That book! Part 4

I know what you’re thinking. She has to be done, right?

Nope. The next part in my spare time is going back to writing the second book. I want the release to be close to the first, maybe even the preorder to start with the release of the first. That means I need to write fast.

And….I need another cover. I have chosen my title: Some Late Visitor. I am anxious to get with my cover designer to choose the image. I hope to again use the raven as part of my design.

I already have an idea for my third novel in the series, so I also will start taking notes and maybe write out the first scenes. I want the relationship to move along as well, so I will have to consider what situations to put my characters in to force them to interact on a more personal level.

And then I get to wait a little more.

But, check out the process so far!!
Here's the link for the first book: https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Dreary-Mystery-Rachael-Rawlings-ebook/dp/B079NTWX2S/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1518369720&sr=1-3&keywords=rachael+rawlings

Publishing my novel, Part 2

My novel, Midnight Dreary: A Raven Mystery, is now available for pre-order, but it’s still going through growing pains. While I have the cover designed, I need to let my cover designer know how many pages it will be to size it for print. I must wait for the formatting in order to give her those numbers. Much of publishing is a waiting game at times, but my folks are all great to work with!

While I am working on the final files, I also needed to write out my dedication, acknowledgements, and biographical information. Those were easy. I have to thank the people who helped bring the book into reality and helped me refine and correct it. My dedication was a little more personal. I recently lost my father-in-law, a wonderful man who was an important influence in our lives. I dedicated the book to him. I will always miss him.

Then came the dreaded blurb. Ask any author, and their most dreaded task is writing a blurb. You want to give the reader enough to make them intrigued by the book, but not enough to give away the mystery of it. You want to bring them into the story. You want them to read your book. It is a surprisingly tiring task.

Once my draft for my blurb was written, I posted it to an author Facebook group for feedback. This is something I have learned as I go along. Never write a blurb without help. It will be terrible.

This too needs to be sent to my wonderful cover artist to add to the back of the cover. It also needs to go up on Amazon for my pre-order. And then I’ll need to update my website too. Sigh.

Getting it organized

Organization is NOT my strong point. I know where my keys are, where my coat and purse are, and where I might find my shoes, but none of these things are put away. As long as they are visible, I can find them. The result? Clutter crazy!
For writing, I'm a little better. I have a general outline of my plot, but then my unruly characters decide to do their own thing, behaving in some pretty unpredictable ways. I find that I need to keep notes on them: personality, appearance, beliefs, background, fashion, education, and all the other things that make a character real. I also need a timeline. I have to figure out when events happen, and one of the hardest things is to keep a calendar of this.
Then there is the act of writing. Choosing words written per day, what to edit, what to post, due dates for cover design, and deciding on which novel to chase out of my head.
So here is my newest week layout. I haven't filled it up yet, since I want to add lots of dates and notes. But I did add a new decoration! I put a little picture of my cover, The Parrot Told Me, on the page to dress it up. I like it!!
Thanks again to the same website that I got the last printable stickers, Pink Bows & Twinkle Toes.

It's finally ready!!

I am so excited about my new book finally being in print.  There is something so special about holding the work in your hands, flipping through the pages, and feeling the glossy cover.  I want to thank everyone, especially my family, friends, and readers, for their support in helping me achieve my goal.

See the book at:
http://www.amazon.com/Parrot-Told-Me-Rachael-Rawlings/dp/0996086757/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_pap?ie=UTF8&qid=1407683456&sr=8-1&keywords=rachael+rawlings

A Space adventure with a most unusual hero!

Today I'd like to welcome another talented author providing great adventure and entertainment for some younger readers!
Thanks  to Steven Donahue for the glimpse into his book!

Astronaut and the Flight for Freedom page:  http://amytheastronaut.yolasite.com/

Get your copy at http://www.amazon.com/Astronaut-Flight-Freedom-Steven-Donahue/dp/0615931952/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394907212&sr=1-1&keywords=amy+the+astronaut  

  In this scene, Amy and her robot friend, Madison, steal a spaceship called the Liberty Bell in an attempt to rescue her father from alien captors called the Crownaxians.

The duo boarded the craft and hurried to the bridge. The layout of the bridge matched the simulator program that Amy hadn’t quite mastered. They began the prelaunch sequence together before Madison exited to find the terminal that operated the hangar doors. Amy watched the robot locate the terminal and set a timer to open the doors in two minutes. Madison ran back aboard and sat in the co-pilot’s chair. While the engines warmed up, Amy opened a supply locker door and found a helmet and flight suit. “Turn around for a minute,” she said to Madison. The robot did and Amy quickly put on the suit, which was a little too big for her. She put on the helmet and saw that the engines were ready.

Red lights inside the hangar flashed as an alarm screeched. Amy took a deep breath then grabbed hold of the yoke. She stepped on the accelerator and steered the ship through the doors and out into the darkness. As the ship sped up, she saw the Union soldiers aiming their weapons at the craft. “Turn on the shields!” she yelled. The robot typed in a command on the keyboard in front of it just before the soldiers opened fire. The laser blasts ricocheted off the shields and landed harmlessly on the ground.

Amy flipped the switch for the thrusters and the ship began to lift off of the ground. She saw some soldiers hurrying toward the smaller, fighter ships. “C’mon, C’mon,” she said, tapping the console in front of her. Amy then caught of glimpse of Yale’s angry face as the Liberty Bell rose higher and she felt some regret for having to do this to her friend.

The Liberty Bell roared through the night sky toward the planet’s atmosphere. Six small Union fighter crafts pursued the ship, firing their laser cannons. Amy held tightly onto the yoke as the shields took a pounding. She steered the ship into a controlled roll to avoid as many laser blasts as she could. She read the shield gauge and realized that the rear deflectors wouldn’t stand too many more direct hits. Taking a chance, she fired the reverse thrusters and the ship came to a jarring halt, sending Madison crashing into the console in front of the robot. “Sorry,” said Amy, shrugging.

The other ships flew past them and the Liberty Bell fell in behind them. “Target their weapons systems,” ordered Amy. Madison nodded, and then fired laser shots at the ships, hitting two of them. The damage was minimal but enough to send them back to the planet. However, the four remaining crafts turned around and began firing again. Amy banked hard to her left and tried to fly under the laserfire. The side shields absorbed three hits but Amy was able to put some distance between her and the others.

Amy scanned the radar screen and found something interesting. “There’s a nebula about 120,000 miles ahead,” she reported. “We’re going in.” She steered toward the space cloud as the other four ships continued to follow her. She pushed on the accelerator and the ship began to shake as the engines strained to keep up. Within seconds they reached the edge of the nebula. Their pursuers fired a few last shots that never reached the ship.

Once inside the nebula, Amy steered the Liberty Bell toward the thickest patch of the cloud. Radiation from the nebula scrambled her radar screen. “They’re as blind as we are in here,” she said. “Let’s hope we don’t bump into them.” A half-hour passed before the Liberty Bell’s inertia caused the ship to drift out of the nebula. Amy checked the radar and saw no signs of the other ships. She plotted a course toward the Crownaxian homeworld and hit the accelerator. Then she took a deep breath and looked at her friend. “Here we go,” she said. “God help us.”

Summer escapes

The summer has officially started according to the weather forecasters, even if the school calendar doesn't agree.  Summer means hot, slow days, beach vacations, family time, and maybe a few books read that you've been putting off in the rush of the workweek.  For this month, I'd like to take the opportunity to give readers just a nugget, a taste of our writing styles, the sound of our voices, the bits of our characters that live in our minds, and when you join us for a read, will live in your minds as well.

To kick us off, I'm giving you a sample of the first book in my trilogy, Grave Reminders.

 http://www.amazon.com/Dearly-Departed-Reminders-Rachael-Rawlings-ebook/dp/B00GJ6NYH0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1401635347&sr=8-3&keywords=rachael+rawlings

            "And you?  Where will you go?  You won't stay?"

            "I'll see you safely inside.  Then I'll go."

            "You'll be back?"

            He nodded wordlessly and I watched, frozen, as he drew close to me.  Closer, I could see that his eyes were a very light color, but could not see the shade.  The scent of him, something like pine and soap, enveloped me momentarily as the wind caressed his figure.  He was tall, and I had to tip my head back to follow his expression.  One long fingered hand caught my elbow and followed my arm down to my wrist where he pulled my hand from my pocket.  He enveloped my freed hand in his gentle grasp, his skin surprisingly warm and dry.

            "Come on," his voice was soft, floating on the breeze, mixed with the waning fog.

            I followed. Did I have a choice?  I walked with him to the gate and through it into the fenced grounds of my home by the window where my parents usually slept, warm and sheltered in their first floor bedroom.

            The back door was still closed, but the screen was fluttering now with the wind that had revived like a slumbering creature.  The stranger paused at the foot of the porch stairs while Baxter anxiously skittered up, suddenly fearful of the coming rain.

            "I'll be seeing you."

            His hand released me, and I felt some emotion that was difficult to name.  Lonely?  Was that me; was it him?  I climbed the steps feeling clumsy without his light touch.  My fingers fumbled with the door latch, and I slipped into the shadowed house, my eyes never leaving his figure.  Baxter pushed in at my feet as I stood still in the doorway.

            He sketched a wave and turned away, the darkness coming eagerly to swallow him.

            I paused to lock the door, although I couldn't say why.  There were days and nights on end that the lock was never engaged.  I wasn't locking him out; maybe I was locking myself in.

            I climbed the steps with speed and entered my room, my jacket hanging loosely from my shoulders.  I went immediately to the window to look out, using my jacket sleeve to clear away the damp.

            He was there.  The rain was coming in fine sheets of cold, dampening his light hair and glittering off his pale skin.  When he tipped his face up to look into the glass, I could see his eyes.  Topaz? 

The Parrot Told Me

The first edit of my mystery book featuring an African Grey Parrot is ready. My premise is simple, what happens if a parrot is a witness to a crime?