I’m Different — And I don’t Care

Let’s face it, there are lots of posts out there that will tell you exactly what you need to do to be a successful author. They vary greatly, but they all seem to be built up around the same thing. …

The Write Decisions for Me

You may have seen my post on Love Exactly a few weeks ago, where I disclosed that I will no longer be pursuing the series, Sticks and Stones that was proposed after the novel was originally published. There hasn’t been …

Cute dogs?

I’ve been editing for a major part of the day…just hopped on the computer to look at some of the 800 pictures I have on my camera from this and last weekend…Found this gem and thought I would share it with you for a Monday Muse…This is the main character in the up and coming Skippy Tales, #2– Stinky Pete Smell My Feet. Learn more about Skippy, his furry friends and their books on his Facebook page! He’d really WUV some more likes 🙂

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Writing, Teaching, Music & the Loss

It’s that time of the week again–Music Monday and as promised there will be a sneak peek into a scene from Walking in the Shadows, which will be available 9 days. Wow, it’s getting close!

For today’s scene Knightley is going to get himself in hot water again. Why? As a teacher he believes that despite what it might do to him, he needs to do what is best for his students and this includes Vera. Knightley is a good teacher, the reason why? I believe a good teacher needs to abstain from arrogance, a teacher who believes they know everything,especially a literature teacher, is driving themselves into a hole in my experience, and what is much worse? They drive their students into the ground. I was one of those students. A good teacher realizes that they can learn from all of those around them, including their students. Knightley yearns to not only teach but also to be taught. If nothing else, one can learn about human nature. My reason for this thinking is simple, each and every one of us is different; we each bring a different experience to the table. An English teacher, in my mind, is a teacher of literature, a teacher of writing and a teacher of life. We read writing, we learn writing, writing teaches us about life. In it’s function writing is mechanical (put commas here, never start a sentence with and or but), but in it’s being it is far from mechanical; writing is emotional. It’s often emotionally driven, even the boring technical writing is driven by some sort of experience, which is very often driven by emotion. I wrote procedures for the bank I work for, and I put a little bit of me and my writing style in each of them. It was technical, but it was still emotionally driven by my need for perfection and the want to teach and make the processes easier to understand. Now, Knightley often finds himself in hot water because of his want to teach. In his lesson that we will see today, he is trying to teach his students how writing can help them deal with the emotions of every day life. He does have motives in this. He is trying, most of all, to help Vera deal with the things she has not. She admits to him that she used to write, but that she hasn’t since her parents died. That’s when he knows what he must do, even though it could very well eat him up inside–and oh, does it. He asks each of the students to write a poem, and then he shuffles them and each is read randomly and anonymously–poetry being as subjective as it is, everyone who participates receives an A. Knightley participates because he feels that his students should not have to do something he himself would not be willing to do. Under some sort of odd circumstance–AKA me, Knightley gets Vera’s poem at random. He knows it’s hers when he begins reading it and each word is a knife twisting into his soul:

“Now make sure the one you have isn’t yours…Are we all set?” He held up the paper he had in his hand. “Should I start?” His eyes landed on the paper and then found mine. He swallowed before opening his mouth to speak, but thought better of it and sat on his desk. I could see his hands shaking on the piece of paper as everyone waited for him to speak. He pulled on his tie and said, “There’s no title on this, so I’ll just begin to read.

‘All that guides me is fear,

And all that finds me is loss

Death defines which paths I cross

It is within the shadows that I stumble

And I am desperate without a voice

Here I am threatened by the resolve that you are

my soul

But if my lies are the path that I have to wander

because there is no choice

Will you love me still?

In the darkness of the night when I wish to do

nothing more than take flight?

Will you hold me to this plane and ease the

suffering and pain?

When all you know is the truth

And all they see is the lies

Will I be the one you find, or the one you leave

behind?

Alone may be the only home I shall find.’”

When Tad finished his jaw was clenched with his eyes staring at the piece of paper and one hand holding the side of his desk so tight that his knuckles were white.

“Are you okay, Mr. Knightley?” Jaz asked as everyone leaned back in their seats in surprise. “Mr. Knightley?”

“Knightley,” I spoke, and his eyes looked up and found mine while the rest of the classroom stared at me in surprise for using just the surname. “They’re just words.”

“You know that’s not true, Vera!” he hissed.

Now, to the song for today:

SONG: Stay Small

ARTIST: The Receiving End of Sirens

CD:The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi

GENRE: Experimental rock, Post-hardcore, Ambient

LYRICS:

Son, I’m sorry for this world,
And all the awful things she’ll do to you.
If you only knew what you’d endure before you were born,
I haven’t got a single doubt,
You would have not come out,
And I would have known it was for the better.

You’ll be raped of any evidence,
Of ever owning any innocence.
This culture’s a vulture,
And your prime candidate for prey.
I’ve learned that I will lose all that I’ve ever loved one day,
But I never thought I’d ever have to watch it all go,
Or wish it all away.

I know you”ll grow,
But I wish I knew you’d stay small if I said so.
Please just don’t grow.
Please just don’t grow.
Stay small.
Won’t you stay small?

Daddy’s little girl met the world,
I watched the devil do his work.
If only she knew just how sorry I was for her.
I found not a single prayer,
Could save my daughter from despair,
As long as she stayed in love with this place.

It’s because I truly love her,
That I wish to take back the sperm,
That brought her here in the first place.
Little did I know when the egg met the semen,
That my new baby girl,
Like her dad would dance with demons.

We watch the devil do his work in us.
I watch the devil do his work.

ANALYSIS: Okay, to say the least some of these lyrics are well, blunt. To be honest with you, I thought it said “I wish to take back the world” and the other part I thought it was something about man…Well, now I’ve learned something. At any rate, I think this fits the situation well, in the fact that had Vera’s parents known what would have happened they wouldn’t have wished it to. I do think that the lyrics are too severe and pessimistic. Maybe I lack the understanding because I am not a parent, but I couldn’t agree with removing the life. I’ve had some pretty crappy stuff happen in my life, but as bad as it was, I would not take it back. It makes me who I am today, and I am proud of who I am. I’m sure my parents are reading this, and they know to what I refer. I would honestly be a bit angry if they felt the way this song does. It’s too extreme, of course, no one wishes demons on their children, but it is an unfortunate part of life. Is life still worth living, of producing? Yes, I believe it is.

“You might face your demons, but I’ll closet mine.”

It’s something Vera says, but it’s something I thought. Demons make us human, and demons can make us angels.

Somethings are just meant to be…

I have a strong faith in God, and I believe that when we need him the most, he will show us that the path we have taken is right. Being self-published is one the biggest challenges I have faced in my life. I have put my self out there for the world to see and to poke and jab with words and comments. I have to work my hardest and try to rise above stereotypes that have been set forth about those that are self-published. Some may assume that I couldn’t get an agent, and I took this way as the easy route. It’s not the easy route. I’m editing Walking in the Shadows right now as you read, and I write. I wrote this novel before I wrote In Between Seasons. This is my heart and soul in ink and paper–this is who I am as a writer. It scares me that every one is going to be able to read it shortly, and it won’t be perfect. There’s no such thing.

I set up to edit today and I put on my Milosh radio and started working away. Then a song started to play as I wrote/edited. It is scary…how perfect this song is. It mirrored the scene I was working on. It ripped that doubt right out of me. I know this is it. I know this is good. I can only hope you love it. The song says “When you walked away it was the Saddest day the world has known. Shattered my heart and left me in Pieces of a broken home. Now you say you need me. Standing at the door Asking if you can come in. And I can’t say no, I can’t say no.”

This is what I was reading:

The making of the pies only occupied me for an hour, and then as I sat on the couch watching the Thanksgiving parade I realized I had made the situation worse. The smell of the pies only reminded me of my mother cooking dinner for us and her closest friends, flour everywhere and her hair in a messy bun. I put my head in my hands and rubbed my eyes, if I were older, if I were out of high school, Tad would be here now. The doorbell rang, and I jumped at the sound.

“Coming,” I grumbled as I stood up.

I opened the door to find Tad leaning against the door frame looking at his feet. When he looked up at me he started laughing. “You’ve been cooking, huh? Did any of the flour get into the pan?” he teased as he reached up and rubbed my cheek clean.

I couldn’t help but smile. “I thought making pies would take my mind off of things.”

“Well, they sure do smell good. I hope you’ll share them with me?” he suggested.

“Tad, what are you doing here?” I asked as I looked over his shoulder and pulled him inside before shutting the door.

“You shouldn’t be alone.”

“What if someone sees your car and knows I live here? You know how teenagers gossip!” I chided him, my face feeling warmer by the second.

Yeah, I know, crazy right. It get’s better–the song is the song of Walking. If it ever became a movie, this would be the song that Vera and Tad dance to before they let everything go…

You and I just can’t say goodbye
Every time we do, well
It’s just another lie
I know you’re no good for me, but
Every time I’m with you there’s
Nowhere I’d rather be

After Vera relives the identifying of her murdered parents…

We’ve been to hell, been burnt by the
Flames of a pain so deep that
Even the strongest god in the heavens would
Kneel and weep
But here I lie
Pressed against your skin
Right where I want to be
You’re the sweetest sin

You have to go listen to this song. It’s amazingly beautiful, and then when you get to chapter 34… turn it on and read. You might cry. I warn you…you might feel the tears now…

I let him kiss me; let the nights events wash away from my mind and let the shadows remain shadows. Tonight I would forget what I was running from even though it was closer than it had ever been, for I knew I was safe in his arms.

Listen to “Lies” by Trifonic by clicking: HERE

Interview with a sneek peak at…PERMAFROST

That’s right, you read it right, in this interview there is a sneak peak of Permafrost. I just started writing this book, and I only have about ten pages, but I figured I would give a little sneak into what I have been doing lately. It’s rough in it’s editing, so please bare with me on that (in other words, I am not thrilled with it, but it gives you the general feel of the novel) . Enjoy the interview and head over to BookBreath and give this native German some love! (Yes, someone from Germany ❤ my writing! I can’t believe that all over the world people have read my novel!).

Oh, and I love posts with pictures, so what else exciting happened today? Well, these beauties came in!

Alright ONWARD to the interview:

This is the first interview with an actual real author I ever did, and I’m super excited right now 🙂 So thanks again to the amazing Cassandra Giovanni who answered some questions for me!
Cassandra Giovanni is the author of In Between Seasons which I really liked and reviewed a few days ago.
Here is the whole interview (including a sneek peak on her new novel 🙂 )

1. Why did you choose independent publishing over being wrapped up by a publisher?

My original plan was to get an agent, and then get onto a label with a large publisher. I did look at smaller indie presses, but when I started to think about self-publishing I felt that doing it “my” way was the best choice. It was very important to me that I be able to use my photography for the book covers, and marketing pieces, but as I looked at larger presses, and even the smaller presses I realized that I would not have this sort of say. I started looking into my self-publishing options, and then I took the dive. I made some wonderful author friends along the way, and even ended up with a mentor who guides me through this unknown but beautiful world. I like being self-published because I get to be me, and I get to make the choices of how my books will be me.

2. How important are, in your opinion, social networks like Goodreads or Facebook for today’s publishing world?

I think that social media is something that authors do have to embrace, but must choose to embrace in their own way. I do not utilize Facebook on my own account, but on occasion I have my friends “blow up Facebook” with information on my books, and I encourage my readers to “talk me up” on facebook. I enjoy Goodreads because it feels like a Facebook that is focused on bringing authors and readers together. As for the growing “twitterdom”, I am clueless, and don’t do that either. I feel that authors should keep in mind that with social media they can easily become “spammers”. A author should always genuinely care about their readership, and spamming doesn’t demonstrate this. I try my best to get to know those that I friend, or friend me, but with a growing friend list, and fan list (I can’t believe it my self) it is hard. I still personally log onto each person that becomes my friend, look at their blog if they have one, and try to personalize a comment on their page.

3. What inspired you to write In Between Seasons?
What’s funny about this question, is that I get asked this a lot, and surprisingly each time I have to think about it. There are two main things that inspired it, one being the building on the cover of the novel. I drove past this for days, months, even a year possibly, and each time I did, I wanted badly to photograph it. Then came the dream. It was very vivid. I was Kate, and my husband was Hunter. The dream felt rushed and clipped, but the emotions were so clear. It began with me running to a house, and closing the door behind me, as I did the glass shattered and an arm pulled me out the door and dragged me through the woods. Then the scene skipped to the invasion, and I remember the feeling that I HAD to save “him”, and breaking into the basement and stealing the guns. Then it went to a scene where we were running down a hill through a forest of trees. It skipped again and there we were at the ocean front. You read the book, so that scene is exactly as I felt it and saw it. Even though Hunter was my husband in the dream, I felt as Kate did, as if when he grabbed my arm it was the first time I had seen him.

4. Is there a sequel planned and if yes what will it be about?
There isn’t a sequel per say, but more of a companion novel. It will be Mara and Rob’s story, and it will be written from Rob’s point of view. This is the first time I am writing from a male perspective, so it’s been interesting. This novel will really show the reader what happened to the world, and show how Mara and Rob got to the Marks’ tribe… Here’s a unedited sneak peak, and it is a bit graphic:
I had been sent out to scout for survivors. A chuckle escaped my lips as I looked around the charred Boston neighborhood. Then I heard her, a soft cry against the grit of my footfalls. She had to have heard my laugh, and she was terrified of me, but I hadn’t done the destruction. Everyone else had.
“Hello?” I said firmly. I hated these missions. I lifted my Glock up, “Hello?”
There was no response, but the whimpering continued. It sent a chill through my spine because of the fear that was laced into it. I wondered if the girl could see my gun, and then another chill went through my spine. My father’s words echoed through my skull trust no one. For all I knew this could be a plot, and she could very well be armed with something much worse than my puny Glock. I should have grabbed something more substantial. To the right of me was a charred building, and that was where the sound seemed to be coming from, but I imagined that nothing could be alive in there. I walked up the remaining concrete steps and peaked in the open door frame. The windows and doors were gone in the building and as I stepped inside I was surprised to find that some of the floor was still intact. I took a deep breath and continued into the building. I found that the smell of burnt flesh was revolting, and I felt my stomach roll as I looked to the left of me and saw why. There was a charred body on the floor, its arm reaching towards the door that I had come through. I closed my eyes and walked around it as I heard a large sob echo through the building. She was in here somewhere, and if she was faking, she was pretty damn good at it. I walked into the next room and the whimpering became hysterical, but it didn’t sound like a child—it sounded like an adult who was scared out of their mind. Then I saw her, huddled in the corner by the back door. She was absolutely pitiful, her long blonde hair was matted to her soot covered face. There were tiny white lines running down her face where the tears had begun to fall, and when her chocolate eyes met mine I couldn’t help but lower my gun and bend down. She was no older than me, which in terms of this world was very close to being an adult, and despite her dejected appearance she was beautiful.
“Are you okay?” I asked as my eyes leveled with hers.
She sniffled once, and then gave me the fiercest look she could muster, “Are you going to kill me too?”
“No, of course not. I’m here looking for survivors,” I explained.
“Why should I trust you?” She managed, sticking her chin out in defiance.
I couldn’t help but smile.
“I don’t think you really have a choice. I’m a good guy, but you obviously know there are a lot of bad guys out here right now, so it’s either stick with me, or fend for yourself and see how long you last,” 
(Copyright 2012, Cassandra Giovanni) 

5. What are your favourite authors and who inspires you the most?

I think all authors inspire me, both the good and the bad. As an author the best way to learn who you are and how you want to write is by reading as much as possible. Some of my all time favorites are Jane Austen, JK Rowling and Ellen Ekstrom. They all have an uncanny ability to write description that is elegant, artful, but not overbearing. A new favorite is Candace Knoebel.

6. How long did it actually take you to write the story?

Honestly, I am not really sure. I hardly ever write one story at once. I am usually working on a few at the same time, or I start one and then start another. I would say it took at least 1.5 years to get it to what it was when I originally published it. I recently wrote a second edition, which took care of eliminating some format and grammatical errors, along with a bit of enhancement to the flow. It should be out officially in a few months. The revisions took about a month.

7. What is your favourite character in In Between Seasons, if you have one?

Oh, it’s hard to chose. Right now I would say it’s Hunter. He has so many layers to him, and has faced so much adversity, but is still an amazing person. Plus, I mean, come on, he’s pretty drool worthy–especially when he whips out the Jackson guitar!

8. What is your favourite dystopian book?

Now, this, this is going to sound quite bad, but let me preface this with the fact that I never set out to write a dystopian book, and I didn’t find out that I had written one until I was looking through genres to try and label the book. I think of In Between Seasons as the un-dystopian, dystopian because it is so different from others in the category. So, honestly, I have not read a dystopian book that I enjoyed. I read George Orwell’s 1984, and I thoroughly disliked everything about it. I also read Fahrenheit 451 (but only after I placed in a poetry contest where I had to write a poem inspired by it. I figured I should read it seeing I had placed without doing so), but wasn’t enraptured by that either.

9. Why is the genre so popular these days?

I think with 2012 and the Mayan calender hype it was easy for people to capitalize on what might happen. People were already in the “post-apocalypse” mode, so they wanted to read about it. Honestly, it only takes one book to make a genre overly popular–like Twilight. Everyone wants to write a vampire novel, well not me but you get it…
10. Are there any real life models for Kate and Hunter?

Yes, Kate is part me, and part my mother. One of the hardest lessons that one can learn is that those they trusted, be it a family member or a friend, is less than trust worthy. I learned that and put some of that into In Between Seasons. My mother is kick-butt strong, and amazingly kind, that’s part of Kate. Hunter is a combination of my husband, my father, and even raises his eyebrows like my brother. Hunter’s determination to protect Kate reminds me of my father and my mother. The way that Hunter and Kate’s friendship blossoms into love, and the way they feel when they first see each other is inspired by my husband and I’s relationship.

11. And last but not least: Any tips for aspiring writers?

One thing that stands out to me right now because I just read a post where a person asked this, and they talked without any punctuation and with “text” speak–is to not do those things. In everything you write, even text messages, don’t use shortcuts. If you do you will end up doing it while you are writing something important. I know from experience. I have always wanted to be a writer, and it was something my parents were very aware of. When I got a cell phone at 17 because my job could afford it, my father told me that I should never use u, lol, or any other shortcut, otherwise it would show up elsewhere. One day when I was writing something for school I did it. I wrote u instead of you. That was the last time I ever did that. Now everything I write is gone over for with a fine-tooth comb no matter what it is.
The other big piece of advice is to not listen to everything that you hear. I had a teacher that made me feel like I was worthless as a writer, and I stopped writing because of it. I lost a huge piece of me when I did that, but luckily I found it again. Some people never do. Find what works for you. I can honestly say most writers will tell you “write every day no matter how little or bad it is”. I will not tell you this because I don’t do it my self. It doesn’t work for me, of course I always think about writing, but it doesn’t mean I sit down and do it. I don’t force something out that isn’t ready. Be yourself, and trust your gut. It may not always be right, but it will teach you a lesson either way.

So thanks again to Cassandra. And I encourage you all to go over to her website and read one of her books 🙂
Love and words
KJ

In Between Seasons, the un-dystopian, dystopian

Today I had the pleasure of doing another interview, this one with Aa’Ishah from Reading Under the Stars. In it we talk about what inspired InBS, the publishing process, my favorite scenes, and you learn a little more about me. Enjoy, and please stop over to her blog and give her some love.

http://readingunderthestars.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/author-interview-cassandra-giovanni_11.html

Author interview: Cassandra Giovanni

Hey guys!

Instead of my usual WoW post, today I have something better!  Quite a few of you know I recently read and enjoyed Cassandra Giovanni’s In Between Seasons, my review for which you can check out here.  Today we have the lovely author herself!  So without further ado, here she is. J

How did you come up with the ideas for In Between Seasons?

I am equal part photographer and writer. The photographer in me inspired InBS because I kept driving past this abandoned building, and it was hauntingly beautiful. I desperately wanted to photograph it, but then one night it was in my dreams. It was a very vivid dream, and it was the first time I saw Hunter. I was Kate, and I was running towards this white house, as I ran in and shut the door, a hand broke through the glass and grabbed me, dragging me away. In that moment I was filled with awe with the person who was taking me, and I tried to figure out why, but I wasn’t afraid. It was as if it was something I had been waiting for, and of course, I had, it was the idea for InBS. Then I was in a house, and there was an army marching up (it reminded me much of the Nazis), and I went into the basement with one singular thought, get a gun and blast the hell out of the place to protect him. Then we were running, stumbling down a hill–then it all went black. When it came back we were on a beach, and I was staring into his eyes, and everything felt fixed, permanent and fine. (When I say him, I entirely mean my husband because it was him in the dream!).  I drive by this building a lot, and it with some songs that hit my radio just as I passed it kept the story running in me until I was finished. I have what I call a “sporadic” writing style. I write the scenes in no specific order, and then I go in and fill in the blanks for cohesion.  I knew that building would be the cover of the novel, and thus it is.

Why young adult?

Well, because that is what I am…well, I might be a tad bit older than that, but that’s just what I lean towards. I also write New Adult, which I suppose is what I would be considered.

Describe the process between getting down your first draft and getting your book published.  Did you ever consider getting a publisher, or did you know straight away you were going to be self-published?

To be honest with you I never considered self-publishing or small independent press that take unsolicited manuscripts. I had written Walking in the Shadows, and The Sight already, but when I wrote In Between Seasons I felt it was the one that would get me published. It was so different than anything else, little did I know that I had written myself into one of the most popular genres, and in a way written myself out of it. I didn’t even know what dystopian was, and InBS doesn’t really follow the guidelines that have been set by books like Hunger Games, so then again it’s not really dystopian. At any rate, I did a lot of research on agents, and selected about 20 or so. I tried querying for Walking in the Shadows first, but then after sending to those agents, and getting only 1 response–“We don’t like the subject”. I stopped, and dropped Walking in the Shadows. In truth it is a controversial subject, and it jibes at those who are obsessed with vampire novels. So, then I went after getting In Between Seasons queried to an agent. I did more research, found more agents, and then after no response at all, I pretty much gave up. Then my dad got an email about self-publishing, which had no relevance to him whatsoever, but he felt it was a sign meant for me. He forwarded it to me, and then I saved it, but didn’t take it too seriously. I queried two more agents and then logged onto Amazon to order a present, and there was a whole article on the home page about KDP. I decided that was it. I was going to do it, and I was going to do it my way. I thought it through. I could market my own way, use my own photography, and choose what stayed and what went. I had nothing to lose, so I did it. I love being self-published. I will be honest with you, it is a struggle, and there is a huge learning curve. I work almost 70 hours a week between a normal job, and doing the novelist thing. I’m a determined person, and I am going to be a full-time writer and photographer someday.

What was your favourite scene to write? (Personally, I think my favourite scene to read was with Hunter and his guitar.  *Swooon* Ahem.)

This was a tough one, but your email came as I was taking a short break from editing the second edition of InBS. This made it easier to chose, it is the scene where Hunter teaches Kate how to use a gun. I love the seriousness of the scene, but how Hunter is still teasing her and showing how amazing he is!

Kate is a pretty strong character who doesn’t shy away from doing what she needs to do, even when it involves people she’s meant to be close to.  How much of yourself is in her?

There is a lot of her in me. I used to feel weak, but after the discovery of a few key truths about myself and those around me, I realized I was strong, and I needed to be. It’s all about rising above what most people would sink beneath. I feel I have done that myself, and I have watched some of the most amazing people in my life do that as well. Kate is a bit of me, and a bit of my mom. She’s kick butt amazing, just like Kate is.
Quite a few authors talk about listening to music while they write.  Are you the same, or do you find it easier without music?

I honestly, could not write without music. Music drives all of my writing. Music has always been a relief to me. It makes everything easier, it helps me zone in and get things done. It’s my biggest inspiration.

Describe your upcoming novel, Walking in the Shadows, in five words.

Romantic, dark, hopeful, obsession, artistic

This or that:

Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla
Paperback or ebook?  Ebook
Summer or winter?  Summer
Tea or coffee?  Tea (unless it’s Starbucks)
Reading or writing? Writing

So there you go!  Thanks so much Cassandra Giovanni for doing the interview!

You did what???

Everyone seems to be talking about book swag…I had no clue what they were talking about, so I used my handy-dandy Google machine:
Okay, well, I got some strange things. Swag seems to be an acronym of some sort. Like Stuff We All Get.

What I managed to somehow figure out is that book swag is merchandise that supports the novel. It ranges from tees to strange things like shoe inserts. Some authors have gone with themes that go with their novels, usually these are fantasy or dystopian writers with very complex worlds. This works for them, me not so much.

So I thought tees, and then I looked at some, and they were well, lame. I didn’t want to just plaster my book cover on a tee. I wouldn’t wear it, so why would I sell it, or give it away? Well, you might be thinking swag, that usually has to do with giveaways, but honestly tees are expensive any way you shake it, especially nice ones. So I thought, well, I can design them, and buy a few, very few at this price. I’ll give them as gifts and sport it when I go to car shows. AND now you can sport it to, if you want. I’ll also be adding some other awesome, more cost-effective things like iPhone covers, stickers, magnets, notebooks etc. The smaller things will become a part of my giveaways.

So, back to the lameness factor. I am a BIG graphic tee gal. I love tees with pretty pictures, and scroll print. Well, I take pretty pictures (if I do say so myself), my cover is a pretty picture. I love the sweet sayings on them, oh, well, I have some pretty sweet sayings. And then there’s my marketing guru inside, designing things that are, well, pretty!

Graphic tee= pretty picture

Cover=pretty picture

Graphic tee=sweet sayings

Writer (me!)=sweet sayings

SO, all in all pretty pictures, sweet sayings, and marketing guru=

• 
  Walking in the Shado…
  

What do you think? There’s only one because it took me a bit to figure out this whole tee creation thing out, but more to come soon! I promise! (UPDATE: As you can see there is more, a black version, and an iPhone/iTouch case!) You can also now see the “Book Merchandise” on my sidebar, click it and it links you to my Red Bubble store!

What’s the best part about Red Bubble?

YOU get to choose what style you want–YOU get to choose your color–YOU can even get a hoodie!

Oh, and I designed posters, and ordered some as giveaway swag…Take  a peak at these in all their awesomeness:

Music Musings on Monday

So, I am going to try my best to do some weekly postings. This one is for Mondays, and it’s called Music Musings on Monday. For this one I will turn on the iphone, choose a Pandora radio station, and if it’s a song that’s inspired me to write I will fill you in on the lyrics, and how it inspired me. If you are interested there will also be a link to the youtube video of the song, so you can take a listen!

So for the first Music Musings on Monday:

The first thing that came up was Too Close by Alex Clare, and I tried to write something about it, but I really couldn’t. I like the song because it’s dub-steppy, but the words to the song are meaningless to me. So I tried again.

Song: Writing on The Walls

Artist: Underoath

CD: Define The Great Line

Genre:Christian Metalcore

Features:

• Hard rock roots
• Punk Influences
• A subtle use of vocal harmony
• Minor key tonality

Lyrics:

Maybe we,
Why don’t we
Sit right here for half an hour
We’ll speak of what a waste I am

And how we missed the beat again!

I swear we need to find some comfort
In this run down place
To bridge the gap of this
Conscious state that we live in
And I’m short on time
How come you try
(To place us all)
And fit the shape of
(And I pray for)
What they tell you
(You to move on, move on! )
But mostly what they show you
(At this rate we can’t give up)
I’m takin back all the things I’ve said
We’re takin back all the things I’ve said
(But I sure can’t just sit still)
Keep me filled in and I swear I’ll come

We walk alone
We walk alone
We walk alone
We walk alone
We walk alone
We walk alone
Back home
Alone back home

You’re almost gone and I’m okay
(I still see your shadow)
To give you time to be afraid
(But never your face again
I remember your presence)

I hope to God you come down
I hope to God you feel this now
I hope to God you come down
I hope to… God

I know there must be some way out of here
And all of them will be waiting there.

So, why do I enjoy this song? Well, in general I love this band. I draw a lot of inspiration from them, along with the band of their clean vocalist (Aaron Gillepsie, The Almost). Aaron is no longer a part of the band and decided to concentrate on his devotion to God, but the band is still good with a bit heavier sound. Back to this song, what I love about most of Underoath’s songs is the balance between the clean vocals and the gritty screaming. I also love the screamer. Now, for those who don’t like metal, you may be saying–it’s just screaming! I assure you, it really isn’t, not all screamers are created equal. This screamer or unclean vocalist, Spencer Chamberlain, actually despite his title, has very clean screams–at least to my ears! They have a bit of air to them that allows them to be understood, and I have to say that I quite enjoy, shall I say, love it when Aaron puts a scream in here and there, which he does in this song. The last part of the song slows, and then bam! It’s heavy again. I love this sort of meaningful pause in a song. The lyrics to this song are also strong and appealing to me. Now, this song didn’t inspire any particular scene in any of my novels, but wove it’s magic into In Between Seasons while I was editing it (and now as I revise it again). So, if you would like you can take a peak at the video on YouTube by clicking on the title up above.