Insomnia Ramble 1

Iron Man 2 is playing and everyone is asleep. Except me. Insomnia, or something like it. When thoughts I want nothing to do with plague me.  It's at night when I think about everything I don't want to remember or face, and when I do fall asleep, it's there. Haunting my dreams.  The chaos that distrupts life, makes you second guess everything.

They say all that about idle hands, but silence is the devil's true playground. All those horrible things you don't want to think about - its gets in your head and won't let you go. Driving you crazy. Making you wonder things you shouldn't. It's tough, but I like to believe I'm tougher - in the words of Amberlyn Winters, woman power; hear me roar and all that jazz. But sometimes, it just really sucks trying to be tough. Exhuasting. But something keeps me going. My family needs me; Cecily especially. An innocent in it all and so very precious to me. She's my most wonderful gift. So I have to keep going. For her and for my husband. It'd be selfish otherwise.

K.S.

Do What Your MS Needs - Not What You Want It To Do

Because sometimes what you want isn't good for its health. 

I rewrote chapter 1 of Dancing Demons.  After the feedback I received, I needed to.  There wasn't any way around it, and if you want your MS to succeed, you have to put it first. Do what it needs, even if it isn't what you originally wanted.  Instead of Amberlyn having a flashback of the party (and only the first half of it at that), I actually wrote the party and hospital scene out and ended it with Ava's cryptic message over Kaleb.  Hopefully that way I can set up Amberlyn's growing suspicion better.  Now, I'm just waiting to see if the changes really did help, and go from there. 

If they didn't, I'm going to have to do some serious brainstorming with the trusty CP's and find out what worked and what didn't.  Even if it does work, I'll still have to play with the ending.  It's too weak.  As I wrote it, I knew it was a first draft so I didn't keep slaving away at it.  I let it end, now I'm letting it sit for a bit, so hopefully when I do go back to it I have a better grasp and can write a kick-ass ending for it.  So now I'm just waiting.

As I do, I'm going to keep writing as my outline dictates.  There's been another murder and Amberlyn has to contend with Riggs one more time.  Fun, fun! At least for me; not so much for Amberlyn =).  Oh, the things we put our characters through (*insert evil laugh*).  Heh.

Katie S. Pendergrass

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop - DANCING DEMONS. Check it!

I've been chosen, by the wonderful T.C. McKee for The Next Big Thing Blog Hop.  Seriously, you should check her out - go, now (or wait until after you read this, =}) . 

So, without further ado, welcome to the freaky and fantastical world of Amberlyn Winters and one very hunky Kaleb Dantes. ;P

THE NEXT BIG THING

1. What is the working title of your book?
Dancing Demons

2. Where did the idea come from?
Imagination =).  I wanted to write something where the damsel didn't want rescued by the knight and could take care of herself.

3. What genre does your WIP fall under?
Either YA or New Adult Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Mystery

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Oo, it was some close calls, but I think these are the best choices.  Drum roll, please!
 
Amberlyn Winters - Allison Miller

Kaleb Dantes - Henry Cavill

Special Agent Riggs - Clark Gregg

Colin - Paul Bettany

Noah Lowell - Tyler Blackburn

Micah Hollis - Taylor Kitsch

Lindsey Hollis - Jessica Lowndes

Ava Harbinger - Aubrey Anderson Emmons

Sebastian - Dijmon Hounsou

Felix - Jonathan Rhys Meyers

My main characters and important minors - yeah, I got carried away *blushes.*

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Oo, that's a toughie.  Let me think...

Protecting the people I love from the Nosferatu has been my lifelong goal, one that is even more important to me now when one more person is taken away, and the one person I thought I could trust most in the world may just want me as dead as I want the monsters. (A big thank you to Mary for this one!)

There's nothing I loathe more than the Nosferatu, so when they take one more person from me, I'm determined to stop them this time - no matter the risk, no matter the cost - because if I don't, more people will die, and the guy I was falling for might just be behind it; all I know is nothing is as it seems, and the person I thought I could trust, he might just want me dead.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
When I know, you'll know.  Promise.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
The very, very, very first draft - I'll say 3 or 4 months.  I've revised and rewritten it a couple different times, though.  Trying to get it perfect.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within its genre?
Ehh... I hate this question.  Um, I would say as far as the UF and Paranormal thing goes - Anita Blake by Laurell K. Hamilton (before it was riddled with raunchy sex) but minus the language; or the Sookie Stackhouse series.  Without the sex.  Perhaps even the Victoria Gardella books by Colleen Gleason (minus the Regency, enter the modern).  YA - maybe THE VAMPIRE ACADEMY by Richelle Mead, or DEMON KISSED by H.M. Ward

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Girl power.

10. What else about your book might pique reader's interest?
There's new mythology - a new twist to something old.  Let's just say that.  Also, the main character - you won't see her falling down and needing caught; she'll catch herself.  Woman power - hear her roar.  Also, the characters are flawed - not sugar and sweetness.  There's time, like in real life, you won't like them.  That they come across as real arses or supreme witches, and make you think "What's wrong with her/him - ugh."  Then, other times, you'll love them.

Now, on to tag more awesome people: 

Christina Rice 
Erica Hart
Randi Lee
Troy Jackson
Jadie Jones
K.E. Skedgell


Also, check out these other awesome writer's who've also been tagged (and who happen to follow me; it could be you ;P):
Mary Waibel
T.C. McKee
Crystal Collier

~Katie S. Pendergrass

Ack - I'm Having A Name Delimma!

I can't decide what I want the creepy special agent's name to be.  Originally, it was Riggs, but I'm so 'ugh' over it.  It just seems too filler-name to me - like I just randomly picked it so I wouldn't have to bother to look for another, better name.  Slowly, it's annoyed me more and more, and now I just can't stand it.  It's not strong enough for me.  He's a creep, but he needs a stronger name.  I really like Rothenberg, but my problem with that is he's Southern!  How many Southerners do you know with the surname Rothenberg?!

Me?

None.

So I thought about Radcliff(e).  It's okay, but I still really like Rothenberg for the name.  However, it just doesn't seem to fit with Riggs' accent, and that's how I hear his voice.  So there's no changing that.  He's old southern to the bone, with his y'alls, and gals, and all that good jazz.

But what is a name, really?  How important is it to the story?

My personal opinion: EXTREMELY.

If I don't have the right name, I can't go on.  That's why I'm so picky with the name game (also why it was so hard to name my little lovebug - it had to be perfect).  *Sigh* The things a writer puts him or herself through.  Some times I wonder why I do, but then I remember...

I <3 it. =)

Until next time!

KSP

Ugh, I'm finally done with Chp 11 -

- And what a relief it is.  That sucker was one tough puppy to tame!  Not because I didn't have a direction, I did.  Rather... Oh, hell, I don't know why it was so difficult.  I think because I had worked on it for so long, and had such a difficult time getting the beginning right, that I just simply grew bored and wanted to move on to something else in the story.  I grew very restless, frustrated even.  Anyone know what I'm talking about here? 

Granted, I'm still not happy with the way it turned out; however, at least now I can go on with the story.  At least I have something down that I can go by.  When I finish the first draft, that's when I'll worry about how bad it sucks.  But, at least Amberlyn has finally discovered the skinny on Kaleb from Micah - sorta.  Seems, everything Micah has found thus far has only given her more questions to answer.  Before more people are killed.  And boy, is she feeling the crunch. 

At least I got the gist of that down.  Now, someone else just needs to die, the creepy agent to hound Am, then she can go out on  her "strictly friend date" with Noah.  Wonder what shady characters they'll  meet while out! =).  I can't wait to write it. 

I'm off!  Until later,

K.S.P.

1st Person or 3rd Person POV - Which is Better?

Or does it even really matter?

It's a debate I'm currently wrestling with.  I'm half-way through with writing the first draft rewrite of DD, and after some feedback, am debating whether to change the POV.  Now, the original version of DD was written in 1st person.  However, when I finally decided to rewrite the entire thing after another long debate (seems a popular thing, aye?), I decided to change it to 3rd.  The sole reason: if I make it past the first book and can write more in the series, than I'll want to write from other POV's (mainly my main male lead - Kaleb).

But, as my wonderful CP pointed out, she thinks it would read better in 1st.  Even though it's in 3rd, she hears it in 1st.  So, I ask again: does it really matter?

To a point, I think so.  Neither one is better over the other, but depending on the story - and your characters and story will let you know - one does work better over the other.  So what I'm thinking is doing a few chapters in 1st person, let the CP read then, then decide which works better for DD.

Now, as far as reading goes, I used to be incredibly fond of 1st person thanks to Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Books. After that, it was all I wanted to read.  Now, though, I don't really have a preference other than I want a good story with good characters and a good plot. If I can get that, I'm happy. =).

KSP 

It's a Whole New Cherry to Pop

The first post is always the hardest - just like writing your first chapter.  It's the getting started that sucks, and I know a bit about getting started now more than ever.  Every thing's changed in my life - and for once, it's for the better.  I have a wonderful husband, a beautiful daughter, wonderful pets, and my anxiety is back under control.  Life is good, and hopefully just continues to get better.  Crossing my fingers here, =). 

My current WIP is titled DANCING DEMONS.  I'm about half-way finished with the first rewrite draft - whoo! Really want to do something with Aliens next - just have to think up a brilliant plot. Anyway, this is just the first post so it doesn't look so bare here!  More will come soon!

Katie S. Pendergrass