SO WHAT DO YOU WANT?

Hey All!!!

Yesterday I was getting my meals together for today and my husband and I got to talking about goals. See, I've been trying to lose the same 30 pounds for years now and seem to continually get distracted by one thing or another. It's been a tough battle, but the one constant question Brandon asks me when I'm "starting again" is what I want.

It seems like a simple question, right? Unfortunately, the simple questions are often the ones that throw us for the biggest loops. And I've found that simple question plaguing me in so much more than my weight loss journey, but with my writing as well.

What do I want?

So I had to sit down and really start thinking about my short-term and long-term goals, and be more specific than I've ever been. And while it hasn't been easy, I'm feeling more happy and focused than ever these days. I even wrote a whole chapter last night!

I've been thinking of vision boarding boarding lately and focusing on what success means to me. Maybe it's not the number on the scale, but obtaining a certain body look? Or maybe it's not about being the next J.K., but writing more diverse books and finding my audience.

I don't have all the answers, but I do feel like I'm on the right track!

Happy reading and writing!

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!

CURSED BOOK COVER!!!

Hey All!!!
Here it is. My cover for Cursed, a YA Urban Fantasy to be published with Evernight Teen!

Isn't she gorgeous!!!

More details soon to come.

Happy reading and writing!

BOOK COVER TO BE REVEALED SOON!!!

Hey All!!!
I just received the most wonderful news. My book cover for Cursed has been completed and sent to me...and it's gorgeous! I'm so excited I may just burst.

I'll be posting the cover soon. I hope you all love it as much as I do!

Happy reading and writing!

WHAT KDRAMAS TAUGHT ME ABOUT WRITING!

Hey All!!!
So, as you know I've been devouring KDramas (aka Korean Dramas) lately, and after having finished my first two series I had a bit of a revelation about my own writing process and the dos and don'ts of storytelling.

The first two dramas I watched were the ever popular Boys Over Flowers (2009) and the sweet and wonderful Playful Kiss (2010). While I loved them both for different reasons, I had a difficult time finishing up Boys Over Flowers for one simple reason - they put my girl Jan-di through way too much crap! I mean really, writers? Did you have to keep throwing issue, after issue, after issue her way? I guess it's a nod towards their writing of a wonderfully loveable character that I got so upset, but that's beside the point. The point is, by the last four to six episodes I had to keep taking breaks from the show because I was all frazzled by what they'd be putting my girl through next (thank goodness for bloggers out there like Dramabeans who blogged detailed episode synopses or I'd have gone stir-crazy).

And it was through watching that series that I learned a valuable lesson. While it's a storytellers job to give his or her audience some drama and conflict, if you give too much you risk losing your audience all together...and that's no good.

While Playful Kiss did throw many obstacles at main character Ha-Ni, the resolution came at a good time where I was just at the breaking point of throwing my hands up.

As writers we all have to walk that oh-so-thin line between giving the conflict needed to make a story great, and overdoing it. I don't ever want to overdo it. So, I'll make sure to be mindful of just how much crap I put my main characters through. And hopefully will find a nice balance that'll keep everyone who'll read my fanciful stories happy.

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!

MOOD MUSIC AND WRITING

Hey All!!!
Like many others, I recently watched the MTV VMA's. I gawked at the mess that is Miley Cyrus, was in awe of the wonder that is Justin Timberlake, and squealed like the girl that I'm not when *NSYNC came on stage for all of 30 seconds (and YES I would pay anything to go to a reunion concert). So, I was happily caught up the next morning when all of the post award show buzz on the Kidd Kraddick Show was going on. Or so I thought.

Smack in the middle of the round up, they started gushing over Bruno Mars performance and I felt a little lost. It wasn't that I didn't see it. I caught a bit of it after my evening shower. By that point the show had gone on a bit long for me and I'd already caught the section I'd really wanted to see (Justin/*NSYNC) so I was winding down for the night. I didn't really pay attention to the song Bruno Mars was singing, but remembered thinking it had a catchy tune. But when Kelly Raspberry went on about how it was an orgasmic experience, well, I HAD to figure out what all of the hype was about.

I immediately downloaded it right then and there in the car...and was completely blown away!

Gorilla by Bruno Mars is gritty, raw, sensual, and completely awesome! And it put my brain in such a perfect mood to write romance and sexy-time that I had a writing breakthrough that night.

That's the great thing about music and creating. The right song can completely shift your mood, bringing about feelings and emotions that you can use for your writing. And depending on your life experiences, the music and words can even draw upon the familiar emotions you felt long ago.

Lately as I've been writing, I've been able to evoke all of those hot and lusty feelings of the initial attraction one can have for a potential love interest - and I believe it's made my first few chapters of my new NA story even better!

How does music effect your reading and writing experience? Are you someone who likes complete silence when you throw yourself into a tale or writing? Or do you like to have a little mood music to guide your way?

Happy reading and writing!

THE EVER ELUSIVE BAD BOY IN FICTION

Hey All!!!
Against my original mind, I decided to pick up Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire last week. When I first heard of this book I was pretty turned off by what was described to me as one seriously dysfunctional relationship. For me, when it comes to fiction for young people, I get a bit protective about what we thrust in front of them. With two very young nieces that I adore at home I want to make sure that anything we put in front of them promotes healthy and stable situations and relationships. What scared me about the reviews I saw was the fact that many felt the book glorified an abusive relationship.

So, I read through the first 2/3 of the book and skimmed through the rest...and am still not sure how I feel about it. Is the relationship between the two main characters a mess? Without a doubt! Did I enjoy the parts that I read? Absolutely! Will I let my nieces pick it up when they're of age? Hell no! (If I can stop them. If I can't, we'll at least have a very long talk about how this is NOT the type of relationship they should be having).

In thinking about this book for the past few days, I started focusing on how we glorify the "bad boy" in fiction and entertainment today. I wrote a short blog post on this before, but it still hits home for me.

Why are we so drawn as girls and women to the guys that are no good for us? Is it that thrill of the hunt - of possibly being the one exception to the rule for that bad boy? The hope of being the one person who will tame him. If that's the case, I'll quote the movie He's Just Not That Into You and state that there are no exceptions!

Or is it the thrill and excitement that comes with that situation?

I get it. For real, I do! I spent quite a bit of time with my own versions of the thrilling and exciting bad boy. You know the ones. They never commit. It feels great when it's good, but when it's bad...oh it's bad! It's like being on an emotional roller coaster where you're just hoping things level out eventually, when deep down, you know they never will.

Give me the stable and steady love of the good guy any day!

Now, I don't think we'll ever give up on that elusive bad boy in fiction...he's just too fun to play around with in our heads! But hopefully, one day, we'll see more of an emergence of the good guy actually finishing first in fiction. Besides, who said that the good guy can't be sexy and fun and thrilling? Ummmm, can we say Peeta in the Hunger Games!!!

For a nice list on the good guys of YA check out this post from Emily's Reading Room. It's an oldie, but a goodie. Two of my tops make her list!

Happy reading and writing!

GREAT POST ABOUT THE TWO THINGS AN AGENT IS NOT!

Hey All!!!
I was searching the blog-o-spere and found this post by Janet Kobobel Grant, an agent with Books and Such Literary Agency. It's very easy, as a writer, to think that agents have all the answers - that they are the guardians of the gilded doors to the literary industry, so to speak. But they are people too, and can only do so much for you.

I've always said that being a shrewd business person or leader doesn't require a person to be the smartest in the room, as long as he or she is smart enough to surround his or herself WITH the smartest people they can. If traditional publishing is the route you're taking, you have to learn to work with and trust in the agent you have.

Happy reading and writing!

MY WRITING BRAND - AN AUTHOR OF COLOR WHO WRITES DIVERSE PARANORMAL FICTION

Hey All!!!
Recently I've been delving into learning the marketing and branding side of the business of writing. Turns out that you have to do more than just write an amazing tale with relatable characters to make it in this business...much more. In addition to writing and editing, you have to have your brand fully developed, a platform established, and a hefty presence on social media and the like. It's serious business to say the least.

Instead of getting properly overwhelmed, which is my normal M.O., I decided to take this whole marketing and branding piece of writing one sliver of work at a time and dissect it like we used to do in A&P in high school. First up, my author branding!

An author's brand is his or her core philosophy when it comes to writing. What is the message that you'd like to share with the world? And why? What drives your passion for putting in the blood, sweat, tears, and pulled out hair that this process takes? There are a lot of resources out there that can help you to develop a brand. The website I looked into can be found here. You just have to apply the plethora of information out there to you.

As far as my brand, here goes nothing:

I am a writer of color who writes diverse paranormal fiction. What makes my writing different from the slew of books already out there is the fact that mine features a diverse cast of characters. We live in a world where you find a proverbial rainbow of folks in every high school, college, and office - and I'm not just talking race here. We have different cultural backgrounds and sexual orientations, different socioeconomic groups. So why do we not see this same type of diversity in the books on our shelves? Especially the books out there for young folks.

There are so many different kinds of people out there who love paranormal fiction. I want to give all lovers of paranormal fiction a voice, as well as to build worlds in my books that reflect the world around us, in all its glorious diversity!

So that's my brand. Maybe I'll post a chapter or two of my writing here...hopefully you all like it.

Happy reading and writing!!!

MARKETING AND WRITING

Hey All!!!
So, I've found myself at the crossroads that many authors face to when it comes to perfecting their craft: The art of writing vs. the art of marketing.

Many writers find the art of writing an easy skill to focus on. It's something we want to do, need to do. No one has to tell me the importance of determining my writing style, or of making sure I continue to stay in the habit of writing daily. And no one has to point out how much better my writing becomes when I steer clear of being wordy and focus on the properly plot points.

But when it comes to the art of marketing I tend to immediately feel overwhelmed and squeamish. What is the line between promoting a book and being a good ol' fashioned bug-a-boo? Let's be frank, no one strives to be that guy or gal who is on your Twitter feed every hour, on the hour, asking you to buy his or her wonderful book. Like I tell my new hires in orientation, you don't want to be the person who starts a job, guns blazing, talking about what needs to be done to fix a company (unless you were specifically hired to do that). So, how does one navigate the map of marketing without crossing this crazy line?

That's what I'm researching now, and I hope to find a resolution soon.

Happy reading and writing!

WHEN CHARACTERS SURPRISE YOU

Hey All!!!
So, I'm working on a new YA novel. When I was first outlining this story, I saw the love interest as an all around nice guy - the athlete who likes to take tons of photos in his spare time. The guy who tells everyone that he takes those photos as a hobby to "beef up his resume", but who deep down loves everything there is about photography.

But when I started writing the first major scene between him and my main character, I was surprised to find he's a bit more snarky and arrogant than I originally thought. It's not that that's who he is deep down, it's just that people have expected certain things from him for so long and he's started to believe the lies.

The realization of the layers to my character shocked the heck out of me...but it also filled me with excitement and amazement!

That's the joy of writing. Not only does it enable me to get all of these voices and stories and what ifs out of my head, but it also enables me to discover so many different lives and personalities. It gives me hope in people and keeps me in awe of our wonderful complexities. And that's something I'll always value.

Happy Reading and Writing!!!

VOTE FOR CURSED TO BE PUBLISHED!!!

Hey All!!!
Voting for the Yummy but Brainy Writing Contest for CBAY Books has opened. You can vote for Cursed to be published here.

I hope you all will see Cursed published very soon!!!

Happy reading and writing.

CONTEST BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD!!!

Hey All!!!
The finalists' books for the Yummy But Brainy Writing Contest are now available here!!!

You can read the first sixty pages of my novel, Cursed, and on June 1st voting opens.

I hope you all like it!

Happy reading and writing.

SHOW ME YOU LOVE ME: DETERMINING NEW WAYS TO CONVEY FALLING IN LOVE IN WRITING

Hey All!!!
So, I'm working on edits for the first sixty or so pages of my manuscript and the editor I'm working with gave me a unique challenge. He wanted me to find new, innovative ways to show that my main character, Jazz, is falling in love with her team member Khan.

See, I read a good deal of YA and what I'm used to seeing is a mixture of the below:

• Heart fluttering
• Heart pounding
• Breath catching
• Tingles running up some body part

And on, and on, and on.

When the editor came at me with this challenge I was a bit at a loss for what to do. I'm so used to seeing the heart fluttering and just understanding what it means. How was I going to break the habit of using these tried and true wordings to convey what I wanted to say?

So, what did I do? I sat down with the BF, my friends, my family and myself, and asked one key question: How did it feel when you were falling in love?

It's simple, but to the point. And so far I've gotten a variety of answers. Everything from, " I knew because I realized that you were a constant thought on my mind," to, "I felt an open pit in the middle of my chest and was always longing for my significant other." And I'm still gathering intel.

And if that wasn't enough - as if the Big-Man-Upstairs heard my question - YA Highway posted this today!

Love is a difficult beast to wrestle in writing, but if done properly I believe it's a universal concept that we all can relate to with a warm and happy familiarity. Why do you think Romance has always been, and will always be, hot!

Happy Writing!

THE GREATNESS OF IN-PERSON CRITIQUE GROUPS

Hey All!!!
YA Highway is a great resource for writers of any genre, but especially helpful to those of us who write MG or YA. They just put up a really great post on in-person critique groups and how they function which I thought you all might find interesting. The post can be found here.

I've been with my own critique group for many years now and meeting in-person does provide a different dynamic than the groups you may participate in online. I believe each has it's pros and cons and as a writer you have to determine which option is best for you. That doesn't mean that you have to choose between the two either. Some of my writer friends participate in multiple in-person and online groups at the same time. So, do what works for you!

Happy Writing!!!

GREAT REVIEW FOR MY BUDDIES BOOK: THE PYRAMID WALTZ!!!

Hey All!!!
One of my critique group buddies and fellow writer of all things awesome, Barbara Wright, published an amazing book called The Pyramid Waltz. It's available through Bold Stokes Books here! Now, I may be a little biased, but I do know good books, and Barbara has penned a story that's chocked full of action, with magic and a hot romance thrown in for measure.

Don't believe me, here's a great review that might change your mind!

Below is an synopsis:

To most, Princess Katya Nar Umbriel is a rogue and a layabout; she parties, she hunts and she breaks women’s hearts. But when the festival lights go down and the palace slumbers, Katya chases traitors to the crown and protects the kingdom’s greatest secret: the royal Umbriels are part Fiend. When Katya thwarts an attempt to expose the king’s monstrous side, she uncovers a plot to let the Fiends out to play.

Starbride has no interest in being a courtier. Ignoring her mother’s order to snare an influential spouse, she comes to court only to study law. But a flirtatious rake of a princess proves hard to resist, and Starbride is pulled into a world of secrets that leaves little room for honesty or love, a world neither woman may survive.

And she's also coming out with the sequel in May of 2013! I'm happy to see those in my writing circle doing amazing things!

Happy Writing!!!