Title: Fading Light
Series: Shadow Born #2
Author: Angela Dennis
Published: September 23rd, 2014
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Word Count: 72,000
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Content Warning: Sexual Material and Violence
Recommended Age: 18+
Synopsis:
Everyone has a breaking point.
Her hundred-year penance lifted, Shadow Bearer Brenna Baudouin returns to the Earthly plane with her partner, Gray Warlow, to keep the peace between humans and supernatural creatures—and to prevent another apocalyptic war from happening.
The attraction between them is nearing a critical point, but their checkered history has left Brenna unable to trust either her heart or her instincts.
It’s chaotic business as usual until humans begin turning to statues of dust. There is no explanation, no sign of magical foul play or a biological toxin. The humans are convinced it’s the work of a deviant supernatural faction, twisting the knife in the already tense relationship between their species. Brenna and Gray agree—the deaths have a former comrade-turned-rogue stamped all over them.
In a race against time, they enlist the help of both friend and foe to save the human race and stop the impending civil war. Along the way, they are forced to come to terms with their past and decide, once and for all, whether they will come together or fall apart.
Warning: Contains a heroine who knows her weapons but not her own heart, an outbreak of supernatural proportions, copious bloodletting, and a race to save an endangered species—humans. All tied up in a tight bow of sexual tension.
The Life of a Writer: How to Meet Deadlines and Remain Sane
Let’s face it,
deadlines are intimidating. They’re like a fire-breathing, slobbering (yes it
is possible to do both at the same time) monsters of doom. But, like any else,
they can be conquered. So how do you slay that anxiety provoking beast
breathing down your neck? One step at a time. Here’s my plan of attack. It
works for me. And, if it helps even one person meet a pending deadline without
going crazy train, I’ll consider this post a success.
Step
One: Look That Beast in the Eye and
Learn Its Secrets
How
much time do you actually have? When is the last possible second you can send
this pass of edits back to your editor? Know all of your options, even the ones
that seem unimportant. Now take that end date (otherwise known as your drop
dead date), and push it back at least three days. You heard me right, now do
it! Give yourself some breathing room. There is a method in my madness. See,
life happens, so you have to plan ahead. What happens if your toddler gets sick
the week your edits are due? What if you have to have emergency surgery right
in the middle of your second pass of edits? (Yes, both of these have happened
to me. I actually finalized the line edits of Shadows of Fate in the wee hours of the morning in my son’s
hospital room, and an edit pass for Fading
Light from my own hospital bed after recovering from surgery) If I had set
up an editing schedule based on the actual drop dead date, I never would have
met my deadline.
Step
Two: Arm Yourself
Grab your trusty desk
calendar, smart phone, or whatever it is you use to keep yourself organized.
Add up the amount of days you have until your self-imposed drop dead date. Then
figure out how many pages you have to edit each night to meet that deadline.
Got your number? Okay, add at least ten pages to it. That’s right, ten extra pages a night. But
again, breathing room. You’re going to want to have time to do a final read
through before you return the manuscript, clean things up, make sure you haven’t
inadvertently left any typos (or added any).
Arm yourself with the knowledge of how much work you MUST do each night
to meet your deadline. Then do it. No excuses, no whining. Drink coffee (you
CAN’T max out on this beverage while editing), eat some chocolate (editing is a
perfect excuse to nix any diet plan out there), but don’t stop until you’re
done.
Step
Three: Never Back Down, but Give
Yourself Some Grace
Clearly, I am a BIG
believer in goals. I set daily page
goals and monthly chapter goals. But
goals are dangerous. Fight the urge to
beat yourself up if you don’t meet them.
Think of it as dieting. If you do
really well all day then come home and grab a cookie, you can’t throw your
hands up and binge on sugar the rest of the night (I speak from experience,
people. This is why I hate diets). If you don’t meet your page goal one day,
don’t toss your hands up, throw your goals out the window, and cry yourself to
sleep. Goals are living things. They are
meant to be adjusted and tailored. If you don’t make your page count one night,
add the amount left over to the next night. It is impossible to know what is
going to work for you until you start the process. But you can’t abuse your goals (i.e. set a
page count far below what you know you have to do to finish) and expect to make
your deadline. Be wise in your goal
setting. Don’t overshoot and discourage
yourself, but don’t undershoot and defeat the purpose.
Step
Four: Celebrate
You
did it! You met your deadline without breaking a sweat. Now hit send, and let
that manuscript fly through cyberspace into your editor’s hands. You’re done!
Scream it to the world. Tweet it (I always do J).
Now go celebrate. Treat yourself to dinner, or cocktails, anything you want.
Enjoy it, because in a few months (or weeks), the process will start all over
again.
About the Author:
Angela Dennis lives outside Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, son and a sheltie with a hero complex. When she is not at her computer crafting stories, she can be found feeding her coffee addiction, playing peek-a-boo, or teaching her son about the great adventures found only in books.
Giveaway Details:
There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:
- $25 Amazon Gift Card & eBook copy of Fading Light (1 winner)
Giveaway is International.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks so much for having me today! :)
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