Thursday, January 15, 2015

Hello Lovelies!

Dear Followers & the Blogosphere at Large ~

I'm still writing!!!  My first book, Cloak of Deceit (A New Adult Urban Fantasy Romance) will be published this month.



Isn't the cover purdy?  And that is just the beginning!  I have at least three more books (in my Zyne Legacy universe) scheduled to come out in 2015.   

You can find my new website/blog at www.gwenmitchellficiton.com .

Please pop over and say hello, update your links, and subscribe to my blog or newsletter. 

You can also find me on Goodreads, Twitter, and Instagram.  Or feel free to email me: gwen.mitchell.fiction@gmail.com

XOXO
~Gwen

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

It's Official . . .

My blog is on hiatus. 

I have been meaning and meaning and meaning to get back here and update you on my progress (for example, 3rd place in the Golden Gateway and 1st Place in the Emerald City Opener, how my conference went, what I'm reading and *loving* right now, etc. etc.). 

But it's time to get real.  With the Golden Heart deadline looming, work, school, and the swiftly approaching holidays (including 6 birthdays in my family - sheesh!), I don't see when I will have time to do better than I have been. 

So . . . I'm officially hanging up this blog until January 15th 2010 - at which point I will launch a WHOLE NEW, improved, and very shiny Wordpress site.  And then I'll turn over a new leaf and actually, you know . . . blog about stuff. 

So - to anyone out there who is still reading this - thank you.  Enjoy your holiday season, and see you next year! 

~Gwen

Friday, September 11, 2009

Finalisms and Other Sundries



*taps dust of microphone*

Phew! It's been a while! And though I've been absent, I haven't been idle. ;)

I'm closing in on my final rewrites for my parnormal romantic suspense novel, Inner Eye. My goal is to have them complete by 9/15 and I should land thereabouts. It will be a *crazy* month and a half for me coming up -- lots of fun stuff!

On to the good news . . .

I'm happy to announce that I'm a finalist in the Golden Gateway's paranormal category again this year (different ms than last year). They haven't announced the finalists on their website yet, but I hear I'm up against some stiff competition. I'm just happy to final. It's good to know that the baby you've spent the better part of a year tearing up and piecing back together doesn't suck. Coming from fanfic roots, I'm a glutton for that reassurance.

And I'm equally ecstatic to announce that the same ms finaled in the Romantic Suspense category of the Emerald City Opener contest. (Okay, maybe slightly more ecstatic, because the prize for this one is PRICELESS.) I get a personal one-on-one appointment with an agent/editor at the 2009 Emerald City Writers' Conference. *squee-gulp*

Yes, that's the same manuscript in two different contests, in two different categories. It is a paranormal romantic suspense, so I've been entering it into whichever category I think fits the specific contest. In my next entry, Inner Eye will be in the Single Title category. What can I say? The story really doesn't want to be pinned down to one narrow genre!

Obviously, since I have an appointment with an agent/editor all lined up, I'll be popping my conference cherry on October 9th. I'm equal parts excited and nervous. I have to get a pitch together, get my hair done, and go shopping! Luckily, the members of the GSRWA have been very welcoming, and I already have a conference buddy.

I'll also be going to hear my mentor/cp Debbie Mumford speak at a Vancouver Writers Mixer on October 3rd. It's starting to feel like this writing thing is actually *happening.* Perhaps the most gratifying moment was one day on a vacation/weekend outing, hubby picked up my Crackberry, looked at the list of emails, and just about choked. "How do you keep track of all that sh*t?" he asks. Truly, sometimes I think my whole family believes I'm just screwing off on the internet all the time. Srsly.

I'm also going to be visiting with mah girls in Atlanta the last weekend of September. I'm sooooo excited! (Except for the flying part, but I have Valium, so I'm covered

My next goal, after all of these social events, is to launch my new website/blog. I'm aiming for October. (I know, I know . . . I've said this before.) In my defense, learning a new coding language ain't no bowl of cherries.

Then I will hit the grindstone hard polishing up Inner Eye and my first novel, Cloak of Deceit. I plan to submit both to the Golden Hearts this year, and to get them going on the query-go-round in early December. I have entered a few other contests, so I may have more good news to share soon *crosses fingers*.

Oh, and I'll definitely post a conference update or two. I've got to get back on this blogging horse . . .

TTFN!!

~Gwen

Monday, July 13, 2009

I'm Alive!

I thought I should put something up here before it gets too stagnant. There's been a lot going on the past month or so -- I have been a busy little bee, if I do say so myself.


First off, my critique partner Thomma Lyn released her debut novel, Mirror Blue!




*squee* I'm so excited for her - the reviews are starting to come in, and I just know people will love the book as much as I did.


In the same vein, I got to meet the fabulous Debbie Mumford in the flesh yesterday. We had a great lunch, talked shop, and she is even cooler in person! Her novella The Silver Casket is releasing from Freya's Bower on August 18th, and I'm totally in love with her cover art. I had the pleasure of reading an early version of this story and highly reccomend it. :)





I've also joined a start-up critique group, run by Lynette Labelle. She's pulled together a good mix of writers and we even have a name: The Rumored Romantics. I'm excited to get started. I've never been a critique group before and look forward to trying out a different venue. You know we writers are always looking for extra sets of eyes. The more opinions the better, in my mind. I haven't decided which project I'll be throwing at these ladies for starters, but I'm sure it will be a fun learning experience.



On the writing front, I'm at the halfway point with my re-write of Inner Eye. As I get closer to the end, the rewrites will be less extensive, so I'm hoping to have this one wrapped up and shelved in the next few weeks. I've submitted it to 3 contests to sort of test the waters. Then, I just have to polish my query packet and start throwing it at some agents. I'm both excited and nervous. I've put A LOT of work into this book, and if it doesn't find a home, that will be hard to swallow. On the flip side, I know the number one thing that keeps people going in this business is believing in themselves, so I do have hope!



I've done a little bit of reading recently, but not a lot. I think the most surprising was the Vampire Queen duo by Joey W. Hill. I enjoyed the Storywitch's writing so much, I even went and bought one of her early Ellora's Cave titles. The emotional depth, well-woven backstories, and top-notch writing have really made me re-think a lot of my own prejudices against the erotic romance genre (which I didn't even realize I had until I was surprised by how good these books were. *g*).



I'm still working down my list of exciting releases I mentioned in the spring. Devon Monk's 2nd in her Ally Beckstrom series lived up to my excitement. I have yet to read Lover Avenged, though from the sounds of it, BDB fans are pleased.



I've decided to nail myself down with an actual deadline for my new blog/website. Rain or shine, it will launch August 15th, so I've got my work cut out for me. I'll try to ease into the blogoshere between now and then, and spread the word. I have a few ideas for a little launch party. We'll see.



Time to get rolling!


~G

Friday, May 29, 2009

The Blog that Wasn't . . .

*sigh*

I wish I had a legitimate excuse. Instead, I have a bunch of illegitimate ones, disguised as an update:

1. The idea of composing a review encompassing a four book series is daunting. I read Curse the Dawn, and loved it. Haven't made a peep otherwise.

2. My mom stole my copy of Lover Avenged. (I know!)

3. On the heels of being bookless, I entered into a phase of The Artist's Way known as reading deprivation. This deprivation includes blogs, so even opening google was a downhill slide I just decided to avoid. Consequently, I was very productive that week, and *extended* said deprivation just to see what would happen. (Apparently I reached a balance-point between being productive and being depressed because I couldn't read, so no worries - that's over now. :P )

4. The sun has been shining like mad in Seattle! (Don't tell anyone.)

5. I went to my first RWA meeting, but Ciara put my write-up to shame.

6. Working lots of overtime, but took a fantastic vacation to the coast.

7. I've been working like a madwoman on my new website/blog which will relocate to Wordpress. I'm shooting for the end of June to make the big switch-a-roo. Until then, blog play is more than likely suspended. If I do happen by some time to generate content, I'll probably save it for the new site.

8. RE-WRITES!!!! It's been brought to my attention several times, that the first step of getting anywhere in the publishing business is having a solid product to sell. So, that continues to be my focus. The first third of my current novel is getting a total over-haul and the rest will be hacked, trimmed, and then polished. I'm not sure how long this is going to take me, but I will definitely be having a party when it's finished.

Think that about covers it.

TTFN!
~Gwen

Friday, May 1, 2009

HAPPY HAPPY DAY!

My thank-the-stars-I'm-so-lucky-to- have-her critique partner Thomma Lyn is celebrating the release of her novel Mirror Blue today, from Black Lyon publishing's Literary Love Story imprint.

I just had to publicly squee.

The eBook is available from Black Lyon today, and the paperback will be available next week.

I plan on doing both a review and an interview in the coming weeks, and Thomma Lyn is on a virtual book tour through June. If you're hunkering for a character-driven story to suck you in and pull on your heartstrings, I *highly* recommend this book.

Here's the blurb:

He’s her first chance at love.
She’s his last.

Free spirit Aphra Porter never thought Isaac Lightfoot would remember
the letter she wrote to him years before. But by some miracle, he does. Now a
successful Web site designer in her thirties, Aphra meets the man whose writing
talents she’s always idolized—an encounter that leaves her spinning. No longer
is Isaac a distant image, but a flesh and blood man who looks at her like no one
has looked at her before.

A critically acclaimed author and Vietnam war hero, Isaac is one tough
bear of a man. Faced with the physical and emotional scars of war, a
relationship with a daunting age difference, and an ex-wife bent on tearing
Aphra from his life, he’s about to learn that leaving the past behind and
building a new life can be the toughest battle of all.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Quick and Dirty

Update time!

Rewrites are coming along. I've done some major restructuring and have finessed the first 5 chapters into something I'm proud of. I also toiled (and toiled) over a synopsis and now have a full contest submission packet of Inner Eye ready to go. I'm planning on entering it into some contests in May.

Other than that, I've been playing with a lot of graphics stuff, getting ready to make the transition over to wordpress. I've been out of the graphics groove for too long, it is actually a thrill to get back into it. Ideas springing up all over the place. Whether or not I can master php well enough to make them a reality. =D

Oooooh! And I'm going to my first GSRWA meeting this weekend - I'm sooo excited! I was going to go last month, but I was heavy into the final chapters of my WIP and rudimentary hygeine was a challange. (Probably too much information, but still true.)

Other than that, I've been trying to take advantage of every second of sunshine, because around here, you never know when you're going to see it again.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Review: Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh


Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she's the best—but she doesn't know if she's good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, only one thing is clear—failure is not an option...even if the task is impossible.

Because this time, it's not a wayward vamp she has to track. It's an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other…and pull her to the razor's edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn't destroy her, succumbing to Raphael's seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break…

Author: Nalini Singh (Website, Blog)
Cover Awesomeness: Darren Hopes, George Long, Ron Zinn
Publisher: Berkley
Imprint: Sensation
Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance
ISBN: 978-0-425-22692-6

Similar Universes: Meljean Brook’s Guardians series, Faith Hunter’s Rogue Mage series
Nit Pick: A New Yorker calling elevators lifts and flashlights torches.
Favorite Quote (p. 325):

“Mortals . . . they burn so bright, but their light goes out too quickly.”

I’m a fan of Ms. Singh’s Psy-Changeling series of paranormal romances. I find her writing very sensual, evocative and character driven. The idea of a realm of vampires and darker things in her hands instantly appealed to me.

In this world, vampires are created by Archangels, and must pay for their immortality with 100 years of servitude. Because the vamps don't always hold up their end, there is also a division of specially trained warriors who hunt down and return the rogues, called the Guild. Elena is a Guild Hunter – the best. She’s hunter-born, giving her a super-sensory advantage over those who are merely trained: she can scent vampires. Raphael is the Archangel of New York. He rules his subordinates with an iron fist. And everybody is subordinate to Raphael. The Cadre of Ten (Archangels) have divided the globe into territories, and New York is his.

The Archangel of New York, p. 21:

“Then drink.” It was an instruction so absolute, she knew he expected instant
obedience. Something snapped inside her.“Or else?”
The wind stopped. Even
the clouds seemed to freeze.
Death whispered in her ear.

The one (really, the only one) thing I found disappointing in this story was the
lack of explanation how this (assumed to be) near future world is now lorded
over by angels. The author gives us this (p. 83):

For all that angels had been a part of mankind’s history since the earliest cave
paintings, they remained shrouded in mystery . . . Some called them the scions
of the gods, others saw them as simply a more advanced species. Only one
thing was certain – they were the rulers of the world, and they knew it.

I have a hard time believing humans simply bowed down to their superiority without putting up a fight. We just don’t have it in us. And if there was a war, or a magical shift, a plague, or an apocalypse mentioned in this book, I don't recall it. But really, once the story swept me away, I didn't care. Even without detailed orations on a false history, Ms. Singh’s rich descriptions and alluring voice make it extremely easy to suspend disbelief. Not to mention her heart-stealing characters and fast-moving plot.

While there are many interesting elements involving the powers and state of being of the angels, this book isn’t the world-building powerhouse that you’d expect in a typical urban fantasy. But there were still plenty of intriguing surprises and twists that kept things interesting. One of my favorite style elements were the short, sinister interjections from the villains point of view, which lent a sense of urgency. And the romance element carries its weight, and then some. From the very beginning, Raphael and Elena have a very shiversome attraction between them, summed up nicely when asks her if she desires his head vamp, Dmitri (p. 68):

“Hell, no. He’s like double-frosted chocolate mud cake. It looks good. You want
to eat the whole thing, but in reality it’s too sickly sweet.” Dmitri’s sensual
nature was suffocating, heavy, a blanket that repelled even as it attracted.
“If he is cake, what am I?” Cruel, sensual lips against her cheek, her jaw.
“Poison,” she whispered. “Beautiful, seductive poison.”

As Raphael and Elena hunt the rogue Archangel together, the romance continues to simmer, and sometimes sizzle. (I need to get my hands on some Archangel dust. Srsly.) They fly all over the city, visiting gruesome crime scenes, tracking their murderer. And somewhere in the middle of it, Raphael decides Elena belongs to him, while Elena fights her attraction to the dangerous ruler of New York with teeth and claws (and bullets).

One of the things handled most deftly in Angels’ Blood was the theme of immortality vs. humanity. Time and again, the difference between the two of them was demonstrated by Raphael’s actions and thoughts. He was probably one of the most convincing immortals I’ve ever read (and, heh, I’ve read a lot.). And yet, he finds himself drawn to this dispensable mortal, and through his attachment to her (and fear of her death) he begins to think and act more like a mortal.

Elena has drawn a line that she will not cross - she won't be anyone's supplicant. She will not worship or be cowed by Raphael, even at the cost of her own life. The strength of her will and her lack of fear at first intrigue the Archangel, and later challenge him in a way he hasn't known before.

Since they are hunting one of his own who has gone mad, Raphael wonders if immortality has tainted him, made him too uncaring, and too inhuman. In this way, Elena saves him. She becomes his check-and-balance. But the author didn't take the easy way out here, as so many do once their tortured immortal has 'met his match'. They both struggle to hold on to who they are while falling in love, and it made for an extremely satisfying (read:angsty) journey on both sides.

The final battle is one that will stay with me for a long time, so I won't spoil it, but I can say the tension and drama ran high throughout this whole book. I devoured it in one sitting. Twice. And I'll read it again. If you like paranormal romance or urban fantasy, I strongly recommend this title, as well as Ms. Singh's Psy-Changeling series.

Final Grade: