Monday, December 28, 2015

99 cent Ebooks!

Let's end 2015 with a bang! Starting tomorrow at 12am the following books will be available for $0.99: Shadows and Embers, Thicker Than Blood, Bloodline Inheritance. Unfortunately Cursed With Power could not be a part of this end of the year sale because I have no control over the pricing --that's all in my publisher's hands.
Need a new series to read for the start of the new year? Don't miss out on this deal while it lasts, and here's how it works. From December 29th-31st the three mentioned ebooks will be available for $0.99 --on Amazon only. The sale ends on the 31st at 12am --I'll be making announcements throughout the days while the sale is still live and when it finally does end. If you've already read the books or aren't a fan of fantasy, this is also a great opportunity to gift it to the book lovers in your life. Here's the direct links to the ebooks, so you have easy access during the end of the year sale.

I wanted to end the year with this sale to give my readers a chance to finish up (or start) the Magicians series before the release of my next book. 2016 is all about releasing what will be my fifth published book --and I have a lot of work ahead of me. And I just want to thank you in advance for your support, and I really do hope we can have a positive ending to the year. Please feel free to share the links to the books on social media to anyone who might be interested.
Only a few more hours until the sale. Step into the magical world with Leal, Alaire, and Dyanna. Read more into the story and find out how the series ends.
Lindsey Richardson

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Author Facebook Page

I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas, and if you don't celebrate it I'm sure time with family and friends was just as relaxing. Today I finally went through with making a Facebook author page. This page will be specifically related to anything that happens to me writing/book related. News about book signings, upcoming releases, and information on already published work will be shared. I will still remain active on the Cursed With Power Facebook page --and post all materials related to the Magicians series there. More on that and all information on future projects will be on my author page. This will help me stay more organized and keep you up to date with what's happening next.
So if you haven't already, please stop by and like my author page. Feel free to leave suggestions on what you'd like to see on the page below in the comments. Thus far I've set up the basics, but I can't wait to share more about Clara and Claire, and also just talking about my writing in general.
As far as how often I'll be posting, I'll post every time there is a new blog post as well as whenever I write --to let you know how much I wrote for the day. This will be an even easier way to see how much more is left before I finish the draft of Clara and Claire.
The support so far is greatly appreciated, and I can't wait to share more about the book and my writing with you.

Looks like this post is much shorter than I expected, but hey I think I've covered the basics. I'm going to try to finish this chapter I'm stuck on and reach my word count goal for today. Have a great evening everyone!
Lindsey Richardson

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

61k and counting!

Finally reached over 61k today, and I'm feeling better than I did previously. I'll be honest, this month was not my strongest -despite what I had hoped. I wanted to finish Clara and Claire this month, but writing another 24k right after Christmas might be challenging. I am not altogether saying it's impossible and I won't try, but if I can't do it I also won't beat myself up for it. I want this novel to be my best work yet, and in order for it to I can't be rushing myself with deadlines. The deadlines after all are ones I set for myself to stay on track. If I'm a month behind it simply means more thought and time is going into the novel. And even on nights where I can't decide what to write I'm thinking a lot about this novel.
It is very motivating to see myself at 61k now, though. I remember hitting 50k and thinking "oh no, I've fallen so behind with my schedule. Will I ever catch up?" Some nights the chapters have been challenging. It's not that I don't know what to write; it's getting the papers down on paper that can be the real challenge. Sometimes I use music as a muse, other nights I have to sit in complete silence (like tonight). I'm not by any means accepting defeat with what I've accomplished this month, but rather I'm looking at what I accomplished by still pushing forward. So far this novel is the first I've written in years where the narrator has never once changed. I've been working one on one with Clara these last few months. And let me tell you it isn't easy having just finished a series where narration switched from time to time.
One of the other big changes with this novel has been the stronger focus on mystery over magic. The Magicians series was all about the magic. It was what made the characters who they were, but here... it's totally different. I'm dealing with mages who live by rules and use magic all throughout their life. Magic is something that people stop and ask you about, but rather it's a crucial part of life (like breathing). I have a lot of work to do next year when I edit this novel and need to crunch down on the details of the magic system, but for now I'm building a structure.
Structure... that's the word I've been throwing around for months now. So long as I have a structure to build off of I'm golden. That's the whole goal with pushing forward in this novel, no matter how many times I think I can go back and fix something. Unless it's something major it's being saved for the editing process. The book needs to be complete, and then I can look at what I have and what I don't.
This is going to be my fifth published book, and along with that title comes responsibilities. I have a lot of expectations of what this book can be, as I expect you to as well. I want to please my readers and also welcome new ones. Like I said... I still have so much work ahead of me, but I'm willing to put forth the time.

Now with all of that said, I do have a little project I worked on today. One of my favorite past times when not writing is designing mock covers. Today I made a new one for Clara and Claire -three actually because I couldn't decide on my favorite at first. 
This one's my favorite

The primary difference between the first two is just the tagline at the bottom with "author of the Magicians series." The one with this tagline was the one I posted on my social media because I felt like it fit the best. Since I also used my new name on the cover I wanted to remind people how else they might know me.
Lastly there's this final one I did with a blue filter. I couldn't decide if I liked this filter or just the natural lighting of the original photo. But this was also an option I had considered. Again these are just mock cover photos, so it's nothing too serious to waste time worrying about.
Leave a comment below and tell me which cover is your favorite. Or do you prefer the old cover I made a few months ago?
Lindsey Richardson


Monday, December 14, 2015

Christmas book orders!

Still looking for a gift for the book lovers in your life? I am selling copies of the Magicians series this week in Maryland. If you're in the MD area and are interested, contact me and let me know. I'm sure we could work something out! I'll be placing my orders on the 17th, so be sure to order before that date. As always, if you buy directly from me you'll also receive a discounted price. If I have any extra copies I'll be giving them away randomly after the 17th. I still have a lot of copies of Cursed With Power --the other books I have to order. So please do not hesitate to ask!
And speaking of the holiday season, what would you guys like to see before Christmas? Last year I shared a collage of quotes from Bloodline Inheritance (since at the time it was an upcoming release). The year before that I wrote up a Christmas scene about Leal and Nicia's holidays together. This year I would love to do something in honor of the holidays too, but I need your input! I'll be posting this question out on Twitter too. What do you have in mind? Here's so options -but I'm open to others if you throw them out.
  • Another holiday scene with characters from the Magicians series (maybe vote on which ones?)
  • A different type of sneak peek into Clara and Claire
  • Other -comment your suggests
That's all I have off the top of my head, but I'm eager to hear what you think. Leave your vote in the comments or contact me on social media. If no one votes I'll just be picking one at random -and will most likely be doing the one about Clara and Claire. But I would much rather hear what you want to read about in time for the holidays. Not everyone does posts like these, but I like to share the holiday feeling on the blog as well.
Well, it's past 9 and I need to get back into my writing schedule. In the meantime, make sure to vote because it really does count!
Lindsey Richardson


Saturday, December 5, 2015

Hello December

I'm a little later than I wanted to be on my December post, but it's here nonetheless! Our Christmas tree is up, and today we'll be fixing it up so we can take a picture. December has turned out to be another busy month. I should have all of my shopping done by next week, and then I can really focus on my writing. To be honest, I have a lot of catching up to do if I want to finish the book this month. It won't be easy, but we'll see where I am at the end of the month. 
December is an exciting time. We have the holidays to look forward to, and it also means we survived another year. I find myself already looking forward to what next year holds. But at the same time it's bittersweet to know that this year has flown by so quickly. Maybe it was the wedding that makes it seem this way for me, but it feels like the year was short. 
Regardless I have plans and goals I want to meet in December. It might be the holiday season and the end of the year, but that's no excuse. My top priority is to finish Clara and Claire, and if I don't feel it's finished this month I should be able to in January. There are times where I rethink some of what I've written in the book -and it's so tempting to go back and edit. But first I want to finish writing the entire story. Anything that needs to be fixed or added comes after that. I bought a new journal this weekend -cat themed!- and I'm hoping that will spark new inspiration. 
Also with it being around the holidays, I will be ordering copies of my books. They'll be arriving next week, and if you're in the MD area you can buy them from me personally. If you think you'd like to buy them from me personally we can work something out together -just let me know. The Magicians series comes at a discounted price when you buy it in person, and for my online shoppers I'll try to offer a discount as well. The holidays are a great time to buy books, and I say that as a book lover and author. Your support would mean so much, and it would also allow me to do even more with promotions and giveaways.

Hope everyone has a great December planned. I'll be back for more about Clara and Claire, and when my books arrive I'll post more about that too!
Lindsey Richardson 

Monday, November 30, 2015

Married!!

Hello everyone! I've been back for a week now, but I've been extremely busy with catching up. And now at last I can catch up with you. I am extremely happy to announce that I am a married woman now! I've dealt with all the paperwork to have my name changed, so if you see Richardson on my social media that's why. As for the blog, I have to decide what I want to do. I may discuss it with some fellow authors and ask them for their thoughts. But don't you worry, whatever changes are on the way they're positive!
As for the wedding, it was a beautiful event! We had a small ceremony and then a reception afterwards, and both turned out great. My dress was actually more comfortable than I thought it would be. If you've been following along on instagram I've been posting lots of pictures.
Marriage is a new adventure in many ways. It has me thinking a lot about marriage and romance for my current and future books. Up until this month I hadn't known what it was like to be married. How something as simple as your last name changing can be hard to get used to. How something like marrying the person you love brings new joy into your life. So now when I write about weddings and marriage in my books I can add more to it than I ever could before. I don't have to imagine or judge off of what I know. I have the experience to back it up too.

Now that I've been away for so long I am so eager to start writing more for Clara and Claire. Tonight it looks like I'll get an earlier start than usual. I have a lot of new ideas, but first I need to refresh my mind on what I wrote before the wedding. I'm currently at 53k, and if I want to finish this novel by the end of December I have a lot of work ahead of me.
In regards to the holidays quickly approaching, you'll be hearing a lot more about the Magicians series. I want to do an ebook giveaway in December, as well as offer a discount on my books. If you live in the Maryland area you can purchase the books directly from me at a discounted price. The honest truth is books make wonderful gifts. I loved waking up on Christmas morning and having books to open. And I know many of you have friends and family who are like this too. And if you're struggling with finances this holiday season let's talk it out --who knows maybe Santa will surprise you! Either way, I want to give back to the reading community. I'll be sharing more info at the start of December. 
Before I return to writing, I also want to congratulate all the Nano winners out there this year! You did it -50k in a month! While I couldn't participate I can't wait to join in on the fun next year. In the meantime I have a lot of writing to catch up on. 
Lindsey Richardson

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Away Notice

Today I have cleaned, done laundry, packed, and even managed to write another 1k. (Total word count is at 53k now!) I wanted to post again today as a reminder of the time period I will be gone. My wedding is tomorrow (23 hours to go!), and for the remainder of this weekend I'll be very busy. There's the reception, and then the honeymoon starts on Sunday. So unfortunately I won't be posting until I come back. I also won't be writing while I'm away (unless there's something I think of and jot down) until I return. This is why I've been saying December will be my catch up month.

So from tomorrow, November 13th, to Monday, November 23rd, I will be away from the blog. When I return I promise to post and share some pictures, but until then I'll be away. I also won't be posting on social media during this time either --we won't have access to the internet on our honeymoon. You can of course leave comments on the blog or email me, and I'll respond as quickly as I can to everything once I come back.
Thank you so much to everyone for understanding. It's a very exciting weekend, and I am looking forward to sharing the wonderful memories with you. Also can't wait to finish Clara and Claire when I come back, but more on that later.

Enjoy your weekends -this is the last you'll hear from me until I return! :)
(And when I return... I'll have a new last name too! Lots of changes, but all for the best.)
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

50k and counting!

I'm a little late on posting this on the blog, but I reached 50k three days ago. One of the first big milestones I wanted to reach with Clara and Claire was 50k, and it's rewarding to see that I made it there and am going further.
While it is NaNoWriMo month I haven't been able to participate officially. November is already flying by for me, and it is going to be a very busy month. I'll be away for the next week --I leave on Sunday. I'm trying to sneak at least 1k today and tomorrow before this weekend starts.
So while 50k isn't my 85k end goal, it's progress. I've been working hard to get back on schedule after falling off of it for a while. My writing app (originally called WritingJournal), Wordly, has been helping tremendously. I use it every day with each time that I write, and I've been tracking my progress. Hopefully at the end of this novel I can share some of that data with you guys.
I might not be at the word count I had wanted to be at last month (which was around 60k), but I'm closing in on it. If I can stick with my schedule I'm certain I can finish the entire novel in December. Currently I am writing chapter 20, and I have a lot of ideas as I near in on the (last) remaining 20k (or more). If there's a lot left to tell in the story, I'm not afraid to go past the 85k. The most important part is just finishing the novel, then I'll worry about revisions and how ready it is for publication.

Unfortunately this is shorter than I usually would like my posts to be. Just wanted to check in and let everyone know where I am in the novel before my time away. I plan to share more details about the novel and the creation process upon my return. I'll also be posting once more tomorrow before the start of the weekend. That post will just be a reminder of the time period of which I'll be away on the cruise. When I return I'll share lots of pictures and get to work on finishing out the novel.
In the meantime as always if you want more daily updates visit my Instagram page. Also, I'm thinking of starting an author page on Facebook, so I can post daily on there as well. Sadly I can't post anything relating to Clara and Claire on CWP's Facebook page. Who knows, though, with the holidays coming up maybe I'll do a mash up between the two novels just for fun.
Thank you to everyone for their ongoing support. I know waiting on an author to write the novel isn't nearly as exciting as publication day. Or just the publication process in general. But don't worry we'll get there with this book too.
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

NaNoWriMo 2015

Why write a novel in 30 days? The idea of writing an entire novel (or at least 50k of it) in 30 days sounds crazy. You might be a little crazy just thinking about it. October has been a hectic month for me, and now with my wedding two weeks away, time is even going by quicker. Despite time working against me (when it comes to blogging and writing as of late), I didn't want to miss out on writing this post before the start of November.
I'm here to tell you why I think writing a novel in 30 days could be the best decision you've made. And if you've already made the decision, I'm here to remind you why.
For nearly 7 years now I've participated in NaNo. Every November I've decided on a novel, announced it, and dedicated the entire month to it. Many times, especially in my early years, I failed terribly. 50k seemed like so much! I wondered if it was impossible for me to accomplish, and it was something only truly experienced writers could do. That's not the case. NaNo is actually the perfect exercise for your brain and your writing craft. The past four years of NaNo my novels have consisted of everything following Cursed With Power. Shadows and Embers was titled "Punished With Destiny" at the time when I wrote it for NaNo, and Thicker Than Blood was never "officially" completed in time because I submitted the novel past midnight. (Serves me right for not setting myself multiple reminders.) Last year, in 2014 I finally officially won with Bloodline Inheritance. I had already written some of the novel before the challenge, and NaNo helped me finish. After November I focused on edits and revisions. It was what finally pushed me to the edge and reminded me why I needed to finish my novel. I think it was honestly what helped me release the book in the normal timeframe that I do.
I've heard a lot of different ideas about NaNo. Some writers are against it; they think it forces too much out of a writer. And I can understand their view on that. Honestly I think the starting years of NaNo are the hardest. They challenge you in a way you're not used to, and the only person you have to hold yourself accountable is... yourself. It's scary, and 30 days feels like 2 days by the time you're finished. I say this because I'm the kind of writer that doesn't push myself to the extreme every day. I write at night, usually very late. The most I've done lately is nearly 5k in one night. I'm happy just to reach 10k in a week. And I consider this schedule I have for myself and the word count I manage to accomplish to be actually very forgiving compared to what my other writing friends do. Some writers can crank out 20k in a day. I just don't have the energy or time for that when I cannot write full-time. Nights or days when I'm off of work are my time to catch up.
You're right to think that NaNo isn't for everyone. For some it will be too demanding and frustrating. However, I will say I think you should give it a chance. I've done it every year for the past six years, and I don't regret anything. My very first year I wrote my entire novel on a typewriter -oh, what a mistake! But it's a learning process, and it's a challenge that has a lot to offer if you can stay dedicated to your goals. There are so many ways to succeed, and there's so many people, blogs, and advice on the internet to help you. There's word count charts of how many words you need to write each day to make it to 50k. It's not impossible, and even if you fail your first year or for a couple years... It's not winning that matters. Winning is to share with your friends and family, to show them that for 30 days you dedicated yourself completely to your novel. It's something to share and be proud of, and you have every right. It's something to learn from and to help others with in the future. What you take from this experience can help others in future years. It might not change the type of writer you are instantly, but it will help you grow. It will help you weed out the bad novel ideas and find the good ones. It will make you thankful for the other months in the year where there's no time limit.
I've written novels in 30 days because I love the stories behind NaNo and the writers making it a success. Through the failures and successes, everyone comes out in December a little different from where they were in November.

As I've mentioned previously I won't officially be doing NaNo this year due to my wedding and honeymoon. October hasn't been as successful as I wanted it to be, but December will be my NaNo month. I still have my own deadlines to work with, and by the end of December I do want to be finished with the first draft of Clara and Claire. But don't worry November is still a month I plan on writing as much as I can before November 13th (wedding day!). I'll be sharing my progress and cheering for those of you joining in on the madness this year.
So if you're doing NaNo this year, tell me, what's your novel? Share below in the comments; I can't wait to hear your ideas!
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Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Clara and Claire: Sneak Peek

I'm excited to share the first sneak peek of Clara and Claire. First off I want to thank everyone who's been supporting me through this journey. I meant to post this earlier, but better late than never. After this post I'll be writing for the remainder of the night, but feel free to comment with your thoughts and questions.
In case you haven't read what Clara and Claire is about, here's the working summary:
Clara Nasso witnesses an illegal act of magic the night of her 20th birthday.
The following morning two lives are changed forever. Claire Kanelos, the daughter of the head councilor, disappears. That same day Clara is kidnapped by a Council member and taken to the island of Ninmay. The island rumored to be filled with rich and powerful mages proves to consist of liars and mysteries.
Disturbing facts are brought to light, and Clara realizes the resemblance she shares with the missing woman. She hesitantly agrees to stay for one night, playing the role of Claire.
She meets Ezra, the only person who seems true to his word. He promises to be held responsible for her return home. However, can Clara ever leave when secrets are unraveled with each passing day? Might a killer walk freely and she be the key to Claire's survival?

Now as for the sneak peek... Here's a look into chapter three, and this comes directly from the book (no editing; just solely written as it is). It's possible in the coming months, especially when I finish the book, that this will change or alter slightly. Regardless, I hope this will give you a feel for the book.
What do you think? Are you excited to read more, and are you wondering what's happened to Claire? The entire novel is told from Clara's narration as she (and the readers) try to solve the mystery. 
As I've mentioned before the book is expected to release sometime in 2016. December and January I still plan on writing -and should be nearing the completion of the first draft. So probably later in the year I will release the book. In the meantime I can't wait to hear your thoughts. I'll be posting more little snippets and quotes from the book on Instagram. 
And since you're here, I've decided on the live Q&A. It will be live on Twitter (and probably Instagram too), and I'll post more about it tomorrow. My Twitter username is @LindseyReneeS and I'll be answering questions about writing, publishing, and more. Can't wait to hear from you!
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Sneak Peek Tomorrow

The past several months I've been purposely keeping a lot about Clara and Claire a secret to my readers. Honestly, though, I've been dying to share something more about the book. The scariest part is that this is a new novel, a standalone, and after finishing the Magicians series... I want it to be amazing. I have to put a lot more work into this book than I already have, and it's scary knowing that -and also kind of thrilling. When I asked on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about if people wanted to see a sneak peek... The responses motivated me even more!

So now that I'm feeling more confident and more convinced to share, I have an announcement to make. (And yes, I decided tonight at the last minute that I was ready to share it.) Tomorrow the sneak peek for Clara and Claire will be posted on my social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Google + etc.... you name it, and it will be there. I'm eager to hear your feedback, and if you want to join in on the excitement you can use the hashtag #WhereIsClaire or #ClaraAndClaire. Though I'm not even at the halfway mark of the book yet, I am dying to share something bigger than single quotes with you. And as always I'll be asking for your feedback throughout the day.
Part of writing Clara and Claire has been facing my fears as a writer and overcoming them. It's been realizing that no matter how many published books are under your name, you still can keep learning and improving. This novel may be my hardest challenge yet, and I still miss my characters from the Magicians series dearly. Every now and then they still carry on conversations in my head. Regardless, I am eager to show something more to you, so that you can start asking yourself more about the novel. Where is Claire and where has she gone? I won't reveal the secrets in this novel -and there are many-but I selected an intense short scene for tomorrow's sneak peek.
Later on this week I'll probably be hosting a general Q&A, so start preparing your answers. I'll most likely have the date decided by tomorrow. I need to find out if I'll be taking off on Friday, so I can have the opportunity to answer your questions. Whether it be about publishing, writing, or specific books in general... I'm open to it all. Cat questions? I will answer those too! I'll be returning with the official date for the Q&A shortly.
In the meantime get ready... A mystery is ready to fall into your hands. Can you solve what really happened to Claire?
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

End of September

Even though it's 12:45 while I'm writing this post, I still wanted to get in my end of the month post. September has been a great month for me, and especially has been great for my writing. I just can't believe how quickly it ended.
With October starting I have a lot of work ahead of me, but also so huge moments in my life to be excited for. First off, let's talk about everything in terms of writing. As far as my work with Clara and Claire I am currently 24k into the novel. This puts me at 28% done in terms of reaching my end goal. I still have a lot of work to do with the novel, and if anything I've learned to take it slow and not try to jump to far ahead of myself. I have so many ideas for this book, but don't worry I've been noting them down as I go. As I mentioned in a previous post, September was my breakthrough month. I've gotten more accomplished in this month than July or August. This month had truthfully been my start on the novel. No more obsessive planning to the point where I'm not excited anymore. No more excuses to not write. Every night at 9pm it's writing time --unless plans intervene. Scheduling time to write has proven to be very rewarding.
Already I am looking at this novel and thinking, "I can't wait to shop for covers. I can't wait to see this book in print." There is so much in the future that I am excited for. But right now everything is focused on finishing the book. The writing group I am a part of has a goal to have their books finished by October 31st. I would love if I could also reach this goal. That way at least my first draft would be complete, but I'm also not rushing myself. Almost every night I try to write at least 1k, and while that's not a lot, some nights it surprises me how much it feels like. Especially on nights when I'm not in the mood to write at first.

As for the Magicians series, I am planning to do something special for Christmas and just winter in general. There's so many holidays coming up, and I will share more about it when I have the details. In the meantime thank you so much to everyone who has supported and continues to support the series. Don't forget we're so close to reaching the 350 like goal on the Facebook page.

Finally, I have something related to my personal life that is very close to happening now. My wedding will be on November 13th. So now that October is beginning it is only a month away, and I am beyond thrilled for the big day. I'll be posting a countdown on the sidebar for you to keep track with me if you'd like. November will definitely be a big life-changing month, and sadly I don't know if I can realistically compete in NaNoWriMo. I might still register my novel and say I am, but I wouldn't expect to reach the 50k goal. With the wedding and honeymoon, there will simply be too much time away from home for me to focus on my writing. And by the end of November is Thanksgiving, so who knows how much I'll really get done during that month. That's why October is a huge month for my writing. To me October might as well be Nano because I need to get as much writing done as possible.
Ideally I want to reach 30k by the end of this weekend, and by the end of October I hope to be nearing 60k or more. That would make me more than halfway done with my novel. So keep your fingers crossed that all goes well and stays to the plan. If not, no worries I know I can catch up in December. But how awesome would it be to make it that far in October? There's no limits except for time and my mental state. So I'll keep writing away as much as I can!
Now that you have an idea of what the next three months will look like, comment below with your plans. What do you plan to accomplish before the end of the year? (And man is it coming up quick too!)
Good night,
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Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Clara and Claire: Announcement

After almost a two month wait, I want to finally share the details about my new novel. As I mentioned in my last post, I've purposely kept the details of it very vague. A lot of work has already gone into this novel, and there is a very long road ahead of me. This novel will either be a stand alone or have a sequel. For right now I'm viewing it as a stand alone. (Though you know I can't resist the urge to write a sequel... so we'll see how it ends.)
The unofficial summary
Clara Nasso witnesses an illegal act of magic the night of her 20th birthday.
The following morning two lives are changed forever. Claire Kanelos, the daughter of the head councilor, disappears. That same day Clara is kidnapped by a Council member and taken to the island of Ninmay. The island rumored to be filled with rich and powerful mages proves to consist of liars and mysteries.
Disturbing facts are brought to light, and Clara realizes the resemblance she shares with the missing woman. She hesitantly agrees to stay for one night, playing the role of Claire.
She meets Ezra, the only person who seems true to his word. He promises to be held responsible for her return home. However, can Clara ever leave when secrets are unraveled with each passing day? Might a killer walk freely and she be the key to Claire's survival?
That's the working summary for now, though I am certain it will change come closer to publication. My initial thoughts with this novel was that I wanted it to focus more on the story and mystery aspects. Everyone on the islands have magic, and the world itself is entirely fictional. (That's what I've been having the most fun with.) This time around, though, the magic is being kept subtle and is simply a part of these people's lives.
In terms of word count for the end of this novel, my goal is at least 85k (currently). Tonight I reached 14k, so I'm only 17% of the way there. If you want to see my daily progress I've been updating Instagram frequently, so be sure to stop by and check out my photos. While I definitely have a lot of work cut out for me, it's slowly coming together (and much faster than when I tried to start last month). As for a release timeline, I have since 2012 been releasing a book each year. This book, if all goes according to plan, will be releasing sometime in 2016. 
What do you think about Clara and Claire? You can follow along the discussion on social media using #ClaraAndClaire. Leave a comment below and tell me your thoughts on this new novel? I can't wait to hear your opinion. 
Enjoy your night, and happy reading!

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Monday, September 21, 2015

Writing Breakthrough

September has been the month that has saved my writing and me (from myself). About a week ago my cover designer (for Thicker Than Blood), Alivia Anders, invited me into a writing group. I do want to credit the group because I believe they have also given me the proper motivation and determination I needed. Before I was relying solely on myself, but in the writing group we share our word counts and our accomplishments. We even share on the days when we don't do our best... and I've learned that's okay.
In July Bloodline Inheritance released, so it's been about two months since the release day --it will be as of this Thursday. As soon as I completed the Magicians series I wanted to dive into something new. I spent years working on my series, and with it complete I knew it was my time to move onto something new. I still to this day miss my characters from the series... At first it was definitely something that blocked me from feeling motivated for my new novel. I've said that word a lot over the past two months... "New novel." It has been intentional because I have not directly shared the specifics with anyone about Clara and Claire. (I've dropped some hints on Instagram if you've been following along.)
This month I finally decided to do something about my lack of writing --or poor job of it for that matter. Since Cursed With Power's release in 2012 I have managed to release a book every year. It's not as much as some authors do --and the ones who do, more power to you. But for me a yearly release is what works for me. Sometime in the future it might change, and I'm sure it will, but for now that is what I'm comfortable with. 
For me, I think what started it was seeking out motivation on my own. You can read more about motivation techniques on my previous post, but I think that was the beginning to it. I started finding quotes and pictures to remind myself "you can do it." And once I joined the writing group I'm in it pushed me to my full potential. 
If you follow along on my Instagram, you have probably heard about the "Writing Journal" app I use. I want to post separately about it later this week, but that app has done wonders for me. I use it daily and any time I write. Even if it's a 20-30 minute session... log it. I'm no longer ashamed of sharing my word count because I have been pushing myself to new limits.
Every day I come up with a manageable word count. It's different for every writer, but for me it's usually anywhere from 2-3k, depending on what kind of day I'm having. Tonight, for instance, I started out slow, but then reached over 1k words. That's not a huge amount of words for one night, but for an hour long session I'll take it. It's better to set the goal small that way you can reach it and achieve even more --if you want to. 
My point of this post is that this month I had a breakthrough with my novel. I realized several nights ago after a long writing session that this is novel is the one. It's the one I want to release to my readers in 2016. It's one I can be proud of and want to pour the time and effort into. The story and characters have been following me everywhere, and I love having that feeling again. (Sorry, Leal. I know you were hoping to keep my full attention.) It's amazing what you can do when you set your mind to it... even if you have a kitten who wants to jump on your keyboard.
Regardless of where you are now in your writing adventures, I wanted to share this with you to remind you that anything is possible. And if you're writing a novel that is meant to be you'll feel it. I'm glad I can share the good and the bad with my writing in a more positive light now.

More on Clara and Claire
Tomorrow on the blog I'll be sharing official details about Clara and Claire. I have purposely withheld them because I wanted to be certain this novel would make it out of the "planning stage." And it definitely has. I'm at 13k as of tonight and still working on hard. Tomorrow I'll be sharing more details on what the book is about. I'll even include some mock cover work I made for the book. And in case you're worried you'll miss it, the links will be posted on my other social media sites.
Thank you to everyone who has been supportive of this new book. It's a new adventure for you and me, and I can't wait to see where it takes us. In the meantime I plan on sharing a lot about the journey to publication (for the fifth time!). 
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Staying Motivated

Recently with working on my newest novel I've been focusing a lot on motivation and inspiration. I think especially with the start of a new novel is when the author needs motivation the most. It's easy to fall behind, and writing is something you can easily be distracted from. Everyday I have been seeking out motivation of some kind, and some days I fall a bit short.
Over the past few months I've learned more about motivation. Motivation comes in different forms for everyone. For some it might be listening to music, looking at artwork, finding that perfect image that matches your story. For others it might simply be someone saying "don't give up." At any point in writing a novel I believe all forms of motivation are acceptable. I have been searching quotes and images on Instagram and Tumblr for this very cause. Writing can often times (a majority of the time --if we're being honest) be a lonely job, but when motivation is everywhere around us. All you have to do is find it, and I'm share this with you because both you and I need to hear it.
On days when I've been doubting myself or my work, I find making my own motivation works as well. Life can get in the way of writing, but there is always some time in the day to write. Lately I've been telling myself if I can write for at least 30 minutes to an hour that is good enough. I would prefer to write longer than that, or if writing during that hour to actually write more, but we're talking quality over quantity here. It's not November yet; we're not racing to the finish line. But that doesn't mean that we should be slowing down either. 
Here are a few of the tricks I've been using to stay motivated:
  • Quotes -several times a week I find a quote usually on Instagram or Tumblr that has a positive meaning to it. It has to be something motivational/inspirational, but it does not necessarily need to relate to writing. Just something to remind me that I need to keep going. I've posted several of these quotes on Instagram over the past few weeks.
  • Pictures -I use Pexels for a majority of stock photos I use on social media. I try to visit the site every day to look at their new photos. But more importantly, I like taking a closer look at the pictures. Every now and then I find ones that really speak to me and my new novel specifically. That kind of thing isn't rare, but it's satisfying to find those images and stare at them while working.
  • Pinterest -this isn't including in the "pictures" category because Pinterest is something entirely separate --at least to me. For each of my books in the past I've created a board to pin pictures that relate to the book. With my new novel it's nothing different. Once again I'm constantly searching for images that go along with my story. When I'm feeling lost on where to go next I look to my board for motivation. There's a whole story there waiting to be written.
  • Goal and Reward -this isn't something I've talked about in great detail on the blog, but this year especially I've used it. Setting up a goal and reward system while writing a book is great and exciting. I haven't set up anything major for myself yet, but definitely as I go past 5k and in the two digits for word count I want to set up more rewards --that are bigger. I'll share more about this in a later post when I have more of my own examples.
While that doesn't cover everything that keeps me motivated those are the major ones. It really does help me get through the week by finding motivation --no matter how small. 
So tell me, what are ways you stay motivated while writing? I would love to hear what works for you,  and there's no such thing as too much motivation. Who knows, maybe we can all help each other stay on track.
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Monday, September 7, 2015

Free Ebook -3 yr Celebration

Three years ago Cursed With Power released officially, being published by Old Line Publishing. This was a huge day for me -and still is- as it reminds me of every struggle I endured to make it to that moment. Celestria Hale started this adventure with me, and she's been with me since the beginning. 
Back in 2010 when I started writing Cursed With Power I spent years rewriting, editing, and etc. I never would have imagined the book would finally be picked up by a publisher. By the time CWP was published I also couldn't imagine that one day I'd be sitting here with the entire Magicians series complete. How fast time has flown!
I know today is Labor Day, and a lot of people are celebrating the holiday. To celebrate the holiday and also this three year anniversary, I wanted to do something special for the readers. You're my support, you help me through the days when I doubt myself.
For today only Bloodline Inheritance is free via ebook on Amazon. Please head on over and grab your copy, and be sure to tell your friends and family too. It might be free, but each download is still supporting the series. This offer will only last until tonight by 11:59. Don't miss out on your opportunity!
I would have made CWP free via ebook, but I do not have control over the pricing of the book -my publisher does. Nonetheless, I thought Bloodline Inheritance was the second best chance because it's the newest one to release.
It's been a crazy start of the month so far. We've recently added a kitten, Ahri, to our family, so she's kept us preoccupied. This month a lot is happening, and I need to spend a day or two catching up on writing. Can't wait to share more with you, but in the meantime enjoy the free ebook!
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Hello, September

Hello September, and my have you arrived early this year. Unfortunately I missed out on my end of August post last night, but I assure you it was for good reason. I stayed up until about 1am completing chapter one of my new novel. I'm waiting for my "aha" moment where I go into full on writing mode. 
September is an exciting month for me, and I have a lot of expectations for it. For one thing there's several important dates coming up that hold value. September 7th is the 3 year anniversary since Cursed With Power's publication. I'm hoping to do something special on that day or possible the day before, but I will let you know. As of now I haven't decided on something, so I can't reveal anything. And September 26th is the 3 year anniversary since Eric and I first started dating. It's exciting to know we're reaching 3 years in our relationship, and come November we'll be getting married. I will be sharing more about that on the blog once November starts.
As for my goals in September... I want to set them high but manageable. I've definitely been busy these past few months, and it's been about a month and a few days since the release of Bloodline Inheritance. My goal with September is to finally settle down into writing this new novel I'm working on. With using the Novel Planner I bought and thinking a lot at night about this new adventure, I really want it to be the one. I'll be sharing more about it on Instagram, but I'm also hoping to finally feel at home with it. Or at least get a better standing on where I want to go with it.
Ideally if I have something complete by the end of September that I'm happy with I want to share a little bit of it on Wattpad. This is something that I can easily share with friends, family, and readers of course. It's something I'm working toward because it would make me happy, and I just love the Wattpad community in general. The entire novel, however, would not go up on the website. Only one full chapter -at the most- and the remainder you would wait for like with the Magicians series.
I've been looking to a lot of books for guidance, motivation, inspiration... and I've been looking to my own series as well. Thank you to everyone whose believed in my work since the beginning -or supported it as long as you've known about it. I'm working hard every night to make the most out of the next adventure we'll be taking together. And quite possibly it will be one with Clara and Claire... 
But for now we will wait and see... Until then enjoy the beginning to your September. I can't wait for pumpkin spice flavoring to be back and for some refreshing fall weather.
Lindsey R. Sablowski


Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Bittersweet "goodbye"

It's a very bittersweet place I am in currently with the Magicians series having reached its end. If you have told me years ago that at some point I would complete an entire series and publish it... I wouldn't have believed you. Most days I still don't believe the reality of it.
I have not broken down entirely and cried or anything, but I can feel the strain of it resting on my shoulders. The series is over, and alas for both myself and my readers I must move onto something new. It feels like I am entering into an entirely new world again because it's been so long since I wrote something outside of the Magicians series. These characters have been a part of my daily life for years now, and most days they still echo throughout my thoughts. Perhaps it's time I say a proper farewell to them too. Farewell doesn't need to be forever, but for currently it will do.
This isn't to suggest everything has ended for the magicians. I have years ahead of me, and who knows perhaps I'll write a spin off from the original series. I may be taking a break from writing about them, but I'll still be sharing their stories everywhere I go.
Favorite scenes from the books:
  • Cursed With Power -the prologue with the burning church. I rewrote the prologue endless times, but the one about the destroyed church was the most vivid and powerful. It was the first time the prologue introduced both Celestria and Alaire. Alaire became such a huge character in the book -more than what was originally planned- and I'm glad he was there for the readers to cheer on.
  • Shadows and Embers -the training scene involving Nicia and Leal. So many ideas filled my head while writing that scene, and it was a powerful statement of Nicia and Leal's friendship. I felt deeply involved in their relationship, and from there I built on it more.
  • Thicker Than Blood -Alaire's private meeting with Christopher. I won't spoil anything, but both men proved their determination and leadership here. 
  • Bloodline Inheritance -the end of the war... It was probably the hardest scene I ever wrote, but it was also extremely satisfying. So much had led up to this war, and there were a lot of materials to work with on this. 
As for my characters, I could not say one was my favorite over the other. Each character played an important role in this series, and each of them challenged me in different ways. Celestria and I worked together to find ourselves in a confusing world. Leal was so determined to tell his story, it seemed he was begging me during the ending of CWP. Alaire offered a gentle touch and loving manner that no one else quite had. Dyanna fought for freedom and was forced to make difficult choices, and Malin stayed loyal to his friends -whom he considered to be family.

Do you have a favorite character or scene from the series? Comment below and share. If you haven't already started on the series, now is the prefect time. Copies of the books will be available in libraries in the Maryland area soon -which I'll be sharing on Facebook. 
Be sure to check back in. I have a lot I'm trying to squeeze in before the end of the month!
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Wordpress

I am now officially on Wordpress. However, I have not abandoned ship with Blogger, as I've been on here for far too long to leave. This (my Blogger account) will still be my main website, and the one I will direct people to first and foremost. I'm trying out Wordpress because I've always been curious about it, so I figured why not try it and see what happens. As for what I'll be blogging about I have not decided yet, but it will be different than what I talk about on here. 
In the meantime please feel free to follow me on Wordpress and say hello. I still have a lot of work to do with my Wordpress site, so please be patient while I work out everything. I'll have a link on here (on the sidebar) to easily direct you to it if you're interested. Other than that I won't mention it too much on here directly because I don't want it to be confusing.
Thank you so much to everyone who is supportive of the blogging community. I've been a part of Blogger for years now (long before CWP was published), and I could never give up blogging. With this website in particular I want to set higher goals and reach more followers and views, and I know your support is a huge part of that.

This is turning out to be a short post, but it's 1am and I'm in need of sleep. Please let me know what you think.
In the meantime please know I'm preparing more posts (for here) to share with you very soon. Hoping to get in at least two more before August ends -which is coming too soon! 
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Goals and Rewards

My new mission is to set up goals for myself and work towards them. This doesn't only apply to my writing, but also in terms with my social media and marketing. Specifically tonight I want to talk about the goal for Cursed With Power's Facebook page. I'm starting with a goal of reaching 350 likes; we've already reached 279. This goal seems possible and is a small start, but I like goals that are realistic. On the FB page I talk about everything relating to the Magicians series. It's been up and running since before CWP was published. The more people who like it, the more they can catch up on news quickly.
So here's the full details of the goal and reward I've set up. When we reach 350 likes on the CWP FB page, I will give away a free ebook to a random person who likes the page. Since now the entire Magicians series is published, I will pick one of the four books randomly to give away -or ask you to vote. Along with the free ebook I'll be sending the person a digital autograph (via authorgraph). I would love to reach this goal, but I do need your help to achieve it.
What's next? Well, I've come up with more goals for the page after reaching 350:
  • Reach 550 likes; Reward: Free Paperback giveaway -includes autograph
  • Reach 750 likes; Reward: 1 free paperback and 1 free ebook (two different winners here) -includes autograph
  • Reach 1000 likes; Reward: Big giveaway offering up free copies of the entire series
I'm ending the list there for now because with more likes the rewards will need to be bigger and special. However, I would love to reach 350 for now and see where we can go with that. If you have friends who love to read or know of fellow writers please send them to the FB page. I love giving away free books for a good cause, and this would definitely be one of them. As always a huge thank you to everyone who has shown their support so far!
Upcoming Post: Very rarely do I plan out my blog posts (unfortunately), but up next I do want to talk about the interior and formatting designs in the Magicians series. After CWP I did all the interior and formatting for the remaining three books in the series by myself. I plan on sharing pictures of how they turned out and talking about the process overall. (And also how to avoid any mistakes I made)
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Read the final book in the Magicians series today! Where will Dyanna's story take us?

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

New Novel

Since the release of Bloodline Inheritance I've been silently "working" on my newest novel. And by "working" I mean thinking... a lot. Ever since Cursed With Power I haven't touched or attempted to write another novel (outside of the Magicians series). Prior to CWP I found out the hard way that I am not one of those authors who can write multiple novels at once -at least not for now. So here we are, I should already be writing my newest novel. Yet here I am to admit I've just been thinking and writing down ideas as they come to me.

As mentioned before, I don't want to go into details about what this new novel is about. Readers still need to discover what's inside of Bloodline Inheritance. However, I did want to share about the process so far because it's a huge part of my job. As an author I know people are expecting me to release my next novel. That's always the rule as an author; after you finish one book, start on the next one. Simple, right? Nope, apparently anything you ever knew about writing just flies out the window.
There are a lot of new journals in my house. I even bought new pens as "motivation" for my new start, and honestly I've been working through ideas here and there. Every time I think I'm going to start writing the first chapter I stop myself. Writer's block already? No, instead I've accepted that this will take time. This is a new novel, one entirely separate from the Magicians series. I can't simply throw my characters from my series out of my head. They're still there -reminding me of the adventures they shared. Now I just need to make room for my new characters... the ones I do not fully understand yet.
It's August, and though I might not have a lot to show for it I am hopeful with the progress I've made. At worst the real work will begin in November with NaNoWriMo. This novel definitely will not make my job easy, but we can work this out together. I've been consistently writing down ideas as quickly as possible. This is a new adventure, and I'm curious as to where it will take me next.
As for where you can see my progress daily/weekly, check on Instagram and Wattpad. I'll be posting the first chapter of the book on Wattpad for a limited time -to get your thoughts. (And also as a thank you for everyone's support.) As always on Instagram I upload photos daily or every other day, and as soon as I have something to share I will.

In the meantime what writing or reading are you invested in? What new adventures do you face, and do they excite or scare you?
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

the Entire Magicians series on Barnes and Noble

Since release it's definitely been a crazy and exciting time. Crazy because it's the end of July already -how did it go by so fast? And exciting because people who know me have been requesting copies of my books. I'm already eager for pay day so I can order more copies of my books. I have a lot of leftover copies of Cursed With Power from years ago, but I need to restock on my other books. These  I use for book signings and for in-person sales. I do not actually have the released copy of Bloodline Inheritance -only the final mock- so I'm eager to get my hands on it. (And of course post pictures.)
New purchase link is live!
Despite how late it is, I did not want to miss this opportunity to tell you the Barnes and Noble link for Blin is live. Now you can purchase the entire Magicians series on Barnes and Noble (as well as the other links I mentioned previously). Be sure to purchase your copy on B&N, and thank you again to everyone who has purchased one already. The B&N page so far hasn't shown all the full details for the book, but this is because it just went live yesterday. It should be good within the next day or two if I had to guess. That's how it worked out on Amazon as well, so don't be alarmed -it's entirely normal.
All pages where I have the purchase links posted have been updated. Let me know if I've missed one -it's likely considering how many different places I have it mentioned.

On another note, an aspiring writer and friend of mine, Kae, recently posted about the book's released. With the blog tour, I've been reading a lot of posts lately. Anyhow, for each book Kae has always managed to do something different. This time she decided to be creative with letters; please visit her blog and let her know what you think. I'll give you a little sneak peek...
And she did it all with sharpies too! Good thing she's creative because I would have never thought of this. The colors were inspired by the cover of Bloodline Inheritance. I love when people are inspired by my work. If you ever create anything relating to the series send me a link, and I'll be sure to share it.
Also another notable blog post from the tour is from a published author and friend, Sabrina. She wrote up a post featuring an interview with me. Check it out if you're curious about behind the scenes and what I will be working on next.

What's next?
Now that the release of Bloodline Inheritance is over I have a lot to work with. Before the end of July I will be posting one last time about Shadows and Embers and Thicker Than Blood -as they have their anniversaries. As for the start of August I really want to dig deeper into my next project. I've talked about it vaguely on other blogs and on here, but I am struggling to find its soul.  August will definitely be a time for me to look further into it, and in the meantime share more with you. We can look back on where the Magicians series has taken us, talk more about Dyanna's adventure, and take a look at writing something new. It's definitely scary, but at the same time I'm so eager to write something new I just want to jump in. Once I actually start on my new novel I want to share that experience with you on the blog, so we can start from the beginning together. Take it day by day, word by word, and see where it takes us. And if everything goes well I might even consider posting a chapter on Wattpad -so people can check it out while it's in the works. Also beta readers... stayed tuned for that because -as mentioned before- I would really love a few beta readers for my new project. After Cursed With Power I did not have anymore for the remainder of the Magicians series and regretted it.
Until the next post, happy reading!
Lindsey R. Sablowski