Guest Post: Breaking Out of My Comfort Zone by Stacy McAnulty

My comfort zone—quite literally— is my office. I share the space with my three dogs. It’s close to my coffeemaker and a bathroom. The internet is speedy, and the phone has caller ID (allowing me to choose which calls to answer). And I alone control the thermostat. I spend most of my waking hours in this home office, feeling safe and secure except when I start reading political threads on Twitter.

But as an author, this safe and secure feeling is not something I want for my characters. That would be boring and also, not true to life for most young readers. In my debut middle-grade novel, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl, 12-year-old Lucy is a homeschooled math savant, who is academically ready for college. She’s content with life in her apartment and chatting with “friends” on math internet forums. But Nana decides to send Lucy to middle school for the first time, and Lucy ends up lightyears away from her comfort zone.

The start of the story is an example of a kid being forced out of her comfort zone. This was Nana’s idea (and Nana’s fault!). This is often the case for kids. They don’t choose to move to a new town. They don’t have a choice to participate or not in gym class. I can clearly remember the unit I hated most in PE class—gymnastics. I’ve never been able to do a cartwheel, and I’m as flexible as a dining-room table.  Gymnastic in gym class was agony. I’d fake injuries and illness to avoid tumbling across the large orange mat. But you can’t avoid a month-long unit. Eventually, I was forced onto the balance beam and uneven bars. Was there anything gained by forcing 12-year-old me to humiliate myself in front of my peers? I certainly didn’t go on to the Junior Olympics. It was more about learning to handle the uncomfortableness and embarrassment—something that happens to everyone, maybe not in gym class, but sometime during one’s public education. The seeds of empathy had been planted.

My dad tells a more uplifting story. When he was a kid about 7 or 8 years old, his mom (my sweet grandmother) told him to go play ball at the park with the other boys in the neighborhood. When my dad cried and refused to go, she dragged him to the field and left him. When he tried to return home, she locked him out of the house. (This was in the 1950’s and totally normal parenting.) With no other options, he went and played baseball. And as he tells it, he loved it and played for the next 40 years. Gram wrenched him from his comfort zone with great success.

Knowing adults can push kids into new activities and situations—sometimes with positive results and sometimes not. Then there are times when kids choose to make that leap for themselves. In the book, Lucy does not like to draw attention to herself in class. When teachers are looking for volunteers, she hangs her head and hides behind her hair as if she could make herself invisible. But there comes a point where she does speak up.  She can no longer stay silent.

Kids aren’t actively thinking, “I’m going to step outside my comfort zone.” Sometimes the choices are split-second decisions. Do I confront this person? Do I raise my hand when I’m not sure about the answer? And sometimes, they’re longer and more agonizing decisions. Do I try out for the play even though speaking in front of an audience is terrifying? Do I ask the teacher for extra help, something I’ve never needed before? Do I go to this event where I won’t know anyone? Big or small, kids are handling these issues often. It’s important for young readers to see characters doing the same things with both positive and negative results. Plus, it would be boring if we all just hung out in my home office all day. Although I do have lots sugary snacks to share.

About Stacy: 

Stacy McAnulty is a children’s book author, who used to be a mechanical engineer, who’s also qualified to be a paleontologist (NOT REALLY), a correspondent for The Daily Show (why not), and a Green Bay Packer coach (totally!). She is the 2017 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor Recipient for Excellent Ed, illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach. Her other picture books include Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years, illustrated by David Litchfield; Max Explains Everything: Grocery Store Expert, illustrated by Deborah Hocking, Brave and Beautiful, both illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff; Mr. Fuzzbuster Knows He’s the Favorite, illustrated by Edward Hemingway; and 101 Reasons Why I’m Not Taking a Bath, illustrated by Joy Ang. She’s also authored the chapter book series Goldie Blox, based on the award-winning toys, and The Dino Files. Her debut middle grade novel, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl, will publish in May 2018. When not writing, Stacy likes to listen to NPR, bake triple-chocolate cupcakes, and eat triple-chocolate cupcakes. Originally from upstate NY, she now lives in Kernersville, NC with her 3 kids, 3 dogs, and 1 husband.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

About the Book:

Title: THE MISCALCULATIONS OF LIGHTNING GIRL

Author: Stacy McAnulty

Pub. Date: May 1, 2018

Publisher: Random House

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 304

Find it: Amazon, B&N, iBooks, TBD, Goodreads

Middle school is the one problem Lucy Callahan can't solve in this middle-grade novel perfect for fans of The Fourteenth Goldfish, Rain Reign, and Counting by 7s.

Lucy Callahan was struck by lightning. She doesn't remember it, but it changed her life forever. The zap gave her genius-level math skills, and ever since, Lucy has been homeschooled. Now, at 12 years old, she's technically ready for college. She just has to pass 1 more test--middle school!

Lucy's grandma insists: Go to middle school for 1 year. Make 1 friend. Join 1 activity. And read 1 book (that's not a math textbook!). Lucy's not sure what a girl who does calculus homework for fun can possibly learn in 7th grade. She has everything she needs at home, where nobody can make fun of her rigid routines or her superpowered brain. The equation of Lucy's life has already been solved. Unless there's been a miscalculation?

A celebration of friendship, Stacy McAnulty's smart and thoughtful middle-grade debut reminds us all to get out of our comfort zones and embrace what makes us different.

"An engaging story, full of heart and hope. Readers of all ages will root for Lucy, aka Lightning Girl. No miscalculations here!" --Kate Beasley, author of Gertie's Leap to Greatness

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of THE MISCALCULATIONS OF LIGHTNING GIRL, US Only.

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Tour Schedule:

Week One:

April 23, 2018: Beagles and Books - Interview

April 24, 2018: Mrs. Knott's Book Nook - Review

April 25, 2018: A Dream Within A Dream - Excerpt

April 26, 2018: Here's to Happy Endings - Review

April 27, 2018: She Dreams in Fiction - Excerpt

Week Two:

April 30, 2018: 100 Pages A Day - Review

May 1, 2018: Wonder Struck - Review

May 2, 2018: Nerdophiles - Review

May 3, 2018: The Underground - Guest Post

May 4, 2018: Feed Your Fiction Addiction - Review

Guest Post: Purpose of a Bucket List by Mia Kerick

A bucket list is a list of things you want to do before you die. And if you think that A YA novel about teenagers consumed with the notion that they need to undergo certain significant lifetime experiences before they “kick the bucket” to be rather morbid, maybe you’re looking at bucket lists in the wrong way. Maybe you’re thinking about a bucket list the way Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) and Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) did in the movie The Bucket List; their age was advancing and their health was failing—time was running out! And so they decided, maybe there’s still time to squeeze in a few long-procrastinated “bucket list items”!” This isn’t exactly what is happening in my book.

The purpose of creating a bucket list is to get something done that you have put off for way too long. Brainstorming the list helps you understand what your priorities are—and to better know yourself. It’s an eye-opening activity. The act of writing these goals down—or otherwise recording them—makes this list more than a bunch of far-fetched wishes, but real possibilities.

THE GOLDEN RULE OF ALL BUCKET LISTS: YOU MUST WRITE IT ALL DOWN.

Now, in The Weekend Bucket List, Cady and Cooper did not create a list of items they want to accomplish before they die. And this leads to the next area of discussion: there are many different kinds of bucket lists. There are bucket lists of things a person wants to accomplish before turning fifty or before getting married. A bucket list can be of vacation spots you want to visit with your children. The possibilities are endless. In The Weekend Bucket List, model children and students, Cady LaBrie and Cooper Murphy, come up with a bucket list of all of the rebellious things that the other kids in their grade have done, and they have missed out on because they were too busy studying. And they give themselves the forty-eight hours before graduation to cross each item off the list.

I don’t want to spoil the book by filling you in on all the dirty details, but I will say that Cady and Cooper’s list is not at all parent-approved. It includes the consumption of a few bottles of beer, the presence of a piercing gun, and the requirement for first kisses in the dark. But what Cooper, Cady, and the third wheel they pick up along the way, high school drop-out Eli Stanley, don’t realize is that the bucket list they create is not as much about checking off items as gaining self-knowledge. And they will be further surprised to discover that some of this self-knowledge comes with a hefty price tag.

The Weekend Bucket List will definitely make you laugh, and where it may not make you cry, it will make you think. And when you’re finished reading you’ll want to create a bucket list all your own!

Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—all named after saints—and five nonpedigreed cats—all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled men and their relationships, and she believes that sex has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press for providing her with an alternate place to stash her stories.

Mia is proud of her involvement with the Human Rights Campaign and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

Guest Post: The Imagination of the Reader by Sam B Miller II

How much should an author leave to the imagination of the reader?

Some readers want detail such as 'The rectangular dining room was lit by a small chandelier centered in a high ceiling over a long table covered with a stained tablecloth. The four high-backed, cushioned chairs were mismatched and more suitable for a casual kitchen. Sunlight from eastern facing windows was muted by faded gold-colored drapes.' Other readers like little detail. They fill in the missing descriptions with their mind such as 'The dining room was crowded with a table and four chairs.’

Of course there is an in-between but which approach is favored?

My stories have tried both ways of writing scene details. In the 3-book science fiction series, ‘The Origin of F.O.R.C.E.’, I provided detail of the characters. Height, weight, hair color, eyes, type of glasses, clean-shaven, clothing and disposition were all described. I controlled how the reader visualized my characters and even had characters drawn by professional artists based upon those descriptions. Many people said the descriptions brought the characters to life. Others said the detail bogged down the story. Here are the links to ‘The Origin of F.O.R.C.E.’ series. 

              

My fourth story, ‘Smith’, is a paranormal/supernatural tale written in a completely different way. The reader knows who is male, female or inhuman, but the character’s appearance is completely up to the reader. Ethnicity, hair-color, height and other identifiers are left to the reader’s imagination. Descriptions of buildings, rooms, army bases, hospital rooms, and hidden bunkers are minimal as well, leaving the readers to picture scenes as they wish to interpret them. I suppose I would name the technique ‘World-building in the reader’s mind’.

To my surprise, readers have discussed certain scenes in my book in ways I never thought possible.

Here are the links to Smith.

 

The new writing style resulted in a crisp read while at the same time reducing the word count to the point the story became a Novella rather than a Novel. I would appreciate your opinion. Which writing style do you prefer? I am in the process of writing my next novel and am anxious to know which writing style is preferred.

Sam B Miller II, Author

Sam B. Miller II holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance, and a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance, from the University of Tennessee. He has five children and lives with his wife, Susan, and their many dogs, in Northeast Tennessee. After writing a successful Science Fiction 3-book series, Miller has turned his attention upon the mystery of the supernatural. Smith is his fourth novel.

Follow him on Twitter or check out his Goodreads page. 

Guest Post: My Writing Journey by Kari Lynn West

K: Hey all, I am so pleased to welcome Kari Lynn West, author of The Secrets of Islayne, to the blog today. My review for her book can be found here, and if you'd like to connect more with Kari, you can reach her at her website, here. I hope you'll join me in welcoming Kari to The Underground.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi there,

First off, thank you Katie for hosting me on your blog today! I appreciate the chance to introduce myself and talk a bit about my novel with all of your lovely readers J

To all those lovely readers, my name is Kari Lynn West, and I recently released my debut YA fantasy, The Secrets of Islayne. You should also know that I love coffee much more than is probably good for me. One of my favorite things to do is to curl up on the couch with a cup of strong coffee and a good story.

At some point in the past few days, I hope you've also had the chance to do just that.

Speaking of stories, I'd like to share a short tale with you about my writing journey and how my debut novel, The Secrets of Islayne, came to be. If you want, feel free to brew some good coffee first and find that favorite spot on your couch. I don't mind waiting.

...All set? Let's begin. :)

A Young Story Fanatic

It was a dark and stormy night...

Kidding, everyone, kidding.

Let's start that again:

Books have long been my obsession. As a kid, I could spend an entire Saturday curled up on the couch with the latest Little House on the Prairie, Redwall, or Dear America novel. The adventure, friendship, and fun I found between the pages opened up my imagination and sparked a never-ending search for my next favorite story. 

In college, I majored in English so no one could fault me for reading so much. One summer, I worked weekends at a tiny, mostly-forgotten used bookstore where they paid me in books (which served as my inspiration for where Ronan finds himself working at the beginning of The Secrets of Islayne). There is a kind of magic in well-penned words that I’ve been drawn to my whole life. For me, the desire to write novels was just a natural extension of my love of reading.

The Glimmer and the Grind

Have you ever had an idea that you just can't get out of your head?

Years before I put pen to paper (or more accurately, fingers to keyboard), I watched a news story about a woman who could remember each moment of her life as clearly as if it had just happened to her. For months after I saw that news feature, I couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like to remember your life that clearly. The concept was utterly fascinating to me (in part because I have a terrible memory). 

The seed for The Secrets of Islayne was planted in that moment, but it didn't come to fruition for quite a while. Like a lot of would-be writers, I had big dreams but little self-discipline when it came to my craft. It took several years for me to consistently sit down at my computer each day and add to my word count. But slowly, I learned the art of faithful creativity in the midst of the craziness of life (aka working my day job, having two kids, and moving twice).

Fast forward a few years. After several drafts, a lot of helpful feedback from trusted, story-smart readers, hundreds of hours spent re-writing and editing—and an embarrassing amount of time banging my head against a wall, crying that I would never get the story right—I finally had a novel worth sharing. 

Happy Readers, Happy Life

But I'm the author of the story, so I may be a little biased (nobody's perfect). If you'd like to know what a few other readers had to say, feel free to read the quotes below or check out the reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

"It's one of those books where 'just one more page' turns into you reading the entire chapter. The Secrets of Islayne is full of unexpected turns and whimsical writing that will pull you in from the first page. Highly recommend it!"

"...a wonderful tale filled with adventure, romance, intrigue, and beauty that you won't be able to put down!"

"A must read for anyone with an appetite for suspense, humor, young love, and just great storytelling!"

Want to Join the Fun?

You can grab a copy of The Secrets of Islayne today to see for yourself how the adventure unfolds. You can get your paperback book on Amazon, or download your ebook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, or iBooks.

If I were you, I'd be sure to read it in that same comfy spot on the couch, with a fresh cup of coffee in hand.

Happy reading,

Kari

P.S. If you’d like to stay in touch and get some free preview chapters of my story, I’d love to have you join my readers’ group! http://bit.ly/2qPQqkU

Guest Post: Eliza Green's Top Ten Self-Publishing Tips

Self publishing is not for everyone. Although many writers self publish, some don’t have the stomach for it. Dealing with any bad reviews you might get, the expense and the amount of time you have to commit to write and promote is not for the faint hearted. There’s a weird kind of pressure that comes from within because as soon as you publish a novel you second guess every decision you make. You can’t slink into a corner and you don’t have the support of a publishing name.

But if you’re excited to control every aspect of your work and don’t see giving up spare time as that big of a deal to do something you love, then I’d say go for it!

Here are my top ten tips if you’re thinking of getting into self publishing.

1: Don’t publish unless your work is polished.

If you’re at the drafting stage, consider these statements

• I have completed a first draft, and to be honest, it’s pretty good.
• If I complete several drafts of the book myself, I’ll be ready to publish straight away.
• I don’t believe in reviewing my work too often because I will only ruin what I have written.

If you identify with any of these statements, then you’re not ready.

What about beta readers?

• I don’t need to use beta readers because nobody knows my work better than me.
• I’m a reader so I can analyse my own work.
• I’m not ready to hear their criticism.

Beta readers can be crucial to identify structural issues within a story. If you agree with any of the above statements, you’re not there yet.

2: Hire professionals

Buying your mother a cup of coffee and a slice of cake in exchange for their feedback does not count as hiring a professional. I’m talking about using editors from reputable lists. Good places to check for editors in the UK is www.sfep.org.uk In the US, www.the-efa.org is a good start. Another is a service called www.reedsy.com. You set up a profile and it allows you to connect with dozens of industry professionals in one place.

3: Join writers groups

I’m part of the Alliance of Independent Authors or Alli for short. Membership prices vary depending on whether you’ve published a book or are an aspiring author. It’s a great place to meet like-minded writers and learn a thing or two in the process.

www.allianceindependentauthors.org

4: Learn the business

Self publishing isn’t just about writing, it’s also about branding, marketing, selling, product placement, setting the right price. Who is your target audience? What’s your online voice? How do you want to come across to your fans? You may not feel comfortable with the idea of handling everything yourself, but in the beginning you have to learn. Start off small and learn as you go. If you’re hiring people because you’re afraid to give social media a try, then that’s a bad business decision. Check out any author profile and you’ll see they do almost everything themselves.

Go to the London Book Fair and/or Book Expo America and attend as many author-centric events as possible. Network, listen to the panel discussions. Bring a notepad and take as many notes as you can. Sure you can learn plenty from the internet, but there are real opportunities in networking. I’ve connected with some great authors at these events. Kobo and Amazon are also usually floating around at these conferences and looking to connect with authors.

4: Build your platform

These are some of the websites/programmes I used to help build my platform;

Wordpress.org or Wordpress.com – Great for setting up a website or blog. Wordpress.com is the free version but is also the most limited in what you can do with it. There are plenty of free templates and everything’s easy to design.

Blacknight.com – I purchased my domain name from here. My recommendation is you buy your website domain rather than accept a free wordpress.com one. You want to own your domain for one simple reason: it’s yours. If Wordpress.com ever packed up one day and you have one of their free domains, you’ve lost your website. www.blacknight.com

Hostgator – I use Wordpress.org for my site and if you plan on doing the same, you’ll need to host your domain somewhere. There are lots of others but Hostgator is reasonably priced. With Wordpress.com you host directly with them. www.hostgator.com

Canva – A free design tool for designing promotional material and images www.canva.com

BufferApp – A free scheduler allowing you to schedule up to 10 tweets/posts for Twitter and Facebook. There’s also a paid version that allows you to do more. www.bufferapp.com

5: Only spend money on things you need

If you’re starting out, these are the essentials;

Website – Domain, hosting site if using Wordpress.org, otherwise you can use Wordpress.com for free and pay a minimal fee to wordpress to host your own domain name there.

Social Media – All free to set up. Choose where you want to be active. Don’t spread yourself too thin.

Editing – At a minimum you should be looking at copy editing and proofreading. Depending on how well you can self edit, the cost for these services will vary. To reduce the cost, learn how to self edit well. This book is on my shelf.

Cover Design – I use Design for Writers and they’re very reasonable for around 250-300 dollars. If you can only afford $30, use a premade cover. Please do not design your cover unless you’re a graphic designer. Bad font and poor imagery can kill sales. www.designforwriters.com

These are the desirables

Virtual assistant – Only hire one if you’ve a good handle on your business and you know what you’d like a VA to do. Otherwise it will be money down the drain.

Agent – Why would you hand 15% of your profits over to an agent? If they were looking at film options with a studio or foreign language deals or print deals with publishing houses. Otherwise don’t bother, and don’t let anyone talk you into taking on an agent. Remember when I said learn the business? Learn the pitfalls as well.

6: Accept the bad days and embrace the good days.

Then move on. You’re going to feel crappy some days like all of the effort isn’t worth it. If the feeling lasts a day, then you’re in self publishing for the long haul. Equally, revel in the lovely comments/reviews you get from fans and move on. You’ve got writing to do!

7: Collaborate more, self promote less

Work with other authors. Respond to their requests for help. Make your blog available for guest posts, interviews. Be a stop on a blog tour. Do not shamelessly self promote your work on your social media channels or blog. Instead pepper it lovingly into a schedule you can time-manage.

8: Write, publish, repeat

So you’ve got one book. What now? Write the next one. You are not going to reach your long term goals of writing full time with just one book. This is about building trust with your readers and if they see only one book on offer they may not take you seriously.

9: Stop waiting for that traditional deal

If you’re getting into self publishing because you’ve been rejected multiple times and feel a little revenge self-publishing is due, then don’t do it.

Before I made the decision to self-publish I spent a year—or more, it can take 6 months for some agents to come back to you—sending out my manuscript to agents and traditional publishers. The closest I came to an acceptance was when The Blair Partnership (representing J.K. Rowling) requested a full MS after I’d sent them a partial. It didn’t go anywhere in the end, but I came to the conclusion that traditional publishing wasn’t really for me. You see I wanted full control over what I did, not sit around waiting for someone to tell me when I could publish. I believed in my story and it had been sitting on my computer for too long. I needed to get it out there and test it on the readers.

2013 and 2014 were slow in terms of sales, but last year I saw an increase in my sales and an explosion in the first two months of 2016. I can confidently say I’ve earned more money self-publishing than I would have with a traditional deal. And I haven’t even scratched the surface. But none of that happened without investment and sacrifices I made since 2009 when I first began writing.

10. Don’t quit the day job

I’m still working full time, even with the better sales. This year I am finally considering moving from full time to a part time role. I’m just too busy with the writing and I need to spend more time on it. So my advice is don’t quit anything until you’re confident your bottom line (i.e. your steady sales) can pay your bills comfortably. Editing and cover design isn’t cheap but it’s essential and you need money for that.