Take the Pic and Win Some Dough: Where in the World is H.A.L.F.?

H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS by Natalie Wright
Photo by Lisheng Chang via Unsplash

What’s better than the release of a book you’ve been waiting for?

Winning money!

H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS is nearly here! I’m kicking off a month-long celebration of the final installment in the H.A.L.F. series with a new contest.

Grab your copy of any book in the H.A.L.F. series and show us “Where in the World is H.A.L.F.?”

This contest is super simple. All you have to do is snap a photo of any of the H.A.L.F. books anywhere. Maybe you’re eating breakfast with H.A.L.F. at a cafe. Or reading by the sea. Perhaps H.A.L.F. is tucked into your backpack to sneak some reading during a break in the school day.

Does H.A.L.F. ride horses?! Or in cars, trucks, golf carts or semi trucks?

Get creative and show us your world. Read the rules then scroll to the bottom of the post to see what you can win and official contest rules.

HOW THE CONTEST WORKS:

H.A.L.F.: The Makers by Natalie Wright

1. Take a photo of one or more copies of the H.A.L.F. series in any location. It doesn’t have to be a paperback or hardcover. The audiobook and e-Book versions of H.A.L.F. travel the world as well. Simply pull up the cover of your copy on your device and snap a pic.

2. Once you’ve got the perfect shot, it’s time to share it with the world. Simply post the photo on one of these three sites and make sure you mention me:

• Instagram     (@NatalieWrightAuthor)
• Facebook     (@NatalieWright, Author)
• Twitter          (@NatalieWright_)

IMPORTANT: Make sure you #hashtag it and mention me. 

OFFICIAL CONTEST HASHTAGS:

#HALFCONTEST

#ORIGINS

#WHEREISHALF

DEADLINE:

Deadline to enter is September 1, 2017. Winners will be announced on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook on September 7, 2017.

That’s all there is to it. The Grand Prize winner will be chosen at random from among all entries. We may award up to three (3) Honorable Mentions for entries that are super creative, out-of-the-box and/or in a particularly cool locale.

 WHAT’S THE PRIZE?

GRAND PRIZE (1): One person will win a $50 Amazon gift card + a Kindle copy of any single book I’ve published.

HONORABLE MENTIONS (up to 3): I’ll award up to three (3) Honorable Mentions. Honorable Mention winners will receive a Kindle gift copy of a book I’ve published (winner’s choice).

H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS by Natalie Wright
Releases August 24, 2017

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. Must be 13 or older to enter.

2. Photos must be posted no later than September 1, 2017.

3. Photos must be posted on either Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (better yet all three!).

4. Photos must contain the cover (either digital book, audiobook, paperback or hardcover) of one (or more) of the books in the H.A.L.F. series by Natalie Wright.

5. The post MUST contain one of the official hashtags (either #HALFCONTEST, #ORIGINS or #WHEREISHALF). The post MUST mention Natalie Wright by her handle (refer to above for handles to use by Social Media Account).

6. Winners will be announced on Social Media (Twitter, Natalie Wright, Author Facebook page, and Instagram) on September 7, 2017. Winner MUST email Natalie Wright at the address provided to claim the prize. Prizes not claimed by September 10 are forfeit.

7. No purchase necessary.

GO TAKE THOSE PHOTOS!!

   

You're Invited to a Facebook Party!

All you have to do is click this LINK to join in the fun.

Don't forget to put on your party hat! ;-) 

Manic Monday: Life Through the Lens of a Smart Phone and Facebook Feed

Day of the Dead Procession
Tucson, Arizona

Every year, people of my hometown of Tucson, Arizona gather for a strange, wonderful, event unique to the area. It's the Day of the Dead Procession. Thousands of people don skull makeup and elaborate costumes and march in a non-motorized procession in honor of dead ancestors. The procession culminates in the lighting of a giant cauldron hanging in the air, filled with prayers and letters to the dead.

Day of the Dead Procession
Prayers Take Flight to Heaven in the Smoke of the Fire

My daughter & her friend
All Soul's Day, 2013

The stage is filled with amazing dancers and mariachi. Drums pound as acrobats climb high and light the cauldron. It's colorful and loud yet thoughtful and somber all at the same time.

At the most recent Day of the Dead Procession, I was struck by the odd way in which our culture has become glued to our devices. As I stood in a sea of thousands, I observed how very few of the people at the event were in fact present and in the moment. Virtually everyone had their smart phone out, held up in the air and set to record. Instead of actually watching the event firsthand, people were instead watching the event through a four inch screen.

A few days after the event, I came across this article about a person quitting Facebook and how it impacted her life. It has me asking this question: By plugging in, are we missing out?

Here's the article:
https://medium.com/better-humans/325436c2976f

And here's a video that I came across that I just love. It seems to capture exactly what I experienced at the Day of the Dead Procession.

What do you think? Are we missing out when we're trying to record all of our life's events with our hand held computers? Or are our experiences made richer by our tiny screens? Does Facebook give us richer, more full relationships? Or has Facebook (and other social media) given us a false sense of connection?

Help Me Clean Up My Potty Mouth - and WIN!

Ralphie, from A Christmas Story. At least it wasn't Lifeboy.

Today we discuss an important topic: Curse words, dirty words, bad words.

I recently received comments from my freelance editor on a manuscript written for young adults (ages 12 and up). I don't use the F-word much in the manuscript, but there were quite a few instances of the word "ass," and more than a few shits, damns and derivations thereof.

In my mind, for some of my characters, their voice comes through speaking that way. For example Fanny, one of the main characters in the Emily Adams series, one of her favorite words is ass (or asshat, asshole - you get the picture). It just rolls off Fanny's tongue. It's hard for me to "hear" Fanny speaking any other way. Not all of my characters speak that way. Jake Stevens for example (also from Emily's House), rarely curses. But for a character like Fanny, it just won't do to have her say something like "darn" or "shucks."

But the editor made a good point to me. She advised me that some parents have problems with the use of foul language in books their kids read (the younger the child, the more problem it will be perceived to be). And parents have been known to pitch a fit at a librarian for shelving books in the middle-grade of teen section that have curse words in them.

I believed the editor, but I decided to put the question to the Facebook community. I got more response to this question than any thing else I've ever posted. It proves there are strong feelings. And not surprisingly, parents (and teachers and some librarians) are pretty vehement that the F-word does NOT belong in books written for kids, EVER. (Of course, most stated the belief that their child(ren) don't use such language - *cough*.) Perhaps we'll address the issue of elitism and parent denial in another post.

The strong response I got on the Facebook page made me realize that if I want my books to have the widest possible audience (and I do), then I need to be aware of how parents will respond to cursing in books.

But what do I do about my potty mouth characters? Fanny can't say "aw shucks," or call someone a poopy pants.

I decided to embrace this challenge. I'm on a quest to build a library of non-swearword urban slang. It's time to get creative.

Here's where you come in. I want to hear your most creative slang words to replace curse words. Here are a few examples to get you going, words that I think can work well to replace asshole:

Clump nugget 

Butt munch 

Cretin

How about tart monkey? Ever heard of that? I thought it sounded naughty, though not sure what it really means?!

Do you have clever stand ins for curse words? I want to hear them!

And if the sheer joy of sharing your most original language creations with me isn't enough of an incentive to post a comment, let's sweeten the deal. 

Time for a contest! 

It's the "Help Me Clean up My Potty Mouth!" contest. 

Have fun, you little tart monkeys. Go get your creative caps on, you dill weeds, and send me some blasted words.

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Welcome to Writer Chat Wednesday

Ahh, it's Wednesday. Hump day. Mid-week slump.

What better way to spice up the mid-week than with Writer Chat Wednesday?

Last week I announced my commitment to bringing you video book reviews on Fridays. I'm also starting a weekly segment called "Writer Chat" each Wednesday.

I've lined up some great writers to chat it up with in the coming weeks, including Jason G. Anderson, Addison Moore and Joanna Penn with many more to come.

Stay tuned for writer-to-writer talks (some via Skype) with some of today's best-selling and up and coming authors.
If you have any questions for the authors I've listed above, put them below in comments. Who knows, I may even ask them ; )

Have a great hump day and happy sailing toward your weekend.

I'll be away this Wednesday so this week I'm reposting a writer chat with Tamara Rose Blodgett that I did last year. I'll have to chat with her soon to catch up on her newer releases!

I recently read Indie author Tamara Rose Blodgett's paranormal YA novel "Death Whispers."  It's unlike anything I've ever read and I was impressed with the realistic dialogue between her main character, a 13 year old boy, and his friends.  I recommend this book to all teens, but especially boys (there is a link below to order from Amazon).

I spoke with Tamara about "Death Whispers," as well as other stuff.

Natalie Wright (NW): In your novel "Death Whispers," a young adult novel in the paranormal genre, your protagonist Caleb Hart is a 14-year-old boy.  What inspired you to write a male main character in the first person?

Tamara Rose Blodgett (TRB):  I was a little intimidated to try third [person] POV with my first novel. (Actually, “Bloodsingers,” is my first, but will publish in autumn.) Using a male protagonist was a slick choice for me as I am a mother of four sons...lol! My youngest is almost fifteen, so I felt pretty confident about delivering something realistic. To say the dialogue portions, “really flowed,” wouldn't cover it!

I got over my intimidation and used third with, “The Pearl Savage.” I was excited to show four different POV's in that work. The narrative is not so intimate as first, but it lends a degree of depth that is difficult to obtain in first without effort. In my opinion, the novel predicates the POV.

NW:  It seems like most YA books in this paranormal genre have female main characters.  What has been the reaction of readers to Caleb and his buddies, the "Js"?

TRB:  Readers are diggin' on the J's! Caleb wants to blend in so bad he can taste it. Readers have liked that Caleb's familial situation is a positive environment (also atypical in YA Lit), and root for him because he tries to do the right thing. Everyone seems really pleased with the dialogue and I'm super-happy about that!

I am not sure that a lot of readers get “fed” the right “take” on teenage males in a lot of YA literature. Of course, for the writing of DW, I could only offer what I “knew.”  My sons were the catalyst of what made me get serious about writing DW. They thought the “soft” males in books with dialogue that didn't “ring” true was tiresome. They couldn't see themselves in the characterization(s) and therefore the work didn't resonate fully. Of course, there were a few fave books that they've enjoyed, but the majority lacked that edge that felt, “real-male.”

NW:  I love your dialogue, especially the banter between Caleb and his friends Jonesy and John.  Do you have any real life inspirations for your dialogue?

TRB:  Thank you Natalie! Ah...see above. Joking! Seriously, that is all REAL dialogue. I've used things that I've heard through the years and mixed it all up into a colorful and (hopefully) comedic mix predicated on each character's personality. I “hear” them in my head (that sounds so alarming, I know), and intrinsically understand which teen would say what. It all makes sense. Although I have to admit a profound, “soft spot” for Jonesy who cannot seem to help himself, regardless of circumstance (he is never edited in my work...oh my).  He is fearlessly driven and without a filter. His honesty to be who he is, is fearsome! The diction in this book is regional and there is a lot of slang used that had to be handled in such a way that would make it understood. So far, I think the readers are enjoying it as “fresh.”

NW:  "Death Whispers" is set in the future and you introduce some interesting concepts.  The gadget that intrigues me the most is the "pulse" phone where the characters don't have to dial a number or even touch the screen to get to the speed dials.  They just think the person they want to speak to, the phone pulses them and then they proceed to carry on a conversation without speaking out loud - only through thought.

What inspired you to create the pulse technology?

TRB:  Oh. This is where I'd like to sound really witty. Huh. Truthfully, the whole concept just came to me out of nowhere. I will say that teens use of cells had to be incorporated in the book because it's so critical in their social structure. I saw pulse tech. as the viral answer to cells in that era of the future.  Once I understood where I was going with it, I did a couple days of research to get a feel for how viable it would read. Basically, in my thought process, it is a possible future...a viral future. It is a matter of time before brain signatures will be tracked, identified, monitored and incorporated into everyday life. That is how I see it.

In book 2, pulse technology grows and becomes subtly more, and with it, the downfalls associated with its “completeness” are showcased as well. Nothing comes without price.

NW:  In "Death Whispers," the plot centers around a pharmaceutical invention that inoculates (not sure that's the right word for it) babies to turn on? or ramp up? their genes so that when they hit puberty (at approximately age 12-13), most kids get special abilities and they get expressed during this time.  So you've got teenagers that are pyromancers and seers and of course necromancers - like your main character - and other abilities.

TRB:  I totally love genetics and know just enough to be dangerous! The premise revolves around the basis of humans having genetic markers and some having paranormal ones (all of those as different [potentially] as say...green eyes). The inoculation allows the markers potential to manifest. The pharmaceutical moguls were very focused on their profit margin; not on the consequence of what these powers would mean to the power structure between adults and teens.

*Feeling very un-witty* again. The best way for me to describe this is: I get an idea. Then, I mull it over. At some point after the initial idea, I will get a second idea. They collide and mix together to make a story. The whole story forms in my head. Then! I must write as quickly as possible to get it all down. There is no “writer's block,” (thank you God). I sit down every day, (read the prior days 3K words) and the next scene is there for me to write. It's like the characters are alive and I just write down what they're doing/saying. It feels a little like cheating. I don't know how the process is for other authors at all. My “outline” is a 3x5 card with a few plot lines I need to remember to write about. One thing that I do keep is my character list and a few words after each one that identify them to me. That has been critically important.

NW:  In "Death Whispers," the main character talks about food a lot.  Were you hungry when you wrote it? *chuckle*  Seriously, some books are filled with descriptions of food, others don't mention it at all.  Why was it important to you to describe and discuss food?

TRB:  That's funny that you mention this! Food is totally important to teen boys (not showing their obsession with it in this series would be remiss). I can't overstate this enough! Those are the meals that my family and their friends have enjoyed. Those are meals I made (written in the book, I thieved liberally from that). Before Caleb has a pet, gets the girl and the complications start, the rhythm of his home life is an abiding comfort for him; the meals, the routine. I hoped to establish that for the reader. I felt Caleb needed a “touchstone” with all the chaos that ensues. Although important still (food remains important until those boys get out of their growth spurt!), in book 2, Caleb has other distractions and food runs a distant third. Of course, he's a bigger kid in DS! Food is still mentioned, of course. * smiles *

NW:  You self-published "Death Whispers" as well as "The Pearl Savage" (Book 1 of the Savage Series).   What led you to self-publish?

TRB:  I did submit DW to a small list of agents and received mainly rejections but a couple of agents gave me suggestions and one agent said he'd look at the [full] manuscript after I revised it. That one comment gave me the confidence that (maybe) my story was good enough to go forward with on my own. The agents really liked the premise, they thought it was unique. But, in the end, I was like a lot of Indies. I saw the success of Hocking, McQuestion and Locke and thought, why not? I am so glad I did! The potential for people to enjoy your work, artistic control and most importantly, getting your book in the hands of your readers at your own pace is an absolute benefit as an Indie. Not so much with traditional publishing. Especially exciting for someone like myself, who can write a book every three months. Traditional publishing usually constrains that to a book per year! That used to drive me bananas waiting for the next release from my fave authors *rolls eyes*!

NW:  Have you seen any downsides or disadvantages to self-publishing?

TRB:  Editing. It is an absolute bear. It is very difficult to see your own mistakes and they're usually little things, which make it even harder. I am thankful when a reader mentions an issue, I can go right to my work and address it immediately. With “Death Speaks,” I was very fortunate to finally have three Betas to help with that common issue. It's critical that my reader receives the cleanest copy I am capable of.

NW:  What are the upsides of self-publishing for you?

TRB:  Like I touched on above: faster publication of novels, artistic latitude (I don't think I would have gotten away with my dialogue in the laundry wash of editors from the Big Six), and interacting with my readers. I love the relationships I've developed with other Indies too. They're a great lot! Oh! Better royalties!

NW:  Will you continue to self-publish, or are you still looking for a contract with a traditional publishing house?

TRB:  I am open to traditional publishing but very happy being Indie right now. I don't have an ax to grind, I think a lot of these hybrids are doing well. (An author that sells their own e-books and a publishing house sells their paperbacks, for example.)

NW:  Do you have a "day job" in addition to being a writer?

TRB:  No. I was a journalist for about four years, but gave that up almost three years ago. I have been writing fiction since 2007. I am very fortunate to have a husband who supports me 100%.

NW:  What do you like to do in your spare time when not writing books, blogging, tweeting, facebooking or otherwise managing your writer empire?

TRB:  I am an avid reader and find myself only finishing about two books per week now that I am writing so much. I love to garden too and can be found doing that on every sunny day we have here in Alaska. (Yes, we have daylight for twenty hours right now; insane!). We (the fam) also watch episodes of whatever caustic show catches our fancy each Sunday night while porking through an embarrassing amount of treats. I usually do a fair amount of remodeling at different points of the year. I am an okay finish carpenter.

NW:  What are you working on now?

TRB: I am on final edits with “Death Speaks,” and it's in the hands of my wonderful Betas right now. As soon as DS publishes mid-month, I will begin a brutal revision on my first novel, “Bloodsingers.” I wrote that in 2007, then put the manuscript away. When I got the idea for the Death Series and finished both DW and TPS, I began plans to revise/edit “Bloodsingers.” I have a projected release of October but it may be earlier if I can get it put together sooner.  “The Savage Blood,” (book 2) should be something I take up after “Bloodsingers.” However, if the characters press too firmly inside my head I will be compelled to begin writing that work at the same time I edit “Bloodsingers.” I am led about by a ring in my nose because of my own creative processes! Ugh!

NW:  When can we expect the next in the Death series?

TRB:  “Death Speaks,” is expected to publish on or about August 15, 2011. “Death Screams,” (Death Series, Book 3) is expected to publish late Dec/early January of this year. I foresee five titles total: “Death Weeps,” Book 4 and “Death Unrequited,” Book 5. Maybe “Death” will go beyond, but at this time, those are the books that I have plots for in my head.

NW:  Can you give us any hints about what's to come for Caleb?

TRB:  In book 2, “Death Speaks,” Caleb and his fellow AFTD, Tiff Weller, are named “consultants” for the local police in the hope of finding the killer of the innocents from book one. Everyone is in high school now and with that comes a greater sense of adulthood looming with regard to all aspects of maturation. The kids' relationships evolve and become more, new characters are introduced and loose ends to the minutest detail are wrapped up. There's [even] more of the following in book 2: romance, zombies, Onyx, Clyde, action, suspense and several new supporting characters are introduced. I notched up the comedy too.

Book 3, “Death Screams,” will feature Jeffrey Parker and Sophie Morris more intimately. And, of course...Jonesy! Jonesy will always have a starring role...

Tamara Rose Blodgett is a “thinking-out-of-the box” paranormal enthusiast who believes there's a 95% chance zombies do not exist; but loves to write as if they do. I'm from Alaska and have worked as an online journalist in the past. I enjoyed writing, Death Whispers, and am hard at work on book two, Death Speaks, (pub. Aug. 2011). My paranormal romance, The Pearl Savage, published on June 15. In my spare time I'm a [reluctant] serial-re-modeler, project-slave and big time, in-my-pants reader (surprise!). I do a great deal of day-dreaming about impossible scenarios and events, writing books to capture them in stories for you~ Side note: Gnomes should be exterminated.

Here's how to reach Tamara:

Blog: http://tamararoseblodgett.blogspot.com/

Twitter 

Facebook

Goodreads

Shelfari 

Amazon.com

Amazon.com.uk

Barnes & Noble 

Smashwords

*I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Natalie for graciously allowing me this forum to talk about my books. I would also thank my readers for taking their time to read my stories. :)

Social Networking: Powerful New Procrastination Drug of Choice for the Writer

The new conventional wisdom for the writer:  Social Networking is a Must.
You have to "build a platform."  Create the audience for your work.  If you're an unknown writer, you must tweet and Facebook and blog and link in.
In the past, my procrastination drug of choice:  Gaming *head dips in shame*.  It started innocently enough.  I had to check out Pirates Online before I let my kid play it.  But like so many things, a little was good, a lot was better.  My child quickly lost interest.  Me?  I played until my wrists hurt from clicking the mouse; played until my character was maxed out.  Then the power of the drug had worn off.  I needed something harder.
World of Warcraft ("WOW") was just what I needed.  Characters could go to level 85 (not the wimpy 50 of Pirates Online).  There were whole continents to explore, powers to learn, weapons to earn.  Ahh, that's the stuff.  Gaming heaven.
My family tried to reach me but I said "just one more battle."  Once in a dungeon I may not surface for over an hour.  My refrain was "it boosts my creativity" and it "helps me relax."
What I was really doing was procrastinating.  The longer I played, the longer I avoided looking at the dreaded white screen.  When playing, I didn't have to think about how I was going to get my characters of the precarious situations I'd put them in or worry about plot problems.  When gaming, I was on auto-pilot, closing out the world around me.  
But I was also silencing the world within.
With the help of my husband (my ever-present external wise man and knower of all that is Nat before Nat knows it) I realized that gaming didn't "relax" me.  If anything, it made me more tense.
And there was no enhancement of my own creativity.  Gaming impedes my creativity.  When you game, you enter a world someone else created.  It can be fun, but if you spend too long there, you're just closing off your own creative powers.
The pact was made within - no more gaming.  And it helped when I got my new MacBook because I just didn't load the games.  Out of sight, out of mind.
And creativity thrived.  Writing happened.  White screens were filled with words.  Not always great, wonderful, beautiful strings of words, but words.  I was writing again and living the life of a writer.  Every day, writing happened.  That's what being a writer is all about.
And then . . . Social Networking happened.
It is necessary.  Whether your book is acquired by a legacy publisher or you self-publish, you must self-promote and these days, to self-promote you must be engaged in the online conversation.  No question.
And it is valuable.  You learn a lot from the conversation.  
But oh, the seduction it holds for the OCD-type.  Tweeting, blogging, Facebooking, checking, reading, following threads, re-Tweeting.  Round and round it goes.  Loops and follow-backs and some Goodreads thrown in for fun.
You look up at the clock and it's noon and you haven't written a word on that novel or short story or poem.  After lunch you open the document and look at the empty white screen before you.  You look down and you've got 7800 words. That's the same number you had last week!  Where did the time go?
Hey, procrastination on the Social Network, now that would make a good blog post. . .