New Beginnings - Write Me Happy is on the move!

I'm all about change. I'm always striving to move forward and expand myself in ways I never thought possible. One such area that has been nagging at me for a change is this blog.

Though Blogger has been like a dear friend to me, I've decided to pack up Write Me Happy and move it to WordPress.

My new home will give me the freedom to express my creativity more. It will include more of my writing and art while still maintaining that Write Me Happy feel.

I really hope each and every one of you continues to follow me in my new location. If you are not signed up with WordPress that's okay. You can follow me by email.

http://angierichmond.wordpress.com/

Feedback is welcomed and encouraged. See you there!

Author Spotlight: Becca J. Campbell

Author - Becca J. Campbell

Those of you who stop by often may remember a recent post called Psst! Wanna see something cool? In this post I was fortunate enough to be part of a select group of bloggers to unveil Becca J. Campbell's book cover for her debut novel      Foreign Identity.

Now that the novel has been officially released, Becca is on a blog tour and today she's stopped by Write Me Happy. Each day she will be posting a bit more of her novel on her blog Inspiration for Creation so make sure to check out the tour schedule below to gain access to the goodies.

But that's not all! You can also enter for a chance to win copies of Foreign Identity.

Oh and did I mention I've read the novel? Oh yeah I have and it's AWESOME! Check out my review on Goodreads. Foreign Identity is now on sale at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble in paperback and eBook format.

I'd like to wish Becca a HUGE congratulations on publishing her first novel and continued success in the future. Don't forget to scroll down to read the interview with Becca!

Blog Tour Schedule:

May 22^nd – Melody with Words

May 23^rd – Cover Analysis

May 24^th – Write Me Happy

May 25^th – Have You Heard My Book Review

May 26^th – Court Can Write

May 27^th – Yearning for Wonderland

May 28^th – Catharsis of the Bogue

May 29^th – Aaron Pogue

May 30^th – Pen and Whisk

May 31st -- Stormy Night Publishing

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Q&A with Becca:

Q: When I started reading Foreign Identity I quickly realized that this novel was going to keep me on the edge of my seat! Tell me about what inspired you to write this novel.

A: The short answer is: a writing prompt. A list of ten little words on a website called the Creative Copy Challenge (http://www.creativecopychallenge.com) was the initial spur for Foreign Identity. (Check out that blog because it’s loads of fun and an excellent community.)

The long answer is a little more complex, though. With those ten words I was the only one (of maybe twenty or thirty writers) who went the science fiction/thriller route and launched into a full-fledged novel. What really drove the story was my own desire to solve a puzzle.

At the time, I was in the height of my Lost-watching days and I wanted to create a story with that same feel. I wanted to emulate the pull I’d felt when watching the show—the way it teased me with questions and yet made me believe if I tried hard enough I could solve the mystery behind everything. That’s one thing about me—I love puzzles. I enjoy trying to put all the pieces together when I read any story, and the best ones are those that I can never quite solve because of their unexpected twists and turns.

So, (logically or not) the way that I began Foreign Identity was with a puzzle of my own. I wrote the first scene with the man and woman who couldn’t remember their pasts and were trapped in a room with interlocking chains and a closet full of keys. Beyond that there was nothing. I had no outline, no character sketches, no plan for where in the world the story would go. But what I did have was a puzzle. That situation alone stirred up a myriad of questions. Who were the people? What did they have in common? Why did they have amnesia? Who imprisoned them? Why was the answer to escape left for them? And what was on the other side of the door?

Through that one scene, I’d already created a mystery for myself that rivaled the thrill of watching Lost. All I had to do was figure out the answers to those questions. When I came up with an answer, I had my story. Then I just had to write the rest.

I’ll admit, this isn’t a standard way to go about writing a novel and I wouldn’t recommend it to a new writer. But it worked for me in this case. Every book I’ve written since has had a full outline before I started writing.

Q: Foreign Identity is a fabulous blend of science fiction, mystery and romance. When you first began writing, did you know it would turn out this way?

A:Other than wanting it to have mystery, I didn’t really think about genre when I started. I’ve written four full novels and all of them have contained fantastical elements and a romantic sub-plot. Those are the types of stories I like to read so they are the ones I end up writing. I plan on hanging out in that sort-of real, sort-of speculative world in most, if not all, of the novels I publish. And yes, I plan on publishing more books—as early as later this year!

Q: How long did it take you to write, start to finish?

A: I started April 20^th, 2010, so it’s been just over two years. The first draft of the story took me about a year and a half to finish, and that version underwent massive changes, including the addition of 14,000 new words. The reason it took so long is because Foreign Identity was always my side project. I had other books I was focusing on, so the first two thirds or so I only wrote in snippets. Also, I started out writing it as a series. Using the given prompt words on the CCC, I’d write and post one section at a time on the website, twice a week. That kept me working on it regularly but also kept me from progressing very quickly. Eventually I stopped doing the posts and wrote the ending much quicker than I’d written the first part.

Q: The main characters have their own unique personalities despite their inability to remember themselves. Which of the main characters are you most like?

A: Without a doubt, I’m most like Jax. I’ve already mentioned my affinity for solving problems. From scene one it’s apparent that he has that same drive. In fact it’s a bit of a problem for him sometimes, as you’ve seen in the story. Despite his need for logic, he’s also the artistic one, and I can relate to that aspect of his character.

Kel, on the other hand, was a more difficult to write. Her personality needed several transformations before the story was complete. In the beginning she had been too weak; she didn’t have enough backbone to be likeable, let alone to be a protagonist. Then when I added a stubborn streak, it ended up hardening her a lot more than I’d wanted. So I had to go back over the story again and soften her around the edges.

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer?

A: March 29, 2009, during a Sunday church service. Actually, that was the day I first really considered whether I could write a book. I knew all it would take was a solid idea, and that was the day I had the inspiration that led to my first novel. I grabbed a church handout and started hastily scribbling notes for characters in Flawed, an urban fantasy series I hope to publish in the near future. So it’s been just over three years.

Q: Do you have any writing rituals? Perhaps a favorite place to sit or music that just must be playing?

A: My writing habits are more by necessity than choice. I write in the evenings because I’m a night owl and that’s when my kids are asleep. I also like to go out to write pretty often, often at Starbucks.

Q: What and/or who inspires you?

A: I get inspired when I hang out with other Creatives. I’m also inspired to write when I see my friends succeed in their writing, whether it’s overcoming writer’s block, finishing a novel, pulling in lots of blog traffic, getting published, or becoming a bestseller. There’s something contagious about watching others succeed.

Q: Publishing your first novel is so exciting! How do you plan on celebrating?

A: I’m having a local book signing party, so I’m sure that will be fun. Aside from that, not much other than diving back into my next book. I’m planning on publishing my second novel, Gateway to Reality, later this year. Look for it sometime around October.

Hi, I'm not here right now...

.....I'm too busy answering questions at Yearning for Wonderland!

Check out my Q & A on my writing space with the lovely Anna. There's even a picture. Heck yeah!

Kreativ Blogger Award

Today I was blessed with the Kreativ Blogger Award - twice! The fabulous bloggers and Twitter friends Donna and Matt graciously bestowed this award upon me, thereby making me a very happy girl indeed!


Thanks to both of you for thinking of me!

And now to go over the rules:

1. Thank and link back to the person(s) that nominated you.
2. Answer the ten questions.
3. Share ten random thoughts/facts about yourself.
4. Nominate seven worthy bloggers for the award.

Let the Inquisition begin!

1. What is your favorite song?
I find this question hard to answer. My taste in music is highly dependent on my mood. Check out the Music Me Happy tab for some examples.  

2. What is your favorite dessert?
I'm not really a dessert kinda girl, but if it has chocolate and peanut butter in it, I'm there!

3. What ticks you off?
Loads of things.

4. What do you do when you get upset?
Mostly I read or watch a really good movie that I've seen at least a million times. Both help me escape.

5. Which is your favorite pet? 
No pets for me, but I used to have a cat that thought he was human. He was pretty awesome!
 
6. Which do you prefer, black or white?
Black. Always.

7. What is your biggest fear? 
That I will never be able to accomplish my dreams.

8. What is your attitude, mostly?
Positive and hopeful with a dash of realism.

9. What is perfection?
Waking up and knowing that whatever I do, it's something I love.

10. What is your guilty pleasure?
Plain potato chips dunked in a glass of milk.


Some little known facts about yours truly

• I have a burn mark the shape of Britain on my leg just below my knee. I'm told I grabbed a piping hot cup of tea off the table as a child. I prefer to think it's a secret mark connecting me to an elaborate time traveling plan.
• I am a vivid dreamer. Always in colour and always entertaining.
• When I was young I wanted to be a teacher and spent long hours in my room writing big red check marks on all my homework.
• I also (briefly) wanted to be a taxidermist but instead went and got my diploma in Animal Health Technology. (I did that a couple months before I realized it wasn't for me.)
• I played soccer (or football for all you Europeans) for 12 years. Now I neither play nor watch it.
• I may or may not have an obsession with stuffed animals. This is to be confirmed.
• I'm on my second (and hopefully last) marriage. 
• I sometimes think I was born in the wrong century (See note on time traveling above.) 
• After reading Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid Chronicles I've decided I want to be a kick ass Druid.
• I wish magic and fairy tales were real.

And finally my seven awesome bloggers. Go forth and spread the word of Kreativ, my friends!

Jo-Anne
Anna
Dan
Emmie
Ang
Ali
Becca

Somebody has a case of the Mondays!

It's true that Monday is my least favourite day of the week. Some see it as a fresh start for the week, new beginning and all that crap.

Note: I am not part of those some. 

However, this Monday marked the beginning of my holidays. YAY! An entire week off to catch up on all the things I've neglected over the last couple weeks. Or that would be the case if I could pull my nose out of a book.

I have been reading as though it is fueling my existence. The very air I breathe is made of books - okay maybe not literally, but most definitely figuratively. I crave reading. I forgot just how much I love it. Escaping the daily grind into another time, another place. Pure bliss. Plain. And. Simple.

Since I am a good little reader, I must give credit where credit is due. I have stumbled - quite accidentally - into the realm of Young Adult Fiction. I'm not necessarily a stranger to the YA genre. I devoured the Harry Potter series with a voracity that remains unmatched. I dabbled in the vampire-hype with the Twilight series and even agreed to watch the movies - which BTW - are horrible. Mind you, I will - no doubt - be roped in for the final installment. It still amazes me how the books never seemed quite as corny to me as the movies. But that's a story for another post. Let's get back to that original thought - giving credit.

It was after much coercion from multiple friends, that I agreed to read the Hunger Games. My skepticism was purely based on the fact that EVERYONE loved them. Yes, I am aware that makes no sense, but I am highly suspicious of hype. I often find myself resistant to watch or read anything that is super popular. Again, I know how contradictory that sounds having just professed my undying love for Harry Potter (Is it too late to get my Hogwarts letter? I mean it could still come right? I'm only thirty-three!)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins was just the spark I needed to rekindle my love of reading. Not that it was extinguished per se, but it was in desperate need of some fuel. I whipped through those books like nobody's business. I loved those novels! <Insert lots of Credit here>

Since reading that series I have moved onto a string of awesome novels:

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Foreign Identity by Becca J. Campbell
Tricked by Kevin Hearne
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

I realize those aren't all YA novels, but they are all fabulous so what the hell, listed! I suppose that's all I really needed - a kick start. Now all I have to do is make some time to write, edit, blog, eat, sleep etc.....Nah...I'll just read!

What are YOU reading?

Flash Fiction Contest - Digital Pill

The wonderfully talented Becca J Campbell is running a flash fiction contest in honor of her soon-to-be-published novel Foreign Identity (awesome novel BTW you should totally buy it!) and guess what?! I decided to enter. 

Normally these contests stress me out. No matter how hard I try to think of something, I just can't. I wanted to enter the lovely Anna's contest Once Upon a Time, but each time I sat down to write it, my mind froze up. Incredibly frustrating!

So this time I just sat down and started to type jibber and what do you know...it kinda made some sense. Sort of. Well maybe. Anyway here's what I wrote. I'll let you be the judge.

Digital Pill

There were three things Adora needed to remember in order to stay alive: Willa was safe at home, the pill was in her left pocket and she needed to find the weapon to end this horrid dream. If she could keep those three things at the front of her mind she’d stop running after the Willa holograms and finish her task much quicker. But that’s what they wanted, didn’t they? For her to get confused and fail. She clutched at her pocket feeling the tiny capsule hard against her fingertips. All she had to do was find the weapon and then she could swallow the pill; return to Willa. The droning sound of static startled her from her thoughts and she swung around searching out the source.

“Hello, love. Looking for me?”

“No!” Adora backed away with caution. Her eyes locked on Willa.

It’s not Willa. It’s a hologram. The pill is in my left pocket. I have to find the weapon.

She ran through her mantra for the hundredth time.

“Stay with me, love. We could be so happy together.” The hologram moved forward, her hand outstretched, reaching for Adora.

Duality by Cocoaspen

Could we be happy? Adora wondered.

“It’s possible - here.” The hologram replied, taking another step.

So they can read minds too.

She stepped further back, feeling the wall push up against her. There was nowhere to turn, but maybe this Willa was right. Maybe they could be happy here.

“Come to me. Let me end your suffering.” Willa’s voice was pulling her in, she wanted to stay; she was sure of it now.

She reached out her fingertips to touch Willa’s outstretch hand; the soft hands that once loved her back. But these hands weren’t soft, they flickered in and out. It was too late to turn back.