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elenajohansenauthor · 5 years

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The #spookyromancenovel beta is going live!

Genre: paranormal romance + urban fantasy

Length: 118K, or about 340 pages

Smut Level: low

Other Pertinent Details: m/f romance, bisexual + demisexual

Potential Triggers: suicidal ideation, some gore

Platform: BetaBooks (account required but it’s free)

T I M E L I N E

Today (7/2) : First three chapters up, beta announced.

7/8: All chapters (47 of them!) will be up by the end of the first week.

8/1: All feedback due, beta closed.

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED...

There are three (3) spots available, as I’m trying BetaBooks for the first time and that’s what a free account is limited to. Which is fine, for a first round beta.

Please DM me here on Tumblr and I will provide you with a signup link. No e-mail sharing necessary!

You’ll have four weeks to read and provide feedback; I will have the complete book up by the end of the first week, as it takes some time to write critique guidance and questions for each chapter.

If I get more interested parties than I can accommodate, I will give preference to people I “know”--mutuals and other active users I’ve spoken with before.

For your assistance, you will get your name in the acknowledgments as a beta reader, and a free copy of the book upon its release. (Possibly paperback, if I go that route again; definitely an ebook if not, because I may publish digitally only this time around.)

In addition, as a thank-you for your hard work, you may have a free digital copy of my published trilogy, What We Need, a post-apocalpytic romance series following one couple through three books, if you would like. I won’t force them on to anyone who’s not interested, of course, but if you’re willing to beta this romance for me, why not get a few free books out of it?

IF YOU’RE NOT ABLE TO PARTICIPATE BUT WOULD LIKE TO HELP...

Please reblog to share with your followers! Consider tagging a friend if you think this is up their alley!

Support independent authors!

#writeblr #booklr #writers on tumblr #beta reading #support independent authors #spookyromancenovel

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elenajohansenauthor · 5 years

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12/12/12 Tag Game

Thank you so much for the tag, @bonafidealchemy!

Rules: Answer 12 questions with an OC, then make up 12 questions and tag 12 peeps. And also having fun. :)

I'm going to step into Shannon Hargrove's shoes for this, the protagonist and narrator of my current WIP, #spookyromancenovel, currently wrapping up its first beta round.

I was given these questions:

1. Are you close to your family?

No. I'm working on closing the gap between me and my mother, but Dad? I haven't seen him since the divorce. I miss him, but he wants nothing to do with us.

2. Do you have trouble falling asleep?

Only on days that end in "y." No, seriously, sometimes I'm so exhausted I'm out in an instant, but other nights my brain won't shut down. It's hard to tell any given day which type of night it will be.

3. Is it hard for you to make decisions?

Not the important ones. I've got my goals clear in my mind.

4. Are you a good liar?

Better than I thought I'd ever have to be. Too bad I keep running into truth readers.

5. What is your handwriting like?

[shoves her entire pile of case notebooks at you] Good science can never be undermined by illegibility.

6. What is the biggest mistake you’ve ever made?

Can you not ask me this in the middle of a huge life-or-death crisis? Because if I fail, the answer's going to change.

7. Which do you value more: intelligence or kindness?

Kindness isn't going to solve my problems, but intelligence doesn't make personal relationships work. That's like asking if I value the sun or the moon more. I have both. I need both.

8. Are you messy or organized?

Organized. [motions at her spotless apartment and neatly ordered merchandise shelves at her shop]

9. What’s your favorite thing about your appearance?

I'm pretty enough that I don't have to put in much effort, but not beautiful enough to be the center of attention. I don't value beauty, but I can't deny my life would be harder if I were unattractive, I'm not an idiot.

10. Are you introverted or extroverted?

Ambiverted. I can charm my customers just fine and social anxiety never hits me, but I protect my alone time, too. I need space to recharge.

11. Do you like music? If so, what music?

Not really, I'm out of touch there. I just don't have time.

12. Do you think everything happens for a reason?

No. If I did, I'd go mad, because God or Fate or whatever who would put me and Noah through this on purpose would be too cruel to believe in or worship. Shit's random. Noah showing up at my door again after so long was random, he could have gone to some other off-the-books Healer in the city, and he could have died, and I probably never would have known. But since he showed up on my doorstep, I'm going to save him, Fate or not.

YOUR QUESTIONS:

1. What's a personality trait or quality you wish you had but don't?

2. Is there anyone in your life you'd sacrifice everything for?

3. What are you hiding from the people who care about you?

4. What's your favorite hobby, and why that instead of anything else?

5. What's your deepest fear, and does anyone know about it?

6. Do you have trouble getting up in the morning?

7. If you had infinite resources (time, money, and/or space) to do so, what skill would you learn?

8. If you have a pet, tell me about them. If not, what would you have if you could?

9. What's your clearest memory of childhood?

10. What possession would you save first from a fire?

11. Are you a cuddler?

12. What's your favorite food?

I will tag: @silvertalonwriteblr, @siawrites, @crowandmoonwriting, @tjswritingstuff, @ofvisitorsthefairest, and @rainbowpitofdoom. I grabbed all of you from my recent activity, so if any of you don’t do tag games, my apologies and absolutely ignore me tagging you. Or if you don’t have a WIP right now to work from, that too.

And, of course, anyone not tagged who wants to participate, please do!

#writeblr #writeblr games #12/12/12 tag #spookyromancenovel

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elenajohansenauthor · 5 years

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#spookyromancenovel update

I was learning. That was all my life was, learning new things and incorporating them into who I wanted to be.

[when you accidentally figure out your main character’s arc at the last possible second, rewriting the very last chapter.]

#writeblr #amwriting #spookyromancenovel #rewriting #srn excerpt

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elenajohansenauthor · 5 years

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WIP Themes

I was not formally tagged but it looks like fun, so here I am, borrowing it from @raevenlywrites.

Rules: highlight themes in bold if they apply to your WIP(s)

This is for #spookyromancenovel, which is almost through its first beta round!

And one addition of my own that I feel is missing from this list, not exactly covered by any of the others: pursuit of knowledge

I’ll tag @ravenpuffwriter, @quilloftheclouds, and @kainablue, and of course anyone who just wants to jump on it like I did!

#writeblr #wip themes #writeblr games #spookyromancenovel

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elenajohansenauthor · 5 years

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What’s Your WIP? Be Sarcastic!

I was tagged by @writing-with-melon a few days ago, and now I have time to dive into this fun WIP game!

Rules: Pick one of your wips and answer these questions then tag people.

What’s the title and give us an honest title?

Until now, it’s been #spookyromancenovel publicly. The title on my beta reader’s copy is A Promise Written in Stone (tentative title). The honest title:

Devoted Woman with Little Sense of Self-Preservation Keeps Trying Stupid Things to Save Her Best Friend From a Fate Worse Than Death and Eventually Succeeds Almost By Mistake

A slightly sarcastic summary:

So it’s a love story, only for most of it it’s more about friendship and (apparently) unrequited love; it’s also about magic and curses and information hunting, which results in a few technically-legal kidnappings, because isn’t that always fun? And they fall in love in the end, because duh, it’s a romance, only neither of these idiots are sure what it means to be in a relationship, despite what they know they feel for each other, so a lot of it is about personal growth too. And suicide, occasionally, and secret vampire libraries, and ghouls on the streets at night, and fashion. You know, a romance.

Characters?

Shannon Hargrove: self-taught witch and Healer // doesn’t know what “giving up” means // some anger issues she won’t acknowledge // a work ethic that’s likely to kill her or get her killed // weird combo of trust and paranoia // doesn’t know what a healthy family dynamic is like

Noah Ishikawa: soft boy even after he turns into stone // gargoyle-in-training // mother hen // but also great in a fight // protective to a fault // “I want to know what love is” // isolation // so tired

Marlene Hargrove: new money, new fame // success > love // clueless mom // enthusiasm forever // you’ve got to be critical to be kind // her apple didn’t fall far from the tree // she tries so hard

Orlando: weird magical guru // also your favorite uncle // “it is unwise to cross me” // holy shit he can do THAT? // giver of cute nicknames // always testing you // scarier than you thought he was // doesn’t need a last name

Ursula Osborne: don’t trust the librarians // dressed to kill // far too attractive for mortal women to withstand // would die for her brothers, or better yet, kidnap people for them // don’t cross her, either // baddest bitch in the room

Isaac Osborne: too cool // the perfect man // the best suits // don’t trust him with your soul // wants to be better, though // pays his debts // baby mafia boss, but with heart

Asher Osborne: big, hunky, gay // competence is sexy // total shipper // doesn’t fall in line with his family’s shit // also tired // caring // male nurses need more love

Pick a book theme song

I don’t have one? Though I was listening to a lot of Hozier during the writing process, so while none of his songs are exact matches, the intersection of love, longing, sex, nature, and death is pretty much spot on.

I think more in terms of relationship or character theme songs, so here goes:

Shannon: “Right Here Waiting” - Richard Marx

Noah: “Love Remains The Same” - Gavin Rossdale

How many chapters are ready to read?

The full book is undergoing the first beta round right now!

Do you have a tag list?

Not yet - anybody want me to start one?

Who is your audience?

People who like twists on classic paranormal stuff, people who want better queer representation, people who like reading about eating dead things... you know, everybody!

Tagging (with apologies to anyone who’s been tagged already or doesn’t do tags, I’m terrible at keeping that shit straight): @thevajunglebook @gingerly-writing @cogesque @elliot-orion @kiramartinauthor

#writeblr #writeblr games #spookyromancenovel #wip

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elenajohansenauthor · 5 years

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#spookyromancenovel excerpt

“A gargoyle loses many qualities of humanity during its change,” I read aloud. “Gargoyles seem to understand human speech to a limited degree, but do not speak amongst themselves nor answer when spoken to. They produce no art or knowledge; they form no societies nor utilize any form of government. While they group together, no observable hierarchy emerges; any individual might scold or harass any other, for encroachment upon their space, for disturbing their rest, for crowding their supply of food. Full combat between gargoyles is only seen when food or roosting space is scarce; otherwise they seem to tolerate reasonable proximity without any drive to self-organize. A group, if it meets a solitary gargoyle, will absorb it unless already pressed for resources, and the individual has never been observed to decline.”

“Okay,” Noah said, stretching out the word in confusion. “I know all that already. From Observations of the Other-Human Beasts, Landingham, uh, 1951? Or was it '61? Anyway, I read it twice the first year.”

Making up scientific texts for a paranormal world? Surprisingly fun. I get to sound as fussy and old-fashioned as I want.

#writeblr #amwriting #spookyromancenovel #srn excerpt #paranormal romance #rewriting

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elenajohansenauthor · 5 years

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#spookyromancenovel update

Writing beta-reader questions for each chapter is fun, challenging, and a great excuse to be like: do you see what I did there? clever, isn’t it?

Of course, every time I ask that, I run the risk of getting the answer: NO.

[In all seriousness, that’s the point. I need to know what works and what I’ve made absolute hash of.]

#writeblr #amwriting #beta reading #spookyromancenovel

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elenajohansenauthor · 5 years

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One whole week!...

...of using 750words.com to rewrite my draft. Just over 10K words because most days I don’t stop at only 750 but do a full chapter. I didn’t today because this chapter is randomly super long, 3300 words. I’ll try to do the rest tomorrow.

At this pace, call it 10K a week, I’ve got just over six weeks to go to rewrite this draft. Ideally, I’d like to be done by the end of June, so I’ve got to up it to 15K a week. And that’s going to get slowed down by the more major changes I’ve got slated for the late-middle and end of the story.

Am I working as fast as I want yet? No. Am I working consistently, and thus improved over whining about how much I still have left to do? YES.

#writeblr #spookyromancenovel #amwriting #rewriting #750words

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elenajohansenauthor · 5 years

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#spookyromancenovel excerpt

While most of our neighbors were attending church, we would dress in our semi-finest and go somewhere fancy for trendy, gourmet, outrageously priced food that came in portions too small for anyone but the daintiest of ladies.

Which I wasn't, but Mother was. I towered over her hummingbird frame by five inches. Most of the time I felt comfortable with myself, but standing next to my delicately perfect mother could turn me into a gangly stork-girl. I did my best whenever we were to be seen in public together—and that was half the point of the brunches all these years, to be visible to the world as a good mother who spends quality time with her daughter—but even in the finest designer clothes, I was an impostor, a changeling.

And that particular Sunday I felt anything but beautiful and dainty, even in my favorite sky-blue dress, the one with the lilies embroidered down one shoulder and across the front. No amount of makeup could hide the signs of my crying fit from the night before, and I knew Mother had noticed.

Once our tea was poured and the nearly silent waiter had disappeared, she tsked at me. “Are you getting enough sleep?”

Almost never was not an acceptable answer. “I'm trying. I've had a rough week.”

“Oh? With what?” She sipped her tea calmly.

I hadn’t exactly forgotten what a terrible bitch my MC’s mother is, but reading it again during the rewrite process was a shock. A good one. It’s fun to write someone so arrogant and critical.

#writeblr #amwriting #rewriting #spookyromancenovel #srn excerpt

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elenajohansenauthor · 5 years

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Ask me a number (1 - 47) and I’ll reply with an out-of-context quote from that chapter of my WIP.

This is for #spookyromancenovel, currently finishing up its first beta round. Other writeblrs, totally steal this idea for your own WIP and make a new post with your own number range!

#writeblr #writeblr games #spookyromancenovel

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elenajohansenauthor · 5 years

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#spookyromancenovel readthrough, take 1

I’m on “vacation” from my day job, staying with family for Second Christmas, which means I have the whole early morning every day to get work done on WRITING.

That means it’s time for #srn to go under the knife. My goal today is at least ten chapters, so get ready for a flood of quotes I like, amusing tidbits, and me snarking at myself.

#writeblr #spookyromancenovel #srn readthrough

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elenajohansenauthor · 5 years

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I just got to a place in my first draft where I did this:

‘&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&’

And started a new scene within the same chapter, a common device in plenty of books I read but one I never use because that’s just not how my style has developed.

I probably told myself by the time I was rewriting I would know how to jump the gap between chapter parts A and B.

I do not.

#writeblr #amwriting #rewriting #spookyromancenovel

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elenajohansenauthor · 5 years

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#spookyromancenovel excerpt

Hiding in the shadows until they passed me was a solid, sensible plan. But it was also going to take forever, because a motivated snail could outpace these guys.

motivated snail. i crack myself up.

#writeblr #amwriting #rewriting #spookyromancenovel #srn excerpt

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elenajohansenauthor · 5 years

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#spookyromancenovel readthrough, take 4

Didn’t get as much done yesterday as I was hoping, but today the “boys” are going to be watching a lot of sports, so I’ll be free to buckle down. Starting...

NOW.

#writeblr #spookyromancenovel #srn readthrough

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elenajohansenauthor · 5 years

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The Dangers of Being a Pantser

So here’s the problem I’m discovering with #spookyromancenovel as I put together a timeline of actual days of the week and dates of the month, just so I don’t have any inconsistencies.

I set this starting in the late fall, and thirty chapters in (where I’m pausing in my work to write this rant,) six weeks have passed.

I WROTE A STORY IN A PSEUDO-CONTEMPORARY SETTING AND DIDN’T INCLUDE ANY HOLIDAYS.

No Halloween, no Thanksgiving, no Christmas. I have story events falling on what would be all of those dates, or close enough that they should be mentioned.

And I don’t want to do the work to write those holidays out of the story, either. I added stuff to our world to make mine, I never considered taking anything away.

I’ll finish the timeline and leave the story as it is for now for my first beta round--I’ve written in a few things to make the season more obvious, and I mentioned getting ready for Christmas once. But I realized, when I saw the climax of the story begins on December 26, that this is an issue future me needs to fix, whether I incorporate the holidays into the story somehow, or move everything up a month to hopefully avoid them.

I’m so annoyed with myself right now.

#writeblr #amwriting #rewriting #spookyromancenovel

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elenajohansenauthor · 5 years

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#spookyromancenovel update, again

I just finished what I think is the last of the “new” chapters I needed to squeeze in before the final chapter. I think I’ll be rewriting that one tomorrow.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE. Because I created a few problems in the course of rewriting that I need to go back and fix, especially near the beginning. I rewrite drafts start-to-end, the first time--even if I don’t write the first draft chronologically, my brain definitely can only process rewriting that way. The first time.

Then I’ll need to go back and look at individual chapters and say “this thing I want to add goes.... here” and “this chapters needs more atmosphere, STAT” and “oh my GOD look at all these RESEARCH NOTES I still haven’t taken CARE OF.”

So tomorrow, I’ll be done, but I won’t at all be done.

#writeblr #amwriting #rewriting #spookyromancenovel

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