Can You See the Forest Through the Trees?

I was picking up in my son's room and getting madder by the minute.  Socks, discarded baseball uniforms, and school clothes were strewn about the room in a haphazard manner.  This is not unusual.  What ticked me off is that the majority of them lay within ONE FOOT OF THE HAMPER.  How in the hell can he not see the damn hamper, I wondered.  Some of the clothing on the floor was actually TOUCHING the hamper.  I policed the room and talked to my son.  How come you didn't put them in the hamper? I asked.  I didn't see it, was the answer.  Oh, really?

Never mind that the hamper is this huge, navy blue affair that springs up when you unsnap the sides.  Its the kind touted as best for college dorms.  Also, forget the fact that I purposefully and strategically place it in between the Lego box and the movie player.  (I'm no dummy)  It's right there, I said.  How do you not see it every time?  How can you miss it?  My son answered, I guess I see it too much, so now I don't see it at all.  I had to give him credit.  The kid made me think.

What he said made profound sense to me, in the way sometimes kids do without meaning to.  Suddenly, in the middle of the elementary-school sized hurricane, I realized what was wrong with my latest writing project.  I hadn't been working on it much because nothing was coming to me.  I am a pantser, but unless you are receiving whatever ideas your own Musina plants in your creative little brain, you ain't pantsing nuthin'.  I had been trying too hard to get to a pre-determined destination instead of letting the project lead me there.  In other words, I couldn't see the forest through the trees.

My Mum used to reserve that saying for people who were, well, too stupid to live.  They just couldn't see what was right in front of them.  More often than not, this group included salespeople, fast food attendees, and generally anyone in the service industry.  What I realized is I could be in the group at that moment as well.  I needed to get un-stupid.  When I stepped back away from the project, it became clearer to me, and more focused.  And the ideas began to flow again.

Now, I don't recommend that you find a particularly messy 3rd grader's room to clean, but it worked for me.  Yours might be cleaning, cooking, jogging, or getting a mani-pedi.  Whatever it is, the point is take the break you need to clear your mind and redirect your focus.  And as for that forest?  You'll find the clearing you need in no time.

So, tell me....what do you do when you need to step away from the WIP?

Why I Thought I'd Never Write a Series.....Until I Did

Witchie and Ghosty YA’s

Posted on March 21, 2012 

Today I’ve got my dear friend Samantha Combs visiting. She the author of a YA series which features witches. Um, did I get the right which, or is it witch, where it’s suppose to be.

Why I Thought I’d Never Write a Series…..Until I Did

The first book I ever wrote was intended to be just that….a single book. I had read plenty of series and I had problems with them. I felt as though I had been roped into them, as though the writer was purposefully leading me on and making the end of each one a cliffhanger, so I was forced to go out and get book after book, just to get to the end of the story. It kind of made me mad. So when I was writing my first book with Astraea Press, Spellbound, I had every intention of writing it as a stand-alone. I was going to be the writer that captured my reader, then freely released them after my book finished. Kind of like the saying, “If you love them let them go, if they love you, they will return to you.” At least, that was the intention. It is definitely not what happened.

What I didn’t count on was the fact that I wasn’t really in control of the story, the characters were. Selena and Logan were telling THEIR story through me. And by the time I got to the end, 300 some odd pages later, I had a startling revelation: This was a series. Dear God, there was almost no way to control it or stop it from happening. I had embarked on a story, not just of two people, but of a family of people, more than twenty in all, and this opus I had written would go on. Not because I particularly wanted it to, but because they did.

I would wake up in the middle of the night with ideas. I would be driving and characters would have whole conversations in my head. Whenever my mind meandered, it drifted back to the lives of the Daniels’ and the Starrs’ and this fantastic, mystical, magical family of witches I had created. Or thought I had created. I didn’t know Musina well that first year (my personal muse), and wasn’t aware she was there even back then, guiding and gently nudging me in the creative process.

I know right about now you are thinking I should be committed, but honestly, if you write as well, you know exactly what I am talking about. It was about this time that I started making small notes on the side about the continuation of the story. Soon, I realized, these notes were the beginnings of the second book. When I succumbed to that realization, I gave in and took those notes and began writing a follow-up, with no idea what it would become. It became Everspell, Book Two to Spellbound. And it is what it was meant to be all along….a perfect continuation of the witch family’s story. But it’s not over.

Yes, against all my better judgment, even against my own preference, there will be a third book. There has to be. Loose ends must be tied up and important characters have way more life to live. At least, that’s what I have been told. Musina is definitely in the house on this one, too, as evidenced by the furtive note-taking I have recently found myself doing. I only recently gave the notes a name: Spellbound Three. *sigh* I seriously am not in control.

Samantha Combs is an author of YA/MG paranormal and supernatural fantasy, and adult and MG horror. She has five books published, three of them with Astraea Press: Spellbound, Everspell, and (a true stand-alone) Ghostly. Check out her blog atwww.samanthacombswrites.blogspot.com to learn about all five of her books.

CONNECT WITH ME!

Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samantha-Combs-Fan-Page/205186202866933

Email: samanthacombswrites@gmail.com

Blog: http://www.samanthacombswrites.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/samanthacombs1

WRITE, PUBLISH, AND BE INFORMED

Wanna Know Some Secrets About Me? I Tell ALL!

I was the guest blogger today on the Musa Publishing Blog, under the Ten Things blog.  I chose to do something fun since I spend so much time on the business of writing, I thought you might want to know something about me that has nothing to do with my books.  Get to know me here:  http://musapublishing.blogspot.com/2012/03/top-ten-things-i-never-leave-house.html or just read about it here.

Author Samantha Combs,

Author of Spellbound, Everspell, Ghostly, Teeth and Talons, and The Detention Demon confesses all!

Check out the Top Ten Things I Never Leave the House Without:

1.       Pink lipstick, Cover Girl #415 and a compact, since I was sixteen, actually

2.       Shoes that make me feel like a rock star (I can do ANYTHING with the right shoes!)

3.       Bookmarks for any of my books (Spellbound, at the moment)

4.       Gum (only spearmint, never, never, ever cinnamon)

5.       Dangly earrings that jingle in my ears (they don’t even have to match anything I’m wearing at the moment to make the cut)

6.       Migraine medication ( because the headache doesn’t care how busy my day is)

7.       My Iphone, not as much for calls than for emails, (and the notebook function that lets me jot notes for books as they come to me, as they do, all day long, plus the recorder function, for the same reason)

8.       Stamps (sometimes I carry them so long they expire and I need more, but I always have them)

9.       Sunglasses, big round ones like Jackie O my hubs hates (sorry hubs, I lurve them!)

10.   A small purse that goes around my shoulder.  I despise big purses that look more like a mine shaft, and those small ones with such a short strap they snug up into your armpit.

See?........

Spellbound Review: Night Owl Reviews

A NIGHT OWL REVIEWS BOOK REVIEW | Reviewed by: Inkeddreams

Logan is an average guy, somewhat sheltered, but he knows what he wants in love and life and just hasn’t found it. It’s funny how life can change your views without any notice. From the moment Logan sees Serena, he knows there is something special about her. He knows he wants to be with no one else in his school as much as he wants to be with her. He is even more surprised when he finds that she holds the same feelings for him, but Serena and her sisters have a big secret. They’re witches. When Serena has to reveal herself to Logan, worry that her new boyfriend will not be able to accept what she is, sets in. However this is just the tip of the iceberg.

It seems that the ruling council has plans for Serena and will stop at nothing to get their way. But, they aren’t alone. Serena and her sisters, along with some new and old friends have no intention of giving in without a fight. What’s worse, a demon seems to have taken over the council. Can Serena and Logan’s relationship endure despite the abrupt changes taking place in their lives? Even as powerful as her coven appears to be, can they stand up to a powerful demon and its followers? Can Logan protect not only his new girlfriend, despite her revelation, but also his mom, sister and friends?

Spellbound is the first book in a fabulous series by Samantha Combs. Comb’s has the ability to make one remember falling in love for the first time and all the magic that comes with it. Spellbound itself was a roller coaster of emotion. One moment the characters are just typical teens learning the joy of love at first sight and the next they are in terror of just how bad things can go both in a magical and non-magical world. Comb’s truly has a gift for being able to develop her words into something her readers can envision.

The story itself is told from a first person point of view, but this one differs in that all of the main characters are telling the story, with a fresh perspective from chapter to chapter. At some points, I did have to look back at the beginning of the chapter to see whose point of view I was reading the story from, but this was not a drawback. The story is fast paced and flows fairly evenly considering the change from action to romance at the drop of a hat.

Spellbound had me wanting more before I was even halfway through the book. This one has everything a Paranormal Romance is meant to be. Readers will find a story that will bring them along for the ride and leave them with a smile on their face. Readers might think this is another typical witch story but it really is so much more than that. Readers will be clamoring for more at the turn of the last page, and looking forward to the next book in this magical series!

Mar 16, 2012 | B0055T3D1E

Do You Suffer From Manuscript Personality Disorder?

Lately, I've felt as though I have a multiple personality disorder.  When I look up the word "schizophrenia", I learn that it means the splitting apart of mental functions.  This describes my current affliction perfectly...except the name is not quite right.  I'm actually renaming the disorder to more closely match my problem.....the new name is Manuscript Personality Disorder.  And I am suffering from it as we speak.  Let me explain:

In the past, it has not been unusual for me to have two manuscripts working at the same time.  It has never stopped me from completing any of them.  In fact, I wrote Ghostly simultaneously with three of the horror stories in my anthology, while I was wrapping up Everspell.  So, I'm no stranger to it.  I kind of equate it with shoes.  I adore, adore, adore shoes and each morning the outfit I put together starts from the ground up with shoes.  Or boots.  But, it all depends on my mood.

It's the same with my Works In Progress.  Which WIP I work on at any given time is entirely reliant upon what my mood is.  If you have been checking out the new information I stuffed this blog with to jazz it up, you know I am working on, in no particular order:

• a YA paranormal about the seven deadly sins
• A Sci-Fi about aliens landing, set in a car rental facility near LAX (used to work in one)
• A YA dystopian novel about a girl who learns she can fly in a post-apocalyptic world
• an adult horror about a taxi driver (manage them now)
• an adult horror about a babysitter
• an adult horror about a serial killer

So, I'll set the scene for you......I finish with dinner and everything, get the kids homeworked, teeth brushed, pajamed and into bed.  American Idol is on (go Skylar!) and I pull the laptop onto my legs.  I open it up and NOT UNTIL THAT MOMENT DO I KNOW WHAT MOOD I'M IN!  So, is that weird?  

I would love to know what you think.  I have read that my personal idol, Stephen King, works on one manuscript at a time, and has said if it takes more than 2 1/2 months to write, he's doing it wrong.  Interestingly, I take the same amount of time to complete a novel-length story, even if I am dabbling around in others.  Don't get me wrong, the paranormal I'm writing about the seven deadly sins is still the headliner, if you will.  But I just can't seem to eat the steak without taking some bites out of the veggies, the mashed potatoes and a buttered roll or two.  Are you the same?

A Story for My Brother

Yesterday was my brother's birthday.  He is three and half years younger than me and I love him more today than I ever did.  He is an amazing musician, a true and loyal friend, and, next to Mum, my biggest fan.  He is the most fun uncle to my kids and he is the only person who knows all the secrets of my, our, childhood.  And I'll never tell any of them.  They belong to him and me only.  I wrote the following story for him and want to share it with you for his birthday.  Happy birthday music man!

ROOTBEER FLOATS

My brother is too far ahead and I have to call him back.  We’re walking to Winchell’s Donuts and I don’t want him to get to the end of the block before I do.  Mom lets us walk to the donut store on Saturday mornings as long as I promise to watch my little brother, especially when we are crossing the busy street around the corner from our house.

He stops and waits for me to catch up.  Even though it’s only mid-morning, the summer sun is already fiercely hot, beating down on my brother’s unprotected head.  He has his summer haircut, which is more like a hair "buzz" since he has no hair left.  He loves it.  He keeps running his hand back and forth across the top.

It feels like a brush, he says.  Feel it.  No thanks, I say.  I believe you.  Come on.  We should hurry.  We have to get back.  Dad’s coming.

Yeah!  He fist pumps one small arm in the air.  He has forgotten Dad calling and asking Mom if he could take us overnight today.  I don’t remind him that Dad often doesn’t show up.  He looks too happy.  I want him to keep that feeling for a while longer. 

We cross the street holding hands and get to the Winchell’s talking about what we’re going to buy.  I’m getting a chocolate bar, my brother says.  And a million donut holes!  I laugh, because he really believes our three dollars can buy that many donuts.  I look at him, crouched down in front of the glass case of displayed donuts, forehead pressed so hard against it that when he straightens up, there’s a red spot just above his eyebrows.  A wave of love crashes into me so strong and unspeakable that I am momentarily weakened by the force of it.

He looks so expectant, waiting for his donuts, I am reminded of the last time he looked that way. 

We were waiting for Dad.  We started in the living room, watching cartoons casually, not really aware of the time, but dressed and ready to go anyway.  When it was fifteen minutes till the time Dad was due to arrive, we shoved the drapes aside and sat on the skinny ledge of the picture window that faced the street.  From there we could see all the cars as they approached our house from both sides.  None were Dad’s.

When he was half an hour late, we moved to the front yard, lazily throwing a ball back and forth, pretending not to look down the street, but finding an excuse to do so, like overthrowing the ball and having to chase it down on that side of the yard.  I could see Mom in the kitchen window, acting like she was washing dishes, watching us.

When an hour passed, she came out of the house.  I knew he probably wasn’t coming, but that knowledge didn’t make it hurt any less.  Being older only made it easier to bury it faster.  My brother hadn’t learned that yet.

Why isn’t he coming, he asked through his tears.  My mother could have told truths with grown-up words like alcoholism and selfishness, but she didn’t.  Instead, she smiled warmly and asked, Who wants a root-beer float?

Today, my brother reaches for my hand and we cross the street.  He clutches his donut bag tightly in his other hand.  I reach over and rub his head.  You’re right, I say.  It does feel like a brush.  He smiles up at me.  Told you so.  Race you?   We run, laughing, all the way home.

The End

2011

Blog Changes ...or...Making My Blog Work For Me

The Marketing Director of one of my amazing publishers recently posted on our internal blog the importance of making your blog work for you.  She mentioned she had seen some author blogs, and some were fantastic and some, well, not so much.  I wondered which category I fell into, so I moseyed on over to mine.

I was happy when I opened it and saw my colorful covers, a list of my followers and the coolest gadget ever, a tally of every visit to my blog since inception.  Over 6400!  I felt quite proud and sure I was not one of those bloggers mentioned that crashed and burned in the image department.

Until I read her whole post.

I found there were more than a few things my blog didn't do.  Or have.  They seem so elemental, I was aghast I didn't think of them sooner.  I'm listing them here.  Don't be offended if you have had them on your blog a million years.  I assure you, there are plenty of us who didn't.

1. A Home page where the blog actually appears
2. A Bookshelf where you have buy links for where people can purchase your work.  (Totally freaked me out I didn't have this!)  I included my publisher's site first, and then Amazon.  I may add Barnes & Nobles later, it's up to you who you include, but make sure they are LINKS where the reader can just click.  We readers are a lazy bunch, so don't make it hard for them to find you.
3. Cover Art.  Duh!  Had that one!  (smiles smugly)
4. Your Bio.  (didn't have that one.  Slinks away quietly)  I used the one I have on my Amazon Author Page because I quite like it (Also if you don't have an Author Page on Amazon and Goodreads, another forty lashes for you....MUST HAVES like a good leather purse and, this year anyway, a supercute shoe bootie)
5. Reviews!  (this was such a foreign concept to me.  Oh, I'm supposed to TELL people that other people enjoyed my book?  Oh, I get it now!)
6. A WIP page.  Apparently fans want to know what I am working on.  Really?  (Seriously, I had no idea)

So, I have worked on the blessed thing for the past couple of hours.  I still have to tweak it some more, but now I am elated at the way it looks!  I'd love you to check out the new tabs at the top of the blog and let me know if they are a hit or a miss.  Thanks!  And happy blogging!