The 'S' word

I have a problem. Or I at least used to think I had a problem. Now, thanks to my readership, I see it as more of a blessing. I’m not sure that’s the right word, but there it is. So my problem blessing is that I can’t help but remove clothes when I’m writing. Before you get carried away or think me a total nutcase, I don’t mean my own. I definitely do not sit butt naked in front of my computer! It’s when I write. I’ve previously talked about how the Bearwood series was initially written to target the young adult market, but due to my need to add somewhat detailed steam (that goes beyond what is expected in YA), I ended up rewriting it as NA, which worked pretty well for me. I like a little spice in my books, actually, I LOVE writing steam. Currently, I’m writing another book set to be a set of standalone in a series, and all of them will be what some deem ‘smut’. Now I’m not an erotica writer, although I could probably give it a fair whack, but I do like my paranormal or contemporary romances to have a lot of heat.

So why am I writing about this on YATopia? Good question! Well, while transferring files from an old computer to a new one, I stumbled across my 2014 nanowrimo project, a NA Dystopian. I started reading it and for once when I read an early version of my own work, I didn’t think it totally sucked. It needs work, for sure! Actually, it needs a total overhaul as I intend to change some major things and turn it into a sci-fi rather than a dystopian.

One of the things that I noticed was that, once again, I had added steam to it. Typical of me, but I also thought I knew when a steamy scene needed to be in a book and when it didn’t. For my PNR, I included them when emotions were running high and when there was an actual point to having them there. They belonged. But this nanowrimo project that I found, the sex is without a doubt out of place. Even reading it, I can see myself that this book is a YA pretending to be NA. The language is definitely geared toward older young adults, as are the small but technical descriptions when it comes to the science behind their existence. The sex just doesn’t need to be there—there is no place for it. Certainly the emotional relationship the two share can be explored, but I don’t need to include a detailed physical scene to do this.

The debate on whether to include sex in YA books has been going for a while now. I support the inclusion. Indeed, it has to approached with care, and it definitely can’t be graphic, but for me this didn’t matter. The sex simply didn’t belong. And that’s really what this post is about—knowing when to include it and when not to. To me, the answer is really quite simple. If they belong there, if they truly move your plot forward then that’s a-okay, but if there is no other reason for them being there other than ‘they just are’, then maybe that particular sex scene needs some rethinking.

To be honest, I’m not sure I’ll ever publish this book, but I do intend to work on it, so part of that includes deciding whether there is a place for sex in this book, and there isn’t.

E.L. Wicker

Co-authoring and Writing for Anthologies? Read this first.

There may come a time in your authoring career when you are asked to collaborate on a piece of writing. Whether it be a whole book that you co-author or a short story for an anthology. If this happens to you, congratulations—someone thinks you can write well enough to contribute. That’s all well and good, but before you jump in and start scribbling, there are a few things that you ought to consider.

Do I know the author/s?

If you know them, that’s awesome, but you also need to know their style and what they write. If you’re co-authoring, then you need to make sure that you write in at least the same POV. If they write in 1st and you write in 3rd, well unless there’s going to be a mixture of the two then it may not work. Of course, you may find yourself stepping out of your comfort zone and finding that you’re really good at it, but is this the best time to try?

What genre does the author write in?

 I’m speaking from experience here. I write New Adult and Adult and my stories are always served with a side of smut—not going to lie because I’m proud of that and my work. So, you really need to consider this. If the anthology or person you’re partnering up with is a writer of clean YA or MG then you need to make sure that your characters keep their clothes on (y’all know what I mean). At the same time, the voices in these books are very different and they should be. You can’t write a MG book using the voice of a NA—it’s not going to work!  

How will the book be published?

As a self-publisher anything I publish now or in the future will be done so using my time and expertise. I don’t expect (or want) anyone to do it for me. I will admit to being a control freak. From the cover design to the final publication there are only a handful of people that I allow to change my content—you know, CP’s and my darling editor. So, if you, like me, like to maintain creative control you’re going to have to learn to hand over the reins on this occasion. I can’t offer much advice on the traditional aspect.  

Who is responsible for marketing?

There’s a pretty easy answer to this question—it should be every person that writes the content. Should. That doesn’t mean to say it will be, so before you jump in just grab some clear details on this so you’re not the only one putting in a lot of hours marketing.  

Have the other authors published before?

If you’re asked to contribute to an anthology, chances are that a lot of other authors will be writing too. Seek them out, sample their work if you can. Try not to run in blind because as much as it would be lovely—not everyone that wants to write can write. At least not at first, anyway.  

Schedules!

This is pretty important if you’re working on a timeframe, and even if it starts off at a relaxed pace, toward the end when edits are flying back and forth and release day is looming, you need to know that you can ask about or action any problem quickly. Personally this has never been a problem for me, but it could be for you. Maybe you could put your heads together and come up with a way to ensure that, in the final hours, problems can be resolved quickly and efficiently. There would be nothing worse than an urgent problem arising just as you’ve fallen asleep for your eight hours.  

And that’s pretty much it. I’m sure there are many more things to consider, but there’s a few. Most of all, just have fun. Writing with others can be a lot of fun, it was for me!

@ELWicker

It's All Right

I feel the dust is still settling after this years Pitchwars, and what a year it’s been. There were over one thousand entrants, and from them, 125 were picked to be mentored. It’s pretty exciting stuff, and while I wasn’t involved in Pitchwars in any way this year, working on Whiskey, Wine, and Writing meant that I was very aware of the mayhem going on behind the scenes.

Obviously, not everyone could be picked. So as the molecules drift to the ground, I have a couple of things I’d like to say, and hopefully I’ll cheer a few people up along the way.

It’s all right to feel like poopers. 

Seriously, it is. You got all excited and now that you didn’t get picked you’re feeling a bit meh. That’s perfectly fine. Meh away. It’s cool. I’m holding surgeries with cake and tissues, let me know if you want to attend.

It’s all right to growl at your manuscript. 

As a person that growls at people in the supermarket (yeah, I do that…quietly), I feel it’s okay to growl at paper or a computer file. You can be angry with it, and you can be angry with yourself, but ask yourself why. That’s your baby your growling at, so growl softly or under your breath (like I do at the supermarket) and then give it a cuddle and go back to work.

It’s all right to quit. 

Yep. It really is. As long as you’re only quitting for a couple of hours or maybe a few days. It really is okay to feel as though you don’t want to write anymore. I’m sure we’ve all felt that way at some point, but you have to have to have to move on. Unfortunatley you’re going to be rejected many, many times, but as my good friend Kathleen Palm says, every ‘No’ brings you closer to the only ‘yes’ you need.

It’s all right to drown in ice cream. 

Not literally though. You can eat the tub, or two…or three if it makes you feel a little better. Whatever your poison of choice is, just don’t do it for too long, your bottom will not thank you for it!

It’s all right to become a baking obsessed zombie. 

As long as you don’t eat any brains because yuk, and hello prison. What I’m saying, is that it’s okay to go and do other things that will distract you from your disappointment. It can really help. Maybe channel it productively. Got any DIY projects around the house you’ve been putting off? Go do them, just make sure you come back to your writing at some point soon.

So there’s the ‘all rights’ and I feel I should add that you will be all right too. Hopefully you’ll get some feedback so you can look at some areas that may need working on. Also, don’t forget to congratulate those that did get picked. They were on the very same emotional rollercoaster ride, regardless of the results.

Have faith in yourself and your writing, don’t lose that. That would not be all right.

@ELWicker

Release Day Blitz: Finding Immortal by E.L. Wicker

Finding Immortal

(Bearwood Series Book Two)

by E.L. Wicker

Release Blitz

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

After losing the love of her life, Ilia Rose will do anything to feel Nathaniel’s presence, even if it means freezing or drinking copious amounts of alcohol.

When she learns that Alex is tracking down the remnants of Sol’s army to deliver his own style of justice, she rushes off to find him.

On an alcohol induced killing spree, Ilia and Alex receive information that sends their hopes soaring, thus beginning a race to discover the truth about Nathaniel’s death.

Unfortunately, for Ilia, the truth may prove far more dangerous than any enemy she has ever faced.

Buy Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

Book Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGtWITSbunY

First Book in the Series

Fractured Immortal
(Runner up Best PNR of 2014 SpaSpa awards)

Amazon | B&N | Kobo

(Free for a limited time)

About The Author

E.L. Wicker lives in Hampshire, England, with her husband and two daughters. Her debut book, Fractured Immortal, was released in December 2014, and in June 2015 was short listed for a Self published and Small press award. She is a regular contributor to YATopia, Whiskey, Wine, and Writing, as well as a co-host for the Whiskey, Wine, and Writing web show. E.L. Wicker is a New Adult junkie, with a stack of NA books a mile high on her TBR list and a stack that could possibly stretch to the moon in her already read list. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and her blog. She also regularly sets up new blogs and designs logos and banners for people at no cost.

Cover & Trailer Reveal: Finding Immortal by E.L. Wicker Book #2 in The Bearwood Series #WWWBlogs

I am pleased to bring you the cover & trailer reveal for Finding Immortal, Book #2 in the Bearwood series by E.L. Wicker



 

 

Blurb

After losing the love of her life, Ilia Rose will do anything to feel Nathaniel’s presence, even if it means freezing or drinking copious amounts of alcohol. When she learns that Alex is tracking down the remnants of Sol’s army to deliver his own style of justice, she rushes off to find him. On an alcohol induced killing spree, Ilia and Alex receive information that sends their hopes soaring, thus beginning a race to discover the truth about Nathaniel’s death. Unfortunately, for Ilia, the truth may prove far more dangerous than any enemy she has ever faced.

If you haven't read book #1 yet, Fractured Immortal, it's free over on Amazon.

About The Author

E.L. Wicker lives in Hampshire, England, with her husband and two daughters. Her debut book, Fractured Immortal, was released in December 2014, and in June 2015 was short listed for a Self published and Small press award. She is a regular contributor to YATopia, Whiskey, Wine, and Writing, as well as a co-host for the Whiskey, Wine, and Writing web show. E.L. Wicker is a New Adult junkie, with a stack of NA books a mile high on her TBR list and a stack that could possibly stretch to the moon in her already read list. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and her blog. She also regularly sets up new blogs and designs logos and banners for people at no cost.

Release Day blitz: Never Be Younger - A Shakespeare YA Charity Anthology

Written by nine authors, Never Be Younger is a Young Adult collection of Shakespeare retellings. From Othello to Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet to The Winter's Tale, each story has been crafted with a new spin. From the halls of a high school to hip night clubs to the depths of space, Never Be Younger gives Shakespeare's classic plays and sonnets a fresh spin for a new audience. Nine authors pay tribute to the Bard by taking his timeless tales to new heights, entrancing readers all over again. A Shakespeare story by any other name still reads as sweet. All proceeds from the sales of Never Be Younger go to United Through Reading, a charity dedicated to uniting military families through reading. Check out the bottom of the post for how you can win great prizes to celebrate the release!  

Buy now on Amazon and Kobo for only $0.99US

About the Authors

Rachel Bateman: Editor

Rachel Bateman is a writer and editor who spends too much time thinking she can out bake the Cake Boss. (Spoiler: She can’t.) She lives in the middle of Montana, but dreams of the South. Rachel is the owner of Metamorphosis Books, an author services company offering formatting and interior layout for independent authors. When not writing, editing, or reading books, she can be found playing with her husband, young son, and small zoo of pets. You can find Rachel on Twitter, and her website.

 

S.M. Johnston: Star Crossed Lovers & A Gargoyle's Prom Nightmare

S.M. Johnston is a writer of weird fiction and soulful contemporaries from sunny Queensland, Australia. Her family includes a husband, two sons and a number of fur babies of the feline and cavy variety. You can find Sharon on Twitter, and her website.

 

Jessica L Pierce: A Day of Errors

Jessica is a somewhat crazy – yet loving – blond. She lives in Green Bay, WI, hates the cold, and loves her completely awesome camo coat. She is passionate about football, baseball, photography and writing, and won’t go near cooked peas. (Raw peapods are fine.) She is a student at the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay, and will graduate in December 2015 with a degree in Communication with emphasis in Journalism. She is a sports photographer and her work can be found at: www.studio52photos.com You can also find Jessica on Twitter.    

Cortney Pearson: The Undreamed Shores

Cortney Pearson is the author of Phobic and Such a Secret Place, a mother, musician, and a lover of pink and sparkles. You can find Cortney on Twitter, and her website.

       





  E.L. Wicker: Star Crossed Lovers & A Gargoyle's Prom Nightmare E.L. Wicker lives in Hampshire, England with her husband and two children. Fueled by the bossy voices in her head, she writes New Adult fiction with a side of romance. You can find E.L. on Twitter, and her website.        

Nicole Zoltack: Any Way the Wind Blows

Nicole Zoltack loves to write in many genres, especially romance, whether fantasy, paranromal, or regency. When she's not writing about knights, superheroes or zombies, she loves to spend time with her loving husband and three energetic young boys, with another little one on the way. She enjoyes horse riding (pretending they're unicorns, of course!) and going to the PA Renaissance Faire, dressed in garb. She'll also read anything she can get her hands on. Her current favorite TV show is The Walking Dead. You can find Nicole on Twitter, and her website.

 

  Olivia Hinebaugh: Mark The Music Olivia Hinebaugh spends her free time writing. Obviously. The rest of her time is spent playing and reading with her two young children. She also loves: watching Sia's music videos, quoting Mean Girls, and folding laundry. She actually really does. You can find Olivia on Twitter, and her website.      

Adrianne James: A Witch's Life

Growing up Adrianne James couldn't get her hands on enough books to satisfy her need for the make believe. If she finished a novel and didn't have a new one ready and waiting for her, she began to create her own tales of magic and wonder. Now, as an adult, books still make up the majority of her free time, and now her tales get written down to be shared with the world. During the day, Adrianne uses her camera to capture life's stories for clients of all ages and at night, after her two children are tucked up in bed; she devotes herself to her written work. Adrianne is living the life she always wanted, surrounded by art and beauty, the written word and a loving family. As a New Adult Paranormal (and sometimes contemporary) author, Adrianne James writes strong women, powerful magic, and love that lasts a lifetime. You can find Adrianne on Twitter, and her website.

  Christina June: The Scarf Christina June writes young adult contemporary fiction when she’s not writing college recommendation letters during her day job as a school counselor. She loves the little moments in life that help someone discover who they’re meant to become – whether it’s her students or her characters. Christina is a voracious reader, loves to travel, eats too many cupcakes, and hopes to one day be bicoastal – the east coast of the US and the east coast of Scotland. She lives just outside Washington DC with her husband and the world’s most rambunctious four-year-old. You can find Christina on Twitter, and her website.   To celebrate the release we have a wonderful giveaway.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ten Months Post #PitchWars

There are a lot of pitch competitions out there. From QueryKombat to NestPitch, Writer’s Voice to Pitmad, there are a whole heap to choose from. Most (all) include a lot of nail biting, sleepless nights, and second guessing from the entrant, as well as excessive eating, caffeine jitters, and for many, increased bladder control as they glue themselves to the pitch competition twitter feed, leaving only when one of the children (remember those?) ask for something.

So if these pitch competitions cause such anguish, why do them? Surely writers can save themselves from the jowls of the comp beastie by just not getting involved. Of course they could, but if they did, they’d sure be missing out, and I shall tell you why, using my own experience.

Ten months ago, or thereabouts, I entered PitchWars. Fairly new to the social aspect of the writing world, I hadn’t heard of it before. In fact, the only reason I found out about it is because someone tweeted me asking if I was going to enter. I found out more about it, thought it sounded fun, so I did enter.

From the moment I hit the send button, my brain computed that sleep was no longer essential, toilet breaks would be taken only when the threat of wetting myself presented itself, and eating packaged poison (junk food) would suffice for the duration of the competition. I have no idea how many gallons of chocolate milk I consumed throughout the entire ordeal (it was an ordeal), but I’m pretty sure a whole lot of cows got overworked.

Did I say it was an ordeal? I can’t just go throwing things like that around without explaining myself! I spent many a sleepless night trawling through the PitchWars feed, picking apart tweets, uploading gifs of cake, and stalking the mentors. (I became a world class stalker). As stressful as it could get at times, it was also a whole lot of fun. The entrants rallied together, cheered each other on, and sent virtual sugary goods to all those feeling a little down on themselves. When the day of the announcements came, everyone congratulated the chosen and commiserated with those who didn’t get through.

I did not get picked. My life did not end. Actually, this is the point in time where my writing career really began. Some of the people I met along the way became firm friends. I gained an editor and three critique partners. We all began working on each other’s manuscripts. Through team effort, I believe we became better writers. We may not have won the competition, but we were winners all the same, because we won each other. Sounds corny, I know, but believe me when I say that the people you surround yourself with become some of the greatest writing tools you will ever find.

Ten months post PitchWars, from that group of five people (myself included), three have now been signed, two blog here on YATopia, one soared to the top ten Amazon Kindle charts in multiple sub-genres, and another is querying. I can say with absolute certainty that I wouldn’t have gotten half as far as I had if I didn’t enter PitchWars. Through that one contest I gained true support, and because of that support, my book got shortlisted for an award a few days ago.

As daunting as pitch competitions can be, they are also a lot of fun. The writing community is a wonderful place, and by entering competitions, you can immerse yourself in that. I have been on both sides of a contest now, as an entrant and a slush reader, and I highly recommend taking a chance and entering. Focus not on the possibility of winning, but on the people you find along the way. And remember – these contests are not an answer to querying, just a different method that you can have a lot of fun with.

So go forth and write, enter, and have fun!
E.L. Wicker
@ELWicker

No, No, NA. New Adult: Setting it Straight

I often get asked to explain the New Adult genre. After my explanation, nine times out of ten the next question will be: “It’s just sexed up YA, right?”

 WRONG!

I won’t deny that a huge amount of New Adult books have sex scenes in them, but that is not what NA is. In my previous post I explained that the characters in NA are usually aged between nineteen and twenty-five, often in college, dipping their toes in the independence pool and settling down to begin a family. But not all of these books involve sex.

It’s this transition in life that New Adult focuses on. The important rites of passage associated with leaving home.

It’s not just about becoming independent, but adapting to being out in the big world alone. There are no parents in the next room to run to, no dinner ready and waiting, no one providing all the things taken for granted when living at home. 

The next question I get asked is, “Doesn’t it have stronger language?”

Once again, no. 

The use of profanity does not define a genre. I’ve read plenty of adult books without swear words, and the same can be said for New Adult.

As the genre grows, the diversity of the content grows too. Christian, thriller, horror and urban fantasy to name but a few, are all available as New Adult books. Many are clean, many are not. All are New Adult.

E.L. Wicker

@ELWicker

A New Adult Takeover - Meet E.L. Wicker

I didn’t really know how to begin this post, so I thought I’d start as I mean to go on. Yup, I’m winging it—after all, that’s what pantsers do, right? They wing it. So my fluffy wings are spread and I am flying by the seat of my pants. What an interesting place to situate wings.

Sharon Johnston usually posts about now, but this is a takeover, because I’m all new and shiny. As this is my first post on YAtopia, I thought I’d make it sparkly.

Ta-dah 

If you haven’t gleaned from my post so far, I tend not to take myself too seriously. Serious is good, but I prefer to stay on the side of light and fluffy. Especially because the series I’m writing at the moment can get very dark in places. It’s a New Adult paranormal romance. It started its life as a YA, but as I wrote, the themes and issues were best suited to NA, as were the maturity levels and ages of my characters.

Which leads me on to my passion—New Adult fiction.

New Adult fiction has grown at a rapid rate—how did it all begin? Come with me as we take a trip back to 2009 when St Martin’s press expressed an interest in receiving submissions that were similar to YA, but could be marketed towards an older audience too. The New Adult genre was officially born, but it didn’t pick up much steam until a few years later. It’s success can be widely attributed to independent publishers, particularly in the field of contemporary romance. Authors such as Jamie McGuire, Colleen Hoover and Sylvia Day all began their New Adult literary careers as self-published authors. The genre literally exploded.

It’s actually not a surprise that New Adult has done so well. If you turn on the television at primetime, you’re likely to be met with a New Adult show. 90210, The Vampire Diaries, also past series like Greek. These were all aimed at the ‘older young adult’ – the new adult. New Adult is sought after and popular.

Yet despite this massive success, whenever I try to select the genre for my own book ‘New Adult’, in many cases, it’s simply not there. Luckily, this is being worked on. Publishing houses have now embraced the genre—some did to begin with, others took a little while to assimilate.

So what are the differences between YA and NA?

It’s really not complex. A lot of the same themes and issues are explored, but there’s also moving on from being a young adult to a new adult and all that it encompasses. You’ll find a lot of New Adult books centered around college life as the characters gain their independence. You’ll also find that many characters are beginning their first job or getting married, having children, moving into their first house and dealing with all of the personal fears that those things can cause. Primarliy, NA is aimed at readers aged 17-30, with the characters usually aged between 18-25.

New Adult fiction is my absolute passion. I adore it. I love reading it and writing it. My kindle is chock full of books from authors such as Mia Sheridan, Penelope Ward and Jennifer Blackwood. I am a hunter of new books because I want to read them all. If it has dual POV – I’m in heaven.

I am thrilled to be a part of YAtopia where I can represent the genre I so love and I look forward to posting more!