"Colony Zero -Author's Cut -Mark Venturini"

Hey guys!
Helping Hands Press just released a new edition of Colony Zero: it contains all of the stories written by Mark Venturini. Essentially, the character Lieutenant Chris Ransom's story from start to finish. Mark is a fantastic writer with an incredible grasp of the sci-fi genre. I'll put links to his other books as well.
So if you've been keeping up with the Colony Zero series, you're a fan of Mark, or you're looking for some awesome new reads, check this out.
Colony Zero -Author's Cut -Mark Venturini  http://shop.myhelpinghandspress.com/Colony-Zero-The-Authors-Cut-Mark-Venturini-97855623.htm#.VjKL5AVJ47M.hootsuite
Medieval Mars: The Anthology (Terraformed Interplanetary Book 1)  http://www.amazon.com/Medieval-Mars-Anthology-Terraformed-Interplanetary-ebook/dp/B011HIOR7K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1446307780&sr=8-2&keywords=mark+venturini
Whispers From Forbidden Earth  http://www.amazon.com/Whispers-Forbidden-Earth-Mark-Venturini/dp/1622084799/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1446307780&sr=8-4&keywords=mark+venturini
Whispers From Forbidden Earth -Blood Tithe -Book One -The Chosen  http://www.amazon.com/Whispers-Forbidden-Earth-Blood-Chosen-ebook/dp/B00W8HCI1W/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1446307780&sr=8-6&keywords=mark+venturini  (PS: This one is actually the sequel to Whispers From Forbidden Earth, so read the first one before you read this one.)
Darker Passages http://www.amazon.com/Darker-Passages-Mark-Venturini-ebook/dp/B00IU112Y4/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1446307780&sr=8-10&keywords=mark+venturini

Also find Mark on these sites:
His blog, Journey Through the Place Between Places  http://markventurinijourney.blogspot.com/
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/markkventurini/
Twitter @Mark_Venturini  https://twitter.com/Mark_Venturini  

Blame Web Development

It feels like a vital piece of me has been missing. For over two weeks there's been this significantly empty space, something lacking.
I miss it.
My laptop.
Several months ago it started acting weird. I blame the Web Development course I was trying to take, which had me download certain software in order to check the pages I was making for any errors. I ended up withdrawing from the course because the professor was teaching about three other classes in addition to mine, and he didn't have time to answer my questions before the assignments were due. Which meant deleting the software so it wasn't taking up extra memory. Well I don't know what I did, but as soon as I pressed "Delete," tings started going wrong.
I started getting these annoying pop-ups that would say there was an error on the webpage (they usually came up when I was on YouTube or just a site with a lot of multimedia content on it).
I also noticed more frequent reports about viruses and nasty little web-bugs. Then I noticed the fan was really loud and laboring a lot more than it usually was. Cut to me taking about the bottom half of my laptop just to blow into the fan for ten minutes trying to dislodge some of the dirt caked onto the blades.
The final straw was when the audio on streamed videos just stopped working. No matter how I tried to adjust the settings, either with YouTube or my computer panel, nothing was working. Luckily my dad works with a guy who majored in this stuff in college. He's been in possession of my laptop for over two weeks now.
On the upside, it has forced me to focus on other things. Not that my writing has taken off or anything, but I'm spending a dash more time outside or with my sketchbook.
Thankfully there have been other computers to check my email and such, so I haven't been completely cut off. I'm discovering some new blogs and YouTubers, such as Byron Talbott, a chef, and Rachel Talbott, who vlogs about beauty products and health. And they're Christians! WIN!!!
And this is how I'm spending my summer.
Have any of you guys had computer problems like that? Any suggestions?
Who are some of your favorite bloggers/vloggers?

-Grace

PS: I've also gotten myself a little Inkitt page. Inkitt is a website for writers where they can post their stuff and all the copyrights remain with them. People can post reviews or enter to win contests... Pretty sweet stuff. I've posted two stories, different and much longer than the snippets I've posted here. If you want, check it out!
http://inkitt.com (my username is graceyee)

http://www.byrontalbott.com/
https://instagram.com/byrontalbott/
https://twitter.com/byrontalbott
https://www.youtube.com/user/ByronTalbott
http://racheltalbott.com/
https://instagram.com/racheltalbott/
https://twitter.com/racheltalbott
https://www.youtube.com/user/CheckInTheMirror

Interview with Lisa Godfrees

Hello everyone! Well, until I get more questions out, here is the last author interview with Lisa Godfrees, coauthor of No Revelation is Too Big and Colony Zero. Enjoy!

(Author Lisa Godfrees)

Q: What is your favorite thing to write about?
A: God. My favorite posts are the ones where I can share His truth. My favorite stories have a good measure of allegory/metaphor. Whether overt or not, I find everything ultimately comes back to Him.

Q: What kinds of things did you read when you were younger? Have they influenced the way you write?
A: The first thing I remember reading on my own were horse stories. You know, a girl and her horse overcome X. But it was when I found fantasy novels that my reading really took off. I remember Lloyd Alexander Prydian series (Black Cauldron, Book of Three, etc.) Piers Anthony's Xanth and Apprentice Adept series, Anne McCaffery and Pern, Narnia, Tolkien, and my first and most loved book, The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. I've probably read it at least 20 times and am overdue for a reread.
So far, most of what I have written has been sci-fi. It's easy for me to write because of my scientific background. Genetics practically drip off me. (LOL) However, I'd like to do a series of fantasy adaptions of Bible stories. I love fairy tale retellings (Robin McKinley, again) and thought, why not try to respin Bible stories for today's youth?

Q: Huh. That's actually a pretty interesting idea. Esther: A New Tale. Delilah, the Dragon-Lady. Everyone's writing process is different. How do you prepare to write a novel/short story/etc.?
A: Generally, I have a rough outline of where I think the story will go and then I write to fill in the blanks. It's in the process of writing where ideas present themselves. I'll write myself into a corner and brainstorm my way out of it. Usually, my brain works on autopilot and an idea will shoot out to me when it's finished -like when I'm drifting off to sleep or when I'm in the shower.

Q: Hah! Been there. There's the first thread of sleep... and there's a plot twist that could possibly make this the best story EVAH! A lot of people had different ways of getting into character or getting into the story. For me, because I write fantasy, I just love thinking about the world my story takes place in, the little quirks, the religious groups from different corners of that world. Travis Perry really enjoys the scientific aspect of it all, so he works out the very technical details that ultimately make his world flourish. What about you? Is there a certain aspect of a world/character/story that you really have to mull over before you start writing?
A: With fantasy, you have to know the rules of your world. Who lives there? What is the society like? What do people value? What do they need? I really enjoy studying other cultures (I have a BA in Anthropology), so I tend to create a culture and work from that framework.

Q: If you had to rewrite one of your stories, how would you do it?
A: I'm actually about to do just that. When I finish the project I'm working on now, I'm going to go back to my first manuscript and rewrite the second half. I've learned so much through my year of writing short stories and now it's time to put that practice into use. More characters, more conflict, more STORY. :-)

Q: What are you working on now?
A: I co-wrote a futuristic sci-fi book with Mike Lynch. It was his premise; he just invited me along for the ride. Working with another write (or six like we did on Colony Zero) is a challenge, but I've learned so much doing it. It forces you to sit down and write. Anyway, we're hoping to finish the edits on our book this month and then it's off to publishers. Yay. :-)

Q: With the demands of being a write and managing real life, how well do you manage social media? I know I'm terrible at it. I'll have spurts of energy that go straight to social media, and they'll last for, like, a week, and then the next week I completely lax off the marketing, retweeting, etc. Do you find any of that difficult?
A: Social media is a nebulous thing. I enjoy blogging and Facebook because they seem like a natural way to connect with people. I try to stick to a schedule for writing posts and I've mostly been successful. I use Pinterest as a place to store ideas, books I've read, and articles on writing. I've been playing around with Twitter for about a year. I find it hard to connect to people there -it's too much like trying to drink from a fire hydrant. If anyone has Twitter tips, I'd love to hear them (hint, hint).

Q: Do you still make time to read?
A: Absolutely! I can't go to sleep without reading something. I read every spare moment I can find. I read more than 80 books in 2014. :-)

Q: What is your caffeinated beverage of choice?
A: Pibb Zero. No, really, there is such a thing.

Q: Finally, where can we find you on social media?
A: My blog: http://lisagodfrees.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/LisaGodfrees
Twitter: http://twitter.com/LisaGodfrees
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lisagodfrees/
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/LisaGodfrees
Group Blog: http://thescriblerians.wordpress.com

Thank you so much for talking with me, Lisa. It was great.

-Grace

Interview with Travis Perry

Enjoy this interview with Travis Perry, author of The Crystal Portal and coauthor of Colony Zero.

(Travis Perry)

Q: I understand you're starting a new series called Medieval Mars. Tell me about that. It sounds really interesting.
A: Medieval Mars is a story world based on a fairly simple concept. Imagine a future Mars that has been terraformed so it is inhabitable at some point in the future, but at a time in the more distant future, roughly 1,000 years from now civilization has collapsed and people live in a way that parallels medieval times on Earth, with some very interesting differences. There are knights in armor (though they are called "riders"), noble lords and ladies, suffering peasants (usually called "hands), with an outlook on life simultaneously more religious and more warlike than our world. But there are leftover items from what they call the "Age of Magic" (the era of technology) which work even though they are not fully understood, genetically engineered dragons, and regions where lower gravity and atmospheric pressure allows human beings to ride giant birds.
I created a novella in Medieval Mars and realized this world is so large and full of potential that I wanted to invite other authors to submit stories for an anthology. I publicized a request for help and 9 other authors have stepped up and submitted stories. We're in the editing process now and I'm hoping the story collection comes out February (God willing). I have ideas for follow-on stories in the future.

Q: I can only imagine how nerve-wracking that must have been, sending out a request, essentially inviting people into this world you've created, not knowing what they'll think of it. But then to have so many interested in that, it must have been a relief knowing there were people waning to go on this journey, to enter this world with you. Fantastic. If you could have a discussion with any of your characters, who would it be? What  would you talk about?
A: That's kind of a tough question. I suppose I'd want to talk to Agata, who's featured in my book The Crystal Portal. I'd want to talk to her not just because I'd find her an interesting person, but because she has a crystalline exoskeleton and I'd be fascinated to see what that really looks like. Since she's a princess and a natural leader, I suppose I'd ask her about her thoughts on leadership.

Q: If you could have a discussion with any character from any book, who would it be?
A: Wow, that's another tough question. It's hard to narrow it down to just one. I think though I'd enjoy a conversation with Reepicheep from the Chronicles of Narnia more than any other character. I'd just ask him to tell be about his battles.

Q: Who is your favorite kind of villain to portray? The outright evil type with the complicated backstory, like Darth Vader? The suit-clad salesman, master of the subtle evils?
A: The villain I enjoyed the most was a character named Ernsto Mons in the Avenir Eclectia story world. What I enjoyed about him was I started him out unrepentantly bad and walked him through circumstances that are making him better -sort of a Breaking Bad in reverse.

Q: I've talked with other writers about the demands of social media, writing, and life in general. What's your secret to balancing it all?
A: I don't think I balance things very well at all. I tend to throw myself into one thing and neglect other things. The only way I get a semblance of balance is from switching off into different things I'm wholly engaged in on a regular basis. :)

Q: That's exactly how I am! One week I'll be devoted to promoting and retweeting on Twitter, the next it'll be Pinterest, and by the third week I'm exhausted. Okay, enough of the writing questions. What was the last book you read?
A: The last book I read was a history book on the Middle Ages called The Distant Mirror. It happens to be the case that I get a lot of inspiration for fantasy and science fiction story ideas from reading a combination of history and science.

Q: I've heard of The Distant Mirror, and I really love that time period, so I'll have to look that one up. What's on your list to read?
A: More historical stuff mostly. I'm currently reading a number of things at the same time. Some Josephus, some Marcus Aurelius, some Alexander Sozhenitsyn, some apocryphal Bible books, some Isaac Asimov, and Mike Duran's Christian Speculative work, The Ghost Box. Finishing all of these will take me a while. I'm not a speed reader.

Q: What movies or TV shows (if any) do you like to kick back with?
A: I'm a fan of The Walking Dead, even though I think the message is far from uplifting. And I watch Dr. Who. I also watch reruns of Star Trek (DS9 is my favorite), Farscape, and I like watching Nova on PBS and a wide variety of Nat Geo and History Channel shows.

Q: Your caffeinated beverage of choice would be...?
A: Diet Dr. Pepper. :)

Q: Where can we find you on social media?
A: My story ideas blog is found at: http://travissbigidea.blogspot.com
And I retweet things I find interesting on a daily basis at: http://twitter.com/tt_perry

Thanks for talking with me, Travis.
Also be sure to check out Travis's novella Medieval Mars, available on Amazon for only $.99. Can't beat it!  http://www.amazon.com/Medieval-Mars-Novella-Travis-Perry-ebook/dp/B00LMAWJNS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420587914&sr=8-1&keywords=medieval+mars

-Grace

Blog Interview with Tracy Krauss

Morning! Today I'm happy to share a lovely interview I had with author Tracy Krauss, whose had quite a busy 2014. Read on and enjoy!

(Author Tracy Krauss)

Q: So besides being a writer, you're also a drama teacher. That's awesome! How did you get into that?
A: I did my first degree in Fine Art Education and interned as an Art teacher. During that time I also volunteered in the Drama department and joined the Drama teacher's association. I had always loved drama when I was in high school, and my love for theater just continued to grow over the years as I got involved in various amateur theater and church theater projects. I took a sabbatical from teaching to raise my family, but in 2001 I got hired as an Art teacher at a local Secondary school. Since it was a small school, I was also asked to teach a Drama class. I was hooked. I threw myself into the role and teaching drama has become my primary focus.

Q: Was drama something you wanted to pursue before writing or did the two just follow each other seamlessly?
A: As I said, I always enjoyed getting involved in local theatrical projects, but I really came to writing plays by default. I started writing way back in the eighties when my eldest child was just a baby and I needed a creative outlet that wouldn't be too much hassle. (I had previously focused on my visual art, but our first tiny home was not conductive to an artist's mess.) I started clacking away on an old typewriter and have been compulsively writing ever since. (Mostly novels.) As far as plays go, other than a couple of church Christmas plays, I started writing plays for my students back in 2001 when I couldn't seem to find the right fit. Most were met with very positive audience response and good reviews in local media. In 2010 I decided to start pitching a few to various play publishing houses. To date I have seven plays in print (out of dozens I have written and produced).

Q: Wow! That's amazing. Although you really are an incredible writer, so it doesn't strike me at all that you would fit into any other writer's category such as playwright as well as you have. :-) So what are you working on now?
A: I am taking a bit of a breath and considering my options at this time. Last year (2014) was crazy for me in terms of releases. Counting all the installments in the various series I was involved in, as well as plays, a children's book, devotional book, and a novella, I had twenty new releases last year. Of course I do have a couple of works in progress, but no contracts at this time.

Q: What is your next work to be released? Tell us about it.
A: The next two volumes in the COLONY ZERO Series should be releasing soon. My story DUPLICITY comes after your NEW EARTH. It follows the story of the colonists after the natural disaster that has devastated the colony and is part of the second series. After that, I believe the backstories should be releasing. (Book III of the Series.) My [back]story is called LEGACY and focuses on Renata, the spiritual leader.

Q: Sometimes I feel like I'm writing for 20 different kinds of people. My audience, my publisher, my friends, my family, myself. Especially when you incorporate all the social media we have to keep up with, it can sometimes make it difficult to see where the center point is and what you're trying to say. How do you manage it all?
A: I have struggled with this dilemma, myself. Of course it is important to stick to a publisher's guidelines, and it is essential to know your audience, but if I'm not writing for myself then the whole endeavor is pointless. Perhaps it is my background in the visual arts that makes me more egocentric than I should be, but I'm just being honest. Artists approach their art from a place of inner inspirations -a quirky need to express themselves in a unique way. Of course there are a lot of painters selling lovely landscapes to hang over the sofas of the masses, too. I've had to ask myself about my motivation. Is it to sell a few books or to express a message? Writing, and all the other demands that go with it, is too much work for me to do for any other reason than the latter.

Q: Can I get that on a plaque? Those are words to live by. Wonderful answer. But onto some more light-hearted stuff....Which books are on your list to read?
A: I read a lot of mid-list authors -people I've come to meet online, etc. I have several by [Helping Hands Press] authors, Astraea authors (on of my other publishers), and others. I also plan to finish a Ted Dekker series I started a few years ago, and a few by Sigmund Brouwer that have been languishing on my shelf for a while. Oh, and Dana Pratola's latest offering in the Descended Series is coming soon and I've been looking forward to that.

Q: Do you have any book recommendations?
A: My top three fiction books from last year are: Descended Sebastian by Dana Pratola (a supernatural fallen angel-esque series); God's Daughter by Heather Day Gilbert (a Viking historical. She's an HHP author); and Tattered Innocence by Ann Lee Miller (she has become one of my favorite authors -very realistic but with a Christian message).

Q: What movies or TV shows (if any) do you like to kick back with?
A: A rather eclectic mix... I'm an HGTV addict. I'm a long-time Sci-Fi nerd as well. Last year I was following a show called Continuum, but it has gone off the air. I also really enjoyed Downton Abbey and am looking forward to the 5th season.

Q: Your caffeinated beverage of choice would be...?
A: Coffee straight up.

Q: Where can we find you on social media?
A: My website has links to everywhere: http://tracykrauss.com
FB: http://tinurl.com/Tracy-Krauss-Author-Fanpage
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TracyKrauss
Blog: http://tracykraussexpressionexpress.com

Thanks so much for talking with me, Tracy. :-)
And to visit Tracy's Amazon author page for a list of her books on amazon, here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Tracy-Krauss/e/B003J3QU7W/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1420299343&sr=8-1

Blog Interview with Author Mark Venturini

Here is my interview with author Mark Venturini!

(Mark Venturini, author of Whispers from Forbidden Earth)

Q: Let's start with something off the wall. Who's your favorite dwarf in The Company and why?
A: Part of my answer will surprise you, since my genre of choice is Sci-Fi and Fantasy. I hate the Hobbit movies. I guess my favorite dwarf is Thorin Oakenshield. He's driven and a strong leader. There's also a darker nature lying below the surface that I appreciate since my writing tends to lean toward the darker side of human nature. So, back to the Hobbit movies. As a teenager, I devoured all the books, from The Simarillion to the Return of the King. I consider the LOTR movies to be cinematic masterpieces in every way: character development, plot, stunning imagery, all worthy of Tolkien's epic tale. The Hobbit movies feel more like a bloated, large-scale video game. any scenes are unforgivably cheesy. I will plop down money and watch Battle of the Five Armies when it is released, but you won't find the DVDs on my shelf at home.

Q: If you could have a chat with anyone from history, who would it be?
A: There are so many.

• Jules Verne
• Thomas Edison
• C.S. Lewis
• The Apostle Paul
• Albert Einstein
• King Solomon
• Abraham Lincoln

Q: I love the world you've created for Whispers, especially how Eversong is tied to music in almost every way. Can you tell me about where you got the inspiration for all that?
A: It started with the "Creation Song" in the very first novel I wrote many years ago. Crossway books considered publishing it, but eventually passed. The story was a fantasy retelling of the creation story from Genesis, where God sang the universe into existence. I incorporated some elements from that novel into Whispers and just added to it. From there, Eversong was born. I enjoyed playing with the musical theme. Some readers caught it.

Q: Can we expect a sequel to Whispers? If so, tell us about it.
A: There is a sequel. The working title is Blood Tithe. The portal that opened between Earth and Eversong in the first novel also freed faeries from the Winter Court (the Unseelie) and Summer Court (the Seelie) to run amok on Earth and cause major troubles for Jason Snider. I'm really excited about how two parallel plot lines between Jason on Earth and the elf Strum and Magus Sinngh on Eversong unfold.

Q: I know you're working on a project called Medieval Mars with author Travis Perry. What can you tell me about that project?
A: The concept is interesting. The world of Medieval Mars takes place in some future time after humans colonized Mars. Over time, though, technology and scientific knowledge was lost and society degraded to a feudal system reminiscent of the Middle Ages. What little technology that survived is referred to as coming from the "Time of Magic." The stories primarily take place in the area from Olympus Mons eastward to the Chryse Planitia that is now a shallow sea in our world. I really enjoyed exploring the region and the society that lives there within the stories.

Q: Let's talk briefly about the writer's group Pittsburgh East Scribes. We have both been involved since the very beginning. Can you believe it's grown as much as it has? And all the writers have gone in so many different directions.
A: I am humbled by the success of Scribes. I started the group with one goal in mind: to provide information, resources, and encouragement to help aspiring authors pursue their dream of seeing their work published. We've assembled a great group of writers that I think covers most genres. The energy and passion and commitment I feel at every meeting is so encouraging to me. Every time I suggest a summer or holiday break, I'm shot down. Everyone wants to meet. I can't tell you how that makes me feel.

Q: I feel like I know you too well that I can't think up any good questions. So let me see here... I know you love kayaking and basically the great outdoors. You told me not long ago that you saw a bear! If you could go and do anything in the world and you had no restrictions, what would it be?
A: After my rafting trip through the Grand Canyon a couple of years ago, I have 3 items left on my bucket list.

• Hike to Everest base camp. I don't want to climb Mt. Everest, but I think the 16 day hike through the Himalaya Mountains in Nepal to base camp where the expeditions are launched would be spectacular! (I have a feeling I would not be doing this with my wife, Kathy.)
• A cruise to Antarctica.
• Explore Alaska by rail and hopefully do some kayaking during the trip.

Q: Do you still make time to read?
A: With a full time job and many obligations, finding time to do everything I want to do is really a challenge. The only way to fit in everything is to give up on sleep. That isn't going to happen. Thank God for my kindle and kindle app on my smart phone. I have a 45 minute commute to work on a rideshare van. That's when I do the majority of my reading as well as my critiquing.

Q: What kind of traditions do you and your family keep around the holidays? In other words, how much does your Italian show?
A: For Thanksgiving, we're traditional with the turkey and stuffing. For Christmas, though, we keep the tradition of the "Feast of the Seven Fishes" on Christmas Eve. Menu items vary from family to family. We've added a few items to our menu over the last couple of years.

• Linguine with a red anchovy sauce
• Orange Roughy in tomato sauce
• Calamari
• Baccala (salt cod)
• Whiting (fish)
• Scallops
• Smelts (fish)
• Shrimp
• Bagna cauda (warm anchovy dip)

Add to this all the Italian cookies! Christmas Eve is always a special time for my family.

Q: And on a fun note, what do you think about Twitter? Do you like it or would you rather keep what you had for lunch today to yourself?
A: I've always been uncomfortable with the marketing and social media end of the writing business. I'm basically a private person. But Twitter and Facebook and blogging and Goodreads (I could go on) are all necessary evils. So, I tweet and do all the other social media stuff that's expected. Am I as active as I should be? See my response to question 8 about making time to read. :-)

Thanks for the interview, Mark!
Check out Mark's blog to stay updated about his stories: www.markventurinijourney.blogspot.com
Also find Mark on Twitter (@Mark_Venturini), Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/markkventurini/ ), and Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7173590.Mark_Venturini?from_search=true ). Mark is also a contributing author to the Colony Zero series, up on Amazon now! Links to his chapters are below.
Colony Zero -Volume 1 -Contact http://www.amazon.com/Colony-Zero-Contact-Travis-Perry-ebook/dp/B00IC86952/ref=asap_B00G14LU1W?ie=UTF8 
Colony Zero -Volume 3 -In the Midst of Sorrow http://www.amazon.com/Colony-Zero-Volume-Midst-Sorrow-ebook/dp/B00JFZJXLI/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1GYBGEXEYZ9WF4YC4JVQ 
Colony Zero Series II -Volume 2 -For the Children http://www.amazon.com/Colony-Zero-Series-II-Children-ebook/dp/B00OGOXBFM/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1SGBER1JZ36S7WD0X2Z7

-Grace

The Night Chinwagger

So it has become evident that I cannot operate social media unless it's after midnight. I just spent the last ten minutes uploading cover photos of my "Woman in Scarlet" series because I finally remembered how to do it! How sad is that? I remember hearing, either this morning or yesterday, that Taylor Swift marveled at how in the past, you got famous and then used social media, but today you use social media and then you become famous. She does have a point, though. Kind of backwards, huh?
Well, I think my flurry of updating has come to a snooze now, although I do want to get a little further in my origins story for Colony Zero. And I have to work tomorrow. Joy. But I'm feeling optimistic. Happy. It rained today, which is great because our plants really needed it. I was shown some wonderful pictures of my beautiful niece. I also tried out a gluten-free brownie recipe after getting home from work. Besides being 200 calories a square, it was pretty dang good. 
I was reminded of how small my problems are and what a ninny I can be to worry as much as I do, when I know it's a trifle because God is in control. He probably looks at me like a little hummingbird, zipping around going, "What do I do next?" He would probably just pat me on the head and say, "Oh, Grace, you're so cute to worry about such small things. But sit back, my darling, and I will guide you." Surrendering control when it comes to my own life is very difficult for me to do. I will follow where you lead me when it comes to projects and housework, but my future? My writing? These are not things I easily relinquish, but there are no better hands to leave them in than the hands of God. He has planned my life since before its inception. He's known my every thought before it was even conceived. He is amazing, and that is a word I try not to use lightly. Awesome, as in awe-inspiring. Awesome-ringing. I cannot trust myself to maneuver one single hour without him by my side.
Well... this post certainly took a different turn than what I was anticipating, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. I am not trying to preach to you; I am merely sharing my thoughts, and more often these days, I am finding God to be among those thoughts.
Good night, everyone.

-Grace

PS: The word "chinwagger" in the title is just slang for someone who talks a lot. They literally "wag their chin." It was gonna be "chatter-bug," but then I wouldn't have been able to take advantage of my British slang. :-) Just wanted to clear that up in case someone thought I was cussing in my title.

I Have a FB Author Page!

Finally! It certainly took long enough, but I finally got my Facebook author page up and running. If you want to check it out, just search for "Grace Yee Author Page". I think it's listed under communities for some reason, but I am hoping to use it to reach other readers and writers, maybe update both it and my blog with a little more frequency. Hahaha! Anyway, feel free to check it out, post something, whatever.

-Grace

On the Clock

Let the countdown begin! As of tomorrow, my very first short story, The Woman in Scarlet: Where Snow May Fall, will be available for purchase on Amazon.com! I can't believe it. It has been such a whirlwind since Trestle contacted me a few weeks ago. Ever since then it's as if my days were being fast-forwarded. I would get an e-mail from Trestle and eagerly type a reply, my knee bouncing in anticipation for what was to come next. Now the ball's rolling and I can't wait to see what is ahead!
Thank you, Lord, for giving me this opportunity, this gift, this passion. There is no doubt I wouldn't have made it this far if it weren't for you. You are marvelous!

You can check out my Twitter @graceyee_123 , Pinterest, and Goodreads (I think) for more updates and possibly random facts.
Adios.

-Grace

From My Prayers to God's Ears All the Way to Trestle

I would like to take this moment to give a big round of applause to our Great God, who has finally answered my prayers! If you've been reading my blog posts, you know how much I want to be a published author. If you haven't... I really want to be a published author. Well, three days ago, two of my writer friends recommended me to Trestle Press, and that evening when I checked my e-mail, the man who works for both of them had sent me an e-mail inquiring about me and my writing and asked for my story via Word document. I was so thrilled I almost screamed! (Probably would have if it hadn't been for my brother trying to catch some Zs.) So I wrote him back, telling him a bit about my stories as well as attaching my first completed one to the e-mail. I'm guessing he read it because the next morning -quite early, I might add- he wrote me again, and from there we just exchanged e-mails throughout the day. Giovanni (of Trestle) was extremely helpful and very patient with me. He answered all my questions and was upfront with me about what their company requires of their writers. Basically I have to maintain and grow various social media accounts, like Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads.... The contract (yeah, that's right, I said contract!) was thorough and fair, and personally, I think Giovanni definitely knows what he's talking about. Thank God! No, seriously. Give God thanks. He works wonders and I know He'll give me the strength and wisdom -and sanity- to be a writer. For He never gives us things we can't handle.
Look for more posts from me. It is required, after all. :-)

-Grace

PS: Follow me on Twitter @graceyee_123 and comment or... I don't know, whatever it is you do on Twitter.

The Network Legwork

Just got myself a freaking Twitter account. And Goodreads... and Amazon Central. Sheesh! I knew there was a lot of social networking involved with being an author, I just didn't fathom the energy it took. Hats off to all my fellow writers who go that extra mile, tweet that extra tweet, and devoutly update their Facebook page every other day.
It's truly a wonder how the book business has changed, even in the past twenty-some years. I'll bet Michael Crichton never had to worry about social networking when Jurassic Park hit the bookshelves. And do you think Shakespeare was keeping the Master of Revels up to date with all his plays? Actually that's a bad example. (See: Shakespeare in Love, 1998, starring Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow.) Hahaha! But it kind of makes you wonder about all the work that goes on behind the behind the scenes. Maybe you would think, "Eh, they wrote the book, surely someone handles all that social media stuff. Right?" Nah. The authors have a share in the legwork. It kind of gives me a sense of pride, though, knowing that I'm working the whole time, not just slaving over a keyboard and then handing the finished product off to someone I've never met face-to-face. Perhaps it sounds crazy, and Heaven forbid, old-fashioned, but I don't think I mind the extra work involved there. That sense of accomplishment, surfing the web and visiting different networks like they're coffee shops, it lets me know I'm doing something. And once I hit "Enter", the proof is out there for the world to see. Writers don't just write their stories; even when the product is for sale, the job ain't near done.
Bring. It. On.

-Grace

PS: Follow me on Twitter @graceyee_123