I Did It! I Won!

Hi Everyone!
I just won NaNoWriMo!

I completed my word count goal of 23,000 words with the completion of Death Like Sleep and beginning The Clockshifter!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you have a fabulous day of thankfulness and food!

#Shelfie and NaNoWriMo Update

Ooohhhh!  The selfie for readers!  It's called a SHELFIE!  (Isn't that an awesome word?)  Anyways, I have been nominated by Katie at A Writer's Faith to post my shelfie!  What exactly is a shelfie?  Well, a shelfie is a picture taken of your bookshelf!



From Left to Right: The Hidden Staircase and The Secret of the Old Clock, A Little Princess, Little Women, Mr. Benedict's Book of Perplexing Puzzles, Elusive Enigmas, and Curious Conundrums, The Mysterious Benedict Society, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair

 



From Left to Right: Elsie's Girlhood, Elsie's Motherhood, Elsie's Children, Elsie's Widowhood, Elsie's Relations, Elsie at Nantucket, The Two Elsies, Elsie's Kith and Kin, Grandmother Elsie, Elsie's Womanhood

From Left to Right: The Secret Journey, The Christmas Doll, Blue Willow, The Princess Adelina, Tribulation Force, Nicolae, Apollyon, A Light Has Dawned, Go Teen Writers, Journey to the River Sea

And the ones that are too tall for my bookshelf:

From Top to Bottom: Armageddon,  The Emotion Thesaurus

I would now like to nominate:

Anna Jolene at Truth of the Lens

Athelas Hale at Red Lettering

Jaye L. Knight

Mickayla Jansen at Pencils Can Change the World

 

And now for the NaNoWriMo Update:

 

Well, there are 4 days left in NaNoWriMo!  I am both excited and sad.  I have only 2,517 more words to write to complete NaNoWriMo!!!  I am so excited!  I hope to finish on Friday sometime.  :)

The Last Push At NaNoWriMo

I am sorry that my posts this November have been few and far between.  Fact is, between NaNoWriMo and life, there is not very much time for blogging.

So this is it, the last week of 2014's NaNoWriMo.  The long awaited month is coming to a close.  But there is still so much writing to do!  The excitement of meeting your goal and fear of not meeting it is overwhelming.  Believe me, I understand completely.  I actually lowered my word count goal to 23,000 words because I knew that 40,000 was not feasible for how hectic my life is right not.  Here is a look at how I have written so far this November:

Yes, there are a lot of times when I should have been writing, but didn't.  But that's okay.  I will still meet my goal.

Something to help you on your last push is something that I found called Write Deck.  This sight is AWESOME!  You sign up and do word wars, which are not by time but by number of words.  You can even do them with yourself!  I have found that I have been more motivated with that to help me! 

Good luck with those word count goals!

Happy Thanksgiving!
Alea Harper

The Best Blogging Buddies Award

I was nominated for this award by Katie at A Writer's Faith!  Thank you so much Katie!

Here are the rules:

1. You must make a post to show your award on your main blog.
2. You must tag the person who nominated you in your post.
3. You must nominate all of your best buddies, and those whom you want to become best buddies with, who, to your knowledge, have not been nominated, for this award.
4. You must ask your buddies at least 15 questions on your post.
5. You must answer all of the questions your buddies ask you. On your post.

So...Let it Begin!

1. Where is your favorite place to write?
        My favorite place to write has to be the Grand Canyon!  This past summer when I went there, those who I was with and I stopped at a beautiful spot for a little while and I wrote!  It.  Was.  Awesome.
 2. Favorite board game?
       My favorite board game would have to be Scotland Yard.  :) It requires teamwork and a boatload of strategy (which I am not very good at)!
 3. What's your favorite joke?

 4. Best writing tip you've ever received?

 

       The best writing tip...hmm...let's see.  Well, I would have to say to keep persevering and writing and finish a story.

 5. Favorite movie?

 

       My favorite movie has to be Lord of the Rings.  Those movies are just epic.

 6. What's a time when you've laughed your hardest?

 

       When I was little, my mom was reading to my sister and I and my sister fell asleep, or partially asleep.  Then, she reached over and grabbed a basket that was next to her bed and tried to drink out of it!  We laughed so hard!

 7. Who's your favorite character that you've created? Describe them a little, if you can.

 

       My favorite character I have created would have to be Eryn from the third book in The Mind Wars Trilogy.  I don't know why I like her so much, but I do.  She has blonde hair and when she is afraid, it paralyzes her.  (I haven't finished creating her yet, so these things are subject to change.)

 8. What's your favorite thing to do besides writing and reading?

 

       My favorite thing to do besides reading and writing is probably spending time with friends and family or making movies!

 9. Movies or books and why?

  

       Books.  All the way.  Don't get me wrong, I love watching movies, but I like reading better.  I really don't know why, but I do.  :)

 10. Ebooks or paperback? Why?

 

       I do have an Ereader, but I like paperbacks so much better!  The feel of an actual book in your hand is an amazing feeling!

 11. Beaches or mountains?

 

       Mountains.

 12. Favorite type of music?

 

       Contemporary Christian!

 13. Okay. Hard question. List your top three favorite books/series.

 

       This one really isn't hard for me!  1. Resistance by Jaye L. Knight 2. Makilien Trilogy by Molly Evangeline 3. Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien

 14. What time of day can you get the most things done?

 

       I can get the most things done in the afternoon to night.  I am a night owl, not a morning person.  :)

 15. And, finally, if there was only one book you could read for the rest of your life, what would it be? (Minus the Bible)

 

       It would be Resistance by Jaye L. Knight.  That book is THE BEST BOOK EVER!  (Sorry, you will probably hear me fangirl about it a lot.)

 

 

Now, I would like to nominate:

 

Athelas Hale at Red Lettering

Jaye L. Knight

Anna Jolene at Truth of the Lens

 

 

My Questions For You

1. What has had the most impact on your life?

2. What is your favorite book?

3. What is your favorite movie?

4. Book or movie?

5. You are stranded on an island and can only have one item with you.  What is that item?

6. Would you rather go on a mission trip locally or internationally?  Why did you choose what you did?

7.  Here is a simple one: What is your favorite color?

8. What is the best first line you have ever read in a book?

9. What is the best last line you have ever read in a book?

10. What caused you to start writing?

11. Have you ever finished a story?  If so, what did you do when you finished the first draft?

12. Cake or pie?

13. Pizza or spaghetti?

14. Are you a morning person or a night owl?

15. If you won a million dollars right now, what would you do with the money?

 

The King's Scrolls Cover Reveal!

Hi!  I am so excited that I get to be a part of the cover reveal for my FAVORITE series, The Ilyon Chronicles!  So, without further ado, here is the amazing cover:

About The King's Scrolls

Following the harrowing events that brought them to Landale Forest, Jace and Kyrin have settled comfortably into their new lives and the mission of protecting those under the emperor’s persecution. The fast approach of winter brings with it the anticipation of a quiet few months ahead. That is until the arrival of four mysterious, dragon-riding cretes who seek aid in a mission of great importance—not only to their own people, but to all followers of Elôm.

Hidden in the vast mining valley north of Valcré, a faithful crete has spent years sharing his knowledge with the destitute miners and their families and is known to possess what may be Arcacia’s last surviving copies of the King’s Scrolls—the Word of Elôm. Joining the cretes, those in Landale must find the crete teacher and bring him to safety, but it is a race against time. Should Daican’s men find him first, execution and the destruction of the Scrolls is certain.

 When disaster strikes, all seems lost. Could Elôm have a plan even in the enemy’s triumph?

Oh my goodness, I cannot even begin to explain my excitement to read this book!!!  But here is something else to be excited about,  Jaye is giving away one of her handcrafted quill pen necklaces and a $5 Amazon gift card! Enter for a chance to win using the form below! U.S. entries only please.  (By the way, her necklaces are AWESOME!)

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here is a picture of the necklace Jaye is giving away:

About Jaye L. Knight

Jaye L. Knight is a homeschool graduated indie author with a passion for writing Christian fantasy and clean new adult fiction. Armed with an active imagination and love for adventure, Jaye weaves stories of truth, faith, and courage with the message that even in the deepest darkness, God’s love shines as a light to offer hope. She has been penning stories since the age of eight and resides in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

You can connect with Jaye on her website, blog, Facebook, Google+, and Twitter.

Add The King's Scrolls to Goodreads!

Here is an excerpt from The King's Scrolls!!!!!  (This is so exciting!)

The other younger crete took a swig of his coffee and set his eyes past her. Kyrin peeked over her shoulder at Kaden who, of course, was staring at the dragon. The female creature stared back in mutual interest.

“Go ahead,” the crete said suddenly. “You can touch her. She loves attention, and she’ll only attack if I tell her to.” A sly glint sparkled in his spring-green eyes.

Besides Jace, Kyrin had never seen anyone with such bright and colorful eyes as these cretes.

Kaden looked at him, his brows rising. “You can do that?”

The crete nodded. “Dragons are highly intelligent. You can teach them almost any command. Storm here is young, but she learns fast.”

Kyrin smiled at the delight in her brother’s eyes as he stepped closer to the dragon and ran his hand over her bluish-gray neck scales. A grin split his face.

“She’s so smooth. Kyrin, come and feel it.”

Kyrin stepped to his side and laid her hand on the dragon. The scales were indeed very smooth, reminding her of the polished marble stair-railings in Auréa Palace, but they weren’t cold. Warmth radiated through them. The dragon, still watching them, let out a little rumble, almost like a giant cat’s purr.

“I told you she liked attention,” the crete said, grinning.

Kyrin chuckled and glanced at Jace to see if he wanted to touch the dragon, but he made no move to come closer. This certainly had more to do with the crete than the dragon. He was very fond of any type of animal. She faced the crete again.

“So they can breathe fire?”

 “For short bursts, but that’s usually all it takes to deter any threat.”

“That’s incredible,” Kaden breathed.

While he continued admiring Storm, Kyrin observed the dragon’s rider. He appeared to be in his early to mid-twenties—about ten years younger than Captain Darq—though his exact age was impossible to guess. Cretes were said to mature faster than humans, so he could be anywhere from seventeen to twenty-five. He too wore a sleeveless jerkin. Brown tattoos, a little darker than his skin, marked both shoulders. Darq and the other cretes had them as well, but Kyrin hadn’t taken a good look at them until now. This man’s were a complicated pattern of spirals and dots, but the shape of a fox stood out in the center of his right shoulder.

Though she tried to be discreet, he must have caught her studying him and suddenly extended his hand to her. “I’m Talas, by the way. Talas Folkan of the Fox Clan.”

To check out the other cover reveals for this book, click on this link!  http://jayelknight.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-kings-scrolls-cover-reveal-giveaway.html 

A Word of Advice to Any Writer...Especially NaNoWriMoer

Greetings everyone!  I had some excitement today...some negative excitement.  My computer lost 7,000 words of my finished novel.  I was going to cry!  Thankfully, I had it uploaded to Microsoft OneDrive and it was saved there.  Immediately, I emailed it to myself and saved it to a flash drive.    So, here are my words of wisdom:

 

Here are some ways to help you do this:

-Copy and paste the text into an email and address it to yourself

-Purchase a flash drive.  Here is a link to one you can buy: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Toshiba-8GB-TransMemory-USB-2.0-Flash-Drive-White/24955389

- Save it as a OneDrive file on your Windows computer.

- Back it up on a hard drive.

Take it from me, you WANT do this!  You do not want to lose your novel or almost lose it!  Please back up your novel!!!!!!!

"The End" Has Been Typed

DEATH LIKE SLEEP has reached it's end!  About 5 minutes ago, I typed "the end" at the end of the Word Document!  This is surreal to me!  This novel (novella really) that I have been dreaming about since July is on paper.  It is the first novel I have ever written and the first novel I have actually finished.  I have stuck it out to the end.  I am literally crying right now.  :)  I can't believe this is happening!!!!!!!!!

I just have to finish writing two scenes, but I will probably finish that tonight.  :)

I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NaNoWriMo - Day 3

It's Day 3 of NaNoWriMo!!!!  So far I am doing really good with 4,968/40,000 words!  That means that I am 12.42% of the way to my word count goal.  Today I participated in some word wars which is awesome!  My novel is currently 19,973 words and is also almost done (I am so excited)!  I do have trouble with making my writing long enough...

Stay tuned for more writing updates and maybe some other things this month!

My Experience of Day 1 of NaNoWriMo

Today was an amazing day for me!  It really has been.  I feel like I've accomplished more than I have in the last couple of months!  Yes, I know this is my third post today, but I really want to share this with you guys! 

What I have don't today:

1. Woke Up Late
2. Watched Earth to Echo (a pretty good movie by the way)
3. Ate Breakfast
4. Wrote 1545 words
5. Went on Pinterest for a little while
6. Showered
7. Pinterest/listened to some Jonathan Park episodes
8. Did my nails in a fantasy burnt paper style.  I found how to do it on Pinterest.  ;)
9. Wrote another 1,098 words.
10. Wrote this blog post.  :)

I am writing the part of my novel that I have most been looking forward to writing.  I mean, since I have thought of this book, I have been dreaming about this part, and here I am, writing it!  It is truly an amazing feeling.  When I first got to it a few nights ago, I was totally fangirling about it.  Like seriously obsessing over it.  No, I wasn't actually writing anymore, I was just thinking about how I loved it!  The sad part was that there was nobody to fangirl with. :( Nobody has read my novel yet, since it isn't finished.  Except for the small excerpts I have posted a couple of times here.  :)

Today, I knew that my dreams are coming true here and now! I am really writing my first novel!  The doubts that I have had about it aren't really there anymore.  The past month or so, I have had doubts about it not being long enough and having major writer's block, but now, writing it as words just keep flowing through my fingers, I don't feel that anymore.  I think that it is going to be way to short and that the pace is way to fast, but not, I know it's not.  It is just fine.  I just have this amazing feeling right now that I haven't felt in a long time.  I feel so empowered!  This is just so incredible!  (Am I rambling too much?  ;) ) 

How is everyone elses' day 1 of NaNoWriMo going? Are you feeling empowered too?

Novel/NaNoWriMo Update

Well, it is DAY 1 of NaNoWriMo!  I have been writing a lot this morning and early afternoon!  Here are some updates, as of this second.  I might still write more today!  ;)

Death Like Sleep Word Count: 16,595

Words Written Today: 1,545

Stats:



Happy NaNoWriMo!

Calling all writers!  National Novel Writing Month starts TODAY!  My goal is 40,000 words and I am hoping to finish my current WIP!  Today is a holiday for all writers!  Let's celebrate!

If you are participating in NaNoWriMo this year, check out my Pinterest board NaNoWriMo Encouragement for some encouragement and tips!