Are you wearing your green? Happy St. Patrick's Day!
I love Ireland! 🍀
I've only visited twice, but both times were amazing, and I hope to go back again soon. The folklore, the green hills and steep cliffs, the AWESOME sweaters (my favourite writing sweater was made in Ireland) and of course a few of my favourite people (ah-hem, DUNNE) make it the perfect basis for my latest novel, SKIN.
Aran sweater and a selkie story...a great combination!
Hope you are having a fantastic St. Patrick's Day, and have a great weekend!
Ahhhh. Coffee by my side, warm golden retriever at my feet, kids at school, hubby at work and a whole day of writing and organizing things ahead of me. Nice.
Step one is to get some blog posts up and running. I spent most of the pre-Christmas build up getting Dependent's 2nd Edition back up and online, so I thought I'd give my new release some love today.
Here in Virginia it's cold and snowy and as much as it's nice to see the snow, I'm missing warm days on the beach. I love my golden retriever foot-warmer, but hot sand is so wonderful! And a nice cold lemony drink....sigh. I'm also working on the sequel to Skin...and the northern Atlantic beaches aren't so warm in October and November. Brrr! No wonder I need that coffee.
PEI in summertime...
To fortify you on the cold, dark days of winter, here's a little beachy teaser from Chapter 1 of Skin:
...When I get to the edge, Declan’s puny frame is already knee deep in one of the pools, and all I can think about is how good the water will feel on my toes. Wet sand is not satisfying at all. I want the real thing.
Then, like it’s some big event that I’ve been waiting my whole life for, I step in.
The water reacts.
It’s like a brain slap. A sense of recognition hits me, and a roll of emotion I’m not ready for swells up from under my feet, shocking me right to my chest. I gasp and step back, almost tripping over my own feet in my haste.
Hmmm...what's happening there? If you want to read more, and haven't already purchased my latest YA, you can find Skin on Amazon HERE. Don't forget to review it when you've finished!
Hope you are ready for the influx of ghosties and superheroes and Harry Potter lookalikes! :) I'm going through a bit of nostalgia as this will be the first Halloween we have spent without a full cadre of dressed-up Dunnes. With my eldest away at university and my other two teens in a new city with busy lives, I'm not sure any of them of will dress up. The witches brew and mummy dogs will still be cooking up in the kitchen, and I'll be wearing my favourite purple and black striped tights.
So. October 31st also means preparation for one of the busiest months of my year... November. Remembrance Day. Diabetes Awareness Month (one of my teens is a juvenile (Type 1) diabetic). Christmas preparations. American Thanksgiving. And--when I'm feeling particularly crazy--National Novel Writing Month.
And this month I'm feeling particularly crazy.
The truth of the matter is, with all that's been going on, I'm in a bit of a writing rut. Not blocked (I'm not a believer in writer's block), but significantly decelerated. My mojo needs some gojo. There is nothing better than a month designated to not just pick away at, but to FINISH a project when you're an author. A suspended inner editor and a permission slip to let the laundry pile up...with several hundred other crazy nut-bars write (miss-spell intended) there along with you.
In fact, just about every year since I found NaNo, I've used November as a month to do something with my writing.
This year for NaNo I'm HOPING to barrel through and finish at least one of the sequels I've got on my laptop... And I'm starting with the much requested sequel to SKIN, tentatively titled SWIM.
Ocean and Sam are in trouble. Deeeeeeep trouble. And I have to get them out of a very nasty mess. I'm about 25k words in, making it a perfect 50k+ word winning NaNo project.
And that's the great thing about NaNoWriMo. You can't really 'lose'. Any words down at this point will be winning words. And in the end, you get a sequel. Wish me luck!
And now, back to my regularly scheduled Halloween candy pilfering... ;)
Brenda
*Nano Image Courtesy of National Novel Writing Month
Wow! Summer is flying by! My Goodreads Giveaway was a huge success, with winners from Louisiana, Saskatchewan and Quebec! Congrats to the three lucky winners!
So I've just spent two weeks on an entirely different island... Oahu! And it was AY-MAY-ZING!
Not only did I get to spend two weeks in a tropical paradise with four of my favourite people in the world, but I also had the privilege of being a military spouse during RIMPAC 2016, met some wonderful military folk from all over the world and...
I SWAM WITH SHARKS!
Looking HOT in my snorkel gear.
I know. Insane. Waaaay out of my comfort zone. Like, in a different galaxy. At one point, I counted twelve sharks swimming beyond the bars of our very flimsy cage. It was AWESOME.
Look at me at the helm!
I also got to stand at the helm of a HUGE aircraft carrier-- The USS John C Stennis, had Brie (My FAVORITE) on the deck of a French war ship, and kimchi on a Korean ship while watching a very interesting rendition of Gagnam Style. So many adventures! It was a great trip.
But now, because my giveaway was such a success (thank you to all who participated!), and it's the long August weekend (yay!), and we're moving in less than two weeks to the other side of the continent (gah!)...SKIN IS ON SALE!
That's right!
From now until August 2nd you can get SKIN's Kindle edition for a mere $2.99!
That's less than the price of a latte! So what are you waiting for? :)
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.
It takes some time to get these things to trickle out to where they need be, but today when I checked, I was ecstatic to see that SKIN is already available in paperback form at the following places...
So what are you waiting for? GO! Get your copy! Tell a friend! Share the news!
And if your an ebook person, it's only a few more days 'til you can download it. Don't forget, American readers can click HERE to enter to win their copy of SKIN for free!
The cover art for my YA Paranormal Romance, SKIN is finished! It's FABULOUS. So excited! Can't wait to share my beautiful Streetlight Graphics cover with you on a day we all need a little post-Valentine's pick me up...Monday, February 15th! I am planning a grand virtual celebration, and I need your help!
Want to party with me? I would love your help spreading the word. Comment below, or facebook/twitter pm me and I'll connect with you for the details. Will also be happy to return the favour for other authors.
For those of you who may have missed it, about two years ago I wrote a young adult fiction manuscript about a silkie, a mythical creature who supposedly sheds her skin and drags her victims below the waves to the unknown. My story has a few twists on the classic mythology with Sam the mysterious teenage boy down the beach, but it still revolves around seals and the ocean. The manuscript, entitled SKIN, is with my wonderful agents at Literary Counsel, and I am working (slowly...) on a sequel.
You also may or may not know that last year we moved from central Canada to the Pacific Coast to Vancouver Island, right on the body of water known as the Salish Sea. On the very first day we arrived, we saw a harbour seal outside of our hotel. The next day we saw two. And now pretty much every time we go by the water, at least one little dark-eyed head pops up to say hello. They are so thoughtful and inquisitive, but still shy enough to give you just a look or two before they move on. They look kind of like golden retrievers, but with big, sharp claws. I love them, and I'm constantly reminded of SKIN when I see them.
A porpoise on our starboard beam
Yesterday my family and I were sailing. Before we went out we saw a fat seal, who popped up on the wharf and hung out for a bit. We called him Dave. We took the boat, went out for a few hours, and were followed by porpoises and a few other seals. It was a wonderful day of fresh air and family time.
When we came back Dave appeared to have a very affectionate friend, whom we called Davette. We giggled a bit at how close they were. Dave (or Davette?) truly appeared to be climbing on top of the other's back. Yeah. My thoughts went there too.
The kids popped up to the car, and I ran back to the boat to do something just before we left. I heard a splash and looked around, and there was this little face checking me out, not two feet away.
I thought it was Davette, but on a second look, Davette was REALLY small. Then Davette flipped over and I saw something unexpected...an umbilical cord still attached! Davette was a Baby Davie! Just out! Brand new! Then momma popped up and Davie wanted to play and snuggle. This was all literally right at my feet.
Davie and mom
I even got some (very poor quality) video:
Of course there was no one around to share this amazing sight with...but my handy dandy iPhone had to suffice.
Perhaps it's time to get back to that sequel? Hmmm...Could Sam have a little brother?
Was reading over my completed manuscript, SKIN, and this little bit asked me to share it with you....so here you go.
The sun has now
set behind us but in front of us, beyond the beach, a huge orange moon is
erupting from the waves. It slowly peeks over the horizon and then explodes
above the ocean like an atomic balloon, up and up until it frees itself from
the world and floats alone. I’m mesmerized.
I flick my eyes
over to Sam to see if he is seeing this but he’s not looking through the
window. He’s looking at me.
“You don’t see a
lot of moonrises in the city,” he says.
“No, not like
this.”
He’s studying my
face. I’m too shy to study him back, so I fiddle with the hem on my skirt.
“I…I never
thought to look,” I finally say to fill the silence.
“You should. The
moon is important, it orchestrates the tides.”
Ah...but why would the moon be important? Why would Sam care about the tides? And that, my friends, you will have to find out another time.
Although the preps for TREASURE IN THE FLAME's self pub are in full swing, life has not stopped at the Dunne writing ranch. In the works is another YA manuscript-this time an urban fantasy set in contemporary PEI.
I loooooooove PEI. It's one of my favourite places in the world. Miles and miles of red sand beaches, lobster, rolling hills, lobster, friendly people...It's a wondeful place. (Did I mention lobster?)
I also love fantasy. When I read, I like to escape. I like to go somewhere that doesn't involve my day to day reality. But I also like real-lifeish fantasy. You know, stories that you know would never happen, but feel so real when your in them. White, mysterious unicorns instead of pink shiny unicorns farting rainbows. That sort of stuff.
So when I was thinking about what I should write for NaNoWriMo last year, I tossed the idea around of a contemporary fantasy on PEI soil.
Thirty days later, I had 50k words of what was then titled Red Sand Selkie. I've spent the last 8 months or so editing and perfecting it and voila! My newest completed manuscript SKIN is born.
Red sand, secrets...and selkies.
When Ocean O'Malley's family moves to the shores of PEI, she finds more than just beaches and a hot neighbour named Sam. Something is missing. Something she didn't even know existed. And only when she slips beneath the salty waves with Sam does she find out what that something is.
(*cue mysterious music*)
It's a fun story and it makes me want to go back to the Island and plunk myself down on a windswept red sand beach. Can't wait to see what happens next.
