Elizabeth Arroyo Talks about The Second Sign

Today I'm talking with Elizabeth Arroyo, the author of The Second Sign, a dark YA paranormal romance:

Tell us about your main characters:
Gabby is a strong, stubborn teen with a knack of saying what comes to mind and getting into trouble.
Jake is her opposite. He's happy-go-lucky and always on the lookout for his next adrenaline rush.
How do they change? 
Gabby learns to trust her feelings and the consequences of her actions.
Jake learns his true nature.
Give us a favorite line from your protagonist:
"Yeah, um, it didn't really dawn on me that I was saving your life." Yeah, that went well. "I mean, yeah, I woulda, but..." Jumping off the cliff seemed easier than this.
From an antagonist:
"There is no peace for the wicked."
An emblematic, teaser paragraph:
He gave her a sideways glance. If he knew what she thought, his face revealed nothing and his eyes even less. She didn't care. She'd never known a mother or a father. Max was all she had, and he too was slipping from her. She looked away from Mir and turned her gaze to her hands. Naite's warning settled in her stomach. Max had betrayed her. Their bond broken. What she wouldn't give to have someone love her. Her soul?
What keeps you going when your inspiration flags?
Reading a good book puts things in perspective for me.
What truly inspires you and fires up your vision?
It's weird, but being in the staring out to space mode fires up my creativity side. Daydreaming and/or sometimes night dreams invade my thoughts and I start writing scene by scene. Strangely enough, oftentimes, the different images connect into a larger story. So weird, I know.
Best words of advice you ever received?
Keep writing. Simple and to the point.
Worst?
Expect the worst and hope for the best. Yes, I used to say those words and try to psych myself that it wouldn't hurt, but you can't prepare for the sting of rejection. Expecting the worst is useless except to throw out negativity. What kept me going from submission to submission is the possibility of acceptance. I imagined it. Felt it. And it felt really good. That feeling kept me going.
Can you offer some writing advice?
Writing for yourself and writing for a larger audience are two very different things. Learn as much as you can about the craft. Some folks can put pen to paper and there's magic. Those are the lucky ones. The rest of us have to work at it.
Which do you enjoy writing most: action, romance, setting, dialog?
Action. I love movement in scenes, and heightening my character's emotional stress levels.
A hint of what you’re working on next?
I am working on the sequel! Yay!!
Where can readers find you on the web? My website, my blog, on Facebook, on Twitter.
Where readers can buy The Second Sign: on kindle, Amazon paperback, B&N

More about THE SECOND SIGN
Dark YA Paranormal Romance from Sapphire Star Publishing

Bred to believe in the war between angels and demons, Gabby has come to the conclusion that love is responsible for war, jealousy, and all the other deadly sins she can think of. So when she’s exiled to the middle of nowhere for getting kicked out of her fifth school for fighting, she doesn’t expect to meet Jake. Much less fall in love.
     
When a demon guardian comes to collect her soul, she refuses to give it up. She’s not a demon. She can’t be. Her father and twin brother are angels. The demon gives Gabby twenty-four hours to decide her allegiance, and then starts killing her short list of friends, leaving a message behind: She is the Second Sign.

As Gabby and Jake begin to unravel the mystery behind the Second Sign, she learns Jake may be the key to saving her soul. But it means a sacrifice has to be made that will change their lives forever.

Cover for Alex J. Cavanaugh's CassaStorm!!!

Blogger and sci-fi writer extraordinaire, Alex J. Cavanaugh is at it again, ready to release another in his epic sci-fi, space opera series. I am happy to take part in his cover reveal celebration.
Check it out! What do you think? Pretty space-cool, right? Below is a blurb and info on its release date. Check out Alex's blog and follow, if you're not already! He's one of the most generous, community-minded bloggers around. Oh, and a ninja warrior to boot!

Info on Cassa Storm:

Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, his only struggles are occasional rogue pirate raids and endless government bureaucracies. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.
After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, shaking Bassan to the core and threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.

Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could be on its way back. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…
Release date: September 17, 2013
Science Fiction - Space Opera/Adventure
Print ISBN 9781939844002
E-book ISBN 9781939844019

Pictures from a Perfect Snowfall

Peter Stuyvesant, inspector general
of New Netherlands, which, when the British
took over, became New York!
How do you like his pirate-y peg-leg?!

Everyone knows that the east coast got a blast of snow over the weekend. I'm here to tell you that New York City was no exception. We were terribly worried, having only partially recovered from Hurricane Sandy. I had visions of power outages, hovering under cold quilts and playing cards by candlelight. But the snow was beautiful and we were safe and warm.

I walked in a nearby park and took pix to show you. Did you get work done while the storm raged? I did a respectable word count every day. Here's looking to spring but still not putting away those boots!

What's your fave winter writing space? (Mine's a small front room with a good street view) Fave winter food to munch on while writing? (Mine's tamari almonds) Fave writing outfit? (Mine's jeans, a ski sweater and slippers).

Stuyvesant Park

Writing Retreat Renewal

photo by Helen

Recently I invited a few writer friends up to my country place for a winter retreat. We call it Idea Farm (as opposed to my Idea City blog, which I usually write while in NYC). A writing retreat is something I need to do every 6 months. In the summer, a bunch of us go to a bigger retreat, so I wanted to return the favor. One person was sidelined by gall bladder trouble, so our troop was down to three people who trust each other and work well together. Shawne is a talented novelist writing about family ghosts and Helen writes short stories, novels and reviews.

It was a perfect time to get some serious work done because it was snowy and icy outside and the wind was howling like a rabid wolf. Inside, we kept the fire stoked. I should say Helen did because I suck at arranging logs and kindling.

Our schedule: wake at 8 am and imbibe multiple cups of coffee while we gossip, talk shop, and run details of our WIPs and ideas by each other. This includes what we should name our characters and how steamy the characters and love scenes can get. Lots of belly laughs and unconditional support. Before work, we trundle off to my studio, while trying to stay aloft on the driveway aka skating rink. Once there, Helen does yoga while I use my weights, rebound trampoline and do about 75 crunches. Shawne, the sensible friend stays in the main house.

Pond view from my porch,
photo by Helen

Next it's writing time, each person to their own station. Mine is by the fire. Shawne's is in the kitchen, Helen works in a small room to "contain her abundance of energy".

I get 5,000 words done. Seems like a pittance. BUT, I'm so fired up that I finish a 65 page novella the next week! Shawne is struck by cosmic inspiration and devises a genius structure for her next novel, while Helen revises, revises and does creative strategizing for her writing-related business.

In the evening we cook (salmon, pasta, veggie curry) and read the Tarot for each other. We don't take it seriously, but I do love my new Breugel deck! Check 'em out here, they're absolutely stunning! One of us may meet a new business partner, someone else should not get overly impressed by her boss. And hey, my "outcome" card was the sun, which made me happy (sun card= vitality, success, positivity)

Incredibly blurry but kinda cute photo of us!

I'm already looking forward to our July retreat by a beach in New England. In the meantime, I'm refreshed and on fire.

For a view of my messy writing space read Nutschell's Wednesday Writers' Space post! Also, I guest posted on Beth's 52 Blog about my thoughts on Show Don't Tell (Or as I put it, Evoke, Don't Bludgeon) . But first, don't forget to leave a comment! How do YOU renew your writing passion? Any great tips?

Rebel Writers' Creed-Take the Pledge!

SA Larsen over at her blog Writers' Ally is a constant source of wisdom and inspiration. Today, she's written her first official post of the new year. BTW, Happy New Year, all! 
She wrote a post about the Rebel Writers' Creed 2013 Pledge.
What's that? It's a series of promises below, about writing and living.

Want to take the pledge? Click here to add your name and grab the banner for your blog. In addition to Sheri's list, I have a few of my own that are important to me:

Cultivate and fully use my imagination.
Always write with my heart and soul engaged.
Write the specific stories I was born to write.
Connect with my readers and fellow writers.
Jump in, no excuses, no hesitation!

What pledge(s) are you making to yourself this year?

A Bookish Christmas!

This year I gave lots of books for Christmas. And I make a list of which ones were given, and received. Pretty amusing and enlightening! Here is the full list for your perusal.

To my younger son:
Pym by Mat Johnson (A wacky satire involving Poe, Little Debbie snack cakes, a bag of bones and a seafaring journey)

To my eldest son who teaches history in China and travels all over:
When America First Met China by Eric Jay Dolin ("An exotic history of tea, drugs, and money in the age of sail")  ***check out the incredibly gorgeous book cover above
China in Ten Words by Yu Hua (a humorous, honest, sometimes shocking portrait of China from the 60s on)
Cambodia's Curse by J. Brinkley (portrait of a country haunted by poverty, corruption and the Khmer Rouge-solutions going forward)

To my friend who loves history & art:
Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean ("True tales of love, madness and the history of the world, from the Periodic Table")
Bluebeard by Kurt Vonnegut (a satire of the artworld)

To one of my writing students:
The Discomfort Zone: A Personal History by Jonathan Franzen (pieces about Franzen's childhood)

From my writing student to me:
Seven Days in the Artworld by Sarah Thornton (snapshots of the weirdness that is the artworld)

To my sister-in-law, interested in psychology and biology:
An Age of Madness by David Maine (a novel about an analyst and her estranged daughter)
Riddled with Life by Marlene Zuk (why and how we symbiotically embrace parasites!)

From my younger son to me, knowing I love DeLillo:
The Angel Esmirelda by Don DeLillo (nine stories about astronauts, nuns, terrorists and travelers, in settings from the South Bronx to outer space)

From my younger son to his older brother:
Nero by Edward Champlin (a reevaluation of the callous emperor who fiddled while Rome burned)
At Day's Close, Night in Times Past by A. Robert Ekirch (Crime, fire, theft and the supernatural: illuminating events that happen in the dark)

To me, from me!
The Twelve by Justin Cronin (Sequel to his blockbuster speculative novel The Passage) and Girl of Nightmares (sequel to Anna Dressed in Blood--unfortunately, the sequel isn't nearly as good as the first book!)

Did you give books this holiday? Did you receive books? 
Your favorites?

25-page manuscript critique, auction bid goes to Newtown families

As writers, we can help the victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy by participating in the auction that fellow teen author SR Johannes and Miral Sattar, founder of Bibliocrunch have generously helped organize. I am offering a 25-page manuscript critique, with a starting bid of only $25. Come bid here for this worthy cause!
There are other great offers as well!
UPDATE! The auction is over--we raised $5,500! 
Thanks to Shelli, Mirae and Kate for organizing this generous event.

The money raised will go directly to relief funds being set up by the Newtown Youth and Family Services through the United Way of Western Connecticut for all of the families and victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School and the Newtown community.