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Natalie Wright, Manic Monday |
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H.A.L.F., by Natalie Wright Arrives Spring, 2015 |
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Natalie Wright, Manic Monday |
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H.A.L.F., by Natalie Wright Arrives Spring, 2015 |
I had a great time this past Saturday, March 20, 2014 at SAFECon in Prescott Valley, Arizona at the public library. For a smallish town, Prescott Valley turned out a nice crowd for this first annual event. It was a free event geared to teens, but people of all ages showed up. I particularly enjoyed seeing the creativity and hard work that the teens put into their cosplay. SAFECon provided me yet another opportunity to meet and talk story with wonderful tweens, teens and adults as well. I love my job!!
A special shout out to Jamie. She’s a mom with a young, budding artist. Jamie’s eyes got moist in the corners as she talked about her daughter’s art – an obvious pride in her voice. What impressed me was Jamie’s devotion to her daughter following her dream and doing what she loves. So often, parents and other adults try to steer their children away from careers in the arts. It’s understandable. Living the life of an artist can be one filled with rejection, pain, and poverty! It is (often) not an easy life.
But Jamie is a mother who recognizes the joy that creating art brings to her daughter. And her daughter won second place in the art contest at SAFECon! Congrats!
I also got to chat with reporter and writer Patrick Whitehurst who was kind enough to mention me in his news story that appeared Sunday, 3/20 in the Daily Courier. Here’s the whole story:
3/30/2014 6:03:00 AM Sci-fi, Anime, Fantasy, Etc. convention for teens draws fans, authors, artists |
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PRESCOTT VALLEY, Arizona – Darth Vader walks into a room next to Princess Daisy from Mario Brothers. That isn’t the opening line of a joke, but a description of Saturday’s Sci-Fi, Anime, Fantasy, Etc. Convention (SAFECon) at thePrescott Valley Public Library. Crowds dressed in a variety of costumes, and some participated in a “cosplay” costume competition. The event, geared toward teens in the quad-city area, featured workshops, panel discussions, a martial arts exhibition, art competitions and refreshments. Artist and illustrator Samantha Violette attended to share her anime and comic art with those in attendance. She traveled to the con from her home in Tucson. She produces her art primarily in watercolor and pencils. Her art can also be seen online at http://www.samanthaashleyviolette.com. As a fan of comics and anime, Violette attends conventions throughout the state. “It’s for work, but it’s also a hobby of mine too,” she said. “I think conventions are great. It’s a chance for like-minded people to get together, to make new friends and find common interests.” While small compared to other conventions she’s attended, Violette said she enjoyed meeting new people at SAFECon. “I was very impressed by how well-organized it was,” Violette said. Other attendees for the event included comic book artist Dave Beaty, graphic designer Alec Kozak, and Natalie Wright, author of the popular Akasha Chronicles trilogy that began with the book “Emily’s House.” Wright chatted with a number of fans during Saturday’s SAFECon and made a few new ones along the way. “I like meeting people, so I enjoy talking to everyone. I especially enjoy meeting young people who use their creativity to express themselves,” Wright said. “This convention is particularly cool because it’s devoted to teens.” Wright’s novels focus on teens. A complete list of her books can be found at http://www.nataliewright.net. Follow reporter Patrick Whitehurst on Twitter @pwdcourier |
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A Writer’s Space: Where the Magic Begins |
1) What am I working on?
Emily’s Heart by Natalie Wright
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
The Akasha Chronicles
3) Why do I write what I do?
Because I have to write what I write! It’s as if I don’t have a choice. I have lots of ideas but some grab hold and become like an obsession, begging me to give it voice. Those ideas become notebooks full of notes, folders full of research, drawings of characters and scribbled on maps. The ideas that begin to fill a notebook become a novel.
4) How does my writing process work?
My stories typically start with a plot. I often have a story come to me in beginning, middle, end form. I then work from the plot idea and consider characters, worldbuilding, etc. I do not outline per se, but I do write a synopsis hitting the main plot points. I spend quite a bit of time working on character back story and I try to understand the main characters and their motivations, etc. before I begin to write. I try to write the first draft in a short period of time (short for me means 30-60 days), then I let it simmer for a while. Then I go back to the manuscript and read, revise, re-write and repeat. I do that until I’m sick of looking at it and can’t think of any way to improve it. At that point, it’s ready for initial beta reader/content editor. Then the revision process starts anew. My books generally take about 9-13 months to complete. Now that I’m no longer practicing law, I might be able to produce books more quickly. We’ll see 😉
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Chele Cooke Author of Dead and Buryd |
Thank you again to Chele Cooke for tapping me to participate in this blog tour. Please check out Chele at her website and do read her debut novel, Dead and Buryd.
And next week be sure to check out Heather Sunseri’s blog for her post about her writing process. Here is a little bit about Heather.
Heather writes young adult science fiction romance (but don’t let the science fiction trip you up—it’s mostly romance). Born and raised in a small town in Central Kentucky, which can be quite boring at times, she had no choice but to create stories in her head in which she can be anything from an FBI agent to a mad scientist who clones human beings to an actual cloned human with supernatural mind control abilities. You can find out more about the stories Heather writes and her publishing journey at http://heathersunseri.com or if you want to discuss other fun life experiences, join her on her brand new experimental blog, http://alifedissettled.com.
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Emily’s Heart by Natalie Wright Book 3 of The Akasha Chronicles |
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Cover Art for Emily’s Heart Art Copyright 2013 Claudia McKinny |
I’ve been writing like a banshee, trying to finish up Emily’s Heart, the third and final installment of the Akasha Chronicles. Emily has had to fight her way through more than a few battles in the last two books, but she hasn’t seen anything yet! Emily and crew are surrounded by danger at every turn in Book 3.
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Emily’s Trial, Book 2 of the Akasha Chronicle by Natalie Wright Cover Model, Ashley Philips |
In Emily’s Trial (Book 2 of the Akasha Chronicles), Emily’s adventure continues. She may be a magical Priestess, but she’s also a sixteen-year-old girl looking for love. Can desire be so strong that it can tempt a girl to use her sacred magic in a forbidden way? Here’s a teaser from Emily’s Trial:
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Yay, it’s choose the cover art time! This is one of the most fun parts of the book writing/publishing process. But I need your help! I would appreciate your thoughts on which of these three cover arts you like the best for my release due this fall, Emily’s Heart.
Does one of them stand out to you? Catch your eye more? Please drop me a comment below, or you can comment on my Facebook page. Thanks so much y’all!
(Cover Model is Ashley Phillips; Cover Photography by Teresa Yeh; Cover Art by Claudia McKinny at PhatPuppy Art)
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The bacchanalian holiday celebrating all things green and Irish is just around the corner. But did you know that St. Patrick’s Day traces its origins to an ancient rite of spring known as Ostara? Long before there was green beer, Leprechauns with pots of gold and crockpots full of corned beef, ancient peoples paused in mid-March to celebrate the coming spring.
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Emily’s House, Book 1 of the Akasha Chronicles, by Natalie Wright |