Vote for Your Favorite Excerpt! The Contest Begins … Now!

The third ever excerpt contest on Story Addict is finally here! Thanks to all who submitted their entries. And now, without further ado, I give you our contestants:

Entry #1

SWITCHED REVOLUTION (now available on Amazon!) by Diane Burton

“I want to meet my mother,” Marcus said. For too long, he had put off meeting the woman whose genetic makeup he shared.

Jessie looked up from the appliance she was repairing. “Are you sure?”

Marcus folded his arms and leaned against the garage’s overhead door frame. “Is one ever certain of such events?”

“Pretty momentous.” She arched her eyebrow in what he imagined was an imitation of him. “Do you think you’re ready?”

“I very much doubt I will ever be ready. However, the longer I delay the more difficult it will be.”

She acknowledged that with a nod. “She should be back from her trip. Frankly, I thought she would be over here by now. She’s the Ms. Fix-it Shop’s best customer. It’s been a while since something broke. Notice, I did not say she broke anything.” She gave him a droll look. “Your mother has the worst luck with appliances. Lamps. Toasters. Blenders. I drew the line at clocks and watches, though. She actually wanted me to fix your great-grandfather’s pocket watch. I said no way.”

His ancestor’s pocket watch? An object of sentimental value retained through three generations. Marcus had previously thought that Terrans—specifically those in the northern half of the Western Hemisphere—casually disposed of old items. Since encountering Jessie, he had learned differently. Her value of the old started with her grandparents’ farmhouse where she lived and worked. To learn that his Terran mother held antiques in esteem was gratifying.

______________________________________________________________

Entry #2

THE SPACE BETWEEN (now available on Amazon!) by Scott J. Robinson (@skywordz)

Magic whispered in Scree’s mind, picking at the edges of his consciousness like a vulture working at a carcass. He stopped a meter from the dying stranger, unwilling to get any closer.

“Akawi,” the man said, “you must take the books and flee. You must. I know these men are just trolls and will not stop to steal two books, but they may burn them.” He coughed a dollop of blood onto the timber floor. One of his legs shook violently, drumming a ragged rhythm. “You must take the books.” He coughed again. “We are so close. I know it. Continue the search for the portals.”

_______________________________________________________________

Entry #3

“The Old Vampire” (now available on Amazon!) by Emma Meade

Hailey dreamt of monsters. Or rather of being the object of a monster’s affection. A vampire count, a lonely ghost, even a wicked sorcerer or a demon from hell would do in a pinch.

Ten year old Hailey was miles ahead of the kids in her class, turning her homework in early, acing her tests. And all the while she sat quietly near the back of the room, staring out the window, daydreaming of another world. Her teachers and schoolmates left her alone, odd little thing she was. Hailey fit in nowhere but between the pages of the borrowed library books at school and paperbacks from the bookshop in town where she spent all her pocket money.

At thirteen, Hailey ventured further into the make believe world of the supernatural. She went to bed with shadow men, psychopathic but cute next door neighbour boys and mummies from Egypt. A few years later, she dated hot vampires who attended high school in rainy Washington.

But these epic paranormal romances failed to follow Hailey into real life. She was stumped. Surely she deserved a little vampire action, some supernatural, sexy shenanigans? Alas, it wasn’t to be.

And so Hailey grew up, attended college, got a degree, a job, boyfriends, later a husband, a divorce, no kids. There was no place for children in the fantasy realm.

And still she read.

_______________________________________________________________

Entry #4

THREE’S A CROWD (now available on Amazon!) by Melissa Keir (@melissa_keir)

Prologue

Fairy tales are a tricky thing. One moment the characters are standing at the carriage, ready to ride off into the rest of their lives, yet readers don’t really know what happens next! We don’t know how Cinderella handled the Prince’s stinky socks or how badly her stepsisters behaved at holiday dinner.

Fairy tales don’t give us advice for how to live the rest of our lives.

Chapter One

Enjoying a sinfully delicious dinner out with a hot man doesn’t seem like a strange occurrence for most people but when you’re newly married and blending two families , heading to McDonald’s can be a big night out.

Staring at the handsome man across from me and dreaming of later, maybe some carnal dessert, my breath came quicker. What did I do to deserve such a great guy? He’s easy on the eyes, picks up his laundry, and cooks a mean steak. Alex is built like a football player with a military haircut and amazing arms. I love how he’s able to lift me up and carry me around the bedroom. His piercing blue eyes and dimpled chin move me to do things I wouldn’t even think to try.

His body is a feast for me. I never thought I’d ever find love again, let alone with a stud like my husband. I’ve seen the stares when we’re out. With a blonde pixie haircut and petite boyish figure, I’m a girl next door in a world filled with Victoria’s Secret models.

______________________________________________________________

Entry #5

HARD CORE (now available on Amazon!) by Jennifer Lowery (@jloweryauthor)

Remote Island off the coast of Nicaragua

Slade belly-crawled across the jungle floor. Patience and stealth: both were essential if he wanted to survive. He checked the Gerber knife strapped to his thigh, felt the weight of the rifle slung across his back. His gaze locked on the man casually smoking a cigar in the distance. Cuban, by the scent of it.

Perspiration trickled between his shoulder blades. God, he hated the dark, dank jungle. His lungs ached when he breathed in the thick, wet air. He preferred his beach house on the west coast or penthouse in Chicago. At this point he’d be grateful for the rustic cabin he kept in the Rockies.

He continued to drag his body through the dense underbrush. The sting of an insect bit into the exposed area of skin on his neck. His shoulders tensed with effort to resist slapping it. To slap at it and take his focus off the objective could be fatal. He let the insect take its fill and move on.

Fifteen feet now. Close enough to see the color of the mark’s eyes. Slade settled into a prone position, body slack. He positioned the FRF-2 on solid ground and sighted down the scope, his finger wrapped feather-light around the trigger.

The cacophony of monkeys screeching in the trees faded to the slow, steady rise and fall of his own chest. The soft thrum of his heartbeat. A bead of sweat trickled down his cheek.

_______________________________________________________________

Entry #6

THE SAMURAI’S GARDEN (now available on Amazon!) by Patricia Kiyono (@PatriciaKiyono)

Aomori Prefecture, Honshu, Japan, 1872

So it had come to this.

Hideyori Kato paced the dirt floor, his face wrinkled in a frown of disgust. Unprotected by tabi, the silk stockings he was accustomed to wearing, his feet bled from the coarse straw of his sandals. At his palace, he would not have been wearing shoes at all, but the creatures scurrying about in this hovel had forced him into the unheard of habit of wearing shoes indoors.

Kato, the great and once-powerful daimyo, was reduced to living in a mud hut on the outer pasture of what had once been the lands surrounding his castle. He should never have surrendered to that child-emperor, Meiji. He should have rallied his army and fought. His treasurer had given him some drivel about the coffers being empty, but he could have promised them riches, and they would have fought for glory, or whatever their silly Bushido decreed. Maybe he could have convinced the armies of the lily-livered daimyos to join his, so he could have overtaken the emperor’s forces. And then he, Hideyori Kato, would rule all of Japan. The thought of all that power made his mind spin.

________________________________________________________________

Entry #7

THE HAUNTING OF LAUREL COVE by Lucy Naylor Kubash (@LucyKubash)

The cabin still stands in the clearing near the Little River. I’ve not been there for some time now, not since the birth of my daughter; but one day when Althea is older I will take her there, and I will tell her the story of the other two Altheas for whom she is named. After much talking I’ve finally convinced the inhabitants of Laurel Cove to restore Cissy’s cabin as a historical marker, so it’s not as ramshackle as it first appeared to me. My husband says I’m still obsessed with the place. Maybe I am. I use to go there often, to stand in the overgrown herb garden with its brown and curling vines, to wander through the vacant cabin, to sit in the small, armless rocker and wait for the subtle fragrance of laurel to fill the room. But since that fateful day, it has not happened again. Cissy’s cabin is quiet now and empty, save for the occasional tourist who cares to stop and have a look.

That’s the way it should be, the way I wanted it to be, yet I sometimes wish I could feel her presence again, to remember how it felt to be touched by the spirit of Cissy Oliver. It’s strange how I came back to the mountains. Strange that Cissy’s story once  was only a faded memory from my childhood, a memory left far behind in the mists of the Great Smokies.

________________________________________________________________

All the entries sound epic! I can’t wait to see how this is gonna turn out *sits at the edge of the seat*

To participants: Order of entries is in the order that I received them. Please check that I have placed the right links and made no errors in your names or your entries. If I have, do let me know via comment or email asap and I will make the necessary changes. If I missed your entry by accident or it went to spam, likewise let me know. Also, please do not vote for your own entry so everyone has an equally fair chance

This time we’re going to do things a little different. The results will be hidden until the contest is closed! Voting will remain open until this Friday, May 24th, 11:59 PM, Pacific time. The winners will be announced on Monday, May 27th, at 9:15 AM, Pacific time. As a reminder, the winner will receive a banner to display on their blog/website. First place and runner up will get a chance to guest post!

-The Story Addict

Excerpt Contest: Celebrating 300 Blog Followers!

Dori and Marlin (Finding Nemo) by mato

How awesome is it that we’ve reached 300 followers? And how awesome are those followers? Yeah, pretty awesome. To follow tradition, here’s to the third Excerpt Contest on Story Addict!

What’s the idea? Send the first 250 words or first two paragraphs (the length should be roughly the same!) of your novel (published or unpublished) or your short story to markedforpower@gmail.com. Subject: Excerpt Contest

Include:

1. TITLE
2. AUTHOR NAME
3. TWITTER/BLOG URL
4. IF PUBLISHED, a link to where someone might buy the book
5. FIRST 250 WORDS or FIRST 2 PARAGRAPHS

That’s all! The contest will be open to entries until Friday, May 17th, 11:59 PM, Pacific Time. I must receive at least five entries for the contest to go live! So please do send in your work. We’ve had some great pieces featured previously.

What happens next? The entrees will be posted on the blog on Monday, May 20th and voting will begin! Votes can be cast by any blog visitors, although I discourage participants from voting on their own entries. A week from then, the winners are announced, first place and runner up (identities revealed)!

What do you get out of it? A chance to display your work and win!

The prizes? You get a fancy-shmancy award banner designed by moi (very fancy *cough*) which you can display on your blog or website. Oh, and the winner and runner up will be invited to guest post on Story Addict! Guest posting is optional, and if you opt out, the next runner up will be asked to participate.

I can’t wait to read the entries! Send away. Previous participants are welcome to join in, so long as they send fresh content.

-The Story Addict

Should Amazon Require Self-Published Authors to Have Editors?

“Creativity” by Qing Han

This has been in the back of my mind for a while. To be honest, I don’t think it’s feasible for Amazon or any other publishing platform to require this of its self-published authors, but let’s speculate, shall we?

The Pros

A lot of self-published authors plunge into publishing without realizing that they do need the help of a professional editor. Heck, I’ve been there. I spent years editing, got countless feedback, then edited some more. And still it wasn’t enough. If Amazon required all their authors to have an editor listed with each book published for sale, this could:

1) Save authors the trouble of dealing with reviewers who take editing to heart. Let’s face it, if we’re paying for something, it should probably have been invested in. We want polished books, and that requires the work of more than one person. Are there exceptions? Why, yes. Darcie Chen published and self-edited her own book, and it became a best seller. Amanda Hocking likewise hadn’t pro-edited her work when it went live and then edited afterwards. Still, if Amazon did require an editor’s name to be listed in the book details, it would save us a lot of back and forth time of realizing we really should have gotten an editor to take a look, whether we know one or can afford one.

2) Save Amazon from publishing books that are not well edited and “tarnishing” their image, providing “less than” up to par material, and distributing digital content for free which isn’t “sale quality.” Notice I put quotation marks around these words mainly because I don’t believe these labels apply to all books that haven’t been professionally edited, but a fair few do apply.

3) Create more jobs for editors. (Um…who couldn’t use more jobs right now? Yes, please.)

The Cons

1) A higher demand for editors would mean the cost of a good editor would rise significantly. It’s just how the economy works, nothing you can do about it.

2) Due to the increased demand, more “phony” editors might arrive on the scene just to rescue authors desperate to get their work published who don’t know any good editors. Luckily, there are sites like Predators & Editors which kinda sorta help. But what about new, private editors that aren’t listed? It might be tougher for them to get the recognition they need before they can begin to work. And that means, again, the cost of good editors will be even higher since they will be harder to find.

3) Authors who cannot afford an editor will not be able to self-publish. This one’s a tough thing to accept, but really if you can’t afford the investment you shouldn’t be self-publishing at all. Just please don’t do it. I know it’s a lot myself, believe me, and it’s a risk as to whether it will pay off, but for the sake of your novel, and for your own sake, don’t take the easy road. Go the distance and represent yourself and your work right.

So there’s definitely good and bad sides to this. Personally, I don’t think it’s going to happen any time soon, or maybe not ever.  The take away? If you do self-publish, please, please, please get your manuscript to an editor. It’s crucial. Pretend Amazon does have such a requirement. You’ll thank me later.

Do you think Amazon (or other publishing platforms) should have such a requirement?

-The Story Addict

The Three Types of Protagonists: The Prince(sses), the Loner, and the Hero

If you’re thinking of Mario Bros. right now (and how could you not be, cuz, you know … the picture), you’re not far from correct. Mario’s a pretty solid hero. Even though we don’t tend to think of him as a story character, in a way, he is. He’s out to rescue Princess Peach with occasional help from his lesser known brother Luigi. And that’s a pretty solid set up for the three most common types of protagonists:

1) Those who fall and wait for someone to help them up.

These guys aren’t always bad, although they may become annoying. More often than trying to get up on their own, the first thing they’ll do is call for help. However, they’re exceptionally good communicators and tend to be excellent sleuths since they extract a bunch of information whenever they need it. Even if they’re not great sleuths, they usually end up being good for something. They might not be much use in a battle, though. These tend to be seen as the “pampered princes/princesses” and are often in need of rescuing.

Favorite Saying: “Someone else will take care of it.”

Example: Emperor Kuzco from The Emperor’s New Groove, Drake from Drake & Josh

2) Those who fall and try to get up on their own.

Although these characters are a bit more admirable than the first sort, they can also become irritating in their own way, mainly because more often than not they will insist to get up on their own rather than accept someone else’s help. Kind of like the person who’d rather find their own way than ask for directions. The good thing about them is that when there’s no help to be offered, they won’t complain and will try and try again no matter how many times they fail. These tend to be seen as the “independent, loner types” and often play the sidekicks, who usually have a lot to prove in the shadow of the Hero.

Favorite Saying: “I’ll take care of it myself.”

Examples: Sirius from Harry Potter, Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender

3) Those who fall and crawl to help someone else stand up, even if it means using the last of their strength.

Probably the noblest of characters, these are the guys (or gals) who aren’t afraid to sacrifice themselves. The bad thing about them is that they tend to have a hero complex and will most often than not put others (including strangers) before themselves, which can in turn hurt the feelings of those who care about them. They can be seen as not caring about their own life, and more so what will happen to their loved ones should they get seriously injured or killed. These tend to be seen as the “brave yet foolish self-righteous heroes” who are the most typical main characters in adventure stories.

Favorite Saying: “I’ll take care of everything.”

Examples: Harry Potter, Percy Jackson

I tend to be more of the Loner type, while my main characters fall into the Prince/Princess category or, most often, the Hero category. The combination of the two actually creates a pretty fun clash between two characters.

A protagonist can be all of these characters in their stages of character development, or they can remain only one. The great thing is that each has their own strengths and weaknesses, which makes them so fun to read and write.

Do you fit any of these character types? By the way, you’ll note most of the examples I had were of male characters. Can you think of female protagonists that fit these character types?

-The Story Addict

Guest Post: On Writing Tension and Suspense

We’ve got a mystery author with us today, the wonderful Lisa Orchard! Mysteries are awesome cuz they make you think and stuff. Didn’t think of that, didja?

Here’s a bit about her: Lisa Orchard grew up loving books. She was hooked on mysteries by the fifth grade and even wrote a few of her own. She knew she wanted to be a writer even then.  The Super Spies and the High School Bomber is the second book in the “Super Spies” series. Her first book was published in March of 2012 and it has received rave reviews.

Please give her a nice warm welcome!

_______________________________________________________________

Hello everyone! I hope all is well with you. I’m the author of the Middle Grade/Young Adult Mystery/Thriller series, The Super Spies. I want to take a moment and thank Margaret for having me as her guest. Thanks Margaret!

Today, I’d like to share with you how to create that “I just can’t put it down” book. The secret is suspense and tension.  What exactly is that? Well, I’ve got the definition for you!

Suspense: Pleasurable excitement and anticipation regarding an outcome, such as the ending of a mystery novel.

Tension: Mental or emotional strain; intense, suppressed suspense, anxiety, or excitement.

As you can see by the definitions these two things are what you need to create that awesome story that you’re writing. So, how do you go about creating this in your story?

Let’s take tension first. It’s really quite simple, but because it’s so simple you don’t see the solution right away. Well, here it is…you create tension by creating conflict between your characters. For example, in my Super Spies series there is my main character Sarah and her sister Lacey. Now, Sarah has a strong personality, she’s the leader. She is focused and determined and somewhat impulsive. Lacey is her complete opposite. She doesn’t like breaking the rules; she’s more timid and has a tendency to try and hold Sarah back. So, you can see how these two personalities clash, creating conflict…and that’s how we create tension in the story.  The reader wants to know…will the characters take action or not? The only way to find out is to continue reading. J

Now, let’s take a look at suspense. How do we build suspense in a story? Again another simple answer, we build suspense in a story by placing obstacles in the protagonist’s way.  For example, in my story “The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer” Sarah convinces her sister and her best friend Jackie to sneak into the Cat Lady’s home and look for clues. Of course, it took some convincing to get Lacey to do this. J While they are searching for clues, the antagonist or the Cat Lady Killer shows up. He’s also looking for evidence that he may have left behind when he committed the crime. This is a major obstacle for the girls. How are they going to get out of the house without being captured by the villain?  The reader is on the edge of her seat. She can’t put the book down! She must know if they escape and how!

So there you have it… simple solutions for writing that “I just can’t put it down” book.  Please leave a comment. I’d love to hear what you think about my ideas, and if you get a chance check out my Super Spies novels. I’d love to hear how I did creating suspense and tension in my stories!

________________________________________________________________

Thanks to Lisa for sharing her awesome insight on how to write tensions and suspense!

You can find Lisa on Facebook, Twitter, or her Author’s Site.

Her books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or straight from Astraea Press. Check them out:

The Super Spies Cat and the Lady Killer – Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Astraea Press

The Super Spies and the High School Bomber – Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Astraea Press

-The Story Addict

On Writing Love vs. Lust

Art by Vladimir Nenov

Romantic comedies are probably the best testimony to love—true love—in writing. Mainly because they show us that laughing at ourselves and with the ones we love is what love is all about. Fairy tales come second, where two people destined for each other fight all odds to live “happily ever after.” In that case, it’s not the “ever after” that matters but the trials they are willing to go through for the other person.

So why does this matter? Why do writers need to be able to tell the difference between writing love versus lust? There’s an appropriate story and time for both. Ideally, it’s good to have a balance. What should be avoided is writing lust and passing it off as love. Why? As writers, we define love to readers. If we define it wrongly, it could have a very negative impact on their perception of relationships. An unhealthy one. I don’t know about you, but the last thing I’d want a reader to walk away with is an idea that could demoralize them or ruin their relationships.

Of course, we assume readers can tell the difference between fiction and reality. Or hope so, at least. The truth is, a lot of what we absorb affects us psychologically. So yes, it is important to pay attention to these things. If not for your own sake, then for the sake of your readers.

Here’s the brief version of how to tell apart love and lust:

Love (selfless)

Self-sacrifice + Forgiveness + Kindness + Patience = Putting the other person’s wants and needs before your own

Jealousy (of someone who is worse for the person than you are)

Lust (selfish)  

Possessiveness + Forcefulness + Irritability + Teasing = Putting your desires before the other person’s

Jealousy (of someone who is better for the person than you are)

As I mentioned, it’s best to have a healthy balance of both, but if the romance tends to tip over into the lust end and the characters and/or narrator are still trying to pass it off as love, there’s something really wrong there. You can bet there have been hundreds of stories that have interpreted it this way, but I beg to differ.

When we truly love someone, we ask ourselves “what can I do for them?” rather than “what can they do for me?” because our happiness simply stems from their own.

How do you tell apart love and lust?

-The Story Addict

Signs of Writer’s Block and How to Deal With It

Blue Glacier by Klaus Kommoss

Writer’s Block was never an issue for me in the past when writing wasn’t my main focus. Once my focus shifted on writing, I became quite close with the nasty block, and in more areas than one. If you don’t have inspiration to write, it may not only reflect in your novel/short story/poetry/etc., but also your blog writing and online presence. You might lose wind because you can’t feel the creative juices flowing.

I’ve dealt with this pickle lately. I’m at a point in my life when I’m expecting some major changes, so I don’t particularly feel like undertaking new projects or continuing ones that should have been brought to a close.

But without a creativity spark, we writers tend to get down on ourselves.

Here are some signs of writer’s block:

1) You feel like giving up writing for good. It seems pointless to even try, so why bother? Only the lucky make it through.

2) You don’t have any idea of what to write next, and maybe you never will again.

3) You have an idea of what to write next, but it’s too much work and who knows if anyone other than you will even read it.

4) You won’t admit you have writer’s block.

Okay, enough of the Debbie Downer. You get the point. If you fit any of those three (four), you probably have writer’s block.

So how can we possibly stay afloat in the most desperate of times? Here are a few of my favorite methods:

1) Confess to your friends and writing buddies – You may have heard this before, but the first step to dealing with an affliction is admitting you have it. You can’t receive treatment if you insist you’re perfectly healthy. Granted, writer’s block isn’t really a disease, but it’s not the best thing for productivity. Friends can be downers at times, but they can also be a great source of motivation. You’ll get on their more encouraging side if you actually admit you have writer’s block. They may have a few good words of inspiration to share and help you push it out of the way.

2) Find new music you can adore – It’s important not to listen to old music since you’ve already squeezed plenty of creative juice out of it already. You need something fresh to get excited about and really kick your creative butt into gear. There are many ways to do this:

• Check out your favorite artists to see if they have a new album out.
• Look at your friends’ or followers’ Tumblrs, blogs, Facebook, etc. and see what they’re listening to. More often than not, your tastes will be similar and you might discover someone new.
• Watch new movies and TV shows. If they have a soundtrack you like, find out what it is and be sure to download it.

3) Start a new activity – Sometimes writer’s block is actually something we need. Believe it or not, you do get tired of doing the same thing over and over again. And, yes, you can get tired of writing. So if you don’t want to do any of your usual activities, try to think up a fun new one that can take your mind off it. Chances are, once you start doing it, you’ll remember how much you miss writing and you’ll eventually come back to it after a spark. And maybe you’ll like your new activity so much that you’ll stick to it. Recently, I started a mural project in my room to help me learn Japanese (my new activity) and it’s definitely amped up my motivation.

4) Read some inspirational blog posts/articles – As writers, we face writer’s block on a regular basis. Some more often than others. It’s a rare occasion for me, but it does happen. Don’t be afraid to look for inspiring posts when you need them most. Typically, they show up even when we don’t need them, but it’s when they could be of most help that we forget they exist.

5) Accept it – Wait, what? I mean it. Accept writer’s block as a break. A breather. Stop writing for a minute, for goodness sake! Sometimes it’s necessary for us to take a break and realize we don’t have to output something 24/7 or even every week. Instead of viewing it as a negative, try to see it as a healthy part of the writing process.

Whatever method you use, just be sure to recognize writer’s block when you do have it and remind yourself it’s nothing more than a temporary obstacle. We all go through it. There’s no time limit for how long it should last, and we deserve the break.

How do you deal with writer’s block?

- The Story Addict