Last Day of #PaytonChronicles Tour

 Time's running out to enter the giveaway at Goodreads... LAST DAY!!!

Giveaway will have the current cover, not the old cover displayed on Goodreads. 

(current cover, shown below, released June 2015)

Goodreads Book Giveaway

current cover

To Eris - Human

by Ann Snizek

Giveaway ends July 18, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Current cover

The winners will be announced asap.

Tour Summery: 4 - FIVE STAR reviews out of 5 reviews!!!


Day 1: Introduced the tour HERE

Day 2: 5 Star Review by Dragons Read Books Too

Day 3: Review bits from the full Kirkus Review

Day 4: Full Kirkus Review & 5 Star Review by Thoughts of an Aspiring Word Smith

Day 5: 5 Star Review by The Voluptuous Book Diva

And here we are today! Don't forget to check out today's stops!!!

Day 6: 5 STAR Review by The Fringes of Reality & Promo with The Dark Realm

I've enjoyed this tour and want to thank everyone who hosted it as well as everyone who followed it. And a special thank you to everyone who shared the links.

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU!

Get your copy today!

Ebook links

Smashwords  ~  Kindle  ~  Nook  ~   Kobo

Paperback links

Createspace  ~  B&N 

Look for future book tours of mine listed at:

To Eris - Human tour (The Characters of #PaytonChronicles)

Meeting the characters of the Payton Chronicles also called 

Character Development.

My process of developing characters is to build a comprehensive profile for each main character to include their personal backstory. The information contained in this profile might just stay in the profile, but the purpose of it is to get you to know your characters.

If you think of your family or best friends. How many times have you seen something or heard something and said/thought... That is just like (insert name here). OR That couldn't have been (insert name here) because they'd never do something like that.

It's because you know them. You know their characteristics. 

To write believable characters that people can connect with, you need to make them real. They need to have flaws and skills. They need to have hopes & dreams as well as fears & issues. Get to know your characters and even in a scene with a group of them, you'll know which characters will do what.. and why. It provides a base for consistent reactions.

You can even use this information to make someone step out of character at times. Are they normally a calm character, but has a secret fear of clowns? If so, they could act our of their normal character in a situation with clowns. Or if your character is normally mousy and fearful, they might show their inner strength in a situation where they're friends are in danger.

I love character building. I get to meet new friends and create antagonists even. Even they have reasons for why they do what they do. Perhaps that bully is that way because she's insecure. She doesn't get love at home despite all her possessions. 

Perhaps those "brats" are that way because they have just lost a loved one and blame themselves.

Perhaps that man that you hate is that way because he was forced to watch his mother killed when he was a child and has had a mental break with reality. 

All of these things and so many more are elements that can make a big difference in your writing. 

Some of the characters of Payton Chronicles:

In To Eris - Human, Eris has experienced domestic violence. This isn't the theme of the story, nor is she a "victim" personality. She has inner strength and does what she can to grow as an individual -- to be more that what has happened to her. Her journey to free herself and find herself starts here.

Nelson is an interesting combination. He has the memories of Matt, but Nelson is the dominant personality. In the merge, he took on personality traits that weren't his norm. So, I can use this for "out of characteristic" reactions to things and have a plausible reason that doesn't make him psychotic or have other "mental issues." Imagine what it's like to absorb another persons mind - personality, memories, fears, hopes... 

Quinn, the older brother has similar traits to his brother, as you might expect in siblings that compete, but he definitely has his own personality with strengths and weaknesses. His health issues put a much different spin on his reactions than Nelson's because they're facing an epidemic from different angles. Someone suffering an illness reacts in ways that someone watching them suffer might not understand.

Even the twins, Keeley and Greeley, are different. One is obviously more dominant than the other, but both are comical. Especially together. They're a team, bonded before birth, yet definite individuals. 

Eris' mom has reasons for why she does what she does too. You may or may not understand or agree with her reasons, but they're hers. So, you don't have to. LOL. You may not like her, you may get upset with her, you may pity her. If I've done my job correctly, you may feel all of this and more.

Check out today's tour stop at: Dragons Read Books Too

And don't forget to enter the amazing giveaway and win 1 of 5 signed paperback copies of To Eris - Human.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

To Eris - Human

by Ann Snizek

Giveaway ends July 18, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

To Eris - Human #PaytonChronicles TOUR @HASnizekM1

Welcome to the tour! 

I had planned on kick-starting it with the Kirkus Review, but apparently there's some issues with it and I can't post any excerpts until they publish it.  Anyway, there are other reviews coming with this tour (ONE SCHEDULED EACH DAY) as well and I'll post the Kirkus Review as soon as I can. 

To Eris - Human

Payton Chronicles series, book 1

YA Sci-fi/Paranormal

 by me (Ann Snizek)

Sixteen year old Eris Payton has led a difficult life and struggles to reinvent herself. When she meets Nelson, her life changes in a way she would never imagine. Nelson needs Eris to follow him back to Downside before the epidemic gets worse, otherwise his brother will die. But he must convince her that he’s real and that her DNA holds the key in time to save his brother. How can he convince her to trust him? Facing truths that challenge everything she thought she knew, Eris discovers the hidden world of lucents and her own mysterious origins. She finds herself and uncovers answers to questions she never thought to ask.

Book links

Facebook  ~  Goodreads

Ebook links

Smashwords  ~  Kindle  ~  Nook  ~   Kobo

Paperback links

Createspace  ~  Amazon  ~  B&N 

Lucents aren't ghosts... their energy beings that humans just can't see. With this discovery, an engaging new world emerges for Eris. One that provides hope and love in many ways that she'd lost so long ago. With her ability to see and hear Nelson, we are also able to witness the magnificence that we'd probably mistaken for ghosts or ethereal beings also.

So much is hidden beneath the surface. Beneath the translucent forms, beneath the ground, beneath the outer personas. The secrets held within change how Eris looks at everything.

Where did this story come from? I pulled from many sources for this one. The desire to disapear was a strong force in my childhood and one that so many can relate to. However, I wanted to show the strength that Eris has within her. A considerable force once unleashed.

~~~

Note: The books for the giveaway will have the new cover as shown above. Goodreads hasn't updated the cover yet. (sorry for any confusion)

Goodreads Book Giveaway

To Eris - Human

by Ann Snizek

Giveaway ends July 18, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

About ME:

Originally from Vermont, Ann now lives in Virginia with her husband. She enjoys exploring nature and the freedom to pursue the dreams of her imagination through writing. Her love of books from childhood continues today as she nurtures that love others -- always encouraging their imaginations.

Along with writing books Ann actively participates in the community, fighting illiteracy with the founding and facilitating of a creative writing club and volunteering as a certified ProLiteracy tutor at her local adult learning center. She also serves on the advisory board, marketing committee, and the committee for their used book store.

Struggling with disabilities of her own, she knows the thrill of triumphing over adversities. Her dry, sarcastic, and often corny wit finds its way into her writing where she pulls from life's experiences for inspiration... always sharing, growing, and learning.

My links:

Facebook  ~  Pinterest  ~  LinkedIn   ~  Twitter   ~  Tumblr   ~  Goodreads

Tour Schedule!

July 13: Rambling Voices in My Head - (something new here each day also)

July 14: Dragons Read Books Too

July 15: Lynn's Reads & Review

July 16: Thoughts of an Aspiring Wordsmith

July 17: The Voluptuous Book Diva

July 18: The Fringes of Reality

            The Dark Realm

A to Z: Wrap Up & Giveaway Winners

TO 

Wrap Up

I enjoyed the process and challenge. It was difficult getting into the rhythm of writing posts so frequently after such a long break, but I feel wonderful for having done it. I've discovered several new sites that I look forward to gleaning information and enjoyment from.

I hope my readers have enjoyed this challenge as well.I didn't get as much interaction as I'd hoped for, but I'm glad to see that people have been reading and following me on this journey.

Looking back, I'm not sure what I'd change, but I hope to continue researching the process to constantly improve. Certainly things could improve as with any other writing project. This process has given me a wonderful stretch of the fingers and the mind.

Thank you for following my challenge. Please enjoy my blog as I continue even if not an every day post. The pace is a bit tasking. Perhaps 4 original posts a week would be more manageable for me. I'd like to participate more with some promotions, even if I'm not able to contribute with the reviews as often as I'd like.

Thank you all.

Winners!!!
No one entered the Rafflecopter giveaway. So, the winners were chosen only for the Giveaway on day G.


1st place winner: Christina Condy
Christina wins an ebook copy of To Eris - Human; a signed post card; and a signed bumper sticker
Thank you for entering Christina!

2nd place winner: Regina Cassady
Regina wins a signed post card and a bumper sticker.
Thank you for entering also Regina!


3rd place
Only 2 entries.

A to Z: Zany Zealot

ANY ZEALOT







The point of today's post is to find what you love and have fun with it. Allow yourselves to be a little ZANY at times. Whatever you do, put a real effort into producing your best work. Do it with zeal. Be your own fan. Produce work you can be proud of even if you're the only one that sees it.

If you are passionate and have fun, you aren't wasting your time. Whether it's writing or anything else, be proud of it.

Sometimes this isn't easy. Life throws hardships in our face and along our path and we stumble about blindly. Sometimes we have support that hands us a towel to wipe our face and a hand to steady our step. Sometimes we simply need to stop to get our feet under us, wipe our own eyes -- allowing us to refocus on our goals -- and choose our steps more cautiously. It may be easier to have support, but we need to take our goals and dreams in our own hands.

Be silly, be honest, be kind.  And do your best.

The final three blogs for my A to Z Challenge are....

1. Words at Play - blog of Mirriam-Webster's Dictionary and Thesaurus. LOVE It
2. The Word Blog - Exactly as it's named. A blog by someone who loves words.
3. LexioPhiles: Love Your Words - Another blog for word lovers. This one has multiple languages.

A to Z: Young Adult & other Children's Fiction Contests

OUNG ADULT & 

OTHER FICTION CONTESTS

AGE LEVELS
Young Adult books are defined as targeting ages 12-18. The genres covered in this are basically the same as adult fiction. The main difference is that the main characters are preteens or teens dealing with teen issues.

Middle Grade books target 8-12 year old readers.

Picture books and Chapter books are for the lower reading levels and are actually more challenging for most writers because of the word limits you have to write within.


CONTEST BENEFITS
There are contests all over the internet. Sorting through them can prove a daunting task. The rewards can compensate for that many times over.

Winning contests provide visibility, acknowledgement, accolades, bragging rights and they look great on a list of credentials. Even mentions in contests can advance your writing goals. Having the rights to claim "award winning author" status goes a long way with readers, even if they're not familiar with the specific contests.

In my research, I've discovered that the majority of the contests out there have spring time deadlines. With that in mind, I looked for annual contests.


Some contests that you can enter that have no entry fees:

Writers of the Future - There are no fees to enter and it's a quarterly contest. Awards are in 3 month segments as well as an annual award. This is for new writers. This quarter's deadline is 6/30.

Highlights Fiction Contest - This is closed for this year (the deadline has passed). But it is one I plan to keep an eye on. The winners are purchased and published in the magazine. They have an additional way for children to contribute to the magazine, but their rules are different. Kids' submission guidelines are HERE. One of the nice things is, you don't have to wait for next year's contest to submit work to the magazine. (Contributor guidelines)

We Need Diverse Books - Short Story contest ... This one has passed already for this year, but I'm making note of it to plan on entering next year. Stories target MG level.




Best of luck to all of you who enter any contests.

Today's choices in blogs. 

1. Holly Lisle blog - She seems to have some great posts and her site has some amazing writing resources. 
2. Creative Genius 101 - I like the resources. 
3. Writing Career - A nice supply of contest and submission links. 

A to Z: X Marks the Spot

MARKS THE SPOT



Setting goals and reaching them is the most basic and often most challenging concept for many writers. You want to push yourself, challenge yourself, but you don't want to take on so much that you get overwhelmed and burn out.

This balancing act is difficult, but not impossible.

What do you want to accomplish with your writing? Are you doing it for therapy? Out of boredom? Do you have a story just bursting to come out? Perhaps you have always wanted to have a book in your hands to say you did it. Do you want to be an award winning author? Do you want to be a best seller? Do you want to be a better writer? Or is it just something you were told you have to do by a teacher, boss, or parent?

Whatever your goals may be, and you can have more than one, keep that goal in mind. If you find yourself doing something or faced with a decision, think about where it will lead you. Will it lead you closer to your goal or farther away?

Is it okay to change your goal? Of course! It's your goal. As you travel through life and have your own experiences, you should learn and grow. This sometimes changes the light on our priorities and goals in life. However, you - and you alone - must decide if your goals are different or if what you face is an obstacle.

Others can influence you, point out things you may not have considered or simply didn't want to face, but ultimately the choice is yours. They are still your goals.

I find that the more I write, the more refined my skills and the more defined my goals become. I've been writing since before kindergarten, but when I began to seriously pursue writing my goal was to have a book in my hand... to say,"Look at this. I made this."

Well, I now have 19 books and have contributed to magazines as well as charity anthologies. My goal to HAVE a book has been fulfilled. So, I set a new goal. Now, I want to be an award winning, best seller that people love to read.

In order to do this, I have to ask myself, "Do I write award winning books?" I have to admit that not all my work would win awards. I do feel that I have the potential and that some of my books could. The next phase in this goal is to find the right awards and enter contests.

Today's blog choices happen to be the following blogs:

1. Terrible Minds - a blog full of support for writers with goals. It focuses on NaNoWriMo, but can apply to just about any writing goal.
2. Novel Publicity blog - great resources, info, and tips.
3. Write Now Coach - Helpful info to improve your writing. 

Don't forget to enter the giveaway today. 









And check out some of my goals to 
support children's literacy.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A to Z: Win With Words

IN WITH WORDS

There are so many words in the English language. All of them come from a combination of 26 letters. The power behind those combinations is immense. One of the most powerful words is also one of the smallest.

IF

We use it quite often. Many times we use it with regrets, but it can also be used with hopes and dreams -- things we're proud of too. 

If I hadn't started writing, I wouldn't have done many of the things I've done.

If is one of the words that changes, or rather points out the changes, in everything. All of the possibilities. Those endless, infinite possibilities.

One of my favorite books of all times is the thesaurus. It's an amazing book that helps you discover new ways to say the same thing. To expand upon, to clarify, to enhance.

Words are power.

You don't have to agree with the subject matter in everything to see the influence and strength the words used hold. 

The key is to write them. We don't need to fear the power. We need to embrace it -- use it for our betterment and for the betterment of others. Writing them is just a matter of one letter at a time. You can scratch them out, you can move them around, you can show them to others, or you can keep them to yourself.

Whatever you choose to do with your words, just make a point of writing them. Put them down on: 

• notebook paper
• napkins
• envelopes
• calendars
• paper plates
• white boards
• chalk boards
• the wall (if it won't get you in trouble)
• a computer
• canvas
• anywhere that's available and allowed... Not condoning illegal activity! heeheehee

If we don't write our words, we can't read our words... and words are meant to be spoken, written, and read. Don't take for granted your ability and understanding of the written word. So many people don't have the luxury you do. (see my post on illiteracy)

Today's blogs help share the power and wonder that the words hold.

1. Patheos Blogs - a wonderful collection of Pagan blogs with many channels: Pagan & Christian.
2. Learner Blog - This blog isn't active any more, but there is a lot of information to glean.
3. Writing Skills Blog - a great site with lots of information that will help your writing.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A to Z: Value Variety

ALUE VARIETY

Don't get stuck in a rut! Step out of your comfort zone sometimes. Keep moving. If you're not moving, you're stagnant. Stagnant things decay. Humans that decay are dead.

So, live your life while you can! Enjoy all the wonderful things this world offers you. Appreciate all the things you have. Learn more about the world around you and the people in it. Give back. Learn and teach. Absorb and share.

You wouldn't want bologna sandwiches morning, noon, and night for years, would you? So, step out and pull in some variety. If it doesn't work, try something else. You start out in a position of "NO"... all you can get that will change that is a "YES", but you can't get that yes if you never ask -- if you never take that step and put yourself out there.

People learn by doing. Kids learn to walk by pulling themselves up and falling back down. Yes, they cry sometimes. It hurts. But you can't let yourself wallow in the crap. I guarantee that for 99% of you out there, you can look and find at least one person in a position that you consider much worse. Chances are there are an abundance of people in a "worse" situation.

So, what are you waiting for. Go, learn, do! Then go, learn, and do something else!!!

Variety is precious. We have several famous books even that show how dangerous life can be without variety. The top one that comes to mind is The Giver by Lois Lowry. Especially with the relatively new movie on it.


I want variety in my life. I enjoy it. And my imagination allows me to get lost in it and open it up for others to join me through my books.

Thank you for joining me.

My three blog choices today are:

1. The Editor's Blog - Great reference! Wonderful articles.
2. The Write Life - Another site for great tips, ideas, resources for writers to keep their writing fresh.
3. Crew Blog - WoW! I got three great resources for you today. So much info available. 

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

A to Z: Unlimited Undertaking - Fighting Illiteracy

NLIMITED UNDERTAKING -
 FIGHTING ILLITERACY

According to The Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies, 36 MILLION adults in the United States can't read better than an average 3rd grader. 

I wanted to get some numbers for today's post. So, as a ProLiteracy certified tutor, I went to ProLiteracy.org.  This is what I saw...

36 million American 
adults need literacy help. 
Only 3 million of them 
will be lucky enough to get it.

According to another site, Begin To Read, 

That's NINE YEAR OLDS!!!

Forget the whole "Who's Smarter Than a Fifth Grader" 

I went to another site, NEA (National Education Association), and read this...

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a divison of the U.S. Department of Education1, children who are read to at home enjoy a substantial advantage over children who are not:

• Twenty-six percent of children who were read to three or four times in the last week by a family member recognized all letters of the alphabet. This is compared to 14 percent of children who were read to less frequently.
• According to NCES², only 53 percent of children ages three to five were read to daily by a family member (1999). Children in families with incomes below the poverty line are less likely to be read to aloud everyday than are children in families with incomes at or above poverty.
• The substantial relationship between parent involvement for the school and reading comprehension levels of fourth-grade classrooms is obvious, according to the U.S. Department of Education.⁷ Where parent involvement is low, the classroom mean average (reading score) is 46 points below the national average. Where involvement is high, classrooms score 28 points above the national average - a gap of 74 points. Even after controlling for other attributes of communities, schools, principals, classes, and students, that might confound this relationship, the gap is 44 points.

¹ U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2000.

² U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, from http://www.nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id+56.

⁷U.S. Department of Education. 1996. Reading Literacy in the United States: Findings From the IEA Reading Literacy Study.

~~~~~

How can they be read to if so many adults can't read? It's no wonder that so many children struggle. And when the family below poverty level, that can't read well, has to decide between food or bills vs. some cute book for their child that they can't read to that child... it's no wonder so many children go to school and have NEVER had a book of their own. 

Now school is out for the summer. These kids with limited or no reading support at home will probably go the summer with no reading support at all. 

How can you get involved? 

6 Ways to Use Reading to Prevent the Summer Slide

Read to children. Join or form a reading program. Read aloud to children every chance you get. Libraries, schools, adult learning centers, churches, day cares... Find children (not in any creepy way) and volunteer your time. You don't have to be the greatest reader... Just read. 

Donate! Donations are down for literacy programs everywhere. Donate time, books, and money. It doesn't take much. It's amazing how every little bit helps. 

So, if you've seen me around, follow me on Twitter or Facebook or Google+... you may have seen my literacy projects. Yes, I want to make my books, but that's not the most important thing. I want to give books to those who don't have them... to children who need the support.

How many of you are "addicted" to books? How often do you spend $20, $30, $40 on a few books for yourself? How much farther could that go if 10, 20, 30 of you donated that amount to some literacy program or project?

It adds up fast.

If you don't have the money to donate, donate your time! Find a program near you. I guarantee they're there. I'm also sure that they need the help.

Today's blogs to check out....

1. Literacy and Laughter - Great site! It's by a Kindergarten teacher and has a lot going on. 
2. Edutopia - K-12 education under the George Lucas Educational Foundation. Lots of wonderful resources for reading and learning.
3. First Book Blog - Brand new books to kids in need. Kind of what I want to do.

Also.... Don't forget to enter the giveaway....

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A to Z: Tunuftol Time Surprise!

UNUFTOL TIME

I have a BIG, LARGE, HUGE, ENORMOUS, MASSIVE, MOUNTAINOUS, GIGANTIC, COLOSSAL, TITANIC, TREMENDOUS, IMMENSE, STUPENDOUS.... SURPRISE!!!

Yes! My first novel and the following two books in the series 

-- Tunuftol's Fortress of Light, Secret of the Shielded, and The Jewel of Nirel respectively -- 

HAVE NEW COVERS REVEALED HERE AND NOW!!!!

(Rafflecopter Giveaway below! TWO prizes!!!)

Two prizes!! You could win all 3 or your pick of one!

Ebooks with new covers are available. Printed copies have not updated the cover yet.

How the books came to be:

Smashwords ~ Kindle ~ B&N 

I first published Tunuftol's Fortress of Light on 12/12/12. The date was specifically chosen so that I could remember it. The first draft resulted from my first NaNoWriMo challenge. I'd reached the goal of 50,000 words in three weeks, but couldn't seem to stop writing. So, I didn't. Instead, I continued to write book two, then book three, and as sequences have it... I started book four after that.  

After I started writing the fourth book, I decided -- for better or worse I don't know -- to stop writing and go back to edit. After a couple rounds of edits, driving my family crazy with "here - read this" and "how does it sound now", my youngest daughter told me that it didn't completely suck.

Encouraged by the non-total suckiness, I edited more. After countless edits and revisions, I felt it was ready to face the world. So, I sent it in queries to a few agents.

Smshwords ~ Kindle ~ Nook

Not surprisingly, my queries DID suck. I'm sure none of the agents even got to the sample (if it was included). Looking back at them now... I'm really not surprised. Sad, but not surprised.

Anyway, to wrap this up, I did a few more rounds of edits and self-published.

About the Tunuftol world:

Tunuftol has the feel of a fantasy. Magic, powers, prophets & prophecies, elves, fairies, travelling on horse back, even sword fights. However, it's also very much a soft science fiction. They travel from Earth through a portal to another planet. Nyssa is a sentient planet. It modifies it's people and grants them names and powers that are partially inherited through their bloodlines (genetics) and partly because of something that Nyssa sees in the person.

Smashwords ~ Kindle ~ Nook

There are tunuftolates (small creatures indigenous to Nyssa) and many other amazing discoveries that show hidden elements of the science of this series. It's written for YA, but I strive to pull the readers along into Krissa's world as she goes. If you can't escape into a YA sci-fi/fantasy... why read it?

The characters are real. It's all real. I know them better than I know most people. Ask me a question about their motives, feelings, etc... I can tell you the why and how of it. (Not that I will if it's a secret or pivotal to the story line. No spoilers sweetie.)

I'm so excited about the new covers... What better way to celebrate than to have another giveaway? By the way... by following one of the items in the Rafflecopter, it also enters you in the giveaway mentioned earlier in my A to Z Challenge. ;)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Can't forget today's choices for blogs! And the choices are.... (drum roll please)....

1. Green Bean Teen Queen - This lady is great! Love her style and personality that shows through.
2. The Book Cellar - Cute site! Great review source.
3. The Penguin Blog - From Penguin publishing house. Its setup reminds me of Pinterest. I like it.