Sunday, July 22, 2012
Reverse Engineering
When I first conceived of writing six books in this series, I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. The story seemed so blissfully simple when I outlined the overall series. I knew, of course, that there would be unexpected twists and turns along the way, but knowing that and navigating my way through it now that I am there are two entirely different things. As I buckle down this week to begin serious work on book 5, I'm faced with the task of making sure that all the subplots I introduced along the way begin to work toward their expected - and unexpected - conclusions. I am once again thankful that I plan before I write, because at least I do know how the story is going to end, and there wasn't a single subplot introduced without that in mind. The difficulty really becomes simply making sure that I don't forget anything as I draw the story to a close. Two books might seem like a lot of space in which to do this, but when you're writing a novel, it always ends up being far less space than you think it's going to be. All along I've put off plot points that I couldn't get to in one novel to the next novel, but now I can't do that any more. I also need to be careful not to introduce too many brand new plot points in book 5. If the story arc is a hill, I crested it in book 4 and it's time for me to start working my way down the other side. After thinking about how I'm going to do this for several weeks, I've come to the conclusion that the wisest thing for me to do first is to reverse engineer the story. I'm not going to write it backwards from the end of book 6, that would be insane, but I am going to make a detailed plan of the climax of the whole series (a plan, keep in mind, of an ending I figured out long ago), then I'm going to lay out all of the prophecies and oracles side by side with this plan and make sure that the dots connect. That way I'll have all the BIG stuff accounted for. Then I'm going to take each of the main characters' story arcs and make sure that they connect properly with the plan in the end. If I get all this straight, the rest of the subplots should fall nicely into place... if I've been as careful about what I've introduced along the way as I think I've been. This should dovetail nicely into the document I wrote up last year detailing all the subplots and their necessary conclusions, so it's not as though I'm starting from scratch on this. (I'm a woman with a plan!) Truthfully, though, even with all my careful planning, I am a little daunted. I feel like a juggler with about fifty balls up in the air, and each one needs to be caught and carefully lowered to the ground. If I let any of them fall, I will feel like a failure. So now I need to go and collect about five writing journals, consolidate and analyze about 100 pages of typed notes, and stack the first four books beside me (gotta fact check!) to begin this task of reverse engineering the last two books. In writing, when you know where you're going, you can more easily figure out how to get there.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
5 Reasons Why...
Investing in a new book is sometimes a risky business. I know that I typically want to be absolutely certain that I have a good chance of enjoying a new read before I invest money into buying it and time into reading it. As I've had a lot of new visitors to my blog lately (hello!), I thought it might be good to provide a little overview of my books as a way to introduce you to what I write. So here are 5 reasons why you should read The Gateway Chronicles...
1. Unlike anything else out there right now
I love Young Adult literature, and I love that fantasy has made a sweeping comeback in the young adult world, but it struck me as I perused the YA shelves that the preponderance of fantasy material out there right now is paranormal romance. Not that there is anything wrong with paranormal romance as a sub-genre, but the market seems to be flooded with it at the moment, and for someone like me, who was raised on a diet of more traditional fantasy like Narnia and The Hobbit, paranormal romance isn't quite isn't quite what I want to read. The Gateway Chronicles gives you a modernized fantasy option that contains elements of the paranormal and elements of romance, but without those two things being the main focus of the stories. The Gateway Chronicles is really more fantasy adventure with romance mingled in, and I haven't seen anything else quite like that on the bookshelves as of late. If you crave an updated version of some of your childhood favorites, written with a focus on teenagers rather than children, then The Gateway Chronicles is what you're looking for.
2. Family friendly
Teenagers, you won't find anything in The Gateway Chronicles that you would be uncomfortable having your parents read over your shoulder. Parents, you won't find anything in my books that I would consider inappropriate for your teenage or middle grade reader. I've had children as young as 8 and 9 read my books, and I keep that age spectrum in mind when I write them.
3. Something for everyone
While I wrote these books with young adults as my target audience, I've been pleasantly surprised to note that they have appealed to a crossover audience. As I mentioned above, 8 and 9 year-olds have read and enjoyed them, as well as people as old as my grandparents. Neither are these books just for girls. Although my protagonist is a girl, I've had many boys read The Gateway Chronicles and respond very enthusiastically. Some of the best reviews I've gotten have been from adult men. There are plenty of battles and adventure, as well as relational issues and romance, to appeal to any reader.
4. Escape to a new world
My favorite thing about good fantasy is that it enables you to escape to a new world, and it encourages imaginings about that new world long after you put down the book. I believe The Gateway Chronicles can transport you, and everyone needs an escape from time to time. And not only can you escape into my new world, Alitheia, but you can also grow with it. Each book takes place one year after the last book, so that you start the series with the characters at 13, and end the series with them at 18. I love series where I can watch the characters grow and mature before my eyes, and so I wrote The Gateway Chronicles in that fashion.
5. Be an early part of the experience
Part of the joy of starting a new series of books is the agony of having to wait for the next installment in the series. And while some people prefer to wait until all the books are out in a series to start reading it, I think the anticipation of waiting for another part of the story makes the whole experience richer. If you start reading The Gateway Chronicles now, you're still getting in on the front half of the experience! Books 1 and 2 are now available, with book 3 coming in August. Book 4 will be out this fall, and then there are still two more books to come after that. I love hearing my students discuss their theories about where the story is going to go next, and sometimes I even incorporate reader feedback into a later book. It's simply fun to be an early part of a book series.
1. Unlike anything else out there right now
I love Young Adult literature, and I love that fantasy has made a sweeping comeback in the young adult world, but it struck me as I perused the YA shelves that the preponderance of fantasy material out there right now is paranormal romance. Not that there is anything wrong with paranormal romance as a sub-genre, but the market seems to be flooded with it at the moment, and for someone like me, who was raised on a diet of more traditional fantasy like Narnia and The Hobbit, paranormal romance isn't quite isn't quite what I want to read. The Gateway Chronicles gives you a modernized fantasy option that contains elements of the paranormal and elements of romance, but without those two things being the main focus of the stories. The Gateway Chronicles is really more fantasy adventure with romance mingled in, and I haven't seen anything else quite like that on the bookshelves as of late. If you crave an updated version of some of your childhood favorites, written with a focus on teenagers rather than children, then The Gateway Chronicles is what you're looking for.
2. Family friendly
Teenagers, you won't find anything in The Gateway Chronicles that you would be uncomfortable having your parents read over your shoulder. Parents, you won't find anything in my books that I would consider inappropriate for your teenage or middle grade reader. I've had children as young as 8 and 9 read my books, and I keep that age spectrum in mind when I write them.
3. Something for everyone
While I wrote these books with young adults as my target audience, I've been pleasantly surprised to note that they have appealed to a crossover audience. As I mentioned above, 8 and 9 year-olds have read and enjoyed them, as well as people as old as my grandparents. Neither are these books just for girls. Although my protagonist is a girl, I've had many boys read The Gateway Chronicles and respond very enthusiastically. Some of the best reviews I've gotten have been from adult men. There are plenty of battles and adventure, as well as relational issues and romance, to appeal to any reader.
4. Escape to a new world
My favorite thing about good fantasy is that it enables you to escape to a new world, and it encourages imaginings about that new world long after you put down the book. I believe The Gateway Chronicles can transport you, and everyone needs an escape from time to time. And not only can you escape into my new world, Alitheia, but you can also grow with it. Each book takes place one year after the last book, so that you start the series with the characters at 13, and end the series with them at 18. I love series where I can watch the characters grow and mature before my eyes, and so I wrote The Gateway Chronicles in that fashion.
5. Be an early part of the experience
Part of the joy of starting a new series of books is the agony of having to wait for the next installment in the series. And while some people prefer to wait until all the books are out in a series to start reading it, I think the anticipation of waiting for another part of the story makes the whole experience richer. If you start reading The Gateway Chronicles now, you're still getting in on the front half of the experience! Books 1 and 2 are now available, with book 3 coming in August. Book 4 will be out this fall, and then there are still two more books to come after that. I love hearing my students discuss their theories about where the story is going to go next, and sometimes I even incorporate reader feedback into a later book. It's simply fun to be an early part of a book series.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Interview with a Fan
Welcome back to The Oracle blog tour! The Oracle is the book with which I really feel I hit my stride with this series, and gained some of my most hardcore fans. Today I thought I'd post an interview with one of those fans: Maggie, age seventeen. Enjoy!
1. What was the first thing that captured your imagination when you read The Six?
What first "officially" captured my imagination in this novel were the hints of magic present even before Darcy and the rest of the crew stumbled into the magical world of Alitheia. Once Darcy enters Alitheia, though, my mind was completely ensnared by the narks and other magical creatures.
2. Which book do you like better? The Six or The Oracle? Why?
Although is it a tough choice, I have to go with The Oracle. in The Oracle, the characters and setting are a bit more familiar to the audience, along with the fact that the main character, Darcy, is starting to mature and frankly, to become more likeable. There is deep mystery and intrigue in The Oracle that is only capable of being there after The Six set it all up, and the way the novel flows with deeper concepts and with these new mysterious elements is done masterfully, keeping the audience captivated from beginning to end.
3. Who is your favorite character? Why?
My favorite character bounces between Darcy, Tellius, and Rubidius. I've never been able to choose an absolute favorite, but here are my reasons for the three-way tie: I was able to relate with Darcy in The Six by remembering myself at that age and how my feelings almost exactly matched up with hers. As she began to gain wisdom and maturity with her experiences, I cheered her on and wanted to see her succeed and get better, which she did. Tellius is an extremely dynamic character who I detested at first, but who then began to grow on me and finally found a place settled firmly within my heart. Rubidius is mysterious, comedic, fatherly, stern...there are so many more ways to describe him, but you can always count on him for sound advice and bouts of wisdom. He has an excellent blend of tough love and compassion that is impossible for the reader not to love.
4. Do you think these books appeal to young adults only, or to a crossover audience?
Although this series is targeted for a young adult audience, I believe that they can be enjoyed by nearly any age. I am particularly looking forward to the release of the fourth book when the characters will be turning seventeen and I will be seventeen as well; it's always nice when the characters of your favorite series are your age and it makes it more relatable. But I can see myself being twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, and older and still be able to read these books with the same heart-racing joy that I read them with this day. Most people love fantasy and to escape into a world of magic whether it's through television and movies, or through books and dreams. This series has the capability of fulfilling that need for fantasy and dreams across a wide range of ages.
5. What has been your favorite thing about reading The Gateway Chronicles?
I am not very good at picking favorites, but one of my favorite things has been to watch each and every one of the characters develop, particularly Darcy and Tellius. As all of the characters grow and mature, gaining knowledge and wisdom, they root themselves deeper into the reader's heart (namely mine). It's so interesting watching the relationships between characters wax and wane, developing into deep connections which seemed impossible when they were first introduced to each other in The Six. I look forward to seeing more of these friendships and other relationships blossom and grow.
6. What are you most looking forward to in the final installments of the series?
The thing I am most looking forward to, and the thing I am hoping for with fingers crossed and baited breath is for Darcy and Tellius to end up getting married. I would love to see her stay in Alitheia at the end of the series with Tellius and for Tselloch to be vanquished for good (which, of course, MUST happen in order for the series to have a solid ending!). What I am most definitely not looking forward to is the series' ending itself! I hated saying goodbye to my Hogwarts friends in Harry Potter and I'll hate saying goodbye to The Gateway Chronicles' characters and the world of Alitheia. Luckily, I know that I'll have this series right alongside Harry Potter on my shelf for decades to come.
1. What was the first thing that captured your imagination when you read The Six?
What first "officially" captured my imagination in this novel were the hints of magic present even before Darcy and the rest of the crew stumbled into the magical world of Alitheia. Once Darcy enters Alitheia, though, my mind was completely ensnared by the narks and other magical creatures.
2. Which book do you like better? The Six or The Oracle? Why?
Although is it a tough choice, I have to go with The Oracle. in The Oracle, the characters and setting are a bit more familiar to the audience, along with the fact that the main character, Darcy, is starting to mature and frankly, to become more likeable. There is deep mystery and intrigue in The Oracle that is only capable of being there after The Six set it all up, and the way the novel flows with deeper concepts and with these new mysterious elements is done masterfully, keeping the audience captivated from beginning to end.
3. Who is your favorite character? Why?
My favorite character bounces between Darcy, Tellius, and Rubidius. I've never been able to choose an absolute favorite, but here are my reasons for the three-way tie: I was able to relate with Darcy in The Six by remembering myself at that age and how my feelings almost exactly matched up with hers. As she began to gain wisdom and maturity with her experiences, I cheered her on and wanted to see her succeed and get better, which she did. Tellius is an extremely dynamic character who I detested at first, but who then began to grow on me and finally found a place settled firmly within my heart. Rubidius is mysterious, comedic, fatherly, stern...there are so many more ways to describe him, but you can always count on him for sound advice and bouts of wisdom. He has an excellent blend of tough love and compassion that is impossible for the reader not to love.
4. Do you think these books appeal to young adults only, or to a crossover audience?
Although this series is targeted for a young adult audience, I believe that they can be enjoyed by nearly any age. I am particularly looking forward to the release of the fourth book when the characters will be turning seventeen and I will be seventeen as well; it's always nice when the characters of your favorite series are your age and it makes it more relatable. But I can see myself being twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, and older and still be able to read these books with the same heart-racing joy that I read them with this day. Most people love fantasy and to escape into a world of magic whether it's through television and movies, or through books and dreams. This series has the capability of fulfilling that need for fantasy and dreams across a wide range of ages.
5. What has been your favorite thing about reading The Gateway Chronicles?
I am not very good at picking favorites, but one of my favorite things has been to watch each and every one of the characters develop, particularly Darcy and Tellius. As all of the characters grow and mature, gaining knowledge and wisdom, they root themselves deeper into the reader's heart (namely mine). It's so interesting watching the relationships between characters wax and wane, developing into deep connections which seemed impossible when they were first introduced to each other in The Six. I look forward to seeing more of these friendships and other relationships blossom and grow.
6. What are you most looking forward to in the final installments of the series?
The thing I am most looking forward to, and the thing I am hoping for with fingers crossed and baited breath is for Darcy and Tellius to end up getting married. I would love to see her stay in Alitheia at the end of the series with Tellius and for Tselloch to be vanquished for good (which, of course, MUST happen in order for the series to have a solid ending!). What I am most definitely not looking forward to is the series' ending itself! I hated saying goodbye to my Hogwarts friends in Harry Potter and I'll hate saying goodbye to The Gateway Chronicles' characters and the world of Alitheia. Luckily, I know that I'll have this series right alongside Harry Potter on my shelf for decades to come.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Inspiration for The Oracle
The second book in any series is of crucial importance. The reader has just gotten through your first book, and, if they liked it enough, chances are they are going to go out and buy your second book. But if your second book disappoints, it's all over from there! This was the conviction that weighed on me when I set out to write book 2 of The Gateway Chronicles, The Oracle. I have been waylaid by many a poor sequel, and I determined that my sequel would not disappoint. If anything, I wanted it to be a much stronger installment to the series - something to keep people coming back for more. I feel I accomplished that with The Oracle.
When I finished book 1, I didn't honestly have a clear vision of what book 2 was going to be about. I've always known the overall story arc, but the second installment is kind of a stinker. It's still early in the story so you can't have too much take place, but it must progress the series along and also stand alone as its own compelling story. I had no idea what the plot of book 2 was going to be . . . until I started getting feedback from book 1. Yahto Veli, it turned out, was everyone's favorite character, and I decided, therefore, to make him a major focus of book 2. Once I had Yahto Veli in place, I knew I had to have something BIG happen to him in the climax of the story. Teaching my 8th grade history class one day, reading The Histories by Herodotus, I took them through a section of the text that covers one of the many mentions of the Oracle at Delphi. I've always been fascinated by Greek mythology, and anything having to do with the Oracle at Delphi always captured my imagination. The idea behind the oracles and Greek tragic irony is so clever, and as I was currently brainstorming for book 2 as I was reminded of my fascination with this, the two just came together in my mind. Why not have an Oracle in Alitheia? I could play around with writing riddles (which is dastardly difficult!) and flesh out my fantasy with another villain, as well as introduce layers of more mystery to the overall plot - something I'd wanted to do anyway. One thing led to another, and the story of The Oracle just fell into place. And I won't reveal what BIG thing I have happen to Yahto Veli, so as not to spoil, but it's one of my favorite plot elements so far. I love when my two passions come together, and being inspired by history in writing my fantasy was very fulfilling. If you are a fan of mythology of any sort, you should find this installment in The Gateway Chronicles fulfilling, too! I hope you pick up a copy and continue your journey through Alitheia.
When I finished book 1, I didn't honestly have a clear vision of what book 2 was going to be about. I've always known the overall story arc, but the second installment is kind of a stinker. It's still early in the story so you can't have too much take place, but it must progress the series along and also stand alone as its own compelling story. I had no idea what the plot of book 2 was going to be . . . until I started getting feedback from book 1. Yahto Veli, it turned out, was everyone's favorite character, and I decided, therefore, to make him a major focus of book 2. Once I had Yahto Veli in place, I knew I had to have something BIG happen to him in the climax of the story. Teaching my 8th grade history class one day, reading The Histories by Herodotus, I took them through a section of the text that covers one of the many mentions of the Oracle at Delphi. I've always been fascinated by Greek mythology, and anything having to do with the Oracle at Delphi always captured my imagination. The idea behind the oracles and Greek tragic irony is so clever, and as I was currently brainstorming for book 2 as I was reminded of my fascination with this, the two just came together in my mind. Why not have an Oracle in Alitheia? I could play around with writing riddles (which is dastardly difficult!) and flesh out my fantasy with another villain, as well as introduce layers of more mystery to the overall plot - something I'd wanted to do anyway. One thing led to another, and the story of The Oracle just fell into place. And I won't reveal what BIG thing I have happen to Yahto Veli, so as not to spoil, but it's one of my favorite plot elements so far. I love when my two passions come together, and being inspired by history in writing my fantasy was very fulfilling. If you are a fan of mythology of any sort, you should find this installment in The Gateway Chronicles fulfilling, too! I hope you pick up a copy and continue your journey through Alitheia.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Letting it Go: Thoughts on Editing
Okay, first off, I realize that I am so far overdue for a blog post it isn't even funny! Perhaps I can be forgiven, however, after some insight into the past six-eight weeks. In this span of time, I have wrapped up my blog tour for The Six, edited The Oracle, edited The White Thread, and finished writing the rough draft of book 4, The Enchanted - which I started in January. I have also prepared for and given birth to my third son (three boys, oh my!), and now I have a two-week-old at home along with my three-year-old and my five-year-old. As a teacher, I had to prepare for my maternity leave that would overlap final exam time for my 10th graders and finish teaching as much material as I could get through before the arrival of baby #3.
Can you forgive me for neglecting my blog? (Cue mini violin)
Moving beyond the hectic craziness that was the last 8 weeks, I'm now looking forward to a summer spent editing The Enchanted, working with my publicists to organize interviews and appearances, and writing book 5, as well as kicking off another blog tour for The Oracle and, later in the summer, a third blog tour for The White Thread. All things considered, however, it's actually less work than I've been engaged in this spring, so I think the future is bright!
Out of all this mess of stuff, the most difficult part has been the editing process, and I just wanted to share a few thoughts. Allowing a team of people to come in and rework your manuscript is a difficult thing, and I've actually called it humbling several times over this past spring. I knew that it would be hard to release my books into the hands of others, but I don't think I anticipated just how difficult it would be at times. Working with editors takes trust - a lot of it. I decided from the beginning that I would trust my editing team to make my books better, even if I didn't agree with changes they made and even if I didn't understand all the changes they made, and I'm glad I made this promise to myself. The fact of the matter is, they want me to succeed; they are not out to make my books worse, and I sometimes need to remind myself of that. The most difficult changes to swallow are the stylistic ones. For example, they do not want me to use hardly any creative dialogue tags or ly-adverbs, but I love using them! And when I read my favorite books, I see the pages full of them, as well (probably why I enjoy using them, as writing is an imitative art). However, if I can hold my books in an open palm and allow my editors to use their expertise to fashion my stories into more professional-sounding prose, then I think I've taken an important step. And quite frankly, nine times out of ten, when I go back and read a section they have helped me rework, it really is better. I find that I'm actually looking forward to editing book 4. As it is the first manuscript that was not previously self-published, I think I'll be able to approach it with more of an open mind. Although maybe I've just learned a little more trust and humility, which are things that we all need in life.
Can you forgive me for neglecting my blog? (Cue mini violin)
Moving beyond the hectic craziness that was the last 8 weeks, I'm now looking forward to a summer spent editing The Enchanted, working with my publicists to organize interviews and appearances, and writing book 5, as well as kicking off another blog tour for The Oracle and, later in the summer, a third blog tour for The White Thread. All things considered, however, it's actually less work than I've been engaged in this spring, so I think the future is bright!
Out of all this mess of stuff, the most difficult part has been the editing process, and I just wanted to share a few thoughts. Allowing a team of people to come in and rework your manuscript is a difficult thing, and I've actually called it humbling several times over this past spring. I knew that it would be hard to release my books into the hands of others, but I don't think I anticipated just how difficult it would be at times. Working with editors takes trust - a lot of it. I decided from the beginning that I would trust my editing team to make my books better, even if I didn't agree with changes they made and even if I didn't understand all the changes they made, and I'm glad I made this promise to myself. The fact of the matter is, they want me to succeed; they are not out to make my books worse, and I sometimes need to remind myself of that. The most difficult changes to swallow are the stylistic ones. For example, they do not want me to use hardly any creative dialogue tags or ly-adverbs, but I love using them! And when I read my favorite books, I see the pages full of them, as well (probably why I enjoy using them, as writing is an imitative art). However, if I can hold my books in an open palm and allow my editors to use their expertise to fashion my stories into more professional-sounding prose, then I think I've taken an important step. And quite frankly, nine times out of ten, when I go back and read a section they have helped me rework, it really is better. I find that I'm actually looking forward to editing book 4. As it is the first manuscript that was not previously self-published, I think I'll be able to approach it with more of an open mind. Although maybe I've just learned a little more trust and humility, which are things that we all need in life.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Blog Tour Wrapping Up!
Today is the final day of my blog tour for The Six, and I feel a little bit as though I've been run through the ringer. Never have I had so many people ask me so many interview questions, had to write so many guest posts on so many varied topics, and obsessively checked so many blogs, while also waiting anxiously on reviews. And all of this while also trying to keep up with my writing schedule (speaking of things I should be doing right now...). I think it's been very profitable, though, and it's definitely been excellent experience for me! So, as the tour wraps up, I wanted to post a few links to the last "stops" on my tour, and encourage you all again to buy a copy of The Six. If this gets really big, you'll want to be able to say you were there at the beginning. :o)
http://jennylikesbooks.wordpress.com/
http://blogs.ellingtonschools.org/larkin/
http://cabingoddess.com/2012/04/the-six-hoyle-french-toast/
http://alchemyofscrawl.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/5q5a-with-kb-hoyle-author-of-the-six/
ALSO, my friend and book blogger Donna, who has been a HUGE help in promoting my books, is up for the Independent Book Blogger Awards at goodreads. If you would like to vote for her, please follow the link below to check out her blog and vote!
http://www.girl-who-reads.com/
http://jennylikesbooks.wordpress.com/
http://blogs.ellingtonschools.org/larkin/
http://cabingoddess.com/2012/04/the-six-hoyle-french-toast/
http://alchemyofscrawl.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/5q5a-with-kb-hoyle-author-of-the-six/
ALSO, my friend and book blogger Donna, who has been a HUGE help in promoting my books, is up for the Independent Book Blogger Awards at goodreads. If you would like to vote for her, please follow the link below to check out her blog and vote!
http://www.girl-who-reads.com/
Friday, April 6, 2012
Alchemy of Scrawl Radio Interview
Listen to internet radio with alchemyofscrawl on Blog Talk Radio
In case you missed my interview on Alchemy of Scrawl Blog Talk Radio this morning, here it is! April 6th Blog Tour Stop.
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