Happy IWSG & Update Day!

Whoo, I almost missed Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Sunday evening, I’d just remembered I hadn’t written up August’s post. I was thinking to myself ‘crap, what am I going to do? I’m going on vacation tomorrow.’ But then my husband said I could just take my laptop with me…Duh.

So here I am, vacationing in Florida and writing up this Insecure Writer’s Support Group post. A group, founded by Alex Cavanaugh, as THE writer’s haven. A community of writers to share our woes and fears. Our successes and encouraging each other in our writing journeys.

You can find out more about the group by clicking the badge above. And maybe even sign up as well. Also, don’t forget to visit this month’s co-hosts: Nancy Gideon, Bob R Milne, Doreen McGettigan, Chrys Fey, Bish Denham, and Pat Garcia!

PS Our hashtag on Twitter is #IWSG

In Taking a Break & Engaging On Wattpad, I mentioned that I’ll be taking a blogging break. Which I did, except to blog  a mid-month Wattpad update. And to celebrate Harry Potter’s 35th birthday. Now I’m officially back with today’s post, which is neither a writer’s woe or a success. But simply a mishmash of what happened during the blogging break. And a little shameless plugging:

• my Wattpad followers went from 3 to 13
• my stories on Wattpad went from 0 votes for each to 6 votes for Harbingers of El Tinor and 7 votes for Nadia, the Fire Witch
• Wattpad member(s) have added my stories to their reading lists 😀
• entered a Wattpad blurb contest and am now currently waiting for the results
• found out my work in progress fantasy novels were eligible for the Wattys and immediately entered them (would love it if you can offer feedback and/or vote and share the stories on Twitter)
• requested a new cover design for contemporary fantasy work in progress novel, Nadia the Fire Witch
• the number of views for both WIPs went from less than ~20 to 36 views for Harbingers & 112 for Nadia
• so far posted 5 chapters of Nadia WIP and 3 chapter of Harbingers WIP on Wattpad

On another, unrelated note, I’ve also changed my Twitter bio, met & discussed the Wattpad experience with other writers in my FB groups. And signed up to agentqueryconnect.com, where I even got new title suggestions for my Nadia WIP. What do you think of “Hidden Fire” and “Fire Witch”?

What have you been up to? Any progress with your novels? Are you on Wattpad? What are your thoughts and feelings about Wattpad?

PSS As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve entered my fantasy WIPs into the Wattys.  The Wattys is an annual award on Wattpad, celebrating the best Wattpad stories. You can find out more about the Wattys and how to participate (even if you’re not a writer) here: http://w.tt/1e4QPsY. I’d really love get your vote but just as much would love to get feedback in order to improve my writing. And if you do want to vote for Nadia or Harbingers, to cast your vote on Wattpad you’d have to sign up, read and click on the star. Another way to vote is to share a link of the stories on Twitter with the hashtag #MyWattysChoice (and you don’t have to sign up on Wattpad).

Here’s where you can find Nadia the Fire Witch and Harbingers of El Tinor on Wattpad.

Thank you.

BONUS

Chapter 1 excerpt-

Lyndonburg blackout every night. Store by store, block by block, the residents close up shop. And by ten they’re already sleeping in their little beds. The streets become a ghost town. Nothing alive is out and up at that hour. Save for the stars and the moon, lit up like Christmas trees. Hooting owls and an accompaniment of crickets. And a sprinkle of working lamp posts.

A perfect time for a little break in.

Nadia glided across the street. A grayish smudge, distorting the all-encompassing dark, with her faded, black tee and jeans.

Her thick ponytail swished in the cool wind. A black-blue that blended with the dense night. Lighting up her skin like a match. She’d been told she’d gotten it from her Arawak great-grandmother. But the rest…the rest was from her parents.

A walking Starbucks caramel frappuccino sans cream like her mother. Lean and powerful like her father. Neither can’t not claim her.

A mix bag of nuts was what Nadia called it.

She cut through the manicured grounds and ducked behind a huge oak tree. Her target was up ahead, thirty or so yards away.

A brick and mortar mansion loomed out of the shadows. Its garret windows, six on each side, glinting in the moonlight, with x-shaped balustrades. Sniffing down in disapproval at the grounds below. Side wings on each side led around back, to a courtyard Nadia found out online where most of the students have their lunch.

In the middle, was the statue of Mayor Ezekiel Holt atop a white, marble pedestal. He stood erect, back straight, hands hidden behind his coat and feet together. The sculptor must’ve been commissioned to make the mayor’s statue during a bad time. Because his face was immortalized in pissiness. If you can even call pissiness a word.

But the real thing of beauty laid beyond it. Past the single, blush brick walkway that ended at concrete steps. Flagged by lifesize bobcat bushes ready to pounce on unwanted visitors. And to red, double arched doors. With the large, ornate block overhead:

Lyndonburg High School

“Finally,” breathed Nadia. “It’s been so long.”

Nadia stared entranced at her new school in all of its austere beauty for several minutes. She’d been waiting for the day to come when she can go back to school. Her body tingled and Nadia couldn’t help to think that for once, her parents couldn’t have chosen a better town to move to.

Her lips curved into a smile but then a shadow wiped it right off her face. Something had passed by the window.

Nadia’s heart jumped into her throat. She leaned around the tree and clutched onto the bark for a better look. But slipped and fell on some tree roots for her trouble.

“Shit,” whispered Nadia. She stood up and dusted some dirt off her knees. She searched the windows but whatever or whoever she’d saw, they were gone.

It couldn’t have been a teacher or the janitor. Maybe, a duppy?

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