Update

Hey, guys.

I just wanted to write a bit of an update for my readers who are waiting for new material.  I have been more relaxed in terms of my contact on social media.  While still posting on Google and Facebook, I haven't really been blogging or writing my monthly newsletter.  I have been focused solely on my writing projects which have been more time consuming and draining that previous ventures.  I have been working on two novels and a short story, so my free time has been split between all three which is not uncommon for authors.  Still, I haven't been writing as much as I should as I should push myself more and that is why I needed the break from social media and the other side stuff that I do.  The break, in general, was a good time for me to relax and take a step back, even from my projects.

Wicked Voices is about 1/3 of the way done, and I am projecting a summer 2016 release.  There are always delays with these things, so don't quote me.  As fast as the ideas flow, that is as fast as I write.  When ideas are not flowing as much, it is hard to find inspiration.

My other manuscript will not be released and neither will the short until a future time, because these are works I want to submit to writing contest and other institutions.  I will be releasing Scattered on Smashwords and, eventually, on other online bookstores.  I may rework the cover, because I wasn't happy with it in the first place.

Thank you all for continuing to read my older posts and visiting my blog, despite the fact that I haven't posted in over three months.  I will be posting on here again, so you shouldn't have to wait that long to hear from me again.  Thanks!

Taking a Long Breath

I have found my attention being pulled in several directions and it was time for me to pull back from social media.  While I never stopped working on my manuscripts or completely stopped communication online, I decided that it was time for a much needed break.  For me, that meant not posting as much.  When I did that, I found that I had more time to just relax and recharge and write.  I am slowly drifting back to social media and posting, but I loved the quiet time I experienced when I shut off the internet that I may just spend more days in solitude, trying to get as much work as possible done.

I've been working hard on my manuscripts, one being Wicked Voices.  My editor already finished editing the first third and had no complaints about the plot, so I am moving forward on that.  The other manuscript that I am working on needed a few changes and I am almost done with those changes.  Overall, this time has been spent productively, despite the rest periods in between.

I have joined Blab Reads and will be posting on there.  I really want to see what the YA audience likes and would be interested in reading, testing out new material perhaps.  Join me on there if you can.

I am going to post Scattered onto Smashwords to make it available to a wider audience.  Amazon didn't thrill me with advertising/promotion it as it is meant to when one is exclusively selling on there.  I am also thinking of writing a story exclusively for Channillo.com in the future, but that may be a few months away since I am working on two manuscripts right now.

Thank you for hanging in there with me.  More quality work is on its way.

Over Half of YA Readers are Adults!

According to surveys conducted in 2012, 55% of readers of YA fiction are adults!  It is no real surprise.  Who hasn't written a bus or a train lately and seen an adult immersed in reading Divergent or Hunger Games or Harry Potter? Adults are increasingly reading Young Adult fiction as the rise of book-to-movie adaptions increasing, giving these titles a wider reach.  The article claims that adults read YA fiction for a bit of nostalgia.  Every adult can identify with awkward teen experiences, but in my opinion, there are more reasons which adults see YA as a better option.

For one, more and more adult novels are leaning towards graphic violence and intimate situations.  Erotica has taken over the indie and traditional markets.  Adults who want cleaner reads are shifting towards books for young readers which are seen as safer.

Another reason is story.  While in the adult realm, crime and suspense fiction seem to be king.  YA fiction seems to be more expansive in genres and much more imaginative, especially with the influx of self-published and indie authors who generally have unique plots.

Either way, YA fiction is just fun.  To read the whole article click on the link below!


Source: http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2015/feb/24/why-are-so-many-adults-reading-ya-teen-fiction

Literary Trends and Genres for 2015

Now that Wicked Love has been released, I have a bit of time between writing and emailing bloggers to talk about the literary trends in genres.  In 2015, the trend of new releases in the traditional realm of publishing will be paranormal and dystopian novels.  Namely, themes of vampires and zombie apocalyptic novels, but there will be more dramatic books regarding the death of loved ones.  So, what should the indie writer go along with?  What should they plan to write this year?

Well, my view has always been to write what you feel like writing.  Some writers tend to spot the trend and to write accordingly, but I prefer to be different and just write a great book that could stand out.  If the supermarket is only selling Vanilla and Chocolate ice cream, be Rocky Road.  I guarantee that when taste buds get tired of bland flavors, buyers will be in the mood for some Rocky Road.

Trends are great predictions of cultural trends in movies and television programming which books tend to mirror, but they can be limiting as far as the creative process.  Have you ever tried to write a book your heart wasn't into because it is a popular genre?  It is torture!

I know that, as a writer, especially in the indie world, it is important to establish a voice and a brand.  People want to trust that if you wrote their favorite horror novel, your next book will be their next favorite horror novel.  My problem with that is that it pigeon-holes a writer into only writing one genre.  Most authors work around that by having several pen names, one for each genre.  I choose just to write.  My preferred genres has always been paranormal and suspense, but if I just stuck to those, I would have never written Weeping Willow which is a Fantasy series.

So, what is my point?  My point is write what you feel.  Write a story that you would want to read, regardless of the limitations of genre.  Fantasy is out of my comfort zone.  I never thought I was creative enough to dream up other worlds or the creatures which dwelt in them, but the books of the Weeping Willow Series has been some of my best received works.  So, keep writing, writers!  But, first and foremost, be original and write what you love, not what the trend dictates.

Amazon Preorder

Hi, everyone.

I just put through the Amazon Preorder information for Wicked Love. It should load in the next few hours and be available for purchase by tonight or tomorrow.  For those that have mindless, this is great news.

Now for those who read on Nooks, Barnes and Noble does not have a preorder function on nookpress. But I will submit everything at midnight on the first, so it will be ready by the morning of February 1st. Smashwords readers should know that Smashwords does have a preorder option but it must be done two weeks before release, and I am a day short. I will load Wicked Love around midnight so that the early birds will have the ability to buy it.

Thank all of you for being so patient during this process. This journey into writing Wicked Love has taken about 6 months but it was really a two and a half year wait. Wow! Your reviews of Wicked Magic really inspired me to write the best book possible because it pushed me to be also a better writer and storyteller.

Wicked Love is being read by Josie's Haven and will be reviewed on her site soon. Look out for that. I will be posting a link for that as soon as I get that.

Thanks!

Wicked Love Release Date

Hello, everyone!

Today I will be finishing up the last chapter of Wicked Love.  Writing this extension of the Weeping Willow Series was truly an adventure.  From being sick with the flu and a subsequent cold to family occasions and distractions, there were many obstacles in the six months since I started writing Wicked Love.

Although I plan with a loose outline the plot of the novel, much of the writing is organic and free flowing.  This way of writing is less rigid and more enjoyable.  Even with the small amount of plotting that was done, I have to say that the outcome was beyond my expectations.  I really love the way this book evolved and the worlds I get to dream up as an author.  I hope that no one will be disappointed with this installment and that everyone will see it as an awesome continuation of Wicked Magic.

Although I am basically done with the novel, I still have to edit.  So, the official release date is Sunday, February 1st, 2015.  This will give me time so that I am not rushing the editing process.  The final book ended up being over 88,000 words, so it is my longest book to date.  It is sure to be filled with many errors that need attention.

All of those who have joined my newsletter will receive a free copy.  For all of those signed up, you will receive a code to download your copy from Smashwords.  Please be sure to leave a review upon reading it.

Thank you, everyone, for being patient and awaiting this book with anticipation.  God bless!

The Flu

Hey, everyone!

Well, I got... the flu.  Being sick totally delayed my plans, and I had to stop writing for a while.  Now that I am on the mend, I hope to get back into writing at the same pace as before.  With four chapters left to write and editing to do, I would like to release Wicked Love sometime in January 2015.  There were a lot of unforeseen delays in writing this manuscript, but hopefully, it will all be worth it once you read the journey.  Those subscribed to my newsletter will be sent codes to download a free copy.  If you want a free copy of Wicked Love, consider signing up for my newsletter.

God Bless you this Christmas and New Year!

Wicked Love Book Update

Hey, Everyone.

Wicked Love is now over two thirds of the way completed.  I am currently writing the final twelve chapters.

My editor is in the midst of editing the portion of the book which has been completed.  When I hear back from her, I can get a sense of what needs to be corrected or changed.  I would love to finish the last few chapters within the next month so that I can have it edited and released by  November.  However, I would rather produce an amazing book than rush an underdeveloped story.

I have decided that the end of this book will have a wedding ceremony for Willow and Nalin.  This ceremony will give way to the cliffhanger that will lead people towards the next book.  Traveling to other realms will also be key, both within this book and the next one.  I want for readers to experience other creatures that are alluded to in prior writings.  Stay tuned.

Ginger Program

Hi, everyone.

I wanted to share with you a new find on the internet.  I have an amazing friend who helps me edit my work, but there are always things which escape the human eyes.  I noticed some small errors in the Wicked Magic manuscript so I was looking for a grammar program online.  I found Ginger.  Ginger is free if you download the basic edition.  So, what is Ginger?

Ginger is a typing program which focuses on grammar errors and highlights them, offering a suggested change.  The program is super simple.  You just open it and start typing.  Or copy and paste.  You can write a little or a lot.  It can also be downloaded as a phone app, making it easier to make grammatically correct online posts.  I would recommend it for those writing blog posts down to writing essays for school.  Of course, nothing is fool proof, and some of the suggestions given to me were things I did not agree with, but it was worth it for what it did catch.  I love that it highlights things which I can look up grammar rules for late.

I used Ginger to look over the Wicked Magic manuscript and found a few minor flaws.  What I love is that it gave me options for phases which sounded correct but could be better said.  The updated manuscript has been uploaded to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.  Other bookstores will get the uploaded manuscript in the next few weeks.  Barnes and Noble told me that if you archive the book, and then when you un-archive it, wait for it to download.  It should download the new version.  If it doesn't redownload with the green bar, do it again.  For Amazon, the same thing should do the trick.  For Smashwords, it is a simple download of the newest book version.

Download Ginger

Editor's Comments

Hey, everyone!

I just got some comments from my editor.

She is of course surprised by Willow's darker turn. I think most of the audience will be. She has become a different character somewhat. At the end of the last book, she was in Hades and in the clutches of the Dark King. This book takes place right where that one leaves off. So Willow's circumstances only get worse from there.

Nalin will take more of a starring role in this novel. I know that there were only a few chapters dedicated to him in the last book, but in this book we will see Nalin at the forefront.  Other realms will also be brought up which will add to possible avenues in the future.

It is dark and many will be surprised by Willow's decent. My editor is quite attached to Willow's characters, but in the Realm of Disorder anything can happen. Anyone can be killed off and anarchy can rule for a time before peace returns. I am not killing off Willow or Nalin, but the danger of losing other characters is possible. I hope this book will be more exciting that the first.

Thank you for following. Keep you posted!

Making Believable Characters: Heroes and Villains

Hello, everyone!

I was looking for inspirational quotes, and I came across this quote from Stephen King. The quote was a snippet about the writing process, concerning the building of characters, which is something that challenges authors today. The challenge lies in how to build a character to the point that the lines between reality and fiction blur, making them so real that they are almost palpable.

“I try to create sympathy for my characters, then turn the monsters loose” – Stephen King.

So it made me think about heroes and villains in general. When I used to watch Disney movies, villains didn't have much of a back story. They were bad.  The main characters were the heroes who were inherently and annoyingly good. It didn't matter why. Good always battled evil and came out winning. There is something in our nature that harps back to this ancient battle of good versus evil.

Progress Report for Wicked Love

Hey, everyone!

My computer has been causing me some major issues.  I have had to resort to wiping out everything and installing factory settings.  However, that has not solved the issues that I am having.  I wouldn't be surprised if my computer is on its last legs or if it has a virus that is effecting the keyboard.  This old thing has served me for five good years which is about the longest lifespan of any laptop I ever had. So it is fine.

It has delayed me from continuing to write Wicked Love, but I am forging onward.  I am almost ready to send the first few chapters to my editor, and start the second third of the book.

I have also been preparing July's newsletter.  It contains a teaser about a special treat I have in store for those special readers who have reviewed my work.  More details in the newletter which will be mailed out on the first of the month..

Thanks to everyone for all of your inquiries and support. Please be sure to leave a review for any of books and sign up for the newsletter.

Mailing List

Hello, everyone.

I added the mailing list feature on my website and my blog.  It can be seen on the right-hand panel.  All it takes is to enter your email and you are all set.  Emails will be sent out no more than once a month with updates, promotions, freebies, etc.  This will be a good way to keep track of new releases.

Those who sign up will get a FREE PDF version of Scattered.  More freebies are planned for the future but these will only be offered to subscribers.

Please be sure to sign up!

What's Up Now

Hello, everyone in cyberspace! I hope all is well. Things have been getting better as far as internet connection and such...so I am able to post again.

So, one thing I have been working on is a post about character building based on a quote I read by Stephen King. So that might be published on Blog Critics before my actual blog. Eventually, I will post it on here so look out for that.

Everyone knows I am writing Wicked Love right now, but I was thinking of starting an email list so that I can communicate with readers about what is new, freebies, release dates, cover reveals, etc. I am going to be working on adding that to my blog. If you would like yo be added to my emailing list, you can waiting until I install the tool or email me personally at smadera23@yahoo.com. Each person who signs up will save themselves $0.99 by receiving a FREE copy of Scattered.

I updated my wallpapers on my website, www.sandramadera.com, so that is a fun thing to check out. I have one of my wallpapers on my computer as a desktop and it looks lovely...I must say. :)

Another thing is that since I posted the initial preview of Wicked Love, I finished the prologue so it is longer and more detailed than the version put up on the last posting. I will add the whole prologue as apart of a future post.

Remember to keep posting reviews and spreading the good reading on to friends. Your review or referral could be the difference between someone reading my work or missing out entirely!

Uhhh.... Time Warner Cable kills me!

Hi, everyone.

If you haven't guessed, air have Time Warner Cable which has been experiencing some technical difficulties with their WiFi in my area. So I haven't had internet since yesterday morning.  I am stuck using my phone data as I write this.

This outage came in the middle of updating my website and zazzle account. It drives me crazy! This comes as results of the ranking of cable providers were announced. Time Warner was ranked dead last.

Once the internet is up, I will update some images (wallpapers and bookmarks) and some things on my blog. Malcontent has been published as a softcover and I will update the links on my website. Right now, it is available on Amazon.

Wicked Love Preview

Hello, everyone.

Now that Malcontent is out of the way, I decided to start working on Wicked Love last night, and I have already written the prologue.  I decided that I wanted to offer the readers that have been waiting for the next installment a tease of what is to come.  I know you guys have been foaming at the mouth after waiting so long for this next book, but I promise that it will be worth the wait.

I decided to post the prologue on my blog rather than put it up on Feedbooks as I have in previous years, because others take that work and put it on other sites, conning people into believing it is the full book.  These secondary sites cannot be trusted as some actually promote books for download but actually cause you to download a virus.  So, hopefully, posting it here is a better option.  Let me know what you think about the prologue or the post.

Thanks!

Update on Malcontent

Hello, everyone.

I am happy to report that, after months of writing, I am finally on the final chapter of Malcontent.  This project took longer than expected because it was actually 50% longer than I projected.  However, I could not be more pleased with the outcome.

I will be finished making the final adjustments by tomorrow and then it is time for editing.  I hope to release it by March 3rd on BarnesandNoble.com, Amazon.com, and Smashwords.com.  Within a month's time, it will be found on all other online retailers.

Thank you!


***UPDATE***
3/4/14 - As of today, I have edited two thirds of Malcontent. I am waiting on my editor to read over the last third. After that, it will take me a day to make those last corrections. I hope to have it out at the end of the week.

Q/A: How Do I Write A Great Book Review?

Q: How do I write a great book review?

A: Excellent question!  There are some people that write something like "great book" and call it a day, but a good review has different elements.  A great review contains these elements.  I may miss some things that people like to post in their reviews, but here are a few tips I live by when writing reviews on Barnes and Nobles or Amazon.

I would like to mention that some people post summaries of the literary work before writing their opinion.  That can be a mistake.  In writing your summary, it can give away critical plot points.  So, in doing this, take caution.

There can always be more to add to this process of reviewing.  For short reviews, I prefer STOOW: Star Rating, Titling Your Review, Opinion of Key Characters, Opinion of Plot, and Worth Reading Value.

Inspiration Behind The Collector

Hello, everyone!

I am going to caution anyone who hasn't read The Collector here. What I am about to write may contain spoilers or be close to the plot... So if you haven't read it, read it and then return to read this post.

I wanted to talk about how I was inspired to write The Collector. I think that by talking about this part of the process it will, hopefully, encourage others to find inspiration in their lives or help the reader to relate to the themes within the book.

First of all, the idea for The Collector came way before I started writing it in 2013. It actually started back in 1996 when I had a dream that jarred me. It was so real that when I jolted awake... I didn't know where I was for a long minute. I spent months thinking about the dream and what it could have meant. I researched castles in Scotland and stories of the Green Lady in that part of the world which happen to be very popular. I always thought the dream would make a great story so I decided to write it.

Progress Report

Hello!

I am happy to report that I have roughly eight chapters to write for Malcontent.  The projected word count exceeded my expectations.  The final book might end up 5,000-10,000 more words than I originally thought.  This book will mark the end of the Restraint Trilogy and conclude a journey that began for me when I dreamed with these characters a little more than 16 years ago.  It is both a sad and happy event.

I know that many people are interested in knowing details of Wicked Love.  Wicked Love will pick up exactly where Wicked Magic left off.  In Wicked Magic, Willow was the main protagonist, but Nalin will take the lead in Wicked Love since he must first remember his lost love and then rescue her like all good heroes do.  I want to have it out by mid-2014, but if I can have it done sooner, then I will release it earlier.

As soon as I am done with Malcontent, I will begin work on Wicked Love without delay.  In fact, I am pretty eager to get started.  There are a lot of great ideas I have that I can't wait to get started on.

I have written a yearly novelette for 2014 entitled The Collector.  Look for it in January 2014 in Smashwords first and then in other online bookstores.

To all those who left reviews and recommended by books to friends, thank you for helping me reach those who wouldn't have otherwise come to know my work.