Reflection: A-Z Blogging Challenge

In April 2013 I took part in the A-Z Blogging Challenge and in the end I survived it making it through all twenty-six letters in one month.

Now it's May and time to reflect on this challenge. 2013 was my first foray into the A-Z Blogging Challenge and I learned the insanity of it is not just writing the posts but also visiting other blogs, reading them and leaving comments. But I enjoyed all of it, despite the tiring times and frustrations I'm happy to say the benefits far outweigh the hard work and stress. What benefits you ask? I'll list four.

1. Finding new blogs and bloggers. Including Erin Shakespeare.

2. Increase in readership and followers.

3. Challenging myself and following a theme straight to the end.

4. Being a part of something so major, well done and loved. Arlee Bird created something special and the co-host and A-Z team help keep it all together and running smoothly.

What I didn't like? My pet peeves were people posting non-related A-Z posts in the middle of the challenge and sites that didn't work properly and CAPTCHA.

My theme this year was my upcoming novella Sacrifice Her (Fall 2013). I plan to self-publish and in April I filled my posts with many things relating to the characters, city and culture within the story. Readers responded positively and I'm happy to say I did both a great job in getting all my posts out and doing some much needed early promotion. O is for Old World and A is for Age received the most comments and I nearly lost my mind when my just over one-hundred followers blog hit the two hundred mark. Then passed it. Thank you A-Z Blogging Challenge.

So at the end of the day I did it. While I'm not participating again next year I must say doing so this year was both fulfilling and worthwhile. What about you?

To post your own reflection go here.

IWSG: A-Z Blogging Challenge and Cover Reveal: You Are Mine by Janeal Falor

Please Note: Getting Personal will be back next Thursday. Friday will have it's usual post then it's back to business as of Monday.

Today is the day after the A-Z Blogging Challenge. For the month of April hundreds of participants chose a topic to write about for twenty-six days using the letters of the alphabet. I chose to write about upcoming (Fall 2013) novella Sacrifice Her. My first foray into the challenge proved to be extremely rewarding. I gained many followers and even past the 200 mark. Ironically the 200th follower was Arlee Bird, the creator of this challenge. Also I had a lot of comments and readers enjoyed the tidbits I shared about the characters and culture in Sacrifice Her.

The challenge made me buckle down and rediscover what my book was about and I also found a lot of cool bloggers in the process. All doubts and insecurity melt away when I see what I've accomplished during A-Z Blogging Challenge. So for this month's IWSG I'm proud to say that I feel reinvigorated and while I have no plans to take part in the A-Z Blogging Challenge next year, I'm so glad I did this year. Congrats to all participants, you picked such lovely and sometimes great topics and it was great following your process from beginning to end. Special thank you to creator Arlee Bird and everyone who read and/or commented on my posts for the challenge.

Cover Reveal: You Are Mine

Today I'm revealing the cover for Janeal Falor's You are Mine. This tour is hosted by Xpresso Book Tours.

You Are Mine by Janeal Falor
Series: Mine, #1
Publication date:  May 6th 2013
Genre: YA Fantasy

Synopsis:

Serena knows a few simple things. She will always be owned by a warlock. She will never have freedom. She will always do what her warlock wishes, regardless of how inane, frivolous, or cruel it is. And if she doesn’t follow the rules, she will be tarnished. Spelled to be bald, inked, and barren for the rest of her life– worth less than the shadow she casts.

Then her ownership is won by a barbarian from another country. With the uncertainty that comes from belonging to a new warlock, Serena questions if being tarnished is really worse than being owned by a barbarian, and tempts fate by breaking the rules. When he looks the other way instead of punishing her, she discovers a new world. The more she ventures into the forbidden, the more she learns of love and a freedom just out of reach. Serena longs for both. But in a society where women are only ever property, hoping for more could be deadly.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17406760-you-are-mine?ac=1

AUTHOR BIO (no author picture)

Janeal Falor lives in Utah where she’s finally managed to live in the same house for more than five years without moving. In her spare time she reads books like they’re nuts covered in caramel and chocolate, cooks whatever strikes her fancy, and enjoys the outdoors. Her husband and three children try to keep up with her overactive imagination. Usually they settle for having dinner on the table, even if she’s still going on about the voices in her head.

Author links:

Website / Goodreads /  Twitter

Z is for Zenith

 © Gagarinart | Dreamstime Stock Photos &Stock Free Images

As the A-Z Blogging Challenge draws to a close, those who stuck with it to the end can bask in their achievement (including myself). The Fallen still tried and I wish them the best. The drop outs (those who never started) might have better luck next year.

Zenith is defined as the time when something (or someone) is at their most powerful/successful.

Sacrifice Her's  zenith will be Fall 2013 when it's released for the world to see. Until then, thank you to all who popped by and a special thanks to those who commented throughout this challenge. *Bows*

P.S.: Isn't the pic for this post perfect for both the ending and the word zenith?

Y is for Yesterday

 © Dnf-style | Dreamstime Stock Photos &Stock Free Images

Yesterday is something each character views differently in Sacrifice Her.

Just yesterday Kale was alone with his camel and then a dehydrated girl crosses his path.

Deidra was about to be sacrificed and she recalled her own yesterdays as a servant living a Middle Class life.

Lord Brinn probably wished the next day never came so that he wouldn't have to chase a runaway sacrifice through the desert.

But yesterday is gone and all these characters can look to is the future. What kind? You;ll have to wait until Fall 2013 to find out.

X is for Xenophobia

 © Melis82 | Dreamstime Stock Photos &Stock Free Images

Xenophobia - definition: strong and unreasonable dislike or fear of people from other countries.

Faux City was created as an oasis for it's people. Going outside it's walls is widely considered both dangerous and unnecessary. When Deidra meets Kale, she doesn't care where he's from because he saves her life (from dehydration). Likewise Kale who's linked with the Old World and knows about diversity, is happy to find someone he can teach about the past.

But if Lord Brinn catches up with them will he be able to view Kale with an open mind. Or will xenophobia take hold because of lack of contact with anything (and anyone) outside the walls of Faux City and it's people?

W is for Worship

 © Felixcasio | Dreamstime Stock Photos &Stock Free Images

Bane doesn't ask for worship, he demands it. Maidens and Men of Gore do several rituals in worship and Faux City appeases him by among other things doing yearly human sacrifices.

V is for Victorious

 © Dr.alex | Dreamstime Stock Photos &Stock Free Images

Who will be victorious in Sacrifice Her? Will ir be  Deidra? Or maybe Lord Brinn. What of Kale and his goals? The citizens of Faux City? What about Bane: God of Gore?

Find out the answer this fall and be prepared to see who's victorious and who has to face defeat.

U is for Ursula Thyme

 © Mablebee | Dreamstime Stock Photos &Stock Free Images

Ursula Thyme is the reason Deidra escapes and goes on the run. As top class she's supposed to be the most gracious and accepting of the yearly human sacrifices. But she only pretended to be then literally pulls Deidra into an escape plan by using an exit Irth had told her family about.

While Ursula's not a main character, her decision to try and escape is the reason Deidra was able to escape death and go on the run.

T is for Take Five

 © Lisja | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

Everyone needs a break and today Sacrifice Her, my A-Z Blogging Challenge theme will Take Five. You can peek at The Sacrifice Series Page or the My Books Board on my Pinterest account for everything about Sacrifice Her. Have a great day everyone.

S is for (The) Sacrifice Series

 © Laylandmasuda | Dreamstime Stock Photos& Stock Free Images

The Sacrifice Series is ten dystopian novellas about teens who find themselves in a situation where they're made to choose between sacrificing themselves or running away/refusing to do so. Each novella has a different story and I plan to start publishing them Fall 2013 and complete the series by the end of 2014. Sacrifice Her is coming Fall 2013 and hopefully three others will be self-published as well before or early 2014.

Below are blurbs for the first two. Click here for the rest:


Sacrifice Her (Book 1)

Deidra Moore is to be sacrificed with a group of her fellow citizens. But she escapes and runs for the open desert outside the city wall. This doesn't bode well with the God of Gore who orders the leader Lord Brinn to return the runaway sacrifice or face annihilation  Can Deidra escape the threat of forces she doesn't believe in? When she meets a wanderer named Kale things only get more complicated.

The Choice (Book 2)

Jessica Hatfield lives a life of decadence  She gets up everyday to be pampered and cared for. At age fifteen she will be sacrificed. She wants to but what of those who don't?

Joseph Rowe doesn't believe in The Giving. A ceremony in which every year two teens are sacrificed after living fifteen years of luxury. Refusal means banishment to the wastelands and no return to Chance City. Can he really go against what he was raised to do? To believe?

R is for River Women

 © Pescarus | Dreamstime Stock Photos &Stock Free Images

This time I'll let Lord Brinn explain about River Women. This quote is taken from an interview he did last year on this blog.

Lord Brinn: Long ago before my generation's time. We were cared for by another god. I will not call her name but we disrespected her and lost her blessings. She was merciful enough not to destroy us but she left my ancestors to the mercies of other gods and supernatural elements which harm anything or anyone left unprotected. For a time my people were slaves to the The River Women. Able to transform into sea creatures, they were terrible masters to my people who once lived on an island. You see being surrounded by water left us at their mercy and those who tried to escape had their boats smashed to bits and were eaten by the River Women and their children which were creatures of the sea.

For the full interview click here.

Q is for Quest

 © Kittycat | Dreamstime Stock Photos &Stock Free Images

While highly secretive it is known that some citizens have been exempted from being made human sacrifices by completing special quests. The details of these quests are never revealed. Even the revelation of the quest's existence are just tiny snippets in Sacrifice Her.

P is for Punishmment

 © Ginaellen | Dreamstime Stock Photos &Stock Free Images

Punishment is something feared in Sacrifice Her. Lord Brinn fears for Faux City, Deidra runs for her life and Kale feels it's his duty to help revitalize a world that was almost completely destroyed by war.

O is for Old World

 © Papatya | Dreamstime Stock Photos &Stock Free Images

Old World would be like what we have in the 21st century. With many conveniences thanks to technology and other innovations. After the Nuclear Wars many things like airplanes, cellphones and the internet became a thing of the past. By the time Kale meets Deidra in Sacrifice Her, she has no idea what any of these things are. Whether her people's ancestor's from after the Nuclear Wars intentionally decided to leave this information out for their descendants or something more mysterious was involved is unknown.

N is for Nuclear Wars

 © Melis82 | Dreamstime Stock Photos &Stock Free Images

The Nuclear Wars (five in all) are what tore the Old World apart. The first war started when disputes between several countries. After the first attack happened, other countries either saw an opportunity to attack their enemies or decimate weaker allies.

In Sacrifice Her, Kale says one major reason the Nuclear Wars was greed for oil.

No matter who started it in the end much of the world was destroyed and many people left displaced. This lead to a lot of people going into survival mode since the technology that helped them so much in the past was gone.

Resulting in people becoming susceptible to superstition and manipulation, many versions of how the world ended up fractured developed. In Sacrifice Her, Faux City has their own version with Bane saving their ancestors from The River Women.

M is for Maidens and Men of Gore

 © Kristina0488 | Dreamstime Stock Photos &Stock Free Images

Maidens and Men of Gore are citizens selected from birth to act as earthly representatives for Bane (think of them as ancient priests and priestesses but for a violent blood lust god). They do rituals as worship including bloodletting to drain their sin, death matches and dancing after drinking concoctions said to bring them closer to their god. When chosen, an infant is taken from their family and never seen again until they're several years older.

Lord Brinn is tasked with bringing back Deidra when Bane speaks through one of the maidens.

Disputes of the legitimacy of Bane have been raised. But after questioning the honesty of the Maidens and Men of Gore, several who voiced it publicly were found murdered. Silencing further dispute.

L is for Lord Brinn

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Lord Brinn is the main antagonist in Sacrifice Her. Being nineteen, he's the youngest ruler in Faux City history but his leadership skills and family line of great rulers and men of worth is unrivaled. After Deidra's escapes, the blonde is personally charged with the task of returning her alive to complete the sacrifice. His determination to capture her plays a huge role in the novella and the final outcome.

Orion Brinn is also a family man. With a wife and three children (two sons, one daughter). He is top class and comes from a rich, well connected and educated family line. As ruler, he and his immediate family are exempt from being chosen as human sacrifices. In Faux City immediate family for the married include the husband/wife, their children, the married couple's parents and siblings. But in Lord Brinn's case his wife's family isn't exempted from human sacrifices.

Lord Orion Brinn has the duty of taking care of Faux City and ensuring Bane: God of Gore is appeased. Love him or hate him, he has to make hard decisions as ruler.

K is for Kale

 

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Kale is a wanderer that Deidra meets in the desert. Kale is his wandering name and it originates from Hawaii. He both mystifies and intrigues Deidra. His coloured skin is something she takes notice of since she has only seen Caucasians all her life. Also his knowledge of a time called Old World piques her interest. But as his feelings for the beautiful girl he saved in the desert intensifies, things get heated for the handsome eighteen year old.

Kale has made it his life mission to go out into the world and spread the message of the Old World. The Nuclear Wars destroyed so much and he only hopes to help the lost and downtrodden rise up and create a new and better world.

Initially when I created Kale he was more of a pessimist thinking that the world was rotten and needed to end. But as Sacrifice Her progressed I decided that the negative attitude had to go and ended up with a positive thinking Kale instead. No regrets from my end.

J is for Justice

 

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Justice is a fickle thing in Sacrifice Her. Everyone has their own definition of how justice would serve them.

For Faux City citizens, it's to correct Deidra's running off and leaving them to God of Gore's wrath. Justice for them would be Deidra's return so that the sacrifice can be completed.

Deidra wants to be left alone and not think of Gods or being sacrificed. Receiving justice would mean being allowed to live her life as a free person. Hopefully with her family again. But as the book progresses, priorities change.

Kale wants to spread the news of the Old World in hopes of revitalizing countries to their former glory and also keep Deidra safe. Justice by his definition would include punishing those who started the Nuclear Wars and for Deidra to be left alone.

Lord Brinn wants to keep Faux City safe. Justice would be capturing Deidra and completing the sacrifice. Also he'd hope to be able to convince Bane to drop the number of sacrifices required to single digits.

I is for Irth

                  Free Photo Gallery | Nature | 20110813121001-c16275db

Irth is a cleaner who told Ursula's father how she could escape from being sacrificed. As a cleaner he had the job of cleaning up debris and non structural damage outside the homes and buildings of Faux City. This young adult lower class male was also among a trusted few secreted outside the city's walls late at night to help maintain it.

Indebted to the Thyme family, he passed the information about a weakness in the wall in exchange of being declared debt free. In Sacrifice Her he's only mentioned by Ursula and makes no direct appearance. But his decision to help give Ursula a chance to escape and plays a pivotal role in facilitating Deidra's escape.