Moving!

Well, gang, it's been fun here at Notes From the Writing Chair. I've been blogging here for almost seven years! But this will be my last post. I feel the time has come to relocate.

At least I'll still have my view

This blog is moving over to my website, angielofthouse.com. I'll be blogging about books, science, geekdom, family, faith, and whatever else piques my interest, but not so much about writing anymore. I do hope you'll come join me over there. I'll also be offering free short fiction for your reading enjoyment.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your support, comments and friendship over the years.

Author Tag!

I was tagged by the talented Daniel Coleman for this post, so here goes:

What am I working on?

Well, I'm working on the first draft of a new LDS sci-fi novel called The Glory of the Stars. I'm also working on final edits for The Ransomed Returning (sequel to my first novel, Defenders of the Covenant). And then I'll start my first revision pass on Shattered Skies (third book in the series).


How does my work differ from others in it's genre?

There isn't a lot of LDS sci-fi out there. My books are different from a lot of sci-fi because it is so overtly religious, and it's different from most LDS fiction because it is sci-fi. :) This isn't always a good thing, but it is what I long to write.

Why do I write what I do?

My goal in writing has always been to write stuff that is both uplifting and entertaining. That's what I strive for. Adventure and truth.

How does your writing process work?

Chaotically. I write my first draft out by hand in a notebook. Then I type it (the part I hate most). I usually make a few changes while I'm typing. Then I'll let it sit for a month or two and read it over again to get the big picture. I'll cut or add scenes or change what I feel needs changing. When I feel it is the best I can get it up to that point, I'll send it out to some of my trusted writer friends for critique. I'll revise based on those suggestions, give it another proofreading pass, and consider it done! This takes practically FOREVER, by the way. :)

Okay, so I'm passing this tag onto Terry W. Ervin II and Todd (T.M.) Hunter! 

Merry Christmas and God bless us, every one!

Commitment

You've probably noticed that all I've been posting here lately are One Word Interviews. I really love those. I hope you do to. I think it's a fun way to introduce you to authors and their books.

My original intent was to post an interview every other week and my own posts every other week. That hasn't worked out so great. I'm keeping up with the interviews, but not with my own posts.

So, I am committing myself to posting on this blog every week, either an interview or some other post. I can do it!

Some important things have happened since I sort of fell of the blogging bandwagon.

I finished the second first draft of my third Defenders novel, Shattered Skies, at the end of June! (I call it the second first draft because I wrote it once, then wrote the whole thing over again from scratch. Sometimes it's just better that way.) I wrote it in only 6.5 months, compared with 15 months for my previous two books, so I felt good about that.

Unfortunately, my publisher decided to pass on my second Defenders novel, The Ransomed Returning. That was a rather hard blow. I have been waffling about what to do with it and Shattered Skies, but in the same sense of commitment I am taking with this blog, I am going to have The Ransomed Returning out by the end of November, and Shattered Skies by next summer. So watch for more information on that!

I published a collection of short stories, Ripped and Other Adventures. It contains nine previously published shorts and one all new novella, Sofie and the Night Eagle. It's gotten some great reviews so far. Check it out!

I also started to work on the first draft of a new LDS science fiction novel, tentatively title The Glory of the Stars.

So my writing goals for the next few months:

• Publish The Ransomed Returning
• Read-through and edit Shattered Skies for beta readers
• Finish first draft of The Glory of the Stars
• Keep up with blogging

No problem, right?

What have you been up to lately?

My Cartoon Makeover!

I won a cartoon makeover from the talented Sarah Anderson!

Cartoon Me

Cool, huh? Sarah is fairly new to the blogging world, so why don't you hop over there and make her feel welcome by following her blog!

Thanks a million, Sarah!

Cool Stuff I Want to Share

Only a couple more days left for Kindles for Kids. Visit Danyelle's website to see all the great prizes she is offering. You could also pick up a signed, limited edition hardcover copy of Catspell. This would make a wonderful gift or donation to a library or a great addition to your library. She won't be offering hardcovers after this, so don't miss out!

I am so looking forward to Elana Johnson's next book, Surrender. If you preorder it now, you could win one of 50 booklets with never-to-be released character content and fabulous character illustrations. That would be so incredibly cool to have! Check it out.

Maybe you noticed over on the sidebar already--my publisher is giving away three copies of Defenders of the Covenant on Goodreads. Pop over there and enter to win! And while you're there, mark it "to-read." That'd be great.

Tomorrow is the big day! My launch party. I am crazy excited and nervous, too--like stomachache inducing nerves. I really need to settle down and just enjoy myself. Anyway, if you're in the neighborhood, I'd love to see you there!

Right now on Amazon, Defenders is only $14.81! Great price. You can also order it from Deseret Book, or pick it up at your local Deseret Book store.

Also, Defenders of the Covenant has it's own Facebook page now. The characters have taken over, so go "like" it, if you want. I'd sure appreciate it!

Side Note: I feel like this blog is dying an ignominious death, and I'm not sure what to do to revive it. Tell me, what sort of stuff do you most like to see on the blog? Posts about writing, my book, life in general? Giveaways, blog fests, guest posts, interviews? I know I haven't had much time for blog reading myself lately, and maybe that has something to do with it. What do you think? What do you like most about my blog? (If anything.) Your input is appreciated!

Lucky 7 Tag!

I got tagged twice for this little game, first by T.M. Hunter of  The West(ern) Chronicles, and then by J. Lloyd Morgan on Facebook. So, here goes!

To play along, here are THE RULES:
1. Go to page 77 of your current ms.
2. Go to line 7.
3. Copy and post the next 7 sentences as they’re written. No cheating.
4. Tag 7 other victims, er, authors.

This is from my WIP, Shattered Skies, and ironically enough the first part of  Chapter 7.

I know that's what Eleni believes." He stood up and paced in front of the sofa. "No wonder. Look what happened." Oh, Dori. Oh, Eleni. He had the urge to put his fist through a wall.
 
"Sit down," Mariane said.
 
Wesley stopped mid-stride and looked at his mother. She nodded her head toward the recliner across from her. Wesley sat.
 
"Tell me why you came here," she said.


So, there you have it. Be sure and check out T. M. Hunter's newest release Death Brings Victory (I got to beta read this for him, not to brag or anything), and J. Lloyd Morgan's book The Hidden Sun (which I have reviewed here). Thanks for tagging me, guys. That was kinda fun!

I don't feel up to tagging seven people, so if you'd like to play along, consider yourself tagged. =)

Goin' Moblie

I want to start by saying that I don't have a cell phone. Well, okay. I DO have a cell phone.A droid. But I have no phone service (and, no, I won't be getting any). It's basically a glorified pocket watch. But I can get on the internet if there is a wireless network available, and luckily at my house there is! So, I do occasionally read blogs from my phone.

I would like to suggest that if you have a blog, you enable mobile view. If you don't the blog is basically unreadable from the phone. It's super tiny. And if I enlarge it, then I have to move the page all over to read everything. Annoying.

Here's what mobile view looks like:

I wanted a sample of my blog, but this was all I could come up with. You get the idea.

Yeah, there's no sidebar, but in my opinion, it's better to have someone able to read your posts from their phone than not. If they can read you on the phone, they're much more likely to visit your blog from an actual computer than if you annoy them with an unreadable page.

To enable mobile view, just go to settings, mobile & email, and enable it. Super easy.

Your mobile readers will thank you!

Making Friends Monday--Some Blogs You Shouldn't Miss

Today I'm making friends and hoping you'll want to make some too.

First off is author Tristi Pinkston.Tristi has been blogging since 2006.  On her main blog,   she covers everything from writing tips and the life of a published author to kid funnies, spiritual thoughts, and embarrassing moments.  She also has a weight loss blog, one for writing challenges, another for her fictional characters … and she lost count of how many others she has.  You can find the links for them on her sidebar.

Tristi is the author of five published novels and a whole kit ‘n caboodle of unpublished novels.  Right now she’s focusing on cozy mysteries, although she has written historical fiction in the past and plans to write more in that genre.  She works as a freelance editor, a writing instructor, and a virtual book tour coordinator.  She loves taking long naps, being charmingly annoying, and watching good movies.  She’s a Mormon, a homeschooler, a Cubmaster, and most of the time, a headless chicken.

 I recently got to meet Tristi in person for the first time at a signing she did in Provo, and lucky me, I won the grand prize basket full of books while I was there! If you're not reading Tristi's blog(s), you really should be! I have also been participating in her quarterly writing challenges, and I'll be blogging about my personal challenge for this month soon.

Next up is the new blog on the block, When Pigs Fly.  Brad Slagowski and I were neighbors for close to eight years, but in all that time I never knew he was a writer (or wanted to be, anyway.) Now he's writing urban fantasy and looking to make his dreams come true. So, go over there and give him a nice welcome into the blogging world. You'll love his creative and funny posts. (His "High Triglyceride" story had me in stitches.)

So go on and make some new friends today!

From My Heart to Yours

Do you think that it's possible that strangers like us could be friends in just a moment or two? For just a brief time could we open the doors of our hearts like old friends do?...Well, I'd like to find a way to open the doors from my heart to yours. Yes, I hope that we can find a way to open the doors from my heart to yours. --Michael McLean

I guess I'm feeling a little sentimental today. My follower numbers keep on creeping up, and that makes me happy. :) I do feel like all of you who stop by the blog and maybe leave a comment are my friends. That's why I love blogging so much. I sure like reading your blogs too. It's nice to have those connections to each other. It's nice to not be alone. When I started this blog almost two years ago, I didn't really know who would read it. I just wanted somewhere to talk about writing because I had a lot to say and didn't want to bore my family with it on the family blog. Of course, my family reads this blog too, for which I am grateful. I sure didn't expect to have so much support and so many new friends.

So, what I'm trying to say is thanks to you all for opening up the doors to your hearts just a little and letting me have a peek inside.