Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.
Here's what's on my mind today:
- Up In Flames Cover Reveal Up In Flames is having a cover reveal today! And the book is already up for preorder on Amazon. You can preorder your copy here. Seventeen-year-old Cara Tillman’s worst nightmare has come true…
She’s been reborn as a Phoenix and has forgotten everything from her first life—including Logan Schmidt. He’s handsome and protective, but with no recollection, he can’t be trusted.
Accused of being a Hunter, Logan’s mortality is put to the test…
Logan isn’t willing to admit he and Cara are over—not even after he watches her rise from her own ashes.
While the other Phoenixes are convinced Logan is a sworn enemy, a group of deadly Hunters are sure he is a Phoenix. Only being guilty of loving Cara, he must prove them all wrong—and convince Cara she loves him.
However, a magical link may be the demise of Logan’s devotion…
With the Hunters hot on their heels, it’s up to Logan to save Cara. But when the dagger calls out, Logan is drawn to its power.
Cara’s missing memories may not be the only obstacle standing between her and Logan. Their relationship isn’t just complicated—it’s deadly. And when Cara finds herself at a crossroad, she is forced to choose…
She can plunge into the darkness of her treacherous fate, or use her Phoenix instincts to once again rise Out of The Ashes. - Editing I'm editing for clients this week.
- Mystery of Majestic Cave Book two in the Curse of the Granville Fortune series will be ready early! Yes, early! I'm expecting it to be up for sale sometime this month. :)
- Packed Month April is crazy for me. I have a bunch of editing projects on my plate, the Monroe County Book Expo on the 16th, the Scholastic Book Fair at my daughter's school is next week, and Up In Flames releases on the 12th!
- The Haunted Stepsister Cover Reveal Want to sign up for Medeia Sharif's cover reveal for The Haunted Stepsister? Of course you do! I can tell you the cover is awesome since this is a Leap title I had the pleasure of editing. :) Sign up here.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
Applications have been carefully reviewed and the official Into the Fire street team has been selected. Before I share the list of people who made the team, let me just say that this experience was very surreal for me. I was amazed at how many people submitted applications and how excited people were at the prospect of being selected. I want to thank everyone who applied, and know that even if you weren't selected (because we committed to only taking 20 people to keep the group small—and I still took one extra because narrowing down this list was SO hard!), you made my day and have my gratitude for wanting to help me promote this series.
Okay, without further ado, here is the official Into the Fire street team!
Brie Chelton ~ @Chapter_Break
Some of these amazing people have supported my other books and some are completely new to me, but they are all equally incredible for wanting to be part of this series. I thank them all immensely.
First up for promo of Into the Fire is the cover reveal happening this Saturday through Monday. And guys, it's so GORGEOUS!!!!! I can't wait for you to see it. So, that means my usual Friday Feature post will actually be on Saturday so I can share the cover. Be sure to stop back on Saturday. :)
*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.
Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.
Here's what's on my mind today:
- Perfect For You $.99 Sale! To ring in the New Year, I've dropped the Kindle price of Perfect For You to $.99 through January 7th. If you're thinking of reading this book, grab your copy here now before the price goes back up.
- Editing My editing schedule is crazy booked. I'm talking no breaks whatsoever for me for three months. Someone send dark chocolate and lots of it, please.
- Beth Fred's Blog If you haven't checked out Beth Fred's blog yet, she's had some really helpful posts lately, including today. Check out her blog here.
- Up In Flames I'm finishing up edits on Up In Flames, book three in the Into the Fire Trilogy. Have I mentioned the covers for this series are GORGEOUS? I seriously can't get over how amazing they are. I'll keep you posted on the cover reveal dates.
- Back to a Normal Schedule Working with my daughter and husband home is…interesting. ;) They are both good about giving me time to work, but I still don't get the five and a half uninterrupted hours I have when they are at school and work. With all the edits on my plate this month, I need that time.
- Pocono Writers Conference I'll be attending the Pocono Writers Conference this Sunday. I can't wait. It's been too long since I've attended a conference.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.
Here's what's on my mind today:
1. Into the Fire Trilogy Release Date Changes Limitless Publishing has decided to space my releases out just a bit. All three books in the trilogy will still release in spring 2016. Here's the new schedule: INTO THE FIRE (book 1) February 16, 2016 OUT OF THE ASHES (book 2) March 22, 2016
UP IN FLAMES (book 3) April 12, 2016
2. Countdown to Christmas Has Begun! I'm hosting 5 days of giveaways on Instagram. If you don't follow me there already, go here to follow and enter each day to win prizes. Good luck!
3. Drafting I went back to working on my adult thriller. I hit the 50K mark last week. I'm hoping to draft more this week. I've had to put this book aside three times now to work on edits. Maybe I'll finally finish it. I am expecting more edits though. ;)
4. A Very Merry Jamberry Christmas My Facebook Jamberry party was very successful and I got great rewards. Check these out!
5. Christmas We are hosting Christmas again this year. I'm excited to see my daughter open her gifts. She always has such a smile on her face on Christmas morning. If you celebrate, I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
I have three books releasing in spring 2016. Three! And while I'm talking about my Into the Fire trilogy, my release dates have changed. Here is the new release schedule:
INTO THE FIRE (book 1) February 16, 2016
OUT OF THE ASHES (book 2) March 22, 2016
UP IN FLAMES (book 3) April 12, 2016
I'm planning for the releases now. And that of course means thinking of SWAG ideas. But it makes me wonder: What do readers love to get as SWAG? What SWAG really grabs your attention and makes you interested in the book? Or is SWAG just fun to win and it doesn't really make you want to read the book?
SWAG can be so different depending on the book. I've given away necklaces, bracelets, pins, bookmarks, trading cards, charms, stickers, folders, pencils... Personally, I like SWAG that people can actually use. But does actually sway you to read the book? I think just like with everything else related to reading, it's subjective. A pretty piece of SWAG or a really different piece of SWAG might get your attention and make you curious about a book. Or you just might really like the SWAG. ;)
So why do authors put time and money into SWAG if it might not lead to readers? Like anything else, it's a way to potentially reach more readers, who may turn into fans. For that reason, I'll ask you, what is your favorite type of SWAG? What kind of SWAG makes you want to win the SWAG and maybe even read the book?
*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.
Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.
Here's what's on my mind today:
- Editing I have a client edit and an edit for Leap to work on this week. I think I'll be getting edits on Up in Flames as well very soon. Eek!
- Countdown to Christmas Giveaways! I'll be counting down the last five days to Christmas by hosting a giveaway a day. Check my Instagram for more info.
- Reading I've been forcing more reading time into my schedule. Yes, forcing. It's tough to find time to read for pleasure when you are constantly reading for your job. I'm doing it though. lol
- Writing Fever I've been editing a lot lately, and while I love editing, I miss writing. I was driving home last Friday and all I could think about was drafting. I really want to get back to my adult thriller that I've had to put aside several times now.
- Into the Fire SWAG I'm getting my SWAG together for the Into the Fire series, which will release in its entirety in February and March 2016! I'm so excited. I may have gotten some Bird on Fire Jamberry nail wraps for SWAG as well. ;)
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.
Here's what's on my mind today:
- Editing I'm editing for a client this week. I did the first edit last week and now I'm on to round two, which is backward.
- Working the Holiday Sale at My Daughter's School Today and Wednesday I'll be helping out at my daughter's school with their Holiday Shop. It's cute to watch the kids shop for their family members.
- My Birthday I'm not big on birthdays, but mine is tomorrow. I guess getting older is inevitable.
- Christmas shopping Other than my daughter's gifts, I'm finished buying and wrapping gifts. Yay! I got some really great deals too, which makes me very happy.
- Into the Fire Into the Fire and Out of the Ashes are fully edited. Only one book in the trilogy left to finish, Up in Flames. I got to see my blurb for Into the Fire and now I'm dying to see my cover.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
Today I want to talk about go-to words. You know, those words we ALWAYS use in our manuscripts even though we know we shouldn't. When I'm editing for a client, I cut these words, change them out, or mark them to be changed by the author. The thing is, I use these words in my own writing.
I'm working on edits for my Into the Fire trilogy and my editor kindly pointed out that my characters LOVE to smile and shrug. Not together, obviously, but you get the point. When I did a search for these, I was blown away. I'm talking head to desk, wondering how book one was ever printed this way. I was embarrassed to be honest. The good thing is that I know this book is so much better now. The writing is tighter, there are added scenes, and the pace is faster.
I'm going to share some words you should look for in your own writing and then cut. Here it goes:
shrug
nod
smile
that (This is the word I cut the most for my editing clients.)
just (This word is a close second to "that" as far as what I cut most for clients.)
almost
adverbs (Okay, it's not an exact word to look for, but you know what I'm talking about. Opt for specific verbs and ditch those adverbs.)
turn
So (I'm very guilty of this one. Cut it.)
really
very
but (Nothing wrong with this word, but—see what I did there?—be mindful of how often you use the "He did this, but…" sentence structure.)
too
only
well (Another personal favorite)
Here are three others, I'll caution you about:
feel
hear
see
These are telling words. If you're using them, you are distancing your reader from the story. Let the reader experience these senses instead of being told about them.
*While this list is in the present tense, ALL tenses apply. ;)
Do you have any go-to words that aren't on my list? Feel free to share them in the comments.
**If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.
Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.
Here's what's on my mind today:
- Editing I'm editing for Leap this week. I'm forcing myself to take breaks to give my poor eyes a rest and hopefully cut down on the eye strain and headaches.
- Into the Fire Trilogy I got my release schedule for the Into the Fire Trilogy and ALL 3 books will release in spring 2016! I couldn't be more excited about this. This means no waiting to read the next book. The entire trilogy will be in the readers' hands in a matter of weeks! Here's the official release schedule:
- INTO THE FIRE February 16, 2016
- OUT OF THE ASHES February 23, 2016
- UP IN FLAMES March 22, 2016
- Jamberry Facebook Party I'm hosting a Jamberry nail wrap party November 30th-December 7th. I fell in love with Jamberry last spring and now I'm addicted. If you'd like to party with me and possibly win free samples, let me know and I'll add you. No pressure to buy. Just come join the fun.
- Drafting As part of my attempt to save my poor eyes, I've decided to reinstate my balanced schedule of writing and editing each day. When I write, I don't stare intently at the screen like I do while I'm editing. So I'm drafting a few thousand words a day now on my WIP, which happens to be an adult thriller.
- Fright Before Christmas Have you pre-ordered your copy of Fright Before Christmas yet? It's only $1.99 right now on Kindle. It's a scary fun Christmas read for middle grade and up.
- Happy Thanksgiving I hope you all have a very happy and safe Thanksgiving. Be careful traveling, and if you go out on Black Friday PLEASE stay safe. People get crazy when there are sales. I'll be waiting for the much safer Cyber Monday. ;)
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
