Virtual Cookie Exchange

Today on the Virtual Cookie Exchange, I'd like to introduce you to a recipe created by my sister-in-law: White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies!

I chose this recipe not just because my sister-in-law is crazy brilliant in the kitchen (which she is), but because it ties in nicely with my newest release, Breeder.

 Summary of Breeder

Everything about Seventeen’s life is perfect, from her genetics, to her home in Sanctuary, to her status as a Breeder in the Unified World Order. But all that changes when an Enforcer named Pax infiltrates Sanctuary and targets her for extraction from the Controlled Repopulation Program. Pax plants dangerous doubts in her mind that accuse Sanctuary of hiding a dark secret, and that cause Seventeen to question everything she’s ever known.

When Seventeen’s life is threatened, she has little choice but to run away from Sanctuary with Pax. But for Breeders, contact with men is forbidden by law, and even the simple act of taking Pax’s hand is treason.

Mired in confusion, Seventeen takes the name Pria, the identity of her childhood, and embarks on a quest to discover the truth. In her world, the truth comes at a price, and uncovering it will require a greater treason than Seventeen could ever have imagined. 

Breeder is set in futuristic Denver, but most of it takes place in the mountains and wilderness outside the city. My main characters, Pria and Pax, spend most of their time out in this wilderness searching for, and hooking up with, people who can help them survive in a world turned hostile against them. I wanted to find a rustic, almost granola-like cookie recipe to tie in with the book, and this one works perfectly. Not only does it remind me of my short time living in Colorado, but it's the sort of cookie my characters in Breeder would make if they were to make cookies at all. I hope you enjoy it, and be sure to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway below!

The recipe!

1 stick of butter, softened *

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup oats (quick or old fashioned)
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts, chopped (I used pecans, walnuts would be good too!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Mix in egg and vanilla.  Stir in dry ingredients, mixing well.  Mix in oatmeal, chocolate chips, cranberries and nuts.  Scoop 1 inch balls of dough onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake 8 – 10 minutes.

*You can do a combination of butter and shortening (or coconut oil) to make crisper cookies.  Totally up to you.  I have made them both ways…and both are delicious.  However, the all butter recipe tends to freeze better.

SneakySpoons Original (Find more from SneakySpoons at sneakyspoons.com)

You can purchase Breeder at: 

Amazon     Barnes and Noble     Kobo     iTunes     TWCS


Giveaway! Enter to win 2 $25 Amazon Gift Cards

Rafflecopter giveaway

The Passing of Dystopia?

I saw an entertainment news headline this morning on IMDb that got me thinking... Is Dystopia a trend that has passed in literature? Or is it, instead, at its peak? I've been planning my next book series (a NA Dystopia, for those of you who don't know) for about two years, and for the last year or so, I've run into people who have told me in no uncertain terms, "That ship has sailed!" Over! Done! What need is there for another Dystopian novel? People have moved on...

I disagree, and I think the facts are on my side.

The headline I saw stated that The Hunger Games: Mockingjay has just set a 2014 record for first-day pre-sales. And what was the previous record-holder for this year? Oh yes, that would be Divergent. (You can read the article here.) Unless you've been living on another planet, you are probably well aware that both of these movies are based off bestselling Dystopian book series.

As with any trend, at some point the market will become saturated with imitation novels, with all sorts of people who want a piece of the pie, and I think people who tell me the trend has passed believe the Dystopian market is already saturated. Do I want a piece of the Dystopian pie? Sure. But is that why I wrote BREEDER? No. I think Dystopian is a crucially important genre right now. The world is rapidly changing. My children are growing up with the sort of technology I watched on The Jetsons as a child, and I can only imagine what will become normal in the next ten years. But with all sorts of fun technology come questions of ethics and morality, questions that effect the human race and our stewardship of the earth itself. Throughout history, periods such as this have always led to great expression in literature, and I think many authors of Dystopia today see the world heading in directions that warrant warning. Isn't that - beneath the adventures, beneath the heroes and heroines, beneath the love triangles, beneath all the surface trappings of the story - what Dystopia is really all about?

So no, I don't think the Dystopian trend has passed. Far from it - I think it's at its peak, and I don't see it passing any time soon. People are hungry for stories that look forward to the future, especially in an era of rapid technological increase, terrible world conflicts, and threats of ebola epidemics. There may be a lot of Dystopian books out there right now, but I don't think the market is saturated, not yet. And I promise to deliver something in BREEDER that I think has been notably absent from most of the other Dystopias: hope.

Book 1 of The Breeder Cycle: BREEDER coming December 11, 2014! 

T-Shirts for Sale!

In honor of the release of The Bone Whistle, my friend Dana has made a limited number of t-shirts that will be for sale at the release party on September 18th (and there may be some available after that date, as well!). She will have shirts available in the following sizes:

kids 10-12, 14, & 18 

Fitted women's x-small-large 

Unisex small-large

This is a great way to celebrate and promote my books, and also just a fun, limited-time item to own. I will even sign the shirts for you, if you'd like! She's not taking preorders, so it's first come, first served, and she has limited quantities of each size. 

*If you live out of state and would like a t-shirt, please contact me at kbhoyle.author@gmail.com to arrange purchase and shipping and handling. 

Please find the pictures and prices below: 

 

$15 each ($10 if you bring your own shirt to have it screen printed)

The backside has my website address

(front)

(back)

$18 each ($13 if you bring your own shirt to have it screen printed)

The Bone Whistle Blog Tour

I'm happy to announce the blog tour for the release of The Bone Whistle! Over the next several days, you will find reviews, guest posts from yours truly, interviews, a giveaway, and more. I hope you enjoy! 

Please find the schedule and a link to the giveaway below: 

Tour Dates and Sites

September 11
http://sarityahalomi.blogspot.com/ 
http://www.freshfiction.com 
www.paperbookprincess.com 

September 12
http://nerdgirlofficial.com/ 

September 13 
http://kellyatx.blogspot.com/ 
www.sherrygomeswrites.com 

September 14
http://pebbleinthestillwaters.blogspot.com 

September 15
www.teainthetreetops.com

September 18
http://www.firstpagetothelast.com/ 
http://thebookwhorediaries.blogspot.com 
www.lilylovesindie.co.uk 

September 19
bookreviewsandgiveaways.org 
http://www.dauntlessindies.blogspot.com 

September 21
shortsweetandsnappy.wordpress.com 

September 22
http://ashleysaddictivebookblog.blogspot.com 

September 23
http://pagesbetween.blogspot.com 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Breeder Cover Reveal!

I am happy to reveal the cover and back cover summary of Breeder, the first in my New Adult Dystopian trilogy. Are you more of a Dystopian fan than a Fantasy fan? Prefer The Hunger Games to Harry Potter? Stay tuned, because my next series might just be for you...

Perfection comes at a terrible cost. 

Everything about Seventeen’s life is perfect, from her genetics, to her home in Sanctuary, to her status as a Breeder in the Unified World Order. But all that changes when she meets a rogue Enforcer named Pax, who infiltrates Sanctuary and targets her for extraction from the Controlled Repopulation Program. Pax seems to know a little too much about her, and he plants dangerous doubts in her mind that accuse Sanctuary of hiding a dark secret, and that cause Seventeen to question everything she’s ever known.

When Seventeen’s life is threatened, she has little choice but to run away from Sanctuary with Pax. But for Breeders, contact with men is forbidden by law, and even the simple act of taking Pax’s hand is treason.

Mired in confusion, Seventeen travels with Pax to the outside world and takes the name Pria, the identity of her childhood. But she is far from certain she’s made the right decision when they discover an entire community of people who should no longer exist.

Seventeen, now Pria, is thrust into a position as a key player in a dangerous bid to bring down the Unified World Order. Meanwhile, Pax's attachment to her and her growing attraction to him contribute to the ever-growing mysteries in her life.

Pria’s journey from a sheltered, naïve Breeder to a rebel agent requires not only external transformation but self-discovery. As her world crumbles, Pria must decide who she is and what she really believes.

But in her world, the truth comes at a cost, and uncovering it will require a greater treason than she could ever have imagined.

Copyright TWCS Publishing House

Coming late 2014 

The Bone Whistle Prologue!

I don't know about you, but September 18th can't get here soon enough! I'm so excited to share the conclusion to The Gateway Chronicles with you, especially as it's been seven years in the making. In the final two months leading up to release day, I want to share some tidbits and snippets with you, and I thought a good place to start would be with the prologue. So, without further ado, here is the prologue for The Bone Whistle:

The Bone Whistle
“Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead.”
C. S. Lewis

Prologue 
AFTER THE FIRE

Glass crackled and crunched beneath his feet as he walked through the ruins of what had once been the royal suites of the west wing of Ormiskos Castle. The air was hazy with dust and soot, and yellowish light filtered in through the high broken windows, casting a sallow halo on the charred remains of a heavy armchair. A shadow flitted into the beam of light, and he looked up and saw a crow perching on the jagged edge of a broken windowpane. The crow ruffled its feathers and cocked its head to one side before it cawed and took off again.
Colin coughed and raised a hand to shield his eyes as he stepped into the beam of light.
Light.
It felt like so long since he’d seen the light of the sun. He closed his eyes against the brightness and tilted his face up to let the sun warm it. But it was early morning light—hardly strong enough yet to give him the warmth he craved.
The illumination behind his eyelids dimmed, and he cracked them open. Another crow sat in the window regarding him with a beetle-black eye. He scowled at it and looked away. He would have to get used to the crows if he was to be king. Tselloch had a curious affinity for them.
He ran his fingers through his hair. He was dirty—he could feel the oil from his scalp coating his fingertips—and he smelled. He’d once heard someone say it was impossible to smell one’s own body odor after ten minutes. Whoever said that clearly had never wallowed in their own filth in a dungeon for several months. Colin didn’t think he would ever forget the stench. Biding his time in that cell had been one of the hardest things he’d ever done, but Tselloch had promised he would be rewarded, and he had delivered.
A gleam of gold caught his eye, and Colin kicked at a pile of cinders next to a small, half-charred book. He moved the book aside and picked up the shiny object. It was a metal rectangle, blackened in all but a few places where the gold was undamaged. He rubbed his thumb over the surface, removing some of the soot, and turned it over to examine it from all sides. There was an engraving on the bottom—EMS—and when he found the catch, he pressed it. The mirror on the inside was still bright and gleaming, untouched by the smoke and fire. He brought it up before his eyes and peered at his reflection.

With a sharp intake of breath, Colin jerked the compact away. It had to be magic. Certainly he couldn’t look so ugly, even after his time as prisoner. But what was the purpose of magic like this?
It belonged to her, he was sure of it, and if it did, then the magic in it was contrary to him, to his master, to everything they were working for.
He closed his eyes and held it up again, this time careful to feel for it with his magic and draw on the power his master had given him—the power to destroy enchantments. He could see the particles of the compact in his mind, and the glowing golden threads that bound the enchantment—no, enchantments; there were two of them—to it. He pulled the threads apart, and the compact seemed to grow cold and heavy in his hand. When he opened his eyes, he saw his normal reflection staring back at him. With a snort of derision, he bent back the top, pushing until the hinges snapped, leaving two pieces in his hands. He dropped them one at a time into the ashes at his feet, raising a cloud that hovered for a moment like a grey haze in the beam of sunlight.
Tselloch would not mind the filth left behind after the burning. In fact, he would prefer it, but Colin looked around the suite in distaste. He had thought to make his residence here, in this room, but now he wasn’t sure. There were other rooms in the palace that hadn’t burned. But this was the royal suite, and it would be the most suitable place for him when Tselloch crowned him king.
He was not alone.
Colin swung around to face his master. Tselloch had come in without a sound and, as usual, he brought a shadow of blackness with him, clinging to his robes so his presence filled the space in a palpable way. They exchanged a long stare before Colin bowed his head and dropped his gaze. “My lord,” he said.
“You see what I have done for you?” Tselloch said.
For me? Or for you? Colin raised his head and schooled his expression into blank obeisance. It would not do to have Tselloch suspecting he had any doubts.
But Tselloch was absorbed with his accomplishment. “He burned my house, and now, see how I have repaid him by burning his.”
It was a lie, and Colin knew it. He had seen what the alchemist had done. After Tellius had fallen through the window, Colin had stood agape for only a moment before running to the alchemist’s chamber. The fire had not been set by Tselloch, or by any of his servants. It had been set by Rubidius to prevent the shadow creatures from following the Six through the back door of the cottage. It was true, however, that it would not have been set at all if Colin had not destroyed the wards and let in Tselloch’s hordes, so perhaps it was appropriate for Tselloch to claim the deed as his. The fire had raged through the castle all night, spreading from the west wing to other chambers, smoking out Tellius’s servants and subjects like rats fleeing a sinking ship. They had been easy targets, and Colin, unsettled by the carnage, had retreated to the castle grounds to watch it burn.

“Everything happened just as you said it would,” Colin said. “They did not discover your secret. The castle is ours, and Tellius is dead.”
Tselloch hissed, and his pleased countenance fell. “But the Six escaped.”
“You thought they might,” Colin said. He watched Tselloch’s expression carefully. After allowing him to possess him so many times, he was more attuned to Tselloch’s moods than ever before.
“That is true,” Tselloch said. He moved farther into the chamber, and the dust and ashes rose up around the bottom of his robes, as though he walked on a storm cloud.
“Should we search for them? They can’t have gone home yet. It’s not the right time.”
“Home?” Tselloch’s black eyes flashed as he took a deliberate step toward Colin. “Do you still think of it as home?”
Colin set his jaw and widened his eyes at his slipup. He hadn’t meant to call that other world “home,” not really. He didn’t know why he’d said that. “I meant only that . . .”
But Tselloch’s expression became pensive. “No. Do not make up excuses. Do I have your full allegiance, Colin, or do I need to find another?”
It was an empty threat. The time was almost nigh when Tselloch would have no choice but to transition hosts, and he’d prepared too much for too many years with Colin to go back on it now. But Colin couldn’t still the fearful beating of his heart, and he clutched at his chest, at the place where he would have to cut himself open. “Of course you have my full allegiance,” he whispered.
“That is good, my prince.”
Tselloch loomed over him, placed his cold hands on the sides of Colin’s face, and stroked his thumbs down his cheeks. Colin stared, mesmerized, into his liquid eyes, searching for some glimmer of the man whose body it had once been. Tselloch had assured him that, when it was done, Colin would still be present—that they would share the body—but Colin was afraid. When he looked at his master, he saw only shadow looking back at him.
“The gateway is almost complete,” Tselloch said without removing his hands. “We need not yet worry about finding the Six. Your final task is almost upon you. She will come to you, of that I am certain.”
Colin felt a cold chill wash down his spine, and he bit the inside of his lip to keep from letting the fear show on his face. Tellius’s surprised expression as he’d smashed through the glass to fall to his death played over again in Colin’s mind. He shoved it away, terrified his master would read the remorse in his eyes.

“What would you have me do in the meantime, my lord?” Colin asked. He was sweating despite the chill his master had brought with him. He wished Tselloch would step away.
“Join the others in searching for the body.”
Colin frowned. “Whose body?”
Tselloch narrowed his eyes and finally let his hands drop from Colin’s
face. “When you threw the pretender-king from the window, did you not think to search the grounds for his body?”
But Colin hadn’t thrown him. They’d struggled. Fists had pummeled ribs and smacked against jaws. He’d shoved Tellius, and Tellius had tumbled over the window seat and fallen backward, through the glass that had already been cracked . . . Colin twitched and closed his eyes. “Why would I search the grounds?” he asked. “Who could survive a fall from that height?”
“No one, perhaps. But I want the body still.” Tselloch turned his back to Colin and strode away.
“Find it so I can burn it,” he said. 


*The Bone Whistle is book 6 of K. B. Hoyle's bestselling YA Fantasy series The Gateway Chronicles. It is published by TWCS Publishing House and will be available everywhere books are sold on Sept. 18, 2014. 

The Bone Whistle Cover Reveal!

Cover reveal for The Bone Whistle! I'm happy to reveal what the cover for the 6th and final installment in The Gateway Chronicles looks like, and yes, of course the image is important to the story. Let the speculation begin!

Darcy burned with the pain of knowing she’d failed. What happened when a prophecy didn’t come true? It must not have been much of a prophecy in the first place. And if they couldn’t trust in that, then they couldn’t trust in anything at all.

Five years ago, Darcy first received the prophecy of the Six, which stated she and her friends would save the land of Alitheia from a shadowy foe. For five years, she hasn’t known what the end will look like, but she certainly didn’t expect this.

Thrust back into Alitheia through unexpected means, Darcy winds up alone, scared, and without her recent memory. As she struggles to regain her lost memories and reunite with the ones she loves, she pieces together the prophecies and the oracles to find they all converge into one story¾a story that tells her just how much she’ll have to give to save both worlds, and everyone she loves.

Pursued through Alitheia by forces desperate to kill them, Darcy and her friends take a journey fraught with danger that will lead them, inevitably, to the final confrontation with the Shadow. Armed with newfound knowledge of how the prophecy of the Six will play out, Darcy and the others must have faith in the face of mounting odds and adversity. Ultimately, the greatest courage of all belongs not to those who give something of themselves, but to those who let go of what they could never control.

Filled with stunning losses, heart-wrenching reunions, unexpected twists, and the power of love and sacrifice, the conclusion to The Gateway Chronicles will leave you breathless and begging for more from author K. B. Hoyle. 

You Might Not Like My Books...

There, I said it. The one admission most authors are loathe to make. My books are not going to be for everyone, and really, that's okay.

I've been reading through a lot of feedback this week on my first book, The Six - old and new Amazon reviews and Facebook feedback, mainly, and there's a trend I've noticed among it all, both the good and the bad: commentary on how unlikable my main character, Darcy, is. This isn't anything new, but it seems to have come up a lot lately, and it's gotten me to thinking about American consumerism and what we expect out of our entertainment these days.

So if you haven't read The Six, or if you've read it and were turned off by Darcy's attitude in book one, here's what I have to say to you: If you want your heroes to arrive ready-made, spunky, capable, and flawless, then my books are probably not for you. Sorry. I know we live in a culture that demands instant gratification, but I often find instant gratification disingenuous, unrealistic, and false. I believe in developing a character - especially a heroic character - from the ground up, and that means you're going to have to slog through the bad stuff to make the good stuff (when you get there) that much more rewarding.

There are many reasons why I wrote Darcy to be so insufferable in The Six. Here are a few of the main ones:

1) It's realistic. She's 13 in book 1, and while there are some truly delightful 13-year-olds out there (my character Sam is one of them), the greater preponderance of them lean toward selfishness, whininess, and moodiness. And the thing is, they don't even realize it! 13 is a difficult age, an age at which you believe the world revolves around you, and an age during which your emotions border on out-of-control on a daily basis. This is how I was at 13, and I wanted to bring it to life in Darcy.

2) It gives her room to grow - a lot of it! A main character should be dynamic, and the change that takes place should be for the better. I could have started Darcy off as a more likable character and still given her some ups and downs, sure, but I thought a full transformation from self-centered to selfless would pack a greater punch. She has to start off pretty awful for there to be any real change over the course of her story arc. I also didn't want her to hit her heroic high point in book 1 (or 2, or 3...). This is what I felt happened in The Hunger Games. Katniss is as good as she's going to get in the opening chapters of the first book, and it kind of feels all downhill from there. (Just my opinion, of course, feel free to disagree!)

3) The Gateway Chronicles is a six-book series. That's a lot of story to get through, and again, I wanted Darcy to grow at a realistic pace side-by-side with her natural maturing, and to allow the events of the adventures and trials she goes through to shape her into a better person. She definitely has highs and lows as the books progress, but overall, she should be the worst she's ever going to be in book 1, and the best she's ever going to be in book 6. That's been my goal from the beginning. Most people don't change over night, and if I'd had Darcy improve too much by the end of book 1, there wouldn't have been enough transformation left for five more books.

4) The Six is a Nigredo-stage book. This gets a little technical, but if you've read any of the other blog posts I've written about literary alchemy, that's what it's all about. There are three stages of alchemy Darcy has to progress through, and it all begins with the Nigredo, or black, stage of dissolution. This is a burning-away-the-dross stage, a stage during which the character is often beset with both internal and external problems that challenge the character's preconceptions about his/herself. It is the first step in a spiritual journey during which the character has to come to realize that he/she maybe isn't as great as he/she always thought. It is a peeling away of what is bad so purification can take place. This is where Darcy is at in The Six and The Oracle. Because I have six books, there are two books per stage. Darcy begins the Nigredo in The Six and progresses through it in The Oracle, which ends with a sort of crucible that challenges Darcy's notions of what love actually is and launches her into the next stage. By the time The White Thread opens, Darcy is ready to step into the Albedo, or white, stage of purification, and it's at this point that she starts to really learn selflessness.

To wrap up, it really is okay if Darcy turned you off SO much that you just couldn't get into my books. I still appreciate you giving them a chance, and I acknowledge that my books are not going to be enjoyable for everyone. But if you read all this and get what I'm trying to do with her in the stories, maybe you'll want to give them an extra chance. I promise you, she does get better - much, much better - as the story progresses, but you have to be willing to take the journey alongside her. She stumbles a lot along the way, but that's because she's human. And I believe a human character is more relatable in the long run. And if you're one of my industrious fans who have always understood that this is what I'm doing with Darcy from the very beginning, bravo to you! I commend you for giving her a chance, and I hope I don't let you down with how I conclude her story in book 6!

***As a very nerdy aside, I couldn't help thinking about the Marvel superheroes as I wrote this post. I'm a huge Marvel fan (geek), and I have strong and real opinions on all the Avengers. I love them all for various reasons, and while Captain America is probably my favorite Avenger at the end of the day, the two with the best origins stories, hands down, have always been Thor and Iron Man. Seriously, does anybody like Tony Stark before he's kidnapped? Or Thor before his dad banishes him to earth? They are both monumental jerks, and they're supposed to be, but that's what makes their transformations into heroes so satisfying in the end.

Blog Hop: My Writing Process

Hello! This week I was kindly invited by fellow TWCS author Rene Gilley to participate in a blog hop, and as I've been woefully remiss with my blog this year, I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to connect with some new readers. So, if you're new to my blog, welcome! You can also learn about me by visiting my website. If you're an old friend, welcome back, and I hope you take a moment to check out Rene's blog hop post here and encourage her as her debut YA novel, Just Sing, is set to release in one month.

1. What am I working on?

I am working on several books at the moment. First up is the final release of my 6-book YA fantasy series, The Gateway Chronicles. Book 6, The Bone Whistle, will be out this fall (no release date yet, sorry!), and is in the final stages of the editing process. In the early stages of edits is the first book of my NA dystopian trilogy, Breeder, which should be released around Christmas of this year. While those edits are in process, I'm also working on the two sequels to Breeder, Criminal and Clone, and I'm hoping to have those manuscripts wrapped before The Bone Whistle comes out in the fall. So, I have a lot on my plate right now!

2. How does my work differ from others in its genre?

My fantasy work really hearkens back to an older tradition of storytelling, I think. I'm not saying it's old fashioned, but it will appeal to the adult who loved The Chronicles of Narnia as a child, and to the teenager who's looking for something on their level that is also deep, soulful, and meaningful. I read a lot of YA literature - almost exclusively so, actually, and almost all of it in the speculative genres - and I have not come across anything modern that feels or reads quite like my Gateway Chronicles. Modern YA lit tends to be all about self-actualization. In contrast, my Gateway Chronicles challenges the natural selfish tendencies of teenagers and taps their full potential to be giving, constructive, talented, and selfless members of society - granted, I do this over the backdrop of a fantasy realm with all sorts of adventures, romance, mysteries, and action thrown in for good measure. But I really do think this sets my fantasy books apart from most of the other YA equivalents out there.

As to my dystopian writing, well . . . let's just say, I guess I'm an old soul at heart, because it follows this same trend. Breeder reads more like The Giver than Divergent or The Hunger Games. I say this with some trepidation, because it's not necessarily a good thing to say your book is NOT like the most popular books current in the genre, but I really do think people are constantly looking for new spins on old ideas, and Breeder will deliver just that. As a New Adult novel, it's geared for a little older audience than my YA fantasy material, and this is because the story is really intense, and it deals with mature themes and a truly horrific futuristic world. Thematically, it has the gravitas of the older, classic dystopians, mashed together with the intensity of a good science fiction novel, and the romantic tension of a modern dystopian like The Hunger Games. It follows one girl's journey as she slowly uncovers the layers of reality and illusion in her world, and like a good mystery novel, it should cause the reader to second-guess what she's uncovering at all stages. In the very end of the last book, when all is revealed, I want the reader to sit back and go, "What? What? I can't believe that's what's been going on this whole time!" and then pick up book one and start all over just to see how all the pieces fall together once the truth is revealed. This is a tall order to accomplish as a writer, but it's already tested well with my beta readers, and I'm feeling pretty confident that it will set Breeder apart as unique in its genre once it is published.

3. Why do I write what I do?

There is one primary reason why I do what I do: I want to convey truth to a world that largely doesn't believe in objectivity. There are, of course, subjective things in this world, but I've always strongly believed in the objective nature of right and wrong. I won't go into my personal beliefs or more of my philosophy here, because I'd rather you (readers) read my books and try to figure it out for yourselves, but I will say that you will always find my books peppered with pointers to objective reality. I just realized that sounds kind of boring, so let me add that I also believe the primary function of fiction to be entertainment, and as such, it's a great venue for transmitting ideas in non-offensive ways. I must first write a good story, one that entertains and edifies, otherwise anything I want to say in my books will be lost.

4. How does my writing process work?

My writing process can be broken down into pretty distinct stages.

-Epiphany

This is the point at which the idea strikes me. I usually know when an idea is worth pursuing as a novel project. If it sticks with me and builds on itself, like a snowball rolling down a snowy slope, then I know it's a good idea, and I'll move into the next stage with it. And the epiphany can come from anything and strike at any time. For Breeder, it happened when reading an article in a magazine. For my next series after Breeder, it came from looking up at my favorite constellation one night.

-Dreaming and Brainstorming

This stage can go on for any length of time, and now that I'm an actual published author, the length of this stage is usually determined by publishing demands or what I think will sell. For example, I had my "epiphany" for Breeder only about two years ago, and I've had several ideas on the back burner for a lot longer than that, but I know that dystopian is hot right now, and I want to get on that train. So, I quickly moved Breeder into the organizing notes stage and on into planning and writing. But I have many more ideas that are still in the dreaming and brainstorming stage, and it's just a matter of when I will decide to publish those stories that determines moving on to the next stage with them. But this stage is fun - it's comprised of lots of randomness and lots of jotting down things in journals and drawing sketches and stuff like that. I usually come up with names and character and plot details during this stage, but it's very disorganized, and I have to be careful to write things down so I don't lose them. Much of what I work on during this stage doesn't actually make it into the final project, but that's okay, because it's all about dreaming of what could be. I'm in this stage right now with the series I will write after the Breeder Cycle. The next series is a science fantasy (yes, that's a thing) for a middle grade readership, and I've been dreaming and brainstorming this story for about two years, as well.

-Organizing notes

I only move into this stage once I've determined it's time to start actually working on a book (ie. when a publication date or goal is established). I take all the random notes from the dreaming and brainstorming stage (usually handwritten and in no particular order) and plug them in to a typed fact sheet. This is not an official outline, just a way for me to sift through what I've come up with so far and see where I have character, setting, and plot holes. This stage goes pretty quickly, and I will usually add the planning portion to this same document so I don't have to flip between my notes and my outline when I'm outlining and then writing. I will also usually write preliminary summaries of my story/stories at this stage.

-Planning

Anybody who's ever spent any time on my blog, website, or Facebook page knows by now that I'm a huge believer in planning a novel before writing it. This can be difficult, as I'm not a natural planner and usually I'm very disorganized, but I've found that I can't discipline my mind to finish a novel if I don't have the details spelled out ahead of time as a way to both keep me from following rabbit trails, and a way to keep the story coherent straight to the end. For this stage, I plug my organized notes into a sort of outline. I have utilized traditional outlines in the past, but I usually now use a ring composition chart outline that gives me not only the order of events, but the themes and points of importance that go along with each chapter, as well as the corresponding places to mirror and/or reverse echo those things from one half of the novel to the next. This method keeps my novels from becoming train-of-thought ramblings and ensures that every event is important to the story and moves the plot forward. I should point out, however, that my outlines are not exhaustive. I typically leave blanks and gaps where I don't exactly know what is going to happen, but the beauty of having an outline is that these gaps don't cause me to grind to a halt when I'm writing (the dreaded - and illusory - "writer's block"). Instead it's kind of like going on a journey. I know my destination (you must know the end of your story before you start writing it!), and several stops along the way, so gaps are often just rivers I need to bridge, or forests I need to traverse, and it's just a matter of figuring out how to get to the other side. That might sound cheesy, but it works!

-Writing

My writing stage goes pretty quickly, all things considered. If I've planned well, then there's no reason to get truly stuck, as I mentioned above. Having my notes organized into a reference sheet, and the linear progress of the story mapped out on a chart and/or outline of some sort, allows me the freedom to just write. My novels tend to be between 100,000-160,000 words each, and I usually knock that out in 6-12 weeks of straight writing. I don't like to be distracted when I'm writing, and I love to engage in what I call "marathon" writing sessions - where I write 5,000-15,000 words in one sitting. I get the least amount of sleep when I'm in this stage, and I'm totally focused on forward progress. I only re-read what I wrote the previous day when I sit down at my computer, and I resist going back for any deep revisions. If something strikes me as needing to change earlier on in the story, I'll make a note to go back and change it later, but I don't let it derail me from moving forward. My writing pace picks up the closer I get to the end of the novel, too, so it usually takes me half or a quarter of the time to write the last half of the novel as it took me to write the first half.

-Revising

Once the first draft is complete, I try to let it rest for a day or two or three before I start revisions. Sometimes, because of deadlines, I don't have the time for the resting period, but it really is very important whenever I can squeeze it in. I do one complete and thorough read-through revision before I submit the draft to my editors. This is where I go back and make any changes I noted in my writing period, check for story continuity, fix general typos and errors, and get a feel for it. I should love my story at the end of the revision/read-through, and if I don't, then I have a problem, because I probably haven't written a very good story. I will also revise my outline, if necessary, and my notes and preliminary summaries at this time to match the actual draft (because often things change a little as you write.) Once I'm happy with the draft and have it all polished up, I submit it to my editing team (and beta readers, too).

-Panicking, take 1

I spend the few weeks it takes my editing team to read and evaluate the manuscript panicking over whether or not they'll like it. I usually don't start off panicking, because finishing a manuscript and submitting it for publication is a pretty euphoric feeling, but once that euphoria fades, I panic. The anxiety can be so severe that I usually don't read my manuscript evaluations until a few days after my team sends them back, because I need to mentally prepare myself. (My lead editor teases me for this, as they've never actually given me a poor review... knock on wood.)

-Editing

This stage takes several months and is comprised of three main parts: substantive, copy, and reader edits. My editors do most of the work, and when they send their portions back to me, I basically just have to go through and approve the changes and corrections they've made. I usually don't end up with major rewrites - not anything I would consider major rewrites, at least. And I'm a pretty good sport about the whole process. When you're an author, you have to remember that your editors are trying to make your books better, not worse, so giving them the benefit of the doubt to do their job well is very important. I don't fight anything unless it's changing my voice too much, or unless they're trying to cut something that's crucial to the story, which doesn't happen very often. I have a very good relationship with my editors, and I intend to keep it that way.

-Panicking, take 2

Once the editing is complete, the manuscript is off to formatting, and at some point close to publication date, I receive a final document I have to sign off on. This always makes me panic at least a little because what if there's some major error none of us caught?! But . . . at some point, you have to declare the book done. So I sign off on it, and then spend the next few weeks until publication panicking over whether my readership will like it - which is really what it's all about in the end. It's so much blood, sweat, and tears to write, prepare, and publish a novel, and if nobody likes it after you've published it, I imagine it would feel like a wasted effort - and I know I would feel like I have let my entire team down. Thankfully, that's never happened to me (yet . . .), so I don't have any legitimate reason to panic, but it's hard to shake that anxiety. But, to end on a positive note, maybe I should add one more stage . . .

-Relief and Rejoicing!

Publishing a novel and having your readers respond in positive ways is one of the best feelings on the planet. My panic is replaced with relief, and I have a blast rejoicing with my readers over story details and anticipated conclusions. And then I rejoice a little personally at their agony over having to wait a whole 'nother year for my next book to come out. I'm not going to lie, it's great. :)


Okay, so that's my very thorough breakdown of my writing process. If you made it all the way to the end, huzzah for you! *Long-distance high five*

I hope you tune back in to the blog hop next week to learn all about my friend and fellow author Fran Amerson and her writing process. She writes memoirs about her struggles with infertility and journey to adoption, and she's releasing a new book on Mother's Day! You can find her blog here.

ALSO, I've roped a former student into participating, because she's writing her first novel (that she intends for publication, at least), and is a young and fresh mind, and I'm sure she'll have some excellent insight into the starting-out stage of the journey. Her name is Maggie Rapier, and as she's just now setting up her writing blog, I'll post the link as soon as I have it.

Thanks again, everyone! I hope you've enjoyed the post.