Evolving Characters

I'm finally at the point in Echoes in the Wind where the huge battle occurs between Echo and Pan. Originally, it was going to be between Pan and Narcissus. Echo was going to be strung from the trees and forced to watch while they did battle. One of the things I love about writing is how plot lines and characters go in different directions from original plans. They 'evolve' and go in a new direction which is right for them. When I first imagined Echo, I pictured her as a peaceful, music-loving, wood nymph. Instead, she turned out to be a brave, strong, independant woman who has suffered alot of crap and won't take it anymore! She is not the type of woman to stand on the sidelines and watch as her soul mate does battle. She would throw her soul mate to the side and fight to protect him. I love how her character has turned out. I wish I could sketch a picture of her but I'm not good at drawing people. I have this vision of her in my head as this dark-skinned slightly muscular woman with waist length bright green hair and beautiful almost glowing green eyes. Exotic. Mysterious. Beautiful. In alot of ways she's a reincarnation of a character I wrote in high school who was also black and green haired called Forest Wind. I can't wait until Echoes in the Wind is finished and I can get some critiques. I'm real curious to hear what people think of Echo. She's my favourite character yet.

I'm excited to annouce that Whispers in the Dark has been reviewed at You Gotta Read Reviews: http://yougottareadreviews.blogspot.com/2009/06/review-whispers-in-dark-by-marisa-quinn.html

Its a very good review! I spotted links to it on several other blogs so I'm very excited!

Thick Skin

Whispers in the Dark got its first bad reader review. It wasn't really a review, more of an opinion. Someone voted Whispers in the Dark as being "poor" on Fictionwise. Ah, well. I don't think my little story is poor, its gotten three really good reviews. Bad reviews are just part of the writer's life. It doesn't matter how much effort I put into a story, how long I spend editing it or how much love and passion I pour into the characters, there will always be people who won't like my story. You can't please everyone. Just gotta accept it. I suppose I should be relived that I didn't stumble across a paragraph long rant about Whispers. I've read some pretty snotty reviews on my time...gotten some pretty snotty critiques...every writer dreads having them written about their work. Gotta have a thick skin.

Okay, I'm Back

I still haven't left work I'm sitting on my bed eating fruit toast. I submitted my book for review at a website last night called Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. I'm a little scared. If they choose to review it they'll probably rip it to shreds but on the plus side if I can win them over yay, me! A quick read of their website told me they were a tough cookie to crack. I figure, hey, if I get a good review from them it will be good promotion, if they give me a bad one, I'm bound to get a bad review one day, might as well get it over with. Its like ripping a bandaid off. Why prolong the agony? Just close your eyes, grit your teeth, and rip it off. But like all big girls I'm hoping that it won't hurt at all.

Echoes in the Wind is going well. Its breeched 17,000 words which means if I sell it as an e-book it will sell for double digits! Hopefully, anyway. If it ends up for sale above $5.00 I'll be a happy little chicke-dee. I'm crossing my fingers that it when (not if) if it goes on sale it will be for $10.00 and up. I've got a feeling it will end up around 20,000 words. Now that is a decent sized e-book! Whispers in the Dark became an e-book by accident. I wrote it thinking I would be able to get it published in a magazine. It almost did...but then fate took a sudden turn and it became an e-book.

Whispers reviewed at Manic Readers

I should've posted this days ago but I've been distracted. Whispers in the Dark has been reviewed at Manic Readers:

http://manicreaders.com/index.cfm?disp=reviews&bookid=4246

Another nice little review! and I got it done all by myself :) I emailed the website and they did it really quickly...usually when I request a review I never hear from the website again. LOL. I've been thinking about ways to help promote Whispers and I've decided to get a website professionally made. I emailed a web design company for a qoute but they never got back to me. I'll make some phone calls and do some more web surfing. I'm not going to make some posters until I've had a website made. I'm going to buy my author copies of Whispers in the Dark this pay. I'm going to get four copies two of which are going to friends and the other two will be for me to treasure until I'm old and wrinkled.

Well its the 7th of the month and that means that the new releases for Eternal Press have come out. I can't believe its been a month since Whispers in the Dark came out. In that time I dumped my old boyfriend, met someone else, got dumped by the second person, bouced back to my old boyfriend who begged me to get back together, then got dumped by him. Whoo wee, what a month! All that dating can really exhaust a girl. The dating train has slowed for now which means I have more time to focus on my writing. I'll be back after work with another blog post. I have to dash off now. Its 5.47am in the morning and time for Wii Fitt.

Before I go, its a little weird not having the spotlight on me anymore as a new release author. But hey, that's cool. It was my first release. I couldn't have my time in the sun forever! Its time for the June authors to shine. Congraduations to all the June authors!!