Check Out My Publisher Site - Enter to Name a Character!

It's finally here! My "publisher" has its own site now, to make navigating my books and author info that much easier. :)

You can check out the story behind the site at Seasons of Humility today. But since this is my author blog, I thought I'd do something special here to celebrate the occasion...

Hop on over to take a look at the Seasons of a Story Publishing site, then hop on back and share your thoughts. What do you like best about the design? Do you think it fits well with my author brand (my "theme," if you will)? Do you like the idea of joining a street team? Planning on participating in the cover reveal?

Leave a comment here on this post regarding your thoughts on the new site, and you'll be entered for a chance to pick one of my character's names for How a Star Falls (one of my upcoming projects)! There's no guarantee as to which character it will be (hero, heroine, secondary character, family member, pet, etc.) - this story is still in the brainstorming stage. :) But I'll plan on using the name somehow, LOL.

Some semi-fine print: This "giveaway" is open internationally. A winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org and will most likely be announced here sometime next week. By leaving a comment, you're giving me permission to use the name of your choice for one of my characters (of my choosing).

Please do share in your comment the name (male or female) you'd like me to use if you win! We can also chat about naming characters, and what makes for a great character name. :)

Confession Time: Writing Projects

Hello, hello! This poor neglected blog... Seasons of Humility has been getting all the attention lately with book reviews and the super-fun Five Glass Slippers blog tour. :) But here I am again (finally), with a writing update.

Morning Glory

As you might have noticed by either my tweets or the WIP button in the sidebar, I've been making some progress on Morning Glory. But I've lost a bit of momentum... I think part of it is the fact that I'm moving next week. There are lots of details to take care of, people to see and things to do, and plenty to occupy the thoughts and emotions. Another part, though, is that I've reached Part II, and I'm at a transition for the book. I have vague ideas of where I want to take things, but I'm just not sure how I feel about them or how exactly I want to execute the plot. That's certainly fun in one sense (see Robin Lee Hatcher's post on Seekerville today), but I'm also not sure how to inject life back into the story.

That could also be due to other stories begging for my attention...

Arose

Maybe it's the inspiration of the Five Glass Slippers blog tour, maybe it's the creativity of books like Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge, and maybe it's just my emotions right now, but I have an idea for the Five Enchanted Roses creative writing contest that recently captured my imagination! And I'm pretty sure I want to give myself permission to work on this for the next few days or so... ;)

I don't want to ignore my target release time frame for Morning Glory, but I think there's something to be said for giving some time to the idea that has ignited my interest and sparked my enthusiasm, so that I don't lose the passion. Plus, maybe taking a break to try to a different writing style will help me come back to Morning Glory with new ideas and perspective.

So, the current plan is to work on this story for a while. (Pinterest board: Arose) But of course, the main plan is to get through the moving process smoothly, so that I'm ready to start my new job!

???

There's one more story (affectionately referred to as my Secret Future Writing Project on Pinterest) that's been on my mind lately. I already have a cover for it (thanks to the awesome Lena Goldfinch!), and I'm eager to get started! I think this will be a great project to work on in this new season of my life. It's in a different genre, one that will allow me to explore my experiences and interests in a more direct way. I thought I could focus on it when I send Morning Glory to my editor, so I'll have something to work on while I wait. :) We'll see!

Seasons of a Story Publishing

This blog was started with the intent of updating readers on news about "The Heart's Spring" series, as well as offering behind-the-scenes information on the writing process and fun facts about the characters/settings/etc. But I've been working on a site for my "publisher," and I wanted to connect this blog with it - so that site would be more static, where all my bookish info would be in one place, and then this blog would be updated with newsy things. If that's the case, though, I guess I'll have to broaden this blog to encompass all my releases. Perhaps "The Heart's Spring" will still work, as I think that title would fit all my stories (they flow from my heart's "spring," and they come about in the "spring"/blooming season of my heart). So I guess I just wanted to give you all the heads-up about that, so you know that some changes are in the works!

And there you go...a convoluted glimpse into my author mind right now. I hope you aren't too scarred by the experience. ;)

Before This Brief Season Ends...

Today is the last day to get Bellflower + Fairy Slippers (2 short stories in 1 ebook) FREE for Kindle! Even if you've read Bellflower already, this is currently the only way to get Fairy Slippers. (You can skip to Fairy Slippers via the Table of Contents, if you'd like!) So I hope you'll take a chance, download the ebook, and enjoy a not-quite-hour's worth of Beauty & the Beast and Cinderella in the West, as well as an added peek into some secondary characters' romances. :) And if you'd like to spread the word about the freebie, I'd be most grateful!

"The Heart's Spring" Short Stories - FREE for Kindle today (June 10th)!

New Paperbacks, New Twitter Account, & the New-sletter!

So...it's about time I share a new post on here, isn't it? I apologize that I've been absent lately! I guess Seasons of Humility has been getting all the attention. ;)

However, if you're subscribed to my newsletter, you should have received the "Spring Edition" in your inbox yesterday! And now that the newsletter has been sent into the world, I guess it's time I share some updates:

Paperbacks

Now, not much has changed within Forget Me Not and Bleeding Heart (just an addition of discussion questions and series info in the latter), but the covers of these two books have been updated! Just a few tweaks to show that they're part of a series - plus they're now going to be available with matte (soft) covers instead of glossy. :) If you already own the paperbacks, there's no need to get the updated ones unless you really, really like soft covers and want to see the series numbers on the spines, LOL. But if you've been waiting to pick up paperback copies, now is as good a time as any!

Here are the purchase links:

Forget Me Not

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | CreateSpace

Bleeding Heart

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | CreateSpace

Please note that I've approved the new versions and they should be available in their updated forms. But to be on the safe side...it wouldn't hurt to give 'em another few days just to make sure that the changes have been processed. And to be extra sure you get the matte versions, I'd suggest ordering directly from CreateSpace or Amazon. (OK, I'll confess that I get more royalties if you order from CreateSpace...but that's neither here nor there, right?? Right.) I think CreateSpace and Amazon (they're both connected) should be quicker with accepting the changes and are less likely to have a back stock of the glossy version. Please don't hate me if I'm mistaken, though! The glossy versions are still pretty. ;)

Twitter

What's this about a new Twitter account? Well, with the success of fictional-character accounts like Dr. Neil MacNeill's, and with the thought of a) giving a face to one of my own characters and b) getting my creative juices flowing, I decided to create an account for Myghal!

If you're a) #TeamMyghal and/or b) eager for Morning Glory, I hope you'll consider following my Cornish character. I'm excited to see how he does in such a foreign world. ;)

Follow @Myghal_Tamblyn

Newsletter

If you weren't previously signed up for my newsletter, you can still check out the Spring 2014 Edition HERE! Even though I've divulged some of the info included in there, you can still find an unedited teaser from Morning Glory, news about a special Kindle freebie promotion, and an interview with one of my editing & publicity clients, Jaye L. Knight. In other words... I hope you'll check it out and not miss out on the fun!

And here's the button I included in the newsletter, in case you want to grab it and share it! You can link it back to this blog or the Morning Glory blog. Thanks!

I guess that's enough "new" for now! Hopefully it won't be another month before I post again. ;)

Sally and the Lupines

Nope, I'm not referring to a new rock group by that post title. ;) I got to visit Bald Hills again this past weekend, and it brought to mind Bleeding Heart. The lupines are absolutely stunning this year, blooming in thick, lush patches, just as I'd imagined they would be for Sally, Myghal, and Joe. So I thought I'd share some pictures and a corresponding excerpt, to set the scene a little more and really show you what I envisioned...

***

As the sun began to set, they came upon Myghal’s surprise so suddenly that Sally almost ran into Joe before she noticed they had stopped. Peeking around his broad back, she gasped.

“Oh…”

The gentle, green slopes were covered with purple flowers, all standing tall and bright in the last kiss of sunlight. They cascaded down the hill like a royal waterfall, swaying slightly in the evening breeze.

She let her pack and bedroll fall from her shoulders. “How beautiful!”

And it was – prettier than any of the flashy clothes Jacob had given her to attract men and more vibrant than anything she could remember seeing.

Without another thought, she started walking through the flowers. For a moment, she wished that no one else was there with her, just so she could run and dance through the carpet of color without anyone watching. 

Eventually, she knelt down beside one of the flowers and examined it. Little round petals climbed up the stem, purple and white, glorious and pure. She placed her finger on one of the petals, fitting her fingertip to the gentle touch of the bloom. Her daddy had always told her that God would never leave her and never let go of her hand. Closing her eyes, she imagined God reaching out to her through the sweet caress of a flower.

“They’re called lupines. Sure, an’ they’re a sight.”

Reluctantly opening her eyes, she found Myghal standing close by, gazing out on the hillsides. She shook off her fancies. Her daddy hadn’t known all the horrid things she’d do once she left home. He might have had other things to tell her about God’s view of her if he had.

She stood and brushed her fingers across Myghal’s sleeve. “This is a great surprise. It’s beautiful.”

He rolled his shoulder. “I thought ye might enjoy it.” She was awarded with a small grin before he added, with a hint of melancholy, “Makes me miss my Irish mother, and our home in Cornwall.”

“Oh?”

When he didn’t respond, she whispered, “It makes me miss home, too.”

***

If you haven't yet read Bleeding Heart, it's available on Amazon in Kindle ($2.99) and paperback ($8.99) formats! Lena Goldfinch, my cover designer, has also worked on some updates for the paperback versions of Forget Me Not and Bleeding Heart - just little tweaks to really link them as part of a series (on the spine and back cover, mostly). This ebook cover has also been tweaked a bit to match the shading of the paperback. :) I'll keep you posted on when the updates are made official!

I'm thinking about trying matte this time for the paperbacks instead of the glossy, which would give them a softer feel and also make them a tad bit darker... Do you prefer the glossy or the matte? Inquiring minds want to know!

Morning Glory Button

While playing around with PicMonkey in preparation for a client's blog tour, I ended up getting utterly distracted. This is the result...

A graphic designer, I'm not, but I had some lovely pictures and fonts to work with, and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. :) Plus, I had some great inspiration with my previous book-release buttons, which were designed by Anne Elisabeth Stengl:

Please feel free to take the Morning Glory button and share it on your blog/social media sites! Here are three simple steps:

1. Save the image to your computer.
2. Add the image to your blog's sidebar or wherever you'd like to share it! (If adding to your sidebar in Blogger, you might want to check the box for "shrink to fit.")
3. Link it back to this site or to the Morning Glory page. Thank you!

And while I'm here, I might as well give you a quick update on the writing front! Unfortunately, Camp NaNo didn't end up taking priority this month, and I'm not as far along in Morning Glory as I'd hoped. I still have my goal of publishing the book this August, so I'm just going to keep pushing on to meet that. I'll keep you all posted on my progress when life/time permits! And maybe I'll share some Myghal snippets, at some point. ;)

Hope you all have a great week! Now, back to work...

(Cover design by Stone Lily Design. Crater Lake background © Mario Bonomi; Morning-glory flower image © Cao Zhengsong | Images purchased from Dreamstime.com)

Holding onto Hope

Well, it's been far too long since I've posted here! I'd like to say I've been spending all this time working on Morning Glory, but I've been distracted by the job hunt, publicity projects, books, and life. But I'm not giving up hope. While I'm certainly not as far along as I should be, I've written about 10,000 words this month, bringing my total for this first draft to about 15,000 (including the front matter, because I like to pad my word count however I can, LOL). I figure if I can write 3,000 words a day starting on Monday, I could get close to my goal and have a draft the length of Forget Me Not. And if I don't quite make that (because I do have some other priorities), I'll just "keep moving forward," as I was reminded by watching Meet the Robinsons tonight.

Anyway, I thought I'd share a little teaser from my first draft with you. This is an unedited snippet from around the point I left off last... It's been kind of a darker story so far, and it will continue to be so for a while, but there are moments of hope and cheer in the midst of it all. So I chose one of those moments to share, because today of all days (Easter) is all about hope! I hope you enjoy the sneak peek. :)

***

Cresting the mountaintop, Felicity came up short. A glimpse of indigo spread before her, incredibly rich and still. Dropping Frances’s reins, she rushed past Papa and Mama, Glory, Myghal, and Helen. She ran until she came to the rocky edge and could gaze across the splendor of a lake so deep, its blue seemed to bleed from the beating heart of the earth.

The shimmery, misty morning light enclosed the mountain in a warm embrace, giving a royal sheen to the water. Felicity couldn’t tear her eyes away, not even to retrieve her journal in order to capture what she was seeing. She wasn’t sure she should even attempt to do so.

Myghal slipped beside her, his own gaze riveted on the lake. Glory came up on her other side, and the three of them stood together in awe. The moment was sweet, soft. A mercy from a deep well. And slowly, hope poured back through the cracks of her heart.

The lake was wide, but not the largest she had ever seen. And yet, its rim met the sky in a purple-blue that went on forever above and forever below. All-encompassing. The little mountain within, rising from the lake, caught her eye. Trees covered the small peak, just as trees rose like hardy survivors along the edges of the crater to her right.

“There’s Wizard Island,” Papa declared from behind her. He didn’t continue, and Felicity glanced back to see tears in his eyes. Glory tucked herself under one of his arms. From somewhere, Felicity found the courage to tuck herself beneath his other.

All was silent again, but for the moment, it felt right.