Feature Friday - On Writing In Male POV

Feature Friday is a feature on Bookish Treasures that spotlights an author through either a guest post or interview so that they can share something special about their books or their path to publication.

Today's feature is a guest post from author Lilly Avalon whose first New Adult book is releasing later this month and this is also the first time she has written in male POV.

Unexpected by Lilly Avalon

Synopsis

Ever had one of those days? Alina Lyons is having one. Everything keeps falling apart and going wrong. Just when she thinks it couldn't get worse, it does. After a case of mistaken identity and a broken heart, she finds herself questioning the things she thought she knew. She wonders who she can turn to or trust anymore.

An unlikely bond with her former best friend's ex, Ryan Wilcox, sends her life in a new direction. He offers her a place to stay while she gets her life back on track. His friendship is exactly what she's been missing—what she's been needing. Alina's never felt this alive. As time goes by, the dynamic of their relationship becomes more than either of them expected. A few innocent kisses could lead them in a new direction, but are they prepared for what's on the other side?

Only one way to find out.

Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

On Writing in Male POV

Last year when I first started writing Unexpected, it was originally going to be in Alina's point of view only. I've written all my stories from female POV since I started. The majority of the books I've read are told from a female protagonist's POV, so it was fresh and clear in my head. There was something missing from the story, though, so I had to set it aside. I didn't pinpoint it until more than half a year later after I finished my fourth published story. The reason why Unexpected wasn't working was because it needed to be told from Ryan's POV, too.

This was a surprising (and exciting) revelation for me. I've read several stories told in dual POV and always wanted to take a stab at it myself. My biggest fear? Making Ryan's voice sound believable. I hadn't dabbled in it before Unexpected, and after writing from the POV of my female characters for so long, I needed to adapt. I was also afraid of bouncing back and forth between Alina and Ryan, and whether I could handle two points of view at once.

I had several scenes already written from before (all of which were in Alina's POV) so I had a lot to sift through and change. When I got to Ryan's first chapter, I tapped into the inner workings of his head. "If I were in Ryan's shoes, how would I be reacting? What would I be thinking? What would be driving my reactions and thoughts?" My female protagonists have all had male love interests, so I'm aware of the body language and the dialogue. His thoughts, however, were a different story.

His whole first chapter was something I had to spend extra time on. As I wrote his inner monologue, I would have to stop and think for a moment: "Is this really what he's thinking about? Why would he be contemplating this?" There were a couple times I felt like Alina's POV was seeping through, so I had to delete words, sentences, and paragraphs because they weren't right. I pressed on, digging deeper into Ryan's psyche. And then he spoke. I felt like I was finally there--Ryan was letting me in and I could visualize him better than before.

I still doubted myself, though. I decided after writing four chapters (two in Alina's POV and two in Ryan's) that I would send them to a trusted writer friend to make sure I was on the right track. It felt like I was, but as a writer it's always good to get a second opinion. The point of view is a major aspect of the story--you need to nail it or the whole thing could fall apart. My friend read the chapters and told me that I was definitely on the right track. I was relieved to hear that.

As I progressed through the story, I could perceive Ryan's personality more and more. When I asked the right questions, he gave me the answers I needed. His motivation was key--discern the motivation and get a clear answer to his actions. He surprised me on more than one occasion, but in a good way. By the time I reached the end, it felt like Ryan was part of me.

When you're writing in a new perspective, especially one you've never written in before, it does take time to develop a knack for it. One thing I attribute the success of Ryan's POV to is reading. Go out of your way to read several books told in either dual POV or male POV. Pay close attention to the male characters. That alone goes a long way when it comes to writing it. And when you are writing it, definitely ask your character as many questions as you can. You'll get the answers, not always immediately, but you will.

Writing in male POV was an experience for me. It felt daunting at first, but my confidence built up the more I kept at it. You learn a lot more about your characters when you have more than one perspective. It was a great change of pace and it expanded my repertoire. It was absolutely worth the effort to give it a try. I ended up enjoying the challenge and I know that this won't be the last male POV I write.

Feature Friday - From A Contest To A Publishing Contract

Synopsis

There’s a drawer I never open. It holds a picture I never look at. It reminds me of a day I hate to remember, but I’ll never forget.

I’d give anything to be like the other girls on campus. Going to parties, flirting with boys, planning for a future. But that’s not me. And hasn’t been since the day my parents died. The only thing that got me through was Griffin. Even though I didn’t have my family, I always had him. Only, now I’m not so sure I do.
It’s not just the eleven hundred miles separating us now that I’m at college. And it’s more than his band finally taking off, and all the gigs and girls suddenly demanding his time. It’s like everything is different—the way we talk, the way we text . . . the way he looks at me and the way his looks make me feel.

Griffin has been the only good thing in my life since that horrific day. I can feel our friendship slipping away—and I’m terrified of what will be left in its place…

Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

From a Contest to a Publishing Contract: Marie Meyer’s Publication Journey

Hello, Everyone! I’m honored to share my publication journey with the Bookish Treasures readers! Thank you for the invitation, Laura! I’m Marie Meyer. I write new adult romances. My debut NA contemporary romance, ACROSS THE DISTANCE, came out on May 5, 2015! It’s been fantastic getting to know so many awesome readers, bloggers, and reviewers. A huge thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed AtD. I’m humbled by everyone’s love and support! And if you just couldn’t get enough of Griffin in AtD, August 4^th is your lucky day! Griffin gets to tell his side of the story in CAN’T GO BACK! I’m so excited to share Griffin with everyone! I love him dearly and I hope you do too!

So, I’m sure you’re all wondering how an elementary school teacher (that’s right, I’m a teacher by day) got her foot through the publication door. Well, let me tell you…

My publishing journey began back in the fall of 2008, when I co-authored my first novel, a YA paranormal romance. After sending out at least 100 query letters to agents over the course of three years, my co-author and I kept getting the same responses: there were too many paranormal romances on agents lists at the time. With the saturation of PNR, we cut our losses and shoved the YA into a drawer.

But, I wasn’t ready to give up on writing just yet. After reading Tamara Weber’s Easy, I was hooked on new adult! This was the genre I wanted to write! I loved the age (18-25), the decisions and situations characters were faced with, all of it!

In January of 2013, I sat down and began my first draft of what would become ACROSS THE DISTANCE. Four months later, I finished AtD and started polishing and revising.

And polishing and revising. And polishing and revising.

And polishing and revising…

You see a pattern, I’m sure! ;)

When I looked up from the computer screen, it was November. ACROSS THE DISTANCE was as shiny as I could make it (but not nearly as shiny as it would become). That’s when I came across a tweet from Brenda Drake, announcing her upcoming Pitch Wars contest. I went back and forth, weighing the pros and cons of entering and not entering. Was it AtD ready? Was I ready? Could I handle more rejection?

The answer to every one of those questions was, YES! If I was serious about becoming an author, then I needed to be brave and put myself out there. The only way AtD was ever going to catch the interest of an agent was either by diving into the query trenches or toss it into a contest. Throwing caution to the wind, I entered AtD into Pitch Wars, not expecting much.

But, come early December, when Pitch Wars mentors announced their teams, to my astonishment, Lady Lioness (mentor extraordinaire) had chosen my entry!

Over the course of the next two months, under Lioness’s kick-butt editorial guidance, I ripped my manuscript to shreds (literally cutting out a major character and piecing my manuscript back together). I hoped and prayed my hard work would result in some agent love during the Pitch Wars agent round.

During the agent round, the agents who participate in Pitch Wars, hop from blog to blog reading the pitches and opening paragraphs of the Pitch Wars contestants’ manuscripts. If an agent likes what he or she reads, they comment on the blog post with instructions to send the manuscript along with a query letter.

At the end of the agent round, I had two agents comment on my entry! Not only was I still blown away that ACROSS THE DISTANCE had been selected by a mentor, but now it was getting some attention from agents! I couldn’t believe it!

I sent both agents the completed AtD manuscript and a query letter, as they’d asked for (always follow an agent’s submission guidelines!!!).

In the subsequent weeks, as I waited to hear back from the Pitch Wars agents, I sent out eleven more queries to other agents. Then, a month later, on Valentine’s Day, I received an email from Louise Fury, at the Bent Agency, wanting to set up a time to speak on the phone! I was ecstatic!! A few days later, I had the pleasure of speaking to Ms. Fury on the phone, which then lead to an offer of representation!

Once I signed with Louise, she championed AtD, sending it out on submission to publishing houses. Eventually AtD found a home with Grand Central Publishing! Not only did Grand Central love AtD, they also wanted its companion novel, CAN’T GO BACK (August 2015), and THE TURNING POINT, the contemporary new adult romance I’m currently working on (releasing in November). At the end of 2015, I will have published three novels! Unreal!

Writing takes patience. I’m just beginning my publishing journey with the recent release of ACROSS THE DISTANCE. But, I’ve been working toward this goal for six years. Every rejection letter, every rewrite, every revision spurs me on, and makes me want to do better. Writing takes hard work and dedication and in order to get better, a writer must write.

If you have ever dreamed of writing a story you want to share with others, don’t give up! One day, your story will be in the hands of readers! Oh, and participate in contests! If I hadn’t done Pitch Wars, I don’t know where I would be today.

Pitch Wars 2015 is right around the corner! If you would like to know more about Pitch Wars 2015, the link with the contest schedule is below. If you have a finished, polished manuscript, the submission day for Pitch Wars 2015 is August 17^th. Give it a try! What do you have to lose? J

Pitch Wars 2015 Contest Schedule

Again, thank you, Laura, for giving me the opportunity to share my story with your readers!

Keep writing and enter contests!

<3 Marie

About Marie

Marie Meyer was a language arts teacher for fourteen years. She spends her days in the classroom and her nights writing heartfelt new adult romances that will leave readers clamoring for more. She is a member of RWA and the St. Louis Writers Guild. Marie's short fiction won honorable mentions from the St. Louis Writers Guild in 2010 and 2011. She is a proud mommy and enjoys helping her oldest daughter train for the Special Olympics, making up silly stories with her youngest daughter, and binging on weeks of DVR'd television shows with her husband.

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Feature Friday - Understanding is Contagious: the Importance of Diversity and Starting a Conversation

Synopsis

Nithya, a vivacious, intelligent and driven college senior has always known what she has wanted: a successful career in medicine and the love of her family. She's even come to terms with the idea of an arranged marriage, a tradition her conservative Indian family has held up for thousands of years.

When a night of partying puts her on a collision course with danger, Nithya's entire life changes.

Enter James St. Clair, the smart, challenging and heartbreakingly handsome American.

As Nithya and James fall in love, she questions the future she and her parents have always planned. Now, Nithya has a choice to make: become a doctor and a good Indian bride, or step away from her family and centuries of culture to forge her own path.

The decision she comes to takes her on a journey that transforms how she sees her future, her relationships with loved ones, and how she learns to put herself back together when even her best-laid plans fall apart.

Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

Understanding is Contagious: the Importance of Diversity and Starting a Conversation

A writer friend and I had a really honest, enlightening conversation the other day about diversity. She is white. I am Indian-American. I was telling her how one of my biggest fears was that I would get my first book “wrong”…even though the character is just like me. Like I’ve posted about before, putting my positive and negative experiences with my Indianness on paper is like pulling the skin off a burn. Sometimes it forces you to face things about yourself that you didn’t want to admit. Other times, it gives you glimpses of beauty you never appreciated.

Before I wax poetic, let me backtrack. My first novel, The Rearranged Life, released on May 15th. Woohoo! It’s a story that I have lived, both directly and peripherally. An Indian-American college student named Nithya falls for an American and challenges everything her traditional family hopes for: medical school and a semi-arranged marriage. I wrote what I knew—about an identity crisis that many first-generation children of immigrants face when deciding where they are coming from and where they are going. My character treads the line between American and Indian cultures, often setting foot in one or the other as needed. It’s been an incredible experience debuting—all of my insecurities that made it onto the page were quelled by the immense positivity of those who read the story and commented that Nithya was, even in her Indianness, similar to them. Like I said before, being Indian has, on the rare but poignant occasion, been cause for attention, like that time I got called a sand ni--er or the time I was well-meaningly told that I must be smart because I’m Asian (for the record, please don’t ever put my math grades in a public domain).

And while my experience has been refreshing and party-worthy, judging by the reading I’ve been doing lately on Twitter and otherwise, we still have a long way to go with diversity in the book world. I follow a number of authors who are heavily involved in social justice and I am learning new things every single day. It’s very easy to ask myself, “What voice do I have? If I’m still learning, I’m bound to make rookie mistakes, right?” My friend told me she was afraid to start because since she was white, she felt she would offend everyone and her deepest fear was to hurt the very people she wanted to represent accurately. Clearly, despite being a person of colour, my fears and the fears of people who want to support me are the same.

Let me digress for a second. My main character, Nithya, comes from a state called Andhra Pradesh. Being from different states comes with some big differences in Indian culture. Each state speaks a different language. Each region has a different dialect. Last names can tell you where a person is from geographically, what language they speak, what caste they’re from (which can lead to social cues, occupations, and tradition differences) and sometimes the kind of life they live. I had to think about some of these nuances when figuring out my characters.

I know these things about Nithya because I’ve lived a similar life. But how would anyone else, say, who isn’t Indian, know that?

Simply by asking questions.

I’m going to illustrate the point here. I grew up in central Pennsylvania. I’ve discussed in other blog posts that the ratio of farm animals to humans is about ten to one. I also grew up in a college town. That meant there were two populations: one, a highly educated and diverse population and the other, not so diverse but with curiosity and kindness to boot. A friend who had never travelled more than 100 miles away from home once asked me, “Annika, is it true Indians drink cow’s blood?” For the record, I’m a vegetarian. Even most of the non-vegetarian Indians I know avoid beef. But I can unequivocally say I’ve never seen an Indian Bella Swan a cup of cow’s blood at a meal. Rather than bug out, I ended up laughing. I answered her innocent question with the offer to clear up any more that she may have, accompanied by the promise that I wouldn’t be offended. Holy cow (I’m beginning to understand that phrase more and more…), did she ever take me up on it! Question after question, all with the intention to learn, came in the days following. It was amazing. We got to unite over our differences because she took the time to ask about places she’d never been to and customs she had never seen. We found similarities as I broke down certain misconceptions for her. We grew even closer, considering our backgrounds were polar opposites.

What’s that quote Hermione Granger says in Harry Potter? “Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself.” I think the same concept can be applied here. Fear of diversity or getting it wrong only increases the fear further. The only way to combat it is to ask questions. Whether that’s through Twitter followers or utilizing Google, it’s important to get the details right. It will take more time. But it builds a cleaner representation of your character if you don’t treat them all with the same detergent. We are not all the same. You know how I mentioned Nithya comes from Andhra and speaks Telugu? There are 29 states in India and over 150 languages spoken. And that’s just one country on earth. One set of cultures to break down. Imagine how different the rest of the world looks…and that’s just considering ethnicity!

At the end of the day, to foster the discussions necessary to paint the world as it really looks, there are two things required: the people who want to represent diversity must ask every question imaginable, and the people who want to be represented must be willing to answer them. It could prevent another ally from feeling as though they’ll get it wrong and in turn, turning them into a bystander. It could prevent another person with a diverse background from feeling as though no one understands. There are so many grey areas to work with—neurodiversity, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religion, and more—that it’s important to get the whole picture: that we are all the same and very, very different. Recognizing both sides is vital to appreciating and conveying our differences accurately. It’s important that the people asking the questions remain non-judgmental and truly listen—you are getting the answers from people who have likely been pinpointed as “wrong” for their entire lives. For those receiving the questions, assume the best in the asker and answer honestly. People do want to know and be better.

The Rearranged Life was a cathartic way to represent my life…but there will come a time in the near future where I will write another diverse character, one whose life my own doesn’t mirror. And when the time comes, I hope I have the courage to ask questions of people willing to answer. I’ve already seen the difference it makes in a story, let alone in a life.

And if we ask and answer these questions together, we can finally tell all the stories the world needs to hear.

March & April Monthly Wrap Up

On The Blog

Posts were very sporadic over the past two months (as you probably noticed!) down to my University MA course in Publishing which is nearing its conclusion! More about that later :)

Most Viewed Posts From March & April

Interview With Katherine Locke - I interviewed Katherine to celebrate the release of her debut novel and she really knows how to answer questions well!
Guest Post: How To Conquer Your Inner Voice Of Doom - Siobhan Curham talked on my blog about how she overcame her inner demons to become a writer and how you to can do so in everyday life
Review of Hero - I reviewed Hero by Samantha Young!

Reviews Posted

Hero by Samantha Young - 4 stars
Chosen Thief by Scarlett Dawn - 4.5 stars
Here Be Sexist Vampires by Suzanne Wright - 5 stars
Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder - 4.5 stars
The Hogfather by Terry Pratchett

Personal Things

This week were my final MA Publishing lectures. All I have now is a few assignments due in the next week then my Major Project hand in at the end of summer and then I am finished! The first of the girls on my course had a job interview this week (for a design position at Bloomsbury) which is nerve-wracking and exciting for all of us as it is a reminder that over the next few months hopefully we will all be getting various interviews and Publishing jobs.

I am really sad that my MA is now pretty much over as it has been the most amazing 7 months. Learning more about the publishing industry has been fun every step of the way and I can now say that I have designed book covers, put together interactive ebooks, created marketing plans, conceptualised books and even commissioned writers and illustrators for my Major Project book.

April saw the British Cheerleading Association University Nationals which I have been working towards all year with the UCLan Tigers. Every single one of our teams that entered had their best placing ever and the two I was in did fantastic. Pom placed 5th out of a massive category and coed cheer came 2nd. It was a great way to end my last University cheerleading season :)

 

May is going to be incredibly exciting as on the 12th I am off to Zambia for 3 weeks with University to create an information booklet for a charity called Sport In Action. I am really looking forwards to experiencing a brand new culture and doing some important work whilst I am out there.

Books Read

I haven't read as much as I wanted to recently! Partially because I have been very busy but also because I decided to reread a chunky fantasy trilogy which took up a lot of my time. March started off great for books but now I am struggling to find something fantastic.

May TBR

Thanks to my incredibly busy month I am not sure if I will be able to read at all! Hopefully I will be able to read a couple of books for review in June though.

Guest Post: How To Conquer Your Inner Voice Of Doom

Synopsis

We are living in the age of the image - the perfect image. From the constant bombardment of air-brushed photos, to the dubious lifestyle choices promoted by celebrities and the obsession with social media, young women are under pressure as never before to project a persona of perfection. And this is having a catastrophic effect, with girls as young as seven developing eating disorders and female self-loathing reaching epidemic proportions.

True Face shows you how to resist the pressure from the 'perfection police' and take off the masks you wear to proudly reveal your true self to the world. In chapters dealing with body image, bullying, social media, love, sex and more, Siobhan Curham encourages young women and girls to be honest, dream big, and create lives that are happy and fulfilling. Keep Calm and Carry On is replaced by a new mantra: Forget the Fake and Keep it Real. This book is a breath of fresh air. Perfect for ages 13+ - and for the Girls fan in her 20s/30s too!

Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

 

How to Conquer Your Inner Voice of Doom by Siobhan Curham

 

‘You’ll never become a writer.’

‘You’re not good enough.’

‘You’re not from the right background.’

‘People from council estates don’t become writers.’

‘You shouldn’t even be at uni. You should be working in a shop.’

When I was a teenager I became plagued by statements like the ones above. So much so that I ended up dropping out of uni and giving up on my writing dream to go and work in a shop. But it wasn’t someone else doing the taunting, it was my own inner voice – or my Inner Voice of Doom as I like to call it.

All of us have an Inner Voice of Doom; that voice inside your head that tells you that you’re just not good enough, clever enough, attractive enough, enough enough.

And if we’re not careful, we can let this voice control our decisions, like I did, and end up in situations, jobs, relationships and lives that leave us unhappy and craving more.

I hated the jobs I did after dropping out of uni. And thankfully, after a few years, I was able to drown out my voice of doom with a much more positive inner voice. One that said things like:

'You have just as much chance of becoming a writer as anyone else.’

‘You are good enough – or at least you might be.’

‘People from council estates can become writers.’

‘Coming from that background gives you a wealth of material to draw upon.’

And in the end, this spurred me on to write my first novel and finally get my first book deal.

The fact is, our Inner Voice of Doom is only trying to protect us.

When I told myself I didn’t have what it takes to become a writer it was because I was so scared of being rejected and told that my work wasn’t good enough.

But not taking the risk left me just as unhappy if not more, than if I had tried and not succeeded.

My book, True Face contains various exercises to help you overcome your Inner Voice of Doom.

Here’s a simple one to get you started…

Jot down some of the favourite things your Inner Voice of Doom likes to say.

Then go through each one, asking: can I absolutely know this to be true?

For example, if you sometimes tell yourself that you’re not attractive enough to get a date, is this absolutely, beyond a shadow of a doubt true?

And when you realise that no, of course it’s not, come up with a positive alternative such as: I am attractive enough to get a date.

Write it down and really let the words sink in.

Start gathering evidence to back up this statement. When I was starting to believe in myself as a writer I found examples of successful writers, such as Jimmy McGovern, who had come from similar backgrounds to mine. I used their careers as proof that it was possible for me to make it too and this helped me massively.

And when I did finally achieve writing success I vowed to myself that I’d never let my Inner Voice of Doom run the show again.

I still have an Inner Voice of Doom and I’m pretty sure I always will, but thankfully I’ve now discovered the mute button.

True Face is all about dreaming boldly and living fearlessly and authentically.

You can find out more over on the website: www.TrueFaceRevolution.com

 

Guest Post: How 'The Highwayman' Poem Inspired me to Write GLIMPSE

Synopsis

Liz just wants to be normal. Her life is anything but.

Seven years ago Liz lost her mother and ten years' worth of memories. When she inherits the infamous Highwayman Inn, she hopes the move will be a fresh start. Then she meets Zachary. Zachary who haunts her by night and in dreams; who makes her question everything she is and wants to be; who seems scarcely real - yet makes her feel so alive.

Inspired by Alfred Noyes' classic poem 'The Highwayman', Glimpse is a ghost story, a love story, and a story of a girl fighting for her future by confronting her terrible past.

Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

How "The Highwayman" Poem Inspired Me To Write GLIMPSE

I have a confession: I've never been a big poetry fan. English was my favourite subject at school, and I studied it at university, but novels were always my thing, not poems. Yet there are poems that have stuck with me—like those that tell stories as dark and dramatic as the classic gothic novels I always loved. Poems like Poe's 'Annabel Lee', Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 'Christabel', or Alfred Noyes' 'The Highwayman'.

I don't remember first reading 'The Highwayman'—it feels like I've always known it—but it must have been when I was at school. (Incidentally, I find it very cool that 'The Highwayman' was taught to my eighty-six year old grandmother, and is still taught today—impressive work, Mr Noyes!) I love everything about it—the dashing highwayman, the ill-fated romance, the ghosts. It's the perfect YA paranormal romance, only published in 1906.

So when I decided to write a romantic ghost story of my own, 'The Highwayman' poem instantly came to mind. I wondered, how could I write a story that captured the same passion and darkness as this amazing poem? I could write a retelling, of course. After all, retellings of fairy tales are fairly common in YA, why not do the same with a poem?

That's what I initially set out to do, but I quickly realised that a straightforward retelling was a little unimaginative. So I decided to set my retelling in the present day. Bess would be the daughter of a pub landlord, the highwayman would be the sexy bad boy, and the stable boy Tim could make it a love triangle. (Paranormal romance clichés—tick and tick! Please don't judge me, I know better now!) But it still wasn't imaginative enough, and I knew I'd get bored writing it.

So finally I thought...how about I write a modern setting, in which the inn is now ancient and cob-webbed. How about my main character isn't Bess, but a new character, with her own story and her own mysteries to solve. Bess and the highwayman's love story will have to be important—after all, that's what 'The Highwayman' poem is all about—but it doesn't have to be the sole focus.

So that's what I started writing, and Glimpse was the result—a story that wouldn't exist without Noyes' poem, but is also something fresh.

I'm looking forward to hearing what readers who love 'The Highwayman' think, as well as introducing the poem (which will be printed at the beginning of my book) to those who haven't read it. Whichever camp you fall into, I hope you'll enjoy it! 
Try it for yourself! Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK 

I have a copy of this book myself that I will be reading shortly so keep your eyes out for a review coming soon.

The Wicked We Have Done blog tour - Guest Post by Sarah Harian

Today is a day I have been excited for since last summer, the release of The Wicked We Have Done by Sarah Harian! I was lucky enough to read this book earlier this year and it is one of the best books I have read in probably over a year (and if you know the amount of books I get through then you know that really is saying something). In celebration of the books release I have a guest post from the incredibly talented author, Sarah Harian.

 

The Wicked We Have Done by Sarah Harian

Synopsis

With elements of horror, thriller and romance THE WICKED WE HAVE DONE is perfect for readers who enjoyed Suzanne Collins and are looking for the next big thing...

Once a sinner, always a sinner...

Twenty-two-year-old Evalyn Ibarra had taken the normality of her life for granted, until the moment everything changed. Now, convicted of a horrifying crime, she will be one of the first to experience a new kind of punishment.

In the darkness of the Compass Room - an experimental prison - the morality of convicts will be tested, and they will be punished according to their performance. In order to stay alive, Evalyn must relive the events of the fateful day that has brought her here.

Consumed by her own struggle, she never expects to make friends amongst her fellow inmates, let alone fall in love. But in this new and terrifying world, such allegiances are dangerous - because no one will escape unharmed.

Try it for yourself! Amazon UK | Amazon

Add it to goodreads

Why We Need New Adult by Sarah Harian

As a New Adult author coming from the New Adult age group (heelllllooooo mid-twenties), I want to talk about why New Adult is a necessary category within the realm of fiction.

I am 100% a completely different person from when I began college. When I was eighteen, the person I was on the inside was completely the opposite of the person I was on the outside. Outside I was conservative, timid, and sexually stagnant. Inside I was wild, deviant, adventurous, and clever. Inside Sarah wanted to read about young women who were like Inside Sarah, but on the outside. Maybe so she could live through them. Maybe so they could give her the courage to become them.

Unfortunately, when I needed New Adult the most, it wasn’t around. St. Martin’s Press hadn’t even coined the term yet. Sure, I found edgy upper-YA books where I could relate to the characters. Theoretically, I could wade through general fiction or genre fiction in hopes of coming across titles with twenty-something protagonists. But these books weren’t the same as a novel that was for me, trying to communicate with me.

Enter the category of New Adult.

The New Adult category sings to people in their twenties. A New Adult novel carries the voice of a twenty-something protagonist, delving into their dreams, fears, loves, and screw-ups. A New Adult protagonist is a unique creature; they are somehow an adult and not at the same time. They can exist in a fantasy world, a dystopian world, or a world from the past or present, as long as they resonate with what it’s like to be newly independent and discovering exactly what it means to be an adult.

But Sarah, aren’t you simply describing coming-of-age characters that have existed since the dawn of fiction?

Yeah, I totally am, actually.

So why do we need New Adult?

New Adult fiction isn’t necessary because of what it offers all readers. It’s necessary because of what it offers college kids and people in their twenties. As a graduate, I now have some time to sift through the library, bookstore, or internet to find books with characters my age. You think I had time when I was buried underneath textbooks and midterms? Hell no! But I still wanted to easily find novels for the weekends, novels that were fast-paced, romantic, funny, edgy, or escapist. Novels that were kind of like the YA titles I loved, but spoke to me and my college-aged mindset. Novels that had the potential to mold me.

New Adult is about accessibility.

I’m sure a lot of people don’t think that twenty-somethings need that accessibility the way that teenagers do. We’re adults, so we should be able to take the time to dig through general fiction to find what we want if we really want to read. But I’m going to argue that twenty-somethings need to be catered to. As an eighteen, nineteen, and twenty-year-old, I didn’t even know where to begin to find books with girls who were like Inside Sarah.  Yes, we might be adults, but most of us still don’t know who the hell we are. Sometimes, reading fiction helps us explore what we could be. New Adult has the potential to shape our idea of what it really means to be young and independent and awakened. New Adult has the potential to be a nourishing supplement that will push us to grow in the direction that we want to grow in.

That is why we need it.

The Wicked We Have Done is published today in eBook priced £2.49

About the Author

Sarah grew up in the foothills of Yosemite, where she learned to fish, hike, and climb trees. She also had a soft spot for video games and fantasy novels, rounding her out to be perfectly equal parts of wilderness princess and super nerd.

Inspired by Carolyn Keene, Tolkien, and J.K.Rowling, she wanted to be a writer since she was eight. Her first attempted book was about twins who found a secret portal to another world in their basement. Between this creation and her first finished novel twelve years later, she dabbled in fanfiction and horror stories.

Sarah worked as a barista at Starbucks while studying at Fresno State, receiving her B.A. in English Education in 2010 and her M.F.A. in Creative Writing in 2013. She was lucky enough to score a TAship during graduate school and teach fiction for a semester.

Now, Sarah is working on the sequel to her new adult speculative thriller, THE WICKED WE HAVE DONE. She’s liberal, queer, Christian, and madly in love with her husband. Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to be all of those things at once.

Her works are represented by Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. 

Twitter | Goodreads | Website | Facebook



Feature Friday - Guest Post by Emma Jones and Excerpt

Feature Friday is a feature on Bookish Treasures that spotlights an author and their latest release. Every Friday I will be featuring an author through either an interview or a guest post. If you are interested in taking part please send me an email.

This week I am featuring Emma Jones, an author who published her debut YA novel last month.

The Awakening by Emma Jones

Synopsis

Do you believe in vampires? Ghosts? The supernatural world?
Meet Lauren who instantly clicks with Gavin at a friend’s BBQ. Everything goes well until Lauren starts to experience strange things and hears a weird voice. It seems like a warning but from what? Lauren eventually makes the startling discovery that Gavin is a vampire and it has profound consequences for herself. The arrival of Daniel makes things even more confusing for Lauren as she is warned he is bad news from a ghostly source. Laurens life is turned upside down as things she thought were myths and legends become real and she struggles to cope with everything she has discovered.

Will Lauren and Gavin’s relationship survive and what about the mysterious Daniel?

Try it for yourself! Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

My Journey To Publishing by Emma Jones

Hi my name is Emma Jones and I published my first book The Awakening on the 6th December. My decision to self publish was a long one but I'm glad I took the leap. I first began writing The Awakening when I was on maternity leave with my son who is now 3! I wrote a few thousand words and then went back to my regular day job and forgot all about it for a year so. However the characters and story started to nag at me and I began writing again. In the summer of 2012 I began to think about actually publishing it and gave it to my sister to read. She gave me a B+ and some encouragement. I made a few changes and then she read it again and gave me an A and a smiley face. What more could you want. So I started researching self publication and my journey began.

I then went about the process of getting the book beta read. Through the wonders of Facebook I found a few people that were interested and sent my document to them crossed my fingers and anxiously awaited their verdicts. In January 2013 I received my replies and on the whole the feedback was positive, encouraging and very helpful and really helped me improve the story. I made a lot of amendments and had the new version beta read by 2 further people who both loved it. The process was slow as I have a regular job and 2 young children but I finally got there and then embarked on the last step. My book was professionally proofread and a fab ebook cover was created in November 2013 and then I uploaded. The Awakening is now live and I can't quite believe it but am loving every second of this journey. Thanks for reading and if you want to say hi or comment pop over to my facebook page where I'd love to hear from you - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Books-by-Emma-Jones/611953792173504

Excerpt

In the next bar, me and Gavin ended up in a corner together and I suddenly began to get an awful headache. “You ok?” Gavin asked gently holding my arm but my headache suddenly intensified and I shook him of my arm. Images started to swarm through my mind, shadows, light, and whispers that were getting louder and louder. “Lauren are you ok?” I could hear people speaking but couldn’t make out where it was coming from and then black.

I woke up with bright lights around me and in an unfamiliar room, it took a few minutes to realise I was in a hospital bed. I tried to sit up, my head thumped, and I rested back down. I looked about and then realised Gavin was sleeping sat up in a chair near my bed. I was just about to speak when a nurse come over “You’re awake.” she smiled kindly “I think you gave your friends a bit of a shock. Passed out and gave you quite a bang on the head.” It was only as she said this I realised I had a bandage on my head and raised my hand to touch the dressing. “You had to have a few stitches and as you were so drowsy we decided we’d better keep you in but you should be able to go home this afternoon,” the nurse informed me. “Your friend here insisted on staying in case you woke up and was confused. Oh look he’s just waking now, would you both like a cup of tea?”

“Um yes please that would be lovely,” I croaked and tried again to sit up. Gavin got up from his chair and stood at the end of the bed looking pale and worried, “Do you remember much about last night?” he asked his voice full of concern, “Not really, I remember getting a headache and that’s it.” “Oh right that’s good then.” “Why what happened?” “You just passed out but you said some weird things that are all but don’t worry.” At that point, the nurse returned with two cups of tea and Gavin said he just had to pop out for a minute to make a call. I drank my tea and dozed back to sleep waking to find Gavin back in the room. “The nurse said once your blood test results are back and they check your blood pressure again you will be able to go home.” “Oh that’s great I really need a shower and my own bed. What a weird night. I think it’s you Gavin.” I joked, “You seem to have a weird effect on me headaches and nose bleeds and now I pass out. Must be your super manliness!” I laughed. Gavin smiled back but looked anxious and the smile didn’t reach his eyes “I’m ok you know it’s only a joke.” I said trying to reassure him, “I know. You just worried me that am all.” he replied. Later that day I was discharged and Gavin took me home, insisted on making me some dinner, and stayed for a while although the whole time he kept some distance and seemed worried I might collapse at any time. After a few hours, he left and I rang my friends to let them know I was ok and apologised to Sophie for ruining her birthday night out and I decided an early night was in order. Thankfully, I slept with no problems and woke feeling much better although my head was still thumping slightly so I phoned work and explained I wouldn’t be in for the day and chilled out at home instead. Gavin called and although I assured him I was feeling fine now he insisted on coming round to check on me as soon as he finished work. When he arrived, he looked nervous and as we chatted, he kept his distance, which caused me to worry. I made a cup of tea and then sat on the sofa sensing he wanted to discuss something important. He moved forward and for the first time in over 24 hours touched me. He gently touched my arm, my head suddenly felt terrible again, and images much clearer flashed before my eyes. Gavin removed his arm and looked at me with alarm and worry, the images came faster and faster, and I felt a sudden rush of power and clarity. I put my head in my hands and squeezed my eyes tightly shut and concentrated on the images flying through my mind. I suddenly gasped and felt my heart rate speed up and then pop. The light bulbs in the living room smashed and fizzed. In the darkness, I said, “I know what you are.” “I was worried you were going to say that.” he softly said.

Debut of the Month - Guest Post by Joannah Miley

This is the third month of Debut of the Month here at Bookish Treaures. This is a monthly feature that will focus on a debut author and their novel that is releasing that month through an interview, review etc. To learn more and apply to be Debut Of The Month for December or beyond please visit my Authors/Publishers page.

This month I have chosen The Immortal Game by Joannah Miley. This is a YA/NA paranormal romance novel that I really enjoyed. Today I have a guest post by Joannah.

 

The Immortal Game by Joannah Miley

Synopsis

When struggling pre-med student Ruby West beats the unconquerable Ash at chess he becomes fixated on her. Which is great if you like smoldering blue eyes, sculpted features, and afternoons of unexpected adventure, but not so great when she discovers he is a Greek god and his father, Zeus, has forbidden the gods from interacting with humans.

Ruby soon realizes her love for Ash threatens the fragile stability that has kept the gods from meddling in the mortal world.

Before long the two find themselves on a quest to rescue a goddess, save the Earth from unending winter, and secure the right to be together forever.

Try it for yourself! Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

The Making of The Immortal Game

A Greek god in love, the wrath of Zeus, a dangerous trip to the Underworld, fifty-headed giants; all these things appear in my novel, The Immortal Game.

Once people read the book, they often ask where I came up with the idea for the story.

I wish I could say the plot came to me in a flash of brilliance and that I wrote it all down in a couple of weeks or months, but the truth is I was quite methodical about it.

When knee surgery put me on crutches for six weeks in the winter of 2009, I took it as an opportunity to finally start that novel I had always dreamed of writing, but I had no idea what to write about.

I made a list of my all-time favorite authors and what I liked the most about their books and their writing:

·         Stephen King, who is known as the master of horror, is in my opinion really the master of character. His stories are so compelling because he makes the reader care about the characters from page one.

·         Jane Austen’s sweet romances have strong female characters set in a time when women had almost no direct power.

·         Kurt Vonnegut uses satire to show his optimism for the human race.

The list made me realize that I like great characters and that I believe in the power of humans to do good in the world.

To help me figure out my plot I made a list of some of my favorite movies:

·         Romancing the Stone

·         Ghost

·         The Princess Bride

·         Ever After

·         Titanic

·         Labyrinth (the Jim Henson classic)

I put the two lists together and decided to write a story that had romance, adventure, a strong female character, and spoke to the best of human nature.

But I still needed to figure out who the characters would be and what they would be doing. Again, I dug into what I found most interesting: fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal; everything from Harry Potter to The Hunger Games to Twilight.

I love how Harry Potter and Twilight show detailed and mysterious worlds existing side by side with our own; wizards and vampires walking among muggles and humans, and how The Hunger Games shows us what happens when people lose sight of their humanity.

I chose to draw inspiration from Greek mythology because it has always fascinated me. I knew immediately that my main character would be a human who falls in love with a god and creates a conflict on Olympus. But which god would she fall in love with? There were some obvious choices:

·         Apollo, the poet and musician

·         Hermes, ever playful

·         Dionysus, the god of wine and parties

 

But, all those gods felt too easy.

Which god would be the most interesting to fall in love with, or even the hardest to fall in love with? The answer to that question was obvious. It had to be Ares, the god of war.

And I knew I had my story.

 

About the Author

Joannah lives in northwest Washington State with her husband, two awesome teenagers, and a black dog that sheds relentlessly on her white furniture. When she's not writing she's usually driving a bunch of kids around town and drinking too much Coke Zero.

You can find Joannah on Google Plus, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Good Reads, and at joannahmiley.com.

Feature Friday - Guest Post with April White

Feature Friday is a new item on Bookish Treasures. Every Friday I will be featuring an author through either an interview or a guest post. If you are interested in taking part please send me an email.

This week I am featuring YA urban fantasy author April White.

Marking Time by April White

Synopsis

Seventeen-year-old tagger Saira Elian can handle anything... a mother who mysteriously disappears, a stranger who stalks her around London, and even the noble English Grandmother who kicked Saira and her mother out of the family. But when an old graffiti tag in a tube station transports Saira to the 19th Century and she comes face-to-face with Jack the Ripper, she realizes she needs help after all.

Saira meets Archer, a charming student who helps her blend in as much as a tall, modern American teen can in Victorian England. He reveals the existence of the Immortals: Time, Nature, Fate, War and Death, and explains to Saira that it is possible to move between
centuries – if you are a Descendant of Time.

Saira finds unexpected friendships at a boarding school for Immortal Descendants and a complicated love with a young man from the past. But time is running out for her mother, and Saira must embrace her new identity as she hides from Archer a devastating secret about his future that may cost him his life.

 

Connections by April White

 

As any author knows, social media is as necessary as breathing and as distracting as the aftermath of a seven-car-pile-up on traffic. There’s no such thing in the writing world anymore as “I don’t do twitter,” or “Facebook is just for finding friends from high school.” Even the famously (for those who follow him) tweet-adverse fantasy author, Patrick Rothfuss, finally caved on Twitter with a spectacular two-week contest. He challenged followers to “uncover the REAL Patrick Rothfuss” based solely on the tweets of himself (with one identity) and five women (with various other Pat Rothfuss identities). I was absurdly proud of having figured out the real Pat Rothfuss within three tweets, and yet one of the women’s Pat Rothfuss identity won the contest by a huge margin. Now that he’s firmly established in the Twitter world, even Pat Rothfuss has embraced the madness.

 

 

Twitter’s founders, according to a documentary filmmaker, were looking for a way for people to connect. And connections are the beating heart of… well, everything. Writers connect readers with each other and themselves through their stories. Actors find character inspiration among the people around them. Scientists search for reasons for the things that happen to all of us. Even politicians shake hands to show their sincerity. Everyone is looking for those connections that make life interesting, meaningful, and frankly, worth living.

 

Personally, I suck at tweets. That kind of one-line cleverness does not come naturally to me the way it did to, say, Hemingway. He would have been great at tweets, but maybe a little too stark and serious. Erin Faulk, Wil Wheaten and Joss Whedon, on the other hand – they are masters of the kind of cleverness, humor and truth that would make Tyrion Lannister proud. Funny will always connect with more people than significant, and observations of everyday life win over esoteric truths any day. Neil Gaiman is a master of truths, but he doesn’t translate as well into 140 characters as Erin Faulk, who can tell an entire story in ten tweets.

 

 

Twitter was the start of a conversation that led me to one of my very favorite social media connections. An author “liked” the review I wrote about her very funny, very smart romance novel. So I followed her on Twitter and she followed me back. She tweeted something funny, so I upped my game and tried to make her laugh with a response. She did. We became Facebook friends, and the timing was perfect for an invitation to a private Facebook group book club she was starting. Within two weeks there were about twenty members in the group, and after clever Facebook-post introductions, we began to tentatively connect. First it was responses to questions, evolving into a chats, and then opinions started creeping in. Our first book-of-the-month was a disaster, and it was the perfect book to really connect everyone in the group. We were honest, funny, snarky, thoughtful, raw and very open in that way doing something in common can bring out in people. We live across almost every time zone and span about four decades in age, but reading, posting, striving to make each other spit wine in laughter and sharing our thoughts about men, women, sex, wine, food, travel, and books has truly connected us to each other. Several of us are writers and bloggers, and in our group we now support each other in our work and our creativity as friends do.

 

I think it’s what authors strive for with social media in general – to connect with other people in a way that they want to read what you write. I found Patrick Rothfuss’ first novel, The Name of the Wind, and immediately connected with his story. And then I discovered his blog which made me laugh out loud, and I couldn’t help connecting with the writer telling the story. It’s like branding for authors because readers aren’t just hooked on a particular book, they can’t get enough of the author’s voice, and with that brings the freedom to write anything, in any genre, for any audience. Just ask Neil Gaiman, whose children’s story, “Suddenly, The Milk” has as much twitter attention as his graphic novel series, “The Sandman,” because his observations about life connect with everyone who reads them.

 

 

We all strive for connections, preferably in person with our friends and family, but also with people we may never meet except through the wonder and madness that is social media. One of my own blogs that seems to have connected with people is one about “What I know for Sure.”

 

A child or a chicken will get sick the day before I leave for a trip. Especially the “getaway” trips.

I am most productive when there’s no time for anything. When I have time set aside to work, I find anything else but work to fill that time.

I am afraid of very few things, but well-dressed, rich French women are among them.

Sometimes I wonder if it’s too early to have that glass of wine.

Sometimes I have it anyway.

Fish and chips wrapped in newspaper is the food of the Gods.

French fries in Amsterdam taste better with mayonnaise.

Everything tastes better with bacon.

Sometimes all you need is a perfect pair of shoes.

You can’t go wrong with leopard print.

Writers love reading, but hate writing. We write so we have something to read.

My best friends are the ones who read and drink like me. Even better if our kids are friends too.

There are few things more frustrating than chickens who hide their eggs.

I rarely crave a salad.

When I was nine, my favorite weekends were spent reading until 2am and then waking up to finish the book. They still are.

“Truth or Dare” is overrated. “I Never” is not.

The best movie quotes are from The Princess Bride.

Val Kilmer in “Real Genius.” Christian Slater in “Pump up the Volume.” Yeah, seriously.

Huge Actorman in anything.

The volleyball scene is 40 minutes into “Top Gun.”

Tom Cruise has weird shoulders.

Patrick Rothfuss is a genius.

My kids love it when I read his blog posts out loud. Especially the inappropriate words.

Apparently seventy is the new forty. Just ask our mothers.

Guilt is overrated. Except when it’s the reason you stayed home from the trip, and the other child got the fever from his brother. Or the chicken died.

Very little can repay the friend who packs your dead chicken in ice on Saturday so she can UPS it to the lab on Monday.

But it can be done.

And wine is the key.

 

I suppose each one of those thoughts breaks down into Tweet-sized bites, so maybe I don’t suck at Twitter quite as badly as I thought. But in any case, it’s all about connections, and if even one of these observations about life resonated with you, we might have just connected.

 

About the Author

 

APRIL WHITE has been a film producer, private investigator, bouncer, teacher and screenwriter.  She has climbed in the Himalayas, lived on a gold mine in the Yukon, and has read the entire Harry Potter series three times; once to herself and twice out loud to her boys, ages 6 and 10. She and her husband share those boys and their home in Southern California with their dog, various chickens, and a lifetime collection of books. April wrote her first novel, Marking Time, because it’s what she wanted to read, and now needs to finish the five-book series so she can find out what happens next.  More information and her blog are available on www.immortaldescendants.com