Mark Your Calenders!

BETWEEN OCTOBERS is listed on Goodreads!
Coming June 17th...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21839778-between-octobers

Blog has moved

Check out my latest post on my new author blog!
http://arriverabooks.com/

Music and Writing --"Woo-Hoo!" Wednesday

Music 

 

 Inspiration



Plot threads

They seem to go hand in hand. For me, at least.
As I was writing Between Octobers (out June 17th) I was semi-obsessed with the self-titled album by a band called The Paper Tongues.
There were several songs on the album that directly inspired plot threads and a few of them that simply embodied my story.
One of them is this song:
Get Higher...

I started this manuscript way back in 2008, and to this day, Get Higher is still one of my all-time favorite songs. The lyrics and melody move me.

All of this got me thinking about the way music inspires and how, as I wrote, a soundtrack sort of developed. And I thought it might be nice to share some of that music with you.
Now, I'm not one of those people that watches much television or listens to the  radio, so some of what follows will be stuff you've never heard of.
But just because the songs aren't by "top 40" artists, does not mean that their music stinks. In fact, most times, the opposite is true. IMO
But I'll let you judge for yourselves.
Enjoy!!

 

More Paper Tongues because I LOVE this guys unusual voice!

Evan-essence (hehe...read the book and you'll get it...

Relient K

In my imagination, this song is on Graces' iPod...

 

 What about you, fellow writers, (Show of hands--who loves to write?? *crickets chirping* Anyone?) what type of music inspires you?

Heads Up!

 

As we close in on my TBD publication date, I'm learning.

A lot.

For instance, one of the spectacular things involved with publishing is...

Promotion.

 

One part of promotion is blogging.

 

 

And soon, as part of promoting my book, my blog will have a new look and new domain.

 

Stay tuned.

 

 

 

As soon as I know the who, what, when, and where, you will too!

 

Happy New... Outlook

 

Resolutions Can Suck It

"Never give up on a dream just

Because of the time it will take to accomplish it.

The time will pass anyway."

-Earl Nightengale

Well, it’s a new year and everyone is talking about their resolutions.
Who’s making them?

What they should be?

Can I really keep them?

…Yada, yada, yada….

 Anyone who knows me knows I don’t make resolutions. I have nothing against them, except that I never keep mine. If I did, I’d be perpetually 25 years-old (for real!) and able to consume mass quantities of carbohydrates without a second thought because I actually exercised. And I’d dress better, too.   

 So if you love announcing resolutions every year and struggling to keep them, more power to you! Go right ahead and show the rest of us how awesome you are! We’ll cheer you on the whole way there.

 But know, if you are that person, this post is not for you.

 This post for those of us with the unspoken resolutions. The quiet ones we make without realizing and keep to ourselves. The weaknesses we don’t talk about. The excuses, the fears, the lack of confidence.

We all know these resolutions, don’t we? Excuses, especially, have been a long-standing favorite of mine.

They come from the very deepest parts of us, our dark places where we store all the crap, all the wrongs that have happened to us or because of us. We shove them in a closet and almost forget they’re there, until something comes up. Like this whole, “New Resolutions for the New Year!”

Then, we sit back, take out our predetermined excuses and hold them out.

“No, I can’t do this/that because…” insert issue here.

But what if 2014 really is a different year?

What if this year happens to be YOUR moment? Or mine? What if this year is the year we have been waiting for? The one year that you and I were meant to toss our complaints in the trash and step out of the shadows? To live what we dream about?

When I think about the impossible things I have seen and felt this past year and all of the crap that I had to wade through to get to this point in my life, it energizes me. And when I think about what is coming in 2014 (Shameless plug: my debut novel, Between Octobers, will be published!), all of the things I’m looking forward to, the opportunities that I’ve been afforded….

I am so grateful, for the good and the bad, because you know what?

I’m still here. I am going to make it.

It’s 2014 and I wish everyone could feel my excitement. Not just for me, but for all of you, too!

So let’s toss those resolutions that keep us in one place. Throw out the insecurities and weight of those moments that keep us chained. It’s time to cover up those wounds, bury the past, and forge ahead.

I’m not saying you have to, I’m just asking if you want to.

Because I sure do. I’m done getting by, surviving. I’m ready to thrive.

I’m ready to take this bull by the horns and wrestle it to the ground.

And when I get discouraged about the time it’s taking to get where I want to be, I’m going to be thankful that, at least I’m not where I used to be. And I’m going to think of the quote at the top of this post.

“The time will pass anyway.”

 

I’ve seen enough years come and go to know how very true that is. And I see no point in wasting any more of them.

 

So to be clear, I’m not making a resolution.

I am simply saying, don’t give up, because tomorrow just might bring the breakthrough you’ve been waiting for.

Who is Rhys Matthews?

Okay, so for those of you who have been living under a rock, and never heard of my fictitious King of Tinsletown, I've decided to have some fun (albeit one-sided) and break it down for you!

Think Robert Pattinson meets the best parts of Russell Brand.

He's super-hot! (Duh, he's British)
Able to stunt all rational thought in millions of women between the ages of 12 to 35, reducing us to slobbering heathens with a smirk! He's been known to evade crowds of screaming fans in a single leap....
Who is this amazing, talented guy you ask!?

He is the one... the only... Rhys Matthews.

In the past several years he has taken Hollywood by storm. Starring in a series of fictitious blockbuster films, Time Redeemer, the sequel Wrestling Darkness,  and the fantastic final installment that broke box office records, The Lawless One.

His most recent success has come outside the hugely successful franchise, proving that Rhys is more than just another pretty face.
Rocking Stone magazine called his performance in the Independent Film, Triumph In The Sky, "Brilliant. A cinematic masterpiece. Matthews has proven himself a force to be reckoned with."

This summer, you have the opportunity to meet Rhys for yourself. Watch him steal Graces' heart in the romantic, suspense-filled novel, BETWEEN OCTOBERS (out on June 17th!).

Until then, you can follow him on twitter: @Rhys_Matthews

Ch-Ch-Cha-Changes and Inspiration

I've had trouble describing my book.

Is it Women's Fiction?
Romance?
Suspense?
Tragedy?
Maybe Contemporary?

BETWEEN OCTOBERS is about a lot of things--moving on after love, being honest with yourself,  forgiveness, and learning to over come fears, but mostly it's about the way a handful of people handle the same change in different ways.

CHANGE

Most people will agree that change is scary, but truth be told, I think change--most of the time--is great. It means I'm moving. And that which is not moving is still and when you sit still for a long time, you get stiff. And when you're stiff, you no longer bend easily, which makes moving--changing--seem scary.

My Uncle used to tell me that in life, we need to be like water and keep moving, because just like water, when life sits still for too long, it becomes stagnant.


INSPIRATION

The aforementioned novel, Between Octobers, is my first manuscript, the book of my heart. When I started writing it way back in 2008, I had no intention of showing it to anyone. (My husband didn't even know I was writing it. My mother and brother, with whom I regularly discuss my writing, had no idea I wrote anything outside Science Fiction until I told them it was being published.) It was my own little story that started out small and became this huge monster that took over my brain. I had to write it down to get it out of my system.

The inspiration for the plot came from the Book Of Esther (yes, the one in the Bible). As did GRACE, my protagonist. She was drawn from Queen Esther, herself, though I don't know how similar they ended up being.
EVAN, on the other hand--the love interest--has all the wit and charm of my husband dumped into the shell of a Rob Pattinson-type persona and peppered with bits of Russell Brand, whom I've always found to be fascinating.
     
I tried, as I wrote this book, to keep it as close to what I believed was a viable accounting of a normal woman in abnormal circumstances. I tried to put myself in her shoes and and did lots of research on personality traits, bereavement, and stuck it in there with what I know to be true from personal experiences.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Who knows! But I feel the butterflies in my stomach whenever I think about this book. I love this story so, so much. I have never read anything quite like my book and if anyone else who reads it loves it half as much--no--a quarter as much as I do, then I'll be happy.

And if no one loves it... meh, I'll try really hard not to pay attention to the haters and glean what I can from the criticism.

As my 2014 publication approaches, I come closer to getting an actual date to share with all of the wonderful people that reside in the world of literature and my twitter-verse. And It sends me into a fit delight commingled with trepidation. Because I am in a place I have never been before.
I'm chasing my dreams.
I'm grasping at stars, hoping against hope that I make it.

At the risk of sounding ego-maniacal, I have a feeling I will because I refuse to stay. I will keep trying and take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way. 

GUESS WHAT??

It's one event in a string of events--probable, yet seemingly impossible.

Am I better than I thought or simply lucky? 

Blessed beyond measure? Sure, but I'm no better than anyone else.

It must be dumb luck. If that's all this is, I'll take it and relish every second.

This particular event started on a Monday morning. I was unpacking boxes--the hubs and I bought a house and spent the weekend moving and cleaning. I was very close to pulling my hair out, trying to simultaneously teach online home school without proper internet access. I was frazzled. Utterly exhausted, running on about four hours sleep over the past two days. 

Then, came The Call. The Cold Call.

It was a woman. I remember, she said her name was Elizabeth. I don't remember what I said to her when she told me how much she liked my book,  Between Octobers. I think I was having a minor coronary. 

I mean, these calls are the things you read about on other people's blogs. Usually people you don't know, sometimes even, your own CPs. And you're genuinely happy for them because, if they can crawl from the hellish trenches of Submission and Rejection, and rise up victorious, so can we. 

Back to The Call. 

I remember wishing I could sound as cool and nonchalant as I do in my imagination. I remember my hair, blanketed by sweat and my hands feeling clammy against my cheeks as I incessantly rubbed them. But mostly, I remember Elizabeth, of Take Two Publishing, asking me if I was happy that she loved my story and wanted to publish it. 

The trouble with having an out-of-body experience is that it takes a while to crawl back inside and search out an answer to this unexpected question.
I think I told her, 'Yes, I am very happy.'
The one thing I remember most clearly about that call, is how inadequate and lucky and completely overwhelmed I felt after.
As soon as the mysterious conversation was over, I hung up and called my husband. It couldn't feel real until I shared it with him. 

And every minute since, whenever I think of that short, mind blowing phone call, I see my target--the best-sellers list-- and I hear the emotion and joy in my husbands voice when he told how proud he is of me. And how he knows this is just the beginning of many great things for us.

Please, gather round, and join me in a happy dance!! Because from now on, I am offically calling myself an AUTHOR!!



What do I do for a living, you ask? Why, I'm an AUTHOR. I have a book coming out next year. Women's Fiction, a beautiful suspenseful, love story that rocks!! 

Rivera out.

Here's a link to my fabulous publisher:  http://www.taketwopublishing.com/