Ring Around the Rose Week 3

How would you go about talking a dragon out of eating you, especially if no weapons were available?

This week's question is a terrifying one, and a very important one, too, because the world is just riddled with dangers and you never know when you're going to stumble across one. It's always good to be prepared, whether that means having a first aid kit, a nuclear bomb shelter, a Zombie Apocalypse kit, or a Dragon Survival Plan. My parents recently saw this vehicle on their travels, so apparently the zombie problem is becoming more of an issue. Something you may want to consider adding to your Disaster Preparedness Plan.

Today we are going to be focusing on dragons. Truthfully, not all dragons are a menace. I have been acquainted with many a dragon who was quite logical and pleasant to interact with. But, obviously, there are bad dragons, too, and those are the ones we need to be prepared to deal with. If you have gone to see the new Jurassic World movie (fan girl sigh) you will understand that some monsters, although deadly, can actually be handled. I'm Blue's new biggest fan. Spoilers: That scene near the end where she runs off into the park crying by herself? Sob! I wanted to kill the writers. They totally should have ended the film with Blue, maybe sitting on a nest of eggs or discovering one of the other raptors were still alive instead of ending it with Rex. Who cares about him anyway? Never thought I would become a raptor fan, but Blue was totally awesome. I would love to have a Raptor Whisperer on staff so I could invite her to come stay with me, but sadly, cost, demand and lack of space makes this a rather unrealistic venture. I simply don't have room on my property for a Raptor Paddock.

Anyway, back on point! Dragons! Although some dragons are good dragons, many of them are decidedly not. This means I ought to have a plan of my own, just in case I ever attract the wrong sort of dragon. Dragons are a tricky problem. They're quite a bit more educated than zombies and much more prevalent than dinosaurs, which means they are trickier to avoid. If you get caught by one, the only way out is to talk your way out. And, let me tell you, this is no easy feat because, as I said, dragons are smart.

I think the first thing I would do is determine what kind of dragon I am about to become lunch for, and then figure out what he wants. Some dragons are collectors, such as the gold-loving dragon Fafnir from Norse mythology. This type of dragon might be able to be swayed, so I would try to bribe my way out of it by giving him my music box or faerie collection. Worst case scenario, I would give him my antique book collection. Then, again, I might not. I'm rather attached to my books. The best example of collector dragons would be from Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George. Awesome little book, by the way, a must read.

There are other dragons, however, who are more interested in their stomach than they are in pretty baubles. For this type of dragon, I would try to make him see why I would make a terrible snack. I'm fairly skinny, for one thing, and have knobby elbows and knees and not much fat. I'd be a pretty crunchy snack. Of course, if the dragon happens to like crunchy appetizers, then I would be up the Raptor Paddock without a Raptor Whisperer, if you catch my drift. Last resort, I would run for my life, but I sincerely doubt I will get far. My powers of persuasion far outweigh my physical prowess.

Bonus for today: Some of my favorite monster movies. Jurassic Park was the first monster movie my parents ever let me watch, and it gave me nightmares for weeks, but I watched it over and over again. Let me tell you, that was one awesome movie. The new one is probably going to become my favorite of the four films but nothing can beat the awe of the first.

Reign of Fire is an amazing dragon movie. Christian Bale, Gerard Butler, Matthew McConaughy and a world taken over by fire-breathing, ash-eating dragons. Probably the best dragon movie of all time.

Godzilla, the one with Matthew Brodderick? Hilarious film with hundreds of baby Godzillas running around. Come on. What's not to like?

Pacific Rim can technically be considered a monster movie. I really enjoy that one, too. The whole robot vs. inter-dimensional monster thing is totally my style. Fantasy meets Science Fiction in an explosion of awesomeness.

And, last but not least, The Hobbit. I think Smaug is one of the all-time best villainous dragons. He is a prime example of a collector dragon...and the hungry, fire-breathing kind, as well!

I would love to hear about your Dragon Preparedness Plan. What would YOU do? Leave me an explanation in the comments below, and tell me your favorite dragon book or monster movie. Here are the links to the some of the other bloggers participating in this exciting series. Feel free to join us at any time. Tomorrow is Jenelle's post. I cannot WAIT to hear what she has to say on the subject of DRAGONS.

Kaycee at The Pink Cave

Jenelle at Jenelle Schmidt

Dorian at Dorian Writes

Hayden at The Story Girl

Heidi at Along the Brandywine

Grace at A Live Masterpiece

Ring Around the Rose Week 2

Week 2 of Ring Around the Rose! Woot woot! And what an informative collection of posts we had last week. Be sure to back track and catch all the posts you may have missed from the other Five Enchanted Roses authors and some of our fellow blogging friends. If I've missed any links, I do apologize!

Kaycee at The Pink Cave

Jenelle at Jenelle Schmidt

Dorian at Dorian Writes

Hayden at The Story Girl

Heidi at Along the Brandywine

This week for Ring Around the Rose, we have a very exciting question to contemplate: If you could meet your favorite literary character, who would it be? Kaycee over at The Pink Cave launched this week's question with a very thought-provoking post on which literary character she would choose.

My problem is: I have to pick just ONE? (Whine)

My first inclination is Howl from Howl's Moving Castle because he is one of my all time favorite characters. But when I stop and think about it...Howl is rather an annoying and selfish and foppish character who would probably drive me to utter distraction. One of us would likely not survive the encounter. And if I were to kill Howl in a fit of madness, Sophie would probably turn me into weed killer. So, no, not Howl.

So then I thought, what about a Jane Austen character? I would love to meet Mr. Knightly or long suffering Anne or snarky Mr. Tilney or witty Elizabeth or the stoical and devoted Colonel Brandon...well, you can see how well this one is going. Too many choices! So, no, on Austen as well.

My problem is my favorite character just happens to be the one I am reading about right now, which is hardly a fair assessment. So I finally decided I should choose a long-running favorite. So I went back to some of my favorite childhood books, and I finally settled on Aslan from Chronicles of Narnia. He is a giant cat, after all, and so majestic and scary and yet loving, too, and he stands for something really important. I would find it humbling to actually get to meet him, to dig my fingers into his fur like Lucy and bury my face in his mane and know that I was safe and loved. I think Aslan is one of the few characters I could meet who would not find me dull or weak or boring to hang around with. I think he would be truly interested in getting to know me, and I know I would be the better person for having known him.

So there you have it.

Please, feel free to join in on the game in the comments below. If you have a blog, include your link so we can all see which literary character you would like to meet. And don't forget to hop on over to Jenelle's blog tomorrow for her thoughts on this intriguing question.

Guest Post: Don Semora

I am honored to have a very special guest visiting my blog today. My goal is to introduce this talented artist to other budding authors like myself who may be feeling nervous about stepping into the turbulent world of publishing. So if you are in the middle of writing a book and are starting to think about (GASP) cover designs and (BIGGER GASP) actually publishing your work, I hope you will find this interview informative.

Mr. Don Semora is a graphic designer who specializes in book covers and book layout. He has designed more than six hundred covers in his career. Don offers custom designs and layout, and does all genres, including games and game design.

His expertise is extremely versatile--I have picked his brain for information on everything from covers to formatting and layout to ISBN's and even book selling events. Don is also a writer himself who has published several works of his own, which means he has experience in virtually every aspect of the writing process. He seems to enjoy reaching out to budding authors and helping them splash into the publishing world, as painlessly as possible! A little bit later, Don will talk about discounts he may offer to customers who would like multiple projects done, and I can attest from personal experience that his bundled discounts are VERY affordable for small budgets. He is very flexible and willing to work with you.

Today we will be focusing primarily on his talents for Cover Design. Throughout the interview, we will be sharing a couple of his finished covers. As you will see, he has done a variety of covers in many different genres. You can get more information on the services Don offers at his personal website.

Let's get started!

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Question:

What made you get into book cover design?

Answer:

Many years ago, I did a cover for one of my books, and a local publisher saw it and contacted me and had me literally redo a dozen of her existing covers.

Question:

Why do you think you have the success you do at cover design?

Answer:

I want to know about my cover I am designing. I want to understand the story and the author behind it. It is impossible for a cover designer to do an adequate job, unless they understand fully the story and or series the author wrote, and or is writing. I take the design personally as my name is attached to it. If it is just a copy of someone else’s, or uses pre-canned imagery? That reflects on me.

Question:

What tools do you use to make the cover you do?

Answer:

I utilize current version of Photoshop, Illustrator and Corel. Along with Acrobat Pro and several other tools such as my Wacom tablet. Plus the most important tool of all, paying attention to, and being in tune with my author and their story.

Question:

What bothers you most about modern cover design?

Answer:

I think it is that far too many people are doing cover design that should not be. I really despise inferior rushed work. Plus, not understanding the process. I see a lot of covers out there in print that are sized and scaled wrong. There is a very mechanical and specific science behind a good cover.

Question:

What should always be included in a cover design job?

Answer:

You should get a high resolution cover image for Ebooks. A low res for internet usage. You should get a scaled properly full wrap, sized to your page count (if you have the interior completed). You also should get a scannable ISBN barcode with a proper EAN barcode with it. Plus JPG, PDF  files of everything. And a complete release of all copyright signed by the designer against your book.

Question:

How long does it take you to do a cover?

Answer:

That varies on the author and how well they communicate with me, and also how much information they give me. My average time is 4 – 7 days.

Question:

How much do you charge for a book cover and book layout?

Answer:

A book cover complete is 120.00 and a book layout varies, it depends on the kind of book. If it is a standard book with a few images I charge 125.00 if it is a complicated layout such as a cook book, instructional manual and so on. I do charge more based on the difficulty of the layout job. If an author gives me both the layout and cover, I take 45.00 off of the job.

Question:

Do you give discounts for series and multi cover and layout jobs?

Answer:

Yes I do. I offer all my customers who use my services for multiple titles deep discounts.

Question:

How do you communicate with your customers?

Answer:

I use email, Yahoo Instant Messenger, SKYPE, Video call, phone and internet voice chat, I also if you are local would love to meet in person if you prefer. I think you need to be accessible to your author. Those I think offer that.

Question:

What advice can you give an author who is looking for a designer?

Answer:

First and foremost ask for published references. Not a friend who had it done, ask for references of authors whom they have done who are published in some way. Also, look at their work and DON’T settle for mundane. Demand your cover be awesome, inspiring and unique.

Question:

Do you write?

Answer:

Yes I do, I have published several books and a role playing game. I also am currently working on three books. One modern murder mystery, one mystery that takes place in London at the turnoff the century and a Fantasy novel. Ask me more and I will take up pages telling ya about it, as I love to talk about my writing.

Question:

What forms of payment do you take?

Answer:

Cash, Check and Paypal.

Question:

Finally, tell my readers what set you apart from the other designers out there.

Answer:

This is hard to do without sounding conceited. However, to be blunt about the question: I pay attention to the details, and I know that people do in fact judge a book by its cover. I understand that the cover should reflect the story and the content. As a designer my aim is to not only make my author happy. But also I want to make sure their cover fits their book, has imagery that is unique and has a “grab me” appeal on the shelf. I also do not stop until my author is happy as I am sure Savannah will attest.

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I can attest to the fact that Don will bend over backward trying to please you. When he designed After, he sent me multiple mock-ups and put up with input from not only me but members of my enthusiastic family as well. Patience is definitely one of his strong qualities! If you are interested in getting a cover design of your own, hop on over Don's blog and be sure to mention I sent you! He will be delighted to speak you.

After Cover Reveal

I am so excited to finally share my first official cover reveal, for my upcoming novella After, coming December 2015.  

In a world where the dead walk and hope shrivels beneath harsh realities, a Spook risks everything to protect his streets . . . even as he himself is becoming one of the creatures he hunts. 

“Some people might say that there are worse fates than death. In some worlds, perhaps that may well be the case. But in mine, it would be a lie. There is no greater horror than that which comes after death.”

SYNOPSIS

On the streets of an ancient city, with creepers wandering at will and a mysterious assassin leaving corpses all over Pandorum, a young Spook with a dark secret will do anything to keep his brothers safe, even from forces that threaten to tear them apart from within. While others are searching for impossible cures from outlawed Spinners, Conrad Ellis III does not believe in fairy tales and miracles. But when he discovers a strange girl with shrouded ties to the Assassin, Eli is forced to leave the streets he loves and travel into the very heart of Pandorum in order to save a member of his family. With his health failing and corpses escalating, he will have no choice but to confront the darkest corners of his soul.

Because if he fails, if his secret is discovered, his life will not be the only one forfeited. 

****

After (The Neverway Chronicles, Book #1) is the exciting prequel to Wither, my little novella featured in Five Enchanted Roses, available for pre-order now! Don't forget to add After to your reading list on Goodreads. It will be released initially as an Ebook, and I will be getting you more details on that as the release date draws closer. Is this cover not breathtaking and haunting at the same time? The city in the background resembles what I imagined precisely. Ooh, I'm getting chills just looking at it! I cannot thank my cover designer, Mr. Don Semora, enough for this beautiful piece of art. I am so excited to host him on my blog on Monday for a Guest Interview. If you are looking for a future cover designer, stop back in!

I am so excited to share The Neverway Chronicles with you.  

Ring Around the Rose

Yesterday, the other Five Enchanted Roses authors and I began a series of posts called Ring Around the Rose in celebration of the upcoming release of our collection of stories. We will be taking turns tagging one another and hopping blog to blog to answer a series of unique questions about ourselves and our stories. Yesterday, Kaycee launched the event on her blog. Be sure to backtrack to her blog to catch the beginning of this exciting series and a few other details about the event.

This week, the question is: If you could live in a Fantasy world, which one would you choose?

This question was totally my idea...and I have had the worst time EVER picking just one fantasy world. How do you pick just one? I want to visit them all! Every last one of them. So I've been stewing for a couple of weeks trying to decide which fantasy world I could actually LIVE in--as in, SURVIVE in. The truth is, there are some pretty scary story worlds out there with some terrible villains. Middle-Earth was at the top of the list, because there would be so many amazing things to see and people to meet--I would really like to go to Rohan and get to meet Eomer and the Rohirrim and learn how to wield a sword and become a shieldmaiden. But, honestly, I would make a terrible shieldmaiden. I don't like to hurt things, except for maybe bugs, and I'm not all that fond of exercise, and I've never really done much horse riding. Okay, I've only ever been on a horse once or twice. It was probably a pony, too.

No, I finally decided on Star Wars. I've seen all the movies a billion times and read all of the Young Jedi Knight books when I was a kid--I still have them. And (cough cough) still read them.

Just imagine it? Hundreds of worlds to visit from the comforts of your own Millennium Falcon--no camping out without proper bathrooms--and yet you'd still get to meet thousands of cool alien races and maybe, if you're lucky, have a connection to the Force and get to throw bad guys around with your awesome mind powers. Maybe you could even have your own Ewok. I would love to have an Ewok. Or a Wookie. I could totally do a Wookie, especially if it came with a tall, dark and rakishly handsome smuggler. My husband would fit that role quite nicely. Just imagine all the gadgets and space ships and the Universe at your fingertips...

Yup, this is definitely the world for me.

Want to know what fantasy world Jenelle would like to live in? Tomorrow, head on over to Jenelle's blog to find out. And feel free to participate in this fun series! Just leave me a link to your blog in the comments and I'll pop on over to see what fantasy world YOU would like to live in.

The Five Something Something Contest is...

I am so excited to finally share this exciting news with all you authors:

Rooglewood Press is delighted to introduce their third fairy tale 

novella contest—

Five Magic Spindles

a collection of “Sleeping Beauty” stories

The challenge is to write a retelling of the beloved fairy tale in any genre or setting you like. Make certain your story is recognizably “Sleeping Beauty,” but have fun with it as well. Make it yours!

Rooglewood Press will be selecting five winners to be published in the Five Magic Spindles collection, which will be packaged up with the phenomenal cover you see here. Maybe your name will be one of the five listed?

All the contest rules and information (how to enter, story details, deadline etc.) may be found on the Rooglewood Press website. Just click HERE and you will go right to the page.

Rooglewood Press’s first collection, Five Glass Slippers is available for purchase, and their second collection, Five Enchanted Roses is scheduled to launch on July 27, and is currently available for pre-order. Be certain to get a copy of each and see what previous winners did with their wonderful retellings.

~

I am able to tell you from personal experience how exciting it is to participate in the Rooglewood Press writing contests. I have submitted stories to both of the previous contests and was honored to be chosen as one of the featured authors for Five Enchanted Roses. I have learned so much through this entire process. I cannot wait to share my "Beauty and the Beast" story with all of you and finally get to read the other stories in this exciting collection. I hope all of you writers out there will consider entering the contest this year. Sleeping Beauty! What an exciting fairy tale, with so much potential! Authors, get out your writing hats and start brainstorming!

Monday Musings: The Dark Side

I know this post is long overdue. I intended to share this post about my favorite fictional villains last week (Are we even supposed to have favorites when it comes to diabolical and fiendish characters?!) but my schedule was simply too full last week. Besides, villains are a tricky subject and having a bit of extra time to process my thoughts was not a bad thing. I will be fluctuating between literary and movie characters at random, so I hope that won't distract anyone.

Villains aren't like protagonists. The heroes stick in your head and when you hear a story title, such as The Hunger Games, you think "Oh! That story is about Katniss!" You don't ever think "That is President Snow's story!" It just doesn't work that way. But these poor, under-appreciated and despised characters have their vile fingers on the heartbeat of literature. They control the pulse. The flow. The dramatic ups and downs of the plot. And, man, do they have their moment to shine in the climax. Of course, the climax usually ends quite badly for them, and we do SO enjoy that moment when the Wicked Witch of the West finally gets her comeuppance and melts into a puddle of goop on the floor. That has to be one of the best moments in cinematic history. Period.

But lets move on.

Smaug is one of my all time favorite villains because he is a dragon. Of course that isn't the only reason I like him, but mainly that sums it all up. The Hobbit was one of the first epic classics I ever read. I read a great deal of Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott when I was a girl, but this was one of the first books I read that had a REAL villain. He wasn't just a cad like Mr. Willoughby. He was powerful and murderous and greedy and incredibly vain. And he was a dragon. Did I mention DRAGON? And the fact that Benedict Cumberbatch did his voice in The Hobbit films only makes him more epic.

Yes, I am a huge nerd. I grew up on Star Wars and Star Trek and comic book heroes. Darth Vader is truly one of my all time favorite villains because he has such a strong back story. When you watch the first Star Wars film, he comes across as pure evil, although never quite as evil as Emperor Palpatine, who is about as evil as they come. I don't think I could ever picture HIM with a back story, but I love Anakin Skywalker's back story. It made him human, not just Evil-machine-on-a-Rebel-killing-rampage. And I especially like how there was a chance for "redemption" for him in the end, when he chose to save his son at the expense of his own life. When this sort of attention and detail is put into a villain, they do truly become memorable. I could almost admit that Star Wars is truly about Darth Vader. Almost.

Lord Voldemort is another powerful literary villain that managed to remain the primary antagonist throughout an entire series. Voldemort had always been intended to be the counterpart to Harry Potter. Their stories were so intertwined, their fates so bound together, that there could never have been a story without the Dark Lord. I love how these two characters are constantly compared and contrasted throughout the series, causing heartache for Harry and frustration for Voldemort, because neither character fully understands why or how they are bound to one another. It is the ultimate battle of good versus evil. I also like the fact that Voldemort's history is fleshed out in the stories, that he isn't just left the Master of Pure Evil but that he is also shown as Tom Riddle, the boy with a name that would one day become He Who Must Not Be Named.

And let's not leave out the Weeping Angels from Docter Who, because they give me the creeps. Admit it. You like them, too.

There are so many other iconic villains I could mention, like the White Witch from Narnia, or the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, or Kahn from Star Trek, to name a few more. Please, take a moment to tell me who your favorite villains are and don't forget to tell me why! I love hearing from you all.