Dandelion Symphony: Poetry Collection Announcement (Featuring an ARC Giveaway!)

I have a new project in the works, which I may have hinted at a couple of times now. No, I’m not talking about that secret fantasy novel, shhhh, but rather a collection of poems called Dandelion Symphony, from my time spent living in Europe. Why a dandelion you might ask? The symbol for military brats is often a dandelion because, like the flower, military brats can “bloom anywhere.” That and I like dandelions.

 

What’s in a poetry collection?

Poems, of course! Okay, okay, I’ll tell. With some help from my lovely readers, I’ve selected some popular pieces from my blog to include. Many of them are nature themed, but not all. I’ve also commissioned an artist to sketch some minimalistic pieces for each section and will soon be commissioning a cover designer as well. Art is awesome—it goes so well with poetry!

Then there’s end notes, which are totally optional. I’m a very wordy person, so I’ve put them at the back in case anybody wants more background on specific lines or terms, complete with formatting for you digital readers so you can click back and forth with ease.

 

What’s new?

I like to publish print editions with exclusive content. In addition to the internal art and footnotes, I’m also including some poems I’ve never published before. I’ve been saving some of them for a special occasion, and this collection is it!

 

When is it being released into the wild?

I don’t have a definitive date yet. I released my last project way too quickly, so I’m planning on taking the necessary time with this one. That means, I’ll be waiting on beta readers, bloggers, my editor, and my artists, then proofreading everything and formatting and formatting again… you get the picture.

It must be perfect!

Let’s say September. I’ll keep you updated when it gets closer to being ready. I’d also like to host a blog tour upon its releases, so that’ll be fun! Until then, enjoy a quick sneak peek:

 

Internal Sketch by Vera

 

Thoughts of Place

 

I find

that the first time

I visit a place, I am

drawn to the way

the red roofs slope,

the snow-capped mountains tower,

the oceans lap at the white shores.

Yet the second time,

I see how

the locals meander the streets,

the salamanders navigate the moss,

the acacia thorns guard the sand.

How did I miss it

before?

Living in a place

is not like visiting—

is not like returning

to where I lived before—

for the image

in my mind

of what was

is no longer

what is.

 

***

 

Before you go, don't forget to check out my ARC giveaway! Please keep in mind that receiving an ARC means I would like an honest review from you. It can be as short or as long as you please. Blogger changed their editing format, so while I try to figure out how to insert code again, check out this link to enter the ARC giveaway.

Let’s chat! What’s the last poetry collection you read? What’s your favorite of my poems?

Similar posts: Poem: Seeking the Song of Time, Origami Swan: Novel Title Change and Cinnamon Rolls (aka Characters), and Last of the Memory Keepers Book Birthday!

Recommended poems: At My Own Pace, Still Life in Spring, and The Christmas Market

Confessions of a Bookworm Tag and Blogiversary Giveaway

Yesterday was my 5^th blogiversary! *throws confetti* *trips over stack of unwritten blog post ideas* Why do I still have these?

What’s new since I started blogging? Well, I went from once a month posts to once a week, which is plenty of fun even if it took some working up to! I fell into a semi-regular schedule of poetry, bookish, writing posts, then a book review, but sometimes I like to change it up. And I started recording my poems! Personally, I like the audio ones because they’re a little less work, but my video ones have gotten more views. Thanks, guys.

What’s in store? I’d like to get more involved in blogging tags, like this one, and I’m hoping to add a traditionally published novel to my list of publications. Since I commissioned an artist to redesign my blog cover, and I’m still enamored with her work, I may invest in some artistic bookmarks. We shall see!

Without further ado, here are some things I’ve done as a bookworm that I may or may not be proud of. Don’t forget to stick around for the giveaway at the end!

What’s the first book you fell asleep to?

That’s easy. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Other Stories. Not that it was boring, I was just tired. Since then, I have fallen asleep to many a book.

What’s the longest it’s ever taken you to read a book?

Unless we’re counting the books I started two years ago and still haven’t finished *cough* The Silmarillion *cough*, eight months. I started reading Moby-Dick in January, 2017 and didn’t finish it until late August that same year. It didn’t help that I borrowed a library copy and had to keep renewing, returning, and checking it out again.

What’s the first book you threw across the room?

I’ve never actually done that because I wouldn’t want to hurt the book. I have angrily tossed a book on my bed or the couch before, though. Another time, I tripped and accidentally threw a copy of Gemina (Illuminae Files, book 2) into a puddle. I feel less bad about that one knowing 1) it had a protective sleeve around the dust cover, and 2) it was a misprinted copy that repeated fifty pages in the middle of the book.

Have you ever spilled anything on a book?

Spilled? No. But I once accidentally got lipstick all over a library book once because the cap came off in my purse. That was… awkward. I still feel bad about that.

Have you ever had to pay a library fine?

No, actually. My local library doesn’t do fines. 😊

What’s an unpopular opinion you have about a popular book/series?

Only one? Hmmm… I’m going to go with the Harry Potter series. People either refuse to read it or let their kids read it, or they thoroughly enjoy it. I find the series kinda meh. *ducks behind the oh-so-convenient pillar before the fans blast me with fire*

Name one thing you do when reading that some might call unusual.

I read the acknowledgements at the end of every book. For one, I like getting the full credit for having read those pages. Thank you, Goodreads. For another, I like to see who influenced the author(s) even if the page lists names of people I don’t know, which can get rather tedious. Perhaps the best acknowledgements I have read are from the Illuminae Files. They’re morbid but humorous.

Name an author you like whose name you cannot pronounce.

Elizabeth Wein. I will read all of her historical fiction! Her name looks simple, right? But how on earth does she say her last name? Is it the English pronunciation Ween? Or the German pronunciation Vine? Send help.

Name a character you like whose name you cannot pronounce.

Among the many, the first that comes to mind is Nimona. Here’s a quick excerpt from my book review: neither my sister nor I can determine how to pronounce the name Nimona. Simple, isn’t it? Nimoa. Minoa. Moana. Pneumonia. Wait… Send help. We’re a mess!

What’s the last movie you discovered was based on a book you haven’t read yet?

Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle. I seriously had no idea this was even a book and only discovered it when a friend and I were talking about the movies and she mentioned the book.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done in the name of reading?

Do I really have to answer this one? Fine. I applied to the University of Nottingham’s English Lit program and moved to England rather than face the prospect of having to get a job in the States. There, I wrote it. If somebody had told me sooner that applying to jobs was a faster process than querying a novel, I might not have the degrees I have today. But I’m glad my life has turned out the way it has.

Now for more fun! I tag the following bloggers:

S. M. Metzler @ Tea with Tumnus

Faith Rene Boggus @ A Boggus Life

Imogen Elvis

And You!

Giveaway time! International entrees welcome, so long as you can get Kindle books and/or Book Depository ships to you.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Update (20 July 2019): Congratulations to Chittajit!

Let’s chat! What are some of the craziest things you’ve ever done as a reader? Are you a blogger? What are some elements of blogging that you enjoy?

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Similar posts: The First Book You’ve Ever Read Challenge, The Bookish Q&A Tag, and Infinity Dreams Award

Happy 4th Blogiversary! (Featuring a Giveaway)

Around four years ago, I sat down and decided I wanted to start another blog. A blog where I could write about my thoughts on books, inspired by discussions I had on literature while I was attending university. The word blog is a weird in and of itself. Then we have the word blogiversary. What has the English language come to?

I decided to ask the internet, yes, the internet, if anybody had any questions about my writing or blogging process. Here are the questions and my answers. Stick around because I’m running a giveaway at the end!

Why did you start Word Storm? And why a blog and not any other social media?

I started Word Storm because bookish discussions make me excited. When I was in college, I wanted to continue to talk about books outside of classes. Now that I’ve graduated with my degrees in English and English Literature, I’m glad I started my blog when I did.

I picked a blog because I’m not very outgoing when it comes to other forms of social media. I have a Twitter and an Instagram account, but I’m chattier in the blogisphere. Also, I prefer writing over talking, so you probably won’t hear/see me on YouTube anytime soon.

Read more about Why Word Storm? on my About page.

What inspired you to write blog posts?

It all depends on the blog post. When I started blogging, college classroom discussions inspired me. Now, I draw inspiration from the books I read, trends I see, you name it. My last blog post, A Guide to Getting Lost in Your Local Library, was inspired by my constant visits to my library where I like to volunteer and bring home one too many books.

Actually, I’d say fewer of my blog posts come from inspiration than hard work. Inspiration is a term that’s way overused. Maybe 1% of writing is inspiration and 99% is actual writing. And that inspiration? Its name is coffee.

Did your family play a role in your interest in writing?

Yes and no. Both my parents gave me a passion for stories and reading. My mom especially used to tell me many outlandish stories when I was a kid, so like Hiccup, at least I know where I get my dramatic flair from. But most of my interest in writing came from other writers like C. S. Lewis, who wrote fantastical tales, and Mary Elizabeth Edgren, whom I got to meet as a kid, and teachers who encouraged me to craft stories of my own.

What role does God play in your blogging?

Whatever I write, I do it for the glory of God. As such, I try to write without being overly preachy. Growing up as a chaplain’s kid, I know what a sermon sounds like. Still, I aim to prompt thought and discussion from readers, regardless of their background.

As a Christian, I like to talk about wholesome stories that uplift and encourage. I try to keep my blog PG, even if some of the books I read are not. All the same, I try not to shy away from topics that may be controversial. In fact, I wrote a whole series of posts entitled “Controversy in Fiction,” addressing topics like Racial Diversity, Feminism and Female Characters, Magic, and Christian Fiction.

Are you ever going to write more about the Memory Keepers?

Maaaaaaybe. I have some ideas. While I haven’t settled on a particular story line, if I were to write more in the Memory Keepers’ world, the story would most likely involve trains, explosions, and journalism vs. academic writing.

First I’d need more reviews for Last of the Memory Keepers. If you’ve read any of the stories, please consider writing a review and posting it on Amazon and/or Goodreads. It doesn’t have to be long, and I welcome honest feedback. Did you know more reviews means more exposure? So, if you like a book, leave a review!

When you start plotting a story, where do you prefer starting? Characters, settings, storyline, something else?

Ideas can come from anywhere. Sometimes they come in the form of characters, sometimes in the form of witty quotes. But my plotting is a little more structured. Before I start, I’ll give it a rough name, which can be anything from Story Idea 11 to Just Breathe (original title for Origami Swan). Then or simultaneously, I’ll pick a genre and a target audience. Both are vital for understanding how long the story will be and how much research I’ll need to do.

When I write my basic outline (inciting incident, turning point, climax), I’ll typically start with the characters. I need to know my main players. Who they are. What they want. How they influence the plot. I’ll write this bit in a notebook so it’s portable and so I can add details wherever I go.

Once that’s done, and sometimes even before then, I’ll put some meat on the bones by writing a complete synopsis. That’s when I figure out how the plot influences the characters. I write this part on my computer so I can rearrange, change, or add details if necessary. And that’s about it. I used to write chapter-by-chapter, but later found it was too tedious.

See 3 Methods for Outlining Your Novel.

Slight side-note: I’m not participating in NaNoWriMo this year, camp or otherwise.

Why, you might ask? Well, it’s a great tool to establish discipline and to actually finish writing a book. But that’s the thing. I’ve written… eight? Nine? I don’t know. I lost count. Guys, I’m obsessed with writing. So much so that I have to be dragged away from my computer screaming, “You can’t turn it on and off like a tap!”

So… I’m taking July to do #31DaysofBunnies instead! That’s right. I’ve been trying to take up drawing for a while now, and I haven’t really sat down long enough to draw, unless you count during class once a month. As my next novel may include bunnies, I’m thinking of doing some of my own illustrations. That and they’re just fun to draw.

Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Giveaway time!

Please keep in mind that because of shipping expenses, I will only be giving away a print copy to a person with a US address. If you happen to live outside the States, you may still enter for the chance to win a Kindle/Nook edition of the first three novelettes.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Let’s chat! Any other questions you might have about Word Storm or my stories? What’s been your top book(s) of 2018 so far?

***

Similar posts: Origami Swan: Novel Title Change and Cinnamon Rolls (Aka Characters), 3 Methods for Outlining Your Novel, and Controversy in Fiction: Christian Fiction

POV in the Last of the Memory Keepers Series

I can’t believe it’s the end of 2017 already! At the beginning of this year, I set out on a self-publishing journey. In March, I published the first of my novelettes in e-book form, then in September, I released the entire Last of the Memory Keepers series in print. What fun this has been!

*

For fans of The Chronicles of Narnia and Paradise Lost, Last of the Memory Keepers is a compilation of six sequential stories and one poem. Follow Rhona Farlane and Ellard Coburn on their adventures to befriend members of other races while they fight to save their own. 

Today I’ll be discussing the point of view (POV) in the series and the way I strove to resolve any issues that arose with writing in first person. For those who have not read my series yet, I have done my best to keep this post spoiler-free.

*Winners for the giveaway have been selected.

Dual Perspective

The first novelette in the series, “The Diplomat’s Daughter”, is told from the perspective of Rhona Farlane. She’s knows what she wants out of life and she’s spunky, perhaps a little too much so for a diplomat-in-training. But she’s determined to follow her apprenticeship through to the end and unite the peoples of her world.

Notice Rhona’s detailed enthusiasm in the following excerpt:

“Spring of the year 4137, Finley proposed his most wonderful, foolhardy idea yet. Even at twenty years old, he was coming up with reckless ideas that would probably get us killed. Naturally, I supported his idea and Ellard protested. But not much. Not this time. Even as the pitch black of night in the stable shrouded his face, I could just hear the smile behind his tense voice.”

—Rhona Farlane, “The Diplomat’s Daughter” (LMK, vol. 1)

The second novelette, “The Quiet Apprentice”, takes a different approach, told from the perspective of her friend Ellard Coburn. Like Rhona, he’s an apprentice to one of the masters of the Memory Keepers, but unlike her, he’s skittish and gets along better with animals than with people.

Now compare that scene with Ellard’s confusion when his friends keep interrupting his study session:

“Finley held his hands up, then looked at me. ‘Ellard, can you please help me change the subject?’

“I couldn’t think of a single interesting thing to say. I was still trying to wrap my mind around their disagreement. Leave it up to a Memory Restorer [Finley] to argue about the color of a historical figure’s clothes. I couldn’t even remember who Zaire was, much less what he’d done.”

—Ellard Coburn, “The Quiet Apprentice” (LMK, vol. 2)

When it came to writing each perspective, Rhona’s and Ellard’s, I had to take their backgrounds into consideration. Rhona was raised by a diplomat, the Master of Deep Memory, and Ellard was raised by a stable hand and a horse trainer. Rhona comes from a privileged family of intellectuals, and Ellard comes from a more rural background who had to work harder to earn his apprenticeship.

A Verbal Account

The main issue I had with writing these stories arose because I decided to go with first person. After all, how was I supposed to tell the narrative from the perspective of characters who don’t write their history down? At one point, there’s even mention of Ellard, my second protagonist, being illiterate. So how is somebody who can’t even read supposed to write a story?

To resolve this issue, I went with a verbal account instead of a written one. Because the Memory Keepers have the ability to access the memories of the trees, they keep their records by speaking to the trees, like one would write their thoughts in a diary or recite their memories to a starship’s log in science fiction. As a result, I read each story aloud to my sister to ensure it flowed well and actually sounded like people might talk.

“The Quite Apprentice” (LMK, vol. 2) explores the concept of recording memories more so than the first story. At the end of the novelette (don’t worry, this is not a spoiler!), Ellard explains that he’s storing his memories in an oak tree. And in the final volume, a certain character reveals that he listened to each verbal account and wrote them down for public record.

The Problems with Memory

Memory can be fleeting. Sometimes, people ignore certain details or remember others incorrectly. Sometimes people forget things. And as alluded to in “The Memory Thief,” some people are made to forget.

Last of the Memory Keepers isn’t just a recitation of adventures written down by a scribe. Like some works of fiction, it’s the narrators who are putting together the pieces of their stories after they are resolved. Sometimes the stories may be an exaggeration or a reflection of the past. Sometimes they leave you wondering what’s real and what’s not.

Any mistakes are my own, or you can blame it on the troubles with memory. Most of all, this series—this book—is just a story. I hope you enjoy it.

Giveaway Time!

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for! So I’ve been hosting a lot of giveaways this month, but I can’t help it. I like my readers! Today I’ll be giving away two prizes: 1) a signed copy in print and a desert rose; 2) the entire e-book series (Volumes 1-6). Enter to win one of two prizes below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Let’s chat! Which prize sounds more appealing to you? Have you added Last of the Memory Keepers to your To-Be-Read List yet? For those who have read the first two volumes, whose perspective did you enjoy the most: Rhona’s or Ellard’s? If you haven’t read any volumes yet, which character sounds most appealing?

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Similar posts: Last of the Memory Keepers Series Announcement, LMK the Five Races Q&A, Luan and the Star’s Daughter: A LMK Companion

Last of the Memory Keepers series: The Five Races Q&A and Giveaway!

“Years ago after our world began, we murdered the human race. Now we’re all that’s left.” –Rhona Farlane, “The Diplomat’s Daughter”(LMK series, vol. 1)

I had a lot of fun in brainstorming ideas for the races in Last of the Memory Keepers. Though some of them took me a while to develop. The Diataro, for example, were nameless for several drafts until right before I sent my novelettes off to my editor. But I still put a lot of work into developing their cultures. Unfortunately, not every detail went into the stories, as often the case with characters’ personalities and the world’s history.

I’ve also written a short page on The Five Races, which you can check out, but here’s a quick refresher with a couple facts not mentioned in the stories.

Disclaimer: While I have listed some Earthen influences for the five races, they are not meant to be representations of actual people groups. Any inconsistencies between cultures is because the races in Last of the Memory Keepers are not the races we have in our world today. Similarly, one of the primary themes of the series is that no race is strictly good or evil and that culture and race do not define a person.

Memory Keepers

Gift: The most history-oriented of all the races, the Memory Keepers have the ability to access, alter, and store memories within humans, long-lasting plant life, and some animals.

Four types of memory accessing: Deep Memory, Recent Memory, Memory Communication, and Memory Restoration

Earthen influence: Native Americans and English/Scottish names

Primary religions: Monotheism and animism

Currency: bargaining system

International relations: trade with the Meridians

Shape-Shifters

Gift: Just as their name suggests, the Shape-Shifters have the ability to change their form, from minor alterations such as hiding a scar or changing their hair color to appearing like a member of another race or another species entirely.

Types of shifters: Fact-based (can shift into something they have seen and studied) and Imagination-based (can shift into something based of their imagination)

Earthen influence: Russians and Germans

Primary religions: monotheism and atheism

Currency: gold standard

International relations: poor/nonexistent

Lightning Wielders

Gift: Before the destruction of their capital, the Lightning Wielders were the leading race with the ability to wield lightning not only for defense and attack but also for electricity and technological advancement.

Three types of lightning wielding: Energy gatherer (puts energy into Lightning Stones from outside sources), Energy transferrer (transfers energy between Lightning Stones and outside sources; most common), and Energy consumer (uses energy to sustain themselves; rarest)

Earthen influence: Persians and Arabs

Primary religions: monotheism and polytheism

Currency: gold standard

International relations: extinct

Meridians

Gift: Although not immortal, the Meridians are the longest-lasting of all the races, with an average life expectancy of 240 years.

Earthen influence: Ethiopians and European monarchy 

Primary religions: polytheism

Currency: gold standard

International relations: trade with the Memory Keepers, border skirmishes with the Diataro

Diataro

Gift: The strongest of the races, the Diataro have strength three times that of the other races.

Clans: Taro (largest, warrior society), Jiro (second largest, warrior society), Saburo (smallest, intellectual society)

Earthen influence: Japanese

Primary religions: polytheism and animism

Currency: gold standard and bartering

International relations: all three clans are at war with one another, the Taro and the Sabura raid the Meridian borders, tension between the Taro and the Memory Keepers

Now onto the Q&A. A few of you asked, and I’m here to answer!

Who is the “world power” of the five races?

In terms of manpower and technological advancement, the Diataro are the strongest. Not only are they physically stronger than the rest, but they are also the most intellectual. However, before the destruction of their capital, the Lightning Wielders were the most powerful, being the center of world-trade and technology, as they invented their own type of electricity and communication system based on their Gift.

If the Memory Keepers know the memories, why do they not always identify the bad guys?

In the interest of avoiding spoilers, I will say this—the Memory Keepers are not perfect. They cannot “screen” every person they come across, even during a diplomatic meeting. Some races, particularly the Diataro, would find the keepers accessing of their personal memories to be offensive and intrusive.

Do the races intermarry? What would happen if a person had all five Gifts?

Mostly, the races keep to themselves, but occasionally there is intermarriage. The more Gifts a person has, the more diminished their abilities come. Not only is their skill set divided, but their Gifts are diminished. People of four or five races usually show little to no ability of Gifts. Rumor has it that because of their “disability”, they are actually closer to being the ideal human being, as the first humans had no Gifts.

Which ability or strength unique to the five races would you (Azelyn) want to have? –Faith Boggus @ A Boggus Life 

Ooooh, I would have to say the ability to access memories, not that I’m biased or anything. Although I am not as big of a history-fan as Rhona, I would probably be a Memory Communicator like Ellard. But instead I would use my Gift to tell stories. While the Memory Keepers do not write anything down (no books! *gasp*), they have an ancient oral tradition, and storytellers play a large part in their culture.

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The next story, “The Sun Child” (LMK series, vol. 3), comes out May 5, this Friday! And next Sunday, I’ll be posting the companion poem, “Luan and the Star’s Daughter”. In celebration of your visit to my blog, I’ve added a special giveaway! Enter to win three e-books of your choice from the series (vols. 1-3 OR 4-6). Three winners will be selected and contact via e-mail. Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Similar posts/pages: LMK: Cover Reveal and Sneak Peak, LMKseries, and LMK: The Five Races

Let’s chat! Have you read any of the Last of the Memory Keepers series yet? Do you have any questions about the races that weren’t answered here? Which of the five would you want to be?