Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Looking Forward

Time for a Spoonful of Sugar

You never know where the twists and turns of the ever unpredictable journey of life will take you. We just have to deal with what comes around the next bend, keep looking for the positives, and move on. I first found out life doesn't always go as planned when my fiance and I broke up in college--it was a devastating time. But I lived and things worked out. If I hadn't gone through that sorrow, I never would've lived on my own and had crazy adventures with so many new friends who eventually led me to become a writer and somehow get published! (and have a happy family too!)

Now, I have been thrown another curve ball. I mentioned this before, but my publisher is deciding where it is heading--up or out. I've seen many a small publisher thrive, then dive. And authors are the ones who suffer the most. I still believe I can squeak out Windy Hollow as promised. But the fate of my 6 books and any future books will most likely be on hold for a time as I figure out what to do next. Looks like it's back to querying for me! Starting over isn't fun--but sometimes it must be done!

And don't worry, I'll keep you informed. A writer's got to write!

WINDY HOLLOW
scheduled for release:
1/29/19

Still waiting on that Cover...

But LOOK! I made a BOOK TRAILER!


Follow my Youtube Channel!


*** I can always use reviewers. ***
Let me know if you're interested and I'll send you an e-copy.
And if you'd like to review any of my books, 
I'd be happy to mail you a print version--
plus some swag!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~ RECENT EVENTS ~~
Fall had me moving and grooving!


West Virginia Book Festival
So happy to see my wonderful friend and fellow author/really real housewife
Elizabeth Seckman!


Small Business Shopping Fair
A local event--just in time for Christmas sales!
No pics at the event, but I made some special ornaments to give away with my books--
they were a big hit!




I know Christmas is over, but if you'd like one for next year, just ask!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bookishness
Where I answer commonly asked questions and pass on writerly advice... Lately, I have a new fan on Goodreads who's been filling my in-box with awesome questions. I love it! Now, I get to share them with you. The first is my favorite and a multi-question. This section just got more interesting!

BookwormNerdHello Ms. Tyler. I think you are so cool! YOUR BOOKS ARE AMAZING!!! What is your writing process? What is your favorite thing to do, when not writing? What is your favorite color? How did you develop you characters, like Cooper is "Pop Travel" Thank you for your time, you rock!!!

Answer: Thank you for your questions, you are very sweet!
My writing process -- I get a general idea, then I outline a rough plot, then I write a first draft and keep adding details until it's ready to send to my readers who help me polish it.
Favorite thing to do besides writing -- playing card and board games with my family =)
Favorite color -- purple
My main characters are usually a mixture of people I know, characters from books and movies, and a little bit of myself. As the stories progress, they come alive, and I discover more about them than I realized!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What I'm Reading...
  • One of my favorite authors, Christine Rains, recently released, OF GODS AND SORROW, book two in her Demonic Sorrow series. Demons rule!
  • Don't know why I kid myself that I can read two books at once, but I love escaping to different worlds... steadily reading SHADOW WARRIOR, the Mechanica Wars Book 2 by Jay Noel
What I'm Writing...
  • FARTHER ALONG - Still chugging away. As I mentioned, life has been forcing me to pay more attention to it and less on my writing... but I won't give up!
  • GERTRUDE (the Nerdy Princess) UnPrincess novella #4 - I've actually just about finished the rough draft for this, as I've been subbing more--giving me time to write in snippets at school.
  • The 4th POP TRAVEL novel - I'm halfway through this draft as well. Writing in notebooks is easy during a movie I have to watch six times (sub-life) So many twists and turns, I love this series!
  • Crazy as it sounds, an outline for the next BEAST WORLD has taken shape--this one focuses on Ginny and a new daring friend with a sordid past...
Where I'll be...
January
  • At home--settling into our new place, still trying to sell the old one. Wish us luck!
  • January 29 - WINDY HOLLOW Release!!
February
  • February 14 - 7:30-11:30 Author Presentation at Hopewell Junior High School. Life put me in as a sub for the most enthusiastic language arts teacher who was looking for an author to speak at her school. Right place, right time. So looking forward to this talk!
  • February 15/16 - WINDY HOLLOW Release Party. Time & Location TBD. Half Price Books or a coffee shop are tops on the list. Coordinating with my presentation!
March
  • Spring Break looks promising for an event in Georgia. But I'm okay with taking a breather as I look ahead to Summer events.

Wrap up in a cute poncho
(like this one I got from my son's sweet girlfriend-I love her!)
and a cozy story this winter!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


If you like to read, tweet, and help others--join my STREET TEAM!
I treat my team for offering their services and time to sneak peeks, and special swag.
Please fill out this FORM if you're interested.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 



~~ Available for SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS, BOOK CLUBS, and BOOK TALKS ~~

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Lightning and Lemonade

TWO PRINCESSES is here!
I'm so excited to finally release my second Unconventional Princesses novella, TWO PRINCESSES.

Deja was a happy, trouble-making troll, until she was exiled from her home under the mountains for her perilous pranks. Now she must serve a frilly human, Princess Calleah who's locked in a tall tower to keep suitors away. The Two Princesses from opposite sides of the Valley become unlikely friends in their seclusion, but when the time comes for Calleah to fulfill her duty, their bond is put to the test by propriety, princes, and parents. Deja doesn't take any gruff and will give it right back to protect Calleah, no matter the cost.


JOLISSA - An Anti-Princess Story is UnPrincess #1


I'll send a free e-copy of either novella to anyone who asks. And I'm hard at work getting ready to release UnPrincess #3, PRINCESS B. With UnPrincess #4, GERTRUDE in the works.

DISPOSAL has a
Release Date!
November 2017

DISPOSAL - Pop Travel #3
Cooper and Geri are finally in a good place, but their bliss is short-lived. When Cooper's rebellious nephew Jimmy moves in with them for a summer internship, he hits the town hard and thinks he's found the girl of his dreams in an fiery, exotic beauty. Against all words of warning, he pursues her and ends up getting kidnapped by her powerful Drug Lord father. Geri tracks him down, but gets herself kidnapped as well.

Now it's up to Cooper to use all his resources to save them, including the hot homicide detective Geri secretly despises, and the latest sketchy gadgets his genius friend Hasan offers him to field-test. Sure, why not? Cooper will do anything to get his family back.


I'm looking for some Pre-Release Reviews. Please email me if you're interested.
Reviews are the best gift you can give an author.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~ RECENT EVENTS ~~

Happy Summer and Independence Day!

I can't believe summer is already half way over. I love this long break because it gives me mucho time to write, and I've been very productive, as you can see.

But before school ended, I was able to give my author presentation to a rambunctious group of 8th graders. Here's the play they helped me with at the end. It's a little rough, but it was fun and I think they enjoyed it. Plus, I now know how I can improve!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bookishness
Where I answer commonly asked questions and pass on writerly advice...

Q - Who does your covers? Well, covers do catch the eye, don't they? I'm very fortunate that my publisher has wonderful talent and they provide the covers. But I also know a few artists who help me with my self-publishing ventures. One is a college student, and the other is a blog friend. They're awesome and highly trained with loads of experience.

ADVICE - Covers are numero uno! Though I dabble with clip art and sketches and maps to help me with my writing, I can't emphasize enough how much a professional artist is worth the cost. I just write the stories and leave the covers to those with talent. I highly recommend not going amateur on the covers, it shows. But that doesn't mean you can't have a say - make sure the cover meets your expectations. You can compromise, but don't let their vision distort yours. Covers make the first impression to grab their attention, your words seal the deal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July ~ August ~ September

July - Hot & Muggy
I've been going stir-crazy without a summer event. I'm hoping to hear from my July Con soon. But it's okay if I don't because I've dedicated this summer to watching him play baseball since he's going to college in the Fall. But of course, he got injured and is out for the rest of the season... I'll also be sending out letters to schools to try and do some presentations, fingers crossed.

August - Teary-eyed
As I said, I'll be seeing my oldest off at the end of August. I'll be crying melancholy tears, but happy ones too for him to take this huge step. To take my mind off it, I keep writing and I'm hoping to schedule a local event.

September - It's off to work I go.
Windy Hollow should be ready for CPs and Beta Readers by this time. And I'll be going back to work with students. But it's almost Fall, so I'm looking forward to my next son's Senior Football games and several book events!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What I'm Reading...
  • The TOTEM series by Christine Rains - Wrapping up the series with the two final novellas - woot! I'm so honored to be a reader for her!
  • SATURN RUN by John Sandford - my dad said I had to read it. So I picked it up just in time for our vacation. I hope the movie will do it justice... I'll be the judge of that!
What I'm Writing...
  • WINDY HOLLOW - Beast World, Book Three. Almost done typing it up and then on to the read aloud and printout phases. Editing goes better when I have phases to look forward to - Gabe just can't keep his nose or his big ears out of trouble!
  • MAGIC STORM - I've decided to go with a graphic novel for this story. (New Magi Kita & Kan race against opposing wielder Brevan to bring magic back to earth!) And I have just the artist in mind for it - can't wait to share it!
  • Another POP TRAVEL novel - CONDUCTION. Underground super juicer Jared plays a big part in this one... Outline has begun.
  • PAULA JEAN - I've been wanting to write this YA Christian Urban Fantasy for quite a while. Now, I'm thinking I might go straight to a screenplay with it... Decisions!

Where I'll be...
July
  • July 15 & 16 - Glass City Con in Toledo, OH. I've done sci fi cons, but this is my first anime con. The theme is definitely Japanese animation, should be interesting.
August
  • I'm planning 2 release parties for TWO PRINCESSES, appropriately! A live one at a consignment shop for kids called Sprouts Boutique and a virtual one on Facebook. Still ironing out details. Both should be fun with lots of prizes - and you're all invited!
September
  • I might have an Arts & Craft Fair, but some don't consider books in those categories - worth a shot! But I left most of September open for my son's senior year of football. I'm also hoping to have some speaking engagements lined up. Wish me luck!

Going to the beach? Don't forget a book and sunscreen!


 


The prize winner for my Spring Quarter 2017 Newsletter is...

Miranda Vasquez!

who won a $10 Amazon GC!

The prize for Summer 2017 will be 2 movie tickets!




~~ Available for SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS, BOOK CLUBS, or BOOK TALKS ~~