Monday, September 29, 2014

Attention #PitchSlam Recruits - It's Nearly Time...

Establishing secure connection. H.E.L.M. communications online. Security protocols engaged. Initiating transmission. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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Greetings potential recruits. There are only days left before we launch the H.E.L.M. Initiative. For those needing a refresher, here are the dates and times for entry into each phase of the program:
10/4/2014 — RECRUITMENTFrom 12:00 am until 11:59 pm Eastern Time all recruits will send in a 35 word pitch for their completed and POLISHED manuscript. One manuscript per entrant. All genres are welcomed in age categories Middle Grade and up.
10/6/2014 — BASIC TRAINING: From 12:00 am until 11:59 pm eastern, send in the first 250 words of the SAME completed and polished manuscript. In order to participate in Basic Training you have to have entered Recruitment.
10/9/2014 — COMBAT DRILLS: From 12:00 am until 11:59 pm eastern, send in the revised 35 word pitch AND first 250 words from the SAME completed and polished manuscript from the previous rounds. You will need to have entered both previous rounds to take part in this round. Captains will make selections from entries received during Combat Drills.
10/13/2014 — Suit Up!: The Squad Captains will post their chosen recruits on their blogs for the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, who will have two days to make their requests. Agent requests will be moderated and will NOT be visible until after 5:00 pm easter time 10/14/2014.
TO SUBMIT DURING ALL ROUNDS, EMAIL ENTRIES TO:
PitchSlamContest (at) gmail (dot) com
Please type Pitch Slam: TITLE  into the subject line for each round.
***Any entries received before or after the submission times will be deleted unread.***
Official H.E.L.M. regulations dictate in relation to the first 250 words of the manuscript: do not stop in the middle of a sentence. Continue to 255 words if necessary. There is no extension for pitches.
Entries must be single spaced with one line between paragraphs and NO indentations. To avoid format complications, we recommend entrants do NOT copy and paste directly from the document into the email message. Instead, paste it into a new document, clear all of the formatting, then apply the mentioned requirements.
Example:
Name: Real name (Writing as such-and-such if you are utilizing a secret identity)
Genre: This includes both age category and genre. Fiction is not a genre. YA/MG etc on its own is not a genre. Please pick ONE genre and possibly a sub-genre. Adult Paranormal Romance is a proper genre. YA Sci-Fi Horror is a proper genre. MG Magical Realism Paranormal Romance Horror is not a genre. An easy way to do this is ask yourself, if my book was in a store, what would the sign on the shelf say?
Title: Your story
Word Count: xx,000. Round to the nearest thousandth.
Hero: The hero or heroine your protagonist best relates to and why.
Pitch and/or 250: During Recruitment it will be pitch only. During Basic Training it will be the first 250 only. During Combat Drill it will be both together with pitch followed by 250.
Failure to comply with H.E.L.M. regulations will result in–
Signal disruption detected.
Switching to secure server connection.
Connection failed.
Security countermeasures engaged.
Signal holding.
Signal.
Sig.
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7jemx
H.E.L.M. signal successfully intercepted Sir, per your request.
Transmission holding strong. 
||
Countermeasures. Puh, I’ll counter your countermeasures…
Thank you, Jarvis.
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A pleasure, Sir.
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All right, now that I’ve saved you from the hum-drummery, let’s skip the paperwork and get down to the good stuff because a: I’m bored to tears on your behalf, and b: The More You Know.
So you got the gist of it, when to enter, where to send it, what to send, good. While I love throwing monkey wrenches into Fury’s espionage clockworks, I figured it would be more fun–and hilariously inappropriate–if I manage to corrupt, er, convince his rookies to do it for me. Instead of going in and plucking the information from the S.H.I.E.L.D. mainframe, I invite you to join me in cyber anarchy by posting tidbits of your classified entries for all to see. On Twitter! Because, why the hell not.
That being said, there is a method to my madness, and my type of anarchy does have some order. Here it is:
  • Monday 10/6 – #Superpower: Does your hero or heroine have a super ability? Like an mechanized suit of asskicking-awesome. If so, what. If not, if they could choose an ability, what would it be?
  • Tuesday 10/7 – #Weakness: Kinda like the superpower thing, but the opposite. And there is no “if not,” everyone has a weakness. It could be kryptonite, it could be Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
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Speaking from experience, Sir?
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Shut up…
  • Wednesday 10/8 – #PlayingFavorites: Who’s your main character’s favorite hero? *cough*IronMan*cough*. Or who’s their favorite villain. And why. You can throw your personal favorites in as well.
  • Thursday 10/9 – #WeaponOfChoice: How does our main character bring the pain? Swords, wands, light sabers, switchblades, their bare hands, their rapier wit, lengthy monologues that bore their enemies to death, whatever they use to do their heroing. You can post for the villains too.
  • Friday 10/10 – #WhichIsCooler: War Machine or Iron Patriot. Because I told him so.
  • The weekend will be some kind of crazy free-for-all. What? I did say anarchy.
That should be plenty to keep us all duly entertained, and Fury on his toes trying to bottleneck the flow of information. If I come up with anything else we can do to be a pain in Nick’s neck, I’ll pass it along.
Take it away, Jarvis.
||
Very good, Sir. Releasing H.E.L.M. communications transmission in 3…
2…
1…
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Transmission terminated.
static

Dark Carnival Anthology Cover Reveal!

So I'm part of a hauntingly awesome anthology along with some spooky fantastic authors. And today, well, it's the big cover reveal!!


October approaches. Autumn leaves are nearly falling. The Dark Carnival is calling, calling. Will you answer its call? Will you heed the beckon?

The doors are opening.

Will you leave with your life?




Blurb: In this anthology, several authors and illustrators explore the dark and hidden dangers that lie within a carnival that has come to town. But it is no ordinary carnival. It's The Dark Carnival.

And when The Dark Carnival comes to town, there's no promise that anyone can leave...alive.

Edited by: Jolene Haley, Kristen Jett, and Jessi Shakarian

Contributors include: Kat Daemon, Kristen Strassel, Julie Hutchings, C. Elizabeth Vescio, Mark Matthews, Brian W. Taylor, Kim Culpepper, Eli Constant, Mari Wells, J. Elizabeth Hill, Nicole R. Taylor, Ashly Nagrant, Kristin Hanson, Calyn Morgan, Tawney Bland, Roselle Kaes, Ken Mooney, Emily McKeon, Bobby Salomons, Ezekiel Conrad, Sheila Hall, Michelle Davis, Lucas Hargis, Vanessa Henderson, Ryan Bartlett, Debra Kristi, Jessi Esparza, T.A. Brock, Ruth Shedwick, Brian LeTendre, Amy Trueblood, Gregory Carrico, Jamie Corrigan, Kate Michael, Tyle Anne Snell, Alicia Audrey, Meghan Schuler, Jamie Adams, Wulf Francu Godgluck, J.C. Michael, Suzy G., Kristin Rivers, and Claire C. Riley.
*Final lineup subject to change



And now for the hauntingly awesome cover!!!







*************

Add it to Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20495362-the-dark-carnival

Want to show The Dark Carnival even more Goodreads love?

Add it to your shelves - horror, anthologies, and thriller are good places to start.


Did you say you have more love? Pin the shiny new cover to Pinterest, send out some tweets, and scribe it into Facebook. You never know - show The Dark Carnival enough love, and it might just let you leave.


Cover Design by the fabulous C. Elizabeth Vescio. Learn more about her and her incredible design skills here.


About Pen & Muse Press

Need writing tips? Want to learn how to market yourself as an author? Pen & Muse Press was started to give you just the tips you need. No matter how long you’ve been writing - or haven’t been, embrace your craft.  Blog | Author Services | Twitter | Facebook

I'm so proud to be part of this anthology. I had fun writing my story and am so happy it's being compiled with all of the other fantastic stories and illustrations so others may find them and enjoy them.

Are you excited for the Dark Carnival Anthology? Are you IN the anthology or know someone who is? Tell me your thoughts in the comments, I'd love to hear them!

Until next time, happy reading and writing everyone!

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

#PitchSlam Update - The Squads! Teams...Clubs



Accessing H.E.L.M. communications.
Unable to verify signal origins.
Unable to verify system security protocols.
Access denied.
Access denied.
Access. . .
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H.E.L.M. communications re-engaged and holding. Signal strength optimal. Security protocols verified and bypassed. Systems online, though S.H.I.E.L.D. technicians are working to bring us down again. I'll keep them preoccupied for as long as I can.

You have the floor, Sir.
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Thank you, Jarvis. And thank you, boys and girls, for tuning in, despite the "for your best interest" bull Big Brother tried to feed you last time around.
Today's broadcast is brought to you by S.H.I.E.L.D. classified intelligence, a local genius who's much smarter than Nick remembers, and the letter F. Posted below are the dossiers on the H.E.L.M. captains who'll be selecting recruits to showcase on their blogs. There's also info on the heroes (and lunatics) who've agreed to pair up with said captains and help build their squads. Teams. Clubs. Each hero is also a representative for their respective heroing...clubs, who may or may not show up to help the captains if a scuffle breaks out over the recruits. I predict more than brawl in the near future, and will have a betting ring open for those feeling froggy.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, The List!
. . .
. . . . . .
Hey Jarvis, where's my dramatic dun dun duuuuuuuuuunnnn!
||
In your other pants, Sir.
||
Uh huh...just roll the list. Cheeky machine.
||
Very good, Sir.


Captain Michelle Hauck ----- Mutant Charm
Hero Partner: Gambit and the X-Men


@Michelle2Laughs on Twitter -- #TeamMutanCharm 


Captain Jamie Corrigan --- The Tricksters
Hero (and I use the term loosely) Partner: Loki and the Asgardians


@Saphirablue84 on Twitter -- #TricksterSquad


Captain SC ---- We Are Groot
Hero Partner: Rocket Raccoon and the Guardians of the Galaxy

@SC_Author on Twitter -- #TeamWeAreGroot


Captain L. L. McKinney --- The Ultimates
Hero Partner: Spiderman and the Avengers


@Tangynt on Twitter -- #UltimatesSquad



Back to you, Sir.

||
So there you have it, the squads, their captains, and hero partners. Once again, yours truly wasn't asked to play, but I've got the best seat in the house for watching the game. And throwing things at the umpire from the stands. I'll be the one wearing the sunglasses, a badass suit of armor, and waving a giant foam finger. Look for the finger, that's clearly the more conspicuous identifier. It's big. And neon orange. Matches this awful Hawaiian print shirt Pepper got me when she went to Honolulu last week. Thing's hideous, it'll burn your retinas if you look at it long enough. I think she's pissed at me or something.
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I'm afraid we've run out of time, Sir. You'll have to regale your guests with tales of your wardrobe another time.
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Right when I was getting to the part about the Captain America fanny pack. A must have for any fashionable socialite, obviously.
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Clothes do make the man, Sir.
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Or damage his sight irreparably. Don't...don't tell her I said that.
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Of course not, Sir. Disengaging signal and releasing priority linkup in 3...
2
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H.E.L.M. communications offline.

Transmission terminated.



Banned Books and Why My Small Town Doesn't Seem So Backwards Anymore



It's Banned Books Week which has me thinking back on when I was in school. I grew up in what I always thought was a backwards small southern town. While I was right about that in some instances, I was wrong on others. And here's one of a few reasons why: Those banned books that I see listed so many times for crazy reasons... Our libraries always had them and we were encouraged to read them!

Insane, I know! But my little small town didn't try to keep books like The Wizard of Oz or The Color Purple away from us. Instead, they put them on reading lists & made sure we read them.



I grew up loving to read and write thanks to having parents who read to me from the time I was a baby (mostly my mom. Thanks mom!) I remember my mom, sister, and me sitting in my bed while she read us different books. It didn't matter what it was, we were always happy to hear them & read them ourselves. Never once did it occur to me back then that a lot of those books may never be read by other kids due to someone banning them. Even now it just sounds crazy to me.



So I want to say thank you to my parents & to my small town school and town libraries who carried and urged us to read the books so many other small & even large towns have banned. While my hometown may not have been & still isn't perfect, at least it rocked with the not banning of books*.



*Except for the one year when I was in 8th grade & some parents threw a fit over the Secret Garden & tried to have it banned. It wasn't, we still could check it out & even had it assigned to us because of this. Bonus points to those parents because if they hadn't thrown a fit, a lot of the kids in my Middle School wouldn't have even bothered lifting the cover. That year the Secret Garden was the hottest book & we all read it & loved it.


Did your school carry banned books? If so, what were they? Did your school or town ban books? Tell me your thoughts in the comments. I'd love to hear them!

Thursday, September 18, 2014

#PitchSlam Disclosure - The Agents

H.E.L.M. communications system engaged.

Signal strength optimal.

Beginning transmission.

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Welcome potential recruits. It’s nearly time to show us, and the world, exactly what you’re made of. We understand how an undertaking of this magnitude—putting your abilities and craft out there—can be daunting, but you’re not afraid to do what needs to be done. That bravery is why you’re here, and your fortitude will see you through.

That being said, we also want to give you a chance to read over the information available on the Agents who will be evaluating your performances once you’ve been selected by the squad leaders. Intelligence gathering is essential in this line of work, so we’ve provided brief dossiers on each of the S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives participating in the H.E.L.M. Initiative. See below:



Pam Van Hylckama
Twitter
Agency website

Rena Rossner
Twitter
Agency website
MSWL

Jordy Albert
Twitter
Agency website

Julia Weber
Twitter
Agency website
MSWL

Jessica Sinsheimer
Twitter
Agent website
MSWL

Leon Husock
Twitter
Agent website

Melissa Nasson
Twitter
Agent website

Uwe Stender
Twitter
Agent website
MSWL

Roseanne Wells
Twitter
Agent website

Jessica Watterson
Twitter
Agency website


Laurie McLean
Twitter
Agency website

Taylor Haggerty
Twitter
Agency website


Marisa Corvisiero
Twitter
Agent website

Sean McCarthy
Twitter
Agent website
MSWL

New Leaf Assistants
Twitter
Agent website

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the Agents and what they will be looking for. Each agent specializes in certain skillsets and will have a better chance of making a connection with your abilities based on those preferences. We also suggest that you begin preparations for Recruitment if you haven’t already, and keep an ear out for future transmissions outlining the regulations for submission and participation in the initiative.

We’ll be in touch.

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Announcement: If you experience complications with future communiques, such as signal interference or altered transmissions, alert H.E.L.M. central command to the instance and ignore any information presented during these breeches. This is for your own safety.

We repeat: Do NOT engage with unofficial H.E.L.M. transmissions even via H.E.L.M. communications. Report the incident to central command and take no further action to interact with these signals.

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Transmission terminated.



Monday, September 8, 2014

Calling All #PitchSlam Recruits





Initiating satellite linkup. H.E.L.M. communications systems engaged.

Security protocol Alpha-MS engaged for emergency broadcast.

Do not adjust your equipment.

Security…

Se-cure…

Se…

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H.E.L.M. signal intercepted.

Initiating security override I.R.O.N.

You always did have a flare for the dramatic, Sir.

Beginning transmission in three.

Two.

One…

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Always wanted my own acronym, and I.R.O.N. is only slightly cooler than T.O.N.Y. Greetings you lovely, lovely people you. As promised, I’m here to lay down a little classified intel. Let’s talk deadlines. Hate’em, allergic, can’t go near the things. But they’re a necessary evil in your world I hear. And it just so happens there are a few upcoming dates I’m sure you’d all like to be privy to. In my best impression of Coulson, I give you “Operation Agenda.”
Recruitment officially begins 10/4/2014: From 12:00 am until 11:59 pm Eastern Time you’ll send in your 35 word pitches for your completed and POLISHED manuscripts.

If you didn’t already know it, these guys are all about the rules. Their rules. Anything sent before the allotted time will be deleted unread. Whomp-whomp. But you’ve got a whole 24 hours to get your entry in, so don’t sweat it, and don’t jump the gun.

You’ll report for Basic Training on 10/6/2014: Same window, 12:00 am until 11:59 pm eastern, send out your first 250 words of the SAME completed and polished manuscript.



Told you, deadlines. I suspect this is where the H.E.L.M. squad captains, leaders, the people in charge of this banana boat will offer tips on what they think will play to your strengths, or how to bolster weaknesses. Left-right-left-right, all that jazz.

During Combat Drills is when you’ll get to impress them. On 10/9/14, you’ll submit your revised 35 word pitch AND first 250 words. This is what the Big Guns, the squad commanders, will see in order to make selections for the additions to their teams. Then the fun begins.

The chosen recruits will get to Suit Up! on 10/13/14 and join the rest of their squads to be presented to S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents.

That’s pretty much it, at least for now. Wish I had more to offer, but ever since my last romp through Fury’s files he’s tightened security. Thought I spotted something juicy about mutants earlier, though…I’ll have to double back when we’re finished here.

Speaking of, you didn’t see anything, you didn’t hear anything, and I was never here.

JARVIS, play me off.



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Very good, Sir. And, if you could possibly bring yourself to resist the urge, I’d like to point out that there are infinitely more important matters I could attend to other than swapping out Agent Coulson’s ringtone for Peanut Butter Jelly Time. Just a thought.

Re-engaging H.E.L.M. communications parameters.

Signal termination commencing. Good evening to you all.



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