Dragonfest is coming!!

I am excited to help announce that after months of planning, the first ever Dragonfest will be held in just a couple of weeks! AHH! So excited! I've been planning like a mad....uh....woman over here and I think I have my short all planned out now. I can't wait to share it with everyone! I've started writing it out some, and it's a bit of a slow process right now, but I want to get everything just right. Between myself, my mom, and a couple of close friends who are also dragon fanatics (hehe), we've developed some very interesting things to come. I can't wait to start on my actual dragon novel, however, I realize that I need to be patient for just a little while longer so I can really develop the lands, languages, and anything else I might need. I need to create a vivid picture of my fantasy world in my mind before I can describe it to anyone else.
Anywho, my Dragonfest short will be posted here as soon as the festivities are underway, which will be September 27th, and 28th. If you'd like to join in, or read all of the entries, you can find it here. But please, feel free to join in on all the fun! Personally, I would love to read more dragon shorts! Or, if you ever want to just nerd out about dragons, that's cool too, hehe.

     Just another dragon nerd here...
          -Liz

PS: I'm sorry for being so MIA, but hopefully I can get back on a more regular blogging schedule again. I have been hard at work on all things dragons as of late, so hopefully that will make up for some of the MIA-ness.

July Camp NaNoWriMo 2013: Week One

So week one didn't exactly go as planned, at all. It started off ok as far as blog and website revisions. Although, the end of the week could have gone better. But I'll get to that later.
Here are my week stats so far.

My week one stats are as follows:
Day One: 0 total word count
Day Two: 0 total word count
Day Three: 29 total word count
Day Four: 301 total word count
Day Five: 0 total word count
Day Six: 0 total word count
Say Seven: 0 total word count

Week One: 12,374 total word count (left over from April Camp NaNo)

I know, I know...week one didn't exactly go as planned, but bear with me, it's getting better and a little easier. I just seemed to stay stuck in writer's block for this one scene for the longest. I finally had to sit myself down and visualize how I wanted the scene to play out, and then things slowly got a little easier.
Day one could have gone better in terms of actual novel writing. However, I am working on a couple of new treats for everyone! I have two new short stories in the works to be posted vera, vera soon (I hope). If all goes well, I may be able to post them before the month is up. If not, I will definitely do my best to post them asap post Camp NaNoWriMo.
Really, the first two days were spend updating my blog and website for all of you, since I knew Andrew was posting a brand new author spotlight series, highlighting yours truly first, along with a few other select authors for the rest of the month. I was truly touched when I read the kind words he had to say about me and my writing. If you want to check it out, please do! There's also a hashtag going around as #askglasgow if you have any questions on either Twitter or Facebook. :)
Really, the rest of the week was a bit of a struggle to get back into the writing swing of things. I took a day off last Friday (5th) to go see Despicable Me 2 with my boyfriend, and his younger brother. Later, he (boyfriend) fixed some homemade rice vermicelli, which was great! I love it when he cooks, he's pretty good at it. :)
Unfortunately, my weekend took an unexpected turn after that and it's been hard to get back into the writing mood. Although things have gotten a good bit better, and I feel like noveling again now. I'm just trying to let the words flow out of me instead of trying to force them out. I've found that letting the words flow onto the page almost always works out better than forcing something onto the page.
Anywho, so I'm trying hard to finish my novel within the next month in hopes of having it published by this fall. I'll be sure to keep y'all posted on the progress, and of course, I will be keeping my progress bar off to the side updated regularly so y'all can keep an eye on that too, if you so wish. :)

     Excited to see everything coming together!
          -Liz

PS: I'm so sorry this is so delayed. But hey...at least it isn't a month late. :P

Coming Soon: Book Reviews

So I've said it before when I first started this blog that I would eventually be doing some book reviews. Well, dear readers, that time has finally come. I find it sad that I don't seem to have as much time to read as I did when I was growing up. Back then, there was rarely a time when you would not see this one with a book in her hand. To this day, I love reading! I think that's something that will never change. But as I just said, I just don't seem to have as much time to read as I used to. Although lately I seem to have a little more time to read, which makes me very happy!
Soo...very soon, I will begin posting the occasional book review. I hope to post one either once a month, or once every other month. It depends on how much time I have for reading. I do have a short list started of novels I will be reviewing by the end of the year.

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter

Seizing Darkness (coming August 2013) by Mariana Thorn

pRevealing Hamilton by Sarah Jayne Carr

Eighth Empire (coming December 2013) by Andrew Gaeta

Hopefully, as the year goes on, I'll get a break now and then to sit down and read. And I'll have more to review! Eventually, I hope to own a set of the How to Train Your Dragon series by Cressida Cowell. I love pretty much anything dragon, and I watch every week with my family as a new episode of the tv series spin-off comes on. But I'm getting a little off topic.
Anywho, so there you have my short list of novels I know of so far that I plan to read and review by the end of the year. My plan is to review the content (cover to cover, whilst trying to avoid any spoilers), including a brief synopsis of the novel, as well as possible comments on cover art and character personalities. I'll be making notes on the author's writing style and what audience may be best suited for the various adventures.
I promise it won't be the drag that it may sound like. I shall do my best to keep it light and fun. However, I make no promise if I'm reviewing an intense thriller or anything intense, really. It's kind of hard to keep it light and fun if the characters are constantly on the run from some crazy thing or another. Unless you have a cruel sense of humor and enjoy poking fun at said characters only because it's not you in that situation, ha ha.
Anyway though, tonight, I sign off with a very fitting quote for right now. I hope you enjoy the weeks to come as I share little pieces of one writer's life.

     "So many books, so little time." -Frank Zappa
          -Liz

Decisions, decisions...

Ever since I started daydreaming about becoming a published writer, I always envisioned being signed with a publishing house, and (hopefully) being mentioned in the New York Times Bestsellers list at least once. But now that seems to be changing slightly. I'm starting to really consider self publishing at least my first novel. And who knows? Maybe I'll get picked up by someone after then. The idea of self publishing is still very new, and only slightly intimidating to me. But I do have a couple of pretty great people I know who have helped me out.
One being Sir Andrew Gaeta, my newest writer friend I met through NaNoWriMo 2012. See, he's already been self published twice (see his novels here), and is currently working on getting a third published, if I'm not mistaken. Haha, seems like he's always writing, which is good. He's sort of given me the kick in the pants I needed to quit ho-humming around and finish my projects already.
Of course, my amazing and ever so supportive boyfriend is a huge help too. He's easily my biggest fan, and I love that he's always so enthusiastic about my writing. It's a little bit funny though when I hint about something I'm planning for later in my novel, but won't share it with him. Unfortunately, he doesn't always get special treatment. ;) He does get to read my works eventually, but I also want him to get the full effect with twists and turns and whatnot. Haha, he's rather impatient right now to read The Unknown as I write it next month. I assured him that he will get to read it as soon as I'm done editing it-I don't let anyone, not even my mom or best friend to see my rough drafts. He's also a writer, and a fantastic one at that! I look forward to the day when I get to share his debut novel with all of you. :) I'm definitely the proud girlfriend there.
In my debates with myself on self-publishing, I created a couple of accounts to play with and I am having so much fun with it! I'm getting even more excited about finishing my first novel next month and getting that much closer to publishing it. I can't wait to share my stories with you. :)

          -Liz

Blog Hop 2013

So I've heard about this thing going around called a Blog Hop. I look at it as sort of an interview about a work in progress that you're working on. It's just ten questions all about what your novel is about, where you got your inspiration, who might play your characters in a film version, etc.
Anywho, it sounded like fun, so I figured I'd give it a shot. :)
I hope you enjoy the Blog Hop as much as I enjoyed it, and that you discover some new writers along the way! Enjoy!

Blog Hop Tour Answers – about my book in the works

1. What is the title of your working book?
The Unknown

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
I was just playing with an idea when I was 15, having fun with my overactive imagination and finally decided that I was having so much fun just planning out what events might take place that I decided to just run with it. And not long after, I had a book in the works with ideas coming to me all of the time. And they're still coming.

3. What genre does your book fall under?
Fantasy. :)

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Well as for right now, I have a few people picked. Unfortunately, by the time this would ever be made into a movie, the actors would be too old for the roles, I think.
However, for the purpose of the game, I'll share anyway.
I picture Sophia Melon for Kelsey, I'm thinking Lorraine Nicholson for Shea, Lucas Till for Chris, I still haven't found anyone for Derek, I'm still looking for Ang as well, I think Shailene Woodley (curly/wavy hair) would make a nice Rebecca. And that's all that I can really think of right now...

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
After having been broken up with her ex-boyfriend for several months, Kelsey realizes that she isn't quite as over him as she thought. And she soon realizes that he isn't quite who he said he was either. There were a few details he forgot to mention. Like how there's a whole other world of people living amongst everyone she ever knew. And he's just one of them.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I hope to be represented by an agency, but I am still researching for just the right one.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Well it's not quite done yet, that's why it's called a work in progress. I plan to finish the first draft of the manuscript in April during Camp NaNoWriMo. I will probably be keeping a word counter widget in the sidebar during the month.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Well that's a toughy, because I can think of a few, however, all of the ones I would mention involve spoilers. And I am trying to not include any spoilers too early. Or I suppose really at all.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I guess maybe my love of fantasy would have to be a big part of it. A few key people who are constantly encouraging me are also a huge help. They help to keep me well grounded and also encouraged that my dream is actually possible! :) Especially this one friend of mine who just recently told me that I underestimate my writing ability. Or something really close to that. Little things like that mean more than they could ever know.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
I feel like there’s bound to be something there, but for the life of me, I can’t think of anything right now. Plus, if I mentioned what I have thought of, again, it would involve spoilers.
Although, I can say that I am seriously considering re-writing this at a later date from the opposite main character's point of view. There is a lot of new material from his life that I can use that the reader would not see otherwise.

I know I wasn't able to answer every question, but I hope that I answered enough to get any interest going. And again, I will be working on finishing this manuscript in April. 50,000 words, here I come, lol. Since I have been working on this since 15, I have a little bit of a head start and am currently in the eighth or ninth chapter. However, I will continue writing in April until the full story has been told and my character's tell me it's done! Until April, I will be working on my various side projects, Clue included. And I will be trying to hold off on writing any more on The Unknown until Camp NaNoWriMo. I plan on doing as much brainstorming as possible between now and then as well.
Next week, please visit my blogging and writer friend (below) for the next stop on this blog hop book tour! This guy has been a huge encouragement to me ever since I met him during NaNoWriMo 2012. And he’s quite the writer himself.

Andrew Gaeta: The Excursions of the Split-Personality Author

          -Liz