Dream Goals Update and Captain Quasar

This week, I had a massive sinus headache for three days straight - with some minor relief on Wednesday morning that disappeared Wednesday afternoon. BTW, I don't take much for cold medicine because sometimes it messes with my thyroid medication and without some kind of working thyroid stuff going on, I fall asleep, forget things, and walk around in a physical and mental fog (plus, I get really cold, my heart slows down, and my metabolism gets to turtle pace). Of course, the sinus headache put me in much the same state except with added physical pain so I had to juggle whether or not I wanted to drink massive fluids and try all the natural remedies or if I wanted to mess up my thyroid medicine with cold medicine. I chose fluids, clearing my schedule for extra sleep, and natural remedies. Now, it's midday Friday and I actually feel okay, so I think it worked.

Hosted by Misha and Beth

So here's a semi-short run-down of Goals:

1. Publishing Goals:
This is an awesomesauce area for me this month.

Dynamic Writing 1 is out in paperback and I received one seriously awesome review and some wonderful shout-outs! Thank you!!!

2. Writing and Write 1 Sub 1 Goals:
I'm behind in my big projects - beware ye all who enter the revision cave while undergoing life transitions!

Write 1 Sub 1 has been good, though. I did receive four rejections, but I also had five mini hint stories and poems get published at 7x20, a twitter magazine. I wrote a new story, and subbed it, and I made sure that my rejections turned back into re-submissions. Currently, I have 12 stories in the "submission" cycle.
The five hint stories and poems: Bare Ghost Pepper Salt Resolutions Candlewick The Tail of a Star

3. Marketing
Mostly nothing got done here, but I did ask for some help with book reviews and a book blog tour, and I received some wonderful responses! Thank you!

4. Exercise Goals:
Well, I didn't make my 40 miles of walking and 40 miles of biking.
I walked 32 miles and biked 25. And, I did about a total of 60 minutes of yoga/stretching for the whole month. The month isn't over yet and I hope to get out on at least one or two more bike rides and short walks.

5. Invitational Goal:
I invited the whole canoe and kayak team to a celebration for one of our athlete-coaches who went off to OSU for college. I didn't have to host it at my house, which made it all much easier.

6. Spiritual Goals:
Prayer life has had ups and downs as usual. I started helping lead an Alpha group but missed the second meeting due to that massive sinus headache. This weekend, I'll be running a scavenger hunt at a youth game night on Saturday, and teaching a lesson on the first few chapters of Genesis for youth Sunday school. (I'm not the regular lead teacher in there, but I'm teaching this week because the lead teacher is currently cheering for his kayaking daughter at the Olympic Hopes Regatta in Poland. She's a good friend of my daughters, so we're cheering for her from home. So far, she took 7th in the semi-final for the 1000m race.)


How are your goals working out for you?  

And, do you surround yourself with goal-orientated people who inspire you, challenge you, and encourage you? I'm going to focus on that for my IWSG post next week.


Book News (If you have some, send me an e-mail):

Milo James Fowler, speculative fictioneer and published author of novellas, poems, and hundreds of short stories, has his first novel out!

Captain Quasar and the Space-Time Displacement Conundrum

Captain Quasar is out of time. 

Pursued by vengeful Goobalob toll collectors, savage Arachnoid bounty hunters, and formidable Amazonians, Captain Bartholomew Quasar must do whatever he can to keep the crew of theEffervescent Magnitude out of harm's way. All in a day's work--except time is not on his side. 

Torn from the present to relive his past, he vows to keep mistakes from occurring the second time around. But is he doomed to repeat history? Or can he erase his regrets? 

Villains will be vanquished. Lives will be lost. Bonds will be betrayed. Heroes will be heroic. 

Join the crew of the Effervescent Magnitude for a hilarious time-traveling space adventure the likes of which you've never seen!


Upcoming Events

Realms Faire is coming! If you would like to help spread the word, please join the thunderclap campaign! 

Thankfulness and Transitions

Pacific Cup, Whonnock Lake, B.C. Canada on July 13th, 2015 - between races.

Although I wasn't really prepared for a big book celebration for Dynamic Writing 1, many wonderful bloggers and tweeters gave my book a shout-out or several tweets! I'm am humbled and thankful for your encouraging support!!!

And - this just in - Melissa Sugar-Gold wrote the most amazing review of Dynamic Writing 1 and posted it on her blog yesterday. I was so overwhelmed with thankfulness for her kind and encouraging words that tears came to my eyes. And now, I just feel like blushing and saying, "wow, wow, wow" over and over again. Thank you, Melissa!

The weekend before my official celebration of Dynamic Writing 1, I had the chance to cheer on 17 athletes from the Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Development Team and Racing Team at Pacific Cup at Whonnock Lake in Canada. The regatta is for novice athletes and athletes under the age of 15 (as of January this year). My oldest daughter was too "old" to attend, but my youngest raced and brought home a fistful of ribbons. It was a good weekend and since my oldest stayed home solo for the first time (with grandparents next door), it was one more reminder of all the transitions we are going through as a family.

For 12-16 years now (depends on if you count starting at birth), my kids have home-schooled. This year, we are doing things differently.

(Enter a really long mom brag moment - sorry, but my girls are a huge part of my life and my writing life - impacting my stories in ways that they don't even realize.)

This year, my oldest is off to running start, our state's community college dual credit program. She intends to get an associates degree and a high school diploma over the next two years. She already has enough almost enough credits to graduate since she works hard and has a variety of interests. And, I'm still making her read several works of literature (plays, novellas, and novels) and write several projects (essays and play scripts) for me over the next two years because I'm determined to have her prepared for writing in any academic or career field. Currently, she is interested in bio-engineering, theater, film production, and dance. (How would you put those together?) Oh, and she enjoys canoeing and coding, too. (She finds coding, relaxing; I don't get it, but I'm glad she likes it.)

My youngest is attending the local high school for just two classes, Chinese and Pre-AP English. She wanted to take Chinese and since she was placed into an English class accidentally, she wanted to see how someone else other than me would teach it. Of course, because I'm a "mean" mom, I'm expecting her to read several novels and write several essays for me this year, too. They only read one novel and one play in a year for her class. So far, she's interested in interior design, special effects design, and other areas that include art and some science or math. She's good with language and loves to read, but doesn't want to include those in her career/academic plans. She creates bead necklaces symbolizing character development in books that she loves and she also really wants to be able to compete internationally in flat-water sprint kayak races. 

My kids are starting to take flight with their multitude of interests, and at the moment, I'm actually busier than I was before. I think once we get past the transition point with the new school schedules and fall into a routine, life will get back to a more regular (normal-busy) pace. Until then, I may post erratically through the end of October.

Again, many thanks to all of you who have encouraged me and helped spread the news about Dynamic Writing 1. Please let me know how I can help spread the news about your books!

And, I'm still looking for hosts for a book blog tour from December 7th through December 18th for Champion's Destiny. A few spots are filled, but I still need more help! If you are interested, please e-mail me at tyreantigger (at) gmail (dot) com

And, if you've ever wondered why/how I'm so busy . . . well, I have an incredibly busy family and a desk-sized family calendar with multiple entries every single day. Everyone chips in to clean and everyone has to help with dinner.

And now, I'm off to run errands/write/teach/drive my youngest somewhere . . .

If you have time after reading this overly long post, please check out Melissa Sugar-Gold's review. 

A Celebration of Hard Work - Dynamic Writing 1 Release Celebration and a Peek at Stephen Tremp's New Novel

By Krisaemilia (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Warning: This post grew to mountainous proportions. Hit the highlights, if in a hurry, and it will be here all week.

Have you ever climbed a mountain? I have only climbed to the top of Black Comb Mountain in Whistler, B.C. to ski down the bowl, and I only had to climb the last part after assists from a gondola, a lift chair, and two rope tows. So, technically, I can only imagine what it feels like to be in the picture above. 

Yet, I have climbed the book writing mountain a few times. Each book writing mountain is slightly different. There are days that the trail is socked in with fog and my next steps are obscured and other days when the sun shines bright on the horizon. 

Then, there are the book mountains that I've climbed without planning to set foot on them in the first place. 

When I set out to teach classes at our home-school co-op, I planned to use curriculum I found but I kept supplementing pieces of my own teaching ideas into the mix until finally I was giving out two to three page home-made handouts nearly every week to all of my classes. This took place over three years.

Finally, I started writing my own curriculum. Last year, two of my classes received instruction from private print run books I had made up from notes and exercises I had created. Parents were kind, and then enthusiastic. Kids gave me hints on how I could improve the books and then gave me huge thank you notes at Christmas and at the end of the year. A few parents said, "I can't wait to see your book on sale at home-school websites and curriculum fairs." Wow. 

I received huge compliments: 

"My son doesn't normally love writing, but he loves your class." Wow.

"My daughter loves writing and appreciates the creativity you put into a writing curriculum that focuses on essay writing. It makes it fun." Again, wow. 

I feel humbled by the enthusiasm I've received for books that I never dreamed of writing. I just stumbled onto the mountain path and kept climbing upwards, ever upwards, through notes, booklets, private print run books, content revisions, and massive formatting and copy-editing revisions. And, finally, I have finished completely* with the first one.

Dynamic Writing 1 is available in complete form in paperback through Amazon. Containing 161 Lessons for Middle Grade Students, this curriculum is meant for a complete year of home-school, home-school co-op, or classroom use. Eighteen of the lessons are "double" lessons and may be split over two days worth of time to extend the school year to 179 days with a planned celebration day at the end. Teaching notes, grade sheets, a resource list, and extra writing prompts are included in the text, as well as an answer key at the back of the book for the writing exercises. Within a year, students will study journal writing and essay writing, with short forays into fiction and poetry. Specific instruction in sentence variations, similes, and other writing concepts is spread over the course of the book and reviewed throughout the year so that students can wrestle with these concepts over the full course. 

The cost for the full curriculum in paperback is $25.99. Most full year writing curricula start at $35 and skyrocket upward, even when written by an individual and self-published. (I've done my research on this one and unfortunately purchased a few of those skyrocket-priced curricula.) I'm trying to show that I value my work and yet make it reasonable for home-school families and small private schools where I think this curriculum will most benefit the students. It is set up to be multi-purpose in use from home to large classrooms, but I think my market is probably home and small classrooms. It may also be used as a supplement at home after school hours (This is called "additional home-schooling" and my mom did this without even knowing the terminology. It's when parents assign extra work: reading, writing, math, and science experiments, with visits to history museums, art museums, and zoos.)

Dynamic Writing 1A contains only the first 85 lessons and is available for kindle, smashwords, nook, and kobo. Dynamic Writing 1B Second Semester will be released in e-book format in late October. Each of these e-books is/will be priced at $9.99.

Dynamic Writing Introduction (The First Fifteen Lessons) is FREE on the Dynamic, Every Day Writing site. These are the easiest of all the lessons and serve as a gentle start to the year, but they should give parents, teachers, and students a sense of the writing curriculum as a whole. 

*"completely"means that I have more student examples to add, and I'm sure that my current crop of students will give me some suggestions for improvements.

And, I'm celebrating today by teaching the first day of classes at Harbor Christian Home-School Co-operative. I'm excited to start the school year with my students, get to know their strengths, and give them tools to climb their own writing mountains. 

In addition to my book, I'm also celebrating the hard work of author Stephen Tremp:

Stephen Tremp writes speculative fiction and his fourth novel, Salem’s Daughters, is supernatural thriller. A four hundred year old evil is unleashed when souls of the daughters of those killed during the Salem Witch Trials find a new generation of people to murder at a popular modern-day bed and breakfast.

 

For a full synopsis and to pre-order a copy of Salem’s Daughters for $2.99 (price goes up to $4.99 soon after release) Click Here 

Climbed any mountains lately, literally or figuratively?

Many thanks to those who have offered to help with the Dynamic Writing 1 release! I know it's not everyone's "usual" reading fare, but I'm looking for four more reviewers. Please e-mail me at tyreantigger (at) gmail (dot) com for a free review pdf copy. 

Also, if you can help with a tweet, I would greatly appreciate it:

Dynamic Writing 1 - 161 Lessons for MG Writers - Available at Amazon @TyreanMartinson http://tinyurl.com/navnmaq 

Dive into Writing with Dynamic Writing 1 - 161 Lessons for MG Writers - http://tinyurl.com/navnmaq

Thank you!!!

Murees Dupe on Writing Romance, Static Cover Love, A Few Hint Fiction Stories, and A Double Question

Please Welcome Murees Dupe!

Why I write romance

When you ask someone what about life is a mystery to them, most will probably say something like religion, who built the pyramids, or whether we are alone in the universe. Well, for me, it is matters of the heart. I have never been in love, so naturally that is what caught my attention and prickled my curiosity. After all, love must be amazing if people are willing to die, or even kill for it . . . right?

Another reason why I like writing/ reading romance is that the author is obligated to give you a happy ending. Life can be depressing and the last thing I want is a book that reads too much like reality. Fiction, for me, is a way to escape reality. Even make my own dreams, or fantasies come true.

I know most people think that romances are corny, but it is hard to write. Getting two people to fall in love, and make it believable is daunting. The fact that most of my characters are immortal just makes it all the more exciting. But convincing my characters to stay together for all eternity, takes a lot of persuading on my part:)

Title: The Amaranthine (Thelum Series)

Author: Murees Dupé

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Release Date: 8 September 2015

Blurb

Claire is sassy, human, and an outcast of society―who only wants to know where she belongs.

Alex is arrogant, selfish, and an immortal warrior―who thinks he’s prepared for everything.

Claire knows the world of immortals is where she belongs. As her guide and guardian, Alex finds it hard to resist Claire’s subtle charm. Can the two overcome their differences and embrace their passion for each other, or will the possibility of true love be lost to both forever?

Find your copy here:

E-book: Kindle * Nook * Kobo * Ibook

Paperback: Amazon

About the Author

Murees Dupé was born and still lives in South Africa. When she is not thinking up new stories, she is spending time with her family, playing with her three dogs and cat, watching TV, or overindulging on desserts. To learn more about Murees, visit her website.



Static Cover Love

I love Murees Dupe's cover for Amaranthine, but I also love S.K. Anthony's Cover for Static! I'm not part of the official cover reveal party, but I thought it deserved a little extra love. Don't you agree?

Coming Soon!

A Few Hint Fiction Stories

I've been heavily involved in finishing "big" projects, but I've been writing a few hint fiction stories, too. I had a few of them published recently by Espresso Stories. I'm usually one for hope at the end of stories, but these two are a little heavy.

Conversations Through Time

Haunted by Reality

Double Question

Would you be willing to help me promote one of the following books?

Dynamic Writing 1 - 161 Lessons for Middle School Students - out now and looking for a little love - a tiny post this size would be awesome! (And, if you are interested in reviewing this for free, please send me an e-mail by Friday, 9/25/2015.)

or

Champion's Destiny - With distracting attention from a former swan prince and her mentors both in harm's way, will Clara be able to trust her team with her family secret as they race to fight the Dark Sisterhood on their terms?

Coming in early December 2015. Later than originally planned, but I'm hoping for "book bash" on December 4th with tiny blurbs, guest posts, or interviews between December 7th and December 18th. 

If you have any interest or availability, I would greatly appreciate your help. Please e-mail me at tyreantigger (at) gmail (dot) com. 

IWSG: Mood Swings

If you haven't joined IWSG, join now! Join here! Visit the website! Visit the facebook page!

Why? Because it's the best monthly hop for any writer in need of a little encouragement from fellow writers!

Plus, Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh started it. 

Many thanks to all IWSG co-hosts and writers!

Co-hosts this month:

Heather M. Gardner    

Christine Rains 

Dolorah at Book Lover 

Julie Flanders  

Murees Dupé  

I didn't post last month so I'm feeling a little insecure about that. I think it was the first IWSG post that I've completely missed since the inception. But, I was on a road trip with my family that included a lot of activity (see post from the 24th) and Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Racing Team's Fourth Win of the Flat-water Sprint National Championships! So, I was busy doing a lot of proud mama cheering for my daughters (both brought home three medals) and for all the other kids.

But here's what I'm feeling really insecure about: intense writer mood swings.

In detail (you can skip this if you're in a hurry):

 At the book festival in Portland, it poured down rain for three hours, my poster became a runny mess of ink, I couldn't seem to describe my own books, 70 other vendors seemed way more prepared than me, and I only sold one book. I was asked if my name was my real name (more on that at the bottom). On the way back to the mini-van, I dumped a box of books into a busy street crosswalk in downtown Portland and encrusted them with mud trying to pick them up, and then I cried in the parking lot behind the van. It was a horrible, no good, very bad day (quoting Alexander's Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day - children's book). I required dinner (I hadn't eaten all day because my stomach was in knots) and hot chocolate from Cacao to get back to a somewhat calm but near sniveling state of insecurity. My sweet family was super supportive, but I just wanted to go curl up under a blanket somewhere.

After coming home, I realized I had a lot of work ahead of me because I write my own lessons for the classes I teach. Well, except I planned to use a couple of other curricula resources for a part of my College Prep writing class. Then, I discovered that the writer of the most popular home-school co-op curricula advocated using sentence fragments as a "dress-up" sentence variation for college application and SAT essays. I have already had distinctly unhappy run-ins with this particular curricula provider, which apparently everyone else in the home-schooling world thinks is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but this was another chunk out of a tenuously rebuilt bridge of trust. I know that sentence fragments are considered acceptable for poetry, fiction, and any social media. However, I can't and won't advocate sentence fragments for use in a college application or SAT essay. 

Do you see the arrogance building here?  

I do. (Agh.)

The only good thing about that arrogance build is that it gave me the confidence and energy to finish revisions on Dynamic Writing 1 - 161 Lessons of Writing for Middle School Students. 

However, I'm still not finished with revisions for Champion's Destiny - and that's totally freaking me out! 

So, I'm back to semi-normal on the insecurity scale - proud of some accomplishments, challenged by more work ahead, and unsure of how I'm going to make my goal publication date for Champion's Destiny without losing sleep. 

How have you been on the insecurity scale lately?

And, does anyone else hit some intense writer mood swings?

And, my name is my real name. My parents named me Tyrean at my birth. If there has been any "clever" name-stealing going on, it was what's-his-name who took my name, misspelled it, and mispronounced it for his popular book/HBO series. Someone made a half-accusatory comment about it at the book festival and it happened again at one of the hotels we stayed at on our trip. It is an unfortunate coincidence. I like my name too much to give it up just because of someone used something similar for one of their terribly popular characters.

Tyrean = Tie + rene (sound pronunciation)

Oh, and I almost forgot to re-invite everyone to Realms Faire in November! I'll be hosting an event for the first time, and there are loads of fun events to participate in for a whole week in November!