Cover Reveal for Sources!!

Here it is!! What do you think? I'm super happy with it. Though it doesn't reveal much about the plot, it will make sense when you read it. And there's plenty of time to catch up before Sources is published. Taela is free on lulu.com, barnesandnoble.com and iBookstore. Anyway, feel free to let me know what you think about the cover, with niceness of course. And don't forget that sample chapters will be posted in two weeks.

What Does a Book Sound Like?

Do you listen to music when you read? I do at times, though only if the music suits the book's genre and subject. Well, I've just discovered another option. There's an app called Booktrack Reader that has books--whether in part or as a whole--with background music, ambient sounds, and sound effects. These sounds can be added from their website and then published for anyone to check out. I decided to give it a try on chapter one of The Bride. I think it turned out pretty well. Now, there is one slight drawback. The sound effects are set at a certain pace, so the speed at which you read will determine if you are at the right spot at the right time. The app is free, available for iOS, Google play, and the chrome web store. You can read the books/sample chapters for free from those apps. If you want to see what I did for The Bride, download the app, register through Facebook or email, and then search for The Bride. You can then rate your experience. Even if you've already read The Bride, it might be fun to try it with sound! Here are links for the app:

iOS AppStore
Google play
Chrome web store

And if you want to try creating one yourself, go to their website booktrack.com (to create, you must be on an actual computer, not a tablet or phone)


Only a couple more days until you get to see the cover for Sources! I'm excited!

First Impressions

I'm back! Did you miss me? Better yet, did you realize I was gone? I was able to get a lot done last week during my hiatus, though I actually spent most of the time finishing up my latest order for work. Now it's time to get back to the moving business. We're about halfway through our small stuff. The big stuff will make the short journey next weekend. Since we're not selling our place right away, we're not in a huge rush to move EVERYTHING at this point. Once all the essentials are at the new place, we can come back and forth to finish the job over the next several weeks. We have a buyer lined up, but things won't happen until September, which is fine because there are still some renovations we need to finish up. Anyway....

If you're one of my loyal readers (I think there are a few of you) then you're aware of my plans to create a web comic. I've already completed three sizable pages-worth, one page per post, that will likely officially start sometime in September. The basic setting is an adventure/fantasy in an alternate earth-like world, centered on a country that is highly influenced by Japanese history, culture, language, etc. I want to make it clear that this is NOT Japan. I'm drawing a lot from the samurai culture, but there will be differences to accommodate my own style and plot ideas. And there will be magic, because magic is cool. Oh, and all the characters are animals. Talking animals, so you can see that the reality factor is pretty minimal. Not Japan.

Sorry about that. My hubby was a little concerned that some people might feel the need to complain about the obvious deviations from true Japanese history. Now that we're all aware that it isn't meant to be true Japanese history, we can move on. I've posted a sample of the main character, Kuroshiro, which has evolved from the pic I have on my T-shirt/accessory shop. I've hand drawn all my pictures thus far and then scanned them to my iPad, where I use my favorite art app to do the coloring. This particular sample has some additional arting for some flare. I would love some feedback, as long as it is constructive. If you hate it and just want to bad mouth it, I will delete your comment. We play nicely here. And I want to make you aware that this my first attempt at anything remotely close to a comic, so I'm still improving.

Oh, and don't forget that Cover Reveal Day for Sources is on Saturday!! I like this cover even more than the one for Taela. Here's hoping you do too!

Happy Father's Day!

I was totally going to add this to yesterday's post, but forgot. I don't normally post on Sundays, but I think this is worth the exception. I have a great father. He is smart and funny and always worked (works) hard for his family. The best part about him is that I was always aware of how much he loves my mom. What a great example of how a man should treat his wife! It set the standard for me to find someone for myself who is equally caring and devoted.

On that note, my husband is truly the best man I know. He is my best friend and I love him dearly. Even though he isn't a father yet, I already know how great he will be.

Happy Father's Day!

Short Hiatus

Hubby and I have been busy with prepping for the big move and such and I need to take a short break from blogging. As of right now, I only plan to be away next week. If I need more time, I'll let you know. Moving can be a stressful endeavor, but also an exciting one. We're looking forward to being able to save some money. We've had financial struggles since we got married. It's time to see a change! While I'm gone, please don't forget to prepare yourselves for Sources by reading Taela. It's free on lulu.com! And I'd love to see more names for my Name Game. I will return!

Trial Run

I just added my hourglass pendants to my etsy shop. There are only four available to start with, but if things go well during this trial period, I will certainly add more. The price is $10, which includes the shipping cost. I only ship to the United States right now, but that could change in the future. If you're interested in buying one, please read my policies on my etsy page. I'm excited about this step in my promoting. I have other ideas for book related-merchandise that I hope to add soon.

If you need another look at them--

Oooooooh, pretty!

Top Ten Tuesday #50

The big 5-0. Fifty lists. I've had some fun with these, but I have to admit it's getting harder to think of things to make lists about. And, according to my stats, my Tuesday lists are generally less visited than my other posts. Because of these reasons, I'm not going to continue with Top Ten Tuesdays on a regular basis. One might show up once in a while when the mood hits me, but today's list will be the last for now. Don't be sad. I'll still post on Tuesdays. It will just be some other sort of inane nonsense. :)

Today's Topic: Why I...

10. Blog: because it allows me to share thoughts with people I will probably never meet.
9. Read: because escaping to a fantasy world or traveling back in time is the ultimate thrill.
8. Search for new ways to connect with others: because my fate is in my own hands.
7. Create art: because the talent, however mediocre at times, was given to me for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of others.
6. Try new things: because you never know when you'll find your next hobby or talent!
5. I will always stand up for my values and beliefs: because the world is falling apart around us and I deserve better. We all do.
4. Believe in myself: because good things come to those who don't give up.
3. Will love and be loyal to my family: because, in my belief, family is everything.
2. Write: because my head would explode if the places and characters in my imagination were not set free. That sounds so corny, but it's true!
1. Am grateful: because I could not do anything without the support of those around me, especially my Heavenly Father and Savior.

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If you haven't noticed, I put a reminder on the right hand side concerning the upcoming cover reveal for Sources. It will be June 28. I'm pretty excited about it.

Still taking name ideas for my Name Game. If you're new to my blog, you can learn more about it here.

I have to work this morning, so I may or may not have an actual post later this afternoon. Either way, have a great weekend!

Winners and Successes

Here are the winners for my Anniversary Giveaway: Katrina D. from Utah and Jennifer H. from Michigan. Your prizes will be sent soon, ladies. Thanks again to everyone who entered. Such participation makes it a lot more fun for me to do these giveaways. Another one will be coming soon! And to all those who would still like an hourglass pendant, I am planning to add them to my etsy shop sometime this century. I've mentioned before that we only have one car at the moment and hubby uses it for work. I only get it once in a while, which makes it difficult to know when I'll be able to make it to the post office. As soon as we figure out a more reliable system, the hourglasses will become available for purchase.

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Success is a hard word to define. It can mean different things to different people. When I first started writing, I had dreams of becoming a famous author with millions of fans and enough money to allow writing to be my full time job. I still have that dream, though I'd be happy with any number of fans. Even though I'm not even close to reaching that lofty goal, I don't consider it the only way to success. There was a time when I thought I would never get anything published! Now I have three books out with another coming soon. Sure, sales are mediocre at best at the moment, but at least I'm on the right road. There is always something more I can do to keep moving forward. The only failure would be to stop trying. I LOVE to write! All of you, in some way or another, are on this wonderful journey with me. Thanks for coming and enjoy the ride! Now, get reading! :)

Happy Anniversary to The Bride!

Top Ten Tuesday #49

Last list was about the good that comes with Facebook. This week's is about the bad. Most of these are common pet peeves concerning FB. We've probably all seen or experienced all of these, or perhaps we're guilty of committing them. If the latter is true, please don't take offense. I don't imagine any of them will change or go away, so it's best to ignore or avoid as best as we can.

Today's Topic: The Bad that Comes With Facebook (no particular order)

10. The game requests. I get a bunch of these every week. I DON'T want to play candy crush or FarmVille or whatever the latest fad is.
9. Excessive photos of who-cares-what. One or two is usually enough. Sometimes none is better.
8. The vague post of emotional mystery. Are we really supposed to drag the story out of you?
7. The sports updates. Either I'm not watching that particular game because I don't care or I'm unable to watch until later and you're spoiling it for me. Thanks.
6. The comments. This was on my other list, but this time it's for a different reason. Why the harshness and hate? If you disagree with someone, you don't have to ridicule or spew foulness at them. We have enough of that in our world already.
5. Friend request from someone I don't know. It has happened only a couple of times, so it's not a huge deal.
4. TMI. Please reconsider posting something most normal people in the world don't need or want to know. This includes personal info that should have been sent via private message instead of being posted on someone's wall.
3. Along with the negative comments, I don't particularly like the memes that make fun of people. How would I like it if someone took one of my pictures and plastered it with something cruel? No thanks.
2. The addiction. I check FB regularly throughout the day, but I don't think I do it excessively. I've heard of people that are so engrossed with it that they can't leave the house without knowing what so-and-so is doing or is posting. Most people are not that important. I know I'm not.
1. It's the Anti-social Social Network. Sure, it makes it easy to stay in touch with people across the country or on the other side of the world, but what about the friend who lives down the street? We send them a FB message instead of talking to them face-to-face. Or we ignore the person sitting right next us because we're reading someone else's posts. I'm totally guilty of this. I'm not big on being social. I'm a shy person by nature and it's much easier for me to write to someone rather than talk to them. I don't know if I'll ever be able to change this for myself. Something to think about.

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On another note, I'm soooooo pleased with the participation for my giveaway! I had hoped to at least double the four entries I've received in past giveaways. I never imagined it would reach 200+. Granted, I did advertise this one more, which brought in people who would otherwise have had no idea it was happening. I'm so pleased, in fact, that I've decided to pick TWO winners! That's right, two hourglass pendant prizes. Winners will be notified tomorrow and announced on Thursday if they have met the requirements. Time is almost up! Only a few more hours to go!