NaNoWrimo 2014 Winner!

Today from 11am-2pm I worked solely on my NaNoWriMo novel and finished it. I cannot believe it, but I've finally finished my fourth book, Bloodline Inheritance. It is complete at 54k words, which is very short for my books. Now that it is finished I plan to start on revisions right away and add much more to the book. Since a lot of the chapters were handwritten I did not realize how short some chapters were compared to others. With revisions I am certain I can add on another 25-30k more words. The main point is that I have the entire skeleton of the book written down.

After writing three books I did not know what to expect from my fourth. As I shared earlier this month, Bloodline Inheritance is told from Dyanna's POV. So once again I was working with a new story and a new narrator. Honestly the hardest part about this book was deciding where I wanted it to go. I spent a lot of time looking at art work and finding inspiration. When I first started writing I had no idea how I wanted the book to end. Now I do have an ending, though I will most likely rewrite it during revisions. 

Quote directly from the book!

Now as for how I wrote for NaNo this year... Well that was interesting. I really kept myself writing no matter what. If I didn't have my laptop I would handwrite chapters. At night I usually typed up chapters on my iPad (using Werdsmith) if I did not feel like using my laptop. The only problem I had with having such a variety of ways to write was that sometimes my chapters were split in parts. When I went to type up chapter 11 for instance I found 3 parts of it: one in my journal, one in Google docs, and one in a different journal. Next year I definitely do not want to run into this problem again because it ended up as more work for me. Handwriting chapters might not be as efficient as typing, but it actually was very efficient against writer's block. I find writing in a journal is less intimidating than staring at a blank computer screen.

Now that I've reached the end, what's next? Well, I have a lot of work ahead of me in regards to this book. I want to work on revisions and add in a lot of new scenes. It also needs to go through editing stages. This book will still not release until 2015, but I'm hoping now that I have the skeleton finished the entire book will be ready for publication by early 2015. November has been such a busy month for me, but I'm glad I was able to dedicate the time to finish the first draft of the book. Also I am excited that once December 1st comes around I can receive two free copies of my book from Createspace. This will be great to use as proofs before I actually need to order proofs of the final draft. Once this book is released for publication then I can start thinking about my next project (that won't be part of the Magicians series). 

Overall, I am very happy with my choice to participate in Nano this year. I updated my Twitter and Instagram throughout the weeks with my progress. It definitely was not easy, but I am glad I did it and am farther than when I first started out. While revisions might not be as exciting as writing the book, I will be updating my social media with my progress. Perhaps I will even share teasers of any new scenes I add in. 

Last but not least, I hope everyone enjoys the Thanksgiving holiday. I am thankful for my boyfriend, our home, and my readers. I doubt I will post tomorrow because of the holiday, but on Friday I am considering a special giveaway in honor of Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Be sure to leave a comment below with what you are grateful for, and also tell me about your Nano project if you participated this year. 

Lindsey R. Sablowski

NaNoWriMo: Day 4

 
Two hours ago I started at 5921 words, and just a few minutes ago I reached 7047. Nano definitely makes November more stressful than usual. I've stayed in comfy clothes all day, and after some other work around the house I finally sat down and wrote. Lately I've been reading a lot of the Nano email, the ones they send you to remind you that you can do it. Truthfully they have been helpful. In one I read that you just have to keep writing, even if at some point you think "what a minute, this isn't good enough." That's something I find myself running into a lot. There are times when I want to go back to a previous chapter and change everything. For right now, however, I need to stay the course. First I need to reach 50k, then I can go back and change whatever needs to be changed.
So how are you getting through NaNoWriMo? Here's some of the things keeping me afloat:

• Keeping a journal and pen nearby -that way whenever an idea strikes me I can jot it down for later. No need to be neat, but it will help so that I remember later on.
• Rough outlines -outlining in Nano for me means keeping it to the point. Everything else is extra detail that will be in the book. If you're like me and need some kind of outline before you just jump into the chapter write down several ideas of what you would like to happen. Outlines I've used for one chapter sometimes even help with the next one.
• Inspiration of some sort -usually I keep pinterest (with fantasy related pins) or just my Nano page up in the background as a reminder for me to keep going.
• Drink lots of water -stay hydrated and don't forget to eat too! Writing is hard work
• It's okay to take a break -every now and then I just need a break from writing. I cannot write for hours on end. It would probably drive both me and my characters insane. Instead I take short or long breaks, depending on how much time I need. Then when I return to my book I have new ideas and a fresh slate to work with

Today was all about reaching the daily goal of 6666 words for me. I like setting little goals for myself because thinking that I need 50k to make it to the end is overwhelming at times. The book has been coming along. Since I already starting working on Bloodline Inheritance before Nano, I'm only including new chapters in my word count. This way I'll have an entirely new 50k words added on to the book at the end of this. With that in mind I've made it up to chapter 18 and am about midway through that chapter. This morning I came up with a new plot twist I am slowly weaving into the book, which has been really exciting. I love that a new idea can give me new motivation to keep writing. I might write more later tonight, but all in all I am very happy with the speed I am going at.

If you want to stay updated with my progress, check in on my Twitter. I usually update it throughout the day when I am writing. I also have been posting pictures on my Instagram as well.

While this is a busy month I do plan to continue posting on the blog. Hopefully if times permits I can make a few posts that don't relate to Nano at all. In the meantime best of luck to everyone who is participating in Nano. Just a reminder to you and myself: we can do it. 

Lindsey R. Sablowski

Book 4 announcement and NaNoWriMo

mock cover 1

mock cover 2

NaNoWriMo 2014 officially started three days ago, meaning my project is up live on the site. This year I have decided to work on Bloodline Inheritance as my NaNo project. Since the release of Thicker Than Blood (book 3) I've written about 30k, but the goal with NaNo is to add an additional 50k (or more) to the book. If I do reach this goal I should ideally come to the end of the book, meaning I can start working on revising as soon as I'm finished.
Ready to hear what the fourth book in the Magicians series is all about?

Above is the synopsis and a brief excerpt, which you can also view directly on NaNoWriMo. As mentioned in the synopsis, Bloodline Inheritance will be the final book in the Magicians series. Since this book follows the war and the aftermath I do not foresee any chance of a fifth book. Years ago when the series first began I thought there would be enough room for five books, but it looks like this one is the last. As I write this book I also come to the realization that after this the magicians end their story and I must start a new one entirely. What a challenge that will be when we reach that point.

Currently I'm a bit behind on my word count, being at a little over 2k so far. Fortunately I have today and tomorrow to catch up. It has been both exciting and challenging to write this book so far. If you're curious about more don't forget to catch up on my latest release, Thicker Than Blood.

All in all, I expect November to be a very busy month. For those of you participating in Nano this year I wish you the best of luck. I've buddied up with several people from reddit who are also participating in hopes of keeping each other motivated. Inspiration and motivation are essential during this challenging month. I will post as often as I can with my progress, and until next time enjoy your writing.

Lindsey R. Sablowski

NaNoWriMo 2014

October is quickly reaching its end, which means November and NaNoWriMo are right around the corner. After a lot of debating (with myself) I finally made a decision on my NaNo project for this year. For those of you unfamiliar with NaNoWriMo, it happens every year in November in which writers are challenged to write a 50k novel in 30 days. I'm excited to tell about my project for this year, as well as briefly reminiscing on previous ones.
I first joined NaNo 6 years ago, typing up my novel on a typewriter. (Lesson learned: don't do that again when working against the clock). While that novel I never uploaded onto NaNo, nor do I remember the title, I've participated every year since then. Here's a quick run down of the novels I have worked on over the years.

• 2010- STRONGER -never completed
• 2011- Innocent and Young -never completed
• 2012- Punished With Destiny -50001 words (completed); also funnily enough this is the book we now know as Shadows and Embers, book 2 in the Magicians series. I continued writing during NaNo in hopes of finishing the book sooner. I still have the old mock cover on NaNo if you want to check it out, as well as the old summary.
• 2013- Thicker Than Blood - completed; once again this was another one that was an ongoing project. I focused all of my time into it, and NaNo helped motivate me to spend more time with it. Again this is another one with an old mock cover and an unofficial summary

Sneak peak at the mock cover!

So here we are caught up to 2014. I debated about whether I wanted to start an entirely new novel for NaNo or work on an already existing project. In the end I decided my project for this year is Bloodline Inheritance, book 4 in the Magicians series. I already uploaded the title on my profile, so feel free to take a look. The exciting part of this is I will finally be able to reveal the summary for the book on November 1st, the day NaNo officially begins. I've been debating on when I should reveal more details about this book, and this has given me the perfect opportunity. In addition, I will be posting a mock cover. While I haven't updated my word count for quite some time it is because I have been handwriting chapters. If I had to guess I assume I am at 30k or over. The goal for NaNo is to add 50k or more to the book. If I succeed in doing so the book should be completed finished by November. This means I'll gain more time to start reading through, editing, revising, and more.

Once November starts expect to see more posts about my writing experience and about the fourth book. In the meantime I have more planned for the blog. 

Lastly before I go remember to pick up your copy of Thicker Than Blood. Ideally very soon I want to do a giveaway including a signed copy of this book as well as a free ebook version. I will let you know when I decide on a date for that. In the meantime I will be writing the next book in the series. Make sure to stop by soon; there's a special post coming up in celebration of Halloween.

Upcoming post: Ready for Halloween? Next time we discuss costume ideas for you to look like characters from the Magicians series.

Lindsey R. Sablowski

Masquerade: Behind the Masks

Before Thicker Than Blood’s release this August I mentioned a masquerade scene within the book. This scene was one of my favorites to plan and write for the book. I’m finally fulfilling my promise and writing a post about it. The main reason I wanted to talk more about it was because these scene also required some research and more elaborate planning than your normal scene might. Without further ado, let’s find out what’s behind Alaire’s mask and others. (Don’t worry though no spoilers.)

The thought behind the masquerade scene was actually inspired by the dance scene in Cursed With Power. Celestria and Alaire first dance in a ballroom, then in Shadows and Embers Leal and Rahela share a dance at one of Esmour’s parties. There is also an additional dancing scene in the second book, but I am unable to reveal it due to it involving spoilers. If you’ve read the book, however, you know which one I am referring to. Finally after these scenes I realized this could be parallels in the series. Each book have a unique dance scene that somehow affects the main character. And thus the masquerade scene came to life for Thicker Than Blood.

My favorite part about working on the masquerade scene was exploring creativity options. Masks, dresses, and even planning out who would be dancing was all part of the work. During the time when I started planning the scene and later on writing it for the first time, I posted several inspirational pictures of masks on CWP’s Facebook page. Personally I cannot wait to hear reader’s reactions to how the scene turned out.

Finally the most important part about these dancing scenes in the series is that they are important. They need to impact both the character(s) and the reader otherwise it might seem like unnecessary fill in material. The ballroom scene in CWP was definitely something that came to me in the later revisions. When I finally did add it into the book I loved how much more it added to the plot and also the characters’ depth. In SandE the dancing scenes fit in nicely and also played an important role yet again. Lastly in TTB the opportunity presented itself again. If the scene would not fit in the novel, however, I definitely would not try to force. While I’m working on the fourth book now a dancing scene is the furthest thing from my mind. It’d be interesting if it was able to sneak its way in, but we won’t know until it’s finished.

If you’re interested to read more about the masquerade, and find out who wore what mask, pick up Thicker Than Blood. Also, I’ll leave links for both Cursed With Power and Shadows and Embers. SandE has also recently been added on Barnes and Noble’s website, so now the entire series is available on there as well. I will be posting again in the upcoming days with more, but until then enjoy the start of fall and find a good book to read.

Lindsey R. Sablowski

The Magicians series on Barnes and Noble

The entire Magicians series will soon be available on Barnes and Noble. For the first time ever Shadows and Embers will be making it's way over to Barnes and Noble's online store for you to purchase. Presently the other two books in the series are available: Cursed With Power and Thicker Than Blood. Fortunately now the entire series will be on both Amazon, Createspace, and B&N thanks to expanded distribution being free on Createspace. (This is why originally SandE was not available on B&N). It will take about 6-8 business days for the book to go live on their website, but when it does I will be posting the link. 

Also don't forget Shadows and Embers and Thicker Than Blood are available for free with Kindle Unlimited. I myself have not joined this program, but I think it's a great opportunity for those of you who read a lot of Kindle books. Otherwise if not both books are available on Kindle for only $3.99. I do plan on doing a ebook giveaway of TTB very soon, but I have of yet to decide on a date.

So since the beginning of this series Celestria and Alaire have been major parts of the story. They really helped me make it through the first book, and they gave me a reason to keep writing. If you're interested in how their stories have evolved and about my publishing journey, another interview is live. Rock the Book recently interview me about my writing and publishing experience, and I also spoke briefly about my new WIP, Bloodline Inheritance. Be sure to check it out and let me know what you think. If you have any further questions, you can always leave them below in the comments or ask me on Goodreads.

While September has only just started it seems, I've been very busy. Besides going about my daily life I've also been trying to write at least once everyday (for about an hour). Since I have decided to hold off on revealing details about my fourth book for another month or two, I will say you can always check the Books page here on the blog. Today I added a new novel idea underneath "upcoming releases." Who knows maybe this novel will be my NaNoWriMo project, and maybe I'll have to wait a bit longer.

Until next time, enjoy the cooler weather and I'll be back soon with more.

Lindsey R. Sablowski

Cursed With Power 2 year anniversary

Two years ago my first book, Cursed With Power, released to the public. Since then I have been on quite the adventure, publishing two more books and now presently working on my fourth. Cursed With Power has touched my heart since the very beginning when I first thought of the storyline. Celestria narrated the story, and more importantly she paved the way for the rest of the Magicians series.

"Cover" made back in 2010

So much has happened with this book over its two year span that I do not even know where to begin. I guess I should first “book cover” and image to inspire me. The cover I made myself, though I’ll admit it was not my finest piece of work. It was more so the image itself that inspired me, and the model in the image reminded me a lot of how I envisioned Celestria. For those of you who were on Inkpop and Wattpad, undoubtedly I’m sure you remember the numerous cover changes over the years. Long before CWP was published it was on Inkpop and Wattpad for anyone to read. This story first came to me in the summer of 2010, and ever since then it has been a huge part of my life.

 

Cursed With Power being my first published book is and always will be significant to me. A lot of people have come to know me and my work because of the book. I’ve spoken many times in the past about Celestria, and since her adventure both she and I have grown. My journey as an author has not always been an easy one, but I am grateful to have people to share it with.

In celebration of the two year mark I also wanted to do something special for my readers. I have decided to include a bonus excerpt from Cursed With Power from a different narration. This scene below is narrated by Alaire Sencler, one of the main characters. For those of you who have not read the book there are no spoilers. Those of you who are familiar with it you may recognize when this scene takes place. This is shortly after Alaire first meets Celestria and takes her back to Roana's hut. Enjoy!

I paced around the hut, watching Roana as she examined the girl. Magicians were not meant to battle in public when humans were present. Humans were weak against magic, but they never stopped being amused by it. I barely knew what to do, since it seemed I could not offer any help. Roana was an expert at what she did, and if she needed anything she would ask. Even so, I suspected the girl I had found was not as familiar with magic as myself.

Several minutes passed, and Roana worked quietly on her new patient. She applied herbs on the wounds and wrapped gauge around the injured shoulder. I had no said a single word, and I remained speechless. Esmour had tried to prepare me for this day, but his warnings seemed like distant memories. It never seemed as important until now that this girl survive. I considered revealing to Roana the secret I had hid from everyone, but I questioned my decision. Perhaps it was not necessary for her to know as much as me yet. After all, when the girl awoke she would have many unanswered questions.

"She'll need time to rest, but I believe she will recover," Roana said at last.

I sighed. "Thank you; this means a lot."

She turned to me and raised her brow. "How did you find this girl? I did not suspect another Dark magician to be this close to us."

"She was in danger, and I saved her. It was nothing more but a coincidence," I replied. Though Roana did not question it further, she mentioned a valid point. I had not expected to find another Dark magician after departing from Leal. Perhaps my luck would change after all; this girl could hold all the answers for me. Roana walked away from the patient's table and searched for something amongst the stack of books. Meanwhile I grabbed a chair and pulled it up to where the girl laid. This was a rare moment; I would wait to see what fate had laid in my hands.

"Celestria..." I murmured, smiling at the sound of her name. It was the most beautiful name I had heard of, but it could also be dangerous. Esmour once said every decision comes with a price, and sooner or late I would need to pay. For the time being I bowed my head and prayed to God this girl could offer me the world. She and I had a chance to make a difference in a world where no one accepted us.

Interested to read more of the Magicians series? I am including the links to each book below where it can be purchased. Don't forget later this month I'll also be revealing exciting news about the upcoming fourth book in the series. Until then, there's plenty of time to catch up on the story.

Cursed With Power (book 1) -Celestria's story

Shadows and Embers (book 2) -Leal's story

Thicker Than Blood (book 3) -Alaire's story **Newest release!

Bloodline Inheritance (book 4) -To Be Announced

Before I go I wanted to thank everyone for making TTB's first month of publication a success. It's very exciting to see Alaire's story out in the world, and I hope you are enjoying it.

Until next time, please share this post and help celebrate this special day. Not only is it the 2 year anniversary for Cursed With Power, but it also means I've been a published author for two years now. I cannot believe the time has flown by so quickly, but I love every minute of it.

Many more posts will be coming up soon (much sooner than this one), and I apologize for any slight delay. Interested in sneaking a peek at my progress in Bloodline Inheritance? Drop by my instagram for daily updates. Enjoy your summer, and remember to read a good book.

Lindsey R. Sablowski

End of the Summer

Alas this is my last week to enjoy the summer before returning to work. In many ways I'm eager for summer to end, and I've certainly been waiting for much cooler weather. So let's talk about the plans I have for the next several months, shall we?
You can definitely expect a giveaway very soon. I've been patiently waiting to have all the materials available so that I can start the giveaway, but hopefully it will take place in either September or October. This will also be the first giveaway to feature signed copies of Thicker Than Blood. If you want to see the bookmarks that will also be featured in the upcoming giveaway take a look at my extras page.

I am also awaiting to interviews I participated in to be posted, which I'll be including the links to as soon as I receive them myself. One will be posted within the next day or two, and the other one I mentioned before will be posted on September 11th. In both of these interviews I talked about what it's like being a published author, my published books, and what you can expect next. 

As far as requesting review copies, contact me and let me know you're interested. If you are interested in reviewing any of the books in the Magicians series I am certain we can work something out. I would especially love reviews on Thicker Than Blood, since it is a new release. 

Now what are you expecting from me? Well more writing of course, and that's exactly what I intend to do. I have reached the 20k mark and am moving past it in the fourth book, Bloodline Inheritance. I still feel it is too early to reveal the details about the book, but I have a lot planned for when I do feel ready. I made a "mock" cover for the book that I will share on the day I make an announcement about the book. In the meantime I will try to post now and again about how the writing process is going. Somehow I've made it to 20k and did not realize how quickly the words were adding up. 

Let's make the most out of what's left for the summer, and don't forget to grab a good book and read.

Lindsey R. Sablowski