
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