Wanted: One New Spine--Must Be Tough

Hi, my name is Tamara, and I do NOT have an unbreakable spine. In fact, my spine is pretty weak, especially after getting rejections over and over. So I'm in need of a new one, preferably one that never breaks. Also a new heart would be nice, one that doesn't feel like a ball of lead after every writerly rejection.

I get that rejection is part of the process. I get that I need a tough backbone in order to survive in this industry. Most of the time I'm fine. But sometimes those darned rejections catch me unaware, and I crack.

At this point, I'm considering all my options for publication. After A to Z I've gained some new followers, and I know that most of you are writers, so I'll pose this question:

Self-pub, small press, or agent?

What's been your experience?

Have you had experience with any of the three methods listed above? If so, please dish, as I'm sorely confused.

A to Z Challenge: Z is for Ziggurat, and the Unexpected Truth About Newbie Authors

The zigguratt may not be as popular as the pyramid, but I find it just as intriguing. This pyramid-type structure, while not classically used by the Greeks, was a symbol of man seeking the divine, which is a theme common throughout Greek myth.

I've started reading a book called Jake Bowers Versus the Firebird by Laryssa Waldron. It was recommended to me by a good friend, who recommends all the best books. It starts out with a scene in a ziggurat, which immediately caught my attention. I can't say much about the book as I've just started, but I can say this--I enjoy it so far and I want to keep reading, which in my mind is the mark of a good author.

This brings me to another point. This is the end of A to Z, and I'm trying to find a purpose for my blog. In the past I've posted updates on my own writing, and I'm also a member of Clean Teen Publishing where I'll post announcements and giveaways of their super fabulous books, but I want to do something else worthwhile, something that can help other people like me. This is what I've decided...

I want to host a new author twice a month. The only requirement is that these authors can't be well-known, and most will probably be getting their start. I've been doing this writing thing for four years now, and I've learned a lot, but I've also learned something that surprised me.

Good authors aren't all published by the big companies. Good authors struggle to get their writing out there. They aren't well-known, their books aren't being made into movies, but their writing is compelling and imaginative. Their stories are heart-warming, and I believe these stories will be remembered in the mind of the reader for years to come.

I won't be able to do this by myself. I'll need help getting the word out, and I'll also need lots of new followers if I want this campaign to be a success.

The book I mentioned by Laryssa Waldron will be my first to review. If I'm correct, this is her first book to publish. So PLEASE support her!http://www.amazon.com/Jake-Bowers-Versus-The-Firebird-ebook/dp/B00J5QOEWK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398871422&sr=8-1&keywords=jake+bowers+versus+the+firebird

I hope to have many more authors to host! So please, if you aren't following me, do so. If you're a new author, contact me. It's our own fault if we don't help new authors get their stories out there.

A to Z Challenge: Y is for Ymir, or Yo Mama, as in This Ain't Yo Mama's Creation Story

We've all heard creation stories, right? Most of us are familiar with Adam and Eve. They live in the garden of Eden for a time before partaking of the forbidden fruit, and thus are cast out.

But what do you know about the creation myths of other cultures? In Greek myth, Cronus devours his children to keep them from overthrowing him, only to be overthrown by his son, Zeus.

The tale of a primal deity whose body suffers mutilation is common in more than one culture's beliefs. In Scandinavian myth, the Norse creator gods slay Ymir, a huge frost giant. They disassemble him, making the earth from his body, the oceans from his blood, and the dome of heaven from his skull.

Wikipedia gives Ymir the following description...

Ymir birthed a male and female from the pits of his arms, and his legs together begat a six-headed being. The gods Odin, Vili, and Vé fashioned the Earth (elsewhere personified as a goddess; Jörð) from his flesh, from his blood the ocean, from his bones the hills, from his hair the trees, from his brains the clouds, from his skull the heavens, and from his eyebrows the middle realm in which mankind lives, Midgard. In addition, one stanza relates that the dwarfs were given life by the gods from Ymir's flesh and blood (or the Earth and sea).

I find Ymir's story fascinating. It's gory, yes, but it's also an effective way of describing how the death of one being brought life to countless others. A theme which is found in Greek myth also, in the form of sparagmos (a dollar to anyone who can tell me what that is!)

Sparagmos is the ritual tearing apart of a sacrificial victim.

Do I owe anyone a dollar?

As always, I'm thrilled to have new followers. My day always seems a little brighter when someone new follows me. Also, my book RAZE is on sale for only $2.99. It's the heroic story of two sisters who are New York's only professional hellraisers. They are put the testing point when they are hired to save a client's daughter. It's a fast, fun read. It won't cost you much, but it will mean the world to me if you support me, so please don't miss out!

A to Z Challenge: X is for Xanthus--and Why I am a Dirty Rotten Book Thief

Today's post was originally going to be about the character Xanthus from Holly Kelly's RISING. But some recent events have taken place that have made me change my mind.

This past weekend I attended the LDStorymakers writing conference in Utah. I was excited to go, but as soon as I left my house, I missed my kids. Missed is actually an understatement. I felt as if I'd had a limb torn off (four limbs, to be exact.) I was a hot mess the whole time. Any time I saw a baby I fought back tears. It was painful for me, physically painful, to be away from my little ones. But when I got to the conference, I met some wonderful people, went to some great classes, and it helped me forget my pain a little.

On the last day, they had a book signing. There was ONE book that I absolutely had to get signed. RISING by Holly Kelly. I love this book. It has a great story, lovable characters, and a good dose of myth. If you've been following my blog, you know I like that one.

But this was the last day, the last event, and my homesickness had grown into a hard knot in my throat that threatened to burst any time I thought about my kids. And I thought about them a lot--so much that after I got my book signed, I put it in my bag with my previously purchased books and completely forgot about it.

I didn't remember until I got to my friend's house that night and started unpacking.

I am a dirty rotten book thief. I have no excuse. I stole a book from one of my all-time favorite authors, and now I feel like a rotten person.

The worst part--Holly had, that very same day, admitted to me that she'd had a whole box of her books stolen. And I stole her very last one. I've messaged her to ask if I can pay her somehow. (If anyone from CTP is reading this, please let me know how I can pay for the book!)

Please help me make it up to her! You--my reading friends--can help. I know we all get online to find something fast and fun to read, perhaps something to take our minds of the everyday stresses--but today you can do something kind AND get your mind off day-to-day stresses at the same time. HOW???

BUY Holly Kelly's book! (And if you download the Kindle version, it's absolutely free!) http://www.amazon.com/Rising-The-Series-Holly-Kelly-ebook/dp/B00EZRNT5W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1398700321&sr=8-3&keywords=holly+kelly

A to Z Challenge: Why Women are a Nagging Burden

The Greek's view on women is a topic I found interesting, if not a little depressing. Let's just say I would've hated to be a Greek woman. I know women today feel they're treated unfairly, but if they take a walk back in history, they might not feel so undervalued.
To illustrate, I'd like to give you a quote from Hesiod's Theogony. The passage starts with the birth of the first woman, created by Zeus, formed by Hephaestus and clothed by Athena...

From her (Athena) comes the fair sex;
yes, wicked womenfolk are her descendants.
They live among mortal men as a nagging burden
and are no good sharers of abject want, but only of wealth.
Men are like swarms of bees clinging to cave roofs
to feed drones that contribute only to malicious deeds;
the bees themselves all day long until sundown
are busy carrying and storing the white wax,
but the drones stay inside in their roofed hives
and cram their bellies full of what others harvest.

Like I said, cruel, right? It makes me look at my own role as a woman, and particularly as as stay-at-home mom. In the past this has been a touchy subject for me. Am I still contributing to society by staying at home with my kids? I'm not earning any money. I'm not adding to my resume. I get no breaks, no rewards, and sometimes it's very hard to see if I'm doing any good at all.

But that's when I have to stand back and look at the big picture.

When I got pregnant with my fourth baby, I got really sick. I couldn't do the things I always took for granted--the laundry, dishes, picking the kids up from school, making meals, taking the kids to sports or dance. That's when I realized how much I actually do. No, I don't get a paycheck, but that doesn't mean I'm worthless.

Moms--you're worth it. Every effort you make is worth it. The Greeks didn't think so, and I believe that's what perpetuated our society's view on women, a view we're still trying to make right today.

Some people ask me what I do for a living. My answer: I stay at home with my kids.
Sometimes I get "the look." That face that says, "Oh, you're just a mom. You don't really DO anything, do you?"
It breaks my heart to realize that some people think that way.

A stay-at-home mom's efforts are not be as visible as someone working in a professional career. The clean clothes, the dishes, the meals, the juggling game between sports or dance or scouts, but I've come to learn that these things are just as important as being the bread-winner. I don't have a paycheck to show for it. But I hope what my children learn from me will be of greater value than money.

Women and men are different, but they're also equal.

In my book, RAZE, I write about two sisters who have lost their mother to cancer. My lead character, May, realizes how important her mother was when she's driven to the testing point, and remembers her mother's advice. If you'd like to read about two heroines who show what it means to be strong, please purchase my novella, RAZE. It's on Amazon for only $2.99. Thank you!

I've written more about mothers than I expected. It was not something that I intentionally sat down to write about. I guess that deep down, I feel strongly about good mothers--and how vitally important they are to our society. The Greeks never realized this. It's our responsibility to set the record straight.

A to Z Challenge: V is for Vulcan

One of the reasons why I love Star Trek is because the shows include a good dose of Greek myth. I've already discussed the Romulans, so today I'd like to focus on the Romulan's original ancestors, the Vulcans.

In myth, Vulcan is the Roman name for Hephaestus, the god of fire and the forge. I'm curious to know why Gene Roddenberry picked the god of fire to represent the Vulcans, a race of people who repress emotions. Surely the Vulcans aren't fiery. But if you dig deeper, you'll find that the Vulcans weren't always in control of their mental state. At one point they nearly drove their race to extinction because of their wild and violent emotions, so at the time, the term Vulcan would have been accurate in describing their race.

What is your opinion? Why do you think Gene Roddenberry choose the name Vulcan?

As always, thanks for following my blog! I've had a fantastic time with A to Z and I'm already looking forward to the next challenge. Also, I want YOU to read my novella. RAZE is a fast, fun read and it's gotten some stellar reviews, so don't miss out. My book is on Amazon.com for only $2.99.

A to Z Challenge: U is for Uranus

Uranus was the original sky god. He came before Cronus and Zeus. He fathered many offspring, including the Titans, the Erinyes, and the Gigantes. He was also the husband-son of Gaea, though he was castrated and deposed by his "crafty" son Cronus.

Of course, we all familiarize the name with the planet. Wikipedia has this to say about the planet Uranus...

The ancient Greeks and Romans knew of only five 'wandering stars' (Greek: πλανήται, planētai): Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Following the discovery of a sixth planet in the 18th century, the name Uranus was chosen as the logical addition to the series: for Mars (Ares in Greek) was the son of Jupiter, Jupiter (Zeus in Greek) the son of Saturn, and Saturn (Cronus in Greek) the son of Uranus. What is anomalous is that, while the others take Roman names, Uranus is a name derived from Greek in contrast to the Roman Caelus.

So if you can name the planets in order, you're also able to quote Greek family history. Neat, huh?

As always, thanks for following me! And if you haven't yet--please check out RAZE, my Shine novella, about girls with extraordinary abilities.