Writing Update: #dvpit

“Fear is your enemy only if you allow it to be.” An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir @sabaatahir

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What inspires you? What keeps you motivated to keep trying?

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Whether you own a small business or you’re building your account, or in my case, writing a book, we all are inspired in some way to start but how do you keep going?

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It’s been a while since I last shared my progress on my novel. The quick explanation: for the last two years I’ve been writing a fantasy inspired by ancient Filipino culture and I finished writing it last summer. I took a break and at the beginning of this year, I began the revision process so that I can start querying by summer.

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I will admit, I haven’t made as much progress in my revisions as I had planned to at this point, but now I have a definite goal to shoot for. I will be eternally grateful to Vanshika @thatreadingraven for bringing #dvpit to my attention. It’s an opportunity for marginalized authors and/stories to pitch their unpublished MS to editors and agents. And FRIENDS, I’M GOING TO PITCH MY STORY.

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I’m putting this here to hold myself accountable, but also to keep me inspired. In my experience, when you open yourself to opportunities, they present themselves in different ways. I’ve already had so many people offer to read my pitches which has been incredible and empowering at the same time.

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My original inspiration for writing this story is my daughter. I wanted her to have a story where an empowered biracial female was strong, clever, and valued her family. Then I read a book where a brown girl was fighting alone against a patriarchal society to save her brother against terrible odds. It was the first time for me seeing in print a brown girl as a main character with her own narrative. I knew then that Sabaa Tahir’s book was proof that brown girls had a place in fantasy stories (not just as a side character or in token roles), and there also could be a place for my story too.

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If you’re curious about #dvpit, check out the hashtag for more details or visit dvpit.com. It will take place on Twitter from April 25-26.

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What are your plans this weekend? I’m spending time with family but Sunday I’ll be going to see Black Panther!

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AEITA inspired magnet from Owlcrate @owlcrate.

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Book Challenge: Flashback Friday

Remember that time I entered Sabaa Tahir’s @sabaatahir contest last year to win a copy of A Torch Against the Night? I wrote a poem based on a certain scene 😉 and I even got henna for an Izzat and Black Cliff Academy diamond tattoo. (See previous post about my Monica Gellar tendencies.) And I actually won! Sabaa picked my poem! Then remember I got to meet her later for A Torch Against the Night signing and I made a copy of the poem to give her. It was pretty awesome..

Also, besides @abibliiophilesbkm, @lunabookaddict, and @bookishmai, who else is missing Elias? I hope our boy is doing okay. 

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For #grimdragon Flashback Friday

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Book Challenge: Title Page

Confession: I am obsessed with Moana—the movie, the story, the characters, and the music! It’s emotional for me because I never thought I would see a Pacific Islander portrayed with such respect on the big screen—let alone in a Disney film! When I found out that Lin Manuel Miranda wrote some of the songs, I realized I needed more LMM in my life. So my friends, as I type this, I am listening to the Hamilton soundtrack for the first time. If it had not been for Moana, I probably would have still resisted! 😅.

For #grimdragon Title page—This is a copy of A Torch Against the Night that I won in a photo challenge last summer hosted by Sabaa Tahir @sabaatahir. It was pretty much the highlight of my life. I did get to see Sabaa later that year for a Torch signing (to get my own copy signed of course) and she remembered me! (It’s also probably because I saw her like three times earlier in the year.😁😅)

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For #squeakybookishlibrary Bitter and Sweet—If you’ve read this, YOU KNOW. That ending! WHY THO. WHYYYYY. 

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For #thehamiltonedition “I will send a fully armed battalion to remind you of my love.” You might think this might be a stretch, but I thought about Laia coming for her brother Darin when he was in Kauf. Laia never gave up on saving her brother Darin and of course, she was also going to save Elias too. Because THEY ARE MEANT TO BE DAMNIT.
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I hope you are all up to some shenanigans tonight and by shenanigans I mean reading the hell out of a book or maybe watching Netflix like your service is about to run out. Who says book nerds don’t know how to have a good time?😉

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Book Challenge: Debut book by a favorite author

For #grimdragon Debut Books by Favorite Authors–An Ember in the Ashes is one of my favorite books and Sabaa Tahir is one of my favorite authors. I love her world building and writing style. I also love her characters Elias Veturius and Laia. I was lucky to have met her last year and she’s so nice! I highly recommend her books!

For #squeakybookishlibrary 💃🏼This emoji cracks me up!! Whenever I see it, I think of sass and grace. Helene Aquila is a graceful warrior. Izzi is a sassy kitchen girl. 

For #watermelanerdsfebruary “The circus arrives without warning.” What would your circus act be? Hmm. Taming the effrits from AEITA! 

For #bibliophilelove2017 Books and Maps! Here’s a map of The Empire from AEITA that I got at a signing for ATATN.  

For #bookishfriendsfeb17 Prince–Marcus Farrar became A Very Important Person (Trying not to spoil it), but let’s be honest, if we’re talking Prince in the dreamy, sighing way, Elias Veturius is it! 

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So if you saw my InstaStory, you saw that my umbrella lights for photography came in. They are amazing. 😁 This is my first picture using the umbrella lights and I’m pleased with the final take. It’s changed my bookstagramming life! It rained today and I was like BRING IT! I’ve got UMBRELLAS… umbrella lights. I was going to take more pictures tonight but I’m solo parenting this weekend. (Husband got invited to go to the Super Bowl.) But I’m exhausted! 😩 Mad respect for single parents out there who do this full time! 

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What are your plans this weekend? If you use lighting for your pictures, what kind do you use? 

Book Challenge: A book you’ve been trying to get others to read

For #squeakybookishlibrary Books you’ve been trying to get friends to read! Another one of my favorite books this year was An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir @sabaatahir. So far I got my sister and my good friend to read it. My husband has it on his TBR and says he’ll read it soon. (He finished the Wheel of Time series and was going through a book slump.) .

What I really love about this story is how it starts off as Laia trying to get her brother Darin back. She’s never had to face anything on her own and so she’s faced with challenges that she perseveres through so she can save her brother. Intertwined with Laia’s story is also Elias’s. He has been groomed for a role that he hates and plans to runaway from, but instead of running away, he’s forced to look at who he’s supposed to be and who he actually is. Laia and Elias’s paths cross and they become a source of strength for the other in different ways, but most importantly, they take charge of their destiny.

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I could go on and on about this book! The second book A Torch Against the Night came out just a couple of months ago and it was also amazing! If you ever get the chance to listen to the audio books, I highly recommend them. The voice actors are really good especially the one for Elias. He’s exactly how imagine how Elias would sound! 

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How’s your Monday going so far? I’m a little tired from staying up late writing. 😁 I finished rereading my WIP progress so far last night and got so fired up from it that I started writing again! After several months of not writing, it felt really good getting back to it! I was able to get just over 500 words in which finished up the chapter I was working on. A slow start for me (I usually average between 1k-2k+ words during a writing session), but after months of no writing, I’ll take it! I’m desperate to get back to writing but I have to adult! 😩😁 Hope You’re having a great day so far! 

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Book Challenge: Favorite Fictional Family and Book Consistently Recommended

I wasn’t sure about this picture, but I think it’s starting to grow on me. I had an easier time with an autumn theme, so this was a challenge for me! You all make holiday bookstagramming look so easy!.

For #livelaughbemerryandbright Favorite fictional family, I really miss the ladies of 300 Fox Way! I loved the way Maggie Stiefvater captured their relationships.

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For #squeakybookishlibrary “I made my family disappear?” If I could only change the ending…for those of you who’ve read A Torch Against the Night, YOU UNDERSTAND. It’s not that I didn’t like it, but I just wish there was more Elias and Laia ❤️ and less, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES tension! 😳

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For #grimdragon Jingle your bells! A book you consistently recommend…Uprooted by Naomi Novik was one of my favorite books last year. If you love elemental magic, literary style writing, and fairy tale retellings, I highly recommend this story! Also of course, The Raven Cycle, A Darker Shade of Magic series, and An Ember in the Ashes!

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#winterwonderlandbooks16 Frozen: white and blue books

#watermelanerdsdecember “Lumos!” Book and Candle 

#lilbookishdecember Deck the halls! Christmas/holiday/winter colors 

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I hope you all are having a great weekend so far? What are your plans for Saturday night? My family has been pretty much marathoning the old school Disney movies! Last night, we watched Beauty and the Beast. It was the first time my daughter watched it and she seemed to like it, but I think my four year old son enjoyed it more! The older kids were a bit reluctant at first, but eventually they were like 😳 while watching! 😆 Today we watched Snow White and Alice in Wonderland. My four year old was the only one who didn’t enjoy it. 😅 Hope you’re all having a great weekend so far!

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#christmasbookstagram #bookandcandle #whiteandbluebooks #uprooted #naominovik #theravencycle #maggiestiefvater #veschwab #adarkershadeofmagic #sabaatahir #atorchagainstthenight 

Book Challenge: Serious Bookhangover

For #boookstagramchallenge16, You put a spell on me—Serious book hangover! Do you find it unfair that after you finish an incredible story, real life has the nerve to go on as if nothing happened? Like you didn’t just suffer trauma at the hands of a ninja author? It’s incredibly unfair that real life expects us to act like nothing happened when inside all the feels have been ripped to shreds. I suppose we can’t blame authors though because true booknerds will willingly subject themselves to the same trauma again and again! But we go back for more because we can’t resist a fantastic story. .

Here are a few of the books that have caused me pain, but I loved every minute of it. If you’ve read all or even just one of these, YOU UNDERSTAND. From the Commandant, to Jael, to the Queen of the Wood, to Voldemort, each and every one of these villains have caused so much torment and despair and I would keep going back for more! These are villains I loved to hate! And the heroes and heroines? Elias/Laia, Karou/Akiva, Neiska/the Dragon, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione—so much love for these characters. Their joy and heartache were mine too! I highly recommend these books, but fair warning in advance—you will suffer book hangover like whoa. 😭

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Also for #lilbookishoctober It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown! Small pumpkins are just as cute, right? and also for #nerdybookchallenge Yellow.

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I’m SO glad it’s Friday and Halloween on Monday! 🙌🏽 What are you all up to this weekend? Library and birthday dinner with a friend Saturday and Halloween party Sunday for me! 

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#bookandcandle #sabaatahir #anemberintheashes #lainitaylor #daughterofsmokeandbone #dreamsofgodsandmonsters #uprooted #naominovik #harrypotter #deathlyhallows #jkrowling #allthefeels #bookhangover