Ultima zi. A fost ultima zi, din saptamana, pentru unii inseamna weekend, pentru mine- libertate. Sau ceva pe acolo. Astazi am dat si ultima teza, teza la l.l.romana. Si stiti ce? Ma simt bine, pentru prima data dupa foarte mult timp pot spune ca ma simt bine. Desi, trebuie sa marturisesc, nu am facut cine stie ce la teza, am avut o ora la dispozitie. O ora in care trebuia sa umplu aprox. 5 pagini. Cum puteam sa fac asta in doar 60 de minute? Nu stiu. Dar asa cum am mai spus, ma simt bine, nu tu lacrimi, nu tu tristete. Nu! Ma simt bine pentru ca in sfarsit am stiut toate raspunsurile, singura fara ajutor, le-am stiut si le stiu. Si asta coteaza.
Sunt ingrozita de orele de l.l. romana, pur si simplu inainte de a incepe ora corpul meu… tremura, si am mai spus asta cand am vorbit despre tezele date pe sementrul I. Nu stiu, nu e chestia ca nu suport literatura, din contra, imi place, altfel nu mai avea ce sa caut pe aici, doar ca ma blochez cand… cand sunt ascultata de cei din jur- ma tem sa nu gresesc, sau ca ceea ce cred eu despre textul respectiv nu se incadreaza in “dosarul cu idei” al profesorilor de l.l. romana. Nu imi plac regulile de genul asta. 
In schimb, da-mi o problema la matematica, fizica sau mai stiu eu ce alta materie- stiinta, si ma gasiti in centru punand intrebari si contrazicandu-ma cu alti colegi, si uneori cu profesorii.
Asta’s eu, imi place sa observ, sa “cercetez”, iar pentru asta imi trebuie timp.
In Darkness We Must Abide is the epic saga of one young woman caught in the dangerous world of the creatures of the night. Already living in the shadows due to her albinism, Vanora is just a little girl when her older brother inadvertently unleashes a terrible evil from the family crypt that changes their lives forever.As she grows up in a world where beautiful deadly beings hunt by night, one captures her eye and her heart. Yet, can she trust the mysterious Armando? For there is a powerful entity plotting to claim her when she reaches adulthood in order to fulfill an ancient prophecy, and her enemy has enveloped her in a web of deceit, casting doubt on all she believes to be true.Soon, she will have to fight not only to save those she loves, but also for her very soul. Rhiannon Frater delivers a chilling adventure once again with this multi-part epic serial with a dynamic cast, old school vampires, bloody action, a smoldering forbidden love, and a terrifying villain set against the backdrop of a modern day vampire war. This paperback includes all five episodes of the first season of the serial.
In Darkness We Must Abide
The Origin of a Supernatural Serial
At the end of last year, I stumbled across an old manuscript lurking in the badlands of my hard drive. I was shocked to unearth the story, having forgotten I had it converted to Word years ago from my old word processing format. For years I had considered it trunked and lost somewhere in the storage in the garage. Opening the file, I rediscovered a story I had sank most of my heart and soul into a very long time ago when I was just starting to write horror novels.
In Darkness We Must Abide was my first full-length original work. I spent hours at my old typewriter creating the first draft of the manuscript. Later, I bought a word processor and retyped the entire manuscript, saving it onto floppy discs. Yes, this was a long time ago!
As I read over my old work, I realized several things. One, I still absolutely loved the two primary leads, Armando and Vanora; and two, the story was solid, but needed some revision. I was very young when I wrote the story, inexperienced in life, love, and long lasting relationships, and this clearly showed. Also, I was under immense pressure from people in my life to write something “nice and normal,” so I struggled quite a bit with certain themes in the story. Reading over the manuscript, I saw exactly the changes I needed to implement to make it a stronger, vibrant read. I set it aside, considering reworking it into a trilogy at a later date.
At the beginning of this year, I began toying with the idea of doing a serial. As The World Dies was originally written as an online serial, and I’d missed the immediate feedback that came with the release of each new part. I had an idea for a whole new fresh work, but was intimidating by having to fit it into my already overloaded writing schedule. Then I saw an article about taking an old manuscript and converting it into a serial. Instantaneously, I knew that In Darkness We Must Abide was the perfect story to be converted into a serial. It was already divided into three distinct parts and it was huge! In fact, one of the reasons I couldn’t sell the book in its old form was that it was one massive book that far exceeded the word count limits of most publishers.
I instantly divided the first third of the story into the five episodes that make up season one. Extremely nervous, I started the revision process with the intention of each part reading like a television show in the reader’s mind. I was shocked at how easily the story fell into an episodic format, but was thrilled at the same time. Also, the voices of the characters readily reawakened in my mind, much to my relief.
In my youth, I had made several big mistakes. When atest reader had an adverse reaction to my lead character being an albino, I altered her appearance. I even changed her name to something I thought sounded fancier. When I started revising, the first thing I did was give Vanora her name back and restore her albinism. I had robbed my lead character of an important part of not only her physical appearance, but her life experience as an albino. I also embraced all the themes I had skirted around in the earlier drafts, out of fear of criticism.
Side note: Humorously, I spent a lot of time trying to avoid overt sexual themes out of fear of offending my mother. This is the same woman who would later call me up to tell me how much she loved the sex scenes in Pretty When She Dies because they were “hot.”
When I finally sent the first episode off to my beta readers, I was terrified. How would they react to a gothic horror novel I had conceived so long ago? When the rave reviews started flowing in, I was so relieved. My story had officially risen from the grave.
Since the release of the first episode of In Darkness We Must Abide, I’ve been having a great time discussing the story with readers. A serial feels much different from a trilogy or series because the installments come out much quicker and there is less waiting for the readers. As a writer, it’s a challenge to give the readers something they can enjoy in small increments, but also instills in them the desire to read the next episode. The immediate feedback is also a great way for me to gage what is working, and what’s not. Though the fan reaction will not affect the overall story arc, to some degree it does affect the presentation of it. Because of the mad love for Armando, I have expanded his role significantly in the first season.
I have enjoyed my serial experience so much. I’m already anticipating doing one next year! This time it will be a whole new writing project, but it was definitely worthwhile digging up In Darkness We Must Abide and sharing it with my readership.
“Imposibil!!”
Si din nou ajung la ceva ce mereu aud “Nimic nu e imposibil!”.
De cand ma stiu am avut pisica langa mine, si tot de atatia ani am avut impresia ca ele nu suporta aspiratorul. Si uite ca da. Doamne, pisicuta mea se “transforma” cand aude zgomotul facut de aspirator. Nu, ma corectez, transformarea incepe cand il vede, pe cand cea de mai sus se comporta ca si cand viata ei ar tine de el. He-he, “Frumoasa si Bestia”. :lol:
Vizionare placuta!
If everything about you changes, what remains?
Seventeen year-old Ruby, long-pledged to the much older Stiles from the Fireseed desert cult, escapes with only a change of clothes, a pouch of Oblivion Powder and her mute little brother, Thorn. Arriving at The Greening, a boarding school for orphaned teens, she can finally stop running. Or can she? The Greening is not what it seems. Students are rampaging out of control and as she cares for the secret Fireseed crop, she experiences frightening physical changes. She’s ashamed of her attraction to burly, hard-talking Blane, the resident bodyguard, and wonders why she can’t be happy with the gentler Armonk. She’s long considered her great beauty a liability, a thing she’s misused in order to survive. And how is she to stop her dependence on Oblivion to find a real beauty within, using her talent as a maker of salves, when she has nightmares of Stiles without it?When George Axiom, wealthy mogul of Vegas-by-the-Sea offers a huge cash prize for the winner of a student contest, Ruby is hopeful she might collect the prize to rescue her family and friends from what she now knows is a dangerous cult. But when Stiles comes to reclaim her, and Thorn sickens after creating the most astonishing contest project of all, the world Ruby knows is changed forever. This romantic fantasy set in 2099 on earth has a crafty heroine in Ruby, and a swoonworthy cast, which will surely appeal to the YA and new adult audience.
Catherine Stine writes YA, New Adult and middle grade fiction. Her YA futuristic thriller, Fireseed One, illustrated by
the author was granted a Bronze Wishing Shelf Book Award and an Indie Reader Approved notable stamp. Her YA Refugees, earned a New York Public Library Best Book. Middle grade novels include A Girl’s Best Friend. More and more, she’s enjoying writing speculative tales. She teaches literature at the School of Visual Arts and creative writing at the Philadelphia Writing Conference and in her own ongoing NYC writing workshop. Catherine earned a double focus MFA in Creative Writing at the New School.
Visit her at www.catherinestine.blogspot.com and at www.catherinestine.com.
For small-town girl Blakely Henry, any hope of finding her biological parents died when she stopped believing in fairy tales and Disney princes. That is, until she spots her boarding school’s new British exchange student, Max Ryder, staring at her. Why would a boy who looks like he stepped out of the pages of a magazine be looking at her? Because Max knows something Blakely doesn’t.
Following the tragic demise of one of Europe’s most beloved royal families, Max has stumbled upon information he thinks may lead to a lost royal heir, and now he is on a quest halfway around the world to see if he’s right.
Sworn to secrecy by his university professor and the headmaster of Lakeview Academy, Max is admitted into an exchange program with the sole purpose of finding out the truth. But will his personal feelings for Blakely get in the way?
When a stolen email surfaces, Blakely and her friends’ lives are threatened, and Max starts to question what he is really after.
From the exclusive rolling lawns of Canada’s most prestigious boarding school to the University of Saint Andrews’ hallowed grounds, Blakely’s quiet, unassuming life is turned upside down. Is she really who she thinks she is? Can she survive long enough to help Max unearth the truth?
I received a copy from NetGalley.
My opinion:
Well… I’ve got to say… The title of the book undoubtedly first caught my attention.
There is a lot to like in this book. Amazing book! This author is truly gifted in many ways! She is a dyslexic person just so you know. But who cares? She spins a suspenceful tale with just the right amount of romance! Strong character profiles and interesting details made for an incredible read. The storyline is a bit mystery, and a bit teen drama, but it’s a good, fun read.
I recommend this book to everyone!!!
And yes, there are plans for at least 2 more Lakeview novels, and I’m soooooo curious!
I love this part:
” Dear Blakely,
I’m sorry. I really am. I never meant to hurt you. I wanted to tell you. You deserved to know the truth, but by the time I got to know you well enough I was in too deep. I knew you’d never forgive me and I couldn’t risk losing you.
I meant every word I told you the other night. I think I’ve loved you from the start. I think it’s what made me want to come to Lakeview in the first place. I just had to get to know you. I don’t know how else to explain it. Then things got crazy. It wasn’t supposed to end this way.
I hope that you can forgive me.
I know we have no future, not now, but someday maybe you can look back and smile at what we did have.
Max”
18-year old Paige Rice, an exquisite beauty from East Hampton, NY, has just celebrated her high school graduation and is expecting to spend her summer living it up with all her socialite friends. But her parents have a different idea – she is being hauled away-literally- to the mountains of Vermont for the entire summer- in an RV! Assuming she will be an outcast amongst the other teens at the campground still does not prepare her for the treatment she receives, which is far worse than she imagined. She also isn’t prepared for Travis, the campground owner’s son and the “Sexiest” guy she has ever laid eyes on. Travis is the only one who shows any interest in getting to know Paige. The only problem is that they have to explore what lies between them in secret. But once all the secrets are stripped away, the truth may be crushing.***Intended for mature audiences due to language and sexual content***
Travis
As I raised my head, I met stunning blue eyes set in the most gorgeous face that I had ever seen. WOW! I thought as my body reacted on the spot. Trying not to ogle but unable to look away, I quickly took in the sight. He was tall, with short, dark, spiky hair and was sporting a slight five o’clock shadow on his perfect chin. So SEXY!my mind purred as I looked down to see the rest of him. Although he was wearing a long sleeved t-shirt and jeans, I could tell that he was built and that his body underneath was just as incredible. Our eyes briefly locked, and then he smiled. His mouth immediately drew my attention, and I had to look away before he could read my thoughts on my face.
Songs that inspired the book…
Domino by Jessie J
Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band
One More Nightby Maroon 5
Butterfly by Jason Mraz
I’m Yoursby Jason Mraz
(Kissed You) Good Nightby Gloriana
Warning Signby Scars On 45
Second Chanceby Tristan Prettyman
Drunk On You by Luke Bryan
Character Inspire:
Paige
Travis
By no surprise my favorite hobbies are reading and writing. But beyond escaping into the written fantasy world, I loveexperiencing new things. Surfing, motorcycle riding, snow blading, glass blowing, parasailing, SUP boarding are just a few that I have checked off my bucket list, but there is still so much more to explore. Right now, being a mom is my biggest adventure and the best by far!! In the quiet calm hours of the night though, I can usually be found typing away creating a world of romance where drama still exists but love (hopefully!!) always prevails.
1. Where did the idea for Inspire come from?
I was actually camping with my family when the idea for the story came to me. We had just hiked through the woods down to a lake, and I was staring out at the boats when it hit me. I spent the rest of the afternoon “daydreaming” away.
2. How did you come up with the name of the title?
My protagonist, Paige, has a tattoo that inspired the title “Inspire.” It’s also a key part of her character.
3. What was the hardest part of writing Inspire? The easiest?
The hardest part of writing the book was writing the ending. It took a couple of drafts before I was happy with the way I was leaving off. (I’m trying not to give too much away, so I’ll leave it at that.) The easiest part was writing the dialogue between Paige and Travis, and the “LOVE” scenes. They were fun to write!!
4. Are you working on any other projects?
Yes. At least two of the other characters from this book are getting their own stories, and then there are a couple other projects in the works.
5. Do you have a specific writing process?
I really consider myself a mix between a panster and a plotter. The first part of my process is visualizing the characters and the main scenes of the book. My mind starts playing them out like a movie, and so I write it down exactly how I see it. Then, I go back and fill in the story around those scenes until I have a book that I would like to jump into.Although I outline my book ahead of time, things always change along the way as I get to know my characters better.
6. Do you have a certain time of day where you feel most creative?
Honestly, not really. I usually always have a notebook nearby so that I can scribble down things as they come to me. I could be in the shower, in the car, running through the check-out line, or making dinner and something may hit me.
7. Do you have any favorite authors?
Yes, I have LOTS of favorite authors, but the two that stick out the most are: S.C. Stephens and AbbiGlines. Their stories come to life for me, and I have a thing for their leading men!
8. What tips or advice do you have for other aspiring writers?
My first tip would be to write what you love! Second, edit, edit and edit some more. And third, if you’re a self-published author, let someone else do your formatting. (Your time saved is so worth the money!)
Just another WordPress.com weblog
Nu-s bine cum aș vrea eu ,dar nici rău cum ar vrea alții .
A hospital for souls
Les crisis ens obliguen a solucionar problemes que ja coneixíem però que estàvem massa ocupats per resoldre
Welcome to my mind... Blog for fantasty author Jen Wylie
Young Adult Author
