Author Ingrid Paulson shares writing advice, details on her latest release WHY I LOATHE STERLING LANE + a Giveaway

I'm excited to have Ingrid Paulson with us today to chat her newest release Why I Loathe Sterling Lane and share some writing advice. Make sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for a chance to win a prize pack!

Thanks so much for coming to Thinking to Inking! We're so excited to have you! Tell us a little bit about Why I Loathe Sterling Lane.
WHY I LOATHE STERLING LANE tells the story of a neurotic girl (Harper) whose world is turned upside down when Sterling Lane transfers into her boarding school and befriends her twin brother. Harper and Sterling immediately engage in a battle of wills that evolves into a battle of wits, and finally culminates in a reluctant partnership to rescue Cole from his own mistakes. (ahem, plus lots of kissing).

Which character do you relate most to?

This is a hard question, as I intentionally made these characters a little bit prickly at first. However, I probably relate a little more to Sterling. He says and does a few things that I wish I was brave enough to do or say. In fact, when I’m in a situation that requires me to be more assertive than I’m comfortable being, I think to myself, what would Sterling do? I usually take it down a notch or two, because let’s face it, fully stepping into Sterling’s shoes could land me in jail. But harnessing his character for a moment helps me square my shoulders and press on in difficult moments.

Was your writing process for Why I Loathe Sterling Lane different from Valkyrie Rising? If so how? Anything that surprised you along the way?
In revising Valkyrie Rising, I spent a lot of time focusing on world building and consistency of magical objects. It was much more story and flow oriented, whereas in revising Sterling Lane, I focused more on character development, and tried to find the balance between Harper being prickly and being outright unlikeable. She is still a challenge to get to know, but the point for me was to present a different sort of narrator.

The cover design for Why I Loathe Sterling Lane is really fun! How much input did you get in the design of your cover and what was that process like?

I’m so glad you love the cover too! Entangled does a fabulous job with covers and always manages to find the right tone to match the story. They did ask if I had an idea of what the cover would look like, and for this one, I really didn’t. I thought there should be people on the cover and some way to convey the tension between them, but I wasn’t sure how something like that would be executed. Fortunately, there are professionals who knew exactly how to handle it.

Are you a write-one-thing-at-a-time author, or do you typically juggle multiple projects at once? How do you stay focused?

I’m a write-one-thing-at-a-time author. I tend to really immerse myself in the characters, which makes it hard to switch back and forth. However, I have had to revise one project while writing another, and I seem to be able to do that. But I can’t imagine trying to keep multiple new ideas straight at the same time! I’d feel like I was cheating on my characters!

What advice would you give writers still working to make their publishing dreams a reality?

For me, the biggest struggle was learning to revise and incorporate feedback. After countless hours writing and polishing a novel, it can be hard to hear that something still needs to be changed or isn’t quite working. It’s very easy to get defensive and dismiss the critic because they just don’t get it. Granted, sometimes that will be true, no book is for everyone. However, it’s important to really think feedback through and be unafraid to revise and to step outside of your love for the project and be self-critical. Ultimately that will help your novel be even better!

What are you reading now?

I just finished the latest Sara Maas novel in the Court of Thorns and Roses series. I really enjoyed it!

Congrats on the launch of Why I Loathe Sterling Lane. I can't wait to get my hands on it! And thanks so much for stopping by Thinking to Inking!

About the novel

Why I Loathe Sterling Lane by Ingrid Paulson

Publication Date: June 6, 2017

Publisher: Entangled Teen

  

Per her 537 rules, Harper Campbell keeps her life tidy—academically and socially. But the moment Sterling Lane transfers into her tiny boarding school, her twin brother gets swept up in Sterling’s pranks and schemes and nearly gets expelled. Harper knows it’s Sterling’s fault, and to protect her brother, she vows to take him down. As she exposes his endless school violations, he keeps striking back, framing her for his own infractions. Worst of all, he’s charmed the administration into thinking he’s harmless, and only Harper sees him for the troublemaker he absolutely is.

As she breaks rule after precious rule in her battle of wits against Sterling and tension between them hits a boiling point, she’s horrified to discover that perhaps the two of them aren’t so different. And maybe she doesn't entirely hate him after all. Teaming up with Sterling to save her brother might be the only way to keep from breaking the most important rule—protecting Cole.

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About the Author

Ingrid Paulson does not, in fact, loathe anyone. Although the snarky sense of humor and verbal barbs

in Why I Loathe Sterling Lane might suggest otherwise (and shock those who think they know her best).

Ingrid lives in San Francisco with her husband and children and enjoys long-distance running, eavesdropping, and watching science documentaries. She has always loved books and writing short stories, but was surprised one day to discover the story she was working on wasn’t so short any more. Valkyrie Rising, a paranormal girl power story was Ingrid’s first novel. Expect another humorous contemporary romance to join the list soon.

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Enter for a change to win a Why I Loathe Sterling Lane Prize Pack, including:

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Author Merrie Destefano talks LOST GIRLS, her advice to writers + a giveaway!

I'm excited to have another author stop by to share their thoughts on writing. Please join me in welcoming Merrie Destefano to Thinking to Inking! Her latest release, LOST GIRLS is out today from Entangled Teen. Don't forget to scroll to the bottom of the post for a chance to win a Kindle Fire and a copy of Lost Girls!

Welcome Merrie! Congrats on the release of LOST GIRLS. It sounds fantastic and the cover is beautiful! Tell us a little bit about your path to publication. How did LOST GIRLS differ from other books you've released, if at all? What advice do you have for writers still working to make their publishing dreams a reality?
Thank you very much for the kind words about Lost Girls! I love the cover too. (Yay!)

Lost Girls is different from other books that I've already released in a few ways. First, it was written for the young adult market. My two previous, traditionally published books were written for the adult market. That said, my second book, Feast had a teen character in it—Elspeth—and I really enjoyed writing her scenes. In fact, a lot of people told me she was their favorite character in the book. She seemed to come alive on the page better than many of the other characters. So, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when the next book I wrote was a young adult novel, Fathom (self-published). After that, I was hooked. YA books had stolen my heart.

Lost Girls is also different from my other books because it's my first contemporary novel. It didn't start out that way, though. In the first draft, it had many science fiction elements. When those were taken out, the story became much stronger—a result that surprised me. I hadn't realized what a powerful story line I had hidden beneath all the fantastical elements.

If I was going to give advice to other writers who hope to be published one day, I'd say, don't give up. There is a group of writers I've been friends with since I first started writing book-length manuscripts. Guess which ones have published their books? The ones who kept writing. Those that stopped, for whatever reason, are not published yet. The only way to become a better writer is to keep writing. The only way to get published is to keep writing. Of course, you'll need to study the industry, work on your craft, perhaps join a writer's group and go to a few writer's conferences, but ultimately the thing that will make your work stand above the work of everyone else is that you have been serious about your desire to write. And if you are a writer hoping to be published one day, I say, Yay for you! Go for it! I hope I see your book on the shelves one day!

About LOST GIRLS:
Lost Girls by Merrie Destefano
Publication Date: January 3, 2017
Publisher: Entangled Teen

Fight Club meets Black Swan—Rachel wakes up in a ditch to find she doesn’t remember the last year of her life, and that everything—including herself—is vastly different than she remembers.

Yesterday, Rachel went to sleep listening to Taylor Swift, curled up in her grammy’s quilt, worrying about geometry. Today, she woke up in a ditch, bloodied, bruised, and missing a year of her life.

She doesn’t recognize the person she’s become: she’s popular. She wears nothing but black.

Black to cover the blood.

And she can fight.

Tell no one.

She’s not the only girl to go missing within the last year…but she’s the only girl to come back. She desperately wants to unravel what happened to her, to try and recover the rest of the Lost Girls.

But the more she discovers, the more her memories return. And as much as her new life scares her, it calls to her. Seductively. The good girl gone bad, sex, drugs, and raves, and something darker…something she still craves—the rush of the fight, the thrill of the win—something she can’t resist, that might still get her killed…

The only rule is: There are no rules.

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About Merrie Destefano 

CURRENTLY A FULL-TIME NOVELIST and magazine editor, Merrie Destefano’s next novel, LOST GIRLS, releases on January 3, 2017. Her other novels include AFTERLIFE and FEAST, both published by HarperCollins, and FATHOM, which was self-published. The editor of Victorian Homes magazine, she has also been the editor of American Farmhouse Style, Vintage Gardens, and Zombies magazine, and was the founding editor of Cottages & Bungalows magazine. 

With 20 years experience in publishing, she worked for a variety of publishing/broadcasting companies that include Focus on the Family, The Word For Today, and PJS Publications (now Primedia). Besides editing and writing, her background includes print buying, writing/producing radio promos, directing photo shoots, developing new products, writing jacket copy for books, creating sales media packets and organizing direct mail campaigns.

Born in the Midwest, she currently lives in Southern California with her husband, two German shepherds, a Siamese cat and the occasional wandering possum. Her favorite hobbies are reading speculative fiction and watching old Star Trek episodes, and her incurable addiction is writing. She loves to camp in the mountains, walk on the beach, watch old movies, listen to alternative music—although rarely all at the same time.

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Giveaway:

All prizes listed below will be given to one prize winner. Prizes listed are for a US winner only; if an International winner is chosen, the prize will be a $50 Amazon gift card.

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Advice to writers in the query trenches + giveaway from FACSIMILE Author Vickie Weavil

I'm thrilled to have Vickie L. Weavil, author of CROWN OF ICE and the newly released FACSIMILE with us today to offer her invaluable advice to those of us still in the query trenches. Be sure to scroll to the end of the post and enter for a chance to win your own copy of the fantastic and not-to-be-missed FACSIMILE!

My Advice for Writers Still in the Query Trenches
by Vickie L. Weavil

Authors still struggling to make that connection with an agent and/or publisher often feel that there is some special “thing” they can do to make their dream a reality. If they can just write the perfect query letter, or get into that one contest, or write a book that will scream “future bestseller,” everything will work out.

Having been there, here are my bits of advice on this topic:

1. There is NO perfect query.

No one writes a query that will instantly attract everyone who reads it. This is not because no one writes a brilliant query, it is more a factor of the subjectivity of the publishing business. What is attractive to one agent or publisher makes others yawn.

Polish your query, but don’t wait to query until you have the “perfect” letter. Once you have done your best, send out a few and see what response you get. You can always tweak the query for future submissions if you don’t initially get a good response rate.

2. Word Count DOES count.

Let’s be honest – unless you have written a book so compelling it makes angels weep, NO ONE wants your 175,000 word young adult debut novel. Research and learn the appropriate word count for your age group and genre, and try to stay within those limits.

“But,” you say, “Author X just published a 900 page novel that’s selling like beer at the Super Bowl.” Well yes, but Author X is a famous, established writer. Their book is a sure thing, whereas a book from a debut author is a very iffy proposition. It actually does cost a lot more to produce a longer book, and publishers are (rightfully) leery of investing in a huge book that may or may not sell.

So, my advice is to trim that 150,000 YA fantasy down to a more reasonable 75,000 to 80,000 words. Because if you don’t, I’m afraid you are guaranteeing yourself a LOT of automatic rejections.

3. Query vs Synopsis: One thing is not like the other.

A query is NOT a synopsis. You do need a synopsis (more about that later) but the query should not read like one.

Queries should read more like the blurb on the back of a book. Queries are meant to hook and sell your book concept to an agent or publisher. Even plot details you consider essential can be omitted if they do not SELL the book. My query for CROWN OF ICE (which you can read here: https://chasingthecrazies.wordpress.com/2014/09/19/quite-the-query-vicki-l-weavil-with-crown-of-ice/ omits many important plot points. But it presents the essential idea of my character, her challenges, and the stakes. (Trust me, I struggled to get it into this shape!)

Oh and, if you think writing queries is only something you have to do while attempting to snag an agent or publisher, think again. You will write them for every new book, only now they are called “pitches” or “blurbs.”

4. Use something like Query Tracker.

If you are not already doing so, it is helpful to use something like Query Tracker (https://querytracker.net/ -- it’s free!) to organize your query submissions. This will help avoid the dreaded “I sent that query to the same agent twice” issue and will keep you sane. (Well, with querying, that’s probably impossible, but it will alleviate some of the confusion). Some people use spreadsheets or other methods, but whatever you do – keep track! There’s nothing worse than sending another query to an agent who has already rejected you. (Uhm, I may have done this once, when I first started out!)

5. Yes, you DO need a synopsis. In fact, you need more than one.

Look, I hate writing the things too, but you really should have a synopsis written before you query. Why? Because when your killer query and first pages get you umpteen full requests, the agent or publisher will want a synopsis ASAP. So write one – a longer version to start (maybe up to 5 pages), then cut that down to a 2 page version, then cut THAT down to one page version. If you do that, you will likely be ready for whatever is requested.

Also, just like the query, a synopsis is something you will need to write for all your future books, even after you are agented/published. So it pays to learn how to write them!

6. You are playing a long game.

Being an author is not a one-shot, I “made it,” deal. You need to prepare yourself to be in this business for the long haul, and handle a lot of ups and downs. Even after you snag an agent, and that marvelous pub. deal, there will still be books to write, revise, and promote. Some of those books may sell well, others will not, and that’s the way it is. The best plan I have discovered to cope with all the stress and uncertainty is – KEEP WRITING. (Also, connect with, and promote other authors. They will be your best allies, along with your readers).

You may not make enough on your first book – or your tenth book – to retire and write full-time. But, when you build a catalog of titles, you also build your skill level, a reader base, and the ability to generate income with your writing. So, hang in there, and always remember that you have the power, and privilege, to create new worlds, filled with wonderful characters. There really is nothing better than that!

About FACSIMILE

Facsimile by Vicki L. Weavil

Publication Date:  March 8, 2016 from Month9Books

For a ticket to Earth, seventeen-year-old Anna-Maria “Ann” Solano is willing to jettison her birth planet, best friend, and the boy who loves her. Especially since all she’s required to do is escort Dace Keeling, a young naturalist, through the wilderness of the partially terraformed planet Eco. Ann‘s determination to escape the limitations of her small, frontier colony never falters, until Dace’s expeditions uncover three secrets. One offers riches, one shatters Ann’s perceptions of herself, and one reveals that the humans stranded on Eco are not its only inhabitants.

Ann’s willing to sacrifice friendship and love for a new life on Earth. But when an entire species is placed in jeopardy by her actions, she must make a choice – fulfill the dream that’s always sustained her, or save the planet she’s never considered home.

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About Vickie L. Weavil

Vicki L. Weavil was raised in a farming community in Virginia, where her life was shaped by a wonderful family, the culture of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and an obsession with reading. She holds a B.A. in Theatre from the University of Virginia, a Masters in Library Science from Indiana University, and a Masters in Liberal Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. After working as a librarian at the NY Public Library at Lincoln Center, and the Museum of Television & Radio (now the Paley Center for Media) in NYC, she is currently the Director for Library Services at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Vicki loves good writing in any genre, and has been known to read seven books in as many days. She enjoys travel, gardening, and the arts. Vicki lives in North Carolina with her husband and some very spoiled cats. A member of SCBWI, Vicki is represented by Fran Black at Literary Counsel, NY, NY. 

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Enter to win a copy of Facsimile!

Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Facsimile by Vicki L. Weavil (INT.) Contest ends March 25, 2016.
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VESSEL Blog hop, guest post and giveaway!

I'm super excited to have Lisa T. Cresswell here today, sharing her writing process for her new release VESSEL. Make sure to scroll to the bottom of the post to read more about the fantastic story and to enter to win your own copy!

Guest post by Author Lisa T. Cresswell 

To write Vessel, I followed a very basic format.

1) Get idea.
2) Plan outline by chapter.
3) Write first draft.
4) Edits and rewrite.

I didn’t always write this way. I used to pretty much skip 1 and 2 and head directly to 3, which was very frustrating for me. I would always reach a point in the story where I didn’t know what was going to happen next and stop. Sometimes I would start to edit what I’d already written, which was also very frustrating. Now I know this is a recipe for disaster. If you start editing before you know the ending, you’re wasting time switching things around that may not do you any good. I’ve learned the hard way, it’s much better to get the WHOLE thing out on paper first before you ever cut a word. And it’s better to get the WHOLE PLOT OUTLINED before you even start writing. I know there are many writers out there who claim to be pantsers, but I suspect they have an entire plot from beginning to end in their head before they start. It just isn’t written down.

I started writing Vessel for NaNoWriMo in 2011. I’m not a fast writer and I didn’t have any notions of finishing the book in one month, but I love the idea of writing every day on a project. If you write a page a day, in a year, you’ll have a 365 page book, right? Anyway, I started Vessel in late 2011 and worked on it off and on for most of the following year. In 2013, I started querying. I had seen Month 9 Books on Twitter and Facebook and was intrigued. Their focus on speculative fiction and the paranormal seemed right up my alley. I was delighted when publisher Georgia McBride requested the full manuscript based on a twitter pitch! I sent the manuscript to her and tried to forget about it for awhile. Waiting is really hard!!

In July 2013, on the last day of a writing workshop I was attending in Oregon, I got an e-mail from Georgia offering me a deal. Talk about make my day! It’s been a lot of work since then, but it’s a labor of love, that’s for sure. In the long waits between editing assignments, I’ve written three new novels. Now that Vessel is going out into the world, I’ll be starting the whole process over again! Whew!

Thanks Lisa, for stopping by to share your experience!

ABOUT VESSEL:

The sun exploded on April 18, 2112. It exploded in a Class X solar storm the likes of which humankind had never seen.

They had nineteen minutes.

Nineteen minutes until the geomagnetic wave washed over the Earth, frying every electrical device created by humans, blacking out entire continents, every satellite in their sky.

Nineteen minutes to say goodbye to the world they knew, forever, and to prepare for a new Earth, a new Sun.

Generations after solar storms have destroyed nearly all human technology on Earth and humans have reverted to a middle ages like existence, all knowledge of the remaining technology is kept hidden by a privileged few called the Reticents and books are burned as heresy.

Alana, a disfigured slave girl, and Recks, a traveling minstrel and sometimes-thief, join forces to bring knowledge and books back to the human race. But when Alana is chosen against her will to be the Vessel, the living repository for all human knowledge, she must find the strength to be what the world needs.

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ABOUT LISA T. CRESSWELL:

Lisa, like most writers, began scribbling silly notes, stories, and poems at a very young age. Born in North Carolina, the South proved fertile ground to her imagination with its beautiful white sand beaches and red earth. In fifth grade, she wrote, directed and starred in a play “The Queen of the Nile” at school, despite the fact that she is decidedly un-Egyptian looking. Perhaps that’s why she went on to become a real life archaeologist?

Unexpectedly transplanted to Idaho as a teenager, Lisa learned to love the desert and the wide open skies out West. This is where her interest in cultures, both ancient and living, really took root, and she became a Great Basin archaeologist. However, the itch to write never did leave for long. Her first books became the middle grade fantasy trilogy, The Storyteller Series. Her first traditionally published work, Hush Puppy, is now available from Featherweight Press.

Lisa still lives in Idaho with her family and a menagerie of furry critters that includes way too many llamas!

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway Information:  Winner will be drawn June 26, 2015

·        Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Vessel by Lisa T. Cresswell (INT)

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THE NIGHT HOUSE: Blog hop, guest post and giveaway!

To celebrate the release of THE NIGHT HOUSE, author Rachel Tafoya has graciously offered to guest blog here at ThinkingToInking and share her writing advice with us. Yay!  We are thrilled to have her.

Check out her post below, and be sure to scroll down to the bottom for a chance to win your very own copy of THE NIGHT HOUSE. 

Writing With Others by Rachel Tafoya, author of THE NIGHT HOUSE

I’ve been writing all my life, telling stories and telling other people about the books I’m reading. My writing was highly influenced by what I was reading at the time. It still is, but when I was younger, I borrowed characters and settings. And I had people who would write with me. Back in elementary and middle school, I had a writing partner and we would send chapters back and forth to each other. I can’t say the writing was good, but I had fun, and I wrote a ton. 

Having a friend to talk about writing with and to share stories with is paramount. When I got a little older, I joined a teen writing class, and that was when my writing really improved. I was able to get weekly new inspiration and hear other people’s work. I think the biggest inspiration was our teacher, Jonathan Maberry who wrote the Rot and Ruin series, which I love. He told us his wild tales of publishing and told us all the time that it IS possible to get published, anyone can do it, and we should try. 

I had thought to myself before this class that I wanted to be a writer. My dad is a writer, and his story inspired me too, but this class was when I really dedicated myself to it. So my advice to anyone trying to become a writer: find other writers! Nothing will inspire you more than talking to others about it, and sharing your writing with someone else. It’s scary for sure, but it’ll make you more comfortable with your own work, and it’ll allow you to learn how to critique others. Mostly, I think you’ll have fun! 

ABOUT THE NIGHT HOUSE
Publication date: December 9, 2014
Author: Rachel Tafoya

Bianca St. Germain works at a Night House, a place where vampires like the aristocratic Jeremiah Archer, pay to feed on humans, and she doesn’t much care what others think of her. Themoney is good, and at least there, she’s safe. Bianca also doesn’t care that the Night House is killing her. All she cares about is: nauth, the highly addictive poison in vampire bites that brings a euphoria like no drug ever could.

But when Bianca meets James, a reclusive empath who feels everything she does, for the first time, she considers a life outside of the Night House and a someone worth living for. But Jeremiah has decided to keep Bianca for himself; he won’t allow her to walk away.

As she allows her feelings for James to grow, she struggles to contain nauth’s strong hold on her life. If they are to have a future, James must make her see what she’s worth, what she means to him, before Jeremiah and nauth claim her for good.

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ABOUT RACHEL TAFOYA:

Rachel Tafoya studied creative writing while at Solebury School and was published in their student run literary magazine, SLAM. She attended a writing program for teens at both Susquehanna University and Denison University, and the Experimental Writing for Teens class and Novels for Young Writers program, both run by NY Times bestselling author, Jonathan Maberry. Rachel is the daughter crime author Dennis Tafoya.

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