Obligatory Nanowrimo Post

Obligatory because its nearly November and I talk about November every year. That doesn't mean I don't absolutely love doing it though! Year-round, I tell every person who happens to mention that they once harbored a secret dream of writing a novel about it, write down the site address for them, let them know what my avatar name on the site is and try to get them to add me. Why do I jump into this so gung-ho?

It is because books have always played an important part in my life. Some of my earliest memories are of my father reading my favourite Wuzzles storybook to me. One of his favourite stories to tell is how one day he got tired of reading the exact same storybook for his daughter every day before bed. He suggested that I should read it to him. I was 4 or 5 and if I remember correctly, I was a little confused. But in the end, I did it. My father thought I was a brilliant reader, the best he'd ever seen in a young child. Until he realized that I had finished one line before ever flipping the page. It was then that he realized that I pretty much had it memorized, nearly word for word and I was actually trying (badly) to use his cadence to tell the story. 

He decided then and there that I had to read at least one book (aside from that one) to him every day before he would read me a story. Even when I was too old to have my Dad read me to sleep, I listened to him read to my little brother. Every week, he would bring home comics for my sister and brother and new novels for me. 

Very clearly not a picture of me, but I do all of my writing on laptops, wherever
 I happen to find space to pull it out. I now have an office though. One day you'll
get pictures of it. 

In high school, I took a class called Typing 104. My family had owned a computer for 3-4 years at this point and I was mainly taking the class to learn how to type business letters to prepare me for the real world. I admit that I spent the majority of this class writing a novel. It wasn't a very good novel of course. In fact, it was very bad and I never finished it.
However, years later, it was on my mind when I found out about Nanowrimo and tried my first few years. I hadn't considered that I could ever really write a book and publish it. That was something that important people who were way more brilliant than me did. It took years to hone my craft and more to push past my fear to publish. 

Books have always been one of my catalysts for growth and I want to try to make sure that other people have that same love for them I do. I consider books one of life's necessities, up there with food and water. Your mileage may vary, of course. But for me. I write. 

And every November, no matter what else is happening in my life, I put fingers to keyboard and write. I always will, even if there is no Nanowrimo.

Will anyone be writing this Nanowrimo with me?

Cover Reveal - Erin Embly

Today I'm coming to you with another cover reveal! 

Erin Embly's debut novel is going to be coming out early next year on January 17, 2020 and it sounds interesting, especially if you have an interest in urban fantasy. 

I’m not an assassin witch, I swear…

But one bad day at work as a Guardian was all it took to make everyone think I am. 

Darcy Pierce—infamous, soulless, lethal. Betrayer.
It’s all good, though. I fit right in at my new job as the magical bartender in a supernatural strip club, where no one cares about a girl’s deadly reputation as long as she has a nice rack.
Only now I’m being stalked by a schoolgirl bully who breathes fire, and her hot dad keeps trying to get me to touch his dusty old book. I’m used to men trying to trick me into touching things, but this is a whole new level of creepy.
I’m almost grateful when the assassin who framed me comes back for round two…
Except I’m not the only one in danger. My new friends at the club are the ones under fire now, and I can’t fail them like I failed before.
Once a Guardian, always a Guardian, right? That’s what they always told me, even when I ran, and I still don’t know if they were right.
Whatever I am, it’s personal now, and I have a hot-blooded killer to hunt.

It's available for pre-order now!

If you want to find Erin, she's on both Twitter and Instagram as @erinembly and on FB. 

If you'd like to read the first two chapters of the book, you can check them out on her website. Don't forget to sign up for her newsletter there, if you're interested. 

Deep Dive on Historic Women: Murasaki Shikibu

I shared a news article on my FB page a day or so ago about the discovery that the novel, Tale of Genji, has 4 newly discovered chapters to add to its length. Already 50 chapters long, this 54 chapter version is the longest ever found. This book is important, not only because it is considered our world's first full-length novel, but also because it is considered the greatest work of Japanese literature.

However, as awesome as the book detailing the exploits of Genji Hikaru is, it pales in comparison to the life of its author. Murasaki Shikibu was her pen name, and there is some evidence to suggest that her given name was Fujiwara no Kaoruko, since it's known from her journals that she became an imperial lady-in-waiting for the emperor's consort, Shoshi, after the death of her husband and that she was from a distant branch of the Fujiwara line. Raised mostly by her father after her mother's untimely death, she learned many of the so-called "manly" studies of the time. She excelled in Chinese literature and moved around the country with her father, which at the time was unheard of for a young aristocratic woman. 

Also unheard of was her romantic life. While most of Murasaki's peers were getting married in their early teens, it is known that Murasaki herself didn't marry until her twenties and that her nuptials only lasted two years, at that. It is believed that she began writing the Tale of Genji at this time. 

This picture is one I created for Murasaki. While we don't know what 

she would have looked like, we do know how nobility looked in the 

Heian Era. This is close to how they would have looked. I have lowered the

eyebrows from where they would have been drawn to make it look a 

little closer to our current day standards of beauty. Any mistakes are my

own and no one else's.

Afterward, Murasaki chose to remain her own woman and not remarry and was eventually called to become a Chinese tutor to the young Empress and, of course, to become her resident writer. She may have also received the job due to a brief affair she may have had with the consort Shoshi's father, Michinaga, a statesman of some renown at the time, although this connection is tenuous at best. She is known to have exchanged poetry with Michinaga though, which at the time was considered an essential part of seduction at the time. 

There is some discussion about when she died, some saying that she died 1014, but some say that she was seen attending official ceremonies with Shoshi for another 10 years after that.

I have decided to read Liza Dalby's novel, The Tale of Murasaki: a novel and then follow it up with more of the dry research about her life as well as an official reading of the Tale of Genji, eventually.

Have you read any of these books? Would any of you be interested in reading Liza Dalby's novel and discussing it, bookclub style? Let me know and if there is enough interest, I'll create an FB page for it.

Cover Reveal - A Raven's Revenge

I've been in the writing gig for quite a while now and while I usually stick to myself, a few years back I traded work with some other authors and did developmental/beta-read edits for them. One of those authors was Linda Bloodworth. We became friends bonding over not only our books but our shared love for anything Sailor Moon related. Anyway's, I read through her book A Raven's Touch, a kick-ass story about a half-angel fighting the forces of evil. She published that book a year afterward in 2015, and today I have the absolute honour of letting everyone know that she is finally releasing the sequel! 

A Raven's Revenge 
Hell hath no fury like an angel scorned. Justice St. Michaels is on a mission from God to avenge her parents' death, even if it means hunting Seliki to the depths of Hell. Justice and her powerful friends won't back down until His will is done. Can an angel, witch, vampire and elf take on Hell and come out alive?

I have to admit, this cover is fantastic. I don't know who the cover artist was, but they deserve a pat on the back for this one. 

The novel will be out on October 24th, but you can pre-order your copy now. If you're looking for something to read before then, you can pick up the first book in the series as well. Links for both are below.

A Raven’sRevenge $3.99 ebook and $12.99 paperback

A Raven’s Touch $0.99 ebook and $12.99 paperback

Linda Bloodworth is hosting a cover reveal party on FB today (October 4th) and will be hosting a release day party on FB on its release date. Check out the links if you're interested!

Linda Bloodworth - Bio
Linda Bloodworth is a writer from Toronto who often has to battle two cats and a dog to find a comfortable writing position. Through blood, sweat, and a few tears, Linda debuted A Raven’s Touch in 2015 and followed up with A Raven’s Revenge in 2019. Other than writing, Linda enjoys scary tales of the strange and unusual in book and movie form. Most often, Linda can be found binge-watching Sailor Moon ad nauseam. Tsuki ni kawatte, oshiokiyo!