Quote of the Week – July 31

Not all who wander are lost. – J.R.R. Tolkein

The one year anniversary of Into Another World

One year ago today, I started my blog, Into Another World, to share some of the things most important to me – writing and being a parent.  I explained back then, why I choose this name for my blog, but I thought today would be a good time to reiterate that.

I chose “Into Another World” because that is what books do. They allow you to enter another time period, another world, another life. You can do anything, be anyone when you are pulled into a book. You could be a soldier during the Revolutionary war, spend time on a pirate ship, explore a distant planet and so much more. There is no limit to the worlds you can visit.

As a reader, I love the feeling of being swept up into the story. And as an author, I hope to be able to provide that same experience for my readers. So I chose the title “Into Another World” because for me that embodies what I love about books.

However, my life as an author is also balanced with my life as a wife and mother. And really if you think about it when you become a parent, you are thrust into another world. No longer are your days centered on what you want, but now include the needs of your children. You have entered a world where your children’s school and activities become part of your daily routine. Becoming a parent changes everything. So for me, the title “Into Another World” also encompasses my life a mom.

And so, I began this blog with the goal of writing about raising my children as well as writing and the self-publishing world. In the beginning, I posted something every day Monday through Friday but with more time needing to be dedicated to volunteering at my kids’ schools and working on my latest work in progress, I did drop one day of posting on my blog. For those of you following my blog, here is the breakdown of topic I cover on each day.

Mondays – I post about my children and being a parent.

Tuesdays – This is the day I dropped as a regular posting day. I leave it open for guest authors on a blog tour or for announcements on my own books.

Wednesdays – I post an inspirational quote about writing, children or just life in general.

Thursdays – I alternate between posting about writing (I have a whole series devoted to fantasy writing), or I post about the book marketing or other self-publishing issues.

Fridays – I feature a different author on my blog by providing an author interview, book excerpt or guest blog. What an awesome way to find a new author or book to love.

My blog’s readership has grown over the past year. I have enjoyed every comment that people have left and read every email sent. I love knowing that for one day I may have helped someone or at least provided some information they may not have known. And I hope to continue that in the year to come.

Never know what size clothes to buy my kids

You can’t stop a kid from growing and often times if you buy them a new outfit, they have outgrown it before you know it. This has never been much of a problem with my son. Besides buying adjustable waist shorts and pants because he was skinny, I don’t feel like we went through clothes like my daughter does.

In February, I bought Lexie a dress for Valentine’s Day. So that it would last longer, I bought a size larger than normal. It looked great. Just a month later, it looked too short.  And it isn’t only dresses this seems to happen with. I can buy her a shirt and within a month or so, it is too short. Oh it looks fine as long as she doesn’t raise her hands. If she does that, the shirt is half-way up her back.

And don’t get me started on how many of her shorts and skirts never seem to fit right, or if they fit well when bought don’t fit a month or so later. Some of it I chalk up to her growing and some I think may be shrinkage of the clothes when they are washed.

But my dilemma is not that she keeps going through clothes so fast, but that it is impossible to determine what size to buy. It is easier since I have her with me sometimes but the grandparents like to know her size in case they find something while shopping.

Soon after I bought her the Valentine’s dress, I bought another dress in the same size, and it was too big.  And sizes are not consistent from store to store. An outfit at Target may be too big, but the same size outfit at Kohl’s might fit fine. It just seems there is no standard in sizing.

I notice this more with Lexie’s clothes than Jase’s. It seems easier to me with him. He is your typical boy and wears shorts and T-shirts all the time. If a shirt is a little too big on him, I don’t worry about it because he will grow into it. If the shirt (or dress) is too big on Lexie, it can just look wrong.

The funny thing is even though they are almost three years apart in age, there are close to the same size in clothes. I am currently buying 5-year-old Lexie size 5 and 6 clothes while eight-year-old Jase is in size 7 or 8. I do think girls clothes just seem to run smaller.

We will be school shopping in just a few weeks, and I am sure the kids will have out grown their summer clothes. I doubt Lexie will fit in most of her clothes from the last school year so it will be a whole new wardrobe for her. As for Jase, luckily for me (and my wallet) he shouldn’t need as much.

Today’s Featured Author: Teshelle Combs

Today, please welcome young adult author Teshelle Combs to my website. Be sure to check out an except of her fantasy novel, Core, after her interview.

Interview

What or who inspired you to start writing?

The first person to ever tell me I was a writer was my best friend growing up, Shoshana. At sleepovers, we would stay up late and I would tell her stories that had been stored up in my head. Even when we were young, they were probably novel-length. And when I was finished she’d tell me, “Teshelle, you should write these down. I think you’re a writer.”

My college boyfriend (who I’m now married to, poor guy) was the first person to encourage me to do it professionally. I took my first Creative Writing class about two years into my undergraduate degree and I fell in love. “Just do it, Tess,” he told me. “If you love it, just do it.” And I did.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I think most of us who end up as writers become who we are at very young ages. We get those big chunky kindergarten pencils in our hands and start scribbling out stories. I think I became an author the first time I sold a copy of my book. I did my crazy happy dance for ten minutes, I was so elated.

Have you started your next project? If so, can you share a little bit about your next book?

Oh dear. I’m going to get in trouble for this one. Right now, I have an old novel, The System, that desperately needs to be revamped. I also need to work on the sequel for Core, or I’ll be attacked by my fans. And I’m half through a new book for a series that is still untitled. I don’t know which of the three projects to tackle first. Suggestions?

Do you write full-time? If so, what is your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

As of very recently, I write full-time! I’m about to be a mama (Jaxter is due at the end of August), and with the release of “Core” it just seemed like perfect timing to go for it.

My work day is… well, rather long. I usually start out the day working on marketing Core. Since I’m indie, I do all of it myself and it can be a lot. At some point I usually pass out (a cuter way to say it would be “take a nap,” I guess) because I’m pregnant and giant and it’s hot in SW Florida. And then for the second half of the day, I work on my new projects. I’d say a typical work day starts at 9:30am and ends at about 10:30pm.

Which of your characters is your favorite? Do you dislike any of them?

Oh, my can I please choose all of them? Okay, I suppose if I have to choose, my favorite character is Cameron Anders, the youngest brother of the Anders nest. Not only is he a blue dragon–the cold intellectuals of the dragon world–but he’s got a bid of red dragon blood in his veins as well. It makes him harsh and silent, and few see his true nature. I’m excited to tell more of his story.

If you could be one of the characters from any of your books, who would it be and why?

Even though Cam is my favorite, he leads a tough life, always having to keep silent, always keeping his story and his ideas hidden. So, iIf I could be anyone, I’d be Ava. Ava’s tough, but she has no problem speaking her mind. And mostly I’d want to be Ava because, of all my characters, she gets to have Cale. To have someone care about you, need you, Choose you? Well there isn’t much better than that.

Do you have a specific snack that you have with you when you write?

Chips. Sour cream and cheddar, baby! Seriously, eating and working is just regular, everyday life. I have about two granola bars worth of crumbs stuck between the keys of laptop.

Thank you so much for my interview! It was so much fun. Loved your questions.

Excerpt

She had amazing eyes. Jade green with flecks of amber red in them. They were focused, unflinching. Warrior eyes.

“I’m Cale.”

“Okay,” was all she said.

She looked him up and down, trying to pinpoint his motive for offering his name to her. Then she turned on her heel and walked right out of the arena. She didn’t even look back, as though Cale had made no Impression on her whatsoever. No Impression at all. Rory raced up to Cale with a smile and threw a burly arm over his shoulder.

“So, how’d it go? Did you ask her? Did she say yes?”

Not even close. He could barely open his mouth in front of her. But he had looked her in the eye. And for Cale, that was all it took. He could taste the fire in his core threatening to break free. He could feel the blood in his veins begging for just a spark, just a flicker. He opened his mouth to let out the smoke that was filling his lungs and ignored the white wisps as they disappeared into the air.

It was as good as done. He belonged to Ava Johnson. Know it or not, she had herself a dragon.

Book Description

Cale Anders lives a normal life–as normal as any eighteen year old dragon could hope for. He has always managed to straddle two worlds, one of underground fight clubs and siren hunts, and one of family barbecues and backyard football. Still, for as long as Cale can remember, he’s been the middle man–the ambassador for his own family–bent on reconciling the stark differences between his fiercely intelligent blue dragon relatives and the boisterous, passionate red dragon nesters.

But when Cale picks the steely-eyed human, Ava, to be his rider, he must choose between the family he’s always loved, and the only girl who can unlock his potential and spark his core. Ava, her heart entrapped in a prison of callouses, is caught off guard by the rawness of the Anders’ life and the honesty of the boy who claims to belong only to her. But even more alarming than her immersion in a world she never knew existed, is the realization that love can grow slowly, steadily, and painfully, no matter how furious her resistance.

Together, Cale and Ava upturn the balance of the dragon world, leaving their very lives vulnerable to the wiles of forces neither of them truly understand.

About the Author

Teshelle Combs is the author of the YA contemporary fantasy novel, “Core.” She’s one of those crazies who majored in English in college at the University of Central Florida and she daringly works as a full-time writer. Teshelle grew up in the beautiful St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, and currently lives with her composer/voice actor hubby, Nate Combs, and their soon-to-be born baby boy, Jaxter, in Cape Coral, FL.

Find out more about Teshelle on her website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

You can purchase Core on Amazon.

Quote of the Week – July 24

Lost time is never found again. – Benjamin Franklin