Indie Author Day MEGA SALE!!

Indie Author Day Mega Sale

In celebration of the first-annual Indie Author Day, I've put ALL of my books on sale. For one day only (October 8, 2016), every one of my digital books is either FREE or 99 Cents (on Amazon only).

FREE BOOKS (TODAY ONLY):

Emily's Trial
H.A.L.F.: The Deep Beneath

     

99 CENT BOOKS (TODAY ONLY):

Emily's House
Emily's Heart
H.A.L.F.: The Makers

       

Thanks for reading!

Audiobook Booyah: Emily's House Audio Now Live

While I was busy taking care of family emergencies over the past couple of months, narrator Chloe Golden was hard at work finishing production of the audio book of Emily's House (Book 1 of the Akasha Chronicles). I'm so pleased to announce that at long last, the much requested audio book version of my first novel is available for readers who prefer to listen to books! You can download the audio book on iTunes or Amazon AND you can use your Audible credits as well and download on Audible (links below).

Narrator Chloe Golden did a great job bringing Emily, Hindergog and the rest of the characters to life. Here is a sample of Chloe's narration of my first novel (purchase links are below).

What do you think?

Purchase on iTunes:

This link will take you to Amazon where you can either purchase or use your Audible credits:

IndieReCon Winner and New Audio Book by Natalie Wright

While I was away, dealing with family business, a couple of super cool things happened in my writing world. First, I won the Indie ReCon "Best Book Description" contest in the Young Adult books category for the description of H.A.L.F.: The Deep Beneath. Yay! It was a nice surprise amidst the gloomy I've been going through. Thanks to all of the fans that voted. We did it! Here's my spiffy new badge:

The second thing that happened is that the audio book for my first novel, Emily's House, went on sale! Woot, woot!! The narrator is actress Chloe Golden and she did a great job bringing the story to life. I can't wait for y'all to hear this book :-D Now books 1 and 2 of the Akasha Chronicles series are available in audio. If you're an Audible subscriber, you can snag Emily's House for only 1 credit (or you can purchase it on Amazon, Audible and iTunes).

Fun stuff :-D Thanks for reading and take care of yourselves and each other.

Writer Wednesday: How Losing Your Virginity is Like Writing Your First Novel

"The Birthday"
by Marc Chagall, 1915

If you follow this blog, you know my fourth book, H.A.L.F.: The Deep Beneath was released in January (see more about that here). As I prepare to write my fifth novel, I am plagued with what has now become the familiar feeling of fear about the blank page. The worry of "can I do this" doesn't seem to go away no matter how many times I conquer the mountain of crafting a novel.

And lately there's an added feeling. At first it was a vague worry, but soon grew to outright fear.

Is the spark gone?

Is there such a thing as a well of creative energy that we draw from but which can run dry?

And that got me thinking about sex. I'll get back to the sex part in a minute, but first a bit more about writing.

While writing my first novel (Emily's House), I felt immersed in magic. Granted, Emily's House is about a girl with magical abilities and she goes to a mysterious other dimension and time travels and what not. It wasn't just the subject matter that was magical though.

The process itself was like falling into a rabbit hole. Frightful at first, yes. But oh how amazing as the mysteries were revealed. It felt like magic. I vividly recall sitting at my desk, writing feverishly, my fingers unable to keep up with my mind. It was as though I had been transported to a divine place called "Creativity", fueled by a meandering stream of the imagination.

While writing H.A.L.F.: The Deep Beneath (my fourth book), the dark hand of fear took hold of me. The writing was less feverish and more measured. Where was the feeling of divine "Creativity"? What happened to the meandering stream?

The process of writing was still pleasurable. In ways perhaps more so. I didn't stress so much about where to put things or if I was doing it right. I had experience to guide me.

Yet I had this nagging concern that because I did not feel the strange, mysterious upwelling of creative energy, the story was not going to be as good. Would the writing be flat?

But as I rewrote, revised, got feedback, rewrote again, revised, etc., I saw that I had, in fact, written my best novel yet. And my loyal readers agree with me. Their praise of my craft shows that my writing has gotten better, not worse.

And now what I promised. Talk of sex.

Writing a novel is like having sex.

You never forget your first time. The first time was likely awkward and fumbling. But memorable.

To a virgin, sex - like writing - is a mystery. You wonder about it, consider it. Think about it (a lot) and long for it. You imagine what it will be like (over and over again), picturing in your mind an amazing upwelling of passion that culminates in the most beautiful moment in your life.

Oh, the build up. The excruciating anticipation.

And then it happened and it was …

Nice. Or maybe just okay. For some, downright terrible.

But memorable. You always remember your first time. It was the time that the mysteries were revealed. 

The thing about first times? They only happen once.

But if sex was never as good - as pleasurable - as the first time, some may never do it again. Instead, sex gets better with experience, not worse. And better and better. So we keep doing it because it doesn't stop feeling good. The pleasure does not end after the initial mysteries are revealed. 

We discover more mysteries. It's no longer a meandering stream but a never-ending well of discovery.

The first time may be the most memorable, but practice makes perfect. For both writing and sex.

Did this article make you think about sex or writing? :-) Please feel free to share your thoughts but remember, this is a PG blog so please keep the comments clean.

A New Award for Emily's House: Pinnacle Book Achievement Award

I got notice this week that my first novel, Emily's House, received a Pinnacle Book Award in the Juvenile Fiction category! The Pinnacle awards recognize excellence in Independent Publishing. I'm thrilled, of course, to receive a recognition for my "first born" book and labor of love. 

The award feels almost as good as the Reader's Favorite 5 Star award that it received earlier this summer.

Awards are nice but nothing compares to happy readers. The nearly 2 Million reads of Emily's House on Wattpad as well as the votes and comments - that's what it's all about. Readers that enjoy the adventure, the mysticism, the action of the book. The readers who "get it." That's what keeps me writing.

But I'm happy to accept the awards too ;-)

If you'd like to read an excerpt of Emily's House, you can do so here on my blog. Just click this link.

Thanks to all of my readers and blog followers for your support! :-D

Sci Fi Friday: The Science Story of the Century You Probably Have Heard Nothing About

EmDrive, illustration by Elvis Popovic

I scratch my head as to how how journalists decide what's newsworthy. Why do people living in caves know about Justin Beiber's legal troubles yet few have heard about NASA's recent success with a new propulsion system that could take a manned ship to Mars and back in eight months?

I heard about this a while back when the Chinese announced that Prof Yang Juan had successfully shown that British scientist Roger Shawyer's so called "EmDrive" created thrust without a propellant. The system uses electricity to generate microwaves that bounce around a closed space and generates thrust. The implications are huge. Panels could convert star energy into electricity - perpetual space travel fueled by the stars.

But scientists in the west seemed less than excited by China's news. It was less than a blip on the radar of mainstream media.

This is how Wired.co.uk explained Shawyer's system and what critics have said about it:

Shawyer claims the EmDrive converts electric power into thrust, without the need for any propellant by bouncing microwaves around in a closed container. He has built a number of demonstration systems, but critics reject his relativity-based theory and insist that, according to the law of conservation of momentum, it cannot work. (wired.co.uk, "NASA Validates Impossible Space Drive," July 31, 2014, David Hambling.)

EmDrive, Image: SPR Ltd.

Fortunately, an American, Guido Fetta, had a similar propulsion system that was pitched to NASA and they finally ran the tests on the Cannae drive. NASA's test of the engine they called "impossible" showed that not only does it work, but it would allow humans to travel freely about the solar system without the necessity of carrying a liquid propellant.

Here's a bit about going to Mars: 

The Nasa paper projects a 'conservative' manned mission to Mars from Earth orbit, with a 90-ton spacecraft driven by the new technology. Using a 2-megawatt nuclear power source, it can develop 800 newtons (180 pounds) of thrust. The entire mission would take eight months, including a 70-day stay on Mars. (wired.co.uk, "10 Questions about NASA's 'impossible' Space Drive Answered", Aug. 7, 2014, David Hambling.)

What the what?

Here's something that really gets me about this story. Scientists believe that Shawyer's science defies commonly understood laws of physics. But they have yet to prove that it doesn't work! 

So multiple experiments by different organizations are able to create a machine that defies the current understanding of physics yet it's still "not proven"?! And as far as I can tell, getting little attention in mainstream media (but being talked about in the science world).

It seems to me that scientists should be excited about this. Physicists were jumping up and down (literally) when CERN announced that they're "almost positive" that they've discovered the Higgs Boson, one of the holy grails of physics (and the main reason they spent billions on the LHC). Don't get me wrong. The work being done at the LHC is cool stuff (so awesome I included it as a plot point in my first book, Emily's House).

But come on guys. You have a few (relatively) tiny experiments which defy your current laws. That means there is new physics to understand here. And in the grand scheme of human existence, potentially finding a viable way to propel ourselves off this dying rock and into space in search of a new home is pretty fucking exciting. And useful.

What do you think? Am I celebrating prematurely? Do you think this could be the answer to our question of how to get to space?

SAFECon 2014 a Huge Success

I had a great time this past Saturday, March 20, 2014 at SAFECon in Prescott Valley, Arizona at the public library. For a smallish town, Prescott Valley turned out a nice crowd for this first annual event. It was a free event geared to teens, but people of all ages showed up. I particularly enjoyed seeing the creativity and hard work that the teens put into their cosplay. SAFECon provided me yet another opportunity to meet and talk story with wonderful tweens, teens and adults as well. I love my job!!

A special shout out to Jamie. She's a mom with a young, budding artist. Jamie's eyes got moist in the corners as she talked about her daughter's art - an obvious pride in her voice. What impressed me was Jamie's devotion to her daughter following her dream and doing what she loves. So often, parents and other adults try to steer their children away from careers in the arts. It's understandable. Living the life of an artist can be one filled with rejection, pain, and poverty! It is (often) not an easy life.

But Jamie is a mother who recognizes the joy that creating art brings to her daughter. And her daughter won second place in the art contest at SAFECon! Congrats!

I also got to chat with reporter and writer Patrick Whitehurst who was kind enough to mention me in his news story that appeared Sunday, 3/20 in the Daily Courier. Here's the whole story:

3/30/2014 6:03:00 AM Sci-fi, Anime, Fantasy, Etc. convention for teens draws fans, authors, artists

Patrick Whitehurst/The Daily Courier Assassins Creed cosplayers Geoff Schoen and Joe Ashton show their skills during Saturday’s SAFECon at the Prescott Valley Public Library. Matt Hinshaw/The Daily Courier Joel Adams slinks by the audience dressed as Slenderman, a malevolent phantasm. Patrick Whitehurst The Daily Courier PRESCOTT VALLEY, Arizona - Darth Vader walks into a room next to Princess Daisy from Mario Brothers. That isn't the opening line of a joke, but a description of Saturday's Sci-Fi, Anime, Fantasy, Etc. Convention (SAFECon) at thePrescott Valley Public Library. Crowds dressed in a variety of costumes, and some participated in a "cosplay" costume competition. The event, geared toward teens in the quad-city area, featured workshops, panel discussions, a martial arts exhibition, art competitions and refreshments. Artist and illustrator Samantha Violette attended to share her anime and comic art with those in attendance. She traveled to the con from her home in Tucson. She produces her art primarily in watercolor and pencils. Her art can also be seen online at www.samanthaashleyviolette.com. As a fan of comics and anime, Violette attends conventions throughout the state. "It's for work, but it's also a hobby of mine too," she said. "I think conventions are great. It's a chance for like-minded people to get together, to make new friends and find common interests." While small compared to other conventions she's attended, Violette said she enjoyed meeting new people at SAFECon. "I was very impressed by how well-organized it was," Violette said. Other attendees for the event included comic book artist Dave Beaty, graphic designer Alec Kozak, and Natalie Wright, author of the popular Akasha Chronicles trilogy that began with the book "Emily's House." Wright chatted with a number of fans during Saturday's SAFECon and made a few new ones along the way. "I like meeting people, so I enjoy talking to everyone. I especially enjoy meeting young people who use their creativity to express themselves," Wright said. "This convention is particularly cool because it's devoted to teens." Wright's novels focus on teens. A complete list of her books can be found at www.nataliewright.net. Follow reporter Patrick Whitehurst on Twitter @pwdcourier

Celebrate Read an E-Book Week and Deep Discounts on The Akasha Chronicles

Hey, did you know that it's Read an E-Book Week? To show my support of the event, I'm offering DEEP discounts on the e-book versions of my books at Smashwords.com. Click on the link to download all three books of the Akasha Chronicles in the e-book format of your choice (Kindle, Nook, iBooks, etc.). 

Emily's House is FREE! (usually $2.99)

Emily's Trial is $1.50! (usually $2.99)

And Emily's Heart is $2.00 (usually $3.99)

The coupon codes are shown on the book pages.

But hurry. On 3/9/2014 the prices will return to normal retail.

Hop on over to Smashwords and enjoy the great deals authors and publishers are offering for one week only :-) And thank you for your support of this event.

Happy Halloween, Samhain and Day of the Dead!

~Magickal Graphics~
If you follow my blog, you know that Halloween is my favorite time of the year. And I made sure to have both of my first two books take place during this spookiest of seasons!

In Emily's House, Emily and crew traipse around an old, Irish graveyard at night during a full moon with ravens squawking. And Emily's timing is perfect. She attempts to open a portal to the Netherworld on October 31 when the veil between the worlds is thinnest.

Emily's House may have a chapter titled "Things Go Bump in the Night", but if you really want to get your scare on, check out  Emily's Trial. In Emily's Trial, Emily and friends once again lurk in a graveyard on Halloween. But when Emily tries to open a portal, things don't go as planned. Emily's Trial is set in a world of terrors where worst fears come to life.

Emily's Trial, Book 2 of the Akasha Chronicles
by Natalie Wright

In the upcoming third book, Emily's Heart, I didn't set the book during Halloween. Instead of focusing on one spooky day, the entire novel is set during an Apocalypse. Terror is Emily's 'new normal'.

Emily's Heart, Book 3 of the Akasha Chronicles
by Natalie Wright, Launches Feb 1, 2014

In celebration of Halloween, let's get some scare on. Please enjoy the trailer and just after it, an excerpt/teaser of Emily's Heart, launching February 1, 2014.

Happy Halloween, Samhain and Day of the Dead!

Here is an Excerpt from Emily's Heart, Coming February 1, 2014!

The Apocalyptic World

Isabella ran swiftly. Her long, sandy brown hair swung from side to side as she gained distance from it. She was surefooted, not a wobble in her step. She’d make it to her house and safety. A hundred more yards to go. The shadow that followed her was quick, but she had been quicker. Today, anyway.

Fifty yards from the door. Her mother waited on the other side of that door, ready to embrace her, smooth her hair and tell her, “It’ll be okay, baby.” Fifty yards to go.

Her choice to run had been pure instinct. A cold, clammy feeling overcame her. The shadow seen out of the corner of her eye. A small but powerful voice inside beckoned her to run.

But less than fifty yards from safety, Isabella’s curiosity made her turn her head. She had to see. Her mind had to understand. A casual look behind her to see what could create such a long, wide shadow.

In an instant as fleeting as one flap of a hummingbird’s wings, she saw it. The shadow, darker than any she’d ever seen. A shadow that was not just a product of the light from without but something that came from within. And the shadow was connected to a man.

The moment Isabella glanced behind her, her eyes met his. She had wanted to see, and she saw. The man’s eyes were completely black and devoid of light. His thin lips were pulled back in a terrible smile that revealed perfectly even, white teeth.

In that moment, Isabella knew. She knew that she had looked into the face of a devil. Maybe not the devil, but into a face as evil as any human has ever seen. Into the face of the demons that she had worried might lurk under her bed at night. Isabella looked into the face of the bogeyman and into the face of death.

She knew she would never reach the door. She knew that she’d never see her mother or father or her dog, Smarty, again. She knew that she’d never again kiss her baby brother’s soft, downy head.

Before Isabella could scream, cry or utter a single protest, the shadow was all around her. It enveloped her. She felt as if the air had been forced from her lungs, her screams unable to take flight in the airless void. She heard her backpack fall to the ground, but it was muffled, as if in a dream. She knew her eyes were open, but she saw nothing but darkness. She was smothered by a black so complete that she was suddenly unsure whether she was standing up, lying down, or floating in a dark cloud.

Her skin prickled as she felt the shadow caress her. She knew a person couldn’t feel a shadow. Her brain told her it was a dream. Shadows don’t kill people. But as she thought this, the squeezing of her lungs increased. The soft caress of the dark shadow gave way as it pinched and pulled and slapped at her.

Dread spread throughout her tiny body like a supersonic cancer. The fear cut through her like icy knives. As her terror grew, so the shadow’s grip tightened. It was in her ears, her nose, her eyes and her mouth. She swallowed the shadow like a pill, and it dug deep, deep, deep into her.

The shadow filled her. She was so cold, bereft of warmth.

The shadow will kill me, she thought. As the cold spread and took over every cell of her body, she prayed for death. She prayed to God to let her join her grandpa in heaven.

Her small body could take no more. The shadow had used her energy. Her prayers were answered. All was done. Her tiny, cold corpse littered the ground as the shadow swept down the sidewalk in search of another filled with light.

The lovely Abby Flores is featuring me and my novel, Emily's House, today on her blog, Bookshelf Confessions. It's part of her month long anniversary celebration. Happy Anniversary Abby! She has a lovely blog and does tons of great giveaways. So be a good bunny and hop over to visit her where you can enter  to WIN a copy of Emily's House.

Happy Mother's Day!

~Magickal Graphics~

I remember (vaguely!) the days before I had a child. Back then, fear for me came in the form of the things that go bump in the night. I was afraid of the things I couldn't see. I'd bring down the blinds on the windows promptly at nightfall for fear that I'd see beady red eyes looking back in at me (thanks to the movie The Amityville Horror).

But as soon as I held that dear little baby girl in my arms - no, even when she was still inside me - fear took on a new meaning. It's not even that fear doubled - now fear for my own safety as well as hers - but that what I was afraid of changed.

Before I had my daughter, I didn't spend much time being afraid of other people. But I recall clearly the first time I took her to a park to play and seeing a lone man loitering about and having my "mother alert" go into high gear. If I had been by myself - before child - I probably wouldn't have given that guy a second thought.

Germs, pools, electrical outlets, driving in the car. Before a child, none of these things were on my radar as a daily danger. After a child, these common daily things became fuel for daily nightmares of "what ifs" and cautious safeguards.

It wasn't like I was cavalier and reckless with my life before I had a child. I'm not one to skydive, bungee jump and generally throw caution to the wind with massive risk-taking behaviors. But after I had her, the meaning - and importance - of my own life took on a whole new meaning.

And with each passing day of her life, my fear for the loss of my own life grew. What would happen to her if she lost me?

It was in fact out of that question - that nagging fear always present in some part of my brain - that inspired my characters and some plot points for my novel Emily's House. You see I didn't lose my own mother as a child (my mom's still living large at age 72). But I imagined what it would be like for my daughter who loves me so much that sometimes it makes her cry with joy (she's a sensitive emotional little soul, just like her mamma, and not yet a teenager!).

My life took on new meaning for me when my daughter was born. I mattered to her, more than anything. I was important to her, more than anything. And because she mattered to me, more than anything, I began to matter to me more too.

I know as she grows older I will become less the center of her world. She'll always love me big of course. But in time her peers and then boyfriends and perhaps some day her own sweet child will take over that place in her heart where once I lived - big and warm and all of everything.

And someday maybe she'll look into the eyes of her own sweet baby and see in the love there a new meaning to her own life. And she will treasure it all the more.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 5 Tips for Celebrating Spring as the Ancients Might Have

The bacchanalian holiday celebrating all things green and Irish is just around the corner. But did you know that St. Patrick’s Day traces its origins to an ancient rite of spring known as Ostara? Long before there was green beer, Leprechauns with pots of gold and crockpots full of corned beef, ancient peoples paused in mid-March to celebrate the coming spring.

Because the ancient Celts passed on their traditions, histories and stories orally, little is known of the ways that the Celts honored the passing of the seasons. But the coming of spring is a reason to celebrate and our penchant to party this time of year may well be a rite of spring going back thousands of years.

If you’re tired of green beer and cabbage, here are five tips to help you connect with the ancient roots of Ostara and celebrate the coming Spring the way our ancestors might have:

 1. Sweep and Rake: Get out your broom and sweep away the leaves and dust blown in by the winter winds. Rake up the old leaves mushed onto the grass by the snow. Clear away the dead things left from fall and winter to make room for the new growth of spring.

 2. Tend Your Garden: Roll up your sleeves, grab your spade, and get your hands dirty. Even if your garden is a high-rise patio, tend to the plants in your part of the world. Snip the dead blooms, prune, feed, water and show the green things in your world some love.

 3. Take a Hike: Preferably with your sweetie. Enjoy a stroll through the neighborhood park or hike into the forest or desert near you. Take in the signs of the change from cold, dead and dreary to warm, blooming and colorful. Who knows, maybe the time together in the great outdoors will kindle the fires of romance.

 4. Create a Feast of the Season: Make an outing to a local farmer’s market or, if there isn’t such a market near you, check out the produce at your neighborhood grocery. What’s in season? What’s fresh? Collect your bounty of the season and cook a Spring Feast.

 5. Party! Share that feast that you lovingly prepared with your friends and family. If it’s warm enough, take the feast outside and party in your garden. End your evening with a fire to warm the hearts of your guests. It doesn’t have to be a bonfire. Build your fire in a fire pit, chiminea or fireplace. Or if none of those options are available to you, light some candles. The warm glow of the fire’s embers call to mind the warmth of the coming season.

~Magickal Graphics~

Emily’s House, Book 1 of the Akasha Chronicles, with its setting in both modern and ancient Ireland, is the perfect read for the St. Patrick’s Day season.

Emily's House, Book 1 of the Akasha Chronicles, by Natalie Wright