A.L. Davroe

Write Well Wednesday: Spicing it up with Con Attendance

2012-02-15T13:57:00.001-05:00

This post is a little bit of a shorty because I've got about a half hour and have no time to post for the rest of the week. Why? Because I'm going to Boskone 2012 and, following that, I'll be presenting an award at the Boston Science Fiction Film Festival.

If you haven't guessed it yet, I'm big into science fiction and fantasy, so the majority of cons that I attend are SF?F based. But, I do go to other genre based cons like ComicCon, FaerieCon, and Steampunk World's Fair. One thing I wanted to bring to light for my fellow authors, readers, and fans is the sheer brilliance of a con -- no matter the type of con. The number of interesting panels at these conventions never fails to amaze me, neither do the people who speak on them. There are perks for everyone:

For writers: Most writers forget about cons. They're too caught up in going to writing workshops or events where they can pitch to agents. Those who know about cons tend to think more about the promotional opportunities. Yes, there are plenty of those. If you're lucky enough to be a guest author, you'll get the chance to do readings, have signings, and flaunt your brilliance on panels. This is also a fun, low stress way to interact with fans. However, just going as an attendee can be very rewarding as well. Each panel (if run well) can be as informative as a short class or seminar. You can get all sorts of juice on world and character building, plotting, and navigating the industry. If you're into Steampunk especially, most cons will be thematically geared toward this new and upcoming genre, with lots of panels on Victorian society, fashion, and science. A lot of authors don't realize how accessible other authors are at these cons. You can walk right up to your favorite author and talk to them...You might even get to go to lunch with them. It's an excellent way to make contacts and get advise.

For readers/fans: You can get a lot out of panels as well. A lot of you may not realize just how many genres fall under SF/F. Depending on the convention, there is a strong possibility that erotic, paranormal romance, horror, mystery and urban fantasy will be covered quite heavily. Also, don't forget about YA. Take a look at what's currently lining the YA shelves in Barnes and Noble. What's that? Oh yeah, it's fantasy and science fiction. Yes, dystopians and paranormal romance ARE part of SF/F. And if you don't think the SF/F peeps haven't noticed, you're nuts. They look over the bookshelves, see the children flocking and rub their hands together. "Minions," they think. "The glorious SF/F readers of the future." So yeah, they're talking about YA at these conventions too. Inevitably, the panelists will bring up at least five books you've never heard of and they'll tell you why the books are awesome. It's like reading a Goodreads review, only you can get to know the reviewer throughout the panel and decide if you think they're nuts or brilliant. You get a chance to geek out with your fellow genre-holics, meet authors, and buy a ton of things you probably don't need in the merch room. PLUS, there's usually a large emphasis on SF/F in the media, so if you've recently found yourself salivating for the latest episode of Grimm or Fringe, there's a place for you here too.

So, I hope you'll all consider attending a convention this year. I can guarantee that (at least on the East Coast of the U.S.) there will be about three within driving distance of your house this year. Hope to see you at one!

Monday Muse: OK Go - Needing/Getting - Official Video

2012-02-13T10:00:00.001-05:00

This is going on my bucket list.

Follower Love: Featuring Lia Habel

2012-02-06T20:58:00.001-05:00

For this giveaway I'm featuring the work of the lovely, Miss Lia Habel. Lia lives in the creepy part of New York. No, not the West Side. The OTHER part of the state. Ya know, where the cows, abandoned barns, and banjo toting hillbillies are. (I'm just kidding, I have family out there, so there's no hate) Anyway, the point is: Lia is not a banjo toting hillbilly. She's actually pretty darn cool. Lia is one of those secret treasure type people. She looks sweet and demure...Until you get to know her. And then she only gets better. She's my resident zombie expert, has more wigs than Cthulhu has tentacles, and is a highly respected fellow geek. Plus, the girl writes a rockin' novel.

THE GIVEAWAY!

Lia has sent me both a hardcover edition and an audiobook of her novel, Dearly, Departed. They are AUTOGRAPHED! PLUS, she sent me some fun swag! The contest for Lia's gifts will be featured in the Follower Love Giveaway Hop running from February 7-February 14, so please make sure you stop back here and enter yourself in a chance to see why love conquers all!

Dearly, Departed: Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.

Read reviews on Goodreads. Can't wait to buy it? Go get it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter. This hop runs from 2/7/12 to 2/14/12. Hit the green "Do It" buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the green enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using facebook to do this). There will be two winners for this giveaway, the first entrant will be able to choose which of the two books they would like and the second will get the remaining book. Should the second winner decide they do not want the remaining book, they can bow out and allow another winner to be selected. This contest is open to international entrants.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DON'T FORGET!
There are a ton of other blogs/pages that are hosting giveaways!

Please stop by and see them!

Monday Muse: Looking Glass - The Birthday Massacre

2012-02-06T10:00:00.001-05:00

Feature Friday: Lia Habel

2012-02-03T08:00:00.009-05:00

For today's Feature Friday post we have the lovely, Miss Lia Habel. Lia lives in the creepy part of New York. No, not the West Side. The OTHER part of the state. Ya know, where the cows, abandoned barns, and banjo toting hillbillies are. (I'm just kidding, I have family out there, so there's no hate) Anyway, the point is: Lia is not a banjo toting hillbilly. She's actually pretty darn cool. Lia is one of those secret treasure type people. She looks sweet and demure...Until you get to know her. And then she only gets better. She's my resident zombie expert, has more wigs than Cthulhu has tentacles, and is a highly respected fellow geek. Plus, the girl writes a rockin' novel.

INTERVIEW:

A.L.:

What inspired you to write Dearly, Departed?

Lia:
Superficially, the entire thing started out as a joke. My friends and I wondered why paranormal guys always had to be smoldering and hot and brooding, and I started cracking jokes about "zombies need love too" - but then I said to myself, "Hey, they do. How would that work?" Soon the ideas started multiplying, and I was writing 10,000 words a day. But looking back at that period now, I also think I was attempting to craft a certain type of story - something to counter, just a little, all the books I'd been reading at the time. I wanted to create a hero with a gentle heart, a mouthy girl who was also reasonable, and monsters that looked like monsters.

A.L.:

Do you see yourself in Nora?

Lia:

I don't, actually. I see myself as a mixture of Bram and Vespertine, if you can imagine that. (She's not ALL bad. Wait for book two.) We do share a definite lack of height, but I decided to go that route because I have trouble identifying with tall characters. (I mistakenly made my avatar in Skyrim ungodly tall, and I grumble about it every time I turn on the stupid game. It feels wrong to me, since I'm used to being so small!) I think Nora's more open with her snark and opinions than I am. I tend to sit on mine. I see her as this little ball of energy pinging off of everything in her environment, whereas I'm more staid, at least around strangers.

A.L.:

If you had to pick out an actress to play Nora, who would it be? How about Bram and Pam?

Lia:

In my head, I see Nora as Emily Browning - she has this beautiful baby face and breathy little voice. And there's a French actor named Gaspard Ulliel who'd be great for Bram. Pamela I'm always a little undecided on, because I'm not as familiar with actresses of Indian descent as I ought to be. I have some photos of Dilshad Vadsaria I use occasionally for inspiration.

A.L.:

Alright, we have to ask, why zombies? And why zombie love?

Lia:
More than zombies, I LOVE monsters and "hideous" characters. I grew up adoring them on a level that's hard to describe - I just always sided with them, always identified with them, and found myself naturally able to do complicated mental gymnastics to excuse all their monstrous foibles. As a tiny girl I wept buckets of tears for the Phantom of the Opera, loved Darkman to death (my intro to Liam Neeson!), and saw 'Beauty and the Beast' as the tale of a woman who stands by her soulmate even though he undergoes a disfiguring transformation into an utterly boring human. So when I tackle zombies, I'm bringing all of that. I can justify the hell out of them. I can find beauty in the weird things about them. And I thought it'd be an interesting challenge.

As for zombie love, well...I view it as a temporal, and thus amazingly passionate thing (in contrast to how cold they are, I guess!). I think it's impossible for any self-aware zombie to lie about his condition, either to himself or others. I view them as extremely honest creatures - they literally wear every scar, every broken thing for the world to see. It's a total case of "take me as I am." And I guess I find something very attractive in that. It probably has a lot to do with my own personality - I'm like Nora in that I'd totally take 3 amazing years over an eternal "happily ever after." There's something about the idea of immortality that gives me the chills.

A.L.:

Do you think there will ever be a happy ending for zombies?

Lia:

It depends on your definition of "happy ending." I think living life to the fullest, a relationship to its fullest, even if you have to say goodbye at the end...that's happy, to me. Because that's what real life is like.

A.L.:

What are you working writing right now?

Lia:

I just handed in some more edits on the Dearly sequel, so now I'm going back to some projects I'm writing for fun. I always have to have something I'm working on just for me. They both involve monsters, but I'm not telling!

A.L.:

Are you planning another series?

Lia:

Honestly, I don't think I'm cut out for series - or if I am, I can only do one at a time. It's just too exhausting, even though I love the characters. So I don't have anything planned just now, no.

A.L.:

What’s the number one book you recommend someone read?

Lia:

If you're into the whole "death and more death" thing like me, I love Thomas Lynch's 'The Undertaking.' He's a mortician and poet, and he writes beautifully about his work. Parts of the book are blackly hysterical, too.

A.L.:

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring author, what would it be?

Lia:
Write what you want, and ignore everyone else. The one thing that really gets my back up is talk of "trends" in publishing - I honestly don't think that applies anymore, not with the vast amount of self-published material out there, not with the thousands of books produced every year by traditional press, not with the millions and billions of diverse readers. When I hear people sniff, "Oh, no one's buying dystopian anymore," I want to scream, because I always imagine someone out there sighing and shelving their dystopian work - when it was the most brilliant thing since 1984. Honestly, if I'd known anything about writing or publishing before producing D,D, I wouldn't have written it. Earplugs and blinders and insanity, people. That is how it's done.

A.L.:

Are any of your characters modeled off of anyone or anything that you’ve experienced in the past?

Lia:

No, not purposefully. My mom keeps asking me to put her in, but I'd probably turn her into a zombie and then she'd yell at me and throw shoes.

Lia Habel
Web: http://liahabel.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/liahabel
FB: http://www.facebook.com/lia.habel

THE GIVEAWAY!

Read reviews on Goodreads. Can't wait to buy it? Go get it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

YA Giveaway Blog Hop: Featuring Leanna Renee Hieber

2012-01-26T20:25:00.001-05:00

For this giveaway I'm featuring the work of Leanna Renee Heiber! Leanna is an author, an actress and a playwrite who grew up in Ohio and has her BFA in Theater. Besides being super talented, she's a snappy dresser, a diehard Slytherin, she's one of the kindest New Yorkers you'll ever meet, and her Goth shuffle is to die for.

THE GIVEAWAY!

Leanna has graciously sent me TWO of her works to give away. They are AUTOGRAPHED, mind you.

What I'm giving away:

Her debut novel, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, first in her Strangely Beautiful series, landed on Barnes & Noble's bestseller lists, was named a favorite of 2009 by 14 genre blogs, won two 2010 Prism Awards (Best Fantasy, Best First Book), the 2010 Orange County Book Buyer's Best Award (Young Adult category) and is currently in development as a musical theater production with a team that includes Broadway talent. The Strangely Beautiful series has been translated into several languages.

Read reviews on Goodreads. Can't wait to buy it? Go get it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul, first in Leanna's Gothic Historical Paranormal trilogy for teens (Sourcebooks Fire), hit the Kid's/YA INDIE NEXT LIST as a recommended title by the American Booksellers Association. Seventeen Magazine said of DARKER STILL: "This chilling tale will draw you in and keep you guessing until the very last page!" The book has been praised by Shelf Awareness, The Chicago Tribune, Pixie Magazine and more. DARKER STILL will also be translated into several languages.

Read reviews on Goodreads. Can't wait to buy it? Go get it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter. This hop runs from 1/27/12 to 1/31/12. Hit the green "Do It" buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the green enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using facebook to do this). There will be two winners for this giveaway, the first entrant will be able to choose which of the two books they would like and the second will get the remaining book. Should the second winner decide they do not want the remaining book, they can bow out and allow another winner to be selected. This contest is open to international entrants.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DON'T FORGET:
There are a ton of other blogs and websites giving awesome YA related things away! Make sure you stop by each of these and check out their giveaways: http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/2011/11/young-adult-giveaway-hop-jan-27th-to.html

Monday Muse: David Garrett - Master of Puppets live @ Berlin

2012-01-23T10:34:00.000-05:00

Nothing kicks a Monday off like a hot man with a stringed instrument and some head banging.

Feature Friday: Leanna Renee Hieber

2012-01-20T14:32:00.002-05:00

To kick of my very first Feature Friday post, I have the marvelously talented Leanna Renee Hieber! Leanna is an author, an actress and a playwrite who grew up in Ohio and has her BFA in Theater. Besides being super talented, she's a snappy dresser, a diehard Slytherin, she's one of the kindest New Yorkers you'll ever meet, and her Goth shuffle is to die for.

INTERVIEW:

A.L.:

Where did you get the inspiration for Darker Still?

Leanna:
Ever since I was a kid I wanted to write a haunted painting story. Probably all that time spent with my art-teacher father in art museums. There was a Sesame Street movie called "Don't Eat The Pictures" where the Sesame Street gang are locked inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art overnight. I know some inspiration came from that! :) When I read The Picture of Dorian Gray and fell so in love with the story, it would forever become an influential work.

A.L.:

Most of Darker Still is written through journal entries. Did you find writing in that format difficult?

Leanna:

I loved it. I don't usually like writing in first person, so approaching Natalie and her story though the diary entries made it more palatable when I started writing.

A.L.:

What made you decide to make Natalie mute? How difficult was it writing a mute character?

Leanna:

I wanted her experience in the 'real' world and the world inside the painting to be profoundly different, and for the shift between those two worlds to be a struggle. I think a girl fighting to find her voice in the world both literally and figuratively is something we can all relate to. A girl who struggles with a disability and can be as brave as Natalie proves to be is someone we can all rally around. A girl who saves the guy for a change? Yes, please.

A.L.:

I think that my favorite character in Darker Still is Mrs. Northe, so I have to ask, is there someone or something that inspired her character?

Leanna:

I was always a "teacher's pet" in school. Mrs. Northe is in some part a combination of all my favourite teachers, mentors and elder friends in my life and a healthy dose of my Lutheran pastor, she has profoundly influenced the spirituality of my work.

A.L.:

Who is your favorite character in Darker Still? Why?

Leanna:

One cannot pick a favorite character, it's like choosing a favorite child. But I will say I'm most invested in Natalie. She came at me like a ton of bricks as I began writing her tale and I adore getting to know her better as I continue her series. I'm a bit in love with Lord Denbury (an author has to love her hero) and I'd want Mrs. Northe on my side in ANY crisis situation.

A.L.:

Are you a character or plot driven writer?

Leanna:

Depends on the story, but usually characters take the lead and plot is secondary. However I have a high-concept project in development that's more plot driven and I'm just now discovering the characters, so each story has it's own unique circumstances and process. But I think due to my many years as a professional actress, I'll always lean on the side of character-driven stories.

A.L.:

Plotter or Pantser?

Leanna:

CERTIFIED PANTSER FOR LIFE. There may come a time when I'm going to have to be a plotter for a specific project (Probably this high-concept one I'm working on as we speak) but until then I go blissfully and blindly into the creative void and see what comes out.

A.L.:

If Percy Parker from your Strangely Beautiful series were to meet Natalie Stewart from your Magic Most Foul series what would she say to her? Alternately, if these two Victorian ladies were to be guest fighters on American Gladiator: Victorian Edition, who would pwn the other? Why?

Leanna:

They would be best friends, have a lot in common and teach each other a lot. Miss Percy would tell Natalie to believe in herself, to not be afraid of her nightmares and would encourage her to speak. Natalie would tell Percy to take her shrouds off and stop hiding, and she would agree that there's a very important purpose for her. They would commiserate about paranormal goings on and problem-solve together. If they were fighting? Natalie would at first utterly pwn Percy until Percy got exasperated and exploded with Goddess power and then it would be over, Percy victorious, but then she'd apologize for any offense.

A.L.:

Are you planning another series? If so, what?

Leanna:

Why yes I am! It's another paranormal historical, set in 1880s NYC as well, but it might have a modern parallel story running through it. I'm not sure yet. It's very early on. What you can do is check out my short story set in the same world, called "Charged" which will be featured in QUEEN VICTORIA'S BOOK OF SPELLS: A Gaslight Fantasy Anthology published by TOR Books (release date TBA).

A.L.:

As you may know, this blog is mostly followed by readers and authors. To satisfy both parties: If you could impart your own piece of wisdom to aspiring authors, what would it be?

Leanna:

The most important word is persistence. Persistence and an unrelenting desire to continue to hone your craft. Never rest on laurels. Just keep chugging away. Always seek to better your craft, and steel your heart. This business can be brutal in every way. You have to let your love of writing trump your fear of rejection.

Thanks for the opportunity to be here!!
Leanna Renee Hieber
Web: http://leannareneehieber.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/leannarenee
FB: http://facebook.com/lrhieber

THE GIVEAWAY!

Leanna has graciously sent me TWO of her works to give away. They are AUTOGRAPHED, mind you. The contest will be featured in the YA giveaway hop running from January 27 to January 31, so please make sure you stop back here and enter yourself in a chance to win something dark and beautiful.

What I'm giving away:

Read reviews on Goodreads. Can't wait to buy it? Go get it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Updates!

2012-01-20T13:04:00.000-05:00

So much is going on lately that I need to do an update post! Let's see...where to start...

My life:
As some of you know my husband graduates with his PhD this semester, which means a big move come summer. I am both excited and terrified by the impending exodus. I'm mainly excited by the prospect of not having to work two jobs and finally having time for writing. But I don't want to leave my friends, family, and the one job that I do like. I'm also worried about where this move will put me in relation to the industry. Because of all this I've been super stressed and not writing all that much. :( One thing I can definitely say about becoming a writer is that I've definitely discovered what a sensitive person I am when it comes to stress and anxiety.

Recent:
I just went to Arisia this past weekend. I was a little bummed because, despite my efforts, I didn't get a chance to be a panelist this year. Despite that, it still rocked. I went to some fun panels, ate way too many chicken tenders, got invited to be an extra in a movie, got invited to present an award at the Boston Science Fiction Film Festival, met Nicole Peeler and Genevieve Iseult Eldridge, got to see PJ Schnyder, bonded with The Lady and the Leopard, hung out with some old college friends, and got an awesome new shirt and squid barrettes.

On the con front:
This year is promising to be a busy one! I'm starting to hear back from conventions. I'm already slated to be a panelist at a number of them. As of now I'm confirmed at I-Con, MarCon, Steampunk World's Fair, and Authors After Dark. I'm trying to get on Lunacon and Connecticon. I'll be attending DragonCon, but not in an official position. Depending on where we end up moving, I'll try for some others later in the year.

Writing:
Scar-crossed is still on submission with three of the biggest houses representing YA literature. One has had it for over two months, so I hope that time was spent getting approval to offer me a contract. *crosses fingers* Just in case, we've got another round of submissions to editors going out soon. I'm excited about this submission because I've recently changed Scar-Crossed. After going back and analyzing the rejections I've gotten so far I decided that the reason I'm getting rejections is because the editors can't figure out how to make my work stand out in a market flooded with paranormal love triangles. So, I really thought about what makes Scar-Crossed different from what's out there and decided to go back into the manuscript and highlight these aspects. I'm hoping that this will produce positive results.

I'm going back to the short stories for a few weeks. I need to finish editing Unbinding Elizabeth, which will be published under a new pen name because it's erotica and I don't want my poor little YA readers to grow up too fast. I'm also working on the next short in the City Steam anthology. It's going to be called The Krie Seekers. It's longer than The Alchemist's Perfect Instrument and contains multiple POVs, but will retain the psychological horror aspect. I'm aiming for it to be a little more mainstream and marginally less squicky.

As far as novels go, I'm mainly focusing on Double-Crossed (the sequel to Scar-Crossed), an adult steampunk novel (set in the world of Dormorn) called The Great White Light, and a YA cyberpunk that's I'm tentatively calling CyberElla. I'm hoping to finish one of these soon, but that's entirely dependent on what other external factors want to come sit on my creativity for months at a time. *glares* *does the haka*

Plans for The Blog:
I'm changing things up again. I really love blogging and doing the giveaways, but my work schedule just doesn't make this easy! I'm keeping Monday Muse as the "fun" aspect, and I'm going to alternate between Toolbox Tuesday and Write Well Wednesday as the "industry" aspect. Now, for the fans, I'm going to start trying to have an occasional "Feature Friday" which will showcase a particular author and his/her work. There will be a showcase of the work, a review (chosen, not written, by me), an interview, and will conclude in a giveaway of an autographed copy of the author's book(s). I'm going to try aligning the giveaways with the blog-hops I've been doing so that the author gets the maximized amount of exposure to new readers. I encourage you all to continue entering the giveaways and to check out these wonderful authors!

Finally, some fun:
I'm currently listening to: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
I'm currently reading: Gardens of the Moon by Stephen Erickson
I'm craving: Panera's new oatmeal
This is the last thing that made me laugh myself breathless:

Write Well Wednesday: Creating the Preparation Plan

2012-01-18T14:34:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we talked about the need for an author to have a preparation plan for how they want to deal with the public/promotional aspect of their career. Today, I'll help you get started in designing one!

As mentioned yesterday, your plan should be a contingency plan full of "What Ifs," "How Tos," and "Golden Rules" that will help the external world see your author persona as how you want it to be seen. When constructing the plan, the "How Tos" should follow the "What Ifs." Based off of what you write for these two, you'll create a basic set of "Golden Rules" that define your public author persona. In other words, try your best to think of every possible good or bad situation you may end up in. Figure out how to deal with it without damaging your author persona. Create a set of easy rules that you can live by whenever you put on your author hat.

Here are some things you'll want to think about:

1. How accessible to do you want to be? Think long and hard about separating your personal life from your writer persona. You don't want creepers stalking you at work or kidnapping your children. If this requires creating a pen-name, making a new Facebook page, or wearing a Zorro mask, do it.

2. What can you physically and emotionally deal with? Decide ahead of time what your physical and emotional limitations are and don't make exceptions. If you are a sloppy drunk, don't drink with fans or readers. If you get annoyed by people who can't get to the point, consider an online only persona or taking some classes to deal with this. If you get grumpy and irritable after being on panels for 12 hours, try to have a wing man to deal with fans. If you have creepy basement dweller stalkers, get really burly escorts to hustle you out and walk you to your car.

3. How do you interact with your fans and critics? Try to treat everyone the same...Otherwise you may end up with someone who thinks they are "special" or "your friend" and might cross a boundary or two. It's okay to have and make friends, just make sure you can clearly see the line between friendship and hero worshiping stalkers.

4. When dealing with emails, tweets, and blog posts. Try to be as kind and clear in responses as you can be. Don't be afraid to say no to or ignore belligerent people. It's always a good idea to give a "disclaimer" type of message or note outlining that you don't sit by the computer waiting for fan mail, thus you don't answer right away...

5. What kind of networking and promoting are you going to do? Make time for your fans. The best way to build a following is to interact with people, not to just bludgeon them with advertisements! Show your fans that you are a real person. Just.don't spend so much time networking that you forget to write! If your fans are demanding too much of you then you need to step back and reassess your schedule. (The best way to do this is to just make sure you set clear rules about your networking before you even create an account!)

6. Are you an author on a soap box? Consider your transparency and affiliations. As a person you've got your own socio-political and religious affiliations (or lack of). Do you want these affiliations to define you as an author? If not, make sure you keep these topics out of your persona's spotlight.

7. Do you need a muzzle? Be careful what you do and say. Things DO come back and bite you in the bum, especially with the internet. YA moms don't like their children reading books written by an author whose Girls Gone Wild video is up on YouTube.

8. What happens when you start interacting with other authors? Don't be "that guy." Try your best to be civil and humble -- especially around other authors. You are not a diva, someone will always pwn you. These are your "co-workers" so don't go all fan girl when you meet Dean Koontz.

9. How do you want others to see you? Dress the part. You can go professional or dress to your genre, just remember that once you decide you have to remain consistent so that your fans can recognize you more easily. Also, be appropriate for the genre you write!

These are just some of the things that you're going to want to make sure you consider when creating your plan. Have fun and good luck!

Toolbox Tuesday: The Disaster Preparation Plan

2012-01-17T13:47:00.000-05:00

Whether you write under your own name or start your career under a pen-name, you'll have to put a lot of thought into how you want to present yourself to your readers. For a lot of writers this simply means being themselves, but for others it's not so easy.

Being a writer, especially one who makes an effort to promote their work in the public eye, requires a lot of interaction and diplomacy. Quite often, this can catch a new author unprepared and, handled badly, could cause irreparable damage to the author's reputation or lifestyle. You may end up with your home address or phone number posted all over the net. You may have to deal with a belligerent reader at a signing. Or, you may defend yourself in a blog post and it may be taken the wrong way.

The best way to prevent being taken by surprise or making a mistake is to have a "preparedness plan" for your persona. I know it sounds cheesy, but you'll want to establish a list of exactly what your limitations are going to be, what you'll tolerate from your fans, and how you're going to interact with both the people who hate you and those who love you a little too much. Basically, a contingent plan of "what ifs," "how tos," and "Golden Rules."

Tomorrow we'll talk about some considerations that should go into making such a plan.

Monday Muse: Young Men Dead - The Black Angels

2012-01-16T10:00:00.001-05:00

There is something about how dark and creepy this song is that makes me like it.

YA Faeries and Fantasy Blog Hop

2012-01-05T12:27:00.000-05:00

Welcome to another giveaway! These are a few of my favorite things rolled into one amazing Blog Hop, so I'm super excited.

Here's the deal: Below is a list of books that one lucky winner (selected through Rafflecopter) will be able to chose one book from.

NOTE: I will be at a convention the weekend of the 13th, so winners will not be posted until at least that Sunday night. Regular posts will resume on Monday the 16th.

Ready?

1. Decide you want one of these awesome books! There is such a large selection so that if you happen to win another one of the giveaways in the hop, you wont get a repeat!

Any one of the Modern Faerie Tales by Holly Black
Any one of the Iron Fey books by Julie Kagawa
Any one of the Wicked Lovely books by Melissa Marr
Any one of the Books of Faerie by Maggie Stiefvater
Any one of the Wings books by Aprilynne Pike
Any one of the Wonderous Strange books by Lesley Livingston
Any one of the Need books by Carrie Jones
Any one of the Abhorson books by Garth Nix
Any one of The Seven Kingdoms books by Kristin Cashore
Any one book by Tamora Pierce
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
Daughter of Smoke and Bone or by Laini Taylor
Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner
Reckless by Cornelia Funke
Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card

2. Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter. This hop runs from 1/6/12 to 1/12/12. Hit the green "Do It" buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the green enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using facebook to do this).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

3. Click the link to go visit the ridiculous number of other blogs giving away other YA faerie and fantasy books!

Write Well Wednesday: Affect vs. Effect

2012-01-05T12:18:00.000-05:00

Another quickie today cause I have a 12 hour day at work, writer's group, and I have to set up for tomorrow's YA Faeries and Fantasy blog hop!

"Affect:" vs. "Effect." It's one of the biggest issues for some writers. I could attempt to explain it or let Grammar Girl do it for you. Since I don't have time to think about how to explain it clearly, we'll go with the later!

Learn about "affect" vs. "effect" here!

Toolbox Tuesday: The Contract

2012-01-04T10:47:00.000-05:00

Omigosh! I completely forgot yesterday was Tuesday! I think that whole New year's day off got my clock all messed up, LOL! Sorry about that folks. I guess today is imaginary Tuesday and tomorrow will be imaginary Wednesday...

So, today's tool is The Contract.

*cue ominous music*

I felt it necessary to include the contract in the toolbox because contracts make everything wonderful.. Well, not really...they're full of language you don't understand and loopholes...But for what I'm talking about they are wonderful. :)

What I'm talking about is expectation. Contracts are great for working out what is and isn't expected between two parties. AND, if someone doesn't follow a contract then you get to pwn them in all sorts of legal ways. I am not a proponent of illicit law suits, but sometimes you just gotta fight and everyone's weakest spot is in the wallet.

So, contracts. I'll admit I have no legal knowledge, so I can't clarify contract language and what-not. I have a lawyer writer buddy and an agent for that. What I can say is that a contract should be fair and you should fully understand every aspect of it before you sign it. If it's full of language and legal terms you don't understand, get someone who does to explain it to you. It's never a good thing to accidentally sign away your kidneys as collateral...

If you don't like something in your contract, ask for it to be changed or try to make an agreement that both you and the party you're signing with can agree on. If you're lucky enough to have an agent, they'll do this for you.

Although, you're going to want to make sure you make your expectations clear to your agent so that he/she can rally for your cause. Be aware that if you're a new author, the likelihood of getting those golden clauses in your contract is slim to none. That doesn't mean you shouldn't educate yourself on what you should ask for or fight for what you want. You never know...

Finally, don't ever do anything or make any kind of agreement without a contract. This is an industry and this is your job. We rely too heavily on other people for agents, editors, and publishers to be dragging their feet or leading you by your nose. Get a contract, make sure they follow it, and make sure you follow it!

Monday Muse: Lana Del Rey - Born To Die

2012-01-02T10:00:00.002-05:00

Lana Del Rey is a new discovery! She's quite lovely and has an even lovelier voice. Please enjoy!

Write Well Wednesday: Poets and Writers

2011-12-28T12:15:00.000-05:00

Today I'm doing a shout out to the Poets and Writers website!

Every-so-often we writers need to share the wealth. This is of my favorite writer resource sites! While this site offers a lot to anyone willing to take a few minutes and look through the contents, my favorite aspect of this site is the ability to find what journals and magazines are taking submissions as well as checking to see what competitions are being offered.

Take a few minutes out of your busy day to stop here and see if it can help you!

Cheers!

Toolbox Tuesday: Dreams

2011-12-27T14:02:00.000-05:00

Short and sweet today! DREAMS...

Simple enough! I'm not talking about the get in bed and enter sandman dreams. I'm talking about the waking dreams that drive us forward in life. Everyone I know has one dream or another. Which means you probably do to! You might have many small dreams which, upon accomplishment, require making bigger and grander plans; or you may have a big-shiny-dream which requires making many small steps to get to.

I'm a big dream kind of girl. My dream is to become a bestselling author. I keep this first and foremost in my mind all day, every day. I don't think any decision I make is made without thinking about how it will impact my dream.

I, for one, think it's incredibly important to have a dream that you believe is legitimate and achievable within your lifetime. It's having something to want and look forward to that keeps us on the right path, plugging forward when fate starts to throw random road-blocks in front of us. Without this drive and desire, we plod through life and, while we may make startling achievements, I don't think they are as sweet because we didn't desire them in the first place.

After all, does cake more satisfying when you've been wanting it for a month or if someone just randomly hands you a piece?

Monday Muse: White Flag -Morgan

2011-12-26T09:06:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite bands ever! This is an older version of White Flag...Back when they called themselves "Morgan" and not "The Romanovs," but I like this YouTube version a little better. Enjoy!

Cheer And Joy

2011-12-24T09:37:00.001-05:00

The giveaway madness has ended. *whew* Congratulations to "Spav" who won my Stuff Your Stocking Giveaway. Fingers crossed for all of you who entered any other giveaways as part of the Mistletoe Madness Blog Hop.

I want to thank all of you for making this giveaway such a success. I had over 550 entries and there are now an extra one hundred people following this blog.

For those of you who are new, here's what to expect:

Generally, here are three posts a week.

Monday Muse (I post a fun song or piece of art to get everyone's creative juices flowing for the week)

Toolbox Tuesday (I decide on a tool that belongs in a writer's toolbox and give it an in depth examination)

Write Well Wednesday (I give a writer's "craft" entry)

Every-so-often, I'll review a book or put up a personal blog entry so you can see how my journey as a writer is going.

PLUS, I'm intending to do at least six giveaways a year. My next giveaway will be a YA faeries and fantasy blog hop in early January, so stay tuned for that!

Disclaimer: I do suffer from chronic migraines and twelve hour work days so every-so-often I miss one...I'm only human.

If you end up enjoying this blog or my tweets, please tell your friends! The best gift you could give me is more followers (this is incredibly important for when I finally graduate to the big leagues and need to reach many potential readers). In return, I'll try to give you interesting posts, juicy giveaways, stories that don't suck *hopefully,* and fun playlists on YouTube.

I hope the holidays are simply smashing for all of you!
-A.L. Davroe

Mistletoe Madness Blog Hop

2011-12-16T00:03:00.020-05:00

Hello and welcome to my very first giveaway!

Since this is the first and it's so close to the holidays, this giveaway is extra special! For this giveaway, you get to stuff your own stocking! If you win this giveaway, you can choose any three books from the list*; plus you get a free e-book version of my short story, Salvation Station. In addition to all that, you can enter into a chance to win the grand-prize: a brand new Nook Color (with a sexy leather cover) that has been preloaded with e-books from the sponsor authors (including myself).

TAKE YOUR PICK:
Young Adult Books:
1. The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
2. Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card
3. Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
4. Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber
5. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
6. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
7. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
8. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
9. Any book in the Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson
10. Any book in the Birthmark Trilogy by Caragh M. O'Brien
11. Any of The Books of Pellinor by Alison Croggon
12. Any book in The Leviathan Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld

Adult Books:
1. Ganymede by Cherie Priest
2. The Buntline Special by Mike Resnick
3. The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt
4. Any book in A Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin

5. Any book in The House of Comarré Series by Kristen Painter

6. Any book in the Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks
7. Any book in the Pendragon Cycle by Stephen R. Lawhead
8. Any book in the Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan
9. Any book in The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne
10. Any book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward

If you want any of these books, here's what to do:
1. Enter my giveaway by following my blog. To increase your chances of winning, you can do the other tasks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2. Make sure you stop by the other participating blogs and enter yourself in their giveaways as well! This is an awesome chance to find great new authors and bloggers, plus you might win some pretty amazing things!

3. Enter to win the Nook Grand-Prize!
The following authors and works will be pre-loaded onto the Nook Grand-Prize:

A Brush of Darkness -Allison Pang (WINNER MUST DOWNLOAD THROUGH ADOBE DIGITAL EDITIONS)
A Hard Habit to Break - KC Kendricks
Angel in the Middle - Marie Dees
Betting on Hope - Kay Keppler
Blood of the Maple - Dana Marie Bell
Cry Wolf - Angela Campbell
Dearly Departed - Lia Habel
Entanglements - PR Mason
Eris - D. Renee Bagby
Golden - Joely Sue Burkhart
Grey's Lady - Natasha Blackthorne
Her Dark Knight - Sharon Cullen
Hunting Kat - PJ Schnyder
Knight of Runes - Ruth A. Casie
Leading Her To Heaven - Kayleigh Jamison
Love on Cloud Nine - Linda Andrews
Lust on the Rocks - Dianne Venetta
Men of the Sea Anthology - Eliza Knight
Murdering Eve - Kelly Lee
Redaction - Linda Andrews
Relearning the Ropes - DC Juris
Risking Trust - Adrienne Giordano
Shadows & Dust - Yvonne Nicolas
Sloane Wolf - Margay Leah Justice
Snowy Encounters - Clarissa Yip
Soul Catcher - Vivi Andrews
The Alchemist's Perfect Instrument - AL Davroe
The Demon He Knows - RA Vaughn
The Fallen Queen - Jane Kindred
The Knife's Edge - Stephanie Draven
Underdead - Liz Jasper
What Not To Fear - Robert C. Roman
White Hot Christmas: Santa's Claws - Stephanie Burke

**Use of religious iconography is not reflective of author's personal views nor are they suggestive or exclusive to raffle participants.

Write Well Wednesday: Creating the Vocal Character

2011-12-15T00:08:00.000-05:00

This post is the third in a series of posts about characterization. To read the others, go here: Creating the Visual Character and here: Creating the Active Character.

Today we're talking about my favorite aspect of the dynamic character! It's already technically Thursday and I'm bone tired...so, it's going to be a short, sweet post (and I hope I'm not so tired that it doesn't make sense)!

Today's topic: Creating the character's voice. This character trait has two areas. The internal voice and the external voice.

The internal voice is the way the character vocalizes his or her thoughts or feelings to his or herself while the external voice is the way the character expresses his/herself to the other characters in the story. The reader is privy to the internal voice while the other characters are not, thus creating a bond between the main character and the reader.

Quite often, the internal voice is very different than the external response.

Example: A teenaged boy is dared to egg a house by his friends.

Internally, he's really a good kid and doesn't want to do it; however, he explains to us how much he wants to fit in with his friends. He'll go through the motions of wondering if he'll get in trouble and he might consider the feelings of the house's owner. He's having an internal struggle on whether to do it or not and weighing how his friends will react if he says, "No." The reader is following him through this internal struggle, learning all about his strengths and weaknesses, wants and needs. From this voice, we come to know that the boy is really a good, sensitive kid who just wants to fit in. And, depending on how good the author portrays his internal character, they may even come to sympathize with the boy's plight. They may even see themselves in the boy. You want this kind of emotional stock!

Externally, the boy's friends watch as the boy, exuding an air of bravado, gets out of the car, tells them he's going to aim for the window, and throws the egg. He turns around with a big stupid grin on his face when he hits his mark. From the friend's perspective, we learn that the boy is fearless, brazen, and pretty damn cool. He can hang with us!

The boy has saved face with his friends, but at what cost to the internal voice? And how does the reader feel now that they know the boy betrayed his true self so that he could fulfill a social desire? A writer must think about where they want to lead the reader with all of this conflict!

On the flip side, one character might think that they are exuding a particular air to others -- perhaps trying to reflect what their internal voice is telling them to do, perhaps trying to do the opposite -- but others may not being perceiving them the way they want to be perceived.

Our boy wanted to be cool for one set of friends, but what does he look like to the eighty-year-old grandmother whose house he just egged? He looks like quite a jerk doesn't he?

These are the kinds of complications that make characters rich. Be sure to always divide your character between who they are on the inside, what they want others to think, and how those others actually perceive that character.

Breather

2011-12-13T10:38:00.000-05:00

Sorry guys, no Toolbox Tuesday today. I'm having some life complications and need a mental breather. There will be a Write Well Wednesday post tomorrow, so tune in for that. Also, my first giveaway goes up on Friday (December 16) and will be running through next week (December 23), so make sure you tune in for that. Scheduled posts (Monday Muse, Toolbox Tuesday, and Write Well Wednesday) will be on hold until the 26th!

In the mean time, have a fun cheer up song! This isn't exactly the situation I'm having, but I always sing the chorus of this song and it cheers me up. :)

Monday Muse: Eliza Rickman- Black Rose

2011-12-12T06:35:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite up and coming musicians!