Author Spotlight: Lara Wells

I'm excited to introduce fellow Shine author, Lara Wells. Her novella, Shine 9-Cassandra, is the latest to be released as part of the ongoing Shine series. Haven't read the previous books? No problem. Cassandra is a stand-alone story that can be read separately from the rest. (Although the Shine authors would greatly appreciate if you do read the others!)

I've had the opportunity to interview Lara about her writing process and give you some exclusive information about a talented up and coming author. I met her at the Rose State Writing Conference, where she raked in several writing awards, and won the overall best author award. I was certainly impressed. After you read Cassandra, I know you will be too!

If you haven't read her book, it's available on Amazon. Here's what Cassandra is all about:

In the near future, a few young women manifest extraordinary abilities called "Shine." Each girl's ability is different. Some develop extraordinary mental abilities. Some become physically strong. Others have powers that defy description. But the world does not embrace these Shines. It fears them.

Cassie's life was turned upside-down by the destruction of Seattle. She had to escape from "St. Augustine's Home for the Mentally Deranged," where Florida's Shines were being incarcerated. But the escape only gave her a new and even more dangerous set of problems. She meets a boy, a strange cat, and an alleged Shine school, and they all claim they want to help her. But can she trust any of them? Or does she need to escape again, before the malevolent forces searching for her make escape--or life--impossible.

Lara Wells on facebook; @lara_wells1 on Twitter

1. When did you start writing? I have memories of making up stories for my younger sister even before I wrote them down. I’ve been writing stories and poems since elementary school.
2. How did you come up with your story? William Bernhardt invited me to contribute to his Shine series. I recorded the audiobooks for his first five stories, so I was familiar with the world he created. My 13-year-old son routinely asks me if I could have a superpower, what would it be. We’ve had many conversations over the years about potential superpowers. When I began crafting my own characters, I thought back over those conversations.
3. Give us some insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special? Cassie is able to feel a person’s emotional state. She also has the ability to reach into a person’s mind and stroke their pleasure center – something she thinks of as giving a “brain hug.” She considers it a pretty worthless special power.
4. What are your favorite/least favorite things about writing? When I write, I’m completely immersed in the story I’m working on. Time flies by. I enjoy creating stories and characters and sharing them with readers. I love the idea we can touch one another’s lives with words.
5. Do you have any future projects in the works? I have a completed manuscript I hope to see published soon. It’s about a woman traveling in India who encounters an orphan embroiled in the grave underworld of human trafficking and slavery. The story follows her struggles to save the girl from a terrible future. In the process, the woman also confronts some of her own issues.
6. What are you working on right now? My next Shine story.
7. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Someplace tropical – I’m always cold.
8. Think fast…
Favorite season: spring
Favorite fairy tale: Beauty and the Beast
Cats or dogs: dogs
Sweet or salty: sweet
Dark, milk, or white chocolate: dark

Really Horribly Truly Terribly Bad Writing

Okay writing friends, I know you've all heard these rules, but in case you haven't, I'd like to refresh your memory. This is bad writing 101, and I'd like to take you through the rounds of truly bad writing.

Bad Writing Tip #1: Adverbs and adjectives. Use them as much as you like and as plentifully as you want. They clutter a sentence so bad that they make it unreadable. But who cares? We were taught to use adverbs in grade school, weren't we? You remember the worksheets, right? (Use two adverbs to describe each verb.) The more the merrier! And why wouldn't you use an adverb. Doesn't it sound classier to say, "She ran swiftly." As opposed to, "She sprinted." Classier, right. Personally, when I run, I run slowly over the hot gravel track, panting heavily, wishing longingly to stop immediately and partake quickly in some cold, flavorful, delicious Blue Bell ice cream.

Bad Writing Tip #2: Here's what sparked this post in the first place. I read an article here that I found informative, and I recommend you read. But I have one beef with it. As an example of what-not-to-do in writing, the author uses an example from the #1 bestselling novel OF ALL TIME (right behind the Bible.) Dan Brown's, THE DA VINCI CODE. For me, this was a less than compelling example. Give me an example from a little known, poorly written book, and yes, I will agree. But from the bestselling book of all time? Give me a break! I can give you an example right here. The topic is bad foreshadowing. You find the sentences all the time in books for young readers. "Little did she know that when she ate the carrot, a magic evil bunny would chew a hole through her hat and turn her into another, more beautiful, less magical bunny." It's the "little did she know" part that we writers have issues with. (Ignore the other bunny stuff, I was having a bit of writerly fun.)

In my opinion, the "little did he/she know" device breaks the point of view. It's author intrusion at its finest. If she didn't know it, then how could we? No, only the author knows this. And worse, the author must tell us, or else we wouldn't know it!

There are ways to get around this kind of bad writing. "When she bit into the carrot, she detected a faint bitter taste. Was there something wrong with the carrot? Had it been poisoned? By magic, perhaps? The bunny had been acting strange. No, it couldn't have been. She took another bite, convinced that she'd imagined the awful taste. No one would want to poison her anyway. And she didn't believe in magic."

Bad Writing Tip #3. Bad similes. Similes are like salt. Use salt too much and it overpowers your food. I'm reading a book right now that used a simile in sentence one, and the similes haven't stopped since. The story is fun and engaging, but when I read similes like, "lightning drew through the sky like a knife through a raw egg..." I stop reading. Why couldn't the lightning just cut through the sky? Did an egg really need to be involved? A runny egg? I know the answer. Do you? Because, as in example #1, we still remember those worksheets from grade school. (Write three similes in each sentence. Do it for the next fifty sentences.) Similes make writing better, not worse, am I right? They add seasoning and flavor. Down with those short sentences that convey meaning with only a few words! Why use a more engaging verb when we can use a lengthy simile? We need more flavor than we can handle. Overburden us with so many words that we have to reread the sentence three or four times to get the meaning.

I'm sure we could all come up with thousands of more examples, but I've found the only sure way to avoid bad writing is to write. Do it everyday. Do it when you don't want to. It will pay off. Go back. Reread your stuff. Let others read it. After awhile, you'll see what makes writing good or bad.

I'm proud to put my name on my first published novella, though this was not my first finished book. I went through the rounds of bad writing. I admit to using every one the devices I just mentioned. But with time, my writing has improved. If you'd like to read my novella, Shine #6, Raze in sale for only 99 cents. Here's what readers have to say, "Two wise-cracking, down at the heels sisters tackle insurmountable odds. This novella has all the components for a good evening's read: humor, believable characters, lots of action, and an unpredictable plot..."

And don't forget to check out my latest novella, Shine #10, Never Say Reven, to be released June 10!

Gearing up for REVEN

My next installment in the Shine series is SHINE 10, NEVER SAY REVEN, to be officially released July 10. To help prepare for the release, here a few pictures. Enjoy!

This is an early sketch of my main character June Brighton. As a Shine, she has the ability to hear heartbeats. On the night of her senior prom, she uses her ability to track down a Reven, a Shine bounty hunter, named Memphis Stone. He's ruthless, cunning, and smarter than any Reven she's encountered before. He's also the only Reven who's been able to capture her...

Like Raze, Reven is also set in NYC. This is St. Patrick's cathedral in NYC. Isn't it beautiful? I wanted to have a Shine fortress in my novella, and St. Patrick's was the perfect inspiration. I hope to post more pictures soon. Until then, don't forget to read Raze, my first Shine novella, about two sisters who face insurmountable odds with a good dose of humor, sarcasm, and sisterly love. It's a fast-paced, fun read that's perfect for the weekend.

Writing Process Blog Tour

My thanks goes out to Angela Archer for involving me in the writing process blog tour. The concept is simple: I answer four questions about my writing, and then pass the questions on to other writers. If you're interested in being part of the tour, please let me know!


1. What am I working on at the moment?

I'm working on a novella for the Shine series. This is book three of a three-part series. Shines are girls with unusual abilities. They're also really fun to write about. My character, June Brighton, can hear heartbeats. As the series progresses, she'll also learn how manipulate them.

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

When I'm not working on the Shine series, I write an urban fantasy series called Olive Kennedy, Fairy World MD. It's about a licensed medical doctor. Her patients have visited fairy world and come back to our world, but they've lost their memories. Because of it, they've got a host of depressive disorders. Olive Kennedy uses magic to help them remember and overcome their disorders. Her patients also happen to collect fantasy memorabilia.

I wanted to bridge the gap between fantasy fans and the books they read. I don't know of any other series that does this. It's made for some really unique characters. Plus it's a lot of fun to write!

3. Why do I write what I do?

This is a question that's close to my heart. In fact, I was pondering this question this morning. I started writing because I was in a stagnant place. I'm a stay-at-home mom, which I love, but it can also be a strain. My husband was doing his general surgery residency and worked an average of 80-90 hours a week, leaving me to be the sole caretaker of our three young children. We'd moved away from home. I had no family here, and I was having trouble coping with the ins and outs of daily life, and doing it by myself.

My friend loaned me a book called Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George. It was a fun fairy tale story. I really enjoyed it. But I also felt that I had stories in my head that were just as good. I'd tried for years to write a book, but I always got discouraged halfway through and eventually gave up. This time would be different. This time I would write a book and finish it. It didn't matter if it was perfect. It just had to be finished.

My husband, even though working his 90 hour weeks, was a huge support. A month later, I'd finished my first draft of my first novel.

So, to get back to the question--why do I write what I do? Because it keeps me sane. And because I absolutely love it.

4. How does my writing process work?

First, I know that I have to write every day. My goal is 1,000 words. Usually I make my goal, especially if I'm working on something I'm really passionate about. Of course, this all begins in my head. As long as I know I have to do this, I will. I don't give myself an out. That's my goal. I do it before the dishes or laundry. I do it while the baby naps. And after I finish, I feel that I've accomplished something. It makes my whole day go better.

TAGGED: Sherry Ficklin

20 Minute Book Marketing--Does it Work?

All this week I've been conducting an experiment. What would happen if I spend twenty minutes a day marketing my book? For some background, my book, RAZE, SHINE #6 was released back in February 2014. It's available as an e-book on Amazon. It's my first work to publish, and I'm super excited about it.

Marketing is a challenge for me. But I decided that I need to stop worrying about what I can't control, and instead focus on what I can control. I have four young children, a husband in surgical residency, several more books to write, and I'm preparing to make a big move from Tulsa to Galveston, TX, but surely I can spend 20 minutes a day on book marketing, right?
I did. I spent a chunk of my morning from about 9:00 am to 9:20, solely focused on marketing. I put up a blog post, linked it to Twitter and Facebook, and then spent more time on Facebook promoting on the book writing groups. I also spent a little time on making friend requests and socializing on the FB book lovers sights. I made sure to set the alarm on my phone, so I knew that I ONLY had twenty minutes. It helped me stay focused, especially when I got on Facebook and felt tempted to scan through the news feed, or got distracted by a picture of someone's adorable baby. Setting the timer worked better than I thought, and it was such a simple thing to do. I plan to continue with 20 minute marketing, just so I can stay focused.

Here are my results in terms of Amazon ranking:
May 19- #469,644
May 20- #209,315
May 21- #291,057
May 22- #344,971
May 23- #389,137

Also, I gained one more five-star review, which I'm very proud of. Those reviews are better than chocolate to me! The numbers are marginally impressive, but you can see that I at least sold a couple books, which in my mind is worth the twenty minutes.

The main lesson I've learned is to be consistent. Maybe I won't get a sale today, but at least I got my name out there, and I've become a more visible online presence, so that when my next book comes out in July, I'll already have some followers.

Does anyone have better suggestions for how I can spend my twenty minutes? I've got the blog, Twitter, and Facebook as my main targets, but I'm sure there are other paths I could take that would garner more sales.

I'd also like to invite other authors to take the 20 minute challenge. (Now I sound like an aerobics instructor) and report on how they did!

Special Sneak Peek!

Today you get a special sneak peek of my latest Shine novella. REVEN, Book One, is scheduled for official release in July. I've had so much fun working on this book. To be honest, June and Memphis were some of personal favorite characters to create. I hope my enthusiasm shows in the writing. I can't wait for this book to be released!
Question: Would you wear combat boots with your prom dress? Why or why not?

CHAPTER ONE
I stripped off my stilettos and pulled on my combat boots. I didn’t have time to change my prom dress. Silver satin rustled as I cinched my laces. In the ballroom next door, cheers erupted as the student body elected a new prom queen.
“June Brighton,” I heard Principal Evans call.
The cheers continued. How long would it take them to realize I’d disappeared?
“June Brighton,” the principal repeated.
I winced as he said my name. Being prom queen made my life more complicated. I’d never admit it to anyone, but I felt grateful that the Revens picked tonight to prowl. I had an excuse to avoid all the attention. I wasn’t sure why I felt that way. I wasn’t sure of a lot of things, except that right now, I had to stop the Revens.
“June, where are you?”
The cheers quieted. I almost wanted to go over there so I could end the awkward silence, but thought better of it.
I stood and smoothed my gown. I’d found the pattern three years ago and knew this would be my prom dress. Half my summer savings went into buying the material.
This gown was every little girl’s dream. Layers of ivory and silver satin hugged the bodice. Rhinestones sparkled around the sheer sleeves and scooped neckline. It took me hours to stitch the tiny beads into place. The tiered ruffled skirt flowed to my knees in waves of shimmering taffeta.
But that wasn’t the only reason I’d sewn it myself. I had to make sure the dress was practical. Mom had found some military-grade Kevlar at a surplus store. I’d reinforced the bodice with the body armor, layered the underskirt with a durable polyester blend, even sewn an extra pocket for my knife.
I pulled out my dagger. The familiar pearl handle conformed to my palm. Naomi’s text said the Revens were gathering on the roof. They wouldn’t get away this time. I sighed as I stared at my gown. I’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this. But there was no way I could take down a Reven in this skirt.
I gripped my knife and cut through the fabric around my knees. I sawed at the material until I’d made an ugly serrated gash. I ripped the skirt off, transforming my floor-length gown into a tatty, knee-length skirt. This looked so much easier in the movies, and much more elegant. My heart gave a painful thump as I found the nearest trash can and disposed of the fabric.
Regret nagged at me. I should’ve just made it knee-length in the first place. But my stupid sense of fashion had overridden my rational thoughts. No use crying about it now.
I crept to the dressing room’s door and peeked outside.
Hotel LaBelle is one of the nicer places to stay in Manhattan. My high school doesn’t like to play it cheap. They book the place every year. Tiny chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Plush carpeting covered the hallway’s floor. Lucky for me, the carpet would muffle the sound of my clunky boots.
The hallway was empty, so I snuck outside.
In the ballroom, I heard Principal Evans on the microphone. “If anyone sees June, tell her she’s our new prom queen.”

The Power to See by Jennifer Anne Davis

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THE POWER TO SEE by Jennifer Anne Davis

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THE POWER TO SEE BY JENNIFER ANNE DAVIS


Publisher: Crimson Tree Publishing

Content Rating: Mature Content (Rated YAm with 5's in all categories.) 

At first glance, twenty-two-year-old Brianna’s life seems perfect. But she harbors a deadly secret—her father is the leader of a ruthless drug cartel. Brianna struggles to find her place in a world her father meticulously controls, and believes she is nothing but a pawn in her father’s deadly games. 

After graduating from college with an enormous debt, Dominic finds himself lured by money and power into a job that appears too good to be true. He doesn’t realize he works for a drug cartel until he’s in too deep. Trying to keep his family safe, he takes a deal offered by Brianna’s father and agrees to marry Brianna while continuing to work for the cartel. 

Brianna and Dominic must rely on one another as their lives become further entwined in the lethal drug world. When Dominic discovers a deadly secret, he begins to question everything and turns to Brianna for support. However, Brianna’s heart belongs to another man—an undercover DEA agent. 

The DEA closes in on the drug cartel, forcing Brianna and Dominic to choose sides, igniting a battle between family loyalty, love, and survival. Brianna soon realizes that she may be the only person capable of bringing down her father’s empire—if she can find a way to outsmart the master manipulator, without losing herself, and her heart, in the process.

READ AN EXCERPT:

There was a soft knock on her door. Matt popped his head in, making her flush. As much as she fought against it, Brianna had to admit, Matt was hot. She hadn’t seen him since their dinner the other night. There was something different about him from other men she’d known. She liked that Matt was intelligent and highly sought after in the law field. Even though he was confident, he wasn’t cocky, and there was something gentle about him. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she liked that he seemed interested in getting to know her. It was a refreshing change. Of course, it was also nice that Matt was untouched by her father.

“Do you have any plans for the weekend?” he asked, giving her a half smile.

“Nothing too exciting. I have a lot to do before we meet with the judge on Monday.”

“Well, you can’t work all weekend, so I have a proposition for you.” Matt walked in and sat on the edge of Brianna’s desk, pulling two tickets from his shirt pocket. “I’m taking you to a baseball game Saturday night.”

Did he just ask her out? Was Matt interested in her? This wasn’t good. Why couldn’t Matt be married or unattractive? Why did she have to meet him now? “I don’t know,” she managed to say.

“You owe me a dinner,” Matt reminded her, the dimple in his cheek showing.

“I can’t.” She really wanted to, but her father would never approve.

Matt raised his eyebrows. “I’m not asking you out on a date, so don’t get all defensive. I’m simply asking you to a baseball game, and it’s work related if that makes you feel any better.” He leaned in close, smiling like they shared a secret.

Why did he have to keep looking at her like that? “Work related how?” she asked. Perhaps there was a way to get her father’s approval.

“The firm has a box. So, technically it’s a work function.”

“Is anyone else going?”

“No,” he whispered.

Brianna wanted to be alone with Matt, but she wasn’t sure she could control herself around him. Salazar’s plan was very direct and specific, and Matt was definitely not a part of the plan. She couldn’t afford to lose focus now. But the way Matt sat on the desk, his smile, those eyes—she was drawn to him. She closed her eyes, smelling his musky scent. Not once in Brianna’s life had Salazar ever asked her what she wanted. Everything was planned and she was expected to go along with it. Against her better judgment, she agreed to go to the game.

“I’ll pick you up at six.” Matt smiled. He slid from her desk and strolled to the door.

“No, I’ll meet you there.”

After glancing back at her, Matt responded, “Suit yourself,” and left.

Brianna was grinning so big, her cheeks hurt. A baseball game sounded like fun. She just needed to make sure her father knew it was a work function so he wouldn’t jump to the wrong conclusion. A little voice in the back of her mind screamed at the stupidity of getting involved with Matt, but Brianna chose to ignore the voice of reason.

BOOKS BY JENNIFER ANNE DAVIS:

THE KEY IS FREE! 

About Jennifer Anne Davis

Jennifer graduated from the University of San Diego with a degree in English and a teaching credential. Afterwards, she finally married her best friend and high school sweetheart. Jennifer is currently a full-time writer and mother of three young children. Her days are spent living in imaginary worlds and fueling her own kids’ creativity.

Visit Jennifer online at www.JenniferAnneDavis.com.

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