Showing posts with label Young Adult. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Young Adult. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

@PMPillon's #WriteTip for Applying Memories To Writing #SciFi #Fantasy #YA


Our writing relies on our perceptions, leading us down a bright or dark path if that’s how we see the world but and are infinite in variety. For instance in Dostoyevsky’s case appreciating and writing about appalling privation because he himself experienced it as a starving writer and Solzhenitsyn also as a state prisoner. Who can fail to be moved by the young man’s utter destitution in Crime And Punishment, or the Gulag convict fussing over his boots without which he would be a dead man walking?

However, there are also cases of a writer’s life being a stark contrast from her or his writing, such as Guy de Maupassant who wrote beautifully and auspiciously even as he lived a life of depression and ultimately wrote as his epitaph: “I have coveted everything and taken pleasure in nothing.” 

We are a sum of our parts and at the same time we are a continuum, experiencing myriad states of life most often without even realizing it, with all aspects such as memories morphing into differing levels of appreciation. We forget most events and remember only a fraction, and we sometimes wish the two would transpose and we could forget that pedestrian remark dad made and instead remember something he said about mom when she was ill. If every single memory is still somewhere in our brain, until and unless a method for total recall is discovered we are forced to play with the cards we’re dealt; trudging through life with limited recollections that we can mine for our writing. A week ago I had a dream that I recognized as being a basis for a entire book as my previous books have been, but within seconds I forgot it and it’s clearly gone for good.

If we’re writing about a man whose girl friend has left him or vice versa, it helps to have some memories under our belt about amorous relationships. Writing blind about events with which we have no experience can still work if we have learned about them from observation or stories we heard from others, but it’s more problematic because more care must be taken to attain plausibility.

And ultimately our writing style will likely be the decider, such as the case of William Faulkner who gave up trying to mimic or emulate others and just wrote in his own consciousness stream and prose based on his experiences that eventually earned him universal praise and a Nobel Prize for Literature.


His celestial companion was waiting for him
Precariously climbing a sea-side cliff near Big Sur, ten-year-old Joey Blake was as yet unaware that near his grasp was an object, so odd, mysterious and alien to earth that it would change his life forever and the lives of countless others in the next few astonishing days. Reaching up as far as he could for a handhold it was just there; it had subconsciously lured him, occupied his mind, and made him find it. It was like he was meant to see and discover this object of unimaginable power … the power to change reality.
Time travel and more

This young adult series of sci-fi fantasy novels begins with The Reality Master and continues through four other exciting and amazing stories about time travel and mysterious alien devices. Joey and the reader will face dangerous shadowy criminal organizations, agents of the NSA, bizarre travelers from other times and even renegade California bikers and scar-faced walking dead.
- Vol 1 The Reality Master
- Vol 2 Threat To The World
- Vol 3 Travel Beyond
- Vol 4 Missions Through Time
- Vol 5 The Return Home
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Science fiction, Fantasy, Young adult
Rating – G
More details about the author
Connect with PM Pillon on Facebook & Twitter

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Rising Tide: Dark Innocence by Claudette Melanson @Bella623 #YA #Paranormal #AmReading

Caelyn was in the kitchen, pouring coffee into a travel mug to take to the office.  Her eyes popped wide when she saw me bound around the corner.  “Maura? Your hair is up?”
I rolled my eyes, but to be honest, her surprise was justified.  This really was a first.  I tried to smile nonchalantly, and shrugged.  “I wanted to try it out.”
“Weird…but ok…”  She shrugged as well and turned back to the counter.  I was on my way to the cabinet to dig out my favorite honey-flavored cereal, when my mom’s arm came across my path to block me.  In her hand was a plateful of scrambled eggs.
“Here, Maura, why don’t you eat this?” my look of disappointment caused her to use an infallible tactic—guilt.  “I got up early to make them for you.”
“And…what’s wrong with cereal?”  I took the plate obligingly.
She tried to sound indifferent, but I noticed the nervous tremble, underlying, in her voice.  “It’s time you put more protein into your diet.”
“Mom, I’m almost seventeen, and you pick now to become more concerned with my diet.”
“You’re right, I should have done that a long time ago.”  She patted my head affectionately, and of course with that, the battle was over for me.  I was now resigned to the eggs, my sugary, morning fix lost to me.
I took a whiff.  A cook Caelyn was not…that was another reason I took on kitchen duty, but they smelled mouthwatering.  “Mmmmm,” I surprised myself by scooping a wad of them up with my fingers, not bothering to grab a fork.  I wolfed half the plateful down in this manner before I noticed my mother staring at me open-mouthed.
I laughed nervously, blushing profusely.  “Hey!  You’re right, protein is good.”  I didn’t want to, but forced myself to take the time to fetch silverware and went to sit at the dining room table.

CHOSEN AS ONE OF 400 FOR THE SECOND ROUND OF THE AMAZON BREAKTHROUGH NOVEL AWARD FOR 2014!!!
ARE YOU A FAN OF VAMPIRE ROMANCE?
Rising Tide will sink it’s teeth into you, keeping you awake into the wee hours of the night
Maura’s life just can’t get any worse…or can it?
Isolated and sheltered by her lonely mother, Maura’s never been the best at making friends. Unusually pale with a disease-like aversion to the sun, she seems to drive her classmates away, but why?
Even her own father deserted her, and her mother, before Maura was born. Bizarre physical changes her mother seems hell bent on ignoring, drive Maura to fear for her own life. And her luck just seems to get worse.
Life is about to become even more bewildering when her mother’s abrupt…and unexplained…decision to move a country away sets off a chain of events that will change Maura forever. A cruel prank turned deadly, the discovery of love and friendship….and its loss, as well as a web of her own mother’s lies, become obstacles in Maura’s desperate search for a truth she was never prepared to uncover.
Featured on one of the most popular health blogs on the internet as a giveaway!
Be sure to check out the blog on Maria Mind Body Health to win a free copy today! Go to Mariamindbodyhealth.com and check out the blog Chicken “Wild Rice” Soup for your chance to win!
Offered as a giveaway on Goodreads!
Head over to Goodreads for a chance to score a free copy today!
Featured on Litpick.com
Offer a review of Rising Tide on Litpick.com
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – YA Paranormal Romance
Rating – PG
More details about the author
Connect with Claudette Melanson on Facebook & Twitter

Thursday, May 1, 2014

J.R. Tague on the Best Tools for Writers @JR_Tague #WriteTip #YA #AmWriting

Will you write others in this same genre?
Leveling Up has two direct sequels, and I have an idea for a sort of spin-off novel as well. So that’s at least a few more books in the same paranormal YA genre. I also have the beginning of another YA series, though it’s fantasy steampunk, not paranormal.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
The basic message of Leveling Up is that balance is important in life. Max gets into trouble because he’s been living his whole life in a virtual world. However, the solution isn’t to scrap that completely and only live in the physical world. Instead, he has to apply lessons he’s learned in the virtual to the physical in order to meet his objectives. He doesn’t swap one extreme for another, instead he has to learn to marry the two because there is value in both of them.
How much of the book is realistic?
The key to writing a good paranormal/fantasy/horror/sci fi story is to create realistic characters that have believable reactions to unbelievable circumstances. I learned that from reading Stephen King. So, while Max’s situation isn’t realistic, his response to it is.
Have you included a lot of your life experiences, even friends, in the plot?
To an extent, I have included my own life experiences into the plot. A lot of people have asked me how I managed to capture the essence of a 16 year old boy, seeing as I’m a 32 year old woman. The answer is, oddly enough, that at their core, the two really aren’t all that different. We share a lot of the same base insecurities and fears. And of course I’ve lived through high school, so I can remember what it was like. I remember what I was worried about at the time and how my friends and I reacted to it. It’s easy to channel that into Max and company.
How important do you think villains are in a story?
Villains can be integral to a story – when they’re written well. I’m a fan of multi-dimensional villains. It’s boring when they’re black and white. When they are evil just because. The best advice I’ve heard on the topic is to imagine your villain as the protagonist of his own story. Sometimes people do bad things for good reasons. It doesn’t change the fact that they’re bad, but it sure raises the stakes when readers can identify and sympathize with both sides of a conflict.
What books have most influenced your life?
My all-time favorite story is Stephen King’s Dark Tower Series. It was the first series I read that featured a main character who was, at least initially, kind of unlikeable. That’s pretty gutsy in my opinion. And yet it showed me that you don’t have to love the main character if the story is compelling enough. Something I’ve struggled with—and I think a lot of first-time authors are in the same boat—is creating overly nice and perfect characters. As an author, I kind of fall in love with my characters and it’s hard to remember that everyone sucks sometimes. Nobody is perfect, and even if they were, they wouldn’t be interesting to read about. So you have to give them flaws so they have room to grow and improve.
Who is your favorite author and why?
Stephen King is my favorite author of all time. I started reading his novels when I was 12 and I never stopped. I was nervous at first, worried that his books would be too adult and difficult to follow. That was absolutely not the case and I think it’s because of his skill at character building. I wouldn’t expect a 12 year old girl to be able to relate to 20 and 30-somethings trying to survive in the aftermath of a plague that destroyed over 99% of the population, but I could. Not only could I relate, but I was fascinated by the idea.
Can we expect any more books from you in the future?
Absolutely! I have two more books in the Leveling Up series to finish. Then one more related story, as well as a four book steampunk fantasy series. And yet another idea for a new adult MMA love story. The ideas keep coming, demanding to be realized, so I can’t quit any time soon.
Are there any new authors that have sparked your interest and why?
I wouldn’t necessarily call him a new author because he’s been writing articles online for years now, but Daniel O’Brien just published his first book, How to Fight Presidents, and I’m super pumped to read it. I’ve been reading his Cracked.com articles and watching his web series for years now and they’re some of my favorite writing. His style/writing personality is smart, funny, humble, and ever so relatable.
What are some of the best tools available today for writers, especially those just starting out?
There are so many great resources available today for writers. There are so many great blogs, online writing communities, writer’s conferences, and more. I’m from the Philadelphia area, so when I was starting out, I went with some friends to the Philadelphia Writer’s Conference where I took some great writing workshops and got to connect with other writers. When you’re just starting out, I think it’s so important and eye-opening to find other people who are doing the same thing as you are and going through the same difficulties. Writing is a very solitary activity, so it’s easy to feel alone and isolated. Connecting with others who understand what you’re trying to accomplish is extremely helpful.
What contributes to making a writer successful?
Perseverance is key for writers to become successful. Writing an entire novel is difficult enough, and that’s only the beginning of the journey if you wish to publish. You have to deal with a lot of rejection, both internal and external. And you have to keep pushing on regardless. It takes guts, and thick skin, and determination.
Max McKay gets a second chance at life when, after a bizarre accident on his sixteenth birthday, he is reanimated as a new breed of thinking, feeling zombie. To secure a spot for his eternal soul, Max must use his video game prowess as well as the guidance of Steve the Death God to make friends and grow up. As if all that weren’t hard enough, Max discovers that he’s not the only zombie in town. As he enlists the help of his new friends, Adam and Penny, to solve the mystery of their un-dead classmate, Max discovers that he must level up his life experience in order to survive the trials and terrors of the upcoming zombie apocalypse. And, even worse, high school.
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – YA
Rating – PG
More details about the author
Connect with J R Tague on Facebook & Twitter

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

@EileenMaksym on Social Media & Her Favourite Things in Life #Paranormal #YA #Giveaway

How often do you write? And when do you write?
I try to write every day.  I'll admit it doesn't always happen, but I do try!  I write in the afternoons, after dropping my husband off at work and before picking my kids up from school.  I sometimes try to write when I'm at home, but it usually doesn't work.  Either the kids are vying for my attention, or they're in bed and all I want to do is veg out and watch Netflix.
Do you have an organized process or tips for writing well? Do you have a writing schedule?
I find that breaking things down into bite-sized chunks helps me a lot.  I aim to write a thousand words every day, and I do it in 200 word sprints, with brief breaks in between for checking email and browsing Twitter!
Sometimes it’s so hard to keep at it - What keeps you going?
As hard as it is, I love doing it.  There's that moment when you're reading over something you've written and you're surprised that it's actually pretty good.  I live (and work!) for those moments.
Have you met any people in the industry who have really helped you?
Paul McComas really inspired me to get serious about my writing and encouraged me to put my stuff out there.  And the great people at Booktrope have really helped me as a newbie in publishing.
What do you hope people will take away from your writing? How will your words make them feel?
Writing is always a collaboration between the writer and the reader.  What my readers take away, how they feel, is entirely dependent on the individual reader, and I love hearing back from people on how my writing has affected them!
What’s your favorite meal?
There's a tiny tapas restaurant in Cambridge, MA called Dalí. True to its Spanish surrealist namesake, it is imaginative, passionate, and bizarre.  The walls are gold melting like wax, the tables are strewn with rose petals, and the waiters sport dramatic mustaches.  Almost as notable as the decor and atmosphere is the food.  Tapas are small dishes of various sorts that are meant to be shared. A dinner of tapas consists of five or six of these dishes.  It's an intimate experience for two, and when we lived in Boston, my husband and I would go on our anniversary.  The last time we were there, they sat us in an intimate alcove separated from the rest of the dining room by a curtain of beads.  We drank sangría and shared tapas of olives, marinated white asparagus, quail wrapped in bacon.  It remains my favorite meal ever, by far.
What color represents your personality the most?
Green.  Green can have so many shades: bright emerald when I'm happy and excited, deep forest when I'm engaged and concentrating on a project, drab hunter when I'm feeling sad and need quiet, alone time.
What movie do you love to watch?
I love movies, so this is a tough one!  I think the movie I enjoy watching every time I see it would be The Princess Bride. It's fun and clever, and even though I know it by heart I discover new things and am reminded of old things I love every time.  It's like rereading a beloved book. (Incidentally, The Princess Bride by William Goldman is a book everyone should read!)
How do you feel about social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter? Are they a good thing?
Like most things, they are good in moderation.  I have to be careful not to let Facebook and Twitter (and Pinterest, and Tumblr, and...)  take up all my time, but they are very important parts of my life!  They keep me connected to my friends and family, help me discover new and interesting things, and allow me to engage my readers!
If you could do any job in the world what would you do?
I love what I do right now!  But if I were to be a certain kind of writer, I would be a travel writer.  I have always had a very strong sense of wanderlust, and I would love to share my experiences of new places and cultures.
 Haunted
Tara Martin – exceptionally accomplished neurobiology major with a troubled past. Steven Trent – confident political science major with an irresistible attraction to Tara. Paul Stratton – history major who is able to hear spirits. Together, they make up the Society for Paranormal Researchers at their prestigious New England University. When they’re not in class or writing papers, the three friends are chasing their passion….ghosts.
When the group learns of a local retired couple trying to sell a house they claim is haunted, they decide to investigate. As the clues unfold, a familiar spirit interrupts their investigation and Tara finds her life in danger. Can her friends save her before it’s too late?
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – YA paranormal, NA paranormal
Rating – PG-13
More details about the author
Connect with Eileen Maksym on Facebook & Twitter
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Thursday, April 10, 2014

#Excerpt from The Wings of Dragons (The Dragoon Saga) by Josh VanBrakle #EpicFantasy #YA

He was flying.

No, that didn’t make sense, because Iren could feel solid ground beneath his feet. Darkness surrounded him; he fluttered his hand in front of his face but couldn’t see it at all. The floor, if one existed, felt like flat stone. He took a few steps. The hollow ring of each footfall unnerved him. With trepidation he called, “Hello?” but only his nervous breathing replied. 

He reached for the Muryozaki, but it had disappeared from his hip. Fear took hold. Somehow, he had become lost in an infinite void without even a weapon to protect him.

Just as his desperation grew too great, a faint light appeared in the distance. At first Iren took it for a star, but it grew bigger the longer he stared. It soon took the form of a great undulating serpent with majestic wings, bursts of light erupting in every direction with each wingbeat. The vast majority of the dragon, for it could be nothing else, was of the purest white, with a few sky blue streaks accentuating the lines of its massive yet elegant body. Most impressive of all, however, were its eyes. Even from far away, they shone with a blue that bore through the blackness.

As the dragon flew closer, its light swallowed the shadows so that Iren nearly forgot they had ever engulfed him in the first place. The creature’s glow did not act like a beacon in the night, guiding ships to shore like the lighthouse at Ceere. Rather, it simply made the darkness go away, so that there was no need for such a lantern.

Iren gulped as the beast’s size truly came into perspective. Its eyes alone measured over five feet in diameter. The dragon’s teeth offered no comfort; each was longer than Iren’s entire body and had an edge that made the Muryozaki look like a worn butter knife.

The creature landed on four legs, each with three claws longer and sharper still than its fangs, and came into striking range. Iren expected it to devour him, but instead the dragon lowered its head in a deep bow of respect. The gesture so astonished Iren that he could do nothing but stare and take in the strange beauty of the awe-inspiring reptile. Long blue hair grew all along its spine, and two gigantic blue whiskers, each as thick as Iren’s thigh, adorned its face.

At last the dragon rose and, giving Iren a curious expression, loosed a low grumble, which sounded more like a sigh than anything threatening. Then, with a booming voice that shook the very fabric of the universe, the creature said, “So you are my knight. You are Iren Saitosan.”

The Wings of Dragons

From fantasy author Josh VanBrakle comes an epic new trilogy of friendship, betrayal, and explosive magic. Lefthanded teenager Iren Saitosan must uncover a forgotten history, confront monsters inspired by Japanese mythology, and master a serpentine dragon imprisoned inside a katana to stop a revenge one thousand years in the making.

Lodian culture declares lefthanded people dangerous and devil-spawned, and for Iren, the kingdom's only known Left, that's meant a life of social isolation. To pass the time and get a little attention, he plays pranks on the residents of Haldessa Castle. It's harmless fun, until one of his stunts nearly kills Lodia's charismatic heir to the throne. Now to avoid execution for his crime, Iren must join a covert team and assassinate a bandit lord. It's a suicide mission, and Iren's chances aren't helped when he learns that his new katana contains a dragon's spirit, one with a magic so powerful it can sink continents and transform Iren into a raging beast.

Adding to his problems, someone on Iren's team is plotting treason. When a former ally launches a brutal plan to avenge the Lefts, Iren finds himself trapped between competing loyalties. He needs to figure out who - and how - to trust, and the fates of two nations depend on his choice.

"A fast-paced adventure...led by a compelling cast of characters. Josh VanBrakle keeps the mysteries going." - ForeWord Reviews

Buy @ Amazon & Smashwords
Genre – YA epic fantasy
Rating – PG-13
More details about the author
Connect with Josh VanBrakle on Twitter

Saturday, April 5, 2014

MB Mullhall (Heavyweight) on #SelfPub & #SocialMedia

How do you feel about social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter? Are they a good thing?
For authors and other creative types selling their wares? I think both are great tools for marketing and self-promotion. For everyone else? They can be a good way to keep in touch with friends and loved ones, but they can also be places to bully, to cheat, to create drama and cause trouble.
What makes you angry?
Writing related? I hate when people look down on Young Adult authors thinking their stories are dumbed down and simple, that they’re not as “good” as authors who write for adults.
What’s your next project?
I am working on a series of short stories called Errand Girl of the Undead. They will be released separately and then an omnibus edition. It’s a lot of fun!
How do you feel about self-publishing?
Considering my first two books were self-published, I’m all for it, but it has to be done right.  It seems to get a bad rep because there are those authors who rush to put their work out and don’t do the proper edits or formatting, etc.  I think it’s a great option though and there are several self-pubbed authors who have made it big. 
How important are friends in your life?
No man is an island! Friends are very important, for support, a sounding board, escape, compassion, commiseration, to just name a few! Mine are always willing to read my work and listen to ideas.
How many friends does a person need?
There’s not a magic number, but I believe, as we grow older, we learn to weed out those who aren’t really friends.  Friendship is a two way street and if someone is all “me, me, me” then they’re probably not the best person to have as a friend.  It should be give and take and if you’re lucky to have a lot of people who fit that bill, congrats! If you only have one or two, there’s no shame in that either.
Do you find the time to read?
Lately, I find I don’t have as much time to read as I like. Life has been busy but hopefully will settle down soon. I used to read close to 200 books a year. I don’t think I’ll make it back to that, but I’d like to pick the pace back up!
Who do you admire?
Author wise? Any author who has kept at it throughout the rejections, who have continued to have faith in their work and kept hunting until they found just the right agent/publisher and then hit it big. 
What is your favorite quality about yourself?
I’m a very laidback person. I try to let the unimportant stuff roll off my back and not get too worked up over things I have no real control over.  It doesn’t always work but typically it leads to less stress. Roll with the punches people.
What is your least favorite quality about yourself?
I have a real hard time accepting compliments, regardless of whether it’s about my writing, my appearance, etc. I’m sure there’s a deep seeded reason for that, but we won’t get into it now…

heavyweight
Secrets. Their weight can be crushing, but their release can change everything—and not necessarily for the better. Ian is no stranger to secrets. Being a gay teen in a backwater southern town, Ian must keep his orientation under wraps, especially since he spends a lot of time with his hands all over members of the same sex, pinning their sweaty, hard bodies to the wrestling mat.
When he’s trying not to stare at teammates in the locker room, he’s busy hiding another secret—that he starves himself so he doesn’t get bumped to the next weight class.
Enter Julian Yang, an Adonis with mesmerizing looks and punk rocker style. Befriending the flirtatious artist not only raises suspicion among his classmates, but leaves Ian terrified he’ll give in to the desires he’s fought to ignore.
As secrets come to light, Ian’s world crumbles. Disowned, defriended, and deserted by nearly everyone, Ian’s one-way ticket out of town is revoked, leaving him trapped in a world he hates—and one that hates him back.
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre - LGBT, YA
Rating – PG-13
More details about the author
 Connect with MB Mulhall on Facebook Twitter

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Doubt (#AmongUs Trilogy) & How It Fell Into Place @Write2Film #Paranormal #AmReading

Did writing this book teach you anything and what was it?
I usually write by myself but I learned that being the Lone Ranger is not the best way to write. Thankfully, when I was writing Doubt, I had my developmental editor by my side. It was mostly a collaboration of minds, although we frequently butted heads. But the outcome, once we ironed things out, was pure magic.  In addition, my team of beta readers participated in missions (in the theme of the book) and also provided further feedback of each chapter. I also worked with my critique partner who helped shake up the story and make it richer.  Finally, the manuscript went through two copy and proof editors to refine the work and polish off the writing.
How did you come up with the title?
Aaron Swartz who passed away in early 2013 and Harry Fear, two young truth seekers were the inspiration for my book’s main character Harry Doubt.  The title Doubt not only is a play on the main character’s last name but also reflects how the characters question the reality of the world they live.
Can you tell us about your main characters?
Harry is a former child prodigy and tech genius. He created the popular online game the Truth Seekers.  His best friend, Cristal is also a talented and intelligent programmer. Her father went missing when she was a child. She senses that there is something different about her but she cannot bring herself to admit it.
How did you develop your plot and characters?
The story mixes social media communications such as text messaging and video messaging as a form of communication between characters as they go on missions to find their family members.
All characters have aliases and avatars, which are displayed as a splash page image at the beginning of the book.  The official website of the book (amongus.ca) also has detailed M.O.’s of the characters so readers can also view and interact with the characters on the website.
The story although geared to young adult/ early adult readers is also entertaining for general readers who are interested in the supernatural, sci/fi urban fantasy, apocalyptic genres with themes similar to the TV show Fringe (by J.J. Abrams).
As a filmmaker, journalist and web design programmer, I tell stories in multiple mediums.  Doubt (book 1 of the Among Us Trilogy) was literally created from an interactive online reality game that I created with the help of my developmental editor (Josefina Rosado).
The official website http://www.AmongUs.ca interacts with visitors allowing them to participate as Truth Seekers following the theme of the story.
I wanted to give readers another way to connect with my story.  Entertainment does not need to be contained in one medium. I believe in telling your story in many mediums. How do we do this?  One way was to entice readers  to participate in the experience of the story as it is being written. Putting Theory to the Test Here was the plan I used for fan recruiting  for my new novel Doubt, Book 1 of the Among Us Trilogy:
1)    Design website for the book series using the theme of the story
(Theme: Truth seekers who are online gamers use the internet to communicate with each other and also hack into global networks to save the world from catastrophic events caused by an unknown entity.)
2)    Entice beta readers to read drafts of the chapters as I write them but only awarding the first 10 who register
3)    Assign characters from the novel to each beta reader.
4)    Provide the beta reader with their assigned character’s strengths, weaknesses, personality traits and physical characteristics.
5)    As more chapters in the book are written, the ten beta readers will be asked to provide input with the incentive that what they write may be included in the next chapter. They will not know until the next chapter is released.
6)    Release each new chapter to the first ten fans as an award for having joined early.
7)    As more beta readers register to the site, ask them to create their own character and post the character’s 3 strengths and 3 weaknesses and 3 physical characteristics on the website.
8)    Entice additional beta readers to complete simple mission assignments related to the story with the incentive that their character may be chosen to be written into the Book 2 and Book 3 of the series.
9)    Give beta readers a Thank you credit on a Thank You page on the site and also on the credit page when the book is published.
10)    When the beta readers pass a mission assignment, a chapter will be released to them.
Using this approach to write Doubt, I also allowed fans to participate and shape the story. This has helped build the fan base and also promote the book launch. The release of the book is November 9, 2013 and because of this approach, Doubt is being featured at the Rain Dance Book Festival in Canada.
Who designed the cover?
Moi. I’m a web designer in my alternate life so graphic design is one of my hidden talents.
How do you promote this book?
We’re currently doing a book launch tour online and at live events. Fortunately, the Raindance Book Festival on November 9th was a perfect venue to launch “Doubt”.  The festival provided us the platform to have a live event attended by hundreds of people which we UStreamed to our fans all over the world.  On our book launch day, we connected with other authors at the festival and exposed our book to a lot of attendees. 
Currently, we are marketing “Doubt” to book review bloggers and social media sites; Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, our blog, GoodReads, Amazon, Kindle groups, etc. We also are hosting giveaways on our blog, GoodReads and Library Thing.  We are really excited to be doing an Orangeberry Book Blog Tour, which starts on Dec 30th with over 25 blog stops. 
During the tour, we are scheduling more giveaways, interviews and social media events.  Recently, we did a KDP Select free day where almost 6000 people downloaded my novella “Truth Seekers” which is Part 1 of the full novel “Doubt.” It is like a ‘Try before you buy’ approach. If readers like the novella, we know they will purchase the novel Doubt for the whole story.
Will you write others in this same genre?
Yes, I will be writing books 2 and 3 of the Among Us Trilogy in the Young Adult/Teen Urban fantasy paranormal apocalyptic thriller genres.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
I believe that there is a truth seeker in all of us whether we want to admit it or not. Some people will reject the idea while others will open their eyes and embrace it.
How much of the book is realistic?
Ummm…the time travel part.
What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?
The thrill that readers are enjoying the book and telling me to write book 2.
DoubtAmongUs

Do you love shows like J.J. Abrams' Fringe and read books like Cassandra Clare's City of Bones?

"Doubt" mashes fringe science, corporate espionage and paranormal encounters to catapult you into an out-of-this-world experience.

At 21 years old, Harry and Cristal are fresh out of university with their PhD's. Labeled all their lives as being 'weird' and 'geeky', they find true friendships with other outcasts by playing online virtual reality games.

Harry Doubt, a genius programmer and creator of the popular online game 'Truth Seekers', has a personal mission of his own; to find his mother who went mysteriously missing while volunteering on a peacekeeping mission in Palestine. His gaming friends and followers inadvertently join in helping him find her; believing that they are on missions to find out what has happened to their own missing loved ones. 

During Harry's missions, Cristal and the team of 'Truth Seekers' stumble upon things that make them doubt the reality of their own lives. As they get closer to the truth, they realize that there are spiritual forces among them both good and evil, but in learning this, they activate a chain of events that start the beginning of the 'end of the world' as they know it.

Doubt is Book 1 of the Among Us Trilogy. Among Us is a book series which delves into the world of the supernatural and how it intersects with the everyday lives of seemingly ordinary young people as catastrophic events on earth lead to the end of times. 

Among Us weaves the theme of a young man and woman, who while not fully understanding their 'abilities', are drawn together in their desire to find out the truth about the world they live in which is similar to themes used in J.J. Abrams' TV shows Fringe and Lost.

What readers have to say...
As a big fan of the show Fringe, this book appealed to me tremendously. The writing was well done, and the way the "supernatural" forces were introduced was great.
A good, clean read for any age.
It was an excellent story that I'm sure both adult and teen urban fantasy fans will enjoy. You don't have to be a gamer or know one to identify with the characters. They're very well developed and definitely feel like people. I would definitely recommend it to a friend and I'm really looking forward to the second book.
...the novel is written in such a languid style, it moves on effortlessly and absorbs the reader into the story completely. Although the story itself revolves around the online gaming industry, one does not have to have an in depth knowledge as it is ably explained and discussed within the plot line. OMGosh! I just finished reading "Doubt" INCREDIBLE! I couldn't put it down.
˃˃˃ >>> Depth and Substance mashed up with Fringe Science. Will entertain young and old alike.

This book is intended for mature young adults and new adults. Ages 16 to 45 +

˃˃˃ >>Inspired by real Truth Seekers Aaron Swartz and Harry Fear

The main character Harry Doubt was inspired by Aaron Swartz, internet prodigy and activist, co-founder of the Creative Commons and Reddit, and Harry Fear, journalist, documentary filmmaker and activist whose coverage of the conflict in the Middle East was seen on UStream by millions of viewers.

Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre - Young Adult, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Thriller
Rating – G
More details about the author
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