NaNoWriMo Take Five (?)

All decked out, and no
place to go

Happy Halloween! 

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.

My first NaNo project!

If you've followed me since the beginning, you'll know that Treasure in the Flame started out as a NaNo project in 2010.

In 2011, a little idea I'd titled Red Sand Selkie battled it's way through to becoming SKIN.

2012 was Dependent's year.

2013 I worked on Off Grid (currently under sub).


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

SALE!!

Sea turtles! On the northern shore of Oahu!

Those sharks are right under my feet!

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? :)

If you live in the US... go HERE!

Canadian? Go HERE!

And when you're done, don't forget to review!

Have a super weekend!!

Brenda

News, news, news!

Guess what? 

SKIN PAPERBACKS ARE AVAILABLE NOW!

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...

Amazon.com (for my lovely American friends)

Amazon.ca (for the Canadian Crowd) and

Barnes and Noble

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!

SKIN COVER REVEAL!

Happy Day-After-Valentine's Day!

I have the absolute best friends, family, followers and fans, so today I bring you love in a different form...the cover release for SKIN!

Scheduled to publish via Fortunate Frog Fiction (my wee froggie personal publishing company) in May of 2016, SKIN is a Young Adult Paranormal Romance set in one of my favourite places on earth, Prince Edward Island. Think red sand beaches and windswept dunes. Think lighthouses and wild roses. Starfish, seagulls and...Selkies! 

Here's a bit about it:

With a name like Ocean, you’d think moving to Prince Edward Island would be simple. But since she crossed that huge bridge to the land of red sand, Ocean’s life has been far from normal—it’s been downright dangerous. Trouble seems to follow her, and she’s got the bruises to prove it. 

And then there’s her mysterious neighbour, Sam...who seems to know more about her history than she does herself. 

When Ocean finally steps into the salty waves with Sam, she realizes that her life has been based on a lie, and that she is missing something...something she never knew existed. 

Her skin.

Ready to see it? 

And now...

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The first peek of my new novel, SKIN...

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You're almost there...

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Ta Da!!!

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Isn't it pretty? Glendon at Streetlight Graphics has done an amazing job of taking my musings and turning them into a beautiful design. Thank you to my family, friends and even my agent, Fran, for putting up with the back and forth of fine tuning it. I can't wait to share more of SKIN with you in the next few months, and bring another book baby into the world in May. Please let me know what you think in the Comments!

Happy Day-after-Valentine's Day!

Want to find out more about SKIN? Interested in participating in my release party,  reviewing an ARC or highlighting SKIN on your Blog? Comment below or message me on Facebook or Twitter! Don't forget to follow me!

Brenda

Life on the Salish Sea

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? 

So much to write about...so little time.

Brenda

Cover Reveal: Mojave Green

The folks at Jolly Fish Press have been busy, and it's time for COVER REVEALS for their Spring titles!  I'll be supporting my fellow authors over the next few weeks and showcasing the amazing artwork of the JFP design team.

Today's cover reveal is the sequel to Pitch Green, book two in the Dimensions in Death series of young adult horror.

I give you....

Mojave Green

(scroll down...)

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A bit about the Brothers Washburn, the authors...

A. L. Washburn and B. W. Washburn are licensed lawyers and full time writers, residing in Colorado and southern Utah. They grew up in a large family in Trona, California, a small mining community not far from Death Valley, and spent many happy days in their youth roaming the wastelands of the Mojave Desert. After living in Argentina at different times, each came back to finish school and start separate careers. Living thousands of miles apart, they worked in different areas of the law, while raising their own large families.

Each has authored legal materials and professional articles, but after years of wandering in the wastelands of the law, their lifelong love of fiction, especially fantasy, science fiction and horror, brought them back together to write a new young adult horror series, beginning with Pitch Green and Mojave Green. They have found there yet remain many untold wonders to be discovered in the unbounded realms of the imagination, especially as those realms unfold in the perilous wastelands of the Dimensions in Death.

You can find out more here:

Twitter:   https://twitter.com/BrosWashburn

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TheBrothersWashburn

Blog:      http://www.thebrotherswashburn.blogspot.com

Or search on Goodreads for Berk Washburn and/or Andy Washburn

Can't wait to read it!

Brenda

CONFESSIONS OF THE VERY FIRST ZOMBIE SLAYER (THAT I KNOW OF) Cover Reveal!

Another fantabulous cover by Jolly Fish Press!

Spring is going to be a happening time in the Fish Tank. Today's reveal is for fellow Agent-Mate, F.J.R.Titchenell. This one has an Amazon Gift Card giveaway to it...hop on over to Ms. Titchenell's website HERE and enter!

First a bit about the author...

FJR Titchenell

F.J.R. Titchenell is an author of Young Adult Sci-Fi and Horror fiction. She is represented by Jennifer Mishler of Literary Counsel and currently lives in San Gabriel, California with her husband and fellow author, Matt Carter, and their pet king snake, Mica.

The "F" is for Fiona, and on the rare occasions when she can be pried away from her keyboard, her kindle, and the pages of her latest favorite book, Fi can usually be found over-analyzing the inner workings of various TV Sci-Fi universes or testing out some intriguing new recipe, usually chocolate-related.

And a wee tad about her book:

The world is Cassie Fremont’s playground. Her face is on the cover of every newspaper, she has no homework, no curfew, and no credit limit, and she spends her days traveling the country with her friends, including a boy who would flirt with death just to turn her head. Life is just about perfect—except that those newspaper headlines are about her bludgeoning her crush to death with a paintball gun, she has to fight ravenous walking corpses every time she steps outside, and one of her friends is still missing, trapped somewhere in the distant, practically impassable wreckage of Manhattan. Still, Cassie’s an optimist. More prone to hysterical laughter than hysterical tears, she’d rather fight a corpse than be one, and she won’t leave a friend stranded when she can simply take her road trip to impossible new places to find her, even if getting there means admitting to that boy that she might just love him, too. Skillfully blending effective horror with unexpected humor, this diary-format novel is a fast-paced and heartwarming read.

 

Interested? Then now is the moment. Take a deep breath and scrooooollllllll down...

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TA DAAA!

 

What are your thoughts? Do you like? I love this one. Love the shadowy zombie in the back, and the 'Hello My Name Is' sticker. Nice touch.

Want to know more? Check out any or all of Fiona's links...

Website: www.fjrtitchenell.weebly.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FjrTitchenell

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FJR_Titchenell

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4384865.F_J_R_Titchenell

Amazon listing: http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Very-First-Zombie-Slayer/dp/1939967309/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1383006679&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=confessions+of+the+very+first+zombie+slayer

So...are you a Zombie lover? Let me know below!

 

Brenda

 

 

ELEANOR Cover Reveal!

So the amazing team at Jolly Fish Press have been SUPER busy this week, and I have the honor and privilege of sharing not one, not two, but THREE new covers for my JFP friends over the next few days! So exciting...as I'm looking at the results of their work and am SUPER EXCITED to see how DEPENDENT turns out!

So without any more preamble it is my pleasure to reveal to you the AMAZING cover for Johnny  Worthen's upcoming young adult/paranormal title...

ELEANOR

Drum roll please!

(Scroll down)

 

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“Eleanor is a modest girl, unremarkable but extraordinary, young but old, malleable but fixed. She is scared and confused. She is a liar and a thief. Eleanor is not what she appears to be.”

 

Ooooo! Aaaaa! Ohhhh!

 

What are your thoughts?

 

You can find out more about Eleanor at Johnny's website... www.johnnyworthen.com or on the Jolly Fish website here.

 

Another cover reveal tomorrow... LK Hill's  CITADELS OF FIRE! Have a fabulous Tuesday!

 

Brenda