New Year, Same Me.

Snapchat improved me

My kids have gotten me onto Snapchat. So, I suck at it...forget to send things, send them to the wrong person, navigate the wrong way... I'm not a teenager anymore and the whole thing boggles me a bit. But it's a great way to connect with my three teens--especially the one in college. I was 'snapping' her on New Years Day, and one of the filters that came up said. "New Year, New Me!", all bubbly and smiley and celebratory--like it was super-cool to change everything up about my life and show it in one bizarre deer-faced picture.

Not so improved.

I cringed. Really. I should have used it and saved it and shared it here like a super-cool snappy mom, but I was so weirded out, I flipped on and forgot to send the snap in the first place. I get that the idea was to change all of those horrible things about myself...starting right then. Um, no. I am not a fan of New Year's resolutions. I've mentioned it before here on the blog, and my dislike hasn't changed. Why set yourself up with unattainable lists of distant possibilities? The NEW ME is skinny and organized and goes to the gym and has a spotless house and makes a five-layer cake every Tuesday! Even if I liked baking five-layer cakes, I could never eat the whole cake and stay skinny. ;)

I am, however, a huge fan of making goals and ATTEMPTING to stick with them, recognizing that circumstances change, and sometimes it's just not possible to reach those goals in a year.

What I also love about New Years is the opportunity a new year brings to reflect upon the previous one, and recognize just how much has been accomplished. When things get busy I forget to celebrate the smaller achievements, and they add up! 2016 was a crazy year, that's for sure, but a lot of good and exciting things happened in the many aspects of my somewhat crazy life. Here's Dunne-central's list of good things from 2016 in rough chronological order...

*Watched as the wonderful Canadian Military Wives Choir Comox celebrated it's 1 year anniversary.

*Recieved my rights back to DEPENDENT

*Published SKIN, my third novel with an amazing launch party surrounded by friends and family. 💙

*Supported my eldest daughter as she graduated High School with many awards and scholarships

Sea turtles!!

*Had an incredible family trip to Oahu for two weeks during which I had a VIP tour of the USS Stennis (aircraft carrier), swam with sea turtles and visited the Pearl Harbour memorials.

*Packed up another home, and drove for 10 days from Vancouver Island, Canada to Northern Virginia, USA--visiting Mount Rushmore, Craters of the Moon National Monument, Old Faithful and Devil's Tower.

*Dropped eldest daughter off for her first year of university (back in Canada)

Dependent: New and improved!

*Was privileged to take part in a three state west coast military tour, visiting Arizona (Grand Canyon), Nevada (Las Vegas) and California (Napa Valley and San Francisco).

*Published DEPENDENT's second edition.

*Continued work as the President of the Canadian Military Wives Choirs Association while working part-time as a physiotherapist and writing in my spare (?) time.

New Years, Ottawa

*Visited a grand total of 24 states and 3 Canadian provinces in one year--not to mention the many embassies and international events I've been privileged to attend.

*Had a wonderful New Year's Eve on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

See? At the time, it didn't feel like I was doing that much. But as I write it down, it's like, WOW. I did all that. How did I manage to get it all done and still stay relatively sane?


2016 was a busy year. 



So now, looking ahead, I see how much can be accomplished, merely by picking small goals (publishing a new book, republishing another, enjoying our move, sucking the marrow out of life)

Just being me, without the new, is more than sufficient.

My New Years goals?  I've got four right now. Start small, right? But they are serious goals.

1. FINISH at least one manuscript. All of these crazy things have meant less time at the keyboard, difficulty focusing and difficulty putting words down on the page. I don't even care how much I write. I just need to write. At least a few days a week.

2. ORGANIZE my inbox. And my writing area. And my basement. Okay, maybe not the basement. That's hopeless. But I have over 7000 unread emails that need to go (not kidding), and I need to unsubscribe from those hotels I stayed in 8 years ago in Austria (also not kidding). And if I'm going to do goal number one, I need to have a place to work that is not looking like a disaster zone.

X-scream. Insanely
high up. Why do I do this
to myself? 

3. LIVE healthier. I know, this is bordering on the new year, new me mentioned above, but I did okay in 2016. I actually did a gym-organized health challenge last year and felt soooo much better. I don't need crazy diets, just healthier choices and a more active lifestyle. As I write this, I'm eating chips (also not kidding), so I've got a way to go.

4. SUCK the marrow out of life. It takes effort for me to leave that comfort zone and get out there and live. My comfort zone is so comfy! Why would I leave it? But 2016 has proven to me that life doesn't always turn out the way I planned, and I need to enjoy it anyway. I'm going to love more. Get up earlier. Hug my kids. Ride the roller coaster (unless it's X-scream. I'm never doing that again). Read the book. Take the chance and recognize that big changes start small.

So there you have it. New Year, same me, but with goals.

What are your New Years goals? Are you looking for a complete change? Do any of the above sound familiar? Let me know below!

Happy New Year!

Brenda

IT'S HERE!

LAUNCH DAY IS HERE! 

Today is the big day! SKIN is live on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca in both paperback and ebook form! You can also find it at Barnes and Nobel and on Smashwords, on Chapters.ca (only in ebook format so far) or...go into your local bookstore and ask them to stock it! Also go to Vicki Weavil's blog and show her some love for being today's blog tour host!

Today the BIG EVENT will be held at Laughing Oyster Bookshop in Courtenay BC. More info HERE. 

R to L: Tina, Yelena Casale and that's me in the green scarf!
Hope to repeat this adventure again soon!

SKIN had a long and rocky road to publication, but it will always hold a special place in my heart, because it is the story that helped me find my wonderful agents at Literary Counsel. I had basically given up on the agent idea, when my wonderful Twitter friend and crit partner, Tina Moss, suggested I submit to her agent. Less than a month later, I had a signed contract in my hand. 

The decision to submit that last time was a true turning point in my literary career. Since then I've published DEPENDENT, written two other full length YA manuscripts, and have made writing a part-time career. I'm still learning, but I hope to continue doing this for a long time to come.

So, you've ordered you amazing copy of SKIN online, or bought it at your bookstore, what do you do next? (Other than reading it, of course!)

*TELL ME WHERE YOU GOT YOUR BOOK! I really would love to hear how you purchased your copy. Post on my Facebook page to let me know. Or tag me on Instagram or Twitter. 

*WRITE A REVIEW! I cannot tell you how important reviews are in the indie publishing world. Even just an 'I liked it' or an 'It really sucked' makes a HUGE difference in an author's ability to market her books to a wider audience. Go back to your online store and click on the review button and review away.  Go to my Goodreads Page and pop another review on there. Go to a different online seller and see if you can review it there. PLEASE, tell me what you think. Even if you hated it. (Which I hope you didn't!)

*RECOMMEND IT TO A FRIEND! Or a colleague, or the grocery store clerk, or your sister, or your fitness instructor or the creepy guy you sat beside on the bus. Tell someone about it on Facebook. Pinterest/Instagram/Twitter. Please, please share.

*SUPPORT MY BLOG TOUR PARTICIPANTS! If you haven't already, click on the links to blog tour posts (like Vicki Weavil's mentioned above) and have a peek around. They are all authors, and have been kind enough to help me make this launch a success. They all have great work. Buy their books. Spread the love. <3 p="">

Thank you to all who have supported my adventures in writing so far. I hope you enjoy reading SKIN.

Brenda

Meanwhile, at the Blog Mansion...

Find me over at Johnny Worthen's blog today! 

...And bring a towel. 


Brenda

ARCs are here!

YAY! Look what I've got in my hot little hands!

So excited to have a visit from my friendly neighbourhood deliveryman this morning! My beautiful advance review copies of SKIN have arrived! Things are shaping up for a fantabulous launch day on June 2nd at Laughing Oyster Bookshop in Courtenay! 

Be warned...numerous Prince Edward Island trivia, seal pictures and shameless self promotion to follow! It's going to be a month of fun build up to the launch.  :) 

Want to take part in the excitement? Review SKIN on your blog? Find out how you can participate in launch day? Let me know below!

Brenda 

Military Monday: Meet C. R. Asay!

Heart of Annihilation Blog Tour and Interview

Today I'm fortunate to feature a new writing friend as she launches her debut novel: HEART OF ANNIHILATION. Congrats! Ms. Asay is a former Utah National Guard who has turned her focus toward motherhood and writing. A little about her:

C.R. Asay

Bio: C. R. Asay joined the Utah National Guard at the age of seventeen. After spending time in the 625th Military Police Corp she transferred to the 19th Special Forces group as a counterintelligence agent. She retired from the military after marrying her best friend and graduating from college so that she could embark on the most exciting adventure of all; being a mom.

The short story version of her first novel, Heart of Annihilation, earned an honorable mention from the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future contest. C. R. Asay currently resides in West Jordan, Utah, with her husband, four children, and a dog. There is always a dog.

* * *

B: Welcome Christauna! Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from?

C: Heber City, Utah. Nothin’ quite like growin’ up in a small town.

B: Tell us about your connection to the military...

C: I joined the Utah National Guard when I was 17. I did my basic training between my junior and senior year of high school and then completed my training after graduation. I remember one guy from my graduating class checking the back of my truck for an M-16 when he heard I’d joined… Still makes me snicker.

I was an in a Military Police EPW (enemy prisoners of war) unit for a while until we were disbanded. After that I joined the 19^th Special Forces group as a counterintelligence agent. I was with this unit until I got out a few years later right after my first child was born.

B: Sounds busy. How has your military background influenced the writing of Heart of Annihilation?

C: My military background is the breath of life behind this work. Heart of Annihilation is a work of fiction, but with a very realistic and accurate military setting.

B: When did you start writing? What led you to writing a full length novel?

C: Writing has always been a part of my life, but it wasn’t until my husband decided to write a novel that I fell in love with the whole process of an actual full-length novel. There is just such detail and scope that goes into a novel that it creates an entire world for readers to explore. I was hooked the 

second I imagined the world that became Heart of Annihilation.

B: I can certainly understand that feeling! Can you describe the process from first words to finished product?

C: I have no process. Someday I hope to have a process, but for now every time I sit down to write I do it differently. I’m usually a pantser, as in I write by the seat of my pants. Whatever comes into my head makes it onto paper and then I revise heavily in the aftermath. Sometimes I’ll write for weeks at a frantic pace, desperate to get the words out. Other times I’ll go for weeks without writing a single new word. I work well under a deadline, so even if the muses aren’t with me, I can usually pound out anything I need to if a deadline is looming over my head.

B: On a scale of zero (nearly impossible) to ten (a dream come true) how would you rate your publishing experiences so far?

C: That’s a tough one. A 7. I love everything about my book. Its very existence seems miraculous to me. I love my publisher and how much work they have put into this book to make it the work of art that it is. I only rate my experience lower because the road here was so incredibly rocky. There were many times, from conception of the book to holding it in my hands, that I wanted to throw in the towel on the whole industry. Heart of Annihilation was shelved several times, and sometimes thrown violently across the room, but the story and the characters were so compelling to me that I would inevitably pull it out, dust it off, revise, revise, revise and try to find it a new home.

B: Any tips on balancing family life with a writing career?

C: Family first, always. My family is so supportive of my publishing efforts. They are truly my biggest fans from my husband, teenager on down to my 1^st grader. And I believe they are this way because I have always put them first. That being said they are happy to give me a wide berth if I’m having one of those crazy writer moments because they know I’ll always come back, happier than before. This year will be a mile stone for me because my youngest will be in 1^st grade, giving me ample time during the day to make writing and publishing a career and giving them my full attention when school is out, rather than cramming in writing here and there, wherever I could fit it in.

B: Do you have any other writing projects on the go at present?

C: I’m working on the sequel to Heart of Annihilation with a tentative release in Summer 2015. I also have an anthology piece coming out on Veterans Day of this year. It is to support the TADSAW (Train a Dog, Save a Warrior) foundation. It’s a collection of fictional stories about working dogs and their connection to their human partners. It’s a fantastic collection. Grab a tissue before you read it.

B: Will do. What is your advice for new authors?

C: The publishing industry is a hard one to navigate. Do the work to learn the craft. Don’t settle for anything less than your best effort and then up your game. Never stop learning and growing. As true with life as it is with writing.

B: Awesome. Cats or Dogs?

C: Dogs. Cats make me sneeze and I love dogs. Always dogs.

B: And the question we’ve all been waiting for…Coffee or Tea?

C: Haha. I’m a Mormon-y type, so hot chocolate. Dr. Pepper if my day is really going wrong.

B: Chocolate is always a good choice! Thanks so much Christauna! And best of luck with your new book!

* * *

More about Heart of Annihilation...

When U.S. Army Specialist Kris Rose catches members of her unit stealing ammunition to kill aliens, she is forced to defend herself with a freakish electrical charge shooting from her fingertips.

Shaken by her newly found power and hunted by vigilantes from her unit, Rose is forced away from her structured, military world and into a fight for her life.

With the aid of her battle buddy, Corporal Thurmond, Rose sets out to learn more about the aliens under attack. In the process, she discovers her bizarre connection to a devastating threat to Earth--an alternate dimensional weapon called the Heart of Annihilation, lost somewhere on Earth.

From a chuteless free-fall from 20,000 feet, to deadly bullet wounds and the unforgiving Sonoron Desert, Kris Rose enters a world where aliens are real. And she might be one of them.

* * *

You can find more about Christauna here: http://www.crasay.com

Don't forget to find her on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Goodreads!

Brenda

Blog Tour: Johnny Worthen

ELEANOR, the UNSEEN

I recently had the privilege of interviewing the fabulous Johnny Worthen about his new novel: Eleanor, book one of The Unseen. Johnny is a publisher-mate, and his story releases July1st. I was lucky enough to get my hands on an ARC, and it's a great read!

On to the interview!

*  *  *

B: Welcome to my blog, Johnny and congratulations on your release of ELEANOR!

J: Thank you Brenda. I’m pretty excited to have Eleanor coming out. She means a lot to me.

B: So, questions. When did you start writing Eleanor?

J: The idea for Eleanor the character came to me on a vacation to Taos New Mexico with my family. Driving along a lonely high desert road, I first saw my young vulnerable girl in a small western town hiding in plain sight. The idea stayed with me and grew. After months pondering and planning,  I dropped my pen on February 20, 2012 and had a rough draft on March 28. It just flowed out my fingers.

B: Describe the process from start to finish. Are you an outliner or a pantser?

J: I know some people who’ll write a forty-thousand word outline for a sixty-thousand word novel. I’m not like that, but neither do I start out without a map. My prewriting stages are all about characters, setting, scenes and theme.  Theme is the most important. I’m not talking about morals or lessens, I’m talking about central questions. In Eleanor’s case it was change the ideal metaphor for adolescence and the contradictions I foresaw in her. Using the theme as a beacon to navigate the characters through the scenes I planned, I wrote. The scenes are the way points, the theme a guiding light, my daily writing the progress.

B: Where did you get your inspiration for the character of Eleanor?

J: I envisioned an ultimate outsider, someone special but unnoticed, deliberately ordinary but truly extraordinary. I saw a powerless being with great power, but having to keep it quiet. I saw someone who’s lost much and about to lose more, struggling with the very notion of survival while trying to form a family. The inspiration for all this came from many places. My niece in particular was an inspiration. She was shy and yet had a noble strength. Native American legends played a big role, as did my grandmother who showed strength when she was weakest.

B: What is your favorite part about being an author?

J: The feelings of completion. There’s the completion of my daily word goal, the thrill of having completed a book – that’s a huge one. Then there’s completing a sale of a book, contacts and all that, and finally and ultimately the excitement of holding it in my hands and knowing other people will read it too.

B: Least favorite part?

J: Rejection. It’s part of the job, a big part – bigger than anyone outside this world can imagine. You never really get used to it and it happens. All. The. Time.

B: Totally agree. It's a very 'NO' world in publishing. Glad you could turn that into a 'YES' for Eleanor. In an ideal world, what would happen next for you in your writing career?

J: A movie deal for Eleanor, The Unseen, after it achieves best-seller status. Or before. I can go either way.

B: Wouldn't we all love that. Ah, a movie deal!  Sigh. So...Dogs or cats?

J: Cats. My writing buddy is Junior. The kids named her. Her. She’s a she and she stays up with me when I need to the quiet of the small hours of the morning to work.

B: And lastly, the most important question of all…Coffee or Tea?

J: Coffee. My muse talks to me in hot cups of espresso.  I’ve considered naming coffee on my dedication page before

Johnny in his signature tie dye shirt!

B: Yes! I knew you were a coffee person. Yay Coffee! Thank you so much for coming over to visit! And best of luck making that ideal world become reality.

J: Thanks!

Want to find out more about Eleanor? Check out these links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Eleanor-The-Unseen-Johnny-Worthen/dp/1939967341/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400344815&sr=8-1&keywords=eleanor+by+johnny

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eleanor-johnny-worthen/1117389206?ean=9781939967343

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18754928-eleanor

You can find Johnny Worthen online here:

https://www.facebook.com/JohnnyWorthenBooks
https://twitter.com/JohnnyWorthen
http://www.johnnyworthen.blogspot.com/

Until next time!

Brenda

Military Monday...The Wait

Hurry up and wait.

The mantra of military folk everywhere.

The Dunne family are still in a holding pattern, so I won't bore you with more stories of new life forms found in teenager's closets. Or the terrifying ordeal of tackling the storage room. Or the garage (which has yet to be attempted). Phase two is still in full swing, the cleaning out of closets continues. The getting rid of junk marches on.

And we have no news.

**cue Jeopardy music**

Such is the life.

So.....anyone out there gotten a posting message already?  Where are you off to? Anything exciting?

In the meantime, the Dunne writing world is spooling up for the launch of DEPENDENT on July 29th. And big news...

I have eARCs! 

Paper copies are coming soon, so if you have a blog, are interested in reviewing or hosting me on your blog during the DEPENDENT BLOG TOUR this summer, let me know! I can send you the link for the blog tour sign up.

And don't forget that you can pre-order on Amazon here.  Or head on over to the Goodreads page and pop DEPENDENT on your to-read list!

Happy Monday,

Brenda

Coming Soon: Military Mondays (and a quick update)

Military Mondays

Are you part of a military family? Do you have a story to tell? Than I want YOU!

In anticipation of the upcoming release of DEPENDENT (tentatively releasing early summer 2014), I'd like to begin a regular blog post feature showcasing military families. DEPENDENT is, first and foremost, a story of a military spouse dealing with issues--big issues. But we all know that not all military spouses are the same. My heroine, Ellen, is not me, just like I'm not you. Each one of us has different experiences. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard... it doesn't matter what service your loved one is part of. Military families have rich, sometimes difficult, sometimes rewarding lives. And military kids deal with a whole range of challenges unique to them.

So to celebrate our uniqueness, I'd like to help you tell your story. Whether through a brief interview (five or six questions), a specific topic (like 'dealing with constant change', 'friends forever', 'out of country postings'...) or celebrating an accomplishment, a charity or a life event that you hold dear... I'd like to hear your side of things.

Interested? Comment below, message my author page on facebook, or email me at overdunnemail@yahoo.ca and we can book you in.

Quick Update

Some quick news:

*TREASURE IN THE FLAME can now be purchased at Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg, Ontario and the Spencerville Mill in Spencerville, Ontario! For other locations to find TREASURE, just click on the tab above.

*SIGNINGS! I'll be at Chapters Gloucester in Eastern Ottawa on August the 10th, signing TREASURE! More info on the tab above!

*DEPENDENT is back in the hands of my publisher, undergoing first pass edits. Lots of other exciting things happening--check back here regularly to find out what's up!


Have a great Tuesday,

Brenda