Thursday, June 28, 2012

Tips and Links with Myra McEntire, author of TIMEPIECE



I'm pleased to welcome GCC sister Myra McEntire to the blog this week, celebrating the release of her new book, TIMEPIECE. Myra knows the words to every R&B hit of the last decade, but since she lives in Nashville, the country music capital of America, her lyrical talents go sadly unappreciated. She's chosen, instead, to channel her "mad word skills" into creating stories. She's an avid Doctor Who fan and will argue passionately about which incarnation is the best.  (Linda's note... it's #10 David Tennant, right?) : )

About TIMEPIECE:


Kaleb Ballard was never supposed to be able to see ripples—cracks in time. Are Kaleb’s powers expanding, or is something very wrong? Before Kaleb can find out, Jonathan Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, reappears. Why is he back, and what, or whom, does he want?
 
In the wake of Landers’s return, the Hourglass organization is offered an ultimatum by a mysterious man. Either they find Landers and the research he has stolen on people who might carry the time gene, or time will be altered—with devastating results for the people Kaleb loves most.
 
Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their extraordinary powers to find Landers. But where do they even start? And when? Even if they succeed, just finding him may not be enough. . . .
 
The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science-fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.

You can find Myra online on her website and on twitter.

Myra's Tip:
Writing the first draft of TIMEPIECE almost broke me. I couldn’t make it happen the way I wanted it to, so I was pushing my deadline like crazy. I would hole up in my room and do nothing but stare at the computer for hours.
I learned that you can’t make stories if you don’t live life. I learned that when nothing is coming, nothing at ALL, you might need to walk away for a bit.
I learned about BALANCE. 

This Week's Writing Links:

The winning continues at the LIGHTS, CAMERA, CASSIDY Charmed Summer Giveaway! Please feel free to share the link with any MG girls you might know!



Writer'sButt Wednesday: Getting Down with Fish Oil (Ginger Calem)

50 Iconic Writers Who Were Repeatedly Rejected (OnlineCollege)

15 Grammar Goofs That Make You Look Silly (Copyblogger)

5 Story Mistakes Even Good Writers Make (Writer's Digest)

3 Tips for Writing Heavy Emotional Scenes (Jamie Gold)

3 Myths About Villains (QueryTracker)

MediaBistro's Blackmail Writing App (MediaBistro) Love it!

Who Publishes YA? A Breakdown of the Big Six (The YA Curator)

Break the Rules of Writing to Get Inspired (WritersDigest)

Putting Your Writing First (Adventures in YA and Children's Publishing)

Is Your Modifier Dangling? (PocketFullOfCharms)

Taking the Mystery Out of Query Letters (Rachelle Gardener)

The Rules of Storytelling Pixar Style (WritersDigest)

On Staying Open to Inspiration (BeyondTheMargins)

Adjective Advice (GailCarsonLevine)

Writing Lessons Learned from MATCHED (Julie Musil)

How Agents Choose the Best Publishers to Submit to (Rachelle Gardner)

When your MC Changes her Mind (Kidlit.com)

Who Publishes YA? A breakdown (The YA Curator)

How to Tackle Critique Notes (Writer Unboxed)

Comics for SCBWI Conference Newbies (InkyElbows) : )

Performing the Invasive Edit (MagicalWords)

Middling Beauty (BeyondtheMargins)

The Trips and Traps of 1st Person (Omnivoracious)

What Makes Bad Writing (WallStreetJournal)

Character Block (Gail Carson Levine)

How Writing the Query Helped Me Finish the Novel (BeyondTheMargins)

Authenticity of Voice (MagicalWords)

The Rules for Suspense Writing (Writer's Digest)

Sell it to Me (QueryTracker)

Now go find your balance and write!


P.S. I have no idea how come parts of my blog are highlighted in white and the rest of it is black. If anyone knows how to avoid this, please let me know. I should be writing, so I haven't the time to figure it out!