tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68076282778635762082024-03-12T23:55:35.072-04:00To Anoera and Beyond: The Frequent Happenings of an Aspiring AuthorJoin one young woman as she travels along the twisting road to authorship, navigating the constant hazards and writer's blocks that pop up along the way.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6807628277863576208.post-25206597788178996652015-03-05T22:12:00.000-05:002015-03-05T22:12:05.923-05:00Rejection: An Aspiring Author's Torment<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hi all! Yes, yes, I know it's been ages since I've posted anything, and I am very sorry (though I did say at the start of this blog that consistency wasn't really going to be a thing). The last time I posted was November, and the beginning of NaNoWriMo. I'll offer a quick catch-up of the last few months before we get to the actual topic of this post. I didn't accomplish my NaNoWriMo goal this time around. It's okay, though. I've made peace with it. Sort of. Anyway, there are many reasons I didn't complete NaNoWriMo this time, the biggest one probably being that I was straight up burnt out. I'd pushed myself to hard the preceding months re-publishing book one of <em>The Guardians</em>, publishing book two, and finishing the first manuscript of my new series. All while starting a new job in a new city. That's just an itty bitty more than one person should try to handle in such a short time, and it really effected my ability to write (and I'm still bouncing back from it). It's all good now, though. I've taken some down time from writing, and haven't been pushing myself as hard lately.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55pFpBxKqNw1hP9A_QV7FR4noMG0GxOLMbdzupqDtGU97W2J2FJCsNHk-uR7oURoR6tukqW7jagUHPaDVuYL2bYRrNilT4X2X-2lvPNo0XN6FbDm8ZnPJd0AGD27ub9kzia3FKvLYYNXu/s1600/9225d3903a8dd72ab226ac8bcc917c3c7c139cfc93655712fc7daecbfd96d4ff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55pFpBxKqNw1hP9A_QV7FR4noMG0GxOLMbdzupqDtGU97W2J2FJCsNHk-uR7oURoR6tukqW7jagUHPaDVuYL2bYRrNilT4X2X-2lvPNo0XN6FbDm8ZnPJd0AGD27ub9kzia3FKvLYYNXu/s1600/9225d3903a8dd72ab226ac8bcc917c3c7c139cfc93655712fc7daecbfd96d4ff.jpg" height="174" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">However, that's not really what I wanted to talk about in this post. Today, I want to talk about something that pretty much every writer who hopes to be active within the publishing industry has or will experience. It's something that I have been experiencing myself recently as I search for an agent to represent me. Rejection. Cold, bitter, soul-crushing rejection. Let's face it, rejection, in <em>all </em>it's forms, sucks. "I like you as just a friend." "You're application is denied." "We just didn't feel you were the best fit for this position." "I wasn't as drawn into the story as I had hoped..." Rejection is the WORST. It cuts at your self-confidence, and can make you feel small and worthless. It doesn't matter if it's not personal. It almost always <em>feels</em> personal.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Having your manuscript rejected by an agent or publisher can be one of the hardest things a writer has to endure. When facing this daunting hurdle, though, it's really important to remember that everyone, and I mean <em>everyone</em>, gets rejected at one point or another. For the vast majority of writers, rejection never happens just once. Even New York Times bestsellers, and classic authors whose works have become staples in the literary world faced multiple (and sometimes straight up rude) rejections.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Kathryn Stockett, author of <em><strong>The Help</strong></em>, was rejected by <strong>60</strong> agents before landing representation.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfoKs3zdeLcfYKZ_vjPg_qSyWHf-j31RonEpluwYlPXxB-UX3gm3P9M_WZqKOis4aWjUywwGJ256j9LXv3OoNZaAWhfQ6p1JyUs543ixKbYxDiozyIOipKxTM7CMB-kmkHJg22c_6fTNh/s1600/519HKX9M69L__SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfoKs3zdeLcfYKZ_vjPg_qSyWHf-j31RonEpluwYlPXxB-UX3gm3P9M_WZqKOis4aWjUywwGJ256j9LXv3OoNZaAWhfQ6p1JyUs543ixKbYxDiozyIOipKxTM7CMB-kmkHJg22c_6fTNh/s1600/519HKX9M69L__SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" height="320" width="193" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia;">C</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">.S. Lewis faced years of rejection before <em><strong>The Chronicles of Narnia</strong></em> became a worldwide bestseller that has been translated into 47 languages.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Agatha Christie endured <strong>5 years</strong> of rejection before landing her first publishing deal, and now the only other literary figure in history whose works have earned more than her is William Shakespeare.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The freaking <em><strong>Diary of Anne Frank</strong></em> was rejected <strong>16</strong> times! How does that even happen?!?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It wasn't until the <strong>13th</strong> publisher that J.K. Rowling's <em><strong>Harry Potter</strong> </em>was put into print and became a worldwide sensation. And that was only because the editor's eight-year-old daughter demanded to read the rest of the book!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">(For a vastly longer list of famous, bestselling stories initially rejected, check out <a href="http://www.literaryrejections.com/best-sellers-initially-rejected/">http://www.literaryrejections.com/best-sellers-initially-rejected/</a> There's one guy listed with 121 rejections for a single book! Also, this website is just a great resource for aspiring authors in general!)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcKXQnqajvyCeKS76JPK-yAWRBBe0-H_ryiuo-cW-eEzuJchW1Vp24NDZqTQ-w-tayRAZnQjhBuzwojD06xudQThip-eo3q0jKiyCkmKfGiXQlnhdi0CVtMcgVbPiWQCmuGW6B246g1K3/s1600/imagesT5T0L64L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcKXQnqajvyCeKS76JPK-yAWRBBe0-H_ryiuo-cW-eEzuJchW1Vp24NDZqTQ-w-tayRAZnQjhBuzwojD06xudQThip-eo3q0jKiyCkmKfGiXQlnhdi0CVtMcgVbPiWQCmuGW6B246g1K3/s1600/imagesT5T0L64L.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">While this puts it all into greater perspective, knowing that famous bestsellers were turned down multiple times still doesn't completely take away the sting of rejection. It's important to remember, though, that being rejected is not <strong>personal</strong>. I mentioned above that it almost always feels that way, but the need to reiterate this point is very important. Agents and publishers, for the most part, reject projects that they do not think they can sell, or that will sell well. Never forget, dear readers, <em>writing</em> is an art, but <em>publishing</em> is a business. An extremely difficult one to get into, at that. Publishers and agents spend a lot of time and energy buying, selling, creating, and promoting the projects they invest in, so they aren't going to invest in something they don't completely believe in. And really, that's for the best of everyone involved. Would you really want someone to represent you writing, work you've poured your heart and soul into, who didn't feel passionately about it? Agents want to represent work they love, publishers want to put out work they think will succeed in the market, and writers want the writing they love to have the best chance possible of reaching people.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Here's my point in all of this: the people who are able to break into the publishing industry are those who don't give up. They are persistent, a little stubborn, but are willing to grow and learn through their experiences. Sometimes that means a rewrite. Sometimes it means starting from scratch with a whole new project. Sometimes it means believing so thoroughly in a project that you willing face rejection after rejection because you know somewhere out there is an agent and publisher who will believe in it as much as you. Those authors who manage to snag the attention of an agent and/or publisher are the ones who can get back up when they're knocked down. Sure, they're a little sore, a little bruised, but also wiser and tougher. If being published is what you really, truly want, then a handful of rejections can't discourage you.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Ft-vw-U9LzyU2bpfi8wjkjt0ymGnYvCxc55wgMwN2dvAkRkwNG9Esw__W1wN_EDOLeLV44ZFwqFzIY-hvTcFTyWO-OP0sskBGujBql474Tffs1Gi2gw1hLVP0L4co-tS3hIba2CW9bzx/s1600/snoopy-rejection-letter-charles-schulz-cartoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Ft-vw-U9LzyU2bpfi8wjkjt0ymGnYvCxc55wgMwN2dvAkRkwNG9Esw__W1wN_EDOLeLV44ZFwqFzIY-hvTcFTyWO-OP0sskBGujBql474Tffs1Gi2gw1hLVP0L4co-tS3hIba2CW9bzx/s1600/snoopy-rejection-letter-charles-schulz-cartoon.jpg" height="167" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It's not easy moving from a mindset of creative artistry to one of savvy business smarts. That's the reality all aspiring authors hoping to have even a little success in the publishing world face, however. So, if you're ready to release your work into this selective industry, or have already started trying, just remember three things: 1. <strong>Rejection happens to everyone</strong>, 2. <strong>It's not personal</strong>, and 3. <strong>Don't give up</strong>. Keep working, keep growing, keep improving, keep going, and someday you could see your book on the shelf.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Until next time,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">E.K. Broich</span><br />
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</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6807628277863576208.post-72300122415790651562014-11-07T22:50:00.000-05:002014-11-07T22:50:13.721-05:00National Novel Writing Month - 50,000 Words in 30 Days<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCUmGK5ZxpU8nLZkEfcmL3mFy5uq7pBR-4SLET9L2kNhc67JsD4X9O6ZN5qbvahMek2fE9l9Cbi5-VaqNFsoIbzHcljAVz0KaGsR3oNNfYES7UJHG2bww9yOISuUaG2-6a6IJ_2foEApG4/s1600/untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCUmGK5ZxpU8nLZkEfcmL3mFy5uq7pBR-4SLET9L2kNhc67JsD4X9O6ZN5qbvahMek2fE9l9Cbi5-VaqNFsoIbzHcljAVz0KaGsR3oNNfYES7UJHG2bww9yOISuUaG2-6a6IJ_2foEApG4/s1600/untitled.png" /></a>The first week of NaNoWriMo has almost drawn to a close, and I have had a weak start to say the least. 50,000 words in 30 days is <i>so many words</i>. The current official count is 4364, and just to save you from doing the math, I'm behind schedule. Like, really behind. However, I'm not throwing in the towel just yet. Just like the last time I did this challenge (the Camp version), I will use this blog and other outlets to hold myself accountable. It's harder to slack off on something when there are a <i>The Fire Crystal Chronicles</i>. I finally finished the first book about two weeks ago (it took six months...and would have taken less time had I not refocused on <i>The Guardians</i> for awhile). However, since the first book of the new series is not out among the world yet, and talking to much about book two would mean massive spoilers, I can't say a whole lot about it.<br />
ton of people you don't want to disappoint. This go around, I'm working on the second installment of <br />
Why is this go around proving so difficult for me? Well, for starters, it could be that I am now working a full time job, and have a much more set schedule than when I was a full time student with a more fluid schedule. Don't get me wrong, I was plenty busy in grad school, but I had a lot more flexibility when it came to how I used the hours of my day outside of my classes. With work, by the time I get home working a full day, I have housework things to do. Plus, with my particular job working in the university setting, I often work a lot outside of my set office schedule. Let's just be clear, I love my job, but it can be exhausting. Sometimes, I simply don't have the energy to sit down and focus on writing at the end of the day. I'd much rather turn my brain off and binge on Netflix.<br />
Another possibility for why I'm struggling so much with NaNoWriMo this go around is that I'm plain and simply burnt out. Within the last month and a half, I've edited, formatted, and published one book, and finished writing another. That's a lot of book, and while I'm still passionate and determined to be successful as a writer, a break is probably needed soon. Burn out happens, and it's important to recognize when it's happening in order to keep yourself from experiencing a full break down. This is true for ANYBODY, not just for writers. Know when you've reached your limits, and recognize when you need a break. I know I'm going to need a break after this. I'm going to need time to relax, recuperate, and rekindle the spark for productivity.<br />
So, I'm not giving up, but I'm recognizing my own limitations. Christmas break is going to be an actual break. Stay tuned for updates on my progress, and we'll see where we stand on December 1st.<br />
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Until next time,<br />
E.K. Broich<br />
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Something fun: Harry Potter rapping to the alphabet. Enjoy!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6807628277863576208.post-41194089720960657862014-10-13T10:43:00.000-04:002014-10-13T10:43:56.100-04:00IT'S HERE!!! The Guardians of Light, Book Two: The Land of Sand and SeaSo a couple of days ago, when I said give me a week or two before Book Two is officially released...turns out I didn't even need three days. I am BEYOND happy to announce the official release of <i>The Guardians of Light, Book Two: The Land of Sand and Sea</i>, available in paperback and ebook (for the Kindle). I'm so, so, SO excited to have the second installment of <i>The Guardians </i>trilogy complete. It's taken several years longer than I originally had hoped to finish it, but I don't think it would be quite as put together had I released it sooner. There are so many people to thank for helping me along the way, but my family most of all, who have been living with this for eleven years now. I hope you all enjoy Book Two, and know that Book Three will NOT take so long to be released ;) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlbiWpwkhRpEEaJp5qttnJzta6V1UmDwWMSx_7mg2M42JUXGBeaNPtiRjmMxzeyv473b8tdxsJKGr4FnCUYkJHMd1wMfba8nnui4ZO5k8lBvDkRjNSXUPVGOib2dJ8YGBKQu09jieyNdu/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlbiWpwkhRpEEaJp5qttnJzta6V1UmDwWMSx_7mg2M42JUXGBeaNPtiRjmMxzeyv473b8tdxsJKGr4FnCUYkJHMd1wMfba8nnui4ZO5k8lBvDkRjNSXUPVGOib2dJ8YGBKQu09jieyNdu/s1600/cover.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></div>
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Click on the links below to purchase YOUR copy of Book Two, and keep an eye out for updates about Book Three, which will be coming to you in 2015. <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Guardians-Light-Book-Volume/dp/1502794535/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413210239&sr=8-1&keywords=E.K.+Broich" target="_blank">Amazon Paperback</a><br />
<span id="goog_1920856785"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1920856786"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Guardians-Light-Book-Land-Sand-ebook/dp/B00OG0W210/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1413210239&sr=8-2&keywords=E.K.+Broich" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle</a></span><br />
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Until next time!<br />
E.K. Broich<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6807628277863576208.post-10319887561994053032014-10-11T23:33:00.000-04:002014-10-11T23:33:55.656-04:00Back Cover and Blurb!!Hi all! It's coming...we're so close!! As promised, here is the back cover design, complete with book blurb. We are literally just DAYS away from the release of <em>The Guardians of Light, Book Two: The Land of Sand and Sea</em>, so stay tuned...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlMzLAaG7t63pDo6EeHIq_MzGupv3xTrNz3leAW9DPp2jLRkXYRJfzr4MmRmj0sGZpj0B9jHYaOUb5gnStUU-CqM16If4zbZ6CHD9OLpl7aE3aRke9l7-efvvK-dL0NjoUG9pBib2Ag2K/s1600/Book+2+Back+Cover+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlMzLAaG7t63pDo6EeHIq_MzGupv3xTrNz3leAW9DPp2jLRkXYRJfzr4MmRmj0sGZpj0B9jHYaOUb5gnStUU-CqM16If4zbZ6CHD9OLpl7aE3aRke9l7-efvvK-dL0NjoUG9pBib2Ag2K/s1600/Book+2+Back+Cover+2.jpg" height="640" width="433" /></a></div>
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The next time I write, it will be to announce Book Two's release.</div>
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Until then!</div>
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E.K. Broich</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6807628277863576208.post-30271870353934277202014-09-18T11:14:00.000-04:002014-09-18T11:14:43.478-04:00Book Two Cover Reveal!!Hello all! So, yes, I promised you a book by now, but it's obvious that deadlines haven't really been working out for me. So here's what I'm going to do instead...no more deadlines. I WILL promise that it will be out SOON (interpret that as you will), and I will also keep you posted on my progress so that you know that it IS being worked on and it IS coming. Since you have all been so patient with me and this whole process, I'm going to give you an extra special treat today to renew your faith that this book will be released soon, and that I haven't just been taking you for a ride this whole time. <i>The Guardians of Light, Book Two: The Land of Sand and Sea</i> has a front cover, and you (my loyal blog readers/Facebook followers) get to see it first!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMsoStoFu9s5M5n8_uYhIhQZz1u74NTvVy3PFjo2TGXrDI7Kb5NE4mRTh3rsDowDf7pAmrwcjImcbfB4v68WweRPNec8buKu_eWCQHUhvCaj9VVwEuEcyRQ4Mw5DEw9P3_xhgigsoqV3r/s1600/Book+2+Front+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMsoStoFu9s5M5n8_uYhIhQZz1u74NTvVy3PFjo2TGXrDI7Kb5NE4mRTh3rsDowDf7pAmrwcjImcbfB4v68WweRPNec8buKu_eWCQHUhvCaj9VVwEuEcyRQ4Mw5DEw9P3_xhgigsoqV3r/s1600/Book+2+Front+Cover.jpg" height="640" width="492" /></a></div>
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See? THINGS ARE HAPPENING! Stay tuned in the next week for the back cover, and the synopsis of book two! <br />
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Until then!<br />
<br />
E.K. Broich<br />
<span id="goog_1035708521"></span><span id="goog_1035708522"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6807628277863576208.post-78455879134695361232014-09-02T14:32:00.000-04:002014-09-02T14:32:20.068-04:00New Excerpt to Tide You Over Until the Release of Book Two!<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Hello my wonderful readers, who I'm sure have been patiently waiting for me to climb back out of my hole with an update on Book Two. So here we go. Remember when I said that I would release book two at the end of August, OR early September? Well, I have good and bad news. The bad news: it's going to be early September (hopefully) because LIFE people...because life. I've been swamped with new job/family/friend events the past several weeks (all of which are good things...but really take away from the precious little free time I possess). But there is good news! The book IS coming (I promise) and it's coming SOON!! Really, this is just more time for those of you who haven't finished Book One to catch up. Until then, however, here is another excerpt from <em>The Guardians of Light, Book Two: The Land of Sand and Sea </em>to hold you over until the full thing is done...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">When Kandin finally woke, Andreena was looking down at him.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">“How long have I been out?” he yawned.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">She shrugged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“A
couple of hours.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">“The others will probably be wondering where we are,” he
groaned as he sat up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Andreena shook her head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“They know we’re down here, and they know where to go to reach the
bottom of the cliff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll meet them
there.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Kandin frowned at her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“How do you know that?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">“Arnes spoke to me.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She pointed to her head.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">“Isn’t she…?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Andreena shrugged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Her mind is powerful, and she can tap into her powers even in her
present state.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Kandin nodded, pretending to understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was tired of looking like an idiot in
front of her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With another quick
stretch, he stood.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">“Shall we go then?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Andreena smiled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Grabbing her hands, Kandin helped her stand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was then he noticed the dry blood coating
her left palm.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">“Are you okay?” he asked, turning both of her hands
carefully to see the extent of the damage.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">“It’s fine,” she said with a blush.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She pulled her hands away and began
moving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kandin blinked, surprised by her
strange reaction to his concern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He quickly
followed after her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a short time
of walking, however, he began to grow tired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The further they went, the more exhausted he became.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After about an hour, he stumbled and dropped
to his knees.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">“Kandin!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andreena
knelt next to him, and when he started falling forward, she reached out and grabbed
his shoulders to hold him up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What’s
wrong?”<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">“I’m…so…tired,” he gasped.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">“I was afraid of this,” she sighed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">“Afraid of what?” he panted.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">“That blast you emitted to save us was too powerful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With your limited training, there was little
chance you could control it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It drained
you…could have <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">killed </i>you!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You need more time to rest.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">“Good to know that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">now</i>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He still struggled to catch his breath.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">“Are you going to be okay?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You’re not going to pass out again, are you?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andreena put her hand on Kandin’s cheek to
hold his head up so she could study him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Her other hand stayed on his shoulder, keeping him upright.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">His heart skipped a beat as he met Andreena’s eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her face was so close to his, he could have
leaned forward and kissed her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
thought didn’t help his breathing at all.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">“I’m fine,” he murmured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“We can keep going.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Instead of scolding him as he expected her to, Andreena
smiled and softly said, “You amaze me sometimes, Kandin.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">He couldn’t fight a grin, but didn’t say anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He kept his eyes locked on hers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her hand was still on his cheek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As if pulled by an invisible tether, they
began to lean in closer to each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just as Kandin began to close his eyes, hers went wide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She quickly turned her face away and shot
backwards, removing her hands from his face and shoulder as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without her supporting him, he slumped
forward onto the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kandin groaned
into the dirt.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6807628277863576208.post-28417281281015652062014-07-17T21:37:00.001-04:002014-07-17T21:41:54.657-04:00Excerpt from "The Guardians of Light, Book Two: The Land of Sand and Sea" and New Character Reveal!<div style="text-align: left;">
Hey all! A deal's a deal. In celebration of reaching 100 Facebook likes, here is an exciting new excerpt from <i>The Guardians of Light, Book Two: The Land of Sand and Sea</i>! But first, a little intro to the awesome new character revealed within...</div>
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His name is Mirfio, and he's unlike anything Anoera has ever seen before. His eerie yellow eyes, fangs, and claws are the only things that indicate he is <i>more </i>than human. But what is he exactly? What does he want? And what kind of history do he and Andreena share? Find out in <i>The Guardians of Light, Book Two</i>, but in the meantime, here's a little sneak peek at the newest threat to Kandin and his friends... </div>
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<div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When the
sun was directly above them, and hunger was gnawing at their bellies, Andreena
would not let them stop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Do
you plan on <i>starving</i> us to death?” Bandin
snapped.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Andreena
ignored him, continuing to walk at the front of the group. Kandin was following directly behind her…and
nearly ran into her back when she came to a sudden stop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Hey,
careful!” he growled.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">She
didn’t seem to hear him. Her body had gone
rigid, and she was as still as stone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Andreena? Are you okay?” Kandin frowned, moving around
so he could see her face. Her eyes were
wide, her mouth was gaping, and her cheeks had turned white. “Andreena?”
He reached out a hand to touch her shoulder, but she was gone before he
even realized she had moved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Where
did she go?” Kandin cried, frantically searching the area for her. How could she have simply <i>vanished</i> like that? Had something taken her? She had been <i>right in front of him</i> seconds ago…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Up
there!” Shaena exclaimed, pointing towards the treetops. Kandin gazed up, and spotted Andreena
crouched low on a large branch high above him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“How
in the world…?” Bandin gasped, craning his neck to gawk up at her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“She’s
been holding back…hiding her abilities from us.
She doesn’t have to anymore now that we know she’s an Immortal,” Shaena
muttered, stunned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“You
mean she <i>jumped</i> up there?” Kandin breathed in awe. Andreena, like a cat, peered off into the distance,
and then suddenly disappeared again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Come
on!” Shaena shouted, breaking into a run.
“We need to follow her!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Kandin
briefly wondered how they’d even <i>find</i>
her, but then saw her blurry figure appear on another branch before
disappearing again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">At
that moment, Andreena had completely forgotten about the others. Something was in the air. A scent, a <i>power </i>she recognized…but it
couldn’t be right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This
dark power,</span></i><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> she thought.
<i>It can’t be </i>him<i>…it’s impossible. </i>She continued to race towards the source
of the power she sensed, anxiety and dread making her stomach queasy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Andreena
came to a halt when she was directly above the cause of the disturbance she
felt. Jumping out of the trees, she did
one flip, and landed neatly on the ground.
She slowly raised her head, and then stumbled back in shock.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Within
seconds, Kandin and the others burst from the trees behind her. Kandin came to a sliding stop when he spotted
what had startled Andreena. Nearly
twenty large demons stood before them in a line, snarling at them. A giant black warhorse pawed the ground
impatiently in front of the demons, but it was the beast’s rider that proved
the most menacing sight. It appeared to
be a man, not much older than Kandin himself, but he wasn’t a man…not
really…but he also didn’t appear to be a demon.
He was something else, something Kandin had never seen before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">He was
cloaked in blood red and was handsome, but in an inhumane, almost frightening
way. He had yellow eyes, slitted like a
cat, and wild black hair that had undertones of deep red. His ears were pointed, and small fangs
glinted between his lips as he smirked at them.
No, he definitely wasn’t human…but Kandin wasn’t sure <i>what</i> he was.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Kandin
looked from the rider to Andreena. She
was staring, wide-eyed, at the strange creature.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Mir…Mirfio?”
she finally stammered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Hello
Andreena,” the man said in a cool, deep voice.
“It’s been a long time.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Wait…you
<i>know</i> this guy?” Kandin blurted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Andreena
ignored him. “Mirfio…is it…is it really you?” Her voice was a hesitant whisper. She took a step forward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“It’s
me, Andreena,” Mirfio nodded, dropping from his horse. He began walking towards them…his eerie
yellow eyes locked on her. Kandin,
Shaena, and Bandin each stepped back, but Andreena stepped forward again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Mirfio,”
she breathed his name.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> “Andreena, what are you doing?” Kandin demanded to know
when she took yet another step towards Mirfio.
<i>What is going on?</i> Kandin thought, his heart racing.<i> Why won’t she move away? </i>He
didn’t know what to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Mirfio
walked right up to Andreena and stopped when he was directly in front of
her. She had to tilt her head back to
meet his gaze. They stood silently,
staring at each other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Mirfio…I
thought…I thought you were…thought you were dead!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Dead? How could I be dead, when <i>you</i> are still alive?” the creature murmured.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“What
do you…?” Andreena began. Suddenly,
Mirfio’s hands shot out and he grasped her shoulders, cutting off her question.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Andreena!”
Kandin cried in alarm, lurching towards them.
Before he could reach the pair, however, Mirfio slowly leaned in to
Andreena…and kissed her. Her eyes went
wide in surprise, but then she closed them and returned the kiss, reaching up
to clutch his shoulders with her fingers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“An…Andreena?”
Kandin gasped in disbelief. Pain seared
his chest, and it felt as if his heart was being ripped apart. His legs all of the sudden felt weak, and he
slowly crumpled to his knees as he watched the two embrace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“What…what
is she <i>doing</i>?” he heard Shaena ask in
shock.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“She’s
lost her mind,” came Bandin’s dumbfounded reply.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Finally,
after what seemed like eons to Kandin, Mirfio broke the kiss and stared down at
Andreena. He wrapped one arm around her
shoulders, pressing her tightly to his chest, and let his other hand drop to
his side.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Mirfio,
I’ve missed you so much,” Andreena admitted in a pained voice. Her eyes shimmered with tears, and she gazed
up at him looking very much like she was…in love. Kandin felt like he was going to vomit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“I’m
here now, Andreena…after all this time, I finally have you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Something
in Mirfio’s tone raised the hairs on the back of Kandin’s neck. He fought back his crushing disappointment to
try and understand what it was that seemed so off about the creature’s words…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Mirfio
squeezed Andreena tighter, and she buried her face against his chest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“I was
afraid I would never see you again!” she sobbed. “All these years, I’ve wanted so desperately
for you to be alive…to find you. I’ve
wanted to apologize to you so badly for…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Betraying
me?” Mirfio finished in a cold, flat voice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Andreena’s
head shot up, and she gaped at him. Then
she screamed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“ANDREENA!”
Kandin roared, shoving to his feet as her arms fell away from Mirfio. The creature released his hold on her and
shoved her backwards, yanking a long, bloody dagger from her belly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">She
flew back, slamming into Kandin, who caught her in his arms. The impact threw him off balance, and he
stumbled, falling to the ground. He
twisted so his body absorbed the impact, and clutched Andreena to him
protectively.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Andreena!”
Shaena cried, and he heard her and Bandin run towards them. The demons watched, snarling and growling in
excitement over the bloodshed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Kandin
sat up, gently cradling Andreena in his lap.
Her eyes were closed, and her torso was soaked with her blood. Frantically, but attempting not to hurt her
in his panic, Kandin laid a hand over her wound to try and staunch the flow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Andreena? Please, wake up,” he whispered, terrified
that her eyes remained closed. “You’re
gong to be okay. Please…just <i>wake up</i>.” Her heartbeat was weak, and his hand was soon
drenched.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Finally,
with a tiny gasp, she cracked open her eyelids.
Kandin’s relief was short-lived, however, when her gaze landed, not on
him, but on <i>Mirfio</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Wh…why?”
she stuttered weakly, tears running down her cheeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Mirfio
smirked as he sheathed the dagger. It was
still covered in her blood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Idiot,”
he hissed. Then, he clenched his jaw and
his eyes turned fiery with fury. He bellowed,
“It’s your own fault! <i>You</i> are the one who turned your back on <i>me</i>!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> “I…I said…I was…sorry,” Andreena moaned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Mirfio
glared at her. “<i>Sorry</i>? That’s all you can
say to me? When I needed you most, you <i>betrayed</i> me! The <i>only
</i>thing that has kept me going, that has given me <i>any</i> sort of will to live, has been the thought of <i>killing </i>you. We are far beyond <i>sorry</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Don’t
you dare talk to her like that,” Kandin spoke with quiet ferocity. Rage burned in him like a wildfire, scorching
his insides and blocking all but one thought from his mind...making Mirfio pay.
Andreena peered up at Kandin, and was
shocked to see the fierceness of his expression. He glanced down at her briefly, but then
focused all of his attention back on Mirfio.
“I swear to you, if she dies, New Opitimass will seem more merciful than
me.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Mirfio
appeared momentarily taken aback, but then shrugged Kandin’s threat away. “What’s this?” he grinned evilly at Andreena. “Have you already snared another’s
heart?” He looked away from her and
addressed Kandin with a sneer. “I would
be careful of her if I were you,” the creature warned mockingly. “She will rip it right out of your chest if
you give her the opportunity.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“I’ll
take my chances,” Kandin growled. Andreena
tried to turn her head back to look up at Kandin, but she was too weak. She slumped over, her eyes closing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> Kandin felt her body grow heavier. He shook her gently, then slightly harder
when she made no response. “Andreena? <i>Andreena</i>!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Mirfio’s
look of satisfaction broke the last of Kandin’s control over his fury. “I hope she dies and rots in…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Kandin
suddenly appeared inches from Mirfio’s face.
Andreena lay on the ground behind him.
The creature was too stunned to immediately react. Kandin grabbed his collar, and lifted Mirfio
off of his feet. “If she dies, I will <i>tear you apart</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Instead
of appearing afraid, Mirfio smiled savagely.
“Then <i>start tearing</i>. She’s as good as dead, and if you kill me, Andreena
and I can live together in oblivion <i>forever</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Kandin’s
grip on Mirfio tightened. His rage was
all-consuming, and in that moment, something snapped inside of him. His power shifted…grew heavier…darker…<i>stronger</i>… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> “What’s this?” Mirfio calmly observed, sensing the change. Kandin clenched his teeth, and tightened his
grip further.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> “If she dies…” His eyes turned bright red, and his power swirled
around them like a wind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“What’s
happening to Kandin?” Shaena asked, bewildered.
Bandin shook his head, and stared at his best friend wide-eyed…and
fearful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Kandin
relished the familiar sensation of power pusling through his body, but that
wasn’t all he was feeling. Something was
happening. Something new. It started as a soft thumping in his chest, but
the beat slowly increased until his heart pounded against his ribs so hard, he
thought his chest would burst. It was as
if something inside was breaking, and some strange substance was leaking out to
mix with the power soaring though him. It
burned differently, and felt toxic, but strangely glorious at the same time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> “Look!” Shaena exclaimed.
“Look at Kandin’s eyes! They’re turning
<i>black</i>!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Apparently,
his internal transformation was becoming a physical one as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“What <i>are</i> you?” Mirfio asked with curioustiy. There was still no trace of fear in his voice…which
only angered Kandin more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">An excrutiating
pain suddenly shot through his whole body, and he dropped Mirfio with a cry. He clutched his head in his hands as his
skull began to throb, feeling like it would split in two. Shaena and Bandin helplessly watched in horror
as Kandin began to scream in agony. He pulled
his hands away, and saw his fingernails start to lengthen and sharpen into…claws. His teeth pierced his lips as they grew into
small, sharp fangs. He threw his head
back and roared. The demons, in a
frenzy, answered it with roars of their own.
They quickly took to flight, panicked and terrified, leaving Mirfio
alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“What’s
happening?” Bandin cried.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“I
don’t know!” Shaena replied, horrified.
“But whatever it is, I don’t think Kandin can fight it!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Is he
even <i>trying </i>to?” Bandin shouted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Growing
overwhelmed, Kandin tried to control the change, but it was too powerful. <i>Why is this happening? Where is this coming from?</i> he thought desperately. He felt something tugging at his mind, trying
to pull him towards a darkness that he knew he would never escape... </span></div>
<br />
<br />
Hope you enjoyed it! Keep an eye on the Facebook page for more updates and news!<br />
<br />
E.K. Broich</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6807628277863576208.post-34903296572059540392014-06-25T13:03:00.000-04:002014-06-25T13:06:27.684-04:00The Guardians of Light, Book One: The Betrayer (Second Edition)<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hello my very patient and understanding readers! I know it has been WAY to long since I last posted, but I promise, the long absence has been a productive one. To start with, though, I unfortunately did not finish the first book of <em>The Fire Crystal Chronicles</em> like I was hoping I would. Between graduation, moving, and preparing for my new job, the time just wasn't there. HOWEVER, I was not completely idle during the past few weeks. I received a jolt of motivation to work on <em>The Guardians</em>. It happened when I found out that a kid I used to babysit for, who goes to my old middle school, found my first book in the library. He didn't know I wrote it, but he saw the title, was interested, and started reading it. Apparently, he LOVED it, and told his mom (who then told him it was my book...really, though, I don't always look at the author of what I'm reading). That really brought my attention back to the trilogy, which I have been diligently working on ever since. And, I am happy to announce, everything is on track for the release of the second book in late August, early September. In the meantime, though, in anticipation of the rest of the trilogy coming out, I am happy to announce the release of the SECOND EDITION of <em>The Guardians of Light, Book One: The Betrayer</em>. The whole book has been re-edited and updated, with a lot of rewriting in Part One (the story ends up the same place, but the journey is a little different). It even has a brand new cover!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm very excited about the new release, and hope you all enjoy the changes! A Kindle edition will be available soon as well, and I will keep you all posted as to when that is ready. Also, if you want a copy of the First Edition of <em>The Betrayer,</em> get it while you still can, because they will be going out of circulation soon! All right, that's all for now, but I'll be back soon with more updates and more exciting stuff (perhaps an excerpt of Book Two?) So stay tuned!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">E.K. Broich <em></em></span></div>
<br />
Get your copy of <em>The Betrayer, 2nd Edition</em> here! <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Guardians-Light-Betrayer-Volume/dp/1499780303/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1403715092&sr=8-2&keywords=the+guardians+of+light+book+one">The Betrayer, 2nd Edition</a> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6807628277863576208.post-79947441367671969052014-05-01T17:01:00.000-04:002014-06-25T22:36:56.066-04:00Camp NaNoWriMo Success!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCiZ0VWHjtTeO8B1rTIBzw4pFcMHw0XghIOq_SU86tz58tzHJtnFj4GOGUe4fGTh4ohMqCBfV8Z54UOcf4PPhK_AAyNwlt1jWVwKurjkR1SfsDl_c0lXoNcmNkLLiQ8vWb3Koj2s0ivoYP/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCiZ0VWHjtTeO8B1rTIBzw4pFcMHw0XghIOq_SU86tz58tzHJtnFj4GOGUe4fGTh4ohMqCBfV8Z54UOcf4PPhK_AAyNwlt1jWVwKurjkR1SfsDl_c0lXoNcmNkLLiQ8vWb3Koj2s0ivoYP/s1600/Untitled.jpg" height="235" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">IT'S OVER!! I completed the April session of Camp NaNoWriMo with a total of 52,322 words!! I have never written so much in such a short amount of time before. It was an exhausting process, but one that I just might repeat in July to start the second installment of the Fire Crystal Chronicles. Now, while I did complete the 50,000 words in a month challenge, the book itself is not complete. I'm about nine chapters away from the end, I think, so my new goal is to FINISH the book by the end of this month (May). This goal-setting thing is awesome, but I really think it is the fact that I'm holding myself accountable through this blog and Facebook and what-not that really pushed me in the last few days of the challenge to really dig in and get it done. I through on my playlist of choice, locked myself in my room, and went to town. It was exhausting, and I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who actually cares about their health and sanity. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Had I come at this book the same way I did with the Trilogy, I don't think would have gotten my 50,000 words. There were a few things that I did before starting this challenge that I think really helped me complete it, and I think are universally usable tips for anyone trying to write a novel and/or series. For any other aspiring authors out there in need of a few organizational goals, below are my top three tips for keeping you story from becoming a jumbled mess in your own head.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1. PLOT. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This may sound like an obvious one, but it's definitely worth mentioning anyway. When I first started<em> The Guardians</em>, I had the destination in mind, and some of the major points in the story, but I had no details worked out ahead of time, or previous development of the plot. This is probably one of the reasons it took me 10 YEARS to write all three books. With<em> The Fire Crystal Chronicles</em>, however, I started plotting the crap out of them. I have the main storyline for all nine books (that's right...NINE) worked out, and have started going through the main points in overarching subplots of the books. The first book was completely plotted, in a fair amount of detail, before I started writing, and I'm almost done doing the same for the second book. It has mad the process SO MUCH EASIER. And faster. That's not to say that everything is set in stone, because writing is a process that can take on a life of its own. I've had to make adjustments to fit in new ideas, and add chapters because I underestimated how long one section would be. Because I plotted ahead of time, however, I've found it way easier to move the puzzle pieces around and fix things then when I was trying to keep all of the elements I was coming up with on the spot arranged in my head.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2. WRITE THINGS DOWN.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMiESjeeU_le4YxN6loAIbZ4kKhAFOZGHiCutmfhGiJCY8u3jzLFeR9Ux4xKvKzJhS6YFVvotzh4ZFYTj4xhVN3_1GgZw-hGv_V81hLToiZDJFPxUtce4UKSP5r-hgYJViE7Y4aW-Lv7p/s1600/5fe97dcbb81ff62fe7f26be55f1c90f5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMiESjeeU_le4YxN6loAIbZ4kKhAFOZGHiCutmfhGiJCY8u3jzLFeR9Ux4xKvKzJhS6YFVvotzh4ZFYTj4xhVN3_1GgZw-hGv_V81hLToiZDJFPxUtce4UKSP5r-hgYJViE7Y4aW-Lv7p/s320/5fe97dcbb81ff62fe7f26be55f1c90f5.jpg" height="246" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have a notebook. This notebook is my life, because it has every idea I have ever had about <em>The Fire Crystal Chronicles </em>written inside it. I have another notebook for <em>The Guardians</em>, which isn't as detailed or filled with random thoughts, but it was still my lifeline when I was writing the books. Write your ideas down, in any way that you can. Use a paper and pencil, a word processor, text, Tweet, or email yourself, but WRITE THEM DOWN. If you have a brilliant idea as your going to bed, and don't bother to write it down because you are so confident you'll remember it in the morning, YOU WON'T! That idea will leave you and never come back. It also will help you from having to search your manuscript over and over for some tiny detail, like a random character's eye color, if you have it noted somewhere that is more easily accessible. Again, for the sake of emphasis, WRITE YOUR IDEAS DOWN.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3. TELL OTHER PEOPLE YOUR GOALS.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It's one thing to set a goal for yourself, that you're going to commit to writing so many words in a certain amount of time, but if you're the only one holding yourself accountable, it's probably not going to work. It's way to easy to let yourself slide on your goals, but if you tell other people, it's a lot harder to back down from a deadline. That's why I didn't keep it a secret when I started the April challenge. I blogged about it, I put it on Facebook and Twitter, I told my friends and family...I surrounded myself with accountability. People were cheering me on and were excited for me. It wasn't just a challenge that I wanted to complete to prove to myself I could do it, but to prove to everyone else I could as well. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So, there you are...three tips to help you be more successful in your writing. These aren't hard and fast rules, mind you, and you can take them or leave them as you see fit. They've worked for me, however, and I think they could work for other people as well. It's been a long month, with tons of words on pages, but I'm really glad that I pushed myself to finish, even when I didn't think I'd be able to do it. Now I just have to keep the momentum going and finish! (But first I need to finish my finals :P)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Until next time,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">E. K. Broich</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">P.S. To end things on a fun note, the amount of awesome I'm feeling right now can only be matched by Emma Stone lip sync battling Jimmy Fallon.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6807628277863576208.post-79821600786037531672014-04-23T13:33:00.000-04:002014-06-25T22:36:28.540-04:00Camp NaNoWriMo Update 2...and 3!<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Soooooo, due to even <em>more</em> technical difficulties last week (screw you Movie Maker!), I'm one post behind and shelving the video idea for now (currently contemplating video editing software purchase despite poorness). Long story short, we're back to me writing...because I'm not doing enough of that. Anyway, let's talk about camp and how insane I am for starting this craziness. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpMINzdfUZvarWuoffALz8vDlVYcFls2VwQOlshTh35ea3B8eIYhqFYAnzQ0XAZnzpJ9T_kgSGsWmwOi6Dn4U1OVVhRbCxmnT2zh8leEAVK9J1JKQSMU_VqtRcaZOI8TluR86q1c0CNSO/s1600/funny-pictures-cat-has-writers-bloc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpMINzdfUZvarWuoffALz8vDlVYcFls2VwQOlshTh35ea3B8eIYhqFYAnzQ0XAZnzpJ9T_kgSGsWmwOi6Dn4U1OVVhRbCxmnT2zh8leEAVK9J1JKQSMU_VqtRcaZOI8TluR86q1c0CNSO/s1600/funny-pictures-cat-has-writers-bloc.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The official word count as of right this second is 28,457. And for all you non-math people out there, that means that I have fallen behind, and am currently trying to claw my way back on schedule. I knew this was going to be a challenge, but I think I underestimated my business this month (which was just stupid of me). However, I'm not giving up! One way or another, this sucker is getting done. I may be scraping the bottom of the motivation barrel, but I'm going to push through, even if it kills me! (Okay, not even if it kills me...this is a novel we're talking about...calm down)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Speaking of motivation/inspiration, I would like to share with you some things that rev my writing engine, to give you just a little glimpse into how my mind works during this process (Warning: my mind is a twisted, confusing maze of nonsense that can both terrify and baffle...proceed with caution).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">First off, music! Most authors will have a specific playlist, song, or album that they set on repeat as they are working. For me, most of the time I don't actually like music to be playing as I write because it either causes me to break out into song, dance, or kickboxing, none of which cause me to be very productive. However, every once and awhile, I do need to listen to something to spark the motivation, because when I think of my story, I think of it as a movie...and every good movie has a soundtrack. For the trilogy, it was Evanescence all day, ever day (I was in middle school, and it was the 90's...back off). For this series, I have stumbled upon a few songs that hype me up, but one in particular is really sticking out (this week, anyway). Fallout <em>Boy's My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up</em>). There's a really great scene in <em>Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters</em>, where this song is playing during a really awesome obstacle course scene. Ever since I saw that, I've been addicted to the song, and every time I listen to it, I want to create scenes just as awesome as the <em>Percy Jackson </em>one. We'll see if it lasts, but I can listen to that on repeat over and over again without getting sick of it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Second, movie trailers! This one might be just me, but watching movie trailers, especially epic movie trailers, is super effective for kicking my butt into gear. Again, because I envision my stories in move form as I write them, I like to try and imagine what the trailer would be like, which then makes me want to get it written to increase its chances of actually being made into a movie in the distant future. It's a stretch, but it works!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazGts6NTKF1e8JBc6Htcgxb4PAGJWF5WYTeBsThXse4D1SsG-8LsBgGcGJzj46-GWQLC4pTjKrt3aaNvim7T8SPJgOg0MPIz8CHgp0STDzC4ycfugZqFdFu5Cy4Ps99dUSPY0hmZOP_9E/s1600/game+of+thrones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazGts6NTKF1e8JBc6Htcgxb4PAGJWF5WYTeBsThXse4D1SsG-8LsBgGcGJzj46-GWQLC4pTjKrt3aaNvim7T8SPJgOg0MPIz8CHgp0STDzC4ycfugZqFdFu5Cy4Ps99dUSPY0hmZOP_9E/s1600/game+of+thrones.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Third, other books! Currently, its the <em>A Song of Ice and Fire </em>series <em>(Game of Thrones</em>). SO AWESOME!! Except I'm kind of stuck in <em>A Feast for Crows</em>, which is by far the slowest of the books because none of the really great characters are even in it! But, that's not the point. The really great thing about this series is that it has the TV show to accompany it. When I first started reading it, however, I immediately felt inadequate as a fantasy writer, but now I'm trying to up my game and improve my own writing because of it. Not that I will EVER be up to George R.R. Martin's </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> standards, but he makes me work to be a better writer myself. Still good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">At the end of the day, though, it's the fact that I <em>want </em>the story told that keeps driving me to write it. I have this thing all bottle up inside me, and it's begging to be released. That's the real reason I'm fighting my way through this (that, and I hate not finishing things). I won't stop until the story is fully told.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Stay tuned for more updates as the month winds itself down. There will probably be a few yet in the last few days as I drive myself insane trying to get this project done. If any of you have any suggestions for inspiration, or want to help me by pumping me up, leave me a little something down in the comments section. Please and thank you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Until next time,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">E. K. Broich</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6807628277863576208.post-78254713681356885162014-04-11T12:26:00.000-04:002014-04-11T12:26:26.869-04:00NaNoWriMo April Challenge<div style="text-align: left;">
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It took FOREVER but I finally managed to get this sucker posted. Originally, I had planned on putting it up on the 8th, but due to technical difficulties (<em>curse you Movie Maker!</em>), it is getting posted now. Enjoy! </div>
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*Update as of 4/11/2014 at 12:08pm: Official word count = 18,848 (word count subject to change at any given minute due to my own motivation, of lack thereof)<br />
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Want to try one of the month-long challenges? Visit the <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo Website</a> to learn more!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6807628277863576208.post-28450991780732651222014-04-01T12:55:00.000-04:002014-06-25T22:35:50.289-04:00Introducing "To Anoera and Beyond..."<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgomREk0piwXNS7S5N6xXW1d2F_0h7_ibKze4QtCrHJwHhPT8dpG6a_CEbSFCaYbeHTRNRy6YSDPd7c243KNBKWuUXu16-EKBkG6Pavtxdd6wpBnajNAZr2EeOblzd4YoYKzCXsrebc4SSO/s1600/book+cover+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgomREk0piwXNS7S5N6xXW1d2F_0h7_ibKze4QtCrHJwHhPT8dpG6a_CEbSFCaYbeHTRNRy6YSDPd7c243KNBKWuUXu16-EKBkG6Pavtxdd6wpBnajNAZr2EeOblzd4YoYKzCXsrebc4SSO/s1600/book+cover+2.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a>When I was fourteen years old, I was watching my cousin play a video game...and I was bored (I wanted to play). It was one of those tournament fighting games that doesn't have a real storyline, so, in my boredom, I made one up for some of the characters. As the story began developing in my head, I began to write down some of the details. Then I started typing it out. Eventually, I was planning a whole trilogy, and so <em>The Guardians of Light </em>was born. I finished the first book, <em>The Betrayer</em>, in a year (Christmas break to Christmas break), and then had kind of a "now what?" moment. I knew I wanted to publish it, but didn't know how to do that, so I started doing some research. What I found out was I had pretty much no chance of publication without an agent...and at the time, I was to impatient to find an agent (I'm still pretty impatient). And then I discovered self-publishing. It was a lot more work, but I thought it would be worth it. So, I set about preparing the first book for publishing. I edited it, and had others edit it as well. I found a print-on-demand company that I thought would solve all my publishing problems (they had a dog for a mascot at the time, which really drew me). I learned how to draw (kind of) so that I could design the cover and illustrations myself. I did all this while maintaining a very busy high school career (volleyball, speech, mock trial, drama, 4-H, golf...the list goes on). In the end, it took me four years before the book was <br />
ready, and I finally self-published it when I was eighteen. I thought that would be the hardest part, and the rest would just fall into place. I was very, VERY wrong.<br />
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I had no marketing skills, and had no platform from which to launch any kind of marketing strategy. I was young, inexperienced, and had entered into a world I wasn't really prepared for. I went to some book talks, and had a signing at my school, but I was basically flailing around in the dark. Then I just kind of...gave up. College started, and life became more demanding. I continued writing, continued working on the other two books, but the fire that had led me to publishing the first one died a bit. The print on demand method was expensive, and I wasn't making any money. It was another four years before I came to my next big decision...I was going to look for an agent.<br />
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I started my agent hunt in the fall of 2013, after going through the first book and editing everything again. I'm still looking, and have done extensive updates to the original manuscript, filling in some plot-holes, and maturing the story. I've done a lot of growing up since I first wrote <em>The Betrayer</em>, so it needed to grow up a bit too. I've learned a lot more in the ten years I've been doing this, and have even considered giving self-publishing another chance if an agent doesn't respond (it's proving difficult to get someone to represent a high-fantasy book in a dystopian saturated market). This blog will be my outlet and my platform. Hopefully, through this, I am able to share the world of <em>The Guardians</em> with a wider audience, and to receive feedback from the people interested in exploring it. So, I hope you stick around for the journey. It's been a long one already, but now it's really going to get interesting.<br />
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E. K. BroichAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0