An Honest Lie Vol. 2!

Here's the ordering info for An Honest Lie Vol 2!! Be sure to check this one out, folks...its going to be great!!

The official release date for : An Honest Lie, Volume 2 will be October 31, 2010. Sale price: $16.55 plus shipping.



Volume 2 will also be available in e-book form. Discounts will not be offered on e-book pre-order sales. E-book cost will be $10.00 per copy. Sales will not be available until October 31, 2010.



Print Book pre-ordering will be available starting Friday, October 1, 2010. All pre-order sales will receive a $2.00 per book discount. Shipping costs will still apply.



Pre-order availability will end October 21, 2010.



Get your pre-ordered copies here!!



http://AHLVol2Votes.debrincase.com

First Week...Not too shabby!!

Balefire and Moonstone has been out for a little over a week, and we've got great news to announce!! Gypsy Shadow has picked up the series, so Lodestone will be out within the next few months! And don't forget about Bloodstone! That's coming out too when we get it written....=D Due date is January!

We've hit 23,001# on the ranking list for e-books sold on Amazon.com! Of course, we only have you guys to thank for it! Keep buying though...we gotta get higher!

::hugs:: You're the best ever!

XOXO,

Cyn

I'm SO bad at keeping a New Years Resolution!

So my new years resolution for keeping this blog up and running on a weekly basis lasted until March. BUT I'm back!!! I promise, I'll be good this time! I swear! =D

With that in mind, I have some fabulous news to share!! Balefire and Moonstone is now available for purchase through Gypsy Shadow Publishing! The book is in e-book format right now, but it'll be out in print too! This means that you can download it as a PDF file or, for you lucky bloats who have an e-reader, for your Kindle or Nook. We've also got a new website!

Now go...run...and grab a copy!!!

XOXO,

Cyn

http://www.cynthiagael.com

http://www.gypsyshadow.com

The New Way of Advertising

So I was watching the news (after having to remember how to turn the tv on) and saw a cool story about a guy who started a facebook campaign. Granted, it was the product of a night with his buddies, but he wanted to get SNL to have Betty White host one Saturday night. Over half a million fans later, he got what he wanted: Betty White is hosting an episode of SNL in May.

So what does this tell us about advertising? We all know that the internet has changed the landscape of so many things (Popups, what?). And we writers can definately use it to our advantage. Here's my plan:

I've posted the prologue of Moonstone on our Facebook page. Come, read, and comment. Then share it with your friends and family. Have them join up. With your help, we can create a fanbase to present to the agents that we're approaching and show them that Moonstone is, and will be, a hit!

So come here, sign up, and let us know what you think! =D I promise, I'll love you forever!!

XOXO,

Cyn

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cynthia-Gael/213403522900?v=app_2373072738&ref=mf

Lucky Agent Contest!!

Lucky Agent has a new contest available for all you paranormal romance writers!! Make sure that you go and check it out here:

http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Dear+Lucky+Agent+Contest+Urban+Fantasy+And+Paranormal+Romance+For+Both+Teens+And+Adults.aspx

Upcoming Events!

Ok...so here's what's coming down the pike for the Cynthia Gael crew!! We've taken our month off, worked on submitting numerous short stories for your reading pleasure, and now, we're back at it. Ready and willing to take on the world and all that it has to offer!!

For those of you who are interested, we'll be teaching a class at the forums on Coffeetime Romance!! Here's the link as well as the description. Now, I expect to have a full class, so be sure you sign up, and come on in!

April 2010-K.G. McAbee/Cynthia Witherspoon Setting the Scene

Each word on the page should be used to draw the reader deeper into the story. Setting each scene, from the background to symbolism, is a crucial part of what grabs the readers and keeps them. Learn the importance of setting the scene and using active and accurate descriptors to make the world of your characters come alive.

Join us as we show you how to make your fantasy world a reality!

- Is alliteration a good thing?

- How much background is too much background?

- Can cutting back on description be a bad thing?


www.coffeetimeromance.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=1172


See you there!!

XOXO,

Cyn

Slowly Figuring this Blogging thing out!

Ok...ok...so I know I'm a genius, so I knew I'd figure this whole blogging thing out eventually! Be sure to check out our new page added just for links to all things Cynthia and Gail!

It's on the side...to the right. And it provides access to Gail's free story on friedfiction.com, Arrows of Dispair (be sure to go and read/review!!) as well as links to where you can buy our books. Now, granted, for some reason the links themselves aren't working. BUT if you copy and paste them into your address bar, you should be just fine.

Fingers crossed, this genius of the technological realm will manage to fix those links!!

XOXO

Cyn

This Ain' t Your Average Box of Wheaties....

I know...I know...its almost been a month since we've posted last! Wow, February flies by fast, doesn't it?? BUT such a delay does not come without giving me a fabulous idea for this post: how professional should you be as a writer?

Aw..come on, Cyn...I can hear you asking me now...Really? You mean to tell me that you just don't sit down and type out brilliance?? There's actual work involved??

The answer to this question is so simple, it hurts. Yes. Yes there is.

So just how professional do writers have to be? While granted, I see writing as moments of bliss as I create worlds at my fingertips, there is a TON of work involved. Research (always fun when you go to Barnes and Noble to pick up a copy of the Necronamecon!) plays a huge part, as does searching out publishers and planning. As a writer, it is up to you to decide what worlds you want to create, but when those worlds come together, how do you make them real, and most importantly, where are they going to be published all play a crucial role in making the difference between a dabbler (those who write for themselves) and a published writer.

Hence, the reason why this post has been so delayed. We've been working on a combination of things. Promotion for Balefire by writing shorts and submitting them to anthologies/websites. Searching through countless anthologies and polishing up older pieces to send in with the hopes of furthering the name Cynthia Gael. Planning, and plotting, Bloodstone until we've hammered out a brief outline and a starting date to begin writing (March 13). Finally, but just as important, going out to meet with fans at the Local Authors Showcase 2010 held at a local library here in SC.

Just as with anything important, writers must maintain a professional attitude. You can't type out three pages a day and call it quits until tomorrow. You can't sit back and pray to whatever God motivates your existance that your brillance will be recognized and suddenly, you're rich and famous. It takes more than a box of Wheaties to make your work come alive, and recognized - I know. I'm still doing it myself.

Writing is a lot of hard work, that's true. But if its your passion, if its your life, every moment is totally worth it....

To Expand or Not Expand, That Is the Question

Is your manuscript polished? Ready to shine before the world in all its glory? Check it again. I know! You’ve heard it before, but really, its perfect! Right? Maybe. Or maybe not.

Right now, Balefire and Moonstone is going through the extensive process of (you guessed it!) expansion. It sounds like it would be a ton of work, and really, who says that 57,000 words isn’t enough? But to be honest, this expansion is a lot of fun. No, really. I’m not just saying that to make myself feel better.

When you’re expanding your manuscript, you already know your world. You know what has happened, and you know your babies. What you don’t know is what scenes to expand, right? Well, maybe you do. Was there a section that you felt needed more padding? More detail that you didn’t add before?

With our expansion, we began with the goal to expand Moonstone up another 10,000 to 20,000 words. We’d already talked about what was needed. What we wanted to do. So we started there. It was like revisiting an old friend that you’re giving a makeover to.

Then what happened was this: new scenes came to mind. And they work wonderfully in with what we’ve already written. Thus far, we’ve achieved our partial goal, reaching 66,000 words total for Moonstone. But we have more to write before its expansion is done. No biggie. We know what we’re going to do. Where we’re going. We just needed the push to do it.

Here are a few things to remember when you are thinking about expanding your existing manuscript:

1) Were there any scenes that you had questions about before, or that your readers had questions about, that need further information for clarification?
2) What’s your current word count? Would an expansion be beneficial?
3) What reasons do you have for wanting to expand your work? Is it a requirement for your agent? Do you feel like its unfinished without these final words?
4) And finally, what do you want to accomplish? What’s your roadmap going to look like when its finished?
5) Do you know where you’re going?

XOXO,

Cyn

The Joys of Collaboration

Once upon a time, two brilliant writers were scarfing down Mexican food and talking about, surprise, writing. Brilliant Writer 1 said, “I’d like to do a book about witches.” Brilliant Writer 2 replied, “I’ve always liked the concept of the Witchfinder General, not to mention the cool movie of that name staring Vincent Price.” BW1 and BW2, between bites of burritos, began world building, throwing ideas around as freely as globs of salsa, and coming up with names and locations and such, as writers are often wont to do.
And so a series was born. THE BALEFIRE CHRONICLES tells the story of a young witch and her love for the next in line to position of Witchfinder General. But it’s not all seventeenth century swords and sorcery, no sir; it’s here and now, and the Witchfinder General runs a mega-powerful and vastly rich family-held company called WFG.
But enough of that; soon, some perspicacious agent will grab this series (both books one, Balefire and Moonstone, and two, Balefire and Lodestone, are complete as we speak, for any agent who’s asking) and the collaboration will start making BW1 and BW2 some money.
But that is in the not-so-distant future. Right now, let’s discuss the joys of collaboration. First of all, who does what? In our co-writing venture, we decided to have the first book alternate between two 1st person POVs: the witch and her new love. We brainstormed a brief outline, since neither of us is good at following—or writing!—very detailed ones. Then we started writing, each of us taking one character, making sure our scenes flowed smoothly and without (too much) repetition from one chapter to the next. We changed the outline to suit things that popped up unexpectedly. It worked. The book, as we’ve heard from reliable sources, reads as if it had been written by a single brilliant writer hand instead of two, uh, four. Cool! That was our intention.
Other collaborators work in somewhat different fashions, or so we’ve read. But the most important thing in any collaboration is to have trust in your own work and even more in your collaborator’s work. Outlines are good, so you both remain on the same page, plot wise. But you also have to be flexible enough to go in a different direction if one jumps up, waving its hand and shouting, and you both agree to go that way.
Some questions you might want to ask a prospective collaborator:
1. Can you take criticism?
2. Do you trust my criticism?
3. Do we both have similar drives to see this puppy through to completion?
4. Do you like Mexican food?
So there you have it. Now go forth and collaborate.

Are You Superstitious???

We writers are a funny breed. Like athletes that don't change their sweat socks when they are having a winning season. Or the student who has to wear their lucky purple shirt for every exam they take. In other words, we like our superstitions!

Ha! You laugh, but look at the methods you go through before you start writing. Now granted you may not wear the same pair of socks for twenty years as your success grows, but what do you do? What's your superstition? Or, in more practical terms, your writing routine??

I say this as I reviewed my own methods for coming up with the stories in my head. Nine times out of ten, I sit down and write because my characters simply will not shut up. And believe it or not, I have to get some sleep sometime! But I'm thinking about adding something new to my own routine; in the form of a very cute, very classy fadora that I will now wear everytime I sit down in my writing space.

So here's my "I'm ready to write" checklist when I'm at home:

1) Laptop plugged in? Check. Word processor pulled up? Check.

2) Steaming cup of coffee sitting next to me? Check.

3) Close said word processor to oogle the picture of the actor I think best fits the description of the character who won't shut up in my head? Check. Wait...check that again. (I had to get another look!)

4) (And this is new) Put on cute fadora. Cock it to the side. Adorable? Check.

5) Pull up the word processor back up and start typing? Check!

Now I'm lucky enough to have two favorite writing spaces. My second one is at my beloved co-writer's house, known affectionately as The Loft. Set in the most darling log house,upstairs, this is my writing routine there:

1) Hug said co-writer and pet the pups? Check.

2) Set up laptop? Check.

3)Follow steps 1, 3-5 listed above? Check.

4)Laugh my butt off and have a fabulous time?? Always do!


So there you go. The secret superstitions of a published writer! lol So take a look around, look at your routine, and see if you need to change anything. Because hey, we're a funny breed....

And we love having fun while we're doing this!

Voting has Begun!!

Voting has begun for Whortleberry Press' Favorite Story of the Year 2009 in It Was A Dark and Stormy Halloween!! My dearest readers...go vote for me!! I promise, I love you already, but I'll love you more! =D

Go here and find Chorus of the Dead by Cindy D. Witherspoon!

http://whortleberrypress.com/fave_hallostory_poll.html

A real, non-promotional post will be coming down the pipes soon, I promise!!

XOXO,

Cyn

The Importance of Tag Lines

Tag lines are short, simple, and very, very difficult for those of us who can sit down and write out stories that end up being between 50,000 words +. But while it may be tempting to skip the tag line all together, it's an evil necessity for any writer looking to sell their work. Like grammer...or ::shudder:: spelling.

Tag lines can come from a variety of sources, but you have to do a few things first before you start throwing those genius one liners around. And, dearest readers, that is what this post is going to do for you!

1) Know your story. Not just what happens; but the underlying themes and motivations that you didn't realize were there while you were putting the words down. Trust me; my own work and characters astound me.

2) Do your research. Look for massively used quotes or other goodies that could be used to sum up interest in your work.

3) The most useful one to me: Read your story. Do any of the lines jump out at you? Pick several that scream out to you; and run with them!

Ok...so you have your tag line. How do you use it??

To sell your work, of course! Put your perfect tag line on your query letters. Your business cards. Remember: nobody is as good at selling your work as you are. So go; get your taglines and start selling!

See? I'm already keeping one of my 2010 goals!

XOXO

Cynthia

Resolutions

I hate that word. Resolutions. Its so..final. So unchangable. But with every new year that comes, so does this word. Come on...admit it. Don't you get tired of hearing "What's your New Year's resolution?" from everybody you know?? Like they need to know that you've resolved to lose those twenty pounds you put on during the holidays. Or that you've promised yourself that you will finish that novel, come hell or high water.

So let's throw those resolutions out the window shall we? Let's call them goals. Yeah..that sounds better. With a goal, you can change it. Its not so final. So from now on, don't make resolutions for the new year. Make goals!

With that said, let me list the goals that I've made for 2010!

1) The Balefire Chronicles will be available at all fine bookstores for your reading pleasure, and all of our fans will be anxiously awaiting Book 2 of the series!

2) We will keep this wonderful blog up and running...even if it kills me. =D

3) To write for at least an hour a day. No matter who, or what, is begging for my attention.

4) To live the writer's life in every way that I can.

hmm...I need to sit down and think of more goals. What are your goals for the New Year??

And with that question, I wish you all the best in the coming months!! Goodbye 2009! Hello 2010!