Giveaway Winner: RETURN

Alrighty people, today's the day! After a bit of a crazy week, I'm ready to pick a winner for our Britney Jensen Giveaway! The lucky person will receive either

1. A copy of RETURN, if they already own RISEN,

or

2. Both books if they don't have either!

I'm so excited for you all to read them, they're both such amazing stories!

If you missed my interview with Britney, go HERE to read about her experience writing and publishing RETURN.

Alrighty... I'm off to Random[.]org... winner will be chosen in the order the entries were received.









Aaaaaand the winner is....................... *drumroll*









True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:2Powered by RANDOM.ORG
TIANA SMITH!!!!
Congratulations, Tiana! I hope you'll favor us with a review once you've read the books, I love hearing your thoughts :-) Email me at darcicole[@]gmail[.]com with your address, and I'll have Britney sign and send your books!
The rest of you, head on over to RisenBook.com and order your copies of RISEN and RETURN today! And I totally forgot to mention that Britney is a GoodReads author! for those of you on GoodReads, you can follow her and become a fan HERE.
Thanks for playing everyone!!! I'm planning for another contest soon, so stay tuned!
-DC

New Query: Repost!

I'm writing, I'm writing!

NOTE: This post is for:
1. My participation in the Query Roundtable happening May 22nd, hosted by the awesome Rachel Horwitz of You Are What You Write. (Check out the Roundtable Intro Post Here if you want to sign up for some help with your query!)
2. In case any awesome agents happen to swing by during the Writers Voice Twitter Pitch fest on May 24th, they'll be able to see RIGHT AWAY the amazing manuscript they're in for ;-)
Here we go!


----------------


Title: THE SIGHT
Genre: YA High Fantasy
Word Count: 68,000

{Dearest Agent whom I worship so much,}

Three-hundred years after the Gods divided the land, they call on Kolina to overthrow a tyrannical king, reunite the kingdoms, and rule as High Queen.

When her possession of The Sight manifests, Kolina’s true identity is revealed as the only one who can perform these tasks. Having been shunned for years by her peers and fellow farmhands, she is terrified of failure and not sure she wants to try. In an act of blind and frustrated trust, she follows her grandfather out the gates of the farm to be trained in magic, combat, and cunning. Three Beasts, servants to the Gods themselves, will guide her along the way. In an effort to find a weakness in the false king’s defenses, Kolina discovers his advantage. He knows of her existence and is amassing an army to find and kill her - the rightful heir to the throne.

To fulfill her destiny and overthrow the usurper, Kolina must gather a prophesied group of people to help her, and believe in her calling. If she fails, the kingdoms will fall under a mad man’s fist. She’d better believe fast.

{Info}

----------------

P.S.


Last week, I was reading through my MS, you know, just double checking for errors and such, when I came across a bit I forgotten about. I literally laughed out loud and had to have my husband read it too. I felt so proud :-)
Here's a snippet from Chapter Twenty-one of THE SIGHT. Enjoy :-)

“You wan’ them off?” Bo asked. He was pointing at the shackles around Gunnar’s ankles. 

Gunnar noticed for the first time that Bo’s were already off. 

“How’d you do that?” he asked. 

Bo scooted over to Gunnar’s feet. He held up the bracelet of twigs he’d made the day Kolina first learned how to use The Sight. “Like I said, I though’ I’d need ‘em.” 

Gunnar laughed. “How did you know?” 

One of the restraints fell away as Bo said, “Dunno. Someone once tol’ me I was klepto-voyant. Seems to be true, though i’ doesn’ show i’self  much lately.” 

Gunnar thought about the word, klepto-voyant. “Have you ever taken anything of mine?” 

The other shackle came loose and Bo said, “Oh, yeah. Once I took your belt on a whim, an’ the nex’ day I used i’ to prove my point on a bet in one o’ the towns we wen’ through. Won me some gold on tha’ one.” 

Gunnar’s jaw dropped. “I went belt-less for two days because of that! Where’s the gold? You owe me at least half.” 

Bo laughed. “I don’ owe you a single piece, boy. 'S no’ my fault your pants don’ fit.”

:-D


Hope you liked it!

BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Thanks again to the amazing Britney Jensen for yesterday's interview! If you missed it, go read it to hear about her writing and indie-publishing experiences.

Today is the day! Here's what you need to do to win a copy of Britney's books...

1. LIKE Britney's page on Facebook (GO HERE).

2. Follow Britney on Twitter (GO HERE).

3. Leave SEPARATE comments below saying you've done these things, and each comment will be an entry to win!

(P.S. If you wanna follow me too, that's awesome, and I'll count it as half-entries... in otherwords, it won't count unless you do two. Here are my twitter and Facebook links, or you can follow through blogger over yonder --->)

If you already own RISEN, then we'll just send you RETURN. If you don't own either, guess what - you get both!

You have until 5/24/12 (that's Thursday) at midnight AZ time (PDT) to enter.

Winner will be chosen by Random[.]org and announced on Friday 5/25/12.

Awesome and easy, right? Get to it! Good luck!

-DC

Author Interview: Britney Jensen

Today I am SO excited to feature an interview with the amazing, beautiful, indie-author, Britney Jensen. I interviewed Britney right around the release of her first book, RISEN last year (click here to read it!) Now, her second book, RETURN was just released last month.

The Author

In connection with this, Britney has graciously agreed to give a copy of RETURN (and if you don't have it already, RISEN as well) to one lucky winner on this blog! The rules for the giveaway will be posted tomorrow, so come back and check it out for your chance to win one (or two!) incredible books!


If you're not into giveaways and just want to READ IT, then GO HERE to order your copies! (Available in print, Kindle, and Nook formats.)


And now, here's Britney!


DC: First off, congrats on the release of RETURN! Having been through the self-pub process once already, how was it different this second time around?
BJ: This time we knew what to expect and what we didn't want to do ourselves. For RISEN, we didn't know how to create a working table of contents on the Kindle version. This time around, we found a guy and hired him to create one for us. I think little touches like that make a big difference. I also had RETURN edited by someone other than myself or my family before I put it out there. I have to say, my editor did a really good job.  =) 

Book One: Risen

DC: Well, I'm glad you have such faith in your editor ;-) So, in RISEN you write from two POV's. In RETURN you now have three. Was it easier to write from one perspective versus another? Were the ones from RISEN easier or harder than the new voice(s)?
BJ: Yes, now there are three POV's in RETURN. I've always heard their individual voices in my head. (Does that mean I need meds?) Even in RISEN, I knew what Finn was thinking, so it was only natural for him to have his own POV in RETURN. I think it adds a new element. We know what Sunny thinks of Finn and how she feels about him. Now it's Finn's turn to tell his side. I think I pattern their voices after people I know, so it isn't too difficult to mimic that in my writing.  


DC: I remember you tweeting that you were so excited to have figured out the "perfect ending" for RETURN. Without giving away too much, what was it about that idea that made it perfect for this book?
BJ: During the months of writing RETURN, always nagging in the back of my mind was the fact that I had no clue where I wanted to end it. It kept me up at nights. Then one stormy afternoon it honestly felt like I was handed the perfect ending. It just appeared in my mind. (I see my writing in pictures, like a movie). It seems perfect to me because there is so much build-up of intensity and conflict that I couldn't just tie everything up with a neat little bow. It leaves a lot of possibility for Book #3 which I think lends a little bit of fun and mystery and, hopefully, a lot of anticipation for what will happen next.   


DC: Sunny's character is much more assertive in RETURN.  Was that a conscious choice by you, or did Sunny lead you in that direction? 
BJ: Absolutely it was a conscious choice! I didn't want Sunny to seem like a damsel in distress that needed saving. I wanted her to be able to make her own moves and stand on her own two feet. I always envisioned her that way, but the first book didn't allow me to explore that side of her very much. RETURN really lets me showcase Sunny's strengths. I think girls need to read about assertive women rather than women who will sit on the sidelines and let all the action be determined by everyone else.   

Book Two: Return

DC: Similarly, do you feel that your characters take the story by the reins? How much "control," so to speak, do you feel you have, as the author, over their actions and the story?
BJ: This is an interesting question. I don't know how much control I have over the story, which probably means I don't have any at all. Sometimes I'll write something and later think, "They would have never done that," and have to go back and change it. My characters demand that I be true to them. They each have their own personalities and baggage which determines what they'll do in any given situation. I have to make sure I'm present with that all the time otherwise the story wouldn't work.


DC: The settings in RETURN vary more than in RISEN. Have you been to any of the places you write about? And what made you choose those places?
BJ: Yes, I've been to all of the places in my books. I chose Montana for RISEN because, to be frank, I love it. My favorite city in Montana is Whitefish. It's absolutely serene and beautiful, and I envisioned Reverence in the surrounding mountains. I need a vacation home there desperately. Then a portion of RETURN takes place in Salt Lake City which is where I grew up. I don't live there anymore and I miss it. So, at least I get to visit when I write.


DC: Since you're writing a series, you've obviously had some things outlined or planned from the beginning. Other than main plot points, are you an outliner, or a pantser ("by-the-seat-of-your-pants" writer)?
BJ: I'm a "pantser" all the way. It's torture for me to write anything down, ever. I can't keep lists or schedules. Of course I get some ideas, but to flesh everything out before I wrote it would be to steal the joy that is creativity in the moment. It's more frustrating and time-consuming my way, for sure. But it's the way I work best. 

The Set!

DC: I know you listen to music while you write, what are some songs or artists that helped you get through RETURN?
BJ: Oh my, I love this question. Metric and The Yeah Yeah Yeah's were invaluable to me while writing. Metric's Help I'm Alive, Stadium Love, Combat Baby, and Gimme Sympathy were some favorites. And by The Yeah Yeah Yeah's, I loved Heads Will Roll, Runaway, Down Boy, and Maps. And I know it's sort of old, but if I ever needed to get in the mood to write MakeDamnSure by Taking Back Sunday always did it for me. 


DC: Since you're having a baby soon (yaaayyyy!) you'll probably want to take a break, or at least take your time with book 3. When do you anticipate it being released?
BJ: YAY for both of us girl! I have been taking a little break because of the fatigue and nausea. I really want to start writing but I think if I try to start when I don't feel 100%, it'll just end up being terrible and I'll have to redo it anyway. I really, really want to have the book finished before the baby comes - which is in November. So maybe a release shortly after that? Don't hold me to that though. This might be wishful thinking. 


DC: For those considering self-publishing, what advice would you give?
BJ: It is so worth it! You have absolutely nothing to lose. There are a lot of people out there who support indie writers; it's a great community to be a part of! If you're not sure how to do something, hire someone who does and don't stress over it. There are a lot of people who will convert your book to Kindle for super cheap, or who will help you design your cover, or who will edit and help you revise your work. The resources are there, you just have to use them! Seeing your very own book available to the public is the most fulfilling feeling in the world. Don't let some agent tell you no, take control of your work and get it out there so I can read it!


--------------------------


There you have it folks! Come back tomorrow to enter the giveaway. And many-much-thanks to Britney for taking the time to do this!


-DC

First Loves Blogfest

I hate that I never find out about these things until the last minute...

Today, the awesome Alex J. Cavanaugh is hosting the First Loves Bloghop. I'm waaaaayy down on the list, so I'm not really expecting everyone to jump up and comment. But, it's something to blog about, and I'm out of ideas at the moment...

The rules are, post your first loves in the categories of Movie, Music, Books, and Person (or people).

Here we go!

MOVIE:
I've said it before. The first movie I can ever recall asking to watch repeatedly was The Princess Bride. It's not perfect... Buttercup is pretty helpless in my opinion. But it's the most quote-able movie in my arsenal. I can't tell you the number of times my family and I have said, "It's possible... pig."

Also, it doesn't get any better than this when it comes to love stories. It's NOT a love triangle, though it has the appearance of one. I mean let's be honest... Humperdink doesn't really love Buttercup. He only wants to marry her because she's beautiful. And she doesn't love him either. She's only ever loved Westley.

MUSIC:
There were some artists I was introduced to before this, but my first music obsession was HANSON. I was in 7th grade when their first big album came out (Middle of Nowhere). It was from those songs that I learned how to harmonize and taught myself how to transcribe music. I owe them so much. To this day, when I check up on these guys, I have a huge amount of respect for them.

They grew up to be good guys, got married, have such cute families, and still make awesome, clean, music.

Second Place is *NSync. They deserve a mention, because they taught me how to dance. I recorded their Disney Channel concert, and watched it over and over to learn all the dances. I remember showing some of my friends, a little afraid of being made fun of, but they were seriously impressed. And I was proud.

BOOK:
The books I really truly LOVE the most, and quote the most, and know the most about, are probably the Harry Potter books. But this is about FIRST loves. And did I love some books before Harry came along? Yes I did.

I wish David Eddings was still alive. He is my hero. He wrote a lot of books, but my favorites are two five-book series' called The Belgariad and The Mallorean. He meant the story to kind of make fun of fantasy novels in general. It does that in many ways, but at the same time is so true to what a fantasy novel really is. If you've never read them, you should. In fact, I think I'll put them on my TBR list. I need a good trip down nostalgia lane.

PERSON:
I wrote about a lot of boys in my journals... I can't think of which one was first, I'm not really sure I ever actually loved any of them. Most of it was just infatuation. There were boys at school, boys from church, famous boys, and literary crushes. But the first person (aside from my family) that I've ever truly loved, is my husband.

I know, I know. But I promise I'm being honest. He was the first guy who ever made me feel truly beautiful. And that's saying something, because I had serious self-worth issues. Sometimes I still do. He is such a man for continuing to put up with me and my craziness.


END.

-DC

--------------------------
P.S. BABY UPDATE!
We're now 24 weeks along, and baby Peter is about a pound, and just over a foot long! So exciting :-D