I'S MARRIED NOW!!!

Hey All!!!

So, it's been a while since I've written and a lot has changed in my life. I got hitched and am now navigating the craziness that is marriage. And I had a period where I didn't want to write for a long time. 

I'm not sure what happened... Maybe after the craziness of publishing my first book and seeing how difficult it was to promote it, and not being very good at that promotion, I was drained. Maybe I just didn't have the emotional head-space to be in someone else's head at that time. Whatever the reason, I was seriously reconsidering what writing meant to me and how I saw it playing out in my life.

After some soul searching and lots of rest, I came back to the blank page. And while it's been difficult, it's been kind of fun.

So, I'm back at it, y'all!!! I'm hoping to provide y'all with more information on the world around me and how I'm seeing things. Until then...

Happy reading and writing!

THE DREADED LIFE SCHEDULE!

Hey All!!!
It's been a while since I've posted. Life and wedding planning has sucked up all of the hours of my days and I'm finally working to get more balance in my life (well... the fiancé sat me down and said, "Trakena, you need more balance in your life." which prompted me to sit down and think over how my hours have been spent, which prompted me to make some adjustments).

For the first time in my life, I'm feeling like my hours are so limited due to everything that needs to get done...and I'm starting to realize that this is going to be a consistent state that I will be in. Because, there will always be something that I need to add on to my life. First it will be my husband, then kids, learning Korean, or whatever else I get a flight of fancy to do. And that's on top of the writing and reading I need to be doing. Not to mention the duties my 9 to 5 carries.

So, how am I going to balance it all?

Well, I sat down, pulled out a notebook and starting to make myself a schedule. I have writing days when I'll focus on getting some words on a page. I have my Korean class, which I'm so excited to start this summer! I have working out. And any other time I'll need to manage.

Gone are the days when I could spend hours and hours reading and writing without a care in the world. It makes me kind of sad to realize how things have changed now.

How have you all gone about making those big changes to your schedule and timing throughout your lives?

Happy reading and writing!

SPOTLIGHT AT I HEART YA BOOKS!

Hey All!!!
My book has been featured at I Heart YA Books!

This is one of my favorite sites for picking out great YA and NA books. You can find the post here.

Happy reading and writing!

YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE YOUR NEXT BANGING IDEA WILL COME FROM!

Hey All!!!
I was recently doing some reading online and happened upon this Korean teen drama series called Boys Over Flowers (Forever Young Adult has a good review on the series here). It seemed right up my alley: a little nutty, a lot of fun, and full of teenaged-dramatic-goodness.

While I was reading the plot online a light bulb went off in my brain. I realized that this story has all the ingredients for a fun YA novel:

1) Smart, nice, cute and mouthy main character goes to private school on scholarship? Check!

2) Meets a cute group of boys that are all major douches? Check!

3) Boys all fall madly in love for our wonderfully lovable heroine and all chaos ensues? Double Check!

For my purposes, I'll probably want to add in a dash of the supernatural with my own bit of flair...but I think it may be something special.

I never know when a good idea will hit me, or where I'll get my next inspiring thought, so I always keep an open mind for whatever may come. I'll be pocketing this idea, along with slew of others I have locked away in my handy-dandy notebook, for later use. Until then, I have about 24 hours worth of Korean teen drama to catch up on!

On a different note, I recently heard from my editor with Evernight Teen and have been working on my first round of edits for about a week now. I'm about halfway through and am so excited I may bust!

Happy reading and writing!

THERE'S NOTHING TO IT, BUT TO DO IT!

Hey All!!!
Lately I've been going through a serious reading mode. You know the one, the kind where you devour two to three books a week with no thoughts to the other things you need to be doing, like, *cough, cough*, writing.

I realized that this wasn't healthy writer behavior, so I tried to force myself into a writing schedule, to get myself back on track. That ended with me looking up last night at 9:30 pm, with no writing done, but almost a book and a half cleaned off my plate. At that moment I went back and forth in my brain, determining if it was worth it to sit down for all of half an hour before bed to get some words on the page. I had had a chapter in my head for two days. I knew where I wanted to  go with the story. I just had to sit my tail down and write it out.

I'd almost decided that there wasn't enough time to finish an entire chapter, so it wasn't worth it to start the process, when a thought echoed around in my brain...

"There's nothing to it, but to do it!"

I'd heard that saying while watching Tia and Tamera's reality show - I believe Tia's husband said it one day when they were deciding on whether or not to continue with a project or something - and it just stuck with me.

So, I sat down last night, and wrote out the first section of that chapter...and I feel great about it! Sometimes life doesn't give you perfection when it come to your schedule or even your desire to get the words down. But that doesn't mean that you just wait around for the right timing. Sometimes you have to sit your tail down, even if it's for half an hour, and get some work done. Even a little bit at a time is better than nothing at all.

Happy reading and writing!

MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH KICK-ASSED HEROINES

Hey All!!!
So, I'm slowly making my way through my NA novel that is untitled while reading the Night Huntress Series on the side. In doing both of these things, I realized that I have a serious love affair with kick-assed heroines. Like, seriously serious. Like, put the BF on notice that he has major competition for my affections, serious.

I don't know what it is about a strong female who is more than capable of fighting her own battles and bringing men to their knees, while still being feminine and beautiful, that really appeals to me, but it does. Maybe it's the fact that I've always been shorter, and curvier, and in some ways quieter than my peers. Maybe it's the fact that I've always wanted to be the sort of girl that's able to stop traffic and who feels powerful. Who knows what it is, but it's a love that I see in all of my books now - from the ones I write to the ones I read.

I think that's why I absolutely LOVE Cat from the Night Huntress Series. She's not perfect, and makes more mistakes than you can count, but she's powerful and fierce and wonderfully loyal. And she can kick your butt without a moments hesitation. Cat's the kind of character I want to write. And secretly, a bit of the character I want to be. I'll just have to keep putting pen to paper until I get it right. That, and ramp up my martial arts training as well.

Happy reading and writing!

I'M GOING TO BE A PUBLISHED AUTHOR!

Hey All!!!
So, you may have noticed the wonderfully fancy button that I've recently added to my blog. And I can confirm that I will be officially published with Evernight Teen! I'm not sure as to the date yet, but I'm excited for you all to be able to read Cursed in the very near future.

I'll be putting together a post with all the details in the next few days.

Until then...happy reading and writing!

I'M A FINALIST TO BE POSSIBLY PUBLISHED!!!

Hey All!!!
As you all know, I've been plucking away at this writing business for a while now. And you may have noticed that I've recently made a few comments hinting at the fact that I'm oh so close to being a part of the published community due to a writing contest with a independent publishing house in Austin, Texas.

Well, I can officially announce that I'm a finalist with for the Yummy but Brainy Writing Contest with Children's Brains Are Yummy Books!

About a year ago I submitted my query letter to CBAY Books in an effort to see if they'd be interested in publishing my work. I'd done my research on them, and while they aren't one of the big five (or six, depending on how you see publishing), they have a steady presence and have had some really good books come out (I'm a fan of P.J. Hoover =)! ). A few weeks later I was notified that I was selected as a semi-finalist and was asked to send my full manuscript over. And a few weeks after that I was selected as a finalist for the contest.

Now, I've spent the last few months polishing up my manuscript with one of their amazing editors on staff. I can say with confidence that the experience taught me SO much, and I'm a better writer because of it. So, where do we go from here?

The first sixty pages of my book, along with a wonderful cover, will be available for download on CBAY's website here starting sometime this week. Starting on June 1st, there will be a page where you can go and vote for your favorite book to be published! You can also recommend another book be selected as well, if you're having a hard time choosing just one.

Below is a blurb of the awesomeness that is my story:

Jazz hunts Suecai—an evil kind of incubi and succubae that have turned their backs on the ways of her people—that devour the essence of humans. During a standard raid Jazz is caught by a Suecai leader and cursed. With only weeks left, Jazz and her best friend Khan are now hunting the Suecai alone—not to protect humans but to save her own life. But will the growing attraction she feels for Khan get in the way?

Here's hoping that you all get a chance to read Cursed in the very near future! More updates to come soon.

Happy Reading and Writing!

GOING WITH THE FLOW OF LIFE

Hey All!!!
So, last week was a real mess. I was all geared up to put the finishing touches on the first sixty pages of my manuscript for the Children's Brains Are Yummy publishing contest when disaster struck in the form of an nasty allergic reaction. If you've never had an allergic reaction before, let me tell you...don't. It was one of the most uncomfortable and icky experiences I've ever gone through and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy (well, I think I wouldn't).

Basically, the days I set aside to finish up all of my hard work and coast towards that finish line were a complete wash. So, what did I did? Well, I had to go with the flow and work with it. I spent my weekend doing the work I'd hoped to complete during the week and will be looking over the final product tonight.

When it comes to writing and life you can't waste time crying over the small stuff. Sure, it's easy to get overwhelmed and to spend time sulking, just don't let too much time go by doing that. Typically, I'll give myself a few hours tops to do my, "Woe is me" thing before picking myself up, rolling up my sleeves, and getting back to it.

You have to go with the flow of life and never quite...and that's the good and honest truth!

WHEN AWESOME IDEAS ATTACK

Hey All!!!
Imagine this:

You're at your writing critique group meeting, shooting the breeze, talking plot points, and just chatting about overall life. In your spare time you've been trying to work out a new story idea that would fit in with the current reading trends you're seeing. You know the one: girl meets boy, girl likes boy but knows there's something seriously wrong with boy, girl finds boy is X, girl finds herself very attracted to boy because of X or Y redeeming qualities, girl and boy fall in love and fight X situation together.

Suddenly, one of your critique group members makes a comment that leads you to think on one of your favorite sci-fi shows and voila, you've got a spankin' new tale on your hands.

Something similar happened to me tonight. An idea just hit me out of the blue when chatting it up with friends. And it's GOOD!!! Well, I think it is anyway.

There's nothing more exciting than when you get that sudden burst of a shiny new idea. It's the beginning...a new start. And the possibilities of where that tale can take you are endless. I love this part of writing. The glimmer of an idea. Fleshing out the main characters and who they are. Thinking about what they want and what gets in their way. And finally penning that first draft.

I don't know about you guys, but when I get in these moods, I become darn near obsessed. I eat, drink, and breathe the details until they solidify.

Now all I need is a new notebook to jot all of this down in!

How do you all handle the idea phase of your writing process? Is it something you revel in, or something you don't look forward to?

Happy Writing!!!

WHAT IT'S LIKE EDITING ON A DEADLINE

Hey All!!!
For the past few weeks I've been crazily focused on the edits for my book. This is nothing new. Dealing with hours of editing kind of comes with the territory of writing. But what's different about THESE edits is that they're on a hard deadline...one that's quickly approaching.

See, I'm a finalist for a writing contest with Children's Brains Are Yummy Books, an independent publisher of middle-grade and young adult novels based out of Austin, Texas! One of the major perks of being a finalist for this contest is that you get a line critique done by one of their editors. Then you have a few months - it was three and a half for me - to make the necessary changes before a portion of the book is posted online for wonderful folks like you all to vote on.

So what's it like editing with a deadline:

1) You're super excited at first because an editor has read your entire book and actually took the time to give you insight into what's good and not so good about it.

2) You dive into the editorial letter and notes, and see how the changes make your story really take on a polished and professional feel. In the process, you realize that not only is your story getting better, but your abilities as a writer are improving as well.

3) After weeks of going through your chapters, your editing engine slows down as you realize that going through 250 pages of line edits can be more than a bit grueling.

4) In an effort to maintain your sanity, you take some time to do other things you love to decompress, like reading a steamy romance for fun, because your eyes begin to bleed from even the thought of looking at your story.

5) You stay focused and push through - even though there are times when you don't want to - because you can see that you're story is getting better and better.

6) You have more than a few moments of yelling, "My writing sucks!"

7) After much pain and with an exhausted brain, you end up with a wonderfully polished story that you hope your editor will love as well.

8) You get more edits and start all over again!

Now, I'm assuming this is the case for number 8...since I haven't gotten to this part yet. I'm sending my first round of edited material over at the end of this week.

All in all, editing with an industry professional is an exhilarating and humbling experience that I hope to get to repeat for many years to come!

Happy Writing!!!

CREATING CREATIVE WRITING OPPORTUNITIES

Hey All!!!
Lately the BF's new gig has him hopping around the US of A. And when he's gone, I get to spend some QT with his cutie pie of a dog named Jazz =) (like my main character - and no, I'm not biased at all!). But bouncing around from place to place has forced me to think outside the box when it comes to my writing spaces and how I can make sure to keep to my writing schedule.

Typically I like to sit down with my good ol' laptop and pound out my edits for the day. I close myself off in my room with no T.V. and little distractions, and lose myself in the work. I've found, however, that lugging that laptop all over the place can be a bit...difficult. Especially since I like to frequent the gym after work and am not too keen on leaving my hardware in the establishment locker rooms - I just don't want to chance it. I was about to pull my hair out trying to figure out how I was going to get any writing done when I'm away from home, when a friend of mine turned me on to the awesomeness that is the google drive and google docs.

Using these products I'll be able to work from anywhere - without having to manuveur the dropping off of the laptop dance that I'm all too fond of (NOT!).

What do your writing spaces look like? Have any of you had to battle with thinking outside the box when it comes to where and when you get your writing in?

Happy Writing!!!

WHAT IS PRODUCTIVITY

Hey All!!!
This weekend I was faced with one of the many things that can completely derail a writer when he or she is attempting to be as productive as possible, the inconvenient and always annoying illness - more specifically, in my case, my chronic sinisitis. There I was folks, kicking butts and taking names in my awesome ability to research the heck out of a wide range of topics while waiting for my story to present it itself to me, and then my nose starts acting up!!! To say that I was angry, well, that doesn't even cut it.

I found myself laid up in my bed (or on the couch, depending on what time of the day it was), able to do nothing more than sleep and mindlessly watch bad television while heavily medicating myself so I could function.

So, what did I do to try to keep productive while incapacitated?

I changed my viewpoint of the situation I was in.

Instead of being angry with my bum sinus cavity for acting an ass, I shifted my focus on resting so I could get better sooner. See, normally I work myself to the bone, only stopping to rest after office hours or during the weekend. It seems sad to waste perfectly good Paid Time Off hours on being sick, so I try to avoid this at all costs. But this time I took a day or two off to really focus on getting better. Being at work while sick isn't really helping myself or anyone else, and it prolongs my illness by days, I'm sure. And when I was feeling a bit better, I focused my time on reading more and researching agents and publishing houses for my two books.

So, when it comes down to it, sometimes resting oneself can be just as important to being productive as writing, reading, and any other activity a writer may be involved in.

Happy Writing!!!