Say Hi to The Black Pied Piper/Follow Fest and Goal Hop Update

The Follow Fest is an annual online event hosted by Melissa Margrove

Name: Sheena-kay Graham



Fiction or Non-Fiction: Fiction and Poetry.

What genres do you write: Fantasy, Dystopian, Paranormal, Poetry/Verse. I took a break from starting a Dystopian series to focus on a two book novelette series based off a missing girl. Hopefully the first one will be released in December. Click here for more info.

Are you published: I had a few poems published locally in Bookends Magazine that comes with the Sunday Paper. Did a submission for the benefit anthology Overcoming Adversity last February. I also plan to self publish my first book later this year or early next year.

Do you do anything in addition to writing: I am a ghostwriter (technically also writing) for novels, plot ideas and short stories. Also host my blog Queendsheena.

Tell us a little about yourself: I am a proud Jamaican Christian Virgin Author. Love reading, wanted to be a writer from I was a kid (also an actress and ballerina once upon a time). Anything else you can check around my blog which is where you are now. Kisses!

What are you reading right now: Meg's Secret by Kelly Abell

Which authors influenced you most: Louise Bennett, Emily Dickenson and J.K. Rowling. I am also inspired by William Shakespeare who has written all kinds of amazing works and had a huge influence on the English Language.

Where can people connect with you?

Blog/Website: Queendsheena

Goodreads

Facebook

Author Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

AYA Forever Blog

AYA Website

Is there anything else you'd like us to know: I'm working on creating a new writing genre AYA (Adults for Young Adults). This genre is for characters age 27 and older but written for a young adult audience. Publishers claim that teenagers only want to read about other teenagers (authors have had to drop ages of characters to teenagers in order to get published within the young adult genre) and I hope this genre will expand and prove them wrong. I have a website and blog up as well as working on two titles specific to this genre.

P.S.: Ever wonder what became of the famous child painter in My Kid Could Paint That. Marla Olmstead is now a teenager and you can check out her website (click here).

Goal Hop Update

I have rebooted and I'm currently dealing with my AYA Blog and starting on my AYA novella Save My Soul. Happy to say that I'm back on track on making Adults for Young Adults (AYA) an official fiction genre for the masses. To find out more visit the AYA Website. Enjoy the rest of the week and I will not be posting again until Monday. But I will be around popping by on you guys blogs. Ciao.

One Wish Away Cover Reveal

Please Note: Click here for my Underrated Treasures Blogfest Post. Allow Follow Fest Post will be up tomorrow and will be last post for the week.

 

Today I'm excited to share in the reveal of Kelley Lynn's One Wish Away. I have been there from when this novel was an idea on her blog. So glad that not only is it realized but the book has been picked up by a publisher as great as Bloomsbury (Spark). Congrats Kelley and all readers should give this book a look see.

 

 

One Wish Away

by Kelley Lynn

Release Date: 11/11/14

Bloomsbury Spark

Book Summary:

Be careful what you wish for…

 

Lyra has always been ahead of the curve. Top of her class in school, a budding

astronomer, and with a best friend like Darren she barely has time to miss the

mother who abandoned her family years ago. She's too busy planning to follow in

her father's footsteps, and to become the youngest astronomer at Space

Exploration and Discovery.

 

When a star goes missing Lyra is determined to get to the bottom of it

only to discover her braniac dad is the mastermind of a top-secret

government experiment. They promise to build a perfect world, one galaxy at a

time, but with every tweak of the present, a bit more of the future starts to

crumble.

Lyra has to go undercover to reveal the truth and let humanity decide if

the consequences are worth more than wishing on a star.

 

About the Author


Eventually the day came when the voices in Kelley Lynn’s head were more

insistent then her engineering professor’s. So instead of turning to her

Thermodynamics book, Kelley brought up a blank page on her computer screen and

wrote. Somewhere along the way she became a Young Adult author.



Kelley was born and raised a Midwestern girl. She’s not afraid to sweat and

fills her free time with softball, soccer and volleyball. (Though you probably

don’t want her on your volleyball team.) She occasionally makes guest

appearances as a female vocalist for area bands. Music plays a large role in

her writing process as well as the characters and plot lines within her

stories.


You can find Kelley hanging out at her blog, titled in her name, as well as the

group blog she shares with her fellow critique partners, Falling for Fiction.

Kelley is a member of the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators.

 

Author Links:

   

Cover Reveal Organized by:

 

Underrated Treasures Blogfest and Express Yourself Meme

The Underrated Treasures Blogfest is hosted by Alex Cavanaugh.

Book: Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild: Such a lovely story about three girls determined to achieve their dreams and the reality that dreams are hard woprk no matter your age.

Movie: Superman Returns (2006) - So unfair it didn't get a sequel. Even the director Brian Singer was pissed off that the heads decided that the movie making around 400 mill wasn't enough for a sequel.

T.V. Show: The Tomorrow People: This new CW show only got one season because the greedy execs decided that it was cheaper to keep two dead shows than drop them and keep a new one not making over a million viewers on every go.

Band/Music: Moby - He is forever.


Express Yourself Meme

Sept 1-5: Meg's Secret, The Maze Runner

Sept 8-12: My bedroom

Sept 15-19: Books, movie ticket stubs

Sept 22-26: A writer and I'm doing it. Yay me!

Celebrating The Good Stuff

Another week of this fun meme and here are my happy points.

1. Finally finished that crazy ghostwriting assignment that was due. I was a bit late but it's done and accepted so everything turned out fine. Hair raising stressed out fine. But at least I didn't get to face the alternative.

2. I had a customer from months ago return for another order. It's great when you get throwback work. You just need to read through past files to immerse yourself back into the project.

3. A new customer has picked me up for a few orders after accepting what I did on a sample order. There are others who say they have accepted but haven't made any orders yet so yay on this one getting gear. That's how I get paid.

4. I get to rest today and get back to work in the evening. Yes!

5. I am much better today than last week. Still a little sick but I can move around and get work done. That's a plus in my book.

6. I got a twenty dollar hardcover book for ten bucks! I am saving but I couldn't pass that up. Plus I purchased Remake by Ilima Todd last week. My first hardcover purchase of a book written by my blogging buddy. Whoop!

Enjoy your weekend people. I finished up another writing assignment this morning and now I'm going to bed.

Got sick and AYA

Planned to write a book review over the weekend for today but last Thursday evening I was hit with a really bad bout of the flu. I had severe aches all over and horrid fatigue. No writing could get done and right now I'm finally seeing a break and I'm using it catch up on my ghostwriting work, two of which are due by tomorrow. So sadly I won't be able to post again until well...Thursday. No comments today as I'm off ghostwriting and trolling Facebook in between ideas. Also I posted a quick update yesterday on AYA Forever. Have a good one.

Getting Personal: Writing Business and 9/11

When I started this blog I wanted to get in touch with other writers and readers who enjoyed books as much as I did. I also had a huge priority on getting published. What writer doesn't want to see their work published by some big time publisher? Then I got into the idea of self publishing and even with my poetry being the only kind of writing I got paid for when I started this blog I still held unto that dream. But now things have changed.

Now don't panic I haven't turned into some book hater or anything. But with my freelance writing and ghost writing taking off and this year being a time where I'm setting my priorities straight I realize something. I have been forcing myself towards goals that I can't possibly accomplish right now. The Sacrifice Series (completely delayed and will not be spoken of until a new date is set) being just one of those. So I have decided to buckle down. Now I will not only talk about my writings less but I will prioritize so I can accomplish more. Writing is not just a hobby but my livelihood and if I want to make it profitable enough to be able to do it alone I need to get my head out of the clouds. My blog will still have book reviews, blog hops, personal posts and all other fancies I will like to share.

Now I have decided to focus on a new writing venture which you can read about on my Facebook Author Post from this morning. All I will say is that it is a two part novelette that veers away from the past books I planned on writing. But it is still within a category I love and I can't wait to share more with you. But I will.

Also I am buckling down on getting my AYA Genre started. As of Monday September 15 I will be posting on my AYA Forever Blog two Mondays per month.

9/11

While today many Americans and others all over the world recall the tragedy that happened September 11, 2001. I want to remind everyone that we have one wonderful thing to always look forward to. The future, it is always spotless no matter what happened in the past or the present. Remember that. See you guys and I will post again next Tuesday.

Photo Credit: Kakisky @ Morguefile

Sunflower Tribute for Tina Downey

Today we remember Tina Downey. While I was unfortunately unable to get a sun flower I still have a few words. Tina's passing came as a complete surprise to me because unfortunately due to my father's  laptop being stolen in May I had limited online access and after that I had few chances to visit blogs. I had last gone to Tina's blog in May during the A-Z Blogging Challenge. She was showing off her Swedish Heritage and had all sorts of interesting stories. Tina was a kind person and though I only knew her through blogging and comments she came off as a sweet woman. When I finally found out she had died through Mark Koopman's blog, August was over and I cried. It is sad to lose a member of our blogging family and even sadder I didn't have the time to know her better. Alex Cavanaugh has said wonderful things about her including how instrumental she was to this year's A-Z Blogging Challenge. I did a post Celebrating Tina Downey in her memory and I'm glad to be a part of this Sunflower Tribute today. Goodbye Tina, we love you and may every sunflower bloom a little brighter in your memory.

Morguefile Photo Credit: Schick

Getting Personal and IWSG: It is Always Worth It to Follow Your Dreams

This month I'm not only taking part in IWSG but I'm also a co-host. This is my second time co-hosting this monthly event and it is exciting to help out with such a fun meme that gathers so many of us together. Happy Third Anniversary IWSG.

I was still wondering what to write about when I read Laura M Wavy Lines Blog post on Monday and saw a quote that caught my eye.

If you love what you do and are willing to do what it takes, it's within your reach. And it'll be worth every minute you spend alone at night, thinking and thinking about what it is you want to design or build. It'll be worth it, I promise. - Steve Wozniak

{Steve Wozniak}

I was always the blacksheep in my family. Usually the black sheep is typified as some angry teen smoking pot or committing so petty or worse crime or something. But I wasn't like that. First off I had no interest doing drugs, I decided at a young age to never smoke or drink alcohol and still keep that decision even today. I tried a quick taste of some so called strawberry vodka earlier in the year (I poured some in a bottle cap, yup) and quickly felt like I was a dragon with a hint of strawberry aftertaste. NEVER AGAIN! Second I have no intention on going to prison. I however played the shocking role of unambitious teenage daughter who wanted to be a writer and willing to work in whatever job I could find that wasn't based off money and not be in an office setting if I could avoid it. Oh the scandal! My parents tried to force me into a different direction including pushing me to do CXC Accounting which I failed. When it came to education after high school they turned down going to Edna Manley because it was an Art School. I was literally forced to apply to a University I didn't want to go to (my mother actually draped me up to make me sign the application form, no joke) and the fiasco only ended after I became severely depressed and suicidal. Fast Forward to today I'm the University drop out while my brother got his degree and has gone into banking and my sister is getting a degree involving Computers. Please note, I'm the oldest. Right now I'm technically between jobs but I am earning money ghostwriting (which my parents will never consider a job). Also since I consider myself a writer I know that I'm not really unemployed. Like all my siblings we still live at home though I'm working on getting out which is looking brighter since my ghostwriting jobs have picked up since a big dip when I had to take a break most of June due to no access to a computer (meaning no one besides my dad - his got stolen in May- would lend me one even after my new computer this May turned out to be a scam that it took til July to get my money back. By then I had other expenses to pay so I'm just now starting to save for a computer again. Good news I'm nearly $100 USD). It has been a long road, I lost contact with most of friends from high school thanks to parental isolation and I recently have been trying to reconnect.

What is the point of all this you might wonder? Pursuing your dream will not always land you in the best position. If I had followed my parents set path I would have a degree and a steady well paying paycheck. On the flip side I had sworn to myself during a dark period that if I were to get stuck in a job I hated that I would save enough money to pay for my own funeral then kill myself. So maybe that path would have been a dead end (literally).

But I don't regret pursuing what I truly love. Regulars on my blog know I love writing and sharing with fellow writers and readers a lot. Life without writing or reading books seems barren to me. And even now I would rather die happy than life a long life of regret and misery. So while there are still challenges to overcome and I am yet to get my own laptop/tablet, Steve is right about pursuing what you love being worth it. I am alive now writing and happy. Compared to wanting to really off myself at age nineteen/twenty that is quite a game changer. So I say pursue your dreams and do what you love. Don't ever go along with something that makes you want to curl up and die. Seriously, the money and diploma aint worth it if you are empty or more so dead.

P.S.: Parents don't try to force your kids into doing something you know they hate and those who support their children you will be rewarded in spades. I promise.