It's been awhile since I've been on live journal. I've been busy writing, editing, making book covers, and preparing my website @ weebly. Now that I have a website I might discontinue this blog being that I can blog from my site directly. So if you like please check out my website where I have posted information on my upcoming books that I'm interdependently releasing in paperback and digitally in August 2011. On the site you can also see the book covers I created. I hope all is well with everyone. Happy 4th!!!! Also, I have an authors site on goodreads linked to my regular @ www.goodreads.com/qdestiny. Also, I should mention that I will be writing under my pen name Q. Destiny. What do you think?

From my prior post you know that I'm working on a brand new book. I am majorly excited about this one and I'm enjoying taking my time and getting to know the characters who have yet to reveal their names to me which is odd as I know a great big secret about one of the main characters. Also, the title hint is no longer that no more but I'm keeping the new title to myself (as well as what it used to be).

Happy writing...

Working on book number 3. Still need to finish book 2 about 12k words to go.  Also at some point need to rewrite book 1, so many changes in the plot to that story, oh my, it's overwhelming yet exciting thinking about it but for now it will all have to wait. This new book is calling me so desperately that I'm having a hard time keeping up with the plot and characters, very exciting!!!!! I've never been more excited about a story :) .

I've decided to try one more time at getting an agent but once I turn 30 and I still have no agent than I'm going to self publish (maybe). I have only 7 months (of course this depends on what story is completed and I feel is good enough to try.

Soon, I will post the book reviews for The Lost Saint by Bree Despain. I'm currently reading Falling Under by Gween Hayes and the Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge and thus far I'm enjoying both.

Well that's all for now. Leave comments if you like and let me know what you're up too as well.

Hint to title of book 3: Uni....B

Description:

LOVE NEVER DIES

Lucinda is sure that she and Daniel are meant to be together forever. Now they are forced apart in a desperate bid to save Luce from the Outcasts–immortals who want her dead. As she discovers more about her past lives, Luce starts to suspect that Daniel is hiding something. What if he has lied to her about their shared past? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?

My Review:

Let me just say that the cover is just stunningly beautiful just as the first cover to the first book 'Fallen'. I enjoyed this book but not as much as the first one. Mainly because this book felt the same as the first one. Also, I did not like that she was apart from Daniel so much in the second volume. I feel like this has became a trait in YA novels these days. I really enjoyed all the secondary characters even though sometimes I had a hard time keeping track of who was who as there were so many. I loved learning about all the Fallen Angels, the good and bad. The fist and last half of the book I feel are the strongest. I'm so glad that finally Luce is taking matters into her own hands now instead of relying on others for the answers and I cannot wait to read volume 3 of the series 'Passion'.  All in all it was a great read and if your into angels and reincarnation this is for you. I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

Here's the link to the author's website: laurenkatebooks.net/
 

Summary from author's website:




Gabry lives a quiet life, secure in her town next to the sea and behind the Barrier. She's content to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. Home is all she's ever known, and all she needs for happiness.

But life after the Return is never safe, and there are threats even the Barrier can't hold back.

Gabry's mother thought she left her secrets behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, but like the dead in their world, secrets don't stay buried. And now, Gabry's world is crumbling.

One night beyond the Barrier...

One boy Gabry's known forever and one veiled in mystery...

One reckless moment, and half of Gabry's generation is dead, the other half imprisoned.

Gabry knows only one thing: if she is to have any hope of a future, she must face the forest of her mother's past.

My review:

The Dead Tossed-Waves by Carrie Ryan was a overwhelming haunting and beautiful story and a great companion to The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Gabry was a great character both her strengths and flaws I could relate too. I felt for her as well as the other characters constantly having to deal with the danger of zombies and the outset of death. I found myself having to take many breaks because the pain and sadness was so daunting and heart-wrenching. I was constantly thinking about how they are going to get out the deep and twisted situations that they found themselves in. Also, I'm glad Gabry choose who she chose as I thought it was the right choice in the love department. I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

Link to Arthur's Website: www.carrieryan.com/index.php

So I've put a goal on myself for the year 2011 to write 2 short stories a month. Below is the link to my official website to read 'Red Ocean' pleas leave comments if you like and enjoy.

thewordssurroundme.weebly.com/red-ocean.html

I was reading Carrie Ryan's blog on how she keeps tabs on the words that she writes per year and I felt 'hey' what a good idea. I tend to be very hard on myself and put myself in the lazy caterogy and feel like I start too many stores and never finish and that I never write enough. So I decided to take the Carrie Ryan task and counted the words I had typed in 2010 (includes: novels, short stories).   I was very surprised at the total amount, literally in my mind I screamed 'holy shit'.

Most of the titles I'm keeping secret mainly because they could possibly change or that I like them too much and just in case...you know.

2010: 213,510

Breakdown:

Tortured Souls (first draft completed @ 100, 450)

125242

TS Sequel

23774

2nd Book (FY)	32457
FA 2nd Book Sequel (FL)	33

3rd Book  (FR)	4488
4th Book (C)	5284

5th Book (A)

5194

6th Book (TDH)	3879
7th Book (VS)	22

Flame-Short Story

6866

2nd Short Story (TGU)	4325
3rd Short Story (BW)	1946

 

So far for 2011 in Jan I'm at 1,556 it's good but not good enough. I'm tried to give myself the goal of writing 1000 words a day and then I reduced it to 500 words and now I'm just at when I feel alert and the creative ideas are flowing. However, I know that I really need to get myself on a schedule preparing myself for the future of writing full time and having deadlines (a girl can dream).

I feel as though I haven't been on here in a while. Really, nothing glamorous has been going in my life. Being working and writing. That anthology project that I discussed on my last post has been readjusted. Now I'm just submitting my pirate story for possible submission. I lost my writing partner for the other project but can't blame her for leaving, I kept missing my deadlines. I've come to the conclusion that I'm a slow pace writer and trying to do 40k words in a month was too much. I mean I couldn't even finish NANO for crying out loud. So, I'm currently working on multiple novel projects which has been great yet a bit much. I'm going between Pirates, Mermaids, Demons, and Urban Romance-Crazy. But my theory is a slice of an idea is better than no idea, so I feel very blessed.

In the next week or two I will be posing book reviews on The Hands of Forest and Teeth by Carrie Ryan and Fallen by Lauren Kate and Linger by Maggie S. (if I haven't already).

My currents reads are:

1. The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
2. Torment by Lauren Kate
3. Raised by Wolves by  Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Happy Holiday!!!! Chat with you so.

P.S. Also I've been working on my website. Check it out at: http://thewordssurroundme.weebly.com/

So Nano our love affair was fun while it lasted. Yeah, we didn't get to where we wanted to be but I'm ok with that. Still, I love you and when the time comes again I will give you another chance.

On another note, I have 2 new projects that I'm will be submitting by Dec 31. The first an anthology about pirates and the second a novella about demons and fairies which I'm partnering with Patti L. a lovely woman I met on Fellow Writers on Facebook. We're each writing 2 stories for 2oK words a piece.

Wish me luck.

One thing that strikes me is the lack of YA authors or ethnic writers in the business. Which makes me think will I ever get an agent who can accept that I'm not going to be the typical African American writer who writes only of so called 'black' issues of slavery, segregation, etc...etc...  I simply want to write paranormal romance and urban fantasy stories and  maybe my characters will be Black and maybe not. Also, should I change my name for agents to take my query seriously. I just don't know being the lack of black (ethnic) agents and editors as well. Seems the world is against me (US).

Or maybe I'm just over sensitive or maybe I speak the truth...only time will tell. One conclusion I do have is that I will never stop writing and I will never stop trying to break in the business and to be damn successful in it (like Stephenie Meyer or Toni Morrison successul, I mean girl can dream, right?)

"Dream Big Enough, Prayer Strong Enough"

Thanks,
Q