Stuff is Happening.... Find out what here!

After having the most amazing massage of my life last night, I came home to melt into my chair in the living room.  As I sat there thinking about how amazing I felt, and how I am pretty sure when I get to heaven that masseuse will be waiting there with his table, I started thinking about Izzy and Kennan.  That in and of itself is nothing new.  They keep me company pretty much non-stop.  It is only occasionally that they start yelling at me.... which was the case last night.  They have decided, or rather I have decided (I am still not sure how this works), that they need another short story prequel. 

 

So, without further ado.... this is me announcing that prequel.  I will start writing on it tonight and there is not telling how far I will get.....  As soon as I have some story down I will be able to give you guys a date to look out for the first installment.  You all know me well enough by now to know that I won't be able to wait for long..... so look for that announcement soon!



 

 

 

 

xoxo,

Michelle



See How She Fights Teaser

Here is a sneak peak at a scene from "See How She Fights" due out December 12, 2013!  I hope you enjoy it!

xoxo,
Michelle Graves

Winner of the Become a Character Contest!

Congratulations Sena!  I look forward to creating a fictional you!  There is no telling who you may end up being! 

xoxo,
Michelle

What's in a name?

I thought I would take some time to talk about my character's names and why I chose the ones I did.  I think the only name that was not deliberately chosen was Izzy's..... I am pretty sure her name was conjured up from the hundreds of cans of Izze soda I down.

Sorry, got off track... so to the names.  Let's start with the characters from the first book, shall we?

Kennan O'Malley-  Kennan means "Ancient" or "Descendant of the Fair One."  I really wanted him to have a strong Celtic name.  Plus, well, Ancient really is quite fitting. 

Ian-  Ian means "God is Gracious."  Which, when we encounter Ian in the first book, he is exactly what Izzy needs at the time.  He lifts her spirits and helps her to cope with her new life.

Izzy- Izzy means "God is My Oath" so even though her name was chosen by happenstance, it still has a really symbolic meaning.  Her character's entire future depends on her relationship with God (or the gods if you are talking to Kennan).

Molly- Molly means "Of the Sea" or "Bitter."  Her name was a bit of a hard one for me to accept.  But there are things in her life that have caused her to become quite bitter so I found that it was fitting.  Plus, she is a tiny blonde.  Molly just seemed to suit her.

Xavier- Xavier means "The New House."  Which I found fitting considering he abandoned his calling in order to form a new group. 

Isadora-  Isadora means "Gift of Isis."  Isis was worshipped in both Ancient Egypt as well as Ancient Greece as the goddess of nature and magic.  She is also depicted as a mother figure.  As the head of the Council, she is required to take care of the entirety of the Seers.

Now...... on to book 2.  These characters will be appearing in "See How She Fights."

Conall-  Conall means "Strong Wolf" or "High and Mighty."  Let's just say there is much to be learned about Conall still.  Stay tuned!

Aberto-  Aberto is an Italian name that means "noble."  Much like Conall, you will have to read book 2 to find out more about him.  (He is the symbol-smith by the by.)

Breanan-  I will be honest....I totally just pulled this one out of my hat.  I don't even know if this is a real name.  (Well, it is now.) 

And... those are the major players.  As you read, you may be able to pick up traits that originated from their names.  Hope you enjoyed this little snippet of information!

xoxo,
Michelle

Ripping off the Bandaid.

First, I should preface this blog post by saying that this is in no way a call to arms.  I don't want anyone to ever embroil themselves in arguments with any of my readers.  I really just needed to purge this from my system.  I will never ever respond to negative reviews and I ask that you, as my readers, not do it either.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion and theirs is just as valid as the ones that make me happy.  So no going on a manhunt.


Alright, to the point of this post. 


The day I hit the publish button on my book See How She Runs was the most terrifying day of my life.  I put something that amounts to a bit of my soul out into the world to be weighed and judged.  I knew going into this that there would be people that did not like my book, that I eventually would get a negative review. 

Well, it has finally happened and it hurt far worse than I thought it would.  Mostly, because in my mind, if they don't like the book that means they don't like part of me.  Now, I know this is illogical.  I know it is ridiculous, but the emotive parts of me refuse to see reason.  So how did I cope?  How did I pull myself up and put my big girl panties on?

I did so with the help of some fellow indie authors and wonderful supporters that reminded me everyone's opinion is different.  Everyone has different tastes.  As Belinda told me last night, I can choose to let their negativity eat away at my self-confidence or I can brush it off for what it is, one person's opinion, and keep moving forward. 

I felt very much like Izzy in that moment.  I had a choice.  I could allow this to change the way I write, or to ultimately keep me from doing something I love, or I could move forward.  I choose the latter. 

I know that this will not be the last negative review I receive.   I know that my book is not for everyone, and I am okay with that.  This experience has taught me that I need to separate myself from the reviews and look at them objectively.  I have learned quite a bit from reviews I have received so far, things that I plan to implement in the next book.  I am not adverse to criticism.  It is important if I ever plan to grow.  (It does not follow that it is not at least a bit painful, though).

The point of this post?  Well, honestly I just needed to purge this from my system.  I needed to get this icky feeling out and move forward.  It won't be the last time I am swept up in the angst that comes with throwing myself out there to the wolves.... but I learned very quickly last night that I am abundantly blessed with support from amazing friends.  I can make it through anything with them by my side. 

My advice, if you are an author getting ready to publish, surround yourself with a support system. 
When you get windswept and battered by the waves of negativity, you will need it!  I know my friends propped me up last night.  They made me laugh, they made me remember my worth.  They made me remember the people that have loved the book. 

Have no fears, I am fine this morning.  I have dusted myself off and I am ready to get back to editing See How She Fights.  Thanks for stopping by to hear me ramble!  <3

xoxo,
Michelle