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Guest Author Mae Clair, with a Mythical Sea Creature and Romance

by Joanne Wadsworth | Jul 16, 2014 | Author Blog

SOLSTICE ISLAND

Can an ancient leviathan work magic between a practical man and an idealistic woman?

Rylie Carswell is an amateur cryptozoologist in search of a mythical creature, the Sea Goliath. In order to reach Solstice Island, a location the ancient leviathan is rumored to haunt, she’s forced to hire charter boat captain, Daniel Decatur.

Initially, Daniel wants nothing to do with the trip or the fool woman waving double payment in his face. Convinced she’s yet another loony treasure hunter looking for gold on the remote island, he reluctantly agrees. An embittered neighbor wants to have his charter license yanked, so the extra cash will help him stay afloat.

It doesn’t take long for Daniel to realize Rylie is after the same beast his parents were tracking when they mysteriously vanished ten years earlier. He’s avoided all links to cryptozoology ever since, but the smart and sexy cryptid hunter has him second-guessing his oath and wondering what he’s signed on for.

Warning: A family legacy, glowing plankton and rough waters.

A huge welcome to Mae Clair and her wonderful new book Solstice Island. I love this blurb. If there’s a mystery to be unravelled, a hunt ,and an mythical creature, I’m there. Here’s Mae.

Thank you for letting me take over your blog today, Joanne. I’ve brought along my romantic adventure novella, SOLSTICE ISLAND and a Top Ten List I hope your readers find intriguing. It’s summer in my part of the globe, so I thought your readers might enjoy a short summery read with a coastal setting. With that in mind, I give you:

The Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Read Solstice Island by Mae Clair:

10 You’ll meet a hot charter boat captain trying to live down his family legacy.

9 You’ll encounter a spunky heroine cryptozoologist, determined hot captain should embrace said family legacy and all the baggage that goes with it.

8 You’ll be able to impress all your friends with your stunning new knowledge of cryptozoology.

7 You may find yourself struck by the uncontrollable urge to look up blurry images of strange creatures online or go on a cryptid hunt (think Loch Ness, Big Foot, and the Jersey Devil).

6 You’ll learn why you should never ignore a craving for mint chocolate chip ice cream.

5 The next time your boat is attacked by a rampaging sea monster, you’ll know precisely what to do.

4 You’ll be swept up in a tale of romance, adventure, and folklore.

3 You’ll uncover buried treasure, thwart a villain, and discover a new use for a boat oar.

2 As a 72 page novella, SOLSTICE ISLAND makes a quick summertime read.

And the number one reason you should read SOLSTICE ISLAND:

1 You can buy it on Amazon for just $.99!

How can readers find you and your book, Mae?

Mae Clair has been chasing myth, monsters and folklore through research and reading since she was a kid. As an adult, she stumbled onto the field of cryptozoology and realized there were others like her who loved speculating about weird and wonderful creatures.

Her blog, From the Pen of Mae Clair, features a weekly post each Monday where she examines a different myth or urban legend. In 2013, she journeyed to West Virginia to learn more about the legendary Mothman, a creature who will factor into an upcoming novel.

As a writer, she pens tales of romantic mystery flavored with a twist of myth or folklore. Married to her high school sweetheart, Mae lives in Pennsylvania. Her passions include cats, history and exploring old graveyards. Look for Mae on her website at MaeClair.net

You can find Mae Clair at the following haunts:

Twitter (@MaeClair1)

Purchase SOLSTICE ISLAND from:

Amazon

Add SOLSTICE ISLAND to your Goodreads TBR

Thanks for dropping by, Mae. I always love having you here.

How Do You Write YA?

by Joanne Wadsworth | Jul 1, 2014 | Author Blog

I found some young ones. So cute. 🙂

Without a doubt, YA (young adult) is a very hot genre to write. It’s been around for a while, although there was a turning point in 2008 when it truly exploded. A number of writers tried their hand at it. Some found YA was for them, and others discovered writing this genre is tougher than it looks. Although, YA isn’t about to slow down anytime soon. Readers of YA are committed. They’re always after more, and for writers of this genre, we’re here to deliver.

Now, what makes YA so popular?

Those teen years we go through, are an incredible time. They’re exciting, fun, awful, painful, scary, amazing, and everything in between. It’s when we discover the world and where we fit in. In our teen years, our emotions are pure, and all that we go through is intense and totally confusing.

That’s why YA captures such a wide-ranging readership base. It crosses the generations, and is read by young adults and adults alike. There is no age barrier to YA. Even my 90-year-old grandmother has recently read my YA fantasy romance. It was her first foray into this genre, and she was fascinated by how enthralled she became. (Phew.) The story reminded her of the time she lived by the seat-of-her-pants. (Yep, seat-of-her-pants. She was such a rebel in her younger years.) She wants more YA–and just like that, she’s hooked.

So, let’s cover what YA writers should be aware of. There are certainly some points to note.

YA books focus on the essence of what teens go through, and I’m not talking about learning to drive a car, going to prom, or that very first date.

YA readers are smart. They want deep storylines, and fast-paced action, so don’t even attempt to write simple. Teens will spot simple a mile away, and just get annoyed.

In fact, it’s often said writers must pay attention to the three core questions which should be at the heart of every YA novel.

Who am I?

Where do I belong?

How do I get there?

A ton of new questions can arise from these three core ones, but fundamentally they make great building blocks when writing YA.

Your characters are about to take the journey in discovering the answers they seek. There’ll be struggles and mistakes, bends and twists in the road, triumphs and tears, but that’s how teens uncover all life has to offer. The journey they undertake must be deep. They must challenge themselves to sort out any inner fears and frustrations, and while doing so, remain completely relatable.

All in all, YA books are about teens coming to terms with who they are, and experiencing all life’s ups and downs along the way.

Okay, so if you’re after some YA novel guidelines, here are some helpful pointers.

So far, there are no forbidden subjects, but whatever you delve into must be done with sensitivity and care, taking into account the age of the teen reader. Often we can allude to something, and then fade out the scene. The YA reader is smart, and they’ll be aware of what’s happened.

Overall, teens will identify more strongly with the character’s feelings, and this is why intense situations don’t always need to be written in.

Characters are teens, and aged within those years.

YA novels generally run between 40,000-75,000, but you will find books either side of that. If there is a particular publisher you’re after then make sure you check out their website’s submission guidelines to see if they have a preferred word count.

There are also no vocabulary restrictions for YA, but make certain any coarse language is age or topic appropriate.

YA is predominantly written in 1^st or 3^rd Person (I said, or she said.) Although there are some in 2^nd Person (you say.)

And lastly, any subgenre is enjoyed, like fantasy, romance, paranormal, contemporary, sci-fi, historical, mystery, adventure, humor. There are no limitations on this.

I hope this post has been helpful for those writers wanting to delve into YA, or for those who just want to know a little more about this intriguing genre. Even in writing this post, I was surprised by how much I had to share. YA is certainly not easy to write, although it’s incredibly enjoyable.

But there’s more…

I’m going to share a link to the most traumatic post I’ve ever written which was featured this week on Dear Teen Me. I cried like a baby as I wrote it.

Here’s what happened. A few weeks ago, I was asked by “Dear Teen Me” to write a post, and I was thrilled to accept. Then I received the details. I was to write a letter to my teen-self, and I tell you, it was the most traumatic writing experience ever. Who wants to write a letter to their teen self? Not me, but I’d committed to it, so I jumped in with both feet and shared from my heart.

If you want to find out what made me blubber and cry, (I think I went through an entire box of tissues,) then check out the post here.
http://dearteenme.com/?p=7477

Thanks for taking a look if you did.

If you have any questions, just leave me a comment. I love hearing from you. And if you’d like to read a YA novel, then feel free to check out my YA/NA Magio-Earth series with its abundance of 4&5 Star reviews. Enjoy, and take care this week.