January is Walk Your Dog Month and what better way to kick start your New Years Resolutions by reading some great YA books that feature dogs? If you are like me, you love dogs and want to spend more time with them because they just get you. This awareness month is a great way to help dust off the January blues, read a few good books, maybe go out and adopt a new dog, or if you already have one start taking him/her out for more walks. It's a fun way to get out of the house and your dog will love you for it! Here is a list of YA books that will have you begging for more! Last Chance by Norah McClintock In this charming YA novel by Norah McClintock, the main character Robyn is scared of dogs—like, really scared. But she agrees to spend her summer working at an animal shelter anyway. (It's a long story.) Robyn soon discovers that many juvenile offenders also volunteer at the shelter—including Nick D'Angelo, a boy from Robyn's past. A boy she hoped to never see again. Ni...
This week Mrs. Librarian Lady will feature author a blog piece by Lois D. Brown. Lois' new book "Robbed of Soul" will be releasing this week and she has some great advice on How to write a book in two months!
So you want to write a
book. I have a little advice. (Writers always do.)
Two years ago it took me
almost twelve months to write a middle grade book that was 30,000 words long.
This past fall I wrote an 85,000 word adult mystery called Robbed of Soul in two months. What made the
difference?
Point #1: Like
your book
First off, let me say
that to write a book, and to write it fast, you need to like your idea. I
wasn't so jazzed about writing the middle grade book. I thought it had a good
premise and was marketable.
However, I was completely
passionate about Robbed of
Soul. It’s set in a real town, Kanab, Utah, which I love to visit. It included
legends about Montezuma’s gold and historical tales from treasure hunters
in the 1920s. And the protagonist is a woman who survived eight months in
solitary confinement in Tehran. All of these are things that fascinate me. So much
so that I've actually appeared on a television show about
Montezuma's treasure.
Point #2: Make it a competition.
I contacted a friend
of mine who was about to start to write her second book. (If you don’t know someone
personally, there are tons of online author support site that would work too.)
My friend and I made
writing our books into a competition. It made all the difference. Every few
days we would check up with each other. We’d send a quick text
asking how many words the other had written that day. It was fun. First she was
ahead. Then I was ahead. Then she was ahead. Yes, she finished the book
before me, but it didn't matter. We both finished writing rather large novels in
less than ten weeks.
Point 3: Get rid of distractions
I
created an atmosphere that was conducive to writing. Our
family’s main computer is in the kitchen. I like it there because I can see
what my kids are doing on it. But, it really makes it difficult to focus. The fridge is about six feet
from my computer chair. It whispers to me all the time. I knew I had to change where I
wrote Robbed of
Soul. I set up a desk in the corner of my house the furthest away from my
kitchen as possible. I also put my cell
phone in a different spot than where I wrote.
Point 4: Write while you do chores
There is a free app for an iphone called Dragon Diction. It's easy to download and it's simple use. While it's not
perfect, it does a good job of transcribing everything I say. I use it for
outlining. I write dialog with it. I'm even using it to write this blog. I
speak into my cell phone while I'm riding in the car, when my hands are tired of typing, even
while I walk around the house picking up messes.
Point 5: Stay awake!
Caffeine does a number on me. I really
don't like consuming large quantities of it. However, I found Crio
Bru to drink. It has a great natural stimulant in
it, it tastes good, and I feel like legit writer with my steaming mug of brown
liquid at my side. Another natural stimulant I use is an orange essential
oil. I like the brand doTerra. I keep a small bottle of this essential oil
right next to my computer. When I started to feel drowsy, I open the lid, pour
a drop on my hands, and rub them together. I then breathe in deeply and have an
immediate pick me up. And it makes my keyboard smell good. (No, I don't own stock in either of the
companies)
So you want to write abook. I have a little advice. (Writers always do.)
Two years ago it took me
almost twelve months to write a middle grade book that was 30,000 words long.
This past fall I wrote an 85,000 word adult mystery called Robbed of Soul in two months. What made the
difference?
Point #1: Like
your book
First off, let me say
that to write a book, and to write it fast, you need to like your idea. I
wasn't so jazzed about writing the middle grade book. I thought it had a good
premise and was marketable.
However, I was completely
passionate about Robbed of
Soul. It’s set in a real town, Kanab, Utah, which I love to visit. It included
legends about Montezuma’s gold and historical tales from treasure hunters
in the 1920s. And the protagonist is a woman who survived eight months in
solitary confinement in Tehran. All of these are things that fascinate me. So much
so that I've actually appeared on a television show about
Montezuma's treasure.
Point #2: Make it a competition.
I contacted a friend
of mine who was about to start to write her second book. (If you don’t know someone
personally, there are tons of online author support site that would work too.)
My friend and I made
writing our books into a competition. It made all the difference. Every few
days we would check up with each other. We’d send a quick text
asking how many words the other had written that day. It was fun. First she was
ahead. Then I was ahead. Then she was ahead. Yes, she finished the book
before me, but it didn't matter. We both finished writing rather large novels in
less than ten weeks.
Point 3: Get rid of distractions
I
created an atmosphere that was conducive to writing. Our
family’s main computer is in the kitchen. I like it there because I can see
what my kids are doing on it. But, it really makes it difficult to focus. The fridge is about six feet
from my computer chair. It whispers to me all the time. I knew I had to change where I
wrote Robbed of
Soul. I set up a desk in the corner of my house the furthest away from my
kitchen as possible. I also put my cell
phone in a different spot than where I wrote.
Point 4: Write while you do chores
There is a free app for an iphone called Dragon Diction. It's easy to download and it's simple use. While it's not
perfect, it does a good job of transcribing everything I say. I use it for
outlining. I write dialog with it. I'm even using it to write this blog. I
speak into my cell phone while I'm riding in the car, when my hands are tired of typing, even
while I walk around the house picking up messes.
Point 5: Stay awake!
Caffeine does a number on me. I really
don't like consuming large quantities of it. However, I found Crio
Bru to drink. It has a great natural stimulant in
it, it tastes good, and I feel like legit writer with my steaming mug of brown
liquid at my side. Another natural stimulant I use is an orange essential
oil. I like the brand doTerra. I keep a small bottle of this essential oil
right next to my computer. When I started to feel drowsy, I open the lid, pour
a drop on my hands, and rub them together. I then breathe in deeply and have an
immediate pick me up. And it makes my keyboard smell good. (No, I don't own stock in either of the
companies)
Do you
like books? Do you like Zions National Park? Join the ROBBED OF SOUL book launch giveaway and you may win
3 nights in a vacation townhome in Kanab, Utah.
(Thirty minutes from Zions.) A $450 value! (Or a $100 Amazon gift card
if preferred.)
a
Rafflecopter giveaway
Do you
like books? Do you like Zions National Park? Join the ROBBED OF SOUL book launch giveaway and you may win
3 nights in a vacation townhome in Kanab, Utah.
(Thirty minutes from Zions.) A $450 value! (Or a $100 Amazon gift card
if preferred.)
Rescued but psychologically damaged from a failed mission, ex-CIA officer Maria Branson takes
the job of police chief in the quiet town of Kanab, Utah. Rest and relaxation are the doctor’s orders. She
gets neither. Instead, a missing mayor, the spirit of a dead Aztec warrior, and the over-confident-yet-
attractive head of Search and Rescue await her in a town whose past has almost as many secrets as her
own. As Maria investigates a modern-day murder, she disturbs a world of ancient legends and deadly
curses. Yet most lethal of all is Maria’s fear someone will discover just how empty her soul really
is.
Available at Amazon, Smashwords, and Google Play.
Rescued but psychologically damaged from a failed mission, ex-CIA officer Maria Branson takes
the job of police chief in the quiet town of Kanab, Utah. Rest and relaxation are the doctor’s orders. She
gets neither. Instead, a missing mayor, the spirit of a dead Aztec warrior, and the over-confident-yet-
attractive head of Search and Rescue await her in a town whose past has almost as many secrets as her
own. As Maria investigates a modern-day murder, she disturbs a world of ancient legends and deadly
curses. Yet most lethal of all is Maria’s fear someone will discover just how empty her soul really
is.
Available at Amazon, Smashwords, and Google Play.
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