My book has two new five star reviews on Amazon:
"Highly Recommended: This book was very enjoyable to read and was beautifully written. The characters feel very real and relatable and the story felt very visual and fast paced. I was quickly [drawn] into the story and stayed up very late finishing it. I highly [recommend] this [book to] readers of any age."
"The Next Harry Potter! New Zigon a Wondeful Creation: I couldn't put this book down. It was obviously written for the Harry Potter generation but I belong to the Baby Boomer era. The character development was great, The world created and the explanations for extraordinary powers was so very imaginative.
My favorite part was the development of the relationship between the two main characters."
This gets me excited to get New Zigon available in paperback and dig into book 2!!!
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Monday, November 17, 2014
My first blog review!
New Zigon has it's first blog review! Alison, of The Cheap Reader Blog, accepted a copy of my book in exchange for an honest review. I was absolutely thrilled when she agreed to read The Founder's Curse. Many bloggers are inundated with review requests, and most won't accept self-published novels, which makes this review all the more exciting. Allison runs a great blog that you may want to add to your news-feeds.
Here is her review: http://thecheapreader.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/book-review-the-founders-curse/#more-13503
Here is her review: http://thecheapreader.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/book-review-the-founders-curse/#more-13503
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Do you know... #4
Do you know... #4
Do you know whether the spelling of the color of shadows is spelled "gray" or "grey?"
The answer is that it is spelled both ways. Americans prefer "gray" and Brits prefer "grey." Does that mean "Fifty Shades..." is British? Not necessarily; either spelling is acceptable.
Do you know whether the spelling of the color of shadows is spelled "gray" or "grey?"
The answer is that it is spelled both ways. Americans prefer "gray" and Brits prefer "grey." Does that mean "Fifty Shades..." is British? Not necessarily; either spelling is acceptable.
Monday, October 6, 2014
Made-up Monday - Crystavis
Crystavis is one of the first words I created for New Zigon. One of my early concepts is that I wanted the characters to have a piece of jewelry (amulet and/or ring) that could help them focus their "power." I spent several weeks going through a Latin-English dictionary and using Latin translation and information websites on the internet, looking for words or parts of words that I could use. When translating "power," "force," and "energy," I continually came across the Latin word "vis," defined as "force, violence, STRESS, strength, energy, strain." I have used "vis" in several of my New Zigon terms.
Translating "crystal," I found words such as crystallum, crystallus, and crystallinus.
You shouldn't need to consult the Letter People to see how the word Crystavis came about!
Translating "crystal," I found words such as crystallum, crystallus, and crystallinus.
You shouldn't need to consult the Letter People to see how the word Crystavis came about!
Friday, September 26, 2014
New Zigon is on sale for only $.99 now until Monday!
The book is in one last Kindle Countdown deal starting today. It is only $.99 over the next three days. Then it goes up to $1.99 for another three days before ...returning to its regular price.
This is the last time I will be participating in a Kindle Countdown Deal, as I can only do this when Amazon is my sole distributer. After the sale, I will be selling the e-book on #Goodreads. Once I have it out in paperback, it will be available on several sites. This means it will no longer be in the Kindle lending library! If you want to borrow it for FREE, do it NOW! (I still get royalties, so win-win!) Click on the picture of the cover (on the right side) to get the book on Amazon.
Thanks!
This is the last time I will be participating in a Kindle Countdown Deal, as I can only do this when Amazon is my sole distributer. After the sale, I will be selling the e-book on #Goodreads. Once I have it out in paperback, it will be available on several sites. This means it will no longer be in the Kindle lending library! If you want to borrow it for FREE, do it NOW! (I still get royalties, so win-win!) Click on the picture of the cover (on the right side) to get the book on Amazon.
Thanks!
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Do you know... #3
Do you know... #3
Do you know whether or not you hyphenate "short term?" The answer is yes and no; you hyphenate when used as an adjective before a noun. e.g. One of my short-term goals is to paint a little every day.
When "short" describes "term," and "term" is a noun, you do not hyphenate. e.g. In the short term, I will go to the library every day.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Made-up Monday - New Zigon
Made-up Monday is where I will share the background behind the creation of a word or term in New Zigon. I put a lot of thought into every new word I created or picked.
I'll start first with the series title, New Zigon.
I've shared before that the concept for New Zigon started about ten years ago when my oldest son wanted a "new" story at bedtime. The story I gave him evolved into the Prologue of the book. About five years later, my two oldest boys were deep into the #Webkinz craze and had just discovered Club Penguin. They had to create usernames. Before they picked their final "#handles", "Zigon" came up, and I latched onto it for my book title. It made me think of both "Zion" and "Zodiac."
When I started writing my book earlier this year, the working title was simply "Zigon." I had even set up my blog and facebook page under "Zigon." The problem was, that when I googled "Zigon," I got lots of hits for people with a last name of "Zigon." I wanted a unique title that would bring my novel to the top of a search engine list. By calling it "New Zigon" I obtained that objective, and it better aligned with the storyline. Now my blog and facebook page both use "NewZigon" in their URL.
As a side note, the second part of the title, "The Founder's Curse," didn't get defined until the book was nearly finished.
I'll start first with the series title, New Zigon.
I've shared before that the concept for New Zigon started about ten years ago when my oldest son wanted a "new" story at bedtime. The story I gave him evolved into the Prologue of the book. About five years later, my two oldest boys were deep into the #Webkinz craze and had just discovered Club Penguin. They had to create usernames. Before they picked their final "#handles", "Zigon" came up, and I latched onto it for my book title. It made me think of both "Zion" and "Zodiac."
When I started writing my book earlier this year, the working title was simply "Zigon." I had even set up my blog and facebook page under "Zigon." The problem was, that when I googled "Zigon," I got lots of hits for people with a last name of "Zigon." I wanted a unique title that would bring my novel to the top of a search engine list. By calling it "New Zigon" I obtained that objective, and it better aligned with the storyline. Now my blog and facebook page both use "NewZigon" in their URL.
As a side note, the second part of the title, "The Founder's Curse," didn't get defined until the book was nearly finished.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Bonus Glossary section will be included in the paperback version of New Zigon - The Founder's Curse!
That's right, I've created a bonus glossary section containing 28 definitions that will be included in the paperback version of NZ-The Founder's Curse, which will be available in a few weeks! Here are a few of the definitions:
Crystavis [kris-tuh-vis] A
crystal that has been engineered to create patterns in the Pleovis. A person can push their Visity into a
Crystavis to mold it into a specific pattern.
(Similar in concept to how pushing air through a flute or other wind
instrument makes music.) A Crystavis
only works for the person who created it, unless it is altered to accept more
than one Visity Signature. (see
Generic Receptors)
Crystavis
Amulet [kris-tuh-vis am-yuh-lit] Each Zigonian makes their own amulet once
they possess the skills to create a Crystavis.
Pollampium is in the center, and it is surrounded by up to twelve
Crystavis, one for each Pleovis avenue.
Amulets can also be passed down through families.
Founder’s
Curse, The [foun-ders kurs] A
Reactive Projection The Founder managed to place on every Zigonian that reacts
when a Zigonian is captured, turning both the Zigonian and his/her captor to
impenetrable stone, looking like a statue.
Knowledge
transfer [nol-ij trans-fer] Sending information directly into your
long-term memory. The transfer can occur
from one person to another, or from an encoded Crystavis to a person. Person to person transfers can be dangerous,
and not many Zigonians attempt it. If
not done correctly, the person whose knowledge is being pulled may experience
memory loss.
Pleovis [plee-o-vis] The substance that is in-between all
particles. The Pleovis is fluid like
water or air and moves in patterns around and through objects. It is what gives
an item mass. It holds things together,
pulls them apart, moves them and stops them.
It is constantly changing.
Sometimes it circles around molecules binding them together, and
sometimes it vibrates like when it supports an electric current or hums like
when it transmits light energy.
Sometimes it stays still and acts like both a filler and a glue. It has a song of its own, dancing around and
through everything in the universe.
Visity [viz-it-ee] The waves in the Pleovis caused by a
person’s brain activity is called Visity.
Some people call it an aura. A
Zigonian can control the pattern their Visity makes in the Pleovis. This is called Projecting.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Do you know... #2
Do you know... #2
Do you know the difference between "blond" and "blonde," other than the letter "e" that is? Actually, "blond" is an adjective and "blonde" is a noun. e.g. As a toddler, my son has blond hair, but I expect it to darken as he grows. I doubt he will still be a blonde when he is older.
Do you know the difference between "blond" and "blonde," other than the letter "e" that is? Actually, "blond" is an adjective and "blonde" is a noun. e.g. As a toddler, my son has blond hair, but I expect it to darken as he grows. I doubt he will still be a blonde when he is older.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Second Version Available now on Amazon!
I just published the second version of NEW ZIGON - The Founder's Curse to Amazon. If you have already purchased and downloaded the book, delete it from your device and download it again to get the updates.
There are no major plot changes in the second version; mostly punctuation adjustments and word tweaking.
If you have any issues getting the updated version, please let me know! You can send me a message on Facebook or email me at danellesdesigns@hotmail.com
There are no major plot changes in the second version; mostly punctuation adjustments and word tweaking.
If you have any issues getting the updated version, please let me know! You can send me a message on Facebook or email me at danellesdesigns@hotmail.com
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Do you know... #1
In honor of the "reschooling" my Aunt Rose gave me when she edited my book, I thought I'd share some of the simple and more obscure grammar rules I have learned/relearned. In future I'll title these "Do you know..." I already posted this on Facebook; sorry for the overlap.
Do you know... #1
Do you know that titles of TV shows of half-an-hour or less are to be in quotations and hour-plus show titles are italicized instead?
Do you know... #1
Do you know that titles of TV shows of half-an-hour or less are to be in quotations and hour-plus show titles are italicized instead?
Monday, September 8, 2014
Book Objectives
I am very excited to tell you that NZ - The Founder's Curse will soon be available in paperback. I don't have a date for you yet, but it will be by the end of September at the earliest, October the latest.
In the meantime, I'd like to share the book review I did on Goodreads.com, where, in place of a review, I shared the driving factors that went into the development of this story. If you get a chance to read New Zigon - The Founder's Curse, (and I hope you do) then you can tell me if I've missed the mark on any of these objectives.
BELIEVABLE SCIENCE FICTION - It is important to me to be able to defend the science mythos introduced. New Zigon's science stems from a combination of the force from Star Wars (huge fan here) and the modern day "God particle" theory. The underlying concept is that there is a thing/element that fills the in-between spaces called the “Pleovis.” In Latin that loosely translates to “filling power.” It is fluid, constantly moving, making various patterns in nature. If you can learn a pattern and push that pattern on the Pleovis, you can change the world around you.
INTERESTING CHARACTERS - I created my characters first and then came up with situations to challenge them. My favorite character to write was Mrs. McNeally, the widow a few farm houses down the road from the main character, John. She has a huge heart with a big old soft spot for John, but she can be eccentric, and she loves to play to human nature to get her way. She can manage John’s father like a master violinist, which is a good thing, or John would never get out from under his chores to go on their adventures!
"CLEAN" CONTENT - I want a twelve year old to be able to read my story without having his/her parents go into cardiac arrest.
APPROPRIATE FOR BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS - My book is from a fourteen-year-old boy's POV. He is a Pennsylvania farm boy who goes to church and is riding the line between thinking girls are weird and noticing they can be pretty. This makes for some interesting internal struggles that boys should be able to relate to without getting embarrassed and that will make girls sigh knowingly.
GOOD READ FOR ADULTS – I am an avid reader, and most of my favorite books are young adult novels. I aimed for a balance between action and discovery/science reveals, with a sprinkle of humor and foreshadowing. The majority of my “test market” fell in the adult demographic, and all thoroughly enjoyed the book. Were they biased? Possibly… you will have to decide for yourself!
In the meantime, I'd like to share the book review I did on Goodreads.com, where, in place of a review, I shared the driving factors that went into the development of this story. If you get a chance to read New Zigon - The Founder's Curse, (and I hope you do) then you can tell me if I've missed the mark on any of these objectives.
BELIEVABLE SCIENCE FICTION - It is important to me to be able to defend the science mythos introduced. New Zigon's science stems from a combination of the force from Star Wars (huge fan here) and the modern day "God particle" theory. The underlying concept is that there is a thing/element that fills the in-between spaces called the “Pleovis.” In Latin that loosely translates to “filling power.” It is fluid, constantly moving, making various patterns in nature. If you can learn a pattern and push that pattern on the Pleovis, you can change the world around you.
INTERESTING CHARACTERS - I created my characters first and then came up with situations to challenge them. My favorite character to write was Mrs. McNeally, the widow a few farm houses down the road from the main character, John. She has a huge heart with a big old soft spot for John, but she can be eccentric, and she loves to play to human nature to get her way. She can manage John’s father like a master violinist, which is a good thing, or John would never get out from under his chores to go on their adventures!
"CLEAN" CONTENT - I want a twelve year old to be able to read my story without having his/her parents go into cardiac arrest.
APPROPRIATE FOR BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS - My book is from a fourteen-year-old boy's POV. He is a Pennsylvania farm boy who goes to church and is riding the line between thinking girls are weird and noticing they can be pretty. This makes for some interesting internal struggles that boys should be able to relate to without getting embarrassed and that will make girls sigh knowingly.
GOOD READ FOR ADULTS – I am an avid reader, and most of my favorite books are young adult novels. I aimed for a balance between action and discovery/science reveals, with a sprinkle of humor and foreshadowing. The majority of my “test market” fell in the adult demographic, and all thoroughly enjoyed the book. Were they biased? Possibly… you will have to decide for yourself!
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
New Reduced Price! Now only $2.99 on Amazon!
That's right, my ebook, NEW ZIGON - The Founder's Curse, is now available on Amazon for a paltry $2.99. That's less than a value meal at Mc.D's; it's less than a blizzard at DQ; it's less than a bag of Dove chocolate; it's less than a RedBox movie that you didn't return for three days; it's less than a matinee movie ticket (well, so are a lot of other things!)
The point is, you can read my wonderful, incredible, captivating novel for less than three bucks! What a deal! What a steal!
Even better, I am working on getting it published in paperback and will be offering free give-aways on Goodreads.com, so stay tuned!
The point is, you can read my wonderful, incredible, captivating novel for less than three bucks! What a deal! What a steal!
Even better, I am working on getting it published in paperback and will be offering free give-aways on Goodreads.com, so stay tuned!
Friday, July 18, 2014
SUPER SALE THROUGH MONDAY, July 21st!
New Zigon is only $1.99 in honor of all the ladies (and men) at the Donna Dewberry Painting Convention in Florida. Thanks for a great week! This is the lowest price yet. Grab your copy before the price goes back up!
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Catch New Zigon as part of Amazon's Countdown Deals!
My book is on sale today through Friday, but you'd better be quick about nabbing your copy because the price increases every 48 hours.
New Zigon went on sale for only $2.99 at 11:00 am today (6/7) and lasts until 4:00 pm on Monday (6/9), That's just three bucks! What a bargain!
Here is the schedule for the sale price changes. (The times are all Eastern)
$6.99 on Wednesday (6/11) at 9:00 pm 30% off
Goes back to regular price, $9.99 on Friday (6/13) at midnight (0:00 Saturday morning)
Thursday, June 5, 2014
New Zigon goes on sale this Saturday!
This Saturday, June 7th, is the launch of one of Amazon's countdown deals. My novel will be discounted the first two days of the sale, for only $2.99! Get your copy quick, because on Monday, June 9th, the price jumps up to $4.99 Thursday marks another price hike and then the book returns to its normal price of $9.99 on Saturday, June 14th.
Friday, May 23, 2014
"The Founder's Curse" is free on Amazon Prime for a limited time!
Are you a member of Amazon Prime? If so, you can borrow my novel for FREE. Amazingly, Amazon credits me for every loan. It will be available on Amazon Prime for a limited time only. It will be withdrawn sometime in June.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
New Zigon - The Founder's Curse is PUBLISHED!
You can now purchase my book on Amazon!
Since my last post I had two 'guest' editors offer me corrections and I did another full book edit after converting from MSword to a .MOBI file that I could read on my own Kindle. Reading it on my Kindle was a whole new experience for me. I was like, "Wow, who wrote this stuff ... it's pretty good!" It's no coincidence that inspiration comes from spirit!
What comes next? Hopefully people will buy my book and give me absolutely glowing reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads.com. (lol) Seriously, my goal is to get some sales under my belt and actual reviews so I can leverage that in my continued search for an agent. I'm really not a sales and marketing person! I had so much fun writing this book that I am itching to get back to creating, and I have plans to make this into a four-book series. I may do that regardless of the success of this book, just for myself and my family fans, only at a slower pace so the rest of my life doesn't shut down! I already have the first four chapters of book two written, which I did between finishing book one and editing book one.
So....
Here are the links for my book on Amazon and its listing on Goodreads.com:
http://www.amazon.com/New-Zigon-The-Founders-Curse-ebook/dp/B00K6NO5GG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399502548&sr=8-1&keywords=new+zigon
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22038750-new-zigon---the-founder-s-curse?from_search=true
And don't forget, you can read the prologue and first chapter here on this blog, and Amazon's sample lets you read over seven chapters!
Since my last post I had two 'guest' editors offer me corrections and I did another full book edit after converting from MSword to a .MOBI file that I could read on my own Kindle. Reading it on my Kindle was a whole new experience for me. I was like, "Wow, who wrote this stuff ... it's pretty good!" It's no coincidence that inspiration comes from spirit!
What comes next? Hopefully people will buy my book and give me absolutely glowing reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads.com. (lol) Seriously, my goal is to get some sales under my belt and actual reviews so I can leverage that in my continued search for an agent. I'm really not a sales and marketing person! I had so much fun writing this book that I am itching to get back to creating, and I have plans to make this into a four-book series. I may do that regardless of the success of this book, just for myself and my family fans, only at a slower pace so the rest of my life doesn't shut down! I already have the first four chapters of book two written, which I did between finishing book one and editing book one.
So....
Here are the links for my book on Amazon and its listing on Goodreads.com:
http://www.amazon.com/New-Zigon-The-Founders-Curse-ebook/dp/B00K6NO5GG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399502548&sr=8-1&keywords=new+zigon
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22038750-new-zigon---the-founder-s-curse?from_search=true
And don't forget, you can read the prologue and first chapter here on this blog, and Amazon's sample lets you read over seven chapters!
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Nearly There!
This weekend I finished my third full book edit for New Zigon - The Founder's Curse. I've spent literally HOURS tweaking my Microsoft Word document with special formatting, preparing it to extract as HTML. I have a draft entry started on Amazon to sell the book where I've uploaded my HTML file and related pictures and tested it with several different Kindle readers using an Amazon preview tool. To change something, I start back in MS Word, generate the HTML again, and upload the newest file. My third version appears to be working so far.
Now I just need to finalize my cover and it will be available for public purchase in e-book format!
Now I just need to finalize my cover and it will be available for public purchase in e-book format!
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Chapter Summary 3
I combined elements from the first two versions:
Have you ever done something without thinking, and have it
change your life forever? That’s what
happened to 14-year-old John Brown on his eighth grade field trip. By sliding his steel-toed work boot out a
mere six inches, he triggers a series of events that turn his world upside down.
He meets Diana, who is no ordinary girl. Centuries ago she lived in an isolated pocket
of space removed from reality called New Zigon.
She has abilities to manipulate the world around her with the help of an
amulet she hides under her skin.
Can she return to her race and save her homeland from
extinction? Can he find the time and
strength to help her while hiding the truth from his austere parents? They must use every resource they have
available to them to uncover centuries’ old secrets as lives hang in the
balance.
Travel with John and Diana and a diverse cast of characters
through an adventure of discovery, loss, and rebirth as friendships are forged
and old debts are revisited in this tale where “mind over matter” has a whole
new meaning.
Saturday, March 29, 2014
It's all in the wording!
Word count can play an important part in getting an agent or scaring them off. My first version of New Zigon came in over 139,000 words. After doing some research I learned that is way too big. Established authors can get away with it, but not a newbie like me without any prior publishing credentials. So, I have been combing through my novel trying to trim it down a bit.
My first step is to pick "the low hanging fruit" as the expression goes. I am doing word smithing to tell the same story with fewer words. For instance those "he said" "she said" words can be left out if there are only two people speaking or where the speaker is obvious. This step also includes trimming unnecessary descriptions. Have you ever found yourself skimming a paragraph describing the scenery to get to the "good stuff"? I have. Trying to read your own writing to pick out boring parts is difficult, let me tell you! Lastly this step holds the basic rewording task. Looking at a sentence or paragraph, can it be said with fewer words?
Here's an example of a wordy sentence:
He made a formidable silhouette, his tall and muscular form dressed in dark hunter’s leather, lurking in the shadows of the trees.
How would you trim this down?
Here's a first pass:
He made a formidable silhouette, tall and muscular in dark hunter’s leather, lurking in the shadows of the trees.
Here are two more options:
His formidable form lurked in the shadow of the trees, tall and muscular.
His tall, muscular form lurking in the shadow of the trees made a formidable silhouette.
This is the one I went with because I wanted the lurking to be the last point:
His tall, muscular form made a formidable silhouette as he lurked in the shadow of the trees.
Bingo!
In my research on how to get my novel published I came across a post on how to write a sentence. Granted, my beginning sentences are not as bad as the one in the example used in the post, but it is interesting to follow the editor's thoughts in whittling down the writing to get to the best economy of words. If you want to check it out, be wary; there are several f-bombs sprinkled throughout:
http://www.sfwa.org/2012/08/guest-post-how-to-write-a-sentence/
Lots of fun, eh?
I'm 3/5 through my novel and have cut the words down to under 136,300. When I'm finished with this run through I'll do another read-through to catch spelling and grammar errors since I've changed so many words. Then the really tough part begins; do I start cutting scenes?
Stay tuned!
My first step is to pick "the low hanging fruit" as the expression goes. I am doing word smithing to tell the same story with fewer words. For instance those "he said" "she said" words can be left out if there are only two people speaking or where the speaker is obvious. This step also includes trimming unnecessary descriptions. Have you ever found yourself skimming a paragraph describing the scenery to get to the "good stuff"? I have. Trying to read your own writing to pick out boring parts is difficult, let me tell you! Lastly this step holds the basic rewording task. Looking at a sentence or paragraph, can it be said with fewer words?
Here's an example of a wordy sentence:
He made a formidable silhouette, his tall and muscular form dressed in dark hunter’s leather, lurking in the shadows of the trees.
How would you trim this down?
Here's a first pass:
He made a formidable silhouette, tall and muscular in dark hunter’s leather, lurking in the shadows of the trees.
Here are two more options:
His formidable form lurked in the shadow of the trees, tall and muscular.
His tall, muscular form lurking in the shadow of the trees made a formidable silhouette.
This is the one I went with because I wanted the lurking to be the last point:
His tall, muscular form made a formidable silhouette as he lurked in the shadow of the trees.
Bingo!
In my research on how to get my novel published I came across a post on how to write a sentence. Granted, my beginning sentences are not as bad as the one in the example used in the post, but it is interesting to follow the editor's thoughts in whittling down the writing to get to the best economy of words. If you want to check it out, be wary; there are several f-bombs sprinkled throughout:
http://www.sfwa.org/2012/08/guest-post-how-to-write-a-sentence/
Lots of fun, eh?
I'm 3/5 through my novel and have cut the words down to under 136,300. When I'm finished with this run through I'll do another read-through to catch spelling and grammar errors since I've changed so many words. Then the really tough part begins; do I start cutting scenes?
Stay tuned!
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Book Summary - What do you think?
Book summaries are critical! They can help you get an agent and can entice someone to buy your book. Which book summary do you like best? Which one makes you want to know more about the story? "Neither' is an acceptable answer, just leave your comments here or in Facebook. Cast your vote by 'like'-ing your favorite in Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/
https://www.facebook.com/
Here are the two versions of the summary:
Summary 1
John, a 14 year old boy, lives a hard yet sheltered life on a Pennsylvania farm.
Diana, the child prodigy of her race, is frozen in stone for hundreds of years.
Their paths cross on a routine class field trip and their lives irrevocably change. Can she return to her race and save her homeland from extinction? Can he find the time and strength to help her while hiding the truth from his austere parents? They must use every resource they have available to them to uncover centuries’ old secrets as lives hang in the balance. Portals, amulets, power crystals, an ancient city, and the ability to influence the world around you down to the tiniest particle are some of the magical things John must embrace to help Diana, but as Diana would tell you, “It’s science, not magic!”
Travel with John and Diana and a diverse cast of characters through an adventure of discovery, loss, and rebirth as friendships are forged and old debts are revisited in this tale where “mind over matter” has a whole new meaning.
Summary 2
Have you ever done something without thinking and have it change your life forever? That’s what happened to 14 year old John Brown on his eighth grade field trip. He slid his steel toed work book out a mere six inches. That’s all he did. It just so happened to slide in front of a classmate, a very large classmate, with large friends. Have you ever tried to hide out in a museum exhibition room? If you are Scooby Doo you could put on a costume and find an empty pedestal, or if you are John Brown you could climb over a priceless statue and drop into the small corner hidey hole behind it.
Hopefully you would have the grace not to trip and kick the statue when leaving said hidey hole unlike poor John. John ended up obliterating half the statue, revealing a very dusty Diana. John’s solution? Sneak the girl home to his farm before the other half of the statue broke and freed the not so friendly looking man it depicted.
It turns out Diana is no ordinary girl. Centuries ago she lived in an isolated pocket of space removed from reality called New Zigon. She has abilities to manipulate the world around her with the help of an amulet she hides under her skin.
John enlists the help of two of his eleven sisters and his neighbor the widow McNeally to take care of Diana but the real adventures begin as Diana drags John with her to New Zigon and then on a rescue mission to free the man in the statue, Michael, from a psychiatric institute. When the widow is kidnapped, to save her they must find a crystal stolen centuries ago. They face off against a skeletal old woman in New Zigon and an amazingly youthful looking Lord Vito Dragotta, Michael’s cousin from the fourteenth century. Throughout all this John has to hide everything from his strict adoptive parents and still manage to get his chores done on time.
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Here are the two versions of the summary:
Summary 1
John, a 14 year old boy, lives a hard yet sheltered life on a Pennsylvania farm.
Diana, the child prodigy of her race, is frozen in stone for hundreds of years.
Their paths cross on a routine class field trip and their lives irrevocably change. Can she return to her race and save her homeland from extinction? Can he find the time and strength to help her while hiding the truth from his austere parents? They must use every resource they have available to them to uncover centuries’ old secrets as lives hang in the balance. Portals, amulets, power crystals, an ancient city, and the ability to influence the world around you down to the tiniest particle are some of the magical things John must embrace to help Diana, but as Diana would tell you, “It’s science, not magic!”
Travel with John and Diana and a diverse cast of characters through an adventure of discovery, loss, and rebirth as friendships are forged and old debts are revisited in this tale where “mind over matter” has a whole new meaning.
Summary 2
Have you ever done something without thinking and have it change your life forever? That’s what happened to 14 year old John Brown on his eighth grade field trip. He slid his steel toed work book out a mere six inches. That’s all he did. It just so happened to slide in front of a classmate, a very large classmate, with large friends. Have you ever tried to hide out in a museum exhibition room? If you are Scooby Doo you could put on a costume and find an empty pedestal, or if you are John Brown you could climb over a priceless statue and drop into the small corner hidey hole behind it.
Hopefully you would have the grace not to trip and kick the statue when leaving said hidey hole unlike poor John. John ended up obliterating half the statue, revealing a very dusty Diana. John’s solution? Sneak the girl home to his farm before the other half of the statue broke and freed the not so friendly looking man it depicted.
It turns out Diana is no ordinary girl. Centuries ago she lived in an isolated pocket of space removed from reality called New Zigon. She has abilities to manipulate the world around her with the help of an amulet she hides under her skin.
John enlists the help of two of his eleven sisters and his neighbor the widow McNeally to take care of Diana but the real adventures begin as Diana drags John with her to New Zigon and then on a rescue mission to free the man in the statue, Michael, from a psychiatric institute. When the widow is kidnapped, to save her they must find a crystal stolen centuries ago. They face off against a skeletal old woman in New Zigon and an amazingly youthful looking Lord Vito Dragotta, Michael’s cousin from the fourteenth century. Throughout all this John has to hide everything from his strict adoptive parents and still manage to get his chores done on time.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Dear Lucky Agent contest by Writer's Digest
I am entering the first 150 to 200 words of New Zigon - The Founder's Curse to a free online contest sponsored by Writer's Digest. 'Dear Lucky Agent' is a recurring contest where actual agents judge submissions. Agents have signed on contestants in the past.
The top three winners get:
1) A critique of the first 10 double-spaced pages of your work, by your agent judge.
2) A free one-year subscription to WritersMarket.com ($50 value)!
Two hundred words sound like a lot but it only covers the first paragraph of my prologue!
Here's the link if you want more info: http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/15th-free-dear-lucky-agent-contest-young-adult-fiction
Wish me luck!
The top three winners get:
1) A critique of the first 10 double-spaced pages of your work, by your agent judge.
2) A free one-year subscription to WritersMarket.com ($50 value)!
Two hundred words sound like a lot but it only covers the first paragraph of my prologue!
Here's the link if you want more info: http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/15th-free-dear-lucky-agent-contest-young-adult-fiction
Wish me luck!
Monday, March 24, 2014
Welcome!
Welcome to the new Zigon blog! This is where I will share fun facts and news about my new book, Zigon: The Founder's Curse.
Check out my pages:
Zigon Mythos Explained: The science fiction of Zigon is explained with pictures and descriptions as well as pronunciation of new terminology.
The Brown Family: Find out the names of all eleven of John's sisters, their nicknames and ages at the beginning of the The Founder's Curse.
Prologue - The Capture: Read the book's prologue describing the scene in which Diana gets trapped in stone back in 1349 A.D.
The Founder's Curse, Chapter 1: The first chapter takes place present day in a museum in Pittsburgh. Find out how John Brown's field trip goes horribly wrong.
Fairy Tale History as told by Gina: SPOILER ALERT This is an excerpt from The Founder's Curse explaining how New Zigon was created.
Check out my pages:
Zigon Mythos Explained: The science fiction of Zigon is explained with pictures and descriptions as well as pronunciation of new terminology.
The Brown Family: Find out the names of all eleven of John's sisters, their nicknames and ages at the beginning of the The Founder's Curse.
Prologue - The Capture: Read the book's prologue describing the scene in which Diana gets trapped in stone back in 1349 A.D.
The Founder's Curse, Chapter 1: The first chapter takes place present day in a museum in Pittsburgh. Find out how John Brown's field trip goes horribly wrong.
Fairy Tale History as told by Gina: SPOILER ALERT This is an excerpt from The Founder's Curse explaining how New Zigon was created.
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