Writer · writing, grammar, and punctuation · YA Author

WALK THIS WAY

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walking picWalk. A typical word found in every manuscript and story, but one the writer often overlooks as a way to create mood, show body language, and provide a clear picture of the character’s emotional status, without telling the reader how the character feels.

But does this really matter?  It depends on the above mentioned things, context, and what the writer is hoping the sentence portrays.

He walked to the store.

Locating her dog, she walked over.

They walked to the gate.

Without context, we don’t have any idea what the character’s mood is, what they want, and the overall feel of the scene.

With the hundred-dollar-bill burning a hole in his pocket, he walked to the store.

Locating her dog near the edge of a busy street she walked over.

Arriving at the airport ten minutes late, they walked to their gate.

With just a little more information, we can clearly come to the conclusion that each of these sentences carries a sense of urgency, and therefore, since “walked” doesn’t support that urgency, it isn’t the best word choice.

With the hundred-dollar-bill burning a hole in his pocket, he ran to the store.  running pic

Locating her dog near the edge of a busy street, she bolted over.

Arriving at the airport ten minutes late, they raced to their gate.

So before you choose to use the word “walked,” determine what you’re trying to portray to the reader (suspense, fear, urgency, happiness, etc.), and make sure each word choice supports that vision.

Below you will find a handy list of synonyms for walked.

Happy writing.

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Rebecca Carpenter,

Copy editor at Kate Foster Professional Editing Services, Award-winning Ya author, Assistant Editor at Lakewater Press

 

Amble                      Stumble

Bounced                   Stump

Clump                      Swagger

Falter                        Tiptoe

Foot it                       Toddle

Footslog                    Totter

Gimp                         Traipse

Hike                          Tramp

Hobble                      Trample

Hoof it                      Travers

Leg it                        Tread

Limp                         Trip

Lumber                     Tromp

Lurch                        Troop

March                       Trot

Mince                       Trudge

Mosey                      Waddle

Nip                           Wander

Pace

Parade

Perambulate

Peregrinate

Plod

Pound

Power walk

Prance

Promenade

Pussyfoot

Ramble

Sashay

Scuff

Shamble

Shuffle

Stagger

Stalk

Step

Stomp

Stride

Stroll

Strut

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Writer · writing, grammar, and punctuation · YA Author

Tar”get”ing GET

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Tar“get”ing GET

target

 

Let’s face it, everyone uses “get” when they speak. The verb is probably one of the most used words in the English dictionary. So what’s the big deal with all the fid“get”ing over the use of “get” in a manuscript?

Simply put, “get” is a weak verb, generic, a quick go-to which has hundreds of different meanings.

Example: He needs to get to the store and get some food before the kids get home from school.

Not only is this repetitive, but each time “get” is used, a better, more vivid verb can replace it, creating a stronger sentence and clearer picture.

Example: He needs to hurry to the store and buy some food before the kids return home from school.

This sentence paints a clear picture of exactly what’s going on, placing an emphasis on the lack of time before the children return and that they will probably be hungry. Or maybe he doesn’t like to shop with the kids. Whatever the reason, this sentence lends a hand into the precise meaning of the words.

But what if I changed the meanings of the word “get” in the sentence?

Example: He needs to sneak into the store and steal some food before the kids arrive from school.

This completely changes the meaning of the sentence, providing the reader a different take on the word “get” and therefore, creating a completely different scene.

So as you see, it really is important to be specific and make sure you’re writing paints a clear picture as to the meaning of the word.

While it’s okay to use “get” on occasion—especially if a more vivid verb doesn’t appear to be available, a strong writer will seek them out and change as many as possible. On a positive note, use of “get” is always fine in dialogue, but I still look for places that I can switch them out as well.

Whatever you do, don’t allow this pesky word to halt your creativity. Write as many “gets” in your first draft as necessary, just to “get” the story on paper. When you begin to revise, perform a search and carefully study each one for meaning, and determine if the word should be left or changed out.

Your prose will be stronger, and you will be one step closer to an unfor“get”table manuscript.

 

043017_0006_1.jpgRebecca Carpenter is a copyeditor at Kate Foster Professional Editing. She also provides copyediting for Lakewater Press, and her YA novel, Butterfly Bones, is an Official Selection in the New Apple Awards for excellence in indie publishing.

birthday memories · Life experiences · Writer · YA Author

Pierced Ears, Blue Shoes, and a Punch to the Gut

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It’s Lakewater Press’s 2nd birthday, so to help celebrate my awesome publisher’s big day, we have been asked to share our favorite birthday memories.

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m naked without my earrings.  And I’m not a studs girl. What’s the point of wearing something you can barely see? I’m a “the bigger the better” hoops girl.

hoop earrings

So my most memorable birthday is my 14th, the day I anticipated from the time I was little—the day I could join the throng of girls with pierced ears.  In my eyes, earrings were a symbol of maturity, beauty, and a little defiance too. Putting holes in one’s body was still considered taboo to many people, a downright sin to others. But I didn’t care what other people thought, this was my right-of-passage to endless ear fashion, and I couldn’t wait.

Lucky for me, my 14th birthday fell on a weekday, so Mom took me to the mall the weekend before to indulge in some early birthday shopping and to receive the present I had waited for my whole life. Not only was I getting my ears pierced, the coveted act was happening four days early. The anticipation I felt while I sat in the chair, waiting for “the gun”  piercing gunto shoot a piercing stud through my lobes, rivaled any Christmas morning. I was gonna rock those earrings, right along with my 80s hair and Levi’s 501, buttonfly jeans. Life was good.

Waltzing in the door to my home, I never felt prettier. I had on new blue flats, just like my older sister’s, a new outfit in a bag, and bling in my earlobes. I tucked my hair behind my ears, strode up the stairs to the upper level, and was met by a glaring sister. She took one look at my shoes and punched me in the gut.

punched in the gut

“Get those off,” she cried. “I never gave you permission to wear my shoes.”

With tears streaming down my cheeks, I clutched my stomach and yelled that these were my shoes, just bought for my birthday.

She took one look at my ears and glared. “Well that’s what you get for getting your ears pierced early.”

I don’t remember if she got into trouble, but she definitely felt justice was served. The pain was worth it. I had joined the ranks of women all over the world who donned glorious earrings. My life would forever be changed, my lobes forever decorated in metallic glory.birthday cake

 

 

Happy birthday to me! And a very special happy birthday to Lakewater Press!

 

 

Rebecca Carpenter

Author of the award winning YA, Butterfly Bones

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Writer · writing, grammar, and punctuation · YA Author

Utilizing Stronger Verbs (aka: Show Don’t Tell)

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Stronger verbs. Do they really matter? I’ll take a commonly used one, LOOK, and provide some examples of how a strong verb lifts up the story, while weak verbs add nothing—holding down a potentially great scene.

So, what’s the big deal with look? I mean, we all look at stuff. We look down. We look up. We look over our shoulder. We look at people. We look at everything. That’s how we take in a good portion of information to our brain—through looking. So why should we use other words to fluff up something that’s so common? Because how we look at something and why we look at something helps paint a picture, therefore creating conflict and mood for an unforgettable scene. But this can’t be accomplished with the word “looked.”

Let’s start with how we look at something. mirror

“She looked through the crack in the door” provides nothing to the scene and doesn’t create a clear picture. But replace “looked” with a stronger verb, and the sentence comes alive. “She peered through the crack in the door.” The latter gives a clearer picture of the character leaning in, her eye close to the crack, and creates tension. What’s outside the door? What’s going on that has her too scared to just poke out her head? Peered is much stronger, and shows how she looked through the crack in the door instead of just telling the reader she looked through the crack in the door.

“June looked at her mother.” This sentence tells us nothing about the scene, nothing about June’s mood or the relationship between June and her mom. But if I replace “looked” with a stronger verb, the scene comes alive. “June glared at her mother.” The reader can automatically assume June is upset with her mom, something we couldn’t have determined from the weaker verb of “looked.”

“Nicky looked through the curtains.” Again, a plain scene with nothing to hint at what’s going on. “Nicky peeked through the curtains.” This gives a clear picture of the character standing close to the curtains, but not wanting to be seen, she remains hidden behind the curtains.

The next step is to determine why we look at something. This one provides a reason to “look.”  monster

“Footfalls pounded from behind. Mike looked over his shoulder and ran.” While the footsteps set up the scene for something sinister, the word “looked” adds nothing to the tension. “Footfalls pounded from behind. Mike glanced over his shoulder and ran.” To glance at something means to make sudden, quick movements. From the definition we can conclude that whatever is behind Mike is horrible enough to make him run with only a quick sighting.

“Blood gushed from Coltin’s hand. The doctor looked at the wound and determined he needed surgery.” Again, we have a nice setup, but fall short of a vivid scene. “Blood gushed from Coltin’s hand. The doctor examined the wound and determined he needed surgery.” “Examined” offers a clearer picture of how in depth the doctor went to make the determination.

Now don’t get me wrong. It’s perfectly fine to use “looked” on occasion, but when a stronger verb can show instead of tell, that’s when I recommend changing it out.

But how do we know which words to use? To help you with this, I compiled a list of synonyms to use instead of “looked.” I also included synonyms for “looks like” and “walked” which are also commonly overused in manuscripts.

So search through those manuscripts and switch out those generic verbs that don’t add to the story. Words matter. Make each one count.

Rebecca Carpenter is a copy editor for Kate Foster Professional Editing and for Lakewater Press. Her first novel, Butterfly Bones, a young adult contemporary science fiction, came out in Nov. of 2016. The sequel, Butterfly Blood, is scheduled to be released in 2018.     043017_0006_1.jpg

 

Synonyms for Looked                                          

Observed

Watched

Saw

Seen

Beheld

Viewed

Considered

Regarded

Eyed

Gazed

Contemplated

Examined

Inspected

Scrutinized

Eyeballed

Studied

Scanned

Surveyed

Pore over

Stared

Glared

Glanced

Gawked

Peeped

Peeked

Peered

Gawped

Focus

Leered

 

 

Synonyms for Looked Like

Resembles         Mocks

Mirrors              Betrays

Reflects             Parallels

Implies              Reverberates

Reveals             Notifies

Echoes              Proclaims

Parodies            Exposes

Pretends            Reiterates

Refers               Proposes

Feigns               Emulates

Suggests           Offers

Assumes           Commends

Poses                Signifies

Hints                 Represents

Simulates          Tells

Mentions           Broadcasts

Mimics              Communicates

Mimes

Mocks

Declares

Announces

Notifies

Tells

Divulges

Resonates

Steers

Touts

Affects

Imitates

 

Synonyms for Walked  

Strode

Ambled                                                          Parades

Foot it                                                            Scurries

Darts                                                              Loiters

Hoofs it                                                          Lumbers

Bounced                                                         Lurches

Clumps                                                          Sashays

Mince                                                            Plods

Leg it                                                            Parade

Roam                                                            Pads

Peregrinate                                                     Limps

Power Walk                                                   Gimps

Pussyfoot                                                       Flounces

Shamble                                                         Dances

Stalked                                                           Boots

Step                                                               Barges

Tiptoes                                                          Strutted

Sneaks                                                           Skipped

Marched                                                        Wandered

Strolled                                                          Rambled

Stride

Paced

Pound

Hiked

Trudged

Toddled

Tottered

Staggered

Promenaded

Perambulated

Ambulated

Sauntered

Moseyed

Meandered

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lakewater Press Holiday Blog Hop and Giveaway (Day 12): Susan Pape

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For the holiday season, we at Lakewater Press thought it would be a good time to share who we are with a little holiday blog hop.

Between December 1 and the 24th we’ll share holiday interviews with our authors and the Lakewater Press staff. It’s an excellent opportunity for us to get to know each other a little better, and to give our readers a peek behind the scenes–or pages!

Perhaps you’ll even find a new blog to follow, or your next favorite book!

(Be sure to read all the way to the bottom for our holiday giveaway!!)

Today’s interviewee:

Name and LWP affiliation: Susan Pape, Author

Your blog (url): www.bookloversbooklist.wordpress.com

Where do you live? I live on the site of an old lunatic asylum (yes, it really was called that) in Menston, between Ilkley and Leeds in West Yorkshire.

What are your chances of having snow on Christmas Day? It’s possible that Ilkley Moor (behind our house) could get a light dusting…but I don’t remember ever having ‘proper’ snow on Christmas Day in West Yorkshire.

Do you have any favorite holiday traditions? My favourite Christmasses were spent with some really good friends who lived in a converted station near Saddleworth Moor. We played games, took part in a pantomime written by the host, tried to look serious during The Queen’s broadcast, and sat down for lunch and all the trimmings – that lasted from about 1pm until 9pm. I also love being away at Christmas – Florence was a wonderful place to be, and then Cambodia/Vietnam more recently.

Egg nog: Yes or No? Ergh…no!

Are you an artistic gift wrapper or a basic “paper & tape” warrior? Basic, I’m afraid. I’ve tried to do those classy, neatly tucked corners, but they fail me every time.

Do you have any special holiday memories that include books? Are there any specific titles you remember? Christmas seems to be a time of giving ‘joke’ or ‘improving’ books. The joke books go straight on to the shelf in the downstairs lavvy and the improving ones (Shakespearian Tragedies; London Architecture and Tony Benn’s Diaries) get put in the pile for the charity shop.

What is your earliest book-related memory? My parents were not great readers (other than Reader’s Digest) but they did have a shelf full of Graham Greene so I worked my way through those until I was old enough to get my own library card. Not entirely sure it was suitable reading for a child.

Do you write/work during the holidays? Newspapers don’t stop for the holidays so a skeleton staff was always needed to be available on Christmas Day – and throughout the holiday period. When I worked on newspapers, it was usually down to staff without kids to work over the holidays – and that was usually me. I didn’t mind too much as I could take time off in lieu when life returned to normal after the Xmas excesses.

Sue and I at an author talk we did recently

Can you share what you’re working on now? Book Three in the Friends trilogy that Sue Featherstone and I are writing together. So many ideas are bubbling right now – and I can hardly believe this will be the end of the road for the two main characters, Teri and Lee.

What are your goals for 2018? To finish writing the third book in the Friends trilogy and then complete the murder mystery that Sue and I have already started. It takes us out of our comfort genre, so please, wish us luck.

 

The decorations in a Cambodian hotel

 

 

 

me and hubby at a masked Christmas dinner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lakewater Press Holiday Blog Hop and Giveaway (Day 11): Sue Featherstone

cbcarpenter1 Comment

 

For the holiday season, we at Lakewater Press thought it would be a good time to share who we are with a little holiday blog hop.

Between December 1 and the 24th we’ll share holiday interviews with our authors and the Lakewater Press staff. It’s an excellent opportunity for us to get to know each other a little better, and to give our readers a peek behind the scenes–or pages!

Perhaps you’ll even find a new blog to follow, or your next favorite book!

(Be sure to read all the way to the bottom for our holiday giveaway!!)

 

Today’s interviewee:

Name and LWP affiliation: Sue Featherstone (author)

Your blog (url): bookloversbooklist.com

Where do you live? I live in Wakefield, just a stone’s throw from Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the UK’s leading outdoor art gallery, and the award-winning Hepworth Gallery, which together with their sister galleries – Leeds Art Gallery and the Henry Moore Institute, both in Leeds – constitute the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle.

The Hepworth, which has been described as the museum everyone would want on their doorstep, is artistically inspiring but I prefer YSP.

Set in 500 acres of parkland, just a mile-and-a-bit up the road from me, it’s home to one of the largest outdoor collections of Henry Moore bronzes.

Frankly, some of them are a bit weird – but, unlike other outdoor art galleries, the park hosts a changing programme of exhibitions so there’s always something new to see. And, come spring, nothing beats a stroll through the beautiful bluebell woods.

Find out more at: http://www.ysculpture.co.uk

What are your chances of having snow on Christmas Day? Hopefully, slim to non-existent: other parts of the UK (Scotland, for instance) often get snow in December but, thankfully, it’s fairly rare in my part of Yorkshire. I understand the bookies have offered odds of 4/5 on a white Christmas but it’s not a bet I’m prepared to risk.

Do you have any favorite holiday traditions? Santa always used to leave a little note for my daughters thanking them for his mince pie and sherry. It was years before they recognised my handwriting…

Egg nog: Yes or No? Hmmm…egg nog is not very big in the UK although we do have an Irish cream liquer which is similar but not as virulently yellow. And tastes better too. It can be drunk neat at room temperature or some people like to add it to their coffee. I prefer it in a long tumbler, chilled with a couple of ice cubes. Oooh, I think I wouldn’t mind a glass right now.

Are you an artistic gift wrapper or a basic “paper & tape” warrior? Definitely a warrior rather than an artist. Prettily wrapped gifts are a joy to behold but, honestly, I just can’t be bothered. Life is too short to stuff a mushroom and it’s also too short to fiddle around with Christmas bows and ribbons.

My copy of Sad Cypress is a bit dog-eared now but still a favourite read

Do you have any special holiday memories that include books? Are there any specific titles you remember? Books are a very personal thing and, I think, a difficult gift to get right. One woman’s good read is someone else’s charity shop donation. Take Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, for instance, which I was given as a child. Please, take it: I still think it’s a huge shame Magwitch didn’t bop Pip on the head and spare us all the agony of his interminable wittering.

What is your earliest book-related memory? Well, my earliest memories of reading are at the breakfast table: corn, sugar, salt, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine…the contents of a packet of Corn Flakes. Otherwise I loved almost anything by Enid Blyton – wouldn’t you have liked to be a pupil at Malory Towers too? I also enjoyed Noel Streatfeild (Ballet Shoes, The Painted Garden), Jane Shaw (the Susan books) and Elinor Brent Dyer (the Chalet School series). As I got older I started to read some of the books on my dad’s bookshelves – Erle Stanley Gardner (Perry Mason), Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple) and Nevil Shute (The Chequer Board and A Town like Alice). My first Christie read was Sad Cypress, which I still regard as one of her best murder mysteries.

Do you write/work during the holidays? Yes – if the writing itch needs scratching, I scratch.

Can you share what you’re working on now? I was lucky enough to sell my first short story to People’s Friend, a UK fiction magazine, a few weeks ago. It will be published in their Christmas special – in 2018. I can’t wait.

The fiction editor was very encouraging and I’m hoping to write, and sell, more stories this year. I’ve got a couple of ideas bubbling away right now.

And Susan and I are in the early stages of drafting the final instalment of our Friends trilogy. We’ve also started a murder mystery but I’m not completely happy with the way it’s going and a re-think is needed. (Must make sure I mention this to Susan before she reads it here!)

What are your goals for 2018? Professionally, I want to get the Friends trilogy wrapped up and then to knock the murder mystery into shape. I like the characters we’ve created – they have a lot of potential for development but I’m not sure we’re making the best use of them. So, there’s food for thought there. I also want to work on my short story writing and I’d like to do a bit of freelance journalism too. Personally, apart from planning a trip to Australia to visit my youngest daughter, a couple of camping holidays in France and a spa trip with my eldest daughter I’m open to suggestions. Any ideas?

The view across Lac Hourtin: we’ll be holidaying nearby this summer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lakewater Press Holiday Blog Hop and Giveaway (Day 10): Samantha Alban

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For the holiday season, we at Lakewater Press thought it would be a good time to share who we are with a little holiday blog hop.

Between December 1 and the 24th we’ll share holiday interviews with our authors and the Lakewater Press staff. It’s an excellent opportunity for us to get to know each other a little better, and to give our readers a peek behind the scenes–or pages!

Perhaps you’ll even find a new blog to follow, or your next favorite book!

(Be sure to read all the way to the bottom for our holiday giveaway!!)

 

Today’s interviewee:

Name and LWP affiliation: Samantha Alban, Staff (Assistant Editor)

Your blog (url): www.scalban.wordpress.com

Where do you live? Sonoma County, California

What are your chances of having snow on Christmas Day? Most likely 0%, but who knows…this year has been full of weather surprises!

Do you have any favorite holiday traditions? I love setting up the train around my Christmas tree. Last year I even bought liquid smoke for it! I was heartbroken when it broke down and I spent days trying to troubleshoot and fix the problem. After the fourth (I think) day, I finally got it working! I was so excited, I totally forgot about the liquid smoke and didn’t even find the bottle until after I had taken it down for the year. So this year, it’s all about getting that train running WITH the liquid smoke 🙂

Eggnog: Yes or No? YES!!!! (but, I drink Coconut Milk “Egg” Nog).

Are you an artistic gift wrapper or a basic “paper & tape” warrior? Nothing says a traditional

Christmas like brown wrapping with a simple red bow. I call it “simple chic.”

Do you have any special holiday memories that include books? Are there any specific titles you remember? I always try to give a book to someone every holiday season. I could spend hours in a bookstore and even though books are available for purchase online, I still love walking into a decorated bookstore during the holiday season. And spending the time in the store, looking through all the titles and trying to find the perfect one for someone else to love and enjoy is something that I’ve always done and still love to do.

What is your earliest book-related memory? I grew up surrounded by books. I devoured them as a child. I had my own bookshelf since I can remember and it’s always been stuffed with books. I LOVED all my series books, as a child. In elementary school, I had all My Babysitter’s Club, my Nancy Drew’s, my Sweet Valley High’s, and all of my Christopher Pike’s and later on, all my King’s and Rice and Twain and Dicken’s books all along the shelves squeezed in between all my classics. My most favorite thing to do, after dusting my room (my most hated chore), was to take them all off the shelf and reorganize them. I know, mucho nerdy.

Do you write/work during the holidays? I write all year round, so yeah, I usually squeeze in a bit of time on a holiday.

Can you share what you’re working on now? I’d love to. Right now I have mucho projects, but I’m really excited about this YA magical realism I’m working on called THE MIRROR WALKER. It’s about this girl with a special ability to travel through mirrors to other worlds. (Ed. note: Samantha writes as S.C. Alban)

What are your goals for 2018? Yikes, I’ve got so many! Let’s see…to publish Book 3 in The Strega Series (Death Before Dying), clean up my 2 YA novels for querying, find two amazing books I can suggest to the Lakewater Press list, tackle a new WIP I’ve been stewing on for a while, and snag agent representation (hey, dream big or go home, right?)

 

Continue reading “Lakewater Press Holiday Blog Hop and Giveaway (Day 10): Samantha Alban” →

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Lakewater Press Holiday Blog Hop and Giveaway (Day 9): Sam Boush

cbcarpenterLeave a comment

 

For the holiday season, we at Lakewater Press thought it would be a good time to share who we are with a little holiday blog hop.

Between December 1 and the 24th we’ll share holiday interviews with our authors and the Lakewater Press staff. It’s an excellent opportunity for us to get to know each other a little better, and to give our readers a peek behind the scenes–or pages!

Perhaps you’ll even find a new blog to follow, or your next favorite book!

(Be sure to read all the way to the bottom for our holiday giveaway!!)

 

Today’s interviewee:

Name and LWP affiliation: Sam Boush, Author

Your blog (url): http://cyberwarbooks.com/blog/

Where do you live? Portland, Oregon

What are your chances of having snow on Christmas Day? Nearly zero. Probably the same chances as me finding a suitcase full of cash and winning lottery tickets under a bench at the zoo.

Do you have any favorite holiday traditions? My favorite part is getting that Douglas fir through the front door. It makes the house smell like Christmas.

Egg nog: Yes or No? Yes. But I take mine with Lactaid and bourbon.

Are you an artistic gift wrapper or a basic “paper & tape” warrior? Paper and tape. The utilitarian approach.

Do you have any special holiday memories that include books? Are there any specific titles you remember? The list of titles is long, but let me pull one memory out of the ol’ Santa hat.

It was 1995. I was living in France, an eighth grader far away from friends for a year. Generally, I hated it. Then my uncle sent me a box of books for Christmas.

It was a windfall.

English-language paperbacks cost about $40 in today’s money, and were only available in one store. Obviously, I couldn’t afford any of them. So those dozens of Philip Jose Farmer, Michael Crichton, and Orson Scott Card titles were like gold. I re-read them until they fell apart.

What is your earliest book-related memory? I wrote a Winnie the Pooh themed “book” when I was about four years old. And by “wrote” I mean I drew the pictures and dictated what I wanted it to say to my Mom. But somehow the pages got all mixed up and my Mom threw my creation into the trash. (No one recycled back then.) So, obviously I was deeply scarred and that incident led to the tortured poor-life-decision of pursuing a writing career.

And, being a parent myself now, I strongly suspect the “accident” that took down my masterpiece was an inside job. Mom, I’m onto you!

Do you write/work during the holidays? I try to spend family time with my family. But if the muse pulls me onto the dancefloor, I won’t turn her down.

Can you share what you’re working on now? It’s mostly marketing now for ALL SYSTEMS DOWN, which comes out in February. But realistically, “marketing” means scrolling through Twitter trying unsuccessfully to come up with something witty. Then drowning my failure in cheap Mexican beer.

But – and this is important – is there such a thing as expensive Mexican beer? I’m going to go out on a limb and say there is not. Coffee. If you’re going to pay too much for something, coffee is where you should spend your money.

What are your goals for 2018? My main goal is to get a lot of people to read ALL SYSTEMS DOWN. I don’t care how they get it, just so long as there are eyeballs on it.

Not literally. That’s disgusting.

 

Continue reading “Lakewater Press Holiday Blog Hop and Giveaway (Day 9): Sam Boush” →

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Lakewater Press Holiday Blog Hop and Giveaway (Day 8): R.L. Martinez

cbcarpenter1 Comment

 

For the holiday season, we at Lakewater Press thought it would be a good time to share who we are with a little holiday blog hop.

Between December 1 and the 24th we’ll share holiday interviews with our authors and the Lakewater Press staff. It’s an excellent opportunity for us to get to know each other a little better, and to give our readers a peek behind the scenes–or pages!

Perhaps you’ll even find a new blog to follow, or your next favorite book!

(Be sure to read all the way to the bottom for our holiday giveaway!!)

 

Today’s interviewee:

Name and LWP affiliation: R. L. Martinez, LWP author

Your blog (url): https://robinLmartinez.com

Where do you live? Central Oklahoma

What are your chances of having snow on Christmas Day? Meh, Oklahoma is tricky. So, I’d say about 50%, just to be on the safe side.

Do you have any favorite holiday traditions? When I was a teen, we started having two holiday celebrations. On Christmas Eve my mom would cook a big Asian-inspired meal: gyoza, teriyaki steak kebobs, and lots of desserts. We were permitted to open 1 present that night and then we would play board games (Monopoly mostly). It actually was more fun than Christmas Day!

Egg nog: Yes or No? Yes! but I can’t have eggs any more so now it’s a wailing NOOOOOOO!

Are you an artistic gift wrapper or a basic “paper & tape” warrior? Uh… gift bags all the way. I’m horrible with gift wrap

Do you have any special holiday memories that include books? Are there any specific titles you remember?

One year I received a blue duffel bag (with yellow straps) filled with books. I believe The Neverending Story (all-time favorite) and Matilda (another favorite) were among the offerings.

What is your earliest book-related memory? I actually remember writing my own book when I was in elementary school. Our teacher gave out thin, white blank books and I wrote (and illustrated) a story about a black horse. I’ve still got it somewhere!

Do you write/work during the holidays? Sure. Since moving to Oklahoma, we don’t have any family nearby. So our holidays are very low key and casual.

Can you share what you’re working on now? Book 3 of the Witchbreed

What are your goals for 2018? I have a lot of WIPs to finish. Projects that I’ve been putting off. I have one contemporary fantasy romance novel that is finished and just needs to be cleaned up. I’d like to start sending it out to more agents & publishers. I have a fantasy-romance featuring dragons that I’ve been trying to finish for years now. And several other books that have pieces written but nothing more. My ultimate dream goal would be to break into the romance genre by securing a traditional publishing deal.

Continue reading “Lakewater Press Holiday Blog Hop and Giveaway (Day 8): R.L. Martinez” →

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Lakewater Press Blog Hop and Giveaway (Day 8): Rebecca Carpenter

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For the holiday season, we at Lakewater Press thought it would be a good time to share who we are with a little holiday blog hop.

Between December 1 and the 24th we’ll share holiday interviews with our authors and the Lakewater Press staff. It’s an excellent opportunity for us to get to know each other a little better, and to give our readers a peek behind the scenes–or pages!

Perhaps you’ll even find a new blog to follow, or your next favorite book!

(Be sure to read all the way to the bottom for our holiday giveaway!!)

 

Today’s interviewee:

 

Name and LWP affiliation: Rebecca Carpenter, author of Metamorphosis Trilogy & Copy Editor for Lakewater Press

Your blog (url): http://www.thecaterpillargirl.wordpress.com

Where do you live? In the state of craziness and senility. But if you must have a physical place, Grand Junction, Colorado (the western slope of Colorado) is where I’ve called home my entire life. As a matter of fact, the hospital where I was born later became an Alzheimer’s unit where I worked in my late teens. Is it an omen? I don’t think I can base anything off …where was I going with this thought?

What are your chances of having snow on Christmas Day? I’d say there’s about a 50/50 chance for snow on Christmas day. But I’d sure like to increase those odds. If only the weather would cooperate. So far, Grand Junction is three inches below our average rainfall for the year. Anybody own a cloud-seeding machine? We could use some moisture over here. I’m feeling pretty scaly and itchy, and I’m sure I’m going to shed my skin any day now. Maybe if we all sing a song, Mother Nature will oblige. Sing it with me:

Hello Winter, what do you say?

Are you gonna bring us some snow today?

White and pretty and sparkly too.

So we can build a snowman and go sledding too.

Hello Winter, what do you say?

Please bring us some snow today!

One inches, two inches, just won’t do.

We need at least four to close all the schools.

Snow day, hurray!

Do you have any favorite holiday traditions? Opening one present on Christmas Eve, and after we open presents on Christmas day I make a big brunch and we chill the rest of the day watching favorite Christmas movies like “The Family Man,” “Die Hard,” and of course, “A Christmas Story.” Hubby will inevitably take an afternoon nap, and I sit down with my laptop and write.

Egg nog: Yes or No? Jingle my bells, yes!!! Fill her up!

Are you an artistic gift wrapper or a basic “paper & tape” warrior? When I first start wrapping presents, I’m a wrapping-paper connoisseur, so talented I could apply for a position at the North Pole. And I tape the crap out the gift—no one will peek on my watch. But by the end of the present-wrapping swaray , I just slap that crap on and say to heck with it. It’s all going to be ripped off in two seconds anyway, so what’s the point? To be honest, I much prefer gift bags. Simple. Easy. No skill required.

Do you have any special holiday memories that include books? Are there any specific titles you remember? Every year, before we could open gifts, my mom or dad read the story of the First Christmas. One year I received “Tiger’s Eye” for Christmas. I loved that book and read it over and over and over until the spine broke and pages started coming loose.

What is your earliest book-related memory? I grew up in a religious family, and my parents read the Bible with us every night before bed. But I also remember my dad reading “Great Expectations” to us when I was maybe six or seven.

Do you write/work during the holidays? I run a large child care center/preschool and work year round, only closing for major holidays. I use every opportunity to write over the holidays, and I look forward to the large block of time to channel my muse. Some of my best writing occurs during the holidays because I can write uninterrupted. Bring on the holidays. Bring on the creativity. Bring on the writing.

Can you share what you’re working on now? Right now I’m working on book three in the Metamorphosis Series, a young adult contemporary science fiction, but I haven’t decided on a title yet. I’m continuing the dual point of views from book two, and I am excited to tie up some loose ends, throw in a few unexpected plot twists, and finish the series. Will Jeremiah and Bethany end up together? Can a first love be forever?

I’m also revising a middle grade contemporary that takes the reader on a journey through a young girl’s interpretation of her grandmother’s Alzheimer’s disease. With humor and heartbreak, this book is one of my favorites so far.

What are your goals for 2018? Release the second book in the Metamorphosis Trilogy, Butterfly Blood.

Laugh more. Live more. Love more. And get more sleep.

And I’d like to take a tap dance class.

I also hope to do a better job with promotion and marketing, and finish Butterfly Bones book three, as well as query the middle grade.

Continue reading “Lakewater Press Blog Hop and Giveaway (Day 8): Rebecca Carpenter” →