I'm Free

A few days ago I mentioned on FB that I had an announcement to make.

So here it is!

 I have decided that from now on--FOREVER--all of my books will be free.

Elemental? To Love or Die in a Steamy-Reamy World?

Yup, free (as soon as I figure out some kinks at Amazon).

And every book I write from now on will also be free.

You're probably thinking I've lost my mind right now. Hey, maybe. Or maybe I never had it! ;)

The truth is I just like to write and I LOVE to reach readers. And I don't really care about making money. I'm already super blessed. I have an amazing family, I'm doing something I love, and I get to meet new people while doing it.

I already spent enough years obsessing way too much about what "success" really was. I obsessed over my sales, wondering how I could tweak my plots, add more romance, more of this, more of that, anything to get more sales. And it depressed the hell out of me.

So I'm done with that.

I'm just going to write the best books I know how, and give them away for free. I just want to reach the people who will love my books.

I did all the other stuff.

I landed a deal with a publishing company, I made some money, went to NYC, did signings at book stores, landed more deals with more publishing companies (Yeah, I forgot to tell you that one. I sold the French translation rights for Elemental and Fae to a publishing company in Quebec. I meant to make a big announcement about that, so here it is! And obviously, the french version won't be free. I don't think they'd go for that :) ).

I wanted to get all that stuff done some time in my life. So I've done it and now all I want is to get my books read. That's all I care about.

So they're free. The ones I'm currently working on or about to publish will be offered in parts on Wattpad. And then when they're ready, I'll also upload them onto Amazon and Smashwords.

Come follow me on Wattpad and enjoy! I've already posted the first five chapters of Almost Night! Read them! Comment! Share with your friends! I'll be posting five chapters every week. Elemental and To Love or Die in a Steamy-Reamy world will be posted by this weekend. So if you've never read them, give 'em a go! :) And let me know what you think.

I hope you guys enjoy! And thank you so much for sticking with me all these years. You guys are the best part of writing. If it weren't for you, I'd just be talking to myself. :) Not that I'd ever do that...

Yeah... :P

The Doctor is NOT a Woman. Woohoo!!!

Okay, I know I'm a little late in all this, but I have opinions! Real, maybe semi-interesting opinions. And hey! Maybe you've heard all this before already (like I said, I'm late), but I feel like I gots to say it. I'm happy the new Doctor is not a woman.

(in fact, there he is) Seriously. I almost gave up on the whole series. Why? It's not because I hate women.

(that's me in the yellow, by the way) I'm a woman. I don't hate women. I love us. I hate it when we try to take something over, though. I kind of feel like a female Doctor would be the same as if Buffy the Vampire Slayer all of a sudden became Buff the Vampire Slayer. 'Cause that's ridiculous. Instead, they had a spinoff with Angel. Because that makes sense. And yeah, yeah, a lot of people said that Moffat introduced the idea of a gender change in the canon of Doctor Who, but I don't care what he did. The Doctor should not be a woman. And not because the title, "doctor," is male (honestly, that's a stupid argument), but because for the past 11 regenerations, HE'S BEEN A MAN! Period. If you want a show with a female timelord, have a spinoff with 10's daughter or something (that would be a really cool show. they should seriously do it), but don't take over The Doctor. So there it is. A woman who is happy that The Doctor is not a woman. And no, it's not because I want him to stay sexy (honestly, just...no). It's because I want the show to be the same show I fell in love with. And I want to have a chance to fall in love with a female timelord on a completely different show, if that ever happens.

Nature Decided to Give Me an Indoor Pool

I don't know just how broad this knowledge is, but my little corner of the U.S. is experiencing quite a bit of rain lately. In fact, last Friday will forever be remembered by me as the day I got an indoor pool.

That's not my basement (obviously). It's my driveway the flooded road right in front of my house. My driveway has quite a dip down to the road, so that's a LOT of water. Here's another pic:

One of many cars that thought they could get down the road. They were wrong. I tried to get a picture of my basement, but after someone I love dearly played with it, the flasher doesn't work. I can't figure out why. And it won't take pictures it deems are too dark to see. It's a fancy camera, so it likes to boss me around. Instead, let me tell you what you would have seen had I been able to take a picture: About a foot to a foot-and-a-half of water with tools and wood and clothes floating around. A half submerged washer and dryer. And a waterfall coming out of some pipe connected to the sewer. Yes. That's what I said. Sewer. Speaking of! I'm sure this doesn't apply to all teenagers, and I'm sure it DOES apply to many adults, but what is up with people playing in the middle of a flooded road? The girls across my street thought it would be fun to go romp in the deep, warm rain water. They knew their own basement was flooded. I'm reasonably sure they knew the vast majority of the basements on that road were flooded. And I'm aware that as a teen myself, I never really considered what was in a basement and what caused it to flood, but wouldn't their parents (who saw them) say something?? Like, "hey, that's poopy water you're playing in."

Well, that was my weekend! And the reason I didn't post yesterday. Without a dryer, I'm officially hanging all my clothes, but not outside because it's still raining. So I spent the day drying heavy stuff at my mom's house and hanging the rest in my kitchen. How was your weekend, everyone?

Books I Loved as a Teen and the Heroes I Connected With

I'd love to say I write to appeal to a large audience. I mean, that's what professional writers are supposed to do, right? Write and write and write to get a lot of fans so you can quit your job and write more books? First of all, the whole quitting your job thing...that happens to a very rare few, so it's best we writers toss that goal right out the window. It's not the one that should lead us. And secondly, I've come to firmly believe you can't make a large audience your goal, either. It's often a very delightful outcome, but when setting words to paper, you should have one or maybe just a few people in mind. You should write to yourself, your spouse, your mother or father, your best friend, sister, or brother. And once you've written enough, you'll get past all the obtuseness and self-righteousness about how your art is your ART, and you'll really start connecting with people. That's when the large audience comes. It comes from writing to one person, fully and completely, forgetting about how pretty your sentences are and embracing the language of the soul. And yeah, that sounds heavy, but if you're a human being, you're already more than halfway there to writing to connect to other human beings. And I assume we're all human beings? I don't think there are really any animals out there writing books. ;) So, who do you write to? I write to my teenage self. The girl who was looking for books about broken people who became heroes. It didn't matter if they were weak or confused or too girly or too bad. They saved someone. Maybe it was the world, maybe it was just a friend or a guy down the street. The point was, they were imperfect and they still made a difference. For this reason, I loved anything written by Mark Twain or Jonathan Swift. Tolkien became my own personal hero. I wanted to BE Frodo--the little hobbit who just had the power to say no a little bit longer than anybody else, and even in the end his weakness almost overpowered him. And Spiderman. I became obsessed with Spiderman. Here was a guy who dealt with his own personal demons, the "nobody" living with his aunt, who saved people. He hid who he really was, dealt with severe hatred coming from the very people he attempted to save. Weaknesses. That's what my teenage self craved to see. Weaknesses and failings that worked out to make a person a hero. And I think there are a whole lot of other teens out there who crave to see this, too. I'm positive I wasn't alone. So, who do you write to? And what are you trying to say to that person?

A New Day

I'm pretty excited. I am.

A letter came in the mail right after Friday's blog post from my editor over at SHP. My rights have officially released to me. It's one of those wonderful, terrifying things, and I'm so grateful that I still have a fantastic relationship with them.

'Cuz here's the thing: I was terrified they'd hate me forever. I mean, they had every right even though all my reasons were solely based on my own shortcomings. They had a right. But they don't, and that's how awesome they are over at SHP. It's really a family. And I HIGHLY recommend all you querying writers out there submit to them. They work hard for their authors, and there's real love over there.

But today's Monday for me. Literally and figuratively. It's the first day of my brand new career. I'm starting over.

No more plans for delightful surprises. You're getting it all. No more anxiously anticipating your glee once you find out Elemental is really about space fairies/elementals who can teleport with their wings. And that Ella's worrying more about not killing everyone than she is about a boy. I mean, there's a boy, but she's got priorities.

And Lilly in Almost Night may be a unicorn, but don't expect a sweet tale. She's got scars on her wrists for a reason.

I'd like to write a really sweet tale some day, but that day has not yet come. To Love or Die in a Steamy-reamy World comes closest. Kind of. Maybe. It's dark humor with a Victorian bent. So if you think that might qualify as sweet, there you go.

I guess I'm just not ready for writing sweet yet. I know I come across that way on the internet (and believe me, I do love my exclamation marks and emoticons), but my books are my darker side. I'm like Darth Vader or #10. Yeah...let's go with that. Let's pretend I'm cool. ;)

*waves jedi hand*

This how cool I am

Okay, maybe not...

but when I'm alone and the kids are napping, I *might* pretend to be Darth Vader.

Have a great Monday, everyone!

In which I tell you I'm a freakin' nutcase

I know I've done this before and then I went back to not blogging. And who's to say this is any different? It might not be. It feels different, though.

Crap, this is hard.

There's so much I want to say, but ironically, I don't know how.

Well, I guess I'll start with the truth. I've mentioned this before, but never in any detail. I get depression. Very frequently. Actually, this past year it's been pretty constant. I pushed for something for so long, blogging every day (or at least more frequently than this), making contacts, building a presence, and then I crashed.

I couldn't do it. I just couldn't do it. I didn't want to and no one could make me. I didn't see the point. Because that's kinda what depression does to you. It makes you feel like you're a worthless piece of crap, that you've done everything wrong, and why the hell are you going to bore people with your little "anecdotes?"

I tried to force myself back into it, but it made me sick. Physically and spiritually.

So then I went to the bare minimum, and I did that for a while. But eventually, I couldn't even make myself do that anymore. Because it's hard to pretend when you have to write something in 500 words. When you have to make something interesting.

It's easier to pretend on facebook where all you have to do is like something or post pictures or come up with a witty phrase you might have heard on a movie.

So what made me spiral into this cold, dark place? A lot of things. But basically, I started feeling like everything I'd ever done was wrong. I'd worked so hard for the wrong thing. And it sucked. I was drained.

Elemental came out last year and I was ecstatic. One of the greatest high points of my life. It was a dream come true. I even helped design the cover. It was all completed with my say-so. And I loved it. It was beautiful.

And it was beautiful. But it was a lie. Because the cover is like me. A pretty pink and sparkly exterior, hiding what's going on in the inside. And it got shitty reviews. Because people were expecting paranormal romance and what they got was the inside of me--the dark stuff. And I felt rejected. Like people couldn't like me for me. And I know that's not it at all, but that's what happened. Believe me, I've tried to convince myself that some people just didn't like it because they were expecting something else, but it doesn't work. I kept wondering why they couldn't just like it anyway. I didn't understand at the time that the cover was a lie. But when I did, I started feeling like I was a lie.

I was putting off this image and I started wondering if you guys would like the me on the inside. I didn't know how I could pretend anymore.

So I ran away. I didn't want to pretend, but I didn't want to be rejected either.

Something happened last summer (an epiphany of sorts) and it's taken me this long to start really doing it. I realized I did absolutely make some wrong decisions. Not bad ones. Just wrong ones, for me. They were the absolutely right decisions for someone else. But not me.

I realized that I needed to stop hiding myself. And I realized that I needed to go at it my way. That's why I decided to start self-publishing. But it hasn't worked yet because I'm still hiding. The book I put out last December was 100% me, but my presence online was still the superficial outer layer.

If I was going to do this, I needed to do it all the way. A few months ago, I contacted my editor at Spencer Hill Press. We did a lot of talking and I requested to be released from them. Not because I didn't love working with them (quite the opposite actually), but because I needed to go all in with my plan. I needed to build my new platform and it needed to be all me. She was wonderful and graciously agreed to everything. We worked the details out and soon I'll have all my rights back. Seriously, everyone there has been amazing. She told me I was still part of the family (and I nearly cried because that meant so much to me) and recently made a different offer for a completely different position in the company.

I'll be re-releasing Elemental this Fall with a new cover and some extra content. I'm excited and scared. I feel like I'm getting over the hump of my depression. I'm starting to see some sunshine at the end of this dark tunnel.

And I hope you'll stick with me through it all.

Editing Services

Guess what, readers? I'm branching out! Yes, I now offer editing services to anyone who needs them. Be it an author looking to self-publish, an author wanting to submit a wonderfully polished manuscript (or chapters) to an agent or editor, a newspaper, a business, anyone. 

This is what you'll find on my brand new page up there:

I've been writing for years, professionally for the last two, and decided that it was time I branched out. Writers and readers are some of my favorite people. I love hanging out with them, I love helping them, I love everything about them.

And over the years I've discovered that I have a superpower useful to people in the writing community. Sometimes it's gotten me into trouble (like when I discovered a typo in the menu for a huge event the night before), but most times it's been appreciated.

What can I say? This is why people should hire copy editors before something goes to print. Sadly, it's a profession that's taken a hit over the years, with dire consequences. Just read any newspaper (online or otherwise) and you'll understand.

If you're interested in hiring me for your copy editing needs, here's a list of what I'll do:

• fix typos
• tighten sentences (e.g. get rid of the pesky "that" and "of" when you just don't need it--and believe me, it happens much more than you'd think)
• work within your particular style to fix sentences that don't "mesh."
• Be a set of fresh eyes authors desperately need before publishing

Me fees are very reasonable. Only $1/page for full-length works (based on word count), $50 flat fee for up to three chapters (like for submissions to an agent or editor). 

If interested, contact me at authoremilywhite(at)gmail(dot)com with the first five pages of your work. I'll submit a sample of my edits to see if you'd like to work with me. If yes, then there's a 50% down payment and we'll schedule a due date.

At this point, I'm focusing on copy edits especially, but am more than capable of doing content edits as well. 

If you're looking for both, I charge $1.50/page. Sorry, but it's more work and more hours spent with your manuscript.

Content AND copy edits are always provided for the first three chapter submissions you're getting ready for an agent or editor. 

I can only take a limited number of clients a month, so contact me today if you're interested. :)

There is a sale going on right now! If you contact me by June 14th and we schedule a due date we both feel comfortable with, I will provide both copy and content edits for your full-length work for the price of copy edits alone.

Yay! So that's my big news! I hope you'll celebrate with me. :)

Sneak Peek from ALMOST NIGHT

I can't believe it's been two weeks since the last time I blogged! I have been so crazy busy lately with getting books ready for this summer. I hope you'll all forgive me. *crosses fingers*

Today, I have a little treat (at least, I hope you think so). From YA Contemporary Fantasy about a 14 year old albino girl who's really a unicorn:

                Health class alternated with gym every other day, so today was beyond horrible because not only did I have to see Bucked-Tooth Bucky again, I couldn't even kick his ass playing ball. The room was only half-filled when I stepped through the door. Two-seated desks formed three rows and each desk had a little note card in front of each seat.

                I picked up the card on the table closest to the door and saw the name, Justin Adams. The one next to his was Chris Avery.

                Assigned seats. Great.

                My seat was in the middle row, directly behind the teacher's desk. I didn't even bother to see who'd be doomed to sit next to me. Obviously their day was about to get a whole lot worse.

                When Bucky strolled through the doorway, I suddenly realized I did care who'd be sitting next to me. I absolutely cared. I tried to think back to the name the coach had called out during roll call yesterday, but I couldn't remember a thing. It would really be my luck if his last name started with a "G."

                Bucky started walking my way and I knew--just knew--with that sinking in the pit of my stomach feeling that his name was on the card next to mine. I closed my eyes and held my breath. Heat swam through my brain. I wished with every molecule in my body that he'd just walk on by; go somewhere else.

                I felt him brush past me and I exhaled the breath I'd been holding in. The seat at the desk behind me scraped across the floor. Still close, but at least he wasn't going to be my partner for the entire school year.

                Just then, someone pulled out the seat next to me and sat down in a huff. I peered out the corner of my eye and saw fire red hair.

                "Thank goodness for people who can't read," the girl in the seat said.

                I felt her staring at me, like what she'd just said she'd actually said to me and was now waiting for an answer. I dug through my brain and pulled out the most intelligent thing I could muster. "Uh...yeah."

                She laughed and crumpled the note card into a ball. "Everyone's right. You are quiet."

                I cringed. Yup, everyone was right about everything about me.

                "Well, that's okay," she said. "I used to be quiet too. Now I just don't give a damn."

                I did the unthinkable then. I turned my head and looked at her. I'd been right about her hair. It was fire red, but only the tips. The rest was bright orange all the way from her roots, darkening all the way to red at the ends. It was so--different. And I liked it.

                I liked it a lot.

                She smiled and shook her head at me, her brown eyes widened in... Appreciation? Awe?  "Oh man, you're eyes are so awesome. 

I hope you enjoyed! Check out ALMOST NIGHT on Goodreads.

An ALMOST NIGHT Sneak Peek!

Hey, everyone!

In preparation for ALMOST NIGHT's August release, I'll be regularly posting some sneak peeks, audio bits, character pics, and all sorts of other cool stuff.

I hope you enjoy!

This one's from Lilly's POV:

                "Mom's sun-stained submarine gray Tempo pulled up to the curb at the front of Bethlehem High. Kids milled around the sprawling manicured lawn. They all looked pretty excited to be there--chatting in groups and laughing. I recognized quite a few of them from my middle school, but I knew there would be plenty of kids who had yet to experience the shock of my face. Of course, the town wasn't that big. A very small city, really. If I'd ever actually gone out in public, this moment might not have seemed so much like torture.

                I pulled out my hot pink barrette and fluffed my hair around my face to hide my eyes.  But then as the wisps of snow white hair fell in my peripheral vision, I decided to pull all the strands back again.  There was no way to limit the shock.

                I groaned and opened the passenger door to step out. Might as well just get it over with."

To find out more about my YA Contemporary Fantasy, check it out here.

I is For Interview with Dmitry Sholokhov!!

Hi, Everyone!!!

It's the third week and I'm doing a twisted version of the A to Z Challenge--vowel style!!--and I have an AMAZING chance to share something soooo cool with you.

A great friend and favorite author of mine, Kendra Saunders, got a chance to meet her muse a while ago and when she asked if she could interview him on a podcast, he said yes!!

The most amazing, wonderfully talented Dmitry Sholokhov!! Aka a Project Runway winner and super awesome designer (obviously. i mean he won, right??)

Here are all the details:

Novelist and interviewer Kendra L. Saunders hijacks Matt Connarton's show once again, this time for an interview with extra special guest Dmitry Sholokhov. Dmitry, winner of Season 10 of Project Runway, talks about his gorgeous Lord & Taylor collection, styling tips for his fans, the best advice he’s received, koala bears, Indiana Jones and whether or not he really does wear that sparkly sequin gown around his house.

The arts are an exciting but crazy business and supporting your favorite artist can be as simple as sharing information about him/her on your blog or through social media, posting their information or sending them an encouraging tweet. Make sure to listen in to this insightful interview with a genuinely talented, gentlemanly and funny artist!

Kendra L. Saunders is the author of urban fantasy Inanimate Objects, short story collection Overlapping Visions and the upcoming dark comedy Death and Mr. Right (Spence City, 10/13), and writes regularly for NerdCaliber. She's one cat allergy away from a stereotypical writer. Find her at www.kendralsaunders.com or on twitter @kendrybird where she loves to answer writing questions, talk about music and fashion and share insider tips about the publishing industry.

Now listen to the interview!!

I am So Sorry

I am so sorry, everyone.

This is the first year where I just COULDN'T get a post written everyday.

Things are going on right now that are kind of stressing me out and I couldn't keep up with responding to all your wonderful comments (which were all very much appreciated!).

I'm afraid I'm going to have to go back to my original schedule and post only once a week. But because I signed up for the A to Z Challenge, I want to still be a part of it in a way. So instead of one letter everyday, I'll be finishing up the month vowel style (one vowel for each week remaining week).

Because this is the third week, I'll be doing the third vowel on Friday.

I

I is for Indie Life

A few weeks ago, I signed up for Indie Life and today is my first post! Yay!

I get to now inspire you or just talk about my experiences.

So my experiences so far have been pretty amazing and pretty daunting. After publishing my debut novel through Spencer Hill Press last year, I grown more confident in my career and in myself.

Last December, I published my first self-published work, "To Love or Die in a Steamy-Reamy World" and this summer, I'll be self-publishing another work, ALMOST NIGHT.

I can't say I knew exactly what I was doing (or even now know exactly), but I'm learning and I'm loving it. I used to see self-publishing as a step down and now I see as the beautiful opportunity that it is.

If you're self-publishing soon, I say good for you! You will absolutely love it! 

If you are MUCH farther along in the journey than I am, you are amazing! I am so grateful for all the people who've paved the way these past few years and giving self-publishing the wonderful reputation it deserves.

I is for Instant Queue

Welcome back!!

Sorry about yesterday's late post. Yesterday was a bad day. Let's just leave it at that.

So here is another one of my great loves!!

Okay, so it's not letting me get any images (sigh), but my other great love is...

Netflix Instant Queue

It has made me so happy over the last year or so. It has given me access to BBC movies and tv shows like Sense and Sensibility and Doctor Who (because I don't pay for tv--rabbit ears, baby!). It has saved me money by not having to go out and buy a million movies.

And it has provided hours of quiet when I just needed a little "me" moment away from the kids. 

Yup, that's right. Sometimes situations demand you make the tv the babysitter while you take a bubble bath and cool down from a bad day.

Am I ashamed? Not one bit.

So, thank you, Netflix Instant Queue. I love you. I love you so much.

By the way, come back later (noonish eastern standard time) for an Indie Life post! And yes, I realize I could have used I for Indie Life right now, but I really needed to spread my love for Netflix. I'll be using "I" again later. :)

H is for "How You Doin'?"

Back today with another love...

Yup. I watched Friends growing up. I loved it and Joey was my favorite. I'm not ashamed to admit I also had a Central Perk t-shirt.

Did you watch this show? Which character was your favorite?

G is for Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales

Welcome back! I'm talking about another one of my great loves today; another one of those things that helped make the Emily you see today. :)

I actually grew up with an Omnibus of Fairy Tales, which are the abridged, child friendly tales taken from the work above.

I still have the book, though it's missing its spine (and now held together with packing tape) and I read the stories to my own children (whenever I can get them to sit still long enough), but I purchased a copy of Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales a few years ago. 

I grew fascinated with just how much the stories had changed from one work to another. I started to come up with conspiracy theories as to why we'd make them more lighthearted and who would benefit the most from doing so. And I realized that, obviously, the villains in the stories would have the most to gain. If we forgot them and how truly horrible they were, they'd have a chance to grow more powerful.

It was actually that thought that inspired me to write my YA Contemporary Fantasy, ALMOST NIGHT (you can see more about it in the My Books page above). 

So what about you? Have you read the original tales? Or did you grow up on one of the other versions?

F is for Falcor

Welcome back! Today I'll be talking about another one of my great loves.

Back in the day when people used to record movies on video tapes, I had this one. It was a bad copy with all the commercials (because we got it off the tv--obviously--when they played it during some kind of fundraising special) and half of it had the audio of the movie we'd recorded over. It was at just about Falcor's entrance that the audio switched over to The Neverending Story (the other movie was some Rodney Dangerfield flick).

Oh man, that was my favorite part. And I played that movie every day and memorized every word (even the ones I couldn't hear).

Falcor was like a great big, fuzzy best friend.

And boy did I wish I could write a book that would come to life. I started thinking that maybe if I could find a secret school attic and had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and apple with a really cool-looking journal, it might just happen. Because as much as I loved reading, I loved writing even more. I wanted to write the next great book.

And I wanted my characters to pop out of the fantasy world and take me with them on some crazy adventures.

How about you guys? Did you love Falcor and the whole Neverending Story gang?

E is for Environment

Welcome back! Today I'll be talking about another one of my great loves.

There are few things I love more than standing alone in the middle of the woods, far away from any road or neighborhood. Just me and the birdies. And the wind rustling through the leaves.

Besides the shower,* this is where most of my creativity happens.

I grew up spending hours in the back woods of my parents' property, most often the whole day. I'd imagine I was a great warrior, or fairy princess, or orphan runaway. All on my own, living in the woods.

Just me and the birdies. And the wind rustling through the leaves.

Have a great day, everyone!

*Yes, I have been known to be so distracted by writerly thoughts that I've put body wash in my hair instead of shampoo.

D is for Doctor Who!

The A to Z Challenge continues and we're back with another one of my loves. And OHHHHHH!!!!

The Doctor!!!!

I'm a new fan. Yes, one those. 

But I swear I'm at least knowledgeable enough to know that show does not begin and end with #11 up there.

Though I do love bowties now. 

I also have a plan for surviving the weeping angel invasion.

And I can pronounce dalek correctly. Oh yeah. That's a real fan. :P

Which reminds me of another "d" word...

LOL! Have a great A to Z day, everyone!

C is For C.S. Lewis

Welcome back! We're still going through the A to Z Challenge and today I'll be talking about another great love of mine.

Isn't that a great author picture? 

Sitting all scholarly on a high-backed chair with a book on his lap. 

Makes me wish I had something that debonair. 

Okay, so C.S. Lewis is kind of my hero. He wrote what moved him in order to teach something important to his readers. He's a legend. And his words continue to affect the world YEARS after his death. 

That's amazing. And a blessing. And I pray on a day-to-day basis that I'll have a fraction of his success.

What person today doesn't know about Aslan? Or Narnia? Or The White Witch?

What child hasn't cherished his words? 

And what hero has molded who you are today?

B is For Bazinga!

For those stopping by for the first time, I'm participating in the A to Z Challenge and sharing all my loves.

Today is:

Yes, readers. That guy. 

I can't say he makes the show because the whole cast is brilliant, but he definitely adds his own bazinga flavor to it all.

Sheldon Cooper with pretty much the best catch phrase in the world.

A is For Atlantis, The Stargate Variety

Is it April already??

I've been doing the A-Z Challenge since its inception and I'm super excited to be doing it yet another year! Welcome to those new to the Challenge as well as veterans!

If you're wondering what the heck I'm talking about, I suggest you get with it. This is like the biggest thing in the blogging world. :P

The linky list for all participants is HUGE, so I won't be including it here. But I will give you the link to get back to it with ease.

This year, I'll be giving you readers a look into what makes me tick. You should be scared. No one should be subjected to this. ;)

I love movies. I love speculative fiction (heck, I write it). And I REALLY love the fantastical, awkward, and slightly weird.

This show right here got my creative juices flowing like few have. I obsessively rewatched the entire series the moment it came out on Netflix. Fantasy with sci-fi?? Yes please!!

A floating city that literally rises out of the ocean!

Pretty much the best cast of characters ever.

So what's your favorite tv show or movie? What gets your creative juices flowing?

I Have a Book Cover To Show You!!!

You know how I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I have a cover for my YA Contemporary Fantasy, ALMOST NIGHT?? Well, the day is here!!! (and there's details for a giveaway at the bottom of the post!)

Without further ado...

Cover art by Claudia Mckinney of Phatpuppy Art and font designed by Ashley at www.bookish-brunette.com.

The Summary:

Fourteen-year-old Lilly Grey exists in two worlds at the same time. She just doesn't know it.

As the only albino in a million mile radius, Lilly is used to being different. Pink eyes and white hair aren't exactly the best camouflage in the harrowing jungles formally known as high school. And yeah, she's used to being an outcast and seeing the world in a slightly different way, but she never guessed how literally "different" applied to her.

Not until a clan of shape-shifting dragons tell her she's not just albino. She's a unicorn and the only mortal alive who can live on both Earth and its antithesis, Morcah. Now all those times she thought she saw a floating brown blotch in the sky or eyes peering out at her from the bark oftrees make sense. She's been seeing Morcah, a land that exists in the exact same spot as Earth, just in a different phase.

But it's not all sunshine and rainbows for this unicorn. As the only one who can live in both phases, she's also the only one who can bring Morcah--and all its inhabitants--to Earth. And creatures who've been trapped on Earth since the Dark Ages are willing to do worse things than kill to make that happen.

Again.

A Sneak Peek:

Prologue

                Once upon a time the last unicorn in the whole wide world lay dying on his bed. No one was sad. Not even himself.

                "Jovan," he said to the dragon standing by his side, "another unicorn will come. I can hear the angels' whispers now that I'm so close to going to them. And they talk of making another. Someday..."

                "Then we will kill it," the dragon said.

                "No. Please, for my sake, protect it."

                The dragon growled deep in its chest, for that is what dragons do.

                "Promise me."

                "The door must not be opened. That is what is important."

                "It must not be opened," the unicorn echoed, a whisper upon his dying mouth. "Protect it."

Chapter One:

“Youngest King’s daughter,

Open to me!

By the well water

What promised you me?”

-The Frog Prince, Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales

                I sat on the couch, painting my toenails Vegas Strip pink while my best friend Maggie thumbed through her collection of DVDs. It was that time of year again; two days before the new school session and our last chance to pull an all-night movie fest.

                "What should it be this time?" she said. "Freaky? Funny? Or faaaabulous?"

                I laughed and threw a cotton ball at her head as she made smooching noises into a pillow.

                "Definitely not fabulous." I painted the last stroke on my pinkie toe and closed the bottle. "I don't think I can stomach any more romance tonight."

                Maggie plopped onto the couch, a pout on her face and the case of movies in her lap. "You're no fun. We're almost in high school. Romance is all we should be thinking about." She nudged me with her elbow and waggled her eyebrows. "It's the law."

                I shook my head. "You are so weird."

                "What?" She stuck her tongue between her teeth and grinned.

                "Let's go with freaky. I could use a good horror."

                "I do not know why you like to be scared." She shuddered violently and I threw another cotton ball at her.

                "I like the freaks. It's good to know I'm not the only one out there." With that, I flicked my snow white hair in her face, grabbed the empty popcorn bowl, and went into the kitchen to microwave some more.

                Maggie followed on my heels. "So, what? Now you're going to become a homicidal maniac?" She grabbed a can of soda out of the fridge, popped the tab, and spun back around. "Good to know."

                "They're not all homicidal. Some are just...you know...socially inept."

                Soda literally flew out of her nose. I didn't even know that kind of thing was possible.  I took a step back as a few foamy drops splattered on the island counter in front of me.

                "Ow! Ow! Ow!" Maggie squealed and ran for the roll of paper towels. "Holy crap, that hurts," she said after she blew her nose and threw the used tissue in the trash. "They always make it look so funny on tv, but it stings like a bitch."

                "It serves you right for laughing at me." The microwave beeped and I pulled out the hot bag of popcorn.

                "I wasn't laughing at you. I was laughing at your theory." She groaned loudly and flopped beside me, leaning back against the counter to look up at me upside down. "Besides, you are not a freak, and if you make me say that one more time, I'm going to hit you."

                I rolled my eyes and walked back to the living room. "Please. I'm totally at ease with my freakdom."

                I heard her pad across the carpet at near super speed before something hard smacked me on the back. I lurched forward and dropped all my precious popcorn. I almost cried. "You're going to wake up my mom." I stooped down on my knees and gathered all my little pretties, sometimes having to pull carpet lint out from between their buttery folds.

                "I warned you," she said in a singsong voice before she bent down and helped me pick everything up.

                "Gah! Why have we been friends so long when you're super annoying?"

                "Because you loooove me."

                I smiled and nudged her with my elbow. "Yeah, I do." Of course I did. Maggie was my best friend and had been since we were seven. She'd been with me through every bad night, every doubt, every moment I just wanted to give up. In many ways, she was the reason blood still flowed in my veins and not on my bedroom floor. With just a phone call, just one right word, she'd kept me from pushing the blade in deeper.

                I loved her. Completely. Forever.

                So once we got the last of the lovely, fluffy white kernels back into the bowl, we plopped onto the couch. It squeaked with the effort of holding us up.

                "So, Freaky it is." Maggie pulled a DVD out of its sleeve. "This is a new one. You'll like it. There are monsters galore."

                After skipping all the annoying previews, the credits started on a black screen with dark, ominous music playing in the background. I settled into the plaid, scratchy cushions and put my feet on the table. This was going to be good.

                And then the credits faded into a panoramic shot of New York City's skyline with a big brown blotch right above it. "Dammit, Maggie. Are you buying pirated copies again?"

                "What is your problem this time?"

                I pointed to the screen even though I knew the splotch was way big enough even for her to see. "The distortion. Your parents are loaded. Can't you ever buy your movies from a store?"

                "Listen, princess, I always buy my stuff from a store. Don't get on my case because you can't see right."

                I was about to say something in response. In fact, I had a really good, scathing comeback--especially in regards to the "princess" thing--but I decided to keep my mouth shut because Maggie's normally rich cappucino skin had puffed out and turned a very deep shade of red. She kinda looked like a tomato. A very angry tomato.

                "You honestly can't see the big brown thing above the Empire State Building?"

                "Nope."

                Huh. I rubbed my eyes and looked back at the tv. By the time I did, though, the scene had changed to someone's very swank and airy apartment. "Maybe I should get my eyes checked." I'd never had a problem before--at least I didn't think I did--but bad eyesight was just one of the many drawbacks for people like me.

                The room suddenly felt too stuffy to me.  Creepy crawlies tingled all over my skin and the air turned thick. I grabbed the remote and shut the movie off.

                "Hey!" Maggie said around a mouthful of kernels, in her standard perky voice. The angry tomato face had gone back to normal.

                "Do you want to go for a walk outside?"

                This was also standard for our all-night movie fest. Or really, any time she came over. I couldn't stand being cooped up in the house for too long and even with all the windows open, I still wasn't getting enough fresh air. And since my daytime excursions had to be limited, nighttime it was.

                "So early?" She screwed her face up into mock disgust and looked at her cell phone. "It's only 11:30."

                "I know." I shrugged.

                "All right. Let me get my sweater." She skipped over to the closet--feather-light with her dancer's legs--and pulled a very lovely cream cashmere piece of dainty cloth off a hangar. It was the only nice thing in there and it had been shoved to one end, far away from my mom's coats like those flashy cars in parking lots that don't want to park too close to anyone else.

                I, on the other hand, was just fine in my long-sleeved tee. As long as leaves graced the trees outside, I kept my wardrobe light and breathable.

                I skipped down the front porch steps and stopped in the middle of the driveway with my head craned back. Crisp air filled my lungs. I took a huge breath and let it out in a nice, long sigh. The tingly tight skin feeling peeled away like sun burned skin. This was where I belonged. Outside. It was too bad I had to spend so much time stuck indoors. I'd stayed outside too long in the middle of the day once before and had to go to the hospital for second degree burns. Mom freaked out, crying for weeks and yelling at me every time she saw my huge, red blisters.

                Now it was either reeking of sunscreen or waiting until the sun went down. And that was all right with me; I hated the sun.

                The new moon cast no light and since several miles of thick woods stretched behind me on our dead end road and the only two street lights we had stood all the way at the other end, I could actually see the stars. Orion, Ophiuchus, Monoceros, Draco. They were all there, clear and crisp like diamonds. Sometimes I wished I could go to them.

                Tonight, though, was about enjoying the second to last night before facing high school--my own personal hell.

                Maggie stood beside me, her head craned back like mine. "Do you think your mom will let you date this year?"  

                I shrugged and looked back at the road. Maggie couldn't think about anything but dating lately. Well, not anything but dating and her future journalism career--a career she freaked out about on a near weekly basis. Ever since her mom told her she could start wearing makeup, she'd planned it all out. She'd be part of a couple before the first week was out.

                My mom and I never talked about it. Sure, I wanted to date a boy like any other teen girl, but I really didn't think that option stood before me. No one really wanted to be with a freak.

                "So..."Maggie's voice dropped to a whisper and she looked at me out of the corner of her eye. She always got that way when she was about to share something she considered particularly life-altering. "I had my interview at The Beat today."

                "Wow, Maggie, that's great!" I'd known for a while she was considering applying for the fall teen internship at the local newspaper, The Beat. I just didn't know she'd gotten over her nerves and actually done it. I pulled her in for a hug and we stood frozen like that on the street. Maggie could come off as really sure of herself to people who didn't know her. But I did know her. And I knew how shy she could be, especially about her dreams and anything even remotely related to them. The fact she actually went to an interview to be judged against other teen journalists and writers was huge.

                I felt her shaking with excitement--or nerves--beneath my arms. And just like that I thought maybe this year might be a good one after all.

***

                Two days later and I wanted to vomit.

                In theory, I knew it was inevitable--especially after Maggie had gone home yesterday morning after movie night--and in practice, I had spent all day freaking out by my closet--which looked like the aftereffects of Mt. Vesuvius, if Mt. Vesuvius spit out pre-loved clothes from the goodwill instead of lava. None of my shirts were appropriate for hiding my freakdom. Either the sleeves were too short or the cloth too heavy for a day the weathergirl had said would be in the 90s.

                The only thing I could find that even halfway worked to cover most of my skin was a shirt my mom had snuck in the cart when I wasn't looking. Straight out of the eighties, it had a My Little Pony on the front and eggshell blue sleeves.

                Sigh.

                One would think I'd have planned ahead and bought more than tank tops and camis for the beginning of the school year, but honestly? I'd been drawn to the pretty stuff I wished I could wear and I guess I kind of fooled myself into thinking I could pull them off.

                So ten minutes after my alarm went off, I crawled out of bed, grabbed my Rainbow Dash long-sleeved tee, a pair of jeans, and clean skivvies and headed to the bathroom.

                The smell of fresh-brewed coffee and the sound of the morning news drifted up the stairs. My mom had already been up for an hour, just like any other morning. She liked to wake with the dawn. Thankfully, I hadn't inherited that little quirk from her.

                I closed the bathroom door behind me and carefully avoided the mirror as I did what hundreds of other Bethlehem teenagers were doing at that moment: regretting the end of summer vacation by taking as long as possible to perform basic hygiene.

                After thirty minutes or so--my mouth all minty fresh and my face dripping water--I rummaged through my basket of barrettes and hair ties and pulled out a hot pink clip. With my gaze firmly resting on the sink below the vanity mirror, I pulled the front layers of my hair back and snapped the clip in place.

                And that was it for my beauty routine. Rainbow Dash stared up at me from my flat chest.

                Downstairs, Mom sat at the counter already dressed and primped with a cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper lying flat in front of her. She once told me she only subscribed because her parents had read the paper everyday and now she felt like a real adult every time she heard the crinkle and felt the oily ink beneath her fingertips.

                I kind of wished she'd get an iPad to read her news and feel like an adult in the 21st century, but of course, we couldn't have afforded it even if she wanted to.

                "Hey, sweetie," she said, looking up from the front page.

                I slid into the stool across from her and took a sip of her coffee. Sweet and creamy. Just the way I liked it.

                "Are you excited?"

                I shrugged and set the cup down. "Maggie will be there. How about you?"

                Mom was a teacher's aide at the elementary school. I knew she really looked forward to the first day of a new school year. She loved kids. And also, she loved getting a paycheck. Summer vacations were kinda hard on us and this last one was no exception. Her normal summer job at a local plant nursery had been given to a teenager who could afford to work for a lot less money. It had been hard living on the piddly savings she'd scrounged together during the winter months, but we survived. Because that's what we were: survivors.

                She nodded. "It'll be nice to see the kids again. And to meet the new three-year-old class."

                "Have they talked any more about giving you the teacher's position when Ms. Craig retires?"

                Mom's gaze dropped and she shoved the paper away. "Yes." She paused. "I got a call last week. I've been wanting to tell you, but..." She shook her head and got up to rinse her cup in the sink. "They said I'd need to take night classes at Albany and they just don't have the money in the budget. Neither do we."

                "That's so stupid. You've been there for over ten years. If anyone could get away with teaching without a degree, it'd be you."

                To my surprise, she laughed. "Honey, I wish it were that simple. You know it's not, though. "

                I didn't argue because I knew she was right. There were laws about this stuff. And besides, life had never been easy for us. Case in point: she'd be celebrating her thirty-first birthday next week. I figured out the math a long time ago; she was sixteen when she had me. Had I ever met my dad? Nope. And that was not a topic we discussed in the Grey household. It had been over fourteen years since he ditched her and she still cried at night; yet another thing I'd come to terms with early on. With bedrooms right across the hallway from each other, it was hard to drown out the noise of her sobs.

                She cocked her chin at me, changing the subject. "You look nice today." A knowing, self-satisfied look twinkled in her eyes.

                I groaned and headed for the door. My turquoise satchel leaned against the wall, all filled up with crisp notebooks and freshly sharpened pencils. I slung it across my chest and grasped the doorknob. "Let's just get this over with."

If that little nugget and the GORGEOUS cover piqued your interest, check out ALMOST NIGHT's goodreads page. 

Or like my page on Facebook.

Now on to the giveaway!!

I have a brand new author bio floating around on one of the blogs helping me with the cover reveal today! The first person to leave a comment on this post with the correct blog address gets a $15 gift card to Amazon or B&N!

Good luck!!!