Winner Winner NaNoWriMo Dinner!

Okay, I don't know what that headline means either, but I do know I won the 2016 National Novel Writing Month challenge today. Woo hoo! Clocking in at a little over 50k words (see stats diagram below) at around 11:00p on 11/26.

Did I finish Elvenking, the third book in the "Leonard the Great" series? Nope. Not by a long shot. A quick outline check tells me that I've got eight or more chapters left and previous experience tells me that I've got around 30k+ words to go before I'm completely finished with the first draft.

During the editing portion of my noveleering, I tend to cut out a good 20k and usually end up with a complete MG fantasy novel that's around 60k words, give or take a few grand.

That's cool. As I mentioned in my announcement post, I wasn't expecting to complete the first draft of this novel, just write the first 50k words of it.

In case you haven't guessed it already, I use the NaNo challenge to jumpstart me into action and move me past my paralysis at the thought of starting a huge writing project like a novel. So far I'm 5 for 5 in beating the challenge (knock on virtual wood), so I guess it works for me.

If you've ever had that itch that says you should at least try to write a novel before you croak, I recommend giving National Novel Writing Month a shot. Like it did for me, it could be just the thing you need to help you stop itching and start writing!

iAi Featured Book of the Month: "The Secret Voice" by Bob Nailor

The year is 1961. In a quaint, rural NW Ohio town, secrets are coming to light. Daniel Yoder, an Amish boy with a dream, wants to attend high school against the strict rules of the Amish church. Surprisingly, the Bishop and Daniel's father both agree to let him attend. At school, Daniel meets the newly-hired chorus teacher, Julie Bronson, the sole black person in the all-white community. Julie discovers Daniel has the gift of song and tries to encourage his talent. Together, can this pair conquer adversity and the stresses pitting them against both religious stereotypes and racial prejudices? Everyone has secrets - some kept better than others. Still, secrets tend to surface. Nobody can hide from who they truly are in... The Secret Voice.

To purchase Bob's book, please visit its Amazon Page.

To learn more about Bob and all of his books, please visit his Official Website.

Super Mario: Underworld

"Mario enters the upside down."

NaNoWriMo 2016: I'm Back!

After a five year absence, I've decided to give the National Novel Writing Month challenge another try. This year, my novel project is Elvenking, the third book in the Dragonfriend series.

As many of you know, the NaNo challenge is to write a complete 50k word novel during the month of November. I fudge just a little on that (Hey, it's allowed!) by saying I'll be writing the first fifty thousand words of my novel, but not necessarily completing it.

I've finished four NaNo novels to date and self-published two of those four (I'm querying a third).

The NaNo "word count/percentage completed" widget is now residing in the column to the right. Starting at midnight on Nov. 1st, you'll be able to keep track of my daily progress. Feel free to praise or mock me, depending on how I'm doing.

If you're looking for a writing buddy, I'm sillyroger over on the NaNo site. There's no obligation to being a "buddy," but I do find it motivating to see how my friends are doing throughout the month.

Are you taking the NaNo challenge? If so, good for you. It's a little scary, but very satisfying. Try it!

p.s. The cheesy cover for Elevenking is just something I mocked up to motivate me. The finished product will look much better!

UPDATE: As of Saturday, 11/12, I'm at 26409. That's just over halfway there!

Goodreads Review: Beowulf: A Tale of Blood, Heat, and Ashes

Beowulf: A Tale of Blood, Heat, and Ashes by Nicky Raven
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This "translation" flows well and is a great way to ease younger readers into a true classic. The artwork is superb. Recommended.

View all my reviews

iAi Featured Book of the Month: "The Old Mermaid's Tale" by Kathleen Valentine

(Novel - 132k words. Love Story, Coming-of-Age, Historical - Paperback or eBook) In 1960 when Clair Wagner's friends are showing off their new bikinis at the local swimming hole and planning weddings, Clair is plotting her escape from her rural farm-community life. She is headed for college on the shores of Lake Erie with plans for the future and dreams of a "handsome sailor with the constellations of the Northern Seas in his eyes".
          Into her life comes Pio, a beautiful Italian fisherman, who longs for a life of adventure on the Great Lakes under the aurora borealis. Clair soon meets Gary, the dashing son of a wealthy shipping magnate, who introduces her to Canal Street on the waterfront where she encounters The Old Mermaid Inn, a tavern that, as Gary tells her, "deserves its reputation".
          But The Old Mermaid Inn, with its giant painting of a seductive mermaid, is home to some fascinating people including Tessie, the owner and original mermaid, and the intriguing Baptiste, a Breton mariner injured in a shipwreck, who earns his living as a musician.

          With Pio, Clair discovers passion, with Gary she gains entry into the world of the commercial waterfront, and with Baptiste she discovers all-consuming love. But as her relationship with Baptiste grows she discovers he is far more complex and mysterious than she could imagine. He has secrets and his secrets will alter her life forever.

           Set against the backdrop of Great Lakes shipping legends and lore, The Old Mermaid's Tale is in part a coming-of-age story, in part a history of a transformative time in America, and throughout a love story of grand proportions that pays homage to the importance of story-telling in our lives. (Also available in Boxed Set with Depraved Heart and Each Angel Burns for Kindle only.)

"The soul, they say, is divine and the flesh is iniquity. But I am a musician and I ask this - without the wood and the strings of the violin, where would the sonata find form?" - from the Prologue

 

You can learn more about "The Old Mermaid's Tale" by going HERE.

 

About the author...  From the Allegheny Mountains where she grew up, to the Gloucester seaport

where she writes, Kathleen Valentine loves nothing more than listening to the stories that people tell while sitting on front porches, gathered around kitchen tables, or swapped in coffee shops and taverns. Her collection of legends, folklore, and tall tales are woven into her fiction. The award-winning author of novels, novellas, & short story collections, as well as books of knitting patterns, & a cookbook/memoir about growing up Pennsylvania Dutch, Valentine has been listed as an Amazon Top Selling Author in Horror, Mystery/Suspense, Cooking, and Knitting. As a writer her primary interest is delving into the psychology of her characters. Her stories are sometimes mysterious, sometimes funny, usually romantic, and frequently frightening. Her characters range from lost children and grumpy old folks, to mysterious men and women who are not to be trifled with.

She lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, America's oldest seaport.

Morning Coffee Before Fun Ball? I Believe Your Priorities Are Misplaced

...says Lizzie, the Dog Boss.