Blog hop!

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So, all my readers are probably wondering, "What on earth is a blog hop?" Why not? I was wondering the same earlier this week. Well, dear readers, its this wonderful time when the blogger (me) takes a moment to thank the one who introduced me (Lady Tabitha), answer some questions, and then introduce all my readers to two other wonderful blogs. This particular hop is all about writing, and introduces both amateur writers (me until I can finish and sell my work) and professional writers.

Why do a blog hop? Simply because it seemed fun to try, and it gives me an easy topic for this day's blog post. Yup, I'm cheating in a way, but it works! Ok, so let's get to the meat of things. Lady Tabitha is the one who introduced me to this Blog Hop, so let me start with some information about her.

Tabitha is a female writer, the oldest of five children, who has Rheumatoid Arthritis. She loves reading and writing among many other varying interests, and is always multi-tasking, keeping herself entertained, and enduring the curse of a million different tabs open in her browser at any one time. You can find her on Twitter @windmillstilt and Facebook as totiltwithwindmills as well! 

Tabitha’s blog: http://totiltwithwindmills.wordpress.com

"Hey, Ms Perrin, what are you working on?"

Wait, you haven't heard yet? Well... I'm in the process of revising my first novel, Raven's War: Earth's Light. Raven is the General over all the demons of nightmares. He's the meanest of them all. The world we open into is based off one question: What happens when science meets magic in a destructive way? Assume for a moment that all myths, legends and religions are true. Assume that we see elves and trolls and goblins every day... disguised as humans and living so long as if they were human that they have forgotten they weren't. Those horses at the rodeo aren't all horses. One is a pegasus, another a unicorn. And that UFO you swear you saw? That was a dragon.

Raven's war takes place centuries after magic was revealed to the modern world, after all the destruction. The event itself has been forgotten, and living is getting harder and harder for magical creatures and humans alike. In Earth's Light we will be following the adventures of Katarina and Damien. They are polar opposites thrown together and fighting against each other towards the same goal: Freedom from the demon Raven.

"So how is this any different from what's out there?"

I have seen so many books base themselves in a realm where one or two legends may be true. But how many will put it all onto Earth? Earth's Light will be just one book in a series, highlighting a few of the magical creatures within this world. There will be mystery, there will be action, and there will be tragedy. There will be love and loss, hope and despair. It is my world I live in daily, highlighted by my trips into my nightmare realm. Raven is no pushover. He is twisted and cruel.

"Why are you writing this?"

That's the tough question, isn't it. Why? Several reasons, really. Some of them noble, and some of the entirely self-serving. First and foremost: I write because I simply can not not write. Yes, you read that correctly. I have to write as much as I have to breathe. It is a part of me, and has been for quite some time. This is, however, my first attempt at a novel.

There is also my nightmares to consider. Raven has been a thorn in my side for years. So long, in fact, that I'm hard pressed to remember a time I wasn't plagued by nightmares. If I'm not revisiting the past, then I have Raven torturing me. Writing this novel is my attempt at bleeding off some of those nightmares. If I can write them out, then perhaps they will disappear from me. That is the hope. Time will tell if it truly happens.

However, I am not above trying to get paid for writing. Yes, I know, very rarely does an author's first novel get published. Even if it does, very rarely does an author get paid much for it. This doesn't bother me. If worse comes to worse, I'll publish as an e-book. A few pennies is better than nothing. Hells, give me a few dollars and I can continue to feed my reading addiction. The point here is that I try.

And then there is the completely self-serving reason: I need to know that I can do this. Seriously. Low self-esteem sucks, but I'm fighting it. I'm fighting it for all those that have been told they couldn't. I am fighting it to prove to all those that told me I couldn't that I indeed can. I am proving to my daughter that she can do what she wants to do, that she can dare to dream big. I am doing this to leave a piece of me behind in the world. So that I will have left my footprint and perhaps, just perhaps, I will be remembered for a while when I'm gone. And most sad of all, I am doing this so that when I do leave this world, perhaps someone will mourn me.

"Do you have a writing process?"

Nope. Not in the least. I have had the idea haunting me for years. I have even tried a couple times to write it, but got stuck somewhere in the first three chapters. On Halloween of last year, 2013, I heard about NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month and begins on November 1st running through the entire month. The premise is simple: Sit your hind end down and write 50K words in one month. I sat down and from morning to night wrote all that I could while also taking care of my, then, 4 year-old daughter. I ended up with over 90K and still wasn't done. I must also mention here that it wouldn't have been possible without my father being so supportive. He even let me buy a writing program, Scrivener, so that I can continue to write.

Well, I left it there for a few months and am only recently going back to it. Now I'm outlining the story. Its already written, yes, but something went wrong and my ending didn't end. So I am outlining so that I can find the problem and re-weave all the threads back to where they need to be. Next NaNo I will be going in with an outline, this time for book 2. The plan? To have the story already layed out and lined up so that all I have to do is add the details and dialogue in November.

Well, that seems to be about all of it. Thank you all for reading this far! Let me ask something from you? Go check out Lady Tabitha's page, then check out these two stunning ladies below. I am honored to be in such company, and would love my readers to visit them. If you do, be sure to tell them I sent you. Thanks!

First up is Her Majesty, Torie James:

Torie James has loved reading since she was old enough to hold a book in her lap. While her friends were out playing, she was generally curled up nearby falling down rabbit holes, catching second stars to the right, and stepping through wardrobes into mysterious lands and countless adventures. When those stories ended, she made up her own and kept going. This later on translated into a strong passion for writing that has helped her keep her feet on the ground while her head stayed firmly in the clouds. Lover of Dr. Pepper, all things chocolate, and Duran Duran, her dreams finally became a reality with the publication of Timeless Night, published by Breathless Press.

Timeless Night is her debut novel but she hopes to have many more forays into New Camelot where not everything remains myth.

Torie lives in Southern California with her family and a houseful of pets who rule the roost.

You can find the Once and Future Queen's blog here: http://torienjames.blogspot.com/

You can also find her on Facebook here: Torie James - Writer Girl

You can find her on Twitter here: Writergurl216

Next we have the talented Decadent Kane:

An elfess in human form, Decadent enjoys dipping her fingers into the human realm where she took pen to paper and began the tales of the trouble with elves. Her obsessions include reading, Dean Winchester, and honey.

She will devour your soul with glimpses of the feral ridden drow elves, with their dark skin and soul consuming. She'll sneak morsels of naughty thoughts to you via goblins, and seduce you into stepping inside the elven realm where females disappear when lust takes over among other elfish troubles.

Beware the sprites.

Follow the wisps.

But never look a drow elf king in the eyes...

You can view her fantabulous blog here: http://decadentkane.blogspot.com/

You can also find her on Twitter: DecadentKane

Much love,
~K Perrin