Sunday, December 29, 2013

A New Year is coming!

Hello, lovely readers!

It's been an amazing year. I released DIM FUTURE (Two Rings #2), MY FUTURE (Two Rings #3), THE STORM (The Storm Saga #1) and THUNDER & LIGHTNING (The Storm Saga #1.5). I also wrote over five books, (that includes short novellas, calm yourselves) and I've edited quite a lot. I've read over 100 books, and I have written 392,246+ words. I also had my first book signing.

All in all, it's been a FANTASTIC year. And you guys were a big part of it! I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you! I made so many new friends and I can't wait to see where 2014 takes us all!!


In nonbook related things: I became a Whovian this year. Best decision ever. I played some new video games, I now have an awesome boyfriend, and lots of new pets. And not to mention all the new friends I made! And my awesome family! This year was amazing, and I'm excited to see what 2014 will be!

Thank you guys so much for being fantastic! I have a little giveaway for you to say thank you, and celebrate!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Love you guys! <3

-Madison xoxo

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Merry Christmas, readers!

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you are all having a great holiday! I got a lot of fandom stuff. YAY ME.

-Madison xoxo

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Kpop Thursday #13


I have T-ara with their song, Roly Poly! :)


Secret: I listened to this song many times when I wrote 2012's NaNo Novel! And MC wore some of their outfits.


-Madison xoxo

Breaking Shadows: Bold by Hannah Stewart ~ Blog Tour Stop! Interview ~


Today, I have Hannah Stewart, author of Breaking Shadows: Bold by for an interview! Be ready for LOL.


Madison: Favorite color? Why?
Hannah: My favorite color would have to be a tie between hunter green and golden yellow. They were my late Grandpa’s barn colors and jockey silks when he was a racehorse trainer, and I’ve always loved them together. Somehow, they’ve always looked like life, or hope to me. I guess it’s a little crazy, but that’s me.

Madison: What is one of your favorite things to do during your free time? (not including writing)
Hannah: That’s actually a tough question. There are a lot of things I enjoy, which leaves me with very little real free time. I guess my three main activities outside of writing and schoolwork are reading, working with my exracehorse, and – most recently – acting.

Madison: Last book you read?
Hannah: The last book I read was A Streetcar Named Desire for my Critical Reading & Writing class, but I’m currently reading Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov for fun.

Madison: Last food you ate?
Hannah: Honestly, I’m not entirely sure – I have a bad habit of getting so sucked into my work that I forget to stop and eat. It was probably leftover pizza late last night, when I realized (as I often do) that it was almost midnight and I hadn’t eaten a thing all day. It’s not healthy, but then again, when has college ever been? It’s the land of nutrient lacking, sleep deprived zombies trying to prove they can make it in that terrifying place us writers refer to as the “real world,” if we’re being truthful.

Madison: What is a typical writing day for you?
Hannah: As a college student working full time, acting, and training a horse on the side, there really isn’t such a thing as a typical writing day. I guess my biggest chunk of writing time is between midnight and 3am, as sleep doesn’t come easily for me and I might as well use that time for something, but often that time is split with schoolwork as well. I use any spare minutes between classes to scribble down what I can, but my time is very limited. In a way, it’s a good thing – I’ve learned how to be focused and prolific anywhere I am, no matter what’s going on around me, and my typing speed has gone way up. Of course, I can make a little more time for over breaks from college.

Madison: Do you need music to write, or you do like silence? Maybe both?
Hannah: Music is definitely helpful. I get a lot more done when I have it, but I wouldn’t say it’s entirely necessary.

Madison: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind and what are their names?
Hannah: I have a fluffy white lapdog named Liberty (Libby) that’s been my buddy for almost 9 years now, and a giant, loveable, occasionally-crazy-but-usually-amazing exracehorse in retraining named DropTheKid, but we call him Moose. My family also has a golden retriever named Harley and a kitten named Poet that like to cuddle up during movie night and late writing sprees. In the past, I’ve had two other dogs, a bird, 2 fish, a turtle, a mouse, and 2 snakes as well.

Madison: Favorite TV show? Favorite character from that TV show
Hannah: This is another tough one. I don’t watch much TV anymore, but I guess it would be a tie between Moriarty from the BBC Sherlock and Rumpelstiltskin from Once Upon a Time.

Madison: The thing you are most afraid of?
Hannah: Don’t laugh, but it’s cars. Ever since I lived in New York City, I’ve hated them. I can still drive myself around and all that wonderful stuff, but if given the choice, I’d rather just ride my horse. I avoid them whenever possible, and really detest driving.

Madison: A dream of yours?
Hannah: A dream of mine would be to one day have all of my friends and family in the same place, though that’s not exactly likely to happen, since they’re spread all over the country, and not all of them are with us any longer. But that’s why they call it a dream, right?

Lightning round!

1. Hot or cold?
Cold. They both hurt my joints, but at least I can curl up with my dog or horse and a hoodie when it’s cold.

2. Indoor or outdoor?
Indoor if I’m writing or studying, outdoor if I’m with friends or my horse.

3. Fast or slow?
Slow. I like to take my time when possible.

4. Upside down or right side up?
Right side up. Upside down is too much work.

5. Snakes or lizards?
Snakes. I’ve had two of them, and I’d get another if I had the chance.

Thank you for stopping by, Hannah!

Check out Breaking Shadows: Bold!



Raven Falls is a dark place, a harsh place filled with destruction. But from the shadows, a revolution is rising. In a torn country lead by a corrupted, militaristic government, fear pervades every nook, every crack. It fills every broken heart, and chases the hopes and dreams from the people. But in the midst of it all, Jesse and her brother have taken a stand. Just two kids, they’ll have to rebuild their parents’ army if they ever hope to justify their deaths. A battle is coming, whether they’re ready or not. Their only hope is to be BOLD.

Buy links:

Now for the giveaway and the contest!

Giveaway Information:

Two winners will receive 50% off a copy of Bold. Anyone 
can enter. All you have to do to enter is share something about 
Bold on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #HolyAppleCrisps 
(Jesse's tag line in Bold). On the last day of the tour (Dec. 30th), 
the winners will be drawn at random and announced on my blog.

Contest Information:

On Dec. 15th, this link will go live on my blog. Under it is a BETA 
reader favorite scene from Chapter 2 of Bold, which I can send to you 
if you wish. To enter, contestants will send their artistic 
interpretations of the scene to breakingshadowsproject@gmail.com. 
Entries can be anything original, from a drawings to videos, audio, 
written responses from their characters, or anything else they can 
come up with. Entries must be sent in by midnight on the 29th. On the 
last day of the tour, I will post my top 10 entries to be voted on by 
readers. The winner will be announced on my blog the week following. 


-Madison xoxo

Thursday, December 12, 2013

A end, but a new beginning!

I just now finished editing the last book in the Two Rings series, Our Future. And I am crying because it was my first ever completed series, and I am very proud of it. I hope that you all love it too.

Max and Pearl will always be in my heart, and so will Adskhan, because you can't always hate him. He has a good side. ;) I am hoping to write a little OverShadower story when I get the time, and maybe even continue it with a new series to continue the story. Because there is so much more to tell, but this series has ended. And a new story is about to begin!

I want to thank all of you for reading the Two Rings books! And I hope you enjoy the last installment!

-Madison xoxo


Kpop Thursday #12

It's Kpop Thursday again!! :D


Today, I have Hurricane Venus by BOA! 



-Madison xoxo

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Teaser Tuesday #2 - The Hurricane (The Storm Saga #2)

Happy Tuesday! I have a teaser for you! There's only 94 days left until THE HURRICANE! (teaser isn't edited)


"I had waited for him for centuries, he was what I lived for. Now I had nothing to live for anymore."

This is probably you right now:


But I am not sorry. ;P


-Madison xoxo

Monday, December 9, 2013

I Binge Wrote

Hey there! I re did the blog, and I thought that maybe a new blog post would help kick off the newness.

As the title tells, I have binge wrote. I wrote so many books in a row, not stopping to edit, and when I did stop to edit, NaNo came right in, and I had to jump right back in a write. And I became really tired or writing to tell you the truth. I've written so many awesome books this year, and I just needed a break to just...sit back and BREATHE.

So I am resting my creative brain, I stopped writing my fanfiction because even that took a lot of my creative brain power. So now I am editing, and I will continue to do so until majority of the books have been through the first phase of my editing process, and then I will write something new.

Which brings me to this:

Stars, my YA standalone, is getting closer to be edited, even though I just finished it a few months ago before school started again. But I am very excited to share this story with you. It would be my first standalone, since at the moment, even when my creative brain was working, it doesn't seem to want to be a series, and I am very thankful. (lol)

I have the pitch of it already, which can be viewed here. And I am very excited to edit it and make it as best as it can be. :)

For THE HURRICANE will be here SO FREAKING SOON. 95 DAYS BUT STILL SO SOON. And an awesome friend is editing it for me, and I can't wait to get it back and see all the changes she made to make it so much better. Felix and Millicent have so much more to go through, and THE HURRICANE is just the start! And the cover should be here soon, I was talking with Hope on it, and there are real people on it. REAL FREAKING PEOPLE. AHHHH. But we're not losing the storm element to it though, so don't worry about that!

And don't forget that my books in NOOK and Kindle format are 0.99 for the holidays!

As always, I am so thankful for all of you! <3

-Madison xoxo


Friday, December 6, 2013

Cover Reveal: Christmas Salvation by Dani Morales

Today, I have the cover reveal of CHRISTMAS SALVATION by Dani Morales! I love the cover, it's so pretty.

Christmas Salvation, A Deviate Novella 
Reveal Date Friday December 6, 2013


Blurb
“Our love is infinite.”

Paths were crossed and destiny was set into motion, but sometimes fate needs a helping hand...or two. Angel proposed to Nevaeh in hopes to start their happily ever after, but something is holding her back. Can the past remain in the past or will it haunt her future? 
Angel’s past makes an appearance that sets Neveah off into familiar territory. Can they both move forward and start a new life together?

 Can this Christmas hold their salvation?


Excerpt
He has that way about him, making you believe in something when you’ve lost all hope. He lives up to his name day after day in every single way possible. I wish I could say that everything since he proposed has been easy. That all we did was love each other as much as possible and as many times as possible, but that’s not the case at all. As soon as we left the cemetery we drove to his mom’s place to give her the good news and it hasn’t stopped since then. We had to pick a date, invitations, a location, flowers, and a dress. To say I was overwhelmed is putting it lightly, I was on the verge of breaking down, and each day brought me closer to the cliff until one day… I jumped head first back into the very thing I said I would never go back to.
I went to see Elise.



Author Bio
Dani Morales is a native Texan currently residing in Las Vegas, Nevada with her three boys and her mother. She adopted the boys in December of 2011 and loves spending every minute playing with them. On her spare time you can find a book in her hand or sitting in front of the computer typing out stories that run rampant in her mind. Her debut novel Entrelacen released in April 2013, followed by Deviation, her second novel and first in the Deviate Series, in August 2013.

Links

Add Christmas Salvation on Goodreads

Buy Deviation, book 1 in the Deviate Series Now

I'm very excited to read this book! I'm a sucker for a good Christmas romance. :)

-Madison xoxo

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Kpop Thursday #11


Today I have the Wonder Girls with their song, BE MY BABY.





-Madison xoxo

Cover Reveal: Into You by Danielle Sibarium

Today, I am revealing the cover of INTO YOU my Danielle Sibarium! It is her first NA novel, and I'm excited to read it. :)

Release Date is December 27th!
Blurb
“You start out with the best of intentions, but inevitably you hurt each other. I love you, but that didn't stop me from hurting you last night, or this morning. Love sucks. It's just the way it is.”
Falling in love is easy. But what happens when that love has been tossed aside and trampled on by the person who swore to cherish it? Can you ever trust again, or will the bitter taste of betrayal keep you from allowing anyone else in?
Carter and Elizabeth each have their own issues with love and trust. Both have had their hearts broken and carry the scars of the past into their relationship with each other. Is love ever enough? Can it overcome?
Carter faces his past with Elizabeth by his side, but it continues to haunt him at every turn. Can he let go and believe in her enough to leave his past behind him or will he push too hard and send her running into another man’s arms?

Author Bio:
Danielle Sibarium grew up as an only child of divorced parents in Brooklyn, New York. Her imagination was developed at an early age. Surrounded by stuffed animals and imaginary friends, she transported herself into a fantasy world full of magic and wonder. Books were the gateway between her play world and reality. On any given summer afternoon she became Snow White sweeping and cooking for the dwarfs, or Cinderella waiting for the prince.
Danielle always loved dialogue and in elementary school began writing plays and short stories. This is when she began to understand she could not only bring her fantastical world to life for herself, but she could enchant others as well. And so she wrote. She wrote and wrote and wrote.
Sadly the first piece she ever sent out for publication of any sort was a letter to the editor of The Home News Tribune. It was a piece of thanking the first responders for their bravery and selflessness on Sept. 11th. It was chosen as letter of the week. In 2007 Danielle collaborated with Charlotte Doreen Small to write songs for her CD More. Danielle wrote the lyrics for Take My Hand, and Goodbye, while Charlotte contributed the melody. In October 2011 Danielle’s debut novel For Always was released. She has since released The Heart Waves Trilogy, Heart Waves, Breaking Waves, and Waves of Love.  Danielle graduated from Farleigh Dickinson University with honors, and currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and three children.

Links:

-Madison xoxo

Monday, December 2, 2013

Post NaNo Post! And presents for you!

Hey there readers! Did you all enjoy Thanksgiving break? (if you got one) or how did your week go? Mine went great! I wrote, wrote, read, wrote, wrote, played, played, ate, ate, slept, wrote, wrote.

As you can see, I wrote a lot. And I finished my NaNo Novel with a few days to spare! At 68,400+ words! This NaNo was a tough one this year, but I pulled through, and I did it! And that's all that matters. How did your NaNo go? Did you win? What were your word counts? I want to know how you did!

Now that NaNo is over, and December is here. (CHRISTMAS) things are back in full gear again with school and normal things like that. I am writing a fanfiction, something totally new to me, but I started out creating fanfiction in my head, and that's how I am here today with all my stories, sometimes it takes making new stories about characters already created for you to make your own.

And I have a very awesome present for you all! For the month, yes, the whole month. ALL OF MY BOOKS IN EBOOK FORM ARE. (only for NOOK and Kindle) 0.99. ALL OF THEM. You can buy the now out Two Rings series for only 3.96. And the Storm Saga for 1.98.



Links for your enjoyment:
Two Rings Series:

Shadow Future: nook/kindle
Dim Future: nook/kindle
My Future: nook/kindle
Shadow of the Lights: nook/kindle

Storm Saga:

The Storm: nook/kindle
Thunder & Lightning: nook/kindle

AND, in paperback form, SHADOW FUTURE and THE STORM are now cheaper than they were.

The Storm: 9.00 (was 10.00)
Shadow Future: 7.25 (was 7.59)

Now it's easy to buy Christmas presents, or just for you. ;)

Have a great Monday!

-Madison xoxo

PS: some of the links may not go live for the prices yet, but they should def be up tomorrow!

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Kpop Thursday #10


I decided to have another KARA song today, since I just keep finding so many good ones. This is Jumping!



-Madison xoxo

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Kpop Thursday #9


Today I have KARA with Lupin! I love the live version better than the music video, so that's what I'm sharing with you today. :)

Enjoy! :D

-Madison xoxo

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Waves of Love Blog Tour - Review







Jenna knew Reece would break her heart, when he did Tyler stepped in to pick up the pieces. 

As she’s ready to take the next step with Tyler, Jenna finds herself face to face with Reece. Lies and secrets are discovered from the two boys she trusted the most. And now it’s more than just her heart on the line, it’s her life as well. 

Torn between two amazing guys Jenna’s certain of only one thing, this is the most important decision of her life. One almost destroyed her. The other brought her back to life. The time has come to choose. Can Jenna move forward with Tyler or will she be stuck in the past with Reece?







Review:

I had mixed feelings about this book. As last books in the series go, it was a great ending! One of the best in a trilogy I have read in a very long time. (or like ever) Danielle covered all the questions, and everything was answered and you felt fine about closing the book and sitting back. Unlike most third books where you're like, "what the heck happens to so and so?" So it was a great ending to the triology.

BUT, there were some things that I didn't enjoy. Tyler was one of them. I liked Tyler a lot before this book, even though he wasn't the guy I didn't think Jenna should be with, I liked him. But in WAVES OF LOVE the whole time he was complaining about Jenna not loving him enough, and all he wanted to do was take off all her clothes, which I mean...if they were married, I wouldn't have minded too much, but for me, you don't want a guy who just wants to take off all your clothes. You want someone doesn't even think about that. At least not until you're married.

Another thing was, I was very confused about what was happening. In HEART WAVES, and Jenna having that one power, it was easy to follow, and it made sense. And then all of the things happened in BREAKING WAVES and then in WAVES OF LOVE and I was just staring at the pages like "What is happening?" it became too confusing for me to follow. And it didn't feel like it flowed well. 

Also Jenna was annoying me often in this, by the time the book was almost over, I was like "Jenna, PLEASE just pick someone and MOVE ON." I know it can be confusing, but most of her thoughts were just all jumbled.

But, in the end, everything was all good again. And I did enjoy the whole...*cough SPOILER* Past lives thing, I've always liked things about that, it makes the story exciting, and I've always loved Romeo and Juliet, I mean, who doesn't? And by the end, everything made sense with all the confusingness, and I could close the book and I was all good.

I enjoyed this book, but not as much as the first and second, but I loved how everything was all cleared up at the end, and that little tibid of Tyler at the end as well!

Rating: 3.5 stars.

Buy Links:


I'm excited for more books by Danielle! :D

Author Info:


Danielle Sibarium grew up as an only child of divorced parents in Brooklyn, New York. Her imagination was developed at an early age. Surrounded by stuffed animals and imaginary friends, she transported herself into a fantasy world full of magic and wonder. Books were the gateway between her play world and reality. On any given summer afternoon she became Snow White sweeping and cooking for the dwarfs, or Cinderella waiting for the prince.

Danielle always loved dialogue and in elementary school began writing plays and short stories. This is when she began to understand she could not only bring her fantastical world to life for herself, but she could enchant others as well. And so she wrote. She wrote and wrote and wrote.

Sadly the first piece she ever sent out for publication of any sort was a letter to the editor of The Home News Tribune. It was a piece thanking the first responders for their bravery and selflessness on Sept 11th. It was chosen as letter of the week.

In 2007 Danielle collaborated with Charlotte Doreen Small to write songs for her CD More. Danielle wrote the lyrics for Take My Hand, and Goodbye, while Charlotte contributed the melody.
 In October 2011 Danielle’s debut novel For Always was released. She Has since released Heart Waves and the second book in the Heart Waves series, Breaking Waves.
Danielle graduated from Farleigh Dickinson University with honors, and currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and three children.

Author Links

And a giveaway!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

-Madison xoxo

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Friday, November 1, 2013

Two Rings #4's title and cover reveal!!

The moment I have been waiting for...and maybe you too!! The final book in the Two Rings series is revealed today!!! (I know it's the first day of NaNo, but I wrote Shadow Future all those years ago, on this very day, so I thought it fitting. :))


Paperback full


Summary:

Pearl Underwood just wants it all to be over. She escaped the OverShadowers, and Adskhan. But not without a price. She’s still Fastened to him, and the memory of what he did to her haunts her. Giving her nightmares, and not even being able to say his name. The only thing that seems to be holding her together is, Max. She tries to learn more about her powers, keep them balanced. It keeps her sane, keeps her hoping for a better future. But she still feels like she belongs nowhere, even in the place with all the other people like her.
Max just wants Pearl to be herself again. Adskhan took everything from her, and all that’s left of his Pearl is an empty shell. He wants to be there for her, holds her when she cries, and tries to make everything better. But when his brother says that it’s time to start gathering the Hybrids again, he knows he has to leave her. He knows that Adskahn will come for her again, and when he’s suddenly thrust into being head of the Hybrids, Max faces his biggest challenge yet.
Will Pearl and Max be able to get past all their fears and worries and be together? Or will those who took everything get what they finally want?



Pretty right?! Hope always makes the best covers!! This is my favorite in the series, I love the combo of the black and white with the gold. :) It's a dual POV again. Pearl and Max. I'm sad to see the series end, but there are still a lot of books and stories yet to come. And possibly a short story for the Two Rings series? Maybe? We shall see. Thanks to everyone who helped with the reveal! :D

Check out the other Two Rings series books here:






And of course, a giveaway! Which is for EVERYONE.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

-Madison xoxo

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Kpop Thursday has been interrupted by HALLOWEEN!

I'm sure you already know, but it's HALLOWEEN. One of my favorite holidays!! YIPEEE. And to help celebrate, I have my Twitter avatar changed to Jack the Pumpkin King, and I'm seriously posting quotes from the movie all day today, if I can. MUWAHAHA.

So, without further ado, here is today's song...


Hope you enjoyed!! :D THIS IS HALLOWEEN.


-Madison xoxo

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Teaser Tuesday #1 - The Hurricane (The Storm Saga #2)

Ok, ladies and gents. The first official teaser from THE HURRICANE (The Storm Saga #2) is right below all these words. WOAH, WAIT. DON'T SCROLL PAST ALL THIS IMPORTANT INFO I'M ABOUT TO SAY. Haha, gotcha. Go ahead, have a look. ;)

^ this is you. :p

(teasers are from the first phase of editing, please no comments on the grammar, etc. Thank you!!)


"I frowned. I’d been frowning a lot lately. I touched my cheeks, thinking that if I kept it up, I’d start to actually look my age. "

I thought I would post a nice, gentle one to start us off. I hope you enjoyed.  ^.^ I have many more left to share with you all!!

-Madison xoxo

Monday, October 28, 2013

To Dust by Amy Lauren's Tour Stop! - Guest Post

I am very glad to have Amy Lauren's on the blog today!!

Containing four previously-published and three brand-new short stories, To Dust is a YA anthology of urban and contemporary fantasy.
To Dust  (click for bonus material)
The Maliche are devouring Imber’s world, and the only tool she has to stop them is a magic box. Shame the only ones who can work the magic are the terrifying fae in their forest home…
Certified
Anna is a Raiser, able to raise from the dead anyone she doesn’t know. So what can she do when her best friend murders her boyfriend? Everyday Weirdness, 5 July 2010.
Not Fantasy
Beth knows that the fairy world exists; her best friends are a pink tortoise and a talking pen, after all. Her creative writing professor strongly disagrees – perhaps too strongly, Beth thinks, when strange cracks start appearing in his office.
Shoe  (click for bonus material)
Would you take home the pair-less shoe? AlienSkin Magazine, December 2009.
The Chaos Shark
When Ellie finds a strange-looking shark trapped in a tide pool, she realises the legends about Chaos sharks might be true. If not, her whole family is about to die…
The Wasporcist
Everyone thinks she’s mad when she complains about the noise – but Lily knows the buzzing in her ears is more than her imagination. Time to call the Wasporcist…
Sea Foam and Blood (click for bonus material)
Terminally-ill Adelaide finds an unexpected cure in the Pegasus myth come to life. Moon Drenched Fables, June 2009 (Best in Issue).


I asked Amy to write about her daily writing habits! And here's the guest post:

Hi there! First of all a big thank you to Madison for hosting me on her blog today. *cookies* all round! 
So, Madison asked me recently about my daily writing habits. I have to confess, I laughed to myself when I read her question, not because it’s a silly one, but because I am utterly dismal at having a writing ‘habit’ at all! :D Sadly, I work full time and also have a family (including Small Boy, who is less demanding than your average nearly-two-year-old, but really, that’s not hard, ha), so writing gets smooshed in wherever I can make time for it – and at the moment, it isn’t as regular as I’d like. 
See, for the last three years, I had trouble with writing. I’d sit down to try to write something, and nothing would come. Or I’d plan out my week and allot time to writing, and the time would arrive and other really unavoidable commitments would creep in, or work would have been so frantic that I had no brain left over, or I’d be sick, or or or or or. 
Really, though, what the problem was was this: It wasn’t the right time to write. Now, I firmly believe that things happen for a reason and that if something you’re trying to do isn’t working, then sometimes it’s because the timing isn’t right, and I think there was an element of that at play here. But also, one of the really big reasons it wasn’t time to write for me was because I’d forgotten how to have fun with writing. It had become a mess of daily schedules broken and word counts missed, and all in all it was just another way for me to feel like a failure. Which was awful, because I knew that somewhere along the way I’d loved writing, and I hated that it had come to be a slave master. 
So that’s when I quit writing. Yup, really truly. In fact, you can read the post announcing it right here. I quit writing, I shut up my blog, and I wandered away to do other things with my life, kind of hoping that I’d come back to it one day, but not really knowing at all. And for about eight months, I didn’t write at all.
But then the bug wormed its way back into my life, if a bug worming isn’t a mixed metaphor :D I scrawled notes on scrap paper, emailed myself a cool sentence I’d thought of. I caught myself daydreaming about stories I’d used to work on; a friend challenged me to write to daily prompts. One of those prompts turned into a short story that ended up being published (details here), and although it took months, slowly I started to write again. And it was fun.
So to answer Madison’s question, I don’t have a daily writing habit. I still have to squish it in around life and work and family and boring things like eating and sleeping (though, let’s be honest, I love eating, and when I’m not a stressnut, I have the most awesome dreams that often end up as the basis for stories, so y’know, sleep = win). I still come home brain dead more nights than not, and my calendar, on which I get a stamp every time I write 1000 words, has more blank squares than not. But when I write, I write, and I get the stories done one word at a time – and I have fun doing it. 
And that’s the most important thing in the end: your daily habit is whatever you need to do to make sure that you’re writing new words, and that you’re having fun doing it. So: go out and buy yourself a cheap calendar, and give yourself stars and stickers when you reach your goals – and celebrate the fact that you’ve moved one step forward, even if you can’t make time to step every day. 

Here are some links on where to find Amy online! 

Find Amy: Website Twitter Facebook Goodreads Find To Dust: Website Goodreads Smashwords (all e-formats) Free TO DUST bookmarks with special QR discount code

-Madison xoxo

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Kpop Thursday #7



Today I have Miss A with Bad Girl, Good Girl!


I used to be obsessed with them...like I knew the dance and stuff. ;P #WeirdFactsAboutMadison

Have a great Thursday!!

-Madison xoxo

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

To Prologue, or not to Prologue, that is the question - A Writing Truth

I have heard many things about readers and prologues. Some say that they're boring and annoying, and why the heck are they even there? Some say that they're helpful, that it makes the story more exciting since you know how it all came to be.

Sometimes, readers like prologues, but they don't like how long they are. Some say that they're too short.

So the question here is...to prologue, or not to prologue?

I like to write prologues, it makes me understand my characters better, and to see how far they have come since then. But I don't like reading them, not really. Especially those really long ones in classics. I don't want to read it, since it's usually boring, and I just want to get to the story.

BUT, the one thing that's important when writing a prologue is not to put important information that a reader would miss if they didn't read it. A prologue is just to inform the reader of how the characters got there. Not to throw a much of information that they'll miss if they just skip right over it. They're just there for the readers that want to know more.

So if you're trying to figure out if you want to write a prologue to your book, just think of these steps:

1. How long should you make it? Long, short? In between?

2. What should I have in it? Is this really necessary? Do I need one?

3. Make sure not to put important facts in there, it's just there for those who want it.

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There are some easy steps on why or how you should write a prologue. If you want an example, you can read the prologue of THE STORM here. :)

-Madison xoxo

Monday, October 21, 2013

Friday, October 18, 2013

I got tagged!

Someone tagged me in this blog post, and wanted me to answer these questions. I'll just answer, I won't tag anyone, but I love answering questions. :)

Questions:

1. What in your opinion do you think YA (or fiction in general) needs more of?

YA needs more suspense, action, magic, almost anything. And in the process, just minus out most of the romance in my opinion. I love romance, I write it. But the fact that most of the YA books I read now has some sort of sex scene in it...just drives me up the wall. Us teens don't go and sleep around you know, at least not any teens I know. (plus myself) sorry for the mini rant, but that's my opinion.

2. What is something you would absolutely love to see a book about? (Be specific if possible!)

Hm, this is a hard question. I say more fiction about pirates. Mostly teens, since I love pirates so much!

3. How many non-American authors can you name? (List them!)

Do Canadians count? I know of Chloe Jacobs and Amy Laurens! 

4. How many non-American YA authors can you name? (List them!)

^^
5. What are books that have made you sob and/or cry out loud?

I have cried over Julie Kagawa's IRON QUEEN, and another book that I can't remember the title too...I almost prayed for her, since I felt so strongly about the character!

6. What is your favourite book from childhood?

I would say the Doctor Suss books!

7. What do you like to do that has absolutely nothing to do with reading, writing, or anything of the like?

I love to play video games,  I love to draw, I love hanging out with my friends! And babysitting.

8. What does diversity mean to you?

Being yourself.

9. How would you describe your style of clothing?

Trying to go with the trends, but trends don't like me. :P

10. What is your goal in life? (It could be at the moment or overall).

To become a Best Selling Author, and have lots of readers who beg me for teasers and art work, and stuff. I also want to get married and have kids. :)


Thanks for tagging me @alyssasherlockwrites! :)

-Madison xoxoxo

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Kpop Thursday #6!


Happy Thursday! I have KARA with STEP today! I have the video with the English subtitles if you want them, it's actually a very inspirational song. I didn't post it here, because since it's copied, it sounds different than the original, which is below:


This is one of my favorite songs. It really makes you feel happy for some reason. I hope you enjoyed. ^.^


-Madison xoxo