Friday, December 20, 2013

I just discovered a feature on Smashwords. No it's not a new feature, it's always been there, I just didn't realize it. Anyway I found that I could let my readers set the price for my book and decided it would be interesting to see what happens if I opted for that. So for the time being you can get Monsoon Reign on smashwords at a price you choose. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/347742

Thursday, December 19, 2013

I've decided to enter an excerpt from Monsoon Reign into the MARSocial Author of the Year contest. While I don't have any grand illusions of winning, there are so many wonderful authors out there with much more experience in publishing their work, I still thought it'd be fun.

Here's a link to my submission. Please give it a tweet or like.

And here is my excerpt:

“Duke Finch.” Whispers and murmuring spread through the audience.
Nicholai Finch leaned against the wall with arms folded across his chest. His gaze shifted from Kathayr and swept the room daring anyone to bid against him. He smirked when no-one accepted his challenge.
“Stroud, I believe the girl belongs to me now.” He dropped his arms to his sides and sauntered toward the stage, scrutinizing her for a moment before ordering the priest to bring her to the back.
She was rushed off stage to a small side room to meet her groom. An empty chamber reserved for this exclusive purpose. The room was devoid of furniture and had only one dim light to see by. A balding, elderly priest waited for the couple, standing between two doors and holding a bag which contained the tools needed to perform the marriage rites.
“Greet your bride” The priest stood rigid and waited for them to do as he bid.
Nicholai nodded briefly at Kathayr and she gave a curtsy in return. One of the doors opened and two more priests wheeled in a wooden chair with three leather straps hanging down from either side, two for the arms and one for the legs. Nicholai sat and they strapped him in tight and instructed her to stand behind him.
“Do you willingly take this mark of union and intend to share it with the lady?” The priest asked in a monotone voice.
Nicholai didn’t even blink. “Yes.”
“Very well.” He began to chant as he pulled the strings open on the bag and took out an iron rod with a smooth head on the end. He continued his intonations and it started to glow as if warmed by an inner source. He held it up before Nicholai. “Choose your symbol.”
Nicholai’s gaze focused on the rod and its glow turned a dark purple hue as it responded to the will of his mind. The smooth surface shifted and swirled forming an intricate clover design to match the comb in Kathayr’s hair. Her stomach turned when she recognized the shape and she filled with a deep sense of foreboding.
The priest placed the end of the shaft into the palm of Nicholai’s right hand. His body trembled with effort to keep from crying out as his skin lit up with purple fire. Kathayr swallowed hard, nauseous at the smell of burning flesh. She had seen the marks of union before and knew she would be next.
When it was over and they pulled the iron tool away she got a better view of the symbol he had chosen. A knotted pattern circled around a clover design in the center.
“Amazing,” the nearest priest breathed. “I’ve never seen one with such color and detail.” He unstrapped the Dukes arms. “Now if the lady would please take a seat.”
“No.” He stood and took her arm, bringing her around the back of the chair and to his side.
“Excuse me?” The old priest lost his stoic demeanor.
“She’s not taking the mark by you. I intend to imprint her myself.”
“The legend?” The younger priest’s whispered to each other.
“Silence!” The elder priest glared at them and returned his sharp gaze to Nicholai. “Judging by the symbol you chose, you’re indeed talented in the ancient’s magic. However, many decades have passed since a man contained enough strength to impart it during consummation.”
Nicholai glared in silence.
“My lord, please understand. If you’re unable to achieve marking her, your marriage will be considered invalid. And we’ll offer no to help you.”
Kathayr felt unsure of what to do. Any woman would be honored to marry such a handsome and powerful man. Still something about him unnerved her regardless of his rescuing her earlier. He’s crazy, thinking he has the ancient’s power. Perhaps, when he failed she’d be able to return to the theater and resume the life to which she’d grown accustomed.
Nicholai continued to ignore them and draped his overcoat over her shoulders.
“Thank-you.” She put her arms in the sleeves, grateful for the modesty afforded to her before their departure. Then she followed him through the door opposite of the priests. It led to an alleyway behind the playhouse, a carriage stood ready for them near an ivy, covered wall. Their breath fogged around them when they exited out into the winter air and she pulled the coat tighter as she stepped inside the vehicle.
The silent ride unnerved her. He hadn’t said anything to her since they pulled away from the theater. While he seemed to be deep in thought, she took a moment to study him. His dark, shaggy hair hung down over his eyes as he leaned forward, arms resting on his legs and staring at his feet. He didn’t appear to be much older than her, yet he dressed rather formal. His under coat buttoned down to his waist and flared out in long tails. Gold trim lined the edges in a simple pattern. Gilded clothing was a rarity, even among the elite.
“What if you cannot mark me?”
His head turned and he grinned at her. Her heart skipped a beat, instead of the beautiful smile she imagined he would have, it was hostile.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Just a quick reminder that I'm offering a 50% off coupon code for createspace and smashwords copies of Monsoon Reign.

For a printed copy go to this Link and use the following discount code CW828WXZ

For an e-book you can find the discount Here and use the following code EC58F

I've also returned to the original artwork for both of those options.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

I’m well into revisions of the novel I completed during NaNoWriMo and have renamed it The Ruling of Valedrun. (At least for now)

 I’m hoping to complete my revisions after the holidays and I’m looking for anyone interested in doing a beta reading of the book. I’d love feedback on the story before I go ahead with publishing. I’ll even list your name in the acknowledgements for helping me out.

 Let me give a quick summary of the novel so you can decide if you’re interested or not.

Johanna and her family deemed her mother insane when she called her a doppelganger. The dysfunctional situation made leaving home and building a new life, as an artist in the big city, an easy decision.
Content for the first time in her life the only thing missing was the man of her dreams. She’d called him Wolf the one time she’d met him as a young girl and thought she’d imagined the encounter. Thirteen years later he showed up at her door with an outlandish story of her true origins and insisted she return to their home world right away.
Added to the complications are the assassins sent to kill her and a jealous boyfriend she learns she knows less than she believed.
Journey with Johanna to another world where she finds hope, love and purpose in her life mixed in with magic and a power grabbing military leader.


This is a romantic fantasy. If you’ve read Monsoon Reign I can tell you that this one is far less dark, although a few bad things happen and the story includes some sexual content.

I’m hoping to have this ready to go out to anyone interested by the end of January. If you’re interested contact me through this site or e-mail me at robin.fettig@gmail.com and I’ll get you on the list.


Thursday, December 5, 2013

Awesome writing day. Finally finished the book I started at the beginning of NaNoWriMo today! It feels amazing to have finished another novel and I'm so excited to get to work filling in the gaps and exposition. Then off for editing and proofreading. I haven't decided if I want to go the traditional route or self publish. But there's plenty of time for consideration.

For a peek into some images I've been gathering that have inspired me in both Hahadachi, Soma (Both current works in progress) and Monsoon Reign check out my pinterest board.
Pinterest Novel Inspirations Board

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

My publisher changed the cover of Monsoon Reign and reduced the price for an unknown amount of time.
Check it out and pick it up while it's on sale.

Monday, November 25, 2013

I am thankful for...



Thanksgiving is just a few days away and in the midst of hectic writing, house cleaning and preparing for a feast with company I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude.
I have so much to be thankful for in my life. God has blessed me with four amazing, beautiful children. A ridiculously cute grandson and the love of my life and best friend for a husband.

But today I want to thank you dear readers & visitors of my blog. As a writer there is nothing more terrifying yet satisfying than sharing the stories I create. I want to thank you for taking the time to visit this website and/or read my writing.

In thanks I'm offering 50% off Monsoon Reign for the Holiday season.

For a physical, hold in your hands, printed copy you can get it half off at this link:
Monsoon Reign (Createspace)

Use the following discount code:
CW828WXZ


If you prefer an ebook, you can find the half off discount here:
Monsoon Reign (Smashwords)

Use the following code:
EC58F


Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 22, 2013

I have officially achieved my goal of "winning" NaNoWriMo this year. Today my story went over 50,000 words. Now it's not done yet, but it is nearing the end.

Here's a screen shot of my graph:



 It's a huge relief to succeed before Thanksgiving. We have company coming and my house is falling apart with so much time spent on writing each day. I've tried to keep things tidy, but I think I'll spend the weekend doing a deep cleaning.

I also revamped the print version cover of Monsoon Reign. The ebook cover looked great but it just didn't work in printed form. Here's a peek at the new design.




Thursday, November 21, 2013

Hey all! I've been so busy keeping up with my writing goals or trying to exceed them that I haven't had much time to carve out for the blog. I'm happy to say that I've reached 46,000 words today and my goal is to finish tomorrow. It's been awhile since I've felt so excited to write a story and I hope to have it polished, edited and ready for publishing by the beginning of the year.

Today I wanted to share a pep talk from NaNoWriMo that offers some really great advice to frustrated writers.

Pep talk from Marie Lu

Hey Wrimos,
You’re past the halfway mark. Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and you can see the faintest glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. But you can barely breathe. Your brain feels sore. Things might be getting a little rough, right?
I’m not going to give you inspirational words. I’m not going to tell you how hard it is to be a writer or how courageous you are to be doing this (which you are, by the way, didn’t you know that already?). You don’t have time for all that—you’re trying to finish a novel! Today, I’m going to give you some practical tips on how to make it through the third week. The dark swamp. The mines of writer’s block.
Pull your favorite, tattered, dog-eared book off the shelves. Find a chapter that leaves you breathless. Start typing it out in a new document, word for word. Don’t just type blindly; think about what you’re writing. For me, something about this exercise helps me see the genius in the other writer’s storytelling, and will stimulate my own writing and thoughts. Be careful, of course, that you don’t end up plagiarizing it right into your novel… but there’s something to be said for drawing inspiration from another.
Write a long list of all your characters. Then, start drawing random lines connecting random characters to each other. Don’t think—just connect. Afterward, look down at your page. Try to figure out a connection between each of the two random characters you just linked—something scandalous, maybe, or something sweet. Something three-dimensional and unexpected. Some explosive scene that throws the two together.
Turn to a different creative venture. This is the point in NaNoWriMo when you start feeling exhausted, which makes you lazy, which makes your storytelling lazy. Words might not be inspiring you anymore. So turn to writing’s creative cousins. Art. Music. Games. And so on. I personally will draw my characters. You can do the same, even if you don’t usually draw or you don’t want to draw your characters. Take 10 minutes and make a map of your world, even if you’re writing contemporary. Where’s the post office? What’s the layout of this house? What places do your characters love to visit? Draw a random box in the corner. Make that a secret/forbidden/abandoned place. A love hotel. A bar with a hidden basement.
Turn to music: make a playlist of music that matches the mood of your story. Don’t just play it back, either—plug in some good headphones, close your eyes, sit back, crank the volume, and get lost. Play the scenes of your story out in your head. Imagine the lyrics matching your story. Listen to the story arc inherent in the song. Go to where your characters are. Somewhere in the darkness, you might see the spark of a scene.
Of course, none of this can trump the ultimate, time-worn advice:
Just Keep Going.
Write an entire monologue with your main character if you have to. Spend a chapter just exploring the life story of an antagonist. Write a scene with nothing but dialogue between your hero and your villain. Write a steamy love scene between your favorite couple. They don’t have to be scenes in chronological order. They don’t even have to end up in your book. But they will help you to keep going.
So keep going. You’re almost there. Just a little more. You are stubborn. You are exhausted. You are determined. You are a Writer.
Marie

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

I'm still plugging away at NaNoWriMo and really loving the story more each day as it develops. As of today my word count is at 28,128 and the ideas are still flowing. So many possibilities and such fun characters to play with.

The main character, Johanna, has now been transported back to her homeworld and is in the hands of the enemy. So for now I'm going to daydream of the logistics of a rescue that needs to take place.

Off topic and totally random I thought I'd share Vacuum sealed people. Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

I have admit that I am having a blast with my first try at NaNo. At first the idea of writing 50,000 in 30 days is daunting. But now that I'm already 12,336 words in I believe I can achieve it. Plus I've recaptured the joy of writing. I'm having fun and not worrying about what others are going to think of my writing. That will come later as I revise :)

I have another excerpt I'd like to share. Please forgive the quality of these snippets I'm posting. They are merely first drafts, I haven't even gone back to read over and weed out the evil was, were and other passive writing that plagues rough drafts. Regardless it gives and idea of where the story is going and I hope it is enjoyed.

“Wait a second.” She sat up and he halted in the doorway. “Are we sharing this room?”
“Yes.”
“But there’s only one bed.” She wasn’t sure why she protested. She suddenly felt an intense desire to bed this man. “Never mind, that.”
“Johanna.” Wolf had a warning tone to his voice as he turned to stare at her.
“It’s alright.” She walked over to him and put her hand on his chest. His deliciously hard muscled, wide chest. She let her hand slide slowly down to the waistband of his jeans. “Mind if I join you in the shower?”
“Johanna,” he repeated as he leveled his heated gaze at her. “As tempting as your offer is, I’ll have to decline.” He stepped back from her reach. “This is just a side effect of all those pesky emotions returning to you at once.”
“No, Wolf.” She’d never been so sure of wanting a man in her life. This couldn’t be wrong. “I want you… I need you tonight.”
His face betrayed his desire for her and it was all the encouragement she needed. This time she put both hands on the collar of his jacket and pulled him down, planting her lips on his. She could sense his resolve melting as she ran her tongue over the crevice in his lips, taunting him to open up to her kiss. He didn’t disappoint. One arm pulled her tight against him as they deepened the kiss. The hard ridge of his arousal ground into her belly and he placed a gentle hand on the back of her head. Cradling her like she precious to him.
Then he pulled back and set her away from him with his hands on her shoulders. “I’m sorry, that was wrong. This is wrong.”
“Why?” She pleaded.
“You are royalty. I’m a knight sworn to protect you. Besides the fact that I’m kind of twenty years older than you.”
“Who cares.” She tried to approach him again but he held her back.
“These feelings you have, princess. They’re intense I know, but they will fade. Most likely by the morning. You will level out and not feel such extremes. If we did this you would only regret it tomorrow.”
“How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me princess?” She could feel anger replacing the intense lust that had overcome her just minutes ago. Perhaps he was right.
“I beg your pardon, Johanna.” He gave her a curt bow and started for the bathroom again. “You take the bed, I will sleep on the pullout.”

“Fine.” She stomped to the bed and changed into a t-shirt before sliding in between the sheets. She listened to the spray of the shower and as she dozed off she prayed she would wake up tomorrow to find this had all been a dream. Same as last time she met Wolf.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

NaNo day five: Finished off at 10,038 words and something amazing happened. My main character just had an awesome moment of magic and healing.

Here's an excerpt:

“Whatever.” John sneered and turned away to look out the windows. “It doesn’t matter anyway. She’s never been and never will be part of our family.”
“Exactly.” Johanna firmed her resolve to finish this. “I didn’t ask for this. I had parents, great parents that loved me. They loved me enough to send me away when it was dangerous. They gave everything up to save my life. I can’t complain about how you people treated me. I did nothing to deserve any better. And I understand the despair you must have felt at losing someone so dear to you. But my parents deserved better than the ingratitude you’ve shown. No, I’m not your daughter.” Her heart felt lighter from stating that simple phrase. “Wolf was wrong to think I could simply replace her. I’m sorry for what you’ve suffered. However, I was just a child. A lost little girl that needed a family. She… I needed love and comfort. To feel the safe, warm arms of a mother around her.”
Warm tears rolled down her cheeks but she didn’t bother to wipe them away. “You didn’t have to forget your Johanna, but you could have honored her memory. You could have shown some humanity and cared just a little bit about another child in need.”
Now she did wipe her cheeks dry. “This burden is gone. For you, I will never appear in your life again. It will be as if I never existed to you. And for me, I forgive you and will not waste another second thinking about you.”
A subtle ripple of light flashed through the room and the family all stared at her in confusion.
“Can we help you?” Her father asked as he held her mother’s hand.
“What?” She spun to Wolf for an answer.
He leaned to whisper in her ear. “You’ve made them forget. We can move forward now.”
“Miss?” John had turned from the window and looked at her expectantly.
“Sorry… I must have stepped into the wrong room.”
“No problem.” He father gave her a smile. It was the first time she’d ever seen one on his face and it made him appear younger. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
“Thanks.” She turned to leave and spoke once more as she walked out the door. “Goodbye Mack… Vera… John."


On a side note I found another picture on the internet that I just loved and wanted to share. Now Wolf isn't really a wolf or even werewolf, but he does ride a motorcycle LOL.


Today's post was accompanied by lots of coffee and Early Jazz Radio by Pandora. :)

Monday, November 4, 2013

NaNo is going great. Here it is day four already and I'm 8020 words into my new novel. I've found that I'm a morning writer, which is crazy because I'm anything but a morning person! But I find as long as I'm up after getting the kids off to school that I want to get my goal of 2000 words out of the way before doing anything else in my day. So I spend two hours working on my writing and so far so good.

I've met some great new characters. Johanna is a somewhat reclusive but sassy young woman. Wolf is just fun in general to write. He's got that sexy bad boy vibe, yet is full of heart and tough to boot. Then there is Jake, the scariest antagonist I've ever written. There's nothing scarier than a guy you know is bad, but comes across as super nice if not perfect.

By the way my main character is a department store window display artist (I actually dreamed of doing that when I was MUCH younger). I found this picture that really inspired me...




Friday, November 1, 2013

NaNoWriMo started today and I'm off to a great start. My goal is 2000 words per day but no less than 1666. I ended my writing session today with 2130 words! And I met some great new characters. A child version of Johanna, she'll be an adult tomorrow, and an important character Johanna insists on calling Wolf. Because his full name, Wolfgang, makes her giggle.

I'm hoping that this momentum continues through each day of this month. If I can prove to myself that I can write a significant amount each day that would be awesome.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

NaNoWriMo

Ok people, I've decided to take the challenge. I'm putting the second book of Cierstos Chronicles on hold and as of Nov 1st I'll be working on a new novel.

For those that don't know NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. The challenge is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. So my goal is to write at least 2000 words per day through the month of November.

I've got a fresh new idea and the break from my current work in progress will be good. I'm also hoping this will instill better writing practices in me as I tend to get a little lazy and a lot sidetracked when it comes to writing.

So on to the idea for the novel I'm tentatively calling Hahadachi. It's about a young woman who is actually a changeling from another world. The main characters names are Johanna, Wolf and Jake. This is all subject to change. I'll update my word count as often as possible and try to share this experience with you dear readers. Wish me luck!

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

A few weeks ago I posted that I wished to be home so I could go see art prize. I learned the saying, be careful what you wish for, is a valid point. I got my wish and ended up back in Michigan, but it was for a funeral of a loved one. A strong woman and loving grandmother, she will be missed. Since this is a private matter I won't dwell on it here but go on with the post.

As I said, we did end up home for a time and spent a late afternoon seeing the art downtown before ducking into a pub for food and drink. Here are some pictures I got of some of my more favored pieces.


This Dragon was my favorite. Up close it was even more amazing.


There were many fortunes across this lawn.
Pictures don't do this experience justice.
The next few pictures are a montage in honor of the city of Grand Rapids and its brewing industry.
Beer anyone?
 Grand Rapids, MI
Origami of wishes. These extended across the ceiling and down a wall. We were able to then take a small piece of paper and write a wish to add to the art.

Nursery of weapons.
Gun mobile.
The elephant head is made of weapons.
See the guns?

These are real leaves with fiber optics.
I think this would be amazing at night!
Done in pastels.
This was very popular and super hard for a vertically challenged person like myself to get through the crowd to get a decent picture.
Another of my favorites.
I was hoping to paint a raven into a dove, but the artist wasn't there when we went.

This was actually a huge, in depth scene. Even the leaves and debris are made of metal. Amazing!
Minotaur
This felt like they were plotting against humanity. Creepy.
For sale. Anyone want a creepy mini-golf game for their home? Anyone?
Beautiful
Grand River art.
This giant's fishing line stretched high over our heads and plunged into the Grand River behind us.

Doghouse, I need not say anything more.









The winners of the contest are listed here. The first and second place winners I actually saw, but it was way too crowded to get a picture of those.



Tuesday, September 24, 2013

California Times Publishing has reduced the price of Monsoon Reign to $0.99 for this first week of its release. Grab a copy before the price goes back up.

Monday, September 23, 2013

I'm very excited to have my kindle version of Monsoon Reign back up on amazon with a brand new cover. Here's the final outcome.

Now I'm working on changing the print version cover art to match.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

California Times: New Release: Monsoon Reign by R.C. Fettig

California Times: New Release: Monsoon Reign by R.C. Fettig: Kathayr wanted answers to her lost memories. Instead of answers she found herself magically bound to the very man her nightmares warned he...

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

I'm a little more homesick than usual today. You see today Grand Rapids, MI begins Art Prize 2013 and I'm not there to see it. This is a contest and art display in which many artists from all over the world come to our home town. They set up their works all over the downtown area for public display, many pieces are evolving with the artist working on it daily while others look on. Venues are museums, hotels, churches, pubs, colleges, restaurants, book stores, sidewalks, the grand river etc... and admission is always free. The city even offers shuttle services. You can get 2 wristbands for unlimited riding at only $5. Then the public votes for their favorites and they give away hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizes to the artists.

So yeah, a bit homesick as they start the festivities and I can't join in. But a few more years and hubby will retire from the military and we can return home.

Artwork is everything from paintings to sculpture One artist is even hoping to break the world record for longest painting. Good luck Singh!

I guess I'll have to satisfy my desire to be there as much as possible by viewing the art online. Take a look, even if you're not there you might enjoy seeing something unique and thought provoking online. Of course that doesn't help with interactive art such as In my Soul.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Monsoon Reign is now only available in print format on Amazon for a short time. The cover art is ready, and quite lovely I might add, and the relaunch is quickly approaching. I can't wait to unveil the new art and see what everyone thinks of it.

Here's a link on the California Times Publishing website They already have the cover art up so I figured it was fine to link it here as well.


Saturday, September 7, 2013

I know it's not official by the calendar but autumn is my favorite time of year. Excalibur's trying to get into the spirit by tasting hubby's pumpkin beer.


Today I think I'll pull out the fall decorations and tidy up the front porch. I'm thinking some hanging planters would look good. We have such a weird, long narrow porch that is awkward to decorate.
Also on my list is to start pulling together ideas for trunk or treat. We're thinking of decorating the mustang's trunk with the haunted mansion theme for the trunk or treat at the kids school this year and maybe the army trunk or treat function as well. 
Gotta love a creative day with cooler weather. 


Friday, September 6, 2013

When we first moved into this rental house I noticed a towel packed tightly into a gap, floor level, between the dishwasher and a cupboard. I figured it's there for a reason and best left alone. A couple of months ago my well meaning teenage daughter went on a cleaning spree and pulled it out before asking me what it was there for. I immediately asked her to replace it and forgot all about it until today.

If you haven't read about my mole/actually shrew escapade then read it here. I managed, with my ninja skills, to rid my house of the vermin.

So this morning I was enjoying my coffee while sitting at my laptop when I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. I look over and through that stinking gap that isn't quite sealed right anymore after my daughter messed with it, I see the stuff of nightmares. Okay not really nightmares but it was small, fast, brown and furry. And it scurried right at me and under my damn couch again!

Imagine for a minute, a small 4'9" woman, curled on the couch with coffee and a laptop. Her face distorts into a tormented grimace as she screams "Nooooooooo!" at the friggin creature. Like it's gonna say, "What? Now's not a good time? My bad, I'll leave now." Then turns and runs back into the hole in which it came from.

Nope that would be too good to be true. Instead it dove underneath the couch I sat on as I continued to scream. Finally I worked up the nerve to move to the kitchen island and perched on a stool to call hubby. This time he's in the same state, just five minutes away in fact. But he's heading into a meeting and can't come rescue me for an hour.

My ninja skills are exhausted so I'm heading for higher ground. So I'm holed up in the second floor office until he gets here.

That's one way to make sure I don't get distracted by cleaning. I've got nothing else to do now but sit at this computer and write.

Oh, did I mention shrews have venomous bites?! Yeah, it won't kill me but could kill my sun conure. That must be why he screamed with  me.


Evil Incarnate!

Hubby finally came home and search the main floor several times. He thinks it went back to it's hole so we've plugged it up with cardboard for now until we can get something more permanent.

I'm gonna stay upstairs for the day. Excalibur (the sun conure) agrees. 

He told me this by screaming and flapping his wings wildly!


Thursday, September 5, 2013

Norm Hamilton has written a nice review of Monsoon Reign on his website. Check it out here.

There are several reviews he's posted of other indie writers works, helpful hints for writing and even some nice poetry.
He offers services to writers such as copy editing and proofreading at decent prices. Plus he's got a book on digital photography for any who might want to learn how to use the features on their dslr camera. I got the book on smashwords. Alas life hasn't given me a moment to get out the camera and test out his tips but his instruction is easy to follow.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Well, kids are back in school and I've spent the past several days reviewing my last ten chapters of book two just so I could remember where I was and where I'm going with this story. It felt good to actually write some new material today. I didn't get tons of new stuff down but at least I finished chapter ten and got a good start on chapter eleven.

For any who have read Monsoon Reign already, I have to say that this book is sort of a transition. Driscol is growing up and taking over the story. Plus there's a new character who'll be right at his side in the third and final book.

Also Monsoon Reign is finally up on smashwords and made it into the premium catalog. Yay! You can find it here. Now it is available in any format you could hope for.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Monsoon Reign is up on Kobobooks.com
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/monsoon-reign

Still waiting on Smashwords. Seemed to get stuck in a queue and I'm awaiting help on that. I updated on Amazon and createspace as well. Fixed a couple typos I had somehow missed. The print version will be back up in a few days.

Once it gets closer to the relaunch with California Times Publishing it will come down from Amazon for a few days.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Exciting news today! I've just signed Monsoon Reign with California Times Publishing. It will mean a cover change is coming in the future among other things. I will update as the process moves along. This can only be good for the book as I'm not very good at marketing and they will be a real help with that aspect.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

You know what's NOT funny? Every time my husband has to go out of town without me something major happens. It's an unwritten law that I will have to deal with something unpleasant or unusual in his absence.

I remember clearly the day he left for his second deployment to Iraq, I managed to plug up the kitchen sink with rice so bad that I was forced to re-plump the pipes and relay the bottom of the cabinet with my dad coaxing me over the phone.

I'd rather do that again any day than deal with the trauma I just endured. And here I thought I'd made it through his time away this time with no issues.

He was only gone a week this time and only 4 hours from returning home. I cleaned the house then sat on the couch to relax with my laptop. Suddenly the curtain next to me moved and I heard a scratching sound. Naturally, I freak out and grab a broom to beat on the curtains.

But nothing's there. I pull the curtain back and notice (gasp) droppings. I've never lived in a house with mice and now I'm moving from one piece of furniture to the next. My feet aren't touching the floor until I find the source of my anxiety.

My 8 year old is the first to actually see it, notifying me with her shrill screams as she jumps onto the coffee table. Let me just pause to say that this is the same child that has a pet dwarf hamster she constantly handles. So why she's terrified is beyond me.

It's now under the couch and with a desperate call to hubby it's decided that I should pull the couch out and surround it with blankets to trap it in. Yeah, I know right.

So I do as told and the little thing starts poking its head through the blankets as if to show me that blankets won't hold it. It keeps popping it head out and back in before I can cover it with the bowl I'm holding poised and ready.

After over a half an hour of this, the kids are growing bored with helping me watch for it and I know I must take more drastic measures. So I give a bowl to my 10 year old son and instruct him to be ready to catch it when I lift the couch.

This maneuver isn't so easy as it's a heavy leather couch. I tip it back and it escapes into a blanket. I toss the extra blankets aside and focus on that one, but it runs back under the couch. I tip it again and with only one blanket for it to hide underneath and boy drops the bowl. It squeals but escapes and runs toward me (gulp) along the edge of the couch still on the ground. I try to catch it but it runs back toward the boy. After several rounds of this it gets past him and heads to the kitchen. He misses again with the bowl, but finally I got a bowl over it.

By the way, this thing really stinks! Just thought I'd let you know.

I get a cookie sheet, slide it underneath and take it outside to release it. I'd kill it, but... yuck! So once we get a good look at it and further viewing of the pic. I think it was actually a baby mole, or maybe that's how big they are when grown. I don't know.

I think the best part was the conversation with my sister afterward.


Me: We had a baby mole in our house. (I sent her above pic)
Her: OMG!! YUCKY!!
Me: Yeah! I was freaking out but I caught and release it.
Her: You caught it! You're a ninja!
Me: A screaming ninja! 
Her: Oh yes! Is there any other kind?
Me: Not when it involves rodents.
Her: Or bugs...or...gulp...ducks!
Me: No with ducks I'm the laughing ninja.
Her: Nice...just keep rubbing the salt in my wounds...my scared, fire breathing, ducks are evil wounds. (Okay there's a story there I'll tell another time perhaps.)
Me: But oh so hilarious! I love our conversations.
Her: I know! I'm at Secretary of State, laughing to myself...I look crazy...so I totally fit in.

I love my sister.
By the way here's the aftermath of our escapades.


Also I just noticed there is a stain on the bottom of the couch. It is true you learn something new everyday.



*****Update***** Upon further research and looking at pictures. I'm almost convinced it was a shrew. I'd be happier with a mole, that would be a fluke. A shrew means possibly more of them somewhere? Maybe? Hubby needs to hurry up and get home already!



Saturday, August 10, 2013

I have a confession. I've not been spending any time writing the past two weeks. I started summer off with good intentions. I had plans to take the kids to the park, bowling, the beach etc... AND still make time for my writing.
Now that summer is winding down and we're preparing for back to school, I'm burned out. It seems every time I sit down to focus on my book my youngest pops up with questions just for the sake of asking questions. You know what I mean, "when is Halloween?" "Why is the sky blue?" She wants attention in any shape or form.
So I made the decision to take a break from my writing schedule and pay more attention to the kiddos. It's difficult and a little frustrating, but school will be here in just a couple weeks and I'll have time for writing again.
Oh and I'm totally addicted to these.

Friday, August 2, 2013





Midnight tonight is the drawing for 10 signed copies of my book. I'm so excited to see who wins and send them out to the lucky few. I added in an extra little surprise just because. Here's a pic of the interior packaging I chose.


Best of luck to all who have entered!

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Is anyone else looking forward to cool, crisp fall days? I'm from Michigan so these hot summer days don't sit well with me. Sure Virginia summer is a thousand times better than a Louisiana one, but I'm done with this heat none the less and it's still only July!

Also it feels like a never ending task of keeping bored kids occupied, cleaning up after them and trying to still find inspiration to write. Okay enough whining!

With the following month brings some more changes for me. I've decided to opt out of KDP Select on Amazon.

I won't be able to offer free days anymore. However, not being part of KDP Select will allow me to be able to offer my book through other venues. Such as Barnes and Noble, smashwords, kobo etc... My last day in the Select program is August 9th, I will post updates as the book is available through other sites after that.

The other update is a reminder of my book giveaway on Goodreads. There are ten signed copies available and the drawing will take place on August 3rd. If you haven't already entered, be sure to sign up here.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Sorry about the silence once again these past few weeks. I've been busy with writing book 2 of Cierstos Chronicles and I'm almost halfway through the first rough draft. Settling into a new writing pattern with kids home from school has been a challenge, but I've finally adapted and the ideas are flowing once again. I've also been making notes for three other book ideas for the future.

To make up for not posting in a while here's a nice, short scene of Kathair from Monsoon Reign.

She enjoyed the walk in spite of the chill. She loved taking the side trails to the center of town. A canopy of trees enveloped the pathways, skeletal bare branches with pale, grey skies as a backdrop. The wind rushed through the empty boughs to play a peaceful song as her feet crunched along on the dead leaves to the beat. A few more weeks would bring spring, small buds forming on the lifeless branches and the chirps of birds adding their music into the song. She hoped she would still be allowed to make her daily treks back and forth when the time came, and she wouldn’t be too large or uncomfortable to enjoy it.

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Happy Saturday

My newly refinished desk is already proving its worth this beautiful Saturday. I'm feeling more creative, busily typing away at book two. Even worked on some interior imaging for chapter headings. While my youngest is free to "quietly" create to her hearts content.
By the way, here is the image I've come up with so far for my chapter headers.




Monday, July 1, 2013

Flash Fiction

So I received an invite last week to participate in the Indie book of the day Flash fiction writing contest. There were five categories (Romance, Thriller, Fantasy, Non-fiction and Children's). It was so much fun trying to write something meaningful within the word limit that I ended up submitting to all five categories. While I didn't win, I did get two honorable mentions. Which is still a win to me. It was fun and feels good to place.

Here are the two pieces I placed with.
This first one was for fantasy:

Humans by Author R.C. Fettig
He’d thought they were a Fantasian myth, meant to scare the younger ones. The creatures would use his stomach to carry water, skin for covering and bones for weapons. He wanted to learn more, but instead incinerated them and burrowed underground to warn others.

This one was for Children's poetry:

Courageous Max by Author R.C. Fettig
I’m brave like my daddy.
At least that’s what mommy says.
We’re like super heroes
But in different ways.

Daddy protects our country
I take care of mommy.
That way while he’s gone
He won’t have to worry.

Here is my prize :)



I highly recommend going to the Indie book of the Day to read the winning entries and other honorable mentions. Very impressive work and I enjoyed reading them all.

Sunday, June 30, 2013




In between writing this week I've been working on scraping off the old peeling wood on my desk drawers. I couldn't decide exactly how I would refinish the desk. So I took a break and we brought the kids to the lake for some fun. I glanced down at my beautiful tattoo :) and inspiration struck.


In case you missed it this is the before image of my desk. This is how it pretty much looked as of yesterday, only worse because I'd been scraping off the top coat.


This is now. I painted the entire frame with Chalkboard paint and used decoupage to cover the drawer fronts with sheet music.


But to make it a little more personal this was the actual sheet music I used in rehearsals for a cabaret I participated in while living in Arizona. I figured this was a great way to surround myself of wonderful memories of even more wonderful people that I truly miss.


My cozy writing space. Already gathering clutter as I begin to work again. :)

I'm pretty happy with the end product and think it will help fuel my inspiration as I write.