11/30/2012 Fantastic Friday!

Hello everyone and welcome back. I apologize for the lack of anything on Wednesday, but I seriously just needed a day off from everything. Still do wish I had some time off, but I suppose I'll take what I can get. For now though let's get to work.

Today I bring you 'Fatal Melody' by Aubrey Campbell. It's told from a first-person perspective, which I always find impressive, and is a story about a siren named Liana who has decided she's had enough with killing sailors that come by her island. Each death has weighed on her and she has finally decided that she is finished.

Liana and her sister Callista are bound to the island they live on, and after Liana destroys yet another ship she discovers a survivor and vows to keep him safe. The deaths had always brought a heavy weight to her soul, and now with a man who survived she sees it as fate intervening. She vows to change her ways, who she is, and all that stands in her way is her sister.

I picked this story because the tales of the sirens are a piece of mythology that has lasted for so long, and yet I don't recall hearing how the stories ended. Obviously modern society has moved on from thinking mythical creatures caused storms and shipwrecks, but that's kind of sad if the end to the sirens' story is that we all just out-grew them.

'Fatal Melody' is available on Smashwords for absolutely free and I hope you all get a chance to check it out. I think everyone would enjoy it very much, so please tell your friends and help out the author a little bit.

Thanks everyone for stopping by. I have been working on this blog for, it seems like ever, and it has been a great amount of success for me. After this year's NaNoWriMo however I am beginning to see the limits in what I am able to do. I have already come to the conclusion that next year if a gave I want is coming out at the same time, I can't participate in the contest unless it's something I can wait for. It is with a heavy heart that this blog is also coming up on the list of things I probably shouldn't do as much. I'm not saying I'm done forever, however what I am saying is that I severely need a break for at least a little bit while I heal up. I pushed myself a little too far and while during the writing I thought everything was fine, it was when the muscles came to rest that I discovered otherwise. I will be out for at least the next couple weeks while things calm down. I'll still be available on Twitter @explodingrunes and the facebook pages for 'The Light Rises' and 'Uncrossed Paths'. Thanks so much for all the support, loves and hugs, and I hope you have a nice weekend.

11/26/2012 Magnificent Monday!

Hello everyone and welcome back! I hope the weekend treated you well. Mine was spent with friends while family was with family I wasn't able to visit. It was also spent obsessing over Persona 4: the Golden on my Vita, but let's just be honest and say that we all knew that was going to happen regardless of what happened over the weekend.

NaNoWriMo may be over for me, but there are many of you that are doing the last big push to get in those 50,000 words in by this Thursday. To those of you who are doing that, I bid you the best of luck and happy thoughts. I know it's a tough thing to do and sometimes our bodies give out before our minds do in that regard, but I wanted to let you all know that I'm still cheering you on. It's a momentous undertaking and the fact that anyone is able to focus on something for that long and put that must thought and creativity into it is fantastic. You're all winners to me!

I'm hoping that if nothing else this week will be a little less hectic than the last one. Whenever there is a holiday during the week work gets super crazy because people are trying to get all their things done before the days off. Though now that I think about it, I doubt that will happen at least today because of all the people who are going to be playing catch up, but there's hope, right?

I'm alright trying to determine how long my break is going to be before I jump back into 'Through the Broken Mirror'. I know I want to spend sometime not bringing the laptop to work, mostly because I don't like always dragging my bag around, I just need to figure out how much time that's actually going to be. I think once I got to the 50,000 words mark that I am just under halfway through the story (yeah right, I know it'll end up longer, but I can dream) and while I'm able to work on it at my own, more reasonable pace, I just need to figure out what that pace is going to be. My original plan was to get some of it done before work, however my schedule changes weekly so that may be a bit more difficult.

Also I am still trying to figure out which retailer actually has the new edition up of 'The Light Rises' and which ones don't. I checked on Thursday and Apple DOES have the new edition, however, Sony and Barnes & Noble do not. Smashwords has said all they can really do is keep resending the file, so I have taken it upon myself to contact Barnes and Noble and as them about it. We'll see what they say, or if they say anything, so this is bound to be interesting. I'll keep everyone posted though, because frankly I would like people to be able to see the new edition and not keep getting the old one even if it says it's new. The best way to tell is that on the title page, there will be a list of actual other titles, and not just something that says more will be coming soon. If it has the list of titles it is the new edition, and please tell everyone you know and love. That would be appreciated.

For now though I must be off. I appreciate everyone for stopping by on this Cyber Monday. I've already gotten some good deals and I hope you all have too. I'll be back on Wednesday though, until then I hope you all have a great start to your week!

11/23/2012 Fantastic Friday!

Hello everyone and welcome back on this Friday! If you had the Thanksgiving experience yesterday I hope it was great for everyone and that you had the best of food. If you are among those out Black Friday shopping, I firmly believe you are a crazy person, so that if something I have only done once, will never do again, and also don't have the day off for.

Today I bring you 'Z' by Manuel Alves. It's about a boy who is the last of his kind that is kept in a room by himself and monitors his own security. He wants to know what he is and why he is the way he is, but the only answer he ever gets is 'Z'. He knows he is smarter than everyone else there, but what the scientists don't know is that he has figured out a way to escape his prison.

The reason why I picked this story today is that I am always a fan of stories where the protagonist is seeking freedom. They always have their reasons, and I always find it interesting how they handle the situation they're in. Z is the last of a whole list of children that were created artificially and he is smarter and more skilled than some of the smartest scientists and professors in the facility. He knows he's the last one, and the real worry is why that's the case. So he does what the others before him never did; he figure out how to escape his confined world to freedom.

Z is available on Smashwords for free, so I encourage everyone to check it out. It's relatively short, so maybe you can look it over between Black Fridays stops (though please don't do that while driving to and from those locations) or maybe, because it's free, you can give it to someone as a gift!

Thanks everyone for stopping by today! It looks like some of the links at other retailers are starting to actually work for 'The Light Rises'. I haven't checked Barnes and Noble yet, but I was able to look it up on Apple yesterday, and they DO have the new edition. The way you can tell is that on the title page it will actually have a list of other titles to come. If you see that please spread the links around for me! Until then I'll see everyone on Monday!

11/21/2012 Writing Wednesday!

Hello everyone and welcome back! I hope the week is seeing you all well so far. Mine has been kind of rough, but also productive. I'm hoping that today (and the fact that I have tomorrow off) will make the rest a bit better. We'll see though, at least I have video games to keep me occupied and distracted.

As you may or may not have seen, I got to the 50,000 word total yesterday. Now this is fantastic and I'm super excited to have gotten it completed before my goal, even after the discovery of their math not working right on the NaNoWriMo site. For those who are also participating in NaNoWriMo, the question once you are finished usually is one of wondering where to go from here. This can take a few different directions depending on what your goals are, naturally, so I will bring up the few I can think of off the top of my head here.

The first is to get your work published. Well, start the process of doing so anyway. If you went the short-story route for the month, then there is a strong possibility that your work is done for the initial writing portion of your story. If that is the case then it's time to get editing (after your 'I just got to 50,000 words, I'm going to do whatever I want for a little bit' break that you rightfully deserve) because that is going to take some time. In some cases editing can take just as long, if not longer than the initial writing process simply because of the number of times you have to go over everything and make sure it is 100% perfect. Once that's completed you have to decide if you're going to self publish or go through an agent, which is another ordeal in itself. However you decide to take your story that is up to you and I wish you the best.

The other path you can take is just to finish your work. This is the step I am on, seeing as I used NaNoWriMo this year to start the third book in the trilogy for 'The Light Rises'. Currently the book is (I think) just under halfway completed, and I plan on finishing up the writing portion as soon as I am able. As much as I want to plow through the next 50,000 words, I know that logically I should take a break or at the very least slow down. This is fine because while I am still happy I can pace myself and NaNoWriMo done without absolutely destroying my wrists, I'd rather not push it anymore than I already have. Once you finish your book then it's off to that editing process I mentioned before and then pretty much everything follows the same path from there.

The other option I can think of is to sit on the file and stare at it lovingly with affection and pride because you managed to accomplish a great feat of progress. Not that the people that are doing the other two options aren't going to do the exact same thing, but I also understand that sometimes people participate in the month not because they want to get something published, but so that they can feel the sense of accomplishment that comes along with it. I know and completely understand that there are people who a lack of time to actually get a lot of things done that aren't just associated with the stresses of life, and sometimes just being able to put your focus and attention on something that isn't life is a fantastic achievement. I salute and say congrats to you for being able to grasp onto something and have it mean that much to you. I am a firm advocate in work/life balance and I am incredibly happy for you.

No matter what route you're taking for your work this year, I am happy for everyone that finishes, and even for those that get closer or don't finish. This is a momentous project and sometimes it becomes a little more daunting once you actually start it. The important thing is that you got progress done and that you are proud of your work. Good job everyone, hold that sense of accomplishment up high for the world to see because you have earned every ounce of it.

Thanks so much everyone for stopping by. I will be back Friday for my normal review. I wish I had the day off the avoid everything like the plague it is the day after Thanksgiving, but that is not the case. I will however will bring you a wonderful story to look at! I hope everyone has a great rest of their week and if you celebrate it, a fantastic Thanksgiving!

11/19/2012 Magnificent Monday!

Hello everyone! I welcome you all back and hope you had a great weekend. Mine was short and kind of tiring, but I'm here now and that's what matters. We've made it through the halfway point of the month of November, which means that if you're participating in NaNoWriMo that you should be at around 35,000 words as of today. I wish everyone who's part of this great endeavor the best of luck and all the support in the world. It is a daunting task and I'm sure we'll all make it together.

Sometimes I don't understand how the math on the NaNoWriMo site works, but I suppose that is not my place to question it. Whenever I get closer to the finishing mark it makes it easier and easier for me to see it. For example; when it says you're average words/day is somewhere in the 2300 - 2400 range, and it says you will be done by the 20th, and you have some 5000 words left, that doesn't really add up. So according to them I need to go over my average word-count for two days in a row. I mean, I plan on doing it, but I just don't understand why it doesn't say the 21st.

In other news, I am currently (still) working with the Smashwords IT department to try and figure out why the new edition of 'The Light Rises' still isn't actually available in the other retailers' stores. So far Barnes and Noble is the only one to change the description, which had filled me with hope and joy last week, however last night I decided to check out the sample and discovered that it is still the old file. One of my friends, Elizabeth Marshall (who you may recognize from a couple months ago) has suggested unpublishing and then republishing with just the new edition. I may try that if nothing else works. This is just getting incredibly frustrating seeing as I have been trying get the other locations to actually sell the new edition for now well over a month.

Also, the Holidays are now officially upon us, and while that may bring some of you a sense of dread, I wish to bring you hope. A lot of people have ebooks now, or an app that lets them read them, and for you who want to give a present but may also be a victim of the economy, I give you a coupon! With this coupon you can get 'The Light Rises' through Smashwords (don't worry, that is the right edition) for $1. Just go there and enter coupon code ER65P when you go to check out, and then POOF it'll be $1!

Thanks everyone for stopping by again today. This is bound to be a busy week, so I wish you all the best of luck. I'll be back on Wednesday hopefully victorious and with my Vita in hand so I can play Persona 4: the Golden until I go insane. Until then, have a great start to your week and let the finish month off right!

11/16/2012 Fantastic Friday!

Hello everyone and welcome back! I hope your week has seen you all well. Mine has been quite nice, though today is a little too cold for me. I just want to curl up under a pile of blankets and never move forever. Since that isn't an option though, let's get to business!

Today I bring you 'Grandpa's Genes' by Ted Stetson. It's a little story about a man telling his grand daughter a story of his earlier life. It's something all our grandparents do, but there's something different about this story. This grandfather's story is about how he saved the world from would-be invaders.

There aren't any names given throughout the story, and is just told as the man telling the girl the story from his younger years. He was out fishing one morning when he saw the fleet of ships, all of them different, but like the ones you'd see in movies. He saw the aliens come down, and he knew it was up to him to stop them or else the world would suffer. He managed to take out one before he was taken onto one of the ships to be examined and then interrogated. It was there he was able to show the aliens why invading America would be an absolutely terrible idea.

'Grandpa's Genes' is a nice little story if you just want to read about saving the day. No matter how small or short a story might be, if someone is doing something that makes a big difference it will make you feel better in the end. Since the teller of the story is giving the information to their grand daughter you get a sense for just how important what he did was. It is also free and available on Smashwords.

Thanks everyone for stopping by again. I am in the home stretch for NaNoWriMo, and I am looking forward to it. I hope everyone's progress is going well; remember how we get there isn't the important part, it's getting to the 50,000 words no matter what. I believe in everyone and I will see you back here on Monday!

11/14/2012 Writing Wednesday!

Hello! I'm so sorry this is a late post! Getting some errands done and then my writing and all with a mild migraine made me completely space out! Please forgive me! As a token of my apologies, please have this coupon to get 'The Light Rises' for $1: ER65P.

I have been super busy trying to organize myself to make sure I have time to get all my writing done during the day and still have time to do, pretty much anything else. This year has been tough, but I keep telling myself that I'm almost done and it'll just be a little bit longer, then I won't have to stress as much.

I hope everyone's progress is going well. We'll be at the halfway point tomorrow for the overall month, and I know that doing the 50,000 words in one month is a daunting task, but I'm sure we can all complete it together. It's also apparently National RPG Developing Month, or NagaDemon as that guy I live with keeps calling it (I don't actually know the acronym for it), so if there's anyone working on that too I wish you all the best of luck!

Something that has been working for me during my points of writing fury is going back to the idea of having a soundtrack to work with. Music is a great motivator, but if you focus too much on what your playlist is going to be, can also be a killer. The way I balance this is by picking music that a) doesn't have lyrics and b) is just a complete soundtrack anyone so there's no picking and choosing necessary. At least for me, music helps block out other distractions, and depending on where you're doing a majority of your writing this is incredibly important. For example, a lot of mine is done during my lunch break at work, and there is a TV people like to have on pretty much constantly. So I picked up a pair of headphones and queued up my Dr. Who soundtrack and got ready to go. Does it make me feel a little anti-social during lunch time? Yeah. Do I get a lot of writing done though? Absolutely.

However you write, I am excited for everyone participating this year. I know we can all make it to the 50,000 words together and just keep focused on how awesome it's going to feel to win this year. Be ready to give yourself a present of sorts to pat yourself on the back, and also be ready to take a little break. You will have earned it.

Until Friday though, I hope everyone has a great rest of your week. Again, I'm really sorry about how late this post is. I hope you can all forgive me with that coupon. Thanks again and I'll see you on Friday! Have a great rest of the week!