I BRING YOU MYRRH… MYRRH BOOK SALES!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! If you want a good read, I’ve got good news. I’ve got a BOOK sale going on! Ebook copies of Seek, The Divided Nation, and The Thief, The Damsel, And The Dragon are 99c each! Now is the perfect time to save a few dollars on these wild reads. And, the sale lasts until Dec. 4th.

AMAZON PAGE

Not sold yet?

Seek follows the story of a young woman seeking healing after years and years of abuse from her adopted sister. She gets caught up in disaster when a gang leader targets her–and she doesn’t even know why! Full of humor, heartfelt themes, and action, this thriller is dear to my heart. (This one has major fall vibes, too, and even has fun scenes with the Oktoberfest!)

The Divided Nation takes place during the Second Civil War. Politicians protect the rich and gangs ravage the rest. One town remains, but they’ll be destroyed if they cannot form alliance with one of the largest gangsters in the US. A thrilling, thought-provoking novel with some snark and brotherhood bonds throughout. (Also, this one made my mom cry, and she never cries. She reads hundreds–literally–of books a year.) (This one is also pretty seasonal, too.)

The Thief, The Damsel, and the Dragon is a clean, cute Christian romance with a small twinge of mystery and snark woven throughout. A short read perfect for tea time!

Emmanuel and Homeward, two of my short stories, are both FREE and climbing the top 100 ranks on Amazon again! Homeward is a short story in honor of those lost to suicide. Emmanuel is a short Christmas story prequel to The Infidel Books. They’re fast, moving reads and permafree!

Thanks so much, y’all! Let’s see if we can get one of these novels to the top 100, yeah?

God bless,

Ang

5 WAYS ROLE-PLAYING CAN HELP YOUR WRITING

Role-playing is kind of a controversial thing among writers. Before we continue, let me define this word so y’all are raising your eyebrows at me… Role-playing is basically a conversation between two authors, but they both have at least one character they “write” with. They exchange messages and the story progresses. That simple! It might be a bit like co-authoring, in a way.

Some find it cringe-worthy while many started their writing journey through role-playing and co-authoring. Role-playing is often used for developing your own character, exploring plot ideas, and other things, but in the format of messages. You can start a RP with a total stranger, while you wouldn’t start a co-author novel unless you really knew the person.

So, you might be asking… what’s the point of role-playing?

I’m not here to say role-playing is for everyone. Or that is is a must. This is just a fun, light-hearted post about role-playing and why it can actually help you as a writer. Let’s get started!

ROLE-PLAYING MAKES YOU EVIL. AND SMART!

Backstory: I have been writing since I was very, very tiny, and thus, when I first found the Internet… it was a blast. Other people wrote stories, too? People like me? I’ve role-played for years and I must admit, role-playing has, in a way, helped me develop my evilness.

Hey, I’m never one for mindless angst. If it is one thing role-playing has taught me, is how to string along a reader…. er, role-player. This ability is crucial. Because role-players are fickle people. We don’t have much time: we’re people, we’ve got busy lives, and, mercy, we have our own novels tow rite. Why waste time on a role-play that’s “pointless”?

Because, chances are, role-playing is helping us figure out the finer details of truly hooking a reader/RP partner. Every message counts. Every character counts. Don’t ever waste a second.

IT HELPS YOU THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX.

Whether you brainstorm ideas for the RP or you fly through it on the edge of your seat, role-playing with someone can really help exercise your creativity. Because you aren’t in control of the whole cast! This is a reason many authors use role-playing to develop their characters. If you slip one character into a world where someone else’s character is… boom. Things can really come to life. You can be faced with questions about your character you didn’t have answers for. It can help build up characters, or wear them down: a fast way to weed out those characters that just don’t vibe with you. It also is a creative whirlwind to get together with another writer and see what happens. Who knows what tidbits you can tweak and borrow for a novel later?

The ability to think fast and have quick solutions for problems in fiction is a useful tool, and easily honed with role-playing. (And, hey, I get to be super, duper cruel without having a militia of readers yelling at me… mwuahaha.)

IT CAN BE AN INVIGORATING THING.

Sometimes, writers can get too busy in the serious-side of writing, and we forget the fun side. I mean, if you’re like me and have been telling stories since you were young, you know that the Olden Days were plain fun. Did the plot have to make sense when you were young? No! Did you have to build solid characters? Nah! But you still had a blast writing a story. As we grow as artists, we strengthen our skills and focus too much on learning the ‘right’ way. Well, guess what? You can learn about writing while still having fun. You can learn to be better at something without doing it the textbook way.

If you enjoy role-playing, enjoy it. If you don’t, that’s totally cool beans. But if you like it, don’t think it’s a waste of time (assuming you also write your novel, of course, and don’t spend 24 hours a day role-playing… fool)! Take notes of what you learn. Take notes about what you like to see in another role-player: what about their story catches your attention, what part of their story annoys you, what intrigues you about their characters, why do you hate the other characters? It can be easy to learn such things and they’ll come in useful later.

(Also, I said it *can* be fun. I didn’t say it was always fun when I stab/shoot/poison/betray/etc my RP characters. Or kill them. That happens.)

VISUAL AIDS GALORE!

If you’ve ever role-played, you understand how obsessed RPers are with visual aids. I’m talking aesthetic boards, actors cast as their characters, etc etc. I was never huge on finding models for every character (I’m… still pretty terrible at it, though Dylan O’Brien and Bill Skarsgard must play Simon and Gideon if The Infidel Books come into TV existence), but I do enjoy Pinterest boards for my WIPs (here’s my account). If you are a visual writer, then role-playing is a great way to get the imagery!

YOU MEET OTHER WRITERS!

Y’all, this one’s obvious, but in case you didn’t understand this… You’re meeting other writers. And not just smiling, tossing your book into their face, and screaming, “FOLLOW ME AND BUY MY DEBUT!” Oof, right? As an author, we’ve got to build relationships, whether our goal is to inspire other writers or just sell books (hey, people who just want to sell books, who gave you coal on Christmas?).

So, role-playing is a neat way to hook up with other writers, form relationships, and have fun while doing so. I’ve met some dear friends I would not have met if not for role-playing. I’m mega grateful for them!

BUT REMEMBER…

A lot of authors I know don’t have time for role-playing, and I totally get it, believe me. But it is a nice alternative for boredom, compared to other, less constructive things (*cough*playing Matt Maeson and staring at your ceiling*cough*). So, if you’ve finished your own novel and are waiting for betas to finish their feedback… I love focusing back on RPs then.

While RPs are cool and inspiring, don’t forget to write your novel, too. 😉

Happy NaNo!

God bless,

Ang

MY NANO 2019 PROJECT … GOLGATHA

I told y’all I’d post about my NaNoWriMo project… y’know, since I finally decided what I’d be doing. I had a major toss up between two novels, but GOLGATHA won out. Buckle up kids, and let’s see what this novel is all about…

 

GOLGATHA

GENRE: FANTASY, SUPERNATURAL (those are the main genres…)

RATING: PG-13 (though I am not actually sure if I will market this as young adult or not…)

WORD COUNT: over 50k, for sure, haha (send help)

BLURB:

Prince Moray will stop at nothing to earn the throne over the Buacach Kingdom and gain control for Golgatha–the world of hell. His brother, Finnigan, will stop at nothing to see the plan ruined: especially when Finnigan realizes the betrothed princess, Breeda, is unhappy. When an unlikely traitor slaughters the Buacach king and queen and casts Moray, his brother, his betrothed, and his merc, into Golgatha… they have no choice but to rise from the ashes.

 

LONG BLURB:

Prince Moray and Prince Finnigan haven’t always clashed heads–but with a throne precariously hanging in the balance, neither are willing to go down without a fight. Being eldest, Moray chooses his bride to be before Finnigan ever has a chance. He will become king and gain power over Golgatha, the second world of chaos and hell. However, fate has no mercy on his plans.

Breeda, daughter of the chief of Red Clan, will never marry Prince Moray–his black magic is nothing that Elohai can ordain. Despite her attempts at fleeing, the wedding continues–until it doesn’t. After Moray and Finnigan’s parents are slaughtered and a traitor rises to power, Breeda–along with Moray, Finnigan, and the merc–are thrust into Golgatha.

A ragtag group of unlikely heroes, the four must face unholy conditions to survive. Meanwhile, the traitor, the wizard, and the peoples face their own hell.

Yes, the blurbs are rough, and not final.

QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE…

 

IS THIS YOUR FIRST TIME WRITING FANTASY?

Nope. Back when I was 10-14 yrs old, fantasy was pretty much the only thing I wrote. I was greatly inspired by Narnia, LOTR, Ted Dekker, the Inheritance Cycle, and Cornelia Funke back then!

However, I stopped writing fantasy after none of the projects went anywhere, and since God gave me Seek… Fantasy hasn’t been something on my plate for a while. I’m super excited to jump back into the genre!

 

WHAT MAKES GOLGATHA DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER FANTASY NOVEL?

Something that bugs me about most fantasy is the unclear line between good vs. evil. It’s pretty popular nowadays to blur that line: make dark magic/spells/etc OK, make good guys bad and bad guys good, and focus a lot on thing that aren’t really of God. I enjoy fantasy but honestly, can hardly read most of it, and that’s disheartening!

GOLGATHA is different because the dark magic and related things are not made into good things. The good elements and Gifts are good, but there’s a clear difference. So, basically, there’s “magic” (not good!) and “Gifts” (good!). And GOLGATHA also has some strong Biblical themes that are NOT preachy… Which, personally speaking, I feel is lacking in most fantasy novels I read nowadays, haha.

 

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PLANNING GOLGATHA?

Months, haha? I’m not quite sure on the date, but I had the idea(SSSS) rolling in my head for a while. I finally sat down a month or two before NaNo to actually write the plot down and outline it the best I could.

WILL IT BE INDIE PUBLISHED OR TRAD?

Fantasy is pretty hot on the Indie market, and at the same time, it’s also something easier to pitch to presses. So… while I want to try traditional, I have a small feeling this book will probably be Indie.

Why? Well, I’ll be writing a post about this, but basically: I love Indie. I love being The Boss. I love learning and applying what I learn and watching God do the rest. I love all things it takes to be an Indie author–yep, even marketing. So while trad is cool and I’ll try one day… I don’t know if God is saying today is that some day, and that’s cool.

So, yep, no strong idea WHEN this bad boy comes out, but follow the blog/newsletter and you’ll get first beta reader dibs, ha.

I’M THINKING OF DOING NANO–DO YOU HAVE TIPS?

I wrote a post dedicated to NaNo HERE so, rock on, friend!

And here’s my NaNo, if you wanna be buds.

~~~

NOW for real, ask me anything about GOLGATHA! (Or, hey, Indie publishing, since that post is coming up…) I’ll probably be doing a Q&A for this novel again (during November) IF y’all give me enough questions about it. 😉

Thanks for reading and I sincerely hope you’re a lil’ excited for GOLGATHA…

God bless,

Ang

5 TIPS FOR SLAYING NANOWRIMO

Confession: my first NaNo was in 2017 and this year is my second NaNo. Of course, I’ve done Camp NaNo for years (literally, I don’t think I’ve missed one for over three years now…) and often surpass 50k during Camp. (Actually, I wrote over 60k this previous September! One month before NaNo! What’s wrong with me!)

So, what’s the secret? What’s the trick to writing 50k in a month? Here are some tips. I hope they help…

PS. I WILL be posting about my NaNo YA fantasy/supernatural/horror novel, GOLGATHA, shortly!

1. YOU WON’T SURVIVE, SO DON’T TRY

Whether you wake up at 5 AM or stay up till 1 AM to crunch out words, consume ungodly amounts of coffee or coco, or have a whole notebook of outline and character sheets to guide you… You won’t survive. So don’t try to.

What do I mean? I mean that writing, at the minimum, 50,000 words in 30 days isn’t easy for anyone. And most importantly? It shouldn’t be. I don’t care if you can easily write 10k a day or if you can barely get 2k a day… the challenge is a challenge for a reason. So own the fact you’ll be struggling, in some way or another, and be ready. OWN the challenge. DO NOT compare yourself to anyone else because the journey isn’t the same for anyone else.

Maybe you struggle starting your first chapter: write three sentences for that chapter and skip to chapter two. Maybe the middle of your novel always gets you bogged down: write something drastic to get that climax wild and fun to pound out. Maybe you don’t know how to end your novels: so take this NaNo as a chance to be strangely unusual and end your novel in a way you’ve never done before. Whatever way you struggle, remember that you won’t be coming out of this challenge the same person. And you don’t have to be a beautiful sight once you’ve hit your goal. (Psst, it’s OK if cereal ends up in the fridge and milk ends up on the shelf.)

2. DON’T FORGET YOUR OUTLINE (EVEN IF IT SUCKS)

I don’t care if you’re a strict planner or a wild panster. I’m not trying to convince you to have an outline in this post, but I suggest it. Why?

It’s 11 PM. You’re sitting in your bed, covered in blankets. Cold coco on your nightstand. Blue Christmas lights twinkle on your bedroom walls. Your laptop, before you, with a blank page blinking at your exhausted goblin face. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” you whisper. “What do I write?”

Yo, this’ll happen with or without an outline, but guess what? Too many of these moments and you’ll be losing actual writing time, and you can’t afford that in NaNo. It’s war. It’s brutal. So be brutal right back. Have a basic plot, basic outline, or super detailed ones, before the month starts. So when the Blank Page and Mocking Characters disease grabs you, you can poke it with a stick and write on.

Remember, the outline can be altered as you write. The book may look entirely different from November 1st to the end of NaNo. It doesn’t matter. What matters is writing 50k. Doesn’t even have to be a good 50k. It just has to exist. Get that through your head.

3. MOTIVATE YOURSELF AND PREP UP, KID

Before NaNo begins, PREPARE AND MOTIVATE. Here are some epic ways to get ready…

• MAKE A MUSIC PLAYLIST. I’m hugely inspired by music and love to have a playlist playing as I write. (Here’s my Spotify playlist for GOLGATHA, if you’re interested…)
• MAKE A PINTEREST AESTHETIC BOARD. Because, aesthetics, yo. Having visual inspiration can be really cool, so spend some time getting it ready BEFORE NaNo. (No pinning during writing season, y’all.) (Oh, did you want GOLGATHA’s board…?)
• KEEP NOTES. Even if you don’t outline a lot, or at all, etc… Jot down alllll the ideas before and during NaNo. Even if it is the smallest, strangest speck of inspiration throughout your day, or maybe you read something in a book you loved–write it down in a notebook or in the novel’s brain dump document. You never know when you might need that fuel later on.
• STOCK UP on coffee, tea, coco, whatever your fuel is… STOCK UP.
• GET SNACKS. I usually shoot for things that are easy to snack on while I write. (And, y’know, save the big bowls of ice cream for after I hit important writing mile stones…)
• FRIENDS? Who needs friends? Well, if you’re someone who likes having NaNo buddies (and I’d suggest it), be sure to friend your peeps before NaNo! Even if you aren’t sure about being buds with anyone, friends can be super fun to word sprint/word war with. Plus, you can rally together before NaNo even starts and get excited! Scream! Flail! Cry!

4. MAKE TIME OR DIE

Pretty much every post for NaNo prep you’ll come across will mention “MAKE TIME FOR YOUR WRITING!!!!” and most people disregard this factor because “it is stupid and impossible”. But it’s vital.

Let’s be real, November isn’t exactly an ideal month to grind out 50k in a novel that probably wants us dead. You’ve got your job, you’ve got school if you’re a student, you’ve got Thanksgiving, and probably Christmas prep (if you rock). So, how do you find time to write?

• WRITE EVERYWHERE. Wherever, whenever you can. No joke. Bring your phone, laptop, or a notebook wherever you go. Snag a few words in whenever you can. Every bit counts.
• 5 AM OR 1 AM? If you can wake up early, pound out 3k before breakfast. If you can stay up late, do your word pounding then.
• SACRIFICE THINGS. You need TIME to write… which means less time for other things. Write instead of binge watching The Office. Write instead of reading the next Mitch Rapp novel. Sacrifice other luxuries to do your work.

5. HAVE FUN AND BE SERIOUS

You’ll lose your mind! Don’t try and pretend you’ll come out of this challenge with all of your brain particles in tact! You won’t!

You’ll laugh till you cry at 12 AM watching stupid Youtube videos because you finished your writing goal for the day and your brain is a sack of rotten potatoes. You’ll cry over a scene that isn’t super duper sad but it’s cold outside so all things are 10x sadder. You’ll grab whatever friend online that’ll hear you rant and let them rant right back at you because you both forgot what the meaning of writing is. A HUGE tip is to REWARD YOURSELF when you have completed your daily challenge! Have some fun once the work is over. Try:

• FAMILY TIME.
• WORSHIP MUSIC + PRAY.
• GO FOR A WALK.
• WATCH YOUTUBE FOR TEN MINUTES.
• A BIG BOWL OF ICE CREAM.
• A NAP.
• ORDER A STRAIGHT JACKET OF AMAZON.

Treat yo self! But, while fun and games and reward systems are all grand, BE SERIOUS. Don’t get distracted, do your math so you know how many words you gotta write every day, and don’t let yourself lose your drive Only you can write your novel, your 50k. Don’t lose heart or determination. Your novel NEEDS TO BE WRITTEN and do not let anyone tell you or convince you otherwise.

~~~

Stay tuned for my post about GOLGATHA… and may you survive NaNo. If you’d like to be NaNo buds, I’m Angela R. Watts on the site!

God bless,

Angela

THE DIVIDED NATION LIVES ON | BLOG TOUR, DAY 8

This is the last day of the tour! The giveaway is going to last all day today, small change of plans after technical difficulties (I have a lot of those, it seems), so I’ll draw winners TOMORROW on this blog. I’m also still taking questions for the live video which I’m probably waiting to do when I get allll my books in… Which’ll take time. But send your questions over anyway. I love them.

I’ve tried to push this blog tour in a huge “bang” in the spirit of The Infidel Books. Lots of deep thoughts, lots of kind words, lots of humor throughout the pain. But this post won’t end in another bang or another sad tear. It will end with a smidge of hope and a whole lot of thanks. Stay tuned.

Don’t forget to leave an Amazon review for this beastie! I’m still crying over reviews. AND for those curious, hardback IS COMING. Just not yet and it’s taking some time so I’ll post and alert y’all when it is finally available. Thanks!

THE DIVIDED NATION

WHEN THE NATION DIVIDES, THE INFIDELS MUST RISE.

The United States has fallen. Three years after the 2024 presidential election and the declaration of martial law, the nation is at war against itself. Gangs battle, civilians struggle for survival, and officials of the United Nations  thrive. West Johnston, heir to the most powerful ganglord in the country, refuses to continue the family legacy. But, in order to defeat his father, he must become him: bloodthirsty and willing to do whatever it takes for control.

West gains control by helping fellow gangsters, Nate and Simon, when they form an alliance with one of the last remaining townships in America. After years of surviving and winter fast approaching, Springtown is in desperate need of supplies from the two teenagers. When the town leader’s daughter, Rene’, is kidnapped by an unknown rival, Nate and Simon risk their reputations to save her and the town they now love. But without help from West, their rescue mission will fail.

Told in multiple bold, abrasive narratives, THE DIVIDED NATION steps into a future where brotherhood bonds must be stronger than iron to survive a broken world, and faith without courage is dust in the wind.

PAPERBACK!

Goodreads | Amazon

GIVEAWAY

US shipping only. If an international winner is drawn, they will receive an ebook only.

1st place: hardback copy of The Divided Nation. A custom mug with a quote from the book, bookmark, and an exclusive snippet from The Infidel Books.

2nd place: paperback copy of The Divided Nation, bookmark.

3rd place: ebook copy of The Divided Nation.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SCHEDULE

 

August 12th

Author Interview @ Taking Up My Cross

Book Spotlight @ Unicorn Quester 

TODAY’S STOP | August 13th (RELEASE DAY)

Author Interview @ Coffee, Classics, and Craziness

I had a BLAST being interviewed by my dysto loving pal, Eva!

Author and Character Interview @ HauntingGhostTown

Shine is a delightful interview and I think y’all will like the answers to these questions… 😉

Character Interview @ Imperial Scribis 

Merie is a fantastic friend and I ADORED watching Gideon respond to her questions. Chaos ahead!

Character and Author Interview @ FaithLaneAuthor

Another FANTASTIC interview, though I’m not sure if the character isn’t still traumatized… *spoilers*

August 14th

Book Spotlight @ The Writer’s Song

My dear friend (and I met her at Realm Makers and we had a BLAST) shared about TDN on her blog! Give her a follow!

Guest Post @ Jaye L. Knight

I had the honor of guest posting for Jaye L. Knight. I met her at Realm Makers and she is officially a huge inspiration, y’all.

August 15th

Book Review @ Kaitlyn Krispense, Author

A great review from Kaitlyn (who has a book coming out, so give her a follow)! It’s funny, I actually tackle one note she gave about faith in this post. 😀

August 16th

Book Review @ We’ve Got Pockets 

A unique review that was so nice!

Book Spotlight @ Bella Putt: Writer. Reader. Follower of Christ.

Bella was going to review but switched to spotlight, due to LifeTM, so be sure to give her some love because she’s so sweet.

August 17th

Author Interview @ Gabriella Slade

I loved being interviewed by my friend Gabriella so much, go check her blog out!

Book Spotlight @ Stories by Firefly

Faith and I have a lot in common regarding tackling tough topics in fiction. She’s so sweet. Give her a follow. You won’t regret it.

Book Review @ Scribes and Archers 

I will update this once the review is posted! ♥

August 18th

Author Interview and Guest Post @ Tangled Up In Writing

Guest Post @ Read Write Breathe

August 19th

Book Review @ Reveries 

Kelly is a bestie and this review makes me cry so go read it. She puts up with a lot (I’m me, remember? I’m surprised she hasn’t flown from Oregon to Tennessee to smother me with a pillow…) and her helpfulness while writing this novel was fabulous.

Book Review @ Just Writing

A super sweet review and just ahhhh all the flails.

Author Interview @ Allison’s Well

ALLI INTERVIEWED ME! It was SO fun and she’s a delight!

Book Review @ Books, Life, and Christ

I’m soooo emotional over this review. ♥ THANK YOU! Guys, this is a great example of what this book is all about.

THE DIVIDED NATION LIVES ON

The blog tour is over. The reviews are coming in. My readers are messaging me and supporting me still. I’ve had a blast and y’all have told me you have, too. And though the tour is over, The Infidel Books are not. The Divided Nation lives on, wild in the world, free to be loved and hated.

I gotta admit, it’s awesome.

And it wouldn’t have happened without you.

Thank you. Thank you for joining the blog tour, reading the posts, commenting, messaging me, buying the book, reviewing… All of it. Every bit y’all have done has meant so much to me. I knew God had a purpose for this novel and I have a feeling… it has only just begun.

No matter how many things I publish, this internal feeling of tumbled emotions probably will never change. I’m relieved this book is out of my hands and I have the rest of the series to tackle. I’m overjoyed this book has already helped people.

God is Good and He has a purpose for all of us. I took a huge jump with this novel. It has been worth it. I grew, learned, and changed as I wrote, but it is worth it all because of you, too. Not to be gushy, but you guys are amazing.

I’m off to write Covenant and book 2 of The Infidel Books and God only knows what else… what are YOU off to do? If you want to freak out with me because The Divided Nation is published, feel free. 😛

As West would say… keep on fighting, friend.

Ang