Tag Archive for: ARC

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If you read my post from a few weeks ago you’ll know that I
was anxiously awaiting the ARC of my next book.  It was so close to perfect.  So close, but not actually perfect.  The inside looks great, but there was a
tiny little printing error on the cover and the top of the letters that made up
title were chopped off!  Sigh. But
what’s bad for me could be good for you! 
Leave a comment here or on Facebook for a chance to win this slightly
not right advance copy of Tales From the City of Destiny.  I will select one commenter at random
and announce it on the Stiletto Gang Facebook page tomorrow!

In other, non-book related news, the Seahawks won their game
and are headed for the Super Bowl. Now maybe you don’t care, but I live in
Tacoma, which is 45 minutes from Seattle and EVERYONE cares.  Although apparently, in the rest of the
country, they only care that Seahawks Cornerback Richard Sherman was, to put it
in the vernacular, kind of a dick to another player and then shot his mouth off
on national TV.  I’m not sure where
you come down on the unsportsman like conduct issue, but I come down on the
side of not giving a crap. Sure, I disapprove. His behavior violated the prime directive of proper societal
behavior, also known as the Golden Rule, also known as “Don’t be a dick.”  But considering that there are people
out there suffering from actual problems, whether or not Richard Sherman’s
behavior is a sign of the coming apocalypse (hint: it isn’t) does not occupy a
great deal of my brain space. But you know the part of my brain it does
occupy?  The part that thinks,
“That’s an interesting character. An hour after losing his temper he’s joking
and charming in a custom cut suit and a bow tie (because bow ties are cool).  Where can I use that?  I’m not sure I’m comfortable writing
someone like that.  Maybe that’s
why I should write someone like that.” 
Which is how I came to the conclusion that I should write
someone like Richard Sherman – brash, excitable, charming, angry, and talented.
Because half of writing is about challenging my skills. Not just the mechanics
of how to construct a more elegant sentence, but how to build realistic
characters that aren’t like me. Staying in the safe zone with my characters and
my emotions means that my books will become flat and repetitive. If I’m not
looking to understand other types of people – Richard Sherman or anyone else
that’s different from me – then how can my writing grow?

Bethany Maines is the author of
the Carrie Mae Mystery series and Tales from the City of Destiny. You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube
video or catch up with her on Twitter and
Facebook.

Due Dates

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by Bethany Maines

It’s the new year! And you know what that
means? That’s right, we’re drawing ever closer to my due date. Not my actual
due date. I’m alternatively pretending a baby not going to imminently be
spawned from my body and wishing the date would hurry up so I could stop
feeling like a ship under full sail. 
(She’s coming about – tack starboard, avoid, avoid!!)  No, I’m referring to my next book –
Tales From the City of Destiny. My ARC is due tomorrow and I’m starting to
watch for the mailman with the same intensity as my dog (see picture – we call
him the dogoyle.) Every new ARC is like a present. Will it be perfect? Will I
wish to re-gift it? What’s it going to be??? Ahhhhhh!!



Meanwhile, the crib isn’t put together, we
haven’t picked a name, and my baby shower turns out to be at the same time as
the Seahawk’s first playoff game. A fact that practically all of my friends
have complained about. (Seriously, friends, seriously? It’s not like we knew
that ahead of time.  And honestly,
I like football better than baby showers too, but I swear it’s going to be fun
– there’s going to be booze, and we’re not playing any of the stupid
games.  Suck it up people!) But do
I care about these things? Well, yeah, a little bit. But right this minute,
what I really care about is seeing the fruition of all my hard work in
print. 
Tales From the City of Destiny is a collection
of short stories that track a character over the course of a decade. It’s
something that has been years in the making and I have to say that I’m very
proud of it. I feel that I have both challenged my writing skills and honed in
on how I really wanted to write. I can’t wait to share it with my fans, friends
and family! 

So as the date gets closer, I’ll keep my
fingers crossed that all goes well, that typos vanish and the cover
shines.  And as for the other due
date… well, if worse comes to worse the baby can sleep on the dog bed – I’m
sure he’d rather be on the couch anyway.  (I’m kidding – I swear!!)

    

Bethany Maines is the author of
the Carrie Mae Mystery series and Tales from the City of Destiny. You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube
video or catch up with her on Twitter and
Facebook.


THE TESTING – Giveaway!

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by: Joelle Charbonneau

As I am frantically typing the final chapters to GRADUATION DAY (book 3 of The Testing Trilogy), I have found that my ability to multitask has become severely impacted.  Getting to THE END tends to give me tunnel vision. Nothing exists but completing the story.  Then the fun of editing will begin. I look forward to that part a great deal and can’t wait to dig in. 

Hopefully, by the time you are reading this, I will have reached the final moments of this trilogy.  This has been an unusual project for me since I will finish writing and revising the third book long before the first book comes out on June 4th.  Hopefully, readers will embrace Cia and that I have done justice to her story.  She is a heroine I have loved watching grow and change.

To celebrate my (almost) completion of the final book, I am going to give away an ARC of THE TESTING.

It’s graduation day for sixteen-year-old Malencia Vale, and the entire Five
Lakes Colony (the former Great Lakes) is celebrating. All Cia can think
about—hope for—is whether she’ll be chosen for The Testing, a United
Commonwealth program that selects the best and brightest new graduates to become
possible leaders of the slowly revitalizing post-war civilization. When Cia is
chosen, her father finally tells her about his own nightmarish half-memories of
The Testing. Armed with his dire warnings (”Cia, trust no one”), she bravely
heads off to Tosu City, far away from friends and family, perhaps forever.
Danger, romance—and sheer terror—await. 

THE TESTING is a bit different from my adult mysteries.  No camels or angry standard poodles.  No singing and dancing or roller skating.  But I’m hoping you’ll still like it.  Please leave a comment below to enter (US and CANADA only – sorry!).  I’ll choose the winning commenter on Friday.  Also please leave your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.   

Okay – back to racing to THE END!